by Donna Hill
“Hello Carmen, it’s E. You busy?”
“No. You in the vicinity?”
“I can be in about thirty minutes.”
“I’m here.”
“See you in a few.”
He made a turn onto the West Side Highway and headed to Brooklyn.
After cruising around for about ten minutes, Elliot found a parking space and then walked back the half block. He jogged up the steps to the parlor floor apartment of the three-story brownstone and rang the bell. Moments later the glass and mahogany wood door opened and Carmen stood in the doorway. He felt suddenly lighter.
“Come on in, babe.” She welcomed him on tip toe and embraced him in a warm hug.
Elliot kissed her cheek and gave her a squeeze. “Girls asleep?”
“They’re at a sleepover down the block. Friends from school.”
“Wow. Sorry I missed them.”
“Next time. Can I get you anything? I have some Coors in the fridge.”
“Perfect.”
“Be right back.” She sauntered off barefoot to the kitchen in her oversized army T-shirt that hit her at mid-thigh.
Carmen was all of five foot two; compact, gorgeous and dangerous. She could easily take down a man twice her size in hand-to-hand combat. They’d met years earlier while they were stationed in Taiwan on assignment. Against all odds they actually became friends, confidantes. But the stress of her job was putting a strain on her marriage and after six years in Special Ops, she quit to be a full-time wife and mother. It took a while for Phil to accept and believe that there was nothing going on between Elliot and his wife.
There is a bond that forms between people when their lives are in danger and they depend on each other for survival. But the only thing Carmen was more devoted to than her job was her husband and their two daughters. When she lost Phil during 911, Elliot was there for her every step of the way and became a surrogate father to Jasmine and Petra.
“Here ya go,” she said bouncing back into the room. She handed him the Coors, then plopped down on the love seat and tucked her legs beneath her. She pushed several curly ringlets of inky black hair behind her ears, revealing tiny gold studs. “So what’s going on? How are you?” she quizzed, her dark eyes sparkling and deep dimples flashing. Behind the sexy, pixie image Carmen could run a mile flat out in under five, was as accurate with a long-range rifle as she was with a .45 with a silencer. It was what made her so effective and efficient at her job. She took every enemy by surprise.
Elliot brought the bottle to his lips and drank slowly. “Still trying to get my legs under me from the last assignment. But they have me right back in the saddle.”
“Are you okay with it?” she asked softly.
He looked into the gentle sincerity of her eyes. “The assignment, yeah.”
“So what’s the problem? I know you didn’t drive your fine self all the way over her on a big Saturday night to tell me that all is well in Elliot Morgan’s world.”
He tossed his head back and laughed then leaned forward, resting his arms on his muscled thighs. “I have a partner. A woman. A beautiful, intelligent, funny woman.” He took a sip of his beer. “She reminds me of Lynn.”
“Oh…” Carmen expelled on a soft breath. She hated that witch. Not because she was beautiful and smart and funny and crazy in love with E. No, it was because of what his losing her did to him.
Lynn McKnight was like morning mist, you couldn’t really see how it got there but it was all over everything, clinging, and then it was gone. She’d seeped into Elliot’s pores, massaged his heart and stole a piece of his soul. He was ready to give everything up for her and live a regular life. Then the most unimaginable tragedy occurred while they were both stationed overseas. Elliot was devastated.
Losing Lynn turned Elliot into a different man; one who lived on the edge, was hard and indifferent, who limited his contact with others and had a woman only to satisfy his physical needs. So if he was in her living room talking about a woman, maybe her prayers were finally answered and he had returned to the land of the living.
“There is only one Lynn McKnight,” Carmen said, not falling into the melancholy trap. “So why does she remind you of Lynn?”
Elliot eased back into the couch, contemplating the question, trying to find the words to express his emotions, which was almost foreign to his nature. He looked at Carmen who waited expectantly.
“It’s not something that’s tangible. It’s not physical similarities or even personality,” he said, growing frustrated. “It’s how…she…” he ran his hand across his close-cut hair then shook his head slowly. “I don’t know what it is,” he grumbled.
Carmen smiled softly and threaded her fingers together on her lap. “Could simply be that she makes you feel something, E. Something beyond the next drama of our crazy lives.”
Elliot chuckled. “You’re probably right. I’ve been alone inside and out for a long time, Carm. The idea of feeling anything for anybody kinda blind-sided me.”
“That’s usually the way it happens,” she said with a grin. “It may be something and it may turn out to be nothing more than a momentary thrill.” She studied his expression for a moment, the hard lines of his face, the taut physique, soulful eyes and that indescribable aura that floated around him. She knew all too well what the job could do to you. It made you cautious, leery of friendships. As operatives you lived with the never-ending suspicion that no one is who they claim to be. So when you do open that door and take a chance on letting someone in and they hurt or betray you, it only reconfirms what you have been trained to believe. “So tell me about the assignment.”
Elliot drew in breath that easily helped him slip into his tactician persona, doling out facts, analyzing the information and not missing a beat.
They talked long into the night, bringing each other up to speed on their lives, their concerns about what was happening in the White House, the kids, mutual acquaintances and everything in between. They ordered pizza from Papa John’s and as night drew closer to daybreak, Elliot knew he’d had one beer too many to make the trip safely back to Manhattan and crashed on Carmen’s couch, just like in the old days.
He awoke the following morning to the scent of fresh brewed coffee and biscuits, and two pairs of sparkling brown eyes.
“Sssh, see I told you not wake him,” Jasmine whispered, nudging her younger sister in the side.
“Ouch! I’m telling. Uncle E, she hit me,” Petra whined, pointing an accusing finger at her sister.
Before either of them could react, he leaped from the couch, scooped them up into his arms and spun them around until they were delirious with laughter then unceremoniously dumped them on the couch, much to their delight.
“What is going on in here?” Carmen demanded with a faux frown on her face. She balanced coffee and warm biscuits on a tray. She set it down on the table.
Both girls looked at their mother with wide-eyed innocence.
“Never mind,” she conceded. She turned to Elliot. “Sleep okay?”
He stretched. “Nothing that a hot shower won’t cure,” he joked. “And some hugs and kisses from my favorite girls,” he said, diving toward them and tickling their ribs. The room filled with squealing laughter.
Carmen shook her head. “There’s everything you need in the bathroom.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He filled his mug with coffee then tossed a warning look at Jasmine and Petra. “I’m coming back to get both of you,” he said, wagging a finger, which only sent them into another fit of girlish giggles. He snatched up a biscuit from the tray and headed to the bathroom.
“Let’s go, ladies, breakfast is on the table.” She hustled the girls off to the kitchen and for a moment lost herself in the sensation of having a man around again, which gave her all the more incentive to check out this woman who’d gotten Elliot’s attention. She still had friends in all the right places that would be willing to do her a favor for old times’ sake.
Several hours later, after
swearing on the girls’ SpongeBob blanket that he would come and see them soon, Elliot said his goodbyes and began the return trip to Brooklyn and his new home. Spending time with Carmen and the girls had done his mind and spirit a world of good, he thought as he cruised through the early Sunday afternoon traffic of churchgoers. He wondered if Ashley went to church, what she believed in, if anything. He pushed those kinds of thoughts out of his consciousness. As Carmen had said while they talked last night, the main thing to remember is that this is about the job. Sure, get to know her, she’d advised, but at the same time you can’t let it cloud what you were assigned to do. And if there is any real vibe going on between you two, there’s always time afterward to pursue it.
She was right, of course, as she was about most things that had anything to do with dealing with people on a real level. At least through it all she’d maintained that part of her humanity. She had her children, which compelled her to feel, to care about someone other than herself. He didn’t have that. And when his human side dared to make an appearance, he did all he could to stomp it back in place. It was a lonely life, but one that he’d grown accustomed to. It was simply easier that way. It was a lesson he’d learned the hard way. And if there was one thing you could count on when you dealt with Elliot Morgan, you never had to worry about him falling for the same thing twice.
Chapter 9
Ashley didn’t know whether she should feel pissed off, disinterested or totally dissed by Elliot. They hadn’t spent a full day together as “man and wife” and already he was spending the night out. What did that say about her appeal? she wondered morosely. She would laugh at the absurdity of it all, but the truth of the matter was she was actually annoyed. She realized much of it had to do with her lack of sleep. For the better part of the night she kept listening for Elliot’s key in the door. That fact added to her annoyance on top of the other fact that she was up listening for him in the first place! Even in his absence, he was a thorn in her side. Well, her plan was to pluck the thorn and get on about the business of the case. She didn’t care if Elliot Morgan spent every night out. That meant more room for her in the fabulous apartment. Was he with another woman? Don’t even go there, she warned herself. It didn’t matter if he was. Did it?
Shaking her head to dispel her roving thoughts, she went into her bedroom, retrieved her laptop and set up in the living room. Hunting through her pared-down collection of CDs, she selected Blue Magic’s Greatest Hits, Marvin Gaye Live, Jill Scott, Kem and her new favorite, Chrisette Michele’s Epiphany.
Settling down, she booted up her computer and opened up the information from her flash drive. Within seconds the list of adoption agencies and fertility clinics appeared on the screen. She began sorting them by geographic area and plugging them into her Google map, which she would sync to her PDA later. There were more than seventy locations to check out and no real way to determine which was more important than the other. Just as she opened another file to get the backgrounds on the parents, she heard the lock being jiggled in the front door. Her pulse began to race and her stomach knotted.
The front door opened and she heard heavy footsteps walking down the hallway in her direction. She looked a mess, she realized in alarm. She had on a baggy T-shirt and an old pair of sweat pants. She made a move to dart off to her room, but it was too late.
“Hello,” he greeted without enthusiasm. His gaze settled on her for a minute and moved away.
Ashley pretended not to notice him. She studied the files in front of her, but couldn’t make out anything that they said.
Elliot moved farther into the room. He stopped in front of her and looked down at the papers spread out across the table. “Are those the case files?”
“Yes, I thought it best that I get started,” she said a bit more sharply than she intended.
He came around the table and sat down next to her. The manly scent of him rushed to her senses. She tried to ignore him, but she could feel the heat from his body press against her own. He reached across the table for the file, and his hand brushed against her arm. It was like an electric shock and she jumped as if she’d been struck.
“Something wrong,” he asked.
“No I’m fine,” she snapped. “Why, is something wrong with you?”
He looked at her from the corner of his eyes. “We’re a little testy today, aren’t we?”
Ashley jumped up from her seat. She spun toward him, her hands on her hips. “We’re supposed to be working on this assignment, and you decide to spend the entire night out!” She knew she sounded like a nagging wife, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. She had no right to be upset. He was entitled to live his life anyway that he saw fit. She couldn’t seem to control the emotions that tumbled within her.
“Look, I’m sorry about last night. I just needed to get out and clear my head. Went to see a friend.”
Her heart pounded in her chest. A friend? She wouldn’t dare ask him who it was. She didn’t need to know. “Fine. You can do whatever you want. But we have a job to do.”
“Then let’s do it.” His gaze held her in place for a moment.
She pushed out a breath of exasperation and slowly returned to her place on the couch. “I’ve broken down the list according to geographic areas. I thought it would be a good way to get started. That way we can visit specific areas at one time.”
Elliot nodded as he looked at her notes. He had to admit, had it been him he would’ve gone about it the same way. He admired her forward thinking. “That makes plenty of sense to me. What we need to do now is get the names of the heads of all of these organizations. That way we’ll know who we’re going to be asking for when we show up for our appointment as Mr. and Mrs. Morgan.”
Her skin warmed at the mention of “Mr. and Mrs. Morgan.” She pretended that she didn’t hear him and proceeded to explain that she had the list of names already.
“You have been a busy bee today, haven’t you?” A small smile moved around the corners of his mouth.
Ashley dared to look at him and she’d swear she saw admiration in his eyes. “It’s what I do,” she said, turning back to the task at hand.
“I’m thinking we should start with the fertility clinics,” Elliot said.
“I was thinking the same thing,” she said.
“So, starting tomorrow morning we’ll begin with the fertility clinics until we exhaust the entire list.”
“I had no idea there were so many fertility clinics in New York.”
“Guess there are a lot of people wanting babies,” he said, his voice dropping an octave.
Ashley stared at the screen and thought about her parents and their twenty years of heartache. Yes, she fully understood how desperately parents can want a child, especially a child who had been stolen from them. The desire never leaves. The hole in your heart never gets filled. It’s a never-ending ache, and you wake up every day and pray that this will be a better day, a different day, and that all the days before never happened. But then you realize that it has happened. And you are powerless to change anything.
Elliot gently touched her shoulder and felt her stiffen beneath his fingertips. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.
She swallowed over the sudden knot in her throat. She nodded her head. “Yes, I’m fine.” Gentleness was the last thing she needed from him, the last thing she wanted. She couldn’t handle it, not now. “Let’s get back to this list,” she said, trying to regain her composure, which was extremely difficult with him being so close, touching her.
Elliot slowly removed his hand from her shoulder. “Yeah, let’s. We’ll start with the Upper East Side clinics and work our way across town.”
For the next hour they worked on developing their list. They knew they’d probably have to make appointments with all of these clinics. But their hope was that they could at least do a walk-in and get some brochures, talk to a couple of the employees and take a look around. One of their goals was to gain access to the clinics’ databases. In order to do th
at, one of them would have to distract the receptionist or whoever was behind the computers. If that failed, they would have to try to plant a micro camera that was focused on the computer screen and on the keyboard. That way the camera could record the keystrokes and possibly access any passwords that were needed to get into the files. Once that was done, they would be able to pass that information along to Jasmine over at Cartel headquarters. She would then be able to download the files they needed. What they were looking for were client lists, the names and addresses of all the couples who had come to the clinics. It would all take luck and timing. And most important, their ability to work together.
Elliot leaned back from his slumped-over position and rotated his stiff neck. “I think that’s about all we can do with what we have so far.”
“You’re right. My eyes are beginning to cross anyway.” She saved all of the information they had compiled and closed down the computer.
Elliot stood, and the first thought that came to her mind was that he was getting ready to leave again. And it annoyed her that she cared one way or the other.
“I think we deserve a treat,” he said, “for all the work that we’ve accomplished.”
“A treat?”
“Yeah.” He checked his watch. “It’s still pretty early. Wanna go explore the neighborhood?”
“You call that a treat?” she asked in a teasing tone.
Elliot chuckled. “What if I bought you some ice cream to go along with the tour? Would that make you feel better?”
She smiled. “Butter pecan can do wonders.”
“You’re on.”
Ashley got up and stretched tight limbs. “Then let me at least change and put on something halfway decent.”
“I don’t think you need to.”
Their gazes connected and that hot sensation exploded in the center of her chest. “Even if you think so, I’m still going to change my clothes.”