by Regan Black
“Then why not use the cyber team to access the case? Why would Leo need you, too?” Grant asked, his gaze narrowed in thought.
“I got the impression the cyber team is only tracking Marburg employees for leaks,” she said. “The dying witnesses worried people.”
“It still doesn’t make sense,” Mitch said. “You can’t help if you’re fired.”
She nodded in agreement. “It’s been circling through my head and I still don’t have an answer. He can’t expect my help if I’m out, and yet it’s clear he does.” She handed Mitch her cell phone. This time when he gave it back, she left it on in case Leo tried again.
“We have to do something,” he said.
Grant agreed. “I’ll ask a friend to take a look at the cyber team company. Maybe there’s a money trail that leads back to Leo.” He stepped aside to make the call.
“In the meantime?” Mitch asked.
She came in close for a fast hug and kiss. “In the meantime, we’re almost done with this reorganizing. I want to see it finished, for sanity’s sake.”
“Fine,” Mitch said on a heartfelt sigh. He wiped a smudge from her cheek. “Let’s knock this out.”
Chapter 15
Julia’s phone vibrated in her pocket with a social media update and she ignored it. It had been a wonderful break to work on organizing the space backstage. Nothing here had anything to do with the law, witnesses and evidence, or unpredictable, not-so-dead stalkers.
When Grant’s phone sang out a few bars of the Rocky theme and Mitch’s phone glowed through his back pocket with an alert, she knew the break from trouble was over. All three of them paused to check their devices. Instead of the social media update as she’d assumed, her notification was for a news alert she’d set up to keep her apprised of any mention of the Falk case.
She swore at the breaking news headline that Falk’s safe house had been breached and shots were fired. “Haywood,” she murmured. “H-he said he’d bl-blame me,” she stammered, accessory to murder echoing in her head. “This can’t be happening.”
Mitch’s arm came around her waist, steadying her. The warmth of his arm filtered through her silk blouse and pushed back against the sudden chill that skated over her skin. “Blame you for what?”
She had to pause for a breath, as well as courage. “Accessory to murder.” There she got it out in a rush. It didn’t make it any better. “If Falk dies.”
“That’s crazy,” Mitch said. “You didn’t do anything.”
“He said the cyber team can prove otherwise.”
“That’s all fabricated.” He pulled her tight to his chest and just held her, his heart beating under her cheek. Here in his arms she felt safer than ever, despite the world crashing around her ears. “I’m taking you home.”
“Not yet,” Grant said. “We need to know what we’re dealing with first. My office,” he said, leading the way.
“He’s right,” she murmured, looking up at Mitch. His eyes were dark with frustration and she was more than a little afraid of what he’d do on her behalf if Leo threw one more problem on the heap.
“I don’t care about evidence,” Mitch said, his voice low and lethal. “Whatever his motives, I won’t let him destroy your career. I promise.”
Her career at Marburg was beyond saving, but she gave him a watery smile anyway. She laced her fingers through his and followed after Grant. “I’ll take that promise,” she whispered, leaning into his arm a bit. “If you’ll give me one back.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t ruin yourself or get hurt in the process of protecting me.”
He stopped short and planted a hard kiss on her lips. “That sounds like a woman who might care about her man.”
Her man. The words shot through her with all the speed and destruction of lightning. She barely suppressed the shiver as she recognized the sudden spark in his eyes. He was teasing, wanting to distract her and make her laugh. It was almost more disconcerting that she saw through his ploy. “Just promise me.”
His lips were soft against her ear as he whispered the words she needed. “I promise, Julia.”
Grant had the television on and the police scanner going when Julia and Mitch reached his office. “First reports are conflicting. Either Danny Falk’s been killed or he’s been captured while they were trying to move him,” Grant said, his voice as hard as his eyes. “According to my source, it sounds like someone from Marburg warned the FBI his location might have been compromised.”
Her legs going weak, Julia dropped into the nearest chair. “That’s what he wanted all along, a clear shot at Falk and a patsy to take the fall.”
Behind her, Mitch rested his hands lightly on her shoulders. She soaked up the comfort in his touch while the scanner crackled and the breaking news team gave relatively useless information. Maintaining contact as he moved, Mitch pulled the other chair up close to hers. His warm palm swallowed hers, infusing her with his strength.
She hated the feel of tears stinging her eyes. “He used me.” The man who’d orchestrated all of this had pinned her in a corner and all the fight had gone out of her. “I mean, we knew that, but he used me t-to find and kill his brother.”
“Shh. The facts will come out,” Mitch said. “It’s too soon to panic.”
Julia disagreed. In fact, it might be too late for all-out panic, too late to run. Leo Falk was nipping loose ends to make his escape. She knew too much for him to leave her alive.
“Watch the coverage,” Grant said. “Look for Leo in every shot.”
She did her best to obey the request, searching every wide angle for a glimpse of that brutal face or the orange ball cap, on the off chance he still wore it. Mitch’s hand clasped hers, a point of comfort as they watched the dramatic images from the safe house.
Gunfire rang out and the reporter flinched. The police radio came to life with chatter as the teams on-site sorted out who had fired and how to respond. Shouts of “Agent down” came through the mics.
Julia knew Falk was dead before the ambulance moved closer to the house, before any confirmation came over the radio or TV. Leo was plugging the leaks, trying to save the organization before it collapsed.
If Haywood had his way, she’d be charged as an accessory before Falk’s body reached the morgue. And if Leo got to her first?
Grant muted the television and radio. “Take her home,” he said to Mitch. “I’ll make a few calls and see what I can do from here.”
Their voices barely penetrated the thick fog of self-recrimination hemming her in. She hardly noticed the sunshine on her face as Mitch walked her out to his car or from his car into the house. The drive in between was little more than a blur.
“Stop beating yourself up,” Mitch said, helping her out of her coat and hooking it on the peg by the door along with her scarf. “He used you, that’s all.” He pegged his jacket next.
Wasn’t that enough? “Another man died today.”
“A guilty man with terrible enemies determined to silence him and protect themselves.”
She tried to cling to his logic, but it didn’t ease the guilt coursing through her. She closed her eyes and clamped her lips shut to keep from screaming. She should have done something. Something more. Something else. Every detail from the first creepy text message to the last one this morning ran through her mind. She let Mitch pull her into a hard embrace. “Can I panic now?” she muttered into the solid warmth of his chest.
“No.” He smoothed a hand over her hair. “Not on my watch.”
“Mitch.” Reluctantly, she pushed out of the sweet comfort of his arms. They’d exhausted their resources last night after his near miss. “Admit it.” She reached around him for her coat. “We’re out of time and options. Get me to the police station so they can take over.”
Mitch shook his head. “If Grant thought that was your best choice, he would have said so.”
“We’ve been fighting a losing battle from the start.” It actually felt better to admit it now
that it was over. “Grant knows that as well as you and I do. Leo played me and got what he wanted—access to his brother.” She shivered. “My best hope now is to beat Haywood to the police—” her voice cracked “—and tell my side of the story before he can smear me.”
He took her coat and hung it on the peg again. “We’ll sleep on it first. If you still feel the same way in the morning I’ll take you first thing.” He turned her toward the kitchen and nudged her along when her feet refused to cooperate. “For now, we lay low.”
That panic he claimed she didn’t have time for tried to surface again. “Fine.” She sat at the table while he placed a bottle of water and a glass of merlot in front of her.
“You didn’t fail your client.” Mitch brought a beer and a bag of potato chips to the table when he sat down. “Say it.”
She tried, but the words caught in the knot of grief and worry in her throat. “Haywood—”
“No.” He gently tilted her chin so she had to face him. “You didn’t fail your client. Hear me, Julia. Believe me.”
“I’m trying.” To her horror, the tears she’d been holding back spilled over her lashes and down her cheeks. “Sorry.” With a sniffle, she pulled away from him and swiped at her face. “You’re right. I’m being an idiot.”
“Pressure needs an outlet,” he said. “Tears happen.” He got up and walked away, returning after a moment with a box of tissues. “Let it out.”
“If we don’t have time for panic, why is there time for crying?”
He shrugged. “Maybe you’ll think better after a good cry.”
“Right.” She snorted. “Because I’ve been such an asset throughout this entire situation.” It was easier to believe she hadn’t failed the client. “It’s not like I knew him.” She reached for another tissue, dabbing at her eyes, blotting her nose again. “And you’re right, he was guilty by more than association. I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”
*
Mitch nearly choked on his beer. “Now, that’s a crock.” The last person in the world Julia would cry for was herself. She’d been little more than a limp noodle since Falk had been declared dead. “You might not have known the guy, but you cared.”
“About my job, sure.”
And so much more. “Drink your wine.” The agony and guilt weighing on her had been obvious long before Leo had twisted up evidence so she’d take the fall for today’s stunt.
He understood why Grant wanted them flying under the radar for now, but he hated sitting here waiting for the police to knock on his door and haul her in for questioning.
He muttered an oath, aggravated with all the things he couldn’t do to help her. He didn’t have the chops to help unravel the computer angle, and storming into Marburg for the sole purpose of busting Haywood’s nose wouldn’t help either of them, though he’d feel better.
“I overheard my dad one night after a fatal fire. He must have called Mom before he left the firehouse, because she was waiting up for him.” He picked at the corner of the label on his beer bottle as he remembered that night. “It’s the only time I heard him cry.” He risked meeting Julia’s gaze. “They’d done everything right and he didn’t know the man who’d died, but Dad sobbed on Mom’s shoulder for a good long time.” He swiped at the condensation on the dark bottle.
“Never saw him cry for a fallen firefighter, but he cried for that stranger. Nothing upset him more than the moments when doing the job well wasn’t enough.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Sometimes it is, Julia.” He tipped back his beer, draining it. “Life is crap sometimes and people get hurt. It’s one thing for us to pay the price when we’re doing the job right. That’s part of the risk we signed on for.” He caught her gaze, held it. “It’s something completely different when you lose an innocent person you’re sworn to protect.”
Though he hadn’t made any declarations to her, he was discovering a challenging new pain as he watched the woman he loved hurting. “I’m not letting you throw everything away on misplaced guilt.” He shoved back from the table as anger shot through his system. “Leo did this, not you. You did everything right to protect yourself and your client.”
He wouldn’t let her dedication go to waste and he sure as hell wouldn’t let the bastard get her, too. They’d worked within the law, with the information they had, and lost the battle, but not the war.
“I’ll get over it,” Julia said. “Minor setback.”
“You will.” He’d make sure of it. “There are other places to be a lawyer in this town.”
Her lips hitched in a wobbly smile. “Grant said the same thing.”
“Then it must be true. The man knows practically everyone in this town.” What she needed was a respite from everything. “Why don’t we go down for pizza—” His suggestion was cut short by the loud trill of the ringing house phone. No one used his landline anymore and he was tempted to ignore it until he saw the number on caller ID. “It’s the firehouse.”
“Pick it up,” she urged him, her smile brightening.
When he heard his chief’s voice informing him he was reinstated and back on duty as of tomorrow morning, he wanted to break out a serious fist pump. But he couldn’t go back to work unless Leo was located and in custody.
“Don’t you dare say no,” she whispered, a fierce scowl on her face.
He smirked, his own personal champion. Wrapping up the call, he replaced the phone and stared at her. Any celebration felt wrong, with her grieving the loss of both a client and a dream job.
“Well? Was that the news you’ve been waiting for?”
He nodded. “I’ve been reinstated. They want me back on the morning shift.”
She threw her arms around him, her joy for him bubbling over in her touch and effervescent congratulations. He paused to revel in someone so invested in what made him happy.
“I knew it!” she exclaimed again.
“Why were you so sure?” He held her at arm’s length, suddenly worried she’d called in a favor on his behalf.
“Oh, don’t give me that look. I didn’t have anything to do with it.” She came close for another hug. “How do you want to celebrate?”
“With another day off,” he replied. “I can’t leave you unguarded.”
“Mitch, it’s your job. You’ve been cleared—don’t jeopardize that on my account. Leo is probably halfway around the world by now. He can’t stay in Philly. I can’t stay here—”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed away the words. “Don’t say it.” He couldn’t bear the suggestion that she leave. It would undo any small progress they’d made as a team. “I’ll call Grant. Maybe he has news, too.”
The owner of the Escape was happy to hear Mitch’s good news, but he didn’t have anything new they could take to the police. He did however promise to send backup to cover Julia while Mitch was on duty tomorrow.
She insisted it would be enough, that he needed to get back on the job. He decided to stop arguing, take her out for pizza and then be home early to bed.
*
Mitch rolled over when his alarm went off and sat up in a rush of fear when Julia’s side of the bed was empty. A moment later, he caught the scent of bacon frying and smiled. His favorite attorney was making him breakfast.
He showered and dressed in record time and hurried downstairs. “This is a scene I could get used to.”
“Yeah, well, I advise you to consider it a one-time deal.”
He leaned in for a kiss to distract her while he swiped a crispy piece of bacon from the top of the serving plate. She looked so domestic in her yoga pants and one of his thermal shirts, with her hair piled up in a messy knot on top of her head. The words were right there, ready to launch from his mouth and he bit them back. She didn’t want to hear that he loved her. She wasn’t ready for him to ask her to stay in his life forever or until she got sick of him, whichever came first.
“I don’t think I can do it,” he said, wrapping his arms around her wais
t and nuzzling her neck. “I can’t leave you when you look so delectable.”
“Please. I’ve passed by a mirror this morning. Besides, we went over this last night. It’s your first shift back, you have to go.”
“Have to. Strong language from the queen of bacon.” He stepped back and held out his arms. “How do I look?”
She fluttered her eyelashes. “Like a hero.” She pressed up on her toes and kissed him.
Damn if his chest didn’t puff up with pride.
She laughed and the normal, delighted sound rippled over his skin. He let her fix eggs while he made toast for both of them. When they sat down at the table, he knew he’d never want to share this kind of intimacy with anyone else. She was the one. It didn’t even sound strange in his head. It sounded right and true. It might take him a lifetime to convince her to stick with him, but what else did he have to do that was more important than her?
He raised a toast point in salute. “Perfect breakfast. Thanks.”
“Least I could do after, well, everything.”
He didn’t care for the note of farewell in her voice. “You’ll follow Grant’s orders and stay here until I’m off shift, right?” They’d discussed it repeatedly last night and the minute he thought he had her convinced to wait, she’d presented a new reason to act first. Why did he like the way she argued?
She nodded now, her green eyes focused on pushing the next bite of egg onto her fork. He recognized the meaning behind her evasion. She intended to turn herself in the minute he was out the door. The idea of her going to the police alone gave him chills.
“I’ll call in and check on you every hour unless there’s a call. The number for the firehouse is on the refrigerator if you need me.”
“Great. Thanks.” She pushed her food around her plate. “I’ll be fine.”
He waited for her to clarify her definition of fine while he devoured the food she’d prepared. He cleaned up his plate and the skillet while she finished. A glance at the clock proved he had to get out of there or risk being late his first day back on the job.
