Authors: Kathleen Brooks
Miles crawled on his stomach
to his bedroom. He hurried when he heard the additional gunfire added into the mix. The mercenaries
must
have
called for reinforcement
s
.
“Drop your weapons and come out with your hands up!” Miles stopped in his tracks. What the hell? He looked around and noticed the gunfire had stopped. He hurried to the window and looked outside. “That means you too, you sorry piece of…”
“Annie?” Miles yelled out the window as he stared at his sister-in-law standing next to the Keeneston
s
heriff
d
epa
rtment’s SUV
with her gun in one hand,
holding a bullhorn in the other.
“Oh, hey. Glad to see you’re still alive.” Annie quickly raised her handgun and shot off into the dark. Miles heard a yelp and knew she had just hit one of the
attackers
. “Do you know how hard it is to get a
baby to sleep?
I finally got her down and y
ou bastards woke me up! Is everyone good now?” She shouted into the bullhorn.
Miles watched as he saw Ahmed and some men he recognized as Ahmed’s security team,
Noodle, Dinky,
Cade, Pierce, Cole and his father coming from all directions leading men in black with their hands up.
He had only seen
ten or so but there
were
at least twice as many
now.
He’d never have been able to hold them all off. Thank
G
od his crew had arrived when they did.
“Morgan?” Miles shouted out the window as he scrambled to his feet.
“She’s okay. I picked her up and left her in Ma’
s care,” Pierce called back as
he strode
forward with the barrel of his
g
un
trained on the man walking in front of him.
Miles released the breath he was holding. He grabbed a shirt from the closet and stuffed his feet into some shoes before running down the stairs and heading out onto the front yard.
“I’ve called in my team and they’ll be here soon to collect these men
,
” Cole told Miles when he met them outside. “But Mi
les
, they’re telling me it was a woman named Morgan who hired them.
”
“I don’t believe it. I need to see her.” Miles was anxiously eyeing his car sitting near the barn. He could barely make himself stand still. He needed to make sure she was safe in his arms.
“I think we all need to
talk t
o Morgan
,
” Cole told the group.
Morgan clutched Bill to her chest as Marcy wrapped another blanket around her.
Paige sat quietly across the room from her, but Morgan barely noticed.
She couldn’t stop shaking. All she could think about was Miles. He couldn’t be dead, he just couldn’t be.
“It’s okay sweetie. We’ll hear something soon,” Marcy cooed trying to calm herself just as much as Morgan. “What happened, Morgan?”
“It’s all my fault. Everything is my fault,” Morgan cried as she buried her head into Bill’s soft fur
again
.
“Morgan!”
Morgan raised her head and saw Miles rushing through the door. He was a mess, but he was alive! Bruises
were starting to blossom on his
face as he hurried to her side.
“Miles! You’re alive!”
“Is that good or bad?” Cole asked.
Morgan only tossed him a confused glance as she put a squirming Bill on the floor and opened her arms to him. Miles pulled her into his arms and crushed her against his chest. She grimaced at the pain but
did
n’t dare say anything. He was alive and that was all that mattered.
“I’m so sorry Miles, it’s all my fault. If it
wasn’t
for me this wouldn’t have happened. I didn’t think David would move this fast,” she cried into his chest as she squeezed him reassuring herself that he was really there.
“See, she admits it. I told you she was nothing but trouble!”
“Paige…” Miles warned his sister.
“
Morgan,” Cole interrupted. “We haven’t
officially
met,
but I’m Special Agent
Cole Parker of the FBI
. I think it’s time we talked.”
Morgan stiffened and
her head nearly
hit Miles in the jaw as she stood to face Cole. “I don’t think so. I won’t talk to the FBI without an attorney present.” Morgan thought of
he
r
dealings with Agent Bret
on and anger replaced her fear.
“Most of the
time that’s what guilty people say,” Cole casually commented.
“Or people who are sick of dealing with lying FBI scumbags,” Morgan shot ba
ck
,
moving her hands to her hips as Miles pulled the blanket ti
ght to cover her.
Cole narrowed his eyes at her, “You’ve been
dealing with the FBI?” he asked.
“I’m not saying another word until I get a lawyer. Isn’t Henry from high school a lawyer?”
s
he asked Miles.
“Yes. Come into the kitchen and you can give him a call.”
Morgan paced around the kitchen and waited for her attorney to arrive. She could only hope Henry was as smart as he was in high school and that he
had
lost the swagger that didn’t quite fi
t with his personality.
The door to the kitchen open
ed
and a rather disheveled Henry strode in with a briefcase in hand. “Miles, can someone ge
t my client something to wear?”
Miles looked
at
her for permission to leave and she gave a slight nod
of her head.
“Now that we’re alone…”
“Oh
G
od Henry, not a pick up line,” she mumbled as she pulled the blanket tighter around her.
“Sorry, but I reserve those lines for special women who aren’t my clients
—e
ven if you beg.” Henry smiled and she felt herself relax. The door opened and Miles came in with jeans and a blue University of Kentucky sweatshirt. “Thanks Miles. Now if you
’ll
excuse us I need to speak privately with my client.”
Once again Morgan nodded her approval and waited for Miles to leave.
Henry ca
me over to her and stopped in front of her, “You’ll feel better once you change. I’ll go talk to Cole and be back in just a minute. Is there anything else you need?”
“No. And Henry,
thank you so much.” Henry smiled and headed out the door. She ripped off the torn dress shirt and pulled on the warm sweatshirt. She tugged on the jeans and had to leave the top button undone,
but at least the sweatshirt hid
the fact that s
he couldn’t fit into the jeans.
Henry knocked on the door and
entered
when she told him it was okay. He took out a notepad and a computer and sat down at the kitchen table with her. “Okay. Start at the beginning and don’t leave anything out.”
Morgan
took a deep breath and started with getting her job at Top Producers. Henry took notes and asked follow
-
up questions as she told her story. Before she knew it she was lost in the nightmare of her race to get back and warn Miles.
Miles paced the living room floor as his mother
sat next to his father
nervously wr
inging
her hands together. Annie had
left to relieve Tammy of babysitting duty
. Cade and Pierce wer
e sitting in the corner with their legs stretched out in front
of them looking
as if
they didn’t have a care in the world. Miles narrowed his eyes at them but was distracted
when
Cole got up
to answer
a phone call. He moved out onto the porch and Mil
es instantly became suspicious.
“I don’t understand this, Miles. You’re usually such a good judge of character,” Paige pushed at him again. She was his little sister and he loved her, but
G
od help him, she had a bug up her craw about
Morgan and he was tired of it.
“Paige, I thought we had th
is discussion.
Why
don’t
you
like her?” Miles asked through a clenched jaw.
“She hurt you and you were never the same after that.”
“That’s right, me
—n
ot you! I’ve moved on, why can’t you?
And I still have good judgment. I
t’s the only reason I let your husband near her. Because I trust him, like you should
trust
me. When you learn what’s going on, you’re going to be redder than a pickled beet and I expect an apology from you.” Miles dropped his hands from his hips and strode back across the room. He could feel her eye
s
roll
,
but then the front door opened and Cole
came in with his cop face on
.
Miles knew there was going to be trouble.
“Miles, a word please?” Cole opened the front door and Miles dutifu
lly walked out on to the porch.
“What is it?”
“Did you know Morgan was being investigated by the FBI for fraud, embezzlement, illegal lobbying, intimidation
,
and murder?” Cole’s expression didn’t change.
“That asshole! David Washington is behind this.” Miles’
s
fingers clinched into a fist.
He was going to kill that SOB.
“I’m going to have to bring her in for questioning and will most likely have to arrest her tonight. The evidence is there, but for some reason the agent in charge hasn’t pushed for a warrant
yet
.” Cole opened the door and went inside leaving Miles staring ou
t into the early morning light.
Morgan took another sip of water as she waited. Henry was bent over his computer typing away at the document that would determine the rest of her life.
He had been a good lis
tener and grasped the situation
quicker than she thought possible. If the Keeneston Belles could see him like this
—s
erious, scholarly lawyer
—h
e would be at the top of the most eligible list faster than
John Wolfe could spread gossip.
“I think I have it. Read this over and let me know what you think.” Henry turned the computer over to her as
she read through her lifeline.
“Good. Thanks again Henry. Do you think you can prevent me from going to jail?” Morgan asked nervously.
“Let’s find out. Are you ready?” Henry
printed off the report
on Marcy and Jake’s printer
and
put his arm around her shoulder
to
lead the way into the living room.
All conversation stopped as she walked through the door. The mixture of reactions
would’ve
been humorous if not for the situation. Miles hurried through the door and took his place by her side in a show of support. Morgan’s heart
clenched
, thinking she might
not see the man she loved again. Her life was in the hands of Henry.
“Henry
,
I’m sorry, but I got word on your client. I need to take her to
the FBI office and have a talk
with her. If she refuses I’m going to have
to arrest her.” Cole told him
as he pulled out a pair of cuffs. Morgan gasped, but then she felt both Miles and Henry’s reassuring touch.
“I think you’re going to wa
nt to hear what she says first.” Henry stopped Cole’s movement toward her by handing out t
he pages he’d just printed off.
“What’s this?” Cole looked over the document. His eyes widened and he looked straight at Morgan, “A Witness Cooperation Agreement? You’ll testify against
David Washington and other
unnamed people in exchange for no charges being brought against you for any acts
you’ve
preformed while an employee at Top Producers?
What the hell is this about? Do you really think I’ll sign this not knowing the details and not seeing any proof of their so
-
called criminal activities while the evidence
I’ve
seen all points to you?”
“I thought you would say that.” Henry pulled out another piece of paper and handed it to Cole. “Here’s a list of crimes she has witnessed and has evidence for.”