Dangerous Grounds

by Shelli Stevens

  She tossed her head and went to the doorway to look out front.

  Gabe blinked, made himself count to ten. He kicked his feet up on the desk, smashing the empty chowder bowl between his hands. He tossed it into the garbage can a few feet away, his jaw tight.

  “Shit, Maddie. For a while, you had me convinced that you’d grown up.”

  “Grown up?” She turned around, her expression taut with resentment. “I’ll have you know—”

  The bell dinged, signaling another customer.

  “Never mind.” She gave him an overly sweet smile. “I have another supportive customer to attend to. They just adore me and my shop now.”

  “Don’t go up there without me.” He jerked his legs off the desk, but wasn’t fast enough. She’d already rounded the corner.

  Damn it. He strode after her. He should have known better than to have gotten sexually involved with her. Maddie Phillips was still as spoiled and naïve as ever. Maybe more so.

  “Gabe!”

  The hysteria in her tone nearly catapulted him around the corner, just as a gunshot sounded and Madison screamed.

  Chapter Ten

  The first shot may have missed, but the man who stood in the entrance to the shop had raised his gun to take aim at Madison again.

  “Get down, Maddie!” Gabe ordered as he pulled his own gun from its holster and put in a quick call for backup.

  Madison snapped out of her frozen stupor, and finally fell to the ground so fast it was almost comical.

  Gabe used the espresso counter as cover and stood just enough to where he could get off a shot. The other man had the same idea, and right after Gabe fired, a stinging heat seared across his shoulder.

  The other man wasn’t unscathed either. He groaned and grabbed his arm, then turned and fled the shop.

  Gabe jumped up and ran after him, his feet pounding the sidewalk as he tried to keep up. But the man had a car parked near the curb, and a second later he jumped in it and squealed out of the parking lot.

  “Shit.” He slowed to a walk and put his gun back in the holster, then reached for his radio. After calling in a description of the getaway vehicle, he gave his shoulder a tentative roll to determine the extent of his own injury.

  Very little blood and pain. It was only a graze, nothing serious. He turned and hurried back to the shop.

  Madison wasn’t in sight and his heart pounded with sudden fear.

  “Maddie?”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  Gabe followed the sound of her voice to behind the counter. She still lay on her stomach, her face cushioned on her arm. She didn’t sit up or even turn to look at him.

  “You can get up now. It’s safe.”

  “I know.”

  Gabe sighed, not in the mood to accommodate the hysterics she might be ready to embark on.

  “Do you think I’m a complete idiot?” Her voice trembled. “Because I am. I was so damn sure of myself and my own invincibility. If he had shot me, I would have deserved it.”

  His anger diminished some. She realized she’d been out of line. This was the Maddie he liked and admired. Gabe knelt down beside her and rubbed her back.

  “You deserve a good spanking, but not to get shot. That reminds me.” He glanced up at the sound of sirens.

  “What?” She sat up and gave him a quizzical look. “You want to spank me?”

  “No, I need to have my arm looked at.”

  “Your arm? Oh, God!” Madison lurched to her feet to inspect his injury. “Oh my God! You were shot? Gabe, you were shot! This is all my fault.”

  She started to babble and tears were falling. Gabe’s mouth twitched with slight amusement, even if it was wrong. He watched her for another moment before trying to calm her down.

  “It’s a graze, Maddie.” He pulled her into the curve of his good arm. “I don’t even feel it. Easy, girl.”

  “A graze?” She hiccupped. “Are you sure? You need to go to the hospital. Now. Go get it looked at, Gabe. Please, before you bleed to death.”

  Gabe laughed, and before he could respond the bell above the shop rang. He gently set her aside and went to greet the half-dozen officers who’d just arrived. Brian came in behind Sarah, Maddie’s lone employee. He watched as the girl rushed to Maddie’s side.

  “Oh no! What happened? Madison? Are you okay?”

  Thankfully she had a friend to talk to now. Maddie still looked pretty shaken.

  Gabe turned back to the officers and began to fill them in on the situation. Once done he turned to glance at Madison who still spoke with Sarah.

  “She was lucky she wasn’t shot,” Brian said, shaking his head.

  “Yeah, she ran out alone ahead of me. I told her not to. The woman doesn’t seem to get how bad this situation is.” He jerked a hand through his hair. “This is getting way too dangerous for her. Look, I need to get my arm checked out, and I want to have a talk with the sergeant. I’m going to head out. Brian, stay alert and keep her—them—safe.”

  “Of course,” the younger man said, his hand covering the gun at his side. “Nothing’s going to happen.”

  “Damn right,” Gabe muttered and walked out the door. “I’m going to see to it.”

  “If I hadn’t gone to lunch with Brian, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.” Sarah turned a frown on Madison and shook her head. “You almost got killed. Again.”

  “He would have shown up whether you guys were here or not,” Madison replied, sipping on a latté. She’d chosen to use the decaf coffee, though. The last thing she needed was caffeine to put her any more on edge.

  “Maybe.” Sarah paced the floor of the shop. They’d closed early, at three. Even though they were closed, curious people kept walking by to peer in the windows to see why four police cruisers were in the parking lot.

  Brian and another officer were retrieving the bullets from the wall, dusting for prints, and collecting any evidence that might be of use. They’d told her having that evidence would make identifying him even easier.

  Madison glanced over at them again. Lord, she wished Gabe was still here. He hadn’t even said goodbye. Yeah, she scolded herself, like he’d hang around to chat sporting a gunshot wound.

  “Madison…”

  She turned back to Sarah, hearing the hesitation in her employee’s tone.

  “I just don’t know how to say this,” Sarah bit her lip and looked down. “I’m too afraid to keep working here. I know that makes me sound like a total coward, and maybe I am. But I can’t help it.”

  Madison blinked, not surprised, but unprepared to hear the words from her lone employee’s mouth. What was she going to do? Without Sarah she wouldn’t be able to stay open. It would take awhile to interview someone and replace her.

  “I love working for you, Madison,” Sarah went on quickly. “But until they catch the Espresso Bandit—”

  “It’s all right,” Madison interrupted and patted the younger girl’s shoulder. “I understand, Sarah. I’ll work something out.”

  “I feel terrible.” Sarah wrung her hands and she cast a distressed glance over toward Brian. He caught her eye and gave a slight smile.

  Madison watched the exchange and held back a sigh. It looked like Brian stood behind her decision, had maybe even encouraged it.

  “Don’t worry about it.” She took another sip of her latté. “I’ll have your paycheck by tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Madison, no hurry. As soon as he’s caught, I want to come back.” Sarah smiled, looking visibly relieved. “If you still want me.”

  “Of course I do.” Madison forced herself to smile, although she had the beginning of a tension headache.

  Gabe walked inside the shop just then, his gaze determined and focused on her as he walked across the floor.

  Relief and weariness swept through her body. Maybe he would take her back to his house…make another nice dinner.

  “Can I talk to you for a minute?” He grabbed her elbow and pulled her into the back room.

  Surprised a
t his abruptness, Madison struggled to keep up with him. “Hey, what’s the hurry?”

  “We’re going out of town for awhile.”

  “What? Going out of town?” She shook her head. “I don’t understand. Where? Why?”

  “I’ve gotten the okay from my superiors,” Gabe went on. “You’re not safe here. You need to close your shop up for a week or two and I’m going to take you away—”

  “Close my shop up?” she interrupted, her stomach dropping. “Hold the phone, Gabe. I just opened my shop on Monday. I will not close it again.”

  “Jesus, Maddie! What’s it going to take?” Gabe yelled, his voice getting so loud she was certain everyone up front could hear them. He went off on some tangent, cursing in Spanish so fast she couldn’t even begin to translate. Not like she spoke enough Spanish to do so anyway.

  She finally just interrupted. “Gabe, you don’t understand.”

  “No, you don’t understand. You’re acting crazy, Maddie. Listen to yourself. Do you have a death wish? Use some common sense. You need to go away for a while until they catch this guy.”

  Madison scowled at him and sat in the chair. Who was she kidding? She didn’t have a choice. Even if Gabe hadn’t been forcing a mandatory vacation on her, with Sarah quitting there wasn’t any way she could stay open.

  “What did you have in mind?” she asked, her tone flat.

  Gabe blinked, seeming surprised by her sudden agreement. “I have a friend who owns a cabin on Whidbey Island. We disappear for a while so the Seattle P.D. can track down and find the Bandit without risking your safety.”

  “When do you want to leave?”

  “Tonight.”

  Her life would be put on hold and she’d go away with him. Spending an indefinite amount of time in a cabin, on an island, with Gabe. It almost sounded romantic. Her lips twisted. Almost. But it was just business to him.

  “All right.” She nodded and looked around the office, reviewing the things she needed to do. “Give me a few hours and I can be ready.”

  The ferry to Whidbey Island was a twenty-minute ride. Instead of staying in the car, Gabe convinced Madison to go upstairs and stand out on the deck.

  She folded her arms on the railing and watched as they drifted further away from the dock.

  When she looked to the right she could see the faint lights of Seattle. She took a deep breath. The air was different out here. Cleaner and more invigorating. Puget Sound shimmered in the moonlight, the waves slapping against the side of the white ferry.

  Gabe came to stand next to her, leaning on the railing in a similar motion. He gave her a sideways glance.

  “What are you thinking?”

  Madison turned to look at him and shrugged. “Not much—just how beautiful it is out here. I’ve never been to Whidbey Island, can you believe it? I’ve lived in Washington my whole life and I’ve never been.”

  “You’ll love it.” He paused and looked back out at the water. “Are you upset about me dragging you away?”

  “No.” And she wasn’t. She looked out over the water again. “I mean, at first I was. But it’s for the best. I’ve decided to look at it like a mini-vacation.”

  “Good idea.”

  “What about you? Are you annoyed that you have to babysit me for awhile?”

  “You’re not a babysitting job, Maddie. I’m determined to keep you safe. I’ll go to any lengths to do it.” He heaved a sigh. “Besides, I’m being given paid leave for the gunshot wound. Don’t freak out,” he rushed when her eyes widened. “I told you before that it’s nothing more than a graze. It’s not safe for you in the city and that’s why I’m taking you out of it. I will keep you safe.”

  Warm fuzzies spread through her body at his words.

  “I promised your brother.”

  The fuzzies died a cold, hard death. Of course he wouldn’t be doing this for her. He was doing this for Eric. It always came back to her brother.

  He hadn’t wanted to sleep with her because of Eric. The only reason he was protecting her was because of Eric. Face it, Madison, you will always just be Eric’s little sister.

  But it shouldn’t have mattered anyway. He was only there for the short term anyway. That whole transitional thing she’d wanted. Right?

  Her stomach felt heavy, her throat tight. All of sudden her rationalizing didn’t seem so practical. She sighed deeply and shoved a piece of hair away from her eyes.

  He must have mistaken her frown for something else. “We’ll have him soon, Maddie. Don’t sweat it.”

  “I know you’ll get him. Especially since he was stupid enough to leave bullets in my espresso machine.”

  Gabe laughed.

  “You shot him, though.” She turned to him. “Didn’t you?”

  “I hit him solid in the right arm.” Gabe’s expression hardened. “All gunshot wounds are required by law to be reported. If he went to a hospital, we’ll have him by tonight.”

  Madison shook her head. “He’s not that stupid. I’m sure he’d sew himself up with a rusty needle before going to the emergency room.”

  “He came after you in broad daylight, while you were under the protection of the police. That makes him look pretty stupid in my book.”

  “Yeah, well he almost got me. If he’d succeeded…”

  Gabe shook his head, his jaw going hard. “Well, he didn’t. I screwed up by letting you go up front by yourself. You just aren’t safe alone. Period.”

  “Yeah, well that’s why I’ve got you, stud.” She tried to regain the light atmosphere from earlier. “You’re my own sexy bodyguard. Just like the movie. Except I can’t sing and you’re not Kevin Costner.”

  She watched the tension in his body ease again, as he cracked a smile. “Thank God for that.”

  The ferry started slowing as they approached the dock on Whidbey Island.

  “We’d better head down to the car.” Gabe straightened and took her hand. “Ready?”

  “Yeah. Ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied and followed him back inside the ferry.

  After driving for a half hour, Gabe pulled off onto a dirt road in the woods. The road went on for a few minutes, twisting through the trees before ending at a small, secluded log cabin.

  Madison looked at the view beyond it. The cabin rested on a cliff that overlooked Puget Sound and the view was something out of a travel guide. Well, if the picture in the travel guide had been taken at night. Thinking of this time as a vacation wasn’t going to be so hard after all.

  “Wow.” She climbed out of the car and walked to the edge of the property, stopping short at the edge of the cliff. It was dark and she couldn’t see much but the twinkling of lights across the water, and the shadow of the Olympic mountain range.

  “I can tell you have no fear of heights,” Gabe drawled from behind her.

  “Not at all.” She pointed to the lights. “Where’s that over there?”

  “Port Townsend.” His hands closed over her shoulders and he pulled her back a few steps. “You’re making me nervous standing that close to the edge, Maddie.”

  Her toes were only about an inch away from the cliff’s edge, but she allowed him to guide her back. Her thoughts were already turning to the idea of getting into bed with Gabe again. Not just for the sex, though it was a big draw, but more so for the being held afterwards. She needed a bit of cuddling after today.

  Madison tucked her hand into his as they headed toward the cabin. “It’s beautiful here, Gabe.”

  He squeezed her hand. “The inside is pretty great, too.”

  Madison gave him a suspicious look. “Is this the part where you tell me that this really isn’t a friend’s cabin, but yours?”

  “What?” He looked down at her. “No, Maddie, this is not my cabin. Jesus, do you have any idea how much property like this costs?”

  Madison flushed. Oh, God she was an idiot. She kept saying stupid stuff like that. In her world, where her parents owned a summer home in Europe, it wasn’t improbable. But Gabe wasn’t in
her world; he’d made that clear before.

  “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just used to that kind of surprise it’s really mine thing because it always happens in the movies and books.”

  Gabe led them up the two steps to the porch. “The cabin belongs to a friend I went to college with.”

  Madison turned to him with a thoughtful glance.

  “A lot of cops don’t even have a college education, Gabe. You have a degree in criminal justice, right?”

  “Right.” He unlocked the door and stepped inside.

  “You don’t have to settle for being a cop.” She followed him into the house.

  “Settle?” He gave her a hard glance.

  Eek, that had come out wrong. She touched his hand. “No, wait. I’m just saying that with your degree and ability to speak Spanish, you could try for the FBI if you wanted.”

  “If I wanted,” he agreed, flicking on the light switch. The room flooded with a soft light. “But I don’t. I belong in local law enforcement. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. It’s what I will continue to do.”

  “Why?” Madison asked, genuinely curious. She wanted to understand him more. To figure out what had driven him to join the local law enforcement, and what still drove him.

  “Look, Maddie, I’m tired. I don’t want to talk about it, okay?” His voice was rough. “Just make yourself comfortable while I go get our stuff from the car.”

  Madison blinked, surprise and hurt raging through her. He stepped outside the door of the cabin and left her alone.

  What had just happened? He’d seemed angry at her questions. Had they really been that bad? Or maybe she had provoked it. You just don’t think, Maddie. You say things and then think about the consequences.

  And apparently she’d said the wrong thing more than once tonight. She wrapped her arms around her waist and glanced around the room.

  It was just how she’d imagined a cabin would look. A lot of wood furniture with plenty of soft cushions. Simple, comfortable, and beautiful. A place to relax with someone you loved. A different kind of luxury. An absolutely wonderful cabin.