“Good evening. May I get your name?”
“Wyatt Stone. I’m afraid we don’t have a reservation, but I was hoping—”
Her lips rounded in an O, and her eyes widened. “Oh, wow. I love your show.” She tucked two menus beneath her arm. “We always save a table or two for important, last minute guests. Would you like to sit inside or out on the back patio?”
He glanced over and raised a brow. “Do you have a preference, Talia?”
“Definitely outside.”
“Right this way.”
They followed the hostess to a lovely patio enclosed by latticework covered with climbing roses that smelled heavenly. Once they were seated and the woman left, she gave him an amused smile. “Obviously you rank right up there with senators and congressmen in importance. Let’s hope the president doesn’t stop by to ask for our VIP table.”
He opened his menu. “Don’t get me started on that moron.”
“Cox really is an egotistical idiot. I hope to hell our choice isn’t between him and Senator Gamble in the next election. Which is why we need to make sure she goes down if she’s guilty of orchestrating attempted murder.”
“Half the people in D.C. are so power-hungry they’d sell out their own mother for a leg up. You really think Kaitlyn is feeding the senator information?”
“I think either she or Lindsey has been talking to Jill Erickson. Take your pick.”
He leaned back in his chair and pressed his lips into a grim line. “I can’t believe either woman would do something so despicable. Obviously, I don’t know one of them as well as I thought if she’s willing to let me take a bullet just because our relationship didn’t work out. Not to mention you’re an innocent bystander in all this, and no one seems to care that you could end up dead.”
A vein throbbed in his forehead as she reached across the table to cover his clenched fist. “I’m dating you. Maybe that’s all the reason she needs if she’s bitter. That and a fat wad of cash.”
“I don’t know which is worse.”
Talia studied his tense expression, wishing she could ease his anxiety. “Let’s not ruin our evening talking about it.” She opened her menu. “What looks good to you?”
“I don’t know if I can eat. My stomach is churning.”
“If one of them sold you out, she isn’t worth upsetting yourself. We’re close to pulling the net tight and catching these people. I can almost taste victory.”
He gave her an incredulous look. “I don’t know why you’d think that. Seems like danger is stalking us every damn time we turn around.” He waved a hand to indicate the secluded patio. “Someone could be lurking—”
“Not likely. We didn’t make a reservation, so no one knew we’d be here. I’m facing the doorway, and I have your Glock in my purse. For the moment, I think we can relax.” She shut her menu. “I’m having the roast squab with a pear and walnut salad to start, and coffee instead of wine since I need to stay alert.”
When their server appeared, he ordered prime rib, a Caesar salad, and a glass of Cabernet. Once the man departed with the menus and a promise to return with their drinks, Wyatt’s brow creased in a frown. “Now what?”
“Maybe waiting for trouble to come to us isn’t the best approach. I still like the idea of actively looking for proof that will take down Senator Gamble.”
“How do you plan to do that? Even if we could get ahold of evidence, if you obtain it illegally, nothing will be admissible in court.”
She smiled at the server when he unloaded a cup of coffee from his tray, along with a cream pitcher and sweeteners. “Thank you.”
He set Wyatt’s wine in front of him and placed a basket of bread in the center of the table. “Your first course will be out shortly.”
“Thanks.” Wyatt reached for a roll.
Talia rested her elbows on the table. “Honestly, my top priority is to end the attacks on us and make sure Gamble doesn’t wind up as the presidential nominee for her party. If we take what we find to the press, her candidacy will be a train wreck.”
He studied her for a moment. “Wow. Devious but effective.”
“The press can be a powerful tool. So, let’s enjoy our meal, and then we’ll go do a little breaking and entering. What do you say?”
He sipped his wine. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Talia. You’re a true original.”
A smile curled her lips. “Damn straight.”
Chapter Seventeen
Wyatt couldn’t help wondering if he’d completely lost his mind. He stood among the hostas planted below a small window, which was a good eight feet off the ground. Their point of entry had been left open a few inches, and he prayed the room beyond it wasn’t occupied by a vicious guard dog or a parrot with a loud mouth.
A few minutes earlier, he and Talia had waited silently on the street while a shadow moved beyond the drawn blind on the second story in the only lit room in the house. A whispered conversation had followed as he fiercely opposed slipping into the occupied home. She’d argued that Jill Erickson who, based on her social media posts, lived alone and wasn’t in a serious relationship, was preparing for bed and would have no reason to leave her room. In the end, Talia had won and currently stood on his shoulders to raise the sash.
Her foot brushed his head as she squeezed through the narrow window. Once she was inside, he backed out of the plants and hurried over to the large shade tree in the yard to keep watch.
Upstairs, the light went out in what he assumed was Erickson’s bedroom. When something touched his ankle, he nearly yelled. A large, gray tabby rubbed against his leg before strolling over to the latticework running up the side of the house. Climbing swiftly, the cat leaped to the sill and disappeared inside. The damned thing would probably give Talia a heart attack, but the cat must be the reason an unscreened window had been left open.
Not that this wasn’t a safe neighborhood filled with stately older homes on the outskirts of Chevy Chase. Talia had located Jill Erickson’s residence with ridiculous ease, using only her phone while they ate dinner. Afterward, they’d returned to the hotel to change into all black—what he deemed burglar attire—then made the short drive to their target’s Maryland home.
He focused his attention on a tiny ray of light, which left the room with the open window to reappear moments later in a different first floor location. Talia was on the move, looking for the evidence she was so sure she’d find. Despite his misgivings.
She hadn’t listened to his arguments against the risky breaking and entering plan. Now, all he could do was wait—and hope like hell she didn’t get caught inside the house.
Endless minutes ticked by as he sweated in the humid night air. When a light flashed on in the upstairs bedroom, he stared in disbelief before whipping out his phone to text Talia a warning. He hit send just as another light came on, this one dimmer, as if it were shining through an open doorway from the hall beyond.
Jill Erickson had left her room.
He texted again, and the tiny light Talia was using went out seconds before a downstairs room lit up like a beacon.
His phone dinged, and he read the text. She’s in the kitchen.
He typed rapidly. Get the hell out!
Some good stuff here. Done in a minute.
He gritted his teeth and waited, wondering if she always lived on the edge. Stupid. Of course she did. He just wasn’t sure he could tolerate her constant, fearless pursuit of danger.
His phone dinged. Damn cat. Create a distraction. Fast!
Heart pounding as another light went on, he ran toward the blue recycle bin that had been left out on the curb. He gave it a shove, and it went over with a thump. Cans clattered, rolling down the sidewalk, and glass shattered as he dived into the shrubs separating Erickson’s property from her neighbor’s.
Somewhere down the street, a dog barked.
Moments later, floodlights illuminated the yard, and the door opened. A woman wearing a dark red robe stepped out onto the front porch.
Wyatt flattened against the ground, despite the branch digging into his side.
“That stupid dog.” The blonde ran down the steps and across the lawn. Pausing beside the overturned bin, she swore again. “Why don’t people keep their freaking dogs tied up? Shit.” Turning, she marched back up the driveway and disappeared inside.
A shadow moved at the window on the far end of the house, and Talia slid through the tight opening to drop to the ground. When she took off running toward the street, Wyatt pushed to his feet and sprinted after her. Breathing hard, he reached the rental car parked in the next block a few seconds after she did and hit the remote.
She slid onto the passenger seat and turned to smile at him as he got in and shut the door. “Nice job. That was fast thinking on your part.”
“What the hell happened in there?” His hand shook as he stuck the keys in the ignition. Without turning on the headlights, he made a U-turn and drove away from the house.
“A cat followed me inside. I nearly peed my pants when it brushed up against me.”
“I saw it slip through the window.” He flipped on the lights as they left the neighborhood and headed toward the beltway.
“Everything was cool after that. The room I entered was mostly used for storage. I took a quick look around the lower floor, found Erickson’s office, and went to work on her computer. She had decent security, so it took me a few minutes to hack my way in.”
“Did you find anything incriminating?”
“Oh, yeah.” Talia laughed softly. “She deleted a series of emails between her and Senator Gamble, but I was able to recover them from her hard drive. That’s what I was doing when you texted.”
He glanced toward her. “Why did Erickson come downstairs if she didn’t hear you?”
“I don’t know. She opened the refrigerator. Maybe she couldn’t sleep and wanted a drink.” Her breath whooshed out. “About then, that stupid cat jumped up onto the desk and started meowing at me. Footsteps sounded, and I panicked a little and texted you.”
“That little incident probably took ten years off my life. Jesus.”
“Your distraction worked perfectly. Erickson stopped in the front entry and opened the door. I finished copying the emails onto a jump drive and bolted to the storage room. As soon as she came inside again, I jumped out the window.” Talia reached over and squeezed his thigh. “We’ve got her cold. Both her and the senator. I can’t wait to read those emails more closely, but from what I saw, they’re incriminating as hell.”
“Except you got them illegally and can’t take them to the police. What do you plan to do now?”
“I would contact Deirdre Gamble directly, but she’d probably ignore my calls. However, she won’t ignore Senator Grant, Wolf’s father. I’ll see if he can arrange a meeting.”
“Convenient.”
“I met John Grant last year when we were working a kidnapping case. Wolf didn’t let on he was related, but I’d done my own research on the team and knew who he was. Which means I can trust him implicitly, and I can’t say that about anyone else in D.C.”
“Makes sense, but Gamble doesn’t know she’s busted. What about the auction? Not to mention, we still might not be safe in our hotel room tonight.”
They were nearing the exit that would take them to Alexandria as she shifted on her seat to face him. “I don’t intend to sleep. I’m a night owl and won’t have any problem staying awake. Especially if I’m busy working—which I intend to be. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to the auction and stay vigilant.”
“It’s past midnight now. Morning is only a few hours away.”
“This will be over soon.” Her tone softened. “And then—”
“And then what exactly?” He turned down the street leading to the hotel and pulled up at the entrance. After stepping out of the car, he handed over his keys to the young woman who hurried up to his door. “Here you go.”
She flashed a bright smile. “Have a good night.”
“Thanks. You, too.”
Talia didn’t say anything as she walked beside him into the hotel, but she turned toward the stairs instead of the elevator.
“Afraid that relic won’t make it up to the fourth floor?”
“Stairs are a good place to hang out and wait for someone. I’d rather surprise anyone lurking on our floor than meet them head-on when we step out of the elevator.” She lowered her voice as she quietly opened the door and withdrew the revolver from the holster hidden beneath her shirt. “Try not to make any noise.”
He nodded, thankful the treads were carpeted. They moved silently up the winding stairs and stopped when they reached their floor. Talia wasn’t breathing any harder than normal as she eased the door open and checked the hallway.
“All clear.” She put away her weapon and headed down the hall to their room.
He slid the key card into the slot and opened the door. One light burned on the bedside table, and the room was exactly as they’d left it. “No one’s been here. Maybe Kaitlyn didn’t report our location back to Jill Erickson, after all.”
“Jill certainly didn’t act like a woman organizing a hit with an assassin.” Talia shut and locked the door. “Not unless she took a phone call in her room, and that’s the reason she got up and came downstairs.” She toed off her shoes and sat on the bed. “Want to tell me what your comment in the car was about?”
He dropped onto one of the chairs at the small table near the kitchenette and ran a hand through his hair. “You said this is almost over. Once Senator Gamble is neutralized, do you plan to go back to Boston?”
“It’s where I work.” Her tone was conversational. Apparently, she didn’t intend to react to the accusation in his voice.
He forced himself to relax his clenched fists. “I realize that. Just like my daughter lives in California.”
“You travel all the time for your job. We’ll still see each other. At least I hope we will.”
“Yeah. We’ll make long distance work, if that’s what it takes.” He was afraid he didn’t sound very convincing, and his heart ached as he studied her beautiful face and the intelligence shining in her eyes. “You’re really good at what you do. Not just the computer hacking magic you perform, but the nerves of steel necessary for field work.”
“I’ve always been willing to take risks. Calculated ones, but risks, none the less.” She hunched her shoulders. “If something happened to me, my friends would mourn—I know they would. But I don’t have anyone in my life who would be irrevocably hurt by my absence. I think that makes the danger easier to face, somehow.”
The pain in his chest deepened. “Well, now you do because I wouldn’t get over your loss and simply move on. Not by a long shot.”
Sudden tears brightened her eyes. “That means a lot.”
He stood and walked toward her. When she rose to her feet, he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. But he didn’t say anything more. There wasn’t anything left to say.
* * * *
With a sense of supreme satisfaction, Talia studied the series of texts filling her computer screen. When the bed creaked behind her and feet hit the floor, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Morning.”
Wyatt yawned and rubbed his bare chest before strolling over to lay a warm palm on her shoulder. “Sorry I fell asleep. I meant to stay awake and keep you company.”
“At least one of us got some rest.” Her bare toes curled as she breathed in his musky scent. Half-naked, tousled, and sleepy-eyed, he was sexy as hell first thing in the morning.
“I guess there weren’t any hitmen prowling the hotel corridors last night.”
“Not a one. Maybe your buddy Kaitlyn really did just call because she wanted a teapot.”
“Or she isn’t guilty of anything but knowing the wrong person.” He leaned in closer and pointed at the screen. “What’s all that?”
“Every relevant email I pulled off the jump drive. I’ve put together a pretty solid picture.”
He pulled up t
he second chair and sat next to her. “Let’s hear what you’ve got.”
“It’s clear Senator Gamble has a spoon and wanted to do a big reveal just before the early primaries to play up how she was chosen as a leader by the founding fathers. She didn’t want you stealing her thunder and hoped to shut down production by getting to the other spoons first.”
“Pretty much what we figured.” His arm brushed her shoulders as he rested it along the back of her chair. “So, she hired those two assholes who held you hostage in Boston?”
“I don’t think so. Her righthand woman paid the guy who searched my apartment, the one I surprised in the act. Both women were thrown into a panic when they learned about my abduction.”
“So, there are definitely two separate parties at play here.”
“From what I can tell, yes. Erickson hired the woman who took John Jay’s spoon from the Bedford House, but not the hitman. The one I killed.” Her tone was flat.
“He was working for the other person, then?”
“I assume so. The man who attacked me on the road in Sonoma was Senator Gamble’s guy. He also shot at me on the beach in Santa Monica. According to their conversation, they just wanted him to scare me off, not kill me.”
“Did he search my house, too?”
“I don’t think so. They certainly didn’t mention it.”
“Christ, this sucks. Let me guess. The gunman GQ shot while we were filming in the vineyard was from the opposing team.”
“The senator was pretty pissed about that whole debacle. Her latest emails mention bidding whatever it takes to get the spoon at the auction and then trying to work out a deal to star on your show. She seems to have decided against more violence.”
He snorted. “Gamble must think I’m stupid. Does she know who the other party is? The one sending out killers to intercept us is?”
“Nope. Completely clueless.” Talia smacked her fist down on the table. “As are we. Only half of this equation is solved.”
“Who was feeding Erickson information?” His tone was grim, and the vein in his forehead throbbed.
Ominous Legacy (Counterstrike Book 4) Page 22