He said it so simply that it took a moment for Stevie to realize he’d just given in to what she’d been demanding last night. She thought about what he’d said about pushing drug dealers.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” she asked, aware that she was saying the exact opposite of what she’d said the night before, and curious as to whether he’d call her on it.
Dave shrugged. “Can be, but I know how to do it.” He said it so casually, his eyes sliding from her as he did, that she knew instantly that he was downplaying the gesture.
“Dave…” she began, shaking her head.
“Look,” he said. “Take a shower, do whatever you need to. I’ll be back in about two hours. Be ready to go.”
With that he stood up. He walked over to his dresser and pulled on a black T-shirt, then went to his closet and took out a steel-gray shirt before sitting down to put on his shoes. Stevie watched as he secured his gun at the small of his back. She was still watching him when he turned around, running his hands through his hair to smooth it. He came over to her, leaning down and kissing her softly on the lips.
“I’ll be back by eleven,” he said, and walked out of the room again.
Stevie couldn’t believe it. Not only had he not chastised her for being stupid the night before, but he was even planning to put himself in danger to give her what she had said she wanted. Only now she was afraid that she’d asked too much.
As they were finishing up lunch, Dave leaned forward, his expression serious.
“So when are we going to do some business, Tiempo?” he asked, his voice cajoling.
Tiempo looked at him for a long moment, as if trying to figure out what Dave meant, then nodded. “Ah, sí, business,” he said, an undercurrent to his voice. “There is just one little problem.”
“What’s that?” Dave asked, sitting back calmly.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Tiempo produced a gun and put the muzzle to Dave’s forehead. “You see,” he said, his voice still deceptively smooth, “I don’t know if I can trust you yet.”
Stevie felt all the blood leave her face, but she couldn’t react. She was just waiting for the sound of the gun going off. She knew if she heard it she’d kill Tiempo herself. Her hand was near her own gun, but she didn’t draw it. Looking over at Dave, she expected to see fear. Once again, she was stunned.
With a gun to his head, Dave Dibbins still remained calm. His face was passive, and his eyes were on Tiempo, but there was no fear in them. He hadn’t moved, or even tensed a muscle. It was obvious, too, that Tiempo was surprised by Dave’s lack of reaction, because the gun wavered.
“Why do you not react, my friend?” Tiempo asked, his curiosity obviously overriding his need to play the tough guy.
“Are you going to shoot me?” Dave asked idly.
“I might,” Tiempo said, his tone a sneer.
Dave pursed his lips. “Do I have any control over whether you do or not?”
“No,” Tiempo answered, smiling evilly, thinking Dave was going to beg now.
Dave shrugged. “Then what’s the point in getting upset?”
Tiempo looked stunned, his mouth dropping open as he stared back at Dave. Finally, after a few tense moments, he lowered the gun, shaking his head in amazement. “You are insane, my friend.”
Dave grinned, shrugging again. “Nope, I just don’t worry about things I can’t change.”
Stevie was sure she was going to pass out from the relief flooding her veins, but to her credit she hid it well. She merely appeared relieved that her boss hadn’t killed another person, not that she’d been terrified for that person.
When Tiempo turned to order some champagne from the waiting butler, Dave glanced at Stevie. He could see the relief on her face, and quirked his lips in a quick grin.
Later, as Stevie was escorting Dave out, Tiempo called her back to him. Dave walked out to his car and waited. Stevie came out a few minutes later.
“Drive,” she said as she got in on the passenger side, her tone all business now.
Dave got in and started the car, glancing over at her. “Where to?”
“Hotel Intercontinental. Tiempo wants to make the deal there tomorrow at one.”
Dave noted the controlled look on her face and nodded. Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of the hotel.
“Go make the arrangements,” Dave said. “I’ll meet you down there.” He pointed at the bay next to the hotel. Stevie nodded and got out of the car.
Twenty minutes later, Stevie walked up to his car, but he wasn’t in it. She scanned the area and saw him running at breakneck speed along the water’s edge. Walking down the grassy area of the bay park, she headed toward the spot she knew he would reach, given his direction. Sitting down on a stone picnic table, she waited for him. He stopped a foot from her, gasping for breath, and bent forward, his hands on his knees. Stevie sat watching him for a full five minutes before she spoke, waiting for him to catch his breath.
“You okay?” she asked finally.
Dave nodded, sitting on the bench in front of her. “Arrangements made?”
“Yeah. You sure you’re okay?”
“For a guy who just about got his head blown off, yeah, I’m fine,” Dave said, his grin starting.
“I have to tell you, Dibbins, you’re amazing,” Stevie said, shaking her head. “I’ve seen Tiempo do that to other men, and watched them reduced to groveling puddles.” She shook her head again. “I don’t know how you do it, how you keep from being afraid.”
“Who said I wasn’t afraid?”
“You didn’t look it in the slightest.”
He shrugged. “I was scared, but if he was actually going to kill me, I wasn’t going to give the asshole the satisfaction of showing fear.”
“Yeah, but you could have told him you’re a cop, or something to prevent him from shooting you.”
“You think so?” Dave asked, giving her a sidelong glance. “He does that as a test, to see what people will do. He gets off on the fear they show—it’s a power trip. He also has the chance to see if they’ll admit to anything interesting. Like being a cop. He would have killed me for sure then. I had nothing to gain by showing him any of my cards. So I showed him nothing.”
“Wow…” Stevie said, unable to fathom how this man’s mind worked or how he could keep such a tight leash on his emotions when the need called for it.
She’d learned in the academy that fear caused a huge adrenaline rush, the fight or flight reaction. The fact that not one muscle had twitched to show that rush was amazing. He had controlled his own adrenaline. She looked at him then, narrowing her eyes as if studying him.
“That,” she said, nodding over her shoulder, back toward the beach, “was the release, wasn’t it?”
“Release?” he asked, giving her a calculated look, like a teacher with a pupil.
“Yeah, of the adrenaline rush you got when Tiempo pulled the gun. You managed to control it long enough to get down here and run your ass off.”
Dave inclined his head. “Gotta let it go or it’ll eat you up.”
Once again Stevie found herself surprised. Was there never going to be an end to what this man could do?
They discussed the meet after that, and Dave took her back to Tiempo’s house.
Jeanie, Donovan, and Erin were in the bar 10–7. Donovan had a few days off from his case, since his suspect had gone to Miami for a week. Much to Jeanie’s irritation, the woman had actually invited Donovan to go along “to play.” Donovan had turned her down, citing a lot of connections he needed to make. Jeanie had heard that she was a real man-eater, and she didn’t want her getting her claws on him. He laughed it off when she got irritated about the woman’s advances, but eventually Donovan stopped telling her about them. When he’d brought up the offer to go to Miami, it was the first time in a long while that he’d mentioned any flirtation by his suspect.
Erin and Jeanie had been hanging out at the house when Donovan walked in that evening. They were watching a
movie, so they didn’t notice him right away when he came down the hallway. He’d stood leaning again the hall wall, watching them. Erin glanced up, and grinned as he put his finger to his lips to keep her from saying anything. He walked over to just behind where Jeanie sat on the couch, obviously engrossed in the love scene in the movie. Leaning down, Donovan kissed her neck, making her jump. When she glanced up, he laughed and kissed her on the lips.
He’d suggested that they all go out for a few drinks, saying that he needed to take the edge off. Both girls thought the idea sounded great. So two hours later, here they were in 10–7. Donovan had definitely taken the edge off, since Jeanie had volunteered to drive them all home that night. She was also pointing out all the available cops to Erin, embarrassing her thoroughly. Donovan was laughing, greeting friends and moving on to beer after a few shots. He’d even coaxed Erin into having a shot with him, the lethal Stars at Night. Jeanie told Erin the story of how the first time she’d gone out with Donovan as “friends,” he’d let her try his drink. She then went into how one of Donovan’s friends had been getting way too friendly, and Donovan had ended up decking him.
“He hit his friend for you?” Erin asked. She glanced at Donovan, who was shaking his head and rolling his eyes as he took another drink of his beer.
“You did too!” Jeanie said, hitting him on the shoulder.
“Did you?” Erin asked, grinning at him from across the small table.
“Okay,” Donovan said, setting his beer down. “Maybe.”
“That is so romantic!” Erin said, her voice melancholy.
“Maybe?” Jeanie countered “You decked his ass,” she continued, grinning widely. “Knocked him clean out too.”
“Wow!” Erin said. “One punch?”
“He probably passed out,” Donovan put in wryly, never one to brag.
“He did not—you put him out,” Jeanie said.
“We don’t know that,” Donovan said, the beginnings of a grin on his lips.
Jeanie smiled. “My ass we don’t.”
Donovan looked back at her. “Your ass, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jeanie countered haughtily.
In reply, Donovan leaned over and kissed her. It lasted an extra few moments as they apparently forgot themselves. Then Jeanie pushed him away, rubbing her chin. “Those damned whiskers have got to go, Curtis.”
“Oh stop,” Donovan said, running his fingers over the goatee. “You’re just too sensitive.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you—such sensitive skin,” he replied, raising an eyebrow.
“Bullshit. Any woman would complain about those whiskers—they’re rough and scratchy.”
“They are not,” Donovan said, grinning again.
Jeanie put her hands on her hips, giving him a deadpan look. “When’s the last time you kissed your own face, Curtis?”
Donovan pursed his lips, canting his head to the side. “Guess I didn’t think of it that way. But still, lots of guys have goatees and women who kiss them.”
“Yeah, but I’ll bet the women complain about scratchy faces,” Jeanie said, laughing now.
“Bullshit,” Donovan said, taking a long swig of his beer. “I can prove it.”
“How?”
Donovan gestured around him. “There’s a bar full of women here. I’ll kiss one and we’ll see if she complains about scratchy whiskers.”
“My ass you will,” Jeanie replied, narrowing her eyes at him, but a grin played at her lips.
“Why?” Donovan asked, sitting up straighter. “Afraid I’ll prove you wrong?”
“No, I’m afraid if you kiss one, they’ll fall in love and I’ll lose you forever.”
Donovan laughed, throwing his head back. Erin and Jeanie laughed too, in response to his lively mood.
“So how do I disprove this theory of yours?” he asked, leaning forward on the table.
“You can’t—that’s the point,” Jeanie said, giving him a “so there” look.
Again Donovan pursed his lips in thought. Then he stood up, leaning over the table. Putting his hand to the back of Erin’s head, he leaned down and kissed her lips. The kiss lasted only a few moments, but Erin was sure she’d stopped breathing. Within seconds Donovan was sitting back down and giving her a quizzical look.
“So?” he asked, looking straight at her.
It took Erin a few moments to find her voice. She had to swallow twice to calm her senses. She looked at Jeanie and noted that her friend did not look happy at what Donovan had just done; she was staring at him, her mouth hanging open. Donovan didn’t notice Jeanie’s stare; he was looking at Erin, waiting for his answer.
“Um,” Erin began, finding her voice. “I…” But she couldn’t even begin to finish.
Jeanie got up from the table and walked away.
Donovan’s eyes went to her then. “Jay?” he said, obviously surprised by her action. Jeanie didn’t look back, only shaking her head as she headed for the bathroom. Erin got up and followed her, not sure what she was going to say but definitely not wanting to stay at the table with Donovan.
The kiss had unnerved her. She knew she was attracted to Donovan, had been from day one. But his kiss had made every sense in her body sing. She knew it was a horrible thing to be attracted to her friend’s fiancé, but she couldn’t seem to help it. Erin was actually glad that Donovan wasn’t around much at this point, because she knew she’d have problems coping with her fascination with him.
Erin found Jeanie in the bathroom, leaning against the wall.
“Hey,” Erin said softly.
“Hey.”
Erin moved to lean next to Jeanie. After a few long moments of silence she said, “You okay?”
Jeanie was quiet for a few seconds longer, then blew her breath out in a sigh. “Yeah, I was just surprised he did that.”
Erin nodded, not sure what to say. “He has had a lot to drink.”
Jeanie glanced over at her, her look considering. “I know he has,” she said, not sounding convinced that that was why he’d kissed the other girl.
“He was just trying to prove his point,” Erin added, doing her best to make everything better.
Jeanie didn’t say anything for a long moment, then looked over at her. “Did he prove his point?”
Erin bit her lower lip. Finally she nodded, almost miserably.
“Oh shit!” Jeanie said, laughing and shaking her head.
Erin laughed too, relieved that Jeanie wasn’t mad.
“God, don’t tell him. I’ll never get him to shave that thing off!” Jeanie said, then turned to the mirror to check her makeup.
“What if he asks again?” Erin said, turning to the mirror too.
Jeanie grinned. “Tell him you need to deliberate on it for, like, the next two years.”
“Shame on you!” Erin said, laughing.
“Hey, I don’t have to like losing, do I?”
“No, you don’t have to like it.” Erin smiled. “You better get back out there, or he’s going to get worried.”
“Ya think?” Jeanie said. Grabbing Erin’s hand, she tugged her out of the bathroom and back toward the table. Erin smiled, glad that she had maybe helped her friends. Her thoughts still lingered on the kiss as Jeanie walked over to Donovan.
Jeanie shoved the table back a couple of inches and straddled his lap, facing him. Putting her arms around him, she leaned down and kissed him. Donovan’s hands slid up her back, one going to the back of her head as they kissed. Jeanie caressed his neck, moving her fingers through his hair. People around them starting whistling and making catcalls. Jeanie and Donovan laughed when they realized they were the object of everyone’s attention, and Jeanie buried her face in Donovan’s neck. He grinned, looking over at Erin, who stood a few feet away. He gave her a cavalier wink, and she smiled at him. It was a fun night.
Chapter 6
As she’d promised, Midnight had allowed Randy to begin her mentoring program. Randy spent hours figuring out scheduling and working wi
th the officers taking part in it. She wasn’t home many nights. Joe was ever supportive of her efforts so didn’t complain about being on his own a lot for dinner. When she got home, she’d usually find him asleep on the couch with a report lying on his chest. She’d wake him and take him down to their room to put him to bed. She’d come in a little while later after straightening up the house and looking in on the children. There was some guilt there, knowing she wasn’t spending enough time with any of them. She told herself that as soon as she got the project off the ground, she could go back to spending evenings at home again. Randy knew that Joe understood what she was doing, and she loved him more for his unending support.
Many nights when she crawled into bed next to him, he would be asleep. On this particular evening, he was awake when she got into bed. He held out his arm to her, and she snuggled against his side, his arm going over her protectively.
“So, how’s it going?” he asked, his English accent still clear even after many years in the States.
Randy glanced up and saw that he was looking down at her. She took a moment to kiss his chest, then said, “It’s going good. I should have everything running smoothly in a few more weeks.”
Joe nodded. “Good. Everyone working out okay?” He knew she’d had some reservations about some of the officers who’d volunteered for the program.
“Well,” Randy began, levering herself up on her elbow to look down at him, “I talked to Midnight about Terry and Janzen.”
“Yeah, and?” Joe prompted.
“Well, she agreed that they were both probably doing it to get the admin time more than for the program itself, but she said to let them give it a shot, and she’d watch their time personally.”
Joe looked thoughtful. “That should work, right?”
“Yeah.” Randy shook her head. “I don’t know how she does it—I really don’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I don’t know how Midnight keeps track of everything. She takes on way more than any normal human being can handle, and nothing gets by her.”
Joe grinned, his eyes twinkling in the darkness. “She’s been doing this shit for years, babe. She’s used to it.”
Past in the Present (MidKnight Blue Book 9) Page 17