“It was that.” She’d always liked basketball. “Do you trust Terry Pratt?”
“I did. I trusted everyone in my office. Now I’m barely even telling them anything. He has access to everything. But what would his endgame be?”
“Greed. Money talks, Evan. He could have tipped off the gun dealers you’re trying to take down about the undercover op, or the site creator, Lawman1. Maybe both. Which gives plenty of people reason to stop you permanently. Terry surely knows how good you are and your record shows it.”
Evan’s jaw twitched. He clearly didn’t like the fact that someone he was close to had the capabilities to betray him. Yeah, it hurt.
“He could have offered the information in exchange for digital currency. No way to trace it, and if they had it laundered, they could cash it in at a Bitcoin exchange for money. The gun dealers might even know about the sting going down tomorrow night. You could be walking into a trap.”
Evan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Don’t you think they’d have called it off?” Evan turned left. Two blocks from the house.
Jody fiddled with her seat belt. “Not if they can use the opportunity to take you out. They don’t know you’re onto them. As far as everyone believes, you weren’t the target. The senator was. They could off you and take the cash and guns. The agency would simply think the deal went sideways.”
“That’s a nice thought.” His sarcasm had a smile in it.
“I’m covering every base from an unbiased angle. If the gun dealers aren’t the ones after you, then it has to be the site creator. He’d really want you dead for trying to take down his site, at best, or compromising it, at the very least. Wheezer says he gets a huge commission from each sell on his site.”
Evan turned onto his street. “True. He’s raking in millions—maybe billions. He’d definitely want me dead and he’d have the kind of money necessary to entice an agent to turn dirty. He likely has capabilities to hack your phone, too.”
But how would he know about her past with Evan? Why else hack her phone?
They pulled into the drive as Wilder strode to their Suburban. “I was about to text you. I’m starved. Going for some Chinese for us.” Wilder hopped in, leaving the door open. “How was the game?”
“We won,” Evan said. “Chicken-fried rice, no onion.”
Wilder nodded and left. Chinese was Wilder’s go-to, and they ate it often. He’d know she’d want orange chicken and a side of noodles. They entered the house and Evan used his phone to turn on the lights and get the fireplace in the living room blazing. The silence was deafening. She’d made it clear they were to share zero personal information with each other, only keeping it civil. But she had to know. “How’d you end up at church, Evan?”
He startled, but relaxed quickly and laid his phone on the counter. He perched next to her on a gunmetal bar stool at the kitchen island. “When you left—”
“When I was forced to leave.”
“Yeah,” he said softly. “I’d realized my worst nightmare had come true. I’d become my father. I didn’t want to hurt you, Jody.”
“But you did,” she murmured.
“I know. I hurt me, too.” He inhaled. Exhaled. “I took personal leave. Came back to Macon to visit Mama, and while I was here I went to church with her. She hadn’t been going long, but it had become important to her and it was Easter, so I thought why not? That morning it was like the pastor had planned for me, you know? Spoke right to me.” He laid a hand on his chest. “Right here.”
Jody knew that feeling. The way a Scripture seemed to be super personal. But it had been a long time since she’d opened a Bible, let alone listened to a Scripture verse from a preacher.
“I guess it was about six months after you came back to Atlanta. I put a transfer in because I knew I needed to leave Washington for a while. Needed out of that work-hard-play-hard boys’ club.”
The Secret Service agents had long been known as that since back in the JFK days. Too many agents turned to drinking and partying to deal with the high demands of the job, especially protection detail. Many times their indiscretions were swept under the rug. She’d found that out the hard way, as well. If Jody was jaded, she had reason to be.
“That’s when I sent you a letter...” He left it open-ended, but Jody had never read it. She’d ripped it to shreds the day it came in the mail.
Looking into his eyes now, she saw no deception. No lies. Nothing but sincerity and honesty. She saw glimpses of the man she’d fallen in love with and also a new man. A man who claimed to be a person of faith. And Jody believed that truth.
“I’ve found my place at First Community Church,” he continued, “and I feel like I’m paying it forward by volunteering to serve as a basketball coordinator and team leader. It’s the least I can do.”
The way he had put his arm around the guys and prayed—the brotherly affection had moved Jody. The fact that he prayed...and Jody didn’t. A stab of conviction slid between her ribs. “And that guy you introduced me to, I can tell he’s special to you.”
“Which one? They’re all special.”
“Sam.”
“He’s a year sober, but struggling. I want to help him continue to succeed. I see myself in him.” Evan took two bottles of water from the fridge and handed one to Jody. “His father had been abusive, too, and left them when he was only nine. The weight of responsibility fell to his shoulders at a young age. I know that heaviness.”
Jody knew how hard it had been for Evan growing up and being the breadwinner as a teenager.
“I’m glad you’re helping him and others like him, Evan. It’s...nice to see.” She wasn’t sure what to say. “Is Wilder back?”
Evan glanced at his phone, where his camera feed gave him access to his home. “No, why? You smell something?”
She half laughed. “Only you.”
“Sorry.”
“You smell good, don’t be.”
Evan held her gaze.
Why had she said that? “Anyway, I’d smell Chinese food a mile away and Wilder’s scent is unmistakable.” Spice. Spearmint. Silicone—he cleaned his guns too often. “I thought I heard something. Anything on the camera feed?” she asked.
He looked again. “No, but let’s do a sweep. Be sure.”
Jody was already up. “I’ll take the front of the house and east side. You take the west and backyard.” She drew her gun and slipped out the front door. She waited while her eyes adjusted to the night, then surveyed the front yard and checked behind shrubs.
A crawling sensation skittered up her spine.
She cocked her head and listened, hairs rising on the nape of her neck.
Unable to see, she smelled.
Earth. Skunk odor. Pine.
She crept to the side of the house, the air chilling her lungs before blowing back in puffy clouds from her lips. She caught a whiff of chlorine from the hot tub.
An unsettling feeling tightened in her throat.
A crash from the backyard sent her sprinting in that direction.
She spotted a blade in the hand of a hulking man shadowed in black. He had Evan pinned against the shed.
The knife came down.
Evan!
FOUR
The attacker had come out of nowhere. Strong and fast like a freight train. Evan grabbed the guy’s wrist, his hand barely encircling it. Who was this guy—a WWE wrestler?
Evan’s muscles vibrated as he fought to keep the blade from connecting with his flesh, but the man overpowered him and the metal sliced through his shirt and ripped open skin. The burn blazed white-hot down his arm and fueled a new jolt of adrenaline.
He raised his foot and kicked the assailant’s right knee, buckling the leg and loosening his iron grasp on the hilt. He flipped the jerk around and pinned him against the shed, slamming his hand against it until the
knife fell to the ground.
A shot cracked through the night, startling them both as wood splintered a hairbreadth from the attacker’s ear. He head-butted Evan, sending stars dancing in front of his eyes. The assailant cursed and sprang like a deer over the privacy fence. Ignoring his watering eyes, Evan scaled the fence with Jody right behind him. They raced across a neighbor’s yard and down the quiet suburban street, following the man cloaked in darkness over a side fence that led into another neighbor’s backyard.
A dog barked as the man jumped the fence with ease. A light in the house flipped on. Evan and Jody doubled back and tried to cut him off around the block, but he was gone like a vapor in the wind. Nothing left but Evan and Jody, and their breath creating clouds of steam.
“How bad is it?” she asked.
Evan glanced at his shoulder. “I don’t know. You nearly took his head off.”
“I won’t miss again.” She squinted, trying to gauge the damage to his arm. “You have a first-aid kit?”
“Do Secret Service carry guns?” He heaved a sigh. “He was smooth, Jody. Fought like a trained soldier.”
“I noticed that. And it brings me right back to the fact that every one of you on the task force has a military background. Did you recognize him?”
Evan shook his head as they walked down the block, the wind whistling through the bare trees. A few dogs barked and a car door slammed. “I wish I had your sniffer. If it was someone I knew I might recognize the scent. You catch anything?”
“No, not from where I was. Believe it or not, I’m not actually as gifted as a bloodhound or Australian shepherd.”
Maybe not. But she was good. “Thank you, by the way. For saving my bacon.”
“My job says I have to.” He may not have a great smeller, but he caught a whiff of teasing in her voice.
They walked silently for a block. Jody sniffed. “Someone cooked turnip greens for dinner. Barf.”
Evan chuckled. “You’re a Southern girl.”
“Well, greens are where I draw the line.” She glanced at his shoulder again. He didn’t want her to keep worrying.
“Hey, we didn’t get a chance to talk about everything on the way to the game. Finish telling me what you and Wilder found while I was at the office today.”
She studied his arm a moment longer, then switched gears. “Wheezer did a little extra research on the people in your task force.”
“I could have done that.”
“Yeah, well, better Wheezer than you seeing as some of his skills involved skirting the law.” She grinned. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“Do ya now?” Falling into comfortable banter with Jody felt good. Right. Didn’t matter they were literally an inch apart—his actions had driven a chasm between them. One he couldn’t deny or change. The only thing he had the power to change was the future. He couldn’t get swept up in her all over again. He’d hurt her. He’d repeat history. It was like he was doomed to be his father. Lord, please take this burden from me. Make me a better man. He wished God would speak audibly and tell him that he’d never make a mistake and hurt Jody again. Because that’s what it would take to allow Evan to even beg for a hint of a second shot with her. “So, what am I thinking?”
“You’re thinking you’re better. Smarter. Could do it faster.” She tucked her hands inside her jean pockets. “In most cases, that would be true. But Wheezer is good, Evan. I fear what he’d be capable of if he worked for the wrong team. So, relax and accept some help.”
Jody knew him like no one else. It was hard for Evan to relinquish control. Even now, knowing that God had supreme control... Evan still fought for it.
His phone dinged. Evening Scripture.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
“Timely,” Evan murmured.
“What’s that?” Jody asked as they turned onto Evan’s street.
He showed her the verse. “I have one sent to my phone twice a day. Helps me learn new Scripture and keeps me centered.”
“What’s it say?”
He read it to her. “We better trust God because I have zero understanding of what is going on.”
“To clue you in, you can trust God all day long, but that won’t keep bad things from happening. Don’t be naive.”
Evan wondered if her reaction had to do with her demotion and reassignment in Afghanistan. He’d never thought about what Jody might have felt spiritually, since at the time when she confided in him, he wasn’t a spiritual person. But now...he saw why she’d have doubts about trusting God. “You talking about Christine and yourself?”
Jody gazed out the window. “Christine was a good Christian woman. She loved her family, her country and life. She was never the same after what her commanding officer did to her. Never. And neither was I,” she whispered. “I fought for justice for her. I believed God was on our side, and you know what we got for believing? Nada.”
Evan knew she’d been angry and helpless, but he’d never understood the pain like he did now. “I’m sorry, Jody. Have you heard from Christine?”
“Once she was out, she moved to Arizona and didn’t return my calls. I flew out there a year ago. But...she was a shell of who she’d been before.”
Evan wasn’t sure what to say or how to comfort her. Offering up a Scripture that gave him comfort would only tick her off. God, please show her that You still care about her and can be trusted. Somehow. Some way. His prayer wasn’t eloquent or long, but he meant every word.
They entered Evan’s house and Jody followed him to the bathroom, inspecting the wound. “Well, it could be worse. I don’t think it needs stitches.”
Evan retrieved the first-aid kit from underneath the sink. “I got this.”
“It’s okay. I can do it.” She pointed to his shirt.
He hesitated, caught her gaze and held it.
One beat.
Two.
She blinked.
The air stirred thick and warm.
He swallowed and winced as he flexed his arm to shrug out of the long sleeve so his wound would be exposed for treatment. She rolled up the sleeve of the T-shirt he had on underneath.
The only sound in the bathroom came from their shallow breathing and the slow rip of the antiseptic packet.
“This is gonna sting,” she whispered, her breath tickling the skin on his shoulder. She patted gently, and the cool but sharp burn sucked his breath away. “Sorry.”
He tried to focus on the bathroom wall, but his rebellious eyes continued to slip. He stared at her silky hair, her sharp jawline that portrayed the strong, confident woman Jody was. He examined every inch of her face as she carefully studied his wound and continued to clean the blood and dirt away. Her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. She was feeling his stare. Evan ought to give her the relief of turning away.
He couldn’t.
Her touch was undoing him. Soft. Meticulous. Slender fingers applying antibiotic ointment. Careful. Gentle. “Jody?”
“Evan, don’t.” She slid her gaze to his. “This isn’t easy for me.”
“You think it’s easy for me?” He cocked his head, awaiting her answer. It would be honest even if it came with brutality. That was Jody.
“I think everything comes easy to you, Evan.”
“You know that’s not true,” he murmured. But to her it probably felt true. Even if she did know his rough upbringing and how hard he fought to overcome it. He’d joined the marines when he was eighteen. Soldiers were respected, honored. Everything Evan ever wanted to be. But Jody had been indirectly hurt by soldiers, including him. She’d lost so much. And Evan? He’d sailed on through with flying colors. So, yeah, it appeared everything came easy.
She shrugged, licked her lower lip and tossed the
used antiseptic wipe and paper in the trash.
“I’m sorry for the people who hurt you before me. And I’m most sorry about how much I hurt you.”
“I said I didn’t want to talk about our past.” Her velvety gaze turned to steel. “Respect that, please.”
He nodded. She was right. He was pushing. The overwhelming sense of loss swept over him. If only they could go back to when it had been good between them. When he was her whole world and she was his. When they’d loved each other.
“I will. I’m sorry.”
So many regrets.
He couldn’t recapture the past.
There was no future.
“Hey!” Wilder’s voice came from the living room. “I bring sustenance, people.”
Jody cleared her throat. “Cold Chinese is gross.” She left him alone in the bathroom. Just him and his wounds. Physical and emotional. When he finally gathered some composure and came out to join them, they were upstairs and half into their meal.
Wilder spoke through a mouthful of lo mein. “You good now? Jode told me what went down while I was gone.”
The knife wound didn’t hurt nearly as much as the dagger Jody had plunged into his heart. No—he’d done that stabbing all on his own. “I’m fine.” He grabbed his paper carton of dinner and a pair of chopsticks, but his appetite was gone. “Jody told me y’all did a thorough search into the men on my task force.”
“We did,” Wilder said. “Nothing hinky, but that doesn’t mean anything, and Wheezer is still doing some digging.”
Evan forced a bite of chicken-fried rice.
“You didn’t recognize the build or mannerisms of the guy tonight?” Wilder asked.
Evan shook his head.
“Jode, you think you could sniff him out if you went into the office with Evan?”
Jody rolled her eyes and plunked her box of orange chicken on the coffee table. “Sure, just slap a leash around my neck and call ‘find.’ I’ll be right on it.”
Wilder smirked. “Soo...no?”
She answered by sipping her sweet tea and crunching into the ice.
“No one in my office is that massive. A couple of guys in the ATF that work on my task force are, but I doubt it was either of them.” Evan pointed to the stack of files and the spreadsheet Layla had made for him. He explained what it was and that he still had more coming. “Any one of those people could have come after me. But, after tonight, I’m going to have Layla narrow them down to only those with a military background.” Someone had gotten onto his property undetected. Granted, Evan wasn’t watching the camera feed 24/7, but still. That took skill.
Secret Service Setup Page 5
