CHANCES ARE (Last Chance Rescue)

by Reece, Christy

  Hoping to cut it off, his answer was abrupt. “We got married and I became a cop.”

  “What was your wife like?”

  He closed his eyes and tried to picture Teresa’s heart-shaped face. An ache started in his chest when he realized he couldn’t. He could describe her but he couldn’t see her in his mind. “She was very pretty, had a good sense of humor but was kind of quiet and on the shy side. She was a neonatal nurse. Loved her job.” He shrugged. “We had some good times.”

  “You loved her very much.”

  “Yes.”

  “And then she died.”

  Jake loosened his arms but was unable to completely let her go. Being with Angela was a fantasy he never expected to come true. He’d certainly never planned to act on his desires but now that he had, dammed if he wanted to end it, especially on a sour note.

  Hoping he could cut off this line of questioning without ruining things, he said, “That’s not a topic I want to talk about.”

  She was silent for so long, he wondered if he had hurt her feelings. Should have known Angela wouldn’t back down.

  “You feel responsible for her death.”

  He dropped his arms from her and rolled away. “Let it go, Angela.”

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  Jake went to his feet and pulled his pants on, refusing to answer. And, as usual, Angela persisted. “Her death was tragic but you’re not to blame.”

  Whirling around, he glared down at the too beautiful, infinitely desirable, and extremely irritating woman on the bed. “What the hell do you know about it?”

  Angela hurt for him. She wanted to call him back to bed and hold him until the pain went away. Even if she made the offer, from the look of fury on his face, he’d refuse the invitation. She debated evading his question or being vague about her knowledge. She couldn’t do that. Though she had only this night learned she was a coward in certain situations, she refused to back away from this confrontation. Not facing the truth never accomplished anything.

  “I know everything, Jake. You were a cop, protecting a witness—Suzanna Long. She was due to testify against a very powerful man in Chicago. Unfortunately several people in the police department were on his payroll, including your captain. Your house was bombed and Teresa was critically injured. You were at the hospital with her as she fought for her life. While you were on leave, others took over the case. Your witness was shot and killed on her way to the courthouse. And your wife died three days later without regaining consciousness.”

  He stared at her as if she were some kind of foreign being. She hastily explained, “It wasn’t out of curiosity. I’m LCR’s main researcher. I create the files on all LCR employees. That means I—”

  “I know what it means. I just—” He shook his head. “Hell, you must think I’m the stupidest person alive. Here I was thinking I had some semblance of privacy and you know every damn thing about me.”

  “Because of my job, Jake. For no other reason.”

  “Well tell me this, Miss Information Gatherer. Do you also know that Teresa was two months pregnant with our first child? Did you know I beat the hell out of two of the men responsible, almost killing them?”

  She felt sick. “No, I didn’t know that.”

  His smile bitter, he shrugged into his shirt. “Sometimes the most salacious parts get missed by even the best and nosiest researchers.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Yeah, life’s like that.”

  His long strides took him out of the room in seconds and then she heard the adjoining door to his apartment open and then slam shut.

  Angela dropped her head back onto her pillow. Running after him to apologize would be useless. Silly of her to feel guilty for having done her job—though it was clear she’d missed a few pertinent details. No, she shouldn’t feel guilty for knowing as much as she did. What she did regret was not telling him sooner. Maybe that would have made all the difference and this night would have ended with them still wrapped in each other’s arms.

  She glanced at the bedside clock, amazed it was only three in the morning. She felt as if she’d lived a lifetime in just a few short hours. First her humiliating and career-ending panic, then her trip to the emergency room, followed by the incredibly erotic shower with Jake and the even more deliciously erotic lovemaking. And now the blow-up that put an end to their short romance, possibly even their friendship.

  Exhaustion crept over her and she closed her eyes. Sleep was impossible. She had destroyed her career as an LCR operative. Had she lost Jake, too?

  Chapter Fourteen

  He was a prick and not proud of it. Jake knew he had no good excuse for the way he’d behaved. Angela had given him her beautiful body. Instead of feeling damn lucky, he’d berated her for knowing his shitty past. Of course she knew it. And if he’d been thinking with his head instead of his dick the last few months, he would’ve known that.

  She’d had a hell of a day. A scare, the loss of a dream, and an injury to her hand. And he, being the selfish, horny bastard that he was, had taken advantage of her vulnerability. If McCall were here, he’d give the man permission to kick his ass. And he was quite sure his boss would be happy to oblige.

  After storming out of her bedroom, Jake had spent the rest of last night alternately cursing his naivety and blaming Angela for not telling him sooner that she knew about his past. Why let the little fact that she had been doing her job get in the way of his hurt pride? A couple hours ago, he’d come to the humbling conclusion that he was an idiot. She had done nothing wrong. He should have realized that she had delved into his background. And instead of being hesitant to have a man who’d fucked up so badly watch her back, she’d given him her total trust. Another humbling realization.

  Yesterday had been all about bad judgment. He’d taken Angela to bed. Yes, it had been incredible, and so damn satisfying his sated body hummed with satisfaction and demanded more of the same. He couldn’t act on those wants though. It’d been a dumbass thing to do. There was no future for them. He had no plans to ever get serious with another woman, much less make any kind of long-term commitment. Giving in to those kinds of emotions wasn’t something he could allow ever again. Losing Teresa had dammed near destroyed him. If he let himself fall for Angela…Hell no, he couldn’t let himself go there.

  And Angela would want more than some occasional hot sex. She would want a future and he couldn’t offer her one. She deserved to have everything she wanted—he just couldn’t be the one who gave it to her.

  But what he had to give her before another moment passed was an apology.

  He knocked on their connecting door. A day ago, he would have walked in uninvited. After his asinine behavior, he wasn’t sure of his welcome. She had every right to be pissed.

  Instead of calling out for him to enter, she opened the door. Shadows lurked beneath her eyes telling him of her exhaustion, yet he saw no animosity in her expression.

  She stepped back and said, “Come in. I just made coffee.”

  “I—” Jake blew out an explosive sigh. “Hell, Angela, I’m sorry about the way I acted. You did nothing wrong.”

  The smile she gave him was breathtakingly beautiful and full of understanding. “I should have told you before. I just didn’t know how.”

  “And I was an idiot for not knowing.”

  “I would never discuss anything I learn with anyone. After I compile my report, I hand it off to Noah. We don’t talk about it either.”

  Jake nodded. Angela was the most scrupulously honest and open person he’d ever known. “I figured that. And I appreciate you believing in me enough not to turn down being my partner. Others might have figured I wasn’t up to the task since I failed to protect both Suzanna and Teresa.”

  “Stop blaming yourself for the horrible acts of others. You did nothing wrong.”

  Jake kept silent. He had trusted the wrong people and would regret that decision for the rest of his life.

  “Help yourself to c
offee. I’m almost finished packing.”

  “I want you to reconsider your decision to quit.”

  Angela had known this was coming. She had actually expected to have this discussion last night. After telling her about his early days in the Army, she figured he’d relate that back to how she had handled herself and try to explain away her ridiculous overreaction. Unfortunately, in the light of day, she still saw no correlation. At crunch time, he had come through for his country. She, on the other hand, had behaved like an untrained neophyte.

  She shook her head. “I know what you’re going to say, so save it. My panic attack over something as simple as a kid on a skateboard showed me who I am. If the killer came after me, I’d probably get myself killed and possibly someone else, too. I can’t trust myself. You shouldn’t trust me either.”

  “Hell, Angela, if you think LCR operatives operate without fear, you need to reevaluate your opinion of us. We might not go around talking about it, but I’d bet my last dollar there’s not one of us who hasn’t been scared at some point.”

  “But that doesn’t stop you from doing your job. I was a basket-case, Jake. There’s no other word for it. If that had been a real attack, I would have failed miserably.”

  Before he could object, she raised her hand and added, “Don’t try to talk me out of it. I know my worth as an LCR employee. It’s a role I’m comfortable with and excel at. That will be enough.”

  “Will it?”

  She turned away from the penetrating look in his eyes. One would think they’d be awkward with each other since only hours ago they’d been as intimate as two people could be. Instead those delicious hours last night felt as far away as if they’d been another one of her fantasies. Even though her fantasies had never been so fulfilling or wonderful.

  Making herself face him again, she said adamantly, “There’s nothing else to do but go home. “

  For several seconds, he maintained a hard, piercing stare. Finally he nodded. “Since we all traveled together on LCR’s plane, I’ll need to make commercial travel plans.”

  “Okay.”

  “But I’m going to make them for tomorrow.”

  “What?”

  “You’ve had no downtime since we arrived. You’re running on fumes. Let’s take the day and enjoy London. We’ll go home tomorrow.”

  The enticement of being with Jake for one more day was too irresistible to deny. His apology had been a surprise, but he’d given no indication their night of passion was something he wanted to repeat. Despite the feeling that she was delaying inevitable heartache, she couldn’t help but say, “That sounds wonderful.”

  “Good. Get dressed and we’ll be tourists for the day.”

  She felt his eyes on her until she disappeared into the bedroom. What would he do if she invited him back to bed for just a few hours? Could their connection be reestablished or was it gone for good? He had to be disappointed in her…she sure as hell was.

  It was one of the best days of her life. Angela couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such an easygoing, fun-filled day. After Jake booked the train tickets to Paris for the next afternoon, he’d returned to her apartment. She had been dressed and ready for him, eager to put her heartache behind her, at least for a little while.

  As if determined to help her accomplish that goal, he set out on a quest for them to see as many sights as possible. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey were some of the ones she’d read about and had always longed to see. They were even more spectacular than what she had imagined.

  In the early afternoon, they stopped at a pub for lunch and talked like two people who’d known each other forever. Once again, Jake didn’t talk personal stuff and Angela didn’t push. Easygoing was the word of the day and asking for more than he could give was a surefire way to spoil their fun.

  After lunch, they walked down Dover Street and window-shopped, trying to outdo each other in finding the most outlandish and expensive items. Following a sign for a toy store down a side street, Angela found the perfect gift for Micah McCall’s birthday displayed in the window—an electric train set. She had been in his playroom many times and knew he didn’t have one. He was going to love it.

  As if it were the most natural thing in the world, she grabbed Jake’s hand and dragged him into the store. Not that he looked the least bit unwilling…his eyes were as bright as a child’s.

  Once inside, they split up. Angela headed to examine the train and Jake couldn’t take his eyes off a toy helicopter. She had a feeling they’d both be making a purchase today.

  It didn’t take long to determine that the train set was indeed the perfect gift for Micah. Before she made the purchase, she caught sight of a dollhouse that would put a big smile on Evie McCall’s sweet little face.

  Taking out her wallet, she handed the clerk her credit card. “I’d like to have these shipped to my home in Paris.”

  The clerk took down her information, promising delivery within the next week. Pleased with her purchases, Angela turned just in time to see Jake buying two helicopters. “Two?” she asked.

  Looking younger than she’d ever seen him, he winked mischievously. “Feel like a little friendly competition in the park?”

  Delighted at the idea, she accepted the challenge. “You’re on.”

  They left the toy store the same way they’d entered, like two carefree children eager to continue their fun, never knowing that a killer watched and waited, just as eager for his chance to destroy.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Four days later

  LCR Headquarters

  Paris

  In thirty-six years of living, Noah had made his share of mistakes. Most times he took his knocks, cursing and growling the whole time. Being married to Samara had helped temper his responses. She teased him that he was mellowing but he preferred to think he’d grown wiser.

  But even Mara couldn’t help him put a better spin on this mistake. Neither of them had seen it coming. He wanted to hit something or someone—mostly himself. He shouldn’t have put Angela on this op. For a new LCR operative, handling a serial killer case would be daunting. Coupled with the grief she was still experiencing, it was no wonder this had been a major bust. He had allowed her enthusiasm to override his usual caution. And now she was paying the price for his screw-up.

  He had given her a few days off to think it over before she came in to see him, hoping the downtime would give her the distance she needed. Angela had a tendency toward impulsiveness. If she had simply made a rash decision about quitting, he wanted to give her plenty of time to reconsider. From the look on her face as she sat across from him, her decision was neither impulsive nor ill-considered. She no longer wanted to be an operative.

  “Stop looking like that, Noah. You did nothing wrong.”

  “Hell yeah, I did something wrong. I shouldn’t have put you on the op. You weren’t ready.”

  “You don’t understand. I’ll never be ready. I proved that. At the first whiff of danger, I panicked.”

  “You just need more training to deal with that. I’ve seen plenty of operatives overreact.”

  She raised a questioning brow. “In the middle of a job?”

  “No, and that’s the issue. You need to learn how to stay in control at all times. Fright is a natural occurrence when one is threatened. You can learn to control your response. I can—”

  She shook her head. “No, I appreciate the words but if it’s all the same with you, I’d like to go back to my old job. That is, if you still want to keep me as an employee.”

  “Dammit, stop talking like that. Of course I want you as an employee. I’m just infuriated that you’ve lost your confidence.”

  Her mouth curved with her same jaunty smile but solemn sadness remained in her eyes. “I’m still as cocky and confident as ever. The only difference is I know what I can and can’t do. It was a good lesson learned. I’m just sorry the bastard is still out there and I did nothing but hinder the case.”

&nb
sp; “You haven’t hindered anything.”

  “How about everyone else? Any news from Eden, Shea, Sabrina or Riley?”

  “No bites so far but we’re not even two weeks into the mission. Fishing expeditions like these usually take a lot longer.”

  “I just hope something happens before he can take another victim.”

  “Jake didn’t tell you? There’s another woman missing.”

  “No, I guess he figured since I was out of the op, I didn’t need to know.”

  “She’s different from the others, in looks and profession. But she’s been missing for several days and a dozen red roses were found in her apartment.”

  “Do they think he’s changing his preferences?”

  “Or expanding them. Hard to say until we know more.”

  “Or until he takes another one.”

  Noah shrugged. “That too.”

  “I wish I could have helped.”

  “We’ll find him.” Switching gears, he asked, “How did things go with Jake? You two get along okay?”

  The flicker in her eyes gave him the answer. Something had happened between them. Question was, did it have anything to do with Angela’s decision? Getting involved in his employees’ personal lives wasn’t the norm for him. Yeah, he’d been guilty of pairing operatives when he saw a unique chemistry between them but not since his debacle with Eden and Jordan years ago had he interfered with a relationship. However, if Angela’s decision had been impacted because of her feelings for Jake, then he wanted to know.

  “Jake’s a great operative. I was lucky to have him as a partner for my one and only mission.”

  “Yet I can’t help but think you might’ve made a different decision if I had partnered you with someone else.”