The Agent's Covert Affair

by Karen Anders

  “It was a trap?”

  “Maybe? Not sure who ratted us out.”

  He barely flinched when a bullet shattered the wood near his shoulder. He didn’t return fire. There were too many civilians. Derrick pulled her with him, his steps so wide she was forced to run hard. They made it to the end of the alley. People were just figuring out that the noise wasn’t firecrackers and were running in all directions as bullets sliced through the air. Sirens sounded in the distance.

  “Here comes the cavalry,” Derrick said from between gritted teeth.

  A man stepped out in the open, firing straight at them.

  Derrick dove to the ground, taking her with him. The impact nearly knocked her out and Derrick rolled, his back against the wall. He aimed, pulling Emma close. They leaned out to return fire and Emma heard a scream, then the thump of the man going down.

  “Not a moment to spare,” she murmured, then saw a shadow flicker. “Derrick,” she shouted and shoved him down, firing off four fast rounds. Bullets shredded the other man’s body and he fell facedown onto the cobblestones.

  The sirens got louder and another bullet whizzed past her, hitting the adobe wall; a chip struck her cheek, stinging. Derrick clutched her.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Felt the wind on that one,” she said with a shaky tone.

  Derrick swore viciously and hauled her back the way they had come. It was as if the shooters had disappeared into the woodwork. Nothing remained except blood and spent shell casings. When Derrick got back to the square, the police were there, taking control and soothing the crowd.

  Reyes broke away from the chief inspector, the one who had given them Antonio’s name. Antonio was still lying where he’d fallen, a pool of blood around his head. The woman in the booth was sobbing.

  He eyed Emma’s face and reached in and pulled out a handkerchief. Offering it to her, he said, “Are you two all right?”

  “Yes, we’re fine.”

  “Looks like this might have been an ambush,” Reyes said, looking over his shoulder at Velasco as he conversed with the chief inspector. Emma wasn’t sure which man Reyes was scrutinizing. “There are many corrupt cops. Hard to know who might have set us up. Everyone knows this man is a snitch.”

  Emma ran her eyes over the crowd, looking for him, but he wasn’t there. She squeezed her eyes closed, her fear for Matty escalating. He was in the hands of murderers and Emma could barely handle the pain and frustration climbing in her.

  She broke away from Derrick and closed the gap between her, Velasco and the chief inspector. “If you sold us out, so help me!” she said to him.

  Valesco’s eyes widened and he stepped back. The chief inspector scowled at her, then said, “Neither of us had any dealings with the cartel,” he said stiffly.

  Of course they would deny it. “Someone set us up,” she replied just as stiffly, anger lining each word. She didn’t say anything else as they went to the police station and gave them a statement. Each of them was taken to different rooms. The injury to her face was superficial, but it bled a lot. When they were released, Emma pulled out the rendition of Matty’s abductor.

  She held it up to the chief inspector and said, “Do you know this man?”

  His eyes widened. “Come with me,” he said.

  With Derrick following, he took her to a set of stairs that led down into the basement. It was colder down here and Emma shivered. He led them into a room and closed the door. It was like a meat locker. She could see her breath.

  He pulled a sheet from a prone body on the table. The man they’d been hunting lay on the table. His eyes were closed, but it was clear he was dead. “We found him at the edge of the plaza.”

  Emma covered her face and took a moment to compose herself. Their best lead had died in the battle. When she looked at him again, she realized there wasn’t a mark on him.

  “How did he die?”

  The chief inspector indicated to two white-coated men to turn him over. “A thin knife was inserted at the base of his skull.”

  Chapter 12

  Derrick watched her startled expression as she stared at the body, pain and anger flickering in her eyes, then she turned to walk away. Outside the cold room, he clasped her arm as the other three men continued up the stairs.

  He caught her by the jaw and forced her to look at him, something dark and painful breaking loose in him when he saw how pale her face had gone, when he saw the fear in her eyes. The small, raw wound made him realize how close that bullet had come to her face. “We’re going to find him,” Derrick said roughly. He looked away, his temper cresting at the drug lord for putting Emma through this. Then he looked back at her, a thick ache unfolding in his chest.

  “He knew where Matty is. He knew how he is. I’m trying with all my might to keep it together, but I just want to scream.”

  He turned to look at the door, the dead teenager behind it now beyond anyone’s reach, including the law and decency. “I know. We’ve got to keep it together. Can’t let the emotion rule us, Emma. Matty’s future rests in our hands.”

  Inhaling deeply, he shifted his gaze and looked at her, his stomach dropping like a rock when he saw the stark, distressed expression in her eyes. He stared at her, then exhaled heavily, his anger settling into a heavy, resigned feeling. It was a culmination of how he felt about his own son being just as effectively taken from him. Except, in his case, under the current circumstances, he might never get to know him.

  He caught her behind the neck and pulled her hard against him, locking her up in a tight embrace. “Derrick,” she whispered.

  “Just shut up and let me hold you.”

  She remained rigid in his arms for an instant, then the tension went out of her, and she slid one arm around his back and pressed her face against his neck. As soon as she wrapped both arms around him, he let go of her.

  Back upstairs, Emma asked, “What is his name?” She was pacing and Derrick wanted to reach out and gather her close again. But that wouldn’t be appropriate now. At this moment he almost didn’t give a damn. Her voice was strained, and she was hurting. To be so close to the man who had abducted her nephew, hurt her sister and to have him silenced... It was cruel and difficult to control emotions. But he admired her courage as she kept herself together.

  “Luis Montoya.”

  Derrick was pulling out his cell and texting the information to Austin. The reply was short and to the point.

  I’m on it.

  “Does he have family?” Her hopeful tone was almost too hard for him to hear.

  “Yes, his mother, Gabriela Montoya. She’s been notified.”

  “There’s nothing to do at this point,” Reyes said. “Let’s get back to the compound and regroup.”

  She glanced at Derrick, but then turned and directed her comment to Reyes. “We can talk to his mother,” Emma said, a stubborn slant to her jaw.

  “Not right now. We need to let her pick up the body and prepare it for burial,” Reyes countered. “They have sacred rites to perform and disrupting this will not be conducive to your investigation. If she’s our best lead, then we need to be patient.”

  She turned, facing him dead on, her mouth compressing into a hard line. “And in that time, the Ortegas could take Matty anywhere. He’s here. I can feel it. We need to dig.”

  “Digging now would net you nothing. The mother isn’t going to talk. Not many people in this area will want to talk. They’re terrified of Los Equis. We need to give her some time to grieve. Then maybe we can make a case for her to talk to us. But storming in now and demanding answers isn’t going to help your case.”

  “I disagree. I understand your customs, especially the ones about death. She just lost her son. We can recover Matty alive. That has to mean something to a mother. Just give me a chance to talk to her.”<
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  Derrick said, “Emma. He’s right. Let’s give it some time. Let’s give her a chance to grieve.” She folded her arms across her chest and Derrick walked up to her and murmured. “This is going to get us nowhere. Let’s go back to the compound and we can talk.”

  She gave him a disgruntled look, but nodded. He could tell she wasn’t convinced, but he completely understood Emma’s need to charge in and get answers. He worried that her judgment was clouding because of her closeness to Matty. It had been his main concern letting her in on this case. “We have to maintain perspective, Emma.”

  She didn’t say anything at first, then she gave him a curt nod and they exited the police station, cautiously checking around the area before getting in their sedan.

  Once back at the compound, Emma wasn’t happy. She argued some more, then finally gave up and went upstairs.

  “Are you sure she’s up to this investigation?” Reyes said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Women can be irrational when it comes to corralling their emotions regarding a family member.”

  “She’s my partner and I stand by her. She’s partly right. Standing around isn’t going to get us any closer to finding her nephew,” Derrick growled.

  Reyes tipped his head, his expression thoughtful. “All right, point taken. We can ask around, but it could all come to nothing.”

  “I understand. I’ll stay here with Emma.”

  Reyes nodded and he and Velasco left.

  Derrick climbed the stairs and at Emma’s door, he knocked. “Come in.” When he opened the panel, she was seated on the bed, her phone in her hand.

  “I just checked on Lily,” she said, her voice trembling, an edge of anxiety in her tone. “She’s still the same. I’m worried about her.” She raised her eyes to his. “If they killed the kidnapper, what’s to stop them from going after my sister again? She’s a loose end. They have to know that if she recovers, she will never stop looking for her son.”

  A twinge of guilt tightened in his gut. He didn’t have to look for his son. Derrick knew exactly where he was. But he might as well be on the moon. “I think that has merit. I’ll text Austin to be vigilant. We already have guards on her now.”

  Emma nodded. “Nothing is guaranteed. We can only do the best we can to protect the ones we love.”

  He closed his eyes, reliving that moment when the bullet had whizzed past her head. He wanted her out of here. Back in San Diego, where there was nothing but traffic clogging the expressways, coffee shops on every corner and the grind of everyday life. He wanted her back there, with her family whole and together. He could give that to her. He was alone, had no family, only his ties to his job.

  That wasn’t exactly true. He’d struggled with it, but NCIS was his family. But they would understand him putting himself in harm’s way to finish out this case. “Emma. Maybe it would be best if you headed back home. Help from afar.”

  She sat up straighter. “Is this because I wanted to go after Luis’s mother right away? You see that as irrational?” Her eyes narrowed. “Or is this about protecting me?”

  The tension that had been riding him since the shootout let go in a rush, and he rested his hands on his hips and wearily tipped his head back, long days of exhaustion piling up on him. “My biggest argument against your involvement was about how close you are to this case. We’re in a dangerous position here. We don’t know who we can trust. Maybe not even the good guys.”

  With a choked sound, she came up off the bed and into his arms. “Then you need me here to watch your back.” He gathered her up into a tight hold, roughly tucking her face against the curve of his neck. “I’m not going to let you cowboy this by yourself.” Derrick felt her take a deep, tremulous breath, then she pressed her face tighter against him as she slid her arms around his waist. He could feel her trembling—she cared so much—and he pressed a kiss to her temple, then slid his fingers along her scalp, cradling her head in a firm grip. “I can’t be completely neutral. That’s true. Matty is part of me, my family. I’ve taken care of them for so long and I don’t intend to give up. It’s worthwhile, isn’t it, Derrick?”

  His fingers tangled in her copper hair, soft like satin, and he closed his eyes and hugged her hard, a swell of emotion making his chest tighten. This woman filled him up inside. “Yes,” he whispered gruffly. “It’s worthwhile.”

  He felt her take another tremulous breath, and he smoothed one hand across her hips and up her back, molding her tightly against him. Easing in a tight breath of his own, he brushed a kiss against her temple. “I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he said unevenly, drawing her hips flush against him.

  A tremor coursed through her, and Emma dragged her arms free and slipped them around his neck, the shift intimately and fully aligning her body against his. Derrick drew in an unsteady breath and angled her head back, making a low, indistinguishable sound as he covered her mouth in a kiss that was raw with desire, governed by a need to comfort and reassure. Emma went still. Then, with a soft exhalation, she clutched at him and yielded to his deep, comforting kiss.

  Derrick slid his hand along her jaw, his callused fingers snagging in her silky strands as he altered the angle of her head. She moved against him, and Derrick shuddered, tightening his hold, a fever of emotion sluicing through him, wishing this woman was his forever.

  Dragging his mouth away, he trailed a string of kisses down her neck, then caught her head again and gave her another hot, wet kiss. His breathing ragged, he tightened his hold on her face and drew back, cuddling her against his chest. He held her like that, his hand cupping the back of her neck, until his breathing evened out.

  He held her tight, trying to get a grip on the wild clamor rising up inside him. He clenched his jaw and rubbed his cheek against the softness of her hair. She reached for his shirt, undoing the buttons and pushing it off his shoulders, then unbucked his belt, and shoved his pants off his hips. He stepped out of them.

  She reached for her own shirt buttons, but he’d already grasped the hem and pulled it off over her head, the bra unsnapped and removed, her pants stripped off her. He lifted her onto the bed, then followed her down, dragging her beneath him. He felt as if his heart would explode, as if his lungs would seize up, if he didn’t get inside her, if he didn’t get as close to her as he could possibly get. She made a small, desperate sound and rolled her hips, urging him with her hands. Derrick clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, burying himself deep inside her. So deep and tight.

  He locked his arms around her, a shudder coursing through him, and he ground his teeth together, the sensory onslaught nearly ripping him apart, the intensity of the physical connection more important than the sex. They fused into one dynamic whole.

  Braced against the mind-shattering sensation, Derrick remained rigid in her arms, waiting for the heated, electrifying rush to ease. Releasing a shaky sigh, he braced his weight on his forearms and bracketed her face in his hands, his heart trapped in his chest as he covered her mouth in a slow, wet, aching kiss.

  Emma sobbed into his mouth, her hands clutching at him, and she lifted her hips, rolling her pelvis hard against him. Derrick roughly slid his hand under her head and locked his other arm around her buttocks, working his mouth hungrily against hers as he lifted her higher, then rolled his hips against hers. Emma made a choked sound, and Derrick drank it in, his mind blurring with a red haze when Emma countered his thrust, her body moving convulsively beneath him.

  Aware of how desperately she needed this kind of comfort, Derrick dragged his mouth away and gritted his teeth, a fine sheen of sweat dampening his skin as he moved against her, trying to give her the maximum contact, trying to exert the right amount of pressure where she needed it the most, trying to hang on until she came apart in his arms. She made another wild sound, and her counterthrusts turned desperate and erratic, and Derrick tightened his hold. His senses on overdrive, he ro
ughly buried his face against her neck and thrust into her, fighting to go the distance, the red haze governing him.

  Emma arched stiffly beneath him, and Derrick’s face contorted with an agony of pleasure as her body convulsed around him, pulling, pulling at him. Then, with a ragged groan, he went rigid in her arms and let go, emptying himself deep inside her. Holding on to her with grasping strength, he held her against him, her face wet against his neck. Feeling as if he had been turned inside out, he pressed his mouth against her temple and closed his eyes, his pulse choppy and erratic, the feelings in his chest almost too much to handle.

  She filled him up and made him feel indestructible.

  He drew a deep, shaky breath and pressed another kiss on the corner of her mouth, his touch slow and comforting as he softly stroked the angle of her jaw with his thumb. He braced his weight on one arm and hip, lifting her against him and rolling to his back.

  She smelled like flowers and sunshine; he inhaled deeply. Taking another deep breath, he bracketed her face with his hands, shifting his weight so her legs entwined with his.

  He tipped her head back and brushed a light kiss against her mouth, the rawness of his feelings for her swamping him.

  “I think we have something going here, Gunn,” she whispered against his mouth. “You can’t dispute it. I’m a private investigator after all.”

  “Is that so?” he murmured, taking a slow, savoring kiss. He felt her smile against his mouth; then she tightened her arms around his back and slid one hand back and forth across his shoulders.

  “Thank you for listening to me, for supporting me. This is so difficult.”

  He caressed her wrist, then lowered his head and slowly moistened her bottom lip; he took her mouth again, taking great care to do it well. He released a soft sigh, and she slid her free hand up his torso. “You’ve got some serious gorgeous going on here. Did I tell you that muscle—” she bumped her fingers over his abdomen “—turns me on?”

  “Hmm, that’s going to make those sit-ups and workouts much easier, except for the hard-on I might get just thinking about how my body affects you,” he said. Cupping the back of her head, he kissed her, deepening the contact. Emma yielded fully to his questing tongue. Finally, Derrick let go of her wrist and slid his arm under her, holding her with infinite care. After a long and satisfying kiss, he reluctantly drew away, gazing down at her as he caressed her bottom lip with his thumb. He stroked her face, tracing her cheekbones, the arch of her brows, then gave her another quick kiss.