by Rebecca Deel
The FBI agent’s gaze sharpened. “You’re one of Cahill’s team.”
“We came here in good faith. Tell your men to back off. You know what I’m capable of and I’m not alone.”
Jordan scanned the cafe and this time noticed Rio. Durango’s medic gave him a mock salute. “Two of you? We outnumber you.”
“Look again.”
Another scan and the agent’s gaze lighted on Quinn. A muscle in Jordan’s cheek twitched.
“We’re more than capable of escaping if we choose. We aren’t a threat to your team as long as you consider Stella is a cooperative witness. My main concern is her safety. Every minute she’s in public means greater risk for her.”
Narrowed eyes glared his direction. “Why are you here, Armstrong?”
“Stella is my girlfriend.”
A snort. “Find a new one. This one will cause you nothing but trouble.”
Nate stiffened, his cheeks burning. The fed was deliberately pushing his buttons. Why? “Ask your questions, Jordan. Stella is still recovering. The clock is ticking on the length of your interview.”
Under cover of the table, Stella laid her hand on his knee. Yeah, he needed to back off before the FBI agents tried to throw him out. He hated mind games.
Jordan motioned for the two agents to sit at a nearby booth. He and the deputy director dropped into the two remaining chairs at Nate’s table.
“What’s going on, Will?” Deke asked.
“You tell me,” he countered. “Are you in this with Marshal Grayson?”
“What are you talking about?” Stella’s hand tightened around Nate’s knee. “Deke’s my partner. He’s providing protection as I would for him.”
Jordan sneered. “Then we’ll question both of you.”
“Will, what are your questions?” Stella asked, her voice quiet.
“Special Agent Jordan is in charge of this fiasco.”
She turned her attention to the FBI agent. “Agent Jordan?”
“Tell me what happened the night Barnes was murdered.”
Stella recounted the events, her story the same one she told Nate.
“You say you didn’t get a look at your assailant. What do you remember about him?”
Nate’s eyes narrowed. The fed didn’t believe Stella’s version of the events in her apartment?
“He was taller than Nate, in good shape, trained.”
“Trained?” Jordan leaned forward, his forearms planted on the table. “Trained how?”
“I thought military at first.”
Will grunted at that.
The FBI agent’s attention slid to Nate, speculation filling his gaze. “Interesting.”
Stella frowned. “It wasn’t him.”
“Can you prove that? You said you couldn’t see him, that he wore a ski mask.”
“I would have known if it was Nate. He would never hurt me. He isn’t like that.”
“The Army trained him to be a stone-cold killer, Grayson. He’s exactly like that.”
Amusement sparked inside Nate. Guess the fed didn’t like him. The feeling was mutual.
“You don’t know him at all.”
Though he appreciated his girl defending him, the conversation was headed the wrong direction and delaying their departure. With a light touch, he stroked her arm. She glanced at him. Nate shook his head.
“When I called him,” Deke said, “Nate was asleep in Otter Creek. That’s four hours from Nashville, Jordan.”
The fed’s gaze skated to Nate. “You can prove your whereabouts?”
“Stopped a minute to see an Otter Creek police detective before I left town.”
“Anyone else see you?”
Nate’s eyebrow rose. “You’re questioning the integrity of a law enforcement officer?”
“The Otter Creek cops are in Blackhawk’s hip pocket.”
Huh. Guess Jordan had a serious problem with Otter Creek’s police chief. Not surprising. Every time Ethan Blackhawk and Jordan tangled, the fed lost. “Filled up my ride with gas. Beau worked late and talked a minute.”
Jordan’s attention shifted to Stella. “We ruled out your Sig Sauer as the murder weapon.”
“Good. It’s time to hunt for Ty’s killer.”
“Oh, I think we have a good lead on that.”
Noting the fed’s unwavering focus on Stella, Nate suspected where this conversation was headed. “Get to the point, Jordan.”
“Where is your backup piece, Marshal Grayson?”
“In a lock box in my closet. Why?”
“When was the last time you saw it?”
“Saturday. I cleaned it and returned the weapon to the box.”
“You don’t know why Barnes was at your apartment?”
“I already told you I didn’t.” Stella looked at Riley. “Why is he asking about my Glock?”
“Ballistics came back on the bullet that killed Ty. The bullet came from your backup piece.”
“That’s not possible,” she whispered.
“It was a perfect match, Grayson. The mistake was yours, thinking you could murder Ty Barnes.”
“Did you test her Glock?” This from Nate.
Color stained Jordan’s cheeks. “The weapon wasn’t in the apartment. Where did you dump it, Marshal?”
“The last time I saw the weapon was in my closet.”
“If there’s no weapon to test, how does he know the bullet came from your weapon?” Nate asked.
“I worked a protective detail last year with Deke. The guy we were protecting sent a message to his girlfriend who passed along the information to the drug kingpin gunning for him. When we came under fire, my Sig jammed and I used my Glock. I shot the hit man so it had to be tested to verify the bullet came from my weapon.”
“Stella’s attacker waited for her inside the apartment,” Deke pointed out. “We don’t know how long he’d been in her place.”
“Long enough to break into her lock box,” Nate said.
“She claims she was attacked. Nobody saw this guy.”
“So she beat herself up? Come on, Jordan. It was late. Most people were asleep.”
“Barnes was in a fight.”
“He fought the man who hurt me,” Stella insisted.
“Maybe he fought with you.”
“I didn’t kill Ty.” A tremor in her voice betrayed Stella’s fear. “What’s my motive?”
“We have proof you leaked classified data which led to the death of two protected witnesses.”
Nate wrapped his hand around Stella’s and squeezed. His girlfriend needed a lawyer, fast. No doubt in Nate’s mind that someone framed Stella for Barnes’ murder.
“No way!” When heads around the cafe turned their way, Deke leaned closer to Will and dropped his voice. “You know that’s not true.”
“The evidence speaks for itself, Marshal Creed.”
“Come with us, Grayson,” Jordan said curtly. “You have questions to answer and we’re not doing it in some hole-in-the-wall cafe.”
Her chin raised. “Am I under arrest?”
“You most definitely are. I hate dirty cops. If there’s any justice to be had, you’ll spend the rest of your life behind bars. Stand up, Marshal.” The fed pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
“No cuffs,” Deke said, voice vibrating with rage. “At least give her the dignity of walking out of here without that. Even if she were inclined to run, she’s in no shape to do so.”
“I’m not running.” Stella glared at Riley and Jordan. “I didn’t kill Ty or leak information.”
“Let’s go.”
Nate stood with Stella and earned a scowl from the fed.
“Sit down, Armstrong.”
“Forget it, Jordan.” He turned to Deke. “I want two minutes with her.”
“This isn’t a democracy,” Riley snapped. “We have every right to take her in.”
“You can give him a couple minutes.” Deke indicated the other two feds. “How would Stella escape with the four of you watch
ing?”
Nate kept his mouth shut. If he ran with her, the feds couldn’t stop him, not with Rio and Quinn as his backup. He wouldn’t make things worse by adding evading arrest to the charges she faced.
“Two minutes. Not one second more.” Jordan and his entourage moved a little distance away, close enough to grab Stella if she ran.
Stella turned into Nate’s arms. “Nate, I didn’t kill Ty.”
He cupped her face between his palms. “I believe you, baby. Someone is framing you. We’ll find out who it is and have the charges against you dropped.” Nate leaned down and kissed her. “Don’t say a word until your lawyer arrives.”
“I don’t have one.”
“You will. Don’t tell me I should return to Otter Creek. I’m walking through this with you.”
Stella’s eyes glistened. “I’m so blessed to have you in my life, Nate Armstrong.”
“Yeah?” He smiled. “Keep that in mind the next time I make you mad. You can cut me some slack.”
Deke laid his hand on Stella’s shoulder. “We should go, Stel. We don’t want to antagonize them any further.” He turned to Nate. “I’ll make sure the process is correct and that she’s treated right.” He leaned in close. “The lawyer better be the best in the business.”
Another kiss and Nate forced himself to release her and allow the feds to take her away. As soon as Jordan and his cronies left in the two Suburbans, Quinn and Rio converged on him.
“Why did you let them take her?” Quinn asked.
“I didn’t have a choice. She’s under arrest.”
“What for?” Fury darkened Rio’s expression.
“Murdering Barnes.” Nate pulled out his wallet and dropped money on the table to cover their drinks. “Let’s get out of here.”
As soon as he shut himself inside his SUV, he called Brent Maddox, his boss at Fortress Security.
“Didn’t think I’d hear from you for a while, Armstrong,” was Brent’s greeting. “Miss me that much?”
“I need a favor.”
“Name it.”
“I need a lawyer.”
“Explain.”
“My girlfriend, Stella Grayson, has been arrested for murder.”
A soft whistle came through the speaker. “She’s a marshal, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Tell me what you know.”
Nate summarized the events of the last three days, ending with, “She didn’t kill Barnes, but Jordan is determined to see her behind bars for this.”
“I’ll send Jane Southland to your girl. Jane’s a real shark.”
“Good. Stella’s in a world of hurt, Brent.”
“It’s worse than you know. Because she’s been painted as a dirty cop, no one will help her. She has two targets on her back now. The attacker is gunning for her and so are the cops. It will take every skill in your arsenal to keep her alive long enough to clear her name.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Stella kept her head high as she walked from her cell at the Criminal Justice Center and down the corridor. The last eighteen hours had been a nightmare. Arrested, interrogated for hours, booked, dumped in a cell overnight, and arraigned. Though Jane Southland fought for a lower bail, the federal judge set bail at $250,000.
Resigned to remaining behind bars because she couldn’t pay the fee, she’d been shocked to learn she was free on bail. Only two people would help her, and Deke didn’t have the funds. That left her boyfriend. Nate must have paid her bail. Stella’s stomach twisted into knots.
She noted anger and disgust from the cops and a couple federal agents as they watched her progress across the room. All conversation died the minute she appeared. Stella fought to maintain her calm expression in the face of hostility.
Movement at the other end of the room drew her attention. Nate. Ignoring the cops, she headed straight to him. When he moved as if to embrace her, she gave a slight negative shake of her head. If he touched her here, she’d lose it. She did not want to give the cops the satisfaction of knowing how terrified she was.
Expression grim, Nate followed her to the lobby. “SUV is parked in the garage across the street,” he murmured. “The newsies are waiting out front. I’ll pick you up.”
“No.” Her voice sounded hoarse. She refused to spend one more minute in this place where every cop she met believed her the scum of the earth. “Get me out of here now.”
He slid one arm around her waist and opened the door. A horde of reporters surged forward, shouting questions, shoving microphones and cameras in her face. Nate strong-armed his way through the crowd without loosening his hold on Stella.
She made it through the mob without responding to any questions. Nate lifted her into the passenger seat, came around and drove them from the garage. Shaking from the onslaught of emotions rocketing through her, she jumped when her boyfriend threaded their fingers together.
“Hold on, baby.”
“They confiscated my badge and passport.”
“You’ll get them back as soon as we nail the real killer.”
What if they never uncovered the real culprit? Stella shuddered. She couldn’t spend the rest of her life behind bars. Cops were targets and prison officials wouldn’t lift a finger to protect her. She’d never make it out alive. Stella dreamed of a future with the strong Delta warrior at her side. A killer may destroy her chance for a life with Nate.
Tears gathered and spilled down her cheeks. Not wanting to upset Nate more, she made an effort to control the flood and failed. She should let Nate go. She would ruin his life. The real possibility of losing him made tears fall faster.
Lost in a sea of misery, Stella didn’t realize they weren’t headed to the cabin until Nate turned on a deserted road and steered the SUV to a shaded parking area. “What are we doing here?”
“Come with me.” Nate released his seatbelt.
Stella swiped at her cheeks. They walked on a trail until they reached a concrete bench near a pond. Birds chirped and insects buzzed. After the hours in interview rooms or behind bars, the freedom and peace of this place and this moment soothed the ragged edges of Stella’s spirit.
Nate led her to the bench and drew her down beside him. He wrapped his arms around her. “It’s safe to let go, sweetheart.”
She pressed her face against his neck and stopped fighting for control. Her boyfriend held her, his cheek resting on the top of her head. When the storm passed long minutes later, Nate continued to hold her in silence until the shudders ceased.
“Better?”
Stella nodded, not trusting her voice yet. She glanced up at him and froze. “Nate?” she whispered.
He tightened his grip. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not. Who punched you?” Worse, why hadn’t she noticed instead of wallowing in self-pity? Her resolve hardened. It was time to fight back, not allow the circumstances to mire her in quicksand.
“One of the feds.” A wry smile curled his lips. “Took exception to you being my girlfriend. I didn’t bother asking his name before I knocked him out with a sleeper hold.”
“Too bad you didn’t punch him back.”
He chuckled. “Fierce little thing, aren’t you.”
“When it comes to the man I’m crazy about, you bet I am.”
Nate sobered and cupped her face with his palm. “You mean everything to me, Stella.” He took his time kissing her. “Ready to return to the cabin?”
She brushed his lips with hers in a gentle caress. “Yes. I need to wash the smell of jail from my hair.”
On the drive to Christiana, Nate held her hand, occasionally lifting it to his mouth to kiss her fingers. They didn’t talk much, for which Stella was grateful. After her crying jag and the hours answering questions, her throat ached.
They turned into the long drive and parked behind another SUV. Stella blinked. Who else had arrived? She walked with Nate to the porch and into the cabin.
As they entered the living room, Josh Cahill and Alex Morgan st
ood. Nate’s teammates didn’t say anything. Josh swept her into a hug.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said, her voice choked. “You’re a cop, Josh. It’s not safe for you to be associated with me. One of the feds already went a round with Nate.”
A scowl crossed his face. “Any damage other than what I see?”
Nate snorted.
“Guess that was a no,” Alex said.
Cupping Stella’s chin in his hand, Josh turned her face to the light. “Tell me you landed punches on the guy who did this.”
“Some connected. A blow to the back of the head stunned me before he laid into me. I got the worst end of the confrontation.”
Josh’s gaze shifted to hers. “How big was he?”
“Your size. Muscular build. He outweighed me by at least sixty pounds.”
“You’re lucky he didn’t kill you, Stella.”
“I know. If Ty hadn’t arrived, I’d be the one in the morgue instead of him.”
When Josh released her, Stella found herself the recipient of another hug, this one from Alex, Durango team’s sniper. “There are two more people who want to see you in the kitchen.”
Her breath caught. “Del and Ivy?”
Alex released her with a grin. “Go see for yourself.”
She glanced at Nate, who winked at her.
“Go on, sweetheart. They’re anxious to see you.”
Not as anxious as she was to see them. She needed the support of the two women who had become her best friends.
“How is she?” Josh asked Nate after Stella rushed into the kitchen.
“Shaken. I’ve never seen Stella like this, not even when Ivy was shot on her watch. This is an air-tight frame job.”
Alex grunted. “Nothing is air-tight. We’ll tug at strings until we unravel this knot. Do you know why she was targeted?”
Nate rubbed the knotted muscles at the back of his neck. “She and Deke were given a special assignment, but I don’t have the details yet. I’m not sure it has anything to do with the attack. The attack could be connected to one of her cases.” He paused. “Where’s Deke?”
“Backyard, talking to his wife and daughters.”
“So Jordan nosed into Stella’s case.” Josh dropped onto the couch. “I thought we’d seen the last of him.”
