Trial by Fire (Southern Heat Book 4)

by Jamie Garrett

  She moved her hand from Seth’s, placing it over Jesse’s. Seth didn’t say anything, but he too shifted, subtly so that his body was further turned in toward hers. A little of the heaviness in the room left as she resisted the urge to giggle. She didn’t think either of them would appreciate that, but the I-am-alpha-hear-me-roar act they were both putting on was hysterical. She appreciated their protectiveness, but the one-upmanship was a little amusing. She gave Seth a break and leaned into his shoulder. This was one boyfriend her big brother wouldn’t be scaring away. May as well let him know that now. “It’s okay,” she said. “I haven’t talked to him in months, not directly, anyway.”

  The urgent panic on Jesse’s face calmed but didn’t leave completely. “Maya, please tell me you kept yourself safe.”

  “He doesn’t know,” she said. “At least, I don’t think so.”

  Jesse’s eyebrows rose sharply. “Doesn’t know what?”

  Maya looked back at Seth, shrugging. Here went nothing. “After you died—well, they told me you had—the FBI also told us that you’d been the one responsible. That you’d set the fire that had taken your life.”

  Jesse let out a breath. “I know. That’s why I disappeared. Killing the judge was supposed to be a loyalty test for the group I was sent to infiltrate, but it wasn’t ever supposed to go down. My backup wasn’t there and then the whole situation turned to shit. Miller was setting me up to make sure the murder happened and for me to take the fall from the get-go. The judge was already dead when I got there, and if I hadn’t left when I did, it really would have been my body they found. I knew the only way I’d live long enough to prove it was if I went underground. No one was going to believe me without proof.”

  “I did!” She glared at him. When had he turned from her smart older brother to a complete idiot? “I didn’t need any proof to know you never would have set that fire. I always knew you were innocent, and now I’ll be able to show everyone else, too.”

  Jesse sat back on his heels, his expression wary. “Maya. What did you do?”

  “What everyone else should have been doing but refused—actually investigating what went down that night for real. That’s how I met Seth. He and the rest of the firefighters who were there that night helped me when no one else could. I have evidence, Jess. Evidence that implicates Bill Miller. We can take him down.”

  Jesse’s eyebrows furrowed, two dark slashes above stormy eyes. “No.”

  “What do you mean, no? I don’t understand. God, Jesse, all I wanted to do was to prove you didn’t kill anyone, but now you’re back, it matters even more. You can’t go back to your life while . . .”

  “That’s just it, Maya. That part of my life is over. You can’t fight this battle for me.”

  It was as if someone had pulled all the fight out of her. She’d been working toward this for so damn long and now Jesse didn’t want it? She didn’t understand. “But you can get your life back, we can . . .”

  He reached forward and chucked her on the cheek. “You think Miller would shoot a federal judge in cold blood and be prepared to murder a fellow FBI agent, and then just turn himself in?” His face turned sad. “I only let you know I was still alive because you ignored my note.”

  “Your note? Jesse, I don’t understand.”

  “I should have gotten far away from here, I suppose. That would have been the smart thing to do.” The corner of his mouth kicked up in the smallest imitation of his trademark smile. “But I still had to see how it all played out, even if I was taken off the board. Then you showed up and nearly gave me a heart attack. I left you a note, trying to scare you off, I suppose.” He frowned, but the light was still there in his eyes. “Should have known you weren’t going to be that easy. Damn stubborn, you are.”

  That time she couldn’t suppress the eye roll. “Nothing like you, of course! But what you do mean, you left a note . . .” her voice trailed off. Oh, God. “Jesse, did you push it under the motel door?” He nodded and she reached forward, slapping him across the chest. “That was you? You scared the crap out of me! Seth and Liam, too. Why the hell did you leave it unsigned?”

  “I’m guessing he knew how your reunion was going to go, Gorgeous.” Seth spoke up. He looked over to Jesse, his expression cool, but there was something else there now. A grudging respect. “I already know there’s no way I’m going to talk you out of this and so I’m sure Jesse knew you’d never let it go if you knew. I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth, you know that, but you were already in this when I met you. He had a chance to get you out. Can’t say I can blame the man for trying.”

  She gaped at him. “Even if it meant pretending to be dead for the rest of my life?”

  Seth’s face hardened. “Absolutely. If I thought it meant the difference between your life or death, I’d do exactly the same thing.” Her mouth opened, then closed again. What the hell could she say to that? “Before you get too angry, with him or with me, know that I’ll be by your side, whatever you decide.” He leaned in and kissed her, touching his lips to hers before pulling away. She longed to feel his lips trace over hers, his tongue moving with hers, but with her brother sitting three feet from them, she understood. “I meant it, Maya. I just want to keep you safe, but if you still need to prove Jesse’s innocence, then I’ll be right beside you every step of the way.” Seth looked over at her brother. “I’d take her up on the offer, Man. Your sister is amazing. What she’s uncovered, I don’t think you’re giving her enough credit.”

  Jesse shook his head. “We’re fighting something much bigger than the three of us, Maya. You have no idea.”

  She grinned. “Then it’s a good thing I have reinforcements.” She stood, picking up her cell phone, tapping the saved contact. Seth and Jesse, thank God, were still taking part in their own staring match, and didn’t notice the look on her face as she put the phone to her ear. If either of them knew what she was doing, then they’d be stuck for another month, arguing how to keep Maya safe. She’d keep herself safe—this was more important. “Special Agent Miller. This is Maya Graves. We need to talk.”

  27

  Maya

  Maya sat in the cafe, her fingers wrapped tightly around a mug of steaming herbal tea. She’d been about to order her standard double-shot coffee but then changed her mind as she placed the order. She didn’t need to be any more jumpy for this meeting than she already was. Even sitting quietly in the middle of a public place, nerves skittered over her skin. She glanced around the room but didn’t see anyone—Special Agent Miller, Seth, Liam, or her brother. The last three she knew were out there somewhere. Seth had nearly lost his mind when she’d hung up the phone the night before, joining in with her brother’s protests.

  If it had been up to them, she would never have been here in the first place. But that was exactly why she’d made the call the way she had. This had to end, and she wasn’t going to let anyone take her out of the game, or worse, decide it was better that they just disappeared from her life again. She took a sip of her tea, holding up the mug to hide her grimace. Her brother was being a complete ass.

  The chime attached to the front door rang out and Maya looked up. A man paced through the door, not looking to be in a hurry, but he still stepped with purpose. A ball cap was pulled down low over his eyes and he was dressed casually, but it was still obvious from the way the man moved that this was Bill Miller.

  Show time.

  Until he’d stepped through the door, Maya had no idea if the FBI had any clue what she’d uncovered. She’d been prepared to play dumb, act like the grieving sister who just wanted closure. But watching Agent Miller walk through the room, his eyes sharp, it was obvious. He knew. And now she was a sitting duck. She took in a breath and sat up straighter. The men in her life might be driving her crazy, but at that moment she realized they also probably had a point. Suddenly, she was grateful for Seth, Jesse, and Liam waiting close by. Her brother had protested vehemently about involving any official law enforcement. If she’d pushed t
he point, then Maya would have lost her brother all over again right there, and so they’d gone with just the four of them. Her brother, at least, knew how to shoot a gun—though she’d bet that Seth and Liam weren’t exactly slouches in that department, and it was the middle of the day in a freaking cafe. That still didn’t stop the shiver.

  Agent Miller’s head turned, surveying the room. It took him only seconds to spot her and he strode over, pulling out a chair and sitting without greeting or waiting for an invitation. He tapped his fingers on the table top and he continued to look around the room, even as she waited for him to send the opening line. He would have been more comfortable over in the corner, she supposed, but right in the middle of the well-lit room suited her at that moment. Her brother had grilled her for at least an hour on the steps she had to take if Miller tried anything. Stay aware of her surroundings, if he tried anything to make a damn lot of noise, and under no circumstances go anywhere with him. Before any of that happened, she had to get him to talk. “Special Agent Miller,” she said. “Thank you for meeting me.”

  Give nothing away. Let him show his hand first.

  The man sitting in front of her kept his face passive, but he wasn’t fooling anyone. His body was taut, his eyes sharp. He inclined his head slightly, just enough to indicate he’d heard her opening volley. “Miss Graves. What do you want?”

  Okay, so he was going to play it this way. She leaned forward, pulling up the swirl of emotions that had been powering through her for the past six months. That was the easy part. Jesse might be alive and well, but even if her brain ever actually caught up with that fact, Maya didn’t think she—or their family—would ever recover from what he’d put her through for half a year. They were never going back to the way they were, but at least she could make the person who’d destroyed their family pay.

  Another breath.

  Fuck.

  It was a tossup at this point whether Jesse or Seth would be the most furious at her for what she was about to do, but they weren’t here. One look at Miller and she knew this was her only chance to hold him accountable. He didn’t want to be here, and unless she played her cards exactly right, she doubted she’d ever see him again. “Agent Miller, this is my last stop before I go to the press. Your last chance to explain why you murdered my brother.”

  She kept her eyes on him, unblinking, or she would have missed it. Miller’s eyes widened ever so slightly. That was the only sign she was going to get of his guilt. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

  Maya didn’t answer, but pushed over a copy of the police report detailing his arrival on scene, Liam’s notes from the investigation—now detailing Seth’s point-of-origin research—and lastly the photo of him she’d found at the library. Her smoking gun. The rest had come from her brother’s own words the night before, but that was one thing she wasn’t admitting. Hopefully Miller would be worried enough by the proof she did have and the truth of her words to not stop and wonder where she’d gotten that part of her info from. The one thing they’d all agreed on was that it was better for her brother to stay “dead” for now.

  “I know you were there that morning, much earlier than would have been possible had the notification followed official channels. I know you sent my brother there to kill a federal judge as a test of his loyalty, and I know you were the one who set the fire.” She glared at him, her whole body hot. “And so don’t tell me you have no idea what I’m talking about. Respectfully, Agent, that’s complete shit.”

  Miller’s face went white. His fingers stopped tapping on the table. He leaned forward, his voice dropping so that there was no possibility of being overheard. “Get out of here, Maya. Stand up and leave. Fuck, leave Monroe entirely while you still can.” His gaze burned into her. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. They’re far closer than you imagine, and they won’t hesitate to kill you, too.”

  Maya opened her mouth, but before she could say anything in reply, Miller pushed up from the table. He strode rapidly to the cafe’s front door, his steps no longer guarded, his gaze no longer sweeping the room. To anyone else, he’d look simply like someone in a hurry, but she knew better. She’d watched her brother for years, and now she saw the same in Agent Miller—the same clipped steps, the tightness in his face. He was a man on a mission. If only she knew what it was. Damn it. Seth really was going to kill her. She had to follow him, make him talk.

  She hurried to the cafe door. Miller had only left a few seconds ago and so if she jogged she could still catch him. She pushed open the door and sped through—there he was! Three doors down. Maya heard the quiet tingle of the bell on the door as it shut behind her and she took one step forward when the back of Miller’s head exploded and he dropped to the ground.

  28

  Seth

  Seth’s feet were already moving before the shot rang out. He’d been primed from the moment he’d seen Maya head into the cafe, and by the time the man Jesse identified as Special Agent Miller walked out the cafe door alone, every muscle felt like it was going to explode. It hadn’t even been a conscious thought. All it had taken was the sight of Maya walking out the door behind the SAC for him to start moving toward her. He’d stumbled when he heard the shot, his gaze going straight to Maya. His legs pumped faster as he sprinted across the sidewalk, taking himself directly into the open. He didn’t care. He had no idea where Jesse or Liam was, or if they’d get to Maya first. All that mattered was that someone on their side did before another shot went off.

  He crashed into her in the end, pushing her down on the pavement in a tangle of limbs. A small oomph sounded as her breath escaped her, and he felt a pang of regret. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but he’d take skinned knees and the breath knocked out of her over a bullet hole. He wrapped an arm around her, anchoring her to his chest and then scrabbled backward through the cafe door. First, get her indoors and under cover. Then he’d deal with the rest. Once the door closed behind them, he grabbed her elbow to haul her up and then hurried them over to the couches on the far side of the room, pushing her on the shoulder to drop her down again. Once they were situated, he finally drew a breath.

  Maya looked over at him, her eyes wild. “What the hell was that?!”

  Seth dragged in a breath, and then another, his heart slowing down to manageable levels now that he had Maya safe. “Someone didn’t want Miller talking.”

  Maya’s hands flew up and he grabbed at her to stop her head from popping up over the couches. “Well, duh!” Her voice echoed around the space, even with the chaos of the aftermath unfolding outside and she cringed, hunching back down behind the seats. “Someone blew the back of his head away!” She whispered, but her voice was still forceful, almost hissing. “It was gone, Seth. He was right in front of me and then his head was just . . . gone.” Her hand trembled in his and he tightened his grip. Touching her on the chin with his free hand, he guided her face so she was looking him right in the eyes. “It’s okay, Maya. We made it inside. We’ll just sit tight here.”

  Her lip still trembled, just a little, but her eyes blazed. God, she was strong. “And the others?”

  He nodded. “Safe. I would have heard by now if there was a problem.” God, he hoped that was true. As if reading his mind, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, pushing the button to unlock and read the message. He let out a breath and lifted his head to catch Maya’s eye, smiling. “That’s Liam. They’re both fine.” His phone beeped again in his hand and another message appeared, this one less good. “My friend Scott found them.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Isn’t that a good thing, though? They’re safe?”

  “Maya, Scott’s a cop.” His scrolled through the message. Liam must be trying to fill him in without being overheard, otherwise he would have been talking to him directly. “Liam didn’t introduce Jesse, but Scott’s not stupid. Scott’s giving us a heads-up to get out of here before the rest of the cavalry enter the diner. He’s going to meet us back at Promis
e House.”

  He stood, looking around the room, his gaze stopping on the kitchen door. “We can get out through the back. There’s an emergency exit door out there that’s kept unlocked. He smiled at her. “Fire hazard otherwise.” Maya rolled her eyes, snorting. “We can get out there and walk through the alley until we can find a way around any road blocks they’ve set up.” From Scott’s message, the local cops were already on the scene and Seth would bet money that the FBI wouldn’t be far behind. Even if the rest of the agents at the field office Miller had been assigned to were on the right side of the law, they were less than an hour away by car. Who knew where the other agents were today, or what they might do when word came down a federal agent had been shot down in the street? It wouldn’t take them long to put the pieces together between Special Agent Miller and Maya’s family.

  The idea of Maya being found at the scene sent a rush of dread through him. She’d spend the rest of the day being interrogated, and that was if they were lucky. No, they had to be long gone by the time any Feds showed up. Thank God for Scott. The guy might be a cop, but he’d been Seth’s friend for almost as long as he could remember. He’d help them however he could. In return, Seth was going to have to finally have the conversation he’d been trying to put off ever since he spoke to Scott on his phone outside the library. His friend had been patiently waiting for Seth to fill him in on Maya’s situation, but he had a feeling that patience was about to run out. When they got to Promise House, Scott was going to want to know everything.

  Maya’s gaze didn’t waver, but her eyes were filled with uncertainty. “Scott—we can trust him?”

  Seth nodded. “Outside of the guys from the firehouse, he’s the one I’d want at my back.” He smiled. “He’s the one who put together that Miller was on the scene way too early to be legit. He was already going to help us. This whole thing has just made it a lot more public.”