Page 49 of Deadly Designs

Mother and son both gaped at Christian. Mrs. Zikes’sgums flapped like a fish. All color leeched from Junior’s face.Then they started blabbering at the same time.

“What are you talking about? Junior didn’t killanyone!”

“I didn’t kill no one!” Panic had him shaking like asapling in a hurricane. “A-are you arresting me?”

Christian threw back his head and laughed. “Oh,Junior. You’ll wish we were the police.” Then he turned deadlyserious. Christian used the intimidating expression that hadcoerced many a defendant to confess in his DEA days. He leanedtoward Junior, who cowered away in fear. “We are so much worse.Your life is about to become a living hell.”

“You can’t threaten us,” Mrs. Zikes blustered.

Aja Blue wanted in on the action. “We just did.”

Christian tapped Aja Blue to let her know it was timeto leave. Christian stopped and turned around, holding up hisphone.

“Junior’s confession is on tape. You might want tocall a good defense lawyer. He’s going to need one.”

Chapter Thirteen

Aja Blue was fuming. Sometimes,her red-headed temper got the best of her. She tried to control it,but she was worried sick about Jay, and seeing the guy who hadcaused him so much grief over the past few weeks made her want topunch him. The stress he’d caused Jay must have been the impetusfor his disappearance.

Sometime after they found her assistant, she wouldhave to examine her anger issues. Twice now, she’d wanted to hitsomeone. First, the woman from Jay’s apartment, and now Junior.Violence was never the answer.

Seeing Christian all authoritative with Junior hadher girl parts tingling. He’d been in command, and the fear inJunior’s eyes had been real. Even his mother had lookedintimidated. Then Christian had brought up murder, and Aja Blue’sstomach had fallen to her feet. She knew it was a possibility, butshe couldn’t even consider that Jay was dead.

Aja Blue was disgusted with herself for experiencingthe best night of her life with Christian when Jay could be outthere somewhere, alone and hurting. Her only excuse was that shecouldn’t resist Christian, nor did she want to. If the ordeal hadtaught her anything, it was that life was short. Soon, Christianwould return to his home, and she would’ve regretted it if shehadn’t explored the explosive chemistry between them. She’d neverfelt anything like it and knew she never would again—at least withsomeone other than him.

Aja Blue had known the moment they met that sex withChristian would be spectacular. She’d been so right. He wasflawless in every way, and her crush had morphed into full-blownlust. Maybe love. Possibly love. Probably love.

Having Christian’s coworkers under the same roofwould put a crimp in their nocturnal activities. She certainlywouldn’t walk naked across the hall like she had earlier.

Kayne and Presley weren’t what she had expected.Dark-haired, green-eyed Kayne looked like he stepped from the pagesof GQ, while Presley was a blue-eyed, blonde bombshell. It was hardto believe she could take on bad guys. They were both friendly, andshe’d liked them instantly.

As handsome as Kayne was, he wasn’t in Christian’sleague, in her opinion. No one was. He was beautiful, not only onthe outside but also on the inside. She enjoyed being with him somuch.

“You okay, Aja Blue?”

She blinked and looked up at the source of herfascination. They’d left Junior’s house but not before issuing athreat. She hoped Junior had needed to change his underwear.

“Yes.”

“We’ll find him.”

She had no doubt he would. The only question waswhether or not Jay would be alive.

#

Christian was worried about Aja Blue. He’d thrown outthe remark about murder to rile Junior up. He should’ve warned herfirst. Her slight gasp had wrecked him. Maybe Jay wasn’t dead, butit didn’t look good for him.

If Kayne and Presley weren’t watching, he’d reach forher hand. He wanted to comfort her and take away all her pain. Thebest thing he could do was find out what happened to Jay, good orbad. Either way, she’d have closure.

Once they were back inside the SUV, he briefed theothers on the discussion. Next, he called Detective Herbert andgave her information on Byron Zikes.

“How did you locate him?”

“I work for a security firm,” he reminded her. Hewasn’t about to tell her specifics. It was need-to-know, and shedidn’t. Thankfully, she didn’t push. He omitted the part about ataped confession since it wasn’t exactly obtained legally. Plus,there was that minor issue of the threat he’d delivered.

Junior and his mom weren’t master criminals, soDetective Herbert would have no problem coaxing the sameinformation from them that Christian had. They could check hisphone records to verify he’d texted Jay and left threateningmessages.

“For ammunition, you might want to check the videofrom the shop across from Aja Blue Designs early morning on the dayof the vandalism.” He also gave her the name of the scootercompany.

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