Chapter Nineteen
The Reilly household hadn’t been the cheeriest place in the last few days. Presley had done her best to act like it was all just fine but Seth could see the strain in her eyes. She wanted to help Eric Harbaugh and she didn’t know how. Neither did Seth. Until he’d had a crazy idea. It was out there and probably not even possible but it was worth a try. So he’d called his good friend and old Army buddy Evan Davis, ex-US Marshal. The man that had brought Presley to Seth in a sort of “unofficial” witness protection. That had been the beginning of…everything.
And now Evan was calling him so Seth ducked out of the back of the station. No one needed to know about what he was doing. He hadn’t yet told Presley any details in case it all went awry after getting her hopes up. Honestly, it was a shot in the dark.
“Hey, Evan. Any news?”
At the rate the government worked Seth highly doubted it but he was an eternal optimist. At least that’s what Presley said all the time.
“You are one lucky son of a bitch,” Evan growled. “I had to call in every goddamn favor I was owed to do this. They now wish they’d never said that they’d do anything to thank me after I helped out Marisa as a dirty agent. But I think we have it done.”
Seth was so dizzy from relief and happiness he had to lean on his truck. This was amazing fucking news. He’d never in a million years thought Evan would be able to pull this off.
“Harbaugh is going into witness protection then? That’s great news.”
A growl from Evan traveled clearly through the phone all the way from Florida. “He’ll have to cooperate, Seth. Whenever they finally take down that cartel, whether it’s next year or ten years from now, he’ll have to cooperate with the authorities and whatever they want him to do. Make contact with the cartel, act as bait, whatever.”
“I can’t thank you enough, man. Presley is going to be thrilled. This was the only way I knew to help the poor bastard.”
“Frankly he’s not a high value witness, Seth, and his testimony would only be icing on the cake, but he does have some value because he has something the cartel wants. That means they’ll take his calls and meet with him. That has value to the DEA and the prosecutor. Hopefully there will be far more valuable witnesses than Eric Harbaugh as well, but they conceded that they could use him to aid their case. Of course, an extortion charge is going to be small potatoes when the DEA gets done with these guys. I’m told they’re trying to link the cartel to Danny Harbaugh’s murder.”
That didn’t make sense. Why kill Harbaugh if he owed them money?
“I heard it was an accident. Meth labs aren’t the most stable of environments and I’m betting these guys aren’t chemistry majors.”
Or they might be. Seth had watched Breaking Bad but that was only television.
“Could be. I don’t think it matters much to you or me. The cartel might have done it or someone could have gone rogue. Could be an accident, too. Who knows? It’s just one more thing that they want to investigate.”
“So what happens now?”
“The Marshals will pay him a visit,” Evan replied. “Make him the offer. He doesn’t have to take it but if he does they’ll hustle him out of his current life right away. No delay. No time to ponder what he should do. I hope he’s up for making the decision.”
Seth had no idea but he’d done his part. The rest was up to Eric Harbaugh.
“If he says no then at least we tried. Listen, I can’t thank you enough for this. I have to admit that I was worried too, not just Presley. This does kind of remind me of her situation. Are you sure it’s okay that you turned in all your markers and made an end run around the DEA?”
“It’s fine,” Evan laughed. “And technically it was you that made the end run. You might want to call Jason Anderson so he doesn’t hear about it from someone else. As for the markers, what am I going to need the US Marshal Service for? I’m a thriller author living in a semi-tropical paradise with the woman of my dreams. Life is good. Seriously, I’m glad I could help. This Eric guy was seriously fucked eight ways to Sunday. At least now he has a chance of survival. I’d say this was a good days work, my friend.”
A much better one than just a few hours ago. It felt like a weight had been lifted from Seth’s shoulders. He hadn’t wanted to acknowledge the concern he’d felt for a man he’d never met and whose brother wanted to kill him.
The Presley Effect.
Now he could tell her the good news and maybe see the smile that had been missing since they’d left Las Vegas.
* * * *
Presley’s eyelids fluttered sleepily and she groaned softly, reaching over Seth for the alarm clock on the bedside table to quiet the chirping alarm. Too damn early for humans. She didn’t mind mornings much, although she’d never been one of those people who hop out of bed with a smile on their face and a song on their lips. Those people creeped her out. But the time on the clock was five-fifteen. That wasn’t even morning really. It was still dark out. Heck, the sun didn’t even want to be awake yet. But Seth’s shift was early and that meant she needed to get the coffee going and even maybe make him some breakfast.
Because he was her superhero. He’d pulled off the impossible and she still couldn’t quite believe it. He’d used his contacts with the Marshal service and then Evan Davis had used his contacts at the prosecutor’s office to pressure the DEA to use Eric Harbaugh in their case against the cartel. Consequently, Eric was going to be offered witness protection. When Seth had told her the news last night she’d been jubilant. Sometimes the good guys do make the world a little more equitable. At least now Eric had a chance when before he’d had basically none, unless he somehow managed to disappear on his own.
Next to her Seth stirred, stretching his long arms above his head before curving his body around hers so he was the big spoon and she was the little one. His cock pressed into her backside as he dropped a kiss on her shoulder.
“Morning, baby. Sorry I didn’t hear the alarm first.”
“I need to get up anyway. There’s plenty to do at the shop.”
Those questing fingers were playing with her nipples and making her squirm. Seth had more on his mind this morning than coffee and toast. “I’ll come by and help when I get off duty.”
His teeth bit down on her earlobe and one of his hands slid between her legs.
“How much is this help going to cost me, handsome?”
He pressed harder against her and she could almost feel the blood pumping through the veins of his cock. “For you, babe? Free of charge.”
Pushing back with her bottom, she moaned as his fingers plucked the tips of her breasts into rock hard pebbles. “We don’t have time.”
Her voice came out breathless and not nearly as firm as she’d wanted it to.
“Sure we do. Plenty of time,” he whispered in her ear, his breath warm on her cheek. Wrapped up in his arms like this so safe and toasty, Presley wasn’t in any hurry to get out of bed. She’d rather stay here all day with Seth.
He’d have to skip breakfast and take his coffee on the road with him which he did quite a bit, so it wasn’t a terrible hardship.
She made one more half-hearted attempt. “I was going to make you breakfast.”
“I’m not hungry for food.”
He would be afterward but she didn’t have a chance to argue with him. Those mad-skilled fingers were rubbing insistent circles around her clit, making speech impossible. Her head fell back onto his shoulder and she closed her eyes in pure bliss – one of his hands working their magic on her nipple and the other between her thighs. She was close to exploding when he lifted her leg back and over his own so she was completely open to him before his cock slid into the hilt.
Both she and Seth gasped for breath as he pulled out and thrust in again. And again. With every stroke he rubbed her clit and it didn’t take long for her to explode, stars behind her lids. It took a few more thrusts but then he grunted and buried his face in her hair as his body strained against hers. Eventually his muscles relaxed but his hold on Presley was just as tight.
“Good morning, honey.”
The sun still wasn’t up yet but in the Reilly household it was a good morning. And now that she and Seth were safe, there would be a whole lot more of them.