That quick, his attention switched back to the house. “Does anyone else have a key to your place? Friend, family member, boyfriend?”
The guy threw her off balance every time he opened his mouth. “Don’t have either of the last two and very few of the first.”
“You don’t like people?”
“I like my privacy.”
“Understandable.” He opened his door. “I want you to stay here.”
“No.”
“Did you just say no?”
She took off the seat belt and cracked the door open before he could throw the parental safety locks. “I know you like issuing orders, but I’m done with feeling guilty about putting you in danger.”
“You did see the badge, right? This is my job.”
“I’m serious.” Before he could argue, she got out of the car and started walking toward her backyard.
From the start, she’d intended to fight this battle alone. If he insisted on tagging along, fine, but she’d ensure he wasn’t the primary target. She didn’t have a death wish, but she did have experience with naive hope and empty promises, with incompetent cops and bad lawyers. Jonas didn’t appear to fit in any of those categories but she wasn’t ready to take a chance on that yet.
She’d stood at the gravesides of her mother and two sisters and made a vow. She was determined to keep it, no matter the consequences.
He stopped her with the press of his hand against her elbow. “Hold up.”
She turned around, fire burning inside her, and let out a long, exaggerated breath. “You can’t win this argument.”
“Yeah, I get that. You’re consistent.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re not exactly a listen-to-the-rules type.” He slipped a cell phone out of his back pocket with his good hand. “So, let’s skip the part where you ignore me.”
“Works for me.”
“I’ll go in and you stand in the alley. If I don’t come out or you hear anything, you call Rich and get in that car.”
“You’re very big on going in alone.”
“It’s my job.”
People once accused her of living on the blurred edge of safety. She looked at Jonas, with his injuries and clenched jaw of determination, and saw the danger simmering there. “I wonder.”
“Don’t dissect me.” He flipped her hand over and dropped the phone in her palm.
When he closed his fingers over hers, the area around her heart trembled. “Fine, but don’t be a hero. Just call for backup.”
She’d never invited the police into her life before, but this was about Jonas. His safety, making sure he kept his distance from her mess.
“I can handle a house search on my own. Besides that, I have limited resources and personnel, and my people are busy taking turns watching the hospital and investigating.” He squeezed her hand then let go. “Let’s move.”
Courtney didn’t argue. She unlocked the gate at the back of the property. Quietly and with quick steps, they slid along the side fence with Jonas in the lead. When they reached the back door, he slipped her key into the lock, careful not to make a sound. He held up his hand and gave her the do-not-move glare.
As soon as his back disappeared into the house, she followed, catching the door before it banged against the jamb. She’d memorized every inch of the house and knew where to step and where someone could hide. He needed her.
He took two steps and stopped. His back straightened but he didn’t turn around. “I thought I told you to wait this one out.”
“And I thought I made it clear I was done being ordered around,” she said in a low hush, mimicking him.
With one arm, he scooped her behind him. The other hand held the gun. “Stay right there and keep that phone ready.”
Her head pressed against his back as they shuffled through the white kitchen she loved so much. The plates with the little daisy in the center, the ones she’d found at an estate sale and stacked in the cabinets. The small pots of herbs lined up on the windowsill. She handpicked every piece as she built her first real home as an adult.
“You okay?” he asked in a rough whisper.
“Yeah.”
She rested one hand in the deep groove between his shoulder blades. As she expected, not an ounce of fat on the guy. Trim waist and sleek muscles, a hard back and shiny hair. The warmth of his body and scent of the outdoors washed over her in a mix that was pure male. She felt him inhale.
“Damn.”
She grabbed his biceps and peeked around him as he hit the doorway into the small dining room. “What?”
“Call Rich.”
She pushed around Jonas and stood by his side. The drawers to her sideboard stood open. Looking through to the family room, paperwork spilled out of her desk and couch cushions lay scattered on the floor.
She tried to push past him. “My house.”
“Hold on.” He pressed a hand to her stomach. “Wait here.”
The guy just wasn’t getting it. She’s sat on the sidelines, passive and still, and watched her life spin. Those days were officially over. She was about to argue with him while she hit the button for Rich’s line when the hardwood floor creaked near the front door. She kept it loose on purpose. It was her first line of defense. Looked as if the system worked.
His gaze shot to hers. He mouthed the word company and nodded toward the back door. This time she listened. Coming face-to-face with another gun didn’t interest her.
With lightning speed, he whipped into the family room, gun up and shoes quiet against the usually creaky floor. “Stop! Police!”
The high-pitched scream and heavy thud had Courtney running into the room after him. She told Rich to hold as her gaze went to the front door. Jonas had someone pinned against the wood as he reached around for his handcuffs.
Sneakers, flowing skirt, yelling. The woman bucked and slammed her body against his as she tried to land a kick. “Get off of me!”
Instant recognition.
“Jonas, no.” Courtney reached them just in time to grab his wrist. The handcuffs jangled in his fingers. “She’s not a thief.”
Confusion fell over his face. “Who is it?”
“You’re the deputy.”
“That doesn’t mean I know everyone.”
When her friend started wiggling and mumbling, Courtney rushed to end the wrestling without more trouble. “That’s Ellie.”
He didn’t let up on the elbow pressed into Ellie’s back. “Be more specific.”
Courtney tugged on his arm to get him to back up. “Ellie Wise, best friend and landlord.”
Jonas loosened his hold then held his hands up as if waiting to get that kick he’d been fighting off. “I see.”
Ellie turned around. Fury blazed in her chocolate-brown eyes. “That’s all you have to say?”
“How about this…how did you get in here?”
Ellie held out her hand. “My key.”
Courtney felt the rush of guilt down to her toes. “I forgot she had one.”
“What’s going on?” Ellie looked at them, then around the house. “I heard you were in the hospital and came to get some stuff for you. There’s stuff everywhere. The bedrooms look even worse. You’ve got this one on guard.”
Stuff everywhere. Panic rose in her throat. Courtney spun around and raced to the fireplace on the far wall.
Dropping to her knees, she ignored the pain assaulting her and stuck her hand up the fireplace, digging around in the ashes. Her fingers touched on the corner and she tugged. Her shoulders slumped in relief as she pulled the folder out of its hiding place and sat back on her knees with it clutched to her chest.
By the time she looked up, both Ellie and Jonas hovered over her with matching frowns.
“What are you doing?” Jonas asked.
Courtney hugged the envelope and rocked. “He didn’t find it.”
Ellie shook her head. “What are you talking about?”
“Who?” Jonas asked at the same
time.
Courtney decided to answer them both at the same time. “The man who murdered my family then framed my dad for it.”
Chapter Nine
Cade walked down the hospital hallway toward room two-fifteen. He didn’t look at the numbers as he passed. Didn’t need to. The guard standing watch in front of the door at the end of the hall guided the way.
Cade stopped in front of a young officer. The guy looked all of twenty, even with the military haircut and gun within inches of his hand. The name tag said Stimpson. The flat line of his mouth said business.
Stimpson held up one hand while the other went to the top of his weapon. “This is a restricted area.”
“I’m here to see Paul Eckert.”
“No one goes in or out. Deputy Porter’s orders.”
Jonas Porter again. The guy caused trouble without even being there. “I have something that trumps your deputy.”
Stimpson snorted. “I doubt that.”
The challenge intrigued Cade. He held his shiny badge, ready to go, and flipped it open. “FBI. Now, step aside.”
Stimpson’s scowl faltered. “I was told—”
“Call your deputy. In the meantime, I’m going in that room.” This time when Cade stepped forward, Stimpson shifted to the side.
But he caught the door before Cade could shut it. “This stays open until I get confirmation.”
Good for Stimpson. “Agreed.”
Cade took it all in—the heart-rate monitor, the bandage on Paul’s head and around his hand. Dressed in a hospital gown with the covers pulled up to his chest, he looked less like the ace Academy grad who now specialized in white-collar crime and more like an actual patient.
“You owe me.” Paul’s eyes opened the second after he made his comment.
“You heard my talk with Stimpson?”
“Way I figure it, you have about five minutes before that Porter guy comes rushing through the door.”
“I’ll be out in four.” Cade nodded in the direction of the beeping monitor. “You okay?”
“Waiting for the scan to come back, but the brain appears to be working. Ducking police questions has been tougher. They’re persistent out here.” Paul lowered his voice. “Man, what did you get me into? You know they’re calling the office and checking my credentials?”
Cade regretted getting his friend involved. Cade had called in a favor and made up a story. “Since you actually are an agent, you’ll be fine.”
“But we both know this isn’t a real assignment.”
Cade blocked out that part. He’d do everything he could to make sure Paul didn’t get in trouble. The fake backstory was in place and ready to go. Signed documents and the right computer trail waited in case anyone went snooping.
But that left the bigger question. The one Cade could not kick out of his head. “You were supposed to talk with her, not get into a fight and land here.”
“Thanks for caring about my future with the Bureau.”
Cade put a hand on the back of the bed above Paul’s pillow and leaned in. “I’ll handle it.”
And Cade could. He’d gone from newbie to supervisor in record time. Flew up the rigid promotion system and passed men with years more experience. That rapid rise gave him power. A few forms and rerouted calls, and everything would work out.
If Porter backed off, it would all go away immediately. Cade guessed he wasn’t going to be that lucky.
Paul nodded but didn’t look convinced. “When I saw her getting loaded into the ambulance, I wanted to make sure she was okay. Also figured I’d follow her here and make a move. Even had the help of the local sheriff.”
“Porter?”
“He’s town police. This is another guy. Walt something.”
“And?”
“Porter tried to sneak her out of the hospital. I knew it was going to happen, sensed the guy had a personal stake in her, and held back. When he took her out, I followed to keep track for you and, well, hell, the guy saw me and went ballistic.”
The more Cade heard about Porter, the harder Cade’s headache hammered. So many years, so much planning. Having it ruined by a cop with a hard case of lust made Cade want to punch something.
“Tell me about Courtney Allen,” Cade said.
“It’s her. Different name but definitely a match to the woman you’ve been hunting.”
Cade hadn’t known he was holding his breath until it rushed out of him. “Good.”
“But something else is going on.”
Cade didn’t move. There was no way Paul could know every detail. “Meaning?”
“She got into trouble out in the forest. Before that, I heard him at her front door, talking about some other woman.”
Cade’s world shifted back into place. Paul didn’t know. He hadn’t figured out every detail.
Paul snapped his fingers. “Maggie or Margaret. Something like that.”
The headache thundered until Cade could barely hear anything else. “Taynor. The name is Margaret Taynor.”
“That’s it. The name sounds familiar, but I couldn’t place it. Who is she?”
“A lawyer.”
Paul held up his hands. “That narrows it down. We only know about ten thousand of them in D.C.”
“A dead one.”
All amusement left Paul’s face. His anger highlighted the bruise around his eye. “Look, Cade. I said I’d take a few days off and help you out, play a part, so you could reel this witness in, but—”
“She’s not a witness.”
Paul’s mouth dropped open. “You mean she’s really wanted on something?”
“Yes.”
“What the…” His bed whirred as he hit the button and struggled to sit up. “Why didn’t you do this job by the rules? This isn’t like you.”
“We don’t have time for explanations. Suffice to say I haven’t told you everything, but I will.”
“I don’t like it. You’re messing with my life here, Cade.”
He glanced over his shoulder and saw the officer talking on the phone. “I’m going to see about getting you out of here and erasing any record of your time here except the official record, which I’ll write.”
“How are you going to get all of the people here to stay quiet? I’ve had law enforcement crawling all over me since I arrived.”
“Let me worry about that. Your job is to get dressed. When the nurse comes in, I want you to be ready to go.”
“To where?”
“Home, and don’t talk to anyone. Keep with the same story. Flash the badge and refuse to comment on a pending investigation.” Cade thought about the file in his car. “I’ll handle Courtney from here.”
* * *
SEEING COURTNEY FIGHT ALL DAY, watching the fear fall over her and her push it back, made Jonas view her in a certain way. Tough, determined, not afraid to break the rules.
He’d prepared his mind for a criminal past even as the rest of him rebelled at that thought. He expected talk about some minor crimes in her past that didn’t matter. He preferred that to an ex who hurt her and had her on the run.
But the gem about her name being new threw him. Even with every ounce of energy drained from his broken body, he’d fidgeted in that chair for hours the night before thinking about what she didn’t say.
Nothing readied him for news of a mass murder.
Standing next to her now, seeing the energy bounce off her as she gripped the folder as if it were the only thing holding her upright, showed him another side. Vulnerable. This wasn’t about her refusing to own up to something. This was about her wading right into the middle of a disaster.
A dead body in the forest. A rogue FBI agent. And now a tossed house.
He could forget about sleep for at least another day. No way was he leaving her alone or with anyone else. Jonas trusted Walt and Rich with his life, but that didn’t mean he could walk away.
Not from this. Not from her.
“When and where?” he asked.
Court
ney’s throat bobbled. “Maryland, ten years ago.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Ellie stood there with her feet rooted to the floor and her breaths coming in hard puffs.
Courtney shook her head. “I never talk about…”
“You don’t want to relive it,” he said.
“People called my dad a family annihilator, a guy who wipes out his wife and kids.” She gulped in a huge breath. “I still can’t believe it happens often enough for there to be a term for it.”
Jonas knew all about the definition and the type of man who would commit such a heinous crime. On the outside, he appeared dedicated to his family but doubts and frustrations festered. Possessive, controlling and narcissistic. The idea of Courtney being a victim of such a man, even a dead one, made Jonas want to punch something.
Despite his rising anger over the situation, Jonas had to tread carefully. One wrong word and Courtney would get it into her head he didn’t believe her and close down.
“Your father was found guilty?” Jonas knew with enough time and a little information he could find the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her. He sensed she needed to say it, to let some of the poison out.
Her fingers curled tighter on the folder. “He was found dead at the scene. Gunshot wound to the head.”
“I’m so sorry.” Ellie reached out a hand but stopped short of touching Courtney.
“Where were you when it happened?” Jonas asked, trying to stay all business so she could get the information out without crumbling, though she didn’t strike him as the crumbling type.
Ellie put her body in front of her friend’s. “What are you saying?”
He shifted until he faced Courtney head-on again. “Courtney?”
She didn’t need sympathy now. Determination radiated off of her. What she needed, what he read from the tone of her voice and the sadness in her eyes, was to be heard.
He’d been trained to listen, no matter how painful the facts. Usually he had the small comfort of distance. He didn’t know the victims and could build an emotional barrier. After only a few hours, he felt an attachment to Courtney. That would make everything harder.
“I’d snuck out to be with my boyfriend.” The words sounded as if they were ripped out of her one by one.
When She Wasn't Looking Page 6