by Carsen Taite
He turned to Syd. “Ms. Braswell, I run a tight ship, but in my focus on certain aspects of the case, this task force has run roughshod over the rules by which we conduct our investigations. I went as far as disbanding them last month, but I’ve recently found out they have been working on the case behind my back. I appreciate your help in getting this investigation back on track, and I assure you everyone here will give you their full cooperation.”
Tanner shot a look at Peyton, who had moved to a seat next to DEA Agent Dale Nelson. She raised her eyebrows in question, but she got nothing in response from either Peyton or Dale, who remained characteristically stoic. Something wasn’t right about all of this. Just a few days ago, they’d been talking about contacting the Department of Justice to investigate Gellar. Had he beaten them to the punch?
And then there was the whole Syd thing. Her last memories of Syd included Syd yelling words like “partner track,” “civil litigation,” and “annual bonuses,” none of which had anything to do with a job at the Department of Justice. But if Syd was really assigned here by the attorney general to oversee an investigation, she had to have some significant experience with the department. Definitely not the direction Syd’s fast track had been headed when they’d parted ways.
Bianca poked her in the side again, and she did her best to focus on the front of the room, while trying to look nonchalant doing it.
“As I said,” Syd continued, her voice strong and confident, “the deal with Mr. Garza is off. He hired an attorney and he’s filed a motion to suppress any statements his client gave us while he was in the hospital.”
“Damn.” Tanner shook her head vigorously, angry Razor had turned on them. She thought she’d been very convincing when she’d spoken with him in the hospital.
“Agent Cohen, you have something you’d like to say?”
Tanner looked up and met Sydney’s deep blue eyes square on. “We had a deal.”
“He says you forced his confession.”
“Oh, he did, did he?” Tanner scoffed, more pissed at Razor’s about-face than uncomfortable about this little one-on-one with Syd in front of her group. “And how exactly did I do that?”
“He says you threatened to kill him.”
* * *
Syd watched Tanner stalk out of the room with the young Latina woman who’d been seated next to her following fast behind. She wanted to follow them and say or do something to make up for this stormy first meeting, which was not at all how she’d envisioned their reunion, but a room full of people was waiting for her to finish talking. Plus, she had a role to play.
After outlining the gist of the motion Razor’s attorney had filed to suppress his client’s confession, she instructed the group she’d be meeting with them individually to discuss their work on the case and to determine the plan going forward. Gellar, letch that he was, tried to corner her before she could leave the room. She dodged him with a promise to join him for lunch, but by the time she made it to the hallway, Tanner appeared to be long gone.
“Shit.”
“What kind of language is that for a big-shot attorney from DC?”
Syd smiled at the sound of the familiar voice and turned to see Peyton Davis smiling at her. She started to respond, but Peyton placed a finger over her lips and pointed down the hall. “My office, this way,” she said.
When they were safely behind closed doors, she settled into a chair in front of Peyton’s desk. “Do you think he bought it?”
Peyton laughed. “Gellar thinks he’s the center of the universe, but it would never occur to him that he’d be the center of your investigation. He bought it all right.”
Syd relaxed into her chair. She trusted Peyton’s judgment. They’d worked together for several years at the Department of Justice, and she knew she could rely on Peyton to shoot straight with her. For a second, she considered returning the favor and telling Peyton about her history with Tanner, but it was one thing to reconnect with a former colleague and quite another to unload a bunch of personal crap. Processing her unexpected reunion with her first love would have to wait until she could grab a few hours alone.
“So, what do you recommend next?” Syd asked.
“We’ve been using my family’s ranch as a meeting place. I think we should convene a meeting tonight and let the rest of the crew in on our plan. Things will go a lot easier on you around here if they don’t think you’re on a witch hunt.”
“Can everyone be trusted? If Gellar gets wind of what we’re up to, I’m not going to be able to offer protection.”
“If they couldn’t be trusted, they wouldn’t be working with me.”
Syd nodded, needing no further assurance than Peyton’s word. “Well, if you don’t need me here, then I’m going to check into my hotel before I have to endure a meal with the monster.”
Peyton stood. “Need a ride?”
“I’m just down the street, thanks. Wish me luck.” She strode out of the office and walked briskly out of the suite, relieved that she didn’t run into anyone from the morning’s meeting on the way. Once out of the building, she walked back to the Adolphus Hotel where she’d dropped off her luggage that morning.
Her room had all the modern amenities, but the refined leather and wood furnishings were in keeping with the grande dame status of the historical venue. When she’d checked in late last night, the talkative desk clerk had told her all about the hotel’s recent remodel, pointing out many features she seriously doubted she’d have time to use. She’d barely listened anyway, since all she’d really cared about was getting some sleep before she had to face Tanner this morning, and now that she’d seen her, Syd was drained. Thinking she couldn’t remember the last time she’d spent any time in a hotel by herself, she crawled onto the plush but firm king-sized bed and leaned back against the fluffed-up pillows, taking a moment to savor the luxury since it was the only redeeming thing about this assignment.
Sometime later, a maid’s voice in the hallway woke her, and Syd crawled her way out of a cloud of sleep and wiped drool from the edge of her mouth. A glance at the clock on the nightstand told her she’d been asleep for thirty minutes. She lifted the phone, placed an order for coffee, and walked to the bathroom to freshen up.
She dreaded meeting with Herschel Gellar, but thankfully, the appointment involved lunch since she was starving. What she’d much rather be doing was finding a moment alone with Tanner to break the ice. She’d received Peyton’s email with the notes about the case just before she boarded her flight and had no idea until she was midair that Tanner was living and working in Dallas, let alone assigned to the task force working the Vargas brothers case. If she had known, would she have agreed to this assignment?
She wasn’t sure of the answer, and she wouldn’t be sure until she faced Tanner alone. Only then could she determine if they could put their past aside and work together. If their encounter this morning were any indication, it wasn’t looking good.
She freshened her makeup and looked in the mirror to check the result, knowing full well she was mostly interested in seeing what Tanner had seen. She definitely wasn’t the same young, third year law student who’d pledged to spend the rest of her life with fellow student Tanner Cohen, but Syd was proud of how she’d aged. A rigorous workout schedule kept her in shape, and the tiny lines that were starting to creep up around her eyes could easily be written off as laugh lines.
Tanner, what she’d managed to see of her anyway before she stalked out of the briefing, had aged well too, and Syd couldn’t help but wonder if Tanner had someone special in her life. Maybe she’d called that person after she left and bitched about her ex who’d traveled back in time to chastise her in front of her peers. Or maybe that someone was the Latina woman who’d rushed after her when she’d left the meeting.
The idea of Tanner with someone else left Syd with a dull ache, but she wasn’t sure if the feeling had anything to do with Tanner or if it was a reflection of her own empty personal life. Someday Syd hoped to fi
nd someone special to share her life, someone she could call when she need to decompress.
She reached for her phone to see if Gellar had called and saw she had a new text. It wasn’t Gellar. She pressed the number, deciding to call back instead of text because she needed to hear a familiar voice.
“How’s my favorite legal eagle?”
Syd sighed at the sound of her friend Kate Johnson. She and Kate had started at the Department of Justice at the same time, and they formed a fast friendship. Kate knew about Tanner, the details having been divulged during a late, too much wine girls’ night out where they’d swapped stories about the ones that got away. They’d woken up the next morning, both resolved to embrace the lives that allowed them to focus entirely on work. Remembering their pact caused Syd to hesitate about sharing the news that her new assignment had placed her in close proximity to Tanner, but the pause didn’t last. “Tanner’s here.”
Silence. Syd waited for a few beats before venturing a cautious, “Did you hear me?”
“I heard you. I’m processing. She’s the one, right?”
“She was. And then she wasn’t.”
“And when you say she’s here, you don’t mean standing right there next to you while we’re having this surreal conversation, right?”
Syd laughed. “God no! She’s here in Dallas. She’s working with Peyton’s task force.”
“Holy shit. What are you going to do?”
Good question. Syd pondered her options. She’d traveled to Dallas, and she’d made a commitment to Peyton. If she left, she’d have to come up with some plausible explanation for her abrupt departure, and “I don’t want to face my past” seemed more than a little chickenshit. So, she’d do what she always did, no matter how much focus it required. “My job. I’m going to do my job. And then I’m going to get the hell out of here.”
* * *
Tanner sank into a bench in the park across from the courthouse and wished the world away. A few days ago, she’d managed to turn a major player in the Vargas organization, and the anticipated next step was taking the entire operation down. Enter Sydney Braswell, and now not only was her achievement at risk and her badge on the line for making it so, but her heart, which she’d managed to keep on serious lockdown, was pulsing with unwanted anticipation.
Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she couldn’t deny Syd looked amazing. Sure she’d aged, but time had been kind, adding only the most subtle signs of maturity.
“Giving up police work to commune with nature?”
Tanner looked up at Bianca, who’d managed to sneak up on her and was staring at her with a concerned expression. “Maybe.”
Bianca shoved her over and slid into the space beside her, placing a hand on her thigh. “You did what you did in that hospital room because I asked you to. If you think I’m going to let you get in trouble for it or let it keep us from nailing Jade’s asshole uncles, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
Tanner couldn’t help but smile at the fierce tone from her petite friend as she reflected on her one-on-one with Razor in the hospital. He’d been shot after having stabbed Jade Vargas, who’d stopped him from harming Bianca’s daughter. He knew where his fugitive boss, Sergio Vargas, was hiding out with Jade’s prize stallion, Queen’s Ransom. Bianca, distraught about her daughter’s close brush with danger, confessed to Tanner that she was in love with Jade and begged Tanner to do whatever it took to retrieve Jade’s horse and bring her uncles to justice. Tanner had actually enjoyed watching Razor’s face as she pinched the IV drip to rob him of relief while she described telling his bosses that he’d cooperated with the FBI whether he did or not. She’d do it all over again. “It was my decision, not yours. I can take the consequences.”
“We’ll see. I’m going to talk to this new chick. I mean, where does she get off coming in here acting like we’re a bunch of rubes?”
This was the moment. Tanner should tell Bianca about her connection to Sydney, but what exactly was she supposed to say? Being vague on details would only draw questions. If she told Bianca even a little about their past, she knew Bianca wouldn’t let it go until she told her everything, and it was too complicated. Her personal life wasn’t something she’d ever shared on the job—not that she had much of one—and everything about Syd was personal. Besides, she hadn’t seen Syd since they’d graduated from law school. Did she really even know her anymore?
Tanner decided to hedge. “Any idea who called her in? Gellar’s acting like it was him, but it seems like a weird move for him to cede territory to anyone else.”
“Did you see those legs? Gellar’s a pig, and when it comes to a beautiful woman, he stumbles all over himself. You should’ve seen him the first time he met Lindsey,” Bianca said, referring to Dale Nelson’s girlfriend, a renowned international journalist.
Tanner didn’t want to think about Gellar drooling over Sydney, so she changed the subject. “You have any cases on the docket this afternoon or do you have some time to go over the evidence again?”
“That’s what I came out to tell you. Peyton wants to see us out at the ranch tonight.”
“She thinks that’s wise with all of us under scrutiny?”
Bianca shrugged. “Wise or not, she called the meeting. You want to ride out there together?”
Tanner grinned. Bianca’s little Miata didn’t do so well on the gravel drive. “Sure, I’ll pick you up.” She stood. “I’m going to take a walk. Thanks for checking on me.”
Bianca stared hard before she finally waved and headed back to the courthouse. Tanner knew she should follow, but she wasn’t in the mood to do anything related to this case, especially not if Sydney was going to be involved. Maybe Peyton would have some insights about why she was here. Whatever the case, she’d find out tonight, but in the meantime, she needed a break. She fished her phone out of her pocket and called Dale. When Dale answered, she launched right in. “Wanna take a ride with me? I’ve got a few ideas.”
Dale laughed. “Guess they didn’t bench you after all.”
“Not yet. You still at the courthouse?”
“On my way downstairs.”
“Pick you up out front in five.” Tanner disconnected the call and started walking to the parking lot down the street where she’d parked her car that morning. She’d planned on spending the entire day in the war room they’d created at the US attorney’s office, but the idea of spending any time at all within spitting distance of Herschel Gellar was more intolerable than ever. If Sydney was teamed up with him, that only made things worse. No matter what Gellar and Sydney had planned, she’d weather Razor’s allegations. All she had to do was keep a low profile and steer clear of her past, and her future would work out just fine.
Chapter Two
Sydney drove down the dusty drive toward Peyton’s ranch, the Circle Six, and wondered what she’d gotten herself into. She remembered Peyton fondly discussing her family’s quarter horse breeding farm, but it was still hard to reconcile the career-focused woman she’d met in DC with the sprawling acreage, stables, and ranch house.
She was having similar troubles with Tanner. The last time she’d seen her was a month after they’d graduated from law school, both of them still nursing the wounds of their recent breakup. Sydney had come home from her bar review course to find Tanner packing a box with a few of her last remaining belongings.
“I’m sorry,” Tanner said, keeping her head ducked low. “I didn’t think you’d be home.”
Sydney bit back a bunch of potential responses, most of which were guaranteed to land them back in the middle of the argument that had broken them up in the first place and settled on, “I would’ve packed those for you.”
“I didn’t want to ask,” Tanner said, hurt shading her voice.
And those simple words summed up pretty much everything that had gone wrong between them. Deciding there wasn’t any point rehashing it all, Sydney strode toward the closet. “There are a few things in here. I set them aside in case…in
case you wanted to go through them.”
Tanner stopped what she was doing and walked over to stand next to her, and Sydney pointed out the small box on the shelf, just out of her reach. She’d had to use a ladder to push the box high up on a shelf, far away from her everyday gaze. Tanner reached up and pulled it down, hugging it to her middle as she scanned the contents. It was a mishmash of memories, none particularly valuable, but each item painful for the sting of recollection it evoked, which was why Sydney had stuck them up high and out of sight. She was sorry now she pointed them out to Tanner, who sifted through them like sands of time.
“I remember these,” Tanner said, holding up a pair of ticket stubs to the Beyoncé Experience. “Fred gave us these because of his fear of crowds.”
Sydney managed a smile. “Right. I predict he’ll make a wonderful securities lawyer, locked away from all meaningful human contact.” As the words “human contact” left her lips, she was acutely conscious of how close Tanner was standing to her. No amount of emotional strife could negate the pull that had always existed between them. She wanted to slip her arms around Tanner’s waist and slip back into the comfort of her arms, but it wasn’t safe and it wouldn’t last. The comfort wasn’t real. Each day since Tanner had moved out had been easier, but seeing her here, now, the conflict came roaring back. Would they ever be able to get past the chasm between them?
A loud rap on the window jerked her from the memory. Peyton was standing outside her car window, a puzzled expression on her face. Sydney shook off her reverie and climbed out of the car.
“Are you okay?” Peyton asked.
“Sure. Fine.” She brushed out the wrinkles in her suit. “Just tired. Long couple of days.” And a complete inability to speak in complete sentences, apparently.
Peyton motioned for her to follow as she walked toward the house and grinned when her heel got wedged in the gravel. “You’re not really dressed for a ranch, you know.”
