Kiss Me When the Sun Goes Down

by Lisa Olsen

  “We don’t know that, it was days ago. Carys could be anywhere by now, even in the house across the street, like you said. And that shooter was British, she could’ve brought him with her.

  Bishop shook his head. “That’s a lot of coulds in there. Anja, I know her, she’s not that vicious.”

  “Not that vicious?” My jaw dropped. “How can you say that after what she did to you and Rob? She tried to kill me.”

  “She’s capable of lashing out, yes,” he admitted with a reluctant breath. “But we’re talking about a complex strike with military precision. That’s out of her depth.”

  “Which is why she brought that Brit with her to handle stuff like that. She didn’t work out the strategy, she just batted her eyes and pointed at my house, telling him to make me suffer.”

  “That’s pure speculation,” he frowned, and I lost my temper. Why was he taking her side over mine?

  “At least I’m speculating. You’re just burying your head in the sand. Which tactic do you think will produce results first?”

  “I’m not burying my head in the sand, I’ve got people out there checking into it.”

  “Well, so do I.”

  “Good luck with that,” he snorted. “I’m pretty sure my people will turn up something before Carter does.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure of that. Carter has something the Order doesn’t.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “He’s not just following orders. He’s doing this because he cares.”

  “A little too much if you ask me,” he muttered, and my jaw dropped for the second time.

  It took me a few seconds to find words again. “I don’t believe what I’m hearing. Are you seriously bringing jealousy into this right now?”

  “The guy’s got a crush on you, that much is obvious.” Bishop lowered his voice, pulling me away from the stairs, and I did him one better, continuing on to the ground floor. I didn’t want Carter to have to listen to this nonsense.

  Once we reached the foyer, I turned on him, hands on my hips. “Why do I think I’ve heard this one before? Oh, could it be because you gave me the exact same song and dance about Rob?”

  “Who happened to be in love with you,” Bishop tossed right back at me.

  He had a point. “Carter’s not Rob, and I’ve never given him any reason to think I feel that way about him. I love him like a brother, Bishop, we’re family. And if you can’t trust that, if you can’t trust me, then we’ve got bigger problems already.”

  Bishop closed his eyes, taking a slow breath before he opened them again and spoke. “I’m not saying that. I trust you fine. I’m just saying that you can’t trust the opinion of a guy who’ll do anything to please you. Of course he thinks this could be Carys’ fault, because that’s what you think.”

  “He was the first person to bring it up, not me, remember? Carter’s willing to think outside the box to find whoever’s picking us off. You’re the one who’s so wrapped up in your old feelings for Carys that you can’t see what’s right in front of your face.”

  “That’s not what’s happening.” His brows furrowed closer together, and so did mine.

  “It sure looks that way to me.”

  Bishop’s hands clenched into fists, and I thought he might punch something, but instead he turned on his heel. “I need some air,” he muttered, stalking out.

  So much for happy ever after.

  I grabbed the nearest throw pillow and screamed my head off into it, letting go of some steam in the only way that wouldn’t end in bloodshed for the moment. Just when I thought we’d grown past all the stupidity in the relationship, Bishop had to go and say something brainless again. What had I been thinking, that he’d change his ways overnight? I had to trust that he’d come back when he cooled off and we could try again. But what if he didn’t? What if he decided it was too hard, despite the promises made the night before?

  I couldn’t think of that, or the fear that settled in the pit of my stomach, as I went back into my study to get some work done. Felix had sent over a brief plan outlining the duties he could take over for the time being, and I sent him back my approval.

  At some point, I’m not sure when, I stopped working and sat staring at the shadowy garden outside my window. Carter found me like that when he burst into the room.

  “Hey, I got a lead on Carys. Are you okay?”

  “Yep, I’m peachy keen,” I replied, snapping out of it. “What’ve you got?”

  For a second he looked like he wasn’t going to let me get by with that, but then he shrugged it off and continued with his report. “Carys chartered a jet from New York to San Jose. The jetway there is a joke.”

  “You’ve mentioned that before.”

  “Anyway, I hacked their security feed and I’ve got visual confirmation that Carys arrived, and her plane’s still here.”

  That clinched it. Not only was she in California, but San Jose was less than two hours away from San Francisco. “Good work, Carter.” I logged off the computer and swept everything on my desk into one not so tidy pile. “Alright, then that’s where we start. There has to be a trail from there. A cab or rental car, hotel reservations.”

  Carter didn’t move an inch. “What about Bishop?”

  “I told you, he’s going to need some solid evidence before he comes around. Her being in the vicinity isn’t going to do it.”

  “He’s not gonna be happy, you taking off like this.”

  “Since when did you become such a big Bishop fan?”

  “When I saw how happy he’s made you,” he shrugged, and I stared up at him in shock. “I still think he’s a prick sometimes, and he doesn’t deserve you, but I know he wants you as much as you want him.”

  “Which is why he’ll understand when we get back with the evidence. He might not think it’s so shiny that I’m off hunting down his ex without telling him, but I need to go do this on my own.”

  “Not without me, you’re not.”

  “Obviously,” I grinned. “I’m independent, not stupid. Let me leave him a quick note, and we’ll go.”

  I didn’t spend over long on the note. I didn’t want to take the chance that he’d come back before we left and start arguing all over again when he found out where we were headed. All I could hope for was that he’d give me a chance to explain when I saw him next. That he’d keep an open mind about Carys. If he couldn’t, we didn’t stand a chance.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Bishop stopped by HQ to take care of some work he’d been putting off, trusting in the only thing he’d been able to count on for the last three centuries to get his head on straight – the job. Only he couldn’t focus on it. He approved a transfer to cover Mason’s territory since it was anyone’s guess when he’d be back, but the rest of the work remained largely untouched as he brooded over the way the argument with Anja had spiraled out of control.

  He was smart enough to realize that he wasn’t the most objective person where Carys was involved, but he truly did think Anja was reaching when it came to laying blame at her door. Bishop also knew himself well enough to know that it’d been a good idea to get out of there before he said something else he might regret, and wait for his temper to cool down.

  The thing was, he knew he didn’t have anything to be jealous over. Even if Carter did have a thing for Anja, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she loved him and only him. Still, it didn’t make those feelings go away whenever he thought about another man having eyes for his girl. That wasn’t Anja’s problem though. He had to learn how to get over it instead of letting it get to him. The accusation against Carys had just thrown him off balance.

  Bishop didn’t even want to explore the possibility that it was Carys behind the attacks, because if that was true, then it meant that he was partly to blame. If he’d never left Carys to pursue Anja, then Lee and Gunnar would still be alive, and Anja’s family wouldn’t be scattered to the wind. But what if Carys actually was to blame? He owed it to Anja to liste
n to the possibility. Seeing as how he wasn’t getting any work done anyway, he slipped out and sped back to the house, eager to set things right with Anja.

  The Victorian was dark when he approached, though he could see the security detail in place outside. Anja couldn’t have gone to bed already, could she? The night wasn’t even halfway over.

  Bishop let himself in, calling out in case Anja was brooding somewhere in the dark. “Anja? An?” Had she gone in to the office alone without her security staff? Even upset, he didn’t think she’d do something so reckless. And then he found the note and realized it was so much worse.

  It read:

  Bishop,

  I don’t expect you to understand or approve, but I need to do this. I have to know. You don’t have to worry, I took Carter with me to track Carys down. I’ll call you later.

  Yours always,

  Anja

  Disappointment lanced through him. Not with Anja for going with her gut instinct, but with himself for putting her in a position where she thought she had to sneak off without him to act on it. He didn’t even think twice about commandeering her laptop, keying into the Order’s system to pull up the program he needed to track her. Half afraid he’d find her bound for New York, the knot of worry wrapped around his heart eased when he pinged her phone and found it in San Jose. Now he just had to hope he’d get to her in time before it was too late.

  It turned out to be easier to find her than he’d thought, especially when she made it simple by sticking in one place. Her signal still came through loud and clear at the jetway, and Bishop had to hope she hadn’t accidentally left her cell behind.

  Bishop strode up to the private airport, ignoring the cheery smile of the girl behind the counter as he spotted Anja talking to one of the pilots in the lounge. Carter was nowhere in sight, which only made his frown all that more prominent. Didn’t Anja know she made a target out in the open like that?

  “Bishop!” she called out, startled.

  “Why did you leave?” he demanded, ignoring the pilot, who backed off uncomfortably at his approach.

  Anja blinked rapidly, but he couldn’t tell if it was surprise or fear that flitted across her features. “How did you find me?”

  “I tracked you on your cell. Why did you leave without telling me where you were going?” he repeated, crossing his arms expectantly.

  “You made it clear that you didn’t want to believe your precious Carys was a part of this.”

  “She’s not my Carys,” he protested, but she blew him off with a roll of the eyes.

  “Whatever. You obviously didn’t want to be involved, so I left to look into it on my own. I brought Carter with me, he’s around here somewhere talking to the mechanics, I think.” She craned her head to look around, and Bishop stepped into her field of vision, demanding her attention.

  “Anja, you can’t just take off like that. We’re going to end up having disagreements, hell, fights even. That doesn’t mean you can up and leave.”

  “I didn’t leave, exactly. I just… I didn’t think you’d choose me over Carys.”

  He hated to see that defeated look on her face, knowing he was the one that put it there, whether it was intentional or not. Forcing himself to lose the edge of panic and frustration in his voice, he tried again in a gentler tone. “I meant what I said last night about wanting forever with you. But we can’t have it if one of us leaves. You should’ve told me where you were going and given me a chance to come with you.”

  “You made your opinions pretty clear. I know Carys is involved, now more than ever. I came to settle this once and for all.”

  “And I came with you.” Couldn’t she see he was trying?

  “You don’t believe it’s her.”

  “I don’t,” he freely admitted. “But I want to see this through with you. Anja, I love you, and that means standing by you, no matter what comes at us.”

  She turned those beautiful blue eyes up at him, the doubt mingled with hope. “What if it turns out to be Carys coming at me?”

  “If it turns out it was Carys, then I’ll be there by your side.”

  “Even if that means killing Carys?”

  He took a long breath. “If she’s really sunk that low, then she deserves killing.”

  Anja’s answering smile was worth it. “Thank you. Not that I hope it comes to that, but thank you for understanding. I’m sorry we fought before…”

  “I am too,” he admitted without shame, his hands settling on her hips. “I’m not good at this stuff, I don’t think I ever was. Carys had a way of smoothing over the bad times, you know? I’m still trying to figure things out.”

  “The chasing after me in the airport bit was a good start,” she said with a lopsided grin, and Bishop’s heart melted, any leftover bad feelings dissolving away.

  “I’m just glad I caught you before you hopped a plane to New York.”

  “No, she’s here, Bishop!” Anja replied with a hop of excitement. “That’s why I had to take off so quickly. She’s here in San Jose. Carter placed her here, I swear.”

  “Okay, fine. I believe you,” he allowed, his stomach sinking. If Carys was involved, this was going to be a lot harder than he’d thought. She held the power to sway his behavior in the palm of her hand. What if she decided to turn him against Anja? Forcing those thoughts aside, he offered her a confident smile. “So we’ll track her down together.”

  “Really?”

  “I said I’d be here for as long as you needed me, remember? You belong to me and I belong to you. We don’t let anyone or anything get between us ever again. That’s it – for the rest of time. I should’ve remembered that before when I let you go. I might get that tattooed on me so I don’t forget it next time.”

  “Could be interesting. I like your other tattoo,” she considered aloud, and he couldn’t help but kiss her on the temple.

  “Look, the point is, we have to be there for each other. Even when one of us does something stupid…”

  “Like act like a dumbhole?”

  “Including acting like a dumbhole,” he nodded, a smile threatening to ruin his speech as he continued. “You can’t run at the first sign of trouble. Even I know that rule, and I’m terrible at this.”

  “I know,” she sighed. “The rule, not that you’re terrible at this,” she amended after a second. “I’m sorry for the things I said too. You were the one to leave first though.”

  “To cool down before I took out my frustration on you,” he clarified.

  “So then, we’re setting ground rules for the next time one of us does something boneheaded. This is good. Rule number one, we love each other, blah, blah, blah, so whatever happens, we can get through it together.”

  “I wouldn’t quite put it that way, but okay.”

  “Rule number two, we agree to a cooling off period the next time we get into an argument, but nobody leaves leaves. We agree to come back and hash things out after we’ve had a chance to gain some perspective.”

  “Right. And rule number three, when in doubt, see rule number one.”

  “I love you too,” she smiled, tilting her lips up to him to be kissed, and he couldn’t refuse such an offer.

  They were still kissing when Carter started making retching noises. “What’s he doing here?” he asked when they broke apart.

  “He came to help.”

  Carter’s glare didn’t lessen. “Can’t he help himself to your cookies some other time? We have work to do.”

  “I came to help you track Carys,” Bishop offered, but Carter seemed less than impressed.

  “No offense, pal, but we don’t need your help. Tracking’s my game.”

  “None taken,” Bishop replied smoothly, trying not to be annoyed by the hunter for Anja’s sake. “But I know Carys better than anyone else in this world. I can help you find her. Unless you already know where she is?” His brows rose, but from the permascowl on Carter’s face, he had nothing.

  “All we know so far is when she arrived, a
nd that the plane she chartered is still here,” Anja reported. “Where do you think she is?”

  “As far as I know, Carys has never been to this area before, so wherever she is, it’s not like she’s holed up in a secret lair. That means a public hotel. Carys is incapable of staying any place incognito, wherever she is, it’ll be posh.”

  “Great work, Columbo,” Carter snorted. “That leaves only twenty or so hotels in the city that fit the bill, more if she made her way to San Francisco. Way to simple that up for us.”

  “It’s a starting point,” Bishop bit back between clenched teeth. “Have you talked to the local taxis who hit this place on the regular? She wouldn’t have a rental car, she can’t drive.”

  “I… am gonna get right on that,” Carter replied, shooting Anja a look that said oops.

  Bishop smirked as soon as he was gone. “I can see why you keep him around.”

  “Oh, stop.” Anja smacked him on the shoulder. “I’m sure one of us would’ve thought of it eventually. But thank you for helping, I appreciate it.”

  “Speaking of which, why don’t we go give Carter a hand? We’ve got a busy night of convincing the local cab companies to check their trip sheets for a pick up here on the night she arrived.”

  “Yes, but isn’t it all on computers now? How hard can it be?”

  It turned out to be harder than she thought. It was difficult to get a company to release that information over the phone, and impossible to compel them unless they met face to face. That meant a night of driving around, Bishop and Anja paired together and Carter on his own. Unfortunately, not all of the taxi dispatchers had access to the prior nights’ records, and some would have to be visited during the day.

  “This is going to take forever,” Anja huffed, after they reached the last name on their list without any success.

  Bishop stretched, his back cracking. It’d be light soon, and time for the next level of investigation. “It’ll be fine,” he assured her. “It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, I can hit the rest of these after the business office is open.”

  “Do you want some company?” she offered. “It’s not my favorite thing ever, but I could take some stims and stay up with you.”