Twisted (19 page)

“You really think she’s a target?” Sean leaned back in his chair, looking skeptical.

“I don’t know,” Allison said. “But until I do, I plan to keep an eye on her. And she promised not to go jogging alone.”

“I don’t think she’ll be jogging anywhere, alone or not,” Sean said. “She seemed pretty freaked out.”

Mark appeared with the drinks, and Allison glanced up, surprised. She looked over her shoulder and noted it was Connie at the bar tonight, which would explain the speedy service. She never missed a chance to flirt with a new man.

“Thanks,” Allison said.

Mark walked around the table and took the chair across from her, leaving the one beside her empty.

“What’s the profiler say?” Sean crossed his arms and gave Mark a challenging look. “You think it’s our guy?”

Mark scanned the faces around the table. “I think a lot of men observe women at parks. Some of them drive vans.”

“Knew it.” Sean nodded at Ric. “Different pervert. World’s full of them.”

Allison looked at Mark. “Don’t you think it’s a
little
coincidental that he’s hanging out at the same park where we just had a murder? Maybe he’s returning to the crime scene.”

“Except he’s in a
white
van,” Ric pointed out.

“It’s been a year since Jordan Wheatley was attacked,” Allison countered. “People change vehicles.”

“Hey, no shit.” Sean pointed his beer bottle at her. “And you want to know what I did today? Ran down green vans in the tri-county area. We’re talking hundreds of records. Add in white ones, and you get into thousands. As leads go, this sucks.”

“You want me to take over the vehicle search?” she asked, and the question seemed to ruffle his feathers.

“Hey, I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. But I think it’s going to a take a crapload of man-hours. And according to him”—he jutted his chin at Mark—“we’ve got another attack coming.”

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll run the vehicles.”

“I
said
it’s no problem.”

“No, let me. I believe in it. You don’t. Take on something you can get behind.”

“Yeah, like Lauren Reichs,” Vince quipped. “I could definitely get behind some of that.”

Allison rolled her eyes. Typical Vince. She glanced at Mark, who was once again wearing his poker face.

Allison looked at Sean and started to get an idea. He
was young, single, and had a protective streak a mile wide.

“You know what? That’s not a bad idea, Vince,” she said. “Sean, why don’t you give Lauren a call, see if she needs company when she goes jogging?”

“Yeah, right,” Sean said.

“I’m serious. It would allow us to keep tabs on her and put an extra set of eyes on that park at the same time.”

Sean sneered. “Yeah, you guys work the case while I dick around with some sorority chick. You trying to get me arrested? Jesus. Her dad’s a freaking lawyer. How many times did she mention that?”

“I didn’t say you should
sleep
with her. Just, you know, keep an eye on her.”

“Come on. Didn’t you hear Wolfe?” Sean nodded at Mark. “It was probably just your garden-variety jerkoff. End of story. He’s not our UNSUB.”

“That isn’t what I said,” Mark corrected. “We should keep tabs on this woman, at least until we see where this lead goes.”

“You think we should tail her?” Ric asked.

“Wouldn’t hurt.”

“Great.” Sean shook his head. “As if I don’t have enough to do.” He swigged his beer, then set the bottle on the table and looked at Allison. “Fine, but you just bought yourself the vehicle search.”

“No problem. I’ll handle it.” She’d add it to her list. So far, she had a hand in nearly everything, including the all-important DNA evidence. She glanced at Ric. “Hey, speaking of assignments, how’s that DNA coming? A hit on that would be a godsend right now.”

“I’ll check with Mia.” He stood up and tossed some bills on the table.

“What, you leaving?” Sean asked. “That was your first beer.”

Ric smiled slyly. “Sorry, bro. Some of us have a woman to get home to.”

Vince checked his watch and stood up. “I’m out, too. See you guys tomorrow.”

They took off, leaving Allison, Sean, and Mark, all sitting in an awkward triangle.

Sean swigged the rest of his beer and plunked it on the table. “Guess that’s it for me, then.” He stood up and nodded at Mark, then Allison. “Later, you two.”

They watched him leave. Then Mark’s gaze settled on Allison. She couldn’t read it. She glanced at the smaller table to their left and wished they were sitting there, but she had the feeling if she suggested moving, he’d make an excuse to call it a night.

“So, what do you think?” She put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her fist. “You’re the expert. You think it was him tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Then what was with the ‘world’s full of perverts in vans’ spiel?”

“The world
is
full of perverts in vans. I think the one from tonight also happens to be our UNSUB.”

“In that case, I’m seriously concerned about Lauren Reichs. Maybe she’s his next target.”

He nodded. “It’s possible.”

“Aren’t you worried?”

“I think you guys need to keep a close watch on her.”

“You think she’s in danger?”

He studied his beer and seemed to weigh his answer. “Even if she is his target, I don’t think she’s in any real danger until November nineteenth. That date’s very important to him. He hasn’t strayed from the pattern yet.”

“That we know of. And anyway, that’s a pretty big gamble to take with a woman’s life.” She narrowed her gaze at him. “And you know what I’m noticing? You’re not nearly worried enough about this. What aren’t you telling me?”

He didn’t say anything.

“Oh my God. You’ve already got someone on her, don’t you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be here.”

He took a sip of beer, set the bottle on the table. “I made a few calls.”

“I knew it!” She slapped the table. “What’d you do? Conjure up a few MIBs from the San Antonio office?”

“I put someone on surveillance.”

He said it so coolly that she was reminded how much clout he must have at the Bureau. Part of her was annoyed that he’d orchestrated something like that without going through Reynolds, but maybe it was for the better. Her lieutenant might have objected purely to prove he was in charge of the investigation. If Lauren really was in danger, her safety mattered more than some petty rivalry.

“So . . . what about Sean?” she asked.

“What about him? He’ll probably do a half-assed job tailing her while we have an agent in place doing it right.”

“Doesn’t sound like you’re too impressed with our Detective Byrne.”

He just watched her, his face unreadable. What else was new? This man was an expert at keeping his feelings masked. And for some reason, she was beginning to relish the challenge of getting a reaction from him.

“Reynolds gets wind of what you’re doing, he’ll be ticked,” she said. “He’s very territorial. I’m surprised he even wants you here.”

Mark leaned forward on his elbows and looked at her. “I bet he doesn’t. But here I am.”

She looked into his dark brown eyes and saw flecks of gold she’d never noticed before. The bar bustled around them. She heard the clink of bottles, the hum of conversation, the faint din of football highlights playing on the TV behind the bar. Suddenly she was acutely aware of the big empty table around them and the man in front of her. His dark gaze made her insides tighten. She glanced down at his fingers, curled around the beer bottle.

Allison’s pulse pounded in her ears as she gave in to the urge. She eased forward. “Wolfe?”

He arched his brows. God, he had no idea what she was going to say.

“Come home with me.”

It was a whisper, but he heard it because something sparked in his eyes. He held her gaze, and she felt a warm buzz of anticipation as she waited for him to say yes.

He wanted to. She could see it. His gaze dropped to her mouth and she felt a flutter of excitement.

He leaned back in his chair, breaking the spell.

“I can’t.”

She eased back. “
Can’t.
You mean you can’t because you’ve got some kind of problem or—”

“You know damn well what I mean.” He gave her
a sharp look, and she felt a little shot of triumph. She’d touched a nerve.

“Come on.” He slid back his chair and stood up. “I’ll run you home.”

She looked up at him and almost laughed because it sounded like something you’d say to a babysitter. But then the urge to laugh vanished as he stared down at her, utterly serious.

A sour ball formed in her stomach.
This
was what rejection felt like. She hadn’t been here in a while, but it was just how she remembered it. She stood up and took her time slipping into her leather jacket. He guided her out of the bar and reached around to open the door for her.

The cold whipped against her cheeks as they walked to his rental car. She opened the door for herself before he could reach for it.

They rode across town in silence, and she pretended to be interested in the view outside.

This was fine. Better, really. She didn’t have time to get involved with him. She hardly had time to sleep these days, much less plunge into a sexual relationship that was sure to be consuming.

She darted a glance at him in the driver’s seat.
Consuming
. That was exactly how he’d be. If she ever got him to let his guard down, he’d consume her by fire.

He pulled into her lot and expertly slid into a narrow space right in front of her apartment. He reached for his door handle, and she grabbed his knee.

“Don’t walk me up.”

He looked at her across the car, and she saw guilt in
his eyes, which was a million times worse than an attraction he wouldn’t act on.

“Allison—”

She held a hand up, but he ignored it.

“—I’m sixteen years older than you are.”

“I get it.”

He laughed. “No, you
don’t
get it or you wouldn’t have brought this up.”

Maybe it was the laugh that did it, but she was suddenly angry. She turned in her seat to face him.

“Okay. Why don’t you explain what I don’t
get,
since I’m not in possession of your infinite knowledge?”

He looked her directly in the eye—and she liked him even more because he didn’t shy away from her temper.

“I have a federal badge. I wield influence in all kinds of law enforcement circles, including your task force. You’re a rookie detective.”

“So?”

“So, a sexual relationship between us would be totally inappropriate.”

“Inappropriate.”

“Yes.”

“That’s why you don’t want to sleep with me.”

He hesitated. It was only an instant, but it was enough.

“No.”

She tipped her head to the side. “What is it, then?”

“You’re not my type.”

She gazed at him across the car, and she knew—with certainty—that he was lying his ass off.

She should just let it go. She should climb out of the car and let him leave things the way he wanted. Instead,
she eased closer and rested her hand on his thigh. Every muscle in his body tensed as she leaned close enough to smell the last traces of aftershave lingering on his collar.

“You know something?” She looked up at him, but he didn’t answer. “I can tell when you’re lying.”

She combed her fingers into his thick hair and felt his hand clamp hard around her wrist as she pressed a kiss just beneath his ear where his pulse thrummed. She waited for him to push her away, but instead he held her there with his iron grip. She could hear his heart pounding—or maybe it was hers. His skin tasted salty, male, and she found his mouth and slid her tongue over the firm line of his lips. She felt his resistance, felt his hand clamped painfully around her wrist. And then suddenly he shifted, and it was
his
mouth seeking hers,
his
tongue tangling with hers, tasting her. Excitement flooded her and with a low moan, she sank into the kiss.

And he pulled back. His eyes blazed down at her—a mix of desire and conflict and . . . guilt.

Slowly he brought her hand down to her lap, and she knew that although she’d proven something, she still hadn’t changed his mind.

“I can’t do this,” he said. “I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, Allison.”

Her chest squeezed. Talk about a sour end to an evening. And she still had to work with him now, which was going to suck, because what she really wanted to do was smack some sense into him.

She shook her head and pushed the door open, letting a chilly gust of air into the car.

“Good night, Wolfe.” She glanced at him over her shoulder as she got out. “Hope you sleep well.”

Allison stretched her arms over her head and eyed the brightening sky. Roland was late, but she was lucky he’d agreed to come at all. She jogged in place to get warm as she watched a pair of headlights turn into the lot. His familiar SUV slid up alongside the unmarked patrol unit she’d borrowed from work.