The Chase

by Adrienne Giordano

  Well, Sergeant Townsend, screw you. Or, in this case, unscrew you.

  “Gah!” she said and the businessman on the elevator glanced at her. The bell rang for her floor and the doors opened. “Men.”

  She marched through the open suite door and Maggie, the receptionist, said, “Wow. You look fierce.”

  “I am fierce. Hold my calls.”

  That sounded bad. Maggie didn’t deserve to be the brunt of Jo’s fight with Gabe. Slowly, she turned back. “Maggie, I’m sorry. That was completely awful of me and it will never happen again.”

  Maggie’s eyebrows rose. Of all the lawyers in this office, Jo was probably the only one who’d ever apologized about anything. What that said about the lawyers in their office, she didn’t want to speculate on.

  Too much darned thinking today. That was the problem. “Anyway, I’ll be in my office. Please hold my calls.”

  “No problem. And thanks. You didn’t need to apologize, but I appreciate it.”

  “The people in this world need to learn a little civility,” Jo called over her shoulder.

  By five o’clock she had burned through every last ounce of mad fueling her. The fact that she’d realized she may have forced Gabe’s hand wasn’t making her too happy, but he still should have talked to her. They were both stubborn. Too much so. He’d asked her several times to be careful, to stay back, to let the P.D. handle the warrants. Each time, she’d resisted.

  She simply wanted in on the action. Wanted to feel all those counterfeit products in her hands so she’d know, without a doubt, the effort had been worth it. Seeing a room full of counterfeit merchandise made the dream of a nationwide initiative seem within her reach.

  She stared down at her bright red cast. He’d warned her she could get hurt. The day before that vendor had taken a pipe to her hand, he’d warned her. And then he’d warned her multiple times after that.

  Liza poked her head in. “Hey, I’m heading out. You need anything?”

  I need a week in Maui.

  Jo shook her head. “No. Thanks.”

  Not moving from the doorway, Liza narrowed her eyes. “You don’t look so good.”

  “I need to do something I absolutely hate.”

  A look of concern washed over Liza. “What is it?”

  “I have to apologize to a bullheaded alpha male.”

  —:—

  Gabe sat in front of Tom’s desk in a too-small, crappy metal chair that had to be forty years old. The office itself was barely eight feet by eight feet and between the bulk of the big desk, the two chairs and the two of them, a sudden bout of claustrophobia had set in.

  By the way he sat with his fingers steepled and his eyes focused, Gabe suspected his boss had something on his mind. It couldn’t be anything good either. Not with that intense stare.

  Gabe had been under Tom’s command since his days at the 14th and after he’d been transferred to the Special Operations Division, the parent command of ESU, he’d made sure Gabe came along.

  For years, Tom had been his mentor, had helped him position himself on the fast track to lieutenant. Together, they were powerful allies.

  Tom finally sat back and dropped his hands. “Jo was steamed today. That’s saying something, since she’s usually full of piss-and-vinegar anyway.”

  Gabe shifted in the crappy chair. “Yeah. She’s not happy with me. It’ll pass.”

  “You sure?”

  He nodded. What else could he do? “I’ll handle it. She’s smart and knows how to play politics. She won’t jeopardize the success of this task force.”

  Outside the office, an uproar of laughter broke out. A couple of the guys hadn’t yet gone home after their shift.

  Tom tapped his fingers against his thigh. Definitely something on his mind.

  “What’s up, Tom?”

  “Anything you want to tell me about Jo Pomeroy?”

  Like the life altering sex from last night?

  Could Ramirez have been that much of a douche to go to Tom?

  Ah, shit.

  Not a chance. That kid knew where his bread was buttered. Tom was fishing. Something in that meeting today rattled him. Gabe shook his head. “Nope.”

  “Because I’m getting a sense there’s something.”

  “No, boss. Nothing. Look, I’ve been hounding her about staying away when we do the hits. All these vendors know her. Right before her hand got busted, I told her to stay away. She didn’t listen. I told her again after the hand got busted. Again, she didn’t listen. Then after this latest incident, I tried again. I got sick of trying and came to you about sidelining her. She didn’t like that.”

  Tom made an “eh” gesture. “She figures you threw her under the bus?”

  “Yes, sir. She came at me after the meeting today. Gave me a bunch of crap about working together all this time and how I went behind her back. Which I did. No problem there.”

  “Her winding up dead won’t do us any good. Fucking public relations nightmare.”

  Gabe’s gut clenched. His boss was worried about PR when Jo could get hurt? Killed? Voicing that would surely earn him a rip—cop talk for getting in trouble. “Sir, I’ll take care of it. Jo and I are like-minded. We yell and scream and then we’re done. She’ll get over it.”

  “I hope so. The mayor likes her and I won’t be the one to piss him off. And neither will you.” Tom sat forward and picked up his phone. “We’re done here.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  On the way to his car, Gabe checked the calls that had come to his cell while he met with Tom. Three missed. One from his mother, one from a number he didn’t recognize and—look at that—the Queen of Sheba. This should be good.

  He pressed the call back button. Why not? If she wanted to get into it again with him, he was irritable enough to let her.

  “Hi,” she said, not sounding too pissy.

  Didn’t that suck?

  He hit the unlock button on his key ring, but decided to take the call standing in the parking lot. The cold air might keep him from losing his temper. He drew a deep breath, let it fill his lungs and released it. Totally shit day. “What’s up?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Come on. What kind of schmuck did she think he was? “Nice try. You’re still benched.”

  She laughed. He leaned on his car and pondered the silky tone of that laugh. Not manufactured. That was the real deal.

  “I’m not—” she paused. “Gabe, I’m not patronizing you. I was wrong. I’m sorry.”

  Say what now? “Jo?”

  “Yes?”

  “You’re freaking me out. I can’t believe you admitted you were wrong. You’re a disgrace to alphas everywhere. We have rules.”

  Hoping she’d find the statement humorous—after all, he was most definitely a member of the alpha club—he waited for her response.

  “Whatever you do,” she said, “don’t tell anyone.”

  “Your secret is safe.” He cracked his neck. Damned tired. “For the record, I am worried about you. The severed hand did me in. After that, I knew I’d have to go to Tom. I know how dedicated to this job you are, and I figured it would get ugly between us, but when it comes to your safety, I’ll deal with the ugly. I wasn’t undermining you. I wanted you safe. That’s all.”

  He stopped talking. Nothing else to do. He’d said his piece.

  Through the phone line, he heard her sigh. “I realize that now. Two hours ago, I could have taken your head off.”

  “I got that message.”

  “Now I realize you were trying to protect me from myself. I appreciate that. As crazy as it makes me, I get it.”

  A group of guys came out of the building and hollered to him about getting a beer. “Can’t,” he yelled back. He had nothing going, but he was dog-assed tired and wasn’t in the mood to sit at a bar talking cop talk. “Promise me you’ll be careful. That you’ll stay away from Tower Street.”

  “I will.”

  Her voice was soft, almost defeated. He hated that. W
anting her safe didn’t mean he wanted her defeated. What he enjoyed about Jo was all that defiance. Like him, she went to battle for what she believed in, more than willing to piss people off when necessary.

  “Just because you promised me that doesn’t mean you can’t still fight with me.”

  Dead air. Thinking he’d lost the call, he checked the signal. Nope. Still good.

  “Sergeant, are you flirting with me?”

  He thought back to their first kiss, the night she’d literally thrown herself at him. “Yeah, I guess I am. In our own twisted way.” She got quiet again. “Jo?”

  “We are so alike,” she said. “It scares me a little. Like there’s no counterbalance. Shouldn’t there be a balance?”

  “Not always. For people like us, balance might be boring. We’re adrenaline junkies.”

  She laughed. “Do you realize how pathetic that sounds? That, if we’re not going a hundred miles per hour we might find each other boring?”

  “I don’t think it’s pathetic. I think it’s what it is. You don’t want a guy who gives in all the time. You wouldn’t respect that. You like conflict. In fact, I’ll bet it’s a turn-on for you.”

  “You’d win that bet.”

  “And, as crazy as this thing between us is, I’ll be damned if it doesn’t work. Our problem is, we’ve got the nation’s most powerful mayor in the middle of it and after what we went through today, arguing over the job, something will have to give or we’ll tear each other up.”

  On the other end of the phone line, he heard a click. Maybe a drawer closing. Jo packing up for the night. “I know. I don’t have an answer though.”

  “Me neither. Not yet anyway.”

  Bringing embarrassment to the mayor and his task force by getting distracted and making mistakes would kill his career. He understood enough about politics to know that. Tom had already done him a huge large by sending him a warning. If Tom had noticed a change between Gabe and Jo already, Bev and the mayor wouldn’t be far behind.

  Somehow, they had to figure this out. Whether the relationship turned into something long-term or not, one of them would have to leave the task force. Working together flat out wouldn’t work.

  She sighed. “Well, what’s happening with this Kiki character? My investigators can’t find the S.O.B.”

  “I hear ya. Nothing yet. The guy keeps moving. We’ll find him. Getting close.”

  “I know,” she said. “Anyway, Sergeant Townsend, have you forgotten what you promised me this morning?”

  Suddenly—and this was shocking considering the dropping temperature outside—Gabe’s face got hot. He tilted his head up to the black sky and sucked in cold air. “About the—”

  “Yes, the giant erection you promised me.”

  He cracked up. “I—uh—no, haven’t forgotten.”

  “Good. I’ll tell Carlson he doesn’t have to babysit me tonight because Sergeant Townsend is bringing me a giant erection.”

  She’d do it. He could see it. “Jo, I will kill you.”

  “Gabe, even I wouldn’t do that. Now come and get me, big boy.”

  Chapter Nine

  In her office the next morning, Jo found herself in a giddy state of exhaustion. She might need a nap to get through the afternoon, but the long night had been well worth it. Her brain disagreed, but her extremely sated body had no complaints.

  Without a doubt, Gabe would have to stay away tonight. She needed sleep and him being in the same bed wasn’t conducive to slumber.

  Her desk phone bleep-bleeped. “I have Sherry for you,” Liza said. “Line one.”

  Ooh, might be an update on Sherry’s continuing search for counterfeit Konklin watches and the elusive Kiki. Jo snatched up her phone. In the background, she heard music. Car radio. “Hi. Good news?”

  “I think so,” Sherry said. “I went back to the vendor from the other day. He said the watches are in, but I have to go to their warehouse to pick one out.”

  Vendors sending customers to a second location wasn’t unusual. With the crackdowns on counterfeit goods, the vendors had learned which products Jo and her team were targeting. Sales of those targeted products now happened quietly with whispers instead of open negotiations. For that reason, the vendors kept those goods locked away or off premises.

  “Good work. Who’s going with you?”

  A pause. “Just me.”

  “No.”

  “But Mark is in Jersey and can’t get back quick enough.”

  As stubborn as Jo could be about collecting evidence, even she wouldn’t go to a second location alone. Add to the mix the severed hand, and Sherry could forget about winning this battle.

  Jo tapped her hand against the desk. “As much as I’d love to get my hands on that watch, you cannot go alone. Too dangerous.”

  Mr. August would kill us both.

  The background music disappeared. “This could be another huge get for us. Twice in one week we’ll have confiscated Konklins. If we want this, the guy told me I had to be there in fifteen minutes. If I don’t show, they’ll know something is up. They’ll clear out. You know it.”

  Jo nibbled her bottom lip. With the pressure the NYPD had been putting on these vendors, they’d get spooked and close up shop. They’d take their bundles of counterfeit goods somewhere else and Jo’s team would have to start from scratch. Months of work blown. Shot. Incinerated.

  If she did this, Gabe would blow his stack in a catastrophic way. After the major battle they’d had, she promised him she’d stay in her office and here she was, at the first temptation, giving in. Breaking promises was never part of her personal operating procedure. Particularly in this situation. Plain and simple, she wanted him to trust her. Doing this run would obliterate any faith he had in her.

  She glanced down at her bright red cast and her legs tingled. Dammit. They needed that watch. Not so much the watch, but where the watch was stored. With any luck, they’d find Kiki nearby. Whoever this smuggler was, he had the goods hidden somewhere and they suspected the place had to be big because the stream of goods into Tower Street had become an unending supply. If they found Kiki, they might be able to persuade him to flip on his boss.

  More than that, she’d be one step closer to a nationwide industry task force. If they went nationwide, she could lobby federal and state governments for funding and police support.

  “Well,” Sherry said. “I’m going. I’ll check in when I’m finished.”

  Promise or no promise, she couldn’t let Sherry go alone. Jo would face Gabe’s wrath, but on her worst day she couldn’t let her employee, her friend, walk into a potentially dangerous situation without support.

  Decision made.

  “Okay,” Jo said. “Where are you?”

  “Ha! I’m just pulling around the corner. I knew I’d talk you into it.”

  “Nice. But you almost didn’t. I was benched by the mayor yesterday. We’d better hope this field trip turns into something or I’m going to get my butt handed to me.”

  The mayor, as mean as he could be, she’d handle. But Sergeant Gabriel Townsend? He’ll kill me.

  She slipped her coat on and shoved her hand in her pocket. Luckily, it was deep enough to hide the bit of cast that stuck out under her coat sleeve. By now, all of Tower Street would be buzzing about the blonde lady who’d gotten her hand broken. The bright red cast would be her tell.

  Next came the wig. She’d try red today. It had been a while since she’d donned that one.

  Liza stepped into her office with a stack of mail, took in the red wig and halted. “I thought you were staying put.”

  “I was. Now I’m not. Sherry can’t go alone.”

  “Is it safe?”

  “I honestly don’t know. Which is why Sherry can’t go alone.”

  “Oh, jeez. When Officer Hottie hears about this, he’ll crucify you.”

  Jo laughed. Liza had been around long enough to hear Gabe and Jo sparring over various topics. “Don’t I know it? I’ll try to reach him on the
way. If he calls here, tell him I’m in a meeting and to try my cell. Don’t tell him where I am. I need to do it.”

  Jo made her way downstairs and found Sherry’s car idling at the curb. She jumped into the passenger seat and dumped her bag on the floor. “Here we go.”

  “It’s a building in Brooklyn.”

  “Another Brooklyn location?”

  Sherry nodded. “Yep. I guess they like the area. Here’s the address.”

  Jo grabbed the slip of paper and read it. The address didn’t sound familiar. “Okay. Well, let’s check it out. They’re waiting for you?”

  “Yeah. The guy said to go to the side entrance and knock.”

  “I hate these cloak and dagger missions. They give me the damned willies.”

  “Me too. I’ve got a feeling about this one though. This could be another huge break.”

  They cruised over the Brooklyn Bridge and Jo stared out the window at the sun glistening off the East River. The chop in the water only added to the sparkle and she hoped it was a message from the counterfeiting gods that she’d made the right decision.

  Except no one knew where they were headed.

  Not smart.

  She might be brave, but stupid she’d never been. Time to face Gabe’s wrath.

  From her purse, she grabbed her phone then spread the slip of paper with the building’s location on her lap. She dialed and closed her eyes for a second while the call connected. He might be a hothead, but he was also a reasonable man. He, of all people, would understand that she couldn’t let Sherry investigate alone. The call went directly to voicemail.

  Of course it did.

  This would start a war, but she left him a voicemail explaining what they were doing and that she’d text him the address. Then she hung up. It was done.

  The GPS led them to Pearl Street and then two more turns onto a block with several ancient buildings.

  “There it is,” Sherry said. “The one in the middle.”

  She drove into the gravel lot and parked while Jo studied the unmarked four-story brick structure. On one side were two loading docks. The front of the building had three windows on each side of a thick steel door.