Intercepted Risk

by Sidney Bristol

  Dixon’s gaze leapt to Logan, and he spread his hands. “Of course. We’re a team, aren’t we?”

  “From a security stand-point, it would be better if we had a list of who you’re expecting. We can’t protect you to the best of our ability if we’re just letting anyone who walks up to the door into the house.”

  “Oh.” Dixon blinked, then turned to look at Brown.

  The chief of staff’s eyes were bulging.

  “We can do that, can’t we, Robert?” Dixon slapped Brown on the shoulder again.

  He lurched from the contact and turned to face the senator. “Sir?”

  “Don’t worry.” Dixon waved his hand.

  It felt like the guy was responding to a question Brown hadn’t fully asked.

  There was more going on here.

  “We’re a team.” Dixon gripped Brown’s shoulder and glanced at the rest of them. “Robert here is aware that I have several very sensitive meetings scheduled today. He’s a little over-cautious.”

  Brown opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again.

  The senator had made up his mind.

  About fucking time.

  Dixon launched into a little spiel about teamwork that sounded good, but had zero substance. Logan wasn’t sure what this little meeting was supposed to achieve, but the only meaningful thing that had happened was getting the promise of an agenda out of Dixon.

  Now, the question was, would he carry through? Or would they be left with empty promises?

  FRIDAY. SENATOR DIXON’S Home. Annapolis, Maryland.

  After lunch, Kelsey gave up trying to hide her device usage. She’d set up her tablet and keyboard the moment Robert disappeared back upstairs.

  The agenda for the rest of the day was telling.

  There were a few event services between the lobbyist meetings that all proved to be as above board as she could tell. It was the lobbyist meetings that were truly telling.

  She found a marked difference between those meetings and the ones from yesterday. The people who’d visited the office had been well-respected, save for Oliver. His presence was still a puzzle they hadn’t figured out yet.

  Today it was like a who’s who of questionable practices.

  Was this why Dixon had moved them from the office to his home? Fewer eyes to document who he spoke with?

  There was a theme to the meetings. A few pharma lobbyists. One group representing a collection of Indian companies and their interest. A group of pro-cannabis lobbyists, who were possibly the most above-board on the entire agenda. The ones that really worried her were due to arrive at any moment.

  At a glance, they represented an odd assortment of interests. A few weren’t even lobbyists. There was a tourist lobbyist for South American companies. Someone connected to something in the aviation industry. One was a gun lobbyist in hot water. The other two were next to impossible to even identify.

  That was the problem with only having a list of names to go off. They could be anyone in reality. She was hoping their faces matched with the pictures she’d familiarized herself with.

  Logan stepped into view, framed by the wooden doors she’d partially closed.

  Damn, but he looked good again today.

  It was that scruff he couldn’t get rid of. Add in the suit with his hair pulled back, and she wanted to devour him whole.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  The kiss had been an utter mistake. A disaster. One little taste and it was like she was hooked.

  It wasn’t fair. Why him? Why now? Why?

  She heard his footsteps on the creaky old boards. Mentally, she gathered her strength. So far, pretending nothing had happened between them was working. At least in terms of their job. For now. She knew better than to think Logan would let it go.

  “Kelsey?” His voice was so deep and sensual. She used to think he sounded like he garbled gravel for fun, but not anymore.

  “Hm?” She opened her eyes and looked at him.

  Logan glanced over his shoulder, but the other security guys were keeping their distance. Considering they’d gone from not-so-subtle stares to avoiding her at all costs, she thought it likely that Logan had opened his big mouth.

  “Did you have time to look into this afternoon?” He stopped on the other side of the desk and tapped his knuckles on the wood.

  “Yes.” She leaned her elbows on the desk and pushed her shoulders back. Braced like this, she shouldn’t unknowingly lean toward him. Right? “I don’t like anything to do with this next meeting. The others? Shady lobbyists. This next group? I don’t even understand how they’re all connected.”

  Logan spoke even softer. “Do you get the feeling he moved us out here for today because he’s hiding something?”

  “I have no doubt he’s hiding something. Is he wrapped up in what I think he is? I don’t know. But he’s not squeaky clean, either. At least, I don’t see how he can be. Not with the kind of people he’s stacked his day meeting with. Whoever he’s hired for PR must be very good at their job, because his home state seems to think he hangs the moon. I can’t figure out a meaningful piece of legislation he’s worked on. My gut? Something doesn’t add up.”

  Kelsey might not know a lot about how senators worked, but she didn’t think Dixon was a good gauge. Otherwise, wouldn’t he hire people with some sort of experience on Capitol Hill? Why was his office stacked with people who didn’t understand the fundamental functions of government?

  “Have the others said anything?” He pivoted a bit and turned his head, checking over his shoulder.

  “Nothing much. From what I’ve gathered, Zora’s request to watch the senator’s home was denied. Whatever warning she was given must have been severe enough that she doesn’t even have the guys sitting outside.”

  “In this neighborhood? They’d stick out.” Logan shoved a hand into his pocket, those shrewd brown eyes of his watching her closely. “I drove. Maybe... Maybe I just hang out for a while and watch the place later? My battery could be dead.”

  “That stinks for you. I took a cab.”

  Kelsey barely kept her smile in place.

  The obvious move would be to join him for this little surveillance mission. But that would mean putting herself in close proximity to the man for who knew how long.

  She couldn’t do it. At some point he would bring up yesterday. She just knew it.

  There was nothing she could say to defend herself. The fact was, she was attracted to him. That much was simple. What wasn’t simple was everything that would come with an admission like that.

  Kelsey knew in her bones that Logan wasn’t the kind of man a girl like her jumped into bed with. Not if she wanted to remain unmarried. And not if she wanted to retain her freedom.

  Logan wasn’t a bad guy, but she just knew that a fling with him would never end. And with his controlling nature? It would never work. Sure, it would be hot for a while and she’d play along. Eventually she’d want her freedom back, and that would be the end of it.

  The front door opened on squeaky hinges.

  Logan turned toward the latest arrivals.

  The hodgepodge group.

  Kelsey grabbed her tablet and strode toward the entry to greet them, putting Logan squarely out of her mind. Or as out of it as he could get.

  She greeted each individually as they cleared the security check.

  Each one matched the picture she’d found of them on-line.

  She’d hoped that in meeting them something would become clear in their intent, but they seemed like more professionally pleasant faces, making comments about the weather and what a lovely home the senator had.

  All in all, it was about as informative as those fake books lining the senator’s shelves.

  So far they had nothing to go on. Not a damn thing. So why did she feel like the executioner’s blade was getting dangerously close? What were they missing?

  FRIDAY. SENATOR DIXON’S Home. Annapolis, Maryland.

  Logan fiddled with the cover
protecting the battery in his Jeep. Actually, coordinating a manufactured malfunction had been harder than anticipated. Between the loitering security and the house staff, if he hadn’t had Kelsey running interference for him, this wouldn’t have worked out.

  He wasn’t certain what they hoped to observe. It was just a feeling. A hunch that something was going to go wrong very soon.

  Why did it have to feel like the only one he could lean on was Kelsey?

  Hell, he hadn’t seen the guys except for the prisoner handoff.

  What were they doing anyway?

  If Zora was tightening things down as much as she claimed, the only people she could rely on would be the guys and Diha’s people.

  At what point should Logan reach out to his actual boss?

  According to the contract, all support was to come from the Task Force. But if the Task Force was the source of their threat, what then? What was best for his people?

  The gravel crunched as someone approached.

  Logan caught the slightest glimpse of the person’s reflection.

  His gut tightened immediately.

  Kelsey stopped next to him and heaved a sigh.

  “Alright, I’ll help you,” she said in a louder than necessary voice.

  “What are you doing?” he muttered.

  “Robert’s hanging by the window fussing about you out here.” Kelsey braced her hands on the Jeep and leaned over. “He’s bothered about something and clearly wants everyone gone. He’s mentioned getting you a taxi a few times to Dixon.”

  “What’s Dixon saying?”

  She kept her gaze under the hood of the Jeep. “He’s distracted. I think the best thing to do will be to fix the battery and pull around the corner to wait and watch.”

  “Damn,” he muttered.

  Why hire security, then send them home when they might be the most necessary?

  Nothing about Dixon made sense to Logan.

  “What committees has Dixon been on?” Logan asked.

  “Nothing interesting. He’s on mostly infrastructure things. Agriculture. Nothing that sticks out. Well, he was part of a committee about some sort of immigration reform that got shut down.”

  “Hm.” Logan rolled that around in his head.

  If Dixon were on, say, a committee about national security or defense projects, Logan wouldn’t hesitate to draw a connection. But infrastructure?

  “Come on,” Kelsey urged. “Undo whatever you did so we can get out of here.”

  “We?” That made him glance up. Logan had assumed she was still pointedly ignoring him.

  “Yeah, you aren’t the only one with a bad feeling about things,” she muttered. “I told Robert I knew a thing or two about fixing cars and that I’d make you pay me back by driving me to the train station. So, let’s get out of here.”

  Interesting.

  Logan reached down and reconnected the battery.

  “That should do it, thanks,” he said louder than necessary.

  “Fire it up. Let’s see if it works,” she replied, matching his volume.

  Logan closed the hood and circled around to the driver’s side.

  Sure enough, one crank and the Jeep rumbled to life. He waved at Kelsey and she circled around to the passenger side.

  He’d been prepared for her to continue avoiding him for at least a week. Should he say something to her?

  Kelsey set her things on the floorboard and strapped in without another word.

  Logan didn’t think it was yet time to discuss the kiss. Kelsey had bolted, and he was fairly certain she’d continue to run from him for the time being. If he wanted to lure her into another kiss, he would have to bide his time.

  He eased the Jeep out onto the narrow service road that snaked behind the homes. He only went a little ways down the road, turned around and approached Dixon’s house with his headlights off. Thanks to the wide shoulder, it was easy enough to find a spot with direct line of sight to the back of the house.

  The engine continued to chug along and the air blowing at their feet eventually grew warmer, chasing away the winter chill. Still, neither of them said a word.

  Part of him had to wonder what the hell was he was doing with Kelsey?

  They were attracted to each other. The kiss had told him that much. But what else could he hope to gain? A few moments of pleasure? Sating a craving?

  She didn’t seem like the kind of woman who’d want to stick around. There was something so very free about Kelsey. He didn’t know how to describe it beyond a simple knowing that she wasn’t looking for anything permanent. Nothing that would tie her down. Which was the exact opposite of everything that Logan did.

  He’d never been one for a fling. No one-night stands in his history.

  Was it simply the way he was wired? How he’d been raised?

  Even toying with the idea of a temporary thing was distasteful. And yet, what would he do if, in the end, that was all Kelsey would consider?

  She shifted in her seat first this way then that way. He made sure to keep his gaze on the house, but he saw her glance his way a few times.

  Wondering why he hadn’t brought up the kiss?

  In short, he didn’t know what to say yet, so until he did he would be patient and not speak a word.

  Kelsey bent and rummaged in her bag, then straightened.

  Logan glanced at the item in her hands. “What’s that?”

  “Binoculars.” She unzipped the case and pulled out a slim pair. “They’re still pacing around in the kitchen.”

  “Did you hear them say anything today?” Logan asked.

  “I never saw them in the same room other than our little meeting. Whatever they’ve said to each other, that was private. The longer I’m around, the more I think Dixon will tell me. He doesn’t seem to be as cautious as Robert.”

  “Or smart,” Logan muttered.

  Kelsey snorted. “You can say that again. He really makes me wonder what kind of people are we letting run this country?”

  “I like to think that for every one like him, there’s a good one.” At least that’s what he needed to believe. In the end, they were all just people.

  They lapsed into silence and the evening darkened into night.

  A bit of movement in the rearview mirror made him pause and examine behind them.

  Two women in skin tight leggings and poufy jackets had stopped with their phones aimed at the back of the Jeep.

  “I think the locals have spotted us,” he muttered and shifted into drive.

  While he could easily explain his presence, any answer would mean calling on someone higher up to clear him. And neither Zora nor Dixon were people he wanted to bother right about now.

  “Great,” Kelsey groaned.

  Logan accelerated away with a bit more speed than was necessary. With luck, neither woman had taken his plate down.

  “It’s quiet here. Real quiet. I noticed that today. You don’t see door knockers or many utility vehicles,” she said.

  As if Kelsey’s words had summoned it, a white utility van turned onto the service lane ahead of them. Kelsey sat up and Logan frowned at the vehicle. He eased off the accelerator and stared at it, hard.

  Who did house calls this late? A delivery? Some catering service?

  “Getting Diha to run that plate,” Kelsey blurted.

  “You think that’s necessary?” Logan’s gut churned. It seemed to be overly active these days. There was no denying the sense of dread settling in. But was that a true gut feeling? Or a product of too much stress.

  “Turn around.” Kelsey twisted in her seat.

  “If we do that—”

  “Just do it. I don’t have a good feeling about this,” she insisted.

  In this, they were of the same opinion.

  8.

  Friday. Senator Dixon’s Home. Annapolis, Maryland.

  Logan cranked the wheel hard. They bounced along the shoulder until he got all four tires on the pavement.

  Dixon’s house was aroun
d two bends.

  “Park on this side of the drive. Let’s just walk by, okay?” she suggested.

  “You carrying?” he asked.

  “I will be.” Kelsey pulled a neoprene case out from her tote.

  What else was in that thing?

  She unlocked some security measure before opening the case.

  Dixon’s service entrance was just ahead of them. The legging clad ladies were nowhere to be seen, at least.

  Logan parked the Jeep and got out while Kelsey scrambled to catch up. He heard her cursing under her breath, but ignored it.

  The van was parked haphazardly across the driveway, blocking any exit or entry onto the Dixon property. Had Dixon and Brown been expecting a visitor? Was this another attempt on the senator’s life?

  “Call it in,” he said softly.

  Kelsey obeyed immediately. He was a little surprised she didn’t give him some sort of irritated response to that command.

  “Tucker, we’ve got possible hostile visitors on the backdoor of the Dixon property. How close are you?” Her voice was pitched low, and she hung back as they jogged toward the van.

  Logan didn’t see movement inside the vehicle, but that didn’t mean a threat couldn’t be lurking inside.

  “How fast can you get here?” Now he could hear the irritation in Kelsey’s voice. “Then send someone. Anyone. Now.”

  Logan dreaded her next words.

  “The guys had all gone their separate ways for the night,” Kelsey groused.

  “They’ll be here.” Logan knew his guys. He knew how fast they could move when there was need. They’d be here for him. “Just stay close to me, okay?”

  “I cannot believe they were just off like that.” Kelsey continued her grumbling. He’d gotten used to it. After all, the only times she grumbled seemed to be when she was worried. Or pissed at him.

  They reached the gateway, giving access to the property. Logan leaned around the brick wall and peered at the house.

  The backdoor swung open.

  Damn.

  How many times had he told Robert to lock the damn doors?

  These people likely just rushed in.

  “Logan!”