“Hello, Lieutenant.” Dan and Enzo, the two deputies who’d arrived first, nodded their respect to my brother. As the higher-ranking officer and a detective, he’d be in charge.
“Crime scene is on their way. Now, walk me through what happened.” Callum’s words may have been harsh, but he said them while finger combing my hair just like he used to when I was little.
Before I could begin, Eli was slamming through my front door. “Bridget? Where is she?” he asked before he saw me or saw who was with me.
“She’s right here, and she’s fine,” Callum assured him, looking a bit confused as to why Eli was in my apartment.
“We got an alert, Bridget’s been on our radar for a while,” Eli explained as he pretty much shouldered everyone out of the way so he could get to me. He wasn’t touching me, but I could see how that self-control was costing him.
“On your radar for what? The list?” I wasn’t sure if what Eli said was the truth or if he was trying to downplay why he was here, but he should have known better. Callum wouldn’t let that go.
“On your radar for what?”
I paused when my phone rang. I pressed my auto-reply button to tell Piper that I’d call her back in a few minutes.
“Ever since she pulled over that guy, the one you told her to come see me about,” Eli explained.
“Okay. Bridget, start at the beginning,” Callum instructed. “What happened tonight?”
“I woke up and thought I heard someone in the hallway. Before I could get up to check it out, my bedroom door was being opened. I pretended to still be asleep until I could figure out how many people there were. You know me, Callum, you know where I keep my gun.”
He nodded. I paused for another moment to send an auto-reply to Harley.
“Anyway, I slid my gun from the holster and just waited. I could tell he was looking for something, because he was rummaging through things and it sounded like he was shuffling things around on my dresser. He ended up grabbing me and demanding to know where the paper was.”
“What paper?” Callum asked. I ignored my phone, which was ringing again, and turned it on vibrate.
“The one you brought to me?” Eli asked, saving me from having to go into details about Justin.
“Yeah, but when I told him the FBI had it, he got pissed. He called me a fucking bitch and said I had no clue what I’ve fucking done.”
“What did you do?” Callum asked.
I shrugged. “I have no idea. That was when he stepped back far enough for me to get a shot off.”
“How many rounds did you fire?” Callum asked.
“One. I think that I got his shoulder, but he was retreating so I didn’t pull again. He jumped from the balcony.”
Callum, Eli, and the other two deputies moved to peer out my balcony to see how far it was.
“Two stories, there’s blood on the railing. He was probably so hyped on adrenaline that he vaulted over. Maybe drugs. We need to speak to whoever is downstairs and find out if they saw anything,” Callum informed the other two deputies. “Then start asking the neighbors on either side of Bridget and the ones downstairs.” Callum sat across from me on my couch. “Do you have any clue who it was?”
I met Eli’s intense stare. “I think it was the guy who had the letter, I couldn’t see him, but the voice was familiar.”
“The guy you pulled over?” Callum asked. “What was his name?”
Eli and I were in a locked stare. “Oman Matim?” Eli offered, and when I shook my head, his expression hardened. “Callum, we’ll need to work together on this. The break-in is yours, but the suspect is ours, he is a person of interest in a federal investigation. We are going to get him, don’t worry.” Eli never broke eye contact with me as he said this.
My brother nodded because even though he didn’t like it, he understood that you went for the big fish, not the little one, and catching this guy was bigger than someone breaking into my apartment.
While the two of them talked, I sent a group message to Sadie, Kat, Harley, and Piper.
* * *
Me: I’m okay. Eli and Callum are here.
Sadie: So is half the county. Roads are blocked.
Harley: We’re helping to look.
Piper: Are we looking for a possible blond subject?
Kat: OMG
Me: Yes.
Piper: Come stay with me.
Kat: Or me.
Me: Not you, Kat, you have too many sisters in your house.
Kat: You could be one more.
Harley: I have one room, but you could have the couch.
Piper: I have two bedrooms.
Me: I know. Thank you. I’ll let you know. Gotta go, they are waiting for me.
* * *
I put my phone to the side. “Yes?”
“Investigators are here.” Callum pointed to a tall, lanky woman and an equally tall man.
“Deputy, please hold out your hands.” I did as ordered, and she ran a cloth over my left hand before dropping it into a bag. Then she did the same to my right hand.
“Gun residue?” I asked.
“Yes. I’ll also need to take your gun.” Callum handed it to her. She counted the bullets and checked the chamber before putting those into one bag and my gun into another. I knew this was part of protocol, but I hated it. I hated giving up my sidearm.
While she was doing this, her partner was brushing black shit on my doors and checking for fingerprints. She moved into my bedroom and took several photos before grabbing a slide and a container and scraping my wall.
“DNA?”
“Yeah, we want to see if he’s in our system. If not, we will add this into our system,” she informed me. The two moved around taking photos and dusting for fingerprints, and then, just as quietly as they came, they left. I learned about all of this in the academy and saw it on television, but in real life, it was surreal and a bit intimidating. I knew what happened, but I couldn’t stop my mind from wondering, what if something weird came back in the investigation? Not that I had any clue what that weird thing might be.
Callum’s phone rang. “McGuire.” It was totally one sided, but I listened attentively. Okay, I pretended it was the most intriguing conversation in the entire world, anything to keep me from looking at Eli. Finally, Callum disconnected. “That was the captain. The blood ends in your parking lot, so either the perp drove off, or he stopped the bleeding long enough to hide his tracks. K-9s can’t pick up a trail beyond there. We have calls into all of the hospitals and will be notified if anyone comes in with a gunshot wound. Other than that, we just need you to do a report.”
“Okay.”
“Appears that he got into your apartment via your back sliding glass door. From where I’m standing”—the female crime scene investigator pointed down—“the tenant’s patio railing below you looks sturdy enough, and the right height for someone to jump onto to gain access to your balcony. Pretty much anyone in shape would be able to swing up here.”
“I sent two deputies downstairs to talk with the tenant and see if they saw or heard anything,” Callum informed her. He was genuinely worried. “Want to come to my house? I don’t like you being alone here.”
“Nah, I’ll gather some stuff and then go to Piper’s, she has two rooms.”
“Call Ma and Da, they’re worried.”
“I will.”
“I’ll wait while you pack a bag.”
“Go on, Cal, I’ll be a bit still, I want to ask her some questions regarding the case. I’ll make sure that she gets to Piper’s, don’t worry.” Eli placed a hand on my head like a devoted brother.
“Thanks, E. Love you, Bridge. Call me if you need anything.” My brother gave me a big bear hug, the kind he gave me when I was, like, four and he was twelve.
“I love you, too. Thank you for taking care of all of this.” Callum walked out, and I moved to my bedroom, not waiting for Eli.
“Wait.” That one word was firm.
“I’m tired and need to pack
a bag.”
“Was it Justin?”
“I think so.”
“We’ll know if he shows up injured at work, it will be hard to cover up a gunshot wound,” Eli explained. “I want you to come home with me. I can keep you safe.”
“I can go to Piper’s.”
“Or you can come to my place.”
I ignored him and headed for my closet. I swung the door open and spotted my bandana and biker T-shirt from last night. One glance told me that he saw them, too. Without looking at me, he turned and headed for my bathroom.
“Eli, stop.” But he didn’t stop, of course, he fucking didn’t. No, he went into my vanity area, I was not sure what he thought he was going to see, but I knew exactly what he would find.
He came out holding one blonde wig. “I knew there was something about that woman last night. What were you fucking up to? Who were you with?” I tilted my head and rolled my eyes. “Don’t tell me it was the rest of your half-wits?”
“Fine, I won’t tell you, and we aren’t half-wits.”
Eli moved next to me, the wig still clenched in his hand.
“Be careful with that thing, it isn’t mine. I have to return it to the makeup person.”
Eli tossed it onto my bed along with my shirt and bandana. “What were you trying to do last night?”
“Nothing, if we saw Oman, who you call Nazari, I would have called you immediately. If we saw Justin, we were going to get photos and then just try to keep him from snatching any girls. We caught him with a fifteen-year-old.”
“Bridget, the man is a fucking loose cannon. You five are going to get yourselves killed. Pack a bag, you’re coming with me.”
“Eli, stop. I’m going to Piper’s.”
He pushed out a deep breath and raked his hands through his hair. “Listen. When I heard the call, you have no clue what it did to me. I need you to do me this one favor. Stop being a tough girl and just come stay at my house so I know you’re safe.”
See? That wasn’t so hard to say, was it?
I stepped away and moved to grab a bag for my toiletries and some clothes. Then I grabbed my phone charger and laptop before locking up and heading out to Eli’s car. On the way, I sent a text to the girls and one to my parents, telling them I would call in the morning.
Eli didn’t live far from me; though, I’d never been to his house. When he pulled into the driveway of a brick red and river rock house, the first thing I thought was, agents must make a lot more than deputies, because his house was nicer than my parents, since Da retired from the force. My parents’ home was in an older subdivision and looked like all the other houses on their street. Eli’s was new, the area was new, and all the houses were different. The second thought was, he’s thirty-four, no wife, no kids, and this was where he put his money. Responsibility practically dripped from him.
When we walked in, a Golden Retriever bounded in to greet me. “Oh my god, you have a dog.” I knelt and greeted the giant furbaby.
“Yeah, this is Kenny.”
“Kenny? That is a weird name for a dog. He is probably the first Kenny I’ve ever met.” I scratched behind his ears as he rubbed his head into me, trying to get closer and closer.
“I watch a lot of South Park. Unfortunately, he only does one trick.” I glanced up, waiting for Eli to continue. “Okay, stop scratching him, and I’ll have him do it.” I pulled my hands back and stood. “Oh my god, you killed Kenny,” Eli said in a loud voice.
Kenny turned in a circle and then dropped to his side.
“That’s cute,” I said and then continued looking around the house. “So, where am I sleeping?”
“Anywhere you want. All the bedrooms are upstairs. Want a bottle of water or anything before we go up?” I shook my head and followed him up the steps. “My room, three guest bedrooms,” he said as he pointed each one out and then started walking toward his room with my bag.
“Um, Eli, I don’t have to take your room, I can take a guest room. I don’t want to put you out.”
Chapter 15
Eli
She was talking, and I was ignoring her. Did she really think I was going to have her anywhere besides next to me? But I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to cuff her to my bed for being reckless, or because cuffing her turned me the fuck on.
I set down her bag and pulled her against me. “You had me so fucking scared.” I lowered my mouth to hers and inhaled as I kissed her, releasing some of my frustration as I came to the realization that she was safe, she was in my arms, and I wasn’t going to fucking let her go. “You’re safe.”
“Yes, of course.”
I smiled and tucked her under my chin, just needing to hold her.
“Your heart is beating so fast, what’s wrong, Eli?”
“I’ve been on the fucking edge all night and am currently somewhere between wanting to kill you and protect you.”
“It isn’t your job to do either. It’s your job to find the bad guys.”
“You’re wrong. That’s the FBI’s job. You’re mine, my responsibility.”
She pressed her hands against my chest and pushed back. “Last I looked, I was an adult, a responsible one at that. Heck, I can even tie my own shoes.” I wanted to laugh. I loved when she was fiery, but I figured that would be a bad move.
“Listen, you’re taking this all wrong. I want you to be my responsibility. I want to take care of you, know that you’re safe. You make me crazy in a good way.” Bridget started giggling. “You think it’s funny that I’m going crazy?”
“Well, sort of, but that isn’t what has me laughing.” She pushed away from me and twisted. “Will you stop licking the backs of my legs?” Kenny licked her as his way of telling her to fuck off. I could totally see it on his face.
I pushed Kenny out the door and closed it before pulling her back against me. “Where were we?” Lowering my mouth back down to hers, I resumed kissing as I pulled her shirt off and let it drop to the floor.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I murmured. The dim light cascaded in through the windows, casting a glow across Bridget’s pale skin. Then I continued my pursuit and slid my hands around the waistband of her shorts and pushed them down. When they got to her knees, she kicked them off. I stepped back and took her in. “Baby, this, right here? I’ve dreamed about seeing you like this.”
“You have? I’m not just . . . your responsibility?”
I wanted to say fuck no. I couldn’t believe that she was doubting this. Doubting me. “Bridge, no. It’s you. It’s always been you. I’m tired of following the status quo, I don’t care that you’re Callum’s sister. I only care that we see where we go with this, I feel too much for you.”
“And what’s that? What do you feel for me?”
“That you’re mine. I’m yours. We are a we.” When her face lit with a smile, I knew that we were on the same page. “You agree?”
“God, yes. Fucking yes, Eli.”
Thank. God.
I tugged my own shirt off and let it join the sea of clothes on the floor. Bridget’s small hands undid the snap of my jeans and then slid down the zipper. I groaned when she reached in and rubbed the front of my boxers, feeling the shape of my cock as I toed off my shoes and kicked my pants free.
“You’re perfect, so fucking perfect. I can’t believe that you’re here,” I said between kisses as I walked her backward toward my bed and traced her curves, along her waist, over her hips, and then back up to rub my fingers over her perfectly sized breast. She tucked her lower lip between her teeth, and I smiled as she fought to hold back a smile. “What?”
“Um . . .”
“What, baby?”
“I’m not on the pill—” Placing one index finger across her lips, I silenced her.
“Shhh, no need to say anything else.” In fact, I owed her everything I could offer her, and one of those things was to take care of her. It was something I’d always wanted to do.
I snagged my jeans from the floor and then pulled my wallet
from the back pocket. I grabbed the condoms out of it and set them on the nightstand before returning my attention to her. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”
With her lower lip still caught between her teeth, she whispered, “Me, too.”
“You’ve wanted you, too?” I wink. She laughed and then stretched. She reminded me of a cat, all lean and defined. But as I stared at her, I realized that I would never be able to think about cats again, because that led me to thinking about another type of cat—well, not exactly a cat but another word for cats, one that starts with P and ends with Y and if treated right, it would also purr.
I pulled her panties down and tossed them to the side.
“Now yours.” I did as she ordered and threw my boxer briefs to the pile as Bridget wrapped one hand around my throbbing shaft. I jerked at her touch, which only fueled her on to stroke more. “You’re silky smooth. I was going to say soft, but it didn’t seem like the right choice of words at this moment.” Bridget’s piercing green eyes were fixed on mine. “I just want to pet it.” My god, the woman could put a leash on it and walk it if only she didn’t let go. “I want to taste you.”
“God, Bridget, you’re going to kill me.” She giggled as she curled her legs under her and moved stealthily over toward me. I watched as her tongue slipped out and slid across the head of my cock. “Fuck me.” I wove my fingers into her thick, auburn hair and held her head as she bobbed, sweeping her tongue around my tip before taking me deeper down her throat. She moved in a rhythm that, if she kept it up, was going to have me losing my fucking load any minute. “Baby, you have to slow down.” She shook her head, the movement only intensifying the sensation. She ran her warm tongue across my opening and then slid me into her mouth deeper. Everything about this moment was carnal—my reaction, the movements, the way I was holding her head, and how my hips were thrusting up to meet her.
Book ‘Em Bridget: Iron Badges Page 12