Devoted Defender

by Rachel Dylan

  The larger issue was whether he should even allow himself to develop these feelings for Annie. He knew he was a guarded guy when it came to his emotions. But being in this situation with Annie had totally messed up his equilibrium. The emotions he was so used to having completely in check weren’t any more. It was like she had the only key to the box where he’d stored up all of his feelings.

  He’d already made one dangerous mistake because of what he felt for her. He couldn’t afford for that to happen again. But even telling himself all of that, he hadn’t been able to stop from kissing her. Because right then and there, it felt like the right thing to do.

  They backtracked and drove a few hours north, headed toward Atlanta, and arrived at the address provided to Gabe by the DEA contact who they were supposed to be meeting at the safe house in the Atlanta suburbs.

  Once Gabe had given the all clear to enter the safe house, Caleb escorted Annie inside.

  A tall man with dark hair and a leather jacket met them inside. This had to be the DEA agent.

  “I’m agent Kane Sloan with the DEA.” Kane outstretched his hand and made introductions with everyone.

  “Are you sure this location is secure?” Caleb asked. It was his job to question Kane because he couldn’t take anymore unnecessary risks. The fact that Gabe trusted Kane was the only reason they were here. But Caleb still had to confirm and hear it from Kane’s own lips.

  “Yes. I personally reserved this safe house for another project I’m working on. I just won’t use it while you’re here.”

  “We appreciate you jumping in to help,” Caleb said.

  Kane nodded. “I would like to be able to talk to Annie about what she witnessed at the Perry house. Gabe briefed me, but I’d like to hear it from her.” Then Kane turned his attention to Annie.

  Immediately Caleb’s protective instincts kicked in. The last thing Annie needed to deal with right now was an interrogation. “Annie’s had a rough day. Maybe she can fill you in later. I’m sure she wants to get settled in.”

  “No,” Annie said. “That’s okay, Caleb. I appreciate everything Kane is doing for me.” She looked over at Kane. “I will try to help out in any way that I can.”

  Kane smiled at Annie and Caleb couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy. He’d only met Kane two minutes ago, and he was already wondering if Kane would be a better match for Annie than him. He had to keep himself in check.

  He listened as Annie told Kane all she knew about what happened that night at Doc Perry’s house and what she’d heard about Tim Silva. Which admittedly wasn’t a whole lot. Doc had gotten in over his head with a very dangerous man.

  “Well, just like everyone else, the DEA has their own angle when it comes to the Silva organization. Right now, the DEA is focused on trying to tie Silva to some large drug ops that have occurred down in south Florida over the past few months,” Kane said. “Silva’s organization has reached a new level. They’re trying to tangle with some of the established groups that have been around much longer. Which is why you’ll be safe here until we can figure out the best course of action.”

  Caleb had to bite his tongue. He didn’t like Kane stepping in and taking charge. But he also knew that he needed the DEA’s support especially given the FBI situation. He should just be quiet and thankful that they now had a safe house. “Do you have any intel on the FBI agent working with the organization?”

  “No. But we’ve kept our DEA operation walled off from FBI for a variety of reasons,” Kane said.

  “Turf war,” Gabe said. “Don’t try to act like it isn’t.”

  “But in this instance, Gabe, it works in your favor,” Kane said. “I’m not the enemy here.”

  “Same here,” Gabe said. “This is going to take a team effort.”

  “Thanks, everyone,” Caleb replied. “It will require us all pitching in. And, Kane, this safe house is a huge contribution.” He looked over at a weary Annie. “But I do think we would probably like to try to get some rest. It’s been a long couple of days for us.”

  Annie looked over at him and gave him a small smile—but it was big enough to remind him of the kiss they’d shared earlier.

  “I’m going to take Hope back home to Maxwell. But if you want me to come back after that, I will.”

  “I don’t think that’s necessary,” Caleb said. “We’re off the grid right now. We just need to make sure it stays that way.”

  “I’ll check on you two in the morning,” Kane said. “Here is a burner phone I picked up for you.”

  Caleb had already taken out his SIM card from his phone earlier. He was glad to have a burner now. “Thanks for everything,” he said.

  “No problem. Lock up and watch your back,” Kane said.

  **

  Annie watched as everyone else left the safe house, leaving her alone with Caleb. A wave of exhaustion washed over her. They’d basically been on the run for the past twenty-four hours and it was difficult for her.

  He walked over to her after he locked the front door and set the alarm system per Kane’s earlier instruction. He gently took her hand in his. “I know this is completely crazy, Annie. But at least now we have some support from the DEA. And having this safe house is clutch.”

  “Do you think it’s really safe?”

  “I’m not going to lie to you. Nothing is a hundred percent right now. But this is as close as we’re going to get. The only people that know we’re here are people we know we can trust. It’s why we’re keeping the circle so small.”

  She hadn’t had much time to fully process the kiss between them. But as he stood there now holding her hand, it felt so natural. “Speaking of that. Don’t you need to check in again with Mac and Gabby?”

  “I will. I just wanted to make sure you had everything you needed first. Talk about a whirlwind.”

  She nodded her head. “I think some sleep will make a big difference. Maybe I’ll finally get some, now that we have at least a little more stability than before.”

  He dropped her hand and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. At his touch, she wondered if this could even be real.

  “Pick whatever room you want and I’ll choose one close by. I don’t want to stay on different floors. Just in case.”

  “Sure.” She didn’t like the sound of those contingencies. But she appreciated that he was on high alert. The events of the past days let her know that danger was lurking around every corner.

  “And are we okay?” he asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know if I overstepped with you. We really haven’t had a chance to talk about it.”

  Yeah, that kiss was everything. She tried to find the words to respond. “I’m okay if you’re okay,” she replied.

  He smiled and her heart warmed. “I’m more than okay on that front. It’s everything else that we need to get squared away.”

  Although a bit of doubt and fear started to creep into her mind. Should she really think that something between them was possible? She’d been cautious of relationships for over a decade. And now she was considering what? What did he want out of all of this? Was she even capable of having a normal romantic relationship?

  “I can see the wheels turning in your mind,” he said. “Talk to me, Annie.”

  She wondered how much she should share with him. He already knew she had scars from her past, so she might as well be honest about her lack of experience in the romance department. “I’m not really good at this whole thing, whatever it is that is happening between you and me. I don’t date.”

  “Like ever?”

  “Nothing of any substance. It’s just been easier that way. It’s not like I had a good role model in that area. So I have been much more hesitant than most people. The last thing I want to do is repeat the cycles of my past.”

  He took a step closer to her. “You’re not your mother, Annie.”

  “My mind tells me that, but it’s harder to convince the heart that I am really capable of living diffe
rently than she did. You know?”

  “Why don’t you let me help you then? I’ve also put up barriers around myself for years. We can work through this together, can’t we? If you just give me a chance, then maybe we’ll tear down barriers together.”

  Her pulse quickened—a combination of fear and longing for something more. But there was a voice in her head telling her that she was foolish to think she’d have a normal relationship. “Can we talk about this later? I’m exhausted.” Her shoulders slumped a little.

  “Of course. I know you’re tired. Go get settled in. I’ll check on you in a little bit.”

  “All right.” She felt a tinge of disappointment that he didn’t push the issue further. But he was doing exactly what she had asked. She couldn’t blame him for respecting her wishes. She started to walk away, eager for a moment of respite, but Caleb’s burner phone rang. She stopped as he answered the call.

  “Gabby, I’m putting you on speaker. I’m here with Annie.”

  “Hey, you two. I got the burner number from Gabe. He just filled me in on what’s been going on. I can’t believe all of this. You sure that you’re both okay?”

  “Yes, we’re fine,” he said. “Annie got busted up a bit when we hit the tree trying to evade the SUV that was stalking us, but she’s been bouncing back really well.”

  It was nice to hear him say that, because she didn’t feel like she was handling anything well at all.

  “Thank the Lord that it wasn’t any worse, then. From what I understand, the two of you could very well be dead right now.”

  Gabby’s words sent another shot of fear through her.

  “But we’re not,” Caleb said. “We’re both safe.”

  “I’ve been busy investigating the Silva network,” Gabby said. “Unfortunately, Phil Perry was right. There is a move to expand the drug operations out of Atlanta and into certain suburbs and small towns, especially on the storage side. I also think I found a warehouse in Maxwell that Silva’s people have purchased under the name of one of his many shell companies. So I’m going to keep an eye on the activity there. I know you were concerned about the organization’s presence in Maxwell. Hopefully I can get some evidence that will lead you to conduct a police investigation and shut him down before he gets too far off the ground. I’ll want to make sure that they are fully operational in the warehouse before I make any sudden moves, because I don’t want to spook them.”

  “Gabby, you should step back,” he said.

  “Why in the world would I do that? I’m finally getting somewhere,” she said.

  Annie could hear the frustration in Gabby’s elevated voice.

  “This is way too dangerous now, Gabriella.”

  “Don’t you even go there, Caleb. You know that only mom and dad used to call me that name.”

  “And since mom and dad are no longer with us, I have to be the parent here and step in.”

  “It’s unfair for you to do that,” Gabby responded.

  “This isn’t one of your usual PI jobs. If Silva finds out you’re snooping around, he won’t give a second thought about having one of his guys, like McCoy, take you out. I can’t be worrying about you getting in the crosshairs while Annie is also being targeted. It’s just too much. Again, I’m asking you to back off of this. Now.”

  Annie started to put the pieces together. Caleb hadn’t mentioned anything about his parents before. And now she understood why. They were dead. Just like her mom. She’d been so focused on her own family drama, that she hadn’t even bothered to ask him about his parents. She should’ve never been so focused only on herself.

  “You wouldn’t be saying this to me if it was Mac doing it,” Gabby shot back. “In fact, you’d be asking for his help. Encouraging him to find out more information. Do you realize how that hurts me? I’m a big girl. I can do the job I was trained to do.”

  “Actually, under these set of circumstances, I’d be worried about him too. But at the end of the day, Gabby, you’re my baby sister. And it’s my job to protect you at all costs. Even when it ticks you off that I’m trying to do so.”

  “Are you sure you aren’t the one who hit your head in the accident? I’m a PI. I do a lot of dangerous assignments all the time. And you’ve never told me not to do my job before. Ever.”

  “And that should tell you a lot right there. This is on another level. I’m asking you to do this for me. Please let this go. At least for now.”

  Gabby let out a loud sigh. “Only because I can tell that you’ll be worried nonstop if I don’t, and we can’t afford to have you distracted right now. I’ll fill Mac in on everything I know and go from there.”

  “Thanks, Gabby.”

  Gabby hung up without saying anything else.

  Caleb looked directly at her. “Gabby’s great at her job. I don’t doubt her abilities at all. But I can’t help but worry about something happening to her. And I just couldn’t handle that,” Caleb said. “I couldn’t handle losing her.”

  As she watched him, she saw some level of vulnerability. “I didn’t know about your parents. Look at me.” She threw her hands up. “I’ve been so self absorbed. It’s completely embarrassing.”

  “You don’t need to apologize. You’ve had every right to be focused on yourself given all that has happened. And it isn’t like I’m the type of person to put it all out there.”

  “Even though I guess I haven’t acted like it, I do really want to hear about you and your family, Caleb. What happened to your mom and dad?”

  “Dad died of a heart attack right after I graduated high school. Mom was never the same after that. She had a stroke and passed away five years after he did.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s probably one of the reasons I’m so tight with Gabby and Mac. We had to get through all of that together. The three of us are super close, but we will butt heads because we are all very stubborn and independent. But I’m not going to take chances in a situation like this. Gabby might be mad at me now, but she won’t stay that way forever. I’d rather have her mad than dead.”

  A chill shot down her back. “Will she actually listen to you?”

  “I’d usually say no, but since she said she would this time, I think she will. No doubt she’s on the phone with Mac right now trying to convince him to help her. Or at the very least complaining to him about how unreasonable I’m being.”

  “She just wants to be useful. I get that. I wish I could do more. Sometimes I feel like I’m just getting in the way and creating more problems for you.”

  “You’re doing great, Annie.” He paused. “And I know you’re exhausted. We got sidetracked because of Gabby’s call. You should go pick yourself a room and try to get settled in.”

  “Sounds good.” Yes, she could use a few minutes alone and the much needed rest.

  **

  Once Annie left the room, Caleb let out a breath. With everything that was going on, and now with Gabby putting herself in the line of fire, he could feel his anxiety level rising. He internalized most of his emotions, but as the threats ramped up it was becoming more difficult to appear totally cool on the outside. But he didn’t want to cause Annie any more concern than was needed. She knew they were in a life-threatening situation. He didn’t need to compound that.

  But the discussion with Gabby had led to a talk with Annie that he was glad he was able to have, because it allowed her to see another piece of him. He had just opened up about one of the most painful experiences of his life—the death of his parents—which would be rough for anyone who had lost their parents.

  If only it was just that, though. Because he hadn’t completely expressed why he was so worried about Gabby’s well-being. He’d taken the first step, but there was a lot more. Losing his teammate in Afghanistan had forever changed him. The guilt still ate at him. If he was being honest with himself, he didn’t think he’d make it if he lost someone else so soon that he loved.

  So yes, he might be overprotective of Gabby, and he might ha
ve been a little controlling in his response, but it was only because deep down he was afraid of experiencing another loss. Afraid of his ability to cope with grief again right now.

  It would’ve probably been the perfect opportunity to lay it all out there. Not just the death of his parents, but also what happened in Afghanistan. But the thought of trying to verbalize what happened to another person didn’t seem possible. At least not yet. Although the fact that he was even thinking about it made him consider that maybe it was time to face the truth. To talk about the unspeakable. He wanted to be able to let Annie see his entire self—all the bruises and scars of his past. Maybe then she’d understand that he was just as broken as she was.

  He made sure the downstairs was secure and that he knew the ins and outs of the safe house. He gave his deputy Mike Ramsey a call because he needed to keep him updated. And he also needed Mike’s help.

  When Mike answered, Caleb was relieved to be able to catch him up. “It’s best for me not to give all the details, but a DEA contact came through for us and I’m in a safe place with Annie. I need you to do something for me, though.”

  “Sure, whatever you need,” Mike said.

  “I need you to keep an eye on Gabby. I think that she believes she’s going to be able to help me with this case, but I worry she’s going to get into trouble with Silva. I can’t afford to have something happen to her.”

  “Say no more. I’ll keep an eye out, but make sure that I’m discreet, because I know she’ll freak out at both of us if she thinks I’m babysitting.”

  “Thanks, man. I’ll keep you posted.” His phoned beeped. “Look, I need to run. Mac is calling. And you can reach me on this number if you need me. It’s a burner.”

  “You got it.”

  He switched over to answer Mac’s call.

  “Caleb,” Mac said.

  “Yeah.”