Mountain Desire (Wild Mountain Men 3)

“Why’s that?”

I took another deep breath. I’d never shared my family history. Finch knew, but he’d seen my dad go off in a rage when we were younger.

“Eddie Nickel might come across as a nice guy, but he’s a monster. He used to beat us. Me, Poppy. For years. I’d never send a woman in his direction because if he beat his own kids, I wouldn’t doubt he’d beat her too.”

Nix pulled his cell from his shirt pocket, fiddled with it, then set it on the table. A video played. I looked down at it, saw a porno. I picked it up, recognized it as Erin Mills. It was a strange video, as if someone had taken a video of their laptop that had a film of Erin Mills having sex on the screen. A video of a video. “For the record, I’m showing a clip of Erin Mills having sex with Shane Nickel.”

I winced, not interested in seeing Erin naked. “It’s not me. I never had sex with her.”

“Is that your bedroom?”

It was hard to get past the fucking to see the bed and walls behind, but I recognized the placement of the doors, my bedspread. “Yes.”

Jesus, what the fuck? That was my bedroom.

“Is that Erin Mills?” Nix asked.

Obviously. “Yes.”

“Explain.”

“Where did you get this?”

“Detective Eve Miranski found it.”

“Where?”

“In your bedroom.”

“Are you kidding me?”

Nix didn’t mention why Eve had been in my bedroom to find it. I wasn’t going to put that on the record. I had to guess he was intentionally keeping her personal life out of public case records, and I was thankful for that.

“Cut the recording, Nix.” He didn’t do anything. “Please.”

He pushed the button on the table.

“Thanks. You know I’m in a relationship with Eve.”

“Yeah, and that’s why this freaks me the fuck out. There’s a different video of you having sex with Erin when she was sixteen. Took her virginity.”

“Holy fuck.” I shook my head. “It wasn’t me. Jesus, it wasn’t me.”

“Then let’s figure this out.” He grabbed his cell, turned off the clip of Erin. “I shouldn’t be doing this, but even with all the evidence Eve found, I believe you.”

“Eve found what, a memory card or something this morning?”

“She found a hidden camera behind the picture over your bed.”

My mouth dropped open. “Are you shitting me?”

He shook his head.

“With it were memory cards of conquests. Hundreds of them. Including Erin Mills seven years ago and also three days before her death.” He tipped his chin toward his cell. “If you watch the rest of that video, Erin reminds you of the recording you did of her when she was younger, that she didn’t get a movie deal. She threatens you, stating you give her a film role now or she’ll out you for underage sex.”

My head was spinning. I stood, paced.

“There was a hidden camera in my bedroom.”