Reese shook his head. “Captain Johnson is going to be pissed enough when he finds out you were here. Let me handle the interrogations and I’ll tell you what we get out of them.”
Another stab of pain had Kelley gritting her teeth. “You’ll tell me everything,” she demanded.
He gave a nod. “Everything.” He glanced at her SUV. “I’m going to have someone drive you home”
“It’s not far.” She started taking off the windbreaker with POLICE across the back. “I’m fine.”
Reese studied her for a long moment. “You need to take care of yourself, Petrova.”
She might have smiled as he referred to her by her last name if her head hadn’t hurt so badly. It suddenly felt like nothing had changed between them.
“I’ll be waiting for your call,” she said and turned away.
Reese watched Kelley go. Damn but he didn’t want to let her drive home alone. His instincts had been to take her in his arms and hold her close to him. Of course he couldn’t do that and undermine her.
With a curse beneath his breath, he clenched and unclenched his hands. If he kept worrying about her every time they went out into the field, he was going to get one of them killed. He had to keep his mind on the job.
He ground his teeth. He wasn’t so sure he could work with Kelley as his partner much longer. He’d become far too overprotective of her. She was good at what she did and he’d seen her take down grown men over twice her size. But everything had changed with that kiss last night.
The kiss. For a moment he closed his eyes and shut out the sounds around him as he remembered her soft lips and sweet kiss, and how willing she’d been… If he hadn’t put a stop to it, who knew what would have happened.
With a low growl, he opened his eyes and shook his head. Yeah, he knew exactly what would have happened, and he’d be regretting last night even more than he already was.
Chapter 9
To get his mind off of Kelley, Reese immersed himself in wrapping up the scene and then headed back to the station to interrogate Fat T and the other suspect. Despite his promise to her, he didn’t want to tell Kelley what they might learn from the two they had in custody or if they found anything on the hard drive. She was likely to go tearing off on her own again if they had something substantial.
She was a damned good detective and it was thanks to her investigative skills and contacts that they’d come this close to finding Belle. They needed Kelley’s keen mind, but it was more important that she recover and be at full speed when she returned.
All the way back to the station, Reese worked to pull himself together. That included putting his relationship with Kelley to the back of his mind.
When he reached the station, Reese went to the interrogation room that Fat T was being held in. Ron Simpson was in another.
Reese entered the investigation room where Fat T’s wrists were zip tied to a bar on the table he was sitting behind—his wrists were too fat for regular handcuffs. He was so large he barely fit on the chair, his fat hanging over the edges of his seat. His stomach extended like a king-sized beach ball beneath a dirty white wife-beater T-shirt, pressing against the table and likely making it uncomfortable to be cuffed in that position.
Fat T wasn’t much of a threat. He couldn’t get out of his chair fast enough to begin with, so Reese cut the zip tie cuffs.
“Thanks,” Fat T mumbled and rubbed his reddened fat wrists.
“You’re facing prison time.” Reese sat on a chair at the opposite side of the table. “That was one hell of a lot of crack cocaine we found in your house.”
Fat T licked his lips. Even his tongue looked fat. “I can’t go to prison.” Reese could smell the stink of the man’s sweat.
Reese held no sympathy for the scumbag. “Should have thought of that before you started dealing out of your house. Don’t bother to say it’s not yours.”
Drops of sweat beaded on Fat T’s forehead, his whole face and thick neck slick with perspiration. He stared at the table.
Reese leaned back in his chair. “Tell me about Johnny Rocket.”
Eyes wide, Fat T raised his head. He looked scared. “Johnny’ll kill me.”
“You’re going to prison.” Reese let the words sink in. “What do you think will happen there?”
Fat T covered his face with one of his palms before lowering his hand and looking at Reese. “The man is bad news. He killed Hector and now he’s come in and taken over Hector’s territory. It’s getting bigger all the time.”
“That’s nothing we don’t already know,” Reese said. “Tell me where he went.”
Looking even more nervous, Fat T shook his big head. “He didn’t say.”
Reese clenched his jaw. “Tell me about the kids he’s selling.”
Fat T’s jaw slackened. “I don’t sell kids. Not me.” He shook his head violently. “Never.”
“You know that Johnny does.” Reese narrowed his eyes. “And I’m getting damned tired of going in circles with you.”
A deep inhale and then Fat T blew out his breath. “All I know is that he’s getting a shipment together to send out next week.”
“A shipment?” Reese wanted to lunge at the bastard and knock the information out of him. “You’re talking about kids?”
Fat T licked his lips again. His voice was a croak. “He’s been grabbing kids all over. Some in Flagstaff, some in Prescott Valley, most in Phoenix…but he even gets them off the Reservations.”
The anger boiling inside Reese was threatening to erupt. He struggled to maintain his calm, not allowing Fat T to see exactly how the news was affecting him. He continued questioning Fat T, but didn’t get much more out of him.
Ron Simpson provided even less information with regards to any elements of human trafficking, and refused to talk about the drug trafficking.
Frustration causing his whole body to ache, Reese strode out of the interrogation room that Simpson was being held in.
“Reese.” John caught up with him. “The hard drive is being analyzed now and they’ve come up with some preliminary information.”
They came to a stop, facing each other. “What’ve you got?” Reese asked.
John’s expression was hard. “A couple of pictures of local missing women along with images of women being held captive. Also evidence of a website being pulled down. They’re not finished.”
“Sonofabitch.” Reese blew out his breath, the heat of anger still boiling inside him. “We’ll have to notify the FBI now that we know human trafficking is involved.”
John gave a brief nod. “We sure will.”
As Reese walked away from John, he rubbed his temples. He considered not telling Kelley what he’d learned, but she was his partner and he’d promised to tell her. He hadn’t gathered enough information to pinpoint Johnny Rocha’s or Taynor’s locations so she wouldn’t be running out the door the moment he told her.
Reese dragged his hand down his face then took his cell phone out of its holster and pressed the speed dial number for Kelley.
* * * * *
“You are too tense.” Johan rested his hand on Kelley’s good shoulder. “You need to relax.”
“I can’t.” Kelley’s mind had gone over and over what Reese had told her yesterday about the human trafficking and the drug bust, yet there were no concrete leads as to where Rocha and Taynor were.
Johan studied her. “Do you want to tell me?”
She met his gaze. She’d been coming regularly to physical therapy and she enjoyed talking with him. But this was something she didn’t want to get into even if she had been able to talk about it.
“It’s work related so I can’t talk about it.” She gave him a strained smile. “But thank you.”
“I think you need a break.” He tilted his head to the side as he looked her over. “Would you consider lunch at the Hummingbird? I get off work for lunch after your appointment.”
Kelley nodded. “That sounds nice. I could use the distraction.”
“Good.” He started showing her another exercise. “A few more of these and then we can go.”
When they finished, Kelley left to take her own SUV to the café where she would meet Johan. Her phone rang just as she reached the Explorer. She pulled it out of her pocket and checked the display to see that it was Reese. Heat traveled through her like it did every time she had any kind of contact with him these days.
She shook it off and answered the phone. “What’s up, McBride?”
“Thought you might like to get out of the house for lunch,” came his smooth, warm voice.
“I can’t,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “I’ll see you Sunday.”
“Sunday?” Her brow wrinkled.
“Now who’s forgetting our anniversary?” he said with amusement in his voice.
It had gone clean out of her mind. Still she said, “I was just testing you.”
“Right.” He gave a low laugh. “I’ll pick you up at ten in the morning.”
She opened the door to her SUV. “What are we doing?”
“I’m leaving it as a surprise.” There was a note of mischief in his voice.
He’d never been playful with her in their roles as partners, and she found herself liking it. “How should I dress?”
“Jeans and a T-shirt,” he said. “And hiking boots.”
“Hmmm…” She thought about it as she climbed into her Explorer. “Are we going on a hike?”
“Not giving you any clues,” he said. “Just be ready.”
She felt like laughing for the first time in a while. “I’ll be ready.”
When she disconnected the call, she shoved the phone into her pocket and started the SUV.
It was only a five-minute drive from physical therapy to the Hummingbird. She parked in the back and walked around the corner to the front. While she waited for Johan, she went ahead and let the hostess seat her at a table on the patio. It was in the shade of the blue and white striped awning, the overhead misters cooling the air.
A few moments later, Johan arrived. She saw him walking up to the front entrance and she waved to him. He changed direction and came through the entrance into the wrought iron enclosure around the patio.
When he sat at the table, she smiled at him. For some reason she felt safe with him…like he wouldn’t take advantage of their friendship and hit on her. She wasn’t interested in any man. At least she was trying hard to convince herself of that fact.
Reese, her mind whispered to her and she had to shut the thought away.
Penny stopped by their table. She was the waitress who regularly worked the lunch crowd.
Kelley smiled. “Hi, Penny.”
Penny set down a drink coaster for each of them. She smiled at Johan before saying to Kelley, “How’re you doing, Detective?”
“Great.” When it came to anyone outside of the police force, Kelley rarely gave indications that her day might be anything but good.
“Glad to hear that.” Penny held her pen poised to write on an order pad. Kelley gave her drink order, as did Johan. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
When Penny left, Johan looked at Nectars, the bar next door to the Hummingbird. “The last time I was at Nectars, Stacy got jealous when someone hit on me.” Johan shook his head and smiled. “It isn’t easy being married to someone who’s protective and has a jealous streak.”
Kelley raised her brows. “I didn’t realize you’re married.” She looked at his ring finger. “You’re not wearing a ring.”
“Stacy and I have been married for five years.” Johan grinned. “I met him at the gym.”
Kelley tried not to show her surprise that Johan was gay. No wonder she felt safe with him when it came to the opposite sex. “What does he do?” she asked.
Johan smiled. “He’s an attorney at the law offices of Johnson and Hawk.”
“Of course.” She nodded. “Stacy Herrington. I didn’t make the connection. He’s been the defense attorney for a few trials I’ve been involved in.” She gave Johan a little grin. “He’s a nice guy for an attorney. Usually.”
Johan grinned back. “True.”
Penny arrived with their drinks. Kelley and Johan both knew what they wanted and Penny took their menus after she wrote down their sandwich orders.
“Have you been dizzy lately?” Johan asked after taking a drink of his iced tea.
“Better.” Kelley shrugged. It was true…she hadn’t had a spell all day today.
He nodded. “The doctor cleared you to drive?”
“Yes.” She hadn’t told the doctor about the occasional dizzy spell that she’d been having. “I can’t wait ’til he clears me for work.”
“Your strength is coming back, but I do not think it wise to go back to work just yet,” he said.
She tried not to frown. “I hate sitting on the sidelines.”
His expression turned serious. “Your body needs to heal.”
With the same feeling of exasperation that she always felt when the subject was brought up, she pushed her fingers through her hair. “The case I should be working on…it’s so important and could mean someone’s life. I just can’t sit and do nothing.”
“Your partner, is he not qualified to handle this case?” Johan asked.
“Of course he is.” She let out a sigh. “He’s more than capable. But I should be there, too. With me on it, that gives us twice the manpower.”
Penny returned with their sandwiches. “Here you go.”
“That was fast,” Kelley said, pleasantly surprised.
“Special for you, Detective, and your guest.” Penny smiled. “Anything else for either of you?”
Both Johan and Kelley gave a shake of their heads. “No, but thank you, Penny,” Kelley said.
As the waitress left, Kelley felt a prickling sensation crawl down her back, as if she was being watched.
She glanced across the street and saw Reese standing on the sidewalk next to his truck. He wore an unreadable expression. She’d raised her hand to wave when he turned and opened the door to the cab of his truck and climbed in. As far as she could tell, he didn’t look in her direction as he drove away.
Chapter 10
A nervous twinge skipped through Kelley’s abdomen as the doorbell rang. She brushed her palms over her jeans, tugged down her T-shirt, and touched her hand to her hair that was pulled back in a French braid. Her short lace-up leather hiking boots squeaked on the tile as she headed to the front door.
She put a smile on her face, took a deep breath, and opened the door. Reese stood on her doorstep, his hands shoved into the front pockets of his blue jeans. He wore a black T-shirt, a black ball cap with Arizona Diamondbacks emblazoned across it, and hiking boots similar to hers. No question about it, her partner was the most scrumptious man she knew—and she knew a lot of men.
His intense blue eyes met hers and a smile curved the corner of his mouth. “Ready, Petrova?”
She nodded. “Just a sec.” She turned to the hall table and stuffed her wallet into the back pocket of her jeans and her phone in one of her front pockets then grabbed her keys. She shoved her holstered Glock into a hobo cross body purse, along with her belt. She made sure her hairbrush, lipstick, and a few other things were inside, then swung the purse over her shoulder. Reese waited for her on the porch as she locked the door with her keys then shoved them in her pocket.
They headed to his truck and he held the door open for her on the passenger side and she climbed in before he went to the driver’s side and seated himself. He started the truck and it roared to life.
She tilted her head to the side. “So where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” He gave her a quick grin as he pulled away from the curb.
Even though he’d smiled, it seemed tense and she felt like something was off. “I saw you yesterday when I was having lunch with Johan. Why didn’t you say ‘hi’?”
Reese’s expression tightened and he didn’t loo
k at her as he drove down the street. “Didn’t want to disturb your lunch.”
“You wouldn’t have disturbed us.” She studied him as he kept his eyes fixed on the street. “We were just talking.” She continued to watch Reese as she said, “Johan is married to Stacy Herrington.”
Reese glanced from the road to Kelley. “The attorney who works for Johnson and Hawk?”
She nodded. “That’s the one.”
He looked back at the road, his features lightening almost imperceptibly, as if her explanation somehow made him feel better. “How is PT going?”
Whether or not he wanted to admit it, Reese felt something for Kelley, like she did for him. She didn’t know how much, but it was clear he’d been at least a little jealous until she’d told him Johan was married. The fact that Johan was gay probably made him less of a threat.
Less of a threat to what?
“Physical therapy is going well.” She shifted in her seat as she answered his question. “My shoulder is getting better all the time. I hope the doctor will clear me to go back to work soon.”
“No need to rush it,” Reese said.
Kelley frowned. “Yes, there is a rush. We have to find Belle.”
He met her gaze. “We will find her.”
She glanced out the window to see they were headed out of town. “Are we going hiking?”
“Nope.” He watched the road as he spoke. “I’ll give you a hint. You’re going to get dirty.”
She tilted her head to the side. “Hmmm…I hope you’re not planning on taking me to a mud bath.”
His lips twitched but he shook his head. “Not even close.”
She wracked her brain as they headed out onto Senator Highway and then she grinned. “The paintball arena.”
“Very good, Detective.” He returned her grin. “Thought you’d enjoy a little moving target practice.”
“You know me well.” She laughed. “I haven’t been to the arena in ages.”
Conversation was easy and natural with them as he drove, as if nothing between them had changed, as if the kiss had never happened. She decided not to ask about the case for now. She tensed at just the thought of it and today was about taking a break from life and enjoying themselves.
Made for You Page 8