Page 13 of Ice Cold Liar (Ice Breaker Cold Case #14)

Chapter Six

Who would hate Naomi so much that they’d want her to burn?

The question pierced right through Eb because, when he’d first started this hunt, all he’d felt had been twisting, seething hatred for his target.

Don’t lie to yourself. You hated her, and you lusted for her. Hate and lust. A dangerous combination.

“What do you want?” Naomi demanded as her hands flew into the air. “A list? Fine, you hate me, detective. You’re enraged because you think I snuck my way out of a trial.”

The detective didn’t even try to argue with that assertion.

“I’m pretty sure I pissed off a Russian gangster and his wannabe mob tonight.”

Now the detective did a double take. “What?”

“Ivan Sokolov. He’s on my list. He stole my dog. I got him back.”

Everyone looked at a quiet Henry. He stood at attention near Naomi.

“That is a one gorgeous dog,” the female cop said as she reached out a hand toward him. “I bet he’d like a big old pet?—”

“No.” The sharp reprimand came from Eb’s new buddy, the ever-so-helpful-firefighter who’d introduced himself as Jeffrey Lee before he went to check the smoke detectors.

His mustache twitched in annoyance as the bright lights from the emergency vehicles swirled around them.

“Don’t you know better than to interfere with a working service dog? ”

Eb did a double take. “Service dog?” Naomi had never mentioned a word about Henry being a service dog. But he’d never seen a dog stay so quiet and focused like Henry. The dog had been Naomi’s shadow since they’d taken him from the bar.

“Can we get back to my hate list?” Naomi inquired crisply.

“Ah, yes, we should also add Hudson’s only living family—his cousin Jaxon.

Jaxon is getting me tied up in legal knots and refusing to honor the will.

Because, you know, he thinks I’m a horrible villain.

And, it would be remiss of me not to mention, there’s Eb.

” Her head ducked toward him. “The new, ah, boyfriend?”

Wait…

Hold the hell up.

Had she just listed his name?

His head jerked toward her.

“I think you hate me, too,” she said, and Naomi seemed sad.

He didn’t speak.

“No denial.” A nod from her. “But while you may hate me, you aren’t trying to kill me. You’re saving me. Have I thanked you for that?”

Eb’s lips parted.

“Wait just a damn minute!” Clark exploded.

He pointed his right index finger at Eb.

“How do we know that he didn’t set the fire?

He was in the house. Close proximity. And he could have taken the batteries out of the smoke detectors!

Maybe he’s guilty as sin, and he’s trying to throw suspicion off himself. ”

That dick could not be serious. “I just told you about the batteries. I got her out of the house. If I wanted her dead, why do that? Why not just let her burn?”

“Because where is the fun in that?” Clark asked, voice dropping to a low and considering tone. “Because there is getting your revenge on someone…and then there is making sure the person suffers. A quick death is too easy. Far better to rip someone’s world apart, don’t you think?”

Naomi barely appeared to be breathing. She’d gone statue-still, with one hand reaching out to touch her dog’s head. That hand had frozen mid-air. Henry moved, stretching up, and his head pumped into her palm.

Eb’s gaze flickered to the watchful detective. “You’re dark, man. Dark. You get that, don’t you?”

Clark hummed. “I just understand how vengeance can twist you up. Eat you from the inside out. Your partner is dead. Did you come to town in order to get some payback? Fucking and hating at the same time? Now, that’s dark.”

Eb’s focus shifted back to Naomi.

She shook her head, and she took her hand away from Henry.

Only to then press that hand to Eb’s side.

“He’s here for justice.” Clear. Flat. “Eb came to town because we’re working together and we’re going to find Hudson’s killer.

As in, the real killer. Not me. Because I told you—over and over—the murderer wasn’t me.

I didn’t kill Hudson. Eb believes me. He’s not here to hurt me.

Not here to rip apart my world.” She smiled at Eb.

The kind of smile that hit a man with the same impact as a punch to the gut. “He’s here to give me my life back.”

“There’s one bed.”

Eb had just crossed the threshold into the guesthouse when Naomi made that announcement. He shut the door behind him. Okay, fine, he slammed it. Slammed it way harder than he should have. He dropped their bags and flipped the lock in place.

She spun toward him. “I’m not asking you to share the bed with me. Just stating a simple fact. There is only one bed in this guesthouse.” She waved toward a small hallway. “Bedroom is in there. With a queen-size bed.”

“Your marriage bed.” He bit off the words.

Naomi’s little pink tongue swiped over her lower lip. “I didn’t fuck him on my wedding night. So, no, not technically my marriage bed.”

What? He was pretty sure his jaw hit the floor.

“It’s not the same mattress from that night, either.

Just FYI. That mattress was evidence. It was also covered in blood, so not like I wanted to keep it around.

New bed. New mattress. New sheets. New everything.

” She shoved back a lock of hair that had tumbled over her cheek.

“There is also a perfectly good sofa right here.” A dip of her hand toward the mini-den area.

“You can crash on it. Or you can go get a hotel room. There is no reason why you have to stay here with me.”

Eb rested against the wood of the door. “Plenty of reasons. Reason one is that someone tried to kill us tonight.”

She grimaced. “Pretty sure someone tried to kill me. You were probably collateral damage. If that’s any consolation.”

“It’s zero consolation.”

Naomi retreated a step. “I need to get changed. Actually, I need to shower and then get in bed.” Her hand stretched for her bag.

He caught her hand. The better to stop her from retreating any more.

Henry whined.

It was the first sound the dog had made since they’d entered the guesthouse. Eb spared him a glance. “You know I’m not going to hurt her.”

“Does he know that?” Naomi’s low question. “Do I know that?”

Eb’s gaze jumped back to her. “You put me on your freaking hate list for the detective.” Right after he’d gone to all the trouble of trying to set up a cover of them being a couple.

“Didn’t realize I was supposed to lie about how you felt.” She rolled one shoulder. “Out of curiosity, just how much do you hate me?” A soft question.

He wasn’t answering that careful query. “You said you didn’t kill Hudson.”

“That’s not a response to my question.” She bit her lower lip. Tugged it between her teeth for just a moment.

“Why didn’t you fuck him on your wedding night?”

“Because I realized that I’d married a monster.” Naomi spoke as if that answer should have been obvious. “Some people are particularly adept at hiding a dark side. Hudson hid his until I was legally tied to him. Then, surprise, surprise…”

He frowned at her.

“Did you know that Hudson was born and raised in New Orleans? That he spent the first eighteen years of his life there?”

What in the hell did that have to do with anything? But, yes, he knew all of that.

“His grandparents lived in Baton Rouge. And after their death—since his parents were gone by that time—he inherited their property and fortune. I think that pissed off his cousin Jaxon, by the way. The fact that Hudson got everything and Jaxon wound up with nothing. Some might even say that was a motive for murder. But, hey, what do I know? I’m just the Wicked Widow. ”

“Naomi.”

“Hudson moved here a few years ago. Well, I don’t know if moved here is the right description. He sort of used the location as a home base as he went back and forth on all his super-secret missions.”

Eb wasn’t sure where she was leading him with this story.

“You ever heard of the Ice Breakers?”

Now he blinked. “Yeah.” He’d actually heard plenty about the Ice Breakers, and not just because they’d been in the news a lot lately.

They were an online team. Came from all kinds of different backgrounds.

They were former law enforcement, one was a reporter, another a bounty hunter.

They were bankrolled by billionaire Archer Radcliffe, a man who had once been suspected of murder himself.

Only the Ice Breakers had cleared him of that pesky suspicion.

Fun fact? Eb’s sister worked with the Ice Breakers. Marley was one of their new recruits. She loved working with the team. Their goal was to solve the coldest of crimes. To bring justice to the forgotten. Or so Marley had proudly told him at least three times.

“On my wedding day, a man named Memphis Camden came to see me. Said he was an Ice Breaker.”

His thumb stroked along her inner wrist. He felt her pulse jump.

“Don’t do that,” she chided immediately.

His thumb stilled. “Don’t like it?”

“I like it too much. I like it far too much when you touch me.”

Her honesty left him speechless.

“I don’t respond normally to you. It’s more like I’m in overdrive when we touch. It’s been a wild night, and I am hanging on by a thread. Push me too much—touch me too much—and I’m not real sure my control will last with you.”

His hold tightened.

“You saved my life tonight. I guess, technically, you’ve saved me twice. You helped me at that rundown bar, and you stopped me from burning to death in my own house. I have to confess, I’m not quite sure how to handle a hero.”

“I’m not a hero.” Guilt twisted in him. He’d been lying to her.

“Fine. I’m not sure how to handle a cold-blooded bastard who occasionally does a good deed. Better?”

He wanted to keep touching her. No, he wanted to do far more than just touch. Take, take, take. “Did the story about Memphis have a point?” He let go of her wrist.

The dog remained close. Watchful.