by Tee O'Fallon
“Any sign of him?” Bennett asked.
“Negative.” Nick shook his head. “I just called his cell. No answer.”
A bead of sweat trickled down his temple. His face was tight. Between his uniform, body armor, and all the equipment clipped to his belt, she imagined he was suffering from the blazing sun just as Saxon had to be.
At the sight of Andi, Saxon’s tail wagged, and she reached down to give him a quick pat on the head. “He’ll show,” she reiterated, although deep down she was beginning to wonder if he really would.
Nick arched a brow, and his lips curved into a doubtful expression. Back in the conference room, she’d sensed his irritation when she’d asked him to protect her ex. It had struck her as jealousy, and she didn’t understand the source of it. Nick didn’t have real feelings for her, so why should he care?
He turned to stare intently out the glass door, his eyes flicking right, then left. Despite what had gone down between them, she deeply regretted extracting that promise from him to protect Joe. When he’d said with my life, it had frightened her because she knew he would do exactly as he’d promised. He was that kind of man. Duty and honor were ingrained in him down to the cellular level.
Nick clicked the microphone on his lapel. “Is the roof secure?”
“Ten-four,” a voice she didn’t recognize said. “Window washers are standing down until we give them the all-clear.”
Andi heard a faint buzzing, and Nick yanked the cell phone from his pocket. He swiped the screen to take the call. “Myer. Where are you?”
Edging closer, she hoped to hear some of the conversation but couldn’t. What she did get was the scent of Nick’s aftershave, bringing with it bittersweet memories of making love with him in the woods.
Taking in a shuddering breath, she realized the futility of it all. No matter how much she tried banishing them, those memories would stay with her until the day she died.
Nick’s jaw went rigid. “Not a chance, Myer.”
“What is it?” Bennett stepped closer.
He hesitated, clearly not wanting to repeat whatever Joe had said. “He won’t show unless Andi is out there curbside when he pulls up.”
“So, do it,” Bennett said. “You said so yourself, there’s too much riding on his testimony to risk him taking off again.”
He turned on Bennett. “The hell I will. It’s bad enough that she’s here at all. She stays inside.”
“Nick.” She rested her hand on his arm, instantly regretting the contact. The mere feel of his warm skin was enough to dent her resolve. “It’s okay,” she said, quickly letting her hand fall to her side. “I want to do this. You and Saxon will be right there with me. Eric, Kade, Matt, and all those other agents will be watching. I’ll be safe.”
“Make it happen, Sergeant.” AUSA Bennett glared at Nick.
His jaws clenched so hard his cheek muscles flexed. “Five minutes,” he barked into the phone, then ended the call and stuffed the phone in his pants pocket. He clicked his mic. “Five minutes,” he repeated. “All teams acknowledge.”
Six men came back with “all clear,” and Andi thought she recognized Eric’s, Matt’s, and Kade’s voices among them.
Nick draped Saxon’s leash over the dog’s back and began unbuttoning his shirt. When he’d gotten it off, he all but threw the shirt at Bennett. “Hold this.” Then he began unstrapping his Kevlar vest. The Velcro straps made hissing sounds as he yanked them open. Then he turned to her and began fitting the body armor over her torso.
“No!” Horrified, she pushed the vest away. “Then you won’t be protected.” No matter what he’d done, the thought of him injured because he’d given her his vest was unthinkable.
“No time for a spare.” He winked, then grinned. “Humor me.”
His body was so close to hers that she glimpsed the silvery flecks in his beautiful gray eyes. It hit her how easily he’d shed his own protective vest to safeguard her life. He didn’t have to do that. But he had.
Not waiting for her assent, he resumed fitting the vest to her body. Knowing it was a compromise of sorts, she didn’t say another word, but felt his touch everywhere as he tugged the two pieces of material tighter to her body then adjusted the straps.
As his fingers grazed her bare arms, goose bumps paraded along her shoulders and back, and she was overwhelmed by the heady scent of his aftershave. For as long as she lived, she’d never forget the wonderful way he smelled.
The vest was large for her slim frame, covering her entire torso. Given how bulky it was, the Kevlar wasn’t as heavy as she expected, but it was warm from being wrapped around Nick’s chest.
She watched him grab his shirt from Bennett then put it back on and tuck it in. “Let’s go,” he said to Cox and the other agents. “Make a circle around her”—he nodded to Andi—“and keep it tight.” When he faced her, his tone softened. “Stay in the middle of us as we walk to the curb. Okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Could a sniper really be out there, lying in wait to take Joe out?
Taking a deep breath, she got behind Nick and Saxon just as he pushed open the heavy glass door. Cox fell in step behind her, and she was quickly flanked by the other two agents. Hot, blustery summer air swirled all around her, a stark contrast to the air-conditioned interior of the federal building.
An American flag whipped back and forth on a tall metal pole in the center of the courtyard, making loud snapping noises. Banging metal had her looking up and behind her to see an empty window-washer cage hanging against the side of the building, swaying back and forth in the gusty winds.
As they made their way down the short flight of stairs from the building to the curb, a blue sedan pulled up and parked. Peering around the breadth of Nick’s shoulders, she glimpsed a blond-haired man get out of the driver’s seat. She held her breath until she could positively identify him.
Joe.
“Andi!” He walked briskly to where she was effectively sandwiched between Nick and Agent Cox. When Saxon lowered his head and growled, Joe froze.
She squeezed between Nick and one of the agents, then threw herself into Joe’s waiting arms. Only then did she realize he had a backpack slung over his shoulder. He held her tightly as she clung to him, grateful he was alive and here and safe. She held back the litany of expletives she had planned for later.
Behind her, Nick cursed, and she knew why. She’d disobeyed his order to remain within the protective circle of federal agents.
“Unknown subjects approaching,” a voice said over the radio. Matt’s voice.
“Save the teary reunion for later,” Nick ordered in a harsh tone, gently pulling Andi from Joe’s embrace. “Get inside. Both of you. Now.” He and the agents encircled them and ushered them hastily up the stairs and into the building.
As pre-planned, building guards passed Joe and his backpack through the magnetometer.
“All clear,” Matt came back over the radio. “Just a couple of kids playing hooky.”
Nick clicked the mic. “Copy that. I’ll keep you posted.”
At the elevator bank, a man in a dark suit—one she didn’t recognize—held an elevator for them. Nick and Saxon stepped aside, indicating she and Joe, along with Cox and AUSA Bennett should enter first. Nick looked both ways down the hallway before he and Saxon got in. The remaining two agents guarded the elevator as the doors closed.
Cox pressed the button for the third floor, and as the elevator began a slow ascent, a wave of relief washed over her. Joe had actually turned himself in, and no one had gotten hurt in the process.
The elevator was silent, save for the sounds of breathing—panting, on Saxon’s part. She hoped Nick had a water bowl for him upstairs.
Joe’s hand clasped hers, although his touch didn’t elicit anything close to passion. Nothing he could say or do would ever change the fact that she was in love with someone else. But Joe was her friend, and since he needed her support, she squeezed his hand.
Nick too
k that moment to glance over his shoulder. His gaze dropped to where her and Joe’s hands were tightly clasped. His jaw tightened, and he turned back to face the elevator doors.
Not for the first time, she wondered what was with the jealous behavior. Aside from sex, he’d never wanted her. The answer was suddenly obvious. It was a turf war, and she was the turf. She’d made love with both men. Nick knew that. Joe didn’t, so he’d thought nothing of holding her hand in front of everyone. She could only surmise that Nick felt some latent masculine possessiveness over her body. One he had no claim to. Not anymore.
Even though she was still angry with Joe, she held his hand tighter. He needed her support more than Nick needed his ego stroked.
The elevator came to a stop, and a moment later the doors opened. Nick held up his hand as he and Saxon entered the hallway. Man and dog looked both ways down the corridor before Nick indicated they should step out of the elevator.
She and Joe followed AUSA Bennett and Special Agent Cox down the long hallway. Even if she couldn’t hear Saxon padding behind her, or the footfalls of Nick’s boots, she would have known he was there. It wasn’t quite rage or animosity radiating off him. More like annoyance, and she felt the heat of his gaze penetrating her dress, her skin, straight to her heart—a heart that betrayed her again by beating out a steady staccato at his nearness.
When they entered Conference Room A, the same one in which she’d witnessed Nick being heartily congratulated over duping her ass, he shut the door behind him then went to the sink at the far end of the room and ran a small bowl of water for Saxon.
AUSA Bennett sat at the head of the long table, with Cox to his right. Bennett indicated Joe should sit to his left, with her next to Joe. She caught Nick eyeing them as Joe sat and re-clasped her hand in his.
Saxon pranced in place, his attention fixated on the water bowl that Nick set on the floor against the wall. As Saxon drank, Nick unstrapped the dog’s body armor. Saxon’s coat was matted down by sweat, making her realize she still wore Nick’s Kevlar vest.
“How ’bout I get that off you?”
Nick pulled her chair from the table so she could stand. He tugged open the Velcro straps, briskly and efficiently removing the vest, although one of his hands lingered at her waist—the side facing Joe, who, she noticed, flicked his gaze back and forth between her and Nick.
“Better?” Nick asked.
She nodded and sat. Yeah, except for the fact that every time he touched her, her heart broke a little more. “Thank you.”
He set the vest on the floor behind their chairs, then took the seat to her left. She noticed that he rolled his chair back a few inches so that he could better observe Joe.
“Joseph A. Myer,” AUSA Bennett began. “We have a warrant for your arrest.”
“I know that.” He hung his head.
“We’ll hold off formal arrest processing until we determine the extent of your cooperation. The charges include money laundering and conspiracy to distribute illegal firearms.”
He jerked his head up. “I didn’t know what the money was from. I swear it.”
“But you knew it was tainted money,” Nick said in a blunt tone.
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Are you willing to cooperate to the fullest extent possible?” Bennett asked.
He didn’t hesitate. “Of course. I’ll do anything you want.”
“Then first,” Bennett continued, “Special Agent Cox will read you your rights.”
Cox pulled a card from his wallet and began reading. “You have the right to remain silent…”
Andi shifted uncomfortably in her chair. This was something out of a movie. A bad one.
“Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?” Cox set the card down a minute or so later and looked at Joe from across the table.
“Yes.”
“Are you willing to waive your right to an attorney and to have an attorney present during this questioning?”
“Yes.” He smacked his hands on the table. “Can we just get on with it?”
Bennett handed Joe two sheets of paper. “The first page is a waiver of rights form, essentially reiterating what Special Agent Cox read to you. The second is a cooperation agreement. Take a moment to review them both.”
Joe released her hand and grabbed the documents. He quickly scanned them, then took the pen Bennett offered and signed at the bottom of both pages.
“Nick, would you sign as a witness?”
Joe reached in front of her to hand Nick the sheets of paper. Nick pulled a pen from the pocket of his uniform shirt and signed at the bottom before handing them back to Bennett.
“You have our undivided attention, Mr. Myer.” AUSA Bennett leaned back in his chair. “Start from the beginning and tell us how you got into this.”
He took a deep breath. “I have a gambling problem.”
…
Nick wasn’t surprised to learn about Myer’s gambling problem. Most illegal money was made to either line someone’s pockets out of sheer greed or to bail someone’s ass out of hot water. Myer was drowning.
Cox and Bennett had each begun taking notes on a yellow legal pad, leaving him to keep an eye on Myer. Watching Myer sweat it out made him think he ought to cut the guy some slack for having a weakness. What he was having a difficult time tolerating was that after signing the cooperation agreement, he’d grabbed Andi’s hand again and repositioned it firmly in his lap.
Motherfu—
He hooked his thumbs on his duty belt, when what he really wanted was to rip the guy’s hand off his arm and feed it to Saxon for his dog’s next meal.
Keep your head in the game. This is what you’ve been working for—to get Myer in front of a grand jury.
“I owed a casino in Connecticut fifty thousand dollars. I couldn’t pay it off fast enough. The next thing I knew, a couple of thugs went to my office and threatened my secretary while I was out. They broke some furniture and told her I had one week to pay up in full or I’d suffer the consequences. Where was I supposed to get that kind of cash?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Nick couldn’t stop himself from interjecting, “sell your Mercedes, or that million-dollar house of yours and move into a condo?”
For a moment, anger and resentment blazed in Myer’s eyes, but it was quickly extinguished with shame and remorse. “Yeah, I guess I could have, but certainly not within a week’s time, and it would only have been a stop-gap. I have a problem, Sergeant. If I can get myself out of this mess, I definitely need help.”
“That you do.” In his years on the job, he’d seen every order of addiction, gambling being just one of them.
“A few days later,” Myer continued, “I got a call from a woman with a Scottish accent—Mary—saying she’d pay off my debt if I did something for her.”
Meera Devine.
“I didn’t believe her at first. I thought it was some kind of con. She said she understood my hesitancy and offered me a show of good faith. The next thing I knew, there was a deposit for ten grand in my checking account. A down payment for wiring some funds out of the country.”
“For Brian Argyle,” Nick said, rather than asked.
Myer nodded. “For Brian Argyle and Argyle Enterprises. She said it was a one-time thing, but once turned into twice, and before I knew it a year had gone by and I’d wired nearly a million dollars to multiple foreign accounts. Scotland, the Caymans, Switzerland, Belize. And you’re right. I guess I always knew the money was dirty, and eventually, I told her I wanted out.”
“And what did she say?” Bennett asked.
“She laughed. She said no one ever”—he hooked his fingers into quotation marks—“gets out. Then she said that if I didn’t want to help her, she could always call the boys at the casino and have them pay me a late-night visit and rough me up.”
“Do you know Meera Devine?” Nick figured he might have run into her at the DPC.
“Sure, I’ve met her a couple of times.” He narr
owed his eyes. “Why?”
Nick glanced at Bennett, who nodded that he should continue with this line of questioning. “Could the woman over the phone have been Meera Devine?”
“No way.” He shook his head. “Mary has a heavy Scottish accent. Meera doesn’t have an accent.”
Not that any of them had detected. That didn’t mean she didn’t have one.
“Is your laptop in there?” Nick pointed to the backpack on the table.
“Yes.” He unzipped the bag and pulled a silver laptop from the center compartment. After flipping up the cover and hitting the power button, he pushed it in front of Andi so that Nick could view the screen.
Nick edged closer, gratified that this gave Myer something else to do with his hands besides holding Andi’s. He couldn’t type on the keypad and be all touchy-feely at the same time.
In an effort to give him some space—or get away from him, he didn’t know which—Andi leaned back in her chair, but not enough that his shoulder didn’t brush up against hers. Or the clean scent of her shampoo didn’t invade his senses like a pillaging army marching him right up the fucking wall.
“Here.” Myer clicked on a folder marked Cayman accounts.
Nick tallied the line items. “Seven wire transfers to the Caymans in the name of Argyle Enterprises over the last twelve months for a total of two hundred thousand. There are three different account numbers.”
Cox continued taking notes, as did Bennett. Andi stared straight ahead at the screen, gripping the armrests of her chair so tightly her knuckles were white. Good to know his nearness was affecting her as much as hers was jumbling his brain cells.
“Keep going,” he urged, and Myer opened another folder, this one marked Credit Suisse.
“Ten more transfers to Switzerland for one hundred thousand. Two accounts there.”
Myer clicked on a third folder—Royal Bank of Scotland. This folder contained the most recent wire transfers, executed over the last three months. “Three more to Scotland for another two hundred. Three accounts.”
“Why all the different accounts?” Andi asked. “Doesn’t that make it harder to keep track of?”