wait for Logan—since his twin had warned that Chuck was more of a mercenary than a bodyguard. His loyalty went to the person who paid him the most. But Parker did not need backup. He preferred that Logan protect his son and their mother. Parker could take care of himself.
Someone had been trying to kill him for two weeks and had not succeeded yet. And that was before Parker had realized the hit was on him. Now that he knew, he was ready.
An outside stairwell led to Chuck Horowitz’s second-story combination apartment-office. Brenda had really dropped her standards when she had fired Payne Protection and hired this yahoo.
Glad that he had changed into dark clothes, Parker kept to the shadows as he climbed the stairs. He didn’t need to make himself a target for all the people who would take up that hit for the money.
God, he hoped Sharon was safe. His brother Cooper had assured him that nothing would happen to her or Nikki. But while Cooper could protect her on the outside, if she was arrested...
There was nothing Cooper or Parker could do for her but help try to prove her innocence....
The defense lawyer should be able to prove that although Sharon was taller than Brenda, she wasn’t strong enough to have so violently broken the woman’s neck. Even the coroner should be able to conclude that it would take a very strong man to do something like that.
A twinge of regret and loss struck Parker’s heart. One day Ethan might learn, either through the internet or gossip, how brutally his mother had died. Parker knew from experience that people never forgot tragic deaths like his father’s. When the day came that Ethan heard about the murder, Parker wanted to be able to tell his son that he had caught and brought his mother’s killer to justice.
He reached the narrow landing at the top of the stairs. But before he could knock on the door, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He ignored it and reached for his gun instead. But it continued to vibrate, so he pulled out the cell. And after lowering his voice to a whisper, he answered it. “Damn it, Logan—”
His voice a shout, Logan burst out, “Don’t go in there alone!”
“Do you have eyes on me?” He glanced around in the darkness. He wouldn’t have put it past his twin to have assigned one of their bodyguards to tail him. It would actually explain why Logan hadn’t fought him that hard when Parker had insisted on leaving the safe house.
“I just know you,” Logan replied, which really didn’t answer Parker’s question. “I know that when you’re mad you get hotheaded—too hotheaded to wait for backup.”
Parker was mad. He was mad that someone was trying to kill him. He was mad that someone was trying to kill Sharon. And he was mad that innocent people had died in their places.
“I don’t need backup, big brother.” Logan would never let him forget that he had entered the world a whole ten minutes before him. “I got this.”
“Before he got kicked out of the league some years ago, Chuck Horowitz was a mixed-martial-arts champion. He could kill you with his bare hands.”
Parker’s guts tightened—not with fear but with certainty. Brenda had been killed with someone’s bare hands. An MMA champ would have easily been able to kill her. He’d just thought the bodyguard had failed to protect her. But had he actually murdered her?
Parker tightened his grip on his gun. “A bullet will stop him.”
“Wait for me,” Logan ordered again. “I’m on my way there.”
“I told you to stay with Ethan and Mom.” He had no way of knowing if Chuck Horowitz was even in his apartment.
“Candace is protecting them,” Logan assured him. Because of her military and police background, Candace was not just their best female bodyguard but also one of their most competent bodyguards overall.
But Parker didn’t feel all that reassured. He glanced down toward the dark street. Not even street lamps glowed in this area of town. But yet he caught a
Someone had been trying to kill him for two weeks and had not succeeded yet. And that was before Parker had realized the hit was on him. Now that he knew, he was ready.
An outside stairwell led to Chuck Horowitz’s second-story combination apartment-office. Brenda had really dropped her standards when she had fired Payne Protection and hired this yahoo.
Glad that he had changed into dark clothes, Parker kept to the shadows as he climbed the stairs. He didn’t need to make himself a target for all the people who would take up that hit for the money.
God, he hoped Sharon was safe. His brother Cooper had assured him that nothing would happen to her or Nikki. But while Cooper could protect her on the outside, if she was arrested...
There was nothing Cooper or Parker could do for her but help try to prove her innocence....
The defense lawyer should be able to prove that although Sharon was taller than Brenda, she wasn’t strong enough to have so violently broken the woman’s neck. Even the coroner should be able to conclude that it would take a very strong man to do something like that.
A twinge of regret and loss struck Parker’s heart. One day Ethan might learn, either through the internet or gossip, how brutally his mother had died. Parker knew from experience that people never forgot tragic deaths like his father’s. When the day came that Ethan heard about the murder, Parker wanted to be able to tell his son that he had caught and brought his mother’s killer to justice.
He reached the narrow landing at the top of the stairs. But before he could knock on the door, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He ignored it and reached for his gun instead. But it continued to vibrate, so he pulled out the cell. And after lowering his voice to a whisper, he answered it. “Damn it, Logan—”
His voice a shout, Logan burst out, “Don’t go in there alone!”
“Do you have eyes on me?” He glanced around in the darkness. He wouldn’t have put it past his twin to have assigned one of their bodyguards to tail him. It would actually explain why Logan hadn’t fought him that hard when Parker had insisted on leaving the safe house.
“I just know you,” Logan replied, which really didn’t answer Parker’s question. “I know that when you’re mad you get hotheaded—too hotheaded to wait for backup.”
Parker was mad. He was mad that someone was trying to kill him. He was mad that someone was trying to kill Sharon. And he was mad that innocent people had died in their places.
“I don’t need backup, big brother.” Logan would never let him forget that he had entered the world a whole ten minutes before him. “I got this.”
“Before he got kicked out of the league some years ago, Chuck Horowitz was a mixed-martial-arts champion. He could kill you with his bare hands.”
Parker’s guts tightened—not with fear but with certainty. Brenda had been killed with someone’s bare hands. An MMA champ would have easily been able to kill her. He’d just thought the bodyguard had failed to protect her. But had he actually murdered her?
Parker tightened his grip on his gun. “A bullet will stop him.”
“Wait for me,” Logan ordered again. “I’m on my way there.”
“I told you to stay with Ethan and Mom.” He had no way of knowing if Chuck Horowitz was even in his apartment.
“Candace is protecting them,” Logan assured him. Because of her military and police background, Candace was not just their best female bodyguard but also one of their most competent bodyguards overall.
But Parker didn’t feel all that reassured. He glanced down toward the dark street. Not even street lamps glowed in this area of town. But yet he caught a
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