“Are you crying?” Derek asked. I quickly swiped at my cheek and took a deep breath.
“Not at all. I just had something in my eye. Okay,” I pulled out the piece of paper and began scanning the shelves for the number I needed. This place was huge and my fingers kept itching to reach out and grab all the books I could get my hands on. There were so many books to look through, aisles of books that were older than Derek and I combined. “Ooh! Here it is,” I said, pulling the large book off the shelf. “But I don’t know exactly what we’re looking for. Did Mathers give you any-”
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Derek and I spun around to see a large, bald man standing at the end of the aisle we were in.
“Vanderhusing,” Derek muttered.
“Who?”
“This is the guy that wants the book.”
“And you came and got it for me,” he grinned. “I haven’t been able to get in here myself, but I’ve been keeping tabs on you, Claire. When my men told me that you might be able to find the book and then suddenly stopped talking with them, I knew you were on to something. It was sheer luck that I had already come here to try and find a way in myself.”
“You can’t be in here. It’s the restricted section,” I said dumbly.
His grin was maniacal and sent shivers down my spine. When he pulled a gun out, Derek stepped in front of me, holding me behind him.
“Put the gun down. You know you can’t fire it in here anyway. You’ll have security on you in seconds.”
“Security is not a problem. I have security on my payroll, but even they couldn’t get me in here. They can, however, give me enough time to get what I need. Now, you can either do as I say or we can do this the hard way.”
As he took a step toward us, Derek stiffened slightly. The man’s gaze dropped to the book in my hands and Derek knocked his hand away, kicking him backward into the bookshelf. Books rattled and fell to the ground and I screeched in horror when I saw the old books being trampled on by Derek and Van-what’s his name.
“Derek, stop! You’re ruining the books!”
“Do you want books or a boyfriend?” he asked as he ducked a punch and kicked the guy in the balls. I bit my lip and thought about his question. These were practically the Holy Grail of books. I didn’t want them to be ruined. On the other hand, I loved Derek and I didn’t really want to see him end up dead. His fist crunched against the man’s face twice more before Vanguard or Vanderburg ended up in a heap on the floor. I stared at him numbly, mostly because there was what appeared to be an ancient copy of The Bible laying underneath him, pages torn from the frail binding.
“Claire, shove the book in your purse and let’s get out of here.”
I quickly opened my purse, but couldn’t get the book inside. It was too thick and long for what I carried.
“You always have a book on you, but you didn’t bring a purse big enough today?”
“A, I didn’t plan on stealing a book from The Library of Congress, and B, I always carry a Kindle. They’re teeny tiny compared to this thing.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me quickly back through the library, weaving in and out of aisles of books, around desks, and what looked like an employee only area. It seemed to take forever to get out of there, but he seemed to know exactly where he was going and somehow managed to sneak us out a back door without anyone realizing we had left.
“Derek, we can’t just take the book from there. It’s against the law. Besides, I’m a librarian. It goes against our code.”
“Do librarian’s really have a code, Claire?” he asked as he pulled me down the sidewalk. We were several blocks from the massive library and Derek was walking so fast that I could barely keep up.
“We could and we definitely should after this little excursion. Although, I’d probably be banned from any kind of librarian’s club after stealing a book from the Library of Congress!”
“You want to say that a little louder? I don’t think the policeman on the corner heard you.”
I looked nervously around, sure that at any moment a policeman would step out and slap the cuffs on me. Derek whipped out his phone and quickly dialed, putting the phone to his ear. He pulled me down an alley, taking me through a maze of the city. “Cap, we’re headed your way. We ran into some trouble. Vanderhusing was there…Yeah, I took him out for now, but-”
A sharp crack sounded and Derek threw me against a wall, crushing his body to mine. He had a gun out, aiming in the direction of what I now realized was a gunshot and fired off a few rounds. Pulling me behind him, we ran as fast as we could, taking cover behind dumpsters where we could, zigzagging through the alley. We ran out of the alley and into the street, darting into traffic just as the light was turning green. A car screeched to a stop just shy of hitting us and I glanced behind just in time to see Vanderhusing lift his gun. Instinctively, I raised the book to act as a shield and jolted as the bullet struck the book and propelled me backward. Derek caught me and tossed me to the side as he lifted his own weapon and fired a shot at the man, hitting him in the shoulder.
I lifted the book from where it had fallen on the ground next to me and saw a bullet hole in the center of the book. Flipping through the pages, I saw that it stopped at a metal plate that was inserted in the back of the book. Anger took over me and as Derek helped me to my feet, I rushed the man that was now whimpering on the sidewalk holding his shoulder. Derek picked his gun up and tucked it into his waistband, calling Cap back and asking for police assistance.
“You shot a book!” I shouted at the man. “What’s wrong with you?” I kicked him in the side as my anger got the better of me. Derek wrapped an arm around my waist and hauled me back out of the way. I shouted over his shoulder, unable to control the rage inside. “Don’t you have any respect? I’m going to get all my librarian friends together and we’re going to take you down!”
“Claire!” Derek was holding me by the cheeks, trying to get my attention. My chest was heaving and I felt a little flush after all that had happened. “It’s okay. It’s just the adrenaline.” I looked at him, not understanding his meaning until I looked down and saw that my arms were shaking uncontrollably. “You have to try and calm down, okay? I promise, he’ll pay for shooting the book,” he said in all sincerity.
I looked back at the man groaning on the ground that was now surrounded by several police officers. I nodded and tucked the book tightly against my chest. Derek pulled me in for a hug and rubbed his hands up and down my back. “Come on. We have to give our statement to the police.”
✯✯✯✯✯
By the time we got to the police station, the adrenaline that had previously been coursing through my veins was wearing off and my nerves were settling in. Derek held my hand as we gave our statements, but then the detective got one look at the book I was still holding and decided that we needed to be questioned separately.
“Just stick to the story, Claire. Don’t offer anything more and if they start asking questions, tell them you won’t talk to them without a lawyer.”
I nodded as an officer led me to a room that had a large window and a creaky metal chair pushed against an equally creaky table. I sat down and stared around the room that made my skin crawl, hoping it wouldn’t be too long that I had to be in here. The book had been taken from me when the detectives realized that it had a bullet hole in it. Derek had decided to leave that part out since we had stolen the book. However, since I didn’t have anywhere to put it, I had just held it in my hands, hoping that the detectives didn’t realize something was amiss. Stupidly, I hadn’t paid attention to what part of the book was facing out.
They left me stewing in that room for over an hour and the seat was getting more and more uncomfortable. Derek’s words kept repeating in my head, ‘Just stick to the story, Claire. Don’t offer anything more and if they start asking questions, tell them you won’t talk to them without a lawyer.’ I repeated it until I was sure that I could do exactly that. When the detective
walked in the room, my heart jumped into my throat. This was it. I was sunk.
“Can I get you anything?”
“I didn’t mean to steal the book,” I shouted. “I went to the Library of Congress because I was trying to figure out what that man was trying to kill me over. I swear, I never would have taken it. I’m a librarian! We took an oath!” The man raised an eyebrow at me. “Okay, there’s no oath, but I would never do something so…so heinous. I get mad when people don’t return library books and I know this is so much worse. I swear to you on my life! But that man was chasing us and I didn’t have time to think. I just had to get out of there and find out what he wanted so badly. Then he took a shot at me and I swear, I didn’t mean to destroy library property, but it’s a reaction, you know? When someone shoots at you, you duck or hold something up to block the bullet. So, that’s what I did. The book was in my hands and I reacted, but if I hadn’t, I would be dead right now. And you can’t fault me for protecting myself. I only did what any other sane person would do!”
I was breathing hard by the time I finished my rant and the detective was just sitting across from me, staring at me with an expression I wasn’t quite sure about. Was he going to lock me up? Would I go to prison? Did they send people to prison for stealing library books? I guess I should know that since I was a librarian, but sadly, I found myself uninformed on something that I really needed to know right now.
The door burst open and Derek stood next to a man in a suit. My eyes went wide and tears flooded my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Derek. I didn’t mean to say anything, but he pressured me,” I said, pointing to the detective.
Derek scowled at the man and took a menacing step toward him. “I told you that her lawyer was on the way. You shouldn’t have interrogated her.”
The detective stood and slipped his hands into his pockets casually. “I believe I said, ‘Can I get you anything’.” He shrugged as if that was all that needed to be said. Derek’s eyes swung to mine and he raised an eyebrow in question.
“He makes it sound so simple, but you weren’t here. You don’t know the tone of voice he used!” I said hysterically.
“Relax, Ms. Grant. The Library of Congress isn’t going to press any charges. When we explained the situation to them, they backed off right away. Well, with a little persuasion on your boss’s part,” he said to Derek.
“So, I’m not going to prison?” I said tearfully.
“No, Ms. Grant. We aren’t in the business of putting hardened criminals like yourself in prison for book theft. However, I’m sorry to tell you that you’ve been banned from every stepping foot in the Library of Congress again.”
I slumped down into the chair. That almost seemed like worse news that going to prison. I hadn’t gotten a chance to explore it and now I would never get the chance. The detective took in my defeated look and laughed. “Come now, Ms. Grant. It’s not really all that bad, is it? It’s just a library after all.”
My gaze snapped up to his and I swear a growl erupted from my throat. Derek rushed over to me and hoisted me up by my elbow. “I think that’s our cue to leave. Thank you for your help, detective.”
He pulled me out of the police station and onto the street, pushing me up against the wall. “Claire, I’m never bringing you along on a job again. God forbid anyone ever got their hands on you, you’d crack in two seconds flat.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to that type of intensity. I’ve never been questioned like that before.”
“Yeah, it must have been rough to be asked if he could get you anything.”
“Don’t make fun of me. I’m not like you. I’m not trained in evasive…” I waved my hand around as I searched for the word. “Evasive anything. I’m just a librarian and I’m really not cut out for your life.”
Derek pulled me in close and kissed me on the lips. “That’s okay. You don’t have to be cut out for my life. Just for me. And don’t ever say you’re just a librarian. You happen to be the smartest librarian I know.”
“I’m the only librarian you know,” I pouted.
“Who cares? I just hope-” He didn’t finish his thought as his eyes caught something and he looked to the side. “Kent?”
A man with dark hair and brown eyes walked up to us. His suit was slightly rumpled and his tie was askew. Still, he was handsome and had a devilish grin.
“Hey, Derek. I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“We’ve been trying to get ahold of you. You have no idea the shit storm that’s going on.”
“I got your message, but I didn’t have time to contact you. I only have two days leave to get this all sorted out.”
“Well, we caught Vanderhusing. He’s in custody now.”
“Yeah, Lex Vanderhusing. He’s been after me for quite some time now.”
My eyes went a mile wide when he said the name. Lex. And he was Nathan Kent. Lex and Kent. It couldn’t be a coincidence.
“What did he want from you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“There’s an old family heirloom that I have hidden away. It’s an Emerald that dates back to the sixteenth century. My great-grandfather built a special box for it to keep it safe and gave me the key. That book he was after? It wouldn’t have given him anything. I come from a line of locksmiths and he fashioned the lock and key in a special way. The key doesn’t work like a regular key.”
“Glad it’s safe, man.”
Kent reached out and shook Derek’s hand. When he stepped toward me, I noticed he had a dark blue shirt on under his collared shirt. I swallowed hard and took his hand. “I’m Nathan, by the way.”
“Claire,” I whispered.
“Well, I have to get going. I still have to run by the Washington Post and drop off an article that’ll keep Lex off the streets for many years to come.” He pulled out a pair of glasses and slid them on his face. Derek said goodbye as I stood there dumbly. When Nathan turned, I saw a peek of something red slipping out the back of his suit jacket.
I pointed to Nathan’s retreating form and slapped Derek on the arm. “Did you see that?”
“Claire, don’t start,” he warned.
“But how could you not see it? His last name is Kent and Vanderhusing’s first name is Lex! And he has an Emerald? Yeah right. You know Kryptonite was Superman’s weakness and he kept it locked away too. And it was green! And then there were the glasses and don’t tell me you missed the blue shirt he was wearing or the red that was sticking out. He was wearing a cape under his suit.
“Claire, do you know how ridiculous that sounds? There’s no way he could fit a cape under a suit.”
“He’s Superman! He can do anything. Don’t forget that he said he had to go to the paper. Clark Kent worked at the paper with Lois Lane. I wonder who his Lois Lane is?” I asked myself.
“I think you’ve had enough excitement for one day. It’s time to get you home.”
Derek led me back to the hotel where Sebastian was waiting for us, but my mind was only on Nathan Kent and how I could prove who he really was.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Derek
I HAD LEFT my keys to my house on my desk and had to go back into Reed Security. Pretty much everyone was gone for the day, but as I locked up my office, I noticed that Pappy was sitting in the break room drinking a beer. I walked in and took a seat across from him, waiting for him to say something. He had been quiet for weeks now, nothing like Pappy normally was.
“What’s going on, man?”
He shrugged and took a swig of his beer. “Same shit, different day.”
“Why don’t you cut the shit and tell me what’s really going on?”
“You want to know? I’m a little fucked up right now. Lola, one of my best friends, won’t speak to me because she thinks I betrayed her. She’s gone off on some fucking vacation and won’t answer her phone. I have no idea if she’s okay or if she needs me. Then there’s Lucy. She won’t talk to me either. She said I broke our pact, which was to stick to fucking and not get invol
ved emotionally. Which I was fine with until she almost slipped through my fingers. Now my head’s all fucked up.”
“Look, as far as Lola goes, you can’t help her if she won’t help herself. She needs to get her head on straight if she wants to come back. I want to help her too, but she has to realize that she needs it. Let her go off on her own, but be there when she comes back. She’ll realize eventually that you’re not trying to work against her.”
“And Lucy?”
“You’re going to have to show her that you can have something really great with her.”
“But I’m not sure that we would. I mean, fuck, I don’t want to let her go, but I’m not sure she’s the one. Hell, I didn’t even think that was a real thing until just a few weeks ago.”
“You have to remember, their mom has been gone for a long time. She probably has some issues that you’re going to have to work through.”
“Did Claire?”
“No, but she’s kind of nutty.”
“That’s one way to describe her.”
“Hey, that’s my woman you’re talking about. Only I get to call her a nut. Speaking of which, I’m going to surprise her at the library. I have a new outfit in mind for tonight,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows.
“You guys have a fucked up sex life, you know that?”
“Hey, I never thought I would be into role play, but with her, I totally dig it. The things that I’ve done with her-”
He held up his hand to stop me. “Save it. I don’t need to know the kinky side of you.”
“I’ll catch you later, man. Good luck with Lucy.” He nodded and I left, driving over to the library. Claire had been working late, reorganizing the library and getting it set back up the way she wanted. Derek had donated the funds for new bookcases that were sturdier and hired workers to help her get it back up and running. It was almost done because Claire was a machine when it came to organization.
It was three weeks after we had been to Washington D.C. and I was still trying to convince Claire that Nathan Kent wasn’t actually Superman. She had let it go the past couple of days, but I could still see the wonder in her eyes. I had to find a distraction soon or she was going to drive me crazy.
Irish: A Reed Security Romance (Reed Security Series Book 5) Page 24