by Carolyn Lee
"So, we sit and wait."
"Nothing else we can do. Unless you two want to play a little more tonsil hockey. I'm gonna take a walk, get the lay of the land." Will got up and started walking away from them. "I'll be back in ten minutes, cousin, so you better pull out all your best moves."
Neither of them said anything as Will disappeared into the trees. Keegan had no idea what to do. Well, he knew what he wanted to do but was afraid Nikki would slug him for doing it so he sat quietly.
"Do you think he's gone?" Nikki asked, still looking at the trees.
"Yeah. He might be a joker but he knows he has a job to do and he's doing it."
"Makes me feel kind of bad since I know we have a job to do to but instead of doing it, I'm going to do this." Nikki rose from the log and stepped in front of him. Straddling his legs, she settled on his lap and pressed her lips to his. "So, do like the man said and show me all your best moves."
Keegan wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. "If you insist."
He crushed his lips to hers, wasting no time picking up where they had left off. After Margot, he never expected to get so turned on by a woman again but what Nikki's touch did to him blew Margot out of the water. Her hands kept wandering everywhere. His chest, shoulders, back and now his abdomen. She was dangerously close to where he craved her touch the most when he stopped her, lacing his fingers with hers.
"What’s wrong?"
"Nothing," he replied. "I just don’t want my cousin coming back and getting an eye full."
"I'm sorry," she said, trying to stand up but Keegan didn't allow her to move. "I don't know—"
"Nope, you don't get away that fast," he whispered against her ear.
"I thought—" He cut her words off with another kiss, this one a thorough assault on both of their senses. Keegan just couldn't seem to get enough of Nikki. Fortunately, the feeling seemed mutual.
"I'm kind of glad I'm working this case," Nikki sad when she finally pulled back to catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were shining.
"Why is that?" Keegan asked, pretty much knowing the answer all ready.
"I'm not sure we would have met otherwise."
"Um, what about you tackling me to the sand the other morning?" Unable to resist, he reached up and smoothed her dark hair back from her face and pressed a little kiss to the tip of her nose. "Seems to me that was our bit of fate looking out for us."
She laughed. "Yeah, I sort of tried to forget about that."
"Why?"
"Let’s see, because I made a total fool of myself?"
"That's not how I remember it," Keegan said, bringing his lips to her jaw line. "What I remember is you so desperate to meet me, you tackled me so I couldn't get away."
Nikki slugged him in the shoulder. "Full of ourselves are we now?"
Keegan couldn't help himself as he continued to tease her. "I can see it clear as day. There I was walking along the water, minding my own business, when you tried to get my attention. When I didn't stop to talk you took matters into your own hands by tackling me to the sand. Who knows what you would have tried to do to me if there hadn't been people around."
"Are you kidding me?" Nikki jumped to her feet, ignoring his attempts to keep her close.
Keegan kept his stare blank. "Well, no. That’s exactly what happened."
"Like hell it was!" Nikki glared at him making Keegan lose his neutral expression and reach for her again
"I'm just teasing you. Come here."
"No, I think I better get my mind back in the game now. One of us has to keep this thing straight since you seem to be operating from some altered state of reality."
"Aw, come on, I was just joking with you. I know it was an accident. An amazing accident but still I know you didn't do it on purpose. Even if you had been spying on me earlier that day."
"Ugh! You are one infuriating man! I told you, I was working! I wasn't intentionally spying!"
"So you say now, but you did think I was involved in the case. How do I know you didn't follow me to the beach?" The look on her face told him she hadn't but really, now that he had asked the question how could he be totally sure? What had started as a joke had him wondering just how close to the truth he was.
"Seriously?"
He nodded. "Seriously."
"It's no wonder you're still single! Your mother couldn't even find you a date!"
"That's a low blow. You don't know anything about my life or my dates."
"Yeah? What happened with Margot?"
"That's none of your damn business."
"You probably drove her crazy with your perfectionism and your cockiness."
"My perfectionism? What are you talking about?"
"Just look at you." Nikki motioned to the length of him. "Every hair's in place. Your jeans have ironed creases in them and I had no idea a shirt could be that wrinkle free ever. Your truck is perfect, your house will one day perfect. I bet you have a schedule for everything."
Her words cut straight to the heart. Not so much because she was wrong but because she was right. One of Margot's biggest complaints was the way he tried to schedule her all the time. Margot was a free spirit, like Nikki, only Margot had let him get out of hand without ever telling him how much she resented his behavior. Here Nikki was calling him out on it now, before they had a chance to get all wrapped up in any kind of relationship and damn it all if it didn't make him want her more.
"I'm sorry. I was out of line. I know you were doing your job and I just happened to get in the way."
"That's it?"
"That's what?" he asked her, confused.
"You're just going to apologize without fighting with me or trying to make it my fault?"
"Well, yes."
"That's a first," she said, dropping to sit on the log beside him. "I didn't know guys actually apologized."
"Got a few relationship skeletons of your own?" He reached over and took her hand gently in his own, praying she wouldn't pull away.
"Yeah, I guess I do." She squeezed his hand and offered up a small smile. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. What we were doing before all this was a whole lot more fun."
Keegan laughed and pulled her toward him once more, placing a kiss to the top of her hair. "You're not like anyone I've ever met before. Not even my ex."
"Ha. I suppose I could say the same. Mine is a control freak with a personal issue where he thinks only he can be right about anything."
"Mine had two relationships going at once. One she planned to marry and the other she said was all about the fabulous sex."
"Which one were you?" Nikki asked.
"The fabulous sex, of course."
Nikki broke down into a fit of laughter. "Of course. I should have definitely known that."
"What are you two laughing at?" Will had entered the little clearing and was watching them suspiciously.
"Nothing important." Keegan winked at Nikki and sent his cousin a little smile.
"I guess it's better than finding the two of you lip locked again. My guys are here. I just got a text. I'm heading back to talk to them. You two keep watch here?"
"Sure thing," Keegan replied. "I'll text you if anything happens while you are gone."
"You still got my number?"
"Of course, I do."
"Good. I'll be back in a bit. Just want to bring them up to speed." Will disappeared once again and Keegan looked at Nikki.
"We good?"
She nodded and smiled. "Yeah, for now, anyway."
"That's all I can ask for, isn't it?"
Nikki nodded again but this time kissed him on the cheek. "We should spend a little time getting to know each other when this case is wrapped up."
"Do we have to wait?" Keegan licked his lips and leaned toward her.
Nikki deflected him with a gentle hand to his chest. "I can't do that anymore right now and still manage to keep my focus on this case."
Keegan sat ba
ck and nodded. "Okay, I can be patient."
They sat together in the now dark wooded area watching the old barn. Neither spoke for what felt like an eternity and finally Keegan couldn't deal with the silence any longer.
"Do you think they will be back tonight?"
"Yeah, I do," Nikki replied without looking over at him. "Why hasn't Will come back yet?"
"I'm right here," a voice answered from the dark.
"How long have you been standing there?" Keegan asked.
"I haven't. I just got back. The guys are all set. I had them pull down around that side street and park out of sight so they could watch to see if anyone headed our way. They will text me if they see anyone suspicious."
"Did you tell them they had to follow the guys too if they tried to take this stuff out of here?" Nikki asked.
"Of course." Will sat down on the log on the other side of Nikki. "Now, we wait."
"The best part of law enforcement. Hurry up and wait is the story of my life."
"You got somewhere else to be, Kee?" Will asked.
"I could think of many things I would rather be doing." Keegan passed Nikki a glance but she didn't meet his gaze.
"I bet you could." Will laughed. Just then his cell phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to read the text. "Show time, boys and girls."
The air filled with the sounds of a diesel engine. In seconds the old barn was illuminated by the headlights of a large pick-up truck. The truck pulled up as close as it could get to the barn before the passenger jumped out and ran over to push the doors open. The driver and two more guys climbed out of the cab and without a word started lugging boxes to the bed of the truck.
"I'm moving in closer to try and get some pics of the guys," Will whispered.
"Be careful," Nikki whispered back. Keegan just watched him go.
"Always am, darlin'. Always am."
They watched as the four men moved back and forth, moving the boxes.
"I wonder where they are taking them?" Nikki asked.
"I have no idea. This was as good a hiding spot as any until today."
Nikki slipped her hand across the surface of the log they sat on and wrapped her fingers around his. Keegan didn’t say anything, just gave her hand a little squeeze. They had some things to discuss when this night was over.
14
Nikki
When she reached for his hand, Nikki expected him to pull away but he didn't so she was going to assume they could work out their differences and see where things between them were headed. For the moment though, she needed to focus on the load of machine guns being moved in front of them.
Nikki typed out a quick text to Henry letting him know they had eyes on the men then turned and whispered in Keegan's ear, "I'm moving in a little closer. Cover me?"
He nodded.
She slowly picked her way through the brush and trees until she was close enough to hear the men speaking. Too bad they were talking about football and not domestic terrorism. A hand landed on her shoulder. Nikki spun around, gun pulled and aimed at the person behind her.
"Do you know the penalty for shooting a federal agent?" Will whispered.
"Do you know the penalty for scaring the crap out of me? You almost found out." Nikki glared at him while she holstered her weapon.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were lip locked with Keegan?"
She ignored the jab. "Just getting a better look."
"Looks like they got things pretty much loaded. I overheard a comment about a boat slip in Lynnhaven. Supposed to meet the boss at a slip in the marina. I think they are taking them out of here by boat."
"Where do you they think they are headed?"
Will shrugged. "I don't know. Cuba maybe? I'd say Mexico—and it’s a very good possibility—but it would be a much longer trip."
"So, we have to stop them before they get offshore?"
"Not so sure what you mean by we since this is an ATF case now. You're only here as a courtesy." The teasing tone Will had been using was gone. He was all business and Nikki didn't much care for his change of attitude.
"Silly me, I thought we were working together on this."
Either he didn’t catch the sarcasm or he ignored it. She couldn't see his facial expressions clearly enough in the dark to tell. "I'm heading out to the road to hitch a ride with my guys. I want to be there to follow the truck. Tell Kee I'll text him when we are on the road." He disappeared into the darkness leaving her beyond annoyed.
Nikki slipped back to where she had left Keegan but when she reached the little clearing, he was gone. Great. Both James men had ditched her. Now she stood stuck in the middle of nowhere without a vehicle.
The four men finished loading the cases from the barn into the truck bed and were laughing as they got into the cab of the truck. She desperately wanted to follow them but like a fool she had left her own vehicle back at the office. Maybe if she ran, she could make it to the road and ride with the ATF guys. She took off through the woods, her ankle starting to ache after only a few hundred feet. She pushed through the pain but couldn't move fast enough to get to the road. The pick-up truck roared to life as the diesel engine warmed up. Nikki ran faster but the truck pulled out of her sight before she made it out of the trees. Will and the other agents were gone as well when Nikki burst free.
"Son of a bitch!" she yelled down the road at the retreating tail lights. They were gone and she was stranded. Man, that Keegan James was a real piece of work, leaving her like this.
Nikki limped her way down the side of the road back toward the driveway of Keegan's house. With any luck she would be able to get a cell signal there as she sure as hell wasn't getting one now. It didn't make sense. Her phone had always worked fine when she was out here before. As she rounded the corner and started down the drive she heard a voice.
"Thank God! Where have you been?" Keegan ran up to her, worry evident in his eyes as he grabbed her in a big bear hug.
"Where have I been? I went back to get you and you were gone! I tried to catch up with Will but this damned sore ankle of mine held me up."
"I was trying to find you. Will texted me that he was going with his agents. I thought you would want in on that action so I went to find you. We must have missed each other."
"You were actually worried about me, weren't you?"
Keegan nodded. "Yes, of course. Did you think I was going to take off and leave you here? I thought maybe the guys with the guns found you and took you with them when I wasn't watching. I was about to go find my cousin."
"I'm sorry. I did think you had left. After our little talk earlier—"
"Even if I was angry at you, which I'm not, I am still a professional. At the very least I would have gotten you back to your office in one piece. As for our conversation, we obviously have some things to discuss later but for now, let's go find us some bad guys."
"They are heading to the marina in Lynnhaven. Will overheard them."
"I know he told me in a message. I told him we were right behind them so we better get a move on."
"I'm sorry, I am slowing everything down."
"Stop apologizing." Keegan scooped her up in his arms and jogged toward his waiting truck. "At least I have an excuse to hold you in a professional capacity."
"This is unnecessary," Nikki said as he Keegan pulled open the passenger side door and deposited her on the seat.
"Maybe. Maybe not." He closed the door and went around to the driver's side. Nikki watched as he turned the vehicle on and pulled onto the main road.
"Do you know where to go?" she asked once he was getting on the interstate.
"I have a general idea." His phone vibrated indicating an incoming text. A quick glance at the screen told him it was Will. He handed the phone to Nikki. "Will you read me that text please?"
"Sure." She swiped the screen to open the message. "It says, Be there in five. Let me know when you are close."
"Thanks. You can drop that in the console for now."<
br />
Nikki did as she was told. They drove in silence for a few minutes before she finally decided to ask the question that was still on her mind. "Do you really think I was stalking you the other day at the beach?"
Keegan didn’t answer right away. Finally, he said, "I questioned it after I found out you were watching me and my mother but now, right this moment, no. I don't think it was intentional in that way."
"What do you mean in that way?"
"Do you believe in fate, Nikki?"
Now it was her turn to consider his question before replying. "Yes, I suppose I do."
"If you think about it, what are the chances we would both be having trouble sleeping that night? How likely is it that we would choose the same stretch of beach to walk on at a time when the beaches are pretty empty? Unless you were following me or fate decided it was meant to be."
"I told you I wasn't following you."
"Then it must have been meant to be."
She could work with that. There were definitely worse things that had happened in her life. "Okay. It was fate. Does this mean you aren't upset with me?"
"No. I am not upset with you. You falling into my life was the best thing to happen to me in a long while."
"All right if I ask another question?"
"Sure." Keegan had his eyes on the road but she heard the smile in his words.
"Who is Margot really?"
"No one important." His hands tightened on the wheel. Even in the dark interior of the truck cab she could see the whitening of his knuckles.
"I heard you and Will talking when I was in the bathroom. I was wondering who she really was to you." What she really wanted to know was if Margot was a threat to her as far as Keegan was concerned. Nikki had no intention of getting involved with a man who couldn't give her his full attention. If his heart belonged to someone else, then they didn't have anything else to discuss.
"I used to date her. It ended several months ago. She's engaged to be married presently."
