Cold Fury, page 22
part #1 of Cold Justice® - Most Wanted Series
So much for that spark of attraction she thought existed between them.
She rolled her eyes at herself. “Goodnight, Linc.”
“Goodnight, Hope. Try not to worry.”
She snorted as she headed out, unsure where Colin had gotten to. She’d sent him to do a few searches earlier, but maybe he’d gone to grab some dinner or cram in some revision. She nodded to poor Sondra, who was, apparently, being let down gently after asking Seth Hopper out on a date.
Hope felt for her. It was a brave thing to put yourself out there.
“Did you tell her you’re already seeing someone?” Aaron asked when the three of them were alone in the elevator.
Seth Hopper nodded.
“Who is this lucky person?” Hope was amused as pink filled the other man’s cheeks.
But he remained closemouthed.
Aaron grinned and looked suddenly younger. He stage-whispered, “Only the daughter of VPOTUS.”
Hope was shocked. “You’re dating Madeleine Florentine’s daughter?”
Seth Hopper said nothing, but his eyes glittered as he shot a look at Aaron.
“I hope you voted for her mother’s party.”
One side of his mouth curled up, but he continued to hold his silence.
Hope frowned as a memory niggled her brain. “Wasn’t she involved in some incident in the desert recently…?”
“We can’t talk about ops.” Aaron filled the suddenly taut silence. “But hopefully that reassures you we won’t be spilling any of your secrets either.”
And she had plenty of secrets she didn’t want revealed.
Hope stared thoughtfully at Seth Hopper as other implications hit home. He’d been involved with Madeleine Florentine’s daughter during or after an official operation. The idea of her maybe stealing a night of passion with Aaron Nash wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility.
She knew it was against the rules. She knew that he’d leave, but for the first time in seven years she actually wanted to give in to this desire that had stirred inside her. She wanted to take a risk. Except, she was scared. She didn’t even know what she was scared of.
Him rejecting her—or him saying yes?
She liked him. She didn’t want to look like a complete idiot if she’d misread the signals. Nor did she want to lose this new friendship. It had been a long time since she’d let anyone into her life. Now she found herself caring about not only Aaron, but all the men who found themselves guarding her from that asshole Leech.
So much for not liking testosterone.
They practically dripped with it.
The drive home was short and filled with taut silence. It had been a long week, and everyone was frustrated by the lack of sightings of Leech. These guys had to be bored out of their skulls on this assignment regardless of the teaching opportunities.
They arrived back at her house, and she was grateful it wasn’t still snowing. Parents dragged tiny sleds up the small slope in the park opposite. Paige had adored the snow. A pang of longing tore through her chest, and she turned away.
The SUV parked right outside her house. Seth Hopper and Sebastian Black flanked her as Aaron followed closely behind. Ryan Sullivan led the way and opened the door.
Once inside, the door was locked behind them, and everyone relaxed a little.
“Good day at work?” Kincaid grinned at her. He’d been assigned home base today.
A reluctant smile tugged at her mouth. “Yes, dear. How about you?”
“Well, when I was a field agent I had to cope with bioterrorists and anthrax attacks.” He cocked his head. “Now I’m on the Hostage Rescue Team, and watching the mailman drop off a delivery was the highlight of my afternoon.”
Hope felt her mouth drop open. “That sounds…terrifying.” She wondered if she could use the idea in her next book.
He shot a look over his shoulder. Lowered his voice. “Griffin lost his fiancée during that case. She was a great agent. A good friend.”
Ice shot through her veins. She understood that pain far too well. “I am so sorry.”
Silence filled the air for a long moment before Ryan raised his nose and sniffed loudly. “Is that Livingstone’s special chili I smell?”
Kincaid nodded.
She could smell it too, and her stomach grumbled audibly.
“We can send a bowl up. He made enough to feed us all for days, but it’s spicy,” Kincaid warned.
“That would actually be wonderful.” She had a little casserole left over, but that would save until tomorrow. “Thanks. Anything that involves me not cooking sounds divine.”
She felt strangely alone when she dragged her feet up the stairs one tired foot at a time and Aaron stayed where he was. She was safe here. They had gadgets and men all over the place. Leech wasn’t about to jump out of a helicopter onto the roof or knock through from the neighboring building or anything.
She pulled off her boots at the door, tossed her coat on the back of the couch and smiled as Lucifer came rushing down the stairs, crying like he’d been left alone for days.
Somebody had missed her.
She picked him up and let the cat bump her face with his. “Hello, pretty.” He didn’t have much patience for cuddles and squirmed free, making a rush for the kitchen as he meowed loudly. Hope followed.
“You still have kibble. Not good enough for you now, huh?”
She grabbed a can of wet food out of the cupboard and scraped it into Lucy’s bowl. The cat ate like it was a contest.
“You only want me for housekeeping. As soon as a few good-looking hunks appear you’re all over them for attention.”
“Talking to your cat?”
Hope jolted in horror as Aaron appeared in the kitchen doorway. Nothing in his expression suggested he’d heard her words, but heat climbed her cheeks.
“Second sign of madness?” Her voice sounded strangled to her own ears.
He laughed. “I figured we’d run through a quick self-defense lesson before we eat.”
She felt her eyes bug. “I, oh, er—”
“Can’t back out now, Hope. I have Seth and Black up here ready for action.”
She heard the rumble of furniture being moved and felt oddly relieved that they weren’t alone because as much as she was tempted, the idea of seducing this man suddenly seemed ridiculous.
She looked down at her work clothes. “Should I throw on yoga pants or something?”
He shook his head. “Let’s keep this real world because something tells me you don’t often go out in your yoga pants in February.”
Ha.
“In fact, let’s start with you in your coat. Grab your keys.”
Hope did as she was told and felt silly standing in her living room with these three super-fit guys pretending she could fight any of them off if they truly wanted to hurt her.
“The first thing to remember is use your voice as both a warning and a signal to others that you need assistance.”
“Oh, I can do that.”
“People don’t always remember in the moment. Fear paralyzes their vocal cords, and their lizard brain takes over.”
“My lizard brain is a shouty bitch.”
Aaron’s laugh caught her by surprise, but he sobered. “Okay, we’re gonna start with the hammer strike. Hold your keys in your fist. Watch these two for a demo.”
She clutched the keys and felt stupid.
Seth and Black stood facing one another. Seth pretended to attack the other man and Black held up his clenched fist like he was using a hammer. He brought the fist down hard toward Seth’s pretty face, pulling the punch at the last moment.
“Hit hard repeatedly. Scream, and as soon as it is safe to do so, get the fuck out.”
Aaron stood in front of her and held his hands up. “I’m going to come at you from the front. You practice hitting me.”
He took a step forward and grabbed her shoulders. He smiled as she stared at him stupidly. “Get your hand up, and strike at me before I grab you. Try it again.”
He stood back and then lunged at her, and she brought her clenched fist down against his shoulder.
She froze, worried she’d hit him too hard.
“Good. Again.”
They did it several times over, and she managed to get her hand up and in motion without too much effort.
“Keep your weight on your front foot and put some force into it if this happens for real.”
“Can I do it to Jeff Beasley next time I see him in court?” Her heart raced a little.
“You know the answer to that better than I.”
Being a lawyer and all.
“Well, damn.”
“Next.” Aaron stood back. “What are the vulnerable places to go for if someone attacks you?”
“On a guy? The balls.”
Aaron took a step back and grinned. “I’m going to let Seth demonstrate this one.”
“Chicken.” The guy stepped forward. “But don’t really hit me in the nuts because I don’t want to cry in front of the guys.”
Aaron helped her get into a fighting stance. It felt weird to feel his hands touching her even in a perfunctory way.
“Feet apart, weight on that stable front foot. As soon as he steps toward you, you bring that back leg forward and kick him between the legs. And then move out of range as fast as possible as he topples to the ground. You don’t want him to take you with him.”
He helped her get the rhythm of the kick by demonstrating beside her. “Practice with both legs when you have time. It’s a simple movement but very effective if you connect.”
They practiced a few times, Hopper catching her ankle when it got a little close to his pride and joy.
She grimaced. “Sorry.”
The guy smiled. “No problem.”
“Move in closer now,” Aaron indicated.
Seth grabbed her shoulders.
Hope froze.
“You’re okay, Hope.” Aaron’s voice slid over her. “If you’re in this position, it means you’re too close for a decent kick. Best use a knee to the groin instead. Then twist away to the side as he falls. Lose the coat if it means getting away. Let’s practice without connecting.”
They did so several times until she felt confident enough to grab onto Seth’s T-shirt before twisting away.
“The other places with a lot of vulnerability are the throat or eyes.”
Hope’s stomach lurched at the idea of sinking her fingers into anyone’s eyes, but she had to remember if she ever needed to use these moves, she’d be fighting for her life, and she didn’t intend to lose.
“Let’s try this one. Flex your wrist. Dominant hand.” He took her arm and patted the heel of her hand. “Use this.”
He moved her into position as Black watched from the couch.
“Jab upward to the nostrils or under the chin.”
Black got up and demonstrated on Seth. Seth pulled back before being hit.
“Now you try it.” He curled his fingers as if to say, “bring it on.”
It felt empowering to do this, to learn how to defend herself.
Nobody mentioned the fact Leech had a gun or liked to use a sharp implement.
She balanced on the balls of her feet and then twisted, throwing her hand toward Aaron’s nose. But she misjudged and expected him to jerk away and was horrified when she connected. He spun away and swore, holding his face.
“Oh my God! I’m sorry. So sorry.”
Hope was even more mortified when Seth handed Aaron some tissues because he was bleeding.
Aaron swore again.
Seth and Black both started laughing, but it didn’t ease her guilt.
Seth’s cell dinged, and he checked it. “Sorry, I have to take this.” He headed upstairs at a jog.
“Are you okay, Aaron?” she asked. “Let me get some ice.”
Sebastian Black began to move the couches back into position. “I think that’s enough fun for one day, but tomorrow we should work on what happens if someone grabs you from behind.”
“Okay…”
He didn’t seem bothered about the fact she’d smacked his colleague in the face.
Aaron headed into the kitchen, and she followed him.
She dug into the freezer drawer and pulled out some ice. Wrapped a clean dish towel around it. “Hold it against your nose. Don’t worry about the cloth.”
His eyes were watering. Blood smeared across his upper lip.
“I am so sorry, Aaron. I thought you were going to move.”
“I thought you were going to pull the punch.” He sounded amused rather than angry.
“I did pull the punch. I’m not very good at judging punches, apparently.” She couldn’t believe she’d made this man’s nose bleed. And her with her secret little fantasies of seducing him. Giving him a nosebleed was much more in her wheelhouse.
He held his head over the sink, but the bleeding had slowed to a slight trickle.
“This was a terrible idea.”
“Are you kidding me?” He looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “That was fantastic. You fucking nailed it. And me.”
Hope wrung her hands together. “Despite my reputation, I’m not a violent person. The idea I hurt you, anyone…”
He caught one of her hands, and the touch of his warm fingers made something catch inside her chest.
“Don’t let this put you off. In a real fight, don’t pull your punches, and remember it’s you or it’s him. Only one of you will walk away, and the odds are in his favor because he doesn’t mind causing pain.” Those dark eyes of his held hers. “What you did when you hit me meant I couldn’t see or think for a few seconds, and that would give you valuable time to get the hell out if it were a real-life situation.”
She heard footsteps come into the living room and dropped his hand, taking a guilty step back.
He gave her a quizzical look then shifted his attention to Ryan, who carried two giant bowls of chili.
“Coming in hot.” Ryan slid them onto the kitchen counter.
“I was about to head downstairs—” Aaron began.
“Wasn’t sure, so I fetched two bowls. Alpha team are officially on the job now, and the actual alpha team are eating.” He winced at Aaron’s swollen nose. “I heard Hope clocked you. You look like you need a drink. Almost makes me feel sorry for you, and then I remember what happened Monday and find myself losing all sympathy.”
Aaron narrowed his eyes at his colleague. “You deserved Monday.”
“What happened on Monday?” asked Hope.
“Pain and humiliation with a hint of sadistic satisfaction.” Ryan winked at her and then turned and walked away.
29
Jeff Beasley sneered impatiently at the gum someone had spat out in the dark, filthy, narrow little alleyway. He edged his handmade Italian leather Oxfords out of the way. A flyer for a local bar with live music wedged itself under a bulging bag of rancid garbage, fluttering in the frigid wind coming off the stormy Atlantic. The smell of dog excrement permeated the air—the perfect allegory for his shitty day. He shivered inside his camel-hair coat, furious at being forced to take such a risk, furious at the inconvenience, furious at being kept waiting—especially in such a disgusting locale.
The scent of pizza drifted from a nearby restaurant and reminded him he was supposed to pick up dinner tonight to save Fiona the effort of cooking and give him an excuse to be late. Again.
He texted her, grateful he’d remembered before he was likely to be bitched at.
She texted back that two of the kids had friends over so to double up the order.
He sent her a thumbs up emoji. He didn’t spend much quality time with his family, but with three teens in the house, he was okay with that. He loved his wife, and socially she was an asset, but their sex life had taken a dive over the past decade or so. Rather than rock the boat, he owned a small downtown apartment where he had those needs met by women he could pay by the hour and who kept their mouths shut. Unless he wanted it otherwise.
He smiled.
He hadn’t had the opportunity to visit the apartment this week for obvious reasons. Too many eyes on him at the moment. And no one could know about this meeting. His career would be over if the DA’s office found out. The bodyguards thought he was still at the office, and he didn’t have long before they started tracking his phone. Ridiculous under the circumstances, but he had to at least pretend to be terrified of Leech.
He snorted.
As if that guy was anything other than a pathetic loser. It hardly seemed fair that people like that had so much money and the rest of the population had to earn their paycheck. Jeff was rich by anyone’s standards, but he worked hard for his money while the likes of Leech and his ilk were fed gold milk from their mother’s teat.
A scuff of a shoe alerted him.
Jeff Beasley whirled in the darkness. “This is madness. What the hell do you want? You know we can’t be seen together.”
Shadows surrounded the other man, his features hidden beneath the hood of a sweatshirt.
Jeff shuddered as a wave of apprehension crept over him. Or maybe it was the sushi he’d had for lunch. He was working his way up to a peptic ulcer, but when the hell did he have time to take care of himself?
Never, that was when.
Leech’s escape was another spanner in the works of his life. A complication he didn’t need.
“I couldn’t risk the phone.” The man stepped closer.
Jeff moved forward so they could speak without being overheard. Something sharp slid into his stomach and was jerked upward at a vicious angle.
He couldn’t breathe as the blade was withdrawn and then plunged again, once, twice, three more times.
What…
He collapsed to the grimy garbage-laden ground. The man shoved him backward, and Jeff fell against the damp wall, banging his head and making it ring.
He opened his mouth to call for help, but nothing came out except the blood that bubbled on his tongue.
The man rifled through his pockets, removed his cell and held it up to Jeff’s face to unlock it. A moment later, the light off the screen highlighted Leech’s angular chin, full bottom lip. Revealed the pitiless glint in those pale blue eyes.
