by V. R. Marks
"Sheriff Cochran called you?"
"You don't have to sound so surprised. He knows what my team can do and he saw the wisdom of calling us in. You know how small the department is. Glad I was there as it turned out," he added with a pointed look.
She had the grace to nod her agreement.
"I was in Ruth's house because I followed the shooter inside.
"As for the custody thing, you're a person of interest here even though I shot him. You'd be a tremendous drain on department resources if they had to put someone on you 24/7. My team can take care of you, leaving the sheriff and his staff to solve the case. Cochran's worried there's more going on here than a botched robbery."
She paled and her eyes went wide. "What sort of team do you have?"
He chuckled, thinking of hard-nosed, opinionated Eva and her polar opposite in stoic, silent Rick. "Well, we don't play football." She glared at him again. He preferred it, preferred most any look to the scared rabbit expression. "Look, they're good people I've worked with through the years. We saw a need and opened a specialized security service." He sighed. The last thing he wanted to get into was the exact nature of his business. "We're good at what we do."
"Which is?" With her hands back on her hips, it was clear she was ramping up for another round.
"Complicated. And confidential." He shifted, trying to get comfortable on the bed. An impossible but worthy goal considering the erection he was sporting just because she was close. Old times, all over again. Except this time he wouldn't fall for her. He was smarter now, knew how to keep his emotions in check. He closed his eyes to prove he had the willpower. "Let it go, Allie. We can fight about it after a nap."
"I am not staying one more minute in this room with you. I don't know you. I don't know your real agenda."
He opened his eyes, staring her down. "You don't believe the sheriff needs my team?" It was pretty obvious to him that Allie - her situation - was too much to handle.
She crossed her arms. "It's a small department as you've said. With a small budget. Someone has to pay you and your team."
"That's not your concern." Whatever really sent her running had turned her into a bulldog. "The county has a fund to take care of things like this."
"I'm not staying here."
She took one step, and another, then he was on his feet blocking the door. "You are." He towered over her, leaned in to make it obvious she wouldn't get by him, and tortured himself with the familiar jasmine scent of her. "You'll stay right here even if I have to tie you to the bed."
She gasped and a priceless blush stole over her cheeks. Good. He shouldn't have to be the only one suffering with the potential of that image. She took a half step back, but he saw the way her tongue darted over her lips while her gaze lingered on his mouth.
God, she twisted him up. Always had. "Nice try, but no dice, sweetheart."
Another indignant gasp, but thankfully this time she turned away and stomped over to the other bed.
Why was it such a challenge to resist her?
"Keep yourself on your side of the room." She flopped onto the bed, her purse and duffel by her side.
"Fair enough." Being pushed away was a pattern he was used to. "I don't go where I'm not invited."
She snorted, a sound full of doubt.
If she only knew how much he agreed with her opinion. He and the team often got in and out of places they weren't welcome. Usually with whatever they had been tasked to recover. Why couldn't this be one of those times? Because it was Allie, the one failure and rejection that had haunted him for more than a decade.
His team's arrival in Haleswood had been at the request of Allie's boss, not the sheriff. Hopefully he'd be well onto the next client by the time she learned the truth about him and his purpose here. When she learned who really hired him to track her down in Haleswood, she might never trust him again.
He stretched out on the bed once more, listening to her breathing. Odds were good no one would bother them in the light of day on Main Street, but he hadn't survived this long relying on the whim of odds.
When she finally fell asleep, he sent another text to Eva with further instructions.
It was tempting to sneak that purse out of her grasp and search it while she slept, but he resisted. Whoever had aimed that shooter in her direction was seriously messing with his recovery paycheck. He intended to get to the bottom of that deviation from the plan. Tucking the phone back into his jacket, he let himself slide into the doze soldiers know, where the body can rest, but instinct stays on high alert. He knew better than to trust the thief in the next bed.
* * *
Allie woke up in a rush, her heart stuttering at the unfamiliar pillow and bed beneath her. She blinked rapidly until the stock artwork on the wall came into focus. The motel. Rolling over, she double checked the bedside clock with her phone. The two hour nap was better than nothing, especially since it had been nightmare free. She took a head to toe inventory and realized she actually felt refreshed. Cautiously, she peeked over at Ross.
He was sound asleep, or at least it looked that way. His breathing was quiet and steady, his face relaxed. Even so, the dark slash of his brows, his strong nose and that square jaw shadowed by his morning beard offered a type of warning.
A warning to any sensible woman anyway. For her, all his rough edges had always been a magnet. She still wanted to press her lips to that little scar along his jaw that he got during a football game in middle school.
She should be long over him, but something about Ross stuck with her. It wasn't merely being in the same room with him. No, the memories of him, of loving him with all her heart had dogged her since they parted the summer after graduation. It was a fact she often found as intrusive as it was annoying. The ghost of loving Ross had withered her attempts at serious dating relationships before they'd had a chance to grow.
Scooting across the bed, she prayed he slept through every little noise as she gathered up the duffel and her back pack and headed for the bathroom. This way if he tried to snoop, she'd know about it and wouldn't have to worry or assume the worst.
Turning on the water, she pulled out her phone, checking the news sites for any word on her, her company, or the even the events of last night. She didn't know whether to be relieved or more terrified when she finally saw a relevant headline.
The article focused on the company's losses in the previous quarter, but buffered those discouraging numbers with updates about the company's public outreach to assist those who couldn't afford their medications. Despite the way they'd scoffed in the initial meeting when she suggested this spin, now they were using it to their advantage.
She couldn't blame them for that since it was exactly what she'd proposed. Of course that was before she'd found proof her boss was working against the best interest of the unknowing public. There was no reference at all to the new drug they planned to bring to market in six short weeks. She wanted to believe that was a good sign, that maybe someone had listened to her warnings, but she was no longer that naive.
Regardless, the article would do interesting things to the stock values. It seemed like the market responded to what went unsaid as much as it reacted to official announcements.
The whole thing was all an elaborate game. She'd known that when she took the job, but she considered it a good game, one worth playing then. She'd thought she'd understood the rules. Boy, had she been wrong.
"Allie?" The heavy knock on the door made her jump.
"Yes?" She scrambled to shut off the phone and tuck it out of sight.
"I'm going for coffee and breakfast from the Midnight Rooster. Want some?"
"Please." Brave move on his part to choose her aunt's coffee shop. Sure it was the best, but it was also the one spot everyone in town visited at some point nearly every day.
Suddenly Allie had one more reason to be grateful her aunt was away on a cruise. The woman wouldn't be there to pamper and fuss over Ross, or trade theories with the rest of the Haleswood
population as to why they were both in town at the same time.
She rattled the shower curtain as she stepped under the hot spray.
"Don't go anywhere."
She stuck out her tongue, ridiculously satisfied by the childish move despite the closed door. "Yes, sir," she called. As if she'd have time to get any kind of head start while he was a block away in a cafe that overlooked the whole street. Still, she hurried to get around before he got back.
Cracking the door, she verified she was alone before stepping out of the bathroom. Her short hair was a boon in a time crunch, she thought, taking the extra three minutes to blow it dry. She'd been surprised to find the look so feminine. Before she could stop herself, she wondered what Ross thought about her new style.
She scolded her errant brain as she returned the hair dryer to the bracket on the wall. It didn't matter what Ross thought. Once she convinced the sheriff she could be trusted, Ross could go on about his business. Wherever and whatever that might be.
She patted concealer under her eyes and was sweeping mascara over her lashes, determined to make this a normal day, when she caught the deep rumble of a voice outside.
The panic hit hard and fast. Only one way out of this room. Ross had gone for coffee. Alone. He wouldn't be talking to anyone.
She took a breath, ordering herself to be logical. It could be any other motel guest walking by with a friend or on the phone. She was safe behind a deadbolt. She inched toward the door, closer to that voice, and flipped the swing bar lock into place.
After a moment of eavesdropping she recognized the timbre and cadence unique to Ross. The relief was an enormous weight off her shoulders, making her feel almost buoyant.
She bounced a bit on her feet and opened the door to welcome him back.
The scene that greeted her threw her taxed emotions into another downward spiral. She pasted a smile on her face as she watched him kiss a beautiful woman with the luxurious dark hair and flawless skin worthy of an exotic Italian Contessa.
Allie studied the woman, but this small town had never been home to all that striking beauty. She'd been away, sure, but Aunt Ruth, or a friend, or someone would've mentioned the arrival of a woman like this. Whoever she was, she wasn't the sort to go unnoticed.
Only a take-out tray and the white bag on top of it kept the woman from pressing her curves flush against Ross's chest. Allie tried to be reasonable, to remember he wasn't hers. They'd parted as – well if not friends – at least without bearing grudges. A handsome, homegrown boy, it wasn't such a stretch that he'd pick up a groupie during a simple breakfast run. But kissing that groupie already? Maybe he really did have other business in town.
He turned his face toward the open door, breaking the kiss. He smiled and held the coffee out to her. "Take this, please? I'll be right in."
He put the tray in her hands and pulled the door shut again.
Jerk! He pitched his voice too low, even with her ear pressed to the door, for her to catch his farewell to the other woman.
When she heard the key slide through the lock, she wished she'd thought to throw the deadbolt. With way too much attention to the details so she wouldn't look at him, she opened the bag and inhaled the divine aroma of biscuits and gravy.
How could he do that? How could he remember her favorite, even hold it in his hands while he kissed another woman?
She shook her head. The more pertinent question was how could her feelings be so intense about him? Ross was a risk, to her heart and her sanity, and her life was too screwed up right now for exploring what might have been.
"Here," he said tossing a handful of plastic wrapped cutlery on the table by the window.
"Thanks." She was pleased her voice sounded steady and calm despite her tumultuous thoughts.
"Have your fill. I'll eat whatever's left when I'm out of the shower."
She enjoyed the view of his long legs and firm butt as he walked away, calling herself all kinds of foolish when she let out a sigh at the sound of the water running. To avoid the mental image of Ross's hard body sleek with soap and hot water, she forced herself to think of a solution to her immediate dilemma.
She could slip out to the front desk and call a cab. And go where? She'd promised to stay in town. It was probably smarter not to compound her new situation with another crime, or misdemeanor, or whatever they called it when a 'person of interest' didn't obey the order to stick around.
Maybe she should throw herself on the mercy of Sheriff Cochran. He'd known her since she was in diapers, surely he'd listen to her side before he seized the data she'd stolen from her employer.
Allie knew she had a lot to answer for. If there had been another option, a more palatable legal option, she would have happily chosen that route over this chaos. The fear alone was gnawing at her all the time. The nightmares were only one aspect of it.
On paper, Bradley Roberts had made it look like she'd embezzled millions of dollars. In reality, she'd discovered a detrimental report showcasing harmful effects of a new drug along with proof that Robert was taking kickbacks for approval of the new drug and laundering the money through her charity fund in an elaborate scam that would make a Colombian cartel proud.
When she tried to blow the whistle, the people she'd admired and trusted had turned against her, followed her and ordered someone to kill her. She hugged herself to ward off the ominous chill. There hadn't been an option beyond stealing the data. Despite what she'd told Ross, money was a problem considering the weird transactions on her account. Coming home, relying on the comfort of people who wouldn't blindly believe the accusations had been her only choice.
Still she shivered, thinking of what could've happened had her aunt been home last night. But she hadn't been. Allie had only used the house on the lake because her aunt was gone.
The oppressive weight that was becoming a constant companion settled on her shoulders again. She couldn't decide on a plan of action that didn't wind up with innocent people getting caught in the line of fire.
Ross's phone sounded, jerking her out of her reverie. The water shut off a moment later and his deep voice barked out single syllable replies. She glanced down at the cooling biscuits and gravy. She'd managed only a few bites while she'd been lost in thought.
Shoveling another scoop of her favorite food into her mouth, she nearly choked when a sharp rap on the door made her jump. "Deputy Parker for Miz Williams."
Allie got up to answer the brusque female voice on the other side of the door, then hesitated. "Just a second," she called. She looked through the peep-hole and recognized the local Haleswood uniform. While her legal troubles weren't his problem, Allie discovered she didn't want to open this door without Ross beside her.
"Oh, be a big girl," she whispered to herself.
She reached out and flipped the deadbolt, only to have the room spin by in a blur. Ross, heavy, hot, and damp from the shower sandwiched her between his chest and the hard wall behind the door.
She didn't have time to either enjoy the sensation or protest as the door flew toward them and the woman lunged into the room, leading with a charged Taser.
Ross's big hands on her shoulders held Allie in place as he kicked the legs out from under the deputy. She wanted to argue, to warn him, even as a thousand questions raced through her mind. The uniform was local, but why would Sheriff Cochran tell anyone to use force? She knew Bradley wanted the data back, but bribing a local deputy seemed extreme.
She cried a warning as the Taser fired, barely missing Ross as he drove a fist into the deputy's gut and left the woman gasping for air.
"The door!"
She slammed it shut.
"The clock!" He barked. "The cord," he clarified when she didn't move. Flipping the deputy to her stomach he wrenched the woman's hands behind her back.
"You can't do that," Allie said, her heart pounding. His face was dark with a determination that unnerved her and she worried about what he might do. "I'll call the sheriff."
"In a min
ute. I need the cord!" With a knee on the woman's kidneys he signaled Allie to hurry.
She rushed forward with the clock radio, startled as he used the power cord to cinch the deputy's hands.
"Lock the door," he snapped. "And don't open it again unless I say so." He stood up and retrieved the Taser.
"This isn't the end," the woman stuttered as her breath returned. "You won't –"
Allie jumped when Ross zapped the deputy with the Taser.
"Ross, that's an officer of the law."
"No, she isn't." Ross walked back to the bathroom, pulled on his shirt and buttoned his jeans.
Allie tried not to regret the loss of that amazing view of his chest. Or that she knew he wasn't wearing anything under the worn denim.
Shocked, she caught only a few words as he made a call. It sounded like he spoke directly to Sheriff Cochran.
There was a lengthy silence in which she could only listen to the fake deputy groan. Determined to be proactive, Allie studied her face, wondering if she'd seen the woman before. Probably not, though she looked vaguely familiar. Most likely Allie was simply too paranoid after being chased out of her job and away from the life and career she'd worked so hard to achieve.
"Okay, we're out of here."
"What?" Where would they go? Correction, where would she go? Sheriff's orders or not, she couldn't let Ross keep fighting her battles and dragging her around town. Not when she felt like he was holding back something important about his purpose in Haleswood. Guilt niggled at her. She hadn't been completely honest with him either.
"We have to leave. Unless you want to stick around and be a sitting duck for whoever is next in line."
"In line?"
He shook his head as if he couldn't believe she was so dense. "To take you out."
"No." Her hands were shaking and she had to make an effort to keep her voice steady. "No, I don't want that."
