Ethan glowered at him. “There were five of them, and Stamos was shooting from the vehicle. We took out two of his men, and then they took off before the cops arrived. What happened to you guys?”
“One of the SUVs was hot on our ass from the moment we left your place. Lana did some quick thinking and hid the truck in the woods and I shot out their tires. One guy probably died from the crash, the other was nearly there. One was able to talk and only said that Stamos had hired him, but he knew nothing else. He had a broken leg, and I shot out his other one so he won’t be a threat.”
Ethan nodded, his expression somber. “We found an address for Will. Should we go?”
The sooner they left, the sooner he could get home to Lana. There was that word again, home. Lana was beginning to feel more like home than his house.
She lifted her chin, a shaky smile on her lips. “Go ahead, we’ll be fine.” Rufus sat next to her feet and gave him a big doggy grin.
“We won’t be long.” He pulled her tighter against him, not giving a damn what Ethan and Nate would say later, and pressed his lips to her forehead. Her arms came around his waist, her face buried in his chest.
“Where the hell you going, World War Three?” The corner of Nate’s mouth lifted.
Ethan jabbed him in the ribs. “Shut up, you ass.”
Cal turned and headed down the hallway to change into darker clothes. This time he was getting answers. The sooner they wrapped this up, the better.
* * * *
“Let’s not kill anyone, alright? We’ll collect the information and hand it off to Nate so he can do the FBI work.” They sat in Ethan’s truck, parked across the street from Stamos’s apartment complex.
“I can’t make any promises.” He pulled black gloves over his hands. “We’ll pop into Stamos’s apartment first and then Shawn’s. Just in case Will’s there, he shouldn’t have a clue we’re after him, and I don’t want Stamos tipping him off.”
Ethan nodded his agreement. “We’ll move quickly just in case and secure them both—if they’re both there.”
“Did you find any link between Will and Tanner?”
Ethan pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I hacked into both of their social media accounts, and it appears none of them are friends. However, they have numerous mutual friends, so my guess is there’s a connection.”
Cal shook his head. “We need to pay a visit to Tanner.”
Ethan locked eyes with him. His jaw worked. “You think that’s a good idea?”
“It would be cutting out the middle men.”
“True, but he’s not going to admit anything. It’s best if we corner these idiots, get them to confess who hired them, and then take Tanner down with evidence. That guy has more money and influence than we can shake a stick at. If we don’t have enough tallies stacked against him, there won’t even be an investigation.”
Cal nodded. It was a good thing Ethan, the levelheaded one, was here. He scratched his beard with his gloved thumb. Dammit, he’d forgotten to shave again. A picture of an aroused Lana squirming under him as he glided his bristled cheek across her naked body flashed through his mind. Shit. He did not need a hard-on while sitting next to Ethan.
“Alright, let’s go.”
They slipped out of the vehicle and crossed the dark street. A light flickered outside the building, casting strobe shadows. They entered the three-story walk-up and advanced up the stairs two at a time. The old, worn carpet on the stairs reeked like urine. The stench of BO and cigarettes breathed out of the grungy paint.
Ethan pressed his back against the wall beside Stamos’s apartment, his gun pointing to the floor. Cal paused on the other side and pulled out his Glock.
Ethan nodded. It was go time.
Cal kicked his foot out, stomping near the handle. The door flew open and crashed against the wall. Wood splinters scattered the floor. They entered, their feet soundless on the carpet. Ethan closed the door softly behind him.
The heavy scent of cigarette smoke invaded his nose. “Come out, Stamos!” Cal barked. He stepped over a take-out box on the floor near the front door. Food-encrusted plates were rotting in the kitchen. The curdling smell of sour milk made Cal swallow over a lump of nausea.
Ethan strode toward the closed bedroom door at the back of the apartment. Cal scanned the living room and checked out the bathroom behind him. Ethan tried the knob.
“It’s locked,” he said gruffly as he took a wide step back and stomped his foot out. It connected with the wood, and the door sprang open, splinters and chunks of debris floating to Cal’s feet as he charged into the bedroom behind Ethan.
He cursed.
It was empty. “Shit,” he breathed.
Ethan lowered his gun. “I’m not surprised. He wouldn’t come back here after coming after you.”
Cal nodded. “Let’s take a quick look around.” He began opening the nightstand drawers, and Ethan moved into the living room. Hell, it was unlikely that he’d find anything remotely helpful. Stamos was stupid, but not dumb enough to leave a paper trail. The nightstand held a bag of weed and a bong, along with a small box of condoms.
“There’s nothing here,” Ethan called. Cal met him in the living room, and they left the apartment. They climbed into the truck and drove to the address Lana had given them. The difference between the two neighborhoods was staggering. Neatly groomed trees and shrubs lined the newly paved road to Shawn’s address.
“Let’s see if we can get through the back without drawing attention.”
Ethan nodded his agreement, and they parked a street over. They moved swiftly down the quiet street and into someone’s backyard. It wasn’t as late as he preferred, but it was dark and quiet. They hopped the fence and landed in Shawn’s yard. Cal pulled out his lock pick set, and Ethan held the flashlight steady. He inserted the tools and maneuvered the lock. It clicked softly. Ethan smiled and they pushed the door open. Silence greeted them.
Cal pulled out his Glock and Ethan stretched his gun out in front of him as they moved out of the laundry room and into the main area. The living room was lit up, and soft voices floated from the TV.
The metallic smell of blood hit them first. Cal’s stomach churned. He knew that smell. Too damn well.
“Shit,” Cal hissed.
“Goddammit.” Ethan turned away from the sight. There, on the couch, was Will—or at least a body that appeared to be his—throat slit. Blood pooled on the brown leather couch beside him, a slow drip forming a puddle on the floor. Cal tucked his Glock into his pants and went for the man’s pocket. He pulled his wallet out and opened it up.
William Anderson Lawson.
Ethan nudged him toward the door. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 18
God, this was awkward. Nate was a nice guy, but having him babysit her in silence had her nerves on end. She cleared her throat for the second time, her brain grasping at conversation topics like straws. Nate tore his gaze away from the baseball game that filled the screen and snagged another handful of chips.
“Cal told me you two were in the military together?”
He settled back in the deep couch and nodded. “Yup, I’ve known him eleven years.” He chomped into a chip and kept his gaze off of the TV. “Actually, I owe it to Cal for getting me out of there. He was the first to leave recon, and until he did that, another career never entered my mind. The night before he returned to the U.S. he sat me down and asked me if this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The short answer was no.”
“How do you guys remain so close when you have such different careers?”
Nate dusted the salt off his hands and rested his feet on the coffee table. He shrugged. “In some cases we get to work together, though not often. Cal is stealth, and very few people know who he is or what he does. That makes him indispensable to the FBI. He’s done some undercover
work, and has gone into places the FBI doesn’t have jurisdiction.”
Her eyebrows rose. Wow. Cal had told her his work was dangerous, but hearing the description from Nate made her palms sweat.
“That’s impressive.”
Nate nodded, scooped another handful of chips, then turned his hazel eyes on her. “So you really have no idea who could want you dead?”
Her mouth went dry, and a coil of guilt tightened in her stomach. These men, whom she barely knew, were sacrificing their lives for her…and she was clueless as to who even wanted to do her harm. She swallowed and reached her hand out to stroke Rufus’s ears. He let out a snore and nudged his nose closer to her.
“It’s been spinning through my mind nonstop. But I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt me.”
Nate’s lips thinned. “Cal seems pretty dead-set on it being Tanner.”
She rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and pressed her fingertips into her temples. Tanner. As Cal’s primary suspect, he’d been at the forefront of her mind, too. But something didn’t fit.
“Tanner is an ass, and I know everything stacks up against him right now…but it doesn’t add up to me.”
Nate leveled her with his stare. “How so?”
“Well, for starters, I don’t see how he would benefit from my death. He has more money than he knows what to do with, so it’s not an inheritance battle. Was he mad that I pushed him away and told Grace after he attacked me? Sure. But what would killing me do except leave him as a primary suspect?”
Nate held out the bowl of chips, and she shook her head. He dove in again. Geez, these guys could eat, she was still stuffed from the four pizza slices. Adrenaline sure worked up an appetite. “Thing is, men who commit murder don’t think logically like we do. Unless you can think of anyone else, he’s our strongest lead.”
She let out a deep sigh, and a dull throb started across her forehead. Fatigue had settled in, and the last thing she wanted to do was spend one more minute talking about her possible enemies. She let the subject drop, and they chatted a bit more until she excused herself for bed. She wanted to be alone. She had a lot to think about. Before she scooted off to the bedroom, she refilled her glass of wine and said good night to Nate.
She climbed onto the neatly made bed and switched on the TV. A shower would feel heavenly. Goose bumps raced over her skin. No, she would wait for Cal. She took a swig of her glass and flicked through the channels. She settled on an old sitcom and got comfortable. Her father had loved this show. A pang of guilt formed in her chest. She hated that she couldn’t call him, that she couldn’t alleviate his and her mother’s pain. God, they’d be frantic. Pain spread through her chest. They’d always been so protective of her…so fearful. For both of them, this would be a nightmare come true. It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t reach out to them. Even just a simple phone call would make a world of difference. They wouldn’t understand what was happening, but if she could lift their terror even a little bit, it would be worth it.
She chewed her lip. Could she chance a phone call to her mother? Surely there would be no way to trace her here unless her mother was being watched. Her gaze shifted to the cordless phone on the nightstand. Her fingers itched to lift it up and make the call. No. Cal was risking his life for her. The least she could do was not make things worse. She’d suggest reaching out to them later, and maybe he could find a safe way to ease their minds.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Maybe Cal would come home with good news and all this would be behind them tonight. The first thing she’d do would be to call her parents.
Her body warmed with each sip of wine. Its gentle effects took the edge off of her nerves. God, she hoped Cal was okay. A minute later, the slamming of a car door echoed outside the bedroom window. Then another.
That couldn’t be Cal already. She looked at the clock. He’d been gone only a couple of hours. She scampered off the bed. Her foot snagged the blankets, sending her forward. She caught herself on the nightstand. Shit. Two and a half glasses of wine had done her in.
Rufus’s ferocious bark and his nails scattering across the floor pierced the calm of the cabin.
She edged the curtain away from the window. It was Ethan’s truck. Relief spread through her muscles. Cal was home. A thrill raced over her. She downed the last bit of wine and waited. Her palms grew damp.
The front door opened and closed. Cal and Ethan’s voices reached her ears. She should go out to greet him. Two ideas tickled her thoughts. She could crawl under the covers and pretend she’d passed out—or she could be waiting for him, naked in the shower.
She’d opt for the latter.
A giggle rumbled in her throat. She tiptoed to the door and placed her ear to it. The guys were talking. She gnawed her lip. God, she hoped they weren’t planning on chitchatting all night. Cal’s voice echoed down the hall.
“I’m going to check on Lana.”
She shot away from the door and scurried to the bathroom, leaving the door wide open. She pulled her shirt over her head, revealing her white lace bra. Her fingers hooked into the waistband of her pants just as he entered the bedroom.
“Lana?”
“In here,” she said, her voice trembling. She moved her pants down her legs, exposing the matching panties. He rounded the corner.
“Jesus—” he breathed. His hands caught the door frame. She shimmied her pants down over her knees and stepped out of them, her eyes locked with his. A red tinge tinted his cheeks. Heat swarmed in her belly.
Her foot caught the edge of her pants. She pitched over, and a yelp squeaked out as she landed on the oak floor with a thump, her ankles still tangled in her pants.
“Shit, are you okay?” Cal crouched next to her. He helped her to a sitting position.
A laugh erupted from her throat. “That was sexy, wasn’t it?” Her eyes watered, and her body shuddered on every chuckle. Cal smiled from ear to ear. His cheeks creased. He folded his arms over his chest, a sly glint in his eyes.
“You’re wasted.”
She covered her mouth, but the giggles leaked out. “No, I’m not.”
“Liar. You have a habit of falling over when you drink, don’t you? How much did you have?”
“Two glasses.” She struggled to pull the tangled material off her ankles.
He lifted his eyes to the ceiling and shook his head. “Two glasses of wine and you’re on your ass.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you mean, I ‘have a habit’?”
“You fell like that getting out of your friend’s car on Saturday night. Or don’t you remember?”
Her mouth opened on a silent “Oh.” So he’d been watching her? “I tripped…both times.” Her laughter settled to a gentle shake of her shoulders.
“I like this.” His fingers traced the top of her bra, distracting her. “And this…” His hand coasted down to her panties, his voice growing hoarse.
Her giggles subsided. She swallowed.
“I’ll be right back.” He stood and disappeared. His footsteps sounded down the hall. “You guys need to go,” she heard him say. “Now.”
She got to her feet. He was right. She was drunk. She ran a hand through her hair. Shoot, shoot, shoot. She hoped it wouldn’t ruin the mood.
Cal returned a few minutes later. He shed his shirt and tossed it to the floor. She clasped her hands in front of her waist, waiting. He came to her, his hand flattened on the small of her back, pressing her into him. Her hands rested on his shoulders, and her eyes found his.
Deep green pools devoured her. His other hand threaded through her hair, his lips hovering scant inches from hers. “It’s insane how much I want you.”
Her pulse beat against her throat. She licked her lips, but no words came to her mind. His thumb smoothed over the sensitive spot. He wanted her. That was obvious. But did he want more than just s
ex?
She rolled her lips in. Her eyes left his to trace the hard lines of his face, committing each edge to memory. She might not have him forever, but she had him for now.
Inching up to her tiptoes, she pressed her lips to his. His mouth opened on hers, and his tongue entered her mouth, probing her. He leaned her backward, arching her over his arm. A soft moan caught in her throat, and her fingertips dug into the bare muscles of his shoulder. Her hands trailed over the breadth of his chest, down the hard lines of his stomach. She found the snap on his jeans and loosened it.
He smiled against her mouth. “That ready, huh?”
She licked into his mouth, then pulled away. “Oh yeah.”
He shucked his jeans down his legs and kicked them to the side, then did the same with his boxers. His member pulsed between them, the silkiness of his shaft resting against her belly. He backed her into the shower. Her hands locked around his waist. He reached behind him and turned the water on, then adjusted the temperature. Warm spray sprinkled over his shoulders to dampen her chest.
“This is what I wanted to show you.” He nodded at the shower. “Have you ever showered in your bra and panties before?”
Her gaze flicked downward. She was still half-dressed. How had she not noticed that? Cal made her feel naked. Even fully dressed, he had that effect on her. Her tongue slid from one corner of her mouth to the other.
“No,” she croaked.
Being partially dressed in the wake of his nakedness, combined with the steam of the shower, was erotic. Her body hummed with the side effects of the wine. Her head swarmed. Cal’s face came into focus. The burning intensity of his eyes softened, and his lips parted. The pad of his thumb touched her cheek.
His lips molded to hers, and his hand coasted down her back, cupping her ass. A guttural groan vibrated from his throat.
Her eyes snapped open. She placed her hand on his chest, stopping him. He looked down at her, his eyes searching her face. “What’s the matter, honey?”
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