Blind Trust: A Military Romantic Suspense (Men of Steele Book 6)

by Gwen Hernandez

  The cool air reminded her that her jeans were still damp at the seams, but her body was on fire, sweat trickling down her sides. She tried to look like a normal person and not a scared animal, literally shaking in her boots, but no one on the street gave them a second glance.

  She spotted the Porsche immediately. A Black woman with a cloud of light brown hair sat behind the wheel.

  Todd strode straight up the passenger side and opened the rear door. “Ms. King-Okonkwo?”

  The woman nodded. “Get in.”

  He motioned Lindsey to go first and then fiddled with the door before sliding in beside her on the black leather. “FYI, I disabled the child lock on this side,” he said.

  That never would have occurred to her. One more reason to be grateful she wasn’t facing this alone. She was nervous as hell even with Todd. Doing this by herself would be downright paralyzing.

  The driver glanced at him in the rearview, her brows scrunched. “Okay.”

  “I just wanted you to know in case I forget to turn it back on and you have kids.”

  “Ah, not little ones.” She smiled and smoothly backed out the SUV, its engine purring. “But, thank you.”

  Todd waited until they were out of town and onto the highway before he asked, “So, what’s the plan here?”

  “First, you need to consent to my representation so we have explicit attorney-client privilege.”

  “I consent,” Lindsey said.

  “Me too.”

  “Okay, second, you can call me Marti.” Her shimmery pink nails flashed as she navigated a dizzying array of buttons on the dash.

  From what Lindsey had seen so far, the woman was beautiful and polished. She appeared to be in her mid-thirties, but was probably older if she’d represented one of Todd’s coworkers in his teens, and had grown children of her own. “I’m Lindsey.”

  “Todd.”

  Marti nodded. “All right then, the next step is to get you to a safe house. I have a vacation rental in Helena that’s currently unoccupied. Will that work for you? It’s a bit of a drive.”

  “Absolutely,” Todd said. “I assume you’ll add it to the bill, but if you need me to pay anything—“

  “Mr. Steele covered the retainer and rental expenses up front, so don’t worry about that right now.”

  One more thing Lindsey would have to settle up with Todd and his boss at some point. Though he looked almost as stunned as she felt.

  “We really appreciate your help,” Lindsey said.

  “Of course. I’m glad I was available.” Marti adjusted the stereo to an easy R&B playlist on low volume. “If you can wait a couple of hours, there’s food in the house, along with some clothing and first aid supplies.” Her gaze flicked briefly to Todd. “But if you need anything on the way, don’t hesitate to ask.”

  “Thank you,” Todd said, his back straight, eyes scanning the car, their surroundings, Marti.

  The middle seat loomed between him and Lindsey, separating her from the heat and comfort of his body.

  As if reading her mind, he took her hand, resting their twined fingers on her thigh. “You okay?”

  Not really. She needed more sleep, food, more time alone with him. She might get the first two once they arrived in Helena, but sometime in the next twenty-four hours, she would probably be separated from Todd. Both of them could end up in jail.

  The idea hollowed her out. How could she be okay? “Fine,” she said. He had enough to worry about. And, after all, things could be so much worse.

  He was with her for now, and for the first time in days, they had a chance to survive, maybe even get someone to listen to their side of the story.

  All she had to do was trust. Todd, Kurt, Marti. The FBI.

  Sitting next to Lindsey in the warm, pine-scented Porsche, Todd forced himself to relax his grip on her hand. They’d been hurtling toward this moment for days, and suddenly he had to face a future that might not include her. How that had become unthinkable in a matter of days made no sense, but he couldn’t deny it.

  Swell timing.

  As if he had a choice. Without the bad timing he never would’ve met her in the first place.

  To distract himself, he studied Marti. Aside from any physical resemblance, her style reminded him of Steele’s business manager, Tara Fujimoto. Perfectly put together from head to toe, professional but feminine. Todd recognized body armor when he saw it.

  Good. They needed a warrior on their side.

  He leaned forward. “Doesn’t helping us endanger your law license or whatever? We’re fugitives.”

  “As long as I don’t help you commit a new crime, it’s fine.” She glanced back at him. “Especially given that we’re negotiating your surrender.”

  “Okay.” If he didn’t trust Marti, they’d be on the run forever. Not that he’d be complacent around her, but he’d go along with her plans as long as it made sense and seemed safe. And Scott trusted her. That counted.

  “What kind of law do you practice?” Lindsey asked.

  “Criminal. I’m a defense attorney.”

  “That sounds hard,” Lindsey said. “Pressure to save the innocent people, knowing you might help some bad ones go free.”

  In the rearview mirror, the lawyer’s gaze snapped to Lindsey. “It can be.”

  “Why’d you choose it?”

  Marti shrugged. “My brother was charged with murdering one of his students at a private high school when I was still in college. It had enough of an impact that I switched from premed to prelaw.”

  “Was he acquitted?” Lindsey asked.

  The lawyer looked out the window toward the mountains. “Eventually.”

  “Jesus.” Not that Todd was surprised it took awhile. “Did they find the real murderer?”

  “Yes.” Her knuckles paled as she squeezed the steering wheel. “It was the girl’s uncle. He committed suicide by cop when they showed up to arrest him.”

  “Coward.”

  In the mirror, her sculpted eyebrows rose and her head tilted. “At least it was over and my brother got his life back.”

  “True.” Todd had certainly fantasized about Pete’s death, but he’d planned to let the justice system handle him. Hell, Todd could’ve easily come home from Afghanistan just like him. The things he’d seen, the choices he’d had to make…

  But he couldn’t excuse Pete’s actions, the men he’d ultimately become involved with, or the things he’d been willing to do. PTSD—or whatever his issue—didn’t make someone a criminal.

  Todd could admit that part of him was glad Pete would never be a threat to anyone else, even as he mourned for the man Pete could have been, and for his own part in the man’s end.

  He released Lindsey’s hand and dug his knuckles into his chest. “I need to let Kurt know what’s up. Do you want me to have him contact your parents?”

  “Yes, please. I’m sure they’re going out of their minds.”

  He nodded and slid the burner phone from his pocket.

  She closed her eyes and put her head back, turning her face away from the low sun shining directly through her tinted window.

  Todd forced himself to look away and type out a message to Kurt.

  TODD: We’re with the lawyer. Heading somewhere safe.

  KURT: (thumbs up emoji)

  TODD: Let my mom and Lindsey’s parents know?

  KURT: Will do.

  TODD: And Jason, please.

  KURT: Yep. Keep me posted.

  TODD: Copy.

  Whatever happened once they surrendered, Todd had a lot to atone for.

  While Lindsey dozed, he removed the battery from the phone, and then occupied his time scanning for tails, keeping an eye on Marti, watching Lindsey’s sweet face, and savoring his relative freedom.

  When they arrived at the small house, the sun had just set, leaving them in shadow, but with enough light to see their surroundings. The neighborhood was quiet, with little street traffic, a couple of barking dogs, and empty sidewalks.

&nb
sp; Lindsey roused as they turned into the driveway, rubbing her eyes and peering through the window at the house draped in twilight.

  Marti used a clicker stashed in her car’s center console to open the single garage door before driving inside and closing the door behind them. Once in the house, Todd did a quick sweep of the rooms to ensure they were alone, and closed all the blinds. Back in the kitchen, Lindsey had started a pot of coffee.

  Standing at the counter, Marti set out two new, unopened, pay-as-you-go cell phones. Once the phones were activated, they each programmed her number into them. “For emergencies only. I don’t recommend you make contact with Kurt or anyone else you know while you’re here. You never know who’s watching and tracking. Web searches should be okay as long as you don’t log in to anything like your personal email, voicemail, bank accounts, etc.…”

  Todd nodded as if this wasn’t usually his role.

  “You’re sure it’s okay that you’re helping us?” Lindsey asked with a frown, looking a bit dazed.

  Marti removed an iPhone from her oversized purse. “I’m not required to turn you in for crimes already committed. As long as you don’t tell me about any new ones you’re planning…”

  “If I have my way, I’ll never get so much as a parking ticket for the rest of my life,” Lindsey said.

  Marti smiled. “Okay, then.” Turning to Todd, she said, “Kurt said you have an FBI contact?”

  “Her name’s Wendy Parker. Last I heard, she worked in the Salt Lake City field office. I don’t know her number, but Kurt was going to try to get in touch, let her know we’d be willing to surrender to her once we found Megan.”

  The lawyer made a note in her phone. “I’ll see what I can do. That’s a full day’s drive.”

  “We’ll wait as long as it takes.” Todd ignored Lindsey’s curious look. “She’s the only law enforcement officer I trust right now.”

  “Does the FBI actually have jurisdiction over our case?” Lindsey asked. “I assume Todd’s boss filled you in on why we can’t go to the local police.”

  “Some. I don’t know what happened after you talked to him.”

  Todd gave her a quick outline of recent events, during which she managed to give away nothing of her thoughts.

  “The FBI handles cases of police corruption and money laundering, so I think they can justify taking this case. Special Agent Parker is another matter, but it won’t hurt that Helena’s FBI office is a resident agency under the Salt Lake field office. I’ll let her figure that one out.”

  He nodded.

  “Anything else you need before I leave?”

  “No, but thank you,” Lindsey said. “I’m not sure where we’d be right now without your help.”

  For a moment, Marti’s mask of indifference slipped. She nodded and cleared her throat. “I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

  Once she was gone, Todd locked the door to the garage and turned to find Lindsey right behind him, holding her arms across her middle.

  “Hey.” He held out his arms and she sank into his embrace. God, he’d been so afraid they wouldn’t make it to this moment.

  His heart rate slowed and some of the tension melted from his neck and shoulders. Holding her had a near-magical effect on him, and he didn’t want to let go.

  She shifted back just enough to trail her fingers over his brow. “So, tell me more about this FBI friend of yours.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  THE WAY TODD talked about the FBI agent, with a heavy dose of awe and admiration, had Lindsey wondering why he hadn’t mentioned the woman before. Especially considering that his boss and Marti already knew about her.

  “We grew up next door to each other,” Todd said. “Her brother Craig was my best friend, and she was a year ahead of us in school.” He cleared his throat. “We also dated during my senior year of high school, while she went to the local community college to save for OU.”

  Ah. Had he worried that Lindsey would be jealous if she knew?

  “It ended when I broke up with her to join the Air Force right after graduation.”

  “But you still trust her to treat you…us, fairly?” Lindsey asked.

  “Absolutely. She’s a professional, and she doesn’t hold a grudge.” He frowned, getting a far away look in his eyes. “Besides, it’s been fifteen years. According to Facebook, she’s married and has a kid.”

  There was still something there. If not love, at least nostalgia, shared history, maybe some regrets.

  He stepped closer and gently massaged her shoulders, melting some of her anxiety. “Hey, I trust her. I don’t know how things are going to turn out, I can’t make promises, but I honestly believe she’s our best shot at surviving this clusterfuck.”

  “Okay.”

  Todd flashed a relieved smile and gave her a quick, reassuring kiss that had her forgetting about Wendy Parker altogether. “Sit tight. I’m going to check things out.”

  He scanned the house, checking all the doors and windows to ensure they were locked. Then, he began looking under table lamps and plant pots, and behind pictures. He even stood on a chair to inspect the chandelier.

  “What are you doing?”

  He glanced at her. “Checking for bugs.”

  Bugs? Like listening devices? That’s something that never would’ve occurred to her. “You worried we can’t trust Marti?”

  Todd shrugged. “We probably can. I mean, Scott must have thought so to recommend her to Kurt, and I trust him with my life. Plus, Kurt would have done his due diligence before contacting her, but you never know what people will do given the right circumstances. Or whether she was compromised without knowing it.” He stepped down and washed his hands at the sink.

  “Are you satisfied that the place is secure now?” Lindsey fought the urge to pull back the blinds to look out the front window.

  He strode into the living room and tugged her into his arms. “As much as I can be without a scanner.”

  When he held her like this, all of her doubts disappeared. Their future was far too precarious to waste the time they had right now, possibly their final moments together. “I suppose if we don’t talk, we don’t have to worry about giving away anything incriminating, right?” She raked her fingers through his thick hair.

  A broad grin spread across his face and he leaned closer. “I like the way you think.” He planted a soft kiss on her lips. “But, first I want to check in with Kurt. Let him know we arrived without incident.”

  Oh. Right. “I thought we weren’t supposed to contact any of our ‘known associates.’”

  Todd shook his head. “I’m not gonna call him. We have a special mailbox that destroys the messages so they can’t be traced. I’ll get through to him on that.”

  “Ah.” Of course they did. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  He shook his head.

  “Then I’m going to take a shower.” Join me. “I haven’t felt truly clean in days.” Hot water and a bar of soap had never sounded so good. How had Marti stood the stench of them?

  He winked. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but…”

  She gave him an affronted laugh and punched him lightly on his good shoulder. “I don’t think you’re in any position to talk.”

  He grabbed her wrist and pulled her in for another quick kiss and gave her a gentle push toward the hallway. “Go, before I forget what I was doing.”

  Still smiling, she entered the bathroom and undressed, wincing at the sight of the bruises on her ribs in the large mirror that hung above the sink. The space was modest, with a single vanity, toilet, and tub/shower combo, but appeared to have been recently updated.

  Someone had left them fresh bottles of hotel-sized shampoos and soaps, disposable razors, clean towels, and even new clothes.

  She stepped into the hot water and sighed. Taking a shower after days without was pure heaven.

  Todd didn’t join her, so she finished up and got dressed. Whoever had guessed at her sizes hadn’t done a bad j
ob. The bra was the stretchy wireless kind that would fit a range of women, and the underwear was a similar fabric, both in white. The black sweater came up a little short in the arms but the jeans were almost long enough.

  Mostly it felt great to be clean. Sometimes it was the little things, like not being covered in dirt and sweat, that made all the difference in the world. As if half of the stress and worry of the last few days had also disappeared down the drain.

  When she emerged from the bathroom, Todd sat on the loveseat, thumbs flying across the screen of the phone. He looked up and smiled. “Feel better?”

  “So much.” She sat next to him in the couch and he shifted away.

  “I don’t want to contaminate you.”

  “Too late,” she said. “I think I already got your cooties.”

  He looked like he wanted to say more about that, but he gave a little shake of his head and gestured to his phone. “I got in touch with Kurt. He sent a picture of Marti, and it matches the woman we met.”

  “That’s something, I guess.” She rubbed her hands along the stiff fabric of her jeans. “Do you think the FBI will be able to find enough evidence to exonerate us?”

  “I don’t know. I hope so.” He placed his hand on her own, stopping her nervous gesture. “The timeline and some of the events will support our story.” He sighed. “But the deck is stacked against us.”

  “That’s pretty much what I was thinking. I appreciate you not sugarcoating it for me.” The last thing she wanted was false hope.

  “Do you really?” He looked at her, so close she could discern the many shades of blue in his irises, and the navy band that encircled them.

  She scrunched her eyebrows at him. “Yes.” Why did he doubt her sincerity? “I’ve told you that.”

  He slid a hand into her damp hair and cupped the back of her head, his gaze shifting to her lips. Her chest tightened, her breath backing up in her throat as he leaned in, serious, deliberate. When their mouths met, he settled in with a palpable urge that matched her own, cherishing her, loving her, devouring her in the best possible way.