Armed With Steele (45 page)

“Stupid bitch, you’ve ruined everything. After tonight, I’ll have to go underground again. Start over from scratch somewhere else.” He lifted his gun back to eye level. Shifted it away from Nate’s face. Aimed it at mine. “But not before I tie up a few loose ends.”

I wanted to scream. To take off running. Shift the line of fire further away from Nate. Give him a chance to escape. But he gripped my hand tighter. I looked up and saw a new set in his jaw. Not one of fear. One of determination.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, Marcus?”

Marcus hesitated. Lowered his gun a fraction of an inch. “What’s that?”

“We tend to travel in pairs.” The voice came from the doorway.

Charlie!

Marcus spun around and fired off a shot. Charlie dove to his right. At the same moment, Nate pushed me to the floor, then charged toward Marcus. The sound of shattered glass came from somewhere across the hall.

I scurried behind the low-back chair. Watched, helpless, as Nate struggled to disarm Marcus.

“Get
off
me,” Marcus roared. Fired another shot. This one glanced off a steel beam along the outside wall of the office and buried itself into the back of Michael’s desk chair.

I covered my head with my hands, praying for it to end.

Another shot rang out. A spray of red painted the floor beside me. Then silence.

I remained huddled on the floor. Listening. Waiting. Shaking.

Something touched my back and I whirled around, fists at the ready. But there was no need. Nate had touched my shoulder, and was now sinking down onto the floor. I lunged for him. Hugged him so tight it hurt.

Then I saw the blood.

I pulled back. Looked from the growing red stain on his right shoulder to his weary face. “Oh, no, Nate.
No
!”

My hands fluttered around the wound. I had no medical training. Hell, the sight of blood usually had me running for cover. But not today. Today I wanted to act, needed to act, and yet couldn’t. I’d never felt so incompetent in my life.

He raised his left arm and set a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Relax, will you, Jess? The bullet grazed me, that’s all. No big deal.”

I squeezed him tight once more. Caught sight of Charlie, who stood across the room from us looking down. “And
he
won’t be bothering you any more, Jessica,” he said, then made his way over to us. “Or anyone else, ever again.”

Nate held a hand out toward Charlie. “Thanks, man.”

Charlie bypassed the shake and wrapped an arm around Nate’s head. “Don’t ever do that to me again, alright?”

Nate chuckled, then winced from the jostling. “Aw, come on. I knew you had my back. Never doubted you for a minute.” He turned to me, a grin on his face. “Charlie was the best sharp shooter in our precinct. Could hit a fly off a beer bottle a hundred yards away.”

“Good thing I still hit the range now and then, or you might have ended up a bit worse off.”

I reached over and hugged Charlie. Then I punched him in the arm. “That’s for taking so long to save us.”

“Ow,” he said, recoiling to rub his wound.

“And this is for ratting me out.” I pulled Charlie back toward me and gave him a kiss, square on the lips. He froze at first, then eased into it and pulled me closer.

Nate cleared his throat. Then faked a cough.

I unlocked my lips from Charlie, and turned back to Nate. “Don’t worry, Officer Steele, I’ve got much more than that planned for you.” I got to my feet. Ignored the pain radiating throughout my battered body. “But first, we need to get you stitched up. And that means a trip to my favorite place in the whole world.”

Nate looked at me and smirked. “The hospital.”

“Oh, no you don’t. You two aren’t leaving me to explain all of this to the police.” Charlie helped Nate stand, then took a closer look at his arm. “Besides, loverboy here doesn’t need stitches, just a big old bandage.”

Nate scowled at him and reached up to my hair with his good arm. I felt a slight tug.

“Here.” He handed my barrette over to Charlie. “This should have everything they need to know.”

Charlie’s face lit up. “Sweet! Told you this would come in handy.”

No sooner had Charlie said that, than footsteps could be heard running down the hall. Followed by shouting. Soon the entire SWAT team was standing in Michael’s doorway, guns at the ready.

“Easy boys,” Nate said, clutching his right arm. “You’re too late. The fun’s over.”

Chapter 34

“Are you sure you’re not still hurting?”

Nate’s lips shaped into a smile against my neck. “If I told you yes, would you stop asking?”

“No,” I said, tracing my hand along his hairline. “But it might result in me giving you the special treatment. Again.”

He rolled to his side and clutched his bandaged shoulder. “Ooo, my arm!”

I jabbed him in his good arm. “You’re a terrible faker.”

“Ooo, my other arm!”

I laughed. The sound bounced off the walls of my darkened bedroom. The sun had yet to rise. Nate and I, however, had yet to go to sleep. We were both still punch drunk from the night’s calamities.

He rolled back over, and pulled me close. Nuzzled the hollow of my neck. “Oh, nurse.”

I giggled. “Maybe we should try to get some sleep. Before your meds wear off. And…”

“And what?” he said, lifting his head up to meet my gaze.

I looked away. After a moment of awkward silence, I exhaled in a great gust. “Look, I…I don’t want you to feel obligated. To stay. Now that the case is closed.”

He said nothing. A lump formed in my throat.

Then his hand reached out and tilted my chin toward him. “Jessica Ann Hartley. Do you really think I’m just going to walk away? Toss you aside and ready myself for the next new adventure?” His blue eyes searched mine. “Why is it so hard for you to believe that what I feel for you runs well beyond our undercover operation? I’m here, and here is where I plan to stay.”

I studied his face. Looked for any sign of hesitation, but found nothing of the sort. “You really mean it?”

“I really mean it,” he said, pulling my face to his. “I love you, Jess.”

“And I love you.”

Our lips met, and my heart swelled inside my chest. I was head over heels in love, which felt better than I ever could have imagined.

And to think, if Grace had never been in that accident
…

Nate winced suddenly. Slumped to his side. “Ooo, my aching arm.”

I slid across the bed and ran my hand beneath the covers. “Come here, you big baby.”

* * * *

“Oh, come
on
, Michael. It’s gorgeous outside. Can’t we
please
go out for lunch?”

Michael looked over the top of his bifocals at me. “You know if we go out there, we won’t want to come back in.”

“I can think of worse sins,” I said with a wink.

Michael set the report he’d been reading down with a sigh. “I guess I could use a break.” He stood and stretched. “So, where does Miss Jessica want to go for lunch today?”

“I know this great little coffee shop on the other side of town.”

Twenty minutes later, we were at the front counter of JJ’s, ordering paninis and flavored iced teas. The barista nodded toward the dining area as she handed me my change. “We’ll bring it out to you when it’s ready, Jess.”

Michael looked at me in surprise. “Come here often?”

I chuckled. “Not nearly as much as I used to. This place was my second home in college. In fact, that table over there…” I nodded in the direction of my favorite spot. “Is where I met my best friend.”

Michael followed my gaze. “Looks like you’ll need to find us a different spot today. Someone’s already taken that one.”

“Nope.” I stepped forward. “She’s just holding it for us.”

Michael hesitated. Adjusted his necktie, then followed behind me. As we reached the table, I turned back to him. “Michael, I’d like you to meet my best friend, though I think you two have already met.”

Grace lowered the newspaper she’d been hiding behind, a tentative smile on her face. She looked absolutely radiant, well on her way toward a full recovery. We both watched Michael as a medley of emotions crossed his face: confusion, then shock, and finally relief.

“Grace,” he breathed. Got down on his knees next to her chair and wrapped her in a gentle embrace.

Grace smiled up at me as she hugged him back.

“But you.” His eyes flashed to me as he released her. “How did you… You’ve know this entire
time
?”

I nodded. “Sorry, Michael, but it was too dangerous to let you in on my little secret. After Grace’s accident, I found part of a broken keychain with the Maxwell Office Solutions logo on it near where her car had gone off the road. I knew in my gut that it had been no accident. So I…got a little help.” I grinned at the patrolman sitting one table over from us. “And came in to apply for Grace’s old job. I was bound and determined to find out what had happened. Little did I know I’d walk in and find out she’d also been conveniently framed for embezzlement.”

Grace scowled. “Embezzling money I knew nothing about.”

“None of us did,” Michael said, shaking his head. “And to think Vanessa had a part in all of that.”

“I don’t know how much of a choice she really had. Trust me, Marcus Phillippe could be pretty persuasive. And downright scary, too.”

Still was, when he haunted my dreams from time to time. Thank goodness Nate was there more nights than not to kiss the nightmares away.

“It was kind of the judge to let her plead down to a year of probation instead of doing jail time,” Grace said. “Could you imagine how she would have fared behind bars? With no high heels or tennis bracelets allowed?”

Michael grinned, then sighed. “Still, it’s going to be hard replacing her.” He looked from Grace over to me. “Unless…”

I held my hands up. “Oh, no. See, this is my grand finale. I bring you to Grace, she slides back into her old spot, and I slip on out the door. I have my own business to run, thank you very much. And I think Hartley Designs is much more up my alley than secretarial work ever will be.”

Michael gaped at me. Blinked a few times. “Wait,
you’re
Hartley Designs?”

“Darn right she is,” Grace said, leaning over to put her arm around my shoulders. “Best web designer in the state of Indiana.”

My cheeks warmed from the compliment. “Well, I don’t know about
that
.”

“Are you sure you won’t reconsider?” Michael asked.

I smiled and shook my head. “I’m sure. Being stuck in an office all day stifles my creativity.” I paused, glanced over at the handsome young cop sitting a few feet away. The one pretending not to listen. “Who knows? I might even take another stab at this undercover business someday.”

Grace followed my gaze to the next table as well. “Oh, I’m sure Nate would just
love
that.”

I shrugged. It didn’t matter if I never worked another minute as a secret agent or not. Grace was home, I was in love, and my web business was booming. All was right in my own little world—more right than it’d ever been. “Hey, you never know.”

But one thing I knew for sure: I’d never not answer a call from Grace again.

Kyra Jacobs

Kyra Jacobs is a happily married, mother of two, who grew up in Indiana. When she’s not pounding out scenes for her next book, she’s likely goofing around with her husband and kids, or elbow-deep in snapdragons and Lamb’s Ear in one of her many flower gardens. She also loves to golf (though, golf doesn’t always love her) and to jam on the bass in Guitar Hero. Be sure to stop by her blog, http://indianawonderer.wordpress.com for updates on her writing journey and other musings as seen through the eyes of this Midwestern writer.

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