Breaking Protocol (Firehouse Fourteen Book 3) (20 page)

CC heard the words, desperate and raspy against her ear. She couldn't see the face of the guy holding her but she could see Dave's reaction. His body stiffened, tensed at the accusation. A muscle jumped in his tight jaw and his eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch. His broad chest rose and fell with one deep breath but he didn't move.

CC looked past Dave to the kid standing just behind him, crouched, a .44 held between two steady hands, pointing right at them. Yeah, probably not a kid. Probably a friend of Bubby's.

She hoped to hell he didn't have a twitchy finger.

And where the hell was Bubby? She sensed movement to her right but couldn't turn her head. She didn't need to, trusted her senses that he was there. And somebody else was there, too, whoever had gone inside to yank the plug on the music. That made three against one, four if you counted Dave.

Five if she counted herself.

The odds would be better if she could count herself. She thought that might be a little too optimistic, considering she was standing there with a knife held to her throat. So yeah, she didn't have as much faith in three-to-one as she'd normally have, not with that sharp blade pressed against her skin.

"I didn't kill anyone."

CC slid her gaze back to Dave, watching, waiting. She had no idea what he was doing, what any of them were doing. She only knew that the guy holding her was rattled. His heart beat fast and crazy against her back, his breathing harsh in her ear. He adjusted his grip around her throat and stepped backward, pulling her with him.

"You did. Over there. You could have saved him but you didn't. You killed him."

"Tell me his name."

"You should know his name!"

CC flinched as the blade nicked her again, felt the itch of a tiny drop of blood against her skin. She kept her eyes on Dave, knowing he saw it, knowing that rage swept through him at the sight. But he looked calm, controlled as he kept his eyes on the guy behind her.

"Tell me his name."

The guy blew out a harsh breath, took another step back. Was he trying to get the wall right behind him? God, she hoped so.

"Keith. Keith Weber."

Dave's eyes remained blank, no spark of recognition flashing in the dark depths. He took another step forward, just a small one. CC heard a whispered caution to her right, recognized the voice as Bubby's.

"I remember Keith. He was a good guy."

"Then why did you let him die?"

"I didn't. There wasn't anything I could do for him." CC saw the stark truth of those words in his eyes, heard the regret in the slight tremor of his voice. He didn't know this guy's brother, had no idea who he was, but his words were still true. Hadn't he told her as much before? Hadn't he talked about the guilt he carried, knowing there were so many he couldn't help?

"No. You could have saved him, but you didn't. You let him die."

"There was nothing I could do." Dave moved forward again, just another inch. CC flinched again as the guy took another step back. Her hand reached up instinctively, ready to grab his arm, but she stopped, let it drop. Not yet.

"Yes, there was. You're a medic, you're supposed to save people." The guy's voice rose, almost desperate. CC closed her eyes, trying to visualize where they were, how close to the wall. A foot? An inch?

"I can't save everyone. Nobody can. I did my best."

"Your best wasn't good enough!"

"Don't you think I know that? Don't you think I live with that every day when I look in the mirror?" Dave shouted, frustration and regret in his voice. She looked at him, narrowing her eyes at him, willing him to look at her, if only for a split second. That was all she needed, for him to look at her, just for a second, just to let him know it wasn't true.

She sensed tension coming from her right, sensed the subtle change in the guy slightly behind Dave. But she couldn't worry about that, could only worry about Dave.

C'mon, Big Guy, look at me. Look at me.

And he did. Just for that quick split-second, faster than the beat of a heart. Dave's shoulders relaxed, just a fraction of an inch as he inhaled deeply, let it out.

And moved forward another inch.

The guy moved back, and CC moved with him. He stopped, bumped against her just the slightest bit. Yes, the wall was behind him now. She took a shallow breath, waiting.

"Your brother. Keith. He wouldn't want you to do this." Dave's voice was calm, relaxed.

"No. No. It doesn't matter, you killed him. And now you need to know what it feels like to lose someone you care about." CC saw Dave's mouth open in denial, felt the guy behind her tense, felt his grip tighten around the handle of the blade. 

And she made her move.

**

Dave opened his mouth, shouted, afraid to move but moving anyway, afraid he wouldn't be able to reach CC. His mind was blank, icy fear gripping him as he moved. He wouldn't be able to reach her in time. Nobody would be able to reach her in time.

Movement erupted around him, all at once but not at all, like frames from a video, clicking one at a time in front of him.

Rob, running forward, one agonizing step at a time. His hand outstretched, palm out, yelling.

Apple Kid, straightening, his gun coming up, his finger moving on the trigger.

CC, grim determination on her face as she reached up with both hands, closing around Ice Cream Kid's wrist, twisting. CC, her blonde ponytail swinging over shoulder as she threw her head back, hitting him in the face, using her body as leverage against his own, now pinned to the wall.

Then Dave was beside her, holding her, not knowing why they were on the ground, only knowing that CC was in his arms.

Alive.

He glanced over his shoulder, saw Rob and Apple Kid on top of Ice Cream Kid, saw another guy come running around the side of the building. He heard the thud of flesh against flesh, heard shouts and the wail of a siren in the distance but didn't care.

CC was in his arms, alive. His chest tightened, his heart squeezing painfully at the sight of blood on her neck. The breath left his lungs in a rush and he grabbed the hem of his shirt, yanking, trying to hold the material against her neck, not understanding why she was pushing at him.

"Big Guy, I'm okay, it's just a scratch. Let me up." She repeated the words several times, her voice softer and more reassuring each time until they finally sunk in. Dave gulped in air, huge lungsful, then slowly eased his hold on her.

CC twisted, pushing up onto her knees, her hands tight around his arms. Hair had fallen from her ponytail and hung around her shoulders, a few strands clinging to her flushed cheeks. Her hazel eyes were wide, staring into his. He dropped his gaze to her neck, felt bile sour in his stomach at the streaks of blood against the fragile skin of her throat. He sat back on his heels, forcing air into his lungs, wondering if he'd ever breathe normally again, wondering if his heart would ever slow down.

Then he grabbed CC and crushed her to him, just holding her, feeling her warm body against his. "Fuck. Shit. Don't ever do that again. Never. Do you understand? Never."

Her arms tightened around his waist as a small tremor went through her, barely noticeable. She leaned her head against his shoulder, her breath warm and reassuring against his neck. "Not like I did it on purpose."

"Why did you do it? What the hell were you thinking?" Dave still didn't know exactly what happened, figured he'd learn the details later. But he had pieced enough together to know that CC must have known something was happening and had come to warn him.

And damn near gotten herself killed instead.

She hadn't answered yet, so he repeated the question. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking. People in love tend to do that."

"What?" Dave pulled back, frowning, certain he hadn't heard correctly. "What did you say?"

"I said people in love don't think. I'm trying to tell you I love you. You could look a little happier about it, Big Guy."

"You—? Fuck. I thought you were getting ready to tell me to get lost."

CC shook her head. "I didn't send those messages, he did." Then she blinked, looked away, looked back at him, her teeth pulling on her lower lip. She looked suddenly lost, worried, like she wasn't sure what to do.

Dave cupped her face in his hands and pressed his mouth against hers, hard, fast, possessing. Then he pulled away, his gaze fierce. "I love you. And don't ever, ever, do that again. Ever. I can't go through that again."

She smiled, the expression warming him, so bright and promising.

So out of place.

But he didn't care and leaned forward to kiss her again, needing to touch her, taste her, prove to himself that she really was fine. Someone cleared their throat above and behind him, forcefully, stopping him.

"Yeah. Great. Glad you two got that worked out. But I really need you both standing right now, and not saying a word."

Dave looked over at Rob, noticed him standing over the unconscious Ice Cream Kid, a scowl on his face. He stood up, pulling CC with him, keeping his arm tight around her shoulder. He looked around, noticed the other two men were gone, as well as the van.

"Neither of you saw anyone else, got it? Not a word."

"Bubby—"

"Not a word, CC. I need you to trust me on this one."

Sirens screamed in the night as two police cars pulled into the parking lot, flashing blue lights casting rotating shadows over everything. Rob looked at both of them, then slowly raised his hands and nodded at them to do the same.

"What the fuck?" Dave caught the shake of CC's head as she raised her arms, bringing them up until she locked her fingers behind her head. He slowly did the same, not understanding what was going on.

Not until the cops threw open the doors and took cover behind them, their guns drawn. Of course they would, especially if they had been told there was a suspect with a gun, a suspect with a knife.

"I'm Trooper First Class Carolann Covey." CC's voice rang loud and clear in the night, startling Dave. "My badge is in my back pocket, and I have a weapon in a shoulder holster. Your suspect is handcuffed on the ground."

Dave looked out of the corner of his eye, watched as one officer cautiously made his way toward them, gun drawn, the other officers covering him. He glanced over at Rob, saw his lips twitch in what might have been a grin, and realized the man was actually enjoying this. He looked over at CC, surprised at the bright smile on her face. Fuck. She was enjoying this, too.

Then she winked at him.

"Never a dull moment with me around, is there, Big Guy?"

Once again, Dave was thankful that he was a paramedic and not a cop. Not if tonight was any indication of what they had to go through. Yeah, he understood everyone being taken in, understood everyone being questioned.

What he didn't understand was why it took more than five hours. And he had a feeling it would have taken much longer if CC wasn't a cop and if Rob wasn't whatever the hell he was. Because he was pretty sure he was a lot more than just a regular FBI agent.

He lifted the glass to his mouth and took a sip of bourbon, watching Rob. The three of them were back at CC's house She had pulled the bottle out from the back of a cabinet, loudly declaring they all needed it.

She didn't get any arguments from them.

CC was now tucked against his side, her legs curled under her as they sat on the loveseat on the back porch. The night air was chilly but not uncomfortable. Not with CC beside him.

He frowned, his thumb rubbing against the small white bandage on her neck. Yes, it was only a scratch, but it could have been so much worse. And he never wanted to go through anything like that again, never wanted to feel like the world was being pulled out from under him. Because that's what it had felt like, when he saw Ice Cream Kid move, saw the blade of the knife shift, aiming for the pulse beat in CC's neck.

He gripped the glass tighter, afraid it would drop from his shaking hand. CC shifted, looked up at him with those beautiful eyes and smiled.

"I'm fine. Stop worrying."

"I know." He didn't say anything else, didn't tell her it would take some time before he stopped worrying. If he ever did.

Rob drained the last swallow from his glass then leaned forward and placed it on the table with a small clunk. He leaned back in the chair, his eyes resting briefly on his phone before he looked back at them.

"I have more information if you want it."

"Well that's about a stupid thing to say. Of course we want it." CC looked back at him, one brow raised in question. "We do want it, right?"

"Yeah." Dave nodded, looked back at Rob. "I'd like to know why."

"We may never know the answer to that, but here's what we do know. 'Ice Cream Kid'," Rob paused and looked at Dave, a small grin on his face. CC giggled and he tightened his arm around her.

"What? I didn't know what else to call him, alright?"

"Yes, well, 'Ice Cream Kid' is actually Seth Weber, 23 years old. He's had run-ins with the police before, mostly minor stuff. A history of mental illness. Turns out, he didn't even work at the ice cream parlor."

"Mental illness?"

"Yeah. We're still looking deeper on that one."

"And his brother?" Dave kept his gaze steady, not looking away, meeting Rob's serious eyes straight on. He held his breath, waiting.

"Keith Weber died in Iraq six years ago. You would have never met him."

Dave closed his eyes, some of the tension leaving him. Some, not all. "Doesn't mean there weren't others. Doesn't mean—"

"No. Stop, right now." CC shifted, coming up on her knees and forcing his face to hers. Her brows were lowered over her eyes, her expression serious as she held his face in her hands. "You don't get to say that. You don't get to second-guess yourself. You did the best you could, each time, and I'm not going to let you beat yourself up and wonder just because this guy fixated on you for some reason. Is that clear?"

She was serious, almost ferocious in her intensity, and Dave realized that he always wanted her on his side. No matter what. With CC by his side, they'd make one hell of a team.

He leaned forward and kissed her, just a brief press of his lips to hers, then pulled away. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." She nodded, just in case he didn't understand, then curled back against his side, frowning at Rob.

"I don't get it. The way the guy was talking, it sounded like his brother had died recently. Certainly not six years ago."

Rob shrugged. "I don't know. It could be the illness, the lack of medication. It could be a lot of things. The only thing we know for sure is that he was in and out of the hospital until he turned eighteen. His brother was supposed to take care of him, but with him gone, there was nobody else. They released him onto the street, end of story. It looks like he's been staying in a cheap motel the last few months but they still have a lot to sort through before putting everything together."

"What happens to him now?"

"Well, he'll be charged, but probably never see a court room, not with his medical history. And hopefully he'll get some help. It's hard to say."

Dave thought he'd be angry at that answer, especially after what he'd done to CC. To Angie. But he wasn't. He didn't understand it, didn't condone it. But he wouldn't wish for the guy to have the book thrown at him and rot in jail for the rest of his life. He just hoped that he'd get the help he needed.

"So why me then? Why the fixation? How'd he even know who I was? Where to find me and get my number?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. They're looking through his computer, trying to track his moves, but it could be awhile before they know—if they ever do. He could have seen you somewhere, run into you on a call or at the hospital. Hell, even the grocery store. It's hard to say. I'm not even sure he could answer that question right now, if you asked him." Rob studied him for a second. "You okay with that?"

"I guess I have to be." He paused, thinking. "Yeah, I am. For now."

"Don't worry, Big Guy, I'll protect you."

"Which brings me to the next thing. You!" Rob shouted, causing CC and him both to jump. "I thought I told you not to go running in there, blazing. Isn't that what I said?"

"Yeah, but—"

"No buts. You damn near gave Dave and me both heart failure. You could have gotten yourself killed. What the hell were you thinking, running in like that without looking at your surroundings?"

"I
was
looking. Just at the wrong guy. I thought your buddy was the one I needed to watch out for."

"Apple Kid. Yeah, I thought the same thing at first."

"Apple Kid? Really?" The corners of Rob's mouth twitched and he shook his head.

"He looked like some strung out kid, sitting there peeling that damn apple. I didn't know what to think at first. And then when the other kid grabbed CC…" His voice drifted off, the words fading as remembered fear went through Dave. He swallowed against it and took a deep breath. He didn't think he could ever go through that again, never wanted to.

Rob glanced down at his phone, frowned, then stood up. "Well maybe you'll have better luck getting through to her. She's all yours now, and you're welcome to her with my blessings."

CC swung her legs down, staring up at her brother. "Where are you going?"

"Me? I'm going home."

"Home? As in back home, to South Carolina?"

"That is where I live, CC."

"Now? But it's late! Why don't you stay, leave in the morning?"

"Here, with you two? Uh, no, I'll pass. Besides, my ride's waiting, and I still have my own reports to do."

CC stood the same time Dave did, then moved toward her brother, stopping him with a hand on his arm, frowning. Something passed between them, something Dave didn't understand. "Bubby, are you going to be okay? I mean, with everything—you're not going to be in any trouble, are you?"

"Nothing I can't handle, don't worry." He leaned down and hugged his sister, pulling her in tight, and Dave saw a glimpse of emotion on the man's face for the first time that night. Raw, real. Anguished. But the glimpse was gone in a second, replaced by Rob's normal relaxed expression.

"Thank you, Bubby. For everything."

"Hey, that's what family does, right?" He squeezed her one more time, then let her go, turning to Dave. He put his hand out, but instead of Rob accepting it, the man pulled him into a quick bro hug, shoulder-to-shoulder, patting him on the back. "Just remember, I know where to find you."

Dave laughed, not entirely certain the man was joking, then followed them back into the house, waiting while CC said goodbye again at the door. He heard the door close, heard the click of the lock as she turned it. Then she was back in the living room, standing in front of him.

Alive. So very alive.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his mouth hot, demanding, surrendering. Never wanting to let go, needing. Now. He grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head, threw it behind him as he started walking, guiding her backward, heading for her room. She laughed, tugged at his own shirt, then stopped, her palm warm and steady in the middle of his chest, covering his heart. He placed his hand over hers, gently squeezing her fingers, waiting for her to look up at him.

"I love you CC. And if you ever scare me like that again, I'll—I don't know what I'd do, so just don't."

"Scared
you
? You're not the only one who was scared. When Bubby called me—" She shook her head and swallowed, blinking. "I was pissed."

"Pissed? Why on earth were you pissed?"

"Because I had been planning all day on figuring out how to tell you I loved you, then I find out some jerk has different plans. So yeah, I was pissed. So don't you ever do anything like that again."

Dave laughed, a real laugh that eased some of the tension, some of the fear that still gripped him. He leaned down and kissed her, hard and quick. "Maybe next time we each have something important to say to the other, we just do it like normal people."

"Normal?" Mock horror lit her face. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Fun? I don't know how much more fun I can handle."

"Really? That's a shame." A glint lit her eyes, her mouth turning up in a sly, sexy smile. She wrapped her hand in the waistband of his jeans and walked backward, tugging him along. "Because I thought we could both use a little fun right now."

"Yeah? What'd you have in mind?"

"Well, you look a little tense. I thought a massage might help."

Dave grinned, thinking of their last massage. "I don't know, maybe. What else?"

"Well, then I was thinking we could have some ice cream." She pulled him into the bedroom, kept walking until her legs hit the edge of the mattress. Then she undid the snap and zipper of his jeans and pushed them down his hips, her mouth hot against his chest where she kissed him. "You know how much I like my ice cream. With hot fudge. And whip cream."

"Oh, God." He closed his eyes, enjoying her touch, her voice, everything about her. Then he let out a grunt of surprise as CC suddenly turned and pushed him, so he was sprawled out on the bed, looking up at her. She climbed on top, straddled his hips, and smiled.

"Then, after the ice cream, we'll probably need a shower. I have this nice new gel I want to try."

"You're killing me, CC."

"Hm." She lowered her head, his lips trailing from his neck, down across his chest, her tongue darting out and tracing the lines of his tattoo. "You'll have plenty of time to rest when we leave tomorrow."

His eyes shot open and he lifted his head, looking at her, at the playful grin on her face. "Leave tomorrow?"

"Yup."

"Uh, leave where? I work on Monday."

"Not anymore you don't. Apparently Bubby has a far reach." She grinned again, slid down his legs, tugging at his jeans. "Have I told you how much I love it when you go commando?"

His head fell back as her hand closed around him, stroking him. No, not yet. He reached down, grabbed her hand, pulled her up.

"CC." His voice was hoarse already, damn her. He cleared his throat, looked down at her. "Where are we going?"

"Back down to South Carolina. You didn't think I was going to let you out of taking me to Charleston that easily, did you?"

"But—"

"We're staying at my parents' house. For a week. And our flight leaves in eight hours." She reached down, her hand closing over him again, stroking him. "Now, do you really want to talk about this right this minute?"

He growled and reached for her, rolling her over so he was on top. "Hell no. No, I have more important things to do. Like show you how much I love you."

"As long as I get a turn to show you how much I love you, I'm good with that." She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him, long, slow sweet.

And they did exactly that, until it was time to meet the plane.

And really, who cared if they were just a little late?

*****