Fifth Regret (Heaven Sent Book 5) Read online

  He took a deep breath as if he wanted to delay his response.

  She stepped closer to him. “Troy, did you tell him anything? Did you threaten him?”

  “I told him only what he needed to hear.”

  “And what did he need to hear?”

  “That man is a fucking dangerous person to be around. He’s more dangerous to you than I am.” He stiffened. “Do you realize this?”

  Her short nails dug into the palm of her hand. She fought the urge to hit him. “That man is getting rid of demons who hurt people. Those demons destroy lives, rape, and murder. Andrew is trying to do something good. So he’s not perfect. Nobody is. But he tries to make amends for his mistakes.”

  “Does he? He seems to make a lot of them.”

  “Fuck you!” The words flew out of her mouth. “And for the record, I’m in love with him.”

  “Then you’re in love with a fucking fool who will bury you six feet deep.”

  Her cheeks warmed. She’d never wanted to hurt him before, but she did now. They’d been through a lot in the twenty years they’d known each other. He’d helped her become a strong independent person, a fighter, and had saved her ass from getting hurt more times than she could count. But he’d crossed a line this time.

  “I will make my own decisions. It’s not up to you to make any for me,” she gritted out between her teeth.

  He moved closer to her face. “I didn’t make any fucking choices for you. He did. Because he cares about you, he left. He knows the type of person you are just as much as I do. You are too fucking hard headed to see the risks you take. You’re the only one who can’t see the fucking truth.”

  She stepped back as she processed his heated words. So Andrew had left because he didn’t believe she could stay true to her word. He loved her so much he didn’t want her to get hurt because he knew she’d do whatever it would take to stop the demons and help him.

  “You need to come to New York with me until your back is healed. If you want to leave after you’re better, than by all means, leave. I won’t stop you. But you need to stop taking risks, and that includes with me. Find somewhere to settle down, meet a normal man, and fuck to your heart’s content.”

  Her thoughts were spinning out of control. Andrew had left days ago. The bastard actually walked away from her. And Troy had encouraged him.

  Her heart wanted to leap from her chest. Andrew loved her so much he would do anything for her, even if it meant leaving to prevent her from getting hurt. The gesture was sweet, but it pissed her off. It wasn’t his place to make decisions for her. She’d planned to change, to work with him and not solo. What happened in Mexico had been enough for her to realize she shouldn’t get involved with matters unless she had help. She wasn’t Wonder Woman, not that she’d ever thought she was.

  She ambled in the room as she considered what to do. She wanted to find Andrew. She wanted make him understand she wouldn’t do anything to risk her life again. If he’d give her a chance, she could convince him how much she loved him and wouldn’t do anything to destroy what they shared. First, she wanted to beat his ass for losing faith in her and leaving. That part hurt her the worst.

  “So he didn’t say where he was going?” she asked.

  “No.”

  Her mind raced, trying to figure out how to find him. The answer came in a flash. “His arm. What was on his arm?”

  “It had a bandage on it.”

  The life drained out of her. She wanted to puke. If his arm had been covered, then nobody would have seen where he planned to go. Oh God, she’d never find him.

  A knock at the door captured her attention. Shocked by the turn of events, she stared at the door. Troy opened it.

  “How’s she doing?” Matt asked as he entered the hotel, wearing khaki pants and a dark-blue shirt. He met her gaze. “Oh. Are you okay?”

  “No. I’m far from okay and it has nothing to do with my back.”

  Troy came to stand near Matt. “I told her he left.”

  “Oh.” Matt said in a low tone.

  Emily walked around the sofa and approached him. “Do you have any idea where he went? Did he say anything to you?”

  Matt looked at Troy.

  “If you know anything, I recommend you keep it to yourself. He left for a reason, a very good one. I think you know that,” Troy said.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” she said, exasperated to Troy. “I know you encouraged him to leave. You sure as hell wouldn’t stop him. You don’t want me to find him. Do you?”

  “You’re fucking right I don’t. I want you to live a normal life and so does he,” Troy barked at her.

  “I liked the life I had with him. I was happy!”

  “Were you happy getting whipped or your fingers broken?”

  “Fuck you, Troy!”

  He glared at her as he shook his head. “You’re lucky I care about you.”

  Nausea began to rise within her as a sense of defeat rolled through her. Troy wouldn’t help her find Andrew. By the way he acted, he would do anything to stop her. She hated to think she might lose him as a friend, but if she had to choose between him and Andrew, she would. She’d hate to do it, but maybe the time had come to do so.

  She took a long breath, trying to calm her rattled nerves. Matt stayed out of their way, watching and waiting. His silence led her to believe he knew something about Andrew. Troy refused to help her, but maybe Matt would.

  Emily moved closer to Troy. “You’ve always been a dear friend. I appreciate everything you’ve taught me, the times you’ve saved me… But I want to live my own life and I want it to be with Andrew.”

  “I will not stand by as your friend and watch you die because of him,” Troy said in a composed tone.

  “I’m going to find him with or without your help.”

  “I will not help you now or ever again. If you go after him, we’re done.”

  Emily stared into his dark eyes. He looked like a man with intense strength and determination, the type of man she’d long to have as a best friend. Andrew had the same qualities, but he also had love and compassion. Troy had neither. Troy had loyalty in place of love. She realized it now.

  “I will always be grateful for everything you’ve done for me. My loyalty to you will never change. But I am going to find Andrew. I love him and I want to be with him,” she said as peacefully as she could.

  “Do you want to die for him?” Troy asked.

  “I’m not going to take risks that will endanger my life. I can’t. I won’t. But if a bullet came his way, yeah, I’d jump in front of it. I would die for him. I would do the same for you because you are a brother to me.”

  “He left because he knows as well as I do that you won’t change and what he has to do is dangerous.”

  “I will change.” She started to cross her arms until she felt the skin on her back tug from the stitches. “And it pisses me off that you two don’t believe that I can.”

  “I’d rather have you pissed off than dead.”

  “I’m going to find him.”

  “Then I’m leaving. I won’t help you kill yourself.”

  He stared at her with a steadfast gaze. If this were a pissing contest, he would win. She dreaded the thought of losing him as a friend, but her heart belonged to Andrew. She wanted a happy future, not one filled with trouble and turmoil. She’d seen enough to last more than a lifetime.

  “Fine,” she finally said.

  He moved closer to her. “I mean it too. I will not help you anymore. And I don’t want to hear from you, ever.”

  She swallowed a wave of sadness threatening to erupt. She would not beg him to remain friends. Either he wanted to or he didn’t. It seemed he didn’t. “I understand.”

  He turned away from her and gathered his belongs from the sofa. “Matt will take you to get your Jeep. I will call a cab from the office.”

  Her heart sank a notch as she watched him walk to the door, bag in one hand and computer case at his side with the stra
p across his chest. They’d had a long history together and he was ready to leave it all behind because he believed she was heading down a destructive path with Andrew. And he’d claimed she was hard headed.

  “Troy,” she said.

  He stopped and met her gaze. Her heart rapped fast as she approached him.

  “Why can’t we still be friends?”

  “Friends listen and help each other. I don’t want to listen about your problems, and I refuse to help you get out of them. Therefore, we can’t be friends.”

  “After everything we’ve been through…” Tears filled her eyes.

  “Ancient history.”

  How could he be so cold, so emotionless? But he’d always been that way. He’d been kind to her and cared for her because they’d helped each other over the years. Now, he was ready to turn his back on her and forget about their friendship. Maybe he’d always known this day would come. She shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was. A tear ran down her cheek.

  “I will not watch you die, Emily.”

  She inhaled a shaky breath and wiped her face. She didn’t want to say goodbye, but she refused to follow the kind of life Troy led. She belonged with Andrew.

  “Take care of yourself.” She gave him a kiss on his cheek.

  He clenched his jaw. “You too.”

  She held back her sorrow as he walked out the door. Once he left, she buried her face in her hands and cried. Andrew was gone and now Troy. She’d never felt so alone in her entire miserable life.

  “Do you want to sit down for a bit?” Matt asked in a soft voice.

  Emily wiped her face. She had to gather her strength and move on, just like she’d done in Chicago. Only this time, she had to prove herself to a man she loved. If he truly loved her, which she believed he did, then he had to have struggled to leave her. He had to be missing her. She could make amends to gain his trust again, after she kicked his ass for losing faith in her.

  She cleared her throat. “Do you know where Andrew went?”

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I really don’t want to get in the middle of anything.”

  His answer lifted her spirit. By not answering her question, she suspected he had information about Andrew’s whereabouts. “Take me to my Jeep. Let’s talk on the way.”

  Chapter Five

  Andrew parked on the side of the road, one street over from the demon’s two-story house. The neighborhood consisted of a mixture of ranch and multilevel homes, and all appeared to have been built in the sixties or seventies. Many properties were in bad shape with overgrown yards, dirty or faded vinyl siding, decaying or rusted fences, and crumbling driveways and sidewalks. The tall tree in the demon’s yard hung over the top of the house. The shrubs by the front windows and on each side of the garage needed trimmed too. A black sedan sat on the side of the road close to his house while another junkier vehicle had been parked next to the police cruiser on the driveway.

  There’s no chance of breaking into his home to kill him. The fence is too tall and he might have a dog in the back, imaginary Emily said.

  “He also has security lighting and cameras near the main entrance and garage. I can’t go near his house without being caught on a camera.”

  He’s a cop. He likes to take extra precautions.

  “Why? What does he have to be afraid of?”

  Good question. What would a bad cop be scared of?

  “I don’t think he’s scared of thieves. My guess is he has something to hide.”

  He could be a drug dealer and he’s storing drugs.

  “Maybe.”

  Andrew cut the ignition. The air conditioning ceased blowing from the vents. He hoped he wouldn’t have to stay parked too long without the cool breeze. With the early morning sun blazing and high humidity, the inside of his car would turn into a sauna in less than an hour.

  Leaning back in his seat, he rested his elbow on the door and rubbed his temple. “I don’t know how to get to this one, Em. If I’m caught killing him, I will be hunted down and labeled a cop killer.”

  So you wait and follow him more. Be patient.

  “You know I have little of that.” He sighed heavily. “What would you do?”

  I’d stick to your original plan. Find out where he frequents besides his home and the station. Obviously you can’t go near those two places. There has to be somewhere else he visits.

  “I followed him to the gym the first day I was here.”

  You could get a membership at the gym and make friends with him.

  “I don’t think that would work. I saw his buddies. Since I’m not in law enforcement or a woman, I don’t think I’d fit in with his crowd.”

  Andrew had sat in his car and watched through the windows into the gym. The demon and his two friends had spent more time chatting and flirting instead of building muscle. Every time a thin young lady walked by, they said something to gather the gal’s attention. He assumed the two guys worked with the demon since they left in separate marked police vehicles.

  You could be a trainer at the gym.

  “I don’t think he needs any kind of training.”

  You could be my trainer. Show me a few … things. Maybe help me become more flexible.

  He started to grin. “You know I’d love to do that.”

  The front door to the demon’s house opened. Deon Franklin, AKA demon, strode outside dressed in his dark-blue uniform and carrying a duffle bag. The man was taller and bulkier than Andrew. The demon also had a bald head and dark skin tone. He headed to the police cruiser parked on the driveway. A tall teenage boy with a colored aura strode from the home. He’d dressed in an oversize sports jersey and pants hanging below his hips. The teen headed toward the demon.

  Andrew leaned closer to the steering wheel and window, trying to get a better view. He’d parked too far to be able to read lips. The demon opened the door to his car and then tossed his bag inside. He dug into his front pocket as the boy continued talking. The demon withdrew what looked like a wallet. He unfolded it before removing several bills from inside. He shook his head as he put the money in the boy’s palm. The boy backed away, saying something to the demon.

  Why do you think he gave him money?

  “Maybe for lunch at school.”

  Andrew rubbed his tired eyes and tried to focus better. He’d spent over ten hours lying in bed and resting, yet he still felt drained. Only when he’d been sick in the past had he stayed in bed for so long. He didn’t have to be a genius to realize he had a touch of depression.

  The demon settled into the police car. After he backed out of the driveway, he proceeded down the street.

  Andrew followed at a distance, but tracking the demon on the main road proved to be a challenge in the early morning traffic. Fortunately, the strip of lights on top of the cruiser made the vehicle easier to find in the plethora of cars.

  Twenty minutes later, Andrew turned into a business lot across the street from the police station. He parked in a spot where he could see cops coming and going from the back entrance and where the majority of cruisers sat idle.

  “He works odd hours. When I arrived the first evening, he’d worked a night shift. I didn’t get to follow him yesterday. Maybe he had the day off.” Andrew cut the ignition.

  The only way to know more about him is to stalk him.

  Andrew leaned on the side of his door and sighed. “Stalking is boring without you.” He yawned.

  You need more rest, especially if you plan to keep up with his varied work schedule.

  “I’ll try, but all I can think about is you. I worry about you. I want to know how you’re doing.”

  I’m pissed off at you. How could you leave me in the condition I was in?

  “I’m sorry, Em. I’m so sorry.” He closed his eyes. One day he would to get a chance to apologize to her. He hoped she would forgive him.

  A thump nearby and a roar of an engine brought Andrew’s eyelids up. He lifted his head and found the car parked next to him had lef
t. Another one a few spaces over had started to back out of the spot. Across the street, a few police cruisers had disappeared. Realizing he’d dozed off, he quickly searched for the demon’s vehicle where he’d last seen it. Lucky for him, the car was in the same spot. To confirm it was the right one, he saw the numbers 312 on the roof, the same digits he’d seen earlier when the cruiser had been parked at the demon’s house.

  Sweat had formed above Andrew’s brow. He wiped it away with his arm. His clothes felt damp too. He turned the key in the ignition. Cool air shot at him. A glimpse at the clock indicated he’d napped for over an hour.

  He wiped his eyes to clear away the sleepiness. Blinking, he spotted the demon walking out of the police station with two other men. The demon reached his vehicle alone. The other guys slipped into separate cars as well. Andrew waited for all three to leave the station before he pulled out of the lot to follow the demon.

  From the city, Andrew drove on the interstate. He had to speed to keep up with the demon. Andrew slowed when the marked car exited to a small town. The demon passed through the central part with older buildings on both sides of the street. The cruiser turned into an alley near a grocery store on a corner. Since Andrew would be spotted if he followed, he pulled into the store’s lot. It had another exit on the far side. Free from shoppers, he sped toward it. He reached a small road separating the businesses from homes. Andrew steered in the direction he’d come from.

  Driving at a snail’s pace, he reached the alley. The demon stood in front of his cruiser, talking to a woman who had a cigarette in her hand. She had long blondish-brown curly locks and wore a short blue dress with an apron in front. Once he made it past the alley, Andrew picked up speed and continued around the block.

  What do you think he was doing?

  “I don’t know, but he seems to talk to a lot of women.”

  Do you know if he’s married?

  “No, but I think he is. I think the teenager was his son.”

  You really need to learn more about him. Get on Facebook.

  Andrew drove up the same street, heading to the grocery on the corner. He passed the alley at a normal speed and saw the cop car hadn’t moved. Once again, Andrew steered into the store’s parking lot. He pulled into the first vacated spot.