Quinn stared at his wife. “We seem to have two different ideas about what the word ‘lucky’ means, Callista. For the record, this is the total opposite.”
She grinned at him.
He wanted to growl.
“That sounds okay with me,” Jagger stated.
He stared at the Marine. “No, it’s not okay. One, it’s called breaking and entering, and two, she’s pregnant. That’s just wrong that her police mug shot will show a baby bump. That’s something I don’t want in a picture frame on my desk at THE POLICE DEPARTMENT!”
Callie laughed. She loved when her husband got all riled up. It was sexy.
“If you’re that jacked over this because you’re a cop, I’ll do it. I can sneak in, get some pictures, and get out. No one will even know I’m there,” Jagger offered.
Callie shook her head. “I’m the profiler. I need to see what’s going on inside the house. Don’t worry about it. My husband will get over it.”
“Don’t bet on it.”
Quinn wasn’t happy at all.
In fact, the mere idea made him want to be sick. There was no way he was going to let this happen. There was a special place in hell for husbands who let their women get hurt.
And he wasn’t going there.
“Then how about I head to the funeral, blend in, and see what I can find out there. You two toss the house, and Quinn, you’ll just have to get in and out without any incidents. You can do that, right? I mean, a police detective should be able to pull this off.”
Callie saw the challenge in her husband’s eyes when Jagger offered up the insult. Oh, they were definitely going into that house now. He had a younger man throw down, and Quinn wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge.
“Zip it, soldier boy. I’ve been alive almost twice as long as you have.”
Jagger started laughing. “Testy! Okay! I won’t say another word.” Instead, he winked at Callie. It looked like the fight was over.
She tried not to laugh.
“How about we settle the little matter of our bet?” Jagger asked. “What color was I wearing?”
Quinn crossed his arms and stared at the smug Marine. Oh, he was going to wipe the smile off his face. “You’re wearing what you wore, and you had on a blue baseball cap.”
The Marine looked surprised.
“You see, son, you didn't have time to change, and even if you did, Marines are creatures of habit. I know my sister is. When she’s home, and not on duty, she’s in either camo or black. You’re wearing black now, and that’s likely all you brought with you. I doubt that you have a stitch of color in that bag of yours—with the exception of your Spiderman Underoos.”
Callie snorted.
Jagger leaned forward. “And the hat?”
That was easy. “Maybe it’s because you stole a truck, and parked in front of the damn place. I was busy arguing with Callista, but I’m not senile and blind. It’s on the front seat, and you’d want to do something to throw me off.”
Callie offered him a fist bump.
“I may not be a phantom, but I am a cop. I notice little details like that. I guess you’re not as invisible as you thought,” he teased.
“I guess I underestimated you,” Jagger admitted, passing the man the money. “I won’t again.”
“Sure you will because you’re young. That’s the other thing I have going for me. With age comes wisdom. Now we’re going to play a little game of twenty questions.”
Jagger lost, so it was only fair.
Callie interrupted. “Uh, tomorrow, you’re returning the truck. We don’t need a stolen vehicle out front. That just screams stupid.”
He laughed. “Yes, Mom, I promise.”
Now, it was time to get some answers.
“How did you get stuck guarding Oracle?”
He shrugged. “I worked on the same Marine base as Maura, only on a different team. When Bravo Ghost was decommissioned, she needed someone to help her out, and she was able to pick anyone she wanted.”
“And she chose you?”
“Yes, does that surprise you?”
Quinn shrugged. “Were you on Alpha Phantom?” he asked.
The man stared at him, and said nothing.
Callie laughed. “Let me guess. It’s still being used, so you can’t talk about it.”
“Yep.”
“Well, in that case,” began Quinn, “I know my sister. You were probably Captain Bethany Harris’s best soldier.”
He looked surprised that the man knew the woman’s name. “How did you...?”
Quinn laughed. “My sister is sadistic. She may look all sweet and innocent on the outside, but she’d have a score to settle with the woman who was poaching from her team. Her retribution would be poetic. She wouldn’t kick her ass or report her for the indiscretions. Instead, she’d do what was done unto her. You know…an eye for an eye.”
With that, Callie had to agree. “Maura would have found the best Alpha Phantom and stolen him away. That would have screwed Captain Harris the most, driving her bat shit insane.”
Jagger laughed. “Yeah, it really did. The captain had a stick up her ass for about three days, and she tried to do anything she could to stop it, only the boss didn't give a shit. When the president sends down a decree, you don’t argue.”
“Well, because of Maura and Callie, we solved that case. We got justice for those Marines on Bravo Ghost.”
“I was wondering who did it,” Jagger said. “Thank you for finding that bastard for my brothers.”
“Oorah, Marine,” Quinn stated.
The man stood. “We should eat and get to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. We have a lot of ground to cover,” Jagger stated.
They didn't disagree.
Apparently, before the day was over, they were going to break the law.
Great.
This was going to be bad. It didn't take a cop to figure that out.
* * * C a r t e r - G a i n e s * * *
He sat in his office, getting all the information he could about the next person who might know where to find Avalon. He didn't care if he had to destroy the entire family to do it.
What was a little familial genocide?
Before this was done, he was going to make sure he took care of all the obstacles between him and his goal.
She was going to be his, and on that day, he would be crowned the true victor.
Once she was in his hands, he was going to cleanse the world of that sin.
“Where is she?” he asked one of his guards.
The man pulled out his phone. “We’re not sure she’s with him, but we followed two men from the FBI building. They headed to a condo a couple hours away. We’re waiting to see if they move her. If they head out, we’re going to keep tracking them.”
“Is she there?” he asked, getting excited. “If she is, let’s move on her now!”
“Sir, we know you’re in a hurry, but you have to let us do this our way. We don’t have confirmation that she’s in the building. If we did, we’d get her. You need to trust us. This is why you hired us. We can’t kick in the door to a Fed’s home. We’ll have the entire government all over us. We need to be patient.”
He took a deep breath. “Fine.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Let’s make this clear. If you fail me, and she gets away, there will be hell to pay. I’m funding your little business, and I want her now!”
The man nodded. “Sir, leave this to us, and instead of stressing it, head to your joint meeting in Washington. We’ll handle this. I’ll make sure you’re updated as it happens.”
He glanced at his watch. “You’re right. I’ll be meeting with the chief of staff and Director Rothschild. I’ll see what else I can learn.”
Their boss grabbed his briefcase and stormed from the room. As soon as he was gone, the two men let out a pent up breath.
They both were well aware that they were to the wire on this one. With this guy’s impatience, if they did
n't lock down this woman there was going to be bad shit coming.
Even as hired guns, they knew it.
* * * C a r t e r - G a i n e s * * *
When they loaded into the Hummer, Luke called shotgun, taking the front seat to sit beside Maura. When she slipped behind the wheel, no one even argued. It was obvious who was leading this mission. The Marine was definitely in control, and Luke was okay with that. While his girl drove, he’d keep his eyes out for anything ready to pop up and strike.
“You’re not going to try and sit up front?” Luke asked, staring back at his partner when even Nate didn't protest about the driving situation. That was definitely odd.
Then Luke saw that his best friend was sitting incredibly close to Avalon. They were so close that her leg was touching his.
“No. I didn't sleep, so at some point, I’m going to take a nap. You’re all chipper, and irritating, so you can have that seat.”
“Finally! I don’t get bossed around by someone,” Luke teased.
“Buckle up,” Maura demanded.
They all laughed.
“Well, that didn't last long.”
Maura glanced back. “Are you sure you don’t mind me driving? I know you’re in charge but…”
He stopped her.
“No, it’s really okay. I’m a team player. Besides, there’s only one person who knows where the safe house is located. That’s you, so you can drive, Luke can play navigator, and I can worry about other things,” Nate said.
Yeah, like the woman beside him. She smelled so damn good that he was having to fight the urge to taste her.
Maura was glad they weren’t going to have an ego pissing match. Technically, Nate was in charge, but she liked to be in control. It was kind of her thing. Now they didn't have to argue.
It was for the best.
“Are we ready?” she asked.
“Yes,” they all answered.
“Avalon, assume the position,” she ordered. “Get down below the windows.” While the glass was tinted, she didn't want to chance it. If they were being watched, Maura couldn’t risk the woman.
Avalon slid down, hiding like ordered. When she was crunched up, Nate patted his lap, forgetting that the woman couldn’t see.
“You can rest across the seat,” he offered when she didn't respond. “I don’t mind if you lean on me.”
Maura fought not to look up in the mirror. Luke was obliviously playing with the radio, and there was no reason to stir the pot further. They’d had their one conversation about Avalon, and that was it.
When he took her hand, pulling her across the seat to rest her head on his lap, Avalon didn't fight it.
She wasn’t crazy. This was more comforting than she was accustomed to. Someone was actually touching her, and not scared that Oracle was going to do something freaky.
It was really nice. His hand was gently stroking her hair, and he smelled like heaven.
Nate tried not to look down.
“Just stay there for a little while,” Maura stated, as they drove through the parking lot of the condo complex. She didn't see anyone out of place, but that didn't mean they didn't have eyes on them. These bastards were tricky, and it was taking everything she had to keep them one step ahead. It was like she was doing battle against herself. Whoever they were, they were well trained.
Nate brushed some hair from Avalon’s cheek. Then, he realized that having her head in his lap was probably a very bad idea.
Immediately, his mind went there, especially when her hand moved up and down his thigh. She was returning the exact same comforting that he was giving her. Only, it wasn’t calming him. It was making Nate wild.
Christ!
This was torture.
What the hell had he been thinking? For a smart man, he seemed to get into some seriously bad situations. Now all he could do was pray, and wait.
After driving a while, Maura glanced into the rearview mirror. “We should be good. I don’t see anyone following behind us. I think we’re in the clear.”
Nate was glad. He was in hell. Avalon’s face was inches from parts of him that it shouldn’t be.
No, that was total bullshit. He liked her there, but he was trying to be a gentleman. Somewhere deep inside, he knew that she belonged where she was, but he wasn’t sure how. She just fit.
“Avalon, you can get up,” Maura offered. “You’re safe now.”
There was no reply.
Glancing down, Nate touched her shoulder. She was out cold. Obviously, Avalon didn't get much rest either. For some reason, that made him very happy.
Maybe she’d been thinking about him.
Well, he could always hope.
“I think she’s asleep,” Nate stated. He hit the light on his phone, and it flooded across her features. Her eyes were closed, her breathing was even, and she looked at peace. “Yeah, she’s out cold.”
“She never sleeps when we transport,” offered Maura. “Can you check to see if she feels warm? Maybe she’s getting sick. If she is, we’ll have to reroute and get her to a doctor.”
Neither man missed how motherly Maura sounded, but they were too concerned to bust her ass by calling her mom. Besides, she’d hurt them just for shits and giggles.
Nate was worried.
In fact, he was freaked out. With gentle fingers, he touched her forehead to gauge her body temperature. When she wasn’t warm there, he cautiously lifted her shirt to place his hand on her stomach. Thankfully, Avalon didn't move. If she woke up, who knew what she’d be thinking.
Oh, that’s right. She’d accuse him of being a pervert for copping a feel on a sleeping woman.
And he couldn’t blame her because that’s exactly what he was doing—more or less.
“Well?” Maura asked.
He tried to regain his composure. Avalon’s soft skin tied him up in ugly knots. “No, she’s fine. Both her head and stomach are cool to the touch.”
“Well, this is definitely a first. Avalon is generally jazzed up and nervous when we move. I’ve never seen this before. Half the time, the men on my team want to sedate her to calm her down. When she’s stirred up, she asks lots of questions.”
Nate moved, slipping off his jacket. He dropped it over her body to offer her some warmth. He hated the idea that other men wanted to slip her some drugs to silence her. That horrified him. She could ask him any questions her heart desired. Nate would answer each and every one.
Maura watched Nate in the mirror. He was protectively tucking Avalon under his jacket as he gazed down at her with something more than FBI duty.
There was definitely something there.
Well shit!
This was bad.
She couldn’t believe what was happening.
Avalon was obviously at ease with the man, even acting like she knew Nate her entire life. Toss in that he was watching over her like a lover. It foretold of a disaster heading their way on the horizon.
It looked like he wasn’t the only one getting in trouble. Maura might have to have a talk with Avalon too.
“What’s our next stop?” Luke asked, breaking the silence. He noticed his best friend, and it made him smile. There was a time when Nathaniel Carter was icy and cool. Now he’d found something that warmed him up.
He was glad.
“We’ll break for breakfast after dawn. I can do an eight hour drive easily, but then we’ll need to fuel up once or twice, and get some coffee. Is that okay, Nate?” she asked.
The man didn't reply.
“Nate?”
Luke turned around in his seat, only to find his friend leaning back with his eyes closed. His large hand was possessively on Avalon’s side, as if marking his territory.
“He’s out too.”
“Yeah, they were up the entire time we were taking our naps,” Maura stated.
“Really? That’s great!” Luke loved that his best friend had found someone to keep him in the light. He hadn’t seen Nate look this calm in a long time.
This was a damn good thing.
She glanced over at him. “Lucas, that’s not great. In fact, it’s the total opposite of the word. This is the exact definition of clusterfuck. In the dictionary, this is the example they give you!”
He didn't get why she was so stirred up.
“Why? She obviously likes him because she’s curled up against him, and Nate is at peace. You said she never did this before, and I know he’s never given a shit about anyone else of the opposite sex but Callie. This is a damn good thing in my book.”
“Someone’s going to get hurt.” Maura wasn’t quite sure who, or how, but this set off all the alarms in her head.
He stared at her. “You don’t know that. In fact, that’s pretty cynical, even for you, baby.”
Maura glanced over. “Yes, I do know it. Oracle isn't available. She’s attached and in a long term relationship.”
He lowered his voice. “Shit! She’s got a man? How? When? Where?” Suddenly, Luke began to get that sick feeling. The last thing he wanted was to see Nate hurt. This would blindside him.
Maura sighed. “Yeah, she does, and his name is Uncle Sam. He’s going to get pretty damn pissed off if she tries to break it off. He’s a dick. When he says it’s over, that’s when it’s over.”
Luke stared back at them. In all honesty, he’d never thought about it that way. “Oh boy.”
“You can say that again.”
Luke stared over at the woman he loved. “You can’t tell me there isn't a way we can help her. There has to be something we can do, Maura.”
While he was worried, he wanted this for his friend. Since he knew what was living in Nate, he had to find a way.
“We can’t.” Then, she paused. “I can’t, Lucas. I work for the government. Remember? I’m the hired gun.”
How could he forget.
Still.
There had to be a way.
CHAPTER Four
Tuesday Morning
Fredricksville
T he sun was barely up, but already she was awake. Callista Gaines wasn’t normally a late sleeper, but toss in that she was pregnant, and it was a crapshoot. There were days where she didn't have control of her body, and it looked like their growing child wanted an early morning wakeup call.
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