***
“How do we know we can trust her? Did you tell her about the hit yesterday? She could be playing both sides.”
“What the hell, McCray? She’s a nurse at St. Augie’s. Her father was a goddamn cop.” John scowled. “You wouldn’t recognize integrity if it hit you on the head.”
“Then how did the DiNardos know we were hitting that stash house yesterday? Did you let something slip when you were cozied up with her at her place? I don’t trust her.”
Rane wondered if the guy was contrary by nature or if he just liked messing with people. John looked like he’d get a lot of satisfaction throwing him across the room. “Uh, gentlemen? I’m sitting right here. Why don’t you ask me any questions?” Attention swiveled toward her, and she shifted in her seat.
“All right, then, sweetheart. Why don’t we start with your relationship with Kyle DiNardo?” Ty McCray stared hard at her, distrust evident in his expression. She had to think sweetheart meant something very different coming from him than it did from John. “It seems suspicious that you two were hooked up, and the minute you drop him, he ends up convicted for possession with intent. You want us to believe you didn’t know he was dealing all the time you were together? Maybe you were okay with it. Maybe you made a little money on the side, selling to the other little coeds.”
The guy was being a jerk, but Rane thought she should cut him some slack. The entire team had been shaken by Nathan’s shooting. They were a hard, rugged group of men. All four looked like brawlers who got into street fights for fun. One of their own being injured was reality’s slap in the face.
“Easy, Ty.” This came from Denton, the senior detective in charge of the task force, a tall black man built like a wall. Rane had liked him immediately. He’d asked about Nathan first off, and then given John an encouraging back slap that would have sent most men to their knees.
She glanced at John. He had a fist clenched and looked about ready to start pounding on something, probably Ty.
She breathed slowly. “Kyle and I were both pretty young when we were dating. He was idealistic. He knew what his family was into and thought he could break the cycle. He wanted to go to college to be a forest ranger, of all things. But Simon wouldn’t allow it.”
She scanned the room. All eyes were on her again, some friendlier than others. John still didn’t look happy, but he wasn’t interrupting.
“What do you mean, he wouldn’t allow it?” This came from Ben, his wild hair confined beneath a Sounders beanie.
“Just that. The DiNardo family sticks together. Simon has certain expectations about what family means and what family does. And family doesn’t turn its back on family.”
“Sounds like big brother wouldn’t have liked you too much, seeing as how your old man was a cop.” Ben’s voice sounded gravelly. Like the rest of the task force, he didn’t appear to have gotten much sleep.
Rane nodded. As always, her stomach knotted when anyone mentioned her father. “He didn’t. Simon keeps an iron grip on that family, but I think Kyle could be his weakness. Their father died when Kyle was pretty young, and I think Simon assumed that role. In some ways, I think he was letting Kyle be a kid before having to face the reality of the family business. But he made it pretty clear there was no other option but the family business.” She shrugged. “I guess it backfired on him.”
“So you’re saying Kyle didn’t want to be part of the drug business. What changed?” John asked the question, fatigue lining his face. The dose of Tylenol the night before wouldn’t have been enough to alleviate the pain from his bullet wound, which had probably kept him awake. On top of that, he was worried about his brother. They’d gone to St. Augustine’s that morning to check on Nathan and found he was running a slight fever. Assurances that he would get better hadn’t eased the concern.
Trying to focus on the conversation, Rane continued. “I can’t pinpoint anything in particular. I wasn’t around. I’d gone away for the fall semester. When I came back for the holidays, Kyle was different. It was like a light had gone out in him. I decided to break up with him after he got in a fight with some guy when we were out for the evening. It was about that time I realized he’d started dealing.”
“When was this?”
Rane thought back. “Probably six years ago.” She saw something flicker in John’s eyes, saw his expression harden. What could have happened six years ago to bring that reaction?
“We need to give her something.” The team turned their attention to John, and he continued. “We’ve got to give her something she can pass on to Simon. And we need to look at the staff at St. Augustine’s and at Doug Smith’s facility. Simon is stepping up his game, and that means we have to step up ours.”
“We’re not going to give that bastard shit.” This came from McCray.
“Johnny’s right.” Denton’s voice held the easy authority of leadership. “DiNardo’s got to believe she’s still on board with him. She could tell him we know about the other stash house, the one on South Dearborn. That we’re getting ready to move on it.”
“No way!” Ty turned to Denton, face red under his grizzled beard. “I’ve worked undercover in that neighborhood for the last month. I want to arrest those bastards, not let them skate out of there.”
“Think about it, Ty.” Denton held up a calming hand. “We’re after bigger fish than petty dealers. We’ll get them eventually, but we need to play this right to get the DiNardos.”
The conversation went back and forth for several minutes. John stayed quiet, letting Denton convince the others. In the end, McCray was still unhappy, but in agreement that she was to give Simon the tip. She fervently hoped it would be enough to satisfy him.
***
Rane leaned back on the slippery vinyl couch in the ER staff lounge, sipping lukewarm tea from a foam cup. She studied Lily. Her friend had been jittery all afternoon. “Okay, spill it. You look like you’re about to pop.”
“Trust you to notice.” Lily sat forward on the padded ottoman, tapping her fingers against the cushion. “Okay, okay. I’m going to tell you, but you can’t tell anyone.”
“Right. No blabbing. Now shoot.”
“Dr. G asked me out.”
“What? He did? When did this happen?”
“When I came on shift today. He stopped me in the parking lot. Wanted to know if I wanted to go to dinner with him. Maybe catch a movie.”
“Hot damn! When’s the big night? We need to get you some sexy underwear.”
“Really? You think I’m going to have sex on the first date?”
“Of course not!” Rane grinned. “It’s so that you’ll feel sexier just knowing you’ve got hot underwear on. He’ll get the vibes, and it’ll drive him crazy because he’ll know there’s no way he’ll get to see your underwear, it being the first date and all.”
“You’re really devious. You know that, right?” Lily’s eyes glowed in appreciation.
“Yep. So when’s the date?”
“It’s not.”
“What? What do you mean it’s not? You said yes, didn’t you?”
“Nope.”
She peered closely, studying her friend for signs of insanity. “Lily, you’ve been mooning around the guy like you wanted him to ask you to prom for a month now. He asks, and you say no? You’re not well.”
“Maybe I’ve gotten over him.”
Leaning forward, Rane put a hand to her friend’s cool forehead. “You don’t have a fever. We should get you in for an MRI, look for brain trauma.”
“No brain trauma, but maybe something is wrong with me. Some other guy catches my eye, and it’s like Sam Grayson doesn’t exist.”
Rane reached up to hold her head, thinking it might spin off her shoulders. “What other guy? There is no other guy.”
“There is. You met him.”
“Who?”
“You’ll think I’m nuts.”
“Who, Lily?”
“Nathan Garretson.”
Rane let that
sink in then let out a low laugh. “Well, then, we’re both nuts. If he’s anything like his brother, I understand perfectly.”
Chapter Seven
As Rane shut her locker at the end of her shift, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the text.
Wait for me. Running late.
She rolled her eyes. She should have used her car, but John had insisted on driving her to every shift, every day. She knew he had better things to do, but he was adamant. Or, more aptly, stubborn. And people at the hospital were commenting on her new “boyfriend.” Which, she guessed, was the point. Mostly. While he insisted it was for her safety, she knew the task force had been digging and had identified someone at St. Augustine’s they thought could be responsible for the Oxy stolen from the hospital pharmacy turning up on the streets. Leaving the plant in place meant the person might see her meeting up with John. See? Look at me. Getting closer to the cop. Just like Simon ordered.
Wanting to be outside, she exited through the employee entrance and headed to a picnic area next to the parking lot. Stars shone in the night sky while a chilly gust of wind let her know fall had definitely arrived. Tugging her beanie more snugly around her ears and pulling her coat securely around her, she sat on a bench and leaned back against the table. She took out her phone to check her e-mail. From the corner of her eye, she saw a figure approach. Expecting John, she glanced up.
Her mind blanked for a long, drawn-out moment. “Kyle.”
“Rane.”
He appeared gaunt, a bit scruffy, as if prison had left a dirty residue that couldn’t be scrubbed off. Hands thrust in the pockets of a navy pea coat, he stood looking at her, expression inscrutable. “You look good.”
“Thanks.” She didn’t know what to make of him. He didn’t look threatening, more at a loss for what to say to her. “What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Kyle, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He shook his head. “You’re in danger, Rane. I know your boyfriend will be here to get you soon, so we can’t talk now.” He paused, scanning the street that ran next to the employee parking lot. He turned his gaze back to her, shadowed eyes unfathomable. “Will you meet me on your break? Not tomorrow, but the day after?”
“Where?”
“Right here.” The half-smile he gave her held an echo of the engaging young man he once had been. “You can bring your lunch.”
She found herself agreeing. “Okay.”
He nodded toward the street. “There’s your ride.”
Rane looked out to see John’s black truck pulling into the lot. By the time she turned back, Kyle was gone, melting into the shifting shadows of the windy night.
Hurrying to the truck, Rane opened the door and was met with a blast of classic Pearl Jam. John turned down the volume, leaning back in his seat as he waited for her to buckle in. She snapped the belt in place then pulled off her beanie. “Hey.”
When the truck didn’t move, she glanced at him. He sat watching her with that focused intensity she felt like a physical touch. He looked like he really saw her, like he saw beneath the surface to what really mattered. And it made her nervous. He turned toward her, one arm braced on the steering wheel, the other on the back of her seat. “Rane.”
“What?”
“I’d really, really like to kiss you. Can we suspend the no-touching rule for, I don’t know, sixty seconds? A hundred twenty if it’s going well?”
A laugh bubbled up, but she choked it back when she caught his expression. Despite his light tone, something about him made her realize this wasn’t a casual request. She hesitated, torn between need and caution. Need won.
She leaned toward him, and he reached across the cab to cup the back of her neck and pull her closer. His lips met hers in a kiss made all the more seductive by the intense feelings trying to break free. Drawn in, she sighed in pleasure when warm fingers threaded into her hair. A long liquid pull from deep in her belly fueled her response. She kissed him back, caught up in the tastes and textures that were John. She’d tried to put the brakes on her attraction and wondered if, like her, he’d reached his limit. Living in the same house, being in close proximity day after day, had certainly put her on the needy edge. His heart beat heavily under her palm pressed against his chest. A car horn blared behind them.
He took his time breaking the kiss, finally releasing her to sit back and ease his foot off the brake.
She sank back into her seat. “Wow.”
He glanced at her. In the faint light from the dash gauges, his eyes glittered with amusement. He stopped to check for traffic before pulling into the street. “Wow?”
“Yeah, wow. Those hundred and twenty seconds sure packed a punch. You’re really good at that.”
“I’d like to think we’re good at it together.”
They were, and that began to worry her. He drove through the alternating light and dark that was the city streets at night while she pondered the changing tone of their relationship.
“How was work?”
“Huh?”
“Work, Rane. At the hospital.”
“Yeah, right.” She could see him grinning and made an effort to get her brain cells in order. “It was fine.” She paused, remembering what kissing John had blown out of her mind. “Kyle came by.”
“To the hospital? What did he want?” She could feel his mood shift instantly from pleased to alert.
“He approached me when I went outside to wait for you. He wants to talk.”
John’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Why the hell didn’t you stay inside? I would have texted when I got there.”
“Because I wanted some fresh air. John, he isn’t a threat. I’m going to meet him at the picnic tables on my lunch break the day after tomorrow.” She frowned. Something Kyle had said bothered her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
He pulled into her driveway and brought the truck to an abrupt halt in front of the garage. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “Dammit, I don’t like it, but maybe we can have a couple of guys on you.”
She pushed open the door and turned to slide out of the truck, a gust of wind pulling at her hair. “You don’t need to have guys on us.”
He got out and continued as if he hadn’t heard. “We’ll have them dressed as construction workers or something. They can sit on the benches like they’re on lunch break, too. Keep tabs on him.”
She circled the hood to where he was standing, her frustration growing. “Jeez, John. It’s not like he’s going to pull out a gun and shoot me right there. He really didn’t appear threatening. And I don’t want your guys there. He could get spooked.” She paused. “There’s another thing. I’m wondering if, just maybe, he might not be as loyal to Simon as we all thought. Maybe I can get him to work with us.”
He reached out to grip her shoulders, his eyes boring into hers. “I won’t take chances with you even for that. If you meet him, I want someone nearby in case something goes wrong. Even then, it’s more of a risk than I’m comfortable with.”
“This is pretty safe. We’ll be out in the open. There’ll be plenty of people around. I’ll be able to gauge how he feels about his brother, and I’ll leak him the information on the stash house to pass on to Simon. It’s a win-win.”
He let go of her arms to pace across the driveway. “I don’t like it. We don’t know much about Kyle. He could be unstable.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He stopped his pacing to stand in front of her. “You don’t know that. Forget it. We need to find another way.”
She tried to keep the temper out of her voice. “There is no other way. I don’t get why you’re so overprotective. Trust me, John.”
“Trust? This is about trust? How about you trust me to know my job? Better yet, how about you trust my feelings for you? If I’m overprotective, it’s because I’ve got real feelings for you, and I don’t want you anywhere close to danger.”
She stepped back. “Feelings lead to relationships, and I’m not good with relationships. I can’t get involved.”
“Can’t or won’t? I think you’ve got feelings for me, too. It’s just safer if you don’t acknowledge them.” She could hear his temper rising to match hers.
Cooper let out a mournful whine from the kitchen.
“Go on in. I need to make a phone call.” He turned and stalked down the driveway, cellphone out of his pocket as he swiped at the screen.
Fuming, Rane pulled her keys from her purse. She found the right one and jammed it into the lock. Cooper’s exuberant greeting served to ease her frustration. She hung her keys on the hook then let the dog into the backyard, all the while going over the scene with John.
After mixing kibble and canned food, she put Cooper’s dish outside and brought in his water bowl to refill. John wanted to keep her safe. She could accept that, but she really believed Simon was the threat, not Kyle. His demeanor when he’d approached her had calmed her anxiety in that direction. She needed to feed the DiNardos the information on the stash house to keep Simon satisfied, and she’d rather do that talking to Kyle than to Simon. The man just plain gave her the creeps. So meeting with Kyle made sense on all sorts of levels. John had to see that, and she couldn’t believe his feelings for her were so strong he’d jeopardize a perfect set-up.
Going through her chores, she kept an ear out for John’s return. She let the dog in, loaded the dishwasher, straightened a few things, and, when he still hadn’t come in, she gave up and headed up the stairs. In flannel pants and a T-shirt, she stood at the bathroom sink, brushing her teeth, when, finally, the sound of the kitchen door opening reached her.
Figuring he’d lock up, she finished her bedtime rituals and returned to her bedroom.
“Rane.”
She paused, his form a dark shadow in the hall. “What?”
Shot Through the Heart Page 8
