Page 29 of Ice Cold Liar (Ice Breaker Cold Case #14)

Chapter Fifteen

It was a fuck-up on a colossal scale. He should have known how Madeline would operate.

Should have known the minute she separated him and Naomi that his former handler was working one of her games.

Fun random fact about Madeline? According to the CIA grapevine, the woman had been some chess prodigy back in her teen years.

She was always fifty steps ahead of most people.

It was one of the reasons she’d been recruited by the CIA at such a young age.

Sometimes, I think they brought her in when she was a teen. Not like the CIA would ever admit that, though. Not like the CIA admitted much at all. It was very much a cover-your-own ass situation there.

He’d made it to the safe house. More like safe mansion. He slammed his car door and glowered up at the stylish, sleek structure. One that stuck out like a sore-thumb in front of the massive oaks with their swaying Spanish moss and the dark bayou that waited in the distance.

“I know,” Hunter said from the porch when Eb approached him.

“It’s a lot, ostentatious as hell, but the owner is a friend of Declan’s, and I can guarantee you that it has the best tech in the world.

Cameras all around the property. Locks that no one can pick, not even your talented self.

A security system that was installed by the infamous Wilde group.

If you want safety, you’ve come to the right place. ”

He grunted. Safety wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Naomi. Only he didn’t see her.

“She’s inside.” Hunter jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Her and the dog. The lady marched in without a word, with that dog of hers right at her side. Figured I’d stay out here so you and I could talk.”

Fabulous. He climbed up the two steps that led to the porch.

Hunter immediately blocked his path. “Looks like that master plan of yours didn’t go so well.”

“She knows I came to take her down.”

“Uh, huh. Figured that. At what point did you decide throwing her over your shoulder was the way to go? Truly curious about that one. I wrongly thought you were the level-headed twin.”

Hell, no. He wasn’t. Definitely not level-headed when it came to Naomi.

“Or, at least, I assumed you were the one not likely to commit a kidnapping with cops just watching.”

Eb’s hand rasped over his jaw—and the stubble growing there. “I’m trying to protect her.”

“That what you’re doing now? I thought you were trying to get her tossed into a cell. Or are we multi-tasking? Protecting her and getting her locked away? Hey, maybe she’ll be safe locked away! Is that the thought process you’re having?”

“Hunter…”

“Or have you decided that she’s innocent?”

The front door opened. Naomi stood there, and the breeze hit her, coming from those trees with their swaying moss and sending her hair blowing gently.

He drank her in. The fury in her eyes—he understood that.

But it was the pain he saw that gutted him.

He’d hurt her. And you could only be hurt if you cared.

When had Naomi started to care for him?

He’d been wrong about her. She wasn’t cold. He was starting to think that Naomi might feel far too much. She tried to put up a wall of ice between herself and the rest of the world because she needed a shield to block others. Only he’d smashed that weak shield to pieces.

“I don’t think she’s innocent,” he said the words deliberately. Naomi had chosen Hunter because she wanted honesty. Fine. He’d give her honesty. Not like she could hate him more than she already did.

Or, hell, maybe she could?

Her chin notched up at his words.

“I don’t think she’s innocent,” he continued because he truly did think she’d killed Hudson. But he also… “I think Hudson might be guilty.”

Guilty as hell.

“Yeah, me, too,” Hunter revealed. “And so does the guy waiting inside.”

Wait. Hold the hell up. Some guy was waiting inside? There was no other car near the house.

“Memphis Camden,” Hunter revealed. “Former bounty hunter. Current Ice Breaker, cold case solver. I believe you wanted your sister to arrange a meet and greet with him? Well, consider it arranged.”

Damn. Someone had sure moved fast.

“You’ll have to thank her ridiculously wealthy husband for Memphis’s private flight over from Texas. And my flight, too, because Declan wanted you to have backup on the ground, ASAP.”

“Declan’s your best friend.”

“He’s a pain in the ass most days, but he can also sure come in handy. I think we can both agree on that score.”

A man appeared behind Naomi in the doorway. Tall. About Eb’s own height. Dark hair. Calculating gaze. Intense attitude.

“You’re the partner,” Memphis said as he studied Eb. “The one seeking vengeance.”

“You’re the bounty hunter,” Eb returned without missing a beat. Was everyone trying to block him from getting Naomi alone? Clearly, they were. “The one who tried to stop the wedding.”

“I should have listened to his warning.” Naomi hauled a hand through her hair. “The next time a man appears at my wedding and says I’m marrying a serial killer, I will listen. Be sure of that.” She turned away. Headed fully inside with Memphis.

“Ahem.” Hunter had just done an overly loud throat-clearing. “Did she say the next time someone tries to stop her from marrying a serial killer? Jeez, does the woman have a type or what?”

Eb stalked into the house.

I am her fucking type.

She was sure as hell his.

The house felt cold. Correction, icy. Goosebumps rose on her arms. Maybe it was because of the contemporary architecture style of the house. Too clean lines, a minimalist style. No ornamentation but massive windows everywhere you looked. The house felt imposing. Stark.

Or…

Maybe it wasn’t the house.

Maybe the chill Naomi felt came from the three men in the den with her. Three men who all seemed to carry danger and raw power. Hardly the easy, friendly type. More like the…

We-can-kill-a-man-and-never-blink type.

“So, Memphis, according to the brass in charge at the CIA, your allegations against Hudson are BS.” Eb hadn’t sat down. Neither had she.

Naomi stood near a fireplace, one that wasn’t on, and Eb had taken up a position near one of the windows on the right.

Memphis sat on the couch. Hunter sprawled in a brown leather chair.

Eb and Memphis had done their weird version of an introduction, then they’d just dropped straight to business. Your allegations against Hudson are BS.

She wrapped her arms around her stomach, the better to fight off that chill, and shot a quick glance over at Henry. A massive dog bed had been waiting in the den for him. He’d settled comfortably in it, but she wasn’t surprised to see his eyes were on her.

Naomi inclined her head toward him. I’m okay. I’ve got this.

Fabulous, now she was lying to herself and mentally fibbing to her dog. Naomi hurriedly darted her gaze toward Memphis.

Memphis nodded in response to Eb’s flat statement.

“So I’ve heard before. I was personally informed by Madeline Desalt that my suspicions about Hudson Wyatt were incorrect.

” He rolled his shoulders. “In fact, I was given a lovely song and dance about how my international victims were not going to be discussed at all. Not investigated even a bit. I was told that every person who seems to be a victim may actually be something far different. Then I hit the full-on CIA stonewall, and there was no more discussion.” His hands hung loosely between his spread knees as he lounged on the couch.

“I can read between the lines. I understood that I was being informed Hudson was a government assassin who took out individuals who were deemed a threat. I’m sure you CIA types do that far more often than the world believes. ”

So, Memphis was just casually saying that…Hudson and Eb were assassins. And Eb wasn’t arguing.

Eb’s voice remained tense and hard as he noted, “ I was also told the deaths you tried to link to Hudson from here in the US were attributed to someone else. Someone who Hudson had stopped.”

Memphis quirked an eyebrow at Naomi. “Heard you had one hell of a wedding night.”

“Quite unforgettable, I assure you.” No matter how hard she would like to forget.

“I came back to town after that night, just so you know. I told my story to that arrogant detective.”

Her hands fell to her sides. Madeline had mentioned that Memphis had talked to the detective. And Madeline shut down that line of investigation.

“Also made sure the DA heard me out. Couldn’t get to you at the time because you were in lock up, and they weren’t allowing you visitors.”

Ah, yes, her lovely isolation period. Another bonus stage in her life.

“But I wanted them to know your husband wasn’t some man of the year.”

Oh, she certainly understood that Hudson had not been that.

“The CIA told me that I had everything all wrong. They wouldn’t provide me any evidence. Just wanted me to take what they were saying at face value. I’m not real good with doing that.”

“Did you find proof that Hudson was guilty of Mary Fontenot’s murder?” Eb asked, voice darkening with intensity.

Memphis’s focus slid to him. “You and your sister have vastly different personalities.”

“Stands to reason. We’re vastly different people.”

“Siblings often are.” Memphis settled back against the couch a bit more.

“Family, oh, family can be such an interesting biological trick. All those genes, spinning around and around. Always fascinates me to see what traits are inherited and which ones aren’t.

Marley and I actually have this friend—” He broke off.

Beetled his brows at Naomi. “Have you met his sister Marley?”

She shook her head.

“You’ll like her,” Memphis assured her. “Everyone usually does. I mean, she thawed the cold, cold heart of Declan Flynn, so that has to tell you the woman has skills. Seriously, though, she’s a great profiler.

Total asset to the team. Hate that business that she had to endure with Sebastian Glass. Fucking demented SOB.”