“Probably a good thing.”
It was a silly moment, but they smiled at each other. Madrid felt something go soft in his chest when she licked her lips. He knew he was about to make a mistake. But with the adrenaline humming and an attraction he could no longer deny heating his blood, he didn’t care.
Tightening his grip on her arm, he leaned close and claimed her mouth with his. Her lips were incredibly soft and warm and moist. Madrid had kissed plenty of women in his time, but no kiss had ever affected him like this one. He could feel the need tugging at him, desire pooling low and burning hot. The urge to put his arms around her and pull her close taunted him. But he knew if he wasn’t careful he was going to fall headlong into this and lose focus.
Her eyes were wide and surprised when he pulled away. Her breathing had quickened, her nostrils flaring with each breath. “Why did you do that?” she asked.
“Luck.” Reaching up, he opened the overhead light cover and popped out the tiny bulb. “Ready?”
“Uh…yeah.”
He opened the door. “Slide out this side.”
Then they were standing next to the car. Drizzle made the night cold and damp and caused halos to form around the sodium-vapor street lamp.
“Stay low and follow me.” Taking her hand, he ducked and ran toward the gate that would take them into Angela’s yard.
JESS’S HEART WAS POUNDING hard as she watched Madrid fumble with the latch. The gate squeaked open and a moment later they were sprinting alongside the hedge toward the rear of the house. He paused at the cellar door and for the span of several heartbeats they listened.
“So far, so good,” he whispered, and reached for the cellar door handle.
The hinges creaked as the door opened. Narrow stairs before they descended into total darkness. A shiver swept through her at the thought of going down there. Back at the church, it had seemed like a good idea. The best way to find Angela’s killers and bring them to justice. Now staring down into the cold darkness of the cellar, Jess suddenly wasn’t so sure.
She jolted when Madrid touched her hand. “I’ll go first,” he said.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
The steps creaked like old bones as he descended into the inky-black abyss. Closing her eyes briefly, she took a fortifying breath and followed. The smell of must and wet dirt filled her nose. She could hear their shoes against old wood and feel the hard thrust of adrenaline-rich blood through her veins.
She jumped when Madrid closed the cellar door overhead, plunging them into total darkness. “I can’t see a thing,” she whispered.
“That’s the idea.”
Relief swept through her when the tiny beam of a flashlight cut through the black. “You’re not scared of the dark, are you?” he asked.
“Only when I’m expecting someone with a gun to jump out.”
He took her hand, and they crossed the damp floor and headed toward the steps that would take them to the utility room off the kitchen. “Let’s make this quick.”
He released her hand at the top of the stairs and pulled an ugly-looking pistol from his waistband before stepping into the utility room. Dim light from the kitchen window beyond made it possible to see. On familiar ground now, Jess started toward the door, but Madrid hooked his finger in the collar of her shirt and pulled her back.
“Let’s make sure we don’t have company before we start prancing around.”
“I was just going to suggest that.”
“Right.” With the gun leading the way, he moved into the kitchen.
Jess followed. The familiar homeyness struck her as they moved through the house, clearing each room as they went. She thought of Angela, reminded herself why they were there, and the sense of purpose bolstered her. Within just a few minutes, they had established that they were alone.
“You mentioned an office,” Madrid said. “That might be a good place to start.”
Jess took him to the office Angela had set up in one of the extra bedrooms. A two-drawer file cabinet squatted in the corner, and a desk sat adjacent the single window, facing the door.
“You take the desk,” Madrid said. “I’ll take the file cabinet.”
Jess went to the desk and sat in the chair. “What are we looking for?”
“Anything even remotely interesting or suspicious,” he said. “Notes. Documentation. Photos. Anything that looks like code.”
Jess tried the first drawer, but it was locked. Madrid must have noticed, because before she could speak he nudged her aside. In less than a minute he picked the lock.
“You’re good at that,” she said, amazed.
His dark gaze met hers. “I’m good at a lot of things.”
You’re certainly good at kissing. The errant thought came out of nowhere. She banked it quickly, but not before she felt a hot blush creep into her cheeks.
“Good at getting into trouble,” she said.