by Reina Torres
Jake saw the moment of panic on Anne’s face when she saw him standing there on the porch. Once she recognized him, she stepped back and left the door open.
Hildie preceded him inside, but she stepped off to the side of the door and waited for him to come inside and set the lock before checking the street for activity.
Anne murmured softly in the room. “I’m really sorry for calling you so early in the morning, but I just wanted to make sure it got to the right people.”
Hildie move forward and pulled Anne into a warm hug. “You did the right thing. Don’t worry about the time. You know I’m always here for you.”
Jake caught Anne’s nervous look between the two of them. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Hill and I work odd hours to begin with. Where can we go to talk?”
Thankfully, Anne left the subject alone and gestured toward the back of the small bungalow. “The laundry room doesn’t have any windows. We can go back there and turn on some lights.”
Taking hold of Hildie’s hand, Jake drew her along behind him, his nerves easing when he felt her free hand touched his back, letting him know she was with him.
Anne pushed open a door, and Jake instinctively closed his eyes. Once he saw the light through his eyelids, he let them open again. The room had a single uncovered bulb dangling from the ceiling. Someone had rigged the light to work instead of replacing it with a fixture that matched the base on the ceiling.
The light was harsh, but he could make it work. He just needed to take a look at the book that Anne had found. Jake took the book from Anne’s hands and laid it open on top of the washer. Page by page they went through the information, with Jake writing down whatever caught his interest the most. Later, someone would go through the book with a fine-toothed comb, but Jake was looking for any connections to the current path of their investigation.
It didn’t escape his notice that Hildie was offering her support to Anne as they continued to read through the book.
It hadn’t really occurred to him that Anne might be upset. Sure, she was still suffering the long-term effects of Joe’s mistreatment, but Hildie saw more than he did. She saw something in the other woman that called to her.
And Hildie, with her larger than life heart, gave her soft words and rubbed her back. She let Anne lean on her and when that wasn’t enough, Hildie held her in a sweet, caring embrace.
When the sky started to turn purple and pink, they had to wrap it up. The sleepy street would be waking up soon enough, and if they didn’t want people to start talking about the odd early morning visit, then they would need to leave before curious eyes turned toward the odd car at the curb.
They cautioned Anne to lock her doors and windows and check them twice just to be safe. Then they stepped down off the porch and followed the worn stretch of a path to the street.
As they walked along, Jake felt Hildie take his hand and swing their joined hands between them. He was more than curious at the loving look she beamed up at him as they approached the car.
He opened the driver’s door for her and closed it after she was buckled into her seat. Jake was around to the other side in a few seconds, and he folded himself into the passenger seat and closed the door so she could pull away from the curb.
As they turned onto the main road out of the housing area, Jake turned in his seat and reached his hand out and set it on the back of her seat. “You want to tell me what that was about?”
“Hmm?” She slowed and came to a four way stop and pulled forward when it stayed clear. “The hand holding thing?”
He nodded at the bit of wide-eyed humor she’d injected into her tone. “Exactly. Don’t get me wrong, Hill. You can hold my hand anytime, but I get the feeling that wasn’t just for us.”
“Okay, mind reader. I just thought if someone saw us it was easier to let them think that you’re my boyfriend and you came with me to visit, or maybe we came over late the night before and crashed at her place.
“It’s not like we can craft some kind of a narrative for folks to see, but I thought it would make sense to look like it was a social call.”
“Good call.” It was, and he had to admit it. He’d been so focused on getting the book from Anne, he didn’t think of the fact that she lived in that neighborhood and people there knew she was with Joe.
If the neighborhood wasn’t watching Anne like a hawk before, they were all watching now.
“Well, I’m glad you thought so. It was a spontaneous thing. I’ll never be able to go undercover like the policewomen I know. Seriously? Can you imagine me tarted up and standing on a corner waiting for some lonely guy to pull up and ask me for sex?”
He set his hand on her thigh as his voice growled from his throat. “Never going to happen.”
He couldn’t see it, but he was pretty darn sure she rolled her eyes at him as she continued to drive.
“Why don’t they have male officers do a vice sting for male prostitutes? I think it would be pretty interesting to see who pulls over. I mean if I saw you standing on a corner in some tight shorts and maybe an open shirt, I’d pull over.”
“Hill-”
“I wouldn’t know what to say. So, I’d probably ask. ‘Hey, are you lost?”
He was going to lose his mind if she kept it up.
“And I’d offer you a ride, and that would sound all kinds of flirty, and then what? Would you tell me I’d have to pay you for it? Or do I have to ask how much?”
They were pulling onto the main road, and he wanted to tell her to pull off, or just over onto the shoulder, but she just kept driving and happily dismantling his self-control.
“And what if you were on a sting and you thought I was cute, and because you didn’t want to get me into trouble you turn me down.” She turned her head and smiled at him before she turned back to the road. “And now my ego is bruised. I’m all hot and bothered because I’m attracted to you, so does that mean I have to drive around and pick someone else up for sex.”
A miraculous red light stopped them, and before he could think better of it, he leaned across the center console and took her mouth in a hard kiss. He tugged on her plump bottom lip with his teeth, and then sat back before the light could change.
He heard the relative silence inside the car and felt the odd stillness beside him.
The light turned back to green, and the car moved forward and picked up speed to move along with the other cars on the road.
It took a few blocks before Hildie spoke again.
“What was that?”
Now it was his turn to tease. “That was me ending all the talk about you working undercover for Vice. If you ever feel the need to pick up a man, all you have to do is ask me. I’ll be happy to help.”
She slid a sideways glance at him. “And if I ask you to wear those short shorts I was talking about?”
He hoped she was kidding.
“I’ll walk around your apartment or mine in anything but those things you were talking about.”
Her sigh was audible. “Spoil sport.”
Laughing, he pointed at the side street. “You can turn in there, and it’ll go to the parking lot.”
They found a spot near the front of the parking structure, and before they got out, he tossed his business card on the dash. Jake met her at the front of the car and took her hand in his as they walked into the station.
Later, when they were nearly done going over the book, Dax grinned at Jake. “She’s a sport.”
“Hmm?” Jake looked up from the note pad he was working on. “What’s that?”
Dax looked through the two-way mirror into the interrogation room and Jake followed his gaze. Hildie was fast asleep, her head pillowed on her arms. “Don’t know many women who would stick around while we went through such scintillating detail.”
“You don’t know many, Dax, but Mackenzie’s one. And a lot of women around us are just that amazing.”
Puffing up with obvious pride, Dax nodded. “Lucky. We’re all so damn lucky.”
“That’s the truth, but I’d like to get her back home soon.”
“Home?” Dax handed Jake a notepad with information to review. “Yours? Or hers?”
“You in the mood to gossip, Dax?”
The other man gave him a hard look. “Just happy that you’re happy. Keep it up and you’ll end up like the rest of us.”
“Insufferable gossips?” Jake looked away from Dax and into the interrogation room. Hildie was still fast asleep, looking so out of place against the stark walls and the hard-topped table. She was so heart-stoppingly beautiful to him. Not just her appearance, but her heart. There were so many people who knew the depth of that beauty, the purity of her soul, and she’d let him in. Past the surface. Past the ringing laughter that he knew covered up those rare moments when her heart ached and uncertainty rocked her confidence.
He was so lucky that he’d been given a chance. Not just to save her life, but to become a part of it.
But, before he could leave and take her home, whichever one she wanted, he had to finish his work. Jake started to turn back to the papers in his hand, but movement from the doorway of the interrogation room caught his interest.
A janitor paused in the doorway. Leaving his cart in the hall, he stepped into the doorway and looked down at Hildie.
Jake couldn’t blame the man. Hildie was a beautiful woman, and so many times the things seen in the office were some of the worst things that humans did to one another. Having someone as gorgeous as Hildie’s face to look at was a treat.
Still, there was something that felt… off.
Pushing back his chair, Jake stepped out of the room and into the hall. The janitor didn’t notice him at first.
“Hey.”
He’d caught the man unawares, that was plain.
“Oh, hey!” The man’s laughter was all nerves. “Sorry. I didn’t see you.”
“Yeah,” Jake nodded, “you didn’t. Is there something you need?”
“No.” The janitor looked down at the badge pinned to his belt before he met Jake’s eyes again. “No. I’m good. I was just cleaning up and looked in to make sure the trash was empty. That pretty woman in there. Is she a suspect in something?”
Jake narrowed his eyes at the man. “Not that it’s any of your business, but she’s not. She’s here with me.”
The man laughed out loud, his hands raising in surrender. “Okay there, Hoss. I get it.” He backed up to his cart. “Look. I’ve got work to do.” He continued down the hall, with only a quick look back over his shoulder.
Jake didn’t move until the man turned around the corner, and even then, he stood watch.
“Jake? What’s going on?” Dax stepped up behind him in the hallway. “What’s wrong?”
It took Jake a moment to turn around and look at his friend. “There was a janitor. I could see him through the two-way. He stepped inside the room to look at Hill. I don’t know why, but it felt… wrong.”
Dax slugged him on the shoulder. “Territorial? We all get that way about our women. He wasn’t going to do anything, was he?”
“No.” Jake shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. It… there was just something… off.”
The humor in Dax’s expression sobered. “You know what, go ahead and go. I can finish up the rest. You’ve both been up since the early morning, and I bet some time alone would be good for both of you. At least give her a comfortable place to sleep.”
Jake jumped at the opportunity. “You sure?”
Dax jerked a thumb toward the open door of the other room. “You brought in a huge piece of evidence for us. Take some time with her. If anything develops, I’ll call you.”
Nodding, Jake shook Dax’s hand and gave him a quick hug and slap on his back. “Thanks. I think I might have to pamper her a little for staying here with me.”
Dax kept hold of his hand for a moment. “A little?”
“I’m not stupid,” he laughed. “I’m not taking her for granted.”
“Good. You won’t regret the time, or the energy spent taking care of your woman.”
Jake saw the truth in Dax’s eyes. The man knew what he was talking about, and Jake wasn’t planning to do any less than everything he could to make sure that Hildie knew how much he cared for her.
“Okay, I’ll see you later.”
He leaned down and whispered near Hildie’s ear to wake her up. “Wake up, sleepy. It’s time to get you back to bed.”
She smiled and stretched, turning to wrap her arms around his neck and brought him down to give him a slow, searching kiss. When she leaned back and looked up into his eyes, she arched a brow in a pointed look. “If we’re getting back in bed, I’m not going to want to sleep for a while.”
He saw the way her eyes sparkled and the way she swept her tongue over her lips as she met his gaze. “Whatever the lady wants,” he promised, “it’s my aim to please.”
Hildie let him pull her up into his warm embrace before she leaned closer to whisper into his ear. “Oh, the lady wants…”
Chapter 10
Joe Merrel had never really thought far ahead in life. He put one foot in front of the other and did what he needed to do to get ahead. The trouble was that whatever ‘ahead’ he managed to get was never enough for him.
And now, ahead was keeping himself in one piece until his lawyers could get him the hell out of jail.
He was already out on probation when he’d gone after Anne, and now with the additional charges, the bail set by the judge was well over six figures. The house he and Anne lived in was a piece of crap, and even if he could get out, she’d already filed a Temporary Restraining Order keeping him away.
Sitting in his cell, he leaned back against the cold cement blocks and ground his back teeth together. “Stupid nosy bitch.” He’d asked around after Anne had served him with the TRO. The two women who ran the Helping Hearts center were always sticking their noses in other people’s business. Getting between men and their women. Didn’t they have enough to do in their own lives?
What did they know about what was good for others? And he knew what was good for Anne. She needed to listen to him. She wasn’t going to get away with this. Neither of them were.
A loud, blaring alert sounded over the P.A. system. “Work shift Two. Work shift Two. Report to your workstations.”
The curse that burst from his lips was long and varied. The same kind of curse that had once gotten a scornful look from Anne. A look that got her a good crack across her mouth. That memory put a smile on his lips as he sauntered down the hall to the library.
Joe pushed open the door and walked into the room. It was almost insane to call the place a library. There were maybe a half-dozen shelves of books. And even those books were missing enough pages that if you tried to read one, it wouldn’t make any sense.
Still, someone had to sit at the desk and look like they were in charge, and that unlucky asshole was Joe Merrel. Joe didn’t even like reading unless it was the sports pages or gambling stats. That’s all he cared about.
He had one hand on the seat when the Corrections Officer making his rounds stuck his head in. “Merrel. You got some books to shelve.”
“Shelve?” He looked at the books on the trolley a few feet away. “Who the fuck borrowed books?”
The officer shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t care. Your job is to put them back. So, get to it.”
As soon as the officer stepped out of view, Joe flipped him the bird. “Get to it,” he mimicked the officer. “Lazy asshole.”
Joe blew out a breath and picked up a book off the trolley.
“Someone actually wanted to read this piece of crap?” He looked at the number on the spine of the book and rolled his eyes. “Letters and numbers. Just put them in order.” He started to shelve the books, one after another, and kept his head down while he did it. If someone else came in looking for something they would see he was busy and get the hell out.
Wishful thinking.
He picked up a book
and stared at the number on the spine. He’d just put a book back in nearly the same place. His curse blistered the walls, and he grumbled as he made his way toward the shelf. “What a fucking waste!”
To add insult to injury, it was almost on the bottom shelf, and he had an old injury to his back. Leaning down that low was going to hurt, but he was already halfway there. Might as well get it done, and then sit down at the desk for a while.
By the time he bent down low enough, his back was just about as pissed as he was. He had to set one hand down on the shelf to reach the empty space and-
He was face first on the floor a moment later, a blinding pain in his head.
“What the-”
“Shut up and listen, Merrel.”
He’d heard that voice before, but it wasn’t one he liked. No, the bastard with the four pack a day wheeze was the kind of man you stayed away from if you could.
“We got some news today which is going to make the next few minutes very important to your sorry ass.”
Joe heard the pause in the other man’s voice, but he still remained silent. He was an asshole himself, but this guy was the kind of man that made criminals sweat.
Just like he was doing.
“I want you to think, Joe. I want you to think real good.”
It was hard to think with someone’s hand ready to snap your spine, but he’d give it a try.
“With all of the jobs you done for the boss. With all of the things you’ve been trusted with. What was the most important thing you were supposed to remember?”
Ah, fuck. Tests. He hated tests.
“Speak, Joe.”
He swallowed hard to try and get some air, but it didn’t quite work. “Make the boss money?”
The pressure on the back of his neck increased and spots floated into his vision.
“No, Joe. The important thing is not to leave evidence.”
“Okay.”
“And you left evidence, Joe. You left it behind, and now the Rangers have it. How do you suppose they got it?”
