Blazing Hotter (Love Under Fire Book 2) Read online

  Frankie was unsurprised when Cassie shook her head.

  “I can’t,” she said. “If the cops aren’t going to get answers, I have to do it myself. Just hand over the wig and other supplies you brought. I’ll be fine. Frankie’s coming along to keep me safe.”

  Laura shoved the plastic sack Cassie had requested at her, clearly unhappy. She glanced up at Thayne, seeming to appeal to him to do something.

  Thayne’s huge mass took up too much of the room as he moved to the center of it, but even that didn’t appear to intimidate Cassie. The woman knew what she wanted.

  “How about this?” Thayne said slowly, seeming to work through a plan as he spoke. “Frankie and I will ask the florist to identify the dancer. It’s safer for us to go. With the fight you guys had, the killer won’t expect you to be with him so probably isn’t watching him anymore. You and Laura stay here, and we’ll call as soon as we find out anything.”

  Frankie winced, waiting for Cassie to explode at Thayne’s suggestion. The woman was damn stubborn once she got a thought in her head. She wanted to bring this killer down herself, to stop him or her from killing other women in her place.

  To his surprise, Cassie flopped into one of the chairs near the table, pouting but not arguing. “Will you let me question the woman at the club with you? We can’t go until nighttime to do that and it’ll be busy. No one will notice me with the wig.”

  It was the only way they would get her to cooperate. Frankie nodded once at Thayne. “It’s a fair compromise. We can do the legwork during the day, and let Cassie help when it’s dark out and she’s less likely to be spotted.”

  “Will these places be open on a Sunday?” Thayne asked. “We might have to wait until tomorrow.”

  Cassie hopped up, grabbing a phone book from the room’s desk and flipping through the pages. “I’ll call and find out.”

  “I know the clubs are open,” Frankie admitted.

  Cassie looked up from the book and snorted, shaking her head. “Of course, you know that. I’ll call the florist.”

  Thayne pressed his lips tightly together as though he tried not to laugh when Laura exchanged a long glance with him. He winked at his fiancée and mouthed, “Lover’s quarrel.”

  Frankie should have known his closest friend would figure out right away that he and Cassie had slept together. And Cassie had mentioned Laura and she were close, so Laura had probably spotted it right away too.

  “Listen, guys,” Laura said, crossing the room to sit at the remaining chair near the small table. “We have something to talk to the two of you about. I didn’t want to add more stress, but maybe with everything going on now is actually a good time to bring it up.”

  Cassie stopped perusing the phone book. “What’s up? Is everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine,” Laura hurried to assure them. “But how would you feel about flying to Hawaii with Thayne and me Wednesday?”

  “Hawaii?” Frankie looked at Thayne, grinning. “Hawaii! You found a beach my chair can travel on. That’s excellent.”

  “Even better than that,” Thayne said, his smile bigger than anything Frankie had ever seen on his friend’s face. The man was excited to finally marry his love. “There’s an island that’s privately owned near Hawaii’s Big Island called McCallister’s Paradise. Apparently they have a restaurant built right on the water, even extending out into the ocean. There’s a wheelchair ramp and the floors are wooden. Paved roads lead from the bungalows we rented to the restaurant. There won’t be any problems with your chair. The person Laura talked to said we could have the tables closest to the water moved out of the way and perform the ceremony there, right on the water. They even have someone to officiate the wedding.”

  Frankie couldn’t help but be happy. They’d found a way to have Laura’s dream wedding without Frankie’s wheelchair presenting a problem. With the functions of his new chair allowing him to be upright, he could stand next to Thayne like a real best man and not some invalid who would need to be pushed down the aisle. “How much will this cost me?” That was always a concern but he would find the money.

  “Nothing at all!” Laura clapped her hands, a smile to match Thayne’s making her plump face radiantly beautiful. “It’s just going to be the four of us, and I’m using part of the reward money Mr. Kendall gave me for catching the arsonist to pay for it.”

  “Only the four of us?” Cassie shook her head. “What about your parents and sister? Wasn’t she going to be your matron of honor?”

  “About that...” Laura shrugged. “You feel like being my maid of honor? I’ll be giving you a five-day vacation as payment for the job.”

  “You’d never have to pay me,” Cassie protested. “I’m honored, but I don’t understand. What happened with your sister?”

  “Nothing happened. Her husband took a job in Africa and they’re leaving soon. Mom and Dad are going with her, of course, to stay with the grandchildren. I was upset at first, but I think this will be better. Just a small group on an island paradise.” Laura smiled, her blue eyes pleading for Cassie to agree. “We’ll have a blast, and it will get you out of this town until they catch the killer.”

  Cassie’s face seemed to fall in on itself and the excitement left her gaze. “How can I leave with a killer taking out someone else every night he doesn’t get to me?”

  Her concern for other people made her that much more of his ideal woman, but Frankie would be damned if he’d let her stay in this town right now when they had other options.

  “We’ll think of something,” he promised. “If it is someone at your job like we suspect, we can go in Tuesday evening and tell them you’re leaving the country for a while.”

  She nodded. “That could work. Gossip spreads fast around that hospital and rehab center. Before long, everyone in both facilities would know I’m gone. Even if the killer isn’t someone who works with me, they would probably hear about it if they’re searching for me there.”

  “Why wait to spread the word?” Laura asked. “You and I should do that while the boys check out The Flower Shoppe.”

  “No.” Frankie pushed the button on his wheelchair, riding toward Cassie. “The same reasons you shouldn’t go to the florist with us hold for you not going to the rehab center. If you leave this room during daylight, there’s a chance the killer will spot you.”

  Thayne nodded his agreement. “I’m not letting my fiancée put herself at risk any more than I want you hurt, Cassie. You girls stay here. Call your boss and report your vacation that way.”

  Clearly unhappy if her glare was any indication, Cassie continued flipping through the pages of the phone book, not looking at either man. “Let’s get this show on the road. We don’t have a lot of time to find Rogers a lead before we leave.”

  ***

  Cassie dialed the number to her boss’s cell phone, glad she somehow remembered it without the program on her phone. Stan didn’t work weekends, not that the man worked a whole lot during the week anyway.

  “Hello?”

  “Stan? This is Cassie Flick.”

  “Hey, Cass. I didn’t recognize the number,” Stan said. “How are things going? I don’t know why you needed Friday off, but I’ve been worried about you all weekend.”

  Even though she highly doubted Stan was the killer, Cassie was glad Laura had cautioned her against using the hotel room’s phone to call and request the time off and let Cassie use her cell phone instead. With caller ID on everyone’s cells these days, it would have told him where she was. She needed to keep her location a secret so they could safely leave town. That would be difficult if Stan knew where she was, what with the inclination her boss had to gossip with the nursing staff at the rehab center.

  “I’m actually not okay,” she said. Quickly launching into a short explanation of the situation with the murdered victims and the threats against her—the edited version Thayne, Frankie, and Laura agreed she should tell—Cassie then told her boss that she was leaving the country for a week or pe
rhaps a bit longer. “I need to get out of town until the cops figure this out. I’m scared, Stan.”

  “When do you leave?” he asked.

  Cassie hesitated, already worried about giving so much information away even though her friends thought it was the best idea. “I’m booking a flight tonight. I’ll take the first one I can get.”

  “So you don’t know where you’re headed?” he asked, sounding incredulous. “Is that smart? You should tell someone where you are in case something happens.”

  “If I don’t even know, the killer can’t figure it out either.”

  “Good point. Make sure you buy the ticket with cash and not over the internet,” he warned. “This guy might have hacked your computer if he’s truly been stalking you. Don’t worry about anything here. I’ll cancel your appointments next week and redistribute them to different therapists. If the killer isn’t caught by next weekend and you have the money, you should stay gone longer. You could always head to your parents in England and hide out there if need be.”

  Cassie breathed out a sigh of relief. If Stan was trying to think of ways to keep her safe, chances were he wasn’t the one responsible for the flowers. “I’ll keep that in mind, Stan, but I don’t want to involve them if I can help it. Thanks for understanding why I need to leave. I’m going to call the front desk at the rehab center and give them a heads up.”

  “Rose is working this afternoon,” Stan said. “I wouldn’t recommend telling them the real reason you’re leaving, but maybe make it clear you’re going out of town. We don’t need to start a panic, but I know how the nurses like to talk about everyone else’s business.”

  He was one to chastise about other people’s gossiping tendency, but Cassie decided she would let that go. Stan had played into their plans perfectly, what with him agreeing they should spread the word that she was leaving town. It was the most she could do for any other victim the killer might try to get. Maybe he’d give up with her out of reach.

  “Thanks, boss. I’ll be careful about what I say.”

  “Take care of yourself,” he warned before hanging up the phone.

  After a quick call to the nurses’ station and a shorter explanation to Rose, Cassie handed Laura’s phone back.

  “The plan’s in place,” Cassie said. “Rose and Stan are only too happy to talk about things. Rose was there when the first batch of flowers arrived at the rehab center. She hoped I’d get a date out of them, and now I think she’s convinced herself that I’m leaving town with my mystery admirer to have wild sex all week.”

  Laura shrugged. “As long as she tells people you’re gone, it doesn’t matter why she thinks you’re going.”

  Cassie nodded, wondering if she should confide in her friend about her more pressing problems. “About the wild sex...”

  Laura gave a throaty laugh, eyes sparkling with joy. “Thayne and I knew something was going on. Tell me all about it.”

  Shrugging, Cassie slumped backward against her chair. “There’s not much to tell. The sex is fantastic, but I worry that I’m making a mistake.”

  “Why? Don’t you have feelings for Frankie?”

  “That’s the problem.” Cassie propped an elbow against the table and put her chin in her hand. “I do have feelings for him, more than I should. I tried to deny it to myself, but they’re there.”

  “But that’s great.” Laura reached across the table and squeezed Cassie’s arm. “If the sex is fun and you have real feelings for him, I’m not seeing the issue.”

  “It’s only a matter of time before Frankie realizes that he’s only infatuated with me because of our working relationship. After the killer is caught, I’m pretty sure Frankie’s interest will fade. He has confidence back now and wants to start living life again, which I’m truly happy about and don’t want that to change, but once he realizes more people than just me are interested in him, he’ll know what he feels for me isn’t love.”

  Laura stayed quiet for a few moments before clearing her throat. “And you love him? That’s what you feel?”

  Although she wanted to deny it, Cassie could only shrug again. “Maybe. I’m not sure. The worst part is, I manipulated his emotions last night to get him to make love to me, making him think I was the one insecure about doing it.”

  She glanced up, afraid to see the disapproval sure to be in Laura’s gaze, but knowing she needed to face the consequences of what she had done.

  To her surprise, Laura simply nodded, not looking disappointed in Cassie at all. “Sometimes when the heart is involved, people do stupid stuff. It’s true you shouldn’t have manipulated him at a time when Frankie is vulnerable due to his history, but I assure you the man won’t suffer from having sex with someone who might love him. From what Thayne said about Frankie’s past, you might be the first woman who has truly cared about him, or vice versa, when you did it.”

  With what Frankie had said about frequenting the clubs and wanting to have three-ways, Cassie had a feeling Laura was right. Frankie had never been involved in anything serious before. Unfortunately, that made it more likely he’d never be serious about Cassie. She was a type of rebound relationship, getting back in the groove and remembering what romance was about, but not actually a woman he would take home to meet his mom.

  “It gets worse than that,” Cassie admitted.

  “Worse?”

  “We didn’t have any condoms. I lied and said I couldn’t get pregnant. I didn’t want to stop what we had started. Afterward, he wanted to have a serious talk that I wasn’t ready for, so I had sex with him a few more times, just to wear him out.” Cassie looked at her stomach, for the first time since waking up this morning really thinking about the ramifications of what she might have done. “What if I tricked him into getting me pregnant and he doesn’t even want to be my boyfriend?”

  The sound of a loud whoosh of air came from Laura’s side of the table. “I know he cares for you, but I can see your concerns about the situation. Are you ovulating? If not, chances are you’re fine.”

  Cassie shrugged. “My last period was right before I went to England for my brother’s wedding, so a little more than two weeks ago.”

  “That’s...” Laura hesitated, letting out another loud breath. “I could go pick up the morning after pill. You can’t leave the room, but I can. If you aren’t pregnant yet it could—”

  “No.” Cassie shook her head vehemently. “I’m cool if others choose to do that, but I can’t. If I screwed up and got myself pregnant, I’ll deal with the consequences. My biggest worry is that Frankie might have to deal with them.”

  “I heard the pill doesn’t hurt the baby if you’re already pregnant. It stops your egg from getting fertilized before pregnancy happens.”

  “Of stops a fertilized egg from attaching, which to me sounds a lot like abortion.” Cassie shook her head again. “Besides, let’s assume for some reason everything happened really fast and I’m already actually pregnant. What if the pill does something to hurt the fetus despite them saying it won’t? You forget I used to be a nurse. I can’t take a chance of some side effect hurting my kid.”

  “Okay, I can see your point. That isn’t an option for you.” After a few seconds of silence, Laura grinned. “Besides, a baby wouldn’t be the end of the world. Right now all Thayne and I have is our cat, but he loves kids. One day soon, I’m sure we’ll be talking children. Most men want kids. Frankie’s always been a bit immature, but I think getting caught in that fire helped him grow up. If you have a kid it might be a good thing for you both.”

  “Just promise you won’t say anything to him or Thayne until after the murderer is caught,” Cassie pleaded. “I’m going to tell Frankie the truth, let him know I lied, but unless I find out I’m actually pregnant there isn’t a reason to upset him about it now. I don’t want to pressure him into choosing to stay with me once all this is finished.”

  “He’s going to choose that anyway.” Laura’s voice held as much confidence as Cassie’s own thoughts lacked. “
Thayne has been saying for months that he thought Frankie had feelings for you as more than his physical therapist. There was no doubting that today when I saw the way you guys argued with each other. He loves you, Cassie. I really don’t think it’s simple infatuation.”

  “I wish I could be as sure of that as you are.” Cassie forced a smile. “Just promise me we can pick up condoms before meeting the guys tonight.”

  “Condoms?” Laura laughed. “If you’re so sure this isn’t love, why have sex with him again?”

  “Because I’ll take whatever I can get until this ends. Maybe you could teach me a few of those erotic dance moves you talked about while we wait.”

  ***

  “How deep are you in?” Thayne asked as he drove the van toward The Flower Shoppe. “I mean, it’s obvious you love her, but just how bad is it?”

  Frankie grinned at his friend in the rearview mirror. “Remember how much you wanted Laura even though she kept denying you could be anything more than friends?”

  “Boy, do I ever.” Thayne gripped the steering wheel harder. “Talk about a stubborn woman, but she was worth my patience.”

  “I’m in the same boat with Cassie. She’s one-hundred percent positive nothing but friendship is happening here. I’m trying to be a bit more tactful than you were with Laura, but now that Cassie and I have made love, I’m not sure I can hold back.” Frankie stared out the window, avoiding Thayne’s gaze in the mirror. “She doesn’t seem to think I know my own mind, and I think it’s because she doesn’t see her own value. The facts are that I love her. I’ve probably been in love with her for a few months but kept trying to deny it. She’s the perfect woman for me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her happy and safe from this bastard who’s after her.”

  “I called it.” Thayne was obviously proud of himself. “I told Laura there wouldn’t be a problem changing our plans and only getting two rooms at that island resort. I’ve been telling her for a long time that you and Cassie would end up together.”