Chapter 12
Kelley felt like she was floating in a soft cocoon. She breathed deeply, filling her lungs, smelling clean sheets and a warm masculine scent. She felt heat, like she was lying in a pool of sunshine.
She opened her eyes to see Reese on his side, his elbow on the bed and his head propped on his hand. The sheet draped his hips, showing tantalizing muscles and his athletic form. His brown hair was tousled but he looked wide-awake as he watched her.
She smiled. “Good morning.” A hint of sleepiness was still in her voice.
“You look beautiful when you sleep.” He brushed his fingers from her shoulder to her elbow and back. “You’re always beautiful.”
Warmth traveled through her. “Any regrets?” she asked.
“None.” He leaned closer and kissed her forehead then drew back. “You?”
She reached up and stroked his stubble with her fingertips. “Not one.”
“Good.” He moved his hand to her hair, tucking strands of it behind her ear. “Hungry?”
“Famished.” She moved her hand from his jaw to her belly. “I wouldn’t mind a nice big breakfast.”
“A girl after my own heart.” He kissed her forehead again before scooting up and sliding out of bed. She watched him, the sheet falling from his body and revealing every glorious inch of his large frame. She wouldn’t mind having more of that right now.
He looked amused. “If you’re not careful and keep looking at me like that, we’ll never get to breakfast.”
She grinned. “Is that such a bad thing?”
He gave her a quick grin. “Better watch yourself, Detective Petrova.”
She gave him a sultry look. “What if I don’t want to watch myself?”
His features turned hungry, his eyes filled with desire. He went to her, pulled the covers away, and slid back into bed.
After another round of satisfying lovemaking, Reese slid out of bed. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’ll be right there.” She sighed, looking entirely content lying in his bed, her breasts and torso bared to her waist.
She wandered into the bathroom as he was pulling on boxers and Wrangler jeans. He kissed her and headed out of the bedroom. When he reached the kitchen, he started a pot of coffee first off. Then he grabbed ingredients for homemade biscuits from the pantry as well as raided the fridge for hamburger to make hamburger gravy, and then took out a carton of eggs. He started browning the hamburger then mixing the ingredients for biscuits.
It wasn’t long ’til Kelley made it to the kitchen. She wore one of his button-up shirts. She was so petite that the shirt was almost to her knees. Her phone was in the breast pocket and her legs were bare as she padded across the floor.
“Mmmm…smells wonderful,” she said. “Especially the coffee.” Her blonde hair was damp from the shower and she had a rosy glow about her. “What can I do to help?”
“You can stand there looking beautiful,” he said with a smile.
She went to him and reached up and kissed his cheek. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Entirely unhealthy grub.” He gestured to the pan of gravy he was making. “Biscuits, hamburger gravy, and fried eggs.”
“Yum.” She moved back and leaned against the counter. “I’d offer to crack the eggs, but we’d be having broken yolks mixed with the egg whites and shells.”
He gave a low chuckle. “I’ll handle it.”
She eased herself up so that she was sitting on the counter, her legs dangling and the shirt hiked up to her upper thighs. Damn, she looked good.
Her forehead wrinkled. “How and when are we going to tell our superiors that we’re in a relationship?” She hesitated. “Or maybe I’m assuming too much since we’ve only been together for one night?”
He set down the spoon that he’d been using to stir the gravy and went to her. He braced his hands to ether side of her hips on the countertop. “You’re damned straight we’re in a relationship.” He moved in closer and brushed his lips over hers. “You belong to me now.”
She swatted his shoulder. “You know better than to play He-man with me.”
He grinned. “You’re so damned cute when you’re riled.”
With a sniff she said, “You haven’t seen riled yet.”
His grin broadened. “I’ll be sure and be on my best behavior.”
She gave him a teasing look. “That’s no fun.”
He kissed her hard before moving back to the stove. “The gravy is going to burn.”
“Can’t have that.” She jumped down from the countertop. “I’ll set the table.”
While he stirred the gravy, with his free hand he gestured to a cabinet. “Plates there.” He pointed to a drawer. “Silverware in that drawer.” He nodded to a napkin holder. “And napkins.”
While he made breakfast, he glanced at her as she got everything out and set the table. She then grabbed the Red Devil hot sauce out of the fridge along with butter and honey if they wanted a biscuit without the gravy on it. She put shakers of salt and pepper on the table, too.
While he made breakfast they talked about his family and coworkers, and somehow managed to stay off the topic of the Taynor case. Talking about the case they were working on was inevitable, but for now they seemed to be in agreement that they weren’t going to get into it, at least not until after they ate.
Breakfast went smoothly, but afterward as they started putting everything away and cleaning up, Kelley brought up the case.
“I’m feeling better.” Kelley dried a washed plate as he cleaned the silverware. “I’m sure the doctor will clear me soon, so it won’t hurt for me to work on the case.”
“Don’t push yourself, honey.” He glanced at her and her eyes widened a little, as if he’d surprised her by calling her honey. “You need to get back to full speed.”
She put the dry plate into the cabinet and frowned. “How many times am I going to have to tell you I’m fine?”
“At least a hundred until the doctor says you’re ready for duty.” He set the clean silverware down to be dried.
“You didn’t answer the question I asked you in regards to telling our superiors about our relationship.” She looked a little more serious and a little sad. “They won’t allow us to be partners any longer.”
He gave a slow nod. “We’ll need to do it before you go back to work.”
“Which will be soon,” she said.
He remained quiet. No way was he going to come out on top of this argument with Kelley. She was too fierce, independent, and stubborn as hell. They were qualities he admired in her—they made her one hell of a detective. But they also led to frustration when it came to getting her to slow down or stay put when she needed to. Like now.
“Something’s got to break.” She dried the silverware and tucked them into the drawer. Her brows narrowed. “We have to find them before they manage to get out of Prescott.” She looked at Reese. “No way is Taynor going to hang around town with every law enforcement officer in the state looking for him.” She frowned. “Unless he’s waiting for something to go down…”
Reese nodded. She had good instincts and he happened to agree with her in this instance.
Just as Kelley dried her hands off with a towel, her phone rang in the breast pocket of the shirt. She pulled it out and looked at the caller ID. “It’s Zip.”
Reese couldn’t help a frown. If she got another lead on Taynor or Rocha, she’d be tearing after them before he could say “whoa.”
She answered with, “Detective Petrova.” For a moment she listened, her features grim. “I’ll meet you there in fifteen. Detective McBride will be with me.” She disconnected the call.
Reese dried his own hands. “What’s up?”
She looked grim. “Zip sounded almost scared. He wants to meet at our usual place.” She turned and headed out the kitchen toward Reese’s bedroom and he followed.
When he reached his room, Kelley was shoving her legs into her jeans. “Ugh. After playing outside all day yesterday, I need clean clothes. These have paint splatters from near misses.” She turned to face him as she grabbed her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. “After we see Zip we can go to my place.”
Reese nodded as he tugged on a T-shirt and then an overshirt before strapping on his belt and holstering his Glock and phone.
After she’d put on her hiking boots and he’d stuffed his feet into his western boots, they headed out of the room. Kelley grabbed her purse. “Looking forward to using the new Glock,” she said as she glanced at him. “That is a hell of a firearm.”
He smiled and rested his hand on her shoulder as they walked out the door of his bedroom. “I’m glad you like it.”
“How could I not?” She grinned up at him as they reached the hall table where she’d left her purse. She pulled out her weapons belt and her new sheathed Glock that she’d taken out of the glove compartment earlier.
When she was finished, they headed out the front door. “Thank you for not getting one in pink.”
He locked the door behind them. “I know better. No pink or paisley for you.”
She shook her head and grinned. “Nope.”
Kelley waited as Reese hit the remote for his truck locks and she let him open the passenger door for her. Her thoughts filled with meeting Zip, she climbed into the cab and Reese shut the door behind her.
It wasn’t long before they were headed off to the abandoned ranch to meet with her informant. The drive was short and when they arrived, Zip was already there, leaning against his blue Camaro, smoking a cigarette. As Kelley climbed out of the truck, he pushed away from the car, tossed his cigarette down and ground it into the dirt with his shoe.
Kelley walked the distance between the truck and Zip. “What do you have to tell me?” she asked.
Zip shoved his hands in his front pockets, darting a nervous glance at Reese before looking at Kelley again. “Johnny Rocket has a shipment ready to send down to Mexico.”
Kelley frowned as thoughts raced through her mind. “Why would he be shipping drugs to Mexico?”
“Not drugs.” Zip shook his head. “Women. Girls. He’s selling them into slavery and they’re being sent to South America. Apparently he has wealthy clients who like blonde hair and blue eyes.
Gringas
. Johnny’s been kidnapping them from all over Northern Arizona and he trades them for cocaine.”
Kelley tried not to reveal her shock in her expression. “Where is his ‘shipment’ of women and girls?”
Zip pushed his fingers through his hair looking distracted, his body seeming to vibrate as if he was high on crack. It was hard to tell if it was fear or if it was drugs that made him act this way.
“If he finds out I tipped you off, he’s going to kill me.” Zip’s hands shook as he took a lighter and another cigarette out of his pocket.
“I can get you protection, Zip,” Kelley said.
He shook his head. “I’d rather take my chances.”
She flexed her fingers, her whole body wired for action. “Where are they?”
Zip lit the cigarette, took a hit on it, and blew out the smoke. She thought she was going to lose it as she waited for him, her patience riding on a thin line.
He lowered the cigarette. “In the back of a semi. It’s ready to leave soon.”
“He has the girls in the back of a semi?” Kelley’s mind spun. “In this heat?”
“Where?” Reese’s voice jarred Kelley as he repeated her question. She was so wrapped up in Zip’s revelation that for a moment she’d forgotten Reese was there.
Zip answered, giving them an address that wasn’t too far from the warehouse that had been blown up not that long ago, the one that had taken Reese’s two fingers and had given her the concussion.
“If this pays off, I’ll give you your usual fee,” she said as she and Reese hurried back to the truck.
“Double it,” Zip called after her.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she climbed into the truck as Reese called for backup.
Chapter 13
Sirens wailing and lights flashing, Reese and Kelley tore through Prescott in his truck. She clenched and unclenched her hands, praying that Zip had given her the right information and that they’d get there before Rocha’s shipment of women and girls left town.
Shipment.
A part of her couldn’t believe that this was going on in their town. It seemed almost inconceivable. Bad things went on everywhere, but slavery was something that just didn’t happen in this area.
Hadn’t happened,
she corrected herself. With this news, everything had changed.
That bastard, Johnny Rocha, had brought bad things to Prescott. Seriously bad things, worse than what they’d been facing before.
Reese cut the sirens when they closed in on the location Zip had given them. They pulled onto the street, not too far from where a semi truck was parked in front of an old condemned building. The ground around the building was barren with sporadic patches of weeds and yellowed grass.
He parked his truck and climbed out at the same time Kelley did. From behind the front seat, he brought out a bulletproof vest and his raid jacket with POLICE across the back. He was all business now. Gone was the friend and lover, something she appreciated even if she didn’t appreciate his over-concern.
“I don’t have a vest small enough to fit you.” He frowned. “You need to stay with the truck.”
She clenched her jaw, giving him a stubborn look. “I’m in on this, Reese. It’s my informant, my tip.”
“Damn it.” He looked away as two police cruisers came down the street. When he returned his gaze to her, he said, “Wear my jacket.”
She would have laughed if the situation weren’t so dire. She shook her head. “It’ll go down to my knees.”
Police cruisers arrived from both sides of the street, blocking incoming and outgoing traffic. Officers also went around the back so that both entrances to the building were covered.
Just as the team started to approach the semi and the building, the big rig roared to life. A man appeared in the driver’s seat, as if he’d been lying down and was now straightening behind the wheel. Kelley saw his arm move and heard gears grinding.
Officers in front of the truck positioned themselves so that their vehicles shielded them. Their guns were trained on the driver.
“The girls could be in the back of that truck.” Kelley narrowed her gaze as she looked at the vehicle then glanced at Reese. “If we’re going to take him out, we’ve got to do it now, before that truck starts moving.”