Shielding You (Baytown Boys Book 13)

by Maryann Jordan

  Time stood still. Then her lips slowly curved into a gentle smile. She blinked, and he could swear he saw moisture gathering.

  “I fell in love with you years ago, Dylan. I knew it was fast. I even knew it might not be the smartest thing to do. But my heart didn’t listen to my head, and I fell. When we were forced to part, I knew my heart was broken. I couldn’t show that to you. I couldn’t show that to anyone. So I buried all those emotions deep, deciding to focus just on me. But now, I think it’s truly our time, and I’m ready.”

  Hearing her words but wanting to make sure he understood her meaning, he licked his dry lips and asked, “You’re ready?”

  “I’m ready to let you know that I love you, too.”

  Hannah’s eyes jerked open, and she missed the warmth that had surrounded her, instinctively knowing that Dylan was not in bed. Not wanting to move, they’d stayed at her bungalow. They’d had dinner, curled up together on the sofa and talked, then finally went back to bed and made love again. She had fallen asleep with all that was him wrapped around her.

  She rolled over and spied him, already dressed, placing a note on the nightstand. “Did you get called in?” That was the only reason she could imagine he was leaving her bed after they’d openly declared their love for each other.

  He bent deeply over her and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry, babe. I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m going to run out and get something done, and I’ll be back soon.”

  She sat up, pushing her hair away from her face, trying to make sense of his words. “Run out for what?”

  “I want to go ahead and get the security cameras up at the harbor. I don’t want to do it during the day where everyone can see me. And if I wait too late, then the fishermen will start coming in before dawn. I know I’m taking a chance that somebody will see me, but I don’t want to wait.”

  She threw the covers back and jumped to her feet. “Give me a minute to put some clothes on, and I’ll go with you.”

  “No, absolutely not,” he said, his arms crossing his impressive chest.

  She stepped into her jeans and zipped them up. “Why not? If I go, we can get it done much quicker.”

  “I don’t want you out in the middle of the night at the harbor when we don’t know what might be going on.”

  She straightened, indignation steeling her spine. “Dylan,” she said, her voice low. “I want you to think very carefully about what you’re saying.” He started to open his mouth, but her hand snapped up, palm facing him. “I get that you’re talking to Hannah, the woman you love. But you cannot possibly forget that I am also Easton’s Police Chief, with as much law enforcement experience and seniority as you. To imply that I should not be assisting you is an insult.”

  They stared without speaking for a moment, then he unfurled his arms, placing his hands on his hips as he dropped his head and stared at his boots. She remained silent, waiting to see what he would say. Finally, he lifted his head and sighed heavily.

  “I know. I understand what you’re saying. It’s just weird, I guess.”

  Feeling underdressed for the heaviness of their conversation, she bent and snagged her bra off the floor. Sliding it on, she grabbed her T-shirt and pulled it on, wincing slightly. “Okay, that’s better. Now, what do you mean it’s weird?”

  “I’ve always known you as a police chief. I know you’re smart, competent, professional. But you work in Easton, and I work in Seaside, so I don’t have to see you daily at times when you might be in danger. And I guess that’s good. I can’t turn off my desire to shield you from harm, but I know that it’s something I have to deal with.”

  The tension left her shoulders, and she stepped forward, placing her hand on his arm. “When I heard the gunshot and knew that you were out there somewhere, I was terrified. So I get it, Dylan. We both have jobs with high risks, and it’s probably better that we don’t work together each day. But there will be times when we can do things together, and this is one of them. You putting those cameras up helps the security for all of the Eastern Shore. I want to help. I want to be with you.”

  He nodded toward her arm. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”

  “It’s only a bruise. I’ll be fine.”

  He continued to stare for a moment, then she felt the muscles in his arm relax. Shaking his head slightly, he said, “Okay, Robin, let’s go.”

  Blinking, her head jerked back. “Robin? Why do I have to be the sidekick?”

  “Because we’re going to be in Seaside. That’s my jurisdiction, and we’re putting up my cameras. Therefore, I get to be Batman.”

  Still grumbling, she slid her feet into her sneakers. “I should at least be Batgirl.”

  “That seems sexist.”

  She looked up and blinked, her lips quirking. “Well, how about Batwoman? Equals?”

  Throwing his arm around her shoulders, he laughed. “How about just you and me… just us… equals?”

  She wrapped her arm around his waist and grinned. “I like that. You and me.”

  Together, they headed to his SUV in the middle of the night. Thirty minutes later, her soft voice called out, “Not so fast. No, that’s not the right angle. A little more to the left.”

  “Is that better?”

  “It doesn’t seem to be penetrating deep enough.”

  “If I shift too much to the left, I’m afraid it’s not going to get the needed result.”

  Knowing if anyone else heard their conversation they’d think that they’d stumbled across a couple having sex on the harbor, she began to laugh. Looking up at Dylan standing on top of the ladder, she met his grin. “You do know what this sounds like, don’t you?”

  “Batwoman, I guarantee you that I have no problem penetrating deep enough, and I’ll always get the right angle.”

  A new round of laughter erupted, and she jiggled the ladder. “Sorry, sorry!”

  Dylan had installed the first camera at the far edge of the harbor with no difficulty. He had downloaded the app to his phone and made sure they synced. She had checked the screen and they were pleased with the view they’d achieved. Now, he was trying to get the middle of the harbor, finding it difficult to manipulate the angle to obtain the perfect view.

  “Are you about to finish laughing?”

  She looked up and nodded, but his smile gave proof that he was also amused. “I think this is the best we can do with these two. But why don’t you take a look at them before we leave?”

  She stood back as he scrambled down the ladder. Handing his phone to him, she trotted out onto several of the piers, giving him a chance to check the views. He waved and she jogged back over to him. “Are you happy with what you’ve got?”

  His lips curved in a slow smile and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Holding her gaze, he nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m happy with what I’ve got.”

  She rolled her eyes, fighting a grin. “I was talking about the cameras.”

  “Well, Chief Freeman, the cameras are fine. But for you, babe, I’m more than happy with what I’ve got.”

  She wrapped her arm around his waist, and they drove back to her bungalow. Once more, they stripped and crawled underneath the covers. His warmth surrounded her and she soon found peaceful slumber again.

  20

  “Stop complaining, you big baby.” Hannah tried to shush Percy as he yowled his discontent loudly in an attempt to either save his dignity at being stuffed into a carrier or let it be known far and wide how much he hated trips to the vet. Leaning down, she tried to stick her finger out to him, but all she received in return was a hiss and paw swipe. “This is not how I want to spend my lunch break either, you know,” she whispered.

  Glad when she was ushered into the examination room and away from the curious eyes of those in the vet clinic waiting room, she glared at the recalcitrant feline. “You are so nice at home but turn into a tiger when here.” She looked up as the door opened, smiling when Sam walked into the room.

  “Hey, Hannah. Percy.” />
  Before Hannah had a chance to speak, Percy offered a long, drawn-out meow, summing up his feelings on the situation.

  “I should just make a house call and save you the discontent,” Sam said, efficiently pulling the big cat from his carrier and placing him on the examining table.

  “I feel like I should apologize,” Hannah confessed, stroking Percy as Sam calmly checked him out.

  “Nah, I’m used to this. Cats generally hate to be in carriers, and they always hate the vet. I don’t take it personally.”

  It didn’t take long for Percy to obtain a perfect bill of health and Sam readied the inoculations. “So… I saw you and Dylan at The Diner the other day.”

  Hannah had wondered when the questions would start. She and Dylan had been dating for several weeks, slowly stepping out more in public together while keeping the public displays of affection to a minimum.

  “And, if Carrie’s information is right, it’s not the first time you two have sat closely on the same side of the booth.”

  Laughing, she shook her head. After all, she was the one who told Dylan that once they went public, it was like inviting everyone into their relationship. “Yes, we have shared a booth. Satisfied?”

  Sam’s gaze darted up as she continued to stroke Percy. “Hardly! I want details. After all, I have to live my love life vicariously through my friends.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t have to if you’d give Joseph a chance.”

  Blinking, Sam stuttered. “Jo… Joseph? What on earth are you talking about?”

  “Oh, come on… you have to know he’s interested.”

  “You’re crazy,” Sam replied, looking back down.

  Sam’s voice held a wistful quality, but Hannah wasn’t sure how to interpret that tone. Softly, she said, “What makes you think I’m crazy? I’ve seen the way he looks at you in the AL meetings.” When Sam’s gaze jumped up to hers, she continued. “But then maybe you’re not interested—”

  “We are complete opposites. As closed off as he is, who knows what he’s thinking? And God knows I don’t have time for his brand of complicated, even if I was interested!”

  Now it was Hannah’s turn to look confused. “Complicated?”

  Sam pressed her lips together as she kept her gaze on Percy, slowly stroking the now-purring cat. “He’s quiet… broody. Not rude, but not overly friendly.” Shaking her head, she admitted, “I have no idea if he’s got baggage or just introverted. But my life doesn’t offer any time to help someone sort their shit when I work all day, am on-call most nights, and can barely take care of my own shit. I’m afraid complicated just doesn’t work for me.”

  Percy meowed again and as much as she wanted to keep talking to Sam, she knew she needed to get her disgruntled cat home. Offering goodbyes as Sam hustled into the next examining room, she paid and placed his carrier into the backseat of her SUV once again. “Okay, big boy, let’s get you home so I can get back to work.”

  She drove through Easton to get from the vet clinic back to her house, her gaze naturally scanning the area. Suddenly, a car ran a stop sign, causing her to slam on her brakes. Percy’s carrier shifted and his yowl met her ears. Pissed, she flipped on her lights and pulled the car over to the side of the road. “Sorry for the delay, Percy, but Momma's got to deal with this guy.”

  “Ten-fifty-nine at the corner of Barkley and Orchard,” she radioed. The license plate scanner quickly sent the number, and she looked to see who the car was registered to. She started to exit her SUV but, glancing down, she noted cat fur on her uniform. Grimacing, she quickly swiped her hand over her shirt.

  Approaching the driver’s side, she observed only one occupant who had rolled their window down. Her gaze moved through the back window, several cardboard boxes and bags filling the backseat. An object snagged in the corner of her vision, and she slowed her steps. Speaking softly into her radio, she called, “Ten-forty, ten-two.”

  Maintaining a distance where she could see the man’s hands on the steering wheel, she asked for his driver’s license and car registration. She accepted them from him, but instead of going back to her vehicle, she stayed where he was in her sight. It only took a moment for another vehicle to appear, and she nodded toward William, one of her officers.

  “Sir, I’m gonna need to have you step outside your vehicle, please.”

  William moved to the other side, glanced through the car, then looked at her over the top, a quick nod indicating he spied the same thing she had.

  As the driver alighted, his eyes darting between them, a nervous smile on his lips, he asked, “Anything wrong, Officer?”

  “You ran the stop sign back there, Mr. Jackson,” she said, holding his gaze. “Is this your vehicle, Terrence?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” he rushed. “No, it belongs to my cousin.”

  She escorted him to the side just as another police vehicle arrived, this time bringing in Bobby. By now, William had opened the door and began searching the car. Terrence’s eyes widened, and his hands reached forward as though to stop what was happening. Bobby restrained him, moving him back to his SUV while Hannah joined in the search with William.

  “Shit, it’s like hitting the mother lode,” William said, pulling out three guns from the floorboard.

  “Go through these boxes while I check the trunk.” She moved around to the driver’s side and pressed the trunk release before stepping to the back of the car. More boxes and bags were visible and she snapped on a pair of gloves. What was quickly evident was Terrence’s trunk contained small bags of what appeared to be cocaine. A quick color test was positive, but she didn’t trust that it might not be a false-positive.

  She radioed to Pearl. “Ten-thirty-five. Possible drugs found in the vehicle. Call out for a North Heron detective.”

  The first to arrive was Hunter. She remembered when he landed on the Eastern Shore. Mitch and Colt thought he was a drug dealer, but it turned out he was undercover for the State Police and now worked for Colt. Greeting him, she turned the drugs over to him. She had jurisdiction in the town of Easton, but with it located in North Heron, the Sheriff’s Department had jurisdiction over the whole county. With her meager resources, she was thrilled with the assistance.

  By now, Terrence was fast-talking about how it was his cousin’s car, the guns weren’t his, and he knew nothing about drugs in the trunk. Placing him under arrest, Bobby escorted him to his vehicle, taking him to the county jail. She, William, and Hunter bagged all of the evidence. Calling for a wrecker to take the car to the county’s impound lot, she turned to the other officers when a loud yowl sounded from her vehicle.

  “What the hell was that?” Hunter asked, twisting around as his head swung toward her SUV.

  “Oh, God, I was on the way from the vet with my cat when this car ran a stop sign in front of me.”

  “Is he okay?”

  Laughing, she said, “Yeah, he’s fine. He’s just letting me know that he’s pissed off for staying in his carrier for so long.”

  William looked over and grinned. “I’ll stay for the wrecker and get the paperwork for the impound lot. I know you missed part of your lunch, so why don’t you go ahead and take your tiger home.”

  “I’ll do that and then be right back into the office.” She offered her hand to Hunter, clasping it in a firm shake. “Thanks for your help.”

  “Glad to keep this stuff off the streets, whether it was going to stay here on the Eastern Shore or get transported somewhere else.” He held her gaze and added, “I know you and Dylan put some cameras up. Do you think he possibly came in through Seaside Harbor?”

  Sighing, she shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’ll see what I can find out.” Tossing her hand up in a wave, she hustled back to her SUV and climbed in, glancing over her shoulder into the carrier. “You do know I have a job, right, Percy? That is how I afford your kitty treats!”

  Percy’s large eyes simply stared, but he remained silent as though he was judging her. She made it back to her bungalow, an
d once inside opened the carrier, grinning as Percy crept out, sniffing to make sure he was truly in his home. Her phone rang, and she glanced at the caller ID. “Hey, Dylan. What’s up?”

  Balancing her phone between her shoulder and ear, she bent to pour food into Percy’s dish. As she dumped it into the bowl, her phone slipped out and clattered to the floor. “Dammit!” Snatching it up, she asked, “Are you still there?”

  “What the hell are you doing, Hannah?”

  “I’m trying to feed my cat and dropped the phone.”

  “You’re at home? I thought you were at work.”

  “I am at work, but I’m at home.” Huffing, she shook her head. “Shit, it’s too complicated to explain right now. What’s up with you?”

  “Barbara heard the chatter over dispatch that you ended up with a car full of drugs.”

  Not surprised that the news had spread amongst the other law enforcement members in the area, she grinned. “Yeah, I was going to talk to you about that. The guy clammed up and didn’t say where he came from or where he got them. He originally said it was his cousin’s car and he didn’t know anything about the drugs or the weapons.”

  “Colt take it?”

  “Everything was taken in, and Hunter will be the lead detective for North Heron. He’ll get drug samples to the lab, of course, do the fingerprint checking. Also, the car is impounded.”

  “So we don’t know where he came from?”

  “No, I was going to check with you later to see if anything came through on the security cameras.”

  “I looked at the last couple of nights, skimming through, and haven’t seen anything. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t come during the day. Once he gets processed into the jail, I’ll take his mug shot to see if anyone in the harbor recognizes him.”

  She appreciated the assistance the area law enforcement provided to each other. Having heard her father complain over the years about jurisdiction problems with the FBI, she was once again certain that she had chosen the right path.