The Eligible Suspect(77)

                Meeting Savanna had reversed any progress he’d thought he’d made. And now, in the quiet loneliness of this strange apartment, he realized he hadn’t made any progress. No. He’d buried what had happened. Progress would have been if he’d told Damen to go straight to hell after her death. Progress would have been refusing to allow him to attend her funeral services. To even be his friend.

                Anger hadn’t begun to settle in until after Damen had approached him with a new hacking job. It had taken him a year to get to that stage of grief. Disbelief had held him back for a long time. He hadn’t been able to believe Niya was dead. He’d lived in a gray, ghostly realm of existence. Beating himself up with memories of her, of their love, and of her violent death.

                Now, as he lay there staring at the ceiling, he couldn’t think of her any other way than the day she was shot. Where once her beautiful face occupied his mind day and night, Savanna’s had taken her place at the throne of his admiration. It gave him a hollow, wretched feeling. How could he betray Niya so easily? He was torn between finding the new ground he needed to move forward with his life and remaining true to Niya. All he had to do was take that first step. And yet...he couldn’t. Because doing so would mean he was walking away from Niya, leaving her behind.

                Getting out of bed, he wiped his face in distress and turned on the TV. He was about to get into the shower when he heard a report about Savanna and Macon leaving a posh downtown hotel. He saw her holding up her jacket to shield her face. Macon’s security personnel warded off the throng and one of them kept saying, “Sorry, no comment.”

                As she got into the Escalade he caught a glimpse of her face. She looked beautiful but drawn. Not happy. He fancied that was because of him and not the media crushing down upon her, and then felt terrible for that. She had been right to go. He wasn’t ready to move on. He wasn’t ready for her.

                Seeing her ripped apart his sense of devotion for Niya and plunged him into mucky disorder. Where had these feelings come from? Why did they threaten him so? He felt cornered. Compelled to go after Savanna. Honor-bound not to.

                After a shower that he spent mostly lost in thought, he dressed in the same outfit as yesterday. He had no idea what he’d do today. Would he take a chance and go after Savanna or would he fight for his innocence? Why was he still contemplating going after her?

                He did have a responsibility to see to her protection. It didn’t matter that her father could see to that much easier than he could. He’d gotten her into trouble. He should get her out of it. But that wasn’t all of it. Maybe none of it. He wanted her. Plain and simple. Fair to her or not. He wanted her with a ferocity that astounded him.

                Despite what his honor told him to do, he looked up the Ivy estate in Evergreen. It showed up on a map.

                His cell rang.

                “Korbin Maguire?”

                “Yes.”

                “I’m Tennessee Kidd from the FBI. Julio Chavis gave me your number.”

                “Yes.” Korbin felt stiff all over with anticipation. What had the agent discovered about Tony?

                “He told me a little about your situation, but not all of it. Not what’s all over the news.”

                Korbin wilted. What agent would help him if he believed what the news said?

                “I didn’t kill anyone,” he said.

                “That’s what Julio said as well. He said you’re being crucified for something you didn’t do.”