“That’s why he gambled?”
“Yep. He’d lose himself in all kinds of gambling entertainment. North bailed him out because of the guilt, and because Jacobson had been like a father figure for so many years.”
“And Danielle Chambers? When did she and Marcy meet?”
He shot me a look. “Blaine was a secretary for the same firm Chambers worked as an apprentice design engineer,” he explained as he pulled into my driveway.
Mitch was waiting on my porch, but by the time Adam stopped the car he was next to me, helping me out of the car.
“Gotta run,” Adam said as Mitch gave him a wave and shut the car door.
Mitch angled his chin toward the stairs. “Want me to carry you?”
“No, I’m okay. It was a bit of an evening though.”
His eyes narrowed. “I want the whole story.” He slid his hand under my arm. “Annie’s making tea for you.”
“It’s good to be home.” Tears rolled down my cheeks.
Annie stepped out on the deck, took one look at me and wrapped me in her arms. She smelled like cinnamon and sugar. “Adam called while the medics were working on you. I figured the best thing I could do was supply some comfort food.”
I dropped into a chair. Annie handed me a fistful of tissues, set a plate of warm cookies in front of me, then sat down and wrapped her hands around mine. “You survived, and you didn’t kill her.”
The wisdom in her eyes did more to calm me than anything else could have. I’d planned to take a life tonight. Annie understood that like no one else could. “Thanks,” I whispered.
Mitch had poured my tea and set the cup on the table, reached over and cradled my cheek in his palm. “You scared the shit out of me. Again.”
I gave him a watery smile. “It wasn’t my fault,” I said between hiccups.
“It never is, Sunshine. Probably why I love you.”
Wow. He told me he loved me in front of Annie. I laid the back of my hand against his, careful to keep my fingertips from touching him.
Annie cleared her throat. “I’m outta here. Looks like you’re in good hands.” She had one foot over the threshold, turned back and eyed me. “I passed the letter with the numbers to Pierce. He’s working on it, but we don’t know what it means yet.” She gave me a barely perceptible shrug. “It’s old. Can’t be too critical.”
“Thanks, Annie.” I’d forgotten about it what with all the…excitement.
“And—” she leveled her gaze at me— “when you need to talk about this, I’m available.”
“I know,” I whispered, gratefully.
I dug through my handbag, rescued my cell from the mess and plugged it in. There was a text waiting from Katelan. Universe wins. North lost negotiation. Looking forward to my next assignment from you!
I grinned, and held the phone so Mitch could read the message. “North got his. An excellent reminder to trust the Universe.”
“Jail would’ve been better.”
“Yeah, but since he didn’t break an serious laws…”
Mitch pulled me into his chest. “Forget North. I’m sleeping in your bed tonight.”
I started to wave my hands around, but he grabbed them, tucked them between us.
“It’s okay,” he said. “The situation has changed. Doesn’t matter if you see.”
My fingers curled around his hands and images of what he planned for us later, after I’d rested, spun through my mind and curled my toes.
I pushed back my chair, grabbed the plate of cookies and started down the hall; then turned and crooked my finger for him to follow.
He flashed me a brief, wicked grin.
I desperately needed to wash the dirt off my body and the blood out of my hair. And I needed Mitch. A soapy, wet, sexy Mitch to help me do it.
Sometime later—
“Hey, Belisama. About those numbers.” Pierce’s rich brogue came over the phone line and sent a shiver up my spine.
He knew something. And it wasn’t good. “What? Just tell me.”
“Chaos ensued. Don’t have the deets yet.”
“Huh? That letter was sitting around for ten years. How could the numbers possibly be of enough concern to you secret agent types to be chaotic?” Dread hollowed in my belly.
“There’s something else.” Pierce’s words came out way too slow. I braced my hand on the kitchen table and sat.
“What?”
“You have a security clearance.”
“Not possible.” Had his twisty mind flipped to all-out crazy?
“Listen up. You don’t need to apply for anything.”
“What? Of course I do. They’ll want background checks. Probably psychological testing…” My voice faded into the fear of exposing my sense of touch to the government.
“It’s high level. Current.” Impatience threaded through his words.
“From the government?”
“Yes.”
“The United States Government?”
“Yes.”
“Not possible.”
“Saw it. You’ve had it for twenty-six years.”
“So all this time it would have been okay for me to know—”
“Just about anything you wanted to know.” He was grinning. I could sense it over the phone line.
“Something isn’t right. Can you send me a copy?” Maybe if I held it in my hands, I’d believe it.
“No can do. And we didn’t have this conversation.”
The line went dead.
A note from L. j.
Thank you for reading a TOUCH OF TNT. I hope you enjoyed it. You can reach me…
Website: http://www.ljcharles.com/
Blog: http://ljcharles.blogspot.com/
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ljwrites
On Twitter: @luciejcharles
Happy Reading!
Table of Contents
Previously
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sometime Later…
A note from L. j.
a Touch of TNT (An Everly Gray Adventure) Page 28