Driven

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Angus shrugged, standing to put his dish in the sink. “Yeah. I guess. My sister taught me. She was amazing.”

  Nari sipped her coffee. Should she ignore the opening and keep the morning peaceful? “You don’t talk about her. What was she like?” Nope. Curiosity was her bane, as usual.

  Angus poured himself another cup and leaned back against the counter, looking delicious with just his jeans on. That bare chest should be admired daily. “She was sweet and smart. It was just the two of us for so long after our folks died. When she was gone the world just got dimmer.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”

  Nari took another drink, kind of missing the whipped cream Wolfe always insisted on adding to any caffeinated beverage. “She looked like you. From what I saw of the picture you had.” The picture that had now been burned. “I hope you have more photos.”

  “I usually just use that one for the murder board,” he said absently.

  She sat up. “You don’t have any other pictures of the two of you? Of good times?”

  “Somewhere in a box.” He downed the entire cup, not meeting her eyes.

  She shook her head. “Angus, you have to let go of the anger and try to live again.”

  “Don’t shrink me.” He rinsed the cup, seeming miles away.

  “Wouldn’t ever want to shrink you,” she retorted, getting the grin from him she’d hoped to see. Okay. Fair enough. She wasn’t his girlfriend or his shrink, so she didn’t have the right to get into his head.

  He pulled out her spice drawer. “You should probably work on yourself instead of me.”

  “What?” She stood and carried her dish to the sink.

  He pointed. “You’re obsessive. These are lined up by color and name, not to mention brand. Talk about a control freak.”

  She reached around him and slammed the door closed. “I like to be organized. You’re the control freak.”

  “Huh.” He looked around the kitchen. “I don’t think so.”

  One of the boxes on the counter buzzed.

  Nari winced and grabbed for the box, yanking out the new phone. “This one is mine. The other is yours.”

  He reached for his box and opened it.

  “Hello,” Nari said. It was a good thing the phone was the same model as the one she’d lost.

  “Hey, Nari, it’s Brigid,” Brigid whispered tersely. “Are you with Angus?”

  Nari went still. “Yes. Why? What’s going on?”

  Movement sounded, as if Brigid had hunched over. “We’ve all been called in for questioning, but they’re really looking for Angus. I think they found some sort of physical evidence, but we haven’t been told what. We’re being threatened and all of that. If you’re at your apartment, get out of there. Or get him out of there.” Her voice rang oddly.

  “Where are you?” Nari whispered back.

  “In the bathroom at Metro headquarters,” Brigid whispered. “Honestly. Tell Angus to get somewhere safe and we’ll touch base as soon as we can. We need to find the real killer before they arrest him.” She abruptly clicked off.

  Nari looked up to find Angus staring at her with an intensity she felt to her toes.

  “What’s happening?” he asked. “Another murder?”

  “No.” Nari shook herself. “Brigid said they were all called in and are being questioned about your whereabouts. I think they found more evidence and want you. We have to get out of here.” Even so, she opened the dishwasher to pile in the dishes.

  Angus strode to the front door and shoved his feet into the boots he’d borrowed from Wolfe. “You can’t be with me.”

  “Sure I can.” She was going to help him whether he liked it or not. “Right now, we aren’t supposed to know that the police are looking for you, so we’re not doing anything wrong.”

  “No.” He ran a bruised hand through his hair. “Damn it. I can’t leave you here by yourself. Okay. I’ll take you to Wolfe’s, and then I’ll need to borrow your rental car until I get one of my own.”

  She ran out of the kitchen and into her bedroom, hurriedly packing a suitcase with everything she’d need for a week or so. She returned, out of breath. “Okay, I’m ready.” She hustled toward the door, and Roscoe bounded into step beside her. “They’ll look here if they’re trying to find you. Let’s go.”

  Angus followed her and made sure the door was locked. “You’re not arguing?”

  “Nope. Wolfe is being questioned right now, along with everyone else, so if you drop me off at his place, nobody will be there. Also, I imagine the police are watching the homes of everyone on our team.” She opened the back door of the car so Roscoe could leap inside and then slide in. She grimaced as Angus motioned for her to scoot over. “Whatever.”

  “They’re looking for me. If I need to outrun them, I don’t mind another ticket.” He pushed back the driver’s seat and started the car. “We probably only have minutes until they get here.” He sped out of the parking area. “Tell me there’s a back entrance to this complex.”

  “Yep. Take the next right and then left.” She reached back for her seat belt. “Where are we going?”

  “I have a storage unit a few hours away and we need to hit that for more supplies.” He took a corner slowly.

  She secured the belt. “Like clothing?”

  “Yes, as well as weapons and the copied case files.”

  Figured. He couldn’t go minutes without his case files. “You know, if the killer isn’t Lassiter, it’s not our case. Why don’t you let Tate and Metro do their jobs and worry about getting yourself out of this mess?” She wouldn’t watch his obsession kill him.

  “Because the team is the target, regardless of the killer’s identity.” He spoke almost absently and turned the radio to the news. “Let’s keep track in case they find another body.”

  She looked at her purse on the floor. “Wait. I forgot my new phone.”

  Angus kept driving. “Sorry, but it’s on your counter. Mine is turned off, and I’ll toss it in a garbage can on the way—once we’re far enough from your place. These phones can be tracked, and right now, I’d like to stay under the radar until we figure out where to go.”

  She shivered. For years, she’d worked for government agencies. Now she was hiding from them.

  * * *

  Right after a dinner of fast-food sandwiches, Angus knocked on the metal door of the loft, smiling when Jethro opened it.

  “Ah, shite,” the Brit said as Roscoe pushed past him to start scouting. He sighed. He was dressed in black sweats with a green shirt, and his usual glasses were perched on his straight nose, his brown eyes more resigned than irritated. “Come on in.”

  “Thanks.” Angus gestured Nari ahead of him and then followed, one large duffel over his shoulder and the other in his hand. “Sorry to intrude, but we really didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

  Nari kept moving into the industrial-style loft, walking to the floor-to-ceiling windows gridded with metal. “This place is amazing,” she said, turning around and viewing the open design. There was a massive gas fireplace flanked on one side by the living room and on the other by a rec room with a pool table and a bar.

  Angus looked to the left, where the cement-block kitchen lay. “You don’t—shit.”

  Roscoe jumped onto the metal dining table, captured a bottle of red wine, and quickly tipped it back. He finished the last gulp and tossed the empty bottle with a shake of his head.

  Angus dropped the duffel and snagged the bottle out of the air before it could crash into a wall.

  “Nice catch,” Jethro said, glaring at the dog. “Get your ass off my table.”

  Roscoe licked red wine from the fur around his mouth and gracefully jumped down. He did a happy dance and then continued scouting.

  “Sorry about that,” Angus said, sighing. “I’ll pay you back.”

  Jethro put his hands on his hips, his eyes sparking. “That was a 2014 Opus One Cabernet Sauvignon.”

  Angus picked up his duffel and ca
rried them both to the sofa. “I’ll buy you a six-pack.”

  Nari turned, looking small and delicious against the tail end of an orange sunset outside the industrial windows. “You were drinking a 2014 Opus One Cab by yourself?” She looked around. “What’s going on, Jethro?”

  “Nothing.” Jethro walked toward the lone set of dishes on the table and carried them to the sink, limping a little.

  Guilt swamped Angus. Last time he’d called Jethro in on a job, the man had almost died. “I’m sorry about this. We’ll just stay one night and then get out of your hair.”

  Jethro pointed to an office alcove beyond the pool table and a monstrous television. “I’ve been working on the note left for you beneath the bridge, as well as the markings below it.”

  Angus stiffened. “Tell me.”

  “No,” Jethro said, limping to a silver cabinet at the far end of the kitchen and taking out another bottle of wine. “How does a 2016 Chateau Lafite Rothschild sound?” He deftly opened the bottle.

  Nari gasped. “Seriously? That sounds delicious. I had no idea you were a wine connoisseur.”

  “I’ll show you the wine cellar later.” Jethro poured three glasses. “We should let her breathe, but what the hell.” He handed the glass to Nari.

  Angus’s gaze narrowed. What the hell? It was red wine. Crushed grapes and sunshine. He accepted the proffered glass and sniffed. Smelled like wine. The red kind.

  Nari swirled hers around, sniffed it, and then took a small drink. Her moan went right to Angus’s cock, and the pink sliding across her face was the same color she turned while orgasming. Angus took a drink. Yep. Red wine. He walked around the leather sofa and dropped into a guest chair. “Well? If you two are done bonding over crushed grapes, can we get to business?”

  Nari frowned and Jethro, the ass, looked amused.

  Angus shoved down impatience along with a bunch of other emotions. He was not jealous and he wasn’t playing this game.

  Nari gave him a look, one he didn’t much like, and then skirted his chair to sit on the sofa.

  Jethro loped around the other side and sat in a chair much like Angus’s, setting the bottle high on a shelf next to the fireplace.

  Roscoe whined, his tail wagging on the concrete floor. Then he leaned against the chair, looking up. The furniture was leather and expensive and perfect for the industrial-style apartment. “How about you tell me why you’re at my flat after dinner with a duffel full of weapons?” Jethro asked.

  Nari started. “Full of weapons? You said one gun and a bunch of file folders.” She took another sip of the wine, as if she couldn’t help herself.

  “I have both,” Angus said easily, taking another drink. The stuff wasn’t half bad, actually. It’d taste even better on Nari’s lips.

  Jethro kicked back and flicked a switch near the fireplace. The fire erupted, low with blue hues. “Well?”

  Angus gave him the short version of the last couple of days, winding down and finishing his glass. His stomach felt all warm and mellow. Was that what good wine did? No wonder people drank it, although he’d rather have whiskey.

  Jethro stood and refilled their glasses, careful to keep the bottle out of Roscoe’s reach. “At least he has good taste,” the Brit muttered, patting Roscoe’s head. He sat back down and looked at them both. “We only worked that one case together months ago, so you think it’ll take them time to connect us?”

  Angus nodded. “Yeah. They will connect us at some point, so we’ll just stay the night. Then I want to leave Nari with Wolfe and Dana and find a place to figure this case out.”

  Nari kicked off her boots and crossed her legs on the sofa. “I’m figuring this out as well. Definitely not leaving town.” She wobbled a little.

  Jethro swirled the wine in his glass, watching the fire play with the tannins. “You’re both safe here, if you want to stay.” He took a drink, looking as if he was really spending a moment tasting it. “The flat is owned by a dummy corporation, which is owned by a dummy corporation, et cetera and et al. Nobody can trace you here.”

  Angus sat back, his shoulders relaxing for the first time since the new killer had struck. He should’ve realized Jethro would be under the radar, considering his ties to M16. He smiled at Nari. “Well, then. For now, we accept your kind invitation.” He could keep her safe here until he could talk her into leaving with Wolfe.

  Jethro’s phone played “God Save the Queen” and he glanced down at the face and sighed. “I have a friend at Metro who works the desk and I’ve asked for updates. They found another body. Tall, brunette, blue eyes, and they already have an identification.” He frowned and read the message again. “Sue Swormton, the owner of the Puff Stadium.”

  Angus’s chest heated. “The Puff Stadium? That’s my favorite bakery. I often bought pastries for the office there.”

  Nari paled. “Pippa is our baker. The killer even knows about her, so he’s killed this baker?”

  Angus downed the rest of his wine to keep himself from punching the wall.

  Nari’s hand shook around the glass. “That’s every woman connected to the team. He’s found a look-alike victim for all of us. Now what?”

  Now he had to go after the real thing. Again. For some reason, he’d already tried for Nari. Why?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Nari awoke with a jerk to silence. Real silence. She stretched in the plush bed and rolled over, smashing her face into a mass of fur. She coughed and leaned back. “Roscoe. What are you doing?”

  The dog had his head on the adjoining pillow and his butt angled toward her. She petted him. “When did you come in?”

  He stretched out his legs, pushing his back into her. Then he rolled over and stood, leaning down to lick her face.

  She giggled and pushed him away. “Gross. You have doggy breath. Get off the bed.”

  With one last swipe at her chin, he jumped over her and landed on the floor. She looked at the unused side of the bed. Angus and Jethro had talked about the case late into the night. Worn out, she’d headed to the guest room. Apparently Angus hadn’t joined her. Why would he? Well, they had shared a bed before. And a carpet.

  His abandonment shouldn’t hurt, yet she rubbed her chest anyway. She was getting in too deep with him.

  Morning light streamed through the blinds covering her window, while a thick, white throw rug blanketed the cement floor. The headboard, side tables, and dresser were all high-end metal and appeared handmade; the adjoining bathroom was, in a word, plush. Dr. Jethro Hanson must’ve made some serious money after he worked for British Intelligence.

  Angus knocked and entered the room. “Wolfe is going to be here in about fifteen minutes with updates from everyone. We figured it’d be best if we only had one liaison to cut down on the chances of anybody finding us, including the killer. Wolfe will know if anybody tries to follow him.”

  Nari sat up, holding the bedclothes to her T-shirt. She couldn’t let go of the feeling of abandonment. “Why didn’t you come to bed?” Oh, heck. Why had she asked that stupid question?

  He stepped inside and studied her, his eyes a moss green in the early light. Today he’d worn dark jeans and a fresh tee that emphasized every hard muscle in his chest. “You needed sleep, and I was up most of the night going through the old case files.”

  Her temples ached already. “What are we doing? I mean, seriously. We have wild sex on my floor and then you don’t have the emotional balls to just come to bed?”

  His chin lifted, making him look oddly dangerous. “What? Am I not adhering to your strict life rules?”

  She reared back. The man wanted to fight? “Excuse me?”

  “Forget it.” He waved a hand. “Just get ready before Wolfe arrives.”

  “No. Wait a minute here.” She jumped from the bed, not caring that she was only wearing an overlarge T-shirt with her legs bare. “My life rules? You’re the one who’s so afraid to show emotion, he’s leaving town after making himself a target for a killer.” Yeah. She’d figured
that one out easily.

  “Emotion? Look who’s talking.” He shook his head, frustration cutting lines into the sides of his mouth. “Every part of your life is in order, except for me. So yeah, you’re in for a tumble with me so long as it says safe, but not anything serious.”

  She couldn’t believe they were having this ridiculous confrontation. After everything they’d both been through, he wanted to be an ass? Oh, her emotions felt all over the board, but she didn’t care. “Serious? You’re the wham-bam-and-see-ya guy.”

  “Right. Like you’re all in if I am. A guy who doesn’t fit the mold of what you want. Stop and think, Nari. Who do you see yourself with someday?” When she didn’t say anything, triumph filled his gaze. “Yeah. Another government agent, one climbing the ranks, one who’s acceptable.”

  “You need to get hold of your anger issues, jackass,” she sputtered, going to him and poking her finger into his hard gut for emphasis. “Everything you do is fueled by anger, and now that you aren’t drinking a ton of booze to dull it, it’s going to win if you don’t do something.”

  His nostrils flared. “Maybe so. I’m definitely feeling anger right now. But at least I don’t have daddy issues and I’m not trying to prove myself constantly to people who don’t deserve my loyalty.”

  She saw red and punched out.

  He caught her hand, almost too easily. “Try again, princess.” Pivoting, he put her against the bed.

  Oh, he was going to get it. She ducked and threw her shoulder into his gut, twisting to toss him over her head. He flew and landed, grabbing her arm at the last minute to pull her down with him.

  She landed on him and he rolled them both over, ducking successive punches.

  “Hey.” Wolfe poked his head into the bedroom.

  Nari paused in the midst of smashing both hands against Angus’s ears and looked up, panting wildly. Her mind was fuzzy and her body outrageously turned on. Big-time. “Hey,” she whispered.