Armed 'N' Ready

by Tee O'Fallon

  She didn’t. The man was out of her system. Forever.

  Without looking up, she shoved her feet into her sneakers. “Don’t even think of saying you’re sorry about what just happened.”

  “I wasn’t going to say that.”

  “Bullshit.” This time she did look at him. “I can see it on your face, so don’t say another word. Just let it go. Please.” She swallowed the sob rising in her throat. If he apologized, she’d lose it, she was sure of it.

  Mercifully he didn’t respond, and the second she had her sneaker laces tied, she bolted to her feet and took off down the path. There was no need to check behind her. He was there. He and Saxon would watch her back until Joe was safely ensconced in police custody.

  A stronger breeze had kicked up, rustling the trees overhead. She picked up her pace, running faster, her heart pounding so fiercely she thought it would explode. Or break. Again.

  By the time they made it back to her house, she’d gotten control of her emotions. Or so she thought. Tess and Eric were waiting in her kitchen, a stack of café receipts piled high on the table.

  “Andi?” Tess threw her a concerned look as she buzzed past the table. “Andi?” she repeated, following her upstairs into her bedroom. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes dipped from the top of Andi’s head to her sneakers, then back up. She reached out to pluck something from her hair. “Did you know you have moss and stuff in your hair? You were gone a long time for a run. What else did you—”

  Her eyes widened, and she gasped. “You didn’t. You did! You had wild, unbridled sex in the middle of the woods.” She giggled. “We were about to send out a search party, but no wonder you guys took so long. That is so hot. It’s beyond hot.” Then her countenance turned serious. “What’s wrong?”

  “He doesn’t love me. He was only using me and I—” She covered her face with her hands. “Oh God,” she muttered through her fingers.

  “You’re in love with him.” Tess pulled Andi’s hands from her face. “You think that’s news? Any moron can see that. And I’d bet he feels the same about you. Granted, guys like him and Eric don’t exactly wear their hearts on their sleeves. It’s a cop thing. I’m not a fan of cops, but even I have to admit the way he is around you, and the way he looks at you… He cares about you. A lot.”

  “He doesn’t.” She then described in painful detail what she’d heard about the award-winning role Nick played to get close to her and convince her to talk Joe in. “They were practically slapping him on the back and high-fiving him for a job well done.”

  Tess shook her head. “I don’t believe it, and neither should you. All those long smoldering looks he throws your way are definitely not made up. So, he acted in some musicals. Doesn’t mean his feelings aren’t real.”

  “Nick didn’t deny it.”

  “Did you ask him if it was true?”

  “Yes. Later, when we were alone.”

  “And?”

  “He admitted it was true.”

  “Whaat?” Tess’s brow wrinkled. “This doesn’t make sense. There has to be something else going on here.”

  “It doesn’t matter whether there is or isn’t. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.” She toed off her sneakers and began peeling off her sweat-soaked shirt. “I’m going to drown myself in the shower.”

  “Don’t you want to know what Eric and I discovered in the receipts?”

  She paused at the bathroom door. “What did you find?”

  “Nick’s hunch paid off. Both Frank Feldman and the chief of the Springfield Police Department were at the DPC between the hours of three and four on August thirteenth. The same day as the date stamp on that photo.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Nick punched the pillow on Andi’s living room sofa for what must have been the hundredth time. Not that the sofa was uncomfortable, but he’d much rather have slept upstairs. In her bed.

  He’d hurt her. Badly. There was no doubt he was going straight to hell for what he’d done.

  Though he hadn’t spoken out loud, Saxon lifted his head, skewering Nick with his golden stare. Groaning, Saxon lowered his head and went back to sleep on the floor beside the sofa. Nick dropped his hand to the dog’s back and ran it along the smooth coat. He glanced at his watch. Six o’clock, two hours before they were scheduled to leave for the courthouse.

  He wanted to get Andi into the building early, then patrol the perimeter, checking for signs of early surveillance by gang members or anyone else who might have been hired to take Myer out before he could set foot inside.

  Nick yawned. Markus and Dayne had kept watch over Andi last night while he and Eric had gone out and interviewed Frank Feldman and Chief Nelson. Seemed as if he’d only closed his eyes ten minutes ago when, in reality, it had been around eleven when he’d returned to the house. But he hadn’t gotten much sleep. Instead, he’d relived every second of making love to Andi in the woods yesterday.

  I never should have touched her.

  Afterward, when he’d told her he loved her, it had only screwed things up more, and she’d thought the worst—that he’d only said it because he was using her again, this time for sex. Ironically, they were the truest words he’d spoken in a very long time. Fact was, she’d been so beautiful, lying beneath him on the moss…he’d never forget her face as he watched her shatter in his arms. He’d been unable to hold back what was in his heart. But then the hurt had returned to her eyes, and he’d felt like a dick of the highest order, which was exactly what he was.

  If you don’t quit kicking yourself, you’ll be useless.

  He repositioned on the sofa and began reviewing everything they’d learned during the interviews last night. Both he and Eric believed neither Feldman nor Chief Nelson was the man they were looking for.

  Turned out Feldman was a corporate salesman peddling ladies cosmetics to department stores, an occupation he was embarrassed about, so he kept it on the down-low. Said he was sick and tired of being called an Avon lady. That explained why he’d been so cryptic when Nick had tried to figure the guy out. Feldman answered all their questions and let them look through his phone log, photos, texts, and email for anything linking him to Myer or the attempted kidnapping.

  They were astounded at the money Feldman was raking in. His income was off the charts, to the point where he could make his own hours and afford to swing by the DPC for grub so often and at any time of the day. Plus, he’d admitted to having a thing for Meera, and the DPC was a neutral location where he could easily bump into her.

  Their next stop had been to Chief Nelson’s house. To say the chief had been pissed about being interrogated was a major understatement. The guy had gone ballistic. It had taken them a good ten minutes just to get him to let them into his house, then another twenty to calm him down enough to answer questions. For a moment there, he’d half expected the chief to either lawyer up or call Nick and Eric’s bosses demanding they back the fuck off. An hour later, they’d left the chief’s house with the same unexpected result. The chief was innocent.

  Chief Nelson not only wound up answering all Nick and Eric’s questions, but explained, albeit in a voice angry enough to shrivel most men’s gonads, that a rich uncle had died, leaving him enough money to fill a five-car garage with Porsches. He even showed them his uncle’s will and the six-figure amount he’d inherited.

  Unable to lie still a moment longer, Nick got up and poured Saxon some of the kibble he’d picked up last night at his house. At the dinging sounds of the kibble hitting the bowl, Saxon pushed to his feet, ears erect, totally awake as he trotted into the kitchen and began munching away. He freshened Saxon’s water bowl, then grabbed his uniform and overnight bag before heading into the downstairs bathroom.

  One look in the mirror told him he looked exactly the way he felt—like shit. Worse really. He needed another four hours of shut-eye before he’d feel or look remotely awake. His sleep cycle had been totally shot to hell by the gnawing in his gut that said something would go wrong today. Not
that he could pinpoint why, but the worry was there, eating away like acid in the pit of his stomach.

  He yanked open his bag and dug out his electric razor, wishing he could hit the reset button on what had happened yesterday. His timing had sucked, but he didn’t regret saying those three little words. Not for a second. He really was a lucky bastard. Never in his godforsaken life had he ever expected to fall in love again. But he had, and with a depth and intensity he hadn’t thought possible.

  Andi was an amazing woman, and now she was in the line of fire, driving him that much harder to bring down the dealer.

  I have to finish this.

  Not only for Andi and Tanya, but for every innocent victim of gun crime. And who was he kidding? He wanted this over so he could have a chance with Andi. It would be one hell of a steep climb to get her to believe a word he said, but he had no intention of giving up.

  The upstairs shower came on, and he glanced at the ceiling. He couldn’t keep his mind from wandering, or from wishing he were in that shower with her. Sliding a bar of soap over her smooth skin. Stroking every inch of her beautiful body. He’d made love to her without a condom. Stupid. Juvenile and stupid.

  Snatching up the razor, he turned it on and began moving it over the dark stubble on his face. Though she’d told him there wasn’t any chance she’d get pregnant, he wouldn’t mind if she were. If they had a child together, it would bind her to him. Unfortunately, against her will.

  You’re fucking pathetic.

  Nick was fully dressed, sipping his first cup of coffee in the kitchen by the time Andi and Stray came downstairs.

  Stray padded into the kitchen first. Saxon gave her a morning sniff in greeting, wagging his tail. The two dogs had become friends to the point where it didn’t seem to bother Saxon that Stray was hovering so close to his food bowl.

  Next, Stray came to Nick for attention, her body wriggling and tail wagging furiously. He leaned down to pet her soft ears, glad to see she was recovering well.

  When Andi walked into the kitchen, all their heads turned. As she leaned down to give Saxon and Stray a sound ear-scratching, his throat tightened. He could easily imagine starting the day with her like this every morning.

  She straightened and looked at him. Eyes that had once gazed up at him with passion and desire were now totally impassive. He understood precisely what she was doing, and it was more effective than if someone had slammed him in the gut with a battering ram.

  She wasn’t only distancing herself from him. She’s trying to cut me out entirely.

  Which only fueled his determination to win her back.

  As she took in his uniform, a discernible frown came to her pink-glossed lips, as if she were only now reminded of who and what he was and didn’t like it much. To him, she looked as beautiful as the day they’d met. More so, and while she fed Stray, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

  The snug sleeveless blue dress hugged her body, coming to just above her knees, and emphasizing every graceful curve of her body. A strand of tiny pearls hung around her neck, with matching studs dotting her earlobes. Her hair hung loose, and with the sun streaming into the kitchen from the window behind her, it framed her face like a golden halo.

  “Any coffee left?” Without looking at him, she headed for the coffee maker on the counter behind him.

  As she moved closer, he breathed in the scent of freesia, much as he had the first time he’d ever kissed her. He cleared his throat and shifted aside so that she could reach for the cup he’d already taken out for her. “There’s plenty. I made extra for Matt and Kade. They’ll be here any minute to follow us to the courthouse.”

  She poured herself a cup then went to the refrigerator for milk. “How did the interviews go last night?”

  Grateful though he was for her talking to him at all, her tone was flat, emotionless, and she did her best to avoid his gaze, sending him only a quick glance before pouring milk into her cup and setting the carton on the counter. The chill between them had grown into a full-blown wall of ice, and it was driving him crazy.

  Dammit.

  He shook his head. “Not as we expected. Neither Feldman or Chief Nelson is the man we’re looking for.”

  A frown flickered across her brow, and he knew that look. She was worried—for Myer, he figured, and that pissed him off as it always had, but never more so than today. If he didn’t get this jealousy thing under wraps, he’d go fucking ballistic. He wished more than anything that he could go to her, take her in his arms, and tell her everything was going to work out. But he couldn’t, so he settled for one out of three.

  “Everything’s going to work out.” Even as he said the words, something about the whole setup Myer had described over the phone still bugged him.

  Her frown deepened. “So, what’s next? How do we find out who this person is?”

  We?

  Funny how she still considered herself part of the investigation. In a perfect world, he’d want her as far away from this as possible. If it weren’t for AUSA Bennett’s insistence, no way would he have allowed her anywhere near the federal building when Myer turned his ass in. He’d take every precaution he could drum up to protect her during this op, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding pounding in his gut. “We have to rely on Joe’s information to get us to the end game.”

  Saxon sat at Nick’s side, and he dropped his hand to rest on the dog’s head. “He said over the phone that he never met Brian Argyle, the man he’s working for, but Brian Argyle doesn’t exist.” And Nick hated the not knowing.

  “We’re hoping Joe’s laptop contains transactional records,” he continued. “We’ll dump everything on the hard drive and dig through it with a fine-tooth comb. Then we’ll issue subpoenas for every banking institution he wired money to. Eventually, we should be able to find out who took receipt. Unfortunately, money laundering schemes usually involve deposits overseas, so tracking it and getting assistance from foreign governments and banks will take time.”

  “How much time?”

  “Months. Maybe six by the time we get responses, analyze the results, then put an indictment package together.”

  More worry lines etched her forehead. “What happens to Joe in the interim, while you’re waiting for all this information?”

  “If he cooperates—fully—most likely the AUSA will cut him a deal.”

  “Will he have to go to prison?”

  “Probably,” he answered honestly. “It depends on the extent of his cooperation and on whether the AUSA is in a generous mood that day. Even if he is, a judge will have final say on sentencing. He won’t be charged until after we ID and arrest the man at the top. If his cooperation leads us to nailing the bastard, it will go a long way toward lessening his sentence.”

  “Will he have to remain in custody, protective or otherwise?” she asked.

  “Probably. Given that he fled to Canada, he’ll be deemed a flight risk.”

  For seconds, they stared at each other. Silence filled the kitchen. There was nothing more to be said between them. At least, not today, and maybe not tomorrow.

  Regret pummeled him from all sides. He wanted her more than he wanted anything else in his life, but he couldn’t act on it. Not yet.

  He had unfinished business. She had to believe his feelings for her were real.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Nick turned left toward the main road they’d follow into the heart of Springfield. Behind them, Matt and his K-9, Sheba, followed, Eric and Tiger in the next vehicle, with Kade and his K-9, Tango, taking up the rear. Cox and his team of agents would meet them at the federal building.

  At the first red traffic light, he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, recalling the team of agents that had completely bungled safeguarding Matt’s wife, Trista, when she was in FBI protective custody. Those agents had made the ultimate sacrifice, but it shouldn’t have gone down that way. They’d been ill-trained and undermanned for that assignment. Hence the reason he was embedding Matt, Kade,
and Eric within the FBI counter surveillance teams.

  Since going through extensive police K-9 training with his friends, he knew them to be tough, seasoned cops who’d back him up without question. Thanks to the national Emergency Management Assistance Compact all their agencies belonged to, Matt and Kade’s assistance at the courthouse had quickly been approved by his own troop commander.

  When the light turned green, he hit the accelerator. Saxon’s massive head stuck out through the kennel’s front access door, partially obscuring Andi sitting beside him on the passenger seat. Aside from her left hand ruffling the thick hair around Saxon’s collar, she sat rigidly, staring out the windshield and saying nothing. The only sounds in the vehicle came from the occasional squawks on the police radio.

  Saxon pulled his head in and settled down for the remainder of the drive. From the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Andi wedged in beside the mobile computer docking station and his MP15 patrol rifle. She eyed the rifle warily then sank farther into the seat.

  “It won’t bite,” he said.

  “It’s not that.” Her expression said otherwise.

  He stopped at the next light. “What then?” Aside from the white elephant taking up the seat in between them.

  “I’m worried about what’s going to happen today.”

  Join the club.

  He glanced in the rearview mirror to see the other SUVs following. “The plan is simple,” he tried reassuring her. “The second Joe shows up, a small army will escort him into the building. He’ll meet with AUSA Bennett to answer questions, then go before the grand jury to give testimony against Brian Argyle.”

  “You make it sound so simple.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.

  “It is.” As long as everything went according to plan.

  “And where will I be in all of this?”

  “You’ll stay safely inside the building at all times. Whatever happens, don’t go outside. Once Joe is under our guard, no one can get to him.”

  She nodded but still didn’t look at him.