Devlin’s brows shot up. “I was looking after you. You didn’t know if you could trust that woman—”
Lex snapped his fingers together. “Exactly. But you know what I didn’t do? I didn’t give her some half-assed alibi when she was suspected of murder!” His lips thinned. “You don’t usually go lust blind where a woman’s concerned. What the hell is so special about Julianna?”
And then he heard it. The faintest rustle of clothing. Finally, Julianna hadn’t managed to catch him completely off-guard. He shifted position, glancing around Lex, and he saw Julianna in the hallway.
He knew she must have heard Lex’s question because her cheeks were flushed. It was rather interesting to meet a woman who could still blush, and he certainly wouldn’t have pegged Julianna as that type.
“Um, hi,” Julianna said rather awkwardly.
Devlin threw a shark’s smile toward Lex. “With all the drama last night, I don’t know if you officially met our new client. This is Julianna.”
Lex swung toward her.
“And this is Lex Jensen.”
Julianna was dressed in jeans and a shirt. He’d pulled some strings and his doorman had managed to pick up those clothes from some shop and have them delivered first thing. She looked damn good in those jeans—they hugged her body oh-so-well. Her blonde hair slid over her shoulders as she moved forward to offer her hand to Lex.
Lex’s fingers closed around hers. “You don’t look like a killer.”
Shit. The guy had zero tact.
Lex freed her hand. “But then again, anyone can be a killer. It’s all about the circumstances, right? About the things that can push us over the edge.”
She put her hands behind her back and glanced at Devlin. “Your friend is a serious ray of sunshine first thing in the morning.”
Devlin laughed. He just couldn’t help it. Her words were the last thing he’d expected.
Julianna’s lips curled in the faintest of responses.
Lex didn’t laugh. If anything, the guy just appeared grimmer.
“I’m going back to the scene of the murder today,” Devlin said, trying to draw Lex’s focus. “I want to make sure I fully understand just what went down.”
Lex’s brows climbed. “There is no way the cops will let you anywhere near Ray Holliwell’s place. You know the crime scene techs are going to still be there.”
For a while, yes, they would be. But that wasn’t the scene he’d meant. “Julianna’s house. That’s where I’m heading.”
She wasn’t blushing then. She seemed to get a bit paler.
He stared straight at her as he said, “I want to see where Jeremy died. I want you to walk me through every moment that you remember.”
She shifted a bit, moving back with her right foot. “Why? You think you’re going to magically see something that the cops overlooked?” Julianna gave a negative shake of her head. “It’s not going to happen.”
“I want to see where he died,” Devlin said again. But, more than that, he planned to search that whole house, from top to bottom. Her case was fucked up, and he had to get a handle on it, and her, fast. “Someone tried to kill you yesterday,” he said.
“Like I need that reminder.”
He wouldn’t let his lips twitch. “Don’t you want to know why you’re in a killer’s sights? Because I’m vaguely curious.”
“Hell,” Lex muttered.
“Vaguely?” Julianna said at the same time.
“We’re going to your house.” He nodded decisively. “You’ll show me where the bastard—I mean, Jeremy—died, and then you’ll give me full access to every computer in the house.”
“The police confiscated those. Nothing you can use is there now.”
He wasn’t so sure about that. “I want to see the house, Julianna. I want to see everything.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“And while we’re checking out that scene…” Devlin glanced over at Lex. “Are you up to learning more about Holliwell?” Lex had been injured—too badly—while protecting Sophie recently. The guy should probably be at home, curled in bed with the delectable Sophie, and not out hunting killers.
“Hell, yeah, I’m up for it,” Lex said instantly, but then he stalked toward Devlin. Lowering his voice, he said, “You once warned me not to fall for a client.”
Advice that Lex had totally ignored. The guy had been addicted to Sophie from the first moment.
“Maybe you need that warning, too, bro. Just because a woman looks innocent, it doesn’t mean that she is.” He backed away and inclined his head toward Julianna. “I’ll be seeing you both again soon. And, don’t worry, I know how to let myself out.”
His footsteps faded away. Julianna stood, a bit uncertainly, a few feet from Devlin. “Your friend doesn’t like me,” she finally said.
He shook his head. Devlin drained his coffee and put down the cup. “No,” he said quietly, “he just doesn’t trust you. There’s a huge difference between the two things.”
“I’m not so sure there is.”
“Don’t worry about Lex. Sophie and I can keep him on track.” Sophie wouldn’t let the guy go after her client.
Julianna nodded. She turned to leave the room, then hesitated. “Thanks for letting me stay here last night. I appreciate your kindness, and I—”
He hurried forward and caught her arm. They needed to clear up a few things. “I’m not a kind man.” He certainly hadn’t ever been accused of that before.
She looked up at him. Unfortunately, she looked even sexier to him that day than she had before—with her hair loose, she was achingly beautiful.
No wonder Lex was warning me to be careful. Lex would be able to read him too well, and his partner would know Devlin wanted Julianna.
Too many men probably wanted her. Did she use that desire against them? Maybe. But she wouldn’t be twisting him. He could handle desire. He could fuck her all night long. And then, if she turned out to be a killer, he could still walk away.
No problem.
Lex had let his emotions rule him. He’d fallen fast and he’d fallen hard. Devlin wouldn’t be making that mistake.
“What kind of man are you?” Julianna asked him, her head tilted just a bit as if she were trying to figure him out.
He smiled at her and his fingers rose to slide over the curve of her cheek. “I’m the kind you don’t want as an enemy.” So don’t lie to me, baby. Don’t use me…or I’ll make you pay.
***
A prison had never been so beautiful. Julianna stared up at the mansion—a freaking huge historical home surrounded by perfectly groomed acres that stretched and stretched. Jeremy had believed in showing his wealth. Flaunting it. When he saw something he wanted, he took it.
Whether it was a family home that had been protected for generations…like the estate he’d practically stolen from its previous owners.
Or a business that he’d decided he should own, despite the protests of the men and women who’d grown the place from the ground up.
Or…or me.
Some days, Julianna hated herself for being so blind. So trusting. She should have learned her lesson long ago. She hadn’t.
“So, are we going to hang out here all morning?” Devlin drawled.
Julianna realized she’d been staring up at the mansion for far too long. Flinching a bit, she hurried up to the door. Once, Jeremy had kept a full staff there—maids, a cook, even an honest-to-goodness butler. But he’d gotten rid of most of the staff after her first accident.
Accident, my ass.
She’d given a severance package to the last of the employees after Jeremy’s death. She just hadn’t wanted anyone there, watching her. No, worse, she hadn’t trusted them. They’d been Jeremy’s employees. Employees who’d seen what he did to her, and who’d said nothing.
She unlocked the door and stepped inside. As always, the cavernous place felt cold to her. Icy. Rather like a tomb. She crossed the marble floor of the foyer, heading toward the large stai
rcase—a spiral staircase that curved toward the second floor.
Devlin gave a low whistle as he glanced around. “Nice place. I can see why you wouldn’t want to leave.”
His words pissed her off. There he went—making judgments about her. And the guy lived in a penthouse! Like he could really throw stones her way.
Julianna sucked in a deep breath. Then another. She wanted to tell him that she’d been forced to stay. But Julianna knew she had to play things carefully. Her life was—still literally—on the line.
Devlin approached her, and in that too big house, his steps seemed to echo. “You been staying here alone?”
“I’ve been staying at a hotel. I just come back when I need fresh clothes.” How to explain that she hated this place? That she couldn’t wait to sell it? But selling wasn’t allowed, not just yet. Jeremy’s will was being held up and Sophie had told her she had to play it cool and not do anything that would make her look guilty.
Or, rather, guiltier.
“Show me where you found him.”
Right. That’s why they were there. Julianna straightened her shoulders and headed into the den. She pointed to the right. “The giant blood stain is gone.” Thank goodness. “I had the carpeting replaced in here once the police were done, but Jeremy was there. He died there.”
“Was he face up or face down?”
She blinked. Julianna had figured he’d read all the gory details already, but perhaps he just wanted to hear her tell him about that terrible night. “He was on his stomach, but his face was turned—turned toward me. His hand was out.” As if he’d been reaching for her. She cleared her throat and pointed a bit to the left. “I was here. I mean, I woke up here.”
He paced closer to the spot she’d indicated. A positon just a few feet from Jeremy’s elaborate bar. Made of old, antique cherry wood, the bar gleamed. Jeremy had always kept that bar well stocked. And the crystal glasses that were oh-so-perfectly arranged on the bar—and on the shelves behind it—shined.