Fire Storm (The Gathering Storm Book 2)

by Marlow Kelly

  “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him.” Callaghan winked. “You have my word as a federal agent. He won’t get away.”

  As she made her way to the washrooms at the back of the coffee shop, she realized that at no time was she worried about Timothy Morgan skipping out on her.

  ****

  Tim watched Dana’s perfectly round butt as she walked away. She had the most eye-catching behind he’d ever seen. Enjoying her shape was easy. She was his type—tall with the perfect amount of muscle. The big surprise was that he liked her. She was doing her time as a cop in Hopefalls to make a better life for her son. He could respect that. He also liked that she had more experience than Booley. Maybe she would investigate properly and get to the truth.

  What a stupid idea. She was a Hopefalls cop and Alice Hayden’s niece. Objectivity was too much to hope for.

  The anxiety she displayed when she’d held her weapon on him told him there was something else, something in her past. She’d probably shot someone in the line of duty and was having trouble coming to terms with it. That was something in which he could relate.

  Maybe he should cut her some slack. Working for Booley had to be hard, and she was obviously uncomfortable with this duty. He could create a stink and report her to Ramirez. He was almost certain the detective would want to know the Hopefalls Police were investigating his case. No. He’d give her the benefit of the doubt, and if she proved to be Booley’s flunky, he’d deal with it. Until then, he’d enjoy the view.

  “I wouldn’t if I were you,” Finn said

  “Wouldn’t what?”

  “Make a move on Miss Hopefall’s PD.”

  He stretched back in his chair and smiled. “She’d probably shoot me.”

  Finn tapped the table with his index finger. “Listen, while she’s in the bathroom, I need to talk to you about Michael.”

  He sat up. “What’s wrong?”

  Finn’s humor from a moment ago was gone. “He needs a place to lay low while he recovers. I was wondering if he could stay in that cabin.”

  He lowered his tone to match Finn’s. “What cabin?”

  “The one you put David and Marie in when they were in hiding.”

  Tim shook his head. “That’s not possible. It belonged to Thomas George, a friend of my father’s, who passed away last year. His daughter owns it now. It was only safe then because of the blizzard. I figured no one would drive into the mountains in those conditions. Even if I could put him there, I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave him alone in an off-the-grid house with no running water and no electricity. He can’t haul water or build a fire. How the hell would he survive?” He wanted to help, but what Finn was suggesting was not practical. “What’s going on?”

  Finn rocked back in his chair and then hunched forward again. “I can’t go into details, but the FBI are compromised. I believe Michael’s in danger. I think the only thing protecting him is the fake identity he used when he went undercover to expose Portman.”

  “So this has something to do with David’s case?”

  “Not directly.”

  He waited for Finn to elaborate, but he didn’t. “Michael’s in bad shape. He needs a place to hide.”

  Tim blew out a long breath. Damn. Their friend must really be in trouble if this was his only option. He pointed toward the washrooms at the back of the coffee shop. “I’m being watched by the police. I can’t go anywhere without someone finding out. He’s welcome to stay with me until we can figure out something else.”

  “At the ranch? I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Finn pressed his lips into a thin line. “There’s only one road into your place. He’ll be seen going in.”

  Tim grabbed a napkin. “There’s a back road. It’s the old track that used to lead to the Kootenai Forest. State engineers changed the course of the road to one that wouldn’t flood. It runs parallel to the Hopefalls Highway. You drive through Hopefalls and turn left at the stop sign instead of going straight. Then take the next right. It turns into a dirt track a few miles out. Drive past the base of Molly’s Mountain until you reach the creek. Then turn north. To get across the stream you’ll have to cross the bridge on the highway, but at least no one will see you going through town. He drew a rough map, showing how the trail ran past Molly’s Mountain and into Wind Valley.

  There was an old saying—trouble always comes in threes. First, he was suspected of killing Ben and had the police stalking him, and now Michael was in trouble, which must be serious or Finn wouldn’t have asked for help. How could someone have access to the FBI? He pushed aside the question. The workings of law enforcement had always eluded him. And he had no interest in figuring out their problems. He had enough trouble coping with his own. Still, this was a lot of shit to deal with at one time. But Michael was more than a friend, he was family. He’d gone out on a limb to help David, and Tim had no doubt he would have done the same for him.

  “Thanks. This is not ideal, but it should work for a few days until I can figure something out.” Finn tucked the map into his pocket just as Dana joined them at the table.

  “So, what did you talk about while I was gone?” She seemed more alert, brighter now that she’d eaten.

  Tim switched the subject away from Michael. “We were wondering if you had a husband or a boyfriend.”

  Her gray eyes widened as her face flushed. “That’s none of your business.”

  He was surprised he was able to throw her off balance so easily. Not that he’d planned to make her uncomfortable. His initial intent was to take the conversation away from Michael, but her reaction was fascinating. It was thoroughly enjoyable to watch her squirm. Maybe he should make a habit of asking her personal questions and see how she responded. He smiled. He was going to have a lot of fun with Officer Dana Hayden.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The early evening sun crested the western mountains and cast long shadows across the city square. Dana walked with Morgan back to the lot where they’d parked their trucks. Neither of them spoke. It had been a long, tiring day. The futility of this assignment sucked at her self-esteem, pulling her down, making her wonder why she had agreed to do this in the first place.

  She needed to clear her mind, think, and identify her problem. Today was the first time she’d drawn her weapon since arriving in Hopefalls. She’d been hesitant, nervous, anxious, and an utter failure. Morgan had been hostile, standing in the middle of the road, and forcing her to stop was an aggressive act. But did she really feel threatened? That was a question she couldn’t answer. As a Spokane policewoman she was trained to perceive every encounter as a potential threat, to always be on her guard. But she wanted something different. She wanted to be part of a community where she knew and understood the problems that faced the residents. She wanted to get to know the citizens in her care.

  Morgan fished his truck keys from his pocket as they neared their vehicles. He seemed open and frank, but she knew from personal experience that some people were competent liars. Logan’s father, Oliver, would look her in the eye and smile while he lied to her and then steal her wallet and all her money. She had to question whether Morgan was more of the same. Was he a liar and a snake? Or a hard-working salesman who wanted nothing more than to be left in peace to care for his sick father?

  “I can see why you like your job. All you have to do is drive around and chat to people,” she said, breaking the silence.

  He shrugged, smiling, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Today it was just stores, which I can do on Saturdays, but I try not to because it’s their busiest day.”

  “What about tomorrow? Are you staying home?” She knew he wasn’t. He’d made a date with Eva but wondered if he would tell her as much.

  “I have to do some work around the ranch in the morning.”

  “And in the afternoon?”

  “I have to pick up Eva and drop her off somewhere, and then I’m going to visit my dad.”

  “Where are you taking her?” It didn’t matter if they we
nt for an innocent cup of coffee. Booley would have a fit. And if she was being honest, she didn’t like the idea of him—a handsome, sexy, charming man—spending time with a susceptible, grieving widow. “You know she’s delicate right now. It wouldn’t be right to take advantage of her.”

  He bent down so his lips were close to her ear. Her breathing hitched when his breath warmed her neck. A low thud of anticipation started deep in her core. Her breasts seemed to swell, rubbing against her bra. She didn’t move. She couldn’t.

  “If you think I’m that bad an influence, then you should come with us. Meet me at the diner at noon.” He pulled back and stared at her as if daring her to join them. Then without another word, he climbed into his truck and slammed the door, effectively ending their conversation.

  She tugged her jacket tight over her chest, not allowing herself to look down. She suspected this attraction was one-sided, which meant he had the upper hand.

  She headed to her vehicle and followed him out of the parking lot. She needed to push her desire and her emotional involvement aside and sort through her observations. There was nothing she’d seen today to suggest he was involved in any kind of suspicious activity. In fact, all the available evidence suggested the opposite, but then, it had only been one day. For nineteen years, she’d believed he was the boogeyman and wasn’t sure about letting go of her preconceived notions. Leaving him unguarded for the whole morning was out of the question. Tomorrow, bright and early, she would drive to Wind Valley Ranch and see what he was up to.

  ****

  She was tired and a little cranky by the time she reached the outskirts of Hopefalls. Ben had been murdered. Someone had…had what? She was almost certain the shots to his chest hadn’t killed him. Which meant someone had shot his corpse. So what was Ben’s cause of death?

  She was supposed to handover to Booley and give him a report of the day’s activities but didn’t have the patience to deal with his attitude. She called Xavier instead. “Can you tell Booley we’re nearly at Hopefalls? He can wait at the entrance to Wind Valley Ranch.”

  There was a low murmur in the background and the sound of a door slamming shut.

  “He just left,” Xavier announced. “I hear Morgan made you straight away?”

  She could hear the laughter in her colleague’s voice. “Yeah.” She’d allowed her personal interest in the case to override her common sense. She’d known from the start it was idiotic to shadow Morgan on a quiet country road. She should have refused this assignment, talked to Detective Ramirez, and worked in conjunction with the Granite City-Elkhead County Police Department.

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself. I did more checking into Morgan. Not only was he a Ranger, he also lived on the street for a few years. He probably has well-honed survival instincts.”

  “He was homeless?” She knew from her days as a beat cop in Spokane that street kids had a hard life. Most children, boys and girls, were forced into prostitution in order to feed themselves. It was a place where predators thrived, turning innocents into criminals, or worse, slaves.

  “Where else would a fifteen-year-old runaway go?” Xavier reasoned. “He lived rough in Granite City and was taken in by Marshall House. He got his GED there.”

  Her heart sank. “All because he played a teenage prank and stole a street sign.” Aunt Alice’s death had hurt her family in innumerable ways, but now she had a fifteen-year-old son of her own, one who’d gotten into trouble with the police. She had a better understanding of how the teenage mind worked. There seemed to be an inherent lack of awareness, as if they had no idea of the consequences of their actions.

  “Yeah.” Xavier lowered his voice. “I’m not from around here so maybe I don’t get how things are done, but why does Booley have such a hate-on for this guy? You, I can understand. Alice Hayden was your aunt, but with Booley it seems personal, or am I imagining it?”

  Dana took a deep breath. “I don’t know, but you’re right, this does seem more personal than it should. For the record, I don’t hate him. It would be easier if I did.”

  “Starting to like him, huh? It’s understandable. He’s forbidden fruit.”

  “You have got to be joking—”

  “And he’s handsome and charming.”

  “Xavier?”

  “You’re right. Girls hate that,” he joked.

  Even though Xavier was teasing, his words rang true, and she couldn’t deny her attraction so she settled for her tried-and-tested backup answer, guaranteed to end every argument. “Shut up.”

  Xavier gave a deep-throated chuckle.

  Dana thought about the information Xavier had supplied. “It’s like I said before—if Morgan wanted the gun, then why leave it with the dead body? I mean, we’re talking about an ex-Ranger who used to be a street kid. His survival instincts have to be sharp. If he wanted the gun, he would’ve taken it with him.”

  She hung up to concentrate on following Morgan’s vehicle. They drove through Hopefalls to the long dirt road that marked the entrance to Wind Valley Ranch.

  Booley sat in his truck, waiting. She waved at her boss, did a U-turn, and carried on driving, heading toward home. If he wanted to talk to her, he’d call.

  It had been an unsettling day. It wasn’t her first as a cop and probably wouldn’t be her last. When Logan was little, she would go home after a bad day, cuddle up with him, and watch cartoons. Being close to her son had grounded her in a way nothing else could. It helped her make sense of the world and her place in it.

  How was she going to deal with Morgan? He hadn’t said anything, but he knew she had a problem. From what she’d witnessed today, she didn’t think he would use that knowledge to coerce her, although her thinking could be clouded by her sexual attraction. Xavier was right. Timothy Morgan was forbidden fruit.

  He was also a complicated man. In one moment, he was charming and relaxed, and in the next he gave her that cold, hard stare. Of course, his mood changes could have something to do with her tailing him. What a joke. She hadn’t shadowed him. She’d spent time with him and enjoyed it.

  He was a suspect in a murder investigation. That was her assumption, but it wasn’t necessarily correct. Ramirez had released Morgan, which meant one of two things. He was either a suspect and they didn’t have enough evidence to hold him, or he wasn’t a suspect and this whole endeavor was a waste of time. That was something she really should check. In any case, she needed to get a grip on her emotions. She would tail him again tomorrow, and she would be observant and professional. Despite her pep talk, her heart did a little flip at the thought of seeing him again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tim held the kitchen door open, allowing Michael to limp through. A cool spring breeze freshened the stale air of the house, waking Tim. He’d tossed and turned all night. Every time he drifted off, he dreamt of Dana. Her long legs were wrapped around his waist as he thrust into her. Then he would picture her suspicious gray eyes and wake in a cold sweat. He’d never had any woman tie him in knots the way she did. If things were different, he might have asked her out to see if there was more than sexual attraction. But under the circumstances, that would never happen. He ignored his semi-erect penis and his visions of the long-legged policewoman who had caused his discomfort, concentrating instead on his injured friend.

  Finn had wasted no time delivering Michael to Wind Valley. His friend had been sitting on the couch when Tim arrived home last night. Michael had insisted on sleeping in the bunkhouse. A couple of years ago, that would’ve been fine, but now the place was filthy, vermin-ridden, and structurally unsound.

  Michael’s hair had grown since the last time Tim had seen him. That was two months ago when he’d been lying in a hospital bed. His injuries were so severe that even sitting made his face twist in agony. Now he was disheveled, unshaven, and smelled like stale sweat. He held his cane in his right hand as he maneuvered to the kitchen table. Exhaustion showed in his pale face, and a fog of pain shadowed his eyes.

  “Your pelv
is is broken on your left side, isn’t it?” Tim grabbed a frying pan from the cupboard.

  Michael slowly sat and winced as his butt touched the seat. “In three places, why?”

  “Wouldn’t it be easier to hold the cane on the left so you have support on your injured side?” He lay bacon in the pan and turned up the heat on the stove.

  Michael shook his head. “I broke my left collar bone. My shoulder hurts like a bitch. It can’t take the strain of supporting my weight.”

  Damn. He’d forgotten about the broken shoulder. “Who’s been looking after you since you were injured?” Tim propped himself up against the sink, his hands in his pockets, trying to keep his voice level. Michael wouldn’t appreciate an overt show of sympathy.

  “My mom came down from Canada. She went back a couple of weeks ago. Actually, I was doing really well until yesterday—”

  “You overdid it on the flight?”

  “Yep.” The clipped answer meant Michael didn’t want to talk about it.

  Tim pushed. “Normally, I don’t ask, but this sounds…” He had no idea how it sounded. The events of two months ago, when Marshall Portman had tried to kill David, had shaken them all. But this seemed to be more than a corrupt businessman.

  Michael eyed him as if trying to decide how much to say. Finally, he sighed. “It’s big. For your own safety, I can’t go into details.

  “What happened with David is still ongoing, isn’t it?”

  Michael nodded.

  Tim put a hand to his mouth as he considered the ramifications. Being in trouble wasn’t new. In fact, it was all too familiar. But it was made worse because Michael was incapacitated. He had to be able to protect himself despite his broken bones.

  “Got any coffee?” Michael said, changing the subject.

  Tim poured him a cup. “I’m making eggs, bacon, and toast. You want some?”

  “Sounds good. I’m starving.”

  Tim turned the bacon and then set another pan on the stove and cracked four eggs into it. “Then you can take a shower.”