Never Tempt Danger

by Denise Robbins

  “Is he talking?”

  “Not yet, but I’ve called in the big guns.”

  That meant he had called in Charley, former CIA human intelligence operator and interrogator.

  “You guys want in on this?”

  “Hell, yeah!” Lucas tossed back the covers and swung his feet to the floor. Gilly touched his shoulder and when he glanced over at her, he saw a look of terror on her face. Turning, he slid a hand under her chin, stroked her cheek with his thumb, and spoke to his boss.

  “Yeah, we want in.” He winked at Gilly and smiled.

  “Where?”

  Lucas pulled a notepad from the nightstand drawer, listened, and wrote down the information. The cellular hadn’t even hit the nightstand before she struck.

  “What? What is it?”

  He stood then tugged Gilly to her knees and planted a hard fast kiss on her lips. “They have Troy in custody.” Tilting his head back, he gave a loud bark of laughter. “They got him. It’s over.”

  THIRTY-ONE

  The back-bending, lip-smacking kiss Lucas planted on her made her head spin. Over?

  “Over,” he told her and hauled her to her feet. “Come on, let’s get cleaned up.”

  Dazed, Gilly followed Lucas into the bathroom and the hot shower. As she rubbed soap onto his back, she felt the loosening of his muscles. One phone call and Lucas had let everything bad wash away. Why did she not feel the same sense of relief? She should. She could finish the DARPA project and get her life back. What life? A life running Jimmy’s company, building it back up or a life with Lucas? He had never mentioned their future just that he loved her. Did they have a future as long as she had precognition and other abilities that he did not comprehend?

  “Gilly.”Lucas took her by the shoulders, turned, and maneuvered her so he stood under the spray.

  The lack of warm water pulled her back from her thoughts. “Huh?”

  “We have to make it quick so we can get out of here and to Virginia.”

  “Virginia? What for?”

  His blue gaze narrowed on her.

  “Haven’t you been paying attention? Mickey has Troy. We have to go down there to talk with him, question him.”

  “But, you said it was over.”

  “It is, but he hasn’t confessed yet. It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings or in this case, until the Robotics FX CEO sings.”

  Lucas glanced at his watch. “We should get a move on if we’re going to meet Waldo.” He slid the shower stall door open, held her elbow until she stepped onto the fuzzy rug then handed her a towel.

  She took the bath sheet and patted her legs dry. “I can’t go.”

  “What do you mean, you can’t go? You have to go.” His voice sharpened with the demand.

  “I cannot go,” she repeated.

  Lucas swiped a hand down his face and hooked the towel around his hips. His hands fisted against his narrow hips caused her to think of a naked super hero pose. She would have laughed if not for the angry sparks he shot from his eyes.

  “I don’t understand.” He took one menacing step toward her. “I thought you wanted this over.”

  “I do…” She paused and swallowed. She did not want to piss off Lucas, but she just had to do this. “I do want this over, it is over, but I have to finish work on DANGR.”

  “You can do that when we get back.”

  She shook her head and checked her watch. “There’s not enough time. The prototype has to be ready in three days.”

  “What?” He stalked toward her, his anger hitting her in waves of heat. “You never told me that.”

  She shrugged. “I guess it slipped my mind.”

  “Damn it, Gilly! You’re doing it again. You’re keeping me out of important things that affect your life, out of your life. I thought we moved past that!”

  Uh-oh, she screwed this up, royally. She cringed. Lucas thought she deliberately kept him on the outside looking in. Well, she had, just not about this. How did she fix this? She couldn’t go. She had to finish the robot.

  “I thought you wanted justice for Jimmy.”

  “I do,” she tossed back. “Only part of that justice is capturing his murderer, which is done,” she continued. “The other half, the most important half is completing what Jimmy and I started. I have to be ready for the DARPA presentation. The robot has to be ready.” She swallowed a knot of trepidation. “Jennifer and her partner wanted us to fail, enough to kill Jimmy and Daniel. I will not let their deaths be in vain.” Gilly lifted her chin and met his hard stare. “I will not fail.”

  Lucas set his jaw and strained for control. “Pack what you need and take it with.”

  “No,” she shot back with a tilt of her chin. She could be just as stubborn as he could. “It’s over. I am not leaving. I have work to do.” She waved a hand in the direction of the door. “You go. I trust you, Mickey, and the others to wrap it all up in a tidy bow. In the meantime, I will stay here and finish what I need to.”

  Gilly spun on her bare feet to leave. He stopped her retreat with a hand on her arm. “Damn your mulish hide.” He sucked in a breath. “Damn your stupid, obstinate, unthinking, brilliant, sexy hide.”

  His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and not give her a choice, drag her with him. She could read his mind. Why did he always forget that little fact? Maybe he chose not to remember it on purpose, block it from his mind.

  Lucas rubbed at the back of his neck. “Please, Gilly, I’m asking you to go with me, to get on that plane, and stay by my side until we confirm this is all over.”

  Gilly reached up and massaged his neck and shoulder. “I love you, Lucas.”

  He snagged her hand, pulled it forward, and pressed his lips to the center of her palm then placed her hand over his rapid heart. “I love you and I want to protect you.”

  Her heart stopped beating for a second then tripped over itself before it dislodged from her throat. His declaration of love stunned her in its simplicity. Her head dropped and she shook it. “I can’t go,” she mumbled.

  He cursed, swore and said something in a language she had never heard before. That was a new one. Then she saw his mind shift, his stance straighten. He had a new tact.

  “Don’t you want to confront the man who killed Jimmy, be assured it was him?” Lucas stepped closer, his approach confident. “You’re the only one who was there that day the shooter took Jimmy out.”

  Her eyes went wide in horror at his cold, callous words.

  “You know what flashed through your mind. You would be able to tell whether it was well and truly over and if Troy was the end of it.”

  “That was dirty pool.” He blew away all her arguments with common sense. Bastard.

  His grin was pure Cheshire cat, wide and self-righteous. She would love to wipe the smug look off his face but she couldn’t. For once in Lucas Danger’s life, he was right.

  “Oh, shut up.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

  Lucas chuckled then snagged her by the good arm, tugging her to him. The motion had the towel wrapped around her torso slipping to the floor and her breasts crushed against his chest. She had his full attention.

  He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. “Let’s get a move on woman. We have a plane to catch and a killer to put away.”

  Gilly turned to get dressed but before she took one step she found herself back in Lucas’s arms.

  “When this is all behind us, I want more. I want a future,” he said.

  She sucked in a sharp breath. A rush of warm, fuzzy, excited sensations filled her followed by fear and panic. She felt a finger hook under her chin then lift. He grinned at her, a dazzling smile that made her stomach flutter and her knees weak.

  “Didn’t know I was thinking that, did you?”

  Too stunned to answer, Gilly gave a numb shake of her head. Lucas chuckled then spun her around and swatted her on her naked butt.

  “Get some clothes on woman before we never
leave this room.”

  Would that be so bad? Part of her wanted to stay right where they were, forget about the outside world and all the bad stuff she had yet to deal with. She blew out a heavy sigh. There were more important things than falling in love. They had a murderer to put away and she had a government contract to win.

  Speaking of which… “I’ve got to go pack up the robot.”

  * * * *

  “Wheels down,” Waldo announced about ninety minutes after they had taken off. “Five minutes to touchdown.”

  They landed without incident.

  “Let me take the robot for you,” Lucas offered and bent over to pick up the crate. Before he could grab the box, Gilly laid a hand on his arm.

  “I can do it.”

  Was she being independent or did she not trust him with her toy?

  “You sound like grandfather. It’s not a toy.”

  “Yes, dear.” Lucas cleared his throat. “Can I please carry your robot down the stairs for you? You carry the laptop case.”

  With her permission, he carried the box containing the robot down the stairs and out onto the tarmac where his boss met them.

  “Did Troy High confess yet?” Lucas asked without preamble.

  Mickey shook his head. “We waited for you.”

  “Let’s get the bastard who shot my Gilly.”

  “Your Gilly?” Mickey asked with cocked brow.

  Lucas set the box down then turned back to help Gilly. As she reached the last step, he relieved her of the laptop case and took her by the arm.

  “Gilly.” Mickey nodded and shook her hand. “How’s the wound?”

  “Healing, thanks.”

  Waldo joined them on the tarmac with their suitcases.

  “Thanks, Waldo,” Gilly told him and kissed his cheek.

  Lucas almost laughed as shades of pink and then bright reds colored the older man’s face. Waldo, a former fighter pilot who now did contract gigs for Mickey, actually blushed.

  “Hey boss.” Waldo gave Mickey a short salute then stuck out his hand.

  “Waldo.” Mickey shook the beefy hand. “Are you sticking around?”

  “I wouldn’t miss shrink wrapping the asshole up who tried to take out our Gilly.” He wrapped an arm across Gilly’s shoulders in a show of support. “Besides, I figure they’ll need a ride back.”

  Mickey nodded then spun on a heel and led them to the waiting car. “By the way,” he said as he opened the car door for Maureen, “I have Frank’s Bronco waiting for you at the station.”

  The smile Gilly gave Mickey lit up her face. A little tug of jealousy knotted in his stomach. Ridiculous, he thought as he climbed into the backseat and slid in next to Gilly. He had no reason to be jealous. Mickey was a happily engaged man and Gilly…was his. Just to reassure himself, he slipped his hand under hers and linked their fingers. She grinned and winked at him. Yeah, he thought, pressing his lips to her hand, she loves me.

  “Cut it out,” Waldo grumbled in the front seat. “No hanky-panky.”

  THIRTY-TWO

  In the non-descript, gray interrogation room, Troy High sat prettily. That was the first word that popped into her head to describe the way the man posed. Wearing dress slacks and a button-down shirt, he sat with a stiff spine, hands clasped atop a knee crossed over the other. His leg kicked out, in, back out again while he whistled. He looked as if he did not have a care in the world. It made no sense. Was it an act?

  Gilly stood on the other side of the two-way glass and stared at the dark haired man with even darker eyes. He did not look like a killer. That was ridiculous. She, better than most people, knew that a killer did not have a look. A murderer could be the average Joe off the street or the quiet neighbor next door. This man, she thought, just did not look capable of firing a rifle from a moving car, of assassinating Jimmy.

  Jimmy. Tears pooled in her eyes as she glared at the man who shot Jimmy, her friend, partner, lover. Damn it, Jimmy, why did you die? Why did you leave me your company? Did you know something was wrong, that someone wanted you dead? Ashamed of showing emotion in front of people she worked with, Gilly swiped at the tears before turning from the glass.

  Arms wrapped around her mid-section, she tried to chase a chill away. Sniffling, she glanced up through damp, blurry eyes, and caught Lucas staring back at her from beneath lowered eyelids. Trapped. She bit her bottom lip and was sorry he witnessed her sorrow. Did Lucas understand she loved him, not Jimmy? She had cared for Jimmy, enjoyed his company, but she knew in her heart that she would never have married him. She couldn’t have. Even before he walked back into her life, Lucas had always been there between her and any other man.

  Despite his casual stance, leaning one shoulder against the wall, Lucas was anything but relaxed. Lying in wait. That best described the current of barely restrained energy radiating from him. Lucas was on point and in protective mode. One wrong move and he would strike. He could not go in that interview room with her. He would want to, would fight tooth and nail to go in there and act as buffer between him and the killer, but if he did, Lucas might end up being the one behind bars. She would not have that. In an attempt to reassure him, Gilly offered him a smile.

  Apparently, the weak grin had not convinced him. With a shake of his head, he pushed away from the wall and strode toward her.

  The feel of his warm, strong arms enfolding her against him, did what she had not managed. The goose bumps that popped up all over her arms and every other part of her body disappeared, replaced with his heat. Mmm.

  “I’m fine,” she whispered into his shoulder. “I can handle this.”

  His finger hooked under her chin, Lucas lifted it until her face tilted up and her gaze met his.

  “If I thought otherwise, you would not be here.”

  Gilly opened her mouth to protest then closed it when he caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. She wished they were anywhere but the small room with Mickey and Waldo right outside the door.

  “They’re coming back,” she told Lucas and stepped out of reach. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and moved away from her.

  Their actions did not matter. The knowing glances exchanged between Mickey and Waldo told her they were aware of the intimacy between her and Lucas.

  Waldo cleared his throat.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Mickey said.

  Gilly narrowed her eyes into little slits at her boss then rolled them heavenward when he swiped a hand across his mouth in a pathetic attempt to hide a grin.

  “We were just—”

  “Waiting for me.”

  Charley, with her long, blonde hair flowing behind her swept into the room, a smile in warm greeting on her face. Tall, slender, and primly dressed in a mid-calf skirt and blouse, she was dressed for an interrogation. Gilly couldn’t help shaking her head and returning the grin.

  “Gilly.” Charley wound her into a hug. “You look terrific, tired, but terrific.”

  Leave it to Charley to wrap the truth in a compliment. No wonder she had the talent for pulling all kinds of information out of the most resistant target. She spun on a high-heel and gave Lucas the same once over.

  “You look…happy,” she said then stepped up and touched his face. “Keep it that way.”

  Unbelievably, Lucas lowered his head and shuffled a foot against the floor. Gilly almost laughed at the little boy embarrassed look on his face.

  Charley moved like a whirlwind in the small room then halted her movement in front of the glass. “Is that him?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have the basic information about him, his company, etc-etera. What more can you tell me?”

  Her blue gaze bore into Gilly and she understood why a target could not resist the woman. “I, uh, don’t really know much. I know he is the top rival to Jimmy’s company NanoRobotics. He and his company are also in competition for the same DARPA contract and that seems to be what pushed him over the edge to become a killer.” At least that’s what she assumed. “The only thing
we found out from Jennifer Carroll before she was shot is that Troy was her partner and that she helped him steal proprietary information from Jimmy and NanoRobotics.”

  “Keep going,” Charley suggested. “Why would a man who by all accounts and public records,” she waved a manila folder, “has a successful engineering organization need to steal robotics blueprints and code from a competitor?”

  Charley didn’t know everything. Gilly glanced over her shoulder, gave a quizzical look to Mickey, her boss, and sought guidance on how to answer the question. He nodded and shrugged one shoulder. It was her choice to tell Charley everything. Lucas moved into her line of sight. With a smile and a wink, he reassured her. She was safe to speak freely. It was necessary.

  She cleared her throat and turned her attention back to Charley. “I have what some people would consider psychic ability.” Gilly paused and watched for any sign of Charley rejecting her statement. None came. “My particular gift revolves around precognition.”

  “Precognition meaning?”

  “In my case, I see events or situations before they happen, but it depends on the person. Usually there has to be some kind of connection between the person and me. I don’t have visions about strangers.”

  “That’s it? How does it tie into Troy High and the robotics?”

  That’s it? Gilly felt relief at Charley’s nonchalance and grinned at her. “That is not quite all. Jimmy discovered a way to employ a neural network to control the robots.”

  “Neural network?”

  Gilly cringed at how to explain the next part, to speak the words aloud to anyone but Lucas. Lucas slipped up behind her and placed a hand on her good shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she took the offered support and continued. “The robots are supposed to be and are autonomous, self-learning, but Jimmy wanted to take it a step further. In order to make the morphing robots self-learning it would take a lot of programming. I’m talking huge amounts of code to make them as fully functional as we would really want them, for them to be most effective.” She licked her lips and continued. “To shortcut that effort and also provide the ability for us to control the robots, he incorporated a neural network into the robots.”