Best Served Cold

by Rebecca Deel

  What concerned him more than anything was the possibility one of Stella’s co-workers had turned on her. Yeah, the likelihood of a case connection still ranked up there, but given her suspicion about the assailant’s training, that possibility diminished. For now, she would focus on her cases. Soon, his girlfriend would have to face the reality of a potential traitor from her office. If that proved true, she was in more danger than she realized. She could prepare for an enemy, but would she recognize an enemy in the guise of a friend?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Stella dragged the pillow over her head to block the sunlight streaming through her bedroom window. She tried to drift back to sleep, but no dice. Body aches reminded her she needed another round of ibuprofen.

  With a sigh, she threw the covers aside and eased to a sitting position. Motionless, she assessed the aches and pains in her body. The ice and meds Rio pushed on her yesterday downgraded her pain level from miserable to irritable. Definite improvement. Maybe Nate wouldn’t worry so much today. Heat stole into her cheeks as she thought about the dark-haired soldier.

  She rose, amused that her Delta boyfriend, who suffered his share of bumps and bruises and recovered, worried she wouldn’t. In the bathroom, Stella winced at her reflection in the mirror. Colorful, indeed. Swelling was down. She checked her molar. More stable. Excellent progress.

  Stella showered and dragged on jeans and a tailored shirt. The prospect of tugging on a t-shirt didn’t merit consideration. She pulled on socks and tennis shoes with a variety of mutters under her breath. Would have been worse if she’d bent over to do it.

  More green tea, breakfast, a chaser of ice and over-the-counter meds, and she’d be ready to work. Not at her usual pace, she admitted. But she was mobile. Her next hurdle was convincing her boyfriend she was not an invalid.

  Stella descended the stairs and followed the low male voices in the kitchen. Four pairs of eyes turned her direction as she entered the room.

  “Morning, baby.” Nate captured her hand and raised it to his lips. “Hungry?”

  “Feeding me again?”

  He smiled. “Every chance I get if it’s the way to capture your heart.”

  Oh, goodness. If he took that challenge to heart, she’d be watching her weight. Chef Nate created amazing meals. “I can’t afford a new wardrobe, Armstrong.”

  “How do you feel?” Rio asked.

  “Decent, considering.” She turned to Deke. “Anything new overnight?”

  He inclined his head toward the breakfast bar laden with scrambled eggs, bagels, cream cheese, and bacon. “Eat first. We’ll talk when you finish.”

  She scowled, but figured her partner wouldn’t budge. Stella climbed on the nearest available stool and accepted the plate Quinn scooted her direction. She spread cream cheese over a bagel and plated some scrambled eggs. “I assume nothing happened here while I slept?”

  “Not unless you count a coyote slinking across the yard,” Rio said. He handed her medicine and more green tea.

  She swallowed the meds and polished off her meal, then glared at Deke. “Talk.”

  “Will insists on seeing you today.”

  “Who is Will?” Quinn asked.

  “The deputy director in our office.”

  Nate stiffened. “I don’t care who he is. He won’t get what he wants if Stella is not up to it.”

  “We’re investigating the murder of a fellow cop, Nate. I convinced him she couldn’t answer questions yesterday. She might be sore, but Stella’s injuries aren’t bad. She needs to answer questions so we can track and capture this guy.”

  “Hello,” Stella said. “I’m right here in the room. You can talk to me directly.”

  “Do you feel well enough to leave the cabin?” Nate asked. “He’s not coming here. I need to find a secure location.”

  She stared at him. “He was Ty’s immediate superior. I can’t refuse to see him.”

  “You’ll see him on my terms, my turf. You believe the attacker is a cop. Who’s to say it’s not one of the men in your office?”

  Stella felt as though she had taken a punch to the gut. She didn’t want to believe it, but ignoring the possibility was dangerous. “The attack could be connected to a case.”

  “I’m not discounting any leads or suspects, sweetheart. Whoever came after you will try again. This time, we want the advantage.”

  “Some of my co-workers know I’m dating you. How are you a secret?”

  “Think of me as a security blanket.”

  Quinn snorted. “Got news for you, bomb boy. You aren’t warm and cuddly.”

  “I think Stella disagrees with that,” Rio said.

  “How much taste does she have? She chose him over us.”

  “Hey,” Nate protested. “Watch it.”

  “Back to the point,” Deke interrupted. “Stella must answer questions. Otherwise, they’ll charge her with obstruction of justice.”

  “I want to talk to Will. We have to find out who killed Ty and give his wife and kids the peace of knowing his killer is behind bars.”

  “Agreed. Let me find a neutral meeting place. This is your safe house, baby.”

  “For now. Nothing is a secret from a searcher who is tech savvy and knows we’re connected. It wouldn’t be a stretch to uncover that we used this cabin in the summer.”

  “We brought the same toys,” Quinn said. “Nate and I hooked up the video cameras and motion sensors early this morning. Our security room is live.”

  “They will find us,” Rio said. “We’re buying time for you to heal, sugar. In a day or two, we’ll move to another location if necessary. In the meantime, let’s keep our current location locked down as tight as possible.”

  Nate and his friends were right. Stella loathed the suspicion flooding her mind when she thought of her colleagues with the exception of Deke. She knew to her bones he was as honorable as Nate. “I’m the one who protects others. It’s hard to accept help when I’m capable of protecting myself.”

  “We aren’t questioning your skill, baby. Think of us as backup for you and Deke.” Nate refilled her glass. “Still want my laptop?”

  “Yes.” She glanced at her partner. “We should review our cases, see if anything pops.”

  “We have to start somewhere.” Deke refilled his coffee mug. “Nate, as soon as you find a suitable place, I need to let Will know when and where to meet.”

  “I’ll have an answer for you by ten.” He stood. “I’ll bring my computer to the living room, Stella.”

  Still taking care of her. A smile curved her mouth. Her ribs were still tender. Patience, she counseled herself. She had made great progress in the last thirty-six hours.

  Rio trailed after Stella with a bag of ice for her ribs. “You’re moving better. Ice works magic on bruises.”

  “Sorry I’m a grumpy patient.”

  “You’re a sweetheart compared to the other members of our unit. They make a porcupine look downright friendly.”

  Nate strode into the room and handed her the laptop. “Password’s Gray lady.”

  She grinned. “Nice.”

  “Easy for me to remember.” Nate leaned down and brushed her mouth with his. “I’ll be back soon.”

  Stella grabbed his hand when he would have stepped away. “Take Quinn.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll heal faster if I don’t worry about you being ambushed by whoever is after me.”

  “Dirty pool, sweetheart.” He frowned.

  “Rio and Deke are here. I’ll be fine. Between the three of us, plus the equipment you and Quinn leave behind, we can hold out for a siege if someone tracks us to the cabin.”

  Tension knotted her stomach. Would he accept the compromise? She really would worry less if he had backup.

  Nate sighed. “All right. We won’t be gone long.” Within ten minutes, he and Quinn were driving from the cabin.

  “Didn’t think he’d go for that,” Deke commented. “You know he could have handled it alone, right?”

/>   “His safety is important to me. I don’t want him injured because of me.”

  “I understand, Stel. That’s the reason I sent my family away. I don’t want my job spilling onto those I love.”

  “Then let’s nail this guy before he hurts or kills anyone else.” She turned on Nate’s computer and typed in his password. Wonder what he’d say if he learned her password was Demo man. Total saps, both of them.

  She logged into her office account and called up the cases she and Deke had worked for the past three years.

  “Here’s the list.” Stella turned the computer screen so he could see. As she scanned the file names, facts from each case surfaced in her mind. She stopped on one file, pointed to the name Luke Dyson. “What about this one?”

  “He’s one of many, Stel.” Deke sat back. “Let’s start at the beginning and work through them.”

  Case by case, they checked the location of people in the witness security program and traced the electronic tracks of those who threatened the marshals, judges, prosecuting attorneys, and witnesses.

  “So many people, Deke. The list could reach well beyond two hundred people.”

  “We need computer tech support to reduce this to a manageable list.”

  “But we can’t trust our own people.” And that thought made her more nauseated than the concussion.

  Nate exited his SUV and surveyed the area. Definite potential in this small cafe. The area surrounding the establishment was open with minimal landscaping, none large enough to hide behind. He’d see anyone approaching long before they arrived. Quinn would be posted at the back to make sure no one slipped in that way. That left Rio to cover the front. The place was well lit with a steady stream of customers.

  He and Quinn entered the cafe, sat at the counter, and ordered coffee. While they waited for their steaming brew, the two men took note of the exits and the safest seating area for Stella with the doors in plain view.

  “This should work,” Quinn murmured after the waitress poured their coffee and hustled to another customer signaling for her attention.

  “We’ll check around back before we leave, make sure we have a fast escape if we need it.” Nate scanned the patrons in the restaurant. The cafe near Murfreesboro was filled with college students and families with children. Though he doubted Stella would feel like eating during this meeting, the menu held a wide selection to meet any craving she might have, including several desserts with chocolate in them.

  On the return trip to the cabin, Nate stayed alert, gaze shifting from mirror to mirror, making sure they weren’t followed. He didn’t want to lead anyone to his girlfriend’s safe house.

  When he opened the front door, relief filled Stella’s eyes. She set the computer aside and stood. “Everything go okay?”

  “No problems, sweetheart.” His glanced at Deke. “Heartline Cafe. Three o’clock.”

  “I’ll inform Will.” The marshal grabbed his cell phone and walked outside to the porch.

  Quinn ruffled Stella’s hair on his way to the kitchen.

  Nate wrapped his arms around her. “Heartline is a small cafe. I think you’ll like it.”

  “Maybe we can return when the circumstances aren’t so somber.”

  “Count on it.” He paused, watching her face. “I’m thinking about taking two weeks off after your attacker is behind bars.”

  Her eyes lit. “Are you serious?”

  “Can’t think of anything I want to do more than spend time with you.”

  Stella kissed him. “I have time built up and Deke plans to take his family on vacation soon.”

  “Perfect. I’ll give you a tour of Fortress Security’s grounds. You’ll find it interesting.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “Fair warning, though. Brent will try to recruit you and he can be very persuasive.”

  “I’m not cut out for black ops work.”

  Nate ran his hand up and down her back with soft strokes. “You have the skills.”

  “Not the heart.” She wrinkled her nose. “I have a feeling Fortress bends the rules.”

  “Maybe.” Better not confirm her too accurate suspicions. Nate and his unit did what was necessary to return home alive. The people they faced were determined to kill them. Nate and his teammates had a lot to live for. His family and the woman in Nate’s arms gave him a strong motive for coming home in one piece.

  Deke returned to the living room. “The meeting is set.”

  Nate nodded. “We have enough time to eat lunch and let Stella ice her ribs before we leave. The drive takes forty-five minutes.” He gave Stella a light kiss and released her. “Rio and Quinn bought sandwich material. We also have leftover soup.”

  “Half of a sandwich and a bowl of soup.”

  After lunch, they all climbed into Nate’s SUV. Thirty minutes into the drive, Stella began shifting in her seat. Nate reached over and covered her hand with his. “Hurting?”

  “And anxious.”

  “Why?”

  “Sounds stupid, but I have a bad feeling about this meeting.”

  “Based on?”

  “Nothing but gut instinct.”

  Nate’s hands tightened around the steering wheel. In his experience, the subconscious was a powerful influence and if his gut sent him a warning, he’d be a fool to ignore it. He wondered what they were walking into and if he missed something that could hurt his girlfriend.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Nate parked in front of Heartline Cafe and laid his hand on Stella’s forearm. “Wait,” he murmured. He and his teammates exited the SUV. Quinn walked inside the restaurant and headed to the back of the dining area. A minute later, Rio strode into the building and sat at a table by the window. Within seconds, the medic signaled Nate.

  He scanned the parking lot again. No changes and no unusual interest in his vehicle. With the windows tinted, Stella and Deke’s features wouldn’t be clear. A visual sweep of the surrounding area, including rooftops left him satisfied that the marshals were safe for the moment. Nate circled the front of the vehicle and opened the passenger door. He studied Stella’s colorless face with concern. “Sure you want to do this? We can reschedule if you’re not ready.”

  “I don’t have a choice. The trail is going cold. I want Ty’s killer brought to justice. The sooner I answer questions, the faster this investigation yields results.”

  “If the pain grows too bad, I’ll get you out of there.” He helped Stella to the asphalt. Deke fell into step behind them. Inside the restaurant, Nate nodded toward a table at the back in the corner. That location was the most defensible and presented the best view of the exits. As they passed Rio’s table, the medic winked at Stella.

  A minute after they’d seated themselves, a waitress took their orders for iced tea and soft drinks.

  “You were right,” Stella said.

  “Good to know. What was I right about?”

  “I like this place.”

  Nate draped his arm on the back of her chair. “Check the menu.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ll like the dessert section.”

  Stella snatched the closest menu. Her eyes widened. “Oh, wow. Triple chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream.”

  “Want me to order that for you?”

  She looked tempted, but shook her head. “I’m too tense to enjoy it. Rain check?”

  “Deal.”

  Two dark Suburbans turned into the lot and parked on either side of Nate’s SUV. His stomach knotted. Not good.

  “What’s going on?” Deke muttered. “Will doesn’t drive a Suburban.”

  “Those are fed issue.” Disgust rang in Nate’s voice. Great. Just great. Another round with the feds. He’d had enough of those clowns in July.

  Two men exited from each vehicle. “The man with red hair is Deputy Director Will Riley,” Stella said.

  Nate glanced at him, then turned his attention to the other three. Typical feds. Dark suits, conservative ties, white shirts, close cut hair, li
ke they were cut from the same cloth.

  One man, the driver of the SUV Will rode in, looked familiar, but he wasn’t close enough to see him clearly. Nate glanced at Rio and caught the grim expression on the medic’s face.

  The familiar fed turned, his face now visible and recognizable. Crap. Not the man Nate wanted to see again. He sighed. He’d have to call in Josh and Alex after all. His two friends were both newlyweds and Durango had just returned from a Fortress rescue mission, but Nate had no choice. This situation would turn ugly, fast. They would be stonewalled, the investigation veering onto rabbit trails, not to mention the fed-sized ego that came with this FBI agent.

  “No surprise the FBI is involved,” Stella said. “When a U.S. marshal dies, the FBI investigates unless his family is part of congress or related to the president. In that case, the Secret Service takes over.”

  “Take my word for it, baby. This is a disaster in the making.”

  She frowned. “You know them?”

  “One agent.”

  The feds streamed through the door and scanned the cafe. Nate’s lips curled at the scowl on Craig Jordan’s face as he noted the two men with Stella. Yeah, he was just as happy to see the special agent. He had more than enough of Jordan the last time they tangled.

  “Who is he?” Deke murmured.

  “Craig Jordan.”

  Deke’s head whipped his direction. “Isn’t he the agent who caused problems for Del and Ivy last summer?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Nate watched the feds approach with a sense of foreboding. The deputy director’s Arctic gaze bored into Stella. Nate shifted so his thigh pressed against his girlfriend’s leg. “Be careful what you say, baby,” he murmured. “Jordan twists everything until your words support his crazy theories.”

  Jordan motioned for the other two feds to position themselves on each side of Stella and Nate.

  The skin at the back of Nate’s neck prickled. “Jordan,” he said, voice soft. “Tell your men to stand down.”