The reflective silence blanketed the two for a few minutes, each to their own thoughts. Luke realized with the Saints and their women, he now had a large group of friends to work with and rely on, even though most of his work was sitting at a computer. His focus shot down as her hand squeeze his leg, before looking back at her.
“I can tell your mind is working overtime,” she accused lightly. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I’m learning to step outside of myself…slowly but surely.”
His fingers laced with hers before he lifted her hand to place a kiss on the back. “Sweetheart, you’re part of the Saints now. You’re part of my family. You’re part of me.”
With a smile, she accepted his promise.
Chapter 22
Nick Stone hated what he was about to do. His face matched his surname as he threw open the door to the bar harder than he intended, but he never flinched as it bounced on its hinges. Looking around in the dim light, he saw a man sitting alone at one of the back booths. Catching the eye of the waitress chatting with the bartender, he jerked his head toward the back. By the time he slid into the opposite seat of the booth, she appeared at his side, her gaze eagerly roaming over his body.
“What can I getcha?”
“Beer. Whatever’s on tap,” he replied, not looking at her.
As she sauntered away, Nick studied the man sitting in front of him as much as he knew he was being evaluated. His tablemate was medium build with fair hair that was beginning to show a little more white than blond. He also gave off the appearance of being an agent that was near retirement and less likely to be a go-getter. Sighing, Nick finally broke the silence. “Don, I’m gonna be upfront. I hate what I’m about to ask.”
The other man took a long swig from his beer and said nothing as the waitress brought Nick’s drink over to him. Waving her away, Nick said, “But I appreciate you coming to meet me like this.”
“You’ve got a good reputation, Nick,” Don said, “so I’ve gotta admit, you’ve got my curiosity up.”
“I need to ask a couple of questions about a murder investigation and, I can let you know, I’ve been sanctioned by my superiors to ask, but it’s being handled…carefully.”
Don’s eyebrows raised, but he said nothing.
“The case was Eli Frederick. You were on a team that was working the case and he ended up dead.”
Nodding, Don agreed. “Yeah, and I heard his body was fished out recently. I’m not on that case now though, if you’re asking about that.”
“No, no. I’m seeking information on the original meeting. I know that once Eli’s complaint was finally assigned to an agent, it went to Lin Wang. What I need from you is your info on how the meeting was to take place and what happened leading up to discovering him missing in his home.”
“You gonna give me a reason for this unofficial-official inquiry?” Don asked as his fingers made air quotes.
Shaking his head, Nick replied, “Nope. At least, not until I’ve heard more from you.”
Pinching his lips together, Don finally nodded. “Okay, fine by me. I’ve got nothing to hide and it’s all in the report.” He thought for a moment and said, “I was serving as a partner with Agent Wang when she came to see me about Eli. Said he had been in contact with her over something he had discovered. It had been already assigned to her, but she was arranging a meeting with him and would need backup.” Shrugging, he added, “She set the meeting up and made the arrangements. When he didn’t show up, she called me to say she was at his home and told me to meet her there. She said that when she got there, he didn’t open the door. She walked around to the back and could see inside a window leading into the kitchen. There was blood on the floor and that’s when she called me. By the time the Baltimore Police got there, we had ascertained that Eli was not in the house. We had the Baltimore office of the FBI do the investigation.”
“Since he lived in Baltimore, why weren’t they given the assignment to meet with him to begin with?”
“I assumed it was because Agent Wang was the one he first talked with. I got the feeling the man was real suspicious and non-trusting.” Don shifted uncomfortably before adding, “I didn’t really get into it too much. Nick, I’ve got less than a year to retirement and, honestly, it was Lin’s case so I was just along for the ride.”
“Speaking of that, tell me about the ride.” Seeing Don’s confusion, Nick asked, “Did the two of you go together?”
“No, not in the same vehicle. We didn’t leave from headquarters.”
“Why was that?”
“She said she had an appointment on the east side of town and it would be easier if she didn’t have to come all the way back to get me. So we drove separately to Baltimore.”
“How long have you worked with Lin?”
Rearing back, Don responded, “Lin? You’re asking about Lin?” Seeing Nick’s hard face, Don sighed and continued, “About two years. She was transferred here. She’s smart, driven, and a real ball-buster when she wants to be.” As soon as those words left his mouth, he immediately tried to backpedal. “I don’t mean that in a sexist way—”
“Forget about it.” Nick waved his hand dismissively as he digested the information for a moment, leaving Don to sip his beer in silence.
The older man eyed Nick before asking, “Now you gonna tell me what you’re after?”
Nick debated how much to tell Don, but decided to give him a hint to see if it would prod any more memories from him. “There was a witness to the murder.”
Those words hung like a weight over the two men as it sunk into Don what Nick was saying.
“A…a witness? A witness? Where the hell have they been?”
“Not important. What is important is that they saw someone with a badge.”
“Holy shit,” Don cursed under his breath. “I can’t believe Lin isn’t all over this case then.”
“She doesn’t know.”
“Huh?” Don replied, confusion on his face. “Why the hell not?”
“Because the person doing the killing was an Asian woman with a badge.”
The news knocked Don back where he sat, slack-mouthed, his breath coming in pants.
“This is being investigated covertly,” Nick said, giving the only explanation he was going to.
Understanding what Nick meant, Don nodded his head emphatically, making his slight jowls shake. “No, no, I won’t say a word. I promise, I won’t say a word.”
“Good,” Nick stated, throwing some cash down on the table as he stood. Stalking out into the evening sun, his mood was even blacker than when he went into the bar. Looking at his watch, he called Monty as soon as he got in his SUV. Might as well set up a meeting and get this new information out there. Fuck…sometimes I hate my job.
*
“Do you believe him?” Luke asked, facing the screen where Nick’s scowling face was projected.
“I’ve got no reason not to,” Nick responded. He had relayed the conversation to the Saints and knew the shit would hit the fan if an FBI agent was implicated in the murder of Eli Frederick. “Don’s close to retirement and I can’t imagine he would want to be involved in a problem that would prolong his ability to leave the Bureau. He didn’t overtly implicate Lin, but what he told me gave her no alibi. But,” he said, pinning the camera with a glare, “that does not mean that she’s guilty of anything.”
“We understand,” Jack acknowledged, “but it places her on the list of persons of interest.”
“I’ll start digging into her,” Luke said.
“My superiors know about this,” Nick stated, “but if this blows up in our faces—”
“She won’t know she’s being looked into,” Luke promised. “I’m careful…there will be no kickback.”
Nick leaned back in his chair, his face still unhappy. Finally nodding, he said, “Okay. I’ll continue digging on what I can find out here. I’ve been given clearance to work on the murder case with her so it will give me a chance to keep an eye on what
is going on.”
Monty looked at the man on the screen, obviously struggling with the assignment. “You know this is the right thing to do, don’t you? Hard, but the right thing.”
Nick sent a scorching look his way before growling, “If I didn’t know it was the right thing to do…I wouldn’t be doing it.” With that, the video-conference ended and the Saints looked around at each other.
The silence was broken when Bart asked, “You think he’ll check into her?”
Monty nodded, “Yeah, I do. I knew him when I was at the Bureau, and he’s a good guy. Likes to do things by the book and that usually doesn’t include checking into fellow agents. But he’s tenacious and will do what needs to be done.”
“By the book, huh?” Cam asked, a slight smirk on his face.
The others chuckled, shaking their heads.
“Well, he wouldn’t fit in with us very well,” Blaise added, voicing what the others were thinking.
Jack, quiet as usual, had a thoughtful expression on his face as he rubbed his chin. He looked up as the good-natured bantering continued. “Okay, back to business. Luke? What are you working on?”
“I’m going to start digging into Lin Wang and see what I can find.” Cracking his knuckles in front of him, he joked, “And since I don’t feel the need to do everything by the book, I’ll have no problem finding anything I want!”
With the continued chuckles from around the room still ringing, he turned back to his computers and began digging.
*
Charlie continued to sift through the messages she received concerning the free services in the area. Several homeless shelter employees and social workers had messaged her as well, giving her no more information than she already had. She even received a message from someone from Medicare who had seen her request for information.
She was almost ready to close her laptop and fix dinner, when her eyes caught the last message she had opened.
Hi. My friend and I are at a free clinic. It’s nice, but I’m afraid of what to do when I have to leave. I’m only 16 years old and so is my friend, who’s been sick. He’s why we got in here. I don’t know what information you want to know, but I’d like to talk. I don’t have anyone else I can talk to. Penny
The age of the responder captured her attention. Only 16 years old! She quickly determined the IP address but it was not at a location she was able to triangulate. Hmm, I wonder if she’ll talk to me?
Penny, thank you for getting back in touch with me. I am researching different clinics offering free services and will pay for information. Where are you? Charlotte
Charlie had not considered offering to pay for information but she felt as though she hit the jackpot with a teenager responding. She and her friend probably need the money and she said she had no one else to talk to.
Not knowing when she might hear back, she left her laptop open as she headed into the kitchen.
*
The nurse stepped into David’s room, a clipboard in her hands. He smiled as he recognized her from the other evening shift. He caught a movement behind her and realized she was not alone. Another woman walked behind the nurse, this one unsmiling. Her dark, glossy hair was tucked behind her ears and, instead of scrubs, she wore a navy skirt and jacket with a white blouse. His eyes darted between the two until the nurse smiled at him.
“Well, David, how are you feeling?
“Much better,” he replied, returning her smile, while eyeing the woman standing just inside his room.
“I’m here with the paperwork for your surgery and to answer any questions you might have for me. The actual surgeon will come by in the morning to discuss the specific procedures with you. Have you made a decision?”
“Yeah, I think I have, but I want to make sure my friend will be able to stay with me.”
Sitting down in a chair next to his bed, she clicked her pen and began filling in the forms. “You’re referring to Penny Owens, correct?”
“That’s right. We’re together.” His gaze moved back to the unsmiling woman as she stepped over to the nurse and peered over her shoulder at the forms.
“Together?” the woman asked. “As in…?”
“We…we’re um…well, she’s my girlfriend,” he stammered, unused to defining their relationship.
“How sweet,” the woman said, in a voice that made him feel that she did not think it was sweet at all.
The nurse continued her questionnaire, “Family to contact in case of emergency?”
His brow crinkled in thought, but finally he shrugged and replied, “Just Penny. She’s the only one who’d care anyway.”
As the nurse completed the forms, she stood and smiled at him again before turning to walk out of the room, the other woman with her.
“Wait,” he called out. He hesitated until both women were facing him again. “I was told that if I donate the kidney, Penny would be able to stay with me. Right?”
“Don’t worry,” the woman said, her face giving a slight smile. “Penny will be taken care of.”
With that, the two women walked out of the room as David lay back on the bed, his mind at peace with his decision.
As they moved down the hall, the nurse handed the forms to the other woman and said, “Here you go. I know you need to match his information to the database.”
The woman took the form, glancing at it. “I want to see this girl.”
“She’s in the other hall…in the women’s dorm room, Ms. Wang.”
With a quick nod, the nurse headed off to the nurse’s station as the woman stalked down the hall, her steps full of purpose.
Chapter 23
Luke walked through the front door, the sight of Charlie’s luscious hips swinging in time to the music on her phone’s playlist blaring through the kitchen. Her back was to him as she shimmied and stirred at the same time. Her long, dark hair swished along her shoulder blades with each movement.
Deciding to test her, he slipped in, his eyes pinned on the tight pants stretched across her ass and the soft skin of her back showing each time she lifted her arms. Just as he approached, she screamed as she whirled, the spoon in her hand becoming a weapon as it sliced down toward his head. With a quick circle of her leg, she caught him behind the knees, sending him backward onto the floor.
He gazed up at her beaming face and heaving chest, his admiration mixing with lust. She stood over him, spoon still raised as the sauce dripped onto the floor. Glancing down, he quipped, “Glad that’s tomato sauce and not my blood.”
Grinning, as she offered a hand, she said, “If you had been someone else, that would have been your blood.”
As he stood, his long arms encircled her waist, pulling her in tightly. “I see your lessons have helped.”
Giggling, she nodded. “Yes, Marc’s a good teacher. I was scared at first because he’s so big, but he was right—If I could learn to fight him, I would become more self-confident.” Stepping out of Luke’s embrace, she turned back to the stove to finish dinner. Draining the pasta, she plated it first and then poured the homemade marinara sauce over the top.
Once they were eating, she said, “You know, I think Marc needs someone special.”
Lifting his eyebrow at her proclamation, Luke waited to see what would follow.
“I mean, he’s now the only Saint who doesn’t have a special woman in his life. And that just seems…lonely. And he’s such a great guy, it makes me wish I knew someone who would be perfect for him.”
Shaking his head, Luke replied, “Sweetheart, the other women have been trying, but unless you know someone who can hunt, fish, loves to camp and can cook out over an open fire, I don’t think you’ll find the love of Marc’s life.”
“It can’t be that bad,” she said, looking askance.
“Oh, believe me, he’ll hook up with someone he meets out on a hiking trail, but won’t pay much attention to someone in a bar that has the look of high maintenance written all over them. He’s a simple man with simple tastes.”
> “Hmph,” she groused. “That doesn’t sound too simple to me.”
Laughing, Luke added, “But the others like to joke around and say that when he least expects it, someone will knock the big man onto his ass…kind of like you did to me earlier.”
The meal almost complete, Charlie leaned over to kiss a dab of tomato sauce off the corner of his mouth.
His eyes flared with lust once more and he shoved his plate back. Easily lifting her, he settled her on his lap, her legs straddling his hips. One hand grabbed her ass, pulling her tightly against his straining erection. Claiming her lips, he licked, nipped, and sucked until she was grinding her crotch against his, seeking relief.
With the other hand he moved the dishes and her laptop to the side before placing both hands on her waist and hefting her ass to the table. Hooking his fingers into the waistband of her pants, he jerked them down as she balanced her feet on his chair and lifted her hips into the air. With an awkward kick, she was able to drop her pants to the side once he slid them down her legs.
Before she processed that she was ass-naked on the dining room table, he parted her legs and dove in, licking a path along her slit.
Moaning, she threw her head back as she balanced on her arms behind her. He pulled her ass to the edge of the table while tossing her legs over his shoulders. Instead of feeling exposed and vulnerable, she felt cared for and loved.
Love? Is this love? Or just great sex? As he plunged his tongue into her slick channel, all thoughts of defining what they had flew out the window. His tongue flicked in and out before his mouth moved up to suck on her clit and she dug her heels into his back as the coils tightened inside.
Her computer dinged an incoming message, but she slapped her hand to the side, hitting the silence button to quiet the interference.
Luke lifted his gaze to watch her eyes glaze over as her orgasm slammed into her. Her sex pulsated as her channel became slicker. Her heels were almost painful on his back, but he welcomed the sensation. He knew he was taking her over the edge and was as lost in her as she was in him.
Discover Love: Saints Protection & Investigations Page 18