Nowhere Safe

CHAPTER 29



Josh walked into the task force offices behind Leanne Witherspoon who was poured into a black skirt that fit her toned body like a second skin. She slowed and glanced at him over her shoulder as he headed toward the hallway that led to the conference room—aka Zane’s office for the moment.

“Thanks for lunch, Josh.” Leanne drew out his name and gave him a parting smile that a woman sent a man she intended to get naked with later. She strolled into her office and closed the door.

Where was his raging hard-on now?

Not a flicker of interest.

Lunch had been a waste of time, too. He had to give it to Ryder. The FNG had nailed it after dinner with Leanne when he’d said she was extremely loyal to the task force, including Zane Jackson and the other charter pilots. Josh should be feeling arrogantly smug since Leanne had begged off on a second date with Ryder, yet made it clear that her schedule could be adjusted to accommodate Josh.

She’d made herself available for lunch with no hesitation and said he could call her this weekend.

Peeling her out of that black suit should be his top fantasy, but his body kept shifting the image to a peach-colored dress, dark curls and luminous brown eyes.

Now you get aroused?

Shit. Not the way he wanted to meet with Zane, who believed Josh was gay.

Coming toward him was Rhonda Sutter, who took her time getting to him, but when she did, she paused. “I’m going to have to pass on dinner for Saturday. I’ve got a lot of work to catch up on after traveling this week.”

Work or other activities? “Not a problem. I’ll be around all next week.”

Leanne had called Rhonda the productivity Nazi then joked that Rhonda was probably a closet dominatrix.

He didn’t care if she was a nun, only whether she had information he needed or was involved with the leaks. Of the women Josh had been tasked to investigate, Leanne was proving to be the most accommodating, Rhonda the most reluctant, and Trish the most frustrating. That last bit of opinion might be Big John and the twins talking, though.

“You weren’t at the meeting we had last night.” She gave him an imperious lift of one eyebrow meant to demand an explanation.

Other than the boss, Mac, Josh did not have to account for his time or performance to anyone on the task force, least of all Rhonda. “That would be because I had somewhere else to be.” Pleased to see that he hadn’t satisfied her curiosity one bit, he took an about-face in the conversation and dished it back at her. “How’s the High Vision case coming on the DEA end?”

Her face closed down. “We’re making headway.”

She didn’t like being questioned, huh?

Then don’t wake the bear.

Josh gave her a nod, mostly as a thank you for killing the erection that had started when he’d thought of Trish, and moved on. The conference room door was open so Josh tapped on the doorframe and entered.

Zane lifted his head from a file he was reading. “Shut the door.”

Josh did then turned around. “What’d you want to see me about?”

“Have a seat.” Zane sat back with his arms folded over a chest that belonged on a linebacker.

Not one to follow orders from anyone except Sabrina, Josh didn’t move. “Not sure I’ll be here that long.”

They did the staring standoff until Zane said, “Are you hunting for a mole in this task force?”

Those were the last words Josh had expected to hear come out of Zane’s mouth. “What makes you think that?”

“Because we still have one.”

Josh tried to come up with just one reason Zane would be telling him this if Zane was the Chessmaster, but he couldn’t. “If that’s the case, should we even be talking in here?”

“I sweep any room I use every time I come in for bugs and I’ve got a gadget a friend of mine created that jams a receiver.” Zane’s hard gaze didn’t waver, but his tone was more reasonable when he said, “If you’ll sit down, we can talk.”

Josh took one of the chairs across the table from Zane. “Why do you think there’s still a mole here?”

“Because of the way that bust went down last night for one thing, and the fact that you’re here for another.”

This might be interesting if not for the sick feeling that his cover had been blown. “Me?”

“I won’t tell you how I know, but as I understand it, your file at the FBI is locked in an electronic vault that only two people have access to. Sounds like you’re a dark ops undercover operator.”

Josh was careful not to let his relief show. Zane still believed he was FBI, but not a computer specialist. He could work with that, but now he faced the question of how to play this with Zane.

Would the mole bring Josh in and confront him like this?

This called for a gut check and his said no. Josh made a show of blowing out a big breath and scratching his head. “Damn. Don’t know what I’m going to tell my superiors. I’ve never been blown before.”

“You’re not blown now. I want this bastard, too, but I’m limited in what I can do as a contractor to the DEA and with a pregnant wife about to deliver.”

Josh said, “I met Angel, by the way. Sweet lady. You’re a lucky man.”

“Thanks.” Zane’s eyes warmed at the mention of his wife.

“Nothing is more important to me than Angel, the baby and Trish.”

“I can understand that, but you have a reason for telling me so what’s on your mind?”

“Trish has nothing to do with this mole. She never knew Colbert beyond talking to him at a holiday party here at the office. I don’t want you using her in your investigation.”

Josh didn’t either. Now he just had to find a way to keep her out of the crossfire between Sabrina’s plans and the Chessmaster. Failing to tell Zane about the Chessmaster would make this new working relationship tricky at some point, but Josh couldn’t divulge his real role or what he knew about the stalker who could be anyone on this task force.

But he could quiet Zane’s concerns about Trish even if it meant lying through his teeth. “I have no reason to believe Trish is involved.”

“Why were you at Big Charlie’s last night?”

If Zane caught him in a lie, this fragile deal would fall apart, and Zane clearly had resources. “I told Trish I was on my way to her shop when I saw her heading away and tried to catch her. The truth is she’d canceled on dinner and said she had an appointment. I followed her out of curiosity and am glad I did.”

That got through to Zane when nothing else might have because the big pilot rubbed his forehead and mumbled, “She scares the shit out of me sometimes.” He dropped his hand. “There was no FBI file on Big Charlie or Trish until this morning. Why’d you create one?”

Damn, Zane was seriously connected for a pilot, and his connections were fast. “If my people hadn’t created that file, Detective Vickers would have stirred up a hornet’s nest with FBI personnel who aren’t aware of my status, which would have destroyed my cover. Then Vickers would have picked up Trish and taken her into custody since her fingerprints are all over the murder weapon.”

Thick muscles in Zane’s neck pulsed. “She couldn’t have done that.”

“I know it and so does Vickers. I spoke to him early this morning. He said it doesn’t exonerate her from being a person of interest, but he had no reason to bring her in and wouldn’t fight the FBI for custody.” Josh waited for judgment, but there were limits to how much he’d tell Zane.

“To help find this mole, I’ll make whatever I have access to available to you.”

Evidently Josh had said enough or the right things to satisfy Zane about his identity. “I need you to not tell anyone what I’m doing here.”

“Agreed.”

“What about your wife?”

“The less she knows about this the less she’ll worry. I don’t want any of this around her.”

Josh would feel the same way in Zane’s boots, but he also saw the stress that Zane’s overprotective tendencies caused Trish. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt her brother, but she was clearly not going to let Zane or anyone else make decisions for her.

He admired that even when it caused him headaches. She had grit and a streak of loyalty a mile wide for those she loved. He could admit to himself he was envious of those she deemed worthy of that commitment.

He couldn’t tell Zane about Trish’s stalker, aka Chessmaster, but he had to give Zane a reason for Josh staying close to her. “We need to keep an eye on your sister. I know she had nothing to do with Colbert, but someone killed him who may not be as informed.”

Zane’s deep tan lost a shade at that. “I’ll call in a favor. Get her in protective custody.”

Wrong response. “She won’t go for it.”

“I don’t care.”

“Really? You don’t give a damn about how she feels or what’s important to her? You honestly only care about making yourself feel better?”

Zane slammed a fist on the table and started to rise, then deflated. “Shit.” He sank against the back of the chair and swiped his hand across his face. “I have to live with not being there for her when she needed me. The world is an ugly place. I see it first hand every day.”

“Me too. But she’s already seen her share. Take the choice away from her now and you’ll destroy her self-confidence when she’s working like hell to establish herself.” Josh caught himself, but he’d already argued more strongly than he’d intended. It should have been to keep Trish free for Slye Temp’s operation, but he’d meant what he said.

Stowing her somewhere away from her business right now would be devastating. He understood Zane’s need to tuck Trish into a safe little hole and would help him put her there if not for the damage it would do to Trish’s self esteem. She was fighting to hold on to ReSolution, which stood for her future as a person. Not the money. Not celebrity status on the television show, but an icon of her independence and rebirth as a valued person.

But if she had to remain free, Josh was going to be closer than her shadow every minute he could. Starting with tonight.

He’d stay the night. The Chessmaster would have to go through him to get to Trish.

But could he do it without finishing that sofa tango they’d started earlier?

What had he just tried to remind Zane? She was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. He’d remind her that he was leaving in two weeks. If she gave him the green light again, he was hitting the accelerator.

And that had nothing to do with this case.

Just the fact that he wanted her.

One question nagged at the back of his mind. If he got what he wanted, could he walk away in two weeks?

Josh stood. “With this whole custody thing, I’m in a position to keep Trish safe without her knowing she’s being protected.”

Zane got to his feet, standing a couple of inches taller than Josh and carrying another thirty pounds, none of which had gone to fat. He took Josh’s measure slowly. “You’re not gay are you?”“No.”

Zane put his hands on the table, leaning forward in an aggressive stance and said very quietly, “If you lay a hand on my sister, I’ll break you into so many parts it will take tweezers to put you together.”

“Trish will be safe.” But no promises about where he put his hands. Josh walked out, checking the time. Closing in on 1500 hours. He cleared a text from Ryder that the team was meeting at three at their temporary headquarters.

Heidi had said she’d text him if Trish needed him before four. That gave him time to catch up with his team and get to Trish’s house.

Salazar had been found with a slit throat this morning.

He’d clutched a black-and-gold pawn that appeared to be from the same set as the one Trish had. The tracking device had been cut out of his back and laid on his chest.

The Chessmaster had figured out that Salazar had been in on the trap. Josh took that action as the Chessmaster getting agitated and taking out pawns.

One note had called Trish a pawn.

His phone buzzed with a text. Heidi’s message was simple.

Trish at shop. She knows about lunch w Leanne. Doesn’t want to c u.