Dark 'N' Deadly (Federal K-9) Read online

  She looked at the screen. There were two missed calls, the first from a New Jersey area code, and the second an Alabama number, neither of which she recognized. “No.”

  “We ran both numbers but can’t ID who they belong to. They could be burner phones.” Eric set the phone on the table. “Here’s the story, kid. You’re in deep trouble, but you may be able to work some or all of it off. We’ve already spoken to the federal prosecutor, who agreed to defer your initial appearance for a short period of time. In exchange, we want you to do a controlled delivery for us.”

  “I’ll do it,” Jesse said then frowned. “What’s a controlled delivery?”

  “Wait.” Tess grabbed Eric’s forearm. Thick muscles flexed beneath her fingers, and heat shot to her hand. His gaze lowered briefly to where she clutched his arm, then he stared at her with an intensity that gave her chills. Delicious chills she should absolutely not be having. She released his arm, yanking hers back as if she’d been burned. “Is it dangerous?”

  For another long moment, he continued watching her, and with each second the chills she’d been experiencing intensified, spreading up her neck, down her back, and damn… Her freaking nipples were tingling.

  Eric cleared his throat. “Not really.”

  “What do you mean, not really?” She glared at him. “What exactly is a controlled delivery?”

  “It’s just that. A delivery controlled by us. We’ll surveil the meet location before, during, and after your brother delivers the drums to whoever’s waiting for them. We’ll wire up the truck and record everything. For added safety, we’ll also monitor the delivery in real time, and we’ll stage nearby.”

  “You make it sound so simple.” It couldn’t be, not if her stepfather was involved.

  “It is.” Eric rested his hand on top of hers, squeezing it lightly. “He’ll be safe. I promise.”

  Piercing blue eyes softened, and she believed him. Or, at least, wanted to believe him.

  Back in Springfield, they’d worked together one day, helping Nick and Andi figure out which of the Dog Park Café’s customers was a ruthless gun dealer. Aside from that, all she really knew about him was that he stirred the pot of emotions in her like no one else ever had.

  If this was what was necessary to get her brother off the hook, then they should consider themselves lucky to have Eric on their side.

  “Okay?” He released her hand then looked from her to Jesse, then back again.

  “Tessie.” Jesse lowered his voice. “I’m eighteen. I don’t need your permission, but I’d like you to be with me on this.”

  She stared at her brother, and her heart gave a little lurch that was both painful and wonderful. The little boy she’d left behind really was gone. In her absence, he’d matured into a courageous young man. “Okay,” she whispered, swallowing the tiny sob threatening to escape.

  “We want you to call back that Jersey number,” Eric continued, “and arrange for the delivery of those drums. But you need to put it off until Monday. We should have the lab results by then.”

  Jesse brows knitted. “How do I explain that I can’t make the delivery for another two days?”

  “Tell him the truck broke down somewhere in Delaware, and the shop’s waiting on parts that won’t be in until Monday morning.” Eric pulled a digital recorder from his pants pocket.

  More foreboding slithered up her spine, and she clasped the rose quartz crystal hanging around her neck, willing its positive energy to flow through her. It didn’t, and her apprehension grew. “Please, Eric. Isn’t there any other way?”

  “I’m sorry, no. This is his only shot at making any of this go away, and there’s no room for negotiation. Not with a potential bomb in the mix.”

  This can’t be happening. Nausea returned, along with a hefty dose of fear knotting her belly. “Can’t you send an undercover agent instead?”

  “No, they can’t,” Jesse said. “When I picked up the truck in Alabama, the owner took a picture of me and texted it to someone. He told me to expect questions to prove who I am and where I’m from, so if anyone else besides me shows up, I don’t know if they’ll take the drums. If that happens, I won’t be able to work this off. Tessie, I have to do this. No one else can take my place.” Her brother’s eyes were more determined than she’d ever seen before. “I know you’re my big sis and you want to protect me, but I’m not a little boy anymore. I have to take responsibility for my actions.”

  That bastard. She and Jesse both knew their stepfather had been lying through his teeth when he’d said this trip to New Jersey would teach her brother responsibility. Ironically, it really had. Jesse was taking on his mistakes and trying to make them right.

  Eric handed Jesse back his phone. “With the exception of having engine trouble, stick to your original plan. The fewer lies you have to tell, the more believable you’ll be and the less likely you’ll get tripped up.”

  Lies. God, how many of those had she and Jesse told in the last thirty minutes? So many she’d lost count. Although she truly believed that none of their lies could possibly impede Eric’s investigation. All Jesse had to do was go through with the controlled delivery. Afterward, they could leave the state and never look back.

  “Got it?” Eric asked.

  “Got it.” Jesse nodded with an air of assurance that was so mature it made her heart clench.

  As soon as her brother got through this, she was determined that he’d live the best life possible. That meant never setting foot in Alabama again.

  “When I turn on the recorder, redial that 201 phone number and put it on speaker.”

  Eric clicked on the recorder then signaled Jesse to place the call. Her brother quickly logged into his phone then pressed the redial button and put the call on speaker. He looked to Eric, who gave a nod of encouragement.

  The phone rang twice before a man answered. “Where the hell are you?” a voice she didn’t recognize shouted.

  “My dang truck broke down in Delaware. Parts should be in first thing Monday morning. I can call you as soon as—”

  “Just be at the truck stop Monday at one o’clock.”

  “I’ll be th—” But the call had already ended.

  Before shutting off the recorder, Eric stated the date, time, and who’d been present for the call. When the red light on top of the recorder went out, Tess breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Good job,” Eric said. “I’ll let you keep the phone, but if this guy calls you back, don’t answer. Let it go to voicemail, then tell me right away so we can return the call and record the conversation. Got it?”

  “Got it.” Jesse nodded.

  “So, where and when do you want us back on Monday?” She rose to retrieve her bag from where she’d dropped it earlier on the floor. “Jesse will be with me at my place, and we’ll get up at the crack of dawn and can be back here whenever you need him.”

  “Yeah. About that.” Eric grimaced. “You can go back to Springfield for the weekend.” He nodded to Jesse. “He can’t.”

  “Why not? He doesn’t have to stay in jail, does he?”

  “No.” Eric shook his head. “He can’t leave the state.”

  Her jaw dropped, and she stormed to within a foot of where Eric sat then parked her fists on her hips. Even sitting, his head was nearly at the same level as her chin, something she found irritating. “You can’t do that to him.” Then, as if he couldn’t annoy her further, he arched a blond brow, clearly amused by her outburst. “Excuse me, Special Agent Miller, but I fail to see the humor in any of this.”

  “That’s because there is none.” He stood with such speed that she instinctively took a step back, nearly tripping over Dayne, who steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.

  Eric’s cheek muscles flexed as his next words came out through gritted teeth. “Dammit, Tess. There’s something serious going down here, and if we can’t stop it, people will die.” He took a deep breath, as if to calm himself. “If we don’t figure this out and a bomb actually goes off�
��”

  He dragged a hand through his hair, making it spikier and drawing her attention to all the natural highlights she remembered. “Have you ever seen the aftereffects of a bomb up close and personal?” She shook her head, hoping she’d never have to. “Trust me. It isn’t pretty. New Jersey is the most populated state in the nation per capita. Just about anywhere a bomb goes off will have deadly consequences. Let alone if it explodes in a city center.”

  “I know that,” she whispered, feeling incredibly selfish and incredibly small. “I didn’t mean that we don’t want to help you. I just—” Want to get Jesse as far away from anything involving our stepfather as possible. But she couldn’t say that. Not if she wanted to give her brother a chance at a real future.

  “You just what?” Eric’s eyes softened.

  “I’d hoped to take my brother back to Springfield for the weekend.” That much was true, although she was half considering that they should both run.

  No, we can’t do that.

  If this were only about Jesse, that might very well have been a viable option. But no matter how loud the instinct to take Jesse and run was screaming in her ears, they had to do everything possible to help Eric so innocent people didn’t get killed.

  To her brother, she said, “We’ll find a hotel for the weekend. When this is over on Monday, we can go back to Springfield.”

  “Not quite.” Eric faced Jesse. “Another stipulation of your deferred initial appearance is that you remain in New Jersey not only until after the controlled delivery, but for as long as it takes for us to track down whoever’s putting this bomb together and find out what their target is. Right now, you’re the only link we’ve got to these people, and the federal government isn’t about to let you out of their sight until we identify the threat and stop it.”

  Oh, no. This was worse than she’d thought possible, and judging by the shocked look on Jesse’s face, he knew it, too. His only shot at freedom was to not be anywhere near this after Monday. Getting involved with the feds was turning out to be worse than she’d ever expected.

  Another problem materialized, and she began twisting her hands together, wishing she had her entire collection of crystals to rub between her fingers. Emptying her bank account would get them a decent hotel for a few nights, but after that, they’d be sleeping in her Camry.

  “What is it?” Eric watched her intently.

  “I, um—” She stopped as pride inserted itself front and center. The last thing she wanted anyone in the room to know was that she was practically broke, which was how things were going to be until she could get her business off the ground.

  “Tell me,” he urged, the look in his eyes one of concern.

  It was on the tip of her tongue to do just that, then her mistrust of law enforcement reared its ugly head, stopping her.

  “Tess? Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

  You have no idea how much I wish I could.

  “How long do you expect we’ll have to stay in New Jersey?” Please, please not more than a week. She might be able to borrow some cash from Andi for her next week’s salary, but no longer. Not only wouldn’t she burden a friend that way, but she needed her salary in order to keep paying the tuition on her MBA program. Quitting before she received her degree would be tantamount to giving up on her dreams.

  “I don’t know exactly.” He stared at her so hard it was as if he were trying to read her mind. “You don’t have enough money for a hotel, do you?”

  Crap. He can read my mind. I’m practically broke.

  Not wanting him to see the shame she felt at pushing twenty-eight and barely having a cent to her name, she lowered her chin to her chest.

  He made a sound that was half groan, half growl, then dragged his hand through his hair again, harder this time. “You and Jesse can stay with me.”

  …

  “What?” Tess and Dayne said at the same time. If the tone of their voices didn’t convey their shock, their expressions did.

  Dayne’s lips twisted into his trademark what-the-fuck-are-you-doing grimace. Tess’s jaw dropped, and her beautiful green eyes screamed: No way, Kemosabe. Frankly, she looked like she wanted to throw up. Eric understood his friend’s reaction, but why would Tess find his offer so offensive?

  “Cool.” Jesse grinned.

  Tess’s lips pressed together. “We are not staying with him. We’ll find somewhere else to go.”

  “Yeah? Where? I don’t have any money.” Jesse held out his arms, his grin widening. “C’mon, Tess. Shackin’ up with the ATF? This, ya gotta love.”

  Eric assumed the “this” was the fact that a federal agent had just offered to put up someone he’d arrested. As he watched the now-silent back-and-forth between brother and sister, he got the feeling there was something else at work there. What, he didn’t know for sure, but from what he’d seen of Tess at the Dog Park Café, she was as honest as they came and a hard worker. Accepting charity from anyone might be difficult for her, and he admired that.

  “You sure about this?” Dayne’s expression was only slightly less stupefied than it had been a moment ago.

  “Yeah.” No. “I’m sure.” I must be out of my fucking mind.

  All his friends, especially Dayne, knew the bizarre extent to which he coveted his privacy.

  Since the day he’d left home at seventeen, the only person he’d ever let stay with him was his sister, and that had been for a very brief period. Aside from Maggie, he’d never lived with another soul, not even in college, and he didn’t figure to change that. Ever. Not even to get married, because in his world, marriage was nothing short of a vampiric union that would inevitably suck the very life and soul from a person.

  Now that he’d opened his big fat mouth and the supremely hasty words had flown out, it was too late to take them back.

  “No.” Tess began adamantly shaking her head. “I appreciate your generous offer, but we can’t stay with you.”

  “Why not?” As she stared at him, again he was struck dumb by her beauty. But her eyes, which only minutes earlier had flashed green flames at him when she’d thought he was laughing at her, were now filled with what he, again, perceived as fear.

  She’s afraid of something. Me?

  “We can’t impose on you like that.” She clutched the rose crystal hanging between her breasts so tightly her knuckles were white. “We’ll figure something out. I promise you, Jesse will be here first thing Monday to do this controlled delivery thing. If there’s nothing else for now, we’ll be going.” She headed for the door, looking over her shoulder at her brother. “C’mon, Jesse.”

  “Tessie, don’t be such a stubborn hard-ass.” Jesse rounded the table. “If we stay with him, we’ll save a bundle, and I wanna see his dog again. This will be cool.” He frowned at Eric, adding, “He’s not gonna try takin’ another chunk outta my leg, is he?”

  Eric snorted. “He only does that on command.”

  “How ’bout it, Tessie?”

  Her lips pursed, drawing Eric’s gaze to her mouth. Even though he doubted she wore lipstick, her lips were stained a deep pink that reminded him of the roses in his mother’s garden. When she let out a heavy breath, he sensed she was weakening.

  “Look at it this way,” he said, “you’d be doing me a favor.” Her face scrunched with skepticism, making her look so adorable he almost laughed. “Nick and Andi would be pissed at me if I didn’t help you out while you’re here. You wouldn’t want to put me in that position, would you?”

  Behind Tess, Dayne shook his head, and Eric could read the man’s thoughts as clearly as if they were stamped on his forehead: I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.

  After a long moment, she sighed. “Fine.”

  Relief swamped him, and WTF? This was so far out of his comfort zone. It was like being possessed by an alien. Being around her again was turning his brain into all kinds of stupid.

  Part of him would have been disappointed if she’d declined his offer. The other part of
him worried he’d just made a colossal mistake.

  Chapter Five

  “How do you know this guy?” Jesse asked as he tuned the radio to a hard rock station.

  “Eric?” Tess cut the wheel to follow Eric’s black SUV as he took the exit off I-78 toward Flemington.

  “Duh. Yeah, Eric.” She couldn’t miss the suggestive tone in her brother’s voice. “Did ya know him in Springfield?”

  “Yes. But not well,” she added hastily, wanting to head off Jesse’s assumption that there’d been some kind of relationship between them. “Our paths crossed here and there, and that’s about it.” Unless one counted the near-mystical connection she’d felt whenever he’d walked into the Dog Park Café, or how she could never take her eyes off him. And how desperately she’d wanted him to ask her out, despite knowing she should stay far, far away from any federal agents, let alone an ATF agent.

  Her brother didn’t need to know any of that. It would only complicate matters, and more complications were the last thing either of them needed.

  “Seemed like they more’n crossed.” Jesse snickered. “Did you guys have a thing together?”

  She caught his eyebrows bobbing. “No, we didn’t have ‘a thing.’ We didn’t have anything.” As annoyed as she should have been at the implication, she couldn’t keep herself from smiling. Ten years apart, and they were already reverting to the same playful banter they’d had as kids. She’d missed that.

  “Sure. Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Tessie.” He snickered again. “As soon as he found out you were my sister, he treated me different. Like I mattered. I think the guy’s sweet on you. This whole thing is totally kick-ass. An ATF agent makin’ goo-goo eyes at my sister. Everyone back home would shit a brick if they knew.”

  Let’s not.

  “He is not sweet on me.” She swatted his thigh, the same way she’d done a hundred times growing up. “And he wasn’t making goo-goo eyes at me.” Although she had felt him watching her with an intensity that was unnerving. It was like he could see right through her.

  To the ugly, horrible truth.

  It didn’t help matters, either, that Eric was still as handsome as she remembered, or that his touch still sent warm shivers up her spine that felt like a sensual caress.