My surly mood didn’t improve when I found the note on my locker announcing one of Bill’s special meetings, attendance mandatory. I clacked down the hall in my heels toward the conference room. Cougar and Linda were already inside, but at least I’d beat Bill there.
“Hey, guys,” I said breathlessly and plopped down next to Linda.
“Hey,” Linda replied, but Cougar never glanced around. He slouched in his chair and stared straight ahead at the blank dry-erase board.
“What’s this about?” I was looking at Cougar when I said it, but he didn’t answer.
“I don’t know,” Linda said.
Cougar checked his watch and grumbled, “He’d better fuckin’ hurry.”
I elbowed Linda. “Who peed in his Cheerios?”
Cougar twisted to glare at me, and my jaw dropped when I saw the shiner on his left eye. “Whoa! What happened to you?”
He turned back to the board and bounced his pen on the table in a hard rat-a-tat-tat. “None of your business.”
I held up my hands. “Fine, then. Sorry I asked.”
Bill wandered in, scribbling notes on his clipboard as he walked. He bumped into the podium, readjusted it, then smiled at us. He blinked when he looked at Cougar, but all he said was, “Where’s Tucker?”
Cougar leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, Necie, where’s Tucker?”
I frowned at his tone. “How am I supposed to know?”
“I’m right here.”
I turned to look at Tucker, who sounded as grouchy as Cougar, and got my second surprise of the day. His lip was swollen and an ugly red scrape colored his cheekbone.
“Is something going on here I need to know about?” Bill asked.
“No,” they said in unison.
Tucker took the seat farthest from Cougar, which happened to be the one to my immediate right. Cougar grunted and shifted in the other direction.
“Okay,” Bill said. “Ubi’s at the hospital, so you guys can fill him in. Necie and Tucker, he’ll be with you two backing up John David’s unit at the warehouse next week.”
“Wait.” Linda turned to me. “Thought you were taking a leave?”
“Not anymore.”
“Whoo hooo!” Linda pumped a fist in the air, and both Tucker and Bill smiled. I didn’t look around to see Cougar’s reaction.
“Hey.” Linda leaned forward, her gray eyes animated. “So, do you want to swap assignments? This undercover stuff makes me nervous. I can brief you.”
“When’s it going down?” I asked.
“Tomorrow night.”
I felt trapped. On the one hand, I didn’t want to be away from Abby right now, but on the other, I didn’t want to give them the impression that I thought I could pick and choose my assignments.
As if reading my mind, Bill said, “It’s just a meet and greet right now. I don’t think it will be a long assignment.”
“Okay,” I said. “Sounds great.”
Bill gave Tucker and Linda their files and a quick summary before dismissing them. “Go on. I’ll catch Necie up.”
After Linda shut the door behind them, Bill said, “I’m glad it worked out like this. Nothing against Linda—she’s a fine agent—but this is more your speed, Necie. If Massey got a nervous read off her, the whole thing would be blown.”
I cracked my knuckles. “So what’s the job? Routine buy?”
Bill took his glasses off and rubbed them on his shirttail. “Not exactly. Aaron Massey is hawking a cure for cocaine addiction. Fast, no withdrawals, no major side effects. The hell of it is, we think it lives up to its promise for about 40 percent of his clientele.”
“And the other 60 percent?”
Bill shook his head. “Dead. We think he’s piled up five bodies from Fort Lauderdale to here, but we don’t have enough to prove it.”
“What’s the plan?” I asked.
“Massey’s wife died four years ago from an overdose. That’s what started his obsession with finding a cure. As far as we know, Massey himself has never used. He’s been pretty selective about his customers, too, but I think he’ll strike at the right bait. You’re going to give him a situation that mirrors his own. Necie, you’re the addict; Cougar’s the despairing husband. Keep it subtle; let him overhear just enough to piece it together.”
“Where’s this going to happen?”
“Whenever he’s in town, he eats at a French joint called Paradis. He’s due back tomorrow, according to our snitch. I’ve got some notes in the file. Go over it and talk tonight, figure out your game plan.” Bill glanced at his watch. “But right now, we need to get to court.”
The federal courthouse was only a mile away, but the cold, blustery Philadelphia day didn’t exactly invite a stroll. Bill collected the rest of our crew and announced he was driving. I found myself in the back of his sedan between Tucker and Cougar while Linda rode shotgun.
I couldn’t figure out Cougar. He deflected another attempt at conversation and stared out the window. Like a third grader, he jerked his leg away from mine when our knees brushed. Whatever. I didn’t have time to worry about it. I had enough drama going on in my life without his little tantrums. We followed Bill inside and took the row of seats behind the prosecutor’s table. Any minute now, they’d be bringing Barnes in.
My stomach twisted when Maria Barnes walked into the courtroom. I was expecting a smirk, a com-ment—something—but she never even glanced at me. Visions of her and Grady exploded behind my eyes.
“Papa!” she said, and began to run.
A bailiff escorted Frank Barnes through the side door. Maria shoved the officer aside and threw her arms around Barnes’s neck. His hands were cuffed behind his back, but he placed an awkward kiss on her cheek before the bailiff pulled her back. Then he glanced at me.
All the noise in the courtroom faded while we stared at each other. His dark eyes seemed to plead for—what, mercy, understanding? I could give him neither, so I looked away.
The prosecutor leaned back to whisper to Bill. “We turned down another plea bargain. This guy knows he’s going down. The only thing that will save him now is if he decides to roll on his suppliers.”
“All rise for the Honorable Judge Forrester,” the bailiff called, and we stood.
I’d been in Matt Forrester’s court many times and knew him to be both fair and stern. Although I didn’t expect any surprises at the preliminary, I felt reassured by Forrester’s presence.
The prosecutor’s summary of the case was clear and concise. With the judge’s permission, he played the tape of Angel’s testimony, then called Cougar to the stand to verify how it had been obtained. I was up next, and the prosecutor asked me to give my assessment of Angel’s lucidity at the time we found him.
My heart fluttered when Barnes leaned to whisper something to his lawyer. I hadn’t really thought he’d reveal our relationship yet—that was a big card best saved for a jury—but in that instant I froze.
“No questions for this witness, Your Honor,” the lawyer said.
“Any other witnesses?” the judge asked.
“No, Your Honor,” the prosecutor replied.
The judge cracked his gavel and proclaimed that there was sufficient evidence to bind Barnes over to the grand jury. In the interim, he would be returned to jail to await trial. This motion didn’t seem to surprise anyone except for Maria Barnes. When the bailiff took Barnes’s arm to lead him away, she shrieked and grabbed the back of his shirt.
“Papa, no!” she cried, and I felt a sudden, unexpected stab of sympathy for her. She’d lost her mother a few years ago in an auto crash, and it seemed somehow sad and telling about Maria’s life that she could be so despondent over a miserable excuse for a man like Frank Barnes. I felt a sense of shared destiny as I stared at her. If Barnes had stayed with my mother, would I be on the other side of the courtroom crying for my father? Maybe abandoning me had been the biggest favor he’d ever done me. I’d wanted revenge on him for so long, but
now that I tasted it, it was bitter and unsatisfying.
We filed out of the courtroom, and my team gathered by the water fountain. I didn’t have the heart to join in their excited chatter. I found myself watching the courtroom doors. When Maria slipped through them and rushed into the bathroom, I excused myself from the group and followed her.
When I pushed open the door, I found her clutching the edge of a sink, crying.
“Are you okay?” I asked softly.
She looked at me and growled before snatching a swath of paper towels to dab at her raccooned eyes. With her smeared, blotched makeup, she looked like a kid playing dress up.
“I hope you’re satisfied,” she snapped, then gave a short bark of a laugh. “Oh, wait, I know better. You’re married to Grady.”
My sympathy shimmered and dissolved a little as her dark eyes met mine in the mirror.
“Geez, Denise. You must really make him beg for it. I haven’t seen a guy that eager since junior high.”
Though her face was hard, I glimpsed a hurt, angry child beneath her tough facade.
“Does it make you happy,” I asked, “to destroy my marriage?”
“About as happy as it makes you to destroy our father.” She checked her makeup in the mirror, then strode up to me. “This isn’t over. Grady was only the start. By the time I finish with you, you won’t have anything left.”
“Do you think I don’t know about loss?”
“Oh, please.” She tossed the wadded-up paper towels at the garbage can and missed. “Don’t start that ‘poor little Denise’ crap with me. So you grew up without a father. Well, guess what? You had him.” She threw her hands out. “Even now, he protects you. He never got over leaving you behind, you know. Growing up, he called me your name more often than he called me mine.” Her eyes narrowed to slits, and she gave me a coy grin. “But Grady wasn’t calling your name, was he? I don’t think he was thinking of you at all.”
The door opened, and a couple of women walked in. I felt their curious looks and took a step away from Maria.
“See you around, Maria,” I muttered, and turned away.
“You bet you will,” she replied as I pushed open the door.
Cougar was gone by the time I rejoined my team, and Bill and the others were planning on lunch. I didn’t think I could handle a big meal at the moment, so I begged off and called a cab. I was in assignment limbo until tomorrow night, so there was no reason to go back to the office and I had some time to kill before picking up Abby. I walked to the little deli on the corner, picked up a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, hailed a cab, and headed to the hospital.
Mrs. Angelino and Tori smiled when I walked into the room.
“Hey, guys,” I said, and Angel opened his eyes. He smiled, too. I patted his sheet-covered foot. “Hiya, good-lookin’. I brought you something.” I dug the carton of ice cream from the bag and wagged it in front of him. “They were out of Chunky Monkey, so I got Karamel Sutra. You want some?”
Angel nodded so vigorously I laughed.
“I’d rather have a cheeseburger,” Tori said. “I’m starving.”
Mrs. Angelino frowned. “Karamel Sutra? What kind of name is that for ice cream?”
Angel winked and I suppressed a smile. “Okay.” I sat on the edge of his bed. “You two go grab some lunch. I’ll take care of our boy here.”
“You sure?” Mrs. Angelino asked, but Tori was already on her feet. I waved them away with a plastic spoon. “Take your time.”
Angel and I watched them leave, then I tugged the top off the container. “So …” I shucked the spoon from its plastic sleeve. “Barnes was in court today. They bound his case over to the grand jury. We were only there for about half an hour. Cougar saved the day with his tape.”
Angel nodded, but his brown eyes tracked the spoon while it skimmed across the chocolate ice cream. He was as big a junk-food freak as me. I lifted a bite to his lips.
“Oh, ah.” He closed his eyes and groaned. “So … good.”
I laughed. The first real words I’d heard him say since his surgery, and they were inspired by Ben & Jerry’s. I chattered aimlessly to him about our new assignments while I fed him and stole a bite for myself when I reached the gooey caramel center.
The door opened.
“Hey, what are you doing ba—oh, hey,” I said, when I realized it wasn’t Mrs. Angelino and Tori, but Cougar. “I was just telling Angel about our new assignment.” Twisting back to Angel, I said, “So anyway, Cougar’s my new husband. We meet up with Massey tomorrow night. Sounds like fun, huh?”
I glanced over my shoulder at Cougar, who sat rigid in one of the chairs. When our eyes met, he blurted, “Are you sleeping with Tucker?”
Startled, I gaped at him before deliberately turning back to Angel. He looked shocked, too. I caught a sliver of ice cream that dribbled from the corner of his mouth and gently spooned it back. I attempted to joke, but I heard the edge in my voice when I asked Angel, “Why is it, when I marry a guy, he instantly turns from Prince Charming to possessive asshole?”
Cougar grunted, then his chair scraped against the floor. I didn’t look up when he stalked from the room, but my hand shook when I lifted the next spoonful to Angel’s mouth. “I swear you’re gonna have to come back to work soon,” I told him, fighting tears I didn’t understand. “Everyone’s gone crazy since you’ve been in here.”
What was wrong with Cougar? Even if I was sleeping with Tucker, what was it to him?
Angel’s face reddened as he struggled to speak.
“Shhh,” I said, alarmed by the effort he was exerting. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have said anything. You’ve got enough on your plate without worrying about my problems.” I forced a smile. “And for the record … no, I’m not sleeping with Tucker.”
“Cou-gar,” he said.
“Him, either. Now finish this ice cream before it melts.”
Angel accepted a couple more bites before turning his face away. He’d just dozed off when a nurse came in to take him to physical therapy. Together, we managed to get him into the wheelchair. I checked my watch after she wheeled him away, then moved to the chair Cougar had abandoned. Bright winter sunlight streamed through the windows, making me drowsy. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.
I dreamed of Cougar.
We were outside, somewhere. Snow swirled around us, and my hair whipped in my face. For a moment, we simply stared at one another. Frustration darkened Cougar’s face before he turned away.
“What do you want from me?” I yelled over the howling wind then touched his shoulder.
He spun and grabbed my hand. “You know what I want.”
His words made my stomach flutter, but I said, “I don’t.”
“You do.” He yanked me toward him and I half-fell into his arms. “I want everything,” he said, then he kissed me.
I awoke with his name on my lips and my pulse pounding in my ears.
Cougar stood at the foot of Angel’s bed, watching me. His mouth opened in surprise, and in that instant, his face was completely open and unguarded. It spooked me to see him look so vulnerable.
“I’m not sleeping with Tucker,” I said, before I even realized I was going to.
Cougar’s eyebrows shot up, and the hard lines in his face softened. I stood on wobbly legs, still disoriented from the dream kiss. The air crackled with some strange undercurrent. My chest hurt, and I realized I was holding my breath.
Cougar took a step toward me and held out his hand. “Necie …”
Angel’s door opened. Cougar dropped his arm and turned away when Tori entered. She held the door for her mother, who pushed a pale Angel inside.
“Look what we found in the hall,” she said with a wink. The nurse followed behind her, scribbling something on a bag of IV fluid with a marker.
Cougar moved quickly to help them get Angel back into bed, then he faced me. “Hey, we need to talk,” he said, and my stomach flip-flopped.
“Massey’s hit town a day earl
y. Bill thinks he’ll be at Paradis tonight. Do you think you can make it?”
“Oh.” I shook my head to clear it of the strange, stupid thoughts it seemed filled with. “Yeah. Let me call Elizabeth to see if she can keep Abby.”
“What about Grady?” Cougar asked, and I rolled my eyes.
“Long story. I’ll tell you later.”
I moved to the desk phone and tried to call Grady’s mother. No answer. I hung up and stared at the wall, trying to think of anyone else I could trust to take care of her for a few hours.
“I can watch your little girl, Necie,” Tori said. “I babysit a lot back home.”
“We could both go,” Mrs. Angelino added. “As soon as Linda gets here to stay with John.”
“That would be great,” I said. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Mrs. Angelino made a face. “After all you’ve done for John? Don’t be silly.”
“Are you going home now?” Tori asked. “Because I could ride with you, let Abby have a chance to get used to me before you leave.”
Cougar glanced at his watch. “I can go home, get ready, swing back by here to pick up Mrs. Angelino, then bring her by your house.” A funny look crossed his face. “That is, if you want me to pick you up. If it will cause problems, we could meet somewhere—”
“Grady’s not there,” I said. “Yeah, that sounds great. Tori, you ready to ride?”
“Yup!” She kissed her brother on the cheek before bouncing toward the door.
Cougar followed us into the hall. He grabbed my hand as we walked toward the elevator. It felt so much like my dream that my breath caught, but when I turned, he let my fingers slip through his.
“So, we know what needs to go down with Massey?” he said.
“Oops, forgot my purse,” Tori said. “Be right back.”
I nodded, then looked up at Cougar. “Yeah. We’ll make a little conversation. I’ll go take a hit as soon as we get there … we’ll fight.” I forced a smile. “We’re getting pretty good at that.”
Cougar blinked and stared down at his shoes. “I’m sorry, Necie.” He shuffled his feet and wouldn’t meet my eyes. “Guess I owe Tucker an apology, too.”
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