Sensual Confessions - Brenda Jackson [98]
Alex leaned back in his chair as he flipped to another page in his notepad. “I think this would be sufficient motive,” he said, tearing out the sheet and handing it to her.
Sam hesitated, refusing to even look at it as she passed it on to Blade. “What does the paper say? What would have been his motive, Alex?” she asked softly.
Alex took a deep breath. “Revenge. Does the name Alvin Quincy ring a bell?”
Sam scrunched up her face for a moment and quickly said yes. “Years ago, when my father was a prosecutor, he sent him to prison. Quincy escaped around six years ago, a little after I moved here. He’d always made threats about getting back at my father, and when he was freed, he went after my brother, Angelo, running him off the road, nearly killing him. Everyone figured he’d come after me or my parents next, which is the reason my family talked me into moving to Windsor Park, for security reasons.”
“Was the man ever captured?” Luke asked.
Sam shook her head. “Yes, but he swore he would never be taken alive and was killed in a shoot-out when the police tried to apprehend him.”
She glanced over at Alex. “But what does any of that have to do with FDR?”
Alex closed his notepad. He met her gaze. “It seems that Frederick Damon Rowe is Alvin Quincy’s son.”
Those were the last words Sam heard before everything around her suddenly turned black and she passed out.
Chapter 25
Luke glanced up at Blade when he reentered the room. “How is she?”
“I think she’s in shock. I know for a fact she’s still in denial.” He glanced over at Alex. “Even after all you’ve told her, she still wants to believe FDR isn’t a suspect.”
Alex nodded in understanding. “It’s hard to comprehend that someone you trust has betrayed you.”
“Betrayed, hell!” Blade stormed, his anger escalating. “The man tried to kill her. Blow her up. What kind of damn friend is that?”
“Calm down, Blade,” Luke said.
“I won’t calm down until Rowe is put in jail and the keys are thrown away. But not before I kick his—”
The sound of Luke’s cell phone ringing drowned out Blade’s words, and Luke was glad. He’d never seen Blade this angry before about anything, and definitely not over a woman. He saw the caller was Mac. “Hello, sweetheart.”
“We have trouble,” Mac said, almost whispering into the phone.
Luke stood. “Why? What’s up?”
“Sam’s parents are here. They arrived this morning and want to know where she is, and have threatened to turn this city upside down until they find her. When they first got to town they went straight to her town house, and someone at the security gate told them about the bomb.”
Luke ran his hands down his face. He had met Sam’s parents before. They could be a force to deal with when it came to their children. “Hold on a minute, Mac.” He then relayed to Blade and Alex what Mac had told him.
Blade released a curse. “Great! That’s all we need.”
“Yes, but at least we got our prime suspect under surveillance, and I’m going to contact Detective Adams to pick him up from the hotel and bring him in for questioning.”
“And I want to be there when you do,” Blade almost growled.
Alex rolled his eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Blade met his friend’s gaze. “My woman was almost killed, Alex. There’s no way I’m not going to be there when Rowe is brought in.”
Alex pulled in a deep breath of air, then pushed it out. “Fine, but I wouldn’t suggest that Sam be there. Are you going to leave her here alone?”
“Damn,” Blade uttered. He’d forgotten about that.
“Two of Jake’s men are parked outside,” Luke said. “I had them follow us to make sure we weren’t followed by anyone. I can leave them here to keep an eye on things until we get back.”
Blade nodded. He knew all of Jake’s men, since most of them had worked for his uncle for years. Since Jake and Mac were partners in a land-grazing deal, Jake’s men rotated periodically to stay with the herd. They were men who could be trusted.
“That’s a good idea,” Blade said. “I’d feel better about leaving her, knowing