by Jamie Hill
“VanDyke, your visitor is here,” a guard called.
He glanced up and confirmed the screw was Lester, one of the guards he’d managed to get into his pocket. Lester knew it’d be worthwhile if he was working when Van had visitors. Whatever they allowed Van to sneak inside was shared with the guards, one-third for Van and two-thirds for the screws. It wasn’t a perfect system, but it wasn’t bad. “Coming,” he replied and went to the Plexiglas cubicle with a phone in it. His son sat on the other side of the window.
Van took a seat and lifted the receiver. “Hello, Tracy. Thanks for coming, son.”
“Hey, Pop. You doing okay?”
Looking at his boy was like looking in a mirror. Thick, slicked back black hair framed the same facial features he’d sported at thirty-five. “Good enough. Hoping to hear from that shyster Bean. His last report was that the prosecutor’s case was still weak. He thought I might be cut loose soon.”
Tracy winced and squirmed in his seat. “I dunno, Pop. Bean told me a witness had come forward. Some guy that saw Rossi whack that mug punter Roy.”
“What?” Rage welled inside him. “That fucker Rossi! I never told him to off that guy, just knock him around a little. Damn it!”
“Don’t worry. I’m checking into it. Leave it to me, okay? I brought you some brownies. Wil’s been baking, and insisted I bring these to you. Had a tough time keeping the kids out of them.”
The thought of his grandchildren calmed him, and Van smiled. “How are the little monsters? How’s Tessa and your pretty wife Wilma?”
“They’re all good, Pop. Tessa’s store is doing well. No man in her life yet, but she seems happy. Wil keeps busy chauffeuring the kids around. Max is wrestling and getting ready for pee-wee basketball season. Bella’s learning to read in school. Real proud of herself, too. She talks about reading a book to you when you come home.”
“Aw. Give her a kiss from me. Tell Max to keep his hands up high when he’s wrestling. Wilma made brownies, huh? I hope she made plenty knowing as I have to share.”
Tracy smiled. “Enough for everyone, Pop. The box is nice and deep.” He nodded.
Van smiled, regaining a bit of composure. Tonight he’d enjoy a sugar-and-cocaine induced high, keeping just enough of the brownies and secret stash of blow for himself. He’d sell what was left after the screws took their portion, always making a nice profit. Yeah, Saturdays were the best damn day of the week.
* * *
Topeka, Kansas
Jordan spent a quiet weekend at home, relaxing and recuperating from their adventures on Friday. Besides the paperwork, she was basically finished with Willie E. Once they got past the drama, it had all worked out okay. She’d even gotten a compliment from the Atlanta marshals, which might not mean much, but made her feel good anyway.
She stopped for lattes on her way to work Monday and when she arrived, Nick was already there telling the others about their exploits.
“Thank you.” Ben accepted a drink. “So, we hear you almost bought it in Atlanta.”
“Not sure about that.” She rolled her eyes and handed a cup to Nick. “But yeah, the bullets were flying. It was scary there for a bit.”
Olivia sipped her latte. “Thanks. I can’t even imagine that. I hope I never have to experience it.”
Ben added, “It happens so fast, you don’t know what’s going on until it’s too late.”
Nick nodded. “It did. I probably wouldn’t have needed the hospital, but women get pissy about these things.”
Jordan and Olivia exchanged glances as Ben agreed, “Yeah, had it been just me and Doug in Chicago last year, I would have found some tweezers and plucked the bullet out. But since Christine was with us, she made us do the whole emergency room/surgery thing…” He feigned an eye roll and grinned.
“It’s getting pretty deep in here.” Jordan took the last cup of coffee and set it on the chief’s desk. She returned and asked, “Where is he?”
“Ran upstairs for a minute. Should be right back,” Olivia replied.
Jordan nodded and settled into her chair.
Nick propped himself on the edge of her desk. “It really kills you to admit that I pushed you out of harm’s way, doesn’t it?”
She leaned back and looked at him. “What really kills me is admitting that I used to find your arrogance sexy. I’m so over that.”
He grinned. “Oh, good. Because we wouldn’t want to find anything about each other sexy now, would we?”
“No. That would suck, big time. Would you go away please? I have some paperwork to do and it’d be easier if your butt was off my desk.”
He sighed. “If you insist.” Nick took a seat behind his desk and buried his nose in the computer.
The chief returned and got Nick started on his reports, while Jordan finished what was needed to close Willie’s case. She’d just returned to her desk when Doug and Christine entered the office. He hefted the car seat carrying little Avery.
“Hey, look who’s here!” Jordan squealed. “My goddaughter! Let me see that sweet baby.”
Doug glanced at his wife. “Nobody wants to see us anymore.”
“Get used to it, dear.” She patted his arm and removed Avery from her seat. “Here you go, Auntie Jordan. She just ate so take the burp rag with you.”
Jordan carefully cradled Avery in her pink swaddling blanket and grabbed the rag. “Yeah, I heard about the puking last week.”
“It’s a daily occurrence,” Doug confirmed. “Sometimes hourly.”
The chief glanced over Jordan’s shoulder at the baby. “She’ll grow out of it. They all do that.”
Olivia jockeyed for a spot to view Avery. “She’s so tiny! Just gorgeous. Congratulations, you two.”
Ben joined the group. “Did you hear about the excitement in Atlanta? It was Chicago all over again. Bullets flying, bodies hitting the floor.”
Doug looked at Jordan with surprise. “What?”
She shook her head. “It was nothing.”
Ben added, “Nick got shot.”
Doug cast a quick glance at Nick, watching from Doug’s chair. He turned back to Jordan and removed the baby from her arms. “Next.” He held Avery out and the chief took her. Grabbing Jordan’s arm, Doug pulled her into the break room. “What in the hell happened, and why in the hell didn’t you call me?”
She made a face. “Because it was nothing, and you had Peyton and the grandparents here this weekend.”
“All the more reason I could have used a distraction. They weren’t here to see me. They barely noticed me. I was basically chief cook and bottle washer all weekend.”
“Sorry. It was really no big deal. Someone took a few shots at Willie. The Atlanta marshals covered him and Nick covered me. He was grazed by a bullet and his arm bled pretty badly. We went to the ER to be safe, but he’s fine.”
“I’m surprised a bullet could get through that thick skin of his.”
She smiled. “It was kind of scary, but it all turned out okay. They gave him pain meds and antibiotics. He was a little loopy by the end of the day. Or should I say ‘frisky’.”
Doug scowled. “That son of a bitch. He better not have tried anything.”
Jordan blinked. “What, you don’t think I can take care of myself?”
“You shouldn’t have to against a person who’s acting as your partner. He’s your backup. He’s supposed to have your back, not try to get his hands on your front.”
That made her laugh. “He did have my back, Doug. He pushed me down when the bullets started and threw himself on top of me. What would you have done differently?”
Doug folded his arms across his chest. “I wouldn’t have accepted him as your partner to begin with. Did you tell the chief why it wasn’t a good idea?”
She shrugged. “I tried. Without going into too much detail, it didn’t make sense. Frankly, I just couldn’t dredge up all that stuff from the past again. When he asked if I could tough it out for one month, I said sure.”
“Damn
it, Jordan!” Doug paced around the room. “It’s just not right. He shouldn’t be here. After what he did to you—”
“He says he didn’t know,” she added softly.
Doug blinked. “Excuse me?”
She waved a hand. “Of course he knew. But when I told him that he left when I needed him the most, he said he didn’t know about that. He claims he didn’t know I needed him.”
“Bullshit!”
“That’s exactly what I said. He knew. He just didn’t care. Then I started thinking about it and wondering, could he be right? I mean, I never called him…after. I doubt you did.”
He shook his head. “I was pretty pissed. I’d have sooner kicked his teeth in than called him.”
Jordan smiled. “Me, too. So maybe I’ve been thinking badly about him all these years when I really shouldn’t have.”
“Oh, hell no. I refuse to believe that. Don’t let him twist your thinking around. He was a mangy mutt back then, and I’m sure he still is today.”
Her hackles rose and she wondered why she felt the need to defend Nick. For some reason she did. “He’s not that bad, Doug.”
His face flushed red. “Are you kidding me? This is the same guy that one week ago you were freaking out about? You texted me in a panic. Now, he’s cool and everything is great?”
“I didn’t say he was great. I believe my exact words were ‘he’s not that bad’. Look, I have to get along with him for a month. It wasn’t my idea, but now I’m forced to find a way to make it work. We’ve settled into what you might call an uneasy alliance. A truce, so to speak.”
He shook a finger in her face. “I get that you need to make this work. Just don’t let your guard down. I don’t trust him one bit.”
Jordan grabbed his finger and shook it. “Take it easy, Sabelotodo. I’m a big girl. Regardless of what you think, I can take care of myself.”
“Yeah, well, just remember what your mother used to say. You lie with dogs, you get up with fleas.”
She laughed. “Who said I’m lying with anyone? It’s one month, Doug. Three weeks now.”
“And you’ve already been shot at.”
“Like that was his fault? The shooting would have happened if you’d been there, or if I’d been by myself. Don’t blame Nick for that.”
Nick stepped into the doorway and glanced from her to Doug then back again. “Sorry to interrupt. Charlie Archer is on line two. I tried to talk to him, but he insists he needs to speak with you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Another sabelotodo. My day is complete.” She flashed a grin at Doug. “See what you’re missing?”
“I’ll take baby puke, hands down.”
Chuckling, she returned to her desk. The thought occurred that it might not be a great idea to leave Doug and Nick in a room alone, but they were grown men. They should be able to handle it. Shouldn’t they?
She dropped into her chair and punched the phone line. “Hey, Charlie. What’s up?”
“I need to talk to you, Jordan. My book just isn’t happening. I gotta get my flash drive so I can pick up where I left off, not try to start from scratch all over again.”
“We’ve talked about this, buddy. There’s no way you or anyone else can get into your storage unit and look for that stick. It’s not safe.”
“I could just slip in. Maybe at night, when it’s dark. I—”
“Charlie, no. Forget that whole idea. It just ain’t happening.”
“You need to find a way to make it happen. I’m getting very unhappy, and thinking more and more that I don’t want to testify.”
Damn it! She sighed. “Don’t say that. You know the mob is watching that storage unit.” Rather than scare him off, she tried to placate the man. “Ah, hell, we’ll figure something out. Listen, Nick and I will come see you this afternoon. We’ll talk about it, okay?”
“Who’s Nick?” he asked suspiciously.
“My temporary partner. I told you Doug was tied up with other business, remember? Nick and I’ll be taking you to LA.”
“Well, okay. I guess. I’m not thrilled, Jordan.”
“I know you’re not. It’s going to be fine, pal. We’ll see you after lunch sometime.”
“All right.” He didn’t sound sure, but he agreed and hung up the phone.
Jordan returned her receiver to its cradle. “I’m not thrilled either, tonto. Silly man.”
A loud noise from the break room snapped her back to reality and she groaned as Nick was tossed out on his ass, sputtering and scrambling to his feet.
“Ay Dios mio!” Jordan sprang to her feet and exchanged glances with a surprised Christine. She grabbed Ben by the shoulders and shoved him toward the break room. “Calling in the cavalry! Let’s go, bucko!”
* * *
Nick rubbed his chin. Doug had gotten in a good shot, and he’d probably have a bruise. He was winding up to punch back when Jordan and Ben came bursting in, arms waving. The wife wasn’t far behind, bitching up a storm at her obviously hen-pecked husband.
Ben and the wife flanked Doug and Jordan planted herself in front of him. “What in the flying fuck is going on?”
“Just a little friendly rehashing of old times.” Nick glanced at Doug warily, wondering how much the other marshal was going to say.
Doug’s eyes could have shot darts. “Friendly…rehashing. Yeah.” He shook his right hand and wiggled his fingers.
Jordan glanced from one man to the other then stomped to the fridge and removed an ice bucket from the freezer section. Grabbing two towels from a drawer, she put some cubes in each one and returned the bucket to the freezer. She folded the towels and handed one to Doug as she passed him. “Idiota.”
He continued to stare at Nick as his wife positioned the ice over his knuckles.
Jordan pressed the second ice pack to Nick’s chin. “Idiota numero dos,” she murmured.
The cold, hard bundle stung and he flinched.
She shot him a look and pressed it more firmly.
“What’s wrong with you?” the wife muttered to Doug. “You’ve got children now! You can’t be acting like some rough and tumble cowboy anymore.”
Doug frowned. “There are certain things that need addressed in the moment. This was one of those things.”
Jordan glanced at Doug. “You’re lucky Rhodes is on a long distance phone call. I think he missed the excitement.”
Olivia stuck her head in, rocking the baby. “He’s just finishing. You two better straighten yourselves up.”
“Take this,” Jordan thrust the ice pack into Nick’s hands. She grabbed him by the belt and tucked his shirttails back in, then straightened his collar and patted his chest.
He was surprised by her actions, but obviously so was Doug, whose jaw flopped open. Because his mouth still opens and closes without pain, Nick thought, only slightly amused.
The wife smoothed Doug’s clothes and set the ice pack on the counter. “We just need to go.” She nudged his ribs. “Do you have anything you want to say?”
Doug glared at Nick then looked at Jordan. “Yeah. Lie with dogs, get up with fleas.”
His wife rolled her eyes and tugged his arm. “Come on. Sorry, Jordan. We’ll get out of your hair.” She glanced at Ben. “Thanks, Ben.”
“See you around, Christine.” He smiled at her.
Jordan swatted Doug’s shoulder as he passed. To his wife she said, “Sorry, Christi. I’ll text you later.”
Christine nodded and shot a quick look at Nick. She seemed as if she wanted to say something, another apology perhaps, but she could only shake her head wordlessly as they walked out.
Nick chuckled. If she would have apologized to him, Doug would have come unglued. She’d probably done the right thing.
Through the doorway he could see them gather the baby’s things and tuck her securely into her car seat before they left.
Ben followed them out. “I’ll go have a word with the chief, distract him for a little longer.”
“Thanks,” Jordan sa
id as he left. She turned back to Nick and sighed. “What was that really about?”
Nick didn’t want to talk about it. He wanted to suggest that she stick her hand down his pants again, but thought it best not to press his luck. The steam had barely stopped pouring out of her ears. He offered simply, “That guy’s very protective of you.”
She stared at him with a blank expression. “So? Duh? We’ve been partners for six years. That’s longer than some marriages last.”
He removed the ice pack and rubbed his chin again. “Yeah. I may have asked if his wife was cool with your arrangement.”
Her eyes widened. “Arrangement? What a thing to say! Doug’s like a brother to me. I don’t know a man who’s more devoted to his marriage and family. You see, some men like children.” She started to slap his left shoulder but must have remembered the gunshot, swatting his right side instead.
Nick tossed the ice pack on the table next to him and grabbed her hand. He circled her waist with his other arm and pulled her close until their faces were inches apart. “You think smacking me like that’s gonna do any good? You might not remember, but I like it rough.”
She held her breath, her voice just a whisper. “You’re full of shit, and a real prick, you know that?”
“I never claimed to be anything different. I’m pretty much an open book. What you see is what you get.”
Her tongue flicked out, licking her lips.
He leaned forward, brushing his mouth gently against hers.
She swallowed a soft moan.
Nick smiled, brushing his lips across hers again. Leaving them there, he murmured, “You like men fighting over you, don’t you?”
Jordan’s eyes flashed as she started to protest. She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grasp and pressed the small of her back to him. As she struggled, he captured her mouth with his in a real kiss. His tongue darted forward and met no objections.