“This needs looking into. Call Angie and ask if she can meet Talley and me down on Pier 69 to see if Maddy might show. Whether there is a real bomb threat, I’m not sure.”
Hollie stood up. Her chest puffed up in outrage. “You and Talley? What about me?”
He should’ve known Hollie would never accept his plan. “Honey, don’t you have to stay in the office?”
She strutted around her desk and he wanted to grab and kiss her, but he valued his boys too much. “Nick Welby, don’t you dare honey me in a condescending voice. And don’t you need to be here when Dr. Walters gets back?”
He hadn’t forgotten his first duty. “I’ll be back in time for the doc’s arrival. She said she wouldn’t be back for two hours. I can get to the waterfront and back before she gets here.”
“I’m going with you.” She stood toe to toe with him except she had on flimsy sandals. For a horny man, this face-off wasn’t exactly confrontational with her pink toenails and her luscious chest expanded.
He tucked her errant curl behind her ear. “But if it’s a real threat, it could be dangerous. And Hollie, I couldn’t let anything happen to you.”
Hollie stood on tiptoe and brushed his hair away from his forehead. “I feel the same Nick. I can’t let you and Talley go into danger without me.” And for the first time Hollie initiated a kiss—a sweet, erotic kiss. She used her tongue to outline his lower lip, before she gave a little love bite. “Remember what you said. We’re good together.”
Aroused and amused, he chuckled as he pulled her against his chest. “You know, you don’t fight fair.”
Hollie wrapped her hands around his neck. “This doesn’t feel like fighting.” She rubbed her sweet, soft body against his.
“Okay, okay. You win.”
Her eyes were twinkling in devilish pride. He loved seeing her playful. She laughed a husky laugh, deep in her chest. He felt her warm, lush body against him. He lifted her off her feet and kissed her hard. His mouth covering hers, demonstrating his need to mark her as his, he groaned. “Let’s go. You can call Angie from my truck.”
No way did he plan to allow Hollie near any danger. He’d lock her in his truck if he had to, but hopefully she’d be sensible and realize he was in charge.
Chapter Nineteen
Hollie, Nick, and Talley walked toward Pier 69. Although Nick held her hand, he had set her at a distance. Since he had parked his truck, his whole demeanor, stance, and mood had altered. No leering looks, no playful touches, no sexy smiles. He and Talley were locked on the mission.
During the drive from Fremont, he was distracted as if mentally scrolling through all the possible horrendous scenarios. His hand had rested on her thigh. Periodically, he’d look over to check on her and then gently squeeze her thigh.
Nick parked beyond the Sculpture Garden. As they walked down the hill to Pier 69, Nick’s pace quickened, and she almost had to run to keep up. It was a sunny day, and the water shimmered on Puget Sound. Since this was the height of summer, the sidewalks were crammed with tourists and families. Nick’s eyes darted back and forth as he scanned the entire area.
They waited at the red light to cross the train tracks and the street. Nick dropped her hand, turned toward her, and grasped her shoulders. “I don’t want you to say a word, honey. Just listen.” He voice had a tone of authority she had never heard before.
Hollie’s heart raced and her stomach fluttered in response to the grave look on his face. “Got it.”
“Before we go into the building, I have to know that you’ll do exactly as I tell you. Can you promise to follow my instructions? No hesitation. No questions asked.”
She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip. “You’re asking a lot, Nick. Do you really believe that the T-shirt is a real threat?”
He hesitated. “I don’t know. But I have to assume the worst. And I can’t be distracted by trying to protect you.”
She leveled her badass look at him. “I can protect myself.”
He exhaled, blowing the air slowly through his lips. “I knew this was a bad idea. I should’ve left you at the office.”
Hollie snarled. “Left me at the office! Like you had a choice?”
The light changed and the other people started to cross, but Nick wouldn’t let her go. He stared at her, no longer the intense male to female looks, now a male imposing his will.
Hollie examined his face, searching for the tender man. The change was dramatic. His face was clenched in stress. His angular jaw had clamped down and the little crinkles around his eyes strained.
He looked the same as the first day he had come to the office. He was reliving Afghanistan, surrounded by danger, trying to protect her. How could she not recognize the stress and bravery of this man in facing this possible threat? He was unlike any man she had ever met. She couldn’t possibly cause him any further distress. She rubbed her hand over his tight chest. “Okay, Nick. I’ll do what you tell me. I won’t fight you on anything.”
His mouth opened and closed then gave her a quick peck on her lips. “Thank you. I know how hard that was for you.”
He took her elbow to cross the street. “Angie is going to meet us in front of the building, right?”
“She said she’d wait outside like you asked.”
“And you left a message for Dr. Walters that we’d meet her back in the office, right?”
“You were in the car when I made the phone calls.”
“Sorry, but once Talley and I start working, I have to know all the other details are in place.”
Nick was preparing for every contingency. His square, defiant chin was tucked tight; his neck and shoulders were pulled back in the erect military bearing. The man looked like a well-trained soldier, nothing like the flirty man hitting on her in the office. Tension vibrated off of him and she found herself mirroring the same. Her heart palpitated and her mouth suddenly went dry.
They could be walking into a potentially lethal situation. This palpable fear of the unknown and weight of the responsibility to uncover and stop the violence was exactly what Nick and Talley went through every day of their deployment. She touched his arm. “I’m sorry I got you and Talley into this mess.”
His eyes were directed ahead, scanning every movement. “Talley and I are used to messes.”
She kept quiet. She felt a bit hurt by his abrupt answer, but she wouldn’t distract him. She kept wondering if he considered her part of the mess.
She gave herself a good talking to. This wasn’t about her or her fragile feelings. They were here to help the boss and find Maddy. Hopefully Angie, who she had never met but had seen in pictures, had arrived.
By the front door was a woman hidden in the shadows, dressed in military fatigue pants and a white T-shirt. She had long black hair held in a braid.
“I see Angie. Or I think it’s Angie.”
Nick grunted.
Angie stepped out of the shadows when they neared. “Sergeant Welby, Hollie?”
Angie carried the same intense, upright stiffness of Nick. Angie also was a beautiful woman. She had high cheekbones, big round eyes, and the lips of a super model. And if she didn’t hold herself like a surfboard, she could grace any Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover.
Hollie looked up to see if Nick was noticing. Of course, he was. Nick was a very sexy man, meeting a hot woman.
Definitely Nick was looking at Angie when he spoke to her. “We might have brought you down for nothing.”
“I’m aware of the situation, sir. I appreciate your effort in trying to find my friend and fellow Marine.”
“Because of the small possibility of a bomb threat, once my dog and I start working, I’ll need you to be on point. If it’s necessary, can you keep everyone calm and get the people out of and away from the building?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m only planning for the worst case scenario since we really don’t have any evidence that this is more than a gaming group. But if your friend is part of the threat
, are you prepared to handle her?”
“Sir, Maddy and I served two tours together. She isn’t part of this. I’d stake my life on her.”
Nick smiled warmly at Angie. “Leave no Marine behind.”
“Yes, sir. ‘Oorah!’”
Hollie tried to ignore the dark hole of jealousy and envy gnawing in her insides, as she watched Nick treat Angie as an equal. She should be grateful he hadn’t given Angie his sexy full electric smile. He treated Angie like a fellow soldier and she couldn’t fault him. Hollie hadn’t served. She’d done nothing brave or courageous like these two wounded veterans. She wished she didn’t feel left out and alone.
Nick turned toward her. “Hollie, your job is to run out of the building and call the bomb squad. Move as far away from the building and then call.”
Outrage stiffened her spine despite that her voice shook in hurt. “I’m going to run out and leave you, Talley, and all the people behind?”
Nick seemed to grow bigger and taller before her eyes, dominating her with his force. His eyes were icy and his voice steely. “Yes, time will be of the essence to notify the bomb squad.”
She started to argue and saw the glimpse of fear in his eyes before he hardened his tone. “Can you carry out your job or do you want to wait outside?”
Hollie wanted to say more to Nick, to tell him how hard it’d be to leave him. And how much she had come to care, but, with Angie listening, she bowed her head to hide her own fear and hurt. “I’ll do whatever you need, Nick.”
Chapter Twenty
With an eager Talley at his side, Nick escorted Hollie and Angie into the newly remodeled glass-and-steel Pier 69, home to the Port of Seattle offices and boat terminal for passenger service between Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia.
He kept a firm grip on Talley’s lead. The dog was ready to play the game of “Find the Scent.” Nick’s heart slammed sharp blows inside his chest. He could barely hear above the roaring pulse in his ears. This had all the potential of one major cluster-fuck. Since the discovery of the T-shirt, he tried to calculate the risks, as he’d been trained to do. Pier 69 was the perfect location to make a violent statement: international travelers, tourists, and the Port Commissioners all in one location.
Logic told him the T-shirt lead was weak and the risks slim that a gamer had the balls to blow up Pier 69. Gamers lived in a world of fantasy. If that were true, why did his gut burn like he had Montezuma’s revenge and his entire body shook?
He played and replayed each scenario. His analysis gave no satisfaction—either pursuing gamers was a stupid waste of time or he was making a big mistake by bringing Hollie into danger.
Arrows were posted on the wall pointing the direction to the Port Commissioner’s meeting. As they came around the corner, Nick saw a group of people congregated, waiting to gain entry into the meeting. Shit. Could it possibly be any worse—a large crowd in a confined space with only two hallways to exit?
There were no security guards or bag checks for those attending the public meeting. As he got closer, hell, yeah, it got worse. Half of the crowd were young and carried backpacks. His assumption that the gamer group would be college punks and would stand out in an older, civic-minded group was gone.
He scrutinized the crowd for anyone who stood out or who appeared nervous. Two women in their twenties, both with heavy backpacks stood together. One woman, short and plump, kept looking over her shoulder. Her eyes darted back and forth as she chewed on her nails. Memories of the woman in Kabul running toward his platoon, flashed through his brain. Waves of heat and ice chased over every inch of his skin as if he were back under the desert heat. He shook his head and his shoulders as if he could shake away the horrific memory.
To clear his head, he glanced down at Hollie. Her face was pale and strained. He hated to see her fearful. He wanted to hold her and kiss the worry away. He couldn’t let her distract him from the mission. Clear focus was the only way to ensure her safety.
He whispered to Hollie. “Honey, stay here. Talley and I are going to walk through the crowd.”
Hollie’s face shot up to his and she gave a little gasp before she swallowed against whatever protest she wanted to say. “Okay, Nick. I’ll wait here.”
He nodded toward Angie who stepped away from Hollie and slowly followed behind him.
Nick bent to Talley, keen for the chance to work. With the promise of a game of ball after she found the scent, she strained with excitement to detect the scent of explosives. He gave the command. “Talley, search.”
Nick directed Talley toward the two women. His breathing accelerated, and his mouth went dry as his body went into overdrive. The adrenaline surged, priming his body for action and his mind into precise focus. Every one of his senses heightened. His heart beat a fast beat, a rhythm that owed nothing to exertion, but pure adrenaline rush.
The plump woman jolted backward, acting as if she was ready to run. Her friend put her hand on her arm to restrain her. Nick kept his eyes on her as he walked directly at her. He wasn’t above using intimidation as a tactic. He was a pretty scary guy when pumped up.
Her friend was talking frantically. The woman shook her head then put her hands up as if surrendering.
They were within ten feet of the woman when Talley alerted. Talley lurched forward on her lead toward the nervous woman. With Nick and Angie bearing down, the woman turned and tore down the adjacent hallway. For someone hefty, the girl could run. She sprinted toward the outside door. Fear of capture was an incredible physical incentive.
Nick and Talley had to negotiate around the crowd before they burst into a sprint. If she were Earthbro, she wouldn’t be running away from the crowd. As he gained on the chunky girl, Nick expected that she would drop her backpack and take off. He wasn’t convinced this woman was a bomber, but Talley started to whine as they gained on her.
Nick shouted. “Stop. Now!” He was prepared to tackle her, but he’d prefer not.
The young woman turned around. Her face was bright red and her breathing winded from the exertion.
She stopped. “I didn’t do anything. I was only going to take pictures.”
Angie was right behind them.
The woman bent over to catch her breath from her little run, clearly out of shape.
Talley strained closer to the woman and sat, her signal that she had found the explosives.
Terror gushed from his pores. The flood of fear and adrenaline brought lucidity and hyper awareness, and the familiar chemical taste on his tongue. “Good work, Talley.”
The dog thumped her tail, ready for the reward. He wished he shared his dog’s enthusiasm in discovering explosives.
He took slow measured breaths and switched gears to his well-entrenched training. This wasn’t his first rodeo. But hope to God, his last.
As trained, Talley didn’t move but maintained her point.
Nick turned to Angie and spoke. His calm voice echoed in his head and the empty hallway. “Call the bomb squad. Clear the building. And get Hollie out of here.”
The red-faced girl started to shake. “I don’t have a bomb. I’ve got my camera in the backpack.”
Nick’s mind raced through all the scenarios in seconds—best to leave the backpack in the empty hallway rather than take it out to the streets. He hoped Angie cleared the building quickly.
Nick said in a measured voice. “Slowly take off your backpack and place it on the ground.”
She swung the backpack from her shoulder. He scrutinized her hands on the pack. Was there a mechanism to pull or someone else from a distance was to detonate the bomb?
“Easy.” Nick kept eye contact with the woman, his voice low and controlled.
“I swear I don’t have a bomb in my backpack. I was going to film the demonstration. We were going to throw oil on the Port Commissioners. That’s all. No bombs. We’re not that kind of group.”
Her adamant claim that she didn’t have a bomb didn’t add up. “What about the Earthbro T-shirt? That didn�
�t look like a peaceful demonstration.”
“That’s Brandon, a guy in our group. He’s really into drawing explosions and shit, but none of us are violent.”
She wasn’t acting like a suicide bomber, ready to kill hundreds of people. She had no signs of resignation and defeat that he had seen on the suicide bombers’ faces. But who could really tell which people had the need to destroy themselves and take others with them? “My dog says there is a bomb in your backpack, and she is never wrong.”
She jerked in place.
“Slowly and calmly put the bag on the ground. No fast movements and no jolts.”
She held her body stiff. “I’m telling you I don’t have a bomb. We came today to protest the oil tankers. We’re non-violent.”
“How is the bomb rigged? Is it to detonate when someone opens your backpack?”
“I don’t know.” She sobbed as tears ran down her face. “I don’t know anything about a bomb.”
Nick kept his focus on her hands. She truly didn’t seem to know about the explosives. But he didn’t trust anyone in these deadly circumstances. He trusted no one but his dog.
The girl’s red face was now deathly white. Her hands shook as she gingerly lowered the backpack to the cement floor.
Talley sat waiting as if this entire drama was part of an entertaining game.
Nick pulled on Talley’s lead to get away from the bomb. “Let’s go, girl.”
An excited Talley pranced next to him as he walked around the backpack. He grabbed the girl’s elbow and moved them quickly toward the outside door facing Alaskan Way. He prayed Hollie was far away from the building.
Chapter Twenty-One
Hollie stood suspended, unable to move, as Nick and Talley chased a woman with a backpack down a hallway.
Every instinct urged her to run after Nick and the woman. But she had promised Nick to remain in this spot and her word meant something. Her parents had never honored anything except their next deal and their next high. Hollie kept her promises.
The Grayce Walters Romantic Suspense Series Page 59