Crossing Double (A Heartbreaker Novel Book 3)

by Tamra Baumann

  Dani smiled. “You said that about the eggs and the orange juice too. I guess mind-blowing sex makes everything taste better this morning?”

  Mario had the good grace to lift his newspaper in front of his face and check out of the conversation. Her mom waited with raised brows for Sara to answer the question.

  She refused to be embarrassed about doing what her family insisted she do. “I guess you’d all know if you’d ever had it.”

  Her mom laid a hand on Mario’s arm. “Well, that grapefruit was the best I ever had. How about you, honey? How was your oatmeal?”

  Mario mumbled, “Fabulous,” from behind the sports section.

  He was the only person Sara knew who actually read a paper anymore. Even her mom read the news online. Maybe that was why Mario’s hotel had a thirties theme. Maybe he was just an old-fashioned guy at heart.

  Grams came in carrying Mittens. “There better be a pastry left for me, Sara.”

  Whoops. “I’m sorry. I just ate the last one.”

  Grams leaned down and gave a hard hug. “Any other day, I’d tan your hide. But today, I’ll kiss you and tell you I love my Danish thief with all my heart. And I’ll watch Mittens until you get back.”

  Sara’s delicious brunch turned to stone in her gut. “Where am I going?”

  Mario’s newspaper slowly lowered, and the expressions on her mom’s and Dani’s faces turned pensive. Her mom asked, “You’ve had a dream?”

  Before her grandmother could answer, Brent came flying into the dining room. “Sara. I need to talk to you about something. Now.” He glanced around the room. “In private, please.”

  Grams shook her head. “You can do this in front of all of us, Brent.”

  Brent’s Adam’s apple bobbed hard once, and then he nodded and looked her in the eye. “Sara, there’s been a change of plans. Please don’t freak out, but I have to take you in for questioning. If you refuse, I’ll have to arrest you.”

  Arrest me?

  All the air whooshed from her lungs. “I haven’t done anything wrong, Brent. You know that!”

  He nodded. “I do. But we have to do things by the book. You sent an email that my superiors would like to talk to you about. I wish you hadn’t done that. But with the data from my computer, we’ll have you in and out and to a safe house in no time. Please hurry and write it all down. The team is on the way up.”

  Mario stood and circled behind her. He laid a hand on her shoulder. “She won’t be giving you the data, Brent. She already made her own deal for it. Grab your things, Sara. We have to go now.”

  Brent shook his head. “I can’t let you do that. You’re leaving me no choice here.” He pulled out his gun. “Sara has to go with me.”

  In a flash, Mario had his own gun out. She hadn’t even seen where it had come from. Mario growled, “You know you can’t guarantee her safety. You’ll hand her over to strangers and hope they do their job. With me, she’ll be safe.”

  She turned her head back and forth between the two men. “Stop it! Put the guns away. This is my decision.” What was she going to do? She didn’t want to go to jail and then some safe house. She wanted to go with Mario and wished Brent would come along too.

  Brent said quietly, “It’s not your decision, Sara. You have to come with me.” He glanced at Mario. “It’d be better if you don’t have that gun when my team gets here.”

  She looked at her mom, then Dani, and then Grams pleading for help with her eyes. Surely they knew what she should do. But they all sat silently observing. “Grams? Am I supposed to go with Brent or Mario?”

  Brent barked, “Sara, I’m ordering you to go find some paper and write the information down. Now!” He kept his gun pointed at Mario’s chest.

  Ordering me?

  “Can you guarantee my safety, Brent? A hundred percent? Because Mom and Mario can.”

  The slightest hint of doubt passed in his eyes and answered her question before he could. She held up a hand. “Never mind. I have my own plan. I’m going to swap my information for a lesser sentence for my father. Tell them I slipped out before you got here.”

  “Not happening.” Brent’s face grew hard.

  “Yes, it is. I’m going with my family.”

  “I’ll lose my job, Sara.”

  She stood and threw her napkin on her chair. “Your job is more important than keeping me alive? A job you don’t even like? How can you tell me you love me and then do this to me?” Why was Brent even hesitating? It made no sense.

  “Please don’t make this harder than it has to be. There are rules for a reason. The FBI will keep you safe.”

  Not the FBI she’d dealt with the past few days.

  She took a step closer to him and laid her hands on his arms. “Come away with us. I need for you to be safe too. Please? You’ll find another job when this is all over. Who could blame you for going with us to be safe after the way your coworkers have betrayed you? You still can’t be sure who you can trust. We can trust Mario.”

  Grams finally spoke. “You have to go with Brent, honey.”

  She glanced at her mom for confirmation, who closed her eyes and nodded. Dani stood and hugged her. “I love you, kiddo, but I can’t watch Brent break your heart. I might have to kill him.” She gave one last squeeze and then said as she left the dining room, “I’ll get everything ready to go, guys.”

  Mario’s eyes narrowed, and for the first time since Sara had known him, he looked like the former criminal he’d been. He tucked his gun behind his back. “She’s coming with us, Brent. You don’t have the guts to shoot me, so run back to your little pals. We’re leaving now.” Mario grabbed her arm and tugged. Brent reached out at the same time and grabbed her other arm.

  “Stop it!” Her mom stood up and removed Sara from the men’s clutches, hugging her even harder than Dani just had. “Mario, we can’t tamper with the future. If my mother says Sara has to go with Brent, then she has to.” Her mom whispered, “I love you, sweetheart. And I’ll get my lawyers on it right now. You’re not to worry.”

  Feeling abandoned and betrayed once again, she turned and stuck her hands out toward Brent. “Arrest me, then. I’m not going voluntarily.” Tears formed in her eyes. How could he do this to her? “No one I know would choose a job over a person. Oh, wait, I guess I do know someone like that. My dad. You’re two of a kind.”

  Brent’s head whipped back as if she’d struck him. “I’m nothing… Don’t make me arrest you. Just come with me. Please?” Brent put his gun away. “I hate that I have to do this. Can’t you see that?”

  “I can see just fine.” But her heart broke completely apart. She’d thought he was different. That he’d be the one man she could count on and trust. Why had she been so quick to give her love to him? Would she never learn?

  But now she had to stand up for herself. For a change.

  As he tugged her arm, she said, “Glad I found out what comes first with you now, before we had three kids and a dog. You need to get your priorities straight, or you’ll always be alone, Brent.”

  Brent’s stare hardened. “Since when is doing your job a crime? I have to search you for weapons.” He ran his hands over her body, nothing sensual like the last time. Then he pulled her along behind him like the stubborn man she knew he could be.

  She glanced over her shoulder, and what was left of her heart melted away. Mario had to hold her mom upright because she was sobbing so hard. Grams sat with her head in her hands, crying too. Maybe Gram’s dreams had been worse than she’d let on. Maybe Brent was marching her off just to be killed by one of Miller’s operatives. Her grandmother’s dreams weren’t always complete.

  How could Brent claim to be falling in love with her and then hand her over to one of Miller’s men to die?

  Brent punched the elevator button to take Sara to the living room a floor below. When the doors parted at their destination, he guided the reluctant Sara into the plush room and sat her on the couch. He was so angry with her, he had to cross his arms before h
e either shook some sense into her or hugged her.

  His instructions were to stay put, so he stood in front of her, blocking any attempts at escape. He hoped she wouldn’t try to run off and make him arrest her. “If you’ll cooperate, everything will be fine.”

  She shook her head. “Miller wants you dead too. We’d be safer with Mario.”

  “We’ll be safe with the FBI.” He had to trust in the system he worked for.

  But he hated how Mario had humiliated him like that in front of Sara’s family. Saying he’d not have the guts to shoot. And then Sara making a deal behind his back? Showed how much trust she had in him. None. But worse, she’d compared him to her dad and then said the one thing he’d always feared—that he would always be alone because no one would ever truly love him.

  Pissed off beyond reason, he said to a fuming Sara, “Why did you go behind my back and make a deal for the data? Don’t you see how bad that makes me look? Besides being a stupid move. It gave away our location.”

  Sara wouldn’t look him in the eyes. “That stupid move got my dad house arrest and a year’s probation as long as he pays the money back.”

  He sat on the coffee table in front of her. “That’s what they tell you, but it isn’t a done deal until a judge says it is. It’s how we get people to do what we want them to do. Why didn’t you trust me?” That had hurt the worst of all.

  “Trust you? After doing this to me?” She buried her face in her hands. “I can’t believe I slept with you.”

  Another blow to his heart. “Don’t do this, Sara. I’m not like your father. Or Scott. I’d never hurt you. All I want is to keep you safe and make you happy.”

  “So now you’re concerned with my happiness? I know you don’t have family, and I’m sorry for it, but you can’t put rules before people. The people you love in life have to come before all else. It’s really all any of us has. Money, power, fame are all worthless compared to love.”

  “Rules keep our society intact. Money puts food on the table. Love is important, but so is the security that rule-following and money bring.”

  Sara slowly lifted her head. “If Miller gets to me while I’m in a safe house, then I hope you’ll still get that promotion you care so much about. Obviously, nothing would make you happier.”

  His patience evaporated. “Really? You think I’m the sellout here? You’re going to take a low-paying counseling job to hide from the press and atone for being born into the right family.”

  “I’m taking that job to help people know there’s hope!”

  “Good luck with that. They’ll take one look at you and think it’s nice that Annalisa Botelli’s rich kid wants to help, but she hasn’t got a clue how life really is.”

  “You said you misjudged me. But clearly, you lied, based on that dumb comment!”

  “I didn’t mean that you don’t have a clue, I meant it’s what others will think. You can’t change who you are. The press will always be there, and those people you try to help will think what the press tells them to think.”

  Sara’s jaw clenched. “I’ve tried to get people like you, who once lived that kind of life, to talk to the kids. People they can relate to. But people like you don’t want to look back. Once you break free, you keep right on moving because you’re so afraid to stop. Or maybe because it hurts too much to look into those eyes that were so much like yours? I’m all they’ve got. And if it isn’t good enough, then so be it. At least I’m not afraid to try to live the best life I can.”

  He closed his eyes and counted to ten.

  As hard as he tried, he couldn’t stop himself. “You’re the one who’s scared, Sara. You’d rather hide in a little office and hope the press leaves you alone. If you really want to help that shelter, which I know you do, then embrace the power you’ve been handed and own it. Go out and raise money for more shelters just like the one you love in LA. You’re an incredible speaker, and people listen because you believe in what you’re saying. Instead of running away from the press, you could help thousands more people, raise millions of dollars, simply by embracing the fame you already have.”

  “And here we go. Right back to money with you.” Tears filled her eyes. “Because you know how easy it is to raise that much money, right? And be chased and harassed everywhere you go? You have no idea how long and hard I worked to save that shelter. But maybe you’re right. Maybe when you pull your head out of your butt and finally quit a job you hate, one you’re willing to risk my life to keep, I’ll do as you suggest. But until then, I don’t need your advice, Agent Keiser.”

  He drew in a deep breath along with his temper, rather than take any more of his anger out on her. She was upset, angry, and afraid for her life, and so was he. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to her. Especially when Mario might have been able to keep her safe. But taking her to a secure location was still the right thing to do.

  “Sara, please listen.” He reached out to take her hands, but she pulled them away. “I’ll make this right. I promise.”

  She seethed, “I’m done talking to you. I want to speak to my lawyer.”

  “Okay. I’ll make that happen.” A hardness in her eyes he never thought Sara capable of told him he’d lost her. She’d condemn him for doing his damn job.

  Then so be it.

  Maybe she’d been right. Perhaps their shared experience had heightened emotions that weren’t strong enough to survive after Miller was in jail. But if that were true, why did his chest hurt so bad?

  He cleared the lump forming in his throat. He needed to make her see the logic. “Sara—”

  The elevator dinged, cutting him off, and out poured a team in tactical gear. He stood and held up his badge. “Agent Keiser. This is Sara Chapman. She willingly turned herself into me.”

  Sara’s grunt wasn’t loud enough for the others to hear, thankfully.

  The leader gave a hand signal, and all the automatic weapons in the room lowered toward the floor. Baker showed his ID, then said, “These men will escort you to the armored vehicle downstairs.”

  “Yes, sir. The rest of the family is one floor above.”

  Baker shook his head. “They’re not. They spooked on us. Probably the delay you asked for didn’t help.”

  Dammit. That wasn’t going to look good in the report.

  Baker asked, “Where’s the evidence you needed the extra time to obtain, Agent?”

  “I wasn’t able to get it, sir.” Another strike against him.

  Baker’s eyes narrowed at Sara. “Do you want to add another charge by withholding evidence, ma’am?”

  Sara’s eyes narrowed right back.

  She was mad enough to do something stupid.

  Sara opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off. “Ms. Chapman has made it clear she wants to speak to a lawyer before she comments further.” He tugged her arm and hoped she’d keep her mouth shut until they could get her a lawyer. “I’d like to request permission to accompany her to the secure location?” He led her toward the waiting men.

  Sara opened her mouth again, so he added, “Just until we’re certain there are no more breaches.”

  “Granted.” Baker nodded toward his men. “Johnson and Wentworth, you stay with me. I want to talk to you when I get back, Keiser.”

  “Yes, sir.” Probably to chew him out. Damn Mario for disappearing. If he was innocent, why not stay?

  The remaining four men surrounded Sara and him, and as a unit, they walked to the elevator. One of the men handed Brent a lapel recorder, so he clipped it on.

  No one spoke until the elevator stopped and the doors parted again. Someone said, “To the right and through the doors.”

  Armed guards lined up made a path as they entered an empty underground parking garage. One of the men opened the back door to an armored vehicle, and he helped Sara in first. Then Brent slid beside her. As soon as the door closed, they sped off.

  Sara whispered so softly, he barely heard her say, “Promise me if you think I’m not sa
fe, you’ll let Mario help. Please?”

  If the FBI failed her, he would in a heartbeat. But he couldn’t say so; he was wired.

  Instead, he gently leaned his shoulder against hers, hoping she’d take that as a yes. Then he pointed to his mic on his chest. “I’m sorry, what did you say? I couldn’t hear you.”

  “Nothing.” Sara shook her head and closed her eyes. The silent tears that escaped and trailed down her cheeks killed him. Almost as much as the thought of never seeing her again. She was obviously done with him.

  He looked out the window as they made their way down backstreets, off the strip, and finally toward the airport. They pulled up to an ugly industrial warehouse and into a large garage where freight might be loaded and unloaded. Once the garage door closed behind them, both of their car doors opened, and they were led into a hallway that had interrogation rooms and holding cells. Not a warehouse at all, but a field office of some sort.

  Sara was met by a female guard who led her away. An older agent greeted him. “Agent Keiser? I’m Special Agent Stanger. Can you come with me, please?”

  Brent glanced at Sara, who was being led down an opposite hallway. “I need to stay with my witness. At least until she’s in the secure location.”

  “She’ll be fine. You can observe the interview, but I’m taking over from here. Ms. Chapman provided some data this morning. We need you to use it to shut Miller’s operation down. We’re processing the paperwork to drop her arrest warrant as we speak. But I’ll still need to question her, and then we’ll determine if she’s willing to be moved to a secure location.”

  Alarm skittered up his spine. “She absolutely needs to be moved. We can’t be sure who else is involved in our organization yet, much less Miller’s. I promised to keep Sara safe. I can’t do that if I’m not with her.”

  Stanger raised a brow. “She’s safe here. And we can’t force her to take our help after the arrest warrant is dropped. It’ll be up to her.”

  He wished he’d arrested her so that they could hold her longer. “Any arrests been made?”