Free Deceived by Stella Barcelona Page B

nodding as he spoke on the phone.
    Adrenaline turned her fear to nerve-crackling fury as she realized that Brandon had been the driver who had frightened her to death. How dare he stalk her at the murder scene and scare the living bejeezus out of her. Taylor parked in the nearest space, slammed her car door shut, and charged towards Brandon’s car.
    ***
    The lovely, lovely Taylor. She was the one and only thing, other than business, that George Bartholomew, the most powerful member of the HBW Board, cared about. He wanted to destroy George, and Taylor was how he was going to do it. Between Collette, Andi, and Taylor, his favorite was Taylor. She was that gorgeous. Tonight he was following her, watching her from afar while she was at the fundraiser, planning how he was going to use her.
    Taylor shone, even in the midst of hundreds of beautiful people. Mingling in a social setting appeared easy for her, yet even as she greeted others she seemed remote. When Claude and the young ladies left, he watched Taylor collect her breath under the oak trees of Lafayette Square. Her vulnerability struck him. He sensed that she was not only alone, but that she was lonely. The thought made him smile. He had followed her to Melody Street and watched her. She was talking on a cell phone, not paying attention to anything more than her next few steps.
    Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
    When she stood where he had killed Lisa, he couldn’t resist flashing his bright lights on her.
    Hello, precious. I’m here. Watching.
    Wide-eyed fear had crossed her face. It was his best moment of the day. He drove away when she ran like a scared, high-heeled jack rabbit. He circled the block, then followed her. When she parked across the street from Lisa’s house, he hung back, a block away. Taylor charged out of her car and, in short, purpose-driven strides, she walked towards a dark sedan. Not many things surprised him. He was used to changing circumstances. He could adapt. When Brandon Morrissey stepped out of the four-door Mercedes and approached Taylor, his heart skipped a beat.
    What the fucking hell?
    He left. He’d love to stay and watch the two of them together, but he did not have that luxury. Collette’s hours were numbered. He had to create the perfect ending to her tragically-short life.
    ***
    Brandon stepped out of his car as Taylor charged at him. “Are you ok?”
    “You jerk.”
    “Excuse me?” He stopped his forward motion.
    “You heard me,” she said, closing the distance between them. He thought that she was going to push him back, forcibly, with her hands, but instead she folded her arms against her waist. “Jerk.” None of her poise that had been evident earlier in the day was there as she drew a deep, steadying breath, then another. Her face was flushed. Her shoulders shook. “You scared the hell out of me.”
    “Whoa. What is it that you think that I did?”
    “You know. A couple of minutes ago. On Melody Street.”
    “Melody Street?” There could only be one reason why she was there, but he needed confirmation before he believed it. “You went to where Lisa was killed? Alone? This late?”
    “Yes.”
    “Are you nuts?”
    “You were there. You blinded me with your headlights.” She held up three fingers. “Three times.”
    “Like hell I did.”
    “Don’t deny it. I saw you.” She hesitated. “Well, I saw your car.”
    “Taylor, I wasn’t there.” Her glare softened, then her eyes widened. Her flushed cheeks became pale. When she started to look more scared than angry, he said, “Tell me what happened.”
    Her sentences became shorter as her explanation progressed, and her poise returned as her words became matter-of-fact. He glanced around the neighborhood as she told the story, but he didn’t see a car that was similar to what she described, except his. When she was through, she did a two-second bite on her lower lip, then shrugged off her uncertainty. Finally, she leveled calm eyes on his. “I didn’t see the