by Bess George
Her clean scent was like a drug to him as he breathed her in. He lowered his head to rain kisses on her face and shoulders. The muscles of his back twitched for more when she ran her soft hands down its length.
She pressed a kiss to his chest. “Do you think things will always be this intense between us?”
“For the next twenty or so years, then I’ll be down to wanting you just once or twice a day.”
She gave an enormous jaw-breaking yawn. He laughed and rolled away from her to stand. The crash had started. After pulling the blanket up to cover her, he looked down at her.
His heart lurched at the sight of her pale, innocent face. “You need sleep, honey. I’m going downstairs to work.”
She was asleep by the time he finished the sentence. Jaw clenched, his hands curled into tight fists, he tried to control his anger at the sight of her bruises. He’d had enough of this asshole.
He bent to switch off the bedside lamp. Then he pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Princess.”
When Kelsey awoke the next morning, her first reaction was to reach for Bode. She came awake when her hand touched an empty bed. Every muscle in her body screamed when she tried to sit up.
Her stomach heaved in protest from the pounding in her head. She lay motionless until the dizziness passed before plodding into the bathroom. A groan escaped after one look. Small cuts dotted her face. The nasty looking bruise on her cheek looked good compared to her two black eyes.
She still lingered in front of the mirror when Bode joined her. Already dressed, he carried a steaming cup of coffee. He set it on the counter and hugged her from behind.
“Looking good.” He teased and kissed the top of her head.
She glared and pointed a finger at his reflection. “Don’t mess with me, Detective Taggert.”
He laughed and twirled her around to face him. His hands were gentle as he cupped her face. Her knees went weak from the tender moment.
“Can you shower alone or do you need some help?” he asked with a wicked grin.
Her mouth tightened in a grimace. “I better try this on my own. Number one, you’re ready for work and number two, I’m so sore I don’t think I’m up for any wild shenanigans.”
He chortled and lowered his head to caress her lips with his. By the time she forgot about her soreness, he’d started the shower.
“I’ll go make us some breakfast while you get cleaned up.”
The hot spray made her sigh in relief as it kneaded sore muscles. She twisted the faucet off when the water became tepid and reached for a towel. Her clothing options were limited to the yoga pants and shirt she’d left here the day before.
She gingerly descended the stairs. Voices drifted toward her from the direction of the kitchen. The conversation ceased when she entered the room. Bode stood at the stove cooking while Steve sat drinking coffee.
Going straight to the cabinet, she grabbed an empty cup. Murder attempt or not, a woman needed to maintain her priorities. Cradling the nectar in her palms, she faced them. “Well, what now?”
The sun’s rays shining through the kitchen window were too bright for a headache she’d woken up with. She paced to the window and closed the curtains.
Bode huffed out a disgusted little sound as he scooped eggs on two plates already piled with bacon and toast. He picked them up and ushered her toward the table.
Too nervous to eat, she used her fork to move the food around on the plate, giving the appearance of consumption.
Steve cleared his throat. “The tech guys confirmed that your brake lines were cut. People are scouring the city looking for Miles Robbins so we can question him. We can’t rule out the possibility that his being here is just a weird coincidence. Is there anyone else in your past that might be targeting you?”
Giving up the pretense of eating, she laid her fork down on the table. “It will take a while to go through my old cases. I maintained a high conviction rate for several years.”
“Think outside the scope of your job, too. Would anyone be angry at you, or perhaps believe you wronged them somehow? How about financially? Maybe you had personal loans or investments that went south?” Steve held his notebook, waiting for her to answer.
She considered the possibilities. “No one comes to mind. Of course, my portfolio is handled by a brokerage firm. I don’t give loans or cheat on my taxes, either. Other than work, I can’t think of any reason someone would hate me.”
“Okay. I’m going back to the office. Let me know if you think of anything else we should consider.” Steve swallowed another gulp of his coffee and left for the station.
Bode strode over to the table, scooped her up, and sat down with her on his lap. “I will find this guy, Kels, and I’m going to rip him apart piece by piece.” He rested his head on her shoulder.
A memory flashed in her mind. “I don’t think this will end up being important, but I forgot to tell you. The day of my apartment fire, I saw Joe standing in the crowd. It struck me as weird because I don’t think he lives in the neighborhood.”
Bode picked his head up. “Have you seen or heard from him again?”
“No. He never called me again to meet for coffee. I assumed he got busy and forgot.”
“What was his last name? I’ll check him out.”
She searched her memory and then snapped her fingers. “Graham. I think it was Joe Graham. But why would he want to harm me? He’s not from one of my past cases, or I’d remember him.”
“Well, I don’t feel as warm and fuzzy about this guy as you do, but I promise you that I’ll find out everything down to his shoe size.”
Her heart fluttered at his hard, determined expression. A knock sounded on the front door. Bode got up and sat her down in the chair as if she were made of spun glass. She listened to him talking while returning to the kitchen.
A young patrolman followed Bode into the room and waited for him to pick up his jacket and gun. “Kelsey, I’m leaving for work. Meet Pete Johnson. His job is to guard you this morning. Later today, another officer will relieve him. I’ll be home as early as I can. Use my computer to start reviewing your old cases. If something pops out at you, call me.”
He adjusted his jacket over his holstered weapon. “This is just a precaution until we get a better handle on what this is all about. You don’t need to worry. You’re safe as long as you’re here.” He glared at her. “And you are going to stay here, right?”
She gave an indignant snort, then winced at the pain. “Of course, I’m not going anywhere. I resemble a creature out of a horror movie. Go catch the bad guy and please, don’t worry about me.”
Bode swung her into the circle of his arms. “That’s like telling the sun not to shine, honey.” Covering her lips, he crushed her to his chest. When he turned her loose, the officer still had his back to them studying the wall.
“No one comes in or goes out except for cops. If you notice anything suspicious, call in for backup. I’ll check in later.” The patrolman inclined his head, and Bode strode out the door.
She sighed. “So, Officer Johnson, how do you feel about yoga?”
Chapter 21
Bode arrived at the precinct and dropped down into his chair. He’d just logged into his email when Steve strolled up and rested a hip on the corner of his desk. Both men remained silent and after a minute, Bode sat back. “What?”
His partner grinned. “That sure was a domestic scene this morning. Is your little black book being retired?”
“Don’t start with me,” Bode warned. “I’m just helping a friend. I’d do the same for anyone.”
Steve laughed and stood up. “Okay, you’re off the market. The least you can do for your best pal is pass the information along. There’s no sense wasting something that valuable.” He paused for a moment. “You’
re serious about this woman, right?”
He grumped. “Can we just get to work, please?”
Steve chuckled. “You’re the luckiest bastard I ever met.”
“Yeah, call me Mr. Lucky. Some sicko wants to whack the woman I’m dating,” he said in a dry tone. “Let’s meet in ten and go over what we know so far.”
Bode gathered his notes and went over to the whiteboard to write down what little information they had.
Steve came back in and refilled his cup. When he finished adding several packets of sugar to the strong coffee, he went to read the writing on the board.
He looked back over his shoulder at Bode. “We don’t have much to go on, do we? I’ll add my notes about the fire to see if we’re missing anything. Who is Joe Graham?”
“He’s a guy Kelsey met when she moved to Redding. They’ve had coffee a time or two. He might have been in the crowd of gawkers at the fire.” He winced as he massaged the knot of tension at the back of his neck.
“You think he could be part of this?”
Bode frowned. “I don’t know what to think. This guy just happens to meet Kelsey at her hotel and then happens to be at her favorite coffee shop. Was he targeting her for a purpose? I don’t know, but it seems strange that he up and disappeared. We need to see if there are any ties to Robbins.”
“Think they could be working together?” Steve asked.
“Maybe. Did you receive Kelsey’s old case information?”
“Her conviction rate was unbelievable. You can bet she wasn’t winning any popularity contests. The locals there are going through records for the whereabouts of recent releases and family members. We’ll get a list and send it to her to read over.”
A tall scruffy looking man entered the room. He carried the athletic build of a younger man, but his leathery complexion made him appear like he’d been around the cop shop for a long time.
“Captain.” Bode greeted his boss.
“Taggert. Where are you with the Brackston case?”
“We’re working with DPD for other connections in her cases. So far, Miles Robbins is the most promising. His brother Otis Warren was the guy who attacked Kelsey. He was going back to prison, probably for life and blamed her. Maybe Robbins did too. It seems far-fetched that he moved from Dallas to Redding without a reason. We’ve still got people searching for him, but he’s a ghost.”
“Morrison, give us a minute,” his captain said with a frown.
Steve’s brow raised in question as he passed his partner on the way out of the room.
Bode waited for what his boss had come here to say with a sense of uneasiness.
“How is Kelsey?” the man asked in his deep voice.
“Sore but nothing too serious. She’ll go back to work after Thanksgiving. She was lucky. The seatbelt kept her from being seriously hurt.”
Captain Roberts stared him straight in the eye. “I enjoyed meeting her last night at the fundraiser. She’s a very bright young woman. I was a little surprised when you showed up at the dinner. I didn’t realize you were in a personal relationship with anyone.”
Bode’s stomach grew tight and hardened. His private life was just that, private. “We met through David and became friends.”
“Isn’t she at your house?”
He stared fixedly at his boss. The man already knew the answer since that’s the address where the patrolmen were assigned to guard Kelsey. Where is he going with this?
His shoulders lifted in a negligent manner. “She’s living in the director’s apartment at the community center. If someone is threatening her, I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to be surrounded by innocent children. Hopefully, we can find this guy and she can go home.”
“Still, I wonder if you’re too involved to be in charge of this.”
Bode tamped down a surge of anger before giving the man more fuel to remove him. After a deep breath, he answered in a calm and detached voice. “Well, Captain, I don’t think my personal interest in Kelsey will be an issue. We’re in the investigative phase. When the time comes, you can make that call. For now, I’d like to stay on the case.”
The big man remained motionless without saying anything. He walked toward the door but stopped before exiting and looked back over his shoulder.
“Okay, fine for now. Keep me in the loop on this and tell me if anything changes regarding your objectivity.” He paused a fraction of a second before continuing. “Find this guy before he tries again.”
Bode worked the phone, talking to people acquainted with Kelsey either in a personal or professional way. At two, he called to check on her and verify the replacement officer had shown up. At seven, tired and hungry, he drove home.
The desire to see her and make sure she was okay had him pushing the speed limit. He turned onto his street and gaped at the sight. All the lights in his unit were on, and several cars sat parked in front. It appeared like someone was having a party.
He parked in the garage and strode into the kitchen. A pleasant aroma reached him, and his empty stomach growled. A large pot of chili simmered on the stove with cornbread muffins on the counter.
Laughter came from the living room, so he followed the sound. His jaw dropped in astonishment. Officer Johnson, Officer Kendall, Ann, and Riley Smith were playing cards with Kelsey as if they were all the best of friends.
Anger threatened to choke him. He stalked across the floor and placed one hand on each side of Kelsey. Itching for a fight, he bent down close to her face. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Ignoring his apparent fury, her innocent face smiled up at him. “You told me I couldn’t leave so I talked everyone into coming over here—”
He shook his head to clear it, the urge to throttle her riding him hard. “I told you not to go out, but I also said no one was to come in.” His enraged eyes swiveled toward Officer Johnson with an unspoken reprimand.
The young patrolman shifted uncomfortably, and both officers stood up at the same time, mumbling about needing to go.
Kelsey frowned at his actions. “Listen, don’t blame them,” her voice rose in indignation. “I insisted they eat dinner to repay them for having to sit around and babysit me all day.”
“It’s their job. They’re here to protect you, not to amuse you.” He could see every nick, cut, and bruise and it ratcheted his temper.
Before she responded, Ann got to her feet and addressed Bode. “We’re going to take off, too. We did have reasons for coming over here today. She needed someone to talk to. I came because she needed me, and Riley came to make sure her PTSD symptoms didn’t overwhelm her.”
Riley helped Ann into her jacket. “Just because this nutcase is real, doesn’t mean her issues have gone away. So, Kelsey, don’t make trouble for yourself and Bode, chill out.” Ann accepted Riley’s offered arm and they left.
He stared down into Kelsey’s face. Her defiant blue eyes flashed anger at him, unwilling to give an inch, which fueled his own bad mood.
“What don’t you get about me trying to keep you safe?” he demanded in an icy voice. “Do you not understand someone attempted to kill you?”
“I understand perfectly. Remember, I’ve lived through this particular nightmare before. I don’t need you to micromanage my life, and I don’t intend to live in a bubble. Now back off and give me some room.” She pushed him away, then jumped up from the table and hobbled away on stiff legs.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and let her go, knowing he was too frustrated to follow.
Kelsey made her way up the stairs and into the master bedroom. What a jerk. What does he think I’m going to do, sit here and twiddle my thumbs? He doesn’t understand me at all. She slammed the drawer shut after grabbing a short gown. I hid the last time, but I’m not going to again.
Bode wanted to prote
ct her by wrapping her in cotton. Not going to happen. Weariness enveloped her as she changed clothes and decided to use the spare bedroom. It was empty except for a small bed that got used when someone visited. Perfect.
Humming a lullaby, she stared at the ceiling. The fear she had kept at bay by concentrating on her friends cascaded down on her, stealing her ability to breathe.
A sense of helplessness brought tears close to the surface. After several hours, her muscles relaxed enough for her to drowse off. The door banged open and she shrieked as someone scooped her up.
Struggling to get her bearings, she recognized Bode’s scent and her racing pulse began to slow. He muttered, but she couldn’t understand the words. Standing by the side of the bed, he dropped her. The bounce brought her wide awake.
“Are you crazy? I know why I’m mad at you but what are you mad at me about?” she screeched.
His impassioned eyes glittered down at her. “What do you think you’re doing? We’re not traveling down this road, honey. If you’re pissed off at me, tell me or punch me but I’m not letting you shut me out.” His chest heaved as he finished in a whisper.
Her heart swelled with a feeling she’d never known before and she reached up for him. He went down beside her and wrapped his arms around her so tight it was hard to breathe. All the fight vanished from them both and they simply held one another.
When she wasn’t mad, she was scared spitless. Someone wanted to kill her. The reality of that statement caused a sour taste in her mouth and an involuntary shudder rippled through her. Bode tightened his hold. Her head was nestled against his neck, his lips pressed against her hair.