by Taylor Lee
Shoving at the angry response building in his throat, Jax swallowed and admitted that his serious friend was on target. All he had to do was remember his and Viviana’s strained good-bye last night. And that they’d ended up sleeping alone instead of wrapped in each other’s arms as they’d clearly wanted to be. Before he could begrudgingly agree, Greg continued.
“One more thing, Jax. You gotta have faith in me. You brought me in off the grid because you knew I was a guy you could trust. Also because I’m not exactly clueless when it comes to handling powerful women. Admittedly, Viviana Moreau is in a class by herself. That’s why you are ass-over-elbows in love with her. But, dude, while I’m undeniably not as powerful as Jaxton Hughes, I’m not chicken shit. So, man, how about you give both Sergeant Moreau and your best friend a chance? If we step out of line and do something that absolutely requires your involvement? Go for it. Jump all over us. But be sure you are willing to accept the consequences. Viviana is too rare a bird for you to try to clip her wings. And hell, Jax, why would you want to? As gorgeous and prickly as those wings are, it’s what makes the Enchantress so enchanting.”
Jax forced himself to hear what his friend was saying. It was the least he could do. Plus, as hard as it was to admit, he knew that Greg was right. He did need to let up, for Viviana’s sake and Greg’s. He owed them both that much. He needed to concede that Viviana would do everything she could to keep Greg at bay. And that a lot of what she does will be dangerous. Sucking in a deep breath, Jax blew it out slowly. He nodded at his narrow-eyed friend and raised his hands in mock defeat. Forcing himself to respond calmly, he said, “What can I say, Greg, except that you are right in every respect. I need to back off and let you do what I asked you to do. That is to command the SJPD Violent Crimes Unit—including all the members of the elite squad. You have my word, buddy. From this moment forward you call the shots at the VCU. Not incidentally, that frees me up to do the job that I was hired to do, being the SJPD police chief. Which, I’m sure we agree, is not an insignificant task.”
With a heavy sigh, Jax rose to his feet and strode toward the door. At the exit he turned and drilled his friend with a hard-eyed gaze. His voice was ironic, but there was no denying the underlying threat. “All I can say, Commander Bannon, is don’t fuck up.”
Allowing his lips to curl up in a grin, Jax flipped his friend a smart salute and headed out the door, softly singing the words to Charlie Puth’s classic. “I’m only one call away. I’ll be there to save the day. Superman got nothing on me . . . ”
Chapter 14
Please, Sergeant Moreau, come in. I’m delighted to see you.” Reaching for her hand, the stately nun dressed in a traditional habit tugged Viviana into her office. A bright smile lighting her attractive face, she invited Francis to enter as well. Moving behind her desk, she motioned to the two chairs facing her. “Please, both of you, sit down. What can I bring you? A bottle of water perhaps, or a cup of tea?” Her smile widened. “I’m always pleased to see you, Francis, but it is a rare treat when you come to the shelter, Sergeant Moreau. I trust you know how much all of us at St. Vincent’s admire you. You are an extraordinarily courageous woman. That you are as concerned as we at St. Vincent’s are about young women who find themselves in difficult straits makes you one of our heroines.”
“Thank you, Sister. I hope you know how much all of us in law enforcement appreciate the work that you and the other sisters provide to troubled young women.”
As Viviana and Francis settled into the chairs across from Sister Eloise, the smile on the perceptive woman’s face faded. She breathed out an audible sigh as she sank into the chair behind the desk and focused a serious gaze on Francis. “I wish I didn’t know you as well as I do, Francis. I knew when Sister Margaret said you’d called and needed to see me that your mission was likely a difficult one.” Her frown deepened. “And knowing your expertise, Sergeant Moreau, I fear you are here to give me bad news about one of our girls.”
The nun sighed again and raised her hands in a defeated gesture. “I presume you are here about Ariel. I was heartsick when she overdosed. She had been doing so well. Then, for no reason that we could see, she left the shelter. Within days we got word that she was in the emergency room. What made it worse was that she left and apparently went back on the street. We had hoped that she would come back here.”
Viviana was grateful when Francis answered. She knew how much work he’d done at the community center and how close he and Sister Eloise were. Given what they’d heard about the shelter, she didn’t relish the coming conversation.
Francis was uncharacteristically serious when he spoke. “I’m aware, Sister Eloise, that I come here too often with challenging news. I fear this visit is no exception. And yes, you are correct. Sergeant Moreau and I are here specifically to talk about Ariel and ask you some difficult questions.”
A pained expression flashed across the nun’s face, and she briefly lifted the cross around her neck to her lips. Meeting Francis’s concerned gaze, she said resolutely, “Ah, Francis, I thought you might be here about that troubled girl. Tell me, dear man, is she dead?”
“No, no, Sister, she isn’t dead, but . . . after she fled the hospital, she went back on the streets and is definitely using drugs again.”
At the aggrieved sigh from the solemn nun, Viviana broke in. She knew how difficult it would be for Francis to ask the sister the challenging questions they needed answered. They were questions that went to the very integrity of the shelter and of the sisters who ran it. Saving Francis from the arduous task, Viviana faced the solemn Sister.
“Sister Eloise, I can’t tell you how upset Francis and I were when Ariel regressed. If it hadn’t been for that brave young girl, we never would have brought down the hideous pedophile ring. It took everything Francis and I had to track Ariel down after she left the ER and get her to talk to us. I almost wish we hadn’t. It was painful to see how far she has degenerated. But here is the problem we are facing, Sister. When we begged her to come back to the shelter, she became almost hysterical. She said she could never return here. She insisted that evil people ran the shelter and that they were ‘after’ her.”
“What?” Sister Eloise’s shock was apparent. “I . . . I don’t understand. What could she possibly mean by that?” She turned to Francis. “Francis, you know our mission, the people who run the shelter, and the people who support it. Every one of us is dedicated to the welfare of these troubled girls.”
Francis was grim. “I do know that, Sister. But after we spoke with Ariel, I talked with a number of the more seasoned women I know who work the street. They were also concerned about Ariel, how quickly she had gone off the deep end. One of the women whom I trust confirmed that the word on the street is that ‘dangerous’ people run the shelter.”
Seeing the shock on the nun’s face, Viviana tried to reassure her. “Sister, you know that Francis and I trust you and honor you. You and the other sisters at St. Vincent’s have saved innumerable young girls. Truly saved their lives. That is why we need to get to the bottom of this rumor that is beginning to spread. Do understand. When we confronted her, Ariel was not talking specifically about you or any of the other Sisters; rather she insisted that ‘dangerous people’ are involved in the shelter. Please understand, if we hadn’t heard this from Ariel, we would never have believed it or even thought to investigate. But we owe that young woman so much, we simply had to follow up. However, I will be honest with you. I’m concerned about Ariel’s state of mind. When we were finally able to talk to her, she was so far gone on crystal that she was incoherent much of the time.”
By this time, the agitated nun was pacing the room, anxiously twisting her hands in front of her. “I simply don’t understand how anyone could be concerned about who runs the shelter. In all the years I have led St. Vincent’s, I have never been accused of wrongdoing. For goodness’ sake, take a look at our board of directors. Why, Annabelle Simpson, the mayor’s wife, chairs our board. Because of her leadershi
p, our board is comprised of a stellar group of leaders, some of whom represent major foundations. In fact, Annabelle even convinced her girlhood friend Penelope Williams to join the board. Not to be crass, but Penelope’s husband is none other than Rodney Williams, a major financier and supporter of projects like ours. It was a huge coup to attract them both. I promise you, the board rigorously ensures that we comply with every financial regulation and that there isn’t a hint of scandal concerning our operations. That is essential if we are going to continue to get the level of support that we have.”
Francis quickly protested. “Please, Sister, understand. Neither Ariel nor our other source indicated that you or any of the sisters were ‘dangerous’ or, God forbid, ‘evil.’ ”
Viviana agreed. “We needed to bring this to your attention, but we are not accusing you of wrongdoing. Far from it. We respect you and your leadership explicitly. But both Francis and I believe that it is important for you to know this rumor is circulating among the young women and girls your center serve. In the meantime, we are doing everything we can to get Ariel to go through treatment. Given the state she is in at this point, nothing she says is reliable.”
***
After they left the shelter, Francis headed back to Flemings. Conceding that she could no longer avoid him, Viviana planned to make a long-overdue stop at the precinct to connect with Greg Bannon. Except for the few minutes yesterday when Greg and Jax landed at Flemings, Viviana hadn’t spoken to her supposed commander since she blew him off in their introductory meeting. This morning he’d sent her a characteristically humorous text inviting her to lunch. He promised not to ask her anything important, such as what the hell she was doing at the VCU, and would even pay for lunch if she would only deign to meet with him.
Pulling into the precinct parking lot, Viviana wrestled with the conversation they’d had with Sister Eloise. While she believed that Sister Eloise and the other nuns at St. Vincent’s were honorable, it was clear that something had frightened Ariel enough that she’d fled the shelter and gone back to her dangerous lifestyle. Viviana gave an annoyed snort, thinking about what they’d learned about the board of directors. Wouldn’t you know that Annabelle Simpson and her do-gooder friends would be the biggest supporters of the shelter?
She could just hear Jax if he knew she was investigating the shelter and its high-society directors. He already thought she had a bug up her butt regarding cultured women. But, dammit, she knew something horrendous had sent Ariel back to the streets. If the nuns were innocent—and Viviana was sure they were—she needed to at least talk with the mayor’s wife. Carefully. It was important that she not imply in any way that Ariel’s story was true. In fact, she wouldn’t mention Ariel. No, she’d just pretend that she was interested in the shelter and impressed that Annabelle and her smugly altruistic friends were supporting a cause that Viviana was passionate about.
Chapter 15
Greg jumped up from his chair and rounded his desk, a huge grin lighting his face. He hesitated for a minute, then rubbed his eyes and shook his head in mock disbelief. “Tell me, please, that I’m not dreaming. I beg you to confirm that the gorgeous woman standing in the doorway is none other than the elusive Sergeant Viviana Moreau, aka the Enchantress!” As he strode toward her, reaching for her hands, he said, “Ah, stunning woman, if only I’d known that I could get you to come here simply by offering to buy you lunch. And, of course, by promising that we won’t discuss anything that remotely involves what my charming sergeant is doing in her on or off hours.”
Viviana laughed and accepted Greg’s quick buss on her cheek. “C’mon, Commander Bannon. I’m not that bad, am I?”
Greg winked at her and thoughtfully tugged at his chin. “Bad isn’t the word I would use to describe you, Viviana. Challenging? Elusive? Absent? All of the above. But bad? Never. Although I’m not sure my boss would agree. According to our illustrious police chief, you can be one naughty little girl. Which, in case you didn’t know, has the rest of us unlucky oafs green with envy. Ah, Viviana, to be the lucky guy who has to contend with the ‘bad’ you.”
“Really, Commander Bannon, I’d forgotten what a tease you are. Maybe I will have to hang around here more often. At least if you promise me that you won’t allow that sourpuss Lieutenant Jensen to intrude on our together time.”
Greg pursed his lips, stifling a grin. “Do I also have to promise that I won’t ask you anything that might pertain to the work you are doing?”
Viviana shrugged and gave him a saucy smile. “Now really, Commander Bannon, why would we muddle our relationship with mundane things? But given that I have been somewhat MIA since you took over this office, I do owe you a brief recap of what I’ve been doing. Which, by the way, isn’t much of anything. As I started to tell you yesterday, one of my key sources, a young woman who was instrumental in helping us bring down the pedophile gang, went off the rails. Unfortunately that happens all the time with these vulnerable girls.”
“I recall you mentioning that yesterday. I’m sorry I got called away. I would have liked to have heard more. But please, Sergeant Moreau, sit down. Our luncheon reservation isn’t until twelve thirty. I understood from both Mick O’Reilly and Jax that in addition to Flemings, you like the Paleo Plus restaurant. They assured me that dedicated carnivores like myself can find surprisingly good entrées at that proudly healthy joint.”
Greg waved her to the chair in front of his desk, then sat down behind it. Once again, a fleeting wave of regret surged over her as Viviana took her seat. She’d been so excited to get out from under Jax’s thumb that she hadn’t realized how much she would miss seeing his imposing frame across the desk. The memory of his daunting, narrow-eyed grin sent shivery sensations streaking across her lower abdomen. She quickly reminded herself that it wasn’t as though he was no longer in her life. Hardly. Jax was an omnipresent cloud that invaded every aspect of her being. At least as far as her work was concerned, she should count her blessings that it was the easy-going Greg Bannon, not the arrogant Jaxton Hughes who was in charge of her. She corrected herself with a silent smile, confirming that no one was in charge of her, which she admitted would be a heck of a lot easier to enforce with Greg Bannon than Jaxton Hughes.
Greg’s pleasant inquiry brought her back to the present moment. “Please, Viviana, tell me more about the young girl you’re concerned about. She’s obviously important to you and the work you are doing.”
Viviana quickly remonstrated. “Actually she’s not. My concern doesn’t have anything to do with the VCU. She’s important to me personally, not professionally. When I learned that she was back on the street, I hoped I could get her to go to the St. Vincent’s shelter. I don’t know if you are aware of the shelter. It’s run by some wonderful nuns, and I know Ariel would do better there.” She added, “Today I learned that Annabelle Simpson and some of her society friends are big supporters of the shelter. I wasn’t surprised. That’s apparently how women like Annabelle make up for the fact that they have so much while others have so little.”
Viviana saw the surprise flicker across Greg’s face and kicked herself for betraying her scorn. Before she could censor her words, she added, “You know, that good old ‘noblesse oblige’ trap that elite women fall prey to.”
Knowing that she had now piqued Greg’s interest, Viviana quickly changed the subject and went on the offensive.
“Tell me, Commander, has that illustrious and overbearing police chief of ours decided to back off and actually let you command the VCU?”
His quick flush confirmed that she had hit a soft spot, but Greg was too accomplished to be easily cowed. Or not to know that she was purposefully pricking his ego. He grinned at her, confirming he understood the intent of her not-so-subtle attack. “Believe it or not, the chief has only called me three times this morning to see how I’m doing, and that was after we had an hour-long breakfast meeting. At which time he warned me in compelling language what I might expect from a certain sergeant who is famously hard t
o manage.”
“Hmm. What did you say to reassure him?”
“I told him the most challenging item on my to-do list was not how to manage the intrepid sergeant but how to manage him.”
Viviana shrieked with laughter. “You told him that? Really? Oh God, Greg, I love you!”
Bannon chuckled and winked at her. “You should love me, Sergeant Moreau. I just want you to know that I have your back.”
She grinned at him and tilted up her chin. “That’s good to hear, Commander Bannon. But do know that the sergeant the police chief is so concerned about isn’t nearly as unmanageable as he claims.” She added with a wink, “Although she can be a bit of a handful.”
Greg’s expression tightened ever so slightly. “Hmm, something both the police chief and the sergeant need to understand is that I’m more than capable of handling them both.”
Viviana didn’t try to hide her surprise. Instead, she poked at his line in the sand. “Why, Commander Bannon, if I didn’t know better, I might think that you are laying down some ground rules for me.”
An amused voice from the doorway said, “As well he should. After all, he is the commander of the VCU.”
Viviana whirled to see a grinning Jax standing on the doorway. Before she could respond, Greg Bannon said with a pleasant smile, “Actually, sir, I was in the process of laying down ground rules for everyone I command—as well as those who command me.”
Striding forward, Jax tossed him a grin. Not taking issue with Greg’s on-target rebuke, he said pleasantly, “Again, Commander Bannon, as you should.”