Taste Me Deadly (Sensory Ops)

by Duncan, Nikki

  His scowl deepened. “You just about finished?”

  She nodded and tried to control her breathing in an attempt to stop laughing.

  “I guess I’m missing the joke.”

  Under control, she looked up. His stance was still rigid and, God help her, she almost laughed again. “I’m sorry. You sounded so pouty. It’s pretty adorable.”

  “I am not adorable.”

  “You are.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “And because you are I’ll explain myself.”

  He waved for her to continue.

  “Since I walked in that door yesterday, you’ve been beyond amazing. You’ve watched out for me here, held me when I dreamed, fed me breakfast and made me laugh.” She rested her hands on his crossed arms. Tension vibrated beneath her palms. “When I’m near you I can’t think of anything but you.”

  He raised a brow as if silently saying that wasn’t a bad thing. Knowing where he stood on their marriage he probably didn’t think it was.

  “I need my focus to be on Ruby. I need to be thinking clearly when I meet with these doctors. If I’m thinking about you outside the door or wishing you would hold my hand while they’re sticking needles in me, I’m more likely to mess up.”

  “I would’ve held your hand if I’d known you didn’t like needles.”

  “I know.” Complete seriousness came easily, and with it came honesty. “And that’s part of what’s tripping me up. So, for the sake of keeping my lies straight, will you please do whatever it is you men do when the women are off somewhere? Let me go to the appointments with Kieralyn.”

  He drew in a deep breath and released it through his nose. “Fine, but you do what Kieralyn says and don’t leave this hospital without me.”

  “You do realize I got myself into WitSec without you or your team and I made it all the way here from Vegas by myself, right?”

  “You’re here now and it’s not the U.S. Marshals I see offering protection.”

  “You’re right.”

  He offered his hand. “Do we have a deal?”

  “Deal.” She slipped her hand in his and since he wouldn’t kiss her, she eased up and kissed his cheek. “You really are pretty perfect. It might start to annoy me after a few days.”

  “Cross me and you’ll see the perfection of my anger.”

  “And then we’ll talk about my annoyance level.” She dropped back to her heels and smiled. “So, how long have you been dodging these matchmaking attempts?”

  “Do you really want the answer?”

  “Maybe.” Yes. She wanted to know if he’d stopped being set up before or after meeting her. Each new thing she learned about him made her more curious. Could he really be as perfect as he seemed?

  “Let me know when you decide.” Liam opened the door and waited for her to pass before exiting. “She’s in your hands, Kieralyn.”

  A shiver tracked down Grey’s spine. If anything went wrong, it would be Kieralyn who felt the perfection of Liam’s anger. “Liam.”

  “She’s safe,” Kieralyn interrupted Grey. “I’ll check in.”

  He nodded at Kieralyn and then looked at Grey. He retreated into silence again, but she didn’t need words to read the worry in his gaze. She’d barely been out of his sight since first seeing him yesterday; he couldn’t hide the fear that he wouldn’t see her again.

  “Go, before you’re late for your appointment.”

  Resistant as she was to a relationship with him, she wanted to reach out and comfort him, to assure him she’d be safe.

  “Are you going to kiss her good-bye, Liam?”

  He stared at Grey so long she wondered if he might choose now for his kiss of the day. She lifted a foot to step toward him, but he shook his head. “No. We have a deal and good-bye isn’t part of it.”

  Disappointed, Grey turned and left the room with Kieralyn. Two steps down the hall, Kieralyn pounced.

  “Okay, give. What’s the deal between you and Liam? What hold do you have on him?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s been so uninterested in women for the last few years people in the office are beginning to think he’s gay. Then we’re sitting around talking about a hit-and-run victim we’d been reading and after one look at her picture in the paper he leaves mid-meal. He’s been here or with you since.” Kieralyn pressed the elevator’s Up button. Grey shook her head and moved to the door for the stairs, remembering Liam’s advice.

  He’d told Aidan, Tyler and the security guard at his gate they were married. It wasn’t exactly a secret, but Kieralyn didn’t seem to know. Why hadn’t he, or the other two, told her?

  Kieralyn was helping protect Grey without knowing why protection was needed. Spilling her guts about everything she did and didn’t remember wasn’t high on Grey’s list of desires, but not telling Kieralyn felt wrong. The woman deserved to know who she was up against.

  “Do you have a secret baby hidden away he’s not telling us about? Were you his first love who still owns his heart?” Kieralyn and Grey had just reached the first turn in the steps when the door opened again. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the man from the elevator yesterday.

  God, so much had happened since yesterday. She tried again to recall where she’d seen him, but her head rejected the attempt. The man still creeped her out so she moved a little faster. She glanced down as they rounded the corner to the next flight of stairs. A shadow fell over him and any hopes of answering Kieralyn evaporated. Pain erupted in Grey’s skull as recognition leapt into place.

  “I remember the first man I loved.” Kieralyn sounded nonchalant, but the questioning look in her eyes when they met Grey’s and the way she shifted her hand on her bag left Grey with a different impression. Liam’s teammate was on high alert and Grey was grateful she’d taken his advice on the stairs. She could only go up to get away from the man, but at least she could go somewhere.

  Kieralyn moved a little closer to Grey’s side and continued chatting, probably about a past love, but all Grey heard was the slamming of her blood in her ears. They were in a stairwell with a killer’s right-hand man, a man who’d been in the shop at least once, and she couldn’t say a word. And because she’d insisted on going with Kieralyn instead of Liam she couldn’t hold his hand and feel his warmth.

  Grey pushed through the door to their floor before Kieralyn. It closed behind them with a light bang, but the barrier didn’t ease Grey’s fear. Kieralyn led her down the hall and around the corner, checking behind her a few times.

  When they’d rounded the corner and the man had not come onto the floor with them, Grey sagged against the wall for a moment’s support. Counting in her head, working to steady her breathing, bile rose. She closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her stomach.

  “You okay?” Kieralyn asked. “Do I need to call Liam?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re not. Who was the man in the stairwell? Do you know him?”

  “I’ll be fine.” Grey shook her head and reminded herself to breathe. Opening her eyes, she met Kieralyn’s. “And yes, we should call Liam.”

  Kieralyn pulled her phone out. Grey stopped her. “I’ll call him. He can get mad at me.”

  “He’s not going to be mad at either of us,” Kieralyn argued, but she passed the phone to Grey. It was already ringing.

  “Kieralyn.” His greeting was terse and more comforting than Grey had imagined possible.

  “It’s me.”

  “Grey. What’s wrong?”

  “Jessup’s right-hand man is here. I saw him yesterday but didn’t recognize him.” She should have recognized him yesterday, but she’d only seen him briefly and her memories of before were, at best, fuzzy. Thinking about him more, her head ached, but she remembered a little more. She’d seen him a few weeks before that last night. She’d been taking the trash out after closing and he’d been standing in the shadows.

  Remembering revived some of the memories she only saw pieces of in dreams. Her hands turned to ice and shook.
“I don’t remember his name. Why can’t I remember more?”

  Liam cursed. “Where’s Kieralyn?”

  “Right here. He didn’t come onto the floor with us.”

  “That doesn’t mean he won’t.”

  “I know.” Her tone sounded harsher than she’d intended. “We’re fine. I wanted you to know.”

  Liam was quiet for several beats. When he spoke it was with more control than she could muster. “Take a few minutes to get composed and then go to your appointment. Kieralyn and I will handle everything else.”

  “Liam, he has to know I’m me. Why else would he follow me?” Her voice shook as much as her hands. She wanted to help Ruby, but she also wanted to run back into a hole and hide. She wanted to hide so badly it made her feel weak and that made her want to cry.

  “Baby, listen to me.” Liam spoke quietly, like he had when he’d gathered her into his arms during her nightmare. “You’re safe with Kieralyn. She’s one of the best.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you trust me to handle this for you?”

  “Yes.” It was the easiest answer she’d come up with in years. She’d never seen Liam in action. She didn’t have to.

  “Then trust me. Trust Kieralyn.”

  “Okay.” She exhaled slowly, hugging his assurances close. Her shaking eased.

  “And Grey.”

  “Yeah?”

  “If I was with you, I’d kiss you. I’d pull you so close your curves would melt into me and I’d kiss you like I did that night at the top of the Stratosphere Tower.”

  “That was the night…”

  “…we got married,” he finished for her.

  “That was good.” She breathed again, shook a little less. Talking to him, revisiting a beautiful night, soothed her. “That was really good.”

  “It was. That night…you…are the reason I’ve dodged every matchmaking attempt. I’ve only wanted you since.”

  Grey closed her eyes and continued breathing. Each breath came easier. “You have to have a flaw.”

  “I have plenty, and you’ll be around long enough to find them all.”

  “I might like that.”

  “Good. Now go to your appointment and get approved to save your sister’s life.” He sounded like he was smiling and that made Grey smile. He ended the call with a parting, “Kiss you later.”

  She was still shaken from seeing Jessup’s man but Liam had worked his magic, again, and she was still smiling when she handed the phone to Kieralyn.

  “I’m really going to need to know what’s between you two,” Kieralyn said as they started down the hall again. “Liam’s not typically who we look to when someone needs a calming touch.”

  Grey shrugged and entered the doctor’s office. She suddenly didn’t mind the idea of Kieralyn knowing she and Liam were married. She much preferred it to dealing with the memories beginning to surface. Hell. She’d rather face the Hulk in a mood to smash.

  Chapter Seven

  Breck, Aidan, Tyler and Ava had all shown up within fifteen minutes of Liam’s call. Tyler had gone straight upstairs to Kieralyn to work on a composite sketch of the man she’d seen. The rest of them had been discussing possible tactics while they sifted through everything Liam had dug up on Karl Jessup. If Grey had spotted his right-hand man, he had to be somewhere.

  “Agent Burgess, this hospital room is no place for a strategy session.”

  “What makes this one different than any of the others?” Liam looked at Nurse Reinhart, who was getting to know them all a little too well. He didn’t waste a flattering smile on her, because they both knew she was voicing her protest so she could say she’d warned them. She would only enforce hospital policy if they got in the way of her patient, which they wouldn’t do.

  “Ms. Donovan is not a member of your team.”

  “But she’s family,” he rebutted, “and with us that’s the same thing.”

  Nurse Reinhart shook her head, something his mom did to show her disappointment, but a tiny smile played on her mouth while she jotted notes on Ruby’s chart.

  “How’s she doing?” Liam asked seriously as he stepped away from Ava, Aidan, Tyler and Breck and moved to Ruby’s bedside. Grey was still in her consultation with Kieralyn on guard duty outside the door.

  “She’s getting stronger every day.” Nurse Reinhart straightened the sheet covering Ruby’s legs and patted her thigh. “The doctors have started to ease her off the coma-inducing meds, so she could wake up in the next day or two. I think hearing you all surrounding her is giving her a reason to fight.”

  Or hearing her sister’s voice had. “Will the kidney transplant be enough?”

  “You know we can’t know that for sure, but the doctors are hopeful.” Nurse Reinhart rested her hand on Liam’s arm and squeezed. “It’s never good that we have to see you here, but you and your friends have a way of making things brighter while you are. Let me know if you need anything.”

  Liam glanced at Breck, their team leader, who nodded. They’d discussed whether or not to put some of the staff on notice when Nurse Reinhart had come in. “As a matter of fact, there is something you could do for us. For Ruby.”

  “Name it.”

  “We’re pretty sure her accident wasn’t accidental. And we have reason to believe someone involved in her accident has been seen in the hospital and might try something.” Liam walked to the other bed they’d turned into a table and picked up a composite sketch Tyler had worked with Kieralyn on. “Have you seen this man?”

  The corner of her left eye scrunched up as she studied the picture. “Not that I recall, but I will keep an eye out. Have you alerted security?”

  He shook his head. “The fewer people who know we’re looking for him the better. We’re not sure what connections he may have.”

  “You think someone on our staff will warn him.”

  Liam shrugged. Nurse Reinhart straightened to her full five feet and met his gaze. “I can’t let you use our patients as a trap.”

  “We aren’t asking to do that. Just let us know if you see him so we can follow him. We’re only looking to minimize a threat that may already be here.”

  Nurse Reinhart nodded. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

  “Thank you.” When the door had closed behind her, Liam turned back to Breck. “I hope you’re right about this.”

  “Tyler’s spent all night running the hospital staff. We’ve dealt with her enough to insert some personal impressions.” Breck nodded. “She’s the one.”

  Liam’s gut twisted. They’d lined out a plan that ensured three people were on call to help the sisters at any time, even if they had to tag Kami, Ian, Lana, H and Simon. Liam would do whatever it took to make sure Ruby and Grey had enough eyes watching out for them.

  “When are you going to tell us why this case, this woman, is so important?” Ava asked.

  “Soon.” As soon as Grey came back he would let everyone else in on their secret. Questions would be asked and answered because it’s what his friends deserved.

  “It better be a good explanation,” Breck said with his refined quiet. “We’re taking a big risk using our resources for a favor. I’ll have to justify this to the Bureau.”

  “It’s a risk we’ve taken before.” Ava shrugged.

  “More than once,” Tyler said with a nod. “This one is just as valid as the others.”

  Aidan and Tyler shared a grin. Tyler looked back down at his tablet. Aidan cleared his throat. “It’s a good one. Though I’ll say again it’s one I should’ve known, given that we shared a womb.”

  “You knew before anyone else,” Liam shot back. “Let that be enough.”

  The door opened. All conversation stopped when Grey and Kieralyn stepped in. Both women looked from Liam to the rest of the team sitting on the edges of the spare bed and the chairs they’d pulled around the bed.

  Kieralyn leaned close to Grey. “I think they were talking about you.”

  Grey slid her gaze to Kieralyn and chuckled. “
I think that’s what they call an understatement.”

  Liam moved to Grey and turning his back on everyone in the room met her gaze. “You okay?”

  “Yes.” She nodded to the group in the room. “Though I’m pretty sure you’re about to test that theory.”

  Liam moved so he stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders. “Grey, you’ve met my brother Aidan, Tyler, who is our tech God, Kieralyn, with charms even the NSA couldn’t resist.”

  “Well,” Kieralyn said with a wink, “one NSA guy in particular. Unless we want to also count Dante.”

  Liam continued. “Breck is our team lead, and Ava is the colorful one of us, her past that is.”

  “Spy, killer, call-girl, empath, FBI agent.” The dark-haired beauty shrugged. “I’m the complete package.”

  Grey lifted a hand in a wave. Liam pressed his thumbs lightly into the back of her shoulders. “This is Grey. My wife. She’s been in WitSec until her sister, Ruby, was hospitalized. Now she’s back, without U.S. Marshal protection, and we’re pretty sure the man she’s supposed to testify against knows.”

  “Jessup.” Breck nodded.

  Grey’s shoulders rose and fell in a sigh. Liam imagined she was frowning, but his way was the most expedient. Everyone needed to know what they were getting into. Breck needed to know why they should take on the case. He’d given them all the necessary answers quickly.

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” Ava asked.

  He could spell it out so many different ways, but didn’t want any blowback landing on Grey. “She didn’t think it would be right to ask me to go into protection with her.”

  “And you couldn’t risk coming into our world,” Kieralyn addressed Grey directly.

  Grey shook her head in answer to Kieralyn.

  Aidan crossed the room and stood before Grey. With a smile, he pulled her away from Liam and hugged her close. “Welcome to the family, sis.”