InTooDeep (7 page)

She rubbed her palms over her cheeks and
mentally chastised herself. Those memories belonged in the past. The present
needed her more.

Dani
needed
her more. After that…who knew what would happen?

She’d idly thought about quitting but the
time never seemed right. There was always another job around the corner, and
Carley didn’t know what she’d do with herself if she wasn’t a thief. It wasn’t
like she had experience doing anything else.

But now, as she lay on Hunt’s sofa,
breathing in his scent, she wondered if this time was the right time. Once Dani
was found Carley would have to tell her the truth. She couldn’t risk her
sister’s life again even though Dani hadn’t been taken as a direct result of
Carley’s actions.

Dani would need to know, to protect
herself, and Carley would just have to risk her sister’s disappointment. If it
meant Dani stayed safe she’d tell her younger sibling the truth and let the
consequences fall wherever they fell.

“You really think that will work?” Hunt had
heard worse plans than the one his partner was suggesting. Of course he’d need
to run it by his superiors, but it just might work.

Dave grinned and scooted his chair around
the corner of his desk. “Hell yeah. You know how much of a stickler Franklin is
for details. You think your girl is up to it?”

“She’ll do anything to help her sister.”

“Then we have a plan.” Dave smacked him on
the shoulder and got to his feet with a yawn. “I’m going to go hit a holding
cell and grab a few zzzs. Top bunk’s all yours if you want it.”

“No, I think I’m going to go home. I’ll
need to swing by the hotel tomorrow morning anyway to talk to Carley.”

“Yeah, yeah. One excuse is just as good as
another.” Dave paused en route to the small cell around the corner from the
break room. “You gonna tell her you told me?”

Hunt snagged his coat from the back of his
chair and slung it over one shoulder. “No, I thought I’d take all the credit
for this plan myself.” He sauntered toward the exit. “Try not to snore. The
last time you slept in there the drunks complained that you kept them awake.”

Dave gave a snort of laughter, started
walking then stopped again. “Hey, partner?”

“Yeah?”

“Be careful. Until we know what we’re in
here, just watch your back.”

He studied the glass of amber liquid. Funny
how something so small could be so powerful. Franklin sloshed the whiskey back
and poured another, his only goal to use the alcohol to erase his memories…at
least for the night.

Tomorrow he’d have to face Rena again, try
to convince her to give up her crazy plan. Once Dani had told them about her
father Franklin had known they were in deep shit. He should have listened to
his instincts and gotten rid of her.

As the silent admonition wagged its finger
in his mind he sat up straight, forgetting all about the whiskey. Maybe it
wasn’t too late. He could still make this right.

The idea took root, making him almost giddy
with relief. Rena might not like his solution to the problem but the way he saw
it she just wasn’t thinking clearly. Her eyes were on the potential for money
while his eyes were on the potential for disaster, and trying to take another
Morgan was just asking for trouble.

No, things would be better his way.
Tomorrow he’d take care of Dani. Rena would just have to accept his decision.

Chapter Seven

Headlights illuminated the living room for
a brief second before dying along with the engine of Hunt’s SUV. Carley held
her breath, anticipating his anger.

A key turned in the deadbolt followed by a
swift curse. The front door swung open and footsteps tapped against the
hardwood floor just across the threshold. The snick of a light switch preceded
the glare of the overhead light and Carley sat up on the sofa, dragging her
knees to her chest.

For a long moment they stared at each other
across the short distance. Neither spoke. Or blinked. Carley wanted to say
something but no words would come.

He dropped his keys to a wrought iron
table, kicked the door shut and walked toward her. “I guess I don’t have to ask
how you got in here.”

She shook her head. “I know I shouldn’t be
here.”

Hunt shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it
across the arm of a nearby leather recliner. “Didn’t say that. But you might
want to think about dropping by like an ordinary person just in case one of my
nosy neighbors sees you.” He sat beside her on the couch, touched her leg.
“They might call the police.” A smile tugged at his lips.

Relief flooded through her and without
thinking, she turned in to his embrace. She didn’t want to question why she
buried her face against his shoulder. At that moment she just needed someone
else’s strength for hers had been fully depleted. “I haven’t heard anything
else. I don’t know if Dani’s okay.”

He stroked her back, his embrace
tightening. “I’m sorry.”

“She’s gone, isn’t she?” The press of her
lips against his shirt muffled the words.

Hunt shifted on the sofa to draw her
closer. “I don’t know. I wish I did.”

Tears threatened to choke her. Instead
Carley opted to pull away in an attempt to regain composure. She didn’t come
here to fall apart. “Doesn’t matter. I know the answer.”

Hunt didn’t try to persuade her to hold on
to hope or offer her some rusty line of comfort. Instead he just watched her,
occasionally stroking his hand down her hair while she tried not to cry.

“I actually went by the hotel looking for
you.”

She sat up straight to see his face. “You
did?” She ignored the flutter of hope inside her heart.

“Yeah. I think my partner and I have a way
to make your sister’s disappearance an official police investigation without
involving you. Well, technically not involving you.” He tucked a lock of hair
behind her ear. “We just need you to make a phone call to the station to report
her disappearance.”

Carley swiped at the tears still gathered
in her eyes. “But if your lieutenant is behind all of this, he already knows
about me. So I am involved.”

Hunt leaned in and pressed a kiss to her
lips. “Not as far as the police are concerned you aren’t. Once Franklin sees
the report from missing persons he’ll know his time is even shorter than the
forty-eight hour window his minions gave you. If he hasn’t moved Dani he will,
and Dave and I will be on him. He won’t leave our sights.”

The answer offered some relief but Carley
couldn’t shake the worry knotting the muscles at the base of her neck. “He
could have already hurt her, gotten rid of her.” A thick lump the size of an
orange lodged in her throat, making further speech difficult.

She struggled to hold on to the control
that was rapidly slipping through her fingers but a look at Hunt’s weary face
gave her an added boost of strength to summon a smile. “Well you look beat. I
guess I should let you get to bed.”

He got to his feet without a word and held
out his hand.

She looked up at him. “Is that an
invitation to stay?”

“You might as well. It’s not like I can
keep you out even if I wanted to.” A wink softened the words and Carley slipped
her hand into his.

Hunt poured a second cup of coffee,
extending it to Carley just as she walked into the kitchen. She looked casually
comfortable, dressed in pajama pants and a long t-shirt that skimmed her hips.
When she climbed up onto one of the barstools and blinked at him sleepily, his
body responded instantly, reminding him of the long, painful night he’d spent
holding her while she’d slept. In retrospect, his invitation for her to stay
had been a really bad idea, but she’d needed someone even though she’d never
admit it. He croaked out an appropriate greeting and moved behind the
granite-topped island.

Carley took a sip of the coffee and peered
at him over the rim, her eyes heavy with the last remnants of slumber. “Good
morning.”

“Do you want some breakfast?” He turned
away from her. Better that than to risk forgoing work altogether just to spend
another hour or two in bed with her. And this time sleep wouldn’t be involved
at all.

“No. I’m fine, but thanks. I need to get
back to the hotel anyway. I guess that would be the best place to make the call
from.”

Hunt rinsed out his mug and plunked it down
next to the sink before he felt reasonably in control enough to even face her.
Big mistake. She’d hiked one leg up onto the stool and the sight of her perfect
curves dried up all the saliva in his mouth.

“Actually, your cell phone would be best.
You can block the call easier.” He cleared his throat and looked away. “You’re
welcome to stay here if you’d like.”

He heard her slide off the stool, her bare
feet against the stone tiles as she walked toward him. “Is there a reason why
you’re acting so strange?” She crossed the threshold into his personal space
and kissed close enough to his lips to make him turn his head, seeking more.

Without conscious thought, the act as
natural as breathing, he wrapped his arms around her. “Not strange. Careful.
You’re dangerous to a man’s career.” He stroked his knuckles down her cheek.

A smile bloomed on her face and this time
she made the kiss count. Giving a soft sound of pleasure, she leaned into him, her
lips meeting his.

As much as he wanted to, Hunt didn’t deepen
the kiss. His senses were already muddled enough after spending last night with
Carley in his bed. She’d entwined her long legs with his, pressed her breasts
against his arm and fallen asleep as naturally as though she’d slept with him
all of her life. And he liked it. Too much.

Carley cupped his face and leaned back.
“I’ll have to pass on staying here. Once I report Dani’s disappearance, I’ve
got some work to do.”

The words were an icy slap. She called
crime her work. He pulled away from her. “I wasn’t aware you were working in
the city.”

She set her mug down next to his. “Is that
your way of asking if I’m planning on stealing something while I’m here?”

“Are you?”

“No. By work I meant trying to find my
sister. That’s all I’m doing in Charleston, though if I was doing more, you
don’t really think I’d tell you, do you?” The sharp snap of her voice raised
his ire.

“I don’t know. I thought thieves of your
caliber had a code of conduct. Could be lying falls somewhere in that ‘not
allowed’ column.” Though Carley’s eyes shot daggers at him, he didn’t retract
the words. He needed the fueling burst of anger to remind him of the chasm
separating them.

He shouldn’t feel so comfortable with her,
think about her all the time or need to be with her. She only needed him to
help find Dani and once he did that, well, he didn’t know what would happen
next. He pretty much figured arresting her was out of the question.

Carley didn’t respond, choosing instead to
leave the kitchen and him. He’d only spoken the truth. So why in the hell did
he feel like such an ass?

Without knowing why, he followed her down
the hall and into his bedroom. “Look, Carley—”

“Don’t.” She shimmied into her jeans and
shoved her feet into her tennis shoes without socks. “You were honest. I can’t
fault you for that.” Turning her back to him, she tugged the t-shirt over her
head and tossed it atop the rumpled comforter.

The sunlight slanting through the wooden
blinds played over her bare back, illuminating the soft skin his hands
remembered too well. “Doesn’t mean I should have said it.” A half-assed apology
to be sure but at least he’d offered one. Made him feel a little better.

She finished dressing without a reply.

He didn’t know what else to say and, by the
time he thought of something, the front door slammed behind Carley. He didn’t
follow her this time.

“Detective Polponia, there’s a woman on the
line saying she’s been kidnapped.” The police aide, her eyes wide, held her
hand over the mouthpiece as she stared straight at Dave.

Hunt made it to the phone first, snatching
the receiver out of the cradle before Dave could swallow the last bite of
pastry stuffed in his mouth. “This is Detective Brandon. Who is this?”

“Help me.” The voice, barely above a
whisper, carried panic across the phone line. “I’ve been kidnapped. I don’t
know where I am. In a car somewhere.”

“Okay, we’re going to help you.” Hunt
snapped his fingers and pointed to the phone, indicating the need for a trace.
“What’s your name?”

“D-d-dani. Dani Rivers.”

Hunt’s fingers iced. Dani? As in Carley’s
sister? What the hell was going on? He didn’t believe in coincidences but this
one had just slapped him in the face. “Dani, can you tell me anything about
where you are?”

“Just in a car.” She hiccupped and her
voice shook when she added, “I don’t know how long I’ve been in here. I’m in
the trunk.”

Hunt covered his mouthpiece. “Do we have
that damn trace running?” Receiving the thumbs-up from another detective, he
returned to the conversation. “We’re trying to track your location now. Do you
know who kidnapped you, Dani?”

“N-no. He was wearing a mask over his face.
He’s big and strong. Th-there was another woman in the car with me. I couldn’t
see her but she was crying. Oh God. Can you help me?”

“I’m going to try.” On edge, Hunt kept
shooting glances at the detective running the trace. “Can you tell me anything
else about the man? Did he have any kind of tattoos? What kind of clothes was
he wearing?”

“He was wearing black. All covered up.”

“What about the car? Did you see what color
it was? What type it was?”

“Blue, I think.” She sobbed a little and
gathered her composure with what Hunt could only imagine was great courage.
“Older. The trunk is square and it smells old. It— Oh God! We’ve stopped.
They’ll find—”

The line went abruptly dead. “Dani? Dani?
Dammit!” Hunt slammed the receiver down on the desk. “Did you get anything?”

“The signal was bouncing off towers all
across town. The nearest we could get was Leeds Avenue.”

“Perfect. So we look for an old blue sedan
somewhere on Leeds Avenue.” Hunt snagged his coat off the back of his chair.
“That should open up a world of possibilities. Is the phone still on?”

“I’m not getting a signal.”

“Get on the phone with North Charleston PD
and get some traffic stops set up. I don’t care if they have to search every
late model blue sedan in the city.” Hunt checked over his shoulder, his blood
running cold to see his lieutenant’s empty office.

Dave snatched the paper from the tracing
detective and fell into step beside Hunt. “Did she give you anything on the
kidnappers?”

“Nothing besides big and strong.” His jaw
gritted so tightly the muscles knotted, Hunt almost mowed down a trio of
uniformed officers blocking the doorway. “Either inside or out, fellas. People
gotta walk.” The men parted and Hunt plowed through, heading straight for an
unmarked grey sedan, so many questions accompanying him.

How did Dani know to call his particular
precinct? Or had she called 9-1-1 and been patched through? No. More than likely
someone had told her who to ask for—someone like Franklin, which only caused
his muscles to tighten more. If Franklin had involved Dani, it couldn’t mean
anything good.

Had the bastard made his move early? Had he
chosen to eliminate Dani rather than risk potential exposure? Or was Dani’s
call a decoy, something meant to distract Hunt while Franklin whisked Dani out
of the city? Maybe Franklin sensed he was under surveillance and had panicked.

Dave slid into the sedan beside him and
fastened his seat belt with a grimace on his face. “Did she give you her last
name? I should start running the sheets on any family members.”

“Rivers, but I think it’s Carley’s sister.”

“Holy shit.”

The radio interrupted Dave’s ongoing stream
of curses. “Dispatch to 1903.”

Hunt snatched the radio and pressed the
talk button. “1903, go ahead, dispatch.”

“Please be advised we just received a 9-1-1
report of a blue late model sedan going into the Ashley River.”

His intestines knotted and Hunt broke out
in a cold sweat. As the fingers of his left hand tightened around the steering
wheel his right hand squeezed the radio controller. “Acknowledged, dispatch.
1903 is en route. Have divers respond to same location.”

“Affirmative, 1903.”

“Bastards,” Dave muttered. “Are they really
going to fucking kill her in broad daylight?”

So many emotions spun through Hunt’s brain.
He wanted to be wrong, hoped like hell he was. In the space of five minutes
he’d gone from being able to tell Carley her sister was alive to possibly
confirming her worst fears.

The few miles to the scene, which had now
been blocked off by patrol units, seemed to take forever, and when Hunt finally
slowed the car to a stop his muscles were in one big knot.

“The divers could reach her in time.” Dave
offered a dismal ray of hope.

“Yeah.” Hunt didn’t need to tell him the
odds were so slim they were practically nonexistent. Dave wasn’t any blinder
than he was and they’d both faced their fair share of hard, cold reality. And
it was about to get much more frigid.