Her Undercover Refuge

by Linda O. Johnston

  “It was one of my contacts at the PD.” No sense hiding anything like that from her. She needed to know—even though there wasn’t really any news.

  “And?”

  “And...nothing. Best they can determine, the phone number on the text you saw in the office—”

  “—came from a burner phone,” she finished, looking toward the ground shaking her head. “Damn. I really wanted to know—”

  “We both did.” Scott interrupted Nella this time. “The department is still on board, so if we have anything to report, or if we request protection, they’re with us.”

  “Good.” But Nella didn’t sound particularly relieved. She pulled ahead as he headed to the nearest building, where he unlocked the door.

  Some of the dogs inside remained asleep. Others lifted their heads and stared at Nella and him, and most rose and approached the chain-link fencing with heads raised and tails wagging—from the smallest to the largest.

  Good dogs, Scott thought—even as Nella smiled and reached over or through the fences to pet those that seemed to request it, including a couple she’d met before. “Good dog,” she said to Honey, Pebbles, Shupe and others.

  She wasn’t really reading his mind, Scott knew, but their thoughts were clearly in sync.

  In more ways than this, Scott realized. But he could and would keep things professional between them. That was the best way they could both achieve their goals—protecting not only these great shelter pets who needed new, loving homes, but also, and more importantly, the people, the staff members who also needed new, loving homes, or at least refuge from their old homes as well as new, safe, more enjoyable lives.

  Scott had no doubt Nella would work with him in all ways possible to achieve both.

  Platonically and professionally—despite that mind-captivating kiss he kept thinking about.

  They soon left this building and repeated pretty much the same entry and greeting with dogs in their remaining kennels in the buildings from the beginning to the end of the pathway, ending up in the building that housed cats and smaller pets.

  All appeared fine. No surprise.

  It hadn’t been the animals in the shelter who were threatened, but one of the human residents.

  Nella was clearly relieved nevertheless as they once again stepped onto the path and he locked the final door behind them. She obviously cared about all the residents.

  “Anything else we should do tonight?” she asked, standing beside him and looking up into his face. The lights were relatively dim here, yet he had no problem seeing how pretty she was—and how obviously concerned.

  “Let’s go to bed,” he said, then wished he could erase the words for their potential suggestiveness—especially when he noticed a small reaction in Nella’s expression. Interested? Humorous? Both?

  Neither?

  He clarified, “As I said, I’m hanging out here tonight in one of the other empty apartments. Let’s go back upstairs so we can both head into our respective units and hopefully get some sleep.”

  There. That should make it abundantly clear that he wasn’t suggesting they spend the night together or anything like that.

  Although the thought did make him react below, at least a little. But he would keep that completely to himself.

  They finished traversing the path back to where the door led to the upstairs stairway, and he unlocked that door again.

  Soon they were both on the level where the staff members lived. He walked Nella the few steps to the door of the apartment to which she was assigned.

  “Which one will you be in?” she asked.

  The thought of telling her where, in case she wanted to join him... Forget that, he told himself quickly.

  “It’s across the hall from yours, closer to the hall’s end.” He strode to where he was near that door, then gestured toward it.

  “Great,” she said. “And we have each other’s phone numbers in case anything happens and we need to get together again.”

  What she said was completely accurate and unsuggestive, yet it still suggested something to Scott.

  “Right,” he said, with no inflection in his voice. He walked back to her unit as she pulled her keycard from her pocket and unlocked the door.

  “Good night, Nella,” he said.

  “Good night, Scott.” But instead of walking through the now open door, she turned back toward him. “This place is amazing,” she said. “In so many ways. I want to talk to you more about my duties soon, not just read that file. And I intend to work with you in as many ways as possible to make sure people and pets all thrive, as they should.”

  “Then you’re already one damned good manager,” he said—and suddenly, without his planning or even anticipating it, he had Nella in his arms again.

  Who’d initiated it?

  He wasn’t sure, but the kiss they now shared was every bit as hot as their earlier one.

  “Good night,” Nella said again a very long minute later. Her brown eyes were lowered and enticing as she looked back into his face, then turned and shut the door behind her.

  And fortunately, Scott noted, the hall had remained empty.

  Chapter 7

  Nella stood at the entry of her small apartment for a minute, breathing gently, her back against the door.

  The door that she had locked behind her after opening it with a keycard. And after sharing another kiss with Scott that made her entire body quiver in unwanted anticipation of something that would never, could never, happen.

  Oh, she definitely enjoyed sex with the right man. But except for some short-term affairs over her thirty-three-year life, she hadn’t discovered a man who was right for more than a short while. She’d been glad when a relationship of sorts lasted for a year, which had happened a couple of times.

  But most of the guys she’d cared for were also cops, since other guys she met didn’t seem able to get into the idea of dating a female law enforcement officer for long. And other cops? Well, she wasn’t certain what they were looking for, but so far she hadn’t found one she wanted to share any kind of long-term commitment with.

  Okay. Enough of this. More than enough.

  She realized she was thirsty. Fortunately, she had some bottled water in her car, which was still parked in the shelter’s lot outside. Although Scott had offered to help bring her things in, she hadn’t yet gotten him to act on it, and she hadn’t yet brought in her suitcase, either. This was a good time to do that—and use the keys Scott had given her.

  But just as she unlocked her door, a knock sounded on it.

  Why wasn’t she surprised to see Scott standing there when she opened it? “It just dawned on me that we haven’t brought up the luggage from your car,” he said. “Right? Let’s go get it.”

  Once more, Nella was pleasantly surprised about their appearing to be on the same wavelength for many things, mostly wanting to protect people and animals.

  Being in sync in other ways as well was an additional asset.

  Too bad their relationship had to be, and would continue to be, completely professional and platonic.

  “Good timing,” she said. “I was just planning to head that way.” Their eyes caught then, and she saw what she interpreted to be not just amusement, but a touch of pleasure in Scott’s expression as if he, too, enjoyed their “kind-of” connection now and then.

  “Got your car key?” Scott asked as she started into the hallway.

  “Yes. I was already used to keeping my keys with me, and as long as I’m here that’s clearly going to be an important part of my life as long as I include cards.”

  “You got it.”

  They continued to the stairway, still seeing none of the floor’s staff residents.

  After walking down the stairs and unlocking and relocking even more doors, they were soon in the parking lot in the shadows at the rear of th
e shelter. Nella directed Scott to her blue Toyota hybrid, which sat not far from the black Honda SUV in which he’d driven them to the restaurant.

  She’d brought one large suitcase and two smaller bags, since she’d been optimistic about getting the job. In addition, she had a backpack in which she’d stored the water bottles she’d been thinking about.

  “This all your stuff?” Scott asked as she slammed the trunk closed.

  “All I brought,” she said. “I won’t need any more now, and if this becomes long-term, as I hope, and I move into a Chance apartment, I’ll have my other things in storage in L.A. brought here.”

  “Good move, in many ways,” Scott said.

  And again Nella liked his attitude.

  He insisted on carrying the heaviest bags, which she thought was kind and gentlemanly. Soon, all her things were upstairs in her apartment, sitting on the floor near the door.

  It was time again for Scott to go. Which was a good idea. It was getting late—and she’d need a good night’s sleep to face the next day.

  “Thanks,” Nella said to him, then realized this was an appropriate time to ask him something that had been on her mind.

  Sure, she’d ended her prior lease, but she hadn’t signed anything here yet—so she had no idea about the rental amount.

  “You’re welcome,” Scott said.

  “So will I get my lease tomorrow? How much rent will I be paying?” She didn’t allow herself to cringe in anticipation. She was hoping, in this small town and in these circumstances, with a small apartment in the facility where she would be on call all the time, that it wouldn’t be too pricey.

  She’d taken a cut in her salary to work here, after all.

  But she wasn’t a “volunteer” like the staff member residents.

  “You’ll certainly get to see the documents our staff members sign to make sure they’re aware of what this place is like, and that, like our managers, they have to keep it completely confidential.” Scott stood facing Nella now, arms crossed, his blue eyes narrowed as if helping to tell her how serious this was.

  Which she already knew.

  “Good,” Nella said. “And my lease?”

  “You don’t need to sign anything as long as you live here as a manager. Nor do you need to pay any rent. I’m aware we don’t pay as well as the LAPD, but giving you this benefit, at least for now, may help. Okay?”

  His serious expression suggested she’d better say yes if she wanted to stay here. Wanted this job.

  And the answer was yes to both.

  “That’s great!” Nella grinned. “I love it.”

  And so far there wasn’t anything she didn’t love about being here, at the Chance Animal Shelter, with its nice staff and protected animals.

  With caring managers.

  With Scott.

  But there had been that threatening text that needed to be solved...

  “Good. We’ll discuss your specific duties tomorrow. Right now, I think we both need to rest.”

  “I agree,” Nella said. “But—well, after that text message and what you said, I’m planning to wake up once or twice, too, and walk around this hall to make sure all’s well.”

  Scott’s serious expression morphed into a hint of a smile. “Well, maybe we’ll run into one another then,” he said.

  Nella laughed. “Should we coordinate, or would it be better if we chose different times?”

  “Either should work—although be sure to let me know if you see anything when you’re out and about and I’m not. And don’t leave your apartment if you hear anything outside. Just call me. If it’s me you hear, I’ll let you know.”

  “Likewise,” Nella said.

  And almost as if they’d choreographed it, they approached each other. This time, their hug was brief, their kiss short and more friendly than anything else.

  But Nella couldn’t help remembering those other kisses again as she locked the door behind Scott.

  * * *

  The first thing Scott did after leaving Nella was return to the shelter’s offices. He checked to make sure there’d been no more texted threats on the main line, then went into his own office to pick up the backpack of vital things he kept there in case he needed to stay in this facility for a while—mostly pajamas and a few changes of underwear, plus a charger for his cell phone. Something he hadn’t needed to get into before. His real home was close enough that he could get anything else fairly quickly, but during daylight, when other managers were around and in charge, was best.

  In his temporary apartment, he sat on the small sofa for a while, checking local law enforcement sites on his phone for anything interesting, particularly reports that might be related to the threat the shelter had received, but found nothing.

  It was getting pretty late, but he decided to take a walk down the hall before heading to bed. He’d received no calls or texts from Nella, so presumably she hadn’t heard anything that worried her, either. He was unlikely to see her again now—which sent a brief wave of regret through him that he quickly shrugged off.

  Better that she stay in her apartment and sleep through the night. He just wanted to ensure that she remained safe, and that the others living here did, too.

  He rose from the small sofa, headed to his front door and unlocked it, glad that, when he’d had this building redone, he had paid to have it made as silent as possible, with its specially designed laminated floors with pads underlying them, and heavily plastered and insulated walls. The damaged staff members who lived here needed their privacy. Especially when, stressed out, they began pacing their units. Or, worse, crying. He’d seen that happen to both the women and the men.

  No, this hadn’t been cheap. And he wasn’t wealthy.

  But this shelter did have a substantial group of wealthy, quiet patrons, including one whose daughter had disappeared from his life for a while when she moved here to escape her menacing husband.

  Now the ex was out of the picture, the family was reunited and the shelter had benefited from the father’s gratitude. And the Chance PD had other similar, generous benefactors, including people who had adopted pets from them.

  But mostly, they were funded by the police department.

  Now Scott stepped outside and quietly pulled his door closed, making sure he didn’t see or hear anything to cause him to dive inside again and lock himself in.

  But all he heard was silence. He locked the door behind him and started slowly down the hall.

  And saw the door across from him begin to open.

  Nella.

  He couldn’t help smiling and shaking his head. What was it about that woman? She seemed to be reading his mind somehow. Aiming for the same results around here that he intended, as far as helping people and animals. Wanting to achieve them the same way he did. Attempting to do it at times and in ways that matched his.

  Unless he was reading her wrong. She had just arrived. And although he’d been happy with his current managers, he had really hoped to find an even better one with whom he could work closely.

  Well, he couldn’t work too closely with Nella, of course. He’d already seen that.

  But it wasn’t a huge surprise when she did indeed walk out into the hallway across from him, stopped and stared at him.

  Shook her head so her long brown hair swished sexily over her shoulders. And immediately placed a smile on her beautiful face that gave him a sudden urge to join her across the hall and take her into his arms. Again.

  Not going to happen, of course.

  Except for joining her across the hall. And—well, yes, he did put an arm around her to lead her in the direction he’d intended to go. He leaned down as she turned her head up toward his.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” she whispered, her voice as low as he’d hoped someone speaking at this hour in the hallway would talk. Not surprising, coming from this
highly cognizant and caring woman.

  He merely nodded at first, then asked in a voice even quieter than hers, “Did you hear anything?”

  She shook her head. “Just wanted to peek around before I went to bed.”

  They walked slowly from one end of the hallway, where their units were, to the far end, then back again. Scott heard nothing from any of the apartments, not even any TVs, although they were each equipped with one. But the quietness was at least partly a result of the insulation he’d had put into the walls. They also went upstairs to the meeting room, which was empty.

  Soon, they were back outside their respective apartments.

  “Let’s both sleep well,” Scott said, and waited till a nodding Nella entered her apartment and he heard her lock the door.

  And was a bit miffed at his own disappointment that they hadn’t shared so much as a brief hug this time as they parted.

  * * *

  Nella checked her phone before changing into her pajamas. Nothing there.

  She checked the local news briefly on the television, with the sound turned down. Nothing particularly interesting there, either—not in Chance, or in Los Angeles.

  She figured she would sleep well. It had, after all, been a long day, with plenty of ups and downs—from meeting and helping Alice, to getting hired, to that terrible threat to the shelter and to meeting Scott and feeling much too attracted to him despite all the chiding she’d given herself.

  Well, tomorrow would be another day. But before going to bed, she set her phone alarm to go off in a couple of hours. She’d check the hallway again then to try to ensure its security.

  That next time, she surely wouldn’t see Scott. Nor would she now. She threw on her robe, unlocked her door and went back into the hallway.

  The lights along the walls were dimmer now, apparently on some kind of timer. It was still light enough to see.

  But Nella saw nothing new. The walls were the same, as were the doors, ceiling and floor. And no person was in the hall.

  She heard nothing, either, undoubtedly a good thing. None of the staff was calling for help or arguing or making any other noise that could be heard in the hallway.