In Walked Trouble (Under Covers)

by Christina Elle

  His mother leaving him.

  The despicable foster homes he’d been placed in.

  The bullying from kids at school when he came to class wearing the same clothes he’d worn the day before.

  Yeah, he’d like to erase all of that.

  Monique brought Cassandra’s wine and asked if they were ready to order. Since neither of them had looked at the menu, yet, they quickly scanned and made their selections.

  After Monique walked away, Cassandra asked, “So where are you from?”

  He thought about lying. He wanted to. It was so much easier to be someone else. It was one of the reasons he loved going undercover with the DEA. He could be anyone he wanted. A high-powered businessman with the best of everything and a stellar upbringing, if he wanted.

  But this time, just once, he gave her the real him.

  “Texas,” he said, lifting his glass and staring at the deep amber liquid. “Vista Point. Ever heard of it?”

  Her eyebrows knitted, then she shook her head.

  “Most people haven’t.” After a long swallow, he said, “It’s a tiny town at the southernmost tip. Right above Mexico, on the water. Great for fishing and boating.” Probably the only happy times he’d ever had as a kid. Out on their neighbor’s boat, floating all day, ignoring every shit thing in his life except being a boy.

  She idly toyed with the base of her wineglass, and it immediately took his mind away from his childhood and instead made him picture her fingers on him. Touching. Exploring. Scraping her nude-colored nails along his back, scoring his skin. He shook himself to come back to the present.

  “Do you still have family there?” she asked.

  Natural question, since she was scheduled to fly home to visit her family.

  “No family to speak of.” It had just been him and his mom. The dynamic duo, she used to say. Or at least they were until she got involved with boyfriend number seven, who was such an upstanding guy. Drug user. Philanderer. Thief.

  She waited a moment, probably for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. She caught on quick that he didn’t want to discuss it, because she moved on. “You said you’re only in town a short while for business. Do you travel a lot for your job?”

  All over the world. The DEA had sent him to remote villages not even documented on a map and high-priced cities that could have been draped in twenty-four-karat gold. Drugs didn’t discriminate based on income or affluence.

  “You could say that,” he responded. “There are always deals being made.”

  She frowned as if disappointed by his vague answer, so he added, “I’ve been to just about every country at least once, except maybe Iceland, Sweden, Norway, and Scotland. Oh, and Antarctica.” Penguins weren’t big drug users.

  It’s not that he didn’t want to tell her what he did. It’s that right now he couldn’t. She was involved in some way with Ronan and Joaquin, and until they could rule that out, it was best if she didn’t know he was using her for information. As soon as he said the word DEA, she’d put two and two together and that would cancel out any chance he had of finding out what she knew, and possibly tracking down Serrano.

  “Where was your favorite place to travel?”

  He took a second to think about that. There were so many amazing places he’d been. Some he could even imagine taking her. One in particular stood out from the rest. The most remote island in the world.

  “Tristan da Cunha,” he said. “Tiny, rustic, and quiet. Plush greenery, tall mountains, old dirt roads. It’s the kind of place you go to get lost.” With less than three hundred total people, bathing suits were optional. They could pack nothing but a bottle of sunscreen and be on the next ferry out. Complete escape. Just him, her, and the soft sounds of the water lapping against the shoreline.

  Heaven.

  “Sounds amazing,” she said through a sigh. Placing an elbow on the table, she cradled her chin in her hand, her eyes glittering.

  Damn, if that’s all it took to ramp her up, he’d tell her about every trip he’d ever taken until she was hot and panting in his bed.

  “I’ve always wanted to see the world,” she said. “The history, the culture.”

  “Best way to get an education, in my opinion,” he said. “No offense, Ms. Guidance Counselor. School wasn’t my thing.”

  She let out a small, playful laugh. “None taken.” Then her excitement faded, and another emotion clouded her features. She looked at him, but didn’t appear to be looking at him. “I was scheduled to go abroad during my senior year in college. Spain and then Greece. It would’ve been incredible.”

  He slid his empty glass to the edge of the maroon tablecloth. “What happened?”

  Her eyes cleared and she came to. “My sister got sick, so I wanted to be stateside just in case.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “Turned out to be nothing. She has a great team of specialists who really know what they’re doing. But it was better to be home with her.”

  She seemed to make a lot of sacrifices for other people. Her family. Her students. Probably her ex, too.

  “Are your parents close to your sister?” he asked. “In distance, I mean.”

  “Oh, yeah. They all live together. My sister can’t be on her own. She has muscular dystrophy.” She lowered her gaze to the table and with it her shoulders fell, too.

  He leaned in and softened his voice. “What is it?”

  Cassandra brought a sad gaze back up to his. “When I moved here, she wasn’t that bad off. It’s only been within the last year or so that she’s really been dependent on my parents. I always knew that if anything ever happened to my mom and dad, that Meredith would be my responsibility. One I willingly accept,” she quickly said.

  “It seemed like a lifetime away, so I guess I figured when that time came, I’d just move her out here with me. But she can’t be that far from her doctors. She needs so much attention now. I wouldn’t want to have her relapse because I forced her to endure the travel. The only logical solution is for me to move back to Minnesota. But I love my job here in Baltimore. I don’t want to leave that. The students need me. Plus, I’m vested. If I moved now I’d have to start over. My retirement, my tenure. I’d lose all of it.” She let out a long exhale. “It won’t be an easy decision. No matter what I choose, someone loses.” She went silent, so Luke let her have her peace. After a few seconds, she shook herself and her cheeks grew pink. “Oh, God. Sorry. I just babbled all that. It’s not your problem.”

  His lungs constricted. No, it wasn’t his problem. But that didn’t mean she had to act like it wasn’t important. She was lucky to have a family to worry about.

  “Well, it sounds like you still have a little bit of time,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  “Yeah,” she said with a ghost of a smile. “I’m a worrier. Always have been. I stress about things that haven’t happened yet and things that might never happen. It’s part of my charm.” Her smile curled fully, making her eyes sparkle.

  His breath caught. Dangerous. This woman was dangerous when she looked at him like that.

  Luke adjusted in his seat again, draping an arm on the table in front of them. “It’s gotta be tough out here on your own.”

  “It is.” She released a ragged breath. “Was. Daniel and I moved out here together, and I think deep down I knew it wasn’t the right decision, I just ignored it and figured all couples went through stages where they were distant with each other.”

  “Was he gone a lot?” Luke asked. A single stiff nod was all she offered, which told him all he needed to know about their relationship. Daniel probably started out legitimately working late to get ahead in some stuffy office job, then started to spend more time with his coworker who just happened to need to stay late, too. Probably escalated into casual dinner and drinks in his office, then morphed into dessert on his desk with the woman’s legs spread.

  Her eyes clouded with a far-off memory. “It became an issue when we spent more time apart th
an we did together. I was lonely, but I couldn’t admit it to myself. I guess I thought if I did, that I was a failure or something. That I didn’t give our relationship enough of a try. So I held on, hoping it would get better. It didn’t.”

  “Sorry,” he said a little rougher than he meant. Cassandra dealt with enough already. She didn’t need an asshole ex who took advantage of her. “Guys can be real dicks.”

  Cassandra shrugged like she didn’t want to care, but Luke caught the deep hurt in her expression. It made him want to find her ex and strangle some sense into him. The guy needed to know what he was missing. Cassandra was an amazing woman. In fact, Daniel didn’t deserve her. Hell, Luke barely felt good enough. She lived for others. And that rare quality was one he wasn’t used to.

  Their food arrived and they continued with casual conversation while they ate. She spoke some more about school and asked more about his travels. It was a nice change from his normal dates. The women he typically took out wanted to talk only about themselves, which was expected since he’d met most of them at bars. Nothing serious. And usually nothing beyond a few dates. He enjoyed being able to talk honestly about himself, too.

  She’d transitioned into stories about her childhood when her phone rang in her purse.

  “Oops, sorry.” Checking the screen, she started to scoot toward the end of the bench. “It’s my dad. I have to take this.”

  Now aware of her family dynamic, he didn’t take offense. He gestured for her to go. She slid out and walked toward the restaurant’s entrance.

  “This is the most boring conversation I’ve ever freakin’ heard,” Tyke grumbled over the COMs. His words were jumbled as if he spoke between bites of his steak. Tyke was nothing if not a carnivore. “Is this really how you get women in your bed, Calder? You just talk their ear off all night?”

  “Sorry to tell you this, buddy,” he murmured, “but you do actually have to talk to a woman to get her to sleep with you.”

  “Screw you,” he said. “I talk to women.”

  “Explaining which toppings you want on your meatball sub doesn’t count,” Luke replied.

  “Dick.”

  “Yes,” Luke said under his breath, “that’s involved, too. Want me to review how all that works? What you have is called a penis. What she has is called—”

  “This is stupid,” Tyke said. “It’s not like Serrano’s coming to kill Calder while he’s eating. We don’t have to do this. I’ve got better shit to do than sit and watch this.”

  Laughter from Ash. “What did you expect tonight was going to be, Tyke? You know how boring surveillance can be. Did you think Calder was going to divulge some magical piece of information to nail women?”

  More grumbling. “It’s boring. They’re just talking about work.”

  Luke scanned the front of the restaurant, watching Cassandra pace by the door. Her relaxed body language suggested it was a routine call. “Sorry I can’t make it more interesting for you, Bryan. I’ll be sure to fill you in on the details after I take her home tonight.” He wasn’t assuming that’s where tonight would lead. But it gave him endless satisfaction to let Tyke think that’s where it was headed.

  Tyke made a sound deep in his throat, a half grunt, half groan.

  “Hey, lover boy,” Ash cut in. “Use some of those charms to get her back on track about the park.”

  “Copy that.”

  “Be advised,” Reese’s voice came through. “We have movement outside the entrance. Approximately six feet, dark hair, tan skin, wearing a thick black jacket and jeans. I would estimate eighteen years old. Hands are in his pockets. Scanning the outside of the restaurant.”

  Luke casually lowered his arm from the top of the booth to his side. He was wearing his obscured holster tonight, so the gun rested on the inside of his waistband and out of plain sight. He glanced at Ash and Tyke a few tables over, watching as they also moved their hands to their sides.

  The team had nothing against young people hanging around the front of the restaurant. What the guys worried about was that most of the crowd here was made up of older men in slacks and business shirts, and women in dresses. The kid was out of place and sounded much too similar to Ronan and his crew.

  “Can you get an ID?” Ash asked.

  “Nothing yet,” Reese said back. “He’s leaning against the building with a cigarette.”

  “Keep us posted,” Ash said. “If we have to, we can divert, and Calder can go out the back.”

  “Copy.”

  Cass made her way back to the table, carrying her cell phone in her hand. She sat and moved toward the center of the bench. “So sorry about that. He checks in a lot.”

  “How is everything? Good?”

  She offered a brave smile. “Yeah, they’re really excited that I’m coming home. He said my sister has been asking about me every day.” Her gaze skirted to the side a brief second, and with it came a look of guilt, then she looked back to him with a pasted-on smile. “I’ll see them in a few days. It’ll be great.” Cassandra picked up her wineglass, tipped her head back, and took a long sip. After swallowing, she said, “So…”

  “So.” He picked up his water and swirled chunks of ice inside, making it clink against the glass, before taking a sip.

  “Where were we?”

  “I was about to ask you more about work.”

  Her eyebrows lifted and the corners of her mouth tipped up. “Oh, okay.”

  The delight in her voice gave him a small start. It pissed him off she was so shocked that someone would be interested in her and her job. Didn’t Daniel, the wonder-ex, ever encourage her to talk about herself?

  Then he realized the only reason he was asking her about her job was for ulterior motives, which pissed Luke off more. He hated using women. Especially one as sweet and giving as Cassandra.

  He lounged a little in the booth and tried to remind himself to remain detached. Not an easy task while her green eyes stared back at him in eager anticipation. “Is John Carver the only school you’ve worked for in Baltimore?”

  She rocked gently while crossing one knee over the other. “Yep. It was the first school Teachers Across America sent me to after I got my degree. I feel indebted to it. The students there need me.”

  From what the team had witnessed, the students needed a hell of a lot more than just a caring counselor, but he caught her meaning. They did need someone who had their backs and wanted them to succeed, even when their own parents didn’t.

  The other important piece was that she was sent to the school by a reputable organization like Teachers Across America. She didn’t specifically request to go there. If she had, he might have cause to worry about her involvement in the gang and drug issues.

  But she could have worked at John Carver for a while and then got immersed in the gang world.

  “How are your students?” Luke asked.

  She tilted her head like she didn’t understand his question.

  “Do you have students who need extra attention?” he clarified. “Involved in anything they shouldn’t be?” Like Miguel Cortez or Eduardo Garcia.

  She groaned. “I have a lot of students like that. Most of my students are in need of some sort of help. I’m doing what I can.”

  “Suspect is on the move,” Reese cut in. “Headed west down Aliceanna with cell phone to his ear.”

  Ash tilted forward slightly in his chair, catching Luke’s gaze. The threat wasn’t immediate, but it wasn’t over, either. “Make sure he doesn’t double back, Reese.”

  Lifting her wineglass, Cassandra tipped her chin up and finished the contents. Once she rested it on the edge of the table, she said, “I never got a chance to properly thank you.”

  He placed his knife and fork on his empty plate. “For what?”

  Her cheeks tinted red and she looked away. “The other night. At Max’s.”

  “Don’t even mention it.” He scratched his ear, feeling the tiny plastic triangular shape buried deep in the canal. No, really, don’t mentio
n it.

  “You could’ve easily taken advantage of me, but you didn’t.”

  “What a saint our boy is,” Tyke mumbled.

  She bit her lip. “I mean, I was pretty drunk and desperate.”

  “Really?” Tyke asked with too much interest. “How drunk and desperate? Because I could—”

  “You just needed a friendly ear, that’s all,” Luke replied. “I was happy to help.”

  She covered her forehead with a palm. “And the morning after. Oh my God!” she hissed through a whisper. “I can’t believe I thought those old ladies were squeezing your…” She lowered her voice, but it didn’t matter. The guys would hear it. Loud and clear. “Balls.”

  “Your what?” Tyke barked a laugh. “What the hell happened the other night? You said you were going to Max’s to chill. What exactly does chill mean to you?”

  “You took her back to Maybel’s?” Ash’s voice like steel came next. “A woman you know nothing about, who very well might be related to our case?”

  Luke resisted the urge to justify his actions to the voices in his head. Cassandra might know something about whatever was going on in the high school with the drugs, but he was damn sure she wasn’t a serious threat. He’d stake his career on it. The woman cared too much about her family and students.

  “Seriously, forget about it. I was happy to help.” He glanced at her empty plate. “All finished?” It was time to get away from prying eyes and ears. First thing he was doing when they got out of here—taking the damn earpiece out.

  “Don’t be so quick to leave, Calder,” Tyke said with a smirk in his tone. “It’s getting good. I wanna hear more about how desperate she is.”

  “Of course you do,” he said under his breath.

  “What did you say?” Cassandra asked.

  “Nothing.” He flagged Monique and requested the check. “Ready to go?”

  Chapter Eight

  Cass followed Luke in her car through the city, tightening and untightening her hands on the steering wheel. What had possessed her to give him all that information about her family? First, it was none of his business. She barely knew him. And second, what did he care? Her family’s problems weren’t his concern. It’s not like he could help. Daniel had been her almost-fiancé and he didn’t give much thought about her family, so why would some random guy she’d just met care?