David ran his fingers through his hair. Especially when he didn’t have a partner looking over his shoulder. David didn’t have proof, but at least he had a direction to look. It was more than he had five minutes ago. “So you’ve got the list with his name on it and a girl who’s willing to testify that he attacked her.”
Annie nodded. “Providing that you can get Gemma off. But you don’t seem to have a problem with that.”
“That is no way to talk to a federal agent, Diane Fuller.” David looked down at his bouncing leg to hide his smile. He didn’t have a problem with that particular task.
Chapter Fourteen
She had developed a talent of blocking out everything and remembering the plots of her favorite novels. Like watching movies in her head when she didn’t have a book to read. It helped her when she was in situations like this or the time she was stuck in an airport with nothing but popular fiction to read. They had moved her out of the interrogation room and into a holding cell that opened to the central booking area. There were a several people in here, living through their own bad days. Not a single one of them paid attention to the innocent bookseller.
She was over halfway through the plot of Pride and Prejudice. She’d started where she’d left off at the hotel. The hotel. It seemed like ages ago. The hotel she thought would be a refuge from her real life was really just a prettier venue for her suffering.
Right now she needed another refuge, so she closed her eyes and focused on her favorite spunky heroine. She was just at the part where Elizabeth learned about Darcy rescuing her sister from certain scandal.
Gemma’s eyes flew open. The novel was suddenly not a refuge at all. The man she had tried to keep away was now saving her best friend, the only person close enough for Gemma to call family. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t keep away from him. Those eyes, those long fingers that knew exactly how to stroke her. The voice that knew exactly what to say to make her wet and wanting.
So what would Elizabeth do? What had Elizabeth done when she found out Darcy had saved their family?
She’d married him.
Gemma laughed and drew the attention of the agents surrounding her holding cell.
Seriously though. Gemma got up to pace her seven by seven space. With her thoughts racing around in her head, her feet needed to do something to keep up.
David was out there right now, risking his neck and not against debtors and reputations, but against guns and criminals and whatever other evil things Gemma could think up.
Gemma leaned over and rested her hands on her knees, sucking in deep breaths. She couldn’t think about him wounded. She couldn’t think about him dead. It churned her stomach and anxiety washed over her in cool waves. What if he didn’t come back?
What if that had been a goodbye kiss?
“No,” she said to no one.
He was coming back. He was coming back safely with Annie and they were going to see each other again.
He was coming back because she had done everything in her power to help him, help Annie. The universe couldn’t hold anything against her on this one.
She walked to the front of her cell. “Where is Agent Hadley?” she demanded.
* * * * *
“We should get back to headquarters.”
Annie took the last swig of her drink. “I do suppose there is a lot of paperwork involved in indicting a federal agent. And I want you to be able to take Gemma out on a real date before she goes home.”
“Maybe you need to go with her. Get out of the city for a while.”
“She’s not going anywhere.”
David’s entire body froze at his boss’s voice. How had he found them? Where was the other girl’s text that was supposed to warn them?
David slid off the barstool and turned to face Samson, putting his body between him and Annie.
“Sir,” David started, pulling at the edge of his jacket and adjusting his shoulders to get his holster into place.
“Step away from the girl,” Samson growled. The older man was panting, a line of sweat forming across his brow. His hands flexed at his sides.
“I was about to take her in, sir.”
“No, you won’t.”
David did a quick glance at the others in the room. The tourists had already vacated but the business lunch was still lingering over dessert. The bartender was watching the three of them warily. The entrance was in front of him and the emergency exit was behind a curtain to his six o’clock.
“How did you find us, sir?”
“You’re in a federal car, idiot. Now step away from the girl.”
“I can’t do that, sir.”
Annie slide off her barstool and her petite body brushed against his. He looked over his shoulder to make sure she didn’t make a run for it. Her small hand braced against the back of his arm.
When he turned back to Samson, there was gun in his face. David could smell the oil at the end of the barrel.
Samson released the safety. “Step aside.”
The bartender dropped his glass and David saw the business lunch slide out the front door.
“She’s already told me everything, sir. You do anything, you’re digging the hole deeper.”
“Says the agent who slept with a hooker on company time and the madam who put her in his path. Now step aside.”
David took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Let Samson say what he wanted. He was the desperate one. David did as he was told and Annie moved with him, his tall frame blocking hers.
Samson adjusted the gun in his hand. “Move out of the way, Hadley.”
David took another step and Annie followed gracefully behind him. He looked over his shoulder at Annie. Her blue eyes were wide as she looked up at him. He flicked his gaze to the emergency exit.
She nodded.
David turned back to Samson. The guy had forty pounds on him and ten years. David had this.
He stepped forward and grabbed Samson’s wrist. He pushed it over his shoulder and stepped closer to the man. He pulled Samson’s arm behind him and wrenched it up. The man fell to his knees as he shoved Samson’s wrist higher between his shoulder blades.
He roared as his tendons tore up his arm and he lost control of the muscle in his hands. His gun dropped between them.
David kicked the weapon away from them as he reached for his cuffs.
Annie scooped the gun off the floor.
“What are you doing?” David snapped.
Annie held the barrel of the gun. “Keeping it away from him.”
In the one second he was focused on Annie, Samson reared his head back and cracked his head against David’s nose.
Blue lightening covered his vision and David stumbled back as blood spurted out of his broken nose. David cupped his hand over his face and shook his head to clear his vision in time to see Samson jump to his feet and grab for Annie.
She let out a scream before Samson’s hand covered her mouth and he pulled her against him. He ripped the gun from her small hand and pressed the barrel against her forehead.
David wiped his bleeding nose on his suit and pulled his gun from its holster. “This isn’t going to work, Samson. Cops will be here any minute.”
Annie’s eyes were locked on him, wide and terrified. David could feel her fear creep across her skin as if it were his own. He had to get her out of this. He had to get her back to headquarters. Back to Gemma.
“What do you think you are going to get out of this?” he asked.
Samson pulled Annie backward, her feet stumbling over his as they moved toward the emergency exit. David needed to stall him, give the first responders a chance to respond.
“You can’t kill another girl, sir.”
“The first girl threatened to talk. This one won’t have the chance either.”
David’s jaw tightened at the confession. But now he had his proof.
Samson sneered. “And let me tell you how fun it was to watch you chase your tails trying to figure it all out.�
��
David took in a calming breath but got a mouthful of blood that was not as relaxing as he needed.
“People know we’re here. Renner knew where I was going.”
Samson snorted. “You’re still a terrible liar, Hadley. Have I taught you nothing?”
David wiped the flow of blood from his nose then tightened his grip on his gun and raised it to Samson’s hip.
“Well, if you followed my GPS, then he will too.”
The phone in David’s pocket vibrated. He hoped to God that when he didn’t answer Renner would find him.
He looked at Annie. She was trying to pull Samson’s hand off her mouth, her face red with the struggle. She pulled this way and that, but couldn’t loosen his grip.
If she dropped her weight, it might throw Samson off just enough that David could get in a shot or at least a graze.
David caught her attention then dropped his look to the floor.
Her brow furrowed.
He did it again. Her furrow only got deeper.
Gemma would know what he was talking about. Gemma seemed to know exactly what he was thinking even when he wasn’t aware of it himself.
“Drop your weight.”
At least Annie did as she was asked.
She brought her knees up, pulling all one hundred or so pounds of her weight down on Samson’s arm. Even with the warning, Samson stumbled forward and had to wrap both arms around her to keep her under control.
With Annie safely curled away from Samson, David took the shot.
The blast echoed through the bar and the bullet tore through Samson’s shoulder. He dropped the girl and grabbed the wound.
Annie scrambled across the floor toward David and he helped her up. She hid behind him as he set his sights on Samson again.
That was when the SWAT team showed up, guns ready. A wave of them flooded the room and swarmed Samson’s body. David holstered his weapon quickly and turned to look Annie over.
“You okay?”
“Stupid question, lover boy.” Samson’s handprint was pressed against her fair skin, but David was sure she was going to be fine.
Renner hobbled in after the first wave. “God, that’s a lot of blood.”
“Feels great.” David plucked a napkin off a table to stop the flow.
“You need a paramedic.”
“I need to get Annie back to Gemma.”
Annie snorted. “Not looking like that. You look like a punching bag. I’m sure that one of these nice gentleman can get me back to headquarters.”
“You’re not trying to escape are you?”
Annie looked up at him with those blue eyes that any other man would have fallen prey to. “Gemma’s depending on both of us. I’ll make you sound like a hero, don’t worry.”
Chapter Fifteen
Gemma squeaked when she saw Annie. One of the boys had worked some magic and the officers put the two of them in the same cell.
Gemma wrapped her arms around her as tightly as she could. Her body relaxed in one deep breath.
“Gemi.”
She leaned her head against Annie’s. “Are you okay?”
“A little banged up, but I’ll live.”
She relaxed. They’d made it. Alive. Together.
“You should have seen it, Gemi. Your boy was amazing.”
“I don’t want to talk about him right now. I want to know what you’re going to do.” Gemma’s arms looped around Annie’s neck and she held her best friend. “I tried my best. I made a deal with them that anything I helped with was put on your tab.”
“I don’t think it works like that, Gemma.”
She frowned. Annie never called her Gemma. Annie led her over to the bench.
“I worked my own magic. Neither of us is going to see the inside of a cell, besides this one. You’re free to go.”
Gemma looked around then lowered her voice. “But you’re the madam.”
“Was the madam. But I’m going to turn over evidence that Samson was a customer and responsible for the assault on a prostitute and I helped get him to confess to the murder of the first girl.”
Gemma’s jaw dropped. “When did you become a crime fighter?”
“When someone hurts my girls, I hurt them back.”
Gemma hung her head. “What am I going to do with you?”
Annie gripped Gemma’s hands. “You have to come and keep me out of trouble.”
“Fat chance of that,” Gemma joked before she understood what Annie was really asking. “What?”
Annie shook her head. “I worked my tail off to put money away for a down payment on a loft apartment to share with my best friend, but we sort of missed a meeting with the Realtor due to running from a rogue FBI agent.”
Gemma’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?”
“I had hoped I could show you a good time so you’d maybe move to the city and be my roomie again, like old times. Remind me how awesome I am. Help me mend my wicked ways. And maybe teach you a few.”
Gemma leaned forward and rested her head on Annie’s shoulder. “I love you, Annie.”
“I love you too, Gemi.”
Gemma didn’t think she had ever been happier.
Annie leaned her head against Gemma’s. “So if they release my luggage, you can have the dresses. You’ll need them as a jump-start to your New York wardrobe. And keep the necklace. It got you laid once, maybe it is magic.”
* * * * *
“I need to get back to the office.” David fought the paramedic who tried to get him to stop long enough to spray antiseptic up his nose.
“You need to get to a hospital,” the young woman in a blue uniform snapped. “Doesn’t look like much, but if you don’t set it properly, it’ll be crooked.”
“I need to book a federal criminal.”
“You just want to show off in front of you girl.”
David turned at Renner’s voice. The man was hobbling as fast as he could through the crowds of cops still swarming the place.
Renner clapped him so hard on the shoulder David’s knees buckled and he landed on his ass on the bumper of the ambulance. Renner held him there.
The paramedic took the cue and worked as fast as she could, splinting the nose and shoving cotton balls up his nostrils for stability.
David clenched his jaw.
“I’m sure they’ll let you write the report on Samson.”
White lightening shot into his frontal lobe as the paramedic shoved something else up his nostrils. He needed to think of something else. “How’s Gemma?”
“Grace under pressure.”
“I need to see her.”
“You can’t.”
David felt as if his partner had punched him in the gut.
“I know you’re, like, head over heels for this girl, and she’s made you better. And golden boy or no, you still can’t saunter into the station and lip-lock a suspect.” Renner finally pulled his hand off David’s shoulder. “We can’t muddy the waters any more than they already are. You need a fresh start. And some fresh clothes.”
David jumped to his feet and tugged on his jacket. But when he looked down, he saw the dried blood on his white shirt. “When did you become a proponent of love?”
“When I heard you took on our boss for her best friend.”
David sighed and looked up at his partner. “So what do we do?”
“I think I have a plan, if you can be a little more patient, lover boy.”
David honestly didn’t know if he could. He wanted to be with her again, hold her again and let the soft, sweet smell of her make him forget the ache in his body. He wanted three days to worship every inch of her without distraction.
“Okay. Fine.”
Chapter Sixteen
Gemma wiped away a tear and sniffed into the velour of Annie’s tracksuit.
“No need for the waterworks, Gemi. It’s going to be all right.”
“I know. This might be the trauma catching up with me.”
Annie squeezed h
er as hard as she could and then let go. “I’m a big girl. And I’m pretty sure that I can handle a few federal agents.”
Gemma nodded and smiled.
Annie gave Gemma one last squeeze. “Please have fun with Agent Hadley. We’ve both been through too much for you to let your usual self mess everything up again.”
But her smile faded quickly when the two agents came to take Annie away. She looked so small sandwiched between the two men. Annie shot a look over her shoulder before they took her back to an interrogation room.
She shook her head and leaned against the nearest desk. It was still unreal—Annie getting herself into this kind of trouble and Gemma actually being the one who helped her out.
But it wasn’t all Gemma. It was David. He was the one who had seen her in the bar at the Ritz. He was the one who made her the best Gemma, the smart and sassy Gemma who was strong enough to take on a federal agent instead of just sit in a corner.
Renner joined her and set a duffle at his feet. Her duffle. The annoyingly plain one she had a hard time finding at the airport because it looked like everyone else’s.
“Where’s David?” Gemma rubbed her wrists and still felt the phantom weight of the handcuffs. Even though they had been off for hours, she still kept her wrists close together.
Renner sat down at a desk next to them. “He’s a little tied up right now. Samson’s arrest is going to be days of paperwork.”
“I want to see him.”
“I don’t think we can make that happen.”
She frowned. She knew he was here somewhere. All the other familiar faces from the hotel were here. Where was he? “Was he hurt? Is he in the hospital?”
“No. He’s working, Miss Howard.” Renner pulled an envelope out of his suit pocket. “The FBI would like to thank you for your help on this case.”
Gemma looked down at the envelope and then back in to Gimpy’s ocean-blue eyes.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “I just said goodbye to my best friend and now you’re kicking me out?”
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