Page 82 of Cruel Ice

This time, Declan was the one to shake his head.

“What does that mean?” Marley whispered.

It means you are going to learn that I have more than a few bodies shoved in the ground.

“I’m not your enemy. I don’t want you dead. Fuck me, but I think of you as my friend, Declan.” Cade slanted a glance at Hunter. “You, too, asshole. Even though you’re pointing a gun at me, I still think you’re my friend. And with friends like you two pricks, why the hell do I need enemies?”

Silence. Tension.

“If I wanted Declan dead,” Cade continued as his shoulders thrust back, “I’ve had plenty of opportunities. That’s not what I want.” His stare returned to Declan. “I’m not behind the attacks. But I do have some news for you about who might be.”

“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Marley muttered. “Share with the group.”

“I like her,” Cade said. Then he clarified, “Most days.” He scraped a hand over his jaw. “I talked to the lead guard on the lobby level. Called him at his house. I wanted to know if he’d seen anyone who didn’t belong around here last night. He said a police detective was here. Wanting entrance to the building a little after ten p.m. Guy flashed his badge. Tried to act like he was on official business, but Fitz isn’t a fool. He also knows he’d get his ass fired if he ever let cops stroll through your building without a warrant.”

“Who was the cop?” Declan asked. But, come on, he already knew. It had to be?—

“Parker Ellis,” Cade revealed. “Fitz told me he knew some cop from Georgia didn’t have jurisdiction here. He told the copno way was he getting in without a warrant. He thought the cop left.” Cade’s eyes glinted. “I’m figuring he just found another way inside.”

Parker has a motive. He has the skills to do the hits. And he was from Augusta. Now, the prick is in my town, and he was at my building last night.The evidence seemed to be piling up against Parker.

I also just don’t like the bastard because he’s stuck on Marley.

“Want me to hunt him down?” Cade asked. “I do enjoy that kind of work.”

Yeah, he knew that Cade did. Tracking was his specialty. “Find him,” Declan ordered. “Bring him to my house. It’s time for a long one-on-one chat with the detective.”

“Is ‘chat’ another way of saying we’re putting him in the ground?” The question came from Hunter. “Because I like to plan out my full day in advance. And so far, this day isnotgoing according to any plan I had.”

It wasn’t going according to Declan’s plan, either. Nearly getting blown into a thousand bits hadn’t been on the agenda. “Bring him to my house,” Declan repeated. “Go together,” he told Hunter and Cade with a wave of his left hand. “Track him. Find him. Secure him. I don’t want the guy in the wind. Eyesweresupposed to be on him.” Anger seethed in his words. “Somehow those eyes lost him when he hit Chicago.” A point he hadn’t been able to mention to Marley until now.

“Uh, you had eyes on him?” Cade frowned. A furrow appeared between his brows. “Why didn’t you give that job to me? You know that when it comes to stalking, there is no one better.”

Yes, normally, that would have been Cade’s job but… “I thought you might be a murdering SOB who wanted me dead. So I had to give the job to someone else in security.”

Cade straightened. “And am I still on the suspect list?”

Yeah, you are.But… “Don’t know why you’d wait so long for your vengeance if you wanted me dead. You could have killed me on day one. I gave you the opportunity. Met you alone in my office. Was unarmed. It was after hours.” He ticked off all the pertinent details for that initial meeting. “You could have blown a bullet into my brain and walked out.”

Cade seemed to pale. “Always wondered a bit about that meeting. Thought it might have been a test. That you had someone hiding close by. I was afraid you knew who I was—I mean, afraid you knew about my past.”

“I did know.”

“And you hired me anyway.”

Yes.

Cade’s lashes flickered. “I did things during my SEAL days that haunt me. Like I told you, I know the world isn’t black and white. I also know what it’s like to be right next to evil. Real evil.” His stare cut to Marley. “You know, too, don’t you?”

She nodded.

His gaze swept back to Declan. “Killing you isn’t onmyagenda. I don’t think it ever was. But sure as shit not once you became one of the closest friends I’ve ever had.” Emotion boiled in his voice. “I would not hurt you. But I would fucking kill someone who tried to take you out. Believethat.”

Declan wanted to believe him. He alsodidbelieve that Cade wouldn’t casually take out innocents. And the blast in that building? It had been too uncontrolled. Others could have been hurt. Cade wasn’t the type of man who would allow collateral damage. Would he take out his enemy? In a heartbeat. But he wouldn’t let an innocent die. He would never risk innocents.

“So, I still have a job, right? Assuming I do, since you want me to go with Hunter to find our missing Augusta detective.”

“You still have a job.”

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