Free Guilty Cravings (The Steamy South 1) by Nicole North Page B

didn’t
need the money.”
    She shook her head.
“No. I don’t want this to sound snooty, but it was for the prestige he thought
he could get. Connections. He wanted several prominent men from Savannah to
invest in his business ventures.”
    “Maybe that’s it,”
Nick said in an excited tone.
    “What?”
    “Did any of those men
actually invest in Jared’s businesses?”
    “I’m sure they did. I
wasn’t interested in what he did. But we had several dinner parties when we
first married, and he had me invite all sorts of important people. I planned
elaborate menus and hired outside help to accomplish everything. Maybe he
married me to be his hostess.”
    “Maybe. You know, the
killer could be someone you invited to dinner, someone who’s been in this house
several times.”
    She cringed, imagining
the hundreds of people who’d strolled through their home and eaten their food.
Had one of them been capable of murder? “Yes, that’s possible.”
    “We need to make a
list.”
    “I’ll get a piece of
paper.” Emily left the breakfast nook of the kitchen and headed toward the
antique roll-top desk in the living room.
    The phone rang. Nick
waited in the kitchen doorway, a concerned frown on his face. The caller ID
listed the number as restricted, just as it had last time the killer called. A
chill passed through her.
    “It might be him,”
she told Nick.
    “We’ll pick up at the
same time.” Nick placed his hand on the phone by the kitchen doorway.
    Emily nodded and
pushed the talk button. “Hello?”
    “Welcome home.”
    A shiver spiraled
down her spine. It’s him, she mouthed to Nick.

 
     
    Chapter
Seven
     
    “Who is this?” Emily
said into the phone, even though she already knew the person on the other end
was the bastard who’d broken in, searched her house, then called her last
night. The murderer.
    “You know I can’t
tell you that,” the creepy guy snapped, as if he had a right to be irate with
her. “I see you brought in someone to help you. It won’t matter.”
    Her head swirling
with a million questions, she tried to think of what she should ask him while
she had him on the phone. She also hoped either she or Nick might recognize his
voice if she could get him to talk long enough. “Why did you cut my car’s brake
line?”
    “You shouldn’t have
gone to Atlanta. The quicker you give me what I want, the quicker I’ll leave
you alone.” She tried to determine if his voice sounded familiar. She wasn’t
sure. But he did have a slight southern accent.
    “Did you kill Jared?”
she asked.
    “No. Why would I do
something like that?” Sarcasm sharpened his words. Obviously a lie.
    “You tell me.” She
tried to keep her voice from shaking.
    “Here’s all I’m
telling you—get the Clach Torach and give it to me or I’ll burn your
little bridal shop to the ground.”
    An icy shock jolted
her. “I don’t have whatever you’re looking for. I don’t even know what it is,
or what it looks like!”
    “It’s an ancient
fertility object carved from marble. It looks like a penis. Do you know what a
penis looks like?”
    Emily couldn’t
breathe enough to form a response. The line went dead.
    Nick strode into the
room and removed the phone from her clenched hand to hang it up.
    “Oh my god,” she
whispered. “Who is this psycho?” She didn’t realize she was crying until tears
streamed down her face and Nick pulled her into his arms. “A penis made out of
marble?” she asked. “Why would he kill Jared over such a thing?”
    “I don’t know.”
Nick’s deep murmur reached down into her soul. “Shh. Don’t cry, baby.”
    Baby? Since when did he call her baby ?
Anyway, it made her feel cared for.
    She buried her face
against his neck. “I’m okay.” She barely pushed the words beyond her constricted
throat, unable to remember the last time she’d been so terrified. But Nick’s
strong embrace went a long way in diffusing that fear, and made her crave
having him hold her