"We don't need to be married to do that," she said, her tone reminding him he was pushing his luck.
He didn't care; he was feeling lucky today. He stretched his body out, watching in delight as her gaze roamed over him. Feeling lucky, indeed.
"Maybe I'm going to save myself for marriage." He grinned, batted her hand away as she teased her fingers down his abdomen. "No more sex unless you make me an honest man. Marry me."
Her hand fell away, her forehead creased. He'd pushed the joke too far. Except it was no joke for him. She rolled away from him, walked to the bathroom.
He followed her, but she had closed the door. Even he knew not to push that limit.
There were reasons she painstakingly built the barriers around her heart over the years. Impatient as he was to destroy them, he knew he had to take care. She knew how he felt, that was what was important now.
That and finding the bastard intent on destroying their lives.
<><><>
"I'm sorry about last night," he said once they finished their lunch at the Eat n Park. "You were right. We're in this together."
"Together, as in equals?"
He remembered his dreams from last night. Dreams of Hart trapped in a cave, being smothered by Richard King, locked in a dungeon. Dreams where he had saved her from King. He sighed. Maybe that's how he wished it was, but the truth was Hart had saved herself.
He'd like to think if he knew her back then he would have been able to rescue her. But she wouldn't be the woman she was today if not for King. A woman who refused to bow to circumstances or superior strength, a woman who stood her ground.
If he tried to take that away from her, he was no better than King.
"Yes," he exhaled the word. "Partners. Whatever comes."
Her face flushed slightly as she nodded her approval at his words. "I like the sound of that." She reached her hand out to take his. "Now, who's on your list of potential suspects?"
"Same two I began with: Spanos and King."
She frowned at that. "But isn't Tony in the clear? He chased the intruder out and he was inside the Center when the shooting happened."
"He could have done the shooting and returned to the Center while we took cover behind the dumpster. We couldn't see the front door," he reminded her.
"You think he's that good of an actor? Tony?"
"Yeah. I guess. So that leaves us with King."
"I can see Alan paying Elizabeth Reynolds to harass you. And trying to ruin my life with the malpractice case and helping Brickner get off. But a shooting and firebombing? Not his style."
"Actually, I meant your ex, Richard King. He's not as helpless or weak as he appears."
She waved her hand as if King wasn't even worth discussing. "I already told him no. He knows we're never getting back together. So what's the point of escalating things? The shooting and firebomb could have just as easily driven me into your arms. Why risk it?"
"He's desperate. Sees you as his only hope. He's obsessed with you."
She rolled her eyes.
"Maybe King and Spanos together. Your ex told me he's the one who's paying Guardian Security to install the alarm system on the Center. And he hired Spanos to watch over you."
That made her bristle. "You mean all this time Tony's been working for Richard? I thought he—" Her voice trailed off.
"Thought what? He was doing it out of the goodness of his heart?"
For some reason that made her flush. She looked away for a moment then said, "What about Brickner? Maybe all this was a ploy to discredit me and get him off?"
"You really think he'd go to the trouble of hunting down Elizabeth Reynolds and convince her to move halfway across the country even though she's dying—" He stopped. "She's the key. Maybe it wasn't murder after all. Maybe it was suicide."
"Then how did your gun end up in the dumpster?"
"She had help to clean up after her. Someone who wanted to destroy me just as much as she did."
"Then we're back to you being the target, not me."
"No. We're back to us being the target. You and me together. Start thinking of it that way and it all makes sense in a perverted sort of way."
"Maybe. But it still doesn't tell us who is behind it."
"Flip a coin. Spanos or King. Can't think of anyone else who would want to destroy us."
She shuddered and he regretted his flippancy. After all, a woman was dead and Hart almost killed. Serious business.
"Do you really think either Tony or Richard would want to kill me? A few seconds either way and I wouldn't have made it out of my house. Or if I'd been asleep upstairs—"
Now it was his turn to shiver. "Don't even say it. Maybe the firebombing and the shooting were gang related?"
"What good am I dead to them?"
"You'd serve as a warning to Athena."
"A warning that would just send her further into hiding. That's not what Lucien wants. He wants that recording to make sure no one knows Baby Jane is his."
"Too late now. You already told CYS. Nothing will stop their investigation."
"But he doesn't know that."
He frowned. Too many variables. His phone rang. Jimmy. "Hart there?"
"Yeah, why?"
"So you guys kissed and made up? About time. Does this mean you'll be bringing Denise her van back anytime soon? She's driving me crazy."
"We're fine, Jimmy. How about you and the search for the person or persons unknown who are trying to kill Hart and who framed me for Elizabeth Reynolds' murder?"
"Yeah, not so good. That's not why I called. Tell Hart to be on the lookout for Ronald Brickner. Seems he was a no show in court today. Judge revoked his bond, so he's now officially a fugitive. Might make him desperate enough to do something stupid."
"Okay, thanks."
"Oh, and Miller says to come by and pick up your badge and gun. IAD dropped all charges against you—pending the conclusion of their investigation, anyway."
He brightened at that. "Will do."
"Good news?" Hart asked when he hung up.
"Yeah. IAD is giving me my badge and gun back. I just have to go pick them up."
"That's great."
He didn't like walking around unarmed, especially not with Hart to protect, it was like walking around naked. "We'll go together. I don't want to let you out of my sight."
"I'll meet you at the Center. I need to return Natalie's car and I want to check on Tagger."
Seemed safe enough. The station house was just down the street, so he'd probably beat her there anyway. "Will Tammy be at the Center?"
"Yes. And we're expecting a delivery of drywall, so there should be some nice, hunky guys around as well." She wrinkled her nose at him. "You can't babysit me. I have a life to live."
He sighed. "I know."
<><><>
When Cassie reached Ed's house, Natalie was just getting ready to leave. "Perfect timing. I was heading over to Trent's case worker and I can drop you off at the Liberty Center on my way."
"Who's Trent?" Cassie asked with a smile. She had a feeling she knew the answer.
"Tagger, of course. I told him no gang names in my house."
"How'd he take that?"
"Not so happy at first. Also not so happy about eating real food, setting the table, or not wearing that god-awful hat of his inside the house. But he's back in school and came home yesterday laughing and excited about a big art project his teacher is planning. Spent all night sketching ideas."
"Good." She made a mental note to ask Drake to stop by to see Tagger, maybe give him some encouragement. "And Baby Jane?"
"Gained almost half a pound already. Once her temperature stabilized she turned out to be a champion eater. I'm working with CYS on bringing her here. That way Athena can visit both her and Trent."
This was what Cassie admired most about Natalie. The woman never gave up on anyone, not even a girl the police had labeled their number one suspect in a homicide.
They pulled up to the Center and she was relieved Tony's van wasn't there. She wasn't sure how she felt about knowing Richard had paid Tony to watch over her—or how that colored the ex-cop's affection for her. Richard sure as hell didn't pay Tony to kiss her the other night.
Natalie drove off with a jaunty beep-beep as Cassie ran inside, glad to be back in familiar territory. Tammy was out front putting up shelves in the reception area, her radio playing her favorite, Alicia Keys.
"Want some help?" Cassie asked, reaching for her tool belt from the peg where Tammy had hung it. The woman was always cleaning, sorting, or straightening something.
"Cassie, you're back!" Tammy rushed over with a big hug. "Are you okay? I heard about your house. I'm so sorry."
"I'm fine. Just a few aches and bruises."
"Hmmm…wish I could say the same about your hair."
"Tagger helped me cut it."
"Yeah, well, we can do better than that. Let me finish these and we'll go over to Miss Leila's down on Centre. She does real nice work. My treat."
Cassie hated sitting in a hair stylist's chair. It was one of the reasons why she wore her hair long. She never knew what to say and the small talk made her nervous. But she couldn't ignore the look on Tammy's face. "Okay. Sounds like fun."
"Good. I won't be long here."
"I'm going to run upstairs and finish painting that last bit of trim in the day care. Just grab me when you're ready."
It was amazing how therapeutic something as simple as painting trim could be, she thought as she carefully swished the brush back and forth. Rosa was right. As usual.
She'd just finished the tricky bit in the far corner—without even splashing any on the floor—when Tony Spanos rushed in.
"Thank God you're here. It's that girl. She's been hurt. I was afraid to move her."
Cassie climbed down from her ladder. "Athena? What happened?"
"She was over in the Stackhouse. Some debris fell on her. It's bad, Cassie. You need to hurry." He ran down the stairs and she followed.
"Did you call EMS?"
"Yeah, but I'm not sure she's going to last that long. I didn't know what else to do, so I took the chance you'd be here—"
They reached his van and she jumped into the passenger seat. "I don't have any supplies."
"Still, better than nothing," he said as he gunned the engine and roared out of the parking lot. "You're her only chance, Cassie."
CHAPTER 34
Drake wasn't happy to see Richard King waiting with Tammy when he arrived at the Center. Damn paperwork took longer than he'd thought. "Where's Hart?" he asked Tammy, ignoring King.
"Upstairs in the daycare, painting."
Good. Even Hart couldn't get hurt painting.
"What do you want?" he asked King, not bothering to pretend at civility.
"We need to talk." King glanced at Tammy who arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, not budging an inch.
"This way." Drake led King back into the clinic area, not worrying if the wheelchair bound man would have a problem or not. Since the ramp led to the rear entrance near the elevator, he assumed King came in through this way.
"While my brother was in court today, I went through his office," King started. "Alan paid to bring Elizabeth Reynolds here."
"Did he kill her?"
King looked down as he shrugged. "From his notes it looks like he paid Tony Spanos to harass you as well."
"Spanos was working with Reynolds." Just what he'd suspected all along. "Do you have proof?" Maybe they could tie Spanos or Alan King to Reynolds' murder as well.
King handed him a thumb drive. "It's all there. But it was obtained illegally, so you can't use it."
"I know that. I just want to check it out for myself. Make sure you're not involved."
"I told you. I only want to protect Cassandra."
"Right." Drake turned, surprised to hear the elevator. Coming up from the basement. Inside was a thin black teenager with a scar across her forehead. Athena Jackson. He wrenched the wrought iron door open and grabbed her by the arm before she could bolt.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was in the basement and heard the man's voice. The one from the other night."
He whirled on King. "You. I knew—"
Athena tugged at Drake's arm. "No, not him. The man who just left with Doc Cass. You have to warn her."
"Left?" Drake jogged to the front of the clinic. "Tammy, didn't you say Hart was upstairs?"
"Yeah, I thought so. She and Tony were—"
"Spanos. Hell." He raced back to Athena. "Where were they going?"
"He said something about the Stackhouse. That I was in trouble. But I was right here."
Drake grabbed his cell, already dialing the station house as he flew past King. He'd only taken a step out of the door when a shot rang out, hitting the brick wall beside him. He ducked back inside, searching for the shooter.
A bunch of kids stood at the alley across the street. Rippers. They pushed a car into the street, blocking the alley. Flames blazed into the air as they set it on fire and cheered. More shots flew through the air. None of them seemed to be aimed, more just shooting for the thrill of it.
Same thing happened last time the Stackhouse burned. One gang blocked the streets so EMS and Fire couldn't get there, while the other fought their way out. Leaving innocent women and children behind to die.
Black smoke billowed into the sky beyond the warehouse across the street. Coming from the direction of the Stackhouse.
The humid July air was sucked from his body, replaced by an artic blast of fear. He ignored the potshots and ran out onto the landing. More gunfire came, this time aimed at him. He jumped back behind the cover of the door, gauging the angle of the gunfire, calculating a path to the van.
To his surprise, King rolled past him, speeding down the handicapped ramp.
"Throw me the keys," he shouted as he neared Denise's van. Drake tossed them to him. A few moments later, gunshots pinging all around them, King backed the minivan up close enough for Drake to jump in.
"Are you crazy?"
"We've got to get to Cassandra."
"You don't stand a chance against those gangbangers."