Big Easy Temptation (14 page)

“Hello, Special Agent Kirk.” A nondescript man in a perfectly pressed suit nodded
her way.

“Do I know you?”

“Not at all, and my name is irrelevant.”

She tucked her purse—which held her gun—closer. “It’s pretty relevant to me.”

“I merely represent another party. I know you’ll spend an inordinate amount of time
and effort trying to find me, but I promise it’s useless. I’m merely here to reason
with you. You’re getting involved in something that no longer matters.”

She wasn’t going to pretend to misunderstand. The longer she kept him talking, the
more likely the security cameras dotting the parking lot and slowly sweeping every
inch would pick up his face so recognition software could identify him. “It matters
to the admiral’s family.”

“I’m sure it does, but they need to move on or they’ll face more loss. Greater loss.
You don’t want to lose anyone, do you?” As she reached into her purse for her weapon,
he shook his head. “Don’t pull that gun on me, Special Agent. I’m just here to talk,
but I’m not alone.”

She turned and saw he was right. Two other big guys stood sentry on either side of
the parking lot, both with their stares locked on her. They also wore impeccable suit
jackets that likely concealed the weapons they were carrying.

She was outgunned. “What do you want?”

“I merely wish to explain to you that if you don’t stop this investigation, someone
will get hurt. No one wants that. The admiral got into a bad situation, and while
my employers regret the eventual outcome, they would prefer that the past remain there.”

“You work for the Russian mob?”

His expression never changed. He was damn good at his job. “I
work for a group of people who had prior dealings with the admiral. This one went
wrong.”

“You’re saying the admiral was dirty.”

“The admiral had proclivities he kept hidden. My employer indulged said proclivities
from time to time. If you continue down this path, not only will you further harm
the Spencer family name, but we might decide to deal with the real problem.”

“The real problem?” She wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to that question.

“You wouldn’t be kicking up this dust if it weren’t for Captain Spencer. He’s the
one behind everything. He will be disappointed when embarrassing photographs of his
father surface. That would prove detrimental to his career. If you continue to create
problems, it may be detrimental to his health.”

Holland tried to hold her fear in. “If you have those photos, why not release them?”

“We never intended to release them, merely keep the images to ensure the admiral couldn’t
turn on us. Someone else turned him in. I believe it was his aide. He proved to have
a stronger moral code than the admiral would have liked. Do you understand?”

She understood this man was threatening Dax and she didn’t like it. “The Spencers
have a right to know who killed the admiral.”

He sighed. “We had no reason to kill him. Why are you looking for zebras when you
hear hoofbeats? I thought they taught you Occam’s razor in school.”

“The simplest explanation is almost always correct.” Yes, that was something investigators
learned. “But you’re here threatening to kill a Naval officer if I don’t back down.
What’s the simplest explanation for that?”

“That my boss doesn’t wish to be exposed for his part in this situation and he’s prepared
to do anything he must to stop it. Now, you can choose to go home and tell your boyfriend
everything I’ve told you. He’ll be brave. He’ll stand firm and eventually he’ll have
some
accident that you won’t be able to pin on anyone in my organization. Or you can do
the smart thing and tell him you found proof that his father committed suicide. He’ll
be depressed, but somehow I think you’ll find a way to bring him out of it.”

Anger flared inside her. This asshole wanted to corrupt justice. He wanted Dax kept
in the dark . . . or dead. She had to get out of here without getting shot. The minute
she could get away from these assholes, she would arrange to view the parking lot’s
security tapes and ID these men. “I’ll take it under advisement.”

“See that you do.” He nodded to his henchmen and backed toward a black SUV. “And,
Special Agent, I believe you’ll find the cameras have mysteriously malfunctioned.
It’s a shame that technology doesn’t always work.”

She gritted her teeth, fearing the power he must have. “I can still figure out who
you are.”

“Then I’ll have some sort of ‘accident’ and they’ll replace me. I know how these things
work. My boss will simply hire someone else and the business will continue.” He paused,
regarding her with a shrewd stare. “You’re not convinced, so I’ll prove my point.
If you don’t shut down the investigation, we’ll start small. Maybe simply scare the
captain. After that he will receive the photos of his father. If that doesn’t convince
him he’s on a witch hunt and the investigation still doesn’t cease . . . then we’ll
start eliminating the problems. You’ll be last so that you can watch them all fall.
How will you live with that, I wonder? Will that ‘justice’ you’re seeking have been
worth the price? Think about it. Good evening, Special Agent Kirk.”

He slipped into his vehicle and was gone. She memorized the plate number but wondered
if it would mean anything. After a quick call to the prison, she learned the cameras
had indeed been shut down briefly for a software issue.

So whoever this man represented was powerful enough to have someone on the inside.

Shock rolled over Holland as she climbed into her car and sped
away, trembling fingers gripping the wheel. She had no idea what to do now, what to
say to Dax. But maybe she knew one person she could trust who would give her straight
talk.

Flipping a U-turn, she headed to her uncle’s office.

*   *   *

D
ax glanced at the clock. Almost lunchtime. He hated the fact that Holland was investigating
the case alone while he was stuck in the office talking about procedure and processes.

“I think this wording really works,” Courtney said, peering at her computer screen.

“Good.”

She looked at him, a frown on her pretty face. “You’re really distracted. Is there
anything I can help you with, Dax? Your brain has been somewhere else all morning.”

Courtney was an attractive girl with a waterfall of dark hair and hazel eyes. If he
didn’t have Holland, he might have been interested. She was sweet and funny, but she
didn’t have Holland’s grit or acerbic wit.

His brain had been on Holland. All day. All week. Ever since the day he’d come back
into town, he’d been able to think of little but her. “Sorry. I’ll be better this
afternoon.”

After he knew Holland was out of that prison and back at her office. Though her job
was always dangerous. Somehow it was easier not knowing exactly where she was. He
could pretend she was comfy and cozy in her office and not tracking down some crazed
bitch who’d likely sold her daughter for cash.

Courtney’s eyes narrowed. “So everything is going well? I know the answer to that
question since I haven’t heard from Holland. We usually have lunch a couple of times
a week but I’ve barely heard from her.”

Because he’d consumed her every spare moment. His lunches were all scheduled here.
If she could, she met him. Twice she’d been called away on assignment, but he understood
that. “Sorry. We’re a new couple. I’m sure we’ll hate each other soon.”

Not if he had his way. They would be one of those couples that couldn’t get enough
of each other, the sort who annoyed everyone around them because they were so deeply
entwined.

“I don’t know about that.” Courtney looked back at her computer with a sigh. “I think
I’ve pretty much lost my best friend.”

Damn. He hadn’t meant to come between Holland and her friends, especially one with
whom she was so close. Dax knew well how important it was to have people he trusted.
After Joy’s death, Holland needed friends more than ever. Courtney seemed a little
frivolous for Holland. The girl was smart, no doubt. And funny. But she spent an awful
lot of time talking about her nails. Still, maybe Holland had needed someone lighter
in the wake of her grief.

“She’s not ignoring you. I’m just a possessive bastard and I’ve stolen all her time
for myself.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile. “She’s talked about you, but
I don’t know how the two of you met.”

Courtney smiled with the memory. “She was working a case involving some serious procedural
problems during a training exercise. I’m kind of the expert, so she talked to me to
make sure she fully understood what was expected. I deal with NCIS on a regular basis.
About half of them are non-military based, so I’m a fairly good translator.”

The military had its own language and sometimes civvies got a little lost. Sailors
tended to speak in an odd mixture of acronyms and slang only other sailors understood.
He could definitely see where someone like Courtney could be an asset. She’d grown
up in the military but had her schooling in the civilian world. “You two hit it off?”

“We’re both civilian females in a military world. No offense, but this is still a
man’s turf.”

The landscape was changing, slowly. “I can understand that.” Though they seemed like
opposites, the women were apparently fast friends. “Holland really likes you.”

Courtney smiled, her eyes lighting up. “I like her, too. She can be so serious sometimes.
She needs someone to pull her out of herself. Her job can be a little grim, you know.
She needs to be reminded that
there’s fun in the world, too. I force her to go out a couple of times a week. Well,
I did until the last few weeks.” She shot him a wry grin.

He’d been greedy about his time with Holland and he didn’t intend to change. While
he was here, he intended to have Holland to himself as often as he could. “I don’t
suppose you could tell your superiors we need another six months or so to get this
manual done, huh?”

She leaned forward, a sympathetic expression softening her face. “You don’t want to
go back to your ship, do you?”

“I don’t want to leave her.” But he had responsibilities. No matter how much he wanted
to stay, he owed his ship and his men another year. He was due to report back in two
weeks.

The thought of leaving Holland kicked him in the gut.

“She’ll be fine. I’ll be here and she’ll have her work. The time will fly by. When
you get leave, you’ll come back.”

“Do you think she can be happy in that kind of relationship?” It was a question he’d
been asking himself nonstop.

“I think she’s capable of handling anything she wants to.”

There was something about the way she phrased that answer that set him on edge. “If
she wants to?”

Courtney paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. “I think she’s never seen herself
as a military wife. Her mom was, and from what I can tell, it didn’t work out so great
for her. I was actually surprised she gave you a chance. And I can’t see Holland dealing
well with all the press you get.”

“I don’t get too much.” After those first photos of them entering Antoine’s weeks
ago, they hadn’t encountered any more press. The paparazzi had moved on to more interesting
prey, including his friends. Mad and Gabe were back on a supermodel kick, and it seemed
to satisfy the tabloids. He was fairly certain they were doing it to give him a little
cover.

“You will as time goes by. I can’t imagine the president isn’t going to give you some
high-profile job.”

Zack knew better. He’d already told his friend he refused to be
turned into some kind of politician. If he left the military, he would go into private
security or some other field. He was not about to get stuck in D.C. No way. No how.
“I won’t be taking any high-profile jobs. That’s not for me.”

“Really?” Courtney asked, one brow raised. “Because having the president as a childhood
friend usually means a career in politics at some point. I’m sure he needs people
around him he can trust.”

Zack needed that badly, and Dax felt a bit guilty for refusing his buddy. He knew
Zack had intended for his father to sit on the Joint Chiefs. Dax was lucky he wasn’t
eligible due to his rank or Zack and Roman might have browbeaten him into it. Still,
maybe he should think about taking a position with Zack. If he couldn’t get a more
stationary position with the Navy.

God, he’d just decided. He would leave the Navy for Holland so they could build a
life together. He didn’t want to spend years away from her, never sure of when he
might see her again. He was at the tail end of his contract. If he didn’t re-up, he
could be in D.C. by this time next year. Holland could apply for a transfer and never
have to leave NCIS. They could get married, buy a house, start a normal life.

Somehow that didn’t sound so scary anymore.

Courtney was wrong about one thing, though. “If I decide to work for Zack, that will
likely be the end of my paparazzi days. No one cares about old married people.”

“Married?” Courtney’s eyes had gone wide.

He nodded. “Yeah. If I take a job with Zack, it’s because I’m going to get married
and start a family, and I don’t want to miss out on my kids’ childhoods. My dad did.
He got back as often as he could, but he still missed things. I want to be there for
every minute. I can find a way to serve my country and still have my family the way
I want it.”

He could do it. He and Holland could make it work.

Courtney sat back. “Wow. I didn’t expect that so fast. You’ve only been with her for
a few weeks.”

“But I’ve known her for years. We’ve been circling each other the whole time. This
is finally the right time for us.”

“Well, I hope so. She’s not big on marriage. I hope she says yes.”

He was going to make sure she did. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Dax sat back with a smile. He was going to change his whole life for her—for the better.
“She will. She doesn’t know it yet, but she loves me.”