No Way Out

by Susan Sleeman

  Gibson’s bravado wavered and Cole went in to close the deal. “I’m sure we can work out a deal for you if you tell us what you know about Wells’s death and agree to testify.”

  Gibson pondered for a few moments. “I didn’t see him do it.”

  “But you know where we might find the evidence to convict him, don’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’ll do.”

  Gibson ran a hand over his head now slick with sweat. “Let’s be clear here. I won’t do anything to put my family in danger.”

  “I get that, but Saunders is going down for this murder and distributing meth whether you testify or not. Help us and save yourself, or go down with him.”

  Gibson didn’t seem inclined to roll over on Saunders so Cole started backing toward the door. “It might help you make the right decision if you remember what they do to cops in prison.”

  “Wait,” Gibson called out. “I’ll do it. If I get complete immunity on all charges.”

  “I can’t promise that.”

  “Then you don’t have a deal until you can.”

  “I’ll have to check with my contacts.”

  “You do that and when you can give me immunity in writing, I’ll give you Wells’s killer.”

  Partial compliance was not exactly how Cole hoped this would go down, but it was progress. “And now you can tell me what you’re doing here.”

  “I’m supposed to detain Alyssa if she comes home.”

  “And then?”

  “He plans to eliminate her.”

  An uneasy feeling settled in Cole’s gut. He needed to get out of here. His brother and sister were good at their jobs, but he wouldn’t relax until Alyssa was under his supervision again. He jerked his gun at the door. “I’ll escort you out.”

  Gibson got up and, not taking his eyes off Cole, backed to the door.

  Cole stopped a few feet away and holstered his weapon. He didn’t want to leave himself unprotected, but he needed to give Gibson’s gun back to him. It wouldn’t do for Gibson to report the loss of his service weapon and raise Saunders’s suspicions.

  Cole cleared the chamber, withdrew the ammo clip and drew his gun again before joining Gibson at the door. “If I catch you anywhere near Alyssa Wells or her children, I not only won’t get you that deal, but I’ll also make sure you get the full penalty due. Got that?”

  Gibson nodded and grabbed his gun then backed outside.

  After Gibson drove off, Cole turned the lock on the doorknob and hurried to his vehicle. He felt confident he’d find a law enforcement agency to cut Gibson a deal on the charges. It wasn’t every day an opportunity arose to arrest the boss of a drug operation and take a killer off the street at the same time. Cole only hoped they could act before Saunders sent another man after Alyssa. A man Cole might not be able to reason with and who would do his best to take her life.

  * * *

  With dinner in the oven, Alyssa needed something to do to keep from worrying about Cole’s visit to Frank. She’d often felt unsettled when Todd was a police officer, wondering if he would make it through the day, but that was because she loved Todd. She’d admit she was attracted to Cole, but she certainly wasn’t in love with him.

  She didn’t even trust him, so why had she been so troubled since he’d walked out the door? And why couldn’t she quit thinking about all the things that could go wrong in his meeting with Frank?

  With a groan, she marched down the hall to check on Riley and Brianna. They sat on the floor of their bedroom playing a Curious George matching game. Riley’s face bore the serious look that had rarely left his young face since Todd died.

  What was going to happen when, if everything went according to plan, he also lost Nolan, who was almost like a father to him? Both men her son had admired and wanted to emulate had let him down. Fortunately, she didn’t have to let him or Brianna know about Nolan until he was arrested for his crimes. If she shared anything sooner, not only might she share wrong information, confusing her children, but they could inadvertently let something about Nolan slip at school. With Pacific Bay being such a small town, Nolan could hear about it and flee. There was no way she’d risk letting him get away with killing Todd.

  “Mom,” Brianna’s sweet voice called out, “can we go home?”

  Alyssa would like nothing more than to scoop her children into her arms and take them home, but Nolan might be there and she couldn’t risk it. “Our friends have invited us to stay the night. We can pretend it’s a big adventure.”

  “But my TV show is on and I’m missing it.” Brianna’s whine grated on Alyssa’s already raw nerves.

  “Come on, Bri,” Riley said. “One night isn’t gonna kill you.”

  She bent down and kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “He’s right, sweetie.”

  “’Sides,” Riley added, “you’re winning right now so I’m the one who should be whining—not you.”

  Brianna’s eyes perked up and she snapped down another card. “Match.”

  Satisfied a crisis had been averted, Alyssa went back to the family room. The mouthwatering scent of an onion-topped roast she’d prepared drifted from the kitchen. Despite her concern for Cole, her stomach grumbled.

  Dani and Derrick sat at the kitchen island, both working on computers. Alyssa didn’t want to interrupt them, but she couldn’t sit idly by and wait for news of Cole, so she paced the floor in the family room.

  “You need to stay away from the windows, Alyssa,” Dani called out.

  “Sorry.” Alyssa gave Dani an apologetic look. “I just can’t seem to sit still.”

  Dani climbed off her stool. “It’s understandable. You’re worried about what Saunders has planned.”

  She nodded and evaded a more detailed answer by walking away. She went to a floor-to-ceiling bookcase loaded with novels and picked up a large seashell.

  “Is there something else bothering you?” Dani asked.

  How could Alyssa answer that? She couldn’t. Not without admitting she was worried for Cole, making her think she was coming to care for him.

  “Alyssa.” Dani’s voice came from right behind her, and Alyssa jumped, nearly dropping the shell. “Sorry to scare you like that.”

  Alyssa put the shell back. “I’m just a little jumpy.”

  “It’s probably none of my business, but is this about Cole?” Dani’s gaze burrowed into Alyssa.

  Not willing to talk about Cole, Alyssa shrugged.

  “I thought so.” Dani smiled knowingly. “I see the way you look at him when you think no one is watching.”

  Had she really been that transparent with her feelings?

  A car door slammed outside. Dani spun toward the door, her hand automatically going for her weapon.

  “Thank goodness.” Eager to find out what had happened with Frank, Alyssa started across the room.

  “Don’t open the door. It might not be Cole.” Dani rushed ahead of Alyssa.

  Alyssa thought Dani was overreacting, but she knew this family was all about protecting her. She stood back and waited while Dani peeked through the blinds covering a side window.

  “Is it Cole?” Alyssa asked.

  “Yes.”

  Alyssa took several deep breaths and hissed out her anxiety, surprising herself at how much she’d let thoughts of Cole putting himself in danger get to her.

  Dani pulled open the door and Cole stepped inside. His usual focused expression—eyes narrowed, jaw firm—said he had something on his mind, but he didn’t look worried or agitated.

  “What happened? Did Frank agree? Will we be able to have Nolan arrested?” The words flew out of Alyssa’s mouth as if she were a child on Christmas morning thrilled with her presents.

  Dani laughed. “Alyssa’s been worried about you. She’d b
een jittery and pacing the floor waiting for you to get back.”

  Cole arched a brow and studied Alyssa. She blushed under his careful scrutiny and he smiled, so soft, so sweet, so intimate, that she nearly forgot to breathe.

  “So what happened with Gibson?” Dani asked, abruptly ending their moment.

  “Why don’t we sit down?” Cole’s voice sounded as unsteady as Alyssa’s legs felt. “Care to join us, Derrick?”

  “Thought you’d never ask.” Derrick jumped off his stool.

  Alyssa crossed the room and dropped onto the sofa. Cole took a seat next to her. Dani and Derrick sat in plump chairs on the other side of a large coffee table. Alyssa didn’t need Cole sitting this close right now and wished he’d chosen the other side of the table. She scooted back until she couldn’t move another inch, which earned her another arch of his brow.

  “Well?” she asked, taking the focus off her discomfort.

  “I found Gibson. At your house.”

  “My house? But why? And how?”

  “Saunders gave him a key to wait for you. He was ordered to detain you if you came home.”

  “And then what?” Her fear built in anticipation of his answer.

  “That’s not important right now. What we need to focus on is that he claims to have evidence to implicate Saunders in Todd’s murder.”

  “And you believe him?” Derrick asked, sounding skeptical.

  “As much as one can believe a dirty cop.”

  Dani studied her older brother for long moments, making Alyssa wonder what was going through her mind.

  “What if Gibson’s playing you?” she finally asked.

  “Worst case scenario is he tells Saunders we’re on to him.” Cole’s expression hardened into solid granite. “Something Saunders already knows.”

  “Do you think this might be enough to keep Nolan from coming after me?” Alyssa imbued her voice with the urgency she felt.

  “Not likely.” Cole met her gaze and the intensity burning in his eyes reminded her of another night when she’d faced physical danger. The night Todd had hit her.

  A shiver claimed her body, but she forced herself to remember that she wasn’t alone tonight. She had the amazing Justice family at her side. “If Nolan knows about all of you, then he has to know the odds of getting to me are against him.”

  “He’s a cop,” Cole said, his voice filled with resignation. “At times we all think we’re invincible and we charge in where we shouldn’t.”

  Alyssa had seen that very thing in men on the force, and that was part of the reason she used to worry for Todd. He didn’t know when to pull back from danger. Was Cole the same? Reckless when it came to his safety? Would he do something foolish to put himself in harm’s way? She couldn’t stand it if he got hurt. “If what you’re saying is true, Nolan will still try to come after me, and that means everyone here is in danger.”

  Cole shrugged off her comment. “At the very least he’ll try to find out if we have any evidence against him. So it’s key that we resolve this as soon as possible. Until then, we’ll keep you under wraps, and we’ll all be fine.” Cole focused on Dani. “Gibson expects immunity on the drug trafficking charges in exchange for his testimony. Can you contact the DEA to see if they’ll play ball?”

  “I’ll do it right now.” She got up.

  “And I’ll need you to find all the information you can on Gibson. Track his phone, et cetera. Okay?”

  “I’ll start with the DEA and then get to work on Gibson.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and went down the hallway.

  “Could this all be over if the DEA agrees to Frank’s terms?” Alyssa clutched her hands as she waited for Cole’s reaction.

  Tension radiated off him in rolling waves. “Could be, but there are still too many variables to let our guard down yet.”

  The weight of her tumultuous situation settled on her shoulders. She still hated to believe Nolan would try to harm her, but then again, he’d killed Todd and she couldn’t have believed that would happen, either.

  How could she ever have trusted him?

  Her skin started to crawl, and she couldn’t sit still. She got up and resumed her pacing. She heard Cole rise and when she turned to head back across the room he stood in her path.

  “You’re too close to the windows,” he said softly, as if he understood everything going through her mind and didn’t want to intrude but needed to keep her safe.

  She looked up at him and for the first time she really understood the law enforcement mentality. Police officers were strong protectors and they always wanted to be ready to help. That’s why so many of them carried weapons when off duty. Even being married to an officer for nine years, she hadn’t really felt the weight of the burden they bore until this dangerous situation invaded her life.

  She glanced at the black wall of windows Cole had warned her away from. He’d been right when he’d said they were hard to defend against. “Guess you’re wishing you’d rented a house with fewer windows.”

  “I have to admit it would be easier,” he said with steel in his voice. “But I’m not going to let these windows stop me. I’ll do everything within my power to protect you, even if it means giving up my life.”

  She knew he spoke the truth, and she feared that before all of this was over, he would have to choose between protecting her and putting his life on the line.

  NINE

  Yawning from a fitful night’s sleep, Cole sipped his last cup of coffee before starting his day. He sat next to Dani and Derrick at the large dining table while Alyssa struggled to get the twins ready so Dani could drive them to school. How hard it must be to be a single parent. So hard that Cole felt guilty when he let a laugh escape over Riley and Brianna’s antics, drawing Alyssa’s attention. She was clearly frustrated, but she didn’t show it to the children.

  Cole was coming to see that she was a wonderful mother. Though she’d found herself staying in a stranger’s home, she’d insisted on keeping the twins’ lives as close to normal as possible. And that included a short devotion with them after breakfast. Cole had listened carefully to the message about letting God take charge of their lives, and he could almost believe turning his problems over to God again was the answer he sought to all of his troubles.

  Almost.

  “Kids, get your backpacks from the bedroom,” Alyssa said in her mom tone.

  Cole could see Riley start to role his eyes then stop and head down the hall. Brianna followed him out of the room.

  “I’m sorry it’s taking so long to get them ready,” Alyssa said coming over to the table.

  Dani waved a hand. “No problem.”

  Alyssa blew a strand of hair out of her face and settled her hands on her hips. “We’re not usually this disorganized.”

  “Don’t sweat it,” Derrick said. “If you’d seen Mom trying to get all five of us out of the house when we were growing up, you’d realize this is nothing.”

  Alyssa smiled at Derrick. The way her face lit up gave Cole a moment of jealousy. He wanted to be the one to make her smile with so much joy.

  Dani’s phone vibrated on the table, and she glanced at it. “It’s Agent Carter at the DEA.” She lifted it to her ear. “Tell me you have good news, Carter,” she said then listened intently. “So you’re willing to meet with us?”

  The twins came back into the room, and Cole slashed a hand across his throat to stop Dani from saying anything to scare them. She nodded her acknowledgment and left the room to finish her conversation, but Riley had already noticed Alyssa’s tension.

  Cole didn’t want the little guy to worry so Cole said the first thing that came to his mind. “Dani isn’t quite ready to go. This place has a ton of games. How about we choose one to play after school?” He took them to a tall cabinet on the back wall.

&nb
sp; “Whoa!” Riley’s eyes went wide. “There are, like, a bazillion games here.”

  Brianna went straight to Pretty Pretty Princess and pulled it out. “I want to play this one.”

  “That one’s for sissies,” Riley said.

  Cole agreed with Riley—not that it was for sissies, but a game that involved putting on jewelry and a crown appealed more to girls. But when Brianna scrunched up her face, Cole didn’t have the heart to voice his agreement with Riley.

  “You’ll have time to play more than one game,” he said to Riley. “Each of you can choose one.”

  Brianna’s lips split in a grin, revealing a gap where a new tooth was emerging. She hugged the game to her chest.

  “I want this one.” Riley pulled out Monopoly Junior. “Do I really have to play Pretty Pretty Princess?”

  “What do you think?”

  “My mom’s gonna say if I want to play my game then I have to play Brianna’s, too.”

  “I guess that answers your question then.” He ruffled Riley’s hair.

  He frowned. “I was kinda hoping since we were at your house we could use your rules.”

  “My rule would be the same as your mom’s.” Cole slung an arm around Riley’s shoulder and guided him toward the door.

  Brianna came closer and walked beside him, slipping her hand into his.

  Her soft touch melted another chunk of the ice around his heart, and he didn’t know how to handle it. This thawing of his soul was still so new, so fresh, that the way it made him feel scared him as much as thoughts of Saunders ever could.

  * * *

  Shocked at Brianna’s continued fondness for Cole, Alyssa joined Dani in the kitchen as she finished her conversation with Carter. Alyssa grabbed lunch bags, her mind on the change in Brianna. Her daughter never trusted people she didn’t know. Especially not men. So why was she willing to trust Cole?

  Alyssa glanced through the large opening into the family room. Cole helped the kids into jackets, joking and laughing with them like he hadn’t a care in the world.

  Is this You, God? Trying to get me to see he’s as good a man as he seems to be?