by C. A. Szarek
Lee reached for his face, caressing his stubble.
Nate shivered. “I can’t get enough of your touch.”
She gave a sexy smile. “Good.”
He dipped low for a kiss, but it was too quick. Her dark eyes bored into his and he fought another tremor.
“I’m going to miss you, Counsellor.”
You don’t have to. I’m not going anywhere. “I’ll miss you, too, angel.”
Lee urged him to his back and dragged her fingers down his chest. She teased his pecs and abs, following up with kisses along the expanse of his chest and stomach.
Nate’s dick twitched, already starting to harden even before her hand surrounded him. Her hair tickled his stomach and thighs as she moved downward. “Show me what I’ll miss out on,” he groaned.
Her dark eyes danced when their gazes met. “You telling me what to do again?” She pumped him two quick times and he cried her name.
“Never,” Nate panted.
“Good. In that case, I’m happy to show you what I’ll miss.” Lee winked.
His retort died on the tip of his tongue when she sucked him into her mouth.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Where’s Crane?” Clint shot a dark brow up, pushing off the wall next to their office. He’d been waiting for her to return from the restroom so they could head to the hospital.
Unit debrief had gone off without a hitch, but it’d lasted about an hour too long. Left her twitchy, more than ready to get out of the office.
“You made it all the way through briefing without asking me that burning question?” Lee kept her tone dry, trying to avoid his keen gaze.
Her partner shrugged. “You know, a time for everything and all that.”
“He said he had a meeting. I didn’t ask.”
“What time’s his flight?”
Dammit, Clint. Leave me alone.
Her heart galloped and Lee concentrated on giving a bland expression. She sighed. “Not till this evening.”
“Well, when we’re done at the hospital, I got you covered for the rest of the day.”
“Downs—”
“Dawson, don’t be a shit. See your man off. Hell, take vacation and go with him. I know you got family down there and you stayed here for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
“Damn, you keep better track of my hours than I do. He’s not my man. And don’t tell me what to do,” Lee grumbled.
“Geeze. What the hell am I gonna do with you?” Clint’s words came out with a sigh.
“Let’s go to the hospital,” she barked.
“Don’t tell me what do to,” Downs returned, giving a fair impression of her voice.
Lee glared. “Really?”
“You can’t pretend the last few weeks didn’t happen. You’re…different. I need to shake the guy’s hand. I wasn’t sure my partner was human.”
“I am totally not doing this.” She stepped into their office and whipped her bomber jacket off the back of the computer chair. Stalked past her partner without another word.
She continued down the hallway, heading towards the elevators without waiting for him. “I’m going to the hospital. Come with or stay here, train’s leaving now.”
Downs didn’t argue when she wrenched the driver-side door of the navy blue Charger open and got in the car. Lee tried not to think of Nate arguing with her over who would drive the rental car that day, which now seemed forever ago.
She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth and ignored the pain inching up from her gut. Banished the memories of the times they’d made love the night before. How he’d held her. Kissed her. Looked at her like she was some precious gem.
Nate hadn’t uttered words of love, though.
That was the only thing getting her through this morning.
Her partner shut the passenger door without a word, stretching the seatbelt across his considerable chest then snapping it in place.
Good, he’s not gonna be chatty.
Way to alienate another male in your life, Lee.
Lee growled and started the car.
“Something wrong?”
“Nope.”
Clint didn’t answer, which was fine with her.
Her phone chimed and she dug it out of her pocket before she had a chance to back out of their parking spot.
Good luck with Caselli.
Seeing the text from Nate made her eyes burn with tears, but she gritted her teeth and shoved her cell away.
Being an emotional wreck was new. And very, very unwelcome.
After cranking the car on and gunning it, she turned the wheel and drove towards the garage’s exit, chiding herself all the way. Her mouth was dry.
Like she needed a drink. Whisky.
No. Get that shit out of your head. Now.
“He’s at Bellevue.”
“I know.” Lee tried to temper her voice, but the statement still passed her lips as a snap.
Thank God Clint didn’t call her on it.
They didn’t talk on the drive. All for the best. She didn’t want to be a bitch to her partner all day long. It wasn’t his fault she was a total head fuck. The guy cared about her. Not a bad thing, even though she had a shitty way of showing it.
Downside—the chaos in her head about Nate wouldn’t quiet. All she could see were those hazel eyes. Hear words left unsaid. Fantasise about how she could—or would—have reacted. Remember his touch. How real it was, snuggled up against his chest. Arguments. The push and pull of a real relationship. How he made her feel—
“Lee.”
“What?”
“You missed the turn.”
“Fuck. Shit— I mean, I’m sorry.” Damn, her voice trembled. She cleared her throat and turned around as soon as she got the chance.
Lee parked the Charger, chanting Leave me alone, leave me alone. Her partner’s intuition must have been fully operational because he didn’t say a word as they got out of the car to head into the hospital.
He held the door open and waited for her to walk past him. Too bad her knees wobbled and her stomach caved in on itself.
Bile rose out of nowhere and her coffee-eggs-toast-bacon breakfast threatened to switch from digestion mode to eject. Dizziness swamped at the same time and Lee crashed into the wall in the lobby of the big hospital.
No finesse. No playing it off. Dammit.
“Whoa.” Downs’ large hand swallowed her left biceps as he steadied her from falling on her ass. “Dawson?”
She swallowed a few times and cleared her throat, blinking until she was able to refocus her vision on the man staring down at her. “I’m good.”
“Bullshit. What happened?”
Lee shrugged his hand off. “Nothing. Just lost my balance. I’m fine.”
Clint arched an eyebrow, his pale eyes accessing. “We’re at a hospital. Should we stop at the ER?”
“God no. Let’s get this shit done.”
“Only if you promise to go home after.”
“Nope.” She whirled away from him, fighting a renewed wave of nausea.
What the hell is wrong with me?
She ordered herself not to throw up and slammed the up arrow when they reached the elevators. Her thumb smarted, but she ignored it, going through the mental list of all the foods she’d eaten the day before.
Chinese food. Maybe the sesame chicken was bad. They’d ordered in. Lee would have to see if Nate’s stomach was off, too. Stupid restaurant.
Lee distracted herself with duties, going through the check-in process with her partner when they reached the prison ward of Bellevue Hospital.
Special Agent Bobby Smythe met them outside Caselli’s room. He’d ended up staying the night after leaving the mansion with the paramedics.
“They arraigned him this morning via video. He was already hollering for a lawyer from the moment he woke up. Some wet-behind-the-ears kid showed up.”
“From Fiato’s firm?” Lee asked.
“Not sure. Speaking of Fiato, the plea was n
ot guilty to the murder, of course.” Smythe shook his head.
“What about Stewart?” Downs asked.
“You don’t have to guess. Not guilty to second degree manslaughter. Trying to spin self-defence.”
“Fuck me,” Lee spat.
“Caselli won’t talk to me, you or anyone FBI. And he was telling his attorney what to do,” Smythe said.
Lee threw a look at her partner. “Wanna try anyway?”
Downs’ mouth was a hard line. “Let’s at least say hi. We came all this way.”
Yeah, all of a ten-minute drive. She smirked and nodded.
“Well, he’s secure here. I’m gonna leave you guys to it and head to check on Roberts.”
“He wake up?” Lee asked.
“Not that I heard. Morris is with him now. I need to stop by the office, too, before I head home to crash.”
“Take it easy,” Downs said.
“Good morning, agents.” Antonio Rodolfo Aldo Caselli, Junior, had a deep voice and a handsome face that made Lee cringe.
He sat, the bed propped up at his back. Dark hair neat and trimmed. His hands were folded on his lap. Serene. The bastard was wearing silk pyjamas with a C monogram on the breast pocket instead of a hospital johnnie.
His expression was pleasant, and no bandages from his recent surgery or wounds were evident. The blanket covering his legs wasn’t hospital standard issue, either.
“I see you’ve had a visitor,” Lee said.
“My attorney has ensured my accommodations are up to my calibre, yes.”
Lee snorted.
“Cut the crap, Caselli,” Downs spat.
Caselli smiled, as if her partner hadn’t spoken harshly. As though the guy didn’t understand English.
Lee narrowed her eyes. “Where’s a good pair of handcuffs when you need one?”
“I got two, partner.” Clint patted his double handcuff case at his waist.
“I assure you, I’m in more danger from you than I am to you, Special Agent Dawson.”
It should’ve surprised her the gangster knew her name, but it didn’t. She squared her shoulders and tried not to show a reaction.
“Right. You’re as harmless as a kitten.”
Caselli glared at Clint. His face changed in a split second—bi-polar style. “What can I do for you, Special Agent Downs?”
“Well, since we have you dead to rights on Fiato’s murder, we thought you might want to share the deets with the rest of the class. So we’re sure we have it right from your perspective and all that,” Lee said.
His dark eyes pinned her as Caselli turned his glare. “Perhaps you weren’t properly informed, so I shall forgive your overstepping, this time.”
“Overstepping?” Downs laughed.
“I didn’t realise you were so proper, Caselli,” Lee drawled. “I’ve only ever seen the fucks-little-girls side of you. Manners? Who knew?”
“I’ve invoked, bitch. So you can go to hell. You can’t fucking talk to me without my attorney.”
Clint whistled and snapped his finger.
“Oh, there’s the Caselli I know,” Lee said, staring back at the man with the same intensity he’d paid her.
Caselli cleared his throat and tugged his pyjama shirt straight. He averted his gaze.
Lee had seen him in court dozens of times, and had heard both personalities on many a recorded phone call. Equal parts charmer and psycho.
“I think he’s nervous, partner,” Clint said.
“Yeah, I’d say so.” She didn’t miss a beat. “There’s no superstar to fix it for him this time.”
“Maybe he shouldn’t have killed him.”
Caselli looked back at them with narrowed eyes. “We’re done here. You can go.”
Lee laughed. “Will you look at that? We’ve been dismissed.”
Downs nodded, a smile making his moustache shift.
“On the other hand, the FBI is good at wasting federal resources, so you can stand there all day and do what you do best. I’ll have my attorney file a complaint about your coercion attempts and harassment.”
Downs snorted.
“You don’t give a flying fuck about federal resources, Caselli.” Lee shook her head. “I’m surprised you realise there’s life outside Caselli-land.”
“Oh, of course he does, partner. He has to get little girls to sell from somewhere.”
“That’s right. How could I forget that?”
“And the harassment continues.” Caselli’s voice was even, nonchalant.
Wow. Dude probably is bi-polar.
“Tell you what. Here’s my card. Have your attorney call me and we can discuss your ill-treatment by the FBI.” Clint left his card on the end of the bed while Lee called for the guard.
She scowled when they were outside the secured area and she was reholstering her weapon. “That was a fucking waste of time.”
“Well, honestly, we knew it would be.”
Lee sighed and opened the exit door before Clint could. “I guess so.”
“I, for one, liked seeing the bastard confined to a bed. Weak. Only his mouth to run.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s the plus side. I should have kicked him in the balls.”
Clint tsked and waggled his index finger. “Now, now, Dawson. Not around the cameras.”
She laughed. “Don’t do that. It reminds me of my mom.”
“Are you calling me a woman?”
“When you tsk? Yeah, close.”
“Hmmm, your mom lives in Texas, right?”
Lee narrowed her eyes. Not only had he let her jibe slide, he was talking about family again? “Yeah, in Plano… North of Dallas. Why?”
“Take some time. Go see her. Hell, even take Crane to meet her.”
Blowing out a breath, she left her partner in the prison ward entrance the same way she’d abandoned him outside their office.
Ignored Nate’s smiling face as it danced through her head. Her mother would adore Nate Crane.
Her phone chimed with a text right after she’d unlocked the Charger. She thumbed across the touch-screen and the message filled her vision.
Dinner in or out before I leave tonight?
Lee’s heart galloped and she fought the urge to close her eyes. She couldn’t answer him. Scrolling through the messages, she counted.
Five grey bubbles on the left sign of the screen.
No green ones on the right side, because she hadn’t responded to any of his messages since they’d parted ways at her apartment four hours before.
The idea of going home today only to see him take his duffel and garment bag out of her closet made her chest burn.
Nate was getting on a plane today. He was leaving her.
Tell him you don’t want things to end. But she couldn’t. Long-distance relationships never worked.
Besides, Lee didn’t do relationships anyway.
Her phone beeped again and she contemplated ignoring him. When she looked at the screen again, she frowned.
When you and Downs get back, stop by my office. Thanks.
Liv? What could her boss want?
“Everything okay?”
Lee jumped.
“Sorry.” Clint’s expression was apologetic.
“No problem, didn’t realise you’d caught up.”
“Ah. You good?”
“Yeah. Let’s get back.”
“I’d rather drop you off at your place. You can get your car later.” Her partner was serious, his eyes narrowed. He was daring her to tell him no.
Saved by the text.
Maybe.
“Couldn’t if I wanted you to. Barnes wants to see me. Let’s go.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Son, you have a job if you want it.”
Nate beamed. “Yes, sir. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“I should be thanking Dean for letting you go. You’re going to be a hell of an asset.”
His new boss offered him a shake, and Nate took it, pushing to his feet when th
e man stood before him.
Lee consumed his thoughts, and he chided himself to focus on what the DA, Mario Malcuri, was saying. He needed to know where and when to show up after he’d settled things back home. His new boss had told him to take what time he needed to get himself—and his things—ready for a cross-country relocation.
He had a place to stay, if he needed it, too. Malcuri owned an apartment building in Uptown and Nate could use one of the units for as long as he needed it. The rent was going to be a steal compared to the going rate. The guy was thankfully cutting him a deal.
Maybe Lee wouldn’t freak so much if she saw he’d planned to be with her, not smother her. Ease her into the idea of him being in her life. Then they could talk about moving in together and…marriage. Nate wanted everything. He already had plans to buy a brownstone in the city for them eventually.
Her inability to have kids was only a blip. Nate had always liked kids, but would be okay with or without them. If Lee wanted a child, they could always adopt.
She was the most important thing. Nate needed her.
Workwise, he had a case to either wrap up or pass on to another prosecutor. He’d have to see what Dean thought when he got back to the office.
Two weeks, tops. He wanted to be back in New York, start his life with Lee.
His woman sure as hell wasn’t about to ask him to stay.
What would she say when he told her his fate was sealed?
He wanted to sweep her off her feet tonight. Tell her about the job, and that he’d be back in a few weeks.
Tell her I love her.
Somehow he had to balance it all. Convince her he wouldn’t pressure her, but he wasn’t going to retreat quietly and let her go this time.
Nate also needed to come clean that he knew about her loss, and what’d happened in Dallas. She was going to be pissed, but perhaps the time apart while he got everything in order would help her cool down… Forgive him for keeping it from her.
Plans. Plans. Plans.
He was antsy, and he wanted to get back to her place before she did. Lee hadn’t answered his text about dinner, but Nate was going to stop by the store and buy something to cook.
