The Devil You Know

By TK Eldridge

Like she didn't have enough to worry about!
Caela and Mykos have to make this partnership work or lose everything.
A renown PI firm, a crack team at her fingertips, you'd think everything would be easy. Yet, there
are strands of poison woven deep into the threads that hold Hughes Investigations together.
Trust is broken, trouble abounds, and now a serial killer is coming for Caela and those she loves.
She got him put away once, can she do it again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: TK Eldridge
• Release date: Aug 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005372057

TK Eldridge

TK Eldridge retired from a career in Intelligence for the US Gov't to write. The experiences from then are now being used to feed the muse for paranormal romance, mysteries, supernatural, and urban fantasy stories. When they’re not writing, they are enjoying life in the Blue Ridge mountains of western North Carolina. Two dogs, a garden, a craft hobby and a love of Celtic Traditional music keep them from spending too much time at the computer.

Book preview

The Devil You Know

TK Eldridge

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Graffridge Publishing

(Previously published under the Preston Holt Wilder penname)

First published by Graffridge Publishing 2020

Copyright © 2020 by TK Eldridge

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

TK Eldridge asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

TK Eldridge has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

Cover by Lizzie Dunlap of PixieCovers.com

Editing by Donna A. Martz of MartzProofing.com

Just days before I finished this book, we lost the Honorable Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, to cancer. As these stories are about a woman learning and growing in her independence, I’d like to dedicate this book to our Ruth.

Thank you - for your drive, your diligence, and your determination to make women independent and equal in the eyes of the law.

We are at last beginning to relegate to the history books the idea of the token woman. - Honorable Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Contents

1. Chapter One

2. Chapter Two

3. Chapter Three

4. Chapter Four

5. Chapter Five

6. Chapter Six

7. Chapter Seven

8. Chapter Eight

9. Chapter Nine

10. Chapter Ten

11. Chapter Eleven

12. Chapter Twelve

13. Chapter Thirteen

14. Chapter Fourteen

15. Chapter Fifteen

16. Chapter Sixteen

17. Chapter Seventeen

18. Sample of The Devil in the Details

About the Author

Chapter One

Caela

Caela lay awake while Mykos slept. He’d flown back from Greece and returned to her last night. Even as exhausted as he had been, they had made love then had fallen asleep wrapped in each other’s arms. Caela slowly untangled herself from him, then sat and looked at him for a moment.

Dark curls tousled over his forehead, olive skin shadowed from weariness. Morning scruff gave him that sexy ‘bad boy’ look that had made many women fall at his feet. Muscled but not bulky, he was independently wealthy, inherently giving, and overly protective. He was also, thanks to her father’s will, bound to her as the vice president to Caela’s position as president of Hughes Investigations, a top private investigations firm. She had been working for Hughes since high school, then all through college and beyond.

The only time she didn’t actively work for Hughes was when she took her father’s advice and traveled between high school and college. A year of travel had opened her eyes to so many things and had been the perfect way to make the step from child to adult.

Now here she was, just past her thirtieth birthday, running the company without her Da. Conal Hughes had been gunned down by Franklin Jeffries, the previous VP. Born Liam Hughes, he had been told by his mother that he was Conal’s son, but DNA had shown that to be a lie. Jeffries had stolen a dead man’s ID and got himself hired as the new vice president, then did his best to entangle Hughes Investigations in criminal enterprises. A situation they were still trying to sort out, but with legal and law enforcement agencies on their side.

A soft sigh and Caela smoothed the blanket over Mykos before she bent to collect their scattered clothing. A shower and coffee were desperately needed, but she could at least take a moment and make sure Myk could find his pants.

As she picked up the clothes, a soft thud warned her that something had fallen out of a pocket. Caela turned to see what it was and found Myk’s wallet on the floor. As far as Caela was concerned, going through a man’s wallet was as huge a violation as a guy going through a woman’s purse. You just didn’t do it. So, she scooped the square of black leather up off the floor to tuck back into his pocket, when a folded photo fell out. She stopped to pick that up as well, then looked at the photo. A smiling Mykos had his arm around a beautiful woman with auburn hair and light blue eyes. The woman looked up at him with adoration and her hand rested against his chest, the glitter of an engagement ring on her finger. On the back was written, Always my love, Krista and Caela felt her heart shatter. Her breath caught in her throat and tears pricked at her eyes before she folded it back up, shoved it and the wallet into his pants pocket and tossed the pile of clothes onto the chair.

Foolish of her to think that Mykos had come home to be with her. It was the company and his reputation with his friends. That’s what did it. She knew that now. He was just biding his time until the demands of the will were met and he could dump his share of the company and leave. It was all so clear to her, after seeing that photo. This Krista was clearly his one true love. She wondered if he’d really been in Greece all this time, or maybe Krista was in Greece, too?

In the shower, Caela let the hot water sluice over her head and face, hiding the angry tears she shed.

Once again, she’d let her fear push her into making decisions and assumptions she would have known better than to make if she’d stayed clear and focused. Ian would so be in her face right now about letting her fear control her. She missed him so much. Both of the men she had relied on for most of her life were gone. Ian and Da. The pain of missing them was still raw and new.

Caela took her time as she dressed, dried her honey blond curls, then braided her hair back and out of the way. Jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt with embroidery trim, and the two halves of a heart necklace that Ian had given her one New Year’s Eve a few years ago. It reminded her that she was lovable, even if she couldn’t find someone to love her the way she wanted. Or needed.

Mykos was still asleep as she slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her. The scent of coffee drew her to the kitchen where Sam was making pancakes. On an electric griddle.

I’m pretty sure I don’t own an electric griddle, Caela said.

Sam laughed. No, you don’t. But I do. I went down to my place, got it and the stuff to make the pancake batter. You had sausages and juice in the fridge already. Kade went home to shower and change. Stephan got a call about a case he was working and took two pancakes and a cup of coffee to go, about an hour ago. Leta is still asleep, although I did take Fred out to do his business and brought him back. He’s in there, snuggled with her again.

Sam Belling had once been a detective on the city police force – until Caela hired him to work for Hughes Investigations. He’d been the detective on Ian’s murder case, and he’d discovered some of the corruption that had him worried for his own life. Now, he stood in Caela’s kitchen, all six foot three inches of him, brown hair and brown eyes, the tousled hair a bit longer than his usual military cut. Clean shaven and dressed in jeans and a dark t-shirt, he looked younger than his forty-two years.

Caela paused as she poured her coffee and looked him over, then gave him a soft smile. You look happy, Sam.

I am happy, Cay. Thank you for giving me this new life.

I didn’t give it to you, Sam, you earned it. And I’ll take three of those pancakes. They smell amazing.

Caela sat at the kitchen island and sipped her coffee in silence while Sam cooked.

You look not as okay as I would have expected, considering how excited you were that Myk was home, Sam finally broke the silence as he slid steaming pancakes and a couple of sausage links onto a plate for Caela.

"I’m not as okay as I would have expected," Caela replied as she added butter and syrup to the stack.

Anything you want to talk about?

Not really. I’m just kicking myself for being an idiot, once again.

Sam turned off the griddle and slid the last few pancakes into the oven to stay warm. Talk to me, Cay. Let me help?

It’s just my old behaviors coming back to bite me in the ass. I’ll be fine. By the way, these pancakes are amazing. Thank you for cooking.

We’ve all got our go-to behaviors, Cay. It’s what we do when they spin up into our lives once more, that determines how much control we let them have over our hearts and minds.

True, that, Caela replied. So, any news about Sasha or Atkins or anything?

I called George Clark, my FBI friend who helped us with the take down in Bridgemont? Yeah, he said that he and a couple of local LEOs are going to go visit the prison and see for themselves that Atkins is still locked up and restricted. The warden assures them he is, but with Sasha’s attack being so close to Atkins style, down to the ribbon that we never even let go public, and the threat directed at you, they need to see for themselves.

Good. One thing about this bothers me.

"Just one thing?"

Ha ha. No, really, the one thing that bothers me the most? The fact that Sasha is alive. If it was Atkins, she would have been dead before he left the scene.

Sasha is dead? Leta choked out from the entry to the kitchen.

Oh, no, lovey, Caela replied, getting up to go to her friend. I was saying that if it really was Atkins, she would’ve been dead. This makes me think it’s someone else, pretending to be him. Anyway, would you like some breakfast? Sam made pancakes and sausage, and they’re staying warm in the oven.

Sasha is resting comfortably and if things continue to improve, she’ll be out of ICU this evening, Sam said. I called to check when I got up this morning.

Leta pushed the short strands of dark hair out of her face and turned to hug Caela. Good news, thanks Sam. I was afraid to hope. She’s my everything, you know.

Fred trotted out behind Leta and nudged the back of her knee.

Hey, buddy, Leta said and reached down to pet Fred. He’s awesome. He stayed with me all night.

Well, except for when I took him down to do his business a couple of hours ago. He went right back in and snuggled you when he was done, Sam said.

I didn’t even notice. I must’ve needed the rest. And, Leta wrinkled her nose, I need a shower first. I’ll be back in about fifteen for breakfast.

Fred turned to follow Leta and Sam snapped his fingers. Good boy, Fred, but I think she’d rather you didn’t join her in the shower.

Laughter from all three as Leta left the room and Caela refilled her coffee.

I’m really glad you’re here, Sam, Caela said, voice soft. Thanks for taking a risk on us.

Hell, Cay, thanks for saving my life. I was going to keep digging into Ian’s death, no matter what, and after they blew up my car, I was pretty sure I was going to be dead next. I mean, the scare tactics they employed really worked. Now I have a gorgeous apartment, a job I love, and friends I count myself lucky to know. I owe you.

Let’s just say we’re even then, huh? Caela replied and took a swallow of her coffee. I need to get to the office for a few. Are you on bodyguard duty for Leta this morning?

I am. Kade will swap off after his lunch meeting and then Stephan will pick it up tonight after he catches a nap between work and watching. We won’t leave her alone until we’re sure she’s safe. There are also cops on Sasha’s room – guys that I know and trust.

Thanks for coordinating that. She rinsed her cup and put it in the dishwasher. I’m going down to the office. If...eh, he won’t. I’ll be back in a few hours. Thanks again, Sam.

Caela slipped on a pair of ankle boots from the rack by the door and grabbed her messenger bag before she headed out to the elevator and down a few floors to her office.

The quiet of a weekend day, when only a few folks were in and around, made it easier for Caela to get her work done. It also didn’t hurt that it was out of the penthouse and in a public space where Mykos couldn’t pitch a scene if he wanted to stay the poster child for executive glory.

Kade tapped on her door about four hours later and Caela nodded to him to come in, then disconnected her call.

Hey, Kade, Caela greeted him and stood to stretch. Whatcha got there?

Kade lifted a small box in his hands and smiled. Coffee, sandwiches, some of that seafood chowder, and chocolate cake for dessert.

Okay, I think I love you, Caela teased as she went over to the table by the windows and took a seat. Come, feed me, you godlike creature you.

Kade laughed and sat down next to her before he handed out the food. I figured you had forgotten to eat again and I know you were almost out of coffee pods in your office, so I grabbed some of those too, but I got a couple of large cups of fresh-brewed to tide you over.

Caela swallowed the mouthful of strong coffee and sighed. You’re right, as usual. I got caught up in a research thing and lost track of time. Oh, and that call was Sam. He told me George Clark called him and told him he saw Atkins, in his cell, with his own eyes. Whomever is doing this – it’s not Atkins. Not directly, anyway.

So, we need to figure out who Atkins trained, or is communicating with, or however this person got the details that weren’t public.

It may not be tied to Atkins himself, at all, Caela said. As much as that gives me a headache, it could be someone that got tipped off about the ribbon or saw a crime scene before the ribbon was hidden, and just ran with it.

So, literally anyone on the planet. That narrows the pool down nicely, thanks, Caela, Kade quipped.

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Caela desperately wanted to ask Kade about this Krista woman, but then she didn’t want to open up a can of worms she couldn’t shut back down. She’d come to rely on Kade too much of late. His tech abilities filled the gap left by Ian and helped her do her job better. Beyond that, he’d become a friend. Making him choose between her and Mykos would not be right, nor fair. He’d been Myk’s friend