by Angi Morgan
Whether officer or daughter of an U.S. Army sergeant major, Darby responded by returning rapid fire in the direction of the first shooter. He heard the sound of a body crumbling onto the debris and quickly joined Darby on the floor, rolling away from her to avoid someone taking them out the same way.
He’d been right to assume she’d be a good shot and had a feeling her father had a hand in that accomplishment.
Then all hell broke loose. He rolled directly into Knighton, who was much closer than he’d considered. The tall man fell and they struggled. Erren lost his grip on the knife. Knighton landed a strong punch to Erren’s wounded side.
“You’re…done…man,” he said, trying to let Darby know his position.
Knighton turned the weapon into Erren’s chest. Erren grabbed and shoved back. And just like in any good movie, the gun went off. Knighton collapsed on Erren’s chest.
In his split-second acknowledgment that Knighton had shot himself, Erren heard a struggle back toward the area where Darby had hung from the catwalk. “Darby? Answer me!”
Something crashed. Erren ran toward the sound.
“The little bastard…is stronger,” she yelled, “than he looks.”
They rolled into the moonlight. Before he could reach them, Thrumburt landed a punch to the side of Darby’s head. Erren’s mind turned into a mad, bizarre place of protectiveness he’d never experienced. He threw himself at Thrumburt, shoving him off Darby and landing in the dark. Thrumburt might have been a match for his partner, but the ADA didn’t stand a chance against Erren’s wrath.
He had Thrumburt pinned to the ground and could feel Brian’s flesh giving way with each pounding of his fist before Darby stopped his arm.
“He’s out cold, Erren.”
He caught his breath and looked her over from head to toe. “You’re okay?”
“I’ll probably have a headache for three days, but I’m fine.”
He heard the distinct noise of a hammer being pulled back. “Watch out!”
Leaning into Darby’s legs, he pulled her to the ground and caught her on his chest just as a lone shot was fired.
It hit Thrumburt instead. Darby turned and fired toward the catwalk. They heard a body drop to the metal, then thud to the floor somewhere in front of them, a .38-caliber revolver in the hand of Second Cop.
“You are really good with that thing,” Erren said.
“I had three brothers for competition. Where’s the other guy who wrecked my house?”
They listened for any movement, heard the van’s engine start up and heard sirens getting closer.
“Doesn’t sound like Limpy’s around any longer. Almost over,” he told her. “You’re safe.”
“So are you,” she said with a saucy tone, as if she’d done her fair share of the work. She was right. She’d saved him in more ways than one.
THE FBI AGENT ERREN HAD called to clean up this cross-agency betrayal stood at the door of the warehouse—staying out of the “cleanup.” Erren had risked everything to turn the evidence over to the FBI. It was one long shot he’d played and actually won. Agent Steve Woods gestured for Erren to join him. A single head nod meant it was time to leave.
But once Erren left, he wasn’t certain when he’d get back to Darby. She didn’t know he had to leave and she’d be madder than a hornet when he couldn’t be reached.
But that’s what happened. There couldn’t be a record of his involvement. He’d give a statement. He’d testify if necessary. But he couldn’t be seen by the numerous officers filling the warehouse. He couldn’t be photographed by the media, who would soon be on the scene after discovering an ADA and a police officer had been killed. He had to disappear.
Officer O’Malley would be the hero of the day. Spitting mad, but a hero. The glory of bringing down a major crime ring would be forced upon her to face alone—at least until her brother woke up from his coma.
She was phenomenal. If things had been different they might have gotten together. He shook the impossible dream from his mind. This was it. He had to say goodbye. He just couldn’t figure out how.
Joining her at the bottom of the stairs, he ignored the FBI and said, “They picked up Limpy Cop.”
“I’d love to read your reports one day—Beavis, Butthead, Limpy Cop. What’s your nickname for me?”
“Amazing.” He sidestepped making a fool of himself and changed the subject. “By the way, thanks for coming to my rescue.”
“Some rescue. I thought you’d be very, very angry I screwed up the entire operation.”
“Woman, you’ve got to work on your self-esteem. You saved me. Big time.” He shook his head, smiling—and liking that he didn’t have to calculate how to smile anymore. “Remember when I said to trust me, Darby?”
“Yeah, but who is it that I’m really trusting?” She arched that sexy eyebrow toward her forehead.
He tugged her into the circle of his arms and kissed her deep and much too short of a time. “Just a regular guy. Remember that, hon.”
She pushed back on his chest and lightly tapped his unbruised cheek. “No problem.”
He pulled her more tightly into his arms, not wanting her to leave. Taking an extra minute for one last goodbye kiss. When they broke apart, he still held on to her hand.
“You were awesome through this whole operation, Darby. Pike would have been proud. I had the right O’Malley all along.”
She smiled, nodded in the direction of the police officers calling to her and walked away.
He watched her go speak with the officers documenting the bust, the shots and evidence. The FBI agent waved to him again. It was time to leave Darby and disappear.
This is what he did. This was his life.
But it didn’t have to be…not any longer.
Chapter Eighteen
Darby sat at her academy desk working hard. Paper pushing. Brainless work that ironically allowed her mind to overthink everything.
There had been no contact or record of Erren Rhodes and she’d been forced to lie, accepting unsolicited congratulations each time she’d stepped out of her office. Her partner had been right about her—she hated the lies. She avoided as many fellow officers as she could. She’d been forced to take credit for the drug bust. So she stayed in her office.
Three weeks and Pike’s desk was still empty. He’d been credited for helping her and dying in the line of duty, when no one would have been caught without his investigation. The P.D. wanted the credit for the bust to save face with the community. Good cops put away bad cops.
So was Erren a bad cop only out for revenge? Or had everything between them been about the job? Had he been playing a role all along? Erren said to trust him. The real question was could she trust her instincts and just move on?
Today would be a good day to begin. She looked at the new clock, housed in a chunk of amber, sitting on her desk. “Pike’s replacement is already ten minutes late.”
She had the duty of showing him the ropes, introducing him around the department and taking him to lunch. All a direct order from her captain. Definitely something she didn’t want to do. There would be more lies and congratulations she didn’t deserve.
Erren had been right. Lying wasn’t her style, even though she’d become quite good at it to protect his cover.
She fingered the new amber paperweight sitting on the corner of her desk. She leaned forward and dropped her head into her hands. Get a grip, girl. You didn’t really know him. It was just a tense situation and you can’t expect him to feel close to you.
First thing was to get rid of some of this amber. She shoved the amber gel pen and the amber-colored worry stones into her top drawer. A terrific-looking amber-colored sweater hung in her closet at home. Not to mention the shade of dark amber she’d painted her bedroom or the new set of amber-tinted glasses she had in the kitchen—still sitting on the counter, wrapped in their plastic sack with the receipt inside ready to return.
Amber.
The glasses were the las
t straw. On the way home from the mall she’d realized her new favorite color was the same shade Erren’s eyes turned in passion. She’d known her Secret Agent Man for a few days, he’d disappeared and she’d missed him every minute since. She was so hopelessly over the top with feelings for the man.
It had been almost three weeks and she hadn’t received a single word from Erren. Her father’s car was left only a few blocks from the warehouse and had been found easily enough. Darby the cop understood her part in aiding in his disappearance. But Darby the woman remembered the way he’d looked at her when their lives had been in danger… Well, she had thought—and hoped—that he’d at least contact her.
Nothing was needed from Erren Rhodes to wrap up the case awaiting prosecution. Her statement had been taken by the new attorneys and the remnants of Thrumburt’s crew were sitting in jail. Including Limpy Cop who was also charged with first-degree burglary, several counts of aggravated assault and kidnapping and numerous counts of destruction of property for the damage to her house and Sean’s truck.
Even if Erren didn’t want to see her, she’d gone to the trouble of retrieving his motorcycle from impound. It sat in her garage waiting. Just like she sat at home…waiting. She’d asked about him at the DEA and had been told there were no agents by that name. She’d even tried to trace who owned the lake property. Just another dead end.
Where is this new guy? She looked at her watch and knew she wouldn’t be waiting much longer. She was missing Michael’s first day home. He’d been released from the hospital and her father had steaks, Coronas and a recorded Cowboys game. Captain’s orders or no, five more minutes and she was headed home.
A knock drew her attention to the open door. She stood, straightening the front of her shirt.
When she turned to introduce herself to Pike’s replacement, there he was. Agent Erren Rhodes. Full Dallas P.D. uniform—from the hat under his arm to his shiny black shoes.
“Hello, Darby.”
Whoa. Was that her heart dropping to her toes? She wanted to run to him, throw herself into his arms. But it had been three weeks without a peep. If he’d cared about her at all, wouldn’t he have at least said goodbye?
Nothing since the warehouse, and he chose now to appear in her office doorway. She took a step toward him. Wanting to kiss the smile off his lips. Restraining herself from doing that, too.
“You have the most incredibly bad timing. Why are you impersonating a police officer? You have to get out of here. Now. I’m expecting my new boss.”
She turned him toward the door, but he kept turning, making a three-sixty to face her again. A uniform was definitely a way to blend in, but she had to get him out of there. Pronto.
What if he were caught? Did he have any trustworthy contacts left in the DEA?
What am I thinking? He’s not a criminal. He’s one of Pike’s men. He’s the man I love…
Oh, God, I really do love him!
“I’m in uniform because I’m a cop, Darby. I always have been,” he said. “I really am a cop.” He walked to Pike’s desk, setting down his hat.
“I don’t believe you.” He was terrific liar.
Even his name tag said Rhodes. His hair was regulation-length short. She’d thought he’d been handsome with the bruises, but now with his clean-shaven face and deep tan he looked gorgeous. Hopefully, his dagger was still on a chain under his uniform.
“I quit the DEA and came back to the force. It took time to get all the paperwork approved and records in place that put my cover in jail. I put more than my share of people behind bars over the last six years. They didn’t want the drug lords in south Texas to know where I decided to settle.”
He definitely had a convincing story, but she wouldn’t fall for it. He could tell whopper lies with a straight face.
“I can’t name all the laws you’ve broken by impersonating an officer.” She shoved the door shut with a little too much force. “If you’ll give me a few minutes, I can pawn Pike’s replacement off on someone, then I should be free to leave. Can you wait?”
“Unfortunately, no. I—”
“Oh.” The disappointment she’d swallowed each time she’d hit a dead end trying to discover his identity crept into her throat.
“I have an appointment. Since I don’t officially start until next week, the captain said I could come by later. Your dad said you couldn’t make it this afternoon.”
“How did you know?” She stomped down the part of her that wanted to believe. Smashed whatever made her want to jump to the conclusion he was taking Pike’s place and that’s why he was in her office. “Oh, you are thorough, I’ll give you that.”
“Darby…”
She watched his chest expand and waited for the release. “Are you… Are you holding your breath?” She was afraid to ask. Afraid of the answer.
Erren quickly exhaled, slightly shaking his head.
“Oh, my God. It’s true. You really are working here?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” He moved around the corner of Pike’s desk, planting himself on the edge of hers and fiddling with the amber paperweight. Each time he tossed it in the air, she imagined him tossing her heart from one hand to the other. Yes, melodramatic and severely over the top…but she had an excuse—she loved the guy.
“I heard your brother’s awake. Sometime last week?” He set the chunk of amber down on her desk.
“Yeah, he woke up like nothing was wrong, surprised that he was in the hospital. But he remembers that Knighton shot him and Walter,” she said.
“We know that Knighton was following your brother. We can only assume he didn’t know what he’d stumbled upon until he told Thrumburt. It just snowballed from there when I started asking questions.”
She tried to focus on what he was saying. But her heart was screaming for him to acknowledge her. How could he just sit there and talk about the case? How would she work with him across the room if he acted like a partner?
“So…you gave up the excitement of undercover work for this mundane job teaching cadets?”
Erren looked out the window at cadets on the training course. Every inch of him was uncomfortable. Had he misread her feelings that much? Hell, he thought she’d at least say how much she’d missed him. Sure as the sun rose he’d missed her. She’d been on his mind every passing minute of his exile at the FBI safe house.
She’d kept a cool head and a noncaring attitude since he’d arrived, but Erren could see through her. Yeah, Darby had learned how to lie in the last three weeks. But not well enough. She may have his tell down pat, but he knew hers, too.
“Sort of.” He shrugged.
“More mystery?” She shrugged back.
Erren recognized the same attitude in the movement they’d both utilized. Ambivalence, the shrug he used to cover what he didn’t want to say aloud. She had it down to perfection, making his read of her more difficult. “They brought me in to lead a special task force. The higher-ups actually suggested you’d be perfect to work with.”
“But?”
“I didn’t think it would be a good idea.” Trying to tease her, he’d mistakenly hurt her again, hitting her where she was most vulnerable…her lack of confidence in herself.
“Right. I don’t take orders well enough. I rush in and muck up undercover operations. I can just imagine what type of recommendation you’d give me.”
“I don’t think you do. You’re perfect for the job. I thought we’d keep Pike’s operation going…working together, but…” He watched her bite her lip but keep her face emotionless, like a cop listening intently. “But I think the department frowns on officers dating. So I’ll need to transfer to a different division.” He caught himself holding his breath and wanted to risk everything. He said what he’d wanted to ever since seeing her behind that desk. “I really want to kiss you, Darby.”
He reached for her hand, desperate to touch her, but she avoided him.
“It’s an interesting offer.”
Which one?
“But I don’t think you’re being completely honest.” She poked him in his abdomen and grinned. “I asked Michael about how he lived. He swore he never sold drugs or paid his rent with drug money and that Pike gave him everything he needed. How could the man afford to support my brother?”
“Well, he…um… He didn’t actually pay for anything.”
“I’m not following.” She frowned.
“It was me. Don’t get the wrong idea. I mean, I’m not old-money wealthy or anything.”
“What? You’re not Bruce Wayne?”
“I have a trust fund that provided what Pike needed to make this operation work.” He slipped his hand around her waist but she avoided his grasp.
“Spill it, mister. No more secrets.”
Darby stepped closer to him, tapping his name plate. The name that clearly read Rhodes. “I know that’s not real. I’ve called in favors, took advantage of my celebrity status and run searches in every database law enforcement has to offer. Erren Rhodes does not exist.”
“I’m standing right in front of you, O’Malley.”
Capturing her hand in his, Erren pulled her to his chest and enclosed her arms within his. He tilted her chin back with the tip of his finger until he could see the emerald sparkle of her eyes.
“Be honest, you’ve got a thing for me, right?”
She nodded and raised her lips to his.
He gave away his heart in the kiss and never wanted it back. Darby was the woman he’d never allowed himself to imagine.
“So who are you really, cowboy?”
Before he answered, he waited for the slender quizzical arch of her brow that he adored. “Just the guy who loves you.”
THANKS Devona…for Erren. Jill…whew, nine weeks. Amy, Carol, Kim, Kym, Regina & Robin…there are no words thankful enough. And Kourtney…we made it to Disney World!
ISBN 978-14268-8508-2
.38 CALIBER COVER-UP
Copyright © 2011 by Angela Platt
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
