Читать книгу Rules In Rescue - Nichole Severn - Страница 12

Red-and-blue patrol lights deepened the shadows under Glennon’s eyes as she watched the scene from the SUV. When was the last time she’d slept? Twenty-four hours ago? More? He couldn’t imagine the thoughts running through her head as the remains of her best lead were loaded into the back of the coroner’s van.

Anthony had kept her name out of his statement to Anchorage PD after he’d put in the initial call about an incinerated body in the furnace. Whatever was going on here—whoever had killed the shooter who’d ambushed them—it had obviously been to keep Glennon off the investigation into her missing partner. His gaze drifted back to her. She’d been right from the start. Sergeant Spencer’s disappearance had something to do with the missing shipment of weapons. Why else would a shooter try to take her out, too?

“We’re done here,” he told the officer. “You know how to contact me at Blackhawk Security if you have any other questions.”

He had to get her to safety, someplace off-the-grid where nobody—not even his team—could find her. Where he could protect her. Anthony maneuvered around the officer and headed for the SUV.

Glennon followed his movements slowly.

Wrenching the vehicle door open, he dropped into the driver’s seat. Her sweet scent hit him hard, but he didn’t try to fight it off this time. After the night they’d had, he needed that piece of her with him. He breathed her in a bit deeper. Anything to ease the tension of nearly losing her all over again tonight. Spots of blood seeped through her bandage.

“What did you tell them?” she asked.

He turned the key in the ignition. The engine growled to life and he forced his eyes to focus on the road. “That we were looking to spice things up in our sex life.”

She smoothed her expression. “And they believed you?” Motioning to his clothing, she leaned against the passenger-side door. “You, in all this Kevlar, with at least three weapons strapped to your chest? They believed you?”

“Don’t worry. I didn’t give them your real name.” In reality, Anchorage PD hadn’t asked too many questions about what he’d been doing in the house at all. After what had happened back in November, they recognized him and understood what kind of work he did on a regular basis. And who he did it for. Blackhawk Security had become a company the police could rely on after its CEO, Sullivan Bishop, had taken down one of the worst stalkers in city history, a case the department had moved to the bottom of their priority list. Anthony shoved the vehicle into Drive.

“Very funny.” She crossed her arms over her chest, accentuating the lean muscles through her forearms. “What are you doing? We can’t leave.” She surveyed the cul-de-sac as he swung the SUV around, spinning her upper body toward him from the passenger seat. Her icy glare shot through him, but he wasn’t about to stop. “That body is our only lead to finding my partner. Do you trust the police to fill us in if they find something?”

“We searched every inch of that house tonight, sweetheart. What exactly are you hoping they’re going to find that we couldn’t?” Anthony pressed his foot down on the accelerator when they hit Spenard Thruway. “Besides, you’re beat. We need to take a look at that wound again, then you’re going to get some sleep while we wait for the ballistics report on that bullet to come in.”

“I’m fine.” She settled back into her seat. “And don’t call me sweetheart. You’re here to protect me while I search for Bennett. Nothing more.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Tightening his grip around the steering wheel, Anthony studied Westchester Lagoon as they headed south. Nothing but blackness and the hint of lapping waves stared back at him. Wasn’t that just the perfect metaphor for the growing silence between him and Glennon? Damn, he’d screwed things up with her to hell and back. He should’ve been there for her while he’d still had the chance, should’ve been satisfied with what he’d done for his country the first four times instead of hopping on the next transport. Maybe then she wouldn’t treat him as though he were a stranger now.

He headed farther south, out of the city. Miles of nothing but trees and starlit sky stretched out before them. It was the best place to hide. No one would be able to track them out here. And even if they did, he’d be ready. The familiar rise and fall of the south end of the Chugach Mountains indicated they were close. A few more minutes and he could relax in his own territory.

“Where are you taking me?” Her voice barely overrode the sound of the heater, and he chanced a quick glance toward her. Adrenaline could only take the human body so far, and Glennon’s supply had run out. Lids closing, she fought to stay awake, but wouldn’t last much longer.

“Where no one can find us.” Within a few minutes, gravel crunched under the SUV’s tires as he pulled into a long driveway. The cabin was dark. Isolated. And, after discovering the shooter’s body in that furnace, it was the best chance they had of recovering in peace.

He pulled to a stop beside the small lakeside cabin and then unloaded his gear as she made her way inside.

Dropping everything on the floor, Anthony turned on the nearest light switch. “The place isn’t much, but it’s fully stocked and secure.” He studied her expression, trying to read any sign of what she had planned for their next move, but she’d always kept a good handle on the thoughts running through her head. “You can take the guest room at the back. Bathroom is right next door to it. Just the one, unfortunately, so we’ll have to share. I never bring anyone up here.”

“Never?” She surveyed the two-bedroom, one-bathroom space then moved to the front window. “It’s perfect. Suits you.”

“Thanks.” He liked his solitude, but liked it better with her here. Hoisting his bags over his shoulder, he felt the first effects of having gone over twenty-four hours without sleep. Her call had pulled him off another assignment, but he couldn’t fault her for that. “Let me unpack my gear while you settle in, and I’ll bring you something to eat in about ten minutes.”

“Thank you.” She forced a smile but the exhaustion weighing her down didn’t let it reach her eyes. She headed for the back of the cabin empty-handed, taking nearly every ounce of his control with her. Damn, he’d missed her, and no matter how many times she reminded him nothing would happen between them again, he couldn’t help but imagine what they could’ve been together. Stopping shy of the hallway, Glennon turned back. “For everything.”

Ten minutes later her voice stopped him just outside her cracked door, only a sliver of light spilling into the hallway. He pushed it open a few inches.

“I know what I said.” Her back was to him where she sat on the bed, but her words registered crystal-clear. “Things are...more complicated than I thought they’d be here. It’ll be a couple more days. Can you please put him on the phone? I just need to hear his voice.” Dressed in a set of his oversize T-shirt and sweats, Glennon shifted on the guest bed, head down, legs stretched in front of her and ran her hand through her hair. The sight rocketed his pulse into dangerous territory. “Hey, baby.” Her voice lightened in an instant, a beautiful smile spreading across her expression. “I know. I’m sorry I woke you. I just missed you so much. Are you being good for Grandma?”

Anthony settled against the door frame, entranced by the sudden shift in her mood. The plate grew heavy in his hand, but he’d stand there all night if there was a chance he’d get a glimpse of that smile again.

“You went to the zoo without me? That sounds fun. Can I call you again tomorrow so you can tell me more about it?” Those mesmerizing green eyes brighter than he’d ever seen, she leaned back against the headboard and crossed her legs over the pillow top. A laugh escaped from between her perfectly pink lips, tightening his insides. “Okay. Go back to sleep, my love. I’ll see you soon.”

He couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. In the few seconds she’d spoken to her son, he’d felt her undeniable love, and something inside him splintered. He gripped the plate hard. She would’ve made an amazing mother to their kids. Hell, she was obviously an amazing mother already. Couldn’t even keep herself from calling her son so early in the morning. Anthony ignored the tightness in his throat and straightened. Didn’t matter. She’d made it clear how their relationship would proceed. As partners. Nothing more.

With three knocks, he shouldered his way into the room with everything on a plate. “Hungry? I made your favorite. Aspirin, clean gauze and my special egg salad sandwich.”

“Yeah.” Glennon shot off the mattress, wiping at her face. A split second later she turned toward him again, locking down any hint of emotion. She sniffed as she maneuvered around the bed. “I’m starving. Thanks.”

His stomach sank. She was getting far too skilled at hiding those emotions of hers, to the point he questioned whether he’d really seen her smile a few minutes ago. “Was it something I said?”

“What? No. It’s not you. I appreciate you letting me stay here.” She shook her head, a flush of pink rising in her cheeks. Her long fingers brushed against his as she reached for the plate. Heat seared through him as she took a step back and raised the plate in acknowledgment. “And for the food. I—”

“You miss your son.” He’d read it in the way her skin had paled in the few short moments after she’d disconnected the call, in the way her tears had dried a path down her cheeks.

“Stupid, right? I mean, he’s safe. That’s all that matters. Nobody knows about him. Not the army. Not his father. I shouldn’t have anything to worry about.” A weak smile played across her mouth. Shoulders rising on a deep inhale, she glanced up at him, signs of her apparent misery wiped clean from her expression. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed your egg salad. Every time I’ve tried to re-create the recipe, it turns out wrong. I finally gave up trying.”

“I add hot sauce at the end.” Okay. He’d pretend she hadn’t let a piece of herself out into the open.

Anthony backed toward the hallway, reaching for the doorknob to close it behind him. “Get some rest, change your gauze. The ballistics report should be here soon. We’ll figure out our next move then.”

“Listen, I know things are different between us now, but I’ve had a hell of a day.” Her lips parted as she took a single step forward and, for the first time, he noted the dark swirl of purple nail polish on her bare feet. She glanced at her cell phone on the nightstand. “Hunter usually sleeps in my bed, and I won’t be able to sleep unless...”

Grip tight on the doorknob, Anthony froze. Pressure built in his lungs.

She locked her gaze on him, determined, sincere. “Will you stay with me until I fall asleep?”

* * *

WHAT HAD SHE been thinking?

She hadn’t. That had been one of the problems whenever Glennon was around him. She couldn’t think straight. And here, in a small lakeside cabin filled with his scent, with him mere inches from her, she’d must’ve lost her damn mind. She ran her free hand through her hair, a nervous habit she’d used to try to relieve some tension over the past few years. Without success.

“You think that’s a good idea?” Anthony released the door handle, his tone registering exactly how much she’d already asked of him in the last four hours. Too much. Especially for a man she’d walked out on while he was in the middle of serving his country, a decision she’d regret for the rest of her life.

“No.” Heat rose up her neck and flooded her face. She shook her head, forcing another smile she didn’t feel. Her fingers tingled, urging her to run her hand through her hair one more time, but she rolled them into a fist at her side instead. Taking another step toward him, she focused on the raised outline of a chain hidden under his shirt. Dog tags? “And I don’t have any right to ask after everything you’ve done for me already. But the past couple days have been a nightmare and I need...I need you to stay.”

Anthony swayed on his feet as though he intended to back toward the door. His full beard kept her from reading his expression entirely, but his eyes had always been the window to his thoughts. Gorgeous, dark blue eyes she’d tried for years to forget. And right now, the battle swirling in their depths was spreading across his features. His brows drew inward as he ran a hand down his beard. “Glennon—”

“Please.” She fought the urge to grip his shirt to keep him from leaving. Notching her chin higher, she studied the face she’d missed since the day she’d left. “If it helps, I promise to keep my hands to myself.”

“It’s not your hands I’m worried about.” He moved into her. A rush of his reinvigorated, clean, masculine scent filled her lungs as her brain fought to catch up. Had he showered while she’d been on the phone with Hunter? Only the thin fabric of a T-shirt she’d found in one of the dresser drawers separated them. He kept his touch light, giving her enough room to escape if she wanted to. Which she should. Because she’d most definitely violated her three-foot rule. “Do you ever think of what might’ve happened if you hadn’t left?”

Glennon swallowed hard, her pulse pounding behind her ears as she set the plate of food, the painkillers and gauze on the bed. No point in lying. He knew her too well. She passed her tongue across her too-dry lips as he stared down at her as though she were the only woman in the world who mattered to him. “Sometimes.”

All the time. The only way she’d been able to give those thoughts a break over the last five years was by throwing herself into her work and into being there for her son. Throwing herself into everything that didn’t include Anthony Harris. She’d made her choice then and she stood by it now. She’d suffer the consequences, no matter how many times she’d thought of coming home. She stared at the open door behind him for a moment, into the darkness of the cabin.

“Sometimes I think I could’ve changed your mind, convinced you I was enough for you to stay home.” The comforting warmth rolling off him in waves urged her to stay put. It’d been a long time since she’d gotten lost in somebody’s touch, relied on someone other than herself. She’d almost forgotten what intimacy felt like since becoming a single mother. It’d be easy to give in to him. Right here, right now. Forget about her missing partner, forget how lonely she’d been over the last few years, and just do something for herself for a change. But extricating herself from a romantic relationship with this man had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Something she wasn’t interested in doing again, not with Hunter involved.

“But that was a long time ago. Things have changed.” Glennon stepped out of his hold, the rough calluses on his palms catching on the cotton shirt she’d borrowed. “And it finally took me leaving to realize changing your mind was one case I’d never have closure to.”

Disappointment darkened his features. “You were always enough for me, Glennon. More than enough.” His tone dipped into dangerous territory, raising tiny goose bumps on her arms. He countered the step she’d taken to the point where she had to stare up at him. “You were the only person who could help me forget what I’d seen every time I came home. You were the one I trusted to keep my head on straight, to bring me back to who I really was. Not the soldier. Me. You were everything.”

Her knees shook, the blood drained from her face. As Military Police, she’d walked into dozens of situations more confident than she felt in this moment. This wasn’t the plan. The rules had been plain. No matter how many times the past came back to haunt her, she’d keep herself in check. But now... “I didn’t know that.”

The muted ding from his phone released the pressure building behind her sternum. Saved by the bell. She took the opportunity to distance herself from his reach as Anthony checked the screen. Sitting on the bed, she stared down at her hands as her stomach flipped. From hunger or from the sincerity in his voice, she had no idea. Didn’t matter. She could only fix one of those things at the moment. The other? Couldn’t happen again. Nothing could happen between them again.

“The ballistics report came in early,” he said. “Vincent’s contacts in forensics were able to lift a print from the homemade bullet recovered from the windshield.”

So much for getting a couple hours of sleep. Glennon shoved off from the bed, a strike of pain spreading across her shoulder. She massaged the area around the wound as she moved to view the screen. He flipped through the report too fast for her to see specifics, but one line stood out among the rest, highlighted on the phone’s screen.

“Private First Class Gani Miller.” The name sounded familiar on her lips. But where had she read it before?

“Left the army because of a dishonorable discharge, now makes his living as a gun for hire. Paid to take you out.” Anthony swiped his thumb across the screen to the next page. “I’ll have Elizabeth look into his financials to find out who hired him.”

Glennon stayed put as he called the former NSA consultant. Mentally sifting through her investigations for the army, she studied the recliner tucked into the corner of the room, but couldn’t really focus on anything in particular. Where had she heard that name before? A shooter for hire had most likely made his way to the top of her Most Wanted list, but that wasn’t it. She reviewed the list every morning before heading onto the base, and Private Gani Miller’s name hadn’t been on there as of yesterday. “Do you have a laptop here?”

Anthony spun toward her. “I packed one in my gear. Gray duffel bag in the hallway.”

In less than two minutes she’d powered the laptop up and logged in with the username and password Anthony had written down for her while on the phone with Elizabeth. The screen came to life as she settled back on the bed.

Her heart skipped a beat.

There, in the center of the black desktop background, was a photo of...her. Smiling, arms wrapped around her brand-new fiancé. The memories of that day interrupted her concentration as she zeroed in on the yellow-gold engagement ring he’d slipped onto her finger moments before the photo had been taken. She’d set that same ring on the kitchen counter as she’d walked out the door for the last time five years ago. What had he done with it?

“All right.” Anthony disconnected his call. “Elizabeth is pulling everything she can find on Gani Miller as we speak. Still nothing leading back to who owns that house, though.”

Panic flooded through her. Glennon rushed to bring up the backup of her investigation files. The mattress dipped as he sat beside her. She swallowed hard then typed the shooter’s name into the search bar. No point in bringing up the past. They had more important things to worry about now. “I know I’ve heard that name before. If Private Miller has been at this for a while, he might be linked to one of my investigations.”

The fact the sniper had been military couldn’t have been a coincidence.

The search of her files came up blank.

Her eyebrows drew together. She checked that she’d spelled the shooter’s name correctly and pushed Enter a second time. Nothing. There had to be some connection. “That’s weird. I know I’ve come across that name before.”

“Are you remembering it from somewhere else?” Anthony leaned into her to get a clear shot of the screen. His powerful, muscled thigh brushed against her, and she licked her lips.

“I don’t know where else...” A single image of handwritten notes flashed across her mind. “That’s it.” Glennon checked another file, one she’d been compiling since her partner had gone missing.

“After Bennett disappeared, I searched his barracks and found a bunch of notes he’d scribbled on napkins he’d left in the trash bin. Most of it was nonsense, but that name—Gani Miller—was on one of the napkins with a few others.” She reentered her username and password to access the secure files. “I took pictures of them in case something led to Bennett’s whereabouts, and uploaded the photos to my online storage.”

A new rush of hope blossomed in the center of her chest. They had a name, a lead. She could find Bennett and get back to her life. Back to her son. Double clicking the track pad, Glennon leaned away from the laptop. No. No, no, no, no. Her throat tightened. “That’s not possible.”

“What’s not possible?” Anthony shifted the computer out of her lap and onto his own. With a few clicks of the track pad, he stroked his beard. Confusion swept across his features. “Where are the files?”

“They were there. I backed up my files from my laptop to this drive in case something happened and I couldn’t get to my computer.” Which probably meant... Glennon stood, crossing the room to the pile of clothing she’d discarded on the floor.

“And now they’re gone,” he said. “How?”

“Someone accessed my backup and deleted them.” She stripped out of the borrowed sweats then pushed her legs into her jeans, all thoughts of privacy retreating to the back of her mind. Nobody knew about those files. How had evidence catalogs, Bennett’s investigation notes, witness statements and photographs of the napkins all disappeared overnight?

“And I think I know where they’re going next.”