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“What’s his full name, this Fred you talked with?”
“I promised not to tell you. He doesn’t want to be involved. But I believe him… what he said.”
“Okay. What was it?”
“It’s about Luke’s black friend Hamilton, the guitar player. He used to run with some pretty wild boys back in his day. But he cleaned up, and afterwards, he began counseling youngsters in trouble. Kinda payback to Jesus for his own bad ways. Fred said that if anyone can tell you what you want to know, you should talk with him.”
“How can I? I don’t know the man. I mean I’ve seen him here, especially the night he played with Luke on his birthday. But I don’t know him.”
“No. But Luke does.”
Chapter Thirty
In the truck on the way to Beecham Lane, Honey again tried to reason with Luke. “I’m fine. You didn’t have to stop working with the band to bring me home. I could have grabbed a taxi.”
“Sure… like the last time when you ended up getting attacked? Baby, you’re dangerous, like an explosive device waiting for a detonator. Letting you out of my sight isn’t fair to my heart or your next victim. Not after what just happened.”
“You’re sooo not funny.”
He swiveled her way, a wicked grin breaking his usual stern face. He winked outrageously and lowered his voice to a sexy tone. “I’m a little bit funny.”
Dealing with his unusual playfulness, Honey was sunk. The happiness she saw in his expression couldn’t be faked. The dude was literally glowing. Was it because they were together? Christ, her brain couldn’t seem to grasp the night’s outcome.
Body smoldering from the underlying passion that always seemed to lurk whenever they were together, she tried to relax. How weird it seemed that she knew this male lived in the persona of Luke Stone the singer and yet could sometimes be a totally different man.
“Did you know the killer’s name who tried to shoot you tonight?”
“Yeah. He’s been threatening me since yesterday. His name is Jay Nelson. The police warned me about him and even sent a couple of agents to cover the bar tonight. He’s the reason I couldn’t be honest with you last night. I had to keep away from you for your own safety.”
“What?”
“I knew he was after me.”
“So that’s why you walked away at my mom’s.”
Luke didn’t acknowledge her comment. Instead, he continued. “I never should have come to the apartment, but I saw how upset you were.”
“I was furious for my mom having to go through the nightmare. And sick about that young girl losing her precious life because of an overdose. How sad! Christ! Blasted drugs.” Her stomach clenched in a way that had recently become familiar.
Sickened by nauseating sensations, she thought of all the pointless, wasteful deaths because wickedness had taken over the souls of people who’d put money and power ahead of love for their fellow man. That got to her… oh yeah. But what really pissed her off was that society hadn’t put an end to it. Why? WHY? Those words screamed in silence.
As if he sensed her mood, Luke took a few moments before answering. “I knew you were feeling down. I told myself I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t stay away. At your door, I almost changed my mind. Especially after my phone dinged, and I saw… ahh, more threats. If Mel hadn’t caught me and told me you needed me, I would have turned around and left.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“How could I?”
***
Luke waited for Honey to say something. He’d left the question hovering in the air on purpose. If he could just tell her the truth about his being an agent and his recent assignment, it would have made everything so much clearer. But he’d been undercover too many times to drop his shield or to share his situation.
He’d seen people killed because a cop put the pressure of keeping the secret on folks who neither had the training nor the understanding it takes to properly defend the position.
No way he’d add that kind of weight on Honey. Already stressed over the previous happening she’d dealt with… no way. This lady was a schoolteacher for Christ’s sake. And yet earlier, she’d dove into battle against a man with a gun to save his life.
He’d read all the background reports he’d researched on her. How she’d gotten involved with schoolground bullies and had come close to getting knifed for her trouble. Then she’d taken the culprit to court and won her case. Cringing inside, he remembered the name of the culprit.
Tansy Bitmore had yet another thing to answer for. With her name popping into his conscience, it reminded him he had stuff to do. He needed to move on. Drop this lady off with her mom. Get their promise to bring Bernie and his bat over to stay with them. And then get on his way.
