Bishop's Knight

by Katie Reus

  “The only way you’re going to pass the time is with rest and sleep.”

  Samara simply shrugged, a wicked glint in her eyes.

  Evie ignored that look and got back on track. “I’m going to bring Dylan in on some of this.” Even if she didn’t like the thought of it, she needed someone she could trust to have her back if she approached Seamus. But it grated on her that she might be putting him in danger. And she knew that if she tried to keep him out of anything, he’d just barrel in and help no matter what.

  “I know you’re not asking me for permission.” Samara popped another Cheeto in her mouth.

  “No. But I still want your opinion.” Evie had run her options over in her head and they were limited right now. She was pretty certain she was being watched, at least by the DEA since Ellis had been a DEA agent and she was staying at his house. She wasn’t under deep surveillance, but she had a feeling she was on their periphery because of her missing brother. They sure as shit weren’t tapping her phone though, that much she’d made sure of.

  That wasn’t even her main concern now. No…Dylan was. Damn it, everything was so complicated with him involved. Thankfully Dylan was smart and took his security seriously. Not to mention he had resources. So while she might not want to be linked to him—only for her own sanity and his safety—right now she needed the help and she wasn’t afraid to ask for it.

  “I think it’s a great idea. He’s not a dumbass so you won’t have to hold his hand for stuff. And he’s got a ton of resources he’d probably let you tap.” She grinned widely. “He’d also probably let you tap that ass if—”

  “Oh my God, stop. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “I’m horny, that’s what. I don’t like being cooped up.”

  “It’s only been a day.”

  “One day too long.” Her well-trained friend crossed her arms over her chest, actually sulking.

  Sighing, Evie stood. “Masturbate or something, then. Just get over whatever this is—and don’t proposition Dylan’s doctor. He’s doing us a big favor by not calling the cops.”

  “No promises.”

  Ignoring her, she said, “I’m going to find Dylan.” Hopefully he’d be up for a little recon. Or he would just toss her out of his office and tell her to deal with her own stuff. Evie would find out soon enough. Though deep down, she knew what he was going to say. Because Dylan was a good guy. One who deserved an actual society princess, not…her.

  When she opened the door she found Cooper, as if he’d been waiting to be let inside. After nudging Evie for a head rub, he bounded into the room and jumped up next to Samara, cuddling against her. Samara grumbled about him trying to steal her Cheetos but started scratching him behind the ears.

  A few minutes later, Evie found Dylan in his office with Leo.

  Leo’s look wasn’t as frosty today but he wasn’t friendly either. He simply nodded politely at her as he left, his gaze as shrewd as ever. She wondered how deep he’d dug into her. Not that it mattered—he wouldn’t have been able to get much. Nothing other than what she wanted the world to see.

  She shut the door behind Leo and turned to Dylan who was sitting behind his desk, his computer in front of him.

  “Are you busy? Never mind, of course you are. Dumb question.” Why did she have to turn into a rambling moron around him?

  He pushed up from his seat and rounded the desk, leaning against it. “What’s up? Samara all right?”

  “She’s good. Whiny, but good.” She rolled her eyes. “So…how involved do you want to be with all this stuff I’m dealing with?” Ugh, she hated that she needed to ask him.

  He watched her carefully. “Lay out whatever you’ve got for me.”

  She shoved her hands in her jeans pockets. “I can’t tell you who I used to work for but you pretty much guessed one of the right acronyms earlier.” His jaw twitched so she continued. “I told you two people from an op Samara and I worked on have died fairly close together. Another guy from that op—Seamus—was fired from his job in disgrace and is now in Miami. It looks as if he took a bunch of money too. I have no clue if he’s involved in shooting Samara and then shooting at me. But…he’s nearby and I want to talk to him.”

  “How do you know he’s here?”

  “I have an image of him leaving a local bank. It’s kinda grainy but I know it’s him. I want to see if I can hack into the bank and get better video—I want to see if he was there for a specific reason. And I want to hunt down where he’s staying.” Unless he’d skipped town, something she’d worry about if they couldn’t find him.

  Dylan’s gaze darkened slightly. “What kind of man is he?”

  “I…don’t know how to answer that. On jobs, I trusted him to have my back. But two people Samara and I worked with on an operation are dead. And it appears he might have stolen a bunch of money. Apparently they couldn’t prove he’d taken it. That didn’t matter—he was fired. And now he’s in Miami and we’ve both been shot at? I don’t know. I don’t like it. There isn’t anything connecting him for sure, but hell, for all I know he’s a target too. I simply want to talk to him.”

  “I can help. What bank did you get the video from?”

  When she named the bank, he gave her a wry grin. “I own the building. So you won’t have to do any hacking.”

  She blinked in surprise and grinned. “Good, because I suck at hacking and I don’t want to call in any favors yet.”

  “In case we need someone, I know a guy.”

  She lifted an eyebrow. “Really?”

  “Technically it’s a woman. But yeah, I know someone who can help us out if things get that far.”

  Evie didn’t like the weird frisson of jealousy that sparked through her. Of course Dylan knew other women. He knew hundreds of other women. She was just being stupid and getting all caught up in her head. “I’m ready to get started on this now, if you are,” She knew she was putting him out by asking for these favors. Especially since he owed her nothing and had multiple businesses to run.

  “I don’t like the thought of you leaving my place. Not after what happened.”

  “I’ll be going in disguise.” There was more than one disguise in her stash bag and it would be easy enough to alter her appearance. She wondered if Dylan or his guy had dug through her things, then immediately dismissed the thought. Of course he had, she realized. And he had every right to. She’d brought danger into his house.

  Dylan simply nodded. “Fine. I’m going to call the off-site security place where the videos are dumped. They can send me anything we want but I’m guessing you want to look at things in person?”

  She nodded. “Give me fifteen minutes. I just need to gear up.”

  He nodded, his green eyes watchful. “Do you need to make a stop to see your brother or family?”

  She’d spent the morning with her family and she couldn’t just sit around doing nothing. “I just talked to my mom. Evan still won’t see anybody. He’s been quite adamant about it in fact. Jackass,” she muttered, angry with her older brother. Angry and afraid for him. It wasn’t healthy to keep pushing family away.

  “I’m sorry you’re dealing with all this.”

  Her too. “I just want to help Samara at least. I feel like maybe…”

  “What?”

  She paused even as she told herself to keep her mouth shut. But her brain wouldn’t listen to her. Dylan had always been more than just a lover. He’d been a friend and an incredible sounding board. Because he’d truly listened. Not just waited for her to finish so he could start talking. “I don’t know. I feel like if I can help her, I’ll be doing some good right now.” She should leave, but instead she found herself stepping farther into his office. She collapsed on one of his chairs and rubbed both hands over her face. “I feel so useless where my brothers are concerned. I can’t do anything for Evan. And I can’t find Ellis to help him—and I’ve tried. I hate not being able to help my family.” She’d done so much for her country—for strangers—and now she coul
dn’t help the two people who meant everything to her.

  He surprised her by crouching down in front of her and taking her hands in his. “You’re doing everything you can. And Evan will come around. He’s had a traumatic experience. You know he won’t shut you guys out forever.”

  She did know that. And for some stupid reason she found her gaze locked on Dylan’s full lips as he crouched in front of her, comforting her. In that moment she felt like a jerk. He was trying to be a decent guy and all she could think about was kissing him, tasting him, maybe forgetting the insanity of her life right now. Yeah, because that would be so fair to him. She couldn’t do that to him. Ugh, she sucked.

  She snapped her gaze away, clearing her throat. “You’re right, of course.” She abruptly stood, needing distance from him in that moment.

  What the hell was she thinking, getting all vulnerable in front of him? She walked to the door, her movements stiff and stilted.

  “You’re going to tell me all your secrets,” Dylan murmured, his low, sexy tone surprising her. And…knocking her off-balance.

  She started to tell him that he was wrong, that she would never tell him all her secrets. But the words stuck in her throat.

  With a trembling hand, she yanked open the office door and practically ran from him.

  What the hell had just happened? She couldn’t tell him her secrets. If she did, it would be the final nail in her coffin.

  He wouldn’t help her, wouldn’t look at her with flashes of interest or lust. No, he would loathe her.

  And…she couldn’t stand the thought of that.

  Chapter 9

  “I need to stop by Ellis’s house now,” Evie said as they headed away from the security place. She’d gone inside the nondescript, four-story building with Dylan—looking nothing like herself. Wearing a platinum blonde wig, square-framed glasses, colored contacts, and a bit of theater-grade makeup, she’d changed her appearance enough that if anyone was searching for her using facial recognition software, they wouldn’t find her. It was why she’d gone with the particular wig. The sharp bob covered her ears so they wouldn’t be picked up on any cameras. And blonde went with her coloring. Not that any of that mattered now since the trip had been a bust and they were no closer to finding Seamus.

  “Sure. What’s going on?”

  “I got an alert on my phone. I have the app for his alarm system on there and it said there was some movement on one of the doors. The alarm system was turned off, however.” And she didn’t like that.

  Dylan gave her a sharp look. “You think it’s him?”

  “Could be. I’m not sure why he’d go back to his house. I just wish he would reach out to me,” she muttered. Evie had been trying not to think too much about Ellis. She loved him. She knew he could take care of himself, but it didn’t alleviate her fear for him, especially with everything else going on.

  “He’s not going to reach out to you and compromise your safety.” Dylan’s voice was sure. “You want to talk about that case? I only know what the news has said. That he killed an undercover DEA agent he was working with and went on the run… Something I don’t believe.”

  Closing her eyes, she shook her head as he took a left turn. “No. Not now. But thank you.” Maybe she would talk about it later, but it was too painful to focus on.

  “I know you won’t tell me who you used to work for—though I have my guesses. Can you at least tell me why you started working for them?”

  She opened her eyes and glanced at him. “You’re probably going to laugh.”

  “Try me.” His tone was dry.

  “I wish I could say it was something noble like I wanted to serve my country… Though eventually that’s what it turned into. I’m proud of what I’ve done. But honestly, it sounded really cool and I wanted nothing to do with my parents’ way of life. Now that I’m older I understand I was just being a spoiled jackass. They give a lot to our community but…I didn’t want any part of their money. I wanted to carve out my own identity.”

  She cleared her throat before continuing.

  “In college I was recruited because of my aptitude for languages and my social skills, really. I’m able to pretty much blend in anywhere, relatively speaking. And it sounded like a whole lot of fun. I would get to see the world, learn new skills and kick ass occasionally.” Since she’d grown up with two older brothers, she knew all about roughhousing, and she’d taken to martial arts like a fish to water. When she’d been recruited, she hadn’t wanted to get stuck in Miami working for one of her father’s companies. It had all seemed so stifling and boring at the time and the CIA had offered her a whole new world. So she’d jumped on it.

  He nodded as he looked back at the road. “I get that.”

  “You’re a bit more noble than me,” she said, grinning. She knew Dylan had joined the Marines because of a sense of duty and honor. That was just the kind of guy he was.

  “We’ve both still served our country. The reasons don’t really matter in the end.” Dylan was ever the pragmatist.

  Something she liked about him. He was so damn well-adjusted. His own family was similar to hers, and he’d gone off and joined the military—and fought in multiple war zones. Sometimes when she looked at him, she saw the warrior looking back at her. He might have left the Marines, but the Marines hadn’t left him. It was probably why he was such a shark in business. She lifted a shoulder.

  “Why did you quit? Why are you back in Miami?”

  That wasn’t something she was willing to answer right now. “That’s a story for another day,” she said as she pulled up another one of the outdoor security feeds from her brother’s place on her phone. Still, nothing. “I don’t see any movement on the cameras outside.” Now she wished there were cameras inside. Damn it. She didn’t like not knowing who was inside her brother’s house. And she was afraid that by the time they got there, whoever it was would be gone.

  If it was Ellis and she’d missed him…ugh.

  Evie was glad that the sun had already set as Dylan parked a few houses down from her brother’s house. The darkness garnered more cover and she had a feeling they were going to need it. They weren’t in the same vehicle they’d been in when they’d been shot at. Now they were in an SUV with bullet-resistant everything. “How do you want to do this?” she asked.

  “I want to call the cops,” he said dryly.

  She shot him a glare. “What if it’s Ellis inside?” She would be the worst sister ever if she ended up inadvertently calling the cops on him. When Dylan didn’t respond, she continued. “I’m thinking that we can either go in together or I can take the back door and you can take the front door. Or vice versa. It doesn’t matter.” They were both armed and trained.

  “All right. We’ll do it your way.” He got out of the vehicle, his movements quiet as they strode down the sidewalk. “It’s weird talking to you like this, knowing you’ve got a hell of a lot of training.”

  “I know.” She pushed back the prick of pain in her chest. “I knew you would never like this version of me.”

  He frowned, his fingers gently skimming over her forearm for an instant before he pulled back. “I didn’t say that. Just that it was weird. I like this version of you too.” He looked as if he wanted to say more, but held back.

  Glancing away, she cleared her throat. They were close now. Had to stay sharp and not think about how she loved every single version of Dylan. “So what’s it gonna be?”

  “We go in with me taking point.”

  She narrowed her gaze at him as they reached Ellis’s neighbor’s front yard. “Because I’m a woman?”

  “No. Because I care about you.”

  Damn it. “How about we go in at the same time? You go high, I’ll go low.”

  He definitely wanted to argue, she could see that from the tense line of his jaw, but he simply nodded as they casually strolled up the neighbor’s driveway when Evie pointed in that direction.

  Moving quickly, they hurried up the driveway. Instead
of making their way up to the front door, like a visitor would do, they kept going along the side of the gray and blue cottage.

  When she’d moved into Ellis’s house, she’d learned the layout of most of his neighbors’ yards. She’d done far too much recon for a normal person but she liked to know her surroundings at all times. “Part of the fence needs mending,” she whispered. “We won’t even need to jump it.”

  Dylan nodded, and when she pointed out the opening in the seam of the fence he slid through first.

  She quickly followed, careful to avoid the floodlights.

  Anticipation built inside her. What if it was Ellis inside? She missed her brother so much and wanted to pull him into a giant hug. More than that, she wanted to clear his name.

  “I see movement.” Dylan’s voice was low as he nodded at the upstairs window.

  The lamp was on—and she hadn’t left it on. A hint of a shadow shifted behind the roman shades. “That’s Ellis’s bedroom,” she whispered back.

  Dylan nodded, and after a quick scan of the backyard they hurried toward the back door.

  Evie withdrew her weapon, Dylan doing the same. He was right—it was weird to be here with him like this in operator mode. But she also kind of liked it. Liked being able to be herself at least.

  Eyes on the door, she counted down before she gently twisted the knob. The handle easily turned, swinging open. So someone had either picked the lock or they had a key. They hadn’t reset the alarm system either, which was good for them.

  She kept her weapon out as they swept into the kitchen.

  Empty.

  Dylan quietly shut the door behind them.

  She could hear the faint shuffles of someone moving around upstairs. She wasn’t sure if it was more than one person.

  They hurried through the house, briefly sweeping each dark room as they passed by it until they got to the stairs. Though she wanted to go first, Dylan stepped in front of her to take the lead as they hurried up the stairs.

  She heard the faint sound of a male cursing. The sound was too quiet for her to distinguish whether it was her brother.