Authors: Tori Carrington
L
INC PULLED TWO
of Lazarus’s best men from other jobs to cover Regina, even as he holed up inside his office tracking Johnson’s possible movements on a map he’d tacked to a large corkboard he’d liberated from a nearby conference room. Three hours had passed since he’d left Regina’s apartment, but it felt like ten. He checked his cell phone again; she hadn’t called. And he wouldn’t call her. Not because he was afraid she might not answer, but because he didn’t want to chance waking her in case she’d managed to get some sleep.
She was safe. For now. But he was brainstorming methods to keep her that way at the same time as he plotted ways to finally catch the man responsible for her needing protection.
He couldn’t keep her locked up inside her apartment for the duration. Sending her to stay with her friend Vivienne probably wasn’t a viable option, either. Nor was her going to his place. It was safe to assume Johnson had been watching her and knew not only where he lived, but Vivienne, as well. He likely had Regina’s regular routine memorized, which meant Linc had to think a step ahead in order to stay that way.
The telephone extension rang on the table in the middle of the room; he punched the speaker button. “What you got?”
“Convenience-store holdup. Single male fitting Johnson’s M.O. Ten miles outside C.C.”
Linc pushed a tack into the board. He’d pulled in two additional guys to work with him and had even called Jason, who had immediately come in, no questions asked.
Well, until now anyway.
He tried to ignore where Jason leaned against the door. Up until now he’d been following up on leads in his own office across the hall. Linc wished he would go back to it.
“Tell me who this Johnson guy is again?”
Linc asked the caller to contact him with anything else then stabbed the button to disconnect. He stared at his friend briefly before turning away.
Jason stepped inside and joined Linc next to the board. “Details, I know. What I want to know is what is he to you?”
“He’s worth nearly a quarter of a mil in reward money to Lazarus.”
His friend rubbed his chin, causing a rasping sound since he was in need of a shave. “Official business, then? Is that your stance? Are we expanding our operations to include fugitive recovery?”
Linc ignored him.
“He wouldn’t have anything to do with the girl you brought to the Barracks the other night, would he?”
Linc’s muscles tightened, but he tried to shake it off.
“You know, the pretty one you nearly decked me over?”
“Watch your step, Savage.”
Jason chuckled. “Okay, so it is. What is she to Johnson? Ex-girlfriend?”
Linc took a deep breath. Obviously, Jason wasn’t going to stop until he either got some answers or Linc did deck him but good. “Yes.”
“And the reason we’re working in the middle of the night instead of waiting until morning…?”
“He tried to abduct her yesterday.”
“I see. Good reason.”
“Did you expect otherwise?”
Jason shrugged. “No. I just wanted verbal verification, is all.”
“Yeah, well, you know what they say about curiosity.”
“That the prosecutor used it against the cat?”
“No, it killed it.”
“Ah, yes, that.” Jason grinned at him. “Guess I’d better get back to work, then.”
“Guess you’d better.”
His friend started walking toward the door. “I think the words you’re looking for here are ‘thank you.’”
Linc turned toward him. “You’re welcome.”
Jason laughed and he grinned.
“No, those would be my words. Only I haven’t decided yet if they’re what I’d say to a guy in love who woke me up in the middle of the night to work his girlfriend’s case.”
In love…girlfriend…
The words zoomed around Linc’s head long after Jason ducked out of the office to return to his own.
Was his friend right? Could this have waited until morning?
While he might be working at full capacity now, in a couple of hours lack of sleep would begin to kick in, limiting his ability to function. Would his actions end up complicating the situation instead of simplifying it?
And what happened when the other partners arrived in a few hours to find them still working? If he thought Jason’s questions invasive, he was sure to get even more.
Damn.
He drew in a deep breath and then slowly let it out, looking for a pattern on the map in front of him.
T
HE MERE ARRIVAL
of dawn brought with it a measure of normalcy Regina had been terrified she might never experience again. She’d nodded off a couple of times only to awaken a few minutes later convinced she’d heard a sound.
It was just after eight and she poured herself a second cup of coffee while she checked her cell phone again. No calls, no texts. She pushed her hair, which was damp from a shower, back from her face and went to the table to continue studying.
Correction: continue trying to study. As it was, she’d read the same passage at least four times and hadn’t retained a word.
She sipped her coffee and turned the page of the textbook only to turn it back again. She’d already called the Maine hospital to check on her mother’s status. Folded the blanket and put it and the pillow she’d had on the sofa away and straightened up. Since she’d thoroughly cleaned after both break-ins, she didn’t need to do that. She’d spoken to Trudy at the diner last night. The woman had told her to let her know if she needed anything and to take as much time as she needed.
Maybe getting dressed would help. The furniture store had scheduled delivery of her new mattresses from nine to eleven, so it might be a good idea to be wearing more than a robe when they arrived.
She found herself absently stroking the front of the apparel in question, her mind drifting back to Linc, as it seemed to have a tendency to do a lot lately.
She propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her palm, thinking about how he had sat outside her door the night before. Talked to her. Apologized. Touched her face when he explained he had to leave.
She recalled his avoidance when she’d asked if he thought she had the money from the bank robbery.
She picked up her cell phone again and stared at the blank screen.
“Oh, just call him and get it over with already,” she whispered.
But she couldn’t.
So much had happened. Not merely over the past day, but the past week.
After Billy…well, she’d never really seen herself falling for anyone else again. Her mother always spoke of once-in-a-lifetime love and for her it had been Regina’s father. Regina had always believed she’d wasted her shot on Billy. That the love she had given him, however ill-fated, was it. She’d never be able to love again with that kind of unfettered fullness.
Then came Linc…
Her heart gave that gentle lurch that always accompanied thoughts of him, now with a dull ache. To think, all along he had known her as Billy’s ex. That, in fact, Billy had been the sole reason he’d been interested in her at all.
She swallowed hard. That wasn’t entirely true. Still, considering what had gone on between them over the past week, reviewing conversations, she cringed. She’d believed they’d been starting from ground level and had shared things with him she’d never told anyone else. Things about her and Billy that had been intimate and personal. And he’d not only listened, he’d asked questions.
Had he been pumping her for information? Had he thought she was in touch with Billy? Did he believe she’d known Billy had escaped from prison and was secretly helping him?
She tightly closed her eyes against the sudden onslaught of stinging tears.
The chirping of her cell phone startled her. She quickly wiped her eyes with the end of her robe sleeve as if the caller would be able to see her and answered without looking at the display.
“Regina?”
Linc.
Tears flooded her eyes all over again.
“Hey,” she said weakly.
There was a long pause. “You okay?”
To her horror, she sniffled. “I’m…fine.”
“You don’t sound fine.”
That’s because she wasn’t. “Is there something you wanted?”
She could almost see his wince and regretted her curt question. Still, she bit on her bottom lip to keep from apologizing for it.
“One of my guys, Dominic Falzone, is going to be coming to your door with the furniture deliverymen in a few minutes. He’s going to check for listening and tracking devices.”
She frowned and looked around, seeing her place in a new, unflattering light. “You think something’s here?”
“I’m thinking there might be. If there is, Dominic will find it.”
She sniffled again. “Okay. Can you ask him to give me a few minutes?”
“Sure.”
“Linc?”
She had no idea what she wanted to say, only that she wanted to keep him on the phone awhile longer.
“Yes?” he prompted.
“Um…thanks.”
“Sure.”
She swore she could hear the smile in his voice. And was surprised she wanted to smile in return.
She hurried to the other room to change and was just tying her hair back when a knock sounded at the door. She went to open it.
A nice-looking young man dressed in nondescript clothing and carrying a clipboard introduced himself and she motioned him in. Behind him were the deliverymen bringing in her mattresses.
After directing the delivery guys to her bedroom, she turned to Dominic: “Linc said you’d be stopping in. Please, do what you have to.”
“Thanks, ma’am. This shouldn’t take long.”
Had he just called her “ma’am”? Yes, she realized with a start, he had. Didn’t he know her mother was a ma’am? That she was still a miss?
But she wasn’t about to argue with him. Instead, she offered him a coffee, which he politely refused, then returned to the kitchen, telling him to let her know if he needed anything.
Ten minutes later the deliverymen had gone and Dominic came into the kitchen. Regina stopped where she was reading her textbook and watched Dominic sweep the countertop and cupboards with what looked like a small metal detector.
“Anything?” she asked.
“No, not yet, ma’am.”
She grimaced. What was he, a whole two years younger than her? He was going to have to stop with the ma’am.
She opened her mouth to say the same when the device made a sound as he moved it over the table she sat at.
“Oh.”
They both stared at the table’s contents. Her purse, her course materials and her coffee.
“Do you mind?” he asked, lifting her purse.
“No, no. Go ahead.”
He moved it to the counter and waved the device over it. Nothing.
He returned to the table and removed the items one by one, all with the same result.
The only remaining item was the book she was reading.
Since it was the only thing on the table, he didn’t bother to remove it. Instead, he verified it was the source of the beeping. Then he shut off the device and moved the book closer. He leafed through the pages, turned it upside down and shook it, and then opened the back cover, running his fingers over the inside. He did the same with the front.
His gaze met hers as he peeled back the paper lining the hardback, revealing an insect-looking device.
Regina wrapped her arms around herself. “What is it?”
“Run-of-the-mill tracking device, ma’am.”
She barely registered the ma’am as she tried to wrap her mind around what exactly this all meant…
“N
O
,
LEAVE IT THERE
,”
Linc told Dominic when he called with the news. “We want him to believe nothing’s changed.”
He’d suspected Johnson had bugged Regina. Considering the guy had bypassed the security system with ease, Linc had been afraid at how high tech the bugging might be. He was relieved to discover it was as basic as they came and that Johnson probably had gained access to Regina’s textbook via her car where she usually left her class materials, rather than through another channel.
He told Dominic to resume his post and ended the call, dialing Regina directly thereafter.
“Hey,” he said. “You okay?”
She spoke to someone who was presumably Dominic and then he heard her rearm the alarm system. “I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever be okay again.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing.
“It feels…funny to just leave the tracking device there.”
“I know. But it’s important he thinks nothing’s changed.”
“But everything has changed.”
She didn’t have to tell him that. If he could turn back the hands of time…
He’d do what, exactly?
He’d never been one to indulge in self-defeating behavior. Curious he was doing it now.
“So what should I do?” she asked.
“How do you mean?”
“I’ll go stir crazy if I stay in the apartment all day.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Resume my life.”
Linc paced across his office and back, the cell held tightly to his ear, suppressing the desire to ask whether or not he’d be included in that. “I can’t let you do that just yet.”
“You can’t let me?”
He grimaced. “I don’t think it’s a good idea if you do.”
“Better.”
He felt the urge to smile.
“I’m thinking about going in to work.”
Last night, he’d had her car picked up from the towing yard, had it checked over by his guys and then returned it to her place. So she had the freedom to go anywhere she wanted.
“Okay,” he said.
“Okay?”
“May I suggest you call Dominic to let him know what you’re doing?”
Silence.
“Here’s his number.” He recited it to her.
“Okay,” she said. “When will I see you?”
Hearing the wistfulness in her voice, he wanted to tell her in five minutes, but he had a couple of solid leads he was about to go out and follow up.
Besides, he didn’t think it was a good idea that Johnson spot him anywhere near Regina. Last night he’d made a mistake in judgment by camping out on her doorstep. But he hoped it ended up working out to his advantage. If Johnson had been watching, he’d surely understood that Regina was upset with him. By keeping his distance, perhaps Johnson would let his guard down and his men could step in and grab him.
But he fully intended to find him first…
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly.
A long pause. He imagined her worrying her bottom lip in that sexy way she had and suppressed a groan.
“Okay,” she said.
Damn, he was coming to hate that word. Especially since the current usage meant anything but okay.
“I guess I’ll talk to you later, then,” she said.
He agreed and the call was over.
Linc let the phone drop to his side and stood for a long moment, allowing emotion to sweep through him.
“Ready, champ?” Jason said from the door, holstering his Glock and then sliding a vest on over it.
“Born ready.”
T
HAT UNSETTLING SENSATION
she was being watched followed Regina everywhere. As Linc had requested, she called Dominic to let him know her plans, and then informed the uniform officer sitting at the curb of same, although he’d shared there were no plans to follow her and he had no idea if another car would be posted there that night.
She’d put in a full lunch shift, and even managed at one busy point to forget about the past twenty-four hours. But always there, in the back of her mind, clinging to her like a stench she couldn’t rid herself of, was the memory of Billy emerging from the shadows of the backseat and putting his hands around her neck.
She shuddered as she removed her apron, folded it and hung it in her locker. She sat down on the bench, feeling gratefully tired, but wondering what she was supposed to do with the rest of her day.
Her cell phone vibrated in her skirt pocket. She slid it out, her heart skipping a beat as she saw Linc’s name.
“Hey,” he said after her hello.
“Hey, yourself.”
“How you holding up?”
“Like the glue’s about to give.”
His soft chuckle tickled her ear.
“How about you?”
“Me?” His surprise pleased her.
“Yeah, you.”
A pause and then, “I want to see you.”
“So meet me.”
“Not a good idea.”
“Right…”
“Where are you thinking of heading next?”
She scooted out of the way of Tiffany, who came in to access her locker. “I have a class this afternoon. I can skip it…”
“No, go. Just let Dominic know.”
“Okay.”
Silence. Both because they had nothing more to say…and everything to say.
“Will I see you later?” she whispered.
“Depends.”
“On whether or not you catch Billy.”
“On whether or not I catch Billy.”
She nodded, but didn’t say anything.
They said their goodbyes and then hung up.
For long minutes she sat holding her cell phone in both hands in her lap. She didn’t realize she was in fellow waitress Tiffany’s way until she heard the girl’s dramatic sigh. The area was cramped enough as it was—with two of them in there it was even more so.
“Are you going to be leaving anytime soon?” Tiffany asked.
Regina blinked at her. “I was thinking about it.”
The girl gave a huge eye roll and then walked from the room, none too happy with her.
Regina smiled.
D
AMN
.
Linc watched through the windshield of the van disguised as a general-service cleaning vehicle as Regina exited the diner, looking a bit timid as she crossed the street to her Ford. About two cars back sat Dominic. He thought for a moment that she might wave at the agent, but thankfully, she caught herself and climbed into her safe vehicle. He couldn’t tell if she was packing the .357 he’d given her last night. He only hoped she was.
“Follow her?” Jason asked from the driver’s seat.
“Huh? Oh. No.”
“Where to next, then?”
“The Quality Motel.”
Jason grimaced as he started the van.
Linc couldn’t blame him. They’d hit a dozen like motels in the area in the past two hours with no luck, along with three gas-station convenience stores that had been hit by solo masked robbers. None of the possible leads had panned out. Which is why they’d gone to sit outside the diner at the end of Regina’s shift. By sitting back far enough, Linc was hoping to spot Johnson tailing her, as well. It was a remote possibility, since he wasn’t likely to follow the same plan twice. But Linc had allowed for the chance that Johnson might think he wouldn’t be at the diner again and do just that.
Damn, damn, damn, damn.
Just seeing Regina and not being able to talk to her, see her up close, made him feel as if he had a stomach full of buckshot.
He ran his hands over his face, recognizing the slight signs of fatigue. But there were other symptoms with which he was unfamiliar. Ones directly related to Regina and how he felt about her.
Emotion.
He caught Savage looking at him and he glared back.
“What?”
Jason shrugged, taking a right, away from Regina and where she would be heading to class a couple blocks up. “Nothing. Did I say anything?”
“You didn’t have to.”
“No, I guess I didn’t.”
Linc stared through the window at the street and the surrounding cars and pedestrians. “You’d let me know if I’m going off the deep end, wouldn’t you?”
“You think I wouldn’t?”
“I think you might be scared of an ass whipping, yeah.”
Savage threw his head back and howled. “Trust me, if it ever came to that, if the two of us were put in a room together, it’s not my ass that would get whipped.”
Linc cracked a smile.
“I’m just saying.”
“You’re just dreaming is more like it.”
Savage grinned. “Good thing we get along so well and will never have to find out, huh?”
“Good for you.”
He fell silent again.
He felt Jason’s hand on his shoulder. “Hey, man, don’t worry about it. I’d be the first to tell you. Yeah, while I think emotion is clouding the issues, you’re doing exactly what any of us would do in the same situation.” He smiled. “Hell, I’m actually glad to see you’re human after all.”
That was the problem. Right then he was feeling a little too human.
And he didn’t like it at all…