She almost beat her head against the table. She must really be falling over the edge to have thoughts like that at a time like this. Maybe her mind was just grasping onto the thought of something normal in the midst of all the chaos.
He served up four plates of spaghetti and sauce. He gave her one then took plates to the agents in the living room. When he returned, he sat across from her at the table with a plate for himself.
She took a bite and chewed. “It’s wonderful.” The warm meal was already making her feel better.
Over his water bottle, he looked at her as she ate. He took a swig then set the bottle down. “It’s not gourmet, but it hits the spot.”
“Right now it’s better than gourmet.” She twirled her fork in her spaghetti. “I feel better now.”
Landon and Tori ate in silence for a moment. She stared at her plate, seeming lost in her thoughts, while swirling spaghetti around her fork. Even with the worry lines on her forehead and her concerned expression, she had a natural beauty that could never be hidden. Her short black hair shone beneath the kitchen lights. She had looked cute in his shirt, but now that she had it off, he noticed again the full swells of her breasts that would fill his palms. A slice of her flat belly was showing beneath her crop top, and he thought about the tattoo at the small of her back.
He nearly groaned and reminded himself of all the reasons why thinking about Tori in that way was a bad idea.
Conversation might get her mind off of what had clearly been a traumatic day for her. And it would get his mind off of her body.
“Where did you learn to run like that?” he asked.
She blinked at him, as if drawing herself back to reality. “I ran track in high school, mostly distance. I still run a few days a week, but it’s all flat, nothing like Bisbee’s hills.”
Her gaze clouded and he figured she was probably thinking of why she’d been running. His might have been an inappropriate question because it had probably brought up the memory. He changed the subject. “What do you do for a living?”
She looked up from her spaghetti. “I teach, compose, play clarinet with the Tucson Symphony, and bass clarinet in a woodwind ensemble. I have the summer off and I’d planned to thoroughly enjoy the break.” She raised the fork with the spaghetti wrapped around it. “I sure didn’t plan to spend it this way.”
“You’re a busy lady.” He watched her chew then swallow the pasta. “Where did you go to school?”
Before answering, she patted her mouth with a paper towel that he’d folded into a square to use as a napkin. “My B.M. in Jazz Performance and my M.M. in Clarinet Performance were from Arizona State.” She brushed a stray hair away from her face. “Indiana University is where I received my D.M. in Woodwind Pedagogy with a history minor and a higher education administration minor.”
The corner of his mouth tipped. “So I should be calling you Dr. Cox.”
She waved him away with a smile. “Don’t you dare.”
He took a bite of spaghetti, chewed, and swallowed. “I saw your tattoo. Not something I would expect to see on a doctor.”
“Klarinette is the German spelling.” She shrugged. “When I had the tat done in college, it was in vogue to tattoo the name of your instrument with the original spelling from the country where it was supposedly invented. I was young and wanted a tattoo, so that’s what I did.” She set her fork on her plate. “What about you?”
He gave her a little smile. “No tats.”
She returned his smile. “I meant your education and your career.”
“My B.S. in Criminal Justice is from the University of Arizona.” He twirled his fork in his spaghetti. “I worked for the DEA prior to DHS and ICE.”
She studied him. “You must have an exciting job.”
He turned her statement over in his thoughts. “You could say there are very few dull moments.” He wanted the attention off himself and on her. “Do you have family other than your parents?”
“Cousins, aunts and uncles.” She played with her fork and pasta. “They all live in other states and have big families with lots of children, unlike my parents and me.”
“No brothers or sisters, I take it?” Landon asked.
“Only one brother.” Tori’s face fell. “Brian was addicted to crack. Two years ago, he was killed during a raid at a house where he was buying drugs.” She met Landon’s gaze and she looked like she was struggling to hold back tears. “Ironically, I was saved by a DHS agent today. He was killed by one.”
Landon went still. Had he been the agent who’d killed her brother? His thoughts churned over the night he and his team had raided a crack house. Ballistics had matched his gun to the bullet that had killed a drug dealer for the Jimenez Cartel named Brian Cox.
Shit.
Sometimes he had to curse modern crime scene investigation. In the old days no one would have known whose bullet was whose. They could have gone on blissfully ignorant.
Tori was fragile right now with what she’d been through today, and he didn’t think it would help anything if he told her he’d been the one who had killed her brother. He’d tell her another time. Or maybe they’d part company and he’d never have to tell her at all.
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry you lost someone close to you.”
She touched the corners of her eyes with her napkin. “We were close before he got strung-out on crack. His addiction to the drug and the lifestyle was heartbreaking.
“A couple of times he went into rehab and it was like I’d get my brother back. I’m sure you’ve heard stories like that before.” A tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away with the napkin. “Then I’d lose him all over again. Now there’s no chance of getting him back at all.”
Landon said nothing and just let her talk.
“The DHS agents who talked with my parents said he was dealing drugs and was somehow involved in a cartel called the Jimenez Cartel.” Tori’s face looked strained. “I did some research on that cartel on the Internet when they told me. I still I have a hard time believing Brian would be involved in an organization like that.” A look of anger made her features tighten. “Those cartels. They should pay for destroying people’s lives.”
Landon knew in fact Brian had dealt drugs for the Jimenez Cartel. Landon didn’t mention the same cartel was likely responsible for Miguel’s death. He didn’t want to do anything that might influence her when it was time to look at photos tomorrow.
Tori looked as if she was trying to compose herself. “So what about you? Any family around? Other than your grandmother.”
“I don’t have a lot of relatives.” He was grateful for each of the members of his family that he did have. “In my immediate family, I have three sisters who are scattered around the state, and my parents still live on the ranch where we grew up.”
“Oldest or youngest?” she asked.
He swallowed the last of his water. “I’m the oldest.”
Tori had a cute, quirky smile when he could turn her thoughts away from the horror of the day. “So you spent your time championing your sisters.”
He thought about all the guys he’d chased off that his sisters hadn’t even known about. “It wasn’t easy.”
Tori rested her elbow on the table, her chin in her hand. Her expression looked like her thoughts had carried her far away. “Brian was two years older than me. While we were growing up, I idolized him. Everything he did, I wanted to do, too.” She sighed and returned her gaze to Landon’s. “It crushed me when he got into drugs and fell in with the wrong people. It was so hard watching him self-destruct. I always had hope that he’d come back to me.”
She pushed her fingers through her hair. “You grew up in the valley?” she asked. “Did you go to Valley Union High School in Elfrida, or Bisbee High?”
“Valley Union.” He leaned back in his chair. “All of thirty kids in my graduating class.”
“I didn’t realize VUHS was that small.” She looked surprised. “BHS isn’t quite as small,
but there were only a hundred sixty in my graduating class.”
It turned out they were only a year apart in age, but likely would never have run into each other considering the geographical distance between their schools.
As they talked, Landon felt an attraction to Tori so deep it shook him down to his toes. He found himself wanting to run his hands over her soft skin, brush her silky hair away from her cheek, and kiss his way from her ear to the hollow of her throat. He hadn’t felt this kind of attraction to a woman since—
A pang of guilt stabbed him in the gut like a hot iron rod. He swallowed and reined in his thoughts. Even though Stacy had been gone for over a year, he still felt like it was too soon to look at another woman. Not to mention Tori was someone he needed to protect. He shouldn’t be thinking of all the ways he’d like to peel off her clothes.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, trying to get his head on straight.
“You’re tired.” Tori’s soft voice brought his attention back to her. “I think it’s bedtime for both of us.”
“I’ll show you to your room.” He got up from his chair.
Tori was already out of hers. “First I’ll help you clean up.”
He almost told her that he’d take care of it, but she had a determined expression that told him she wouldn’t listen. It didn’t take long to put away the leftovers and clean the few dishes and stockpot.
When they were finished, he gestured toward the hall that led to the bedrooms. “There should be new toothbrushes and toothpaste in the bathroom along with clean washcloths and towels.”
After she told Johnson and O’Donnell good night, she and Landon went down the hall. He gestured to the first door on the right. “This will be your room. You’ll need to keep the door open.” When she raised her brows, he went on, “That’s one of the rules we have when you’re in protective custody.”
She glanced into the room and looked over its simple furnishings, including the full bed at the center of the room, before she glanced at him. “Thank you for everything.”
“Not a problem.” He stepped away as she walked into the room. “I’ll be right back.”
In a few moments, he returned with a clean extra T-shirt that he’d kept in his SUV, and gave it to her.
Just as he was backing up to leave the room, she reached up and pressed her lips to his cheek, giving him a chaste kiss. “Thank you.” She offered a tired smile and pushed the door so that it was only open by a couple of inches.
Landon stood in the hallway for a moment, his thoughts wrapped around Tori.
With a frustrated growl, he turned and headed toward the bedroom he’d be taking in between shifts with O’Donnell and Johnson.
It had been so long since he’d been with a woman. That had to be why he found himself wanting Tori so damned badly.
His mind rejected that thought almost at once. He was attracted not only to her body, but to her spirit and intelligence as well.
Heaving out a frustrated breath, he reached the master bedroom. He had to be exceptionally tired because the first thing he thought of when he looked at the bed, was having Tori lying in it, waiting for him.
Shit. He left the door partially open behind him before going into the master bedroom’s attached bathroom and stripping off his clothing. What he needed was a cold shower, and it was for a much different reason than the cold shower he’d taken this morning.
CHAPTER 6
Gregory Smith tightened his grip on the handle of his briefcase as he strode up the sidewalk, past two-story townhouses, toward the one he shared with Tori. The streetlights illuminated the sidewalk as well as the manicured lawns and landscaping.
What a fucked-up day. He’d been late to work at the law office and had almost missed an important client. When he’d had a moment, he’d taken his lunch break at home late in the afternoon because he’d had to pick up a client’s file that he’d left there.
That was when he’d found Tori’s note stating that she was leaving him. He’d gone through their home to see that she’d packed up her toiletries and some of her clothes. She’d left her laptop and her favorite clarinet at the front door, though, so he knew she’d be back. He’d tried calling her cell phone but she hadn’t answered.
When he’d returned to his office, on the opposite side of Tucson from where he and Tori lived, he’d realized that in his haste he’d left his damned cell phone at the townhouse. He’d sent his intern, Sara, to pick it up, but she had never returned to the office. He’d told Sara where the spare key was hidden, and she should have been back within an hour. That was two hours ago. Maybe she’d had something come up, but it wasn’t like her not to call in. Hell, he was fucking the twenty-year-old and she had a serious case of hero-worship that didn’t hurt his ego one bit.
While was at work he’d used one of the office phones to call Tori and had reached her, only to have her hang up on him. He’d tried calling back but his calls had gone straight to voicemail.
Gregory ground his teeth as he reached the front door of the townhouse and his thoughts remained on Tori. Who the hell did she think she was? He’d find her and drag her ass back to Tucson where she belonged. She was probably in Bisbee, visiting her parents. He’d been to their home once and he thought he could probably find the house again. Tori’s father was a worthless drunk and her mother had barely talked to Gregory. She’d just watched him with assessing eyes that made him want to snarl at her. It was all he could do to maintain control and play the loving boyfriend.
Truth was he did love Tori. He expected her to do as he said and to be where he expected her to be. She was his. No one else could touch her.
His love for Tori bordered on obsession. Hell, it was obsession. Maybe he shouldn’t also be fucking his intern, but he was a man with extraordinary needs, and Tori couldn’t give him everything he needed. As long as she knew her place was with him, all was fine.
He clenched his teeth as he dug in his pocket for his keys. They jangled as he pulled them out, then slipped from his hand and hit the welcome mat on the doorstep. Cursing beneath his breath, he crouched and scooped them up. He hesitated in the crouch for a moment then checked beneath one of the flowerpots near the mat. The spare key wasn’t there. Sara must have been here, so where the hell was she now? Maybe they’d passed each other on his drive home. Then why hadn’t she put the key back?
With a frown he straightened, got to his feet, and tried the knob without attempting to unlock it first. It turned easily in his hand and the door swung open. Even the bolt lock wasn’t engaged. What the hell?
All of the lights were off and Tori had always left the light in the foyer on. She had a thing about coming home to an entirely dark house. It made her uneasy. He flipped on the light by the door and then shut the door behind him as he set his briefcase down next to her clarinet case and her own briefcase.
He stuffed his keys back into his pocket and started undoing his tie when he realized a lump was lying at the foot of the stairs. His stomach churned when he realized it was a woman’s body, limbs at unnatural angles, white-blonde hair covering her face.
“Sara?” His voice shook as he hurried toward her. Had she fallen down the stairs?
He pushed her hair away from her face. Her face was purple, her eyes wide with terror. In his horror he noticed her neck and the dark band around it—she’d been strangled.
Murdered. Sara had been murdered.
“Oh, God.” His hands started to shake and he heard his cell phone, the ring coming from the kitchen where he must have left the phone.
He needed to call 9-1-1.
What if the killer was still here?
Could he take the chance of going into the kitchen to get to his phone? No, he had to get out of the townhouse. He’d go to a neighbor’s and use their phone.
He pushed himself to his feet and started to turn when he heard a click and felt something cold pressed against the back of his head.
“Where do you think you�
��re going?” came a cold voice with a Hispanic accent.
“You can have everything you want.” Gregory spoke in a rush. “I have money in a safe. You can have it. Just let me go.”
“A safe. I like the sound of that.” The voice was amused. “But we have more important things to discuss.”
“What?” Confusion clouded Gregory’s mind.
With the barrel of the gun still against Gregory’s head, a man stepped into Gregory’s line of sight. He was slender and athletic-looking with a slim mustache.
In the background, Gregory’s phone started ringing again.
“Where is Tori Cox?” The man asked.
“Tori?” Gregory couldn’t quite pull his thoughts together. “She’s not here. Why do you want her?”
“My reasons are not important to you,” the man snarled. “But if you want to live, you will tell me where she is.”
Gregory realized two things. One, he wasn’t going to get out of this alive no matter what the man said. Two, the man was going to kill Tori. Gregory had no idea what kind of trouble she had gotten herself into, but apparently it was bad. Real bad.
Despite any problems they’d had, Gregory loved Tori. He wasn’t about to give up anything. Besides, if he did, this man would immediately kill him.
“I’m not sure where Tori is.” Gregory’s voice shook. “She took off this morning.”
“I can tell you she is in Bisbee.” The man smirked. “I just need an address.”
How did the bastard know? Gregory swallowed. “I don’t have an address for anyone in Bisbee.”
The man kept the barrel of his gun against Gregory’s head. He looked toward the living room and said something in Spanish. Gregory’s blood went cold when he saw a second man walking out of the darkened room. The blond man had a brutal look to him, his eyes cold and merciless.
“That is John.” The first man gestured to the other man. “I am Pablo. You and I are going to become very familiar with each other.”
Hidden Prey (Lawmen) Page 6
