by Laura Scott
Maddy broke off from their kiss. But she didn’t step away; instead she snuggled against him, her palm spread over his heart.
“I feel so safe with you, Noah,” she said in a low voice.
Safe? Gina’s pretty face and delicate features flashed in his mind and he felt as if someone had smashed a fist into his gut.
Safe? He didn’t do relationships, and even if he wanted to try again, there was no guarantee things would work out for them.
Safe? He’d protect Maddy with his life, but emotionally? Nope, he didn’t see how he could accomplish that.
She must have sensed his distress because she pulled away, looking up at him with concern mirrored in her clear blue eyes. “What is it?”
“Dangerous situations often create a false sense of intimacy,” he said, pushing the words past his tight throat. “I’m glad you feel safe with me, Maddy, but we can’t read too much into these feelings.”
Her frown deepened. “Don’t tell me about how I’m feeling, Noah.”
The hurt lacing her tone only made him feel worse. His past experiences with his sister and Gina weren’t her fault. “I just don’t want you to say something you’ll regret later, once the danger has passed and your life has returned to normal.”
Her laugh was bitter as she abruptly pulled away. “You don’t know anything about what I’ve been through, Noah. Thanks for showing me I can still be near a man without feeling sick to my stomach. I appreciate it.”
Her words were like a slap across the face. His hand flailed out, trying to capture hers, but she was already halfway across the room, heading for the connecting door. “What do you mean?” he demanded harshly, moving quickly to catch up with her. “Why would you feel sick? What happened? Did someone hurt you?”
“Good night, Noah.” Maddy stepped over the threshold before he could stop her, and she closed her side of the door. There was an audible click as she shot the dead bolt home.
He stared at the door mere inches from his face, his thoughts whirling. Maddy had given him a glimpse at something he’d never imagined. Some guy must have hurt her, but how was that possible? No one would be brave enough to mess with the Callahans, and everyone knew that Maddy was the youngest of six with five older brothers. Any guy daring to hurt her would have to face all of them. Especially her twin.
Wouldn’t they?
Unless—He tipped his head down, resting his forehead on the cool, flat surface of the door, his chaotic thoughts torturous now. Unless she hadn’t told her brothers, in some weird attempt to protect them from acting crazy on her behalf.
The minute the thought formed in his mind, he knew he’d hit the nail squarely on the head. Her brothers were all involved in some sort of law enforcement, except for Mike, who was a private investigator, one who did some work for the DA’s office. Of course she wouldn’t want them to risk doing something that might hurt their careers.
So she’d held her silence. Until now.
He let out a low groan, knowing he’d handled that badly. He should have been understanding, gently encouraging her to open up.
Instead he’d chased her away.
And now she’d locked herself in her room.
Idiot. He was a complete and total idiot. But there was nothing more he could do now. Maybe in the morning she’d be more willing to accept his apology.
He turned away from the connecting doorway and stared blindly at Maddy’s computer. Showed how upset she was that she’d left it behind. Exhaustion pulled at him, but he thrust it aside and sat down to continue their investigation. Since Jackson’s murder hadn’t hit the news, and his partner’s truck was temporarily parked in Arvani’s driveway, maybe Noah wasn’t a current murder suspect after all.
It was time to reach out to his boss, Lieutenant Allan O’Grady. For one thing, he had proof that Jackson’s murder wasn’t his fault. But the bigger issue is that Maddy would need to go into the police station in the morning to give her statement anyway, so it made sense for him to let his superiors know what was going on, as well. Still, he didn’t want to call the precinct again from his disposable phone. He logged in to his work email and sent a brief message.
Sorry I’ve been AWOL, but my squad car ending up in the lake was no accident. There have also been several attempts on ADA Madison Callahan’s life. I’ve been keeping her safe, but I’d like to meet with you in the morning to discuss next steps.
Thanks, Officer Noah Sinclair.
He reviewed his message before clicking the send button. Because of the late hour, just past midnight, he didn’t expect a response, but one popped up almost immediately.
Be in my office at 0900 sharp.
The message didn’t sound encouraging. In fact, Noah suspected that if he didn’t show up as ordered, he needn’t bother coming in at all. He let out a sigh, shut down the computer and forced himself to stretch out on the bed.
Sleep was essential before facing off with his boss in the morning. Oddly enough, his last thought was that he wasn’t nearly as worried about maintaining his job as he was about keeping Maddy safe.
* * *
Despite her bone-deep weariness, Maddy tossed and turned for the next hour, unable to sleep. She regretted giving Noah even a hint as to what Blake had done. No doubt he’d grill Matt for more information, which wouldn’t help as she hadn’t said a word about Ratcliff to anyone.
Especially not Matt.
Growing up with five brothers hadn’t been easy. They scared off more boyfriends than she could count. They’d also taken a very personal interest in teaching her how to defend herself. She knew how to fight off an attack, but when Blake had pinned her against the desk, she’d somehow missed his true intent until it was too late.
Stupid? Maybe. The fact of the matter was that Blake had been her colleague, another ADA. A lawyer! Why would she suspect he’d stoop so low as to use force against her?
The bite of shame lingered, and she did her best to put it out of her mind. Blake wasn’t important; her case against Pietro was.
Noah? Well, it was her own fault for allowing him to become a distraction. He’d been clear from the beginning he wasn’t interested in a relationship, so she needed to get over it already.
Two kisses in the grand scheme of things meant nothing. He was a nice guy who’d made it his mission to keep her safe.
But he was also the man who wasn’t used to praying. Who’d made it clear everything he’d learned about faith had come from spending time with her family. She couldn’t, wouldn’t let him flounder on his own. She’d meant it when she’d invited him over for church services and brunch. Maybe even for the Christmas holiday.
So that settled it, then. She and Noah would be friends. Nothing more, nothing less.
She ignored the tiny hollow place in her heart and prayed for sleep to come.
Her internal body clock woke her up at six in the morning. With a moan, she rolled out of bed and padded to the bathroom. A nice hot shower made her feel more human, as did blow-drying her hair. Although looking at the clothes she’d been wearing—for what, two days now?—had her wrinkling her nose in disgust. Ick. No way was she wearing those to the police station, or worse, to her office.
She’d ask Noah to stop at her place for fresh things before going in to give her statement. It would be cheaper than wasting their cash reserves on new clothes.
Thumps and bumps from next door convinced her that Noah was up and about, too. Squaring her shoulders, she crossed over and twisted the dead bolt off. She opened her side an inch or so, then returned to packing her meager belongings together. She set the bulletproof vest aside. She wouldn’t wear the fleece sweater to give her statement, and the vest wouldn’t fit beneath her business clothes.
“Maddy?” Noah rapped lightly on the door. “You decent?”
She felt her cheeks warm, a
nd inwardly bemoaned her fair skin. “Yes, of course.”
Noah pushed open the door and hovered at the threshold, his gaze serious. “I’m sorry for upsetting you last night.”
She shrugged and turned away to place the folded fleece sweatshirt he’d purchased for her in the plastic bag. “I’m fine. Let’s just forget about that for now. We need a game plan. I thought we could grab something to eat and review how much you want me to tell the police when I provide my statement.”
That made him frown. “What are you talking about? You should tell them everything.”
She raised her head, looking him directly in the eye. “You want me to tell them we watched your partner die from a gunshot wound before our eyes? But oh, by the way there’s no dead body? What if they decide to hold you for further questioning?”
He grimaced and shrugged. “I don’t want you to lie for me, Maddy. Besides, I’ve been ordered in to talk to my lieutenant as well, at nine sharp. The entire truth will come out sooner or later.”
Panic squeezed her chest. She stepped closer, her gaze beseeching him to listen. “Please, Noah. Let’s talk about this over breakfast. We don’t have to lie, but we don’t have to tell them everything right away, do we? Can’t we give them what we know about Pietro’s attempt to get me off the case by threatening my family and leave it at that?”
His gaze was troubled. “I have to explain about how we were followed and rear-ended into Lake Michigan. And how we were shot at while escaping into the boat that was left unattended at the dock. The boat owner deserves a replacement.”
“That’s reasonable,” she agreed. “But what about the blood we found in the driveway of Arvani’s cabin? How are we going to get that tested without mentioning Jackson?”
He hesitated, then shrugged. “I don’t know. Give me some time to think about it. If you were serious about getting breakfast, we should leave now.”
“Okay.” She reached for the bag, but Noah beat her to it, taking both the bag and the spare vest. “But I also need to stop at my place for a change of clothes. I can’t go into the office looking like this.”
“I’d rather you didn’t go in at all,” Noah muttered. He stood to the side, allowing her to go through first. “Let’s hope it’s less risky to go in the daylight.”
She understood where he was coming from, and truthfully, she didn’t want to put Noah in any more danger, either. But appearance was important while preparing witnesses, more so for her as one of the few female ADAs. She needed to look confident, secure in her knowledge and ability to uphold the law.
Fully capable of convincing a jury to put Alexander Pietro away for the rest of his life.
Noah stored their things, including her computer case, in the narrow area behind the front seat of the truck. He drove to a family-style restaurant that served breakfast all day.
Their server poured coffee and brought their meals with record-breaking speed, but this time, Noah simply bowed his head, waiting for Maddy to say the blessing.
“Dear Lord, thank You for providing this food we are about to eat. Please continue to show us the way, following Your chosen path. We ask for Your care and guidance as we seek to bring criminals to justice. Amen.”
There was a slight pause before Noah added, “Amen.”
“Dig in,” she said in a light, playful tone. It was customary for one of the Callahan boys to utter those words after saying grace, making everyone laugh.
Noah’s mouth quirked in a smile. “The first time I had dinner at your house and heard Matt say that, I thought your mother was going to yell at him.”
“No, she wouldn’t do that,” Maddy said, taking a bite of her scrambled eggs. “Even my father, who was always the disciplinarian in the household, didn’t raise his voice to us very often. Trust me, his disappointment was punishment enough.”
Noah nodded but didn’t say anything more, focusing instead on his meal.
She couldn’t help wondering about his family. She thought back to the few times they’d eaten together. He’d laughed and joked with the rest of them, but hadn’t said much about his parents or siblings. She knew he wasn’t an only child. Matt had mentioned that Noah had a younger sister and an older brother.
Matt had been born a full three minutes before her, a fact he gloated over incessantly. As if three minutes meant anything. Not hardly.
Despite the overbearing nature of her brothers, Maddy secretly admitted she wouldn’t trade them for anything.
“What if we stopped at a department store instead of going to your condo?” Noah asked, breaking into her thoughts.
She shook her head. “Waste of money. We’ll be safe enough during the day, won’t we? I’m sure we can get in and out before anyone notices.”
“Unless Pietro’s goons have someone watching the place,” Noah countered. “Matt provided plenty of cash and the stores are open early for the Christmas rush.”
She didn’t like it but sensed there was no point in arguing. “Fine, my favorite department store isn’t far from here. We’ll stop there, okay?”
“Sounds good,” Noah said, with such obvious relief that she instantly felt bad. The night of her attack seemed like a long time ago, but it really wasn’t.
And she knew deep down Noah was still worried about her safety.
They finished their meal, then headed to the store. She found a pair of navy blue dress slacks with a matching blazer and paired them up with a crisp white blouse. After purchasing the items, she changed in the restroom.
“You look great, Maddy,” Noah said when she emerged. “Ready to give your statement?”
“I am.” When they were back out in the truck, she turned to face him. “I’ve decided to tell the police everything up until Jackson’s murder, especially since we know the body has been moved. I don’t want to give them a reason to consider you a suspect.”
“A lie of omission is still a lie. As an officer of the court, you’re sworn to uphold the law.”
She winced, knowing he was right. “I understand that, but how can we protect you?”
He reached out to cover her hand with his. “We were both there, Maddy. Two witnesses to a crime. We need to be honest and tell them everything. I’ll provide the blood sample we found and request for it to be tested. Getting a positive ID on the blood will add more credibility to our case.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure.”
“I am. But the one caveat here is that we’re both going to speak only to my lieutenant. No one else.”
She was relieved to hear it. “I’m on board with that plan.”
Noah drove directly to the Fifth District police station parking lot. He led the way inside to Lieutenant O’Grady’s office with ten minutes to spare. They were told to wait, and O’Grady opened the door at exactly nine o’clock to let them in.
The lieutenant appeared to be in his early fifties; he had dark hair with a touch of silvery gray at his temples and piercing green eyes. His expression remained neutral as Noah introduced her, and he urged her to start at the beginning.
Maddy explained about leaving the courthouse late on Monday night, being held at knifepoint, the scar on her neck evidence of the blade cutting her skin. She told the entire story, all the way through, without interruption.
When she finished, the lieutenant turned to Noah. “You’re sure the person you witnessed being shot was your partner, Jackson Dellis?”
“Yes, sir,” Noah answered. “I called him for a ride and distinctly remember seeing his red hair.”
O’Grady stroked his chin, his gaze thoughtful. “That’s quite a story.”
Maddy’s face flushed with anger and it wasn’t easy to keep her tone level. “It’s not a story, it’s the truth. I was threatened and shot at. My family was threatened, too. The police caught a g
uy by the name of Ervin Slotterback trying to get into my mother’s house. Pietro is getting desperate, willing to do whatever he deems necessary to derail this trial.”
“Okay, I can buy that part,” O’Grady said with a drawn-out sigh. “But witnessing a murder when there’s no body or other evidence of a crime? That’s pushing it.”
“Sir, we have reason to believe a Chicago cop by the name of Lance Arvani is involved with Pietro’s narcotic trafficking business. He owns a cabin near Willow Lake, Wisconsin, and we took a sample of blood that we found on his driveway.” Noah pulled the vial out of his pocket. “I request that this be tested to see if it’s a DNA match for Officer Dellis. Jackson’s truck was in Arvani’s driveway, as well. That and the blood should be more than enough to obtain a search warrant.”
O’Grady leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms across his chest. “Okay, fine. Take the blood down to the lab and write up your search warrant. If the blood type matches Dellis, I’m sure we’ll find a judge to sign off on the warrant.”
Maddy wanted to point out that by then, Arvani could be long gone, but she bit her tongue. She should be used to this sort of delay by now. The wheels of justice never moved as quickly as she and the police would like.
“Thank you, sir.” Noah replaced the vial in his pocket and rose to his feet. “With your permission, I’d like to escort ADA Callahan to her office and stand guard as she continues to prepare for trial.”
O’Grady’s eyebrows levered up, but then he nodded and also stood. He held his hand out to Maddy. “It was nice to meet you, Ms. Callahan. I respected your father’s leadership over this department very much.”
She shook his hand. “Thank you. I appreciate you freeing up Officer Sinclair from his usual duties in order to provide me assistance.”
“Not a problem.” The words were polite, but the scowl on his face made her think that the lieutenant didn’t relish the thought of telling his boss what he’d just agreed to.
Noah held the door open for her. They walked through the police station and were almost to the door before she heard Noah’s name.