Dirty Deeds

by AJ Nuest

  “And if you get hurt?” Kelly glowered at her, hands fisted like he was prepping to hurdle the table and shake some sense into her. “If we don’t get there in time to save you? What then, Ms. Smith?”

  Eden’s heart skipped around as if it didn’t quite know in which direction it should beat. He had her there. A worst case scenario that ended in Adrian disappearing and her lying dead for no good cause.

  But if she set her fear aside and thought about it objectively, weighed the odds in an effort to see who would come out on top, wasn’t that a risk she should be willing to take?

  This was a prime opportunity. She’d have the backing of not just one team, but two. Adrian would be flying solo, no clue she was being monitored. Even if he snatched her and drove off into the night, Kelly would immediately be notified. Then it would only be a matter of tracking her GPS and grabbing Adrian before he had the chance to escape.

  That was, as long as she could delay his attack. Keep a clear head and use every diversion tactic she had at her disposal.

  If not, well then… She smiled gently into Kelly’s eyes. She could rest easy knowing she’d done her best by Malcolm. She would know, without a shadow of a doubt, she’d done everything she could to put right the mistakes she’d made with Viv.

  For now, that would have to suffice. For this moment, it would just have to be enough.

  “If memory serves, your team has an unblemished record, Detective.” She turned away from Kelly and circled the table with her eyes, locking onto each member of the Chicago PD. “But I don’t think I ever told you mine shares your boasting rights. Mocha, Tanner and I…we’ve never failed a client. Not once in the past eleven years.” She brought her attention back to Kelly and dipped her chin. “Something about the determined vibe in this room tells me we won’t fail this time either.”

  His shoulders fell. “Eden…” he breathed, closing his eyes. A long pause stretched, and he shook his head.

  Dammit. She clenched her hands so hard her nails nearly punctured the skin. If given the choice, she would’ve easily tossed out every persona in her closet to erase the bitter disappointment on his face. To have him look at her with approval and know he agreed she was doing the right thing.

  Captain D’Avella cleared her throat. “Detective? Did you have something further to add?”

  Kelly blinked and stared at his hands. “No.”

  But he hated what she’d done. Couldn’t even bring himself to look her in the face. Not that she blamed him. After all, she’d been the one to drive a wedge between them.

  Funny… Eden frowned, rubbing two fingers over the sore spot in her chest. If Kelly was the one who was upset, then why, in the name of all things holy, was she the one who felt like she was dying?

  “All right, then.” Captain D’Avella turned to Eden. “Ms. Smith, can you state without any hesitation you’re one hundred percent confident in your team’s abilities?”

  “I can and I am. Without a doubt.”

  “Very well.” She collected her folders off the table and stood. “I can buy you one week. If, after such time, Adrian Pratt has not shown himself, I would highly suggest you reconsider Detective Riordan’s recommendation.” She rounded the table for the door. “In the meantime, you know the drill, people. None of this leaves this room.”

  She swung open the door and left.

  Well, I’ll be damned. Eden stared into the busy hallway as various people strode past the door. Meredith D’Avella had just confirmed everything she’d suspected. When it came to catching the bad guys, the rules could sometimes be broken.

  Kelly pushed to his feet and, for a brief second, Eden could’ve sworn her body had up and left the meeting without her. She sat frozen, tracking his movements, waiting for a hint, some small sign that, maybe, he could forgive her.

  He edged around the table and knelt beside Molly’s chair. “I need you to do something for me.”

  “Sure.” She stopped mid-way in closing her laptop and pushed the screen back to its upright position.

  His gaze briefly met Eden’s, and she quickly looked away, studying the wall, the table, the floor. Anywhere she wouldn’t have to witness what she’d done to him.

  But it was too late, and in that one brief glimpse, she’d seen it all. The deep hurt, the sadness and anger… She sighed.

  Finally.

  He’d finally bridged the gap to truly knowing her, and just like she’d always guessed, he wasn’t prepared to accept who she was.

  Then again, it wasn’t like she was surprised. Very few people were.

  He continued his conversation with Molly in hushed tones and Eden pushed her chair back from the table, unable to tolerate one more second inside the room. She’d give him his space. It was fairly obvious he didn’t want her around anyway. Besides, she had one more item to check off her list.

  She gathered her purse from the floor and approached Tanner and Mocha, waiting for her near the door, her attention glued to Detective Archer as he skirted the three of them and stepped into the hall. “I need you guys to wait outside for me. I won’t be long.”

  Tanner and Mocha nodded in unison and exited to the left.

  Eden trailed Archer to the right, closing in as he neared the emergency exit at the end of the hallway. “Detective? I was wondering if I might have a word.”

  “That was quite the performance.” He pushed on the silver bar bisecting the door and ducked into the stairwell. “You should be proud.” His voice echoed off the concrete walls as he plodded down the steps.

  Yep, that sounded about right. Whatever Kelly had told him about her…

  She quickly blocked the door with her hand. Hold on. The guy had just tipped his cards away from his vest. Of course, his opinion of her would hover somewhere south of disgust. He’d had the pleasure of knowing Kelly’s ex.

  Shoving the door open, she stepped to the metal railing. In fact, had Archer been nice to her, then she would have reason to worry. In treating her like a low class citizen, he proved he had Kelly’s back. “Jaclyn Parsons.”

  Archer paused on the landing below her and turned. Squinted. “What about her?”

  Oh, yeah. He had a bug up his ass, all right, and wasn’t thoroughly convinced she was anything more than another con artist prepping to rake his friend over the coals.

  Hell. She smacked her lips. That irony was a little too thick for even her to swallow. She was a con artist by definition. And she’d undoubtedly delivered a figurative one-two jab to Kelly’s chin not ten minutes ago. But she’d never set out to hurt him. Not intentionally. She’d rather disown Dirty Deeds than purposely damage Kelly’s reputation or his heart the way that snotty bitch had dismissed him without a single thought to his career.

  “I’m not sure if Detective Riordan told you what I do for a living.” The metal banister cooled her palm as she started down the stairs. “Not that it matters, other than to say I provide a service some people consider rather…” Squeezing one eye closed, she bobbled her head. “Invaluable?”

  “Yeah, so?” He scowled. “What’s your job description got to do with me?”

  “Well, that’s kind of your call.” Stopping on the last step, she looked him straight in the eye, fingers laced her under her chin like she was about to launch into prayer. “You see, the thing is…” She wrinkled her nose. “I need a favor.”

  His brows shot toward his mussed hairline, and he dropped his head back, face aimed at the silver ceiling ducts. “Christ, Kelly was right. You’re completely off your noodle.” Lowering his chin, he barked a laugh. “Why the hell would I ever help you?”

  Um, wasn’t that pretty much a no-brainer? The whole point of her being here was because they shared a common enemy. Why should dealing with Kelly’s ex be any different?

  “To be brutally honest, Detective Archer, I hate what that woman did to him.” Eden dropped her hands, but kept her fingers linked over her thighs. “And if I’m reading your signals correctly, s
o do you. I think it’s completely unfair no one called that spoiled Parsons brat out on her bullshit. She trampled straight over Kelly and then hid behind her daddy’s power while the senator cleaned up her mess.

  “I mean to even that score. And I intend to do it sooner rather than later.” Not to mention, the added bonus of doling out a little just desserts to pretty Miss Parsons would serve a dual purpose. What better way to convince Adrian she remained in the game than for Eden to go straight back to work? “Trust me when I say, by the time I’m done with her, Jaclyn Parsons will know exactly what it means to pay for the consequences of her actions.”

  Archer studied her from the corner of his eye. A grunt dislodged his shoulders, and he crossed his arms. “If you’re suggesting I get involved in some sort of illegal activity you’ve got up your sleeve, I can tell you right now you’re shit out of luck.”

  “No, no.” She swiped a hand across the space between them. God forbid she ever give him that impression. That was her job. Besides, she wasn’t sure she could trust him enough to follow through, and she was one hundred percent positive he didn’t trust her—another thing she hoped to rectify before this headache was over. “I would never ask you to do anything outside your comfort zone. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I could use a pair of eyes on the inside. Senator Parsons has many influential friends. After what happened with Kelly, I’m sure the entire precinct knows that.

  “Hmmm…” She chewed the inside of her cheek as if a thought had just occurred. “Which makes me wonder. Is it true what they say? About police officers sharing a loyalty among brothers? If so, I’m guessing there are a ton of cops who’d be willing to hear what I have to propose.”

  He eased away a step, and based on the depth of the harsh crease that formed between his brows, it was gonna leave a permanent mark. “If that was supposed to make me feel better, it didn’t work. Cut the crap and just tell me what you want.”

  Oh, the fragile male ego. Eden resisted the urge to shake her head. Of course, her comment wasn’t meant to make him feel better, but the odds were in her favor and they both knew it. Simply put, if he wasn’t up to the job, she had no doubt she could find someone who was.

  It really was kinda sad how pulling that particular hat trick worked every—damn—time. Archer was Kelly’s friend. His close friend based on the how the dude immediately disliked her. Damn straight, he’d be the first to offer help if help were needed. And he wasn’t about to let anyone say different.

  Men. Such glorious uncomplicated creatures.

  “I won’t like it if the senator puts a kink in my plans. More to the point, it’ll make me downright pissed.” She stepped off the bottom riser and stood in front of him, mirroring his crossed arms. “If someone were to volunteer. Say, agree to give me a head’s up if the senator were to start raising a fuss. Maybe tap me on the shoulder if they hear he’s working some smarmy deal to sweep his daughter’s bad behavior under the rug. Then that person would definitely earn a spot on my good side. Truth is, I need someone to keep an ear to the ground for me. So I can troubleshoot any issues before I’m forced to start over. I prefer that person be you, Detective Archer. Kelly trusts you, so that makes you the obvious choice.

  “But make no mistake.” She raised a brow. “I’m moving ahead with or without you. Kelly’s an outstanding detective and an even a better man, and I’ll be damned before I let the likes of Jaclyn Parsons get off smelling like a rose. She messed with the wrong guy. You got that? No one touches Kelly. No one hurts him or hands him the smallest bit of grief. If they do, they’ll have me to deal with, and I can promise you it won’t end pretty.”

  Archer lifted his chin, scrutinizing her from under his lowered lids. “Wow. You got quite the axe to grind.”

  “I do.” Eden kept their gazes locked. “And if you’re half the friend Kelly deserves, so should you.”

  Three full breaths passed in and out of her lungs as he searched her face. For crying out loud, Eden could almost see the muscles in his brain trying to work out if she was yanking his chain. He finally cocked a brow, and she got the sneaking suspicion she’d just beat his two pair with a royal flush.

  “So let me get this straight.” He held up his hand, ticking off each point on his fingers. “You’re asking me to spy for you, leak what could potentially be confidential information in your direction, and in exchange for that you’re going to butt heads with a US State Senator, and hand his daughter a world of hurt at the same time you’re trying to take down a killer.”

  All in a day’s work. She smiled. “I’m a bit of an over-achiever.”

  His face fell, along with his shoulders, but at least the persistent divot between his eyebrows disappeared. “Shit, Kelly’s gonna have his hands full with you.”

  She frowned. As if the two of them had a future together. As if she hadn’t destroyed any chance at that in the conference room. “Don’t be ridiculous. Detective Riordan and I aren’t—”

  “Yeah, yeah, save the sales job for someone who’s buying.” He stuck out his hand as if to shake and Eden clamped her mouth shut. Arguing with him would only risk blowing their arrangement, and no way in hell was she about to let that happen. “Lady, you pull off even half that bullshit you just said, and I’ll be happy to provide whatever intel you might need.”

  Excellent. She pumped his arm once and then dug around in her bag for a business card and pen. After jotting her cell number on the back, she offered him the card. “You can reach me at this number.” He tried to tug it from her grip, but she held it pinched between her fingers, waiting for him to meet her gaze. Handing him a key to the kingdom was a small price to pay in exchange for his help, but she wasn’t doing it without one more condition in place. “However, if you don’t mind, I prefer this conversation stay between us. Kelly’s already worried about me and I don’t want to stress him out any more than I already have.”

  Archer’s brow twitched, but he didn’t release her card. “Not sure how cool I am with keeping Kelly in the dark.” He pursed his lips. “How about this? I give you the same terms as D’Avella. One week. After that, if Kelly asks, I’m clear to disclose whatever information I see fit.”

  That was more time than she’d need. “Agreed.”

  She released the card and hitched her purse higher onto her shoulder. “It was a pleasure doing business with you, Detective Archer. I hope to speak with you again soon.” Turning away from him, she climbed the stairs, then paused with her hand on the door and pivoted to face him. “Oh, and one last thing. Tanner’s a big girl and I’m confident she can make her own decisions. But if I ever find out you hurt her, screwed with her head or made her cry, I’ll make it so that no woman comes within a ten-mile radius of you for the rest of your life. Are we clear?”

  His jaw dropped. A second later, that penetrating crease reappeared between his brows and he sputtered. “What the…? Are you…? I’ve got no idea what you’re talk—”

  “Save the sales job for someone who’s buying.” She winked, pulled the door open and strode down the hall for the wide main stairwell.

  Side-stepping a uniformed group of street cops, she started for the ground floor, her heels rapping the worn tread of the marble steps as she descended. Past the front check-in desk, she pushed through the glass door and out onto the landing at the top of the broad concrete stoop.

  Kelly’s Charger remained parked in front, and her heart crammed itself into her throat as he uncrossed his ankles and pushed up from the hood, his pillow tucked under his arm.

  A glossy sheen coated the shoulders of his black leather jacket. His dark hair curled at the ends from the heavy humidity coating the air. Across the shiny, rain-slicked street, Mocha lowered the window on his two-door sedan and waved to get her attention. Kelly followed Eden’s gaze over his shoulder, turned back to face her and raised his brows.

  The thought of saying goodbye to him was repellent. Her feet filled with lead as she trudged down the stairs. The last
time she’d shared such a gut-wrenching parting was the day she’d been forced to let go of Viv.

  That confrontation had ended in tears, resentment, harsh words.

  Man, oh man. She was a real piece of work, wasn’t she? She’d done it again. Let her hatred for Adrian consume her. Let it spill over into her decisions until it ruined a relationship with someone she cared about. Someone she’d started to think of as hers.

  But at least she’d been given a chance with Kelly she’d never gotten with Viv. Even if he couldn’t forgive her, even if he was so angry he’d decided they couldn’t be friends, she would apologize.

  She owed him that, but not out of some glorified sense of duty or because she was looking to settle a score. For the first time in her life, she wanted to apologize simply because of Kelly’s strength, his decency, his consistent willingness to do what was right.

  Or, hell, maybe she was just plain greedy. No one like Kelly Riordan had ever entered her life before. Wasn’t that worth one last attempt at explaining?

  Even if it wouldn’t fix anything?

  Even if it wouldn’t change who she was?

  She stopped before him and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know you are.” He held her gaze a moment before scanning the sidewalk on either side of the precinct. “So am I.”

  The dry sarcasm in his voice made her internally wince. God, she so did not want to end things this way, out in the open, a steady stream of law enforcement personnel clomping up and down the stairs. Anyone within range could easily overhear their conversation. See every move they made. One unchecked reaction, and Kelly could lose the only thing he had left. His position as lead on the case.

  Oh yeah, and there was the minor issue of whether or not P-rat was eyeballing the scene. No biggie.

  “I want you to know I didn’t set you up on purpose. The meeting, what I suggested we do about Adrian…” She sighed and shook her head. Everything was coming out wrong. Too canned. Rehearsed. But she’d never been good at this sort of stuff. “The idea came to me while I was sitting there. I didn’t mean to spring it on you without any warning.”