CHAPTER TEN
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Brody quietly made his way through the kitchen of Calvert’s residence, listening for any evidence that Remy was awake. It was zero four hundred and sleep was calling, but not before he checked on her wellbeing. He blinked several times to allow his night vision to adjust to the darkness, already resigning himself to using those Visine drops again after staring at those screens all day. He probably looked as if he’d just gotten back from a three-day bender.
The golden hue of artificial light escaping from Calvert’s office wasn’t so much of a surprise, but spotting Remy behind the boss’ desk typing away at her laptop wasn’t exactly what Brody had been expecting. Sure, this evening hadn’t gone exactly the way either of them had foreseen, but it hadn’t been a loss either.
They had David Varan’s exact location.
Unfortunately for him, he’d chosen to drive to Winter Park and selected the Park Plaza Hotel for his night’s lodging. It was close to where Varan had murdered Anna Kinkaid. It was evident that he wanted to be close to where he’d killed her, but his motives were unclear…for the moment.
“You should be asleep,” Brody said softly so as not to startle her, though it appeared she was wide awake and had already heard him enter the house. Remy had her hair piled on top of her head and secured with what looked like a pencil. Her eyes were still focused on her screen. “Remy? Keane is literally sitting in the video security suite at the Park Plaza Hotel. Varan isn’t going anywhere without us knowing about it, not unless he’s learned how to fly.”
“And what about the woman your teammate is supposed to be protecting?”
Remy hadn’t even bothered to look his way, causing his gut to turn over. She hadn’t said more than two words since Varan had left his apartment. She’d shut him out, and it wouldn’t surprise him if she requested to leave the estate so that she could take matters into her own hands. “Is she now in danger because you pulled Keane Sanderson off her case?”
“It’s a little bit more complicated than that,” Brody answered cautiously, stepping inside Calvert’s private domain. No one on the team used his private office, though he had given permission for Remy to work at his solid oak desk if she so chose. His boss would most likely be a bit offended that the beauty of such a grand room was lost on a guest due to the grime left behind by a killer. “I’ve reached out to the county police, and they’ve agreed to keep an eye on her residence for the next day or so. Remy, if this is your way of suggesting that SSI cannot handle more than one case at a time, you’re sorely mistaken.”
“I didn’t say anything like that.” Remy continued to stare intently at her screen until the hairs on Brody’s neck began to stand to attention. There wasn’t a chance in hell she had some type of video footage up on her laptop, was there? She didn’t have the type of training needed to access those types of feeds. She would have no idea where to look for such an entry point. “You should get some sleep. You look exhausted.”
“How would you know what I look like?” Brody countered, slowly closing the distance between the door and Calvert’s desk. He wanted to see what was on her screen. “You haven’t once looked me in the eye since I walked into the room.”
Remy ever so casually closed the lid to her laptop before rolling back the large desk chair that Calvert most assuredly had imported from some other country. Brody would have made some witty comment about it had she not stood up and held her laptop close to her chest in protection. Her blue eyes finally met his…and this was not the Remy who was with him four hours ago.
Her blue eyes had all but turned to solid ice.
“I don’t have to look at you to know you’re tired. You’ve been up for close to twenty-two hours. Maybe more.” Remy’s shoulders were so straight that it wouldn’t surprise him if one touch would shatter her like the shards of shrapnel radiating from an exploding grenade. She was in her element, or at least the one she’d made for herself after years of practice. He tried once more to remind himself that his sole duty was to keep her safe, not soothe old hurts. “I know Ralph is the one paying for SSI’s services, but I do appreciate your time and efforts in keeping track of David for me.”
Brody also noticed that she’d dropped the veil on how she referred to Varan. It was almost as if she wanted this to remain on a personal level. He sidestepped so that he was directly in her path to the door, which brought her up short.
“Where is the Remy Kinkaid who sat with me last night drinking hot chocolate and sharing stories about our lives? Oh, that’s right,” Brody pointed out sardonically, tapping his chest to point out the obvious. “It was me who was talking about the past, not you. You can’t keep doing this, Remy. You’re losing yourself at the expense of someone who doesn’t deserve a second moment’s attention.”
“His presence was important enough to erase my sister’s life as if she were no more important than that mosquito I would have swatted for just trying to draw my blood to survive.” Remy cleared her throat as she shifted her laptop to one arm. “You and I both know the reason David is staying in Winter Park. He wants to be close to where he killed Anna, and I can’t allow that.”
“He isn’t doing anything illegal that we can—”
“You circumvent the system all the time, Brody. Don’t you dare tell me that I have to sit by and do nothing while he taunts me. You—”
“Your circle of friends consists of one woman and a couple who uses you as a surrogate for their dead son.” Brody pressed hard, knowing he was pushing her to the edge of her composure. Had she ever cried over her sister’s death? Or had she bottled it up and shelved her emotions in order to get through her daily life? “Your entire world has been built around David Varan being locked up in a psychiatric ward, and now he’s available to you to monitor twenty-four-seven. Have you thought of what you would do if he were actually put behind bars for the rest of his life? Hell, what would you do if he were dead and gone, Remy?”
“Sleep.”
Remy whispered the word so desperately that her honest reaction tore at his heart. Brody shook his head and wanted to let her walk out of this office. He truly did, but he couldn’t bring himself to allow her to go to a bedroom where she’d only stare at the ceiling and think about what could have been.
Brody crossed the line.
He made a mistake without saying a single word.
He kissed her.
Remy had taken a step to his left to escape the truth, and most likely him. But he wrapped his hand around her upper arm and turned them both until he was able to lean down and capture her parted lips. He caught her laptop before it slipped from her grasp, using his right hand to draw her toward him.
She was sweet. Sweeter than she had any right to taste.
Whether it was because he surprised her or she just wanted to feel something other than fear and rage, her subtle curves relaxed into his body. Her cool hands rested against his chest until she’d curled the material of his Hawaiian shirt into her palms. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, savoring her sweetness, and she tilted her head to accept more.
He deepened the kiss upon catching the faint fragrance of warm vanilla, losing himself further than he’d ever intended. Everything about her set him on fire, from the way she pulled him closer to the way she gave as good as she got. She was no longer the reserved woman he’d come to know. Her desire was utterly tempestuous, and he wanted more. God, he wanted more.
This simple yet sizzling kiss wasn’t enough…not nearly enough.
But it was enough to prove that more than a tragic event defined who she was.
“Don’t,” Remy breathed out as she gradually pulled away. She was warning him not to say anything, but he wasn’t so sure he could do as she requested. He’d made a mistake, and one that he would pay for twice over. He’d just briefly possessed something that he could never have. “Don’t say anything.”
She didn’t have to worry for at least ten seconds. It would take him that long to process what he’d gone and done.
Remy briefly rested her forehead on her fists which still held the fabric of his shirt, giving them both a chance to catch their breath. It didn’t escape him that they were both having trouble coming to terms with what had happened. All he understood was that his good intentions had backfired.
Brody no longer wanted to prove a point.
He wanted her.
He was in so much fucking trouble.
Where was his lifeguard?
“Good night, Brody.”
Before he could say anything, she gently took possession of her laptop and quietly walked out of Calvert’s office. There would be no after-action discussion. She got that message across quite clearly. She had no use for friendships, relationships, or even casual affairs. She’d purposefully ensured she was alone in this journey she’d embarked on four years ago, and she’d just announced to him that he wasn’t welcome on her voyage.
Remy was driven to do one thing and one thing only—eradicate the man who’d taken her sister’s life.