“I don’t mean to upset you. I just had to deliver that message. If I don’t they scream and scream in my head. It’s enough to make me insane. I think I can refrain from freaking you out anymore.”
Maura came to her fiancé’s rescue. “It’s okay, Luke. Avalon will get messages, and sometimes she has to share them. She won’t anymore, will you, Avalon?” she said, putting her irritation in her voice so the woman would know she’d crossed a line.
“I’m sorry. I’m not really good in social settings. I’ve been alone for a very long time. When I meet new people, it’s hard at first. I get inundated with visions. I apologize for upsetting you, Agent Mars. Like Maura said, it won’t happen again.”
Nate could hear the emotion in her voice, so he moved toward her to offer the woman some reassurance. Before he could speak, Luke recovered.
“No! That’s okay, Avalon. Honestly, I was wondering in the car over here if they’d be proud that I’d found love. Now I know.” If he was going to work this case, he couldn’t let the spookiness get to him. Besides, he could see the look on Nate’s face. He was going through something now too.
“They’re quiet now, so I won’t dump anything more on you tonight. I promise.”
She moved away from them to regain her balance. While standing by Nathaniel Carter, she felt out of sorts. “Thank you for taking on this protection duty,” she offered. “I’m sure there are things you’d rather be doing than babysitting me.”
Nate didn't believe that was true. He couldn’t stop staring, even when Maura gave him a look. Avalon was gorgeous, and he wanted to wrap his body around hers to keep her safe. Something rose up in him, taking control.
She needed him.
Christ!
He’d always liked blondes too.
Of course fate had to screw with him.
Then, without warning, she turned her head. “Yes, fate is like that, Nathaniel.”
He swallowed.
“What is she talking about?” Luke asked.
Instead of freaking his partner out more, he tried to cover his ass with the first thing that came to his mind. If Luke knew that Avalon had just read his mind, he might lose his nut.
Unfortunately, the harder he tried to speak, the more his words came out in a garbled mess. Even to him, he sounded like an idiot!
Luke and Maura stared at him.
“Are you having a stroke, Nate?” Luke asked.
Avalon came to his rescue. “I think what Nathaniel means is that he had just been thinking if I’d be reading him too. Then he thought about fate, and I saw it in my head. When I answered, he’d been thinking about it.”
Luke swallowed. “That’s one of your tricks too?”
Avalon wanted to defend herself, but she could feel the energy coming off Maura. There was no doubt that she’d upset the woman, so she let it go. After all, this was someone who always treated her with kindness. In her life, that wasn’t the norm.
“Yes, it is.”
Nate didn't know what to say. He only prayed he didn't start thinking about sex. That would be embarrassing. “Thank you,” he stated, and then tried to justify his blubbering. “Maybe I hit my head when Maura kicked the hell out of me.”
Luke calmed down. “I’ve been there. She’s mean when she swings.”
The Marine escorted them toward the table. It was time to get back to business. Handing Nate his gun, she admonished him, “You can’t bring that gun with you,” stated Maura. “You’ll have to pick from our plethora of other guns.”
Luke whistled. “Elizabeth wasn’t kidding when she said she jacked requisitions.”
Nate ran his fingers over the guns, but he was thinking about the woman. When he picked one, it didn't really matter to him. For some reason, he was being driven insane. He needed to know more about her.
There was that itch in his gut warning him that something was going on beneath her surface.
“I’ll take this one,” he stated.
Maura handed him the second one that matched it. “You’ll be double packing. We all will be.”
Luke pulled the Sig and checked the clip. “I’ll take this one.”
Maura already had her guns, so the rest went back into the bag. “You have the money and phones from Elizabeth?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Nate replied, as Luke tossed the envelope to her.
She dumped out the cash and pulled out the rest of her stash. “We have about enough to last two weeks if we don’t run into any trouble. We’ll use most of it for food and lodging. You two won’t be able to rent us places. I’ll have to do it. Since you’re Feds, if this person has a mole, you may be compromised.”
They all sat down with the exception of Avalon. She nervously paced.
“What’s wrong?” stated Maura, picking up on the subtle cue.
“I feel off.” This time, it wasn’t from Nate being so close to her body. They were far enough apart that she wouldn’t be influenced by his energy or confusion. “They’re coming soon. I can feel it.”
Nate looked alarmed. “What? How the hell does she know that?”
Maura explained. “Avalon has this handy trick. She’s not all future telling and mind reading. When she feels like she’s in danger, she lets us know. She just picks up on it. It’s how we managed to stay one step ahead until now. Avalon is the best damn alarm system, and that’s why they used to keep her with the president.”
It made sense—in some twisted way.
“Okay, so what do we do?” Luke asked, placing himself protectively between Maura and the front door. He wasn’t willing to take any chances that anyone would be coming after the woman he loved. He’d been there and done that once before.
It sucked.
She found his overprotective behavior sweet, even though it was completely unwarranted. “We have time, Lucas. We’ll head out before dawn when it’s still dark to make our escape. When we hit the road, we should be good. If they’re headed here, we’ll have some time to get away.”
The men stood.
“We should all pack up and catch a few hours of sleep,” she stated.
Nate wasn’t tired. “I’ll pack up the Hummer. You and Luke can have the guest room. Avalon can use my bed. I’ll crash on the couch, so I can watch the doors. I’ll be the first one they have to get past in case anyone gets in.”
Maura patted him on the shoulder. “Call if you need me,” she offered. “Come on, Avalon. I’ll get you up to Nate’s bedroom.”
He watched his team walk away, wishing he was going with them. It wasn’t because he was suddenly lonely. It had everything to do with the woman they were flanking. Nathaniel Carter wanted to be by Avalon’s side.
He tracked her like a wolf scenting a mate, and it unnerved him. That overwhelming need scared the shit out of him.
Where the hell had it come from?
What freaked him out even more was when she got to the top of the stairs, Avalon turned as if staring at him.
His eyes met hers, and his heart jumped in his chest. As quickly as it came, it was gone the second she moved around the corner.
One thing was crystal clear. He was three days past screwed. In the first hour of meeting the woman he was tasked with protecting, he’d figured one thing out.
He wanted her in the worst way, and that wasn’t going to be possible. Avalon Miller was totally dangerous, and one of those things in life that was hands off.
Yet... he didn't think he could resist.
“I am totally screwed.”
Fate was stirring the pot.
* * * C a r t e r - G a i n e s * * *
Monday Afternoon
Fredricksville
They pulled up to a small cottage just outside of town. It was the exact coordinates that Elizabeth had given them, so it had to be the place.
“Home sweet home,” stated Quinn, putting it in park. The entire ride there was making him edgy. It wasn’t all about the case and going into the unknown. Some of it had to do with who was joining th
em. The Marine beside him kept a gun on his lap as if someone was going to attack them.
It made Quinn twitchy.
He didn't know this man, and the way he was brandishing guns freaked him out. How was he to know he wasn’t some crazed Marine hopped up on PTSD?
“It’s not that bad,” Callie stated from the back of the Denali. “I kinda like it,” she offered, trying to be positive. “It’s small but cozy.”
Quinn stared at her in the mirror. “I’m not shocked that this tiny place makes you happy. You Feds are crazy. I know when I’m doing something dangerous, I like to be in a safer place. We’re in the middle of nowhere and surrounded by trees. This is an ambush waiting to happen.”
“That’s my favorite part,” Jagger stated. “Because of the location, I can patrol the trees and watch for intruders. If something happens, we have a safe place to hide. The woods will be the perfect cover.”
“See? Crazy flocks together,” he teased. When the Marine didn't laugh, he rolled his eyes. “Lighten up. We’re stuck together until we’re done investigating.”
Hopefully, that wouldn’t be more than a day or two. Quinn didn't like leaving Suzie behind.
The Marine hopped out of the vehicle and headed toward the house. Like promised, the key was in the mailbox. “I’ll check it out. Stay out here.”
As the Marine headed in, gun in hand, Quinn leaned against the hood of the car. When his wife joined him, he pulled her into the larger frame of his body. “We’re going to discuss this later,” he stated, “when we lose the soldier. I’m not happy, Callista.”
She went up on her toes to kiss him. “Will you be naked at the time? That’s my favorite way to discuss things with you. Better yet, I’ll be naked instead.”
He snorted. “You’re trouble.”
Callie winked at him.
“It’s clear,” stated Jagger, heading out. “If it’s okay with you two, I’m going to scope out the surrounding area. I like to know where the hell I’m at before I break for the day.”
Quinn waved him off toward the trees. “We’re going to be heading into town. If you come back and we’re gone, that’s where you’ll find us. You’ll have to grab a ride.”
He nodded and trotted off, gun still in hand.
“Do you get the feeling that Elizabeth gave us some crazed Marine just for shits and giggles?” he asked. “If I saw anyone else with a gun in their hand, and no badge on their hip, I’d be scared stupid.”
His wife snickered. “She could have. With Elizabeth, you never know what kind of crazy you’re going to get. She likes to mix it up.”
Great.
For some reason, that didn’t make him feel any better.
Once inside, Quinn made sure to lock the door. When Jagger came back, he would just have to knock. Quinn was wary about the whole safety factor, so he wasn’t taking any chances.
Maybe wary wasn’t a good word.
He was freaked out by the entire thing. This whole case was giving him a sick feeling in his gut, and as a cop, that didn’t sit well with him.
“What now?” he asked.
“We need to sit down and figure out who we’re going to visit first.”
“Who’s on the list?”
“Well, from the look of the names on the list, Quinton, it looks like we’re interviewing Avalon’s family. We have a grandmother, mother, two siblings, and a cousin. Other than that, we only have her job history, and a brief synopsis of her life.”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He could see the glint in her eyes. It was the same one he’d fallen for when they were hunting a serial killer in Myrtle Springs.
Callie heard the angst in his voice. “I love being out on a case with the sexiest detective in the world,” she stated. “What’s not to love, big guy?”
Whenever she smiled at him, he couldn’t help but relax. “Oh, well, why don’t you come on over here and tell me how hot and bothered I make you?” he offered.
She giggled. “If I must.”
Holding out his hand, Quinn pulled her from her chair and into his lap. “This is so much better,” he stated, running his big palm over her baby bump.
When she wiggled, his lower body woke up.
“You better behave, or we’ll need to head up to one of the vacant rooms.”
“Promises, promises,” she stated.
When she brought her mouth to his, the kiss exploded around them. While they may have kids, be married, and currently be in the comfortable phase of their relationship, they were still a happy couple.
They had love.
It was amazing.
At the knock on the door, Quinn groaned. “We should have left the Marine at home. Now I can’t molest my wife.”
“You can later. I won’t even put up a fight, or maybe I will…”
He started laughing. “I can’t wait.”
At the door, he peeked outside. When he saw it was indeed Jagger, he let him in.
“We’re clear,” he stated, holstering his gun. “What’s the plan, ma’am?”
“Callie. You can call me by my name.”
He hesitated. “Okay, ma’am. What’s the plan?”
Quinn laughed. You could take the Marine off the base, but you couldn’t take the training out of the Marine. “We’re going to head into town to look around. We’re going to start on our list of people tomorrow, but first I’d like to get a feel for the place. Unfortunately, we’re posing as a vacationing couple, and you’re too old to be our son.”
The Marine got it. “You won’t see me. I can blend in.”
Quinn laughed. “I’m a cop. I can spot you a mile away.”
This time, it was Jagger’s turn to grin. “I was on a top secret team of phantoms, Detective. We extracted people who were in danger. If I don’t want you to see me, you won’t.” Then, he pulled out some money. “Twenty says that you can’t tell me what color shirt I was wearing when you get back from town.”
Quinn was down with that. He threw down a twenty too. “If I win, you have to tell us more about you. If I lose, I’ll admit that you’re a spook.”
They shook hands.
Callie rolled her eyes. “Seriously? I’m drowning in all the testosterone.”
“Come on, baby. We have a town to scope out.”
With that, he saluted the Marine and headed out. No young kid was going to show up his street skills. He’d been a cop in Atlanta. He could spot someone a mile away.
This boy had met his match.
In town, they strolled around, hand in hand. It was a quaint place with lots of little shops. Callie would stop and look in the windows to admire the baked goods or jewelry.
“This is kind of nice,” he stated, scanning the area. He’d yet to see the Marine, and he was getting irritated. Quinn knew he was around, he could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing.
“It is,” she offered. “Let’s grab a coffee, and then you can look for Jagger because I know you’re not thinking about me.”
He laughed. “I hate when my wife is astute. That’s what I get for marrying a shrink.”
Callie led him across the street. There was a café there and inside, there were a slew of deputies.
“We just found the local cop shop,” he whispered, pretending to kiss her ear. There was no doubt in his mind that this was exactly the last place on Earth that they wanted to be.
Callie knew what he meant. They were strangers in a small town. Any cop worth his salt was going to notice them.
So instead of getting comfortable, they ordered, trying to keep their backs to the deputies. Once outside, Quinn led them far from that area. “Let’s head to the store we saw. We’ll pick up our supplies and get back to the cottage.”
Callie was good with that. She let him lead her there. Once inside, they began their shopping. Quickly, they picked up enough food for a few days. The less visits out in public, the easier it would be to sneak around and do their research. At the checkout, the woman was extra chatty.
Great.
“Hey, are you visiting our town?” she asked as she kept sliding their order over the scanner. “I don’t recognize you.”
It looked like they had no choice but to talk.
“Yeah, we’re visiting some family friends,” stated Quinn, hoping she’d let it drop.
Of course they didn't get that lucky.
“Oh, who?” she asked, ringing up their order. “I know everyone. I’ve lived here my entire life.”
Callie hesitated. If she made up a name, and the woman didn't know them, it would make more of a conversation. So, she went with the basics and didn't lie.
“The Millers.”
The woman stared at her. “Oh, then you’re here for the funeral tomorrow?” she asked, lowering her voice.
Quinn raised a brow. “Pardon?”
The woman shook her head. “I grew up with the Millers. We all went to school together. When they found Mary Louise dead, it shocked us all.”
Callie’s eyes went wide. “She’s dead?”
The woman kept talking. “Someone broke into her house, ransacked the place, and killed her. The town is a twitter. If you’re here to visit the family, then you should know that, shouldn’t you?”
Quinn paid, knowing they needed to get out of there fast. From the look on his wife’s face, something was going on in that head of hers. Besides, he didn't want to deal with the nosey woman any longer than he had to.
Getting his change, they headed out. “What the hell was that about?” he asked.
Callie stared up into his green eyes. “Quinn, it can’t be good that the dead woman is one of the names on our list. Someone killed Avalon’s grandmother.”
He didn't like this at all.
“That can’t be a coincidence,” she stated.
Quinton Gaines was a cop. They didn't believe in them. “I doubt it was, baby.”
Yeah, this was even more reason to get back to the cabin. Quinn could smell a mess, and this one reeked.
“Tomorrow, while the family is at the funeral, we’re going to head to her house and snoop around,” Callie stated.
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