Dance Away, Danger (9 page)

Until Matt. Well, she didn’t trust him completely. How could she? He’d only entered her life less than a day before. Yet, his quiet comfort, his tenderness, his heated glances when he thought she wasn’t paying attention, all those things chipped away at the wall she’d erected around her heart.

Matt stood with his body propped against the wall. He came off as a casual, bored significant other waiting for her to finish shopping. How could she ever have thought him ordinary?

“Ma’am?” The cashier yanked her back to the present.

She blinked and released her items. “Sorry.”

“Is that your man over there?” the woman asked with a smile as she swiped the boxes over the scanner.

Inside, Tessa laughed. Yeah, right. Her man. “For the time being.”

“Girl, I would think long and hard before lettin’ him go.” She chuckled as she bagged the items. “He’s got you lookin’ so satisfied, you’d be a fool to give him up.”

What? Satisfied? The woman was clearly delusional. Her relationship with Matt wasn’t like that. Never would be. Matt Rylan was way too unpredictable. “I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

After getting her change, she made her way toward Matt. He pushed off the wall and met her. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Brushing her hair away from her face, she peered at the other woman. “The cashier just said some disturbing things.”

“Like what?”

Like you’re one hell of a lover.
Nope, she wouldn’t travel down that road for all the chocolate in New England. “Small talk about stuff happening in the news.”

He glanced over her head to the woman. His jaw hardened.

“It was nothing. Just me being worried.” She slid her arm through his and guided him toward the door. “Let’s go.” She studied her feet. As much as she hated the idea of making him angry, it was time to broach a difficult subject.

“What is it?”

She lifted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Call it a hunch, but I think you’re wrestling with something.”

Here goes nothing.
“Let me call Whit.”

“No.”

“Please. He’s got to be out of his mind with worry, and he’ll have access to investigative resources we don’t. He’ll be able to help us before the situation gets any worse.”

“What makes you think so?”

“He’s been a rock in our lives since our parents’ deaths. He was the one who influenced Jase to enter the police academy. I can trust him.”

He jerked to a halt and yanked free of her hold. “And you don’t trust me?”

“Of course I do.” She reached out to run her hand down his arm, but he pulled away. “But—”

“What?”

“But in a different way. I’ve known Whit for almost thirteen years. You and I met less than twenty-four hours ago.”

“Have I given you any reason to doubt me?”

“No.”

“Not to mention how many times I’ve saved your sweet little ass in those twenty-four hours.”

She cringed as he stalked toward the vehicle. Trying to rub the rising headache out of her forehead, she hurried after him. “Matt, I’m sorry, but put yourself in my shoes.”

His jaw working, he peered out over the parking lot for several minutes. His shoulders and chest rose.

“Your brother asked me to protect you. He didn’t ask any of those other guys. Me. I can’t know for sure you’ll be safe with them. So no, you can’t call Whittaker.”

She opened her mouth to apologize again, but feared adding another insult. “Okay.”

They slipped into the vehicle and started down the road. “How about Jason? Can I call his phone and see if he picks up?”

“Yeah, but don’t leave a message, and if someone else answers, hang up.”

She dialed the number and held the phone to her ear. Hope diminished with each unanswered ring. When Jason’s nonchalant message played, she disconnected. “Nothing.”

“Don’t get discouraged.” His voice held none of the toxicity it had in the parking lot. “It could just mean he’s laying low.”

“You haven’t patronized me yet. Please don’t start.”

“I’m not. I’m hoping he’s okay, too.”

Right. These events were no picnic for him either. He’d been sucked out of his happy, carefree life and transformed into a common criminal. All for her. She needed to remember that before the next time she insulted him.

With each passing mile, his grip on the steering wheel loosened and his shoulders relaxed. Not fifteen minutes later, Matt drove into the Hanover train station and cut the engine.

“We have a key, but how can we figure out which locker it opens?” she asked.

He fished around in the back seat again, rummaging under tools and paint samples then tossed a gun magazine into his lap.

A weapon in the hands of a carpenter. A soldier recalled to duty. The responsibility hung around her neck like a noose.

“It has to be a number he expects us to come up with fairly easily.” He pulled the empty magazine from the gun, threw it behind him, and inserted the full one.

Matt wasn’t the kind of man to walk away and make her solve the problem alone. He was honorable even if he’d rather be in a pair of swim trunks, sitting on a white, sandy beach. The only way she could restore his way of life was to support him as best she could.

“Like a birthday or an anniversary,” she offered.

“Exactly. We’ll start with his birthday.” He stepped out of the truck and slipped the gun into his waistband.

Tessa got out her side. “May eighteenth,” she supplied.

As they headed toward the entrance, Matt pulled the key from his pocket. “If it’s not his birthday, we’ll go to yours.”

“And if that doesn’t work?”

“Your parents’ birthdays, the date they died, the number of his house, the number of your place.”

She pressed her trembling palms together. “Good, we at least have a plan.”

He held the door for her.

A wisp of a smile crossed her lips. Even amid the danger, he still treated her like a lady.

Suitcases rolled in a familiar rhythm on the linoleum floor. Unintelligible announcements broke over the loudspeaker. The smell of coffee and pastry swirled around her, made her stomach grumble. She’d had little more than coffee at the diner. Travelers rushed through the station.

Matt tugged her sleeve. “Head to the lockboxes across the room.”

518 wasn’t the magic box with Jason’s clues. Neither was her birthday, 123.

“What was the date your parents died?”

“May first.” Tessa’s scanned the station.

No one appeared to be paying attention to them, so she allowed herself to relax. A little.

Matt wandered around the corner, his fingers tracing over the numbers on each box. “We can try 51 or 501.”

A shrill cry pierced her ears.

Tessa gasped and gripped Matt’s shoulder.

He stilled, peeked down at her with an untold amount of patience. “Relax. It’s a baby.”

Of course she should relax. Matt was with her, and the strength his body and mind possessed would keep her safe.

“I’m okay,” she declared, releasing him.

Immediately he continued his scanning of the locker numbers. On her third time scoping out the station, she caught sight of a guard stepping out of the security booth. The man’s casual gaze fell on her.

She whipped her head around. Her hair brushed her cheeks.

Matt had no luck with either 51 or 501. He drummed his fingertips against a locker door and peered off into the distance, toward the train platforms.

Tessa glanced back at the security booth. The same officer studied a piece of paper he held then stared at her.

She turned to face the people buying last minute snacks or newspapers for their trips.

He knew who they were. He had to know.

“Matt, the security guard. He’s watching at us.”

Matt cupped her chin in his palm and bent his head toward her. His lips lingered a hair’s breath away from her ear.

The heat of his palm and the gentle rub of his thumb over her cheek threatened to melt her knees.

“Relax.”

Easier said than done.

“He’s supposed to search for suspicious activity. If you don’t give him anything to see, chances are he’ll go away.”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. Duh, of course. He pulled her around another corner and stopped in front of locker 415. When he inserted the key, the lock clicked.

Tessa smiled and clapped. “How did you know?” she asked as he opened it.

“It’s the locker number used in
Steps to Silence
.”

A long manila envelope sat in the lockbox. Matt grabbed it and flipped it over. No writing adorned the outside, but it was sealed with the metal clasp and heavy-duty packing tape. Tessa grasped the edge of the tape and began stripping it off.

“No. Wait until later.” He tucked the envelope under his arm, closed the locker, and left the key behind. “Let’s go.” He grabbed her arm again and guided her toward the exit.

Of course, she sought out the security officer. She couldn’t help it.

She didn’t need to. He found them.

“Stop right there!”

Damn.
They’d almost reached the automatic doors. Intensity lined Matt’s sharp features. “Take the envelope,” he rasped.

She clutched it to her chest. “What do we do?” He didn’t answer.

“You two heading for the door, turn around now!” the officer demanded. Voices squawked over the station’s loudspeaker. Several people had stopped to gawk at them.

Her stupid, suspicious behavior had gotten them in trouble here. She had to lay on the charm and convince the guy Matt was no threat. “I can do it,” she murmured.

She turned around and forced a smile.

Matt followed her lead. “Tessa, what’re you doing?” he growled.

“Trust me.” She’d gladly listen to his reprimand later if it meant they got away safely. She focused on the guard. “Is there a problem, sir?”

“Hanover PD has some questions for both of you.” The guy’s gun shook in his grip, and every few seconds it seemed like he chewed on his tongue. His clean-shaven baby face made her think he couldn’t have been much older than she was. “Miss Gage, come stand by me. You’ll be safe.”

Tessa forced a chuckle. “Don’t be silly. He’s my boyfriend.” She leaned her head on Matt’s chest. After a hesitation that terrified her, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“No, miss. You don’t have to pretend. We won’t let him hurt you anymore.” The patrolman shifted his feet.

She waved him off. “My family doesn’t approve of him, and this is their way of breaking us up, but it won’t work.” She set her gaze on Matt. “I want to be with him no matter what anybody says.”

Matt’s sharp intake of breath drew her gaze to his full lips. The adrenaline of this charade had started to strip away what common sense she thought she still possessed because she considered kissing him for extra measure.

“Don’t you touch her!” The guard inched closer. Okay, clearly their deception hadn’t worked.

“Release her, Mr. Rylan, and move away.”

Matt loosened his hold, but kept his gaze on her.

“Now!”

More strangers gathered around them. Hushed. Waiting.

A whisper of regret lined Matt’s handsome face as he released her and put a few inches between them.

An announcement broke through the quiet and spit out the details of an incoming train. Mr. Guard’s paper crinkled as he juggled his radio and called for backup. He stood tall before them. “We’ll sort it all out when my partner arrives.”

Matt lunged forward and knocked the gun from the officer’s hold. Shrieks rang out from around them. The radio flew through the air and crashed onto the floor. The paper the man had been holding floated behind him.

Tessa hugged the envelope and gnawed on her bottom lip. The radio squawked with a male voice asking for an update.

The other man landed a blow and sent Matt reeling backward. She couldn’t help but cringe. Yet standing there watching the altercation wouldn’t help Matt. She spun around and spotted the gun lying on the floor a few feet away. Tessa carefully picked it up and kept the barrel pointed to the floor. Would anyone challenge her for the weapon? It was one thing to pick it up in order to protect Matt from a random shooter. It was another thing altogether to wrestle with someone who wanted to be a hero.

Another call bellowed through the radio, more insistent. Clearer.

The second security agent flew in from the hallway she and Matt had occupied minutes before. He hollered at spectators to get out of the way.

Matt still fought with the first man. She held the gun at her hip. No way could she point the weapon at an innocent someone, especially a low-paid security guard. But what about Matt’s freedom?

“Officer number two coming our way!” she yelled.

Matt dealt a vicious blow to the other man’s midsection. He folded like a beach chair, dropped to the floor, and lay still. Blood leaked out of his nose, his mouth. Another innocent life interrupted.