She sat with her head in her hands. “I was so frightened, Dirk. I knew he would not hesitate to kill me or anyone else who stood in his way.” She raised her eyes to his. They were filled with regret. “I couldn’t do a thing.”
He went to her and pulled her into his arms. “I think you did wonderfully well. Better than I would have.”
She laid her head against his chest. He kissed her hair, inhaled the smell of flower blossoms that he associated with her.
“How can you say that?”
“You kept everyone in the bank safe, Sky. Don’t forget that. If you had given the signal and I had gone in, he would have shot me, walked out the door, and shot more people. You saved our lives.”
“Why doesn’t that make me feel better?”
“Because you’re worried about Dory.” But not herself.
She lifted her head. He brushed her lips with a barely there kiss. She sighed. Maybe it was a sigh of relief that, for the time being, the danger was over. He wanted it to mean more. He risked choice number two and went back for another. Instead of pulling away, she leaned into him. He deepened the kiss.
Then he couldn’t think anymore. Time stopped. He slid into a depth of emotion he’d never experienced before. Sensations swirled around him in a kaleidoscope of blazing colors. Here was the woman he wanted. Though she didn’t realize it yet, she wanted him as well.
When they broke away, they looked at each other. Sky looked shell-shocked. Dirk blinked to bring himself back to the present.
This was the real deal.
She pushed back. “I can’t.”
He held her. “Why?”
“You don’t understand.” She twisted out of his arms. He let her go. But the space she’d left felt empty without her.
“I can’t follow in my sister and my mother’s footsteps.”
She went to sit down. He pulled up a chair beside her. “Will you explain?”
Sky shook her head.
This had something to do with the outburst the other night—something in her past. “Did someone hurt you?”
She laughed bitterly. “Not me. But my mother and sister were hurt by men, good-looking men like you, who didn’t value what they had.”
“Were they abused physically or emotionally?”
“Emotionally for sure. My dad was, and probably still is, a philanderer of the worst order. He has no idea what wedding vows mean. My mother got cancer and died because of him. My sister was no better. She married the same kind of man. Handsome. Suave. But he couldn’t keep his pants zipped. I vowed at a very early age not to make the same mistake.”
She looked at Dirk. “You’re a handsome man, Dirk. And I like you. But I simply can’t trust you with my heart.” She turned to her computer. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get back to work.”
Was she kidding? No. Sky was as serious as she could be. He didn’t stand a chance unless he could change her mind about the legacy the women in her family had handed her.
There was no point in pursuing the subject now. Her mind was closed.
“I like you, too. That’s why I want you to come to the break room and eat a bite.”
“You won’t leave me alone until I do, will you?”
Dirk grinned.
“Okay, you win. A cup of coffee sounds good.”
“Did you get a wealthy new client, Sky?”
“No, Marshall. What I got was a rude awakening.” She told him and Buster what had happened at the bank.
Dirk filled a plate, put it in the microwave for a minute and sat it in front of her with a cup of black coffee. While Marshall and Buster asked questions, she ate and talked. Before long her plate was empty.
Marshall rose. “I’ll search for the money once more.”
“As will I. We have less than forty-eight hours now to find it or I’ll see that bastard again.”
“At least your sister is safe.”
“If the FBI weren’t lying.” She turned to Dirk. “I haven’t heard from Dory yet. Can you check?”
Agent Hansen answered on the second ring. “She’s safely ensconced in the safe house. I have three agents with her. I’m telling you for the last time, Browning, if this is some kind of trick to throw us off track, someone will pay and pay big.” He hung up.
“Dory’s safe. The killer will never get to her.”
Sky visibly relaxed. Tears came to her eyes. Jeez! When he first heard about the sister he’d thought the two of them hated each other.
Obviously, he was wrong.
Sky pulled herself together and stood. “I have work to do.”
Dirk followed her out and went to his office. He had to eliminate all but one of his suspects.
Which one? Who did the deed? Steel was the most obvious. Cherise with the help of George? Tom Hannidy, who easily took money from one of his clients’ accounts and could probably take more? Or Dory, who looked innocent now, but could have set this whole thing up and brought her sister on board to make herself look innocent. Or was it someone else entirely?
Chapter Twenty-One
Sky shut the door to her tiny office with a sigh of relief. She liked the quiet and solitude. Dirk’s presence rattled her. She couldn’t believe she’d told him her deepest fear. But maybe the explanation would keep him at arm’s length. If he kissed her again she wasn’t sure she could push him away. The comfort of his arms was enticingly strong. You’d never know by the way he held her that part of his left arm was turning to dust somewhere in Afghanistan. For a brief few minutes she’d felt safe, even though she knew better than to pursue the attraction, past history having shown where it would end. Shaking her head, she told herself once more that she wasn’t her sister or her mom.
Turning her mind to her work, she pulled up the files from Steel’s computer, and tucked in. The money had to have been piggybacked. She would take each account and follow it through until she saw if, where, and when ten million dollars had been dropped.
A knock on the door brought her out of the computer world. Dirk stuck his head in. “It’s time to go home.”
She looked at her watch. “It can’t be this late. I’ve just started.” Actually, she’d followed several accounts from where they left Steel’s office until they returned. Though there had been several stops, money had been taken in, little to none dropped off. She had a long way to go.
“Give me five minutes.” She had to make a bathroom stop. How had time gotten away from her? It wasn’t the first time. Engrossed in her work, there were many days she was still at work at six in the evening.
“Any success?”
They were on I-45 and almost home. There had been silence most of the way. Neither wanted to bring up that hotter-than-fire kiss. “I’m plowing through all of Steel’s international accounts. So far I don’t see where ten mil has been dropped off, which means it’s most likely still out there.” She looked over at him. His face was grim. No smile. No dimples. “I don’t have a lot of time. I’ll get back on it tonight.”
“You can’t work day and night, Sky.”
“I don’t want to face that man again. His eyes were dead. There was no compassion about him. I suppose you would have to be like that to kill someone.”
“Did you hear from your sister?”
“Finally. When I was in the restroom she called to thank me. She told me she felt like shouting to be out of that cell. The first thing she did was take a long, hot shower without having to worry about a guard yelling at her to hurry up, or an inmate either jostling or hitting her. They had pizza for lunch and she said it tasted wonderful. Now she’s asking when this will be over.”
“Did you tell her it wouldn’t be until we found the killer?”
“I did. It didn’t make her happy, but she knows it’s the truth. Dory, being Dory, will hound us until then.”
When Dirk pulled into the drive the dogs started barking. “I’ll get started on the training. When I finish I’m going to meet with Coop and Matt to see if we can come up with some ki
nd of game plan. Why don’t you rest?”
“I’m changing out of these work clothes and getting into something comfortable, then I’ll see to Sully. He’s been penned up all day so he can’t be too happy.”
“From now on, Sully goes where you go.” He looked her over. “By the way, you look damned good in your work duds.”
She had taken special care when dressing this morning. But then she’d thought she was meeting a wealthy client so she’d put on the black skirt and the black-and-white jacket she had picked up at the Galleria. With the heels she’d had on that first day, it was the best she could do until she could do more shopping. She didn’t think Dirk had noticed; the fact that he had made her heart do a little dance.
Smiling, she got out of the truck and went to the bungalow.
Darn her hormones anyway.
It didn’t take long until she had pulled on jeans and a T-shirt and was at the pens. “Did you miss me, Sully?”
The beautiful German shepherd all but leapt into her arms. She laughed. “You’re too big for that.” She hugged him, ruffled his fur, and talked to him. “Let’s exercise first.”
Sully ran around the track so fast he was nothing but a furry black-and-brown streak.
Both Coop and Dirk were on the field putting the dogs through their paces. She found a spot and practiced both verbal and hand signals. Sully obeyed every one. She was so proud of both herself and Sully that she dropped to her knees to give him a big hug. “I give you an A plus, Sully and pronounce us both ready to take on the bad guys.”
“Don’t get overconfident,” Coop said as he put a dog in the pen and brought out another. “Sully is well-trained, but you have to remember that he’ll balk in a crowd.”
“I’m aware of that. I’ve practiced all the signals except the attack one. I’m afraid to give it since I don’t know what Sully will do. Can you tell me what that entails?”
“I’ll do better than that. I’ll show you today if you like. I had an early start so we’re down to our last two dogs. I’ll suit up while Dirk gives them their lessons.”
Dirk turned to glare at his brother. “And why am I doing this?”
“Because I’m suiting up. It’s time to find out if Sully has it in him to attack.”
“He does.” Dirk’s voice was confident. Sky wanted to be sure. She had to be prepared just in case.
By the time Dirk returned with the last dog, Coop came toward them. There was no way to tell it was Coop, but it had to be him. He was dressed in a thick coverall, heavy leather gloves, and a facemask. He walked stiffly with his arms outstretched.
Lanie was with him. “I want to see this. Though the guys take turns being the bad guy, I hold my breath until the dog is called off. I swear they would kill if they didn’t get the signal to stop.”
Sky shivered.
Coop shuffled to the middle of the field. Dirk and Lanie stood to the side. It was time. Tense and a bit skeptical, Sky gave the command. “Fass!”
Sully took off toward Coop so fast he was a blur. In seconds, Coop was on the ground and Sully was tearing at his thick coverall.
Lanie hissed in a breath.
Sky’s heart was in her throat as she hurried onto the field. “Bleib,” she yelled. “Stop!”
Sully looked at her, his mouth full of cotton batting. “Aus, Sully. Let go.”
He trotted over to her, a look of accomplishment in his eyes. “Zei Brav! Good boy. Bleib. Stay. Don’t move.” He continued to watch as she hurried over to Coop. “Are you all right?”
“None the worse for wear.” He chuckled. “Damned dog knocked the air out of my lungs. I always seem to forget that when I volunteer for this job.”
Lanie was right there. “You scared me to death. I’ll never get used to this part of the training.”
Coop took off his mask, unzipped the coveralls. “Help me out of this rig.”
Dirk and Lanie got him out in record time.
“I think you’ve both graduated,” Dirk told Sky.
“Sully frightened me, just as he did Lanie. I had no idea…”
“That what? He was that good? You need a guard dog. Now you have one. Never hesitate to give the attack signal if it’s called for. Just remember that the recipient of that attack could end up mangled or even dead.”
“I’ll never forget the moment Coop was knocked off his feet or how Sully wouldn’t stop tearing at him until I told him to.”
Dirk chuckled. “I noticed you gave the verbal signals in both German and English. Was that intentional?”
“I was scared, Dirk. I was praying Sully knew the signals. It just came out that way.”
“You did fine,” Lanie told her. “Shorty told me to invite you both for dinner. We’re having Shorty’s meatloaf and my berry pie.”
“I’ll never say no.”
“Of course you wouldn’t, Dirk. How about you, Sky?”
“I should work.”
“You have to eat.”
“Listen to Lanie. You’ll work better if you aren’t hungry.”
Dirk was right.
But the hours were ticking away.
****
Dirk watched Sky all through dinner. Though she ate little, she still ate, which was more than she would do on her own.
“I heard what went down today. You’re one brave lady.”
Matt had joined them and was inhaling dessert as he spoke to Sky.
Coop was feeding Maggie when she wasn’t trying to feed herself. By the time the meal was over, the little one would need a bath.
“I’ve never been so frightened. Not until I saw Coop knocked down, that is. I don’t know which I would hate to face the most; Sully on the attack, or the killer with a gun.”
“Let’s hope you don’t have to.”
“When you guys finish shoveling in pie and ice cream, let’s go to Coop’s office. We need to talk,” Dirk suggested.
“Can I come?” Sky whispered.
“I’ll keep you clued in. Relax a bit. You have plenty of time to get back to your computer.” She’d be at it most of the night and there was nothing he could do about it. At least he could keep her away from it for a little while.
The minute the men finished eating, Sky stood and gathered plates and utensils before heading for the kitchen.
“I’ll do that,” Lanie offered.
“I’m going nuts. At least let me do the dishes. You and Shorty cooked. Take care of Maggie while I think things through.”
Dirk shut Coop’s office door and didn’t hear any more of the conversation. They sat in their usual chairs while Dirk told them what had gone down at the bank. “The guy’s disguise was ingenious. There’s no way in hell anyone would recognize him. Even his eye color could have been altered.” His brothers’ faces showed their concern. “And what if Sky were to find the money in the allotted time? She wouldn’t turn it over to the killer.”
Matt leaned forward. “Which means there will be another confrontation.”
“Not if she stays here.”
“You don’t know Sky, Coop. If she wants to go into Houston, she’ll go. I told her Sully would be with her every minute from now on. But that’s not enough. I have suspects to check out and can’t be her bodyguard 24/7. That job will go to Marshall and Buster when she’s at the office.”
“They can handle it.”
“I know they can, Coop. I just don’t know if I can.”
“Are you sweet on the lady?” He held up his hands when he saw the look on Dirk’s face. “Your eyes take on a glow when you look at her.”
Matt gave his brother a close look.
“Both of you are imagining things.” Was he? Dirk felt more for Sky than any woman he’d ever met and thought he might be in love. The thought that she was in a killer’s bull’s-eye made him sick with worry.
He turned to Matt and changed the subject. The last thing he needed right now was the guys’ teasing. “Is Sky’s sister safe? I know Agent Hansen told me she was, but I don’t fully trust
the guy.”
“I found out where they took her, so I know firsthand it’s top-notch. I’ve used it myself on a couple of occasions.”
“Where?”
“Sorry, Dirk. I can’t tell you.”
“Why not? You know it will go no further than this room.”
Matt gave Dirk a wry glance. “FBI rules.”
“And God knows you would never break one.”
Matt grinned.
“What about the fingerprints I sent Hansen. Anything on them?”
“He didn’t call you?”
“What do you know?”
“George is Cherise Prince’s older brother. He’s been in and out of jail since he was thirteen. Cherise always bails him out. When their parents died, each sibling inherited a modest amount from the estate. Cherise, as the Executor, refuses to turn over George’s share and doles it out when he gets desperate.”
Dirk rubbed his hands over his face. Damn. “He must have been desperate for cash when I saw the two of them and followed George into the bar.”
Coop slapped Dirk on the back. “Don’t feel bad. You came to a logical conclusion.”
“It was the wrong one. What sort of crimes did he commit?”
“Petty theft mostly. Drugs. DUI. A fight or two.”
“Nothing serious. One suspect down, more to go.”
“Want to go over them?”
Dirk obliged. “We’re still looking at Tom Hannidy, one of Steel’s finance people who stole fifteen grand for a gambling debt. I put surveillance on him right away. Thank goodness for nosy neighbors. One of them told my guy the time Hannidy got home the day he was fired. A little over an hour later, he left the house with a suitcase in hand. I think his wife threw him out when he told her he was out of a job and owed Steel more money than they could ever pay back. My guy traced him to a low-budget motel and watched him until the FBI took over surveillance. At the moment, that’s all I know, but Hannidy is most likely another dead end.”
“Which leaves you with?”
“Steel and Cherise. They could be in this together, but I may be totally wrong. What if it’s someone else entirely? Someone we aren’t even looking at?”
Wounded at Home Page 17
