Casey couldn’t decide whether to be ecstatic at the discovery or disheartened that she would have to look at the images now—all reminders of yesterday, all reminders of Jesse.
She reached for the camera and forced a smile. “Yeah, I don’t have to buy you a new camera.”
His head came up. “Did you think I would make you pay after what happened? I didn’t want you to come in, remember? You’re not looking too good. Why don’t you go home? Just send me your notes, and I’ll finish the article.”
“I’m already here, so I might as well finish.” Besides, being here, surrounded by people, was probably safer than being somewhere alone. “Mind if I ask how you got the camera back?”
Danny pointed at the case where it said, Property of Orange Crossings Times in capital letters. “A hotel employee found it, I think. Someone was kind enough to drop it off.”
Casey looked at it with suspicion. “What are the chances?”
He tilted his head. “I’m sorry?”
The chances that someone would be that honest. “Nothing.”
“Are you sure you don’t want the day off, at least? I’ll leave the article until you’re ready if that makes you feel better.”
If she were a reporter worth her weight, she would be excited about all the stories she could write from this incident. Right now, she felt like she’d been reduced to rubble, and she was thankful for Danny’s sensitivity. When she’d first asked him for a job, he’d contacted Eddie, her editor in Portland, who explained her predicament. Danny wanted an exclusive on her story—the real story—but after things had died down, just as they discussed from the beginning. The Orange Crossings Times had a story online about the Space Needle sculpture toppling, but the focus was on the sculpture and the crowd, and thankfully, not on Casey.
Casey shook her head. “Nope. I want to finish. But I do have a request.”
“What’s that?”
“If I finish this to your satisfaction, can you pay me for it today?”
“Sure.” The editor studied her, concern edging his face. “I’ll take care of that for you.”
Casey sagged with relief and nodded, offering a thin smile. Danny hadn’t pressed her, but seemed to understand her needs, even when she didn’t.
He nodded and left the cubicle. She turned back to her computer screen.
Danny Garcia, you’re one of the good guys.
But then, she’d thought Jesse was a good guy. Her cell buzzed on the desk.
Jesse…
She’d ignored his repeated calls today.
Casey, I love you. Can’t you see that? No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t free herself from the haunting words. Oh, how she’d wanted to hear them.
But…not like this.
How could she know if Jesse’s words were true? A man working undercover who’d befriended others in the process in order to gain intelligence could not be trusted.
At least not with her heart.
Casey pushed away from the desk and stood. She turned and came face-to-face with Jesse.
At the sight of him, she sucked in a breath as her heart began to pound. Her head swam with his cologne.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. It was all she could manage to say.
Jesse didn’t respond. Instead he stared her down, myriad emotions playing in his eyes. Casey held her breath, reading fear, anger, hurt and…
Love?
No, she couldn’t go there. She averted her gaze. “Jesse, I…”
“Come on.” He grabbed her elbow, his touch making her knees weak. Yet she stiffened, not wanting to expose herself to any more pain.
He ushered her from the cubicle. Casey tried to resist, but it was impossible unless she wanted to make a scene in front of the newspaper’s few employees. At the moment, Jesse’s presence had drawn only a modicum of attention. Still, though she allowed him to escort her from the building, she made sure he knew she wasn’t happy with his surprise appearance.
Jesse’s grip on her elbow remained even as they exited through the front door. As soon as they were out of earshot next to the side of the building, Casey yanked her arm from his grasp.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked with as much vehemence as she could muster. She teetered on the edge of crumbling.
“Why didn’t you answer my calls?” he asked, matching her tone.
“I’m working.”
“On the ice-sculpture story? Don’t you think you need to answer my calls?” He lowered his voice when a man and woman walking past glanced at him. His face was near hers now.
“I have all I need about the story, thank you,” she said, and made to leave. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Not so fast.” He grabbed her arm again. His words reminded her of the first time they’d met when he’d stopped her from leaving the office.
She glared down at his hand, and he slowly released it.
“What more is there to say?” she asked.
In response, Jesse stepped into the shadows of the building’s corner and jammed his hands into his pockets.
Reluctantly, she joined him. “I’m listening.”
* * *
Man, he wished he’d met her another time. Her lush hair was pulled back in a clasp behind her head, but a lone strand hung down her face. He wanted to touch it, feel its smooth silkiness—just like her face. She’d tried to conceal the circles under her eyes with makeup.
He’d done some of this to her, he knew, but not all of it.
“You’re only working on the ice-sculpture story, right?”
Casey glared at him. “Since when do I have to tell you the stories I’m working on? It’s none of your business.”
Wow, he couldn’t have dreamed her viciousness would stem from his confession of his career choice last night. Unless, of course, she cared. And from that, he drew hope.
“Since you told me that you were going to prove your uncle’s innocence, that’s when. Casey, promise me you’ll stay out of it. I can’t guarantee your safety unless they think I’ve got you under my thumb.”
“I don’t believe you can guarantee a thing. Everything that happened to me yesterday was while I was supposedly being guarded by one of your dogs, remember?”
She had him by the throat. His ears were ringing as if she was choking him.
“What’s the matter? Nothing to say to that?”
I got nothing.
Jesse wished he knew exactly what was going on—who the Knife Guy was or was working for. He wasn’t prepared to tell her that her Tannin was possibly behind things, after all, not until he was sure himself. Nor could he share that he didn’t think Carlos and Miguel were behind the attempts on her life because she might relax, or believe she was safe to investigate and prove her uncle’s innocence.
Everything was just…convoluted.
Saying nothing more was best for the moment. She would be safe at her friend’s house and safe at the newspaper, as long as she stuck to the sculpture story. Sharing anything new could disturb the precarious situation further. Right now she was a fragile sparrow. He feared she’d flutter away out of his reach and into harm’s way.
But there was one thing he needed to convey. “Look, we believe your uncle is innocent, okay? There’s no need for you to prove anything. Just stay away from the ice company. Don’t even come there to talk to me about the story.”
Her shoulders sagged. He took a risk and placed his hand against her cheek, cupping it. To his surprise and pleasure, she closed her eyes. He savored the emotional charge her reaction sent through him. He savored this moment with her—it could be his last.
Oh, how he wanted to tell her, to convince her how he really felt.
Casey, I love you…
She opened her eyes and stepped back, as though only then realizing she’d dropped the wall she’d raised. Her momentary lapse was gone. “Is that all you have to say to me? I need to get back to work.”
“That’s all.”
&nb
sp; Casey looked down at the sidewalk. “There isn’t anything else you want to tell me?”
What did she want to hear? Yes. He loved her. But she wouldn’t believe him, just like she didn’t believe him last night. Besides, the next time he told her that he loved her—if he got the chance—would be under different circumstances. Better circumstances. “Right now, your safety is the most important thing.”
“My safety or your job?”
Jesse frowned. Couldn’t he have it both ways?
“Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I want you to be safe, too, Jesse. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right.” She stared at him, her eyes searching. Her soft lips hung open, and he sensed there was more she wanted to say.
Shaking her head, she turned from him. He let her walk back into the building.
Jesse allowed his gaze to roam the street, seeking out the hidden agent who watched her.
There, just across the way. In an instant, their eyes connected and just as quickly, Jesse moved on.
* * *
Casey rushed through the door, putting distance between her and Jesse, though with all her heart, she wanted things to be different between them. She headed to the ladies’ room and pushed past a woman leaving. Once inside, she leaned on the counter to catch her breath.
Slowly she lifted her head to peer at herself in the mirror, noting her pallid complexion and the shadows under her eyes, despite her attempt at concealment.
Should she have told him she decided to leave? How would he have reacted? At this point, why did she care? It wasn’t like she could trust a word he said.
Casey hated herself for being so hard on him. He was just doing his job, wasn’t he? And if he succeeded, criminals would be caught—murderers and smugglers would be arrested. The person who’d left her in the freezer to die would be arrested, too. And if Jesse didn’t succeed?
Would he come out alive tonight?
A sob caught in her throat. God, please, protect him….
The restroom door swooshed open, and Tessa stepped in.
Her face brightened then slipped into a frown. “You okay?”
Tensing, Casey stood tall and examined her reflection, brushing the hair from her face. “Sure. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Tessa washed her hands, though she hadn’t used the facilities. “You sure you don’t want to talk about what’s going on?”
“It’ll all…” be over tonight. Casey caught herself before she said too much.
* * *
In his studio, Jesse intermittently paced the room while shuffling papers around on his desk. It had already grown dark outside. He glanced at his watch. Eight-thirty.
He checked the tiny mic in his collar again and tugged his baseball cap containing the small camera to fit snugly on his head. He slid his hands around his belt to his back where the holster was secured and kept his SIG hidden.
Though pat downs and weapons searches were part of the risk, he’d dug himself deep enough that he was beyond that requirement. He hoped. Still, they couldn’t expect him to make deliveries like this without protection, could they?
The SIG would remain hidden until the moment of truth.
At ten, he would head over to the loading dock. Miguel had asked Jesse to be the delivery man, but tonight he would assist them in receiving the cash, too—the plan, to stack it between slabs of dry ice that had already been prepared.
Brilliant.
The refrigerated truck making the delivery would also carry ice cream and other frozen perishables. Jesse would drive to the border, where another driver would take the truck through.
But Jesse was here to witness that transaction and keep things from getting that far.
Adrenaline pumped through his veins. He’d worked for months to find and expose the matrix of participants in the cash-smuggling ring, and still he’d not gotten much past Miguel and Carlos and now possibly Spear. Once these men were arrested, they’d need someone willing to provide more detailed information about all the players.
And finally, now, the operation had come to the point of a takedown. Tonight, he would be a witness to the money drop. Tonight, ICE agents would catch the perpetrators in the act, which always resulted in a much stronger case than arrests for crimes already committed.
And tonight…Miguel would discover the truth about Jesse.
Jesse squeezed his eyes shut and calmed his racing heart. He couldn’t allow his heart to bleed for the man who’d called him brother. Miguel knew exactly what he was doing in committing this crime.
Miguel, why did you do it, man?
Jesse leaned against the counter and gripped the edges.
Even now, local agencies were preparing to pounce on the ice company when Jesse signaled the drop had taken place. Agents were getting into position at both the company and the airport to keep anyone from fleeing the scene or worse, the country.
With all the information that Jesse had gained, an attorney had already gotten the search warrant signed within the last couple of hours, and all that was left was to initiate the takedown.
It all came down to Jesse…and perfect timing.
And then Jesse would have proven himself to his fellow agents and to his superiors. He could request a transfer or quit entirely, but all with a good reputation and clean conscience.
Well, maybe not a clean conscience, but he would have to work on that. And maybe they wouldn’t forget his failures, but at least he would have redeemed himself in their eyes.
His cell rang. Casey?
He snatched it up, chiding himself that he couldn’t get her off his mind. His heart hammered at the sight of the caller ID.
Jon, his contact in Portland.
“Jesse. I’ve lost Will Tannin.”
The door to Jesse’s office swung open. Miguel leaned in and, noticing Jesse was on a call, waited.
“Gotta go.” Jesse ended the call, knowing he needed more information. “What’s up?”
“What are you doing? We need you.”
“I thought you didn’t need me until later.”
“The guy’s here early.”
Perfect timing, yeah, right. Jesse walked next to Miguel down the long corridor, feeling like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his plans.
“If you do good, Jesse, there’s more work for you.”
Jesse wanted to tell Miguel he wouldn’t let him down. A brother would cover his back.
Miguel opened the exit onto the loading dock, and before Jesse could pass him, he grabbed his shoulder. “You don’t want to mess this up.”
Jesse nodded, feeling the gravity of Miguel’s words. Now they were getting to the crux of the matter.
No, Jesse didn’t want to mess up. For his sake, or for Casey’s. And for the first time, he realized what it was about her that he needed, that drew him to her. She gave him something to live for. She gave him a future worth living for.
Casey…
He wished he could call Eric and give him the heads-up about Will Tannin. But he was in the middle of the final act in this scene. As soon as he finished this, he’d find her and keep her safe.
Forever.
Oh, Lord, give me the chance to do that.
Jesse walked a little behind Miguel, following him. A truck was backed up against the loading dock and a man stepped around Carlos and stared at Jesse. Hard.
Spear!
CHAPTER TWENTY
Casey finished packing the few remaining items and zipped up the suitcase.
“You’re sure about this?” Holding a cup of steaming coffee, Tessa leaned against the doorframe of the bedroom.
“I’m sure.” Casey gave a halfhearted grin and lifted her satchel and bag. Then she laid them back on the bed. “Listen, Tessa, I’m so grateful to you for letting me crash here.”
“You’re more than welcome.” Tessa set the coffee mug on the small writing desk and stepped toward Casey. “I was hoping you’d tell me what’s going on, but since you haven’t said a peep…”
/>
Casey shook her head and lifted a hand to stop Tessa.
“Let me say what I have to say. If you’re in some kind of trouble I want to help.” Tessa’s eyes teared up, and she blinked, looking away from Casey. “I came to Orange Crossings to escape an abusive situation myself, so I can give you an understanding ear.”
“I’m so sorry…”
Tessa swiped her eyes. “I’ve never told anyone about this.”
Casey hugged Tessa then released her. “I’m glad you found a safe place, but don’t worry, my situation isn’t like that at all.”
She considered her words, wondering at their accuracy.
“Okay, as long as you’re being honest with me. And even if you aren’t, I want to help if I can.”
Casey felt bad that she couldn’t share more, but the less Tessa knew, the better—at least about Jesse’s covert operation at the ice company. Jesse had assured Casey that Tannin wasn’t the immediate threat, but with her picture possibly in the news and on the internet, Casey believed now more than ever that she had to leave—if only for a few days.
Once Jesse was free from his current undercover obligation…
She drew in a breath. In that case, she might seek his help. After all, he’d been the only one to offer protection.
Could she ever shake free from her outrage that he’d used her?
With one last hug, Casey said her goodbyes to Tessa and climbed into her little green car. She was on the road again to only the Lord knew where. With a quick glance in both directions of the street, Casey backed the car out and shifted into first. If there was an agent watching over her now, he was definitely invisible.
Casey headed toward Main Street. From there she’d take Shoreline Road back to her aunt’s house for a quick stop to gather the rest of her things. She wouldn’t even go back if it weren’t for her stupid diary. But she had to get the diary.
If Tannin somehow got his hands on that—
She shuddered, not wanting to think about what he could do with the information. Plus, she really would have no place to hide if things continued on this course. Anyone she’d ever known was in that diary.
She’d stayed late at the newspaper to complete the ice story, proving herself the professional she was. To her credit, Danny had seemed pleased. How strange it was to write a story such as that, when she was right in the center of a far more intriguing story. As soon as this was over, Danny would have his exclusive from her.
Freezing Point Page 16
