Nowhere Safe

CHAPTER 25



I would sacrifice everything for the ones I love. Trish’s words played over and over in Josh’s mind. She’d meant what she said. He had no doubt that she’d put her life at risk and lose ReSolution if that’s what it took to protect Zane and Angel.

Josh would do the same for his parents, or for Sabrina or Dingo, but what about Chelsea? If he were honest, he knew he wouldn’t have walked away from his team and black ops work for Chelsea. But she wouldn’t have walked away from what she was doing for him, either. That’s why the relationship with her had been convenient and tidy.

Love had never been a part of that equation.

He’d cared for Chelsea, no doubt. Maybe he’d even loved her in a way, but still, it had been a friends-with-benefits arrangement.

After listening to Trish’s impassioned declaration about protecting those she loved, what Josh and Chelsea had shared now sounded cold and empty. Nothing more than affection and a deal that would have filled a few lonely days in his life.

But that was the life he’d chosen. It didn’t come with honest relationships. Or a woman who loved the way Trish did.

So why were her words digging into his chest?

Josh parked his rental car outside of the team’s hotel suite headquarters. He had no idea what rental vehicles Nick and Dingo were driving, but Ryder’s black pickup was parked two spots over. Josh had to talk to Sabrina before he met up with the rest of his team.

He’d used the drive from Trish’s house to sort out what he’d learned.

Trish was not the mole and a stalker was fixated on her. References to chess in the notes and the black rook Trish had found in her shop pointed at one person.

The Chessmaster.

He dug out his phone. As soon as Sabrina answered, Josh filled her in on everything that had happened, summing it all up with, “Trish is the Chessmaster’s pawn and I don’t think she has any idea that her stalker is linked to the DEA mole.”

Sabrina said, “You may be right, but that doesn’t mean Zane is innocent until we figure out how everyone is connected.”

“But would Zane terrorize his own sister?”

“He may not be the Chessmaster, but there has to be a reason Trish is being stalked. That points a finger at Zane’s involvement. And he returned early tonight.”

Trish’s brother had sounded sincere when he told Josh he’d come home early for his pregnant wife and that could be confirmed. Probably had been by now. If Josh argued in favor of Zane at this point, Sabrina would become suspicious of Josh’s ability to be objective.

That she’d have a point didn’t make it any better.

Sabrina broke him out of his thoughts by saying, “This is perfect.”

“What is?”

“You kidding me? I would have thought you’d be the first to realize that Trish is the perfect bait. She’s clueless about what you do and she’s in your custody. I’ll make some calls and keep Vickers off your ass.”

What? He clamped his jaw shut from yelling at her that he was not putting Trish in danger.

Wouldn’t that go over well?

Sabrina would demand he back away so she could put someone else in his place. That was a battle he didn’t want to have with her. He wasn’t going anywhere and realized the quiet gap that had ensued meant she expected him to buck her plan.

He snorted as if she’d said something ridiculous. “Of course, I plan to use Trish as bait.” He paused after that screaming lie. “I thought you were excited because you had more intel.”

That must have convinced her, because Sabrina launched into strategizing. “Give Trish enough space for the Chessmaster to stay in contact, and set up a tap on Trish’s cell phone so we can intercept the texts.”

“I’m on it,” he said, as if the idea was already in motion then moved on to a new subject. He didn’t want to wait on Ryder to fill him in on tonight. “What’d you hear from the team?”

“Ryder thought he was screwed when he ran into Zane Jackson at the airfield much earlier than anyone expected.”

“From what I understand, Jackson came back early tonight because his wife went into premature labor.”

“That’s what Jackson said, too, but Ryder used that to his advantage. He told Jackson he’d gotten a tip and wanted to borrow a van to see if it panned out. Zane gave him the okay and left. Told you Ryder was going to be an asset.”

Score one for the FNG, but Josh wasn’t interested in hearing Sabrina sing Ryder’s praises. “What happened tonight?”

“Ryder’s van got heisted, as planned. He and Nick followed it to a new meet spot. Dingo observed the DEA team at the place Salazar was supposed to have picked up High Vision’s contraband, but no baddies showed. Ryder called the DEA team and informed them he’d tracked the van to the new drop point. The team showed up and made the bust.”

“So does that mean the next shipment will be that all-important last one?”

“I don’t know,” Sabrina answered, taking a minute. “We’re going to have to move forward based on thinking the next shipment is the one and that it’s not going to be drugs. Rikker didn’t make contact this time with Salazar.”

“Who contacted Salazar with a tip on the DEA bust?”

“He told the DEA his contact was a street kid who said he’d been grabbed with a sack over his head and instructed to deliver a message to Salazar. Kid said the person’s voice sounded like a machine. He was given directions then told he’d be dropped on the sidewalk a block from the meet point and to count to twenty before he pulled off the sack or he’d die.”

But the Chessmaster had been outsmarted tonight. Something Sabrina had mentioned raised a new concern for Josh. “Do you think Rikker’s moved on already?”

“No. He was on site for weeks to months before each of those three prior attacks. If he wasn’t involved tonight, I’m thinking it’s because he suspected a trap, which it was. Don’t forget that Rikker is former CIA. He wouldn’t just accept that Salazar had gone missing because he’d been spooked when his people were captured during the last bust.”

“I’m not as quick to use the word former,” Josh countered. “But I agree with your thinking.” If Sabrina took offense to Josh’s insinuation that Gage Laughton had given her a load of bullshit, she didn’t say. He hoped she was right about Rikker staying in the area.

“Sounds like you’ve gotten close to Trish in a short time. Nice job.” Sabrina let a couple beats pass then added, “You’re good with this bait set-up, right?”

He still wanted to hurt someone over the terror Trish had been enduring. His chest was tight every time he thought of her in danger and the idea of dangling Trish as bait was ripping his insides up, but when he answered Sabrina his voice was as hard and smooth as polished marble. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Good. Call me if anything changes.”

Josh got out of the car. On his way across the paved lot, Trish’s face floated behind his eyes. She’d been an easy read at his mention of an appointment tonight.

She thought he was leaving her to see another woman.

An insignificant betrayal compared to the truth that he and his team would be using her. He was disgusted at his role, which made no sense. This was what he did and who he was. But he had a real concern about this bait plan ending badly.

He’d see it through, but he’d make damned sure Trish was safe the whole time. The danger would be doing that and keeping an emotional distance from Trish, but getting involved with a woman had made sense only once in his life. He couldn’t be with a civilian. Chelsea would never have expected to know all his secrets. She would’ve been content with living on the periphery of his life and he would have been as content with a slice of hers.

Trish was the kind of woman who would expect full disclosure. The kind that Uncle Ty had warned Josh not to ever get involved with, because this business punished a man who did. Uncle Ty would roll over in his grave if he knew how much Josh had wanted to stay with Trish tonight.

Trish pulled at him, but she’d never fit into the neat little relationship design Josh had thought to have with Chelsea. Trish would want to know everything about him. No woman could know his true identity. Over the years he’d shielded himself, first so that their money wouldn’t make him a target, then later he’d put layers of protection around his identity to protect his parents from someone who might retaliate against him by harming them.

Back in the UK, Mendelson had thought he was clever when he’d called Josh by his legal last name of Carrington. But that was only the name he claimed as a legal identity, something that would not lead back to his parents.

He’d accepted the limitations of the undercover world when he’d entered it. Duty always came first.

His work was the only life he’d ever have. The sooner he got that straight, the easier this mission would be to complete.

Sounded good on paper until his conscience raised its ugly head and laughed at him.