Home Is Where the Heart Is Read online

  “Who are those men?” Kyra asked, pointing in their direction.

  “Not sure. I’ve seen them around town. Why?”

  “They give me the creeps. Did they do business with my dad?”

  “I’ll see what I can find out. They might be clients or something.”

  “I suppose it’s possible. I’ll ask my mother later.” She glanced back at the men, hoping her father had nothing to do with them. They seemed dangerous.

  As she glanced around the room, she noticed that Harley the harlot had made an appearance. Great. Just fucking great.

  Kyra had found harlot a name befitting the girl since she was loose as a goose. Harley had been known to take just about anyone to her bed, especially if she thought they would benefit her in some way. Kyra wondered if she had changed her sleazy ways after marrying Dylan. Would he put up with her if she still slept around? He didn’t seem like that type of guy.

  However, since she had been back home, she hadn’t seen the couple together. It was a little shocking, but of course, it wasn’t like she wanted to see them together, either. Harley made her way over. Her tight red dress couldn’t have been any more fitted to her body if it was painted on.

  Disgusting. Tasteless. And perfectly fitting for a bitch like Harley. Of all the people Kyra dreaded talking to, this woman was, by far, the one she hoped to never have to chat with.

  “Kyra, I’m so sorry for your family’s loss,” Harley said flatly. Her tone alone showed she cared little for Kyra or her family. The woman didn’t have a kind bone in her body. She was heartless through and through.

  “Thank you,” Kyra mumbled, determined to be polite. “It was a tremendous shock to us all.”

  As Harley stepped closer to Dylan and placed her hand on his arm, Kyra felt her stomach clench. Oh yeah, jealousy flared to life as if doused with a bucket of gasoline. Kyra sucked in a breath, biting her bottom lip until the taste of blood swept over her tongue. She wanted to walk away, to remove herself from the sight of their love, but her feet wouldn’t move. This was the type of moment she was hoping to avoid. Seeing this display of affection was not something she wanted to witness, especially on the day she buried her father. Remembering suddenly what was most important today, she decided to excuse herself from the couple. It was for the best.

  “Would you please excuse me?” Kyra said as she rushed out of the room. Dylan reached for her arm, but Harley wasn’t about to let that happen. As Kyra slipped away, Harley’s hand grasped Dylan, pulling him back to her.

  Harley looked at Dylan with anger in her eyes. She still hadn’t gotten over being left at the altar five years ago. She had made sure to make his life as uncomfortable as possible ever since that humiliating moment. Dylan really couldn’t blame her. The worst thing a man could do was leave his bride-to-be standing in the gown of her dreams in front of everyone she knew. But that’s how the cookie crumbles sometimes. Marrying her just wouldn’t have been right. He hadn’t regretted walking away from her that day, and he still didn’t. He just hoped that he would find someone wonderful to share his life with. And maybe he had. Seeing Kyra again had given him hope that love was still out there.

  “Miss me, sweetheart?” Harley purred, leaning in for a kiss.

  “Get away from me,” Dylan growled, thrusting her hands away from him. “Grow up and move on, Harley.”

  “This isn’t over. You think you can replace me with that? You have got to be kidding me. I can make you happy, Dylan.”

  “Not likely… and leave Kyra alone. She’s been through enough.” He turned quickly, not waiting for a response, hoping to find Kyra again.

  Harley Daniels was livid when she saw Dylan with Kyra. The anger she harbored inside her bubbled to the surface like a fiery volcano ready to explode, ready to take down anyone who got in her way. Being left at the altar had made her the laughingstock of the entire town. That was something she couldn’t shake. She was a joke to everyone, and nobody took her seriously. Not that they ever had, but at least she had had her dignity back then. Her life had not been the same since that horrible day.

  Harley knew Dylan didn’t really love her, but she didn’t care; she could make him love her... but she had noticed the way he looked at her and she was green with envy. Dylan had never looked at her that way. Sulking as she walked to the exit, she noticed Kyra sitting alone. Part of her wanted to make the girl’s life a living hell, but she was already on edge from losing her father. Harley wasn’t a total bitch. She wouldn’t want anyone to do that to her, but she had to find a way to get Kyra out of the way for good. If she had any hope of getting back together with Dylan, she couldn’t have Kyra here making goo-goo eyes at him. “I’ll get that little bitch to leave Sizzle if it’s the last thing I do,” she mumbled as she stomped towards the exit.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  It had been several days since Kyra and her mom had laid her dad to rest. It would be some time before they could really begin to heal. The closure they needed seemed unobtainable at the moment. Kyra knew her mother prayed each night that Dylan would find the man responsible for disrupting their lives. She said the same prayer. No punishment would make up for the loss of her father, but catching the man would be a start.

  It had been so hard watching the casket lower into the cold moist ground, knowing she would never be able to hear her dad’s voice again, never have him hug her and tell her everything would be okay, or walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. The sadness of losing her father was consuming her. The only thing that seemed to ease the pain was being near Dylan. When she was near him, all of the pain and heartache seemed to lessen, if only for a short time, and now she felt the need to hear his voice more than ever. She wanted to find out if he had learned anything about the case. Thinking back to the way he tensed up when looking at the file in her dad’s office solidified the need to call. She pulled his business card from her wallet and dialed his cell phone number.

  After a couple of rings, he answered his deep velvety voice washing over her “Hello.”

  “Dylan, it’s me, Kyra. Do you have any news about the case?”

  “I was just about to call you,” Dylan said. “I’m working on a few things but should know something soon. Are you free this afternoon? There are a few things we should discuss.”

  “Sure. My day is completely free,” Kyra said, wanting nothing more than to say Hell yes. I’m always free for you.

  “Stop by the office in an hour. We’ll talk then.”

  “Okay. See you soon!” Kyra said, excited to finally see him again. It had been several days since she had seen or heard from Dylan. The need to return to Houston was slowly fading as, with each passing day, the need to remain in Sizzle grew stronger, but she was still torn between her new life and the old.

  She felt like Sizzle wouldn’t let her go this time, no matter what she wanted. The thought of staying scared her. There wasn’t anything for her here so the idea of wanting to stay was strange. It didn’t make sense. Thinking about her job at the bookstore and how much she loved her customers, she decided to call her boss again with an update. Her stay in Sizzle was going to be longer than she intended. With her job on hold for a while longer, she could concentrate on helping Dylan find justice for her dad.

  “Hey, Paula,” Kyra said.

  “Hi, Kyra. How’s everything going in Sizzle?” Paula asked.

  “It’s rather unsettling. I’m an emotional wreck, Paula. I just want to know who shot my dad and why, and nobody seems to know anything. I think I’ll hang around for a while longer, if that’s alright. I need to make sure that Mom is okay before I leave her alone.”

  “Kyra, you know that’s fine with me. Family is important, sugar. You didn’t need to even ask. Stay as long as you need to. I have everything covered here.”

  After speaking with Paula, Kyra felt a sense of relief, knowing her job - as well as a great friend - was there for her when she returned. She could work through everything on her plate right now without worry. Glancing a
t her watch, she saw it was almost time to meet Dylan so she grabbed her purse and keys, and headed to the car.

  She arrived at the Southern Gentlemen’s Detective Agency a little early but climbed quickly up the steps like a woman on a mission. Dylan and Jake were sitting around as if they awaited her arrival. Both men were hotter than those Chippendale dancers the women at the bookstore raved about. Kyra wasn’t sure what the girls found so appealing, but these two guys had more muscle and sex appeal than all those dancers put together in her eyes.

  “Hey, guys!” Kyra beamed, announcing her arrival.

  Both men responded with their hellos at exactly the same time, making Kyra laugh for the first time in days. It felt really good to feel like life was returning to normal again. She hated the doom and gloom settling in on her as if it wanted to stay forever. She needed a little excitement to flush away the bad thoughts and feelings she had been having.

  Jake decided to take a late lunch and excused himself. Dylan made his way to the front door, turned the lock, and flipped the ‘Closed’ sign over.

  “We need to talk about… about what happened to your dad,” Dylan said, rushing to get the words out before he could change his mind. “But first, I think you need to know something else.”

  “Okay,” Kyra replied, worry in her voice.

  “Sizzle may appear the same, Kyra, but it’s changed. It’s changed a lot since you left.”

  Kyra sat frozen, not sure what the hell Dylan meant. Everything appeared to be the same to her, but she had been gone for several years so what did she know. Then she thought about the strange men at the funeral and worry consumed her. “What do you mean exactly? How has the town changed?” Kyra was curious, but not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

  “A couple of years ago, Jake and I worked for the local police department together. We noticed a lot of the cops were taking bribes. Drugs and guns were disappearing from lock-up, and evidence conveniently disappeared. The crime rate in our sleepy little town had begun to skyrocket almost overnight. It didn’t make sense at first. Then one of our co-workers, and a damn fine cop too, was beaten to death. The case was never solved.”

  Dylan shook his head, frowning. “There were a couple of girls that saw the beating. They were willing to testify… but when the time came for them to appear in court, they disappeared. The girls haven’t been seen since. Jake and I worked the case in our spare time for months but couldn’t make any headway. We were watching our town go down the crapper quickly. That’s when we decided to leave the PD and start this agency.”

  Kyra nodded. She now understood why Sizzle was in need of a detective agency. It all made sense now, except for one thing. “What does this have to do with my dad?”

  Hesitating, Dylan’s eyes scanned the room. Kyra got the impression he was trying to decide on how much to tell her, or maybe deciding he shouldn’t say anything at all. After a few minutes, he looked her straight in the eyes. “I feel like it’s all connected. All the horrible things that have been happening in Sizzle have to be connected. I mean cops on the take, a prominent lawyer gunned down in his office, goods cops murdered on the streets of Sizzle. This once sleepy little town turned dark and violent almost overnight. Something big is happening here, Kyra, and I think your dad got too close.”

  The men at the funeral that left her with an uneasy feeling entered her mind again. After hearing Dylan’s story, she couldn’t help but wonder if they had something to do with her dad’s death. “Remember those strange men at dad’s funeral I didn’t know? Do you think they’re involved somehow? They didn’t fit in with anyone else. It was like they were watching us. They didn’t talk to anyone or express condolences.”

  Dylan put his hand on her knee, sending a tingle of warmth and nervousness through her. “I saw them talking to Tom Perry after they left the funeral,” he said. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Kyra, I promise. But you need to be really careful. Your mom, too.”

  “Mom said that Tom hasn’t contacted her since the day dad was shot. She thought that was strange. Tom and Dad were close friends for years,” Kyra said. “Do you think he might know more than he lets on? I saw you find something in Dad’s files the other day. You reacted strangely to whatever you saw in one of the files you were reading. What was it?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Kyra arched a brow giving Dylan a look that said don’t you dare lie to me.

  He sighed. “Fine. There are several names that caught my eye from cases I worked on with Jake when we were with the department. Jake and I are checking into them now.”

  “Dirty cops? You… you think a cop killed my dad?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. I could be wrong, but we’re looking into it.”

  Kyra knew Dylan would keep his word if it was the last thing he did. A feeling of hope washed over her. Everything was going to be okay. She appreciated everything he was doing for her and her mother and wanted to let him know she was grateful for taking the case. “Dylan, would you like to have dinner with my mom and me tonight? It won’t be much, but it’s the least we could do to repay you for all that you’re doing for us.” She hoped he would say yes.

  “Sure. I haven’t had your mother’s cooking in ages.” He replied quickly, shocking even himself. Was it the good food or spending time with Kyra that made him so eager to say yes?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  It was an unusually quiet day in Sizzle so Detective McAllen was out patrolling the neighborhoods. Driving around town beat sitting at his desk any old day. Just as he pulled into the parking lot of the local donut shop, his disposable cell phone rang, signaling that his appetite for bear claws and donut holes would have to wait until later.

  Every time that damned cell phone rang, he was immediately filled with dread, and ignoring the call wasn’t an option; he valued his life too much to do something stupid like that. He was edgy these days, never knowing what would be requested of him next. He knew what happened when you ignored the higher-ups; he had witnessed it firsthand. There was no coming back from that kind of mistake. Grumbling at the thought of what he might be asked – told – to do, he answered the call. “Hello,” he said, making sure to not give his rank or name when he answered. The chances of the phone on the other end being in the wrong hands weren’t very high but there was no reason to take unnecessary risks. If the wrong people found out about his little side-job, there would be hell to pay.

  “I have a job for you,” the voice on the phone said. “It must be done today.”

  “Yes, sir. I understand.”

  “Stop by and have a chat with the lawyer’s wife,” the mysterious caller on the other end of the line said. “We need to find out if John shared any information with her. Tom really fucked things up. He should have been more careful. If Mr. Michaels did share anything with his wife, remind her how important it is to keep her fucking mouth shut. Let her know that if she talks to anyone, she’ll end up like her husband. Got it?”

  McAllen blanched at the request before responding, “I’ll get right on it, sir. What do I do about the girl?”

  “Make sure she’s gone when you approach the mom. We don’t want more trouble on our plates.”

  “Sure thing. Consider it done.”

  McAllen ended the call, tossing the phone across the patrol car. This particular job wasn’t going to end well and he knew it. He had managed to stay out of the spotlight for so long only to end up being the frontline gopher for this shit? Fuck! If Liz didn’t listen to reason, she could have his head on a silver platter.

  He headed for the Michaels residence, worrying the entire way as to how Liz would react to what he would say. He didn’t feel comfortable with this plan, but it must had to be done. As he neared the home, he saw that Kyra’s car wasn’t there. Many of her neighbors would be at work this time of day so maybe he could get in and out without being noticed. He pulled up near the house and parked the car, looking around nervously as he knocked on the front door and waited for Liz to
answer. Things could get ugly if anyone saw him here.

  The door opened. Liz smiled. “Good afternoon, detective. What can I do for you?” she asked kindly.

  “Just wanted to stop by and do a follow-up visit.”

  “Come on in. I just made a fresh pot of coffee. Would you like a cup?” Liz asked

  “No, thanks.” He said, following towards the kitchen. He didn’t need any type of evidence showing that he had been here.

  “I’m not sure I can be of any more assistance than I was on your last visit, Detective,” Liz said as she fixed herself a cup of coffee.

  “Liz,” McAllen said with a stern voice, “you can offer a lot of assistance by keeping your mouth shut. We know you know more than you’re letting on! If you value your life, you’ll keep that information to yourself.”

  Liz stiffened, reaching slowly for the utensils drawer. “Detective,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She pulled out her newest butcher knife as she spoke. She didn’t know who the ‘we’ was that the man mentioned, didn’t even know if he was a real detective, but she did know he wasn’t here on official police business, even if his badge was real.

  “You do know, Liz!” McAllen said with a raised voice as he stepped closer to Liz. “This won’t end well for you if you don’t do as I say. Keep your mouth shut and everything will be fine.”

  Liz had never been more terrified than she was at that moment. Gripping the knife as tight as she could, she waited for him to get a little closer to her. Liz hoped he wouldn’t see the knife right away. He was so close that she could feel the heat of his breath on her neck. She turned quickly, jabbing the knife towards his stomach.

  Liz wasn’t fast enough for McAllen. He had expected her to be afraid, expected her to possibly try something. Hell, he couldn’t blame her for that. Her husband had just been killed. Of course she’d be a little more cautious. He struggled to get the knife away from Liz, but she refused to let go of it. She was feistier than he thought she’d be.