by Rebecca Deel
He couldn’t argue with that. Didn’t mean he liked the intrusion. Hated the fact that it was necessary to keep Sophie and the baby safe. If Brent had to depend on the tracer to find her, it meant Micah had failed her, a thought which knotted his gut.
His gaze cut to Sophie. Her eyebrows rose in inquiry. “Where is it?” he asked Brent.
“Her watch. She assured me she always wears it. Sierra gave her the watch. Unless someone takes her from the bed, I’ll always know Sophie’s location to within a hundred feet.” Brent chuckled. “And you hate that, don’t you?”
“Hate that it’s necessary. Thanks, man.” He slid the phone back into the holder clipped to his belt. “Abbott’s occupied right now. Hopefully he won’t send another babysitter for a while.”
“But he will send one?”
“Count on it, babe.” Micah turned on his blinker and exited the interstate. “Nothing would make him happier than to expose a dirty fed. If he happens to catch you with stolen goods, so much the better for him and his case closure rate. He’ll try to pin every jewel heist in Davidson and the surrounding counties on you.”
#
Sophie fumed at the arrogance of Detective Abbott. If the detective focused on them, how could he locate the thug or the thug’s boss? To think he wanted to paint her with the same dirty brush as her family made her sick. She’d spent half her life trying to leave the stain of her family name and business behind her. Nathan deserved a better life than the one the Valeros were famous for.
“Hungry yet?”
“I’m eating for two. What do you think?” Her stomach growled and Nathan kicked as if punctuating her statement.
Micah laughed and steered the SUV into the parking lot of one of Sophie’s favorite restaurants. She caught her breath, a smile widening her mouth. “I love this place. How did you know?”
“Took a chance. David mentioned once how much Sierra enjoyed it. I sent them gift cards to the restaurant for Christmas each year. The cards were easier to mail than a package. I never knew from one day to the next where I would be and, with 18-hour days the norm in the Secret Service, shopping was a hit or miss proposition.”
No wonder he’d remained single. Women saw him as a great catch, but not many would buy into the lifestyle. Building a family like that would be difficult. “You didn’t have time for a social life.”
“Not since the day I began working for Uncle Sam.” He parked and opened his door. “Wait for me. There are icy patches all over this parking lot.”
An hour later, tucked in the passenger seat again, Sophie checked her watch. “The maternity shop’s open now. Take a right at the corner and head to Green Hills Mall.”
Micah kept a close watch on the mirrors. She twisted in her seat, stared out the back window of the SUV.
“Don’t worry, Sophie. Focus on what you need. I’ll take care of the protection detail.”
Sophie grinned at him. “Wow. I feel like a political dignitary.”
“You are a lot more important to me than one of those blowhards I’ve protected over the years.” He swung into a slot about halfway down the line of parked cars and turned off the engine.
After he helped her to the asphalt, Sophie tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and walked with him to a maternity clothing boutique in the mall. “I won’t be long.”
“Take your time. I called Mrs. Graham while you were in the restroom during lunch. She’s not available until 3 o’clock. Something about a Skype chat with her grandchildren in Japan.” He grinned. “Can’t imagine my grandmother being tech savvy enough to Skype anybody.”
Sophie laughed. She checked the time. Not seeing Nelda until 3 o’clock gave her an hour, more than enough time to find clothing acceptable for a black tie event. She noted the Starbucks sign nearby as Micah held open the shop door for her. Maybe they’d have time to stop for hot tea or chocolate before they drove to Nelda’s home. She smiled. They just left a restaurant. Her stomach was full, for heaven’s sake, yet here she was planning a surgical strike at Starbucks.
She rubbed the top of her distended belly. Wonder how much she’d weigh after she delivered Nathan? Something told her she’d never again fit into the same size clothes she wore before becoming pregnant.
The baby shoved a foot against the side of her stomach. Warmth spread through her chest. She might lose her waistline, but Nathan would be worth every dress size.
“What’s funny?” Micah asked as he ushered her inside the cheerful store.
“Thinking about hot chocolate in the coffee shop across the parking lot.”
A wide smile curved his mouth. He patted her stomach. “Are you sure Nathan’s the only baby in there?”
Sophie scowled, moved away from the guiding hand at her back. “You like to live dangerously, Micah Winter. That’s twice in the last two hours a man has insinuated I’m fat.” The comments mirrored her own thoughts about her weight.
“Not true, love.” He cupped her chin and gave her a soft kiss. “You are drop-dead gorgeous, baby and all. I love a woman with a healthy appetite.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Back pedaling won’t save you now.”
Another kiss, this one more firm, possessive, distracting. “What about a large hot chocolate?”
“Mmm. Sold.” She turned at the approach of a sales associate. “I won’t take long with that incentive.”
Micah chuckled and left her to the search for the perfect outfit. Once or twice while she debated the merits of various choices, Sophie glanced at him. The Secret Service agent had located a chair somewhere and seated himself where he could watch the store entrance and the parking lot. He didn’t seem the least bit restless or impatient with waiting. She sighed. A woman would be lucky to have Agent Micah Winter in her life. He was a keeper.
She tried on a royal blue dress which made her look like a blue whale, an emerald pantsuit which made her wince at her own reflection, and a smoky gray suit that drained her face of color, all of which she rejected. Frustrated with the fruitless search, Sophie settled on simple black pants with a black top decorated with pearls and sequins. Another trip into the intimates section for more necessities, and she was ready to leave.
Micah stood as she laid her selections on the counter. “Find what you need?” When she nodded, he pulled money from his wallet.
She covered his hand with one of hers. “Micah, I have my card.”
He leaned down and nuzzled her ear though Sophie suspected the move was for the saleswoman’s benefit when he whispered, “Cash only, baby. I’ll take care of this.”
She moved, intending to head to the front of the store, but Micah caught her hand and kept her close to his side. While exchanging pleasantries with the woman, he stroked the inside of Sophie’s wrist over her racing pulse. He had to feel that, even if he didn’t notice her shallow breathing. Purchases bagged and paid for, Micah handed her the bag.
“I need my hands free.”
Sophie nodded. She scanned the parking lot, but there was so much bustling activity, she couldn’t see anything unusual. Maybe buying more maternity clothes wasn’t a good idea. What if someone tried to hurt her or the baby? Worse yet, what if someone tried to hurt Micah?
He stopped outside the shop door for a minute, studied the parking area. Nothing must have alarmed him because he nudged her off the curb and started them toward the SUV. A few car lengths away from the vehicle, Micah’s hand on her arm tightened. She glanced up. His expressionless face told her something was wrong. She increased her pace, anxious to get both of them to the safety of the SUV.
At the back of her mind, Sophie registered a revved engine. Before she drew a breath to tell him, Micah shoved her between the SUV and a large pickup and turned to face the threat. A tricked out Escalade barreled toward them.
“Micah!”
Sunlight glared off the windshield of the Escalade bearing down on him. Sophie clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream. A distraction could get him killed. But why did he just stan
d there? Surely the driver would correct his aim and move down the aisle.
Instead, the driver steered for Micah and accelerated.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
At the last second, Micah dove to the ground near Sophie.
“Micah!”
After slowly rolling to his side, Micah used the SUV’s handle to drag himself upright. His leg throbbed to the fierce beat of his heart. He’d feel the effects of that swan dive as soon as the adrenaline wore off.
“You okay, mister?” The male teen with rainbow colored hair jogged across the lot toward them. “Can’t believe some drivers around this town. Almost seemed like they were aiming for you.”
Micah’s attention zeroed in on what he said. “They? You saw them?”
“Nope. Just saw two dark figures through that tinted glass.”
He grunted and glanced at Sophie. Her expression made his stomach clench. Pale and terrified. “Come here, baby.” Micah gathered her into his arms, his back against the vehicle. He could tell himself the position prevented anyone from sneaking up behind them, but he made it a practice never to lie to himself. The truth was he needed the extra support to stay on his feet. After tucking Sophie’s head under his chin, he turned his attention back to the teen. “Did you notice a license plate?”
“Sure. You going to call the cops?”
“Later. I need to get my wife settled and warm.” Sophie’s body jerked at the use of the term wife. “The stress isn’t good for the baby.” And when he caught up with the creeps who scared her, they’d regret terrorizing her and endangering his son.
The problem? Micah was almost positive the Escalade had been driven by one of the Kings. He’d seen just enough through the tinted windshield to catch a glimpse of a bandana, maybe a red one though it was hard to make out the color. He figured the vehicle was stolen. The owner may have already reported it missing which would lead to a dead end unless the driver and passenger’s prints were already in the system. If they exchanged the plates with one from another vehicle, they might keep the ride longer. Still, dead end.
The close call didn’t bother him all that much. He’d been through worse, would again whether with the Secret Service or Fortress. If it was the Kings taking a dry run at him, they now knew about Sophie. They’d been watching for him. He’d left a maternity shop with a very pregnant woman on his arm. They’d most likely watched him with her through the window. He tightened his arms, pressed a kiss to the top of her head while studying the teen watching them. Their body language in the shop was a dead giveaway that he was emotionally invested in this woman.
What had he been thinking? Nothing rational and not with his head, that was for sure. He’d let his emotions distract him from the job. Protecting his principal was primary, only this time the principal was more than a job. For the first time, he wondered if he could keep Sophie safe from Abbott, her thug, and the Kings, the cost of failure higher than ever.
“Did you write down the plate number?” Micah asked.
“Nope. Got a photographic memory.” The boy grinned and rattled off the numbers and letters. He even remembered the county tags.
Micah shook the kid’s hand. “Appreciate it, buddy.” He reached into his back pocket for his wallet and drew out a white card which listed only his name and cell phone number. Wouldn’t help to give the kid his Secret Service business card since he probably wouldn’t return to that job. “I’m in the security business. I owe you. Keep the card. If you need help one day, call me.”
“Thanks, man. Hope you guys are okay now.”
“We’ll be fine.”
With a wave, the kid loped off toward the mall.
Micah tucked his face down near Sophie’s ear. “Talk to me, Sophie. Are you okay? Did you bump your stomach when I shoved you away from me?”
She drew in a ragged breath, pushed as close to him as her stomach would allow. “I’m fine. We’re okay. They could have killed you, Micah.”
“Not even close, baby. They wanted to scare me.”
“They succeeded in scaring me.”
“I’m sorry. Are you sure you’re okay?”
She buried her cold nose in his coat gap, nuzzled near his throat and breathed deep. “Yes. How is your leg?”
“Right this second, I feel nothing except adrenaline burning through my veins. In a few minutes, I’ll crash hard. First, though, I need to get you away from this parking lot and to a place more secure to call Brent.”
“No cops?”
“And tell them what? That a lousy driver scared me and took off? They’d laugh me out of town.”
“What about the license number?”
“I can trace it. Won’t do much good. My guess is the vehicle’s hot.”
Sophie lifted her face. “Hot?”
“Stolen.” He eased her away from him and dug out his key fob. “Let’s get out of here.” The idea of someone being close enough to have eyes, maybe a gun site, on Sophie made his skin crawl.
Settling her in the passenger seat, Micah handed her the belt buckle, snatched Sophie’s shopping bag and tossed it in the back seat. Car cranked, heat billowing from the air vents, he drove from Green Hills mall, concentration divided between their surroundings and the woman shivering beside him.
“You promised me hot chocolate, Micah. You aren’t welshing on our deal.”
A slight wobble in her voice belied the confidence in her words. “Wouldn’t think of it.” Micah covered her hand with his and squeezed. “There’s bound to be a Starbucks close to Mrs. Graham. There’s one on every street corner in Nashville.”
“Oh, yeah. Coffee.” She sighed. “One of God’s gifts to mankind.”
Didn’t know if he’d go that far, but a strong cup of coffee sure called his name right now. Long minutes later, including several detours to make sure no hostiles followed them, he pulled in the coffee shop’s drive thru lane. “Do we need to feed Nathan?”
She shook her head. “Only hot chocolate.”
He pulled forward and placed an order for a large coffee with sugar and two large hot chocolates. Her eyebrows rose. “If you can’t drink both, we’ll save one for later. Sugar is good for shock.”
After downing one hot chocolate in short order, Micah grinned as she removed the tab from the second drink.
“Not one word,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
“Never.” He already had one injury. Didn’t need another from an irate mother-to-be.
She scowled.
Yeah, he wouldn’t buy that either. Better save it for something important, such as pulling himself from of the doghouse with the woman seated next to him. He pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial button for Brent and punched the speakerphone.
“Yeah.”
“Any progress?”
“Zip. You?”
“Had a run in with an Escalade. Probably the Kings.” A soft gasp from Sophie. Micah patted her jeans-covered knee before returning his hand to the steering wheel.
“That we did not need.”
“Any new rumblings on the Net about these guys?”
“Price on your head’s gone up.”
Terrific. Things just kept getting better. More money meant more thugs gunning for him and endangering Sophie and the baby. “New problem, man. The Kings know about Sophie and the baby.”
“You know this how?”
“I took her to a local mall. She needed clothes. They must have followed us, but I didn’t spot a tail.”
“Maybe they got lucky?”
“Maybe.” Not likely though. So how did they find him? He rattled off the plate number and asked Brent to trace it. Those thugs showing up so soon after the run in with Abbott’s bloodhound made him wonder if the good detective’s robbery division had a leak. So which of the cops had the Kings in his back pocket? “Doubt the trace will do much good, but do it anyway. My main concern is Sophie has a bigger target on her back. I may need a place.”
“I’ll arrange it. I’ll get back to you.” Brent ende
d the call.
“The Kings?” Sophie’s hand tightened into a fist. “They’re the ones who tried to run you down?”
“Probably. It’s going to be okay, love.”
“How can you say that? We have three people or groups of people after us now.”
“We already had three groups after us, Sophie. Two of them knew about you.” Now they all did. He scrubbed his jaw, weary beyond belief. The adrenaline high was dropping him on his backside, fast. Made him wish he’d ordered coffee with several packets of sugar for himself. “We’ll deal with each group, one at a time.” A quick look at Sophie told him she was angry, but at who or what? An uncomfortable twinge in his gut made him realize he didn’t want to be the cause of this woman’s ire.
“Micah, those punks could have killed you.”
Did she trust him to keep her safe? He frowned. Micah wasn’t sure he could keep her safe anymore. He should have known the Kings were waiting. He’d surveyed the parking lot for nearly thirty minutes and hadn’t seen them. The only reason he’d been aware of their presence was the driver had been impatient and revved the Escalade engine. The thought of the damage the black Escalade could have done to Sophie sent nausea roiling through his system. He’d seen enough hit-and-runs for his mind to fill in the blanks in vivid color.
Disgusted with his own performance as a law enforcement officer, he turned into Nelda Graham’s gated driveway. Parking in front, he left the engine running and turned to the most important person in his life. During a lull between avoiding their three antagonists, they needed to discuss what she meant to him. But not during this lull. In his head, a raspy voice that sounded like his father chided him for being a coward. And, yeah, he was acting that way. One problem at a time, he reminded himself. “We need to talk, Sophie.”
“I agree. Ladies first.”
His lips twitched at the corners. He motioned for her to go ahead.
“I appreciate that you’re concerned for my safety. I don’t want you hurt, though.” Her voice thickened. “And the Kings hurt you again, didn’t they?”
Micah rubbed his throbbing thigh although he didn’t answer her question. She’d see for herself as soon as he left the SUV. He hurt enough already that he’d take one of those foul-smelling pills she stuffed down his gullet without grousing.