“Except acquiring your confession,” Nate said as he stalked back into the room. Her eyes shifted to him, but he was staring Andrew down.
“She wasn’t wired.” Andrew gave him a dirty smile. “We made certain of that quite thoroughly.”
“I was.” Nate pulled a small tape recorder from his vest pocket, along with a tiny cell phone. “And the PD was listening in on an open phone line while I was hiding right over your head.”
Only after Andrew and his henchman were led from the room did Nate finally meet her searching eyes, and when he did, the jolt all but obliterated the adrenaline still coursing through her system. Even with a hard edge to his expression, he was still too fucking gorgeous for her not to feel the stark, chemical effects of it.
“I suppose you tracked me by the cell phone I took,” she said.
He nodded as he kept staring at her. “Among other tricks. I told you, I have ways.” He sighed. “You’re not hurt. I’m glad.”
“I was felt up, anally probed, and aggravated beyond belief. But no, I’m not hurt.” Just the part of her heart that was busy shouting at her for fucking up a good thing with Nate. Not that he probably thought they ever had a thing in the first place.
She let her eyes slide over him, down to his badge and back up to his penetrating green eyes. “And you’re not a fugitive anymore. I’m glad.”
With a sigh, he reached out with a finger and stroked a strand of hair away from her face. Her pulse sped up at his gentle touch. “You still are,” he said. “A recaptured fugitive.”
Her hands were zip-tied behind her back, and she nodded sadly. “I may have been innocent of embezzling, but I still broke the law. Even that bastard Andrew knew there was no way around that other than jail.”
“There is one other way.” He stepped closer, searching her face. “In light of the evidence we just gathered, he’ll be the one charged with embezzling, along with blackmail and a few other things. But that still leaves you with some serious legal problems, unless you cooperate like I just did.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“There’s one last bad-guy loose end. The DA will drop the remaining charges against you if you’ll help tie it up. I know that might sound crazy, but that’s where we’re at.”
A flicker of hope joined in a funny dance with the butterflies his proximity stirred in her stomach. “I think we’ve established I’m willing to do some pretty crazy things,” she said. She flicked a deliberate glance at his crotch, which looked snug and very grabbable in a pair of tight black jeans. “So count me in. What’s the plan?”
“I’ll explain in the car.” He took her by the arm, and the look he seared her with sent a flutter of purely sexual interest through her. “That would be my car, by the way. If it’s all the same to you, I’m taking it—and you—back.”
* * * * *
It was all Nate could do to keep nervous tension from exploding right through his skin as Lydia disappeared inside A-1 Bail Bonds. She had been all too eager to do her part of the plan, and he’d been happy enough about it when he’d talked her through it on the way over. Now he wasn’t so sure. Not because she hadn’t proven herself capable of keeping her wits in tense situations, but because he couldn’t go in there with her.
He picked up the two-way radio and said, “She’s inside. I’ve lost visual.”
“Copy that,” came the reply. “No audio yet.”
“Will you stop drumming that steering wheel?” Benny asked from beside him. “I swear, you’re worse than an expectant father. She’s got the spirit, that one. She’ll be fine.”
They were sitting in Benny’s black junker since Nate’s car was too recognizable. The car smelled just as ripe as its owner, who was still dressed in his drunken hobo disguise from casing out the office building they’d tracked Lydia to. Now they were just down the street from Asa’s place. Around the corner sat an unmarked van full of officers and surveillance equipment. All were waiting for Lydia to either get what they came for or give the panic signal to send in the brigade.
“Ace is always packing when he’s in the office,” Nate said. “He keeps a shotgun beneath the counter.”
“Which you already said ain’t loaded most of the time. It’s just for show.”
“What if he heard the news already?”
“We haven’t given him a chance. Waller and his crew are too busy getting booked to tip anyone off, and the cops kept it off the wire.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve been monitoring the broadband ever since I contacted them with your offer to help bring in Andrew Waller in exchange for calling off the fugitive mark.”
“What if this doesn’t work?” Nate asked, just as her voice came over the receiver.
“It will. Now shut up and listen.”
The audio wasn’t great, so Benny dialed up the volume. Since Lydia had a knack for getting her tits ogled or outright searched, the wire she wore had been hidden lower down, inside the waistband of her jeans. It wasn’t the optimal location for sound, but the equipment was sensitive enough that he could still hear the shock in Asa’s voice over seeing her.
“I don’t believe it,” he said. “A lotta people are looking for you, little lady, and here you come waltzing right in my front door. What’s in the pretty flowered box?”
The sound that followed made Nate’s blood run cold. “He racked the gun. He’s got it pointed at her, I’ll bet.”
“Sit tight, cowboy,” Benny whispered.
“There’s no need for the shotgun,” Lydia said. “This is just my rainy-day hatbox. It’s where I got the money I gave you to make bail. And there’s more where that came from. I just need your help.”
“I already helped you, and you screwed me. Now you’re going back to jail.”
“Just listen to me. I know you and Andrew were in on that little visit his asshole friends paid me.”
“Bullshit. Stop right there and put the box on the floor. Lift the lid slow and easy and back up, hands in the air.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s everyone just keep our heads cool.”
Nate managed a tiny smirk at the reference from their encounter back in Venice. There was silence for a moment, except for the adrenaline-fed pounding of Nate’s heart.
“Don’t bother denying you and Andrew were partners in this,” she said after a minute. “He told me everything.”
“Right. You, Andrew and Nate Antillean all sat around having tea and crumpets while you discussed his entire scheme.”
She snorted. “Nate? Don’t make me laugh. I wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or insulted that you sent that jackass after me.”
Nate glowered at the smirk Benny shot him.
“Yeah? Speaking of which, back away from the door. Keep your hands up.”
Benny and Nate slumped down in their seats so they couldn’t be seen in case Asa had gone to check the window.
“And one more thing,” Asa said after a pause. “Lift your shirt up.”
“I knew it,” Nate said. “I just fucking knew it. She can’t go five minutes without some guy getting an eyeful of her tits.”
“What are you,” Lydia asked, “some kind of pervert?”
“I’m looking for a wire, sweetheart. Not a hard-on.”
“Fine.”
There was a rustling sound, and then a male wolf whistle. “Then again, the hard-on wins.”
“Get a life.”
“Okay, so what did happen to Natey boy? Last I heard, he had you with him.”
“Then you obviously haven’t heard the latest. I slipped my cuffs and used them on him before helping myself to his car. Here’s a little tip for you, Asa. Next time you want a felon captured, send someone with a little more firepower than half a brain.”
Benny straightened up in his seat. “Ouch. She burned you.”
Nate scowled. “I told her to make it sound realistic.”
“A little too realistic.”
Asa was laughing. “Fair enough. I suppose
I underestimated you. But then, I had my reasons.” There was shuffling. “And now I see that your box might be worth helping you out, depending on the favor. Unmarked bills?”
“Of course. That’s a good part of my life savings, I’ll have you know. Never trust everything to the bank.”
“Smart cookie. So what’s this favor of yours?”
“After I escaped, I contacted Andrew to work out a deal. Turns out that was why he had guys after me anyway. Only, he can’t make all of it go away now since I sort of left town. And on top of that, by now I’ve got a pissed-off bounty hunter out there wanting my head on a platter for stealing his car.”
“You could say that. He called me a little while ago, actually.”
“He did?”
Benny and Nate exchanged glances.
“He was pissed and a half, that’s for sure. Said you gave him the slip.”
“You just told me you heard I was still with him.”
“I wasn’t sure I believed him. I wanted to hear it from you.”
“Smart shithole,” Benny whispered.
“Then again, it wasn’t completely unthinkable,” Asa was saying. “Truth is, you’re right about Nate. He’s been off his game for a while. Screwed the pooch on his last few bounties. It’s past time he hung it up for good.”
Nate gritted his teeth. “I’m not through yet, you bastard,” he muttered.
“I’ll say,” she said. “I’m hardly an expert, and I managed to get away. Although I suppose I should be grateful he’s so useless.”
Okay, Nate thought. He’d heard just about enough of her realism.
“So why come to me?” Asa was asking. “What do you want?”
“After hearing Andrew’s story about how you were responsible for all of this, I knew I had to come to you. I need to make this go away.”
“He told you I was responsible for all of what?”
“This whole thing. He told me it was your idea to frame me for the theft in the first place.”
“That’s a fucking lie.”
“Don’t be mad. It makes sense. I mean, this way, you got the fee for posting my bond, plus what he paid you. In exchange, you made sure he got what he wanted. I’m just saying I want in. I’ll pay you so I get what I want.”
Asa’s tone went up three levels’ worth of honked off. “This is a load of bullshit. I had nothing to do with his plan to keep you quiet.”
“Don’t piss him off too bad,” Nate warned silently.
“Not the way he tells it. And wow, it does seem that you know all about what he did to me.”
“He came to me, bitch. Offered to sweeten the bond amount if I helped him grab you before the cops could. He had the manpower, but not a bloodhound to track your scent. So I sent Nate. His prime might be past, but he still has his uncanny instincts for finding people.And he won’t use guns or shit anymore, so I figured it’d be easy for Andrew’s guys to take you off his hands.”
“So I’m supposed to believe you only helped Andrew after the fact, without knowing upfront that he was guilty.”
“Of course I knew he was guilty. Innocent people don’t go around paying off guys like me to work around the system. But that doesn’t mean I suggested he frame you in the first place. He did that to save his own neck. I helped him find you so he could offer you the deal. Now he’s trying to turn it all around on me? Thankless prick.”
“Join the club. He’s good at that.”
“So what is it that you think I’m going to do for you now?”
“You’re going to make all this go away. I need your help to wipe the slate clean.”
That was the cue. With any luck, Lydia was well away from the door.
The two-way crackled to life.
“We’re moving in,” came the voice.
“Copy,” Nate said. “We got enough on him?”
“More than enough.”
“Ready, partner?” Benny asked, checking the ammo on his handgun and shoving the clip back in.
Nate smiled at him. “Let’s stick something where Asa’s sun don’t shine.”
The van roared up just as Benny and Nate were crossing the street. Cops in riot gear tumbled out like clowns from a Volkswagen, and all were amazingly light-footed while they gestured at Nate to hang back.
“Like hell I will,” he said, coming up behind them. He had no jurisdiction in this, of course, other than his participation in getting the charges against him dropped. But he wasn’t going to sit around while Lydia was in the middle of a takedown.
The men burst into the office with the usual shouting and whirlwind of activity, but Nate couldn’t get close enough to see. Anxiety throbbed through his body, and when a slightly shell-shocked but smiling Lydia was hustled outside, the victory high he’d long forgotten flooded through him.
“Hi,” she said, red-cheeked and breathless after she was deposited in front of him. “How’d I do?”
“Fantastic,” he said with a grin.
“You were a natural,” Benny added. “Pissed him off just enough to get him to spill without losing control of the situation.”
“I hope I got him to say enough,” she said, hugging herself. “God, I’m shivering.”
“Adrenaline,” Nate said and pulled her to him and rubbed her arms vigorously.
“He said plenty,” Benny told her, shooting Nate a suspicious look at the way he was holding her. “Enough to get him on obstruction of justice, conspiracy and attempted kidnapping, maybe even racketeering. Turns out this wasn’t the first time he’s used his business to work around the system.”
“Speak of the devil,” Nate said grimly as Asa was escorted out in cuffs.
Nate let go of Lydia and stepped right in front of Asa when they reached the sidewalk. “Hiya, Ace. Good to see the cuff on the other foot, so to speak.”
“You.” Asa gave him a furious glower. “After all the jobs I shunted your way, this is how you thank me?”
“And I’m really hoping none of those other jobs involved your special brand of bullshit.”
The grin Asa shot him twisted his stomach. “Guess you’ll never know, will you?”
Nate’s nostrils flared. “I wonder what it means that I’m so far out of my prime and yet still good enough to collar you?”
He turned and walked back to where Lydia and Benny stood against the brick building, watching.
“That felt good,” Nate said. “Although I’d have preferred to punctuate my last sentence with a fist in his face.”
“You were right, you know,” Benny said. “You’re more than good enough to collar that asshole.”
“Maybe so.” Nate glanced at Lydia, and a pleasant jolt went through him when their eyes met. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She shrugged. “Couldn’t be better. In fact, I feel sort of happy-buzzed, if that makes sense.” She glanced over to where Asa was being loaded into a police car. “Does that mean I’m some kind of sadistic bitch?”
Benny laughed. “Bitten by the bounty hunter bug’s more like it.”
She turned to Nate, and his heart skipped at the look on her face. “Thank you, Nate. Without you, I wouldn’t be walking away from this free to live my life.”
He shrugged casually, but he swallowed when she took his hand and moved closer. “No, really,” she whispered. “You put yourself out there to get my life back, even after I ran out on you.”
“That’s exactly what you did when you confronted Waller and tried to work me into your deal. It’s only fair I returned the favor.”
“It must have been quite a risk, contacting the police when you were a wanted man.”
Nate glanced at Benny, who gave him a casual grin. “I couldn’t have pulled it off without help. Benny told them my story and said I’d be willing to help them catch Andrew Waller in exchange for dropping charges. Benny’s quite convincing when he wants to be.”
“And a man of stellar disguises,” Benny added, taking a deep bow. “Those guys working for Andrew didn’t know wha
t hit ’em.”
“What hit them was your stench,” Nate said, eyeing the threadbare, dirt-encrusted army coat and stand-in-the-corner cargo pants. “Where the hell did you get that getup, anyway? Did you roll a real drunk for it?”
Benny shrugged. “A guy owed me a favor.”
“And a bath. But now I owe you the favor.”
“So do I,” Lydia added. “To both of you. I’d hug you,” she said to Benny as she eyed him up and down, “but well, you understand.”
“Save it for this lug over here.” He smiled at Nate. “He could use a hug. He was a wreck while you were inside. He was practically wringing his hands and pacing back and forth across the back seat.”
She flicked him a look. “Were you really that worried about me?”
“Benny’s also really good at exaggerating.” He let out a sigh of relief. “But I’m glad this is over.”
With that, she grabbed him by the front of his jacket and pulled him to her lips. Benny cleared his throat and wandered off while Lydia almost kissed away his memory of why they were even standing there.
“What was that for?” he asked when she pulled away.
“That was to thank you for not hating me, and for coming after me even after I was a complete ass and cuffed you to a bed.”
“I’ll buy that. And here.”
His kiss was almost rabid, and his cock began straining in his pants when he ravaged her mouth with his tongue. He pulled away and smiled at the glazed look in her eyes. “That was to remind you that as per our discussion on the way over, you will be subject to any sordid punishment I deem fit for leaving me naked, handcuffed and without a car.”
Her stare oozed of liquid sex, and Nate’s heart skipped. Before he could start her punishment, however, he spotted a pair of cops headed their way.
“They’ll want us to give our statements,” he said. “It’s going to be a long night.”
“You have no idea,” she said teasingly. “Where will this punishment of yours take place? Your dungeon or mine?”
“Mine. I forgot to mention that Andrew apparently had your place tossed hard after you left.”
“Looking for the evidence, no doubt.”
It was while they were headed to the police station later that Lydia turned to him abruptly. “Say, what kind of training do you need to get into this gig full-time?” She flashed him a wicked grin that prickled gooseflesh on his arms. “Seems I’m in the market for a new job.”
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