by Angela Ford
Brett laughed. “That would be my place in Mexico.”
Lauren got out of the car and watched Brett open the first of three garage doors and parked the car inside. He closed the door and met Lauren in the driveway. She hadn’t moved. She appeared mesmerized with his home.
“This is magnificent.” She smiled at him.
“It’s good to see you smile, Lauren. I know the past twenty-four hours have been hard on you.” Brett put his arm around her without thinking and then eased back.
“Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”
“Remarkable,” Lauren announced as she entered the front foyer.
“How the hell do you afford this on a cop’s salary?”
The elaborate exterior of cedar and redwood made the three-story home stand out. But the exquisite interior design was something one would only see in a magazine. She watched Brett disarm the house at a keyboard mounted on the wall in the front foyer. At the touch of buttons, the window shades began to rise. Windows spanned the entire back of the house and with the cathedral ceilings, the sunlight penetrated deep throughout the house.
Brett smiled. “I changed my name when I was in college. It used to be Brett Donnelly.”
Lauren flashed him a questioning look, “As in the New York real estate Donnelley?”
“That’s my father and grandfather, not me. I never wanted to go into the family business. My father never forgave me for not following in his footsteps and changing my name,” Brett remarked sadly.
“You wanted to be a cop?”
“Since I was a young boy, actually I always wanted to work with the FBI,” Brett shared.
It was unlike him. He never shared with anyone, except John Reynolds in college. It surprised him he’d shared personal information with Lauren. He wondered if he truly had feelings for her.
“How did you end up in Mexico?”
“That’s a long story. I don’t want to bore you. Would you like that grand tour now?”
He quickly changed the subject. He may have shared a piece of personal information but to get into the reason why he ended up in Mexico wasn’t something he shared with anyone. Not John. Not his superior.
She respected his privacy and asked no further questions. She smiled, “Great idea.”
He positioned his arm for her to loop hers through for the tour. Lauren looked up at Brett.
“You know you’re not the only great listener.”
He smiled and nodded. He began describing the house to her but what she’d said touched his heart. There hadn’t been anyone in his life that cared since his parents and only serious relationship died. His father may have been pissed that he didn’t join the family business and that he changed his name to join the Secret Service, but Brett had been loved by his parents. He just never confided that to anyone.
****
Impressed with Brett’s home she noted he definitely had exquisite taste in furnishings. She wondered if he had done any of it himself or hired someone. There were many family heirlooms throughout the house that Brett thoroughly described to her. He comes from old money. My father would be impressed. She wondered why she thought that. It wasn’t like they were dating. She was Brett’s assignment but she wasn’t an assignment the night before. Then Lauren began to wonder if it had been part of the assignment to calm her and keep her quiet, or if he actually wanted to make love to her. She wondered why she even thought of her father and whether he approved. It wasn’t as though she ever cared what he thought. Lauren loved her father but she was closer to her mother. Her mother always told her not to argue with her father and he would come around, if not for caring but for appearance sake. Lauren had been taught that at a young age. It was true. Her father had lightened and accepted John into the family. Though it did surprise her even though her mother assured her it had been for appearance sake. Lauren found it odd for her father to not only accept John into the family, but make him a partner in his business. She’d shrugged these thoughts aside because of her love for John and she wanted to be happy. Lauren had convinced herself that her father found the son he always wanted to continue the family business, and left it at that.
The second floor consisted of a luxurious master suite with a fireplace and a hot tub on the balcony.
“The best spot to watch the most spectacular sunsets,” Brett said and pointed to the hot tub.
He tossed his bag on the four-poster king sized bed and motioned her into the hallway to continue the tour.
She wondered if the hot tub was an invitation for later. Her mind kept travelling off course but she smiled without comment as she shook off her thoughts and reminded herself that she’d just buried her husband the day before. Lauren noticed the photo on his bedside table. She picked up the framed picture and turned to Brett.
“This is the same picture you had on my kitchen table last night.”
But Brett ignored her and walked out of the room. She followed him and grabbed his arm, “Brett, are these people your parents?”
He turned to her with sadness in his eyes. “Yes.”
“Are they caught up in this mess too?”
“No, they’re not. They’re dead.” Brett’s quick direct tone told her he didn’t want to talk about them. His eyes told her something different.
“What happened to them?” Lauren reached out and touched his arm gently.
“They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were senseless murders.”
Brett shrugged his shoulders and continued down the hall describing the other three rooms on the second floor; a den and two guest bedrooms, neither of which looked like they’d ever been used. The den definitely looked more lived in than any other room in the house. This didn’t surprise Lauren. From the short time she’d known Brett, it seemed like work consumed his life. He’d placed her bag on the bed in the room beside his. She wondered if he was being a gentleman or if he thought the night before had been a mistake. The third floor had a library, theatre room and a gym. Lauren followed, listening to him, and didn’t ask any more about his parents. She sensed his pain and thought it best to change the subject.
“You have a spectacular home Brett.” Thank you for the tour.
“I promised you it would be better than that dingy motel,” he said and smiled.
And for some reason I think I would rather be in that dingy motel room again with you, no air, a steam-filled room and your naked body, she thought.
“Hungry?” His question startled her out of her desirable image of him.
“Is food always on your mind?”
“Yes.” He laughed.
“Actually, I am hungry.”
“It’s been three years since I’ve been in my kitchen. I’ve missed it.”
“You’ve been in Mexico for three years?” Lauren followed him down the stairs, surprised and shocked he’d been away from his beautiful home for so long.
“As I told you before, it’s a long story.” Brett continued down the stairs without a glance back at her.
“I have the time since you won’t let me get back to my own life.” Lauren laughed. She almost believed for a moment she’d become accustomed to being on the run. He pulled out a stool at the island in the middle of the kitchen for her to have a seat.
“Its top secret and I would have to kill you after I told you.” He laughed.
She figured he was joking, she hoped anyway. He wouldn’t be the only one wanting to kill her these days.
“Agent Donovan, you continue to surprise me. You have all of this but choose Mexico and the drug cartel instead, and it appears you are a master chef in the kitchen.”
Brett looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I love to cook and I’m always hungry.”
“So Agent, what other secrets do yo
u have?”
Brett grabbed a bottle of wine from the rack and two glasses. “Would you care for a glass of wine while dinner is cooking?”
She nodded.
“What makes you think I have secrets?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps the fact that you would have to kill me after you told me about your life and your choices.” Lauren tasted the wine. “You’re a wine connoisseur as well?”
He tipped his glass to hers in answer to the question.
“I started with the Secret Service after the academy and a position in Narcotics came up for an undercover assignment in Mexico to stop the drug operation out of New York. I stumbled across John’s warehouse about six months ago. Last week I discovered there was a hit assigned for both of you. The Washington office said they had men in New Jersey to protect you and John. Then Kevin called a couple of days ago with the news that John had been killed. We are so close to cracking this case wide open and making arrests, but there’s something or someone missing in the puzzle. There has to be someone who knows how to hide the money and invest it elsewhere. It’s been hard to trace. If I can figure that out, I can make my arrests. I thought John might be the one to lead me to the main partner. Now that’s impossible.” Brett walked out onto the back terrace. Lauren followed and placed her hand on his back for comfort. He appeared more sad than frustrated. She wondered why. He didn’t know her or her husband.
“I still can’t believe John was caught up in this mess. I thought I knew my husband.”
Brett turned to face her. “I was just as shocked when I first discovered John’s involvement.”
She wondered if he’d known John. But before she could ask, Brett gestured for Lauren to be quiet and placed his hand over her mouth. He moved in closer and whispered against her ear.
“Stay close to me. We’re not alone.”
She stood frozen in time and awaited his direction. She was consumed with fear. Not again.
Brett took her hand and slowly led her across the terrace to the steps that led to the beach. The alarm had been set, but Brett seemed to think they were not alone. She wondered if he had a sixth sense. Brett motioned for her to crawl along the side of the house toward the front. There were bushes that hugged the front corner of the house. He pointed for her to hide in behind them. Crouched down below window sight with his back against the house, he drew his gun. Lauren watched in horror. Brett tossed her back a look of reassurance, then disappeared around the corner.
****
“Don’t move,” Brett told the man, his gun against the man’s head. He reached around and disarmed the stranger in his house. Brett quickly put the gun under the belt on his jeans and pulled the man back onto the terrace. Within seconds, Brett knocked the stranger unconscious and handcuffed him to a rail on the terrace. He re-entered his house quietly. Brett knew Mendez would have sent two men as he did to the motel. He headed upstairs slowly and discovered the other man. Brett knocked him out before the man realized what happened to him.
He heard Lauren gasp when he pulled her out of the bushes.
“Come on, we have to hurry,” he told her as he dragged her toward his garage.
He knew they could no longer take Kevin’s car. Brett wondered how they could have found them here. There was no one on their tail since the motel. Kevin was the only one who knew they were headed to the beach house. Brett suddenly wondered about Kevin. Had they found him and forced it out of him? Brett needed to quickly put a plan together.
He entered through the farthest garage door. And went straight to his motorcycle covered with a tarp. He bought it before he took the assignment in Mexico. He hadn’t even had a chance to take it on the road or license it. No one knew he’d purchased it. On the shelf beside the bike were two helmets, one smaller than the other. Lauren threw him a questioning look but he ignored it. He didn’t have time to explain that either. She’d been right. He had secrets. Brett handed her the smaller helmet and put his on. He reached for two leather jackets that hung on the wall and helped her put one on. She asked no questions. Brett figured she must be scared and trusted him to keep her alive. Brett tried Kevin’s cell with no answer. He left a message they’d been discovered. He worried that Kevin had been too. This time he didn’t say where they were headed. He needed to protect Lauren. Brett took notice of a black sedan parked across from his driveway. He assumed the car belonged Mendez’s men so he flattened the tires with a knife he kept in his boot. Seconds later they traveled down the shore road on his bike. Lauren held onto him tightly as tears poured relentlessly down her face.
There had been one person Brett trusted besides Kevin. He pulled into a coffee shop on the outskirts of Washington and made a call from the phone booth inside. He gestured for Lauren to have a seat in the booth beside the phone. She shook her head.
“Rick, I need your help.”
“Brett? Is that you? Are you still in Mexico?”
Rick had been Brett’s partner in the Secret Service. He hadn’t heard from Brett since he took the undercover assignment.
“Yeah it’s me. I need a place to stay for the night. ” He didn’t want to get into it over the phone.
“Of course partner. I’m home.”
Chapter Six
“Three years and you didn’t call me once.” Rick stood in his driveway as Brett removed his helmet and extended his hand. The two men shook hands.
“I’ve been undercover,” Brett explained.
Rick looked over Brett’s shoulder at Lauren and then back to him with a raised eyebrow.
“Rick, this is Lauren. There’s a hit out for her from Nick Mendez. Think you could put us up for the night?”
“You bet. What are partners for?” Rick walked over to Lauren and held out an arm to escort her into his home. Once inside, Rick offered them a drink.
“Something smells great,” Lauren added after she thanked Rick for the drink.
“Dinner will be ready shortly. I wasn’t expecting company so it’s nothing elaborate,” Rick informed them. Lauren remained in the living room with her drink. Brett followed Rick into the kitchen.
“So what’s the deal partner?” Rick’s smile referred to Lauren. Brett could read him better than anyone. They were close for a few years in the Secret Service. Rick had been there for Brett when Lisa died; another terrible tragedy that drove Brett straight into the Narcotics division. Lisa and Brett had only dated a few months but anyone could see how they were drawn to each other. Her love of motorcycles made Brett purchase one. She’d been killed in a car accident before she even got to see it. Brett was about to propose while showing her the motorcycle when she received the call about her sister. Lisa’s sister had overdosed that night. She left in such a hurry she didn’t give Brett time to say he’d drive. The curvy shore road, high speed and the emotional devastation on her mind took her life that night. Brett spoke to no one for a couple of weeks except Rick. Then the narcotics posting came up and Brett applied. Between his parents and Lisa, he was more than determined to stop the drug operations that had taken the three people he loved.
“There is no deal,” Brett answered.
“Yeah right, buddy. I’ve seen that look in your eye before. She’s not just an assignment is she?”
“Not now Rick, I need to keep her alive.”
Brett’s tone told Rick that it was not up for discussion. There were more important things to discuss. Rick respected his partner’s request and changed the subject.
“How long do you think you can dodge Nick Mendez single-handed?” Rick inquired.
“Not long on my own.”
Brett ran his hands through his hair in frustration and filled Rick in about the attempts on Lauren’s life in the past twenty-four hours and John’s death with the brief fact that he knew John in college but didn’t keep in touch.
“Sounds like you got yourself in a tight spot buddy. What can I do to help?”
“My superior, Kevin Williams in the Narcotics division, is now MIA. I saw him this afternoon to switch cars about fifty miles from my place and now I’m not sure where he is. He’s the only one that knew we were headed to my beach house. Can you look into his disappearance for me?”
Rick handed the stir spoon to Brett and motioned for him to take care of the sauce.
“You stir. I’m going to begin a trace on Kevin’s phone.”
While Brett stirred the sauce and thought about what to do next, Lauren entered the kitchen.
“Brett, I know you told me there was no contact allowed and I’ve trusted you so far to keep me alive, but we’re running out of options. I called my father. He’s sending the private jet that will take me to a safe place until this is all over. It’s best. I know you have a case to close and arrests to make. I’m just in your way and it appears I’m taking up your time that would be best put to making those arrests.”
“What!” Brett dropped the spoon and sauce splattered across the kitchen floor.
Rick ran into the kitchen.
“Is everything okay in here?” Rick asked cautiously.
“No, it’s not,” Brett announced sarcastically and stormed into the living room.
Rick looked at Lauren and she simply shrugged her shoulders. He followed his friend and motioned his arms in the air. Brett ignored him and changed the subject.
“Did you find any trace of Kevin?”
“His phone is turned off or has become obsolete.”
Brett worried it was the latter.
“I’ve traced the vehicle’s FBI GPS to an abandoned warehouse on the east side. Up for a little investigation my friend? That is if your little domestic dispute is finished.” Rick chuckled.
