Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cole walked out of his lecture and searched for Joseph but the guy hadn’t turned up today. Probably gotten lucky again. Cole knew the feeling. He grinned.
“Hey, dude.”
Cole spotted Dave heading toward him, weaving through the throngs of students leaving class.
“What’s up?”
“You need to start talking to your sister, man.” Dave rubbed his eyes and yawned. “She came over in the middle of the night, upset but pretending not to be.” Dave’s eyes were dragged away from Cole’s face by a passing blonde wearing short-shorts.
Cole scrubbed his hand through his hair. Tess needed to butt out of his life. Right now, he needed a little space. They started walking, Dave following the blonde, Cole heading to the metro. “I’ll talk to her.”
Dave nodded. “You pick up the booze for Joe’s party tomorrow?”
Fuck. Cole had completely forgotten about the party they were hosting. He nodded. His fake ID was better than some real ones. “I’ll pick it up tomorrow morning.”
Dave grinned. “Gonna bring your new girlfriend?”
Cole rolled his eyes. Bring a beautiful, mature woman to a student party? Hell, no. He shrugged. It was easier to lie. “Maybe. You got a date?”
Dave eyed the blonde. “Not yet. About to change that though. Just wanted to tell you your sister was freaking out and to remind you about the beer.”
“No worries.” Cole added a reminder to his calendar. Worst case scenario was he ordered a bulk delivery from the liquor store using Tess’s credit card. He’d pay her back. “Later.”
He wondered exactly when he’d outgrown his friends. He’d break the news he was moving out next week. He didn’t want to ruin Joseph’s birthday.
It wasn’t like he’d never see them again, but things would be different. He’d outgrown the party scene. He wasn’t even sure why he was trying to get a degree when he could earn plenty of money writing software.
His cell rang and he grinned. “What can I do for you, gorgeous?”
“I wish.” She laughed. “You got through your ethics class?”
“I would rather have been in bed with you.”
“Yeah, welcome to reality.” Her voice changed, got deeper. “Although I might be able to squeeze you in over lunch.”
His cock jerked to attention.
“My friend Trent phoned me five minutes ago,” she added.
Cole hated this mysterious “Trent” with a passion.
“The truck’s in my parking garage with the keys in it. I’ll be done for lunch in about an hour and planned on taking the first load over to the new place—”
“I’ll help you.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“You will never put me out. Shall I meet you at the apartment?”
“Hmm…” That low noise stroked over his senses like a confident hand. “Why don’t you go grab the truck and pick me up from work? Then I don’t have to walk back to the apartment in these stupid heels.”
“I love those heels.” He could still feel their imprint on his ass.
She’d asked him to pick her up from work. She was finally starting to believe in him. In them.
“Park by the visitor’s entrance and send me a text when you get there. I’ll make it worth your while, promise. I have to go. Love you,” she said so faintly he barely heard her.
“Love you, too,” he whispered.
He hopped on the escalator to take him to the metro line.
* * *
Tess sat on the edge of the double bed and stared at the door. She’d grabbed a super-fast shower. Washed away the evidence of her torrid encounter with Mac even if she couldn’t erase the memory of her colossal mistake. Her braided hair fell in a thick rope down her back, making the red wool of her sweater itch. She ignored the cold, uncomfortable feeling that seeped along her spine.
She needed to know what was going on. Despite the fact Alex Parker had treated her with consideration she felt like a prisoner here. Why couldn’t she have fallen for a nice guy like Parker, rather than the smooth-voiced, irritating ass from Montana?
Her one hand was strangling the other and she made herself relax her grip and smooth her fingers along her thighs. She knew she’d made a mistake in not telling Mac about the files earlier. Her reasons had felt justified at the time, but she’d been wrong.
But she still didn’t believe Cole was a killer.
The door opened and Mac walked in. She eyed him warily. His usually iridescent blue-green gaze was guarded. She started to open her mouth to say how sorry she was, but he cut her off.
“Is there anything else you haven’t told me?” He didn’t look at her when he spoke. As if he couldn’t bring himself to. As if he was also ashamed of what they’d done.
She gritted her teeth and lifted her chin. “No.”
“Anything about Cole I should know?”
He was casually dressed in jeans and a navy sweater but the Federal Agent was back in full force. No more friend or lover.
“Does he carry a weapon?”
She blinked rapidly, then stood and walked to the window, looking out at the cars driving below, the people going about their normal daily lives. Her life was in ruins. Her concerns about her business were nothing compared to her worry that her brother might die or the fact her heart was splitting like dry wood under a heavy axe.
Her finger traced a line in the sill. “Cole doesn’t like firearms. I don’t think he’s ever fired a gun, let alone owned one.” She pressed a hand to her stomach. The Feds were going to go after her baby brother with guns drawn. They believed he was involved in these murders.
Mac came farther into the room, not closing the door behind him.
Ironic that she was the one with trust issues.
She sneered in contempt as she looked at him over her shoulder. “You actually think I might be involved with these people. Don’t you?” Her voice cracked, giving away how close she was to breaking.
A flicker of uncertainty crossed his features. He avoided her gaze, not denying it.
“What possible motive could I have?” she demanded. “You know how I felt about my family.”
“I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation.”
“A little late to play by the rules now, isn’t it?”
His eyes narrowed and she watched the play of light across his features. The broad forehead and stubborn chin. Stubble sprinkled his jaw and neck. Part of her wanted to touch the rough skin, to run her palm across the scratchy flesh. To feel it between her thighs.
But those thoughts would have to be consigned to memory and filed under “once in a lifetime experiences.”
She returned her attention to the view out of the window. Heavy clouds gathered against the blue of the sky. Teardrops of rain hit the glass.
Her emotions wanted to crush her but she refused to let them. She was not showing weakness. Not to Steve McKenzie. Not to the world in general. She wasn’t going to reveal just how much he’d hurt her.
“I didn’t tell the police we had sex, by the way. Just so you know. Not that your less than polite pal Agent Walsh believed me.”
He frowned as they watched each other in the reflection of the glass.
“I told them you were asking me for more details about Eddie and where he might be hiding.” She forced down the tightness in her throat that wanted to choke her. “So your job is safe, unless you confessed your sins, which I very much doubt.”
His mouth tightened.
She smiled grimly. She could tell from his expression he hadn’t breathed a word. He probably thought she was going to blackmail him with the information at some point in the future.
“So what happened between us is our dirty little secret and I won’t ever be admitting I made such an enormous error in judgment.”
Hurt flickered across his features and then it was gone. Was he upset she no longer viewed him as her hero? He’d be more upset if she told him the really ugly truth—the fact she’d fallen in love with him.
Below her a cab cut off a limo and blared its horn. Life going on as normal as her world split open and exposed every secret and pain she held within her fragile heart. Well, the world wasn’t having that one.
A muscle in his jaw flexed. “I never asked you to lie for me.”
She laughed, a nasty, bitter sound. “I’m aware.”
“My job is important to me.” Now he sounded defensive.
“Trust me, if there’s one person in the world who knows that you are defined by the letters on your badge, it’s me.”
“Last night was a mistake.”
The words hit her like a shotgun blast and she put her hand on the windowsill to steady herself as she struggled to keep her mask in place. It hurt.
She hadn’t realized how much she’d let her shields down for him. And what she was feeling now felt a thousand times worse than Jason and Julie’s betrayal. This time she’d been stupid enough to start to trust Mac, not just with her body and her secrets, but with her heart.
She didn’t believe in love. Not anymore. That cheap illusion was for suckers and fools and unicorn chasers. It was a myth. A fraud. A Disney marketing ploy.
She made herself face him. Raised a bored brow. “Yes, it was. I realized the moment you left me naked on the kitchen floor as soon as your ex-wife snapped her fingers. Anything else?”
He lifted his chin, eyes narrowed and glittering. But, really, what could he say that he hadn’t already said?
“Have a nice life, ASAC McKenzie. Hope your promotion is worth it. And don’t you dare hurt my brother.”
* * *
Mac strode out of the bedroom. Apparently, the only thing Tess gave a damn about was her worthless brother.
He didn’t know why he was feeling quite so pissed—oh, yeah, someone had murdered his ex-wife and tried to frame him for it, and he’d almost terminally fucked up his career by sleeping with a woman he shouldn’t have gone within a mile of. Never mind the fact that someone was going around town shooting people based on color, creed and sexuality, and likely had more atrocities planned.
The look of betrayal on Tess’s face destroyed him, but that was his own stupid fault for letting her get to him. He wasn’t some naïve teenager. He’d been through the relationship wringer more than once, which was why he’d sworn off them for so long. Should have learned his lesson by now. Maybe a letter of censure would be the kick in the balls he needed to finally get his head on straight. His heart should be impenetrable, but apparently, a beautiful brunette with pi tattooed around her arm, had managed to sneak past his guard.
But his job was the only thing that truly mattered in his life. The only thing that had allowed him to feel a measure of pride and importance—that what he did mattered. That what he’d done with his life mattered.
Fidelity. Bravery. Integrity.
Yeah… About that.
In the FBI, perception was everything. Rules were king.
There was a high chance Tess’s brother was about to be arrested for conspiracy to murder and one of the few things that might save Mac’s career was bringing Cole Fallon in before anyone else died and rounding up everyone involved.
Tess really wasn’t going to be very happy about that. Shit, she might be looking at obstruction of justice charges for not telling them about that file earlier. And that was assuming she was innocent.
He met Frazer in the hallway. “Ready?”
The other man nodded. “Got a location on Cole Fallon’s cell phone. Heading east toward Capitol Hill.”
Jesus.
Parker joined them and handed Mac a Glock-22. Mac nodded his appreciation as he checked the weapon.
“What about her?” Mac inclined his head toward the bedroom.
“Tess?” Frazer asked nonchalantly. He was the master of being an asshole using just one word.
“Yes,” Mac gritted. “Tess.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“Over my dead body.” Mac didn’t even turn to face her.
“She can ride with me,” Parker suggested. “Taking two cars is a useful idea in case we need to split up. After we locate Cole, I can drop Tess at her car. Assuming the press has dispersed.”
Mac met Parker’s gaze. He needed her contained. He needed her safe. But nobody gave a fuck what he needed.
“I won’t get in the way. I won’t put your operation in jeopardy but I might be able to help. With Cole.” Tears glistened in her eyes.
Mac felt his upper lip curl.
The goddamned baby brother again. When was she going to see Cole was an adult, responsible for his own actions? Mac turned without saying anything and led the way back to the parking garage. Maybe this was what it would take to convince Tess that Cole wasn’t some innocent, little kid anymore. And maybe it was exactly what was needed to draw a line between the two of them. Arresting her baby brother was not something she’d forgive him for.
But he did not like the idea of her being in the crossfire. Not again.
He didn’t look at her as he got into Frazer’s Lexus and they drove away. The distance between them grew exponentially with every second of this investigation, with every word he left unspoken. And that’s what he needed to do even though what he really wanted was to take her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be okay.
It wasn’t.
Time to get his head on straight and prove where his true loyalty lay. Time to keep the vows he’d made when he’d sworn fealty to the United States of America and take these bastards down. Time to forget everything he was feeling for Tess.