I’ve mastered walking. Go me.
I bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud at myself.
Once I’m inside the hospital and away from the glass doors, Nick folds his arms around me, pulling me into the familiar warmth of his chest, and I melt into him. The sandalwood scent of his cologne envelops me as much as his embrace does, reminding me of the day we met in the coffee shop. Even though only a couple of months have passed since that day, the changes I’ve embraced have made me a different person. I’m not a former soldier like Nick, ready to take on an entire motorcycle gang with my bare hands. But I’m not the trampled-down delicate flower I once was either.
Volunteering in the crisis center has opened my eyes to a lot of facts I never considered before. When those women feel beaten down or foolish for putting up with the shit they tolerated for years, I point out how strong they were for leaving when they thought they had nowhere else to go. When they are ashamed for allowing their kids to see the environment they endured, I remind them of how they fled with the clothes on their backs and nothing else, just so their children would have a better life one day.
Those women helped me realize how the changes I implemented in my own life have made me a stronger person. The mirror they put in front of my face doesn’t show the hollow-eyed, scared woman I used to see. Not that I want to run into Butch in a dark alley or anything stupid like that. But his threats and taunts won’t keep me under his thumb ever again.
“You’ve been working long enough tonight. How about I take you home now?” Nick leans down and kisses me, making me forget everything else in the process.
“Excellent idea. It has been a long night, and my feet are tired from being on them for so long.” I smile up at him, playing along and loving our comfort level with each other.
“By all means, allow me to sweep you off your feet then, my love.”
“Trust me, you already have, Nick.”
Once I’m securely tucked into his truck, he drives back to my condo where the extreme security system awaits. Maybe the extra measures are overkill with a highly trained DEA agent locked inside with me, but I haven’t quite reached the point where I’m comfortable with completely throwing caution to the wind yet.
Thankfully, Nick knows how to pick his battles, and this isn’t one of them.
Nick puts his cell phone in the dash holder and sends the phone call through the truck’s speakers. “Everyone on the line?”
Silas, Roman, Spencer, and Brad all respond to let Nick know the conferencing worked.
“Talk to me, Spence. Did she have a tail on her?”
“No sign of Butch on his motorcycle, but I did identify a car following her from her building to the hospital.”
“There’s a woman inside the car, no sign of anyone else with her. She’s circling the parking lot for the third time now since Savannah walked inside,” Brad adds.
“What make and model car is she driving?”
“It’s a black Honda CR-V. Older model, around 2001. She’s parking now. Let’s see if she gets out.”
The silence on the line kills me as we all hold our collective breaths, waiting to see what move the mystery woman will make.
“She’s wearing a cut with a Devil’s Dominion rocker panel and ‘Property of’ patch. She’s not very bright, wearing such easily identifiable clothing while picking up enough heroin to send her to jail for life for intent to distribute.” I can just see Roman shaking his head as he speaks. “She’s circling the car, trying a little too hard to be nonchalant. She has no idea what she’s doing.”
“And yet, she’s doing it for Butch anyway. He doesn’t care if she gets sent to prison for life or some rival drug dealer offs her in the parking lot. As long as he gets his stash and saves his own neck, no one else matters.” Nick’s fingers curl around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white from the tight grip he has on it. “I’ve seen it too many times over the last couple of years. That P.O. patch means nothing when it comes down to choosing between the woman and the money. It’s always the money for them.”
Staring at Nick, I realize how true his words are and how he’s the complete opposite. No amount of money would buy his allegiance or replace who he loves. He would give up everything else in his life for the sake of love and honor.
“She’s going for it. She’s on the ground, working her way under the wheel well to find the package. Once she has it, she’ll take it back to Butch, and we’ll have his exact location no matter what hole he slithers into. They won’t find the tracker for a while.” Brad’s proud of his contributions, and I have to agree I’m infinitely appreciative of his work.
“And now she’s on the move with it. Silas, you got her?” Roman asks.
“Absolutely. Stay on your toes, men. The game is afoot.”
I’m thankful to have the package of heroin out of my car, but now I have so many questions. Without a doubt, the answers will haunt me. I reach up and hit the mute button on his phone.
“Nick, she knew exactly where to look, didn’t she?”
“Sounds like it, darlin’.”
“So, this isn’t the first time he’s hidden drugs somewhere in my car and let me transport them for him.” I don’t even have to phrase it as a question. The truth has already sucker-punched me in the gut.
“No, babe. In my experience, you were transporting drugs for him every time he made you go somewhere with him or told you to meet him out. There’s a reason why you always had to drive your car and never ride on his bike. Every biker’s old lady I knew while undercover rode with their man and proudly wore the ‘Property of’ patch on their back.” He glances over at me, gauging my reaction.
“All these years, I’ve worked my ass off to save people’s lives…and he used me to move drugs that will kill them. Had I been caught with them, I would’ve lost everything—my nursing license, my job, my apartment, my car, my freedom—and I wouldn’t have had a clue until it was too late.”
Nick nods, understanding my inner turmoil all too well, but also knowing words won’t really comfort me right now.
“Nick?”
“Yeah, babe?”
“Can I shoot him when we catch him? It would save us a lot of trouble in the long run and save the taxpayers a lot of money on the trial.”
“As much as I want to give you everything you want, you know I can’t agree to that, darlin’.”
“I know… I probably wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger either. But it felt good to say it anyway.”
Nick laughs and nods. “I’m sure it did. Almost as good as it felt hearing you say it, I bet.”
“She’s heading south, getting on the interstate.” Silas’s voice breaks the silence in the cab, bringing my thoughts back to the task in front of us. “Twenty dollars says she heads to Washington Highlands. He probably found a vacant rowhouse to assert squatter’s rights in.”
“Or he’s taken over her house and lets her do all the work for him. What a man.” Roman sounds as if he’d like to shoot Butch himself. He’ll have to get in line.
We arrive at my building, and Nick takes the call off speaker until we reach my door. Once inside, he hits the speaker button again and puts the phone on the counter. Silas is still following her, changing lanes and taking exits only to get right back on the interstate. He’s singing along with the radio as he drives and occasionally interrupts the song, giving a full description of his every move. The comic relief is just that—relief, in this very stressful situation.
“Everyone owes me twenty dollars when I get back. We’re exiting the interstate and heading straight to Atlantic Street, Southeast. I called it.”
Everyone hurls insults at Silas, telling him he’s full of shit if he thinks he’s getting any money from anyone. I can’t help but laugh at the brotherhood and camaraderie these men have. Silas parks a couple of blocks away from where the Honda CR-V stops at a rowhouse, also called by Silas. The woman looks around nervously before darting inside with the package tucked u
nder her arm.
We disconnect when Silas says he’ll call back when there’s something to report. After a couple of hours, the phone rings, and I nearly jump out of my seat.
“Talk to me, man,” Nick says when he answers the phone.
“Our boy Butch is here. Do you want me to snuff him out now so we can call it a night?”
“What the hell is it with you CIA guys? When I worked with Shadow, he wanted to kill everyone too.”
“It’s just cleaner that way, Nick. No offense to anyone.”
I’m still not really sure if Silas is kidding or not when he says things like this. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s serious. Deadly serious.
“We need to arrest him, Silas.”
“Yeah, well, that may be your agency’s stance, but it’s not mine. I don’t have the authority to arrest him. But I do have other skills that will come in very handy should you change your mind. He’s here with a group of his biker buddies, all piled up in a small, run-down rowhouse. From the records search, looks like the woman owns it and they all just moved in on her. So what’s the plan now that you won’t let me just take them all out at once and be done with it?”
“Leave it. When he starts cutting that heroin, he’ll come find us. I want to nail him to the wall on more than just an intent to distribute charge. I want to make sure he never steps foot outside of a prison again.”
“And which charge do you think would do that?”
“The premeditated attempted murder of a federal agent, for starters.”
Chapter 16
Savannah
Nick’s words send shivers down my spine, and I’m pretty sure my heart just stopped beating. “What did you do?”
“Technically, I didn’t do it. Tim did. But the gist is, Tim took the real heroin and replaced it with a look-alike substance. Once Butch realizes it’s fake, and it won’t take him long, he’ll know it was me, and he’ll come for his real heroin. He’s on the line for a lot of money, and he’s looking to make a lot more considering how much they hid in your car. He’ll cut other substances into it and make the stash at least three times bigger.”
“How about that? You do have a devious side. I never would’ve thought it, Nick. Learn something new every day.” Silas chuckles on the line, but I don’t find anything funny about the situation.
“Thanks for your help, Silas. Stay close—I’m sure you’ll hear from me again soon.”
“You got it, brother. I won’t be far away. Call anytime.”
Nick pockets his phone while keeping his intense gaze on me. “You have that worried expression on your face again.”
“Maybe I’m just not used to what you do for a living. I know you’ve been in much more danger than this before. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Can’t say I’d react any differently if our roles were reversed. Don’t even give it another thought. I’ll be fine, and several very good men have my back.”
Nick’s phone chimes with an incoming text, so he glances at the screen. “Roman just parked your car in the garage. I’ll go meet him to get your keys back.”
“For the record, I know you’re only doing that so you can change the subject when you get back.”
“Ah hell, I was hoping it’d take you longer than a few weeks to figure out my tricks.”
“Yeah. No.”
He walks out into the hallway laughing, leaving me standing here alone with a gigantic smile on my face.
I love that man.
He’s back just as quickly as he left, and I realize that I didn’t rush to lock the door behind him. For the first time in years, it slipped my mind.
“Your car is safely parked back in the garage under the building. Now, we wait.”
The next few days pass by without incident. Although Nick was surprised Butch hadn’t made a move yet, he also wasn’t alarmed. Then Nick received a call neither of us expected, and most of the bravado I’d built up immediately evaporated.
“I’m afraid I have some potentially upsetting news, darlin’.”
I stop what I’m doing and give him my full attention. “What is it?”
“My director called and said it’s time for me to come back to work. They think it sends a better message if I’m on the job when the trial kicks off next week. I’d hoped to extend my time off until Butch is out of the way, but unless he makes a move this weekend, that’s not going to happen.”
“Well, we knew that was a possibility. You can’t take off forever. Although, it would be nice to be independently wealthy and never have to work again, wouldn’t it?”
“Let’s keep playing the lottery. Maybe we’ll win and retire to our own private island one day.”
We settle on the couch, cuddling and watching TV, when the news shows pictures of Nick and me again. Their love affair with him is long over, and they spout his crimes while he was undercover every chance they get. The gang members Nick knew are next up on the screen, claiming entrapment and accusing Nick of ordering them to commit the crimes they’re accused of, as if he were the president of the club instead of Bobby Blalock.
“It’s pretty obvious why Calvin wants me back now. My absence makes me look guilty.” He sounds so gloomy, like he lost his best friend.
“Hey.” I turn to face him. “There’s nothing we can’t get through together. You’ve been my rock since day one, before I even realized it. You saved me when I wasn’t able to save myself. Now let me be your rock. When you feel like everything is at its worst, think about how much I love you. That’s one thing you’ll never question or doubt.”
Gravity draws me to him with the force of colliding stars, the same stars that burst behind my eyelids when his lips press against mine. With a single stroke of his tongue across mine, I’m pulled under his splendid spell, never to be released again. An immediate urgency consumes us as the excitement low in my belly grows. Butterflies flutter in my chest, threatening to bubble up out of my throat at any second.
Summoning my inner strength, the last of my reserves, I break our kiss to look deeply into Nick’s eyes, conveying my message without saying a word. At first, there’s a slight hint of confusion in his expression, but it quickly changes to understanding. And anticipation.
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, darlin’. I know your broken ribs are still painful.”
“Then make love to me slow and easy, Nick. But when you take me, know that you take all of me. All my love. All my heart. Don’t break it.”
“That is one thing you’ll never have to worry about, darlin’. I’d never break your heart.”
Moving down the hall on cloud nine, my feet never touching the floor, I’m back in his embrace the second we step into my bedroom. Sensual kisses on my neck heighten my eagerness. Smoldering licks of his tongue increase my impatience. Then our souls connect, and the final missing link is fused inside us, a bond we created that will never be broken.
The sweat drips off his brow as he holds my gaze, and I let him see all of me. All my insecurities. My inner questions. With every move and every breath and every expression, I show him how much I love him and need him and want him. When the dams break and my heart is laid bare to him, I see in his eyes the same love that has consumed me. As I call out his name and every muscle in his body tenses, the only thought I have in my mind is that this incredible man loves me as much as I love him.
He’ll be here tomorrow…the same as he is tonight. He’ll stand beside me, no matter what troubles and trials the future brings. He’ll be my best friend and my lover and my world. But more than that, I’ll be his too. Equals in love. Partners in life. Soul mates forever. As we descend from the highest high, spiraling toward the bottom below, I don’t fear the fall. Nick will be there to catch me because he’s falling with me.
“Did I hurt you, darlin’?” He strokes one cheek with his thumb and leaves sweet kisses on the other.
“No, babe, you didn’t hurt me at all. I
’ve never felt as amazing as I do right now.”
“I love you, Savannah.”
“I love you too, my undercover lover.”
He chuckles in the dark, then silence overtakes us, and we fall asleep in each other’s arms. Completely happy. Completely in love. Completely complete.
Now that the soreness in my body is improving day by day, I have so much more energy, and I’m ready to dive back into life headfirst. Nick and I spend the weekend together, strolling the electric streets of the Adams Morgan neighborhood of DC. One of the rooftop bars draws our attention Saturday evening, so we climb the stairs, and the hostess seats us under an outdoor heater. Between the heat radiating from above us and the way we’re completely bundled up in parkas and hats, we’re able to enjoy the sights and scenes of this popular area. Add the free-flowing alcohol, and I’m feeling no cold and no pain after a couple of drinks.
Music plays through the outdoor speakers, loud enough to enjoy but not enough to distract our conversation. Nick and I spend hours, talking, drinking, and munching on appetizers—simply sharing our entire life stories. Funny childhood stories. Embarrassing teenage tales. He tells me about some of his cases he worked before going undercover. I share stories of some of my more interesting emergency room patients. For the hours we spend on the rooftop just talking and laughing, I completely forget about anything else.
Nick pays our tab and we leave the bar, walking home since it’s not far and plenty of people are still milling around. Restaurants and trendy bars are abundant in this neighborhood—and it’s always been relatively safe. Still, I’m hugged up to Nick as we walk, my arm around his waist and my body pressed against him while his arm wraps around me. Without warning, he stops walking and pushes me until my back is against a tree. The bare limbs jut out above us, covered with tiny white lights like stars twinkling in the night skies.
His lips gently caress the sensitive skin of my neck, from my ear to my collarbone and back again. Then he moves to the other side and repeats his ministrations. Even in this cold air, my body is heating to the boiling point. I can see my breath hanging in the air like small puffs of smoke escaping from my overheating core. This is pure heaven and hell…and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
Fine Line (Crossing Lines Book 1) Page 15