Dance Away, Danger (3 page)

While she closed the door behind her, Matt tossed his keys onto the kitchen table. The jingle drew Tessa’s wide-eyed stare, but she recovered quickly, taking a slow, deep breath. He would’ve told her it was all right to be terrified under the circumstances.

“Make yourself at home.” He stripped off his coat and hung it over the chair.

“Thanks.” She scanned the kitchen, inch by inch.

He probably should’ve straightened up, but he hadn’t planned on bringing her home. Whoever had gone after her brother, though, could easily find Tessa’s address if they didn’t already know it. Protecting her on his own turf made more sense.

Did she see the dishes and crap on the counters? Or did the night’s horrifying discovery replay in her mind?

He only saw one hell of a temptation he’d been saddled with. A riot of dark brown curls drifted lazily down her back. She was petite, with full, pouty lips and high, pronounced cheekbones. Hip-hugging jeans showed off her toned legs. A bulky winter coat covered the rest of her, but he’d noticed the curves she owned before she’d slipped into the coat at the studio. And those eyes, green like the hillsides he’d seen on his last trip to Ireland. Those eyes could easily play with a man’s heart. He’d bet she was stunning when a smile touched her lips.

Damn Jason for tossing the “you owe me” card. Listing Tessa’s physical attributes shouldn’t be Matt’s number one priority. He couldn’t focus on the job if he kept watching her ass move around his kitchen. Even if it was a superior ass.

A trill broke through his private thoughts. Tessa fished her phone out of her coat pocket and peeked at the display screen. “It’s Jason’s partner, Dave.” She smiled.

Matt’s gut clenched. He should’ve told her sooner. “Don’t answer it.”

“Why not? He might have news.”

He shook his head. “Not until we know more.”

The shrill ring punched through the air a second time. “But, Rylan....”

He wanted to rip the phone from her grip. Instead, he covered her hand with his own. “When Jason called me, he had two objectives. First, for me to protect you.”

“Yeah, you told me that.” Another ring and she peeled his fingers away.

“Second, he said ‘Get Dave, too.’”

Her eyes grew wide. “Dave’s in danger as well?”

“Or he’s involved in Jason’s disappearance.”

Rylan’s words hit Tessa like a solid punch to the stomach. “You must’ve misunderstood. Dave can’t be involved. They’re like brothers.”

Her phone stopped ringing.

Loneliness and confusion crowded inside her. Tessa rubbed her thumb across the raised logo on her cell. If she, Dave, and Rylan worked together, they’d find Jason much quicker. Then her chaotic world would find peace again. She stared again at the man before her, the man her brother had supposedly sent to protect her.

But from whom?

“Think about it,” Rylan began. “Jason called me for help, not his partner who supports him up every day. Don’t you think that’s a little suspicious?”

“What’s suspicious is my brother’s missing, there’s blood in his house, and a man I’ve never met wants me to trust him.” Okay, to some extent she did trust him. But what if he was biding his time until he turned on her?

But Jase had believed in him.

Damn.
She pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes. “If Dave’s involved, where’s your proof?”

The ticking of a clock somewhere close by filled the silence.

Tessa snapped her head up. “You don’t have any proof, do you?”

Regret washed over his face. “No, not yet.”

Tessa nodded. All right. She was officially confused...and worried. Panicked? No. She refused to use that word. Jason had taught her better than that. A Gage didn’t retreat from a challenging situation, no matter how frightening.

But it was different without him to consult.

She’d always had him.

“This whole situation makes less sense every second. What makes you think Dave’s involved in Jason’s disappearance?”

“Your brother said he wasn’t sure which cops he could trust.”

“But Dave? I can’t imagine Jason’s partner doing anything to hurt him.”

“Men can do horrible things to each other with the right incentive.”

What kinds of things had Rylan done with the right incentive? The distant, pained expression in his eyes spoke a tale his words didn’t share, but she could ask for details later. Tessa shivered, unsure she’d want to hear the specifics.

“All right. Let me at least call Sergeant Whittaker.”

Rylan grabbed the device from her. “No cops.”

“But Whit’s a good man. He’ll help us.”

“And if Jason thought he could trust him, he would’ve dumped you on him instead of me.”

Tessa braced her feet apart and planted her fists on her hips. “Hanging out with you is no picnic for me either. I mean, it’s not like you’re Prince Charming coming to save the day and sweep me off my feet.”

“No, definitely not.”

She chewed on her tongue before she told him off with all the colorful words tightening her chest.

“I’m sorry for the cracks. It’s just… this wasn’t how I’d planned to spend the night before my vacation.” When he rubbed his neck, his biceps strained the sleeves of his sweater. Enough brawn to do whatever he wanted with her.

She gulped. “Then let me call Whit. I’m telling you, he’s been a rock for me and Jase since our parents died. He’ll know what to do.”

He pinned her with a stare so bold, so lethal, she almost felt her bones cringing.

“No cops.”

“So let me get this straight. You won’t let me call the people who might have a clue about Jason’s whereabouts, you won’t let me answer my own phone, and you claim to have no idea what’s going on.”

“Pretty much sums it up.”

She started for the door. “You’re crazy. I’m crazy for following you anywhere.” Blind trust had gotten her into precarious spots before, and had almost cost Jason his life. She couldn’t allow the same thing to happen again. She closed her fingers around the brass knob.

Matt stretched his arm over her shoulder and held the door closed. “Tessa, it’s not safe for you out there.” The heat of his body surrounded her, the size of him overwhelmed her, yet, even with their arguing, she wasn’t afraid.

“I’m not convinced it’s safe for me with you either.” He held her in place, yet no part of him touched her. “Hear me out….”

At Jason’s, he’d given her a choice to get in his truck or not. Here, he offered another choice: to listen to him or not. Because of the option, something deep inside her wanted to believe in him, to trust he truly did have her best interests in mind. He had to be one of the good guys, right? “Okay, I’ll listen.”

“When Jason and I were in Afghanistan, our squad got separated from the main company during a firefight. We were low on ammunition, heavy on casualties.” His voice, low and calm, loosened the knots in her stomach.

Still facing the door, she relaxed her grip on the handle.

“I told Jason to leave me in one of the houses we’d just cleared and come back for me.” He lifted his hand from the door. “He refused. If he hadn’t, I would’ve died from my sucking chest wound.”

She refused to let go of her one link to the outside world, but the reverence wrapped around each of Rylan’s words forced her to turn toward him.

The thought of Matt Rylan lying injured on a battlefield, ready to give up, stirred unease within her. Standing before her with his muscled body and quiet confidence, he was so strong, healthy...invincible.

A sad smile tugged at his lips. “The whole time we waited to get picked up, he kept swearing at me and threatening to kill me himself if I died on him.”

Afghanistan. New Year’s.
Wait a minute.

“I’ve heard the story, but there was no Matt involved.” She twisted the knob and pulled the door open.

Cold air licked her face.

“Nobody called me Matt. I was Hammer.”

Her jaw dropped. “Hammer?” Her brother always called Hammer the hero of the mission.

“I don’t know if the name means anything to you.”

It did. At a time when she had no one else to rely on, the knowledge calmed a part of her anxious heart. Maybe she wouldn’t leave just yet. She dropped her arm to her side and turned all the way around.

His expression held a plea for understanding. “But I owe your brother my life. The last thing I’m going to do is let his little sister get hurt.”

The air between them sparked with energy. For the first time, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Yes, he appeared tired, but not defeated.

Tessa stepped toward the kitchen table again. “All right...Matt.” It seemed silly, but she liked the way his name sounded as it fell from her lips. Yet that was kiddie stuff, not appropriate for a grown woman. She pulled off her coat and tossed it on a kitchen chair. “Tell me what’s next because we need to figure out what’s going on with my brother before I go completely insane.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’ll help, Tessa. I promise.”

His touch and his pledge made her wish for the comfort of his arms to wrap around her. The dark blue sweater he wore molded to the tight muscles of his upper body. Enough strength and sinew to keep her upright when every one of her bones wanted to collapse.

Crap.
She had to remember. Jason needed her.

She inched away from him. “And I promise to help you as much as I can.”

He smiled then, a slight curve tugging at his lips. “Okay, but don’t you worry.”

Tessa gritted her teeth. “You forgot to add ‘little lady.’” Did he not believe she could be part of the solution?

Thank goodness he’d said something stupid. He thought she was nothing more than a helpless female. Relying on him, as easy as it could be, was not her best course of action. The Gage siblings faced tough situations together with eyes wide open, brains on alert, and emotion locked away.

Confusion fell over Matt’s face. “Huh?” Clueless.

“Forget it.”

Shrill ringing sliced through the prickly tension growing between them. Matt lifted the device toward her, the lighted screen revealing a familiar number.

She tensed. “It’s Dave.”

Matt said nothing. Didn’t need to. After another minute, silence returned to the kitchen and an idea formed. When Matt placed her phone on the table, she reached for it.

“Tessa.” His voice held a warning.

“Let me at least call my place to see if Jason left a message there.”

His gaze remained locked on her, as if calculating how much of a risk she was. But if he expected her faith in him, he should be willing to give his in return.

“Trust is a two-way street, Matt.”

After several seconds, a harsh swear word passed his lips. “Do it.”

A surge of relief coursed through her until the lone message on her land line swiped it away. “Tess, it’s Whit. I need you to call me ASAP. Something’s going on with your brother, and it’s not good. I don’t have all the details yet. Sweetie, I need to hear from you, to know you’re okay. Margie and I are worried sick about you both, so please call me as soon as you can.”

“Well?” Matt asked.

“Nothing from Jase.” She tugged on her earlobe.

“But?”

“Sergeant Whittaker called.”

“What did he say?”

She brought up the message and handed the cell to Matt. Indecision shadowed his features as he listened. “You can’t call him.” He returned the device to the table.

“I know.” Oh, but she wanted to. Next to her brother, Whit had been the most important man in her life after her parents died. He and his wife had practically finished raising the two of them.

But Matt knew nothing of their relationship with the Whittakers, and from his knee-jerk reactions, he wouldn’t care. To fight with him right then would be useless. She’d wait for another opportunity to try to convince him Whit wasn’t a threat.

Tessa slid her hands in her back pockets. “So, what’s our next move?”

“We need to find your brother before Dave does.”

****

Jason Gage flattened his back against the brick building. Darkness kept him hidden. He hoped. He took one last glimpse at his car parked behind the bushes. Leaving it behind was the right plan. Every law enforcement agency in Rhode Island would be on the lookout for him and that car. He needed an edge...and a miracle.

The neon gas station sign made his eyes water. Pain morphed into giant knives jamming and twisting into his skin with every passing second. If he didn’t get help for his shoulder soon, he’d bleed to death. Or an infection would kill him.

A lone minivan stood next to the pumps, a frumpy, curly-headed woman in the driver’s seat rifling through her purse. Middle-aged mom. Nope, he couldn’t approach her. She might have kids in the car or in her house. Too many possible casualties if he demanded she take him there.

His shoulder burned where the bullet had torn through, but no longer could he feel blood seeping from the hole in his flesh. Sweat rolled along his cheeks and down his neck despite the chill.

He forced a deep breath. Shards of pain rippled along his arm.
Block it out. Put it in a box
. Too many people were counting on him.

A sputtering engine grabbed his attention. A blonde-haired woman dressed in tight jeans and a stylish leather coat exited a RAV-4 on the far side of the pumps.

Bingo.

The frumpy housewife drove away as the younger woman headed for the store. Jason steeled his muscles and rushed to the passenger door. Snowflakes dusted his face and mingled with the sweat beading at his temples. He leaned his good shoulder against the vehicle while he tested the handle.

Sweet.
It was open. He climbed into the back seat and quietly closed the door. His gut twisted though. He’d scare her; it couldn’t be helped. God, he hoped she didn’t fight him, because quite possibly she’d win.

Jason prayed for the leather seats to stop spinning. Plastic bags crinkled under his feet. He removed his gun from his waistband and stared at it. The metal held the heat from his fingers and the weight of his choice. Survival or chivalry? The idea of using an innocent woman cut into the core of his being, but he’d find a way to make it up to her.

He’d come too far. Even shot, he’d managed to escape his crooked partner. Truthfully, Dave’s own arrogance was responsible. If he had just shot Jason instead of standing over him to gloat, Jason wouldn’t have been able to knock him down and out before his own injury stole his senses. As it was, it had been a miracle he’d been able to grab his car keys and drive away. His survival was imperative. Someone had to stop Dave and however many others followed his lead.

The driver’s side door opened and the young woman froze, clutching her purchase against her chest. Her eyes flickered from his to the gun and back to his face. The paper bag crunched as she gripped it like a shield.

She was even younger than he’d first thought, just out of college, maybe, and the fear in her crystal blue eyes made him feel like a dog.
I’m sorry.
He set the weapon by his thigh. “Don’t say anything. Get in.”

“T-take the car.”