No Chance in Hell by Jerrie Alexander Read Free Book Online

traffic.”
    “I’ll be right back.” Kay stood and left the room. She hurried back, wearing a jacket and, no doubt, her pistol.
    “I’ll call Tomas and Wayne,” Marcus said. “They usually appreciate getting the extra work.”
    “Tomas volunteers so he can be close to her.” Nate winked at Chris and held his hand out to Kay. “But I agree. We can’t protect Chris twenty-four/seven and work the case,” Nate said.
    Marcus nodded. The Lost and Found team had gotten off to a shaky start with DPD homicide detectives Tomas Mendez and Wayne Kerns. After Kay’s rescue, they’d been pissed as hell that Nate had kept his plans to himself. Truth be told, it was Dalton who’d smoothed things over. Since then, both Tomas and Wayne had become part-time members of Lost and Found’s team. Marcus welcomed their help on this job.
    “One more thing,” Marcus added while he had everyone together. “Since Dalton’s agreed to help, I want him to run the murder through the national database. See if there are any other homicides with these same markers.”
    Chris stood and joined Kay. “I don’t know what to say, except thank you.”

Chapter 4
    DaVinci clenched his fists, ignoring the urge to throw his laptop across the room. Drawing his assistant’s attention would pique her curiosity. The poor soul fancied herself an expert in the art world. Her promotion had been a wise choice on his part. She was devoted to him and the gallery, allowing him to concentrate on Chelsea and now Christine.  
    Satisfied his head wasn’t going to explode, he replayed the video, slowing it to a crawl. Christine had allowed not one but two men into her home. Why now? He’d been watching her for months, and not once had she brought anyone home with her.  
    The young man who’d delivered the flowers had been jerked inside. A few minutes later a man followed the delivery boy out of the parking lot. The jackass had thrown the flowers in the dumpster. Exactly what had she told her new friends?
    None of it made sense.
    He studied the two men as they exited her house. Both were the size of those fighters who got inside a cage and beat the shit out of each other. Wearing dark slacks and white shirts, they both moved as if they owned the ground under their feet. Just who were her new friends?  
    His pulse ratcheted up again at the way she lingered at the door until one spoke to her. His lips were easy to read as he issued the order, “Lock up behind us.”
    If she grew attached to anyone, he’d kill them. And do it without hesitation. She needed to understand the conditions of staying alive. Rules had to be followed or consequences would be levied.  
    He closed his laptop and locked it in his briefcase. He’d made plans to drive to Austin. The perfect candidate worked in a strip club just outside of town, but he’d canceled the date. She’d sounded disappointed. Well, so had he been. His plans for her had been really quite creative.
    But Christine was his focus. He would not lose sight of the end goal. She thought she’d outsmarted him. Little did she know, he’d just begun to make her squirm. She would not be allowed to make new friends. The two bruisers she’d had in her town house could easily be dealt with. He sighed, straightened his suit jacket, and then walked out to the gallery.
    “Here he is now,” one of the clerks announced. “I’ll let him tell you what inspired this painting.”
    He plastered a fake smile on his face. “Love to.” He strolled to the potential buyer and linked her arm in his. “I’d just returned from a week in California where I’d been overwhelmed by the colors of summer and the feeling of the breeze wafting over the ocean. I had to commit that beauty to canvas.” Partially true, the painting had burst from him right after he’d killed Chelsea Holland.
    “May I ask the price?”
    “I couldn’t bear to part with this one. But I do enjoy meeting someone who appreciates and feels the message.”