by Tee O'Fallon
The phone beeped, and the screen went dark. Now all they had to do was throw together a foolproof ops plan involving a half dozen agencies.
From across the table, Eric caught his attention. “So we still have no idea who we’re looking for.”
“Then we start with the secretary,” Nick said. “As soon as we get Myer’s cell phone and laptop, we track her down.”
“When he gets here,” Bennett added, “I want to do a thorough interview before putting him in front of the grand jury.”
Thirty minutes later, they’d hashed out an ops plan that would suffice, given the exigent circumstances. Through it all, Wolinski’s face registered more and more indignation. The man hated not being in the driver’s seat.
The door opened, and Nick recognized Brendan Sykes, another prosecutor he’d occasionally worked with. “Sorry to interrupt,” Sykes said. “Nothing was on the schedule for this conference room right now. I thought it was free.”
“It’s an emergency meeting,” Bennett replied. “We’re almost done here.”
“Thanks, Ted.” Sykes left, closing the door behind him, but it didn’t completely latch and edged open a couple of inches.
“I just heard from the lab guys.” Cox held up his cell phone. “They dumped everything on Matteo’s phone and are analyzing it now. I told them it’s a priority, so they’ll try to have something for us by the end of the day.”
“I have something to add.” IRS Special Agent Douglas tugged a stack of sheets from his portfolio. “I went back ten years into Ms. Hardt’s financial records. She’s totally clean. All her money is untainted, including funds she used to purchase and renovate the Dog Park Café. I also found this.” Douglas handed the sheets to Bennett. “Two years ago, she left a prominent financial firm that was later named in a civil complaint alleging the theft of millions of dollars from their clients. Unsolicited, Ms. Hardt turned over incriminating evidence to the Attorney General’s Office proving that her colleague—and boyfriend at the time—had used her to bring in clients, then scam them out of annuities by changing the terms of the contracts without Ms. Hardt’s knowledge. The company got hit with heavy-duty fines, and her ex-boyfriend was arrested.”
Holy shit. Nick drew his brows together. When Andi had talked about New York, she’d barely touched the surface. That asshole had raked her over the coals. While Nick had been unloading the ghosts of his past on her, she’d been keeping hers to herself.
“In addition to Myer’s admission, we also have hardcore proof that Andi had no knowledge of that wire transfer.” Cox handed Bennett another sheet of paper. “This is a notarized letter from her bank admitting they ‘erroneously’ permitted an incoming and outgoing wire transfer in the amount of a hundred grand without legitimate authorization from the account holder.”
Disgusted murmurs went around the table.
“Erroneously?” Nick snorted. “Meaning Myer’s friend at her bank did him a favor.”
“Exactly.” Cox nodded emphatically. “A team of agents interviewed the branch manager this morning, and he admitted to doing Myer that very favor.”
Bennett finished perusing the bank document before placing it in a manila folder. “I’ll consider filing charges against that manager. I’ll also prepare the paperwork to unfreeze Ms. Hardt’s bank account. It may take a week or two, but it should bring a smile to her face.” He turned to Nick. “I’d say congratulations are in order.”
“For what?” He narrowed his gaze on the prosecutor. Until they got an indictment, nothing was a done deal.
“For an outstanding plan and for getting Myer to turn himself in. You were being modest. You’re better at undercover than you thought.”
“What’s this about?” Wolinski glared at Cox. “Why wasn’t I told this was an undercover op?”
“It wasn’t.” Nick snapped, wondering who’d given Wolinski the impression it was.
“Well, not really.” Cox squirmed in his seat, making it obvious he hadn’t updated his SAC on the extent or method of Nick’s involvement. “Nick merely suggested he could work his magic and get close to Andi Hardt. You know, spend more time with her. We figured Myer would call her eventually, and if he was stuck to her side when that happened, he could intervene and talk the guy in. Who knew he’d turn out to be a better actor than most of our trained UCs? It was an Academy Award-winning performance, and she fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Believe me, the way Nick’s got her under his thumb, she’ll agree to anything we need. Including being there when Myer turns himself in.”
Nick shot the agent an icy glare. What a dick Cox turned out to be. He’d put his own spin on Nick’s operation just to get his ass out of hot water with Wolinski.
Wolinski laughed, grinning at Nick. “I just figured out why you’ve got your state police panties in a bunch over this woman. I hadn’t realized until now that you’d been spending the last two weeks pumping her for information.” He made a gesture with his fist that no one could misinterpret.
Beneath the table, Nick clenched his hands so tightly his nails bit into his palms. If only murdering a federal agent wasn’t illegal.
Wolinski’s smirk deepened. “You gotta love undercover assignments with side benefits, and that Hardt woman is one fine piece of ass. No wonder you kept her all to yourself.”
A startled gasp came from behind Nick.
Andi stood just inside the now-open door, one hand covering her mouth. Her cheeks were pink, her blue eyes wide.
Nick bolted to his feet. How long had she been standing there? From the horrified look on her face, she’d heard everything, including the part where Cox had made it seem like Nick had only been using her.
He rushed to the door. “Andi?” When he touched her shoulder, she swatted his hand away.
“Don’t,” she spat, her face an even deeper red, her entire body rigid.
Gently but firmly, he ushered her out to the hallway, then back to the empty conference room where she’d been waiting. He shut the door behind them and reached for her.
She spun on him. “Don’t you dare touch me!”
If he’d had any doubts before, now it was crystal clear she’d heard every word of bullshit Cox and Wolinski had said.
…
Chilled to the bone, Andi wrapped her arms tightly around her shoulders. It didn’t help. The temperature seemed to have dropped twenty degrees.
I can’t believe I fell for it. I can’t believe I fell for him.
The vicious cycle of her life was repeating itself over and over, and she was powerless to stop it. Getting used by men must be something attached to her DNA. First Steve, then Joe, and now Nick.
“Andi—”
“No!” She spun to face him, her body shaking with barely controlled rage. “Us—you and me—it was all a lie, an act on your part to get close to me and talk Joe in.”
“Goddammit.” He advanced on her, his hard jaw clenched. “You know it wasn’t like that.”
“Wasn’t it?” She held up her hand, stopping him. “Are you denying what those men said?” She held her breath, hoping he would, praying he had another explanation for what she’d overheard. When he raked a hand through his hair, her hopes died.
“No. But I didn’t use you. Not like that, and not like you think. What’s happening between us is real.”
“Real? You don’t know the meaning of the word.” Her breaths started coming quicker. She wanted to yell, to scream at the top of her lungs to keep from crying. “You said you’d acted in high school and college musicals. I was a fool not to realize you were using those talents on me. You don’t care about me. You only wanted your ‘piece of ass’ on the side.”
“Andi, listen to me!” Before she could stop him, he’d stepped closer, and clasped her upper arms. She tried pulling away, but he wouldn’t let her. “I do care about you, and it is real, I—”
“I don’t believe you.” She began shaking her head, trying not to inhale his scent with every breath, but it was impossible not to. Eve
n if she could eradicate his scent from her lungs, she’d never be able to erase the pain he’d inflicted on her heart.
Oh my God. It’s happening all over again.
He stared down at her, his gray eyes radiating an intensity she’d never seen before. “Getting this gun dealer has been my sole purpose in life for the last five years. When I first met you that was all I thought about. I can’t deny that. I would have done anything to get to this guy, including taking advantage of your relationship with Joe. At first, that’s all this was. A job. Then I got to know you, and things between us changed.”
“You’re right, they did change. You used me, and then you slept with me to make sure you got what you wanted. That’s what men do.” To her, anyway. She bit her lower lip, anything to keep from crying like a baby. “Finding out about Joe was bad enough, but what you did is worse. Far worse. Congratulations really are in order, Sergeant. You went above and beyond the call of duty by leading me to believe that you actually cared, and you know what? I did fall for it. Hook. Line. And sinker.”
As she stood there, chest heaving, the worst of it hit her. She’d been horribly hurt by Steve, and then by Joe’s lies, but that pain didn’t compare to what she was feeling now. Because she hadn’t been in love with either of them. She was in love with Nick. Admitting it was like taking a bullet to the heart.
“Andi.” He leaned in so close she could have kissed him if she’d wanted to. “Don’t do this. Don’t do this to us.”
“Us?” Uttering a soft cry, she shrugged from his grasp. “There is no us, and there never was. I knew something wasn’t right about you.” She blinked back the tears, refusing to let them fall because, once they started, they wouldn’t stop. “I don’t even know you.”
“You do know me.” From the rigidity of his stance, it was obvious he was resisting the urge to touch her again. “And I’m telling the truth.”
“Maybe you are, maybe you aren’t. Unfortunately, I can’t tell what the truth is with you.” Without warning, something inside her snapped, and she rushed forward, pushing at his chest. “I was nothing more than a job to you—a means to an end.”
He stood there, silently taking her hits with his arms at his sides. She looked into his eyes, momentarily taken aback by the abject misery she saw reflected in his gaze.
It’s not real. It’s an act. Like everything else that had passed between them.
Sucking in deep breaths, she stepped back and uttered a sarcastic laugh directed at herself. While she’d been stupidly falling in love, he’d probably been logging in the names of the Napkin Girls before making a pretense of tossing them out.
She’d been taken advantage of and used so much in her life. If she hadn’t caught on to Steve’s scam, not only would her clients have lost their annuities, but she could have been taken down along with him. Because of Joe, she’d been on the verge of being arrested and losing her business. Now she’d lost something just as important.
Her heart. And she doubted it was possible to ever get it back.
Nick’s face was an impassive mask, the same one he’d been wearing the day they’d met. That was his real persona.
“I’m not giving up on us.” He took a step closer, shaking his head. “When this is all over, we can—”
“Go our separate ways.” She backed up, putting the corner of the desk between them. Much as she tried, she couldn’t keep her voice from shaking. “Maybe it’s my fault—my gullibility in believing you could possibly be different.”
“I’m sorry for what you overheard, but I won’t apologize for something I didn’t do.” He held out his hand to her in a pleading gesture. “When this is over, I’ll prove it to you.”
“You’re only saying that so I’ll keep helping you. I heard Special Agent Cox. He wants me there when Joe turns himself in.”
“He does. I don’t. It’s too dangerous.” He took another deep breath as if to steady himself. “That part of the conversation you conveniently missed.”
Unable to bear the intensity of his eyes any longer, she spun and turned her back to him. A moment later, she felt his hands on her bare shoulders. Warmth from his touch seeped into her skin, reminding her of how he’d once made her entire body come alive like never before. The urge to lean against his chest and let him enfold her in his strong arms was overwhelming.
Don’t do it.
It wouldn’t be real. It would be temporary, to keep her tied to him in order to get what he needed to wrap up his investigation.
She turned to look at him, gazing into his handsome face, inanely wishing he could feel even half of what she did for him. Steely gray eyes watched her from beneath lowered brows, and she suddenly understood the only motivating force driving him. Ironically, it was an admirable cause. “I get it. I really do. What happened to your wife was terrible.”
Again, he shook his head, more adamantly this time. “That has nothing to do with—”
“Let me finish. You think that by taking down this organization you can absolve yourself of what you think is your own failure. But it wasn’t your fault, and you know it.”
He didn’t deny it, and that was okay with her. What wasn’t okay was letting him use her to find his salvation.
Steeling herself, she swallowed. “I want to go home.”
“I’ll take you.” He went to the door and reached for the knob.
“Eric can drive me.”
He turned on her. “The hell he can.” His voice was low and controlled, yet his tone was hard as nails. “You may hate my guts right now, but I’ll be damned if anyone else watches over you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want you.”
“Too bad.” He yanked open the door. “Until this is over, you’re stuck with me. That is not open for negotiation.”
The conviction in his eyes told her there was no way to breach his stony resolution. For one supremely stupid moment, she dared to hope his adamant pledge to protect her was about his feelings for her.
It’s not, she reminded herself. With that painful realization, her heartbeat slowed to a dull thud until she barely felt it beating at all.
The only truth in all of this was that if they got to her, they’d get to Joe. Then kill them both.
Chapter Sixteen
“You can drop me off at the restaurant.” Andi stared out the passenger side window, her body rigid with anger to the point where it was palpable.
Those were the first—and only—words she’d spoken to him since leaving the U.S. Attorney’s Office thirty-five minutes ago. The only time she’d shown any emotion was when they’d stopped to pick up Saxon, who’d given her a sound licking on the chin.
He ground his teeth together. Again, the silent treatment was killing him.
After parking in the DPC’s empty lot, he got out and rounded the hood to open Andi’s door, but she’d already whipped it open, slammed it shut, and was stomping toward the restaurant.
He clicked the button on his key fob, popping open the kennel door. Saxon leaped onto the pavement and bounded after her. When she opened the DPC’s front door, Saxon poked his head through, trying to squeeze in after her. She laughed, and it was like music to Nick’s ears. Sadly, her laughter wasn’t for him. It was for his dog. Fuck. Me.
Beeping sounded, then quieted as she deactivated the alarm. She held the door partially open to prevent Saxon from entering, but she leaned down and put her arms over Saxon’s neck, burying her face in his thick coat. His tail wagged back and forth, a sign of just how much Saxon loved her. Pathetically, he wondered if she’d ever throw her arms around him again.
Great, now I’m jealous of a dog.
As he neared the door, she gave Saxon a final scratching behind his ears.
“Hier.” His dog reluctantly disengaged from Andi’s arms and looked up at him with a quizzical expression. Golden eyes pinned him, then swiveled from Andi, to him, then back again. Even Saxon sensed the tension between the two of them. “Let’s go see Stray.”
Minu
tes later, he’d put Saxon up in the house with Stray and come back inside the restaurant to find Andi holed up in her office, poring over a stack of bills—the ones he knew she still couldn’t pay.
Crossing his arms, he leaned against the doorjamb. “We need to talk.”
“There’s nothing more to say.” She didn’t look at him. “And by the way, you’re fired.”
Ignoring the jibe, he sat on a corner of the desk. “Now that you’re officially not a suspect anymore, your account will be released. You should be able to access your money within two weeks.”
“Great, thanks. Too bad that may be too late.” The tips of her fingers were white where she clutched a pen in one hand and the bills in the other. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been late paying bills. I’ll be lucky if these vendors don’t tack on interest, increase their prices, or cancel my accounts altogether.”
Not if I can help it. That, he could fix, but he couldn’t fix things between them.
Back at the courthouse, he’d wanted to tell her what was in his heart—that he couldn’t live without her. Didn’t want to live without her. It was just as well he hadn’t. She would never have believed him. Not right on the heels of what she’d overheard.
He nearly choked on the irony. She’d thrown his own words back at him. I was nothing more than a job to you—a means to an end. He’d said almost the exact same words to Cox the day before starting this operation. She’d been right. He had used her. The true depth of his deception smacked him in the face, and it was worse than he remembered. Only now did he understand that he would have kept right on using her until he got his man.
Mission almost accomplished, asshole.
Even then, he’d liked Andi as a person, but it hadn’t mattered. Her cooperation had been deemed integral to the case, and he’d vowed to work her the way he’d work any cooperator. It was simply good, old-fashioned police work, a technique used for centuries by thousands of cops all over the world. The best cases were made either with snitches or cooperators. Andi had been a cooperator. Until she’d become something more.