Discover Love: Saints Protection & Investigations

by Maryann Jordan

  “I heard about you when I went to MIT,” she confessed.

  “What’d you hear?”

  “You were kind of a legend in the Engineering program. You had just graduated and were super smart…even by MIT standards. I used to look at your picture on the wall as the past Engineering Society president and have to admit…I was smitten.”

  “Smitten?” he laughed.

  Giving his arm a playful slap, she admonished, “Don’t make fun of me.” Hesitating for a moment, she added, “We met…once.”

  His brows lowered as his mouth opened slightly, surprise on his face. “When?”

  “When you came back after you graduated to give the speech. I was the girl who tripped going into the building.”

  A flash of memory flew through Luke as his confusion melted into a smile. “That was you? I was so nervous thinking about giving a speech to an auditorium full of people that I rushed away too quickly.”

  “I was just a dorky freshman and you had been such a campus hottie.”

  Leaning over to place a soft kiss on her wine-flavored lips, he whispered, “I like being your hottie.”

  Licking her lips, she stared at him, not believing that the man she used to drool over years before was now kissing her. Blinking rapidly to keep from being overwhelmed by his presence, she ordered, “Keep going. Tell me all about you.”

  Offering a self-deprecating shrug, he said, “I took a job with the CIA out of college.”

  At that, her eyes bugged. “Really. The CIA?”

  “You don’t have to be impressed,” he added. “I thought it would be exciting and, while I turned down some very lucrative private offers, working for the government seemed the right thing to do. But I was stuck in a cubicle writing security code all day.”

  “Why did you leave?”

  “Just when I thought I would make a difference the bureaucracy would get in the way. Security didn’t want to clear a new program that I wanted to use. The higher ups said they wanted cutting edge programs but then the security nixed everything. I felt like I was always hitting a brick wall.”

  “Then what?”

  “I met Marc on an assignment. He was a pilot for Homeland Security and then for the CIA. I was actually given a field assignment and he was the pilot. We became friends and he was just in the process of interviewing with Jack, having served with him overseas.” Chuckling, he said, “We couldn’t have been more different, but we bonded.”

  Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “Different? How? All of you Saints seem sort-of alike.”

  Eyes wide, he shook his head, incredulously. “Alike?”

  Giggling, she said, “You know. Tall. Big. Muscular. Kind of larger-than-life. And definitely alpha.”

  Hearing her giggle, Luke decided it was the sound he loved the best. And knowing she was now relaxed enough to actually find something amusing was an even better reward.

  “Luke, do you remember the night at the bar…when the fight broke out?” Gaining his nod, she continued, “Well, as soon as the first punch was thrown, all the Saints jumped up and immediately created a wall of muscle in front of the women.”

  “Oh, no,” he protested. “Are you going to tell me that we shouldn’t have done that? Or that the move was too alpha?”

  “No, no,” she assured. “Quite the contrary. I thought it was…nice. Every one of those women I have met so far has been smart and strong. And yet, you all created a safe haven for them in the middle of that chaos. I…guess I felt envious.”

  “I never told you that I saw what you did to the man in the suit that night. Gotta admit, it was the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.” He smiled as she laughed out loud again. “I’ve been telling you about me, but you’ve got to tell me about the karate.”

  “A couple of years ago, I took a self-defense class at a local YMCA.” Her face scrunched at the memory. “It was actually Eli that suggested I take lessons.”

  “Eli?” Luke asked, unable to hide his surprise.

  “Yeah. He knew I wasn’t living in the best apartment building at the time and he said he wanted me safe.” Her eyes searched Luke’s as she added, “As odd as Eli could be, he really was a friend.” Heaving a sigh, she said, “I discovered I was good at it and the instructor gave me private lessons after that.”

  A strange bolt of jealousy shot through Luke at the thought of Charlie’s private lessons and what all that might have entailed. A punch on his shoulder jerked his attention back to her.

  “What was that look for?” she asked, her eyebrows drawn together.

  “Nothing. Well…actually I wondered how private these lessons were?” He cringed at how possessive he sounded, the unfamiliar emotion rocking him.

  “Hmmm, would it make you feel better to know that the lessons included his teenage daughter and wife?”

  Releasing a held breath, Luke dropped his head. “Okay…busted. Yes, it would make me feel better.”

  “I’d never done anything like it before,” Charlie admitted. “I was the proverbial nose-in-a-book girl. I know you said it was hard for guys, but being the dorky nerd girl wasn’t a piece of cake either. And college was no better. I dated rarely, just enjoying friends. And then working for myself, I really found out what lonely can be.”

  The two sat in silence for a few minutes, sipping their wine as the shadows passed over the room.

  “You know what’s crazy?” she finally asked. Seeing his curious face turn back toward her, she said, “Being on the run for the past five months has been lonely. Scary. And the nightmares of remembering his murder have been horrifying.” Running her finger around the rim of her glass, she paused, sucking in her lips.

  “Go on,” he whispered.

  “It forced me to get out of my rut and learn how to do some things that I would have never done. I…I got stronger.” She looked up quickly and added, “Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that I’m glad for what happened to Eli. I’m just saying that I’m glad I didn’t fall apart and not work to survive.”

  Luke set his empty glass on the coffee table, twisting his body around, clasping her face in his hands. “No apologies, Charlie. That just means you’re resilient. You’re a survivor. And I know what you mean…because if this had never happened, I’d probably not be sitting here with you right now. And I can’t think of a better place I’d rather be.”

  Her eyes melted as he leaned in further, his lips strong and warm against hers. He tasted of wine and something that was intrinsically Luke. Sinking into his embrace, she scooted over so that she was perched on his lap, her hands clutching his shoulders.

  He stood easily and she wrapped her legs around his waist. With one arm under her ass for support and the other enveloping her middle, he stalked back into the bedroom. The fears of the day gave way once more to the passion of the night. By the time they lay once more entwined in each other, Charlie fell into a deep sleep.

  *

  Penny looked around the room at the few beds in the hospital dormitory. Uncertain as to the situations of the other women now fast asleep, she noted that they did not appear to be sick. All young. All hungry. All like her. They had been warned that one of the rules of the clinic was not to discuss their situations, but to simply heal. But heal from what?

  Desperate to find David, she slipped quietly from her bed and to the door. Peeking out, the hall appeared empty. Moving stealthily down the hall, she realized she had no idea where she was going. After a few minutes of wandering around several winding halls with no luck, she came upon one with smaller, individual rooms. Looking into each one, she finally saw David lying in bed. He startled when she entered but, seeing her finger on her lips, he kept quiet.

  Sitting on the edge of his bed, she said, “How’s your cough?”

  “Not as bad,” he replied. “They gave me some medicine and said it would help me heal. The doctor that came by and checked me out said that I looked to be in good health, except for the cough.”

  Glancing around at the
small, but private room, she wondered aloud, “Why do you suppose they give us homeless people special treatment?”

  “Who knows?” he replied. “But I’m not complaining. Some lady came around to ask me questions about where I’d been living and how long I’d been on my own.”

  “What’d you tell her?”

  Giving a rude snort, David said, “The truth. That my folks were dead and as soon as I could I got away from the foster system. She seemed to want to know if there was anyone who’d be looking for me, but I told her no. Well, with the exception of you, that is.”

  His words should have made Penny feel warm inside, but something about the clinic chilled her. Giving herself a mental shake, she offered him a smile. “Well, I’d better get back. I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

  With that, she slipped unnoticed back to her bed.

  *

  Lin Wang sat at her computer, the room illuminated by the streetlight coming from outside her condo. Her fingers hesitated over the keyboard as she pondered her next move. Tucking her sleek hair behind her ear, she thought carefully about the situation.

  How much do they know? What all can they find out? She hated the partnership the FBI had with the Saints. Everything could come crashing down. Everything I’ve been working for. I cannot let them find out what’s going on!

  Sucking in a deep breath, her slender fingers began typing the message to her contact, Xia Wu, at the clinic.

  Anything new for me?

  A few new ones came in. Could be real possibilities.

  Medical or other? Lin typed.

  Both. One medical – excellent candidate. The other – perfect. Should be lucrative. Expect things to move forward. Came the reply.

  How soon?

  Medical – needs time to heal. Other – with him. Together for now. That will be the bait used.

  Lin sucked in a deep breath, a smile playing about her lips as her fingers rested on the table. Standing, she walked over to pour another glass of wine. Taking it to her balcony, she stepped out into the cool breeze of the evening. Her sleek bob blew back from her shoulders as she lifted her face upwards, watching the full moon high in the sky. Taking a long sip of wine, she closed her eyes for a moment, knowing what she needed to do.

  Chapter 16

  With Charlie safely ensconced in the Saints’ compound, Luke traveled with Monty and Patrick to Washington D.C. to meet with Monty’s new contact.

  “We’re old friends,” Monty explained. “We never worked together as closely as I did with Mitch, but Nick’s a good guy.”

  Arriving at the restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, the three walked inside the quaint interior and were pleased to see the lunch crowd diminished. Monty bypassed the hostess, seeing his friend already in a back corner booth. Luke observed the dark haired, square jawed man with the slight smile stand to greet Monty. Wearing khaki pants with a white shirt, his herringbone jacket gave him a professorial appearance.

  “Nick,” Monty greeted with a handshake-hug and made the introductions. “This is Nick Stone. Nick, meet a few of my co-workers, Luke Costas and Patrick Cartwright.”

  The four men sat down, making small talk until their order arrived. As the food was consumed, Monty got down to business. “I’ve already filled Nick in on what we need from him.”

  Nick ran his hand over his jaw, his eyes focusing on each of them. “Well, I might as well get this out in the open to begin with. When Monty approached me about being a contact, I was intrigued. I know Mitch and have always had the highest respect for both him and you,” he said, nodding to Monty. “But, I’ve got to tell you, the idea of working with you to possibly take down a dirty FBI agent…hell…” Letting out another deep breath, he pinned the Saints with his stare.

  Nick rested his forearms on the table next to his plate and sighed. “But the honest to God truth is that I’ve got no love for any agent that may be crooked. So, my answer is yes. I’ll help.”

  Luke let out a breath he did not realize he was holding and smiled. Glancing to the side, he observed Monty and Patrick’s responses to be the same.

  “I wanted to have your agreement first,” Monty said, sliding a file over to Nick. “Here’s what we have so far. After you look this over give me a call. Luke, our computer expert, will get in touch with you to set up a secure way to have a video-conference.”

  Nick skimmed through the information in the file, his jaw ticking as his eyes moved down the pages. Sucking in a quick breath, he looked over at the Saints. “And this witness…they’re somewhere safe?”

  Luke, immediately prickling, nodded and answered with a curt, “Yes.” Not willing to give the agent any more information, he sat tight-lipped.

  The meeting ended as the meal was finished, and the group said their goodbyes. In the SUV on the way home, Luke asked, “You trust him?”

  Monty twisted to peer at Luke. “I know what you’re thinking but, yeah…I trust him.”

  Luke was quiet for a moment, pondering Monty’s response. Finally he said, “Then that’s good enough for me.”

  *

  Charlie spent the day in the compound underneath Jack and Bethany’s house. Looking around she smiled, knowing this was where Luke devoted much of his time. She even noticed his coffee machine on the counter. Standing, she lifted her hands over her head, stretching her back before fixing a cup of the strong brew.

  Jude and Cam entered the area from one of the back rooms and grinned at her. “You look at home there where Luke normally sits,” Jude joked.

  Returning their smiles, she sipped the coffee, allowing the caffeine to kick in. Turning back to her computer, she continued to pour over the data Eli had given her. Incomplete…why can’t I figure out the missing information? From her previous investigating, she knew the client, Jun, was in the Washington D.C. area. There were hundreds of doctors in the entire northern Virginia and eastern Maryland area surrounding D.C., and she had no way of knowing if she were looking for one with a Chinese last name. Just searching Jun had not produced any positive leads. Uncertain how to narrow the field, her own work had come to a halt. But, having listened to the Saints working the problem, she now focused on anyone with a Chinese background. Why had I never thought about the murderer speaking Chinese as a clue? She grimaced, irritated at her inefficiency.

  “What’s causing that look?” Cam asked, observing the play of emotions crossing her face.

  Blushing, she replied, “I’m embarrassed that I never thought to check any Chinese possibilities before. I’ve been trying to figure out Eli’s information for several months.”

  Jude sat down next to her and said, “Before I became a Saint, I didn’t know how to investigate a crime.” Seeing that he had her undivided attention, he continued. “I had been trained as a SEAL, but an injury cut that career short. Sabrina’s family had a problem and I asked her cousin, Bart, to help and, with the assistance of the Saints, we got the guy. Honestly, without their knowledge, I’d never have been able to do it on my own.”

  Smiling at the handsome, curly-headed young man, she said, “So the moral of your story is to stop beating myself up?”

  Throwing his head back in laughter, he said, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He patted her shoulder as he stood. “Luke’s really good at this…well, in fact, each of us brings our own strengths to the team. Don’t worry about trying to put all the pieces together yourself. Just take one clue, start connecting the dots, and follow the trail.” Smiling at her, he and Cam headed back to the equipment room.

  With renewed vigor, she turned back to the computer. Deciding to give up the search for Jun for the moment, she focused her research on the Chinese governmental hospitals harvesting organs from unwilling prisoners and even a religious group that was not sanctioned by the ruling power.

  But in the United States? Wouldn’t patient’s families be suspicious? Don’t deaths have to be reported? Turning her thoughts over and over in her mind, she followed Jude’s advice and slowly began to follow the trail.r />
  Who would be patients that wouldn’t be missed? Those with no family. She typed in her search on runaways and the homeless…particularly the young. The numbers were staggering. The latest data estimated there was over a million homeless youth. Oh, my God. The research also showed a tie between human trafficking and homelessness. And one of the largest groups involved in human trafficking…the Chinese mafia.

  Allowing her mind to flow over the problem Eli had uncovered, she began to wonder if a pattern existed between human trafficking and organ trafficking. Isn’t it possible they could be related? That the same people at risk for one could be at risk for the other?

  *

  Penny, wearing clean jeans and a new long sleeved t-shirt, walked back into the female dorm room and looked at the other five girls sharing the room. Two of them were already new, replacing the sheets on the beds. Catching the eye of one she met yesterday, she nodded toward the other side of the room and asked, “Where did those two go?”

  “I think when we’ve had a few days here and they check us out to make sure we’re healthy, we leave,” came the reply.

  Penny pursed her lips together, looking around. The bed had been clean and comfortable and the food had been adequate. I knew this was only temporary, but really wanted to stay long enough to keep an eye on David. She had attempted to go back to his room this morning, but had been stopped. No females on the male ward, had been the reason given.

  Sitting down on the edge of her bed, she chewed on the inside of her mouth as she tried to work through the feeling deep in her stomach that something was not right. This is no homeless shelter…but it’s also not like any medical clinic I’ve been in. The staff was mixed, although the doctor, nurses, and the main receptionist had been Asian.

  She gazed at the smiling girls in the ward. They don’t seem worried. Heaving a sigh, she slid off the bed and walked toward the bathroom. Maybe a shower will make everything seem better. At least, she hoped it would wash away some of her concern as much as her cleaning her body.