by Leslie North
Ted was a good guy. Married twenty years with three kids and a home back in Virginia that was almost paid for. Felicity had always dreamed of having a life like that someday, when her career didn’t interfere. For now, her cases took precedence. Always.
“Well, don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” She sniffed. “And yeah, Jace Stevens and I are working together. That’s it.”
Never mind she could still picture his twinkling brown eyes. Forget that sizzling awareness that blossomed inside her whenever he was near. Pay no attention to the way his muscles felt beneath her hands, the way his heat had penetrated her clothes, the way his scent had set all her senses on high alert.
They were working a case together. That was it.
About half way back to Ortega, a bright red sports car barreled down the highway behind their SUV. Ted cursed and gripped the wheel tight as the car zoomed around them, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a vehicle in the opposite lane before zipping back in front of the SUV, cutting them off.
“Fucking California drivers!” Ted shouted, giving the other car the finger.
Felicity frowned, squinting through the rear window of the sports car and spotting platinum blond hair. “Oh my God. That’s Kim Rigsdale.”
“Seriously?” Ted sped up a little to tail the other car. “Let’s see where she’s going.”
They followed the red car through Ortega, down a route eerily familiar to Felicity. “She’s meeting Quinn.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep.” Ahead, the sports car signaled then swerved into Shady Pines.
“Should we go in after her?” Ted asked. “Hate to be that obvious.”
“No.” She pointed to a seaside scenic vista pull-off not far ahead. “Let’s wait up there and see how long it takes before she leaves.”
Turns out the wait wasn’t long at all.
Maybe twenty minutes later, Kim pulled out of the trailer park, speeding back in the direction of her mansion. Close behind was Quinn’s compact car. Instead of following behind Kim, however, Quinn turned the opposite way, going toward downtown Ortega.
“Which one do you want to follow?” Ted asked.
Felicity gave him a flat look.
“Right.” He waited for several cars to pass, then pulled back out onto the highway, trailing Kevin Quinn. “Maybe we’re finally getting a break in this case.”
“Maybe.” She pulled her buzzing phone out of her pocket and stared down at the screen. The number of her FBI director back in Virginia popped up onscreen. Fuck. “Or not.”
Dread pooled in her stomach. She’d known the budget meeting was earlier today and she’d hoped that no news was good news. She and Ted had been working this case from afar for months now, biding their time and gathering their resources to scrape together enough to make the trip here. Her director had promised to go to the wire for them to try to get the budget adjusted to accommodate a longer stay for them here, but she feared this phone call wasn’t a good sign.
“Yes, sir?” Felicity said, forcing a positive tone.
“Agent Belasko, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to pull you and Agent Wilson off the Quinn case.”
“Wait. The meeting didn’t go well today?” She glanced at Ted. “Did you tell them we’re finally on scene and starting to uncover information that—”
“I did, but it doesn’t matter. The new administration is making sweeping budget cuts across the board. As I said, I’m sorry but we don’t have the manpower or the resources for this right now.”
“Please, sir. There’s something here, I know it. One more week. Please.”
“Sorry, Agent. This comes straight from the Oval Office.” The Director’s tone sounded sincerely apologetic. “I know this isn’t the news you wanted to hear and that you’ve put a lot of time and effort into this investigation already, but the funds to keep going aren’t there. I’m sorry.”
“What’s going on?” Ted whispered, scowling.
“They want to pull us off the case,” Felicity whispered back.
“Shit.”
“Exactly.” A new idea occurred to her. “What if I take some of my vacation time and stay out here on my own, sir. In an unofficial capacity.”
Ted gave her a what-the-hell look. Not because of what she’d said, but because she never took vacation. She probably had at least a month of time saved up, maybe more.
“How you choose to spend your PTO time is up to you, Agent. But know that if you get yourself involved in something dangerous, the Bureau can’t back you up.”
“Understood.” She smiled. She’d graduated top of her class from Quantico. She could take care of herself. And no way in hell would she let a murdering scumbag like Kevin Quinn off the hook because of some crappy federal cutbacks. “Then consider me officially on leave for the next thirty days, sir.”
The Director sighed. “Fine, Agent Belasko. But be careful.”
“Affirmative, sir. I’ll send Agent Wilson home on the next flight, sir.”
She ended the call then grinned over at Ted.
“What the hell are you doing, Fee?”
“Saving this case, that’s what.” She pointed out the windshield. “Now, follow that car before Quinn gets away.”
7
Jace sat in the shadows of the bar of Rocky Rhodes Pub, nursing the same beer he’d ordered an hour and a half ago. Across the room, alone in a secluded corner booth, sat Kevin Quinn being just as paranoid and boring as Jace remembered. Seemed his dislike of the guy hadn’t abated in all these years, and given what Felicity suspected Quinn was guilty of, that wasn’t likely to change anytime soon.
God, how does Vann do this shit all day?
Jace was ready to gouge his eyes out with a dull spoon from sheer tedium.
“Can I get you anything else?” the bartender asked, jarring him from his thoughts.
“Nah, man. I’m good, thanks.”
A bell jangled above the door and he swiveled on his stool to see whom came in. That’s when his evening went from dull to interesting. Agent Felicity Belasko, the gentle sway of her hips in those tight black pants giving him all sorts of wicked ideas as she made her way to the bar.
He took a long swig of beer then raised a speculative brow. “You lost?”
“No.” She perched primly on the edge of the stool beside him and ordered a seltzer water, glancing over to where Kevin Quinn sat in the opposite corner of the room.
“I’ll buy you a real drink, if you want,” he said, unable to stop watching her. Behind the buttoned-up persona, he suspected a true firebrand lurked. It was evident to him in the spark of her eyes, the slight quirk of her full, lush lips, the defiant tilt of her chin. Man, oh man, what he wouldn’t give to be there when her inner vixen was unleashed.
Could be the alcohol talking…
Jace narrowed his gaze on his half-full beer then laughed. Nah. Back in the good old days, after completing a mission in Afghanistan, he’d drank every guy on his team under the table and still walked away stone-cold sober. Some said it was due to his unusual lineage—Irish, German, English, Eskimo, even a little Chinese thrown in for flavor. Honestly, he didn’t care why he could hold his drink like he could. All that mattered was that he could, and damn if he didn’t win lots of bets because of it.
“I don’t drink,” Felicity said, thanking the bartender for her water. “Not alcohol anyway.”
“Why am I not surprised by that at all?” Jace straightened and faced the bar, resting his elbows atop it. “Still on duty?”
She exhaled slow, staring at the TV in the corner. “The Bureau’s closing their case on Quinn for now. Budget issues.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. Ted’s back at the hotel packing up to head back to Virginia tonight.”
“But you’re not?”
She looked back at him, those dark green eyes of hers pinning him to the spot. “No. I’ve decided to stay in the area and use up some of my vacation time to continue the investigation on my own.”
/>
Jace found himself a bit stunned by her statement. “You believe in this case that much?”
“I do.” She squared her shoulders. “Do you?”
He looked over at Kevin Quinn, saw the guy still hunched over his phone, scowling. If she was serious about taking this guy down, then she’d need help. No way in hell he’d let her end up dead like his friend Trevor or the other unfortunate SEALs who had crossed paths with Quinn. His honor, and something deeper he wasn’t prepared to contemplate further yet, demanded he protect Felicity and aid her in any way he could. He cocked his head toward a small table for two nearby. “Want to move over there? Might give us a bit more privacy and a better view of our man.”
She nodded and they picked up their drinks. Once they were settled again, Felicity shook her head. “Not going to lie. I don’t approve of what you’re doing at Brothers In Arms.”
“What?” He scrunched his nose. “We teach people to be prepared and protect themselves.”
“Some say you train civilians to be vigilantes.”
Frowning, Jace sat forward. “Nah, you got it all backward. There’s nothing wrong with learning how to fight, learning how to carry and fire a weapon properly.”
“In my line of work, maybe. Or yours, as a former soldier. But in my job I see far too much of the extreme effects of what training like yours can cause. Aren’t you afraid you could be breeding potential homegrown terrorists in that compound of yours?”
“Fuck no,” Jace said, taken aback. “Mark screens everyone thoroughly before enrollment. No way some sicko’s getting through our doors.”
She gave him a look that all but screamed she was unconvinced.
“Seriously, don’t take my word for it. Why don’t you come out yourself tomorrow? You can watch some of my classes, see exactly what it is we do and how we teach.”
“Maybe.” Felicity shrugged. “I still need to keep an eye on our friend over there.”
Jace snorted. “Piece of cake. He hasn’t moved since he came in. Guy’s about as exciting as mud. Are you sure he’s the killer, cause the only weapon he seems to deploy with deadly force is boredom.”
She chuckled. “Nice. You’ve been tailing him too?”
“Too?”
“Yeah. Ted and I went to talk with Kim Rigsdale and after we left, she came speeding past us headed for Quinn’s trailer park. We followed her there, then tracked Quinn here after they left. Pretty sure they’re sleeping together.”
“Huh. Well, she always did have shitty taste in men.” He took another swallow of his beer. “Kind of surprised she hooked up that fast though. Her husband’s not even been dead a year yet and after her stint in rehab….”
“She was in rehab?”
“Oh, yeah. Started drinking a lot after Tim died right in front of her. Bunch of tourists found her passed out behind the wheel of her Ferrari near one of the beach access points along the highway and called it in to 9-1-1. The hospital docs wouldn’t release her until she agreed to enter rehab for a couple months. She got out maybe four or five weeks ago.”
“Interesting.” Felicity took a long drink of her water, her gaze narrowed. “She was drinking wine during our interview today, her glass was nearly empty when we got there and she was unsteady on her feet.”
“Huh.” Jace peered over at Kevin once more. Caught the guy’s eye this time and looked away fast, trying to seem casual. “I don’t like him. From his appearance, though, I’d say he looks more like a librarian than a murderer.”
“Those are the ones who get you every time.”
“Apparently.” Jace sat back and watched Felicity some more, just because it was so damned enjoyable. “So, what do you say? Come join me at Brothers In Arms tomorrow. You can bring me up to speed on your case.”
She smiled and he felt it all the way to his groin. Finally, she nodded, then lowered her voice so only he could hear. “We’ll see. I plan to stay in the area for about a month, maybe a bit more. From what I’ve seen, whoever’s killing these SEALs is following a pattern. The first staged suicides took place six months ago. Since that time, a new body turns up every four weeks.”
He frowned. “Trevor died two weeks ago.”
“Yep. Which means, if I’m right, there should be another murder in two weeks.”
8
“Paddle, Jones! Don’t just sit there!” Jace yelled from the beach the next day. A student in the Water Rescue class floated in a rubber raft not far off shore. “Bang! You’re dead. Next.”
Felicity bit back a laugh at the middle-aged businessman’s forlorn look. He sidled out of the raft and splashed his way to shore.
Okay, yeah. Maybe training the next wave of ISIS fighters wasn’t exactly what Brothers In Arms had going on here after all. She stood in the shade of a small cove and held her hands over her eyes to block out the sun. From what she could see, there were about twelve students in the class, all ages and ethnicities, from many different sectors of business. One gal she’d talked to briefly was the CEO of a tech company looking to expand into sub-Saharan Africa. Another guy worked in the record industry and was expanding his studio overseas in Russia. One older man was here just because taking this kind of boot-camp training had always been on his bucket list and his wife had gotten him the classes as a gift for his sixtieth birthday.
The forlorn businessman who’d gotten fake-shot in his life raft slumped onto the beach, water dripping from his legs. “Sorry,” he said to Jace. “I panicked. It’s not as easy as it looks.”
Jace exhaled audibly and slapped the man on the back. “Exactly. That’s why you’re here, John.” He turned to the rest of the class. “That’s why you’re all here. We’re not trying to turn you into Rambo or another SEAL like us.” His gaze flicked to Felicity. “We only want you to have the skills and the knowledge you need in case, God forbid, you ever find yourself in this type of situation. Being scared is normal, helpful even. It puts all your senses on high alert, makes you sharper, faster. But panicking is bad. It clouds your judgment, takes away your edge. Panic is why people make bad decisions.” He met Felicity’s gaze for another fraction of a second before looking away. “Okay, class. We’ll continue this later today. Get some lunch and we’ll meet back here at two.”
People walked off, heading back up the stairs to the highway above, while Jace pulled the raft into the cove and tied it securely to a steel post. He straightened and faced Felicity, his black Brothers In Arms T-shirt clinging to all his muscles and sinews just right. “Well, what do you think? Is John the next Bin Laden?”
She laughed. “Fine. I might have jumped to the wrong conclusions about this place.”
“No!” Jace held his hand to his chest in mock horror. Then he took her arm gently and guided her out of the cove toward the stairs. “Come on. I’ll show you the main indoor training facilities and make you some lunch.”
“Wow. Talk about a full-service tour.” She climbed the stairs, doing her best not to notice the way his body brushed against hers as he walked behind her or how his heat penetrated through her white T-shirt and jean shorts.
“Hey. I aim to please.” Jace winked once they reached the top of the stairs. They waited on the shoulder for the traffic to pass before crossing the highway. Warmth burst like fireworks in Felicity’s core, spreading outward through her extremities. He was too damned adorable. That was the problem. And for a girl like her who’d sworn off fun and frivolity, adorable was dangerous. For all she knew, Jace wasn’t even single. If he was indeed off the market, then she needed to get herself in check. Fast.
They jogged across the roadway and headed across the gravel parking lot toward a large white steel pole-barn type building, the Brothers In Arms name and logo displayed prominently on the side in black.
To fill some of the awkward silence, Felicity asked about the business. “Is that class size typical?”
“Yep. We like to keep them relatively small so we can give more personalized attention. Usually we have at least one instructor and
two assistants, but we’re a bit shorthanded right now.”
“Why’s that?”
“Well.” Jace unlocked the door to the training building, held it open for her before following her inside, and switched on the light. The space was huge, filled with every type of training equipment imaginable. She’d thought the classrooms and gyms back at Quantico were impressive, but this place gave them a run for their money. “Both of my business partners are out and we’ve had to cut back a bit on staff for the short term. So, right now there’s just me.”
As he led her around the interior, showing her various obstacle courses and even several whirlpools, she couldn’t help asking more. “Really? This business seems pretty massive for one person to run alone.”
“Yeah, it is. We never designed it to operate like that, but you do what you have to for your team. Mark, Vann and I started this thing together. All for one and one for all, like the Musketeers, you know? Right now, I’m the one.” He grabbed a large red foam bat and grinned. “Care to do a little sparring?”
She gave him an incredulous stare. “With those things?”
Whack!
Felicity stumbled back a few steps, stunned. Oh. Hell. No. He did not just smack her with that thing. She edged back away from him and grabbed a blue bat of her own. Not because she wanted to play, but for self-defense. Slowly, they circled each other on the mat in the center of the space. “Don’t underestimate me,” she said. “I graduated top of my class in MMA.”
“Aw. That’s cute,” Jace grinned. “That might just tickle me if we tussle.”
The thought of tussling with him sent a fresh wave of desire through her blood and a rush of tingling moisture between her legs. To make matters worse, he pulled his T-shirt off, leaving his perfectly sculpted chest and stacks of firm, tanned abs open to her view. Jesus H. Christ. Jace Stevens wasn’t just adorable. He was frigging hot. Didn’t help he had to flaunt it in her face. Then again, the guy could be doing it just to distract her so he could win.
As if sensing her wayward thoughts, he chuckled, low and dirty. “You gonna ogle me all day or hit me with that thing, darlin’?”
