Nowhere Safe

by Dianna Love

  More nodding on Trish’s part.

  “It sounds like Zane and Ben have been looking for a second mole still in the task force. That’s why I think Zane is bothered about Josh being around you.”

  Trish was stunned. “Whoa, you lost me with that right turn. How does Josh fit into this?”

  “The minute Zane hung up from talking to Josh last night, he called back Detective Vickers and asked what your status was. Vickers said he’d released you into Josh’s custody because Josh claimed you and Big Charlie were part of an ongoing FBI investigation.”

  Trish cringed at how that sounded, but considering that Josh’s FBI muscle card had allowed her to come home she was okay with it. “That’s how Josh talked Vickers into letting me go and I’m not in a jail cell so I don’t see a problem.”

  “We felt the same way last night, especially after Zane had Ben check it out. Ben called back in half an hour and said the FBI had no information on Big Charlie or any case to do with him.”

  Way to go, Josh. “See?”

  Angel lifted a finger from where her hands rested on her middle. “Ben’s friend in the FBI called him back this morning and said there was now an active file on Big Charlie and you.”

  Trish wanted to brush it off as Josh being thorough, but she had a bad feeling she could be wrong. Her heart wanted to be right about Josh. “What does Zane think is going on?”

  “This is where I had to do some speculating. I know Ben has a friend inside the FBI who’s another techno genius like him, because that’s who Ben contacted back when I had a run-in with the FBI.”

  “Run-in. That’s putting it mildly.” Angel had escaped an international thief bent on killing her. Thankfully, she’d stowed away on Zane’s airplane and the FBI knew she was innocent of the theft or she might not be alive, or free, today.

  Angel was more than a survivor. She was a fighter.

  Only someone who loved Trish like a sister would come here to share confidential information with her.

  Angel continued, “I think Ben had this guy pull Josh’s personnel file or something. Josh’s file is not just classified, but in an electronic vault, which Zane said makes no sense if Josh is only a computer forensics technician. Ben must have agreed because he speculated that Josh could be someone sent in to work deep undercover.”

  “They think Josh is here hunting for the mole?”

  Angel nodded. “I have no idea how any of that works, but it makes sense after Colbert was killed that the DEA would need someone outside the agency. I’ve asked Zane about his Special Ops work in the Air Force and one thing he told me was that an undercover operative used any and all weapons available to meet an objective. The really deep undercover will do it without concern over collateral damage, if necessary.”

  “And how does that have anything to do with me, Angel?”

  “Colbert was seen talking to you for a long time at the party then he stopped by ReSolution.”

  “But I didn’t date Colbert.”

  “I know, but you said he called you a couple of times.”

  “He did and I politely refused.” How had Trish been so firm with Colbert and a pushover with Josh?

  “This is what worries me. Josh may be trying to get close to you just to determine if you know more about Colbert than what you shared with Zane after Colbert was arrested.” Massaging her stomach, Angel pinned Trish with a questioning stare. “And if that man who walked out of here a half hour ago is gay, then I’m the next virgin queen of England.”

  “I didn’t say he was gay. Zane did.”

  Angel had watched Trish closely and asked, “Are you sleeping with Josh?”

  “No.” Not technically, since Trish had been the only one to get instant gratification this morning.

  “Thank goodness.”

  Angel’s relief raised a warning flag for Trish. “Why are you so glad we’re not sleeping together?”

  “Because he left here to have lunch with Leanne Witherspoon. Zane says Josh never spent time with anyone on the task force, male or female, but now he’s spending time with you and going to lunch with Leanne. Ben heard Josh ask Rhonda out to dinner this weekend. Sounds like he’s making the rounds with women who came into contact with Colbert.”

  Leanne wouldn’t make a play for Josh because she knows I...

  Trish halted that thought in midstream. She had told Leanne she wasn’t interested in Josh or any other man right now. But that was before Trish realized she was interested. Very.

  Had Leanne taken Trish at her word?

  Had she told Rhonda?

  If what Angel said was true, it colored everything Josh had said to Trish. Everything he’d done.

  Was he going to see Leanne today with intentions of seducing her? Or had he already claimed that prize? What about that appointment he’d gone to last night? Could it have been one of those women? He’d hesitated when she’d asked him if the appointment was business.

  Technically, he’d be right even if he’d slept with Leanne or Rhonda already.

  Trish tried to draw a breath into her tight chest. And she knew why it was tight. She’d started falling for Josh and had exposed herself an hour ago.

  Not just physically, but emotionally.

  He’d gone from touching her to seeing another woman. Even if it was just lunch, the idea just did not sit well with her, any more than being a checkmark on a list of suspects.

  If he was here working undercover, Josh was not the man she thought he was, but playing a role.

  Josh Robertson probably wasn’t even his real name.

  When she filtered the last two days through the lens of what Angel had shared, Josh’s actions began to sharpen and make more sense. He hadn’t accidentally happened along as Trish was going to Big Charlie’s last night. Josh had been following her. Just like she hadn’t been able to push him away that first night because he was so taken with her.

  No wonder he’d been so irritated with her. He probably had orders to stick with her.

  What a joke. Actually, the joke was on her.

  And what about this morning?

  Had that moment on the sofa really happened spontaneously or was she so clueless about men she’d been seduced by a master who let her think she’d taken the lead? Had there been an ulterior motive behind everything Josh had said and done?

  Sounded that way.

  Just one big game to get her to lower her defenses so she’d trust him.

  And she had, because she’d wanted to believe that a man as gorgeous and sweet and wonderful as Josh not only existed, but also wanted to be with her. That he could care for her.

  How many times would she have to make a fool of herself with a man before she finally got wise?

  She should have stuck to her guns and stayed away from men.

  Acknowledging the truth about Josh left an icy ball spinning in her stomach. She sat back, trying not to be nauseous over what she’d gained and lost all in one swift moment.

  Angel said softly, “Are you sure nothing is going on between you two?”

  Not any more. Trish sat up and put some steel in her spine. “Absolutely. We had a few laughs and he’s been a perfect gentleman, but that’s to be expected from someone who knows how to manipulate a woman, right?”

  “True,” Angel said carefully then reminded her, “He’s calling you later.”

  Oh, joy. The first response that came to mind involved serious adult language shouted at a loud decibel, but she immediately changed her mind.

  She would not lose her composure now or around Josh.

  Part of her felt as though she owed him a chance to explain himself, but the angry part said he could have simply asked her about Colbert at any point instead of playing on her insecurities.

  If he could keep secrets, so could she.

  If she ever allowed him to step inside her hemisphere again in this millennium, she wouldn’t say a word about this. That way, he’d have no idea that she was on to him.

  Angel’s eyebrows li
fted. “That’s an evil smile on your face. What are you going to tell him when he calls?”

  “I haven’t decided yet, but that’s not really going to be a problem as long as he can’t find me to talk.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have a convention in Atlanta tomorrow. I’m supposed to leave super early in the morning, but they offered me an extra night if I wanted to come in this evening since I’m one of the speakers. He said he was going with me, but if I can get an earlier flight out tonight I’m going. He’ll probably be too busy with Leanne to notice I’m even gone.”

  “Will you be safe?”

  “They arranged shuttles from the airport to downtown and sent out the schedule. I’ll be in the middle of a thousand convention attendees, surrounded by people constantly and I am capable of protecting myself.”

  A busy convention didn’t seem like the right setting for the stalker who had yet to show his face, but Arnie’s voice niggled in her head, about how pickpockets and predators work in the middle of crowds for good reason. Okay, so she’d be careful. She’d be on high alert and she’d watch her back. But she was going. Without Josh. She laid her hand on Angel’s arm. “Please don’t say a word to Zane either.”

  Angel made the zipping motion across her lips.

  Trish was proud of how she’d explained all that, sounding confident and secure, not as if her heart had been shattered with a sledgehammer.

  Chapter 29

  Josh walked into the task force offices behind Leanne Witherspoon who was poured into a black skirt that fit her toned body like a second skin. She slowed and glanced at him over her shoulder as he headed toward the hallway that led to the conference room—aka Zane’s office for the moment.

  “Thanks for lunch, Josh.” Leanne drew out his name and gave him a parting smile that a woman sent a man she intended to get naked with later. She strolled into her office and closed the door.

  Where was his raging hard-on now?

  Not a flicker of interest.

  Lunch had been a waste of time, too. He had to give it to Ryder. The FNG had nailed it after dinner with Leanne when he’d said she was extremely loyal to the task force, including Zane Jackson and the other charter pilots. Josh should be feeling arrogantly smug since Leanne had begged off on a second date with Ryder, yet made it clear that her schedule could be adjusted to accommodate Josh.

  She’d made herself available for lunch with no hesitation and said he could call her this weekend.

  Peeling her out of that black suit should be his top fantasy, but his body kept shifting the image to a peach-colored dress, dark curls and luminous brown eyes.

  Now you get aroused?

  Shit. Not the way he wanted to meet with Zane, who believed Josh was gay.

  Coming toward him was Rhonda Sutter, who took her time getting to him, but when she did, she paused. “I’m going to have to pass on dinner for Saturday. I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on after traveling this week.”

  Work or other activities? “Not a problem. I’ll be around all next week.”

  Leanne had called Rhonda the productivity Nazi then joked that Rhonda was probably a closet dominatrix.

  He didn’t care if she was a nun, only whether she had information he needed or was involved with the leaks. Of the women Josh had been tasked to investigate, Leanne was proving to be the most accommodating, Rhonda the most reluctant, and Trish the most frustrating. That last bit of opinion might be Big John and the twins talking, though.

  “You weren’t at the meeting we had last night.” She gave him an imperious lift of one eyebrow meant to demand an explanation.

  Other than the boss, Mac, Josh did not have to account for his time or performance to anyone on the task force, least of all Rhonda. “That would be because I had somewhere else to be.” Pleased to see that he hadn’t satisfied her curiosity one bit, he took an about-face in the conversation and dished it back at her. “How’s the High Vision case coming on the DEA end?”

  Her face closed down. “We’re making headway.”

  She didn’t like being questioned, huh?

  Then don’t wake the bear.

  Josh gave her a nod, mostly as a thank you for killing the erection that had started when he’d thought of Trish, and moved on. The conference room door was open so Josh tapped on the doorframe and entered.

  Zane lifted his head from a file he was reading. “Shut the door.”

  Josh did then turned around. “What’d you want to see me about?”

  “Have a seat.” Zane sat back with his arms folded over a chest that belonged on a linebacker.

  Not one to follow orders from anyone except Sabrina, Josh didn’t move. “Not sure I’ll be here that long.”

  They did the staring standoff until Zane said, “Are you hunting for a mole in this task force?”

  Those were the last words Josh had expected to hear come out of Zane’s mouth. “What makes you think that?”

  “Because we still have one.”

  Josh tried to come up with just one reason Zane would be telling him this if Zane was the Chessmaster, but he couldn’t. “If that’s the case, should we even be talking in here?”

  “I sweep any room I use every time I come in for bugs and I’ve got a gadget a friend of mine created that jams a receiver.” Zane’s hard gaze didn’t waver, but his tone was more reasonable when he said, “If you’ll sit down, we can talk.”

  Josh took one of the chairs across the table from Zane. “Why do you think there’s still a mole here?”

  “Because of the way that bust went down last night for one thing, and the fact that you’re here for another.”

  This might be interesting if not for the sick feeling that his cover had been blown. “Me?”

  “I won’t tell you how I know, but as I understand it, your file at the FBI is locked in an electronic vault that only two people have access to. Sounds like you’re a dark ops undercover operator.”

  Josh was careful not to let his relief show. Zane still believed he was FBI, but not a computer specialist. He could work with that, but now he faced the question of how to play this with Zane.

  Would the mole bring Josh in and confront him like this?

  This called for a gut check and his said no. Josh made a show of blowing out a big breath and scratching his head. “Damn. Don’t know what I’m going to tell my superiors. I’ve never been blown before.”

  “You’re not blown now. I want this bastard, too, but I’m limited in what I can do as a contractor to the DEA and with a pregnant wife about to deliver.”

  Josh said, “I met Angel, by the way. Sweet lady. You’re a lucky man.”

  “Thanks.” Zane’s eyes warmed at the mention of his wife.

  “Nothing is more important to me than Angel, the baby and Trish.”

  “I can understand that, but you have a reason for telling me so what’s on your mind?”

  “Trish has nothing to do with this mole. She never knew Colbert beyond talking to him at a holiday party here at the office. I don’t want you using her in your investigation.”

  Josh didn’t either. Now he just had to find a way to keep her out of the crossfire between Sabrina’s plans and the Chessmaster. Failing to tell Zane about the Chessmaster would make this new working relationship tricky at some point, but Josh couldn’t divulge his real role or what he knew about the stalker who could be anyone on this task force.

  But he could quiet Zane’s concerns about Trish even if it meant lying through his teeth. “I have no reason to believe Trish is involved.”

  “Why were you at Big Charlie’s last night?”

  If Zane caught him in a lie, this fragile deal would fall apart, and Zane clearly had resources. “I told Trish I was on my way to her shop when I saw her heading away and tried to catch her. The truth is she’d canceled on dinner and said she had an appointment. I followed her out of curiosity and am glad I did.”

  That got through to Zane when nothing else might have because
the big pilot rubbed his forehead and mumbled, “She scares the shit out of me sometimes.” He dropped his hand. “There was no FBI file on Big Charlie or Trish until this morning. Why’d you create one?”

  Damn, Zane was seriously connected for a pilot, and his connections were fast. “If my people hadn’t created that file, Detective Vickers would have stirred up a hornet’s nest with FBI personnel who aren’t aware of my status, which would have destroyed my cover. Then Vickers would have picked up Trish and taken her into custody since her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon.”

  Thick muscles in Zane’s neck pulsed. “She couldn’t have done that.”

  “I know it and so does Vickers. I spoke to him early this morning. He said it doesn’t exonerate her from being a person of interest, but he had no reason to bring her in and wouldn’t fight the FBI for custody.” Josh waited for judgment, but there were limits to how much he’d tell Zane.

  “To help find this mole, I’ll make whatever I have access to available to you.”

  Evidently Josh had said enough or the right things to satisfy Zane about his identity. “I need you to not tell anyone what I’m doing here.”

  “Agreed.”

  “What about your wife?”

  “The less she knows about this the less she’ll worry. I don’t want any of this around her.”

  Josh would feel the same way in Zane’s boots, but he also saw the stress that Zane’s overprotective tendencies caused Trish. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt her brother, but she was clearly not going to let Zane or anyone else make decisions for her.

  He admired that even when it caused him headaches. She had grit and a streak of loyalty a mile wide for those she loved. He could admit to himself he was envious of those she deemed worthy of that commitment.

  He couldn’t tell Zane about Trish’s stalker, aka Chessmaster, but he had to give Zane a reason for Josh staying close to her. “We need to keep an eye on your sister. I know she had nothing to do with Colbert, but someone killed him who may not be as informed.”