by Lea Griffith
“MacGuire’s, huh? Yeah, it’s a date,” Daly said, and smiled before she turned back to Carrie. “Let’s go, kid.”
Carrie glared at her. “Where we goin’?”
“Wherever I take you. You keep giving me attitude and I may just drop your behind on the street and speed off.”
“I’ll report you for abandonment.”
Daly smiled at the girl’s spunk. “You could try.”
They left the DJJ office. They had just turned a corner to head out the main entrance of the courthouse when Daly plowed into a hard, male body.
“I’m so sorr—”
His big hands grabbed her shoulders and the air around her charged. Jeremiah.
“It’s my fault.” He didn’t drop his hands.
She glanced where he was caressing her shoulder and wished she wasn’t wearing a coat. Daly closed her eyes and said, “You can let me go now.”
He chuckled deep in his throat and stepped back. Her gaze touched on his face. He’d left at some point early this morning and she’d woken with his smell on her sheets and pillows, but no warmth. After what happened last night, she wondered if she was losing her mind.
He always did that to her. Made her want impossible things.
“What are you here for?” she asked without preamble.
“To see David.”
“Ah, the light dawns. Good luck with that, then,” Daly responded inanely. The man scrambled her brains. She turned to Carrie. “Let’s go, Trouble.”
Jeremiah stared at her and a smile curved his lips. Then his gaze landed on Carrie.
Carrie raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, to which Jeremiah did the same. Her look screamed “Don’t fuck with me.” Jeremiah’s whispered “I recognize you,” and by the way Carrie’s cheeks flushed, she had no idea what to do with that.
“Who are you?” she asked belligerently, and damn if the tiny thing didn’t try to push Daly behind her.
“Who are you?” Jeremiah asked in return.
Carrie raised her chin and glared at him. “Nobody you should fuck with, that’s for sure.”
Daly choked on a laugh. “Watch your language, young lady,” she said firmly.
“Whatever. You want to mess with this dude here, that’s on you, but I’m hungry and I’d like a meal before I walk Death Row.”
Daly let out a long, put-out sigh. “If you’ll excuse Miss Potty Mouth and me …”
Jeremiah smiled at her again and the heat in it curled her toes. “I’m bringing supper tonight,” he said in a low voice as she passed him.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Okay,” she said with a serene smile. It had been token resistance at best. Her body was screaming at her even now that the distance between them was too great.
He seemed puzzled, then shrugged. “Unless you want to come to my place?”
That stopped her in her tracks. Carrie grunted and sat down in a chair by the front entrance of the courthouse. Daly glanced back at Jeremiah. “Um, yeah, no. You can come to me.”
His mouth did that delicious quirk-at-the-corner thing once more and his gaze tracked down her entire body and back up again. “That’s what I’m hoping.”
Get out get out get out get out now! Her stomach flip-flopped and she almost sank into a puddle at his feet. Now that she’d had another taste of him, her body didn’t want to let go. Instead of attacking him in front of God and everybody, she straightened her spine, flipped her hair over her shoulders, and gestured for Carrie to follow her.
Then she walked out of the courthouse feeling his gaze on her the entire way.
Damn.
“Smooth, real smooth,” Carrie muttered.
“Your sarcasm is duly noted,” Daly replied with an eye roll.
Carrie switched from foot to foot, almost hopping as Daly paid the parking attendant and waited for him to bring her car around. “You should take some lessons. Old boy in there was hot—as in h-a-w-t, and you totally stammered in front of him. I’m calling you out, Officer Edwards … flirting fail.”
“I’ve got tape in the car, Carrie,” Daly murmured.
“Yeah? Why’s that?” Carried asked as the attendant pulled up.
Daly walked around to the driver’s side and smiled at her over the top of the car. “For your mouth.”
Carrie frowned, Daly smiled, and they both got in. She pulled into traffic and finally merged onto Interstate 85 heading north.
“Where are we going?” Worry threaded the girl’s tone.
Daly glanced at her, then back to the road. “I’ve called in my final favor for you, Carrie Jeanette Broaddus. You’re going to the Lanier Home for Misplaced Girls.”
“I’m not misplaced,” she nearly yelled.
“Lower your voice and talk to me like you have some sense,” Daly said firmly. “I know you aren’t misplaced, but you are mismanaged. And believe me, you won’t be where I’m taking you.”
Fear crossed Carrie’s face and Daly’s heart wrenched. Every kid she worked with moved her in some way. A few made her smile. And some were downright pains in the ass. No matter what, they were all worth it.
“Death Row, huh?”
Daly cocked her head and bit her lip, contemplating how to best describe the place to a very scared young teen. “Not quite.”
Carrie snorted and crossed her arms. “Resounding endorsement there, Officer Edwards.”
“Look, this is the last place that would take you in. I used my very last contact for you, my ace in the hole if you will,” she said angrily as she pulled over onto the shoulder of the highway. “Look at me, Carrie,” she demanded, then waited.
Carrie’s face held a mutinous expression, but her eyes were full of panic. And pain. Daly’s eyes watered. Stupid freaking waterworks. She’d seen that look too many times. On Toby, Ruthie, Jeremiah, and more recently every single child who’d come into her life because of her job.
She took a deep breath and looked straight ahead. “It’s up on Lake Lanier. Lots of green hills and water. There are five other girls in this home. You’ll be the sixth. Candace doesn’t usually take in so many, but the others are all like you and your story made her curious.”
Candace had grown up as hard as Jeremiah and his siblings. The streets were cruel when you had no family. Kids engaged in survival. Candace’s parents had died and none of her family had taken her in. She’d been shuffled from foster home to foster home until she’d finally decided to go it alone. Once she’d grown up, she’d been determined to help kids in the same situation. She’d established an all-girl’s home for just that purpose.
Silence reigned.
“If you mess up here, Carrie, it’s all over. I can’t help you anymore. If you screw this up, you’ll end up in the system within days and you’ll never get out.” She looked at the kid once more. “Do you understand?”
Something in her words or tone must have gotten through. Carrie nodded slowly and went back to staring out the window.
“I believe in you. Inside of you is something I’ve only seen in wonderful people. Use this opportunity to be more,” she said, and then put the car in gear.
Her words rang back to her. She should take her own advice and really jump all the way in with Jeremiah. Because when she was with him she was … more. Yes, they needed to deal with the past, but maybe this was their second chance. Her mind settled down but her heart continued to pound as she pulled back onto the highway. Life was so difficult sometimes.
She had an overabundance of hope for Carrie. Maybe hope was enough.
* * *
Jeremiah had never been inside this courthouse for anything other than his own trials. First as a juvie, then as an adult, he’d seen it only through the eyes of desperation. Then he’d run into Daly today and the entire building had taken on a brand-new life. Her office was in the building across the street from the courthouse. She was part of the Department of Juvenile Justice, but the social workers kept offices in the same building as the Departmen
t of Family and Children’s Services.
He’d left her this morning after watching her sleep the entire night. He was exhausted, but it had been worth it. Sharing her air and being able to count each gentle rise and fall of her chest had calmed him.
But now he was here and he had business to take care of.
He strode into the District Attorney’s office and waited patiently at the desk to be noticed.
“Can I help you?” a secretary asked.
He didn’t smile at her. This wasn’t a social call. “I’m here to see David Copeland.”
Confusion passed over her face like a cloud. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
“Well, he only sees people on appointment,” she stammered.
Copeland stared at her, unblinking. “Tell him Jeremiah Copeland is here.”
“Just a moment,” she said quickly and disappeared behind a door. She returned several minutes later with that same confused look on her face. “He’ll see you, sir. Right this way.”
He followed her and waited for the silence to fall behind them. One by one, people dropped what they were doing and stared. Copeland would have laughed had he been younger and full of the anger his childhood had built in him. Imagine an upstart from the streets striding in in an Armani suit through their office to see their DA. Ingrate. Bastard. Funny how his brother engendered so much goodwill while Jeremiah only managed to remind people of bad things. He’d lost Daly but managed to salvage his brother’s reputation. Not a fair trade at all, in Copeland’s opinion.
The secretary led him into David’s office and twisted her hands together as she gazed everywhere but at Copeland.
“I don’t need anything. You can leave,” he said mildly.
He almost laughed as she practically ran from the office.
“Brother,” David said as he entered from another door. “What brings you here?”
“You.”
“Your timing could be better. I’ve got a meeting with Judge Edwards in about ten minutes. Have a seat.” David motioned to a chair in front of his desk.
Copeland ignored him and remained standing. “You involved Daly. Why?”
Was it his imagination or was David sweating? Yep, that was sweat sliding down from his brother’s temple. Like his secretary, he looked anywhere but at Copeland.
“This is not the best place to discuss this, Jeremiah,” David said, and something in his tone made Copeland’s neck tighten.
He approached his brother and didn’t stop until he was in his face.
“Why did you involve Daly?” Jeremiah pursued the question once again.
“I didn’t mean to—uh, um, I mean to say, she was the best bet to get you to respond …”
Copeland crossed his arms over his chest. David was a few inches shorter than he was but equally strong, if only physically. It had always been his character that made him weaker. “To what?”
“To me,” David replied, and his eyes darted toward the door he’d entered.
“Why didn’t you just have someone else send it? Why Daly?”
David stared at him, and desperation moved in his blue eyes. Eyes so like mine, Copeland thought. His brother was about to lie to him.
“I didn’t think you’d listen to anyone else,” David said. There was that slick tone in his voice. Lies.
“I came here to watch your face as you lied. You didn’t disappoint me. I know people are asking about her. Savannah Cavanaugh showed up at The Underground last night on a tip someone was being held against her will. The description fit Daly to a ‘T.’ This stinks to high heaven. If I find out you’re involved in this, I’ll break your neck, David. I lost her once because of you. I won’t let it happen again.”
David finally met his gaze. “I’m in trouble, Jeremiah. Big trouble. And believe it or not, I did you a favor by sending her.”
“Whatever game is being played, do not involve Daly. If you’re in trouble, and need help, come to me directly. Tell me what’s going on, right fucking now.”
“I—can’t. Look, I’ll tell you everything this weekend. This office isn’t safe, and I’m sure the ante has been upped just by you showing up here today. Goddamn, Jeremiah. Couldn’t you have called?”
“That’s not the way I work, David. You’d better have your ass at the lake house Saturday morning. I don’t want to ever have to step foot in this fucking hellhole again.”
With that, Copeland turned on his heel and walked out. He passed people with their mouths hanging open in astonishment and some who had fear tattooed across their face. They’d probably heard the last part of the conversation. Copeland didn’t care.
Fuck them all. His hands ached to punch something, but the memory of Daly’s skin under his palms soothed him as he hit the button for the elevator.
“Keep your eyes open, Jeremiah.” David had followed him out. There was the tone again. Copeland finally recognized it as fear.
He clenched his hands to keep from turning and reaching for his brother’s throat. “You can bet your ass,” he bit out. He turned his head and let the full force of his fury blaze from his eyes. “If you’ve involved Daly in something, the fact that you’re my brother will not save your ass from me.”
David nodded and stepped back into the office. Copeland got on the elevator and rubbed a hand down his face as the doors closed. He had no idea what trouble it was this time, but David was in deep and the threat had spilled over to involve Daly somehow. It was his worst nightmare, having her return to him and then have the past replayed. He wouldn’t allow it to happen. Until he found out what the hell the situation was, he’d be on her ass like glue.
A grin creased his face. Not the worst of propositions, to be sure.
Chapter 11
There was a Mercedes-Benz parked in her driveway when she made it home. The car that had been following her the entire day kept going past her house, hit the cul-de-sac, and turned around. She rolled down her window. The car that was following her slowed, and Toby rolled his window down as well. She held up her middle finger. He flipped her off in return.
“It’s creepy that you’re following me,” she said.
“Oh well,” Toby singsonged, then rolled up his window and drove away.
She snorted as a smile creased her face.
She was assuming it was Jeremiah who had Toby following her. Why, she had no idea. Did it have something to do with why David had sent his ring to him? That was really something she needed to discuss with Jeremiah. Soon.
Besides, he didn’t need to worry about her. She was a former cop, for cripe’s sake. She could handle a gun and any kind of dangerous situation. Okay, probably not all situations. Maybe just most of them. That was why she’d left being a street cop. That wasn’t where her talents lay. She pulled around the Benz and into her garage, shutting off the car and lowering the door. If Toby had no issue with whoever drove the Benz, it could be nobody other than Jeremiah.
It had been a really rough day. Her body still ached from last night, and the tightrope she’d been walking for over a week was exhausting her. But she’d dropped Carrie off in Gainesville and was feeling pretty good about the girl’s chances now that she’d hooked into Candace’s network.
Sometimes Daly’s work paid off. Today had been one of those days. She opened the door and entered the mudroom off the kitchen. Before she could kick her shoes off she noticed he was there.
She wasn’t startled, but rather overwhelmed. He leaned against the doorjamb looking way too sexy for her peace of mind.
“How did you get in this time? I had the locks changed Saturday.” She had indeed—the locksmith she’d contacted had barely beaten the one Jeremiah sent. They’d arrived at nearly the same time and she’d sent Jeremiah’s packing.
He smiled. She frowned.
“That’s breaking and entering, Jeremiah,” she said waspishly.
The aroma coming from her kitchen made her stomach grumble and one of his eyebrows rose. Daly pushed past him
, burning where their bodies met but becoming angrier by the second. She stopped in the foyer and dropped her briefcase on the steps.
“It’s not B and E if you have a key,” he said at her back.
“You don’t have a key; therefore B and E.”
He held a key in front of her and she rolled her eyes. “Oh, my bad. Theft by taking. How did you get my key, Jeremiah Copeland?”
He pressed against her and rocked his hips against her ass. She hissed in a breath as lava rolled through her veins. He made her want so quickly. From zero to sixty, so fast it made her head spin. She sank into his heat.
“I took it,” he whispered at her neck.
His breath slid along her throat. The heat of his tongue touched her skin and skittered away. He groaned. She moaned. It was madness.
“Thief,” she responded breathlessly.
“I’m whatever I need to be, baby,” he said. His lips tickled her ear as his voice sank into her bones.
“Why are you here?”
He licked her earlobe. “I told you I was bringing supper.”
“No, Jeremiah,” she whispered as her hand reached up to tangle in his black hair. “Why are you here?”
“Because you are.”
Such a simple answer, and yet within it the reason she would never have been able to maintain distance from him once he reentered her life. He completed the whole of her. Without Jeremiah she wasn’t the person she could be.
The past remained between them, yet the weight of it lifted when he was near. She couldn’t ignore it, but neither did she want to deal with it right now. Daly turned and lifted her chin. He took what she offered, his lips caressing hers, his hands grabbing her ass and lifting her so he could wedge himself between her thighs. So hot.
Both hands tangled in his hair and all she knew was him. She breathed in, and it was cedar and sex. She swallowed, and it was spice and lust. “Please,” she said around another moan.
“Yes,” he answered and started upstairs.
“Here,” she demanded when she pulled her lips away.
Jeremiah stopped and stared down at her. His cheeks were ruddy and his normally blue-gray eyes were almost black. She did this to him.