Undercover in Six Inch Stilettos (10 page)

Jessy: Hey, Di, how are you going to explain to Jack that you earned his college fund getting old guys off with your voice?

Diana: I will tell him I was into telemarketing, not a lie entirely.

Jessy: Well, I guess I am the boring one…my online shop for my sewing has been doing well, hubby knows all about it, and I have no secrets. I think I need a real job soon though, I have to get out of this house once in a while.

Diana: Everyone has secrets, Jessy dear…

Jessy: Nope. Not me. My only secret is I have been sitting here yawning for the last ten minutes…time for me to call it a night.

Angela: Yup…pretty tired over here too. I’m signing off as well. Night, ladies.

Diana: I guess I will turn in also. Cyndi, think about taking your friend’s suggestion and calling it quits.

Cyndi: I know you have good intentions, but please try to understand why I just can’t right now.

Diana: *sigh* There are a lot of crazies out there you know…just promise me you will watch your back.

Cyndi: I promise. But you have my permission if anything ever happens to me to tell Jason everything.

Diana: You can absolutely bet your life on it that I will. Good night, Cyn.

Cyndi: Good night.

Chapter Ten

Diana’s warnings weighed heavily on Cyndi’s heart the rest of the night. She tossed and turned, dreaming of shadowy figures wielding tire irons that dripped blood. By the time Harper appeared at her bedside, Cyndi was ready to throw in the sleep towel and escape the torture.

As she stood in the kitchen willing the coffee maker to heat up more quickly, she yelped when strong arms wrapped around her from behind. She spun around, meeting her husband’s lips with her own.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” he whispered against her ear, and made his way down her jawline with tiny kisses.

Cyndi let out a large yawn.

“You don’t even let me get started before you get all bored.” Jason stepped back, a little hurt in his blue eyes.

Cyndi rested her forehead against her husband’s chest, stifling another yawn. “It’s not you, J.J., I promise. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Hang out with your girls for too long?”

“No. Bad dreams.”

“You should’ve woken me, I would’ve chased them away for you.” Grinning slyly, Jason leaned down and captured her lips with his own once again. She was just too tired for what he wanted.

“Harper’s awake, you know,” she murmured, pushing against Jason with the palms of her hands.

“She is watching cartoons. I’ll be so quick she won’t even know we are gone.”

“Listen, speed king, I don’t have it in me to make it to the finish line right now. Maybe later, when Harper is napping.”

“No can do, babe. I got that undercover training today. Did you forget?”

“Of course not, J.J.” She
had
forgotten. It wasn’t such a bad thing though. If Jason was gone all day, she’d get in a nap when Harper took hers. Cyndi let out a big yawn. A nap would be a very nice thing; especially a dreamless one.

“I’m heading out right after lunch and won’t be home until late this evening. Not reminding you or anything—I know you didn’t forget.” Jason winked and shot her a playful grin that told Cyndi he definitely knew she had.

“Once I get a little caffeine in me, I’ll make you some breakfast. I’m feeling a little domestic this morning.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Jason leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I’m gonna hit the head and get a shower. Be down in thirty.”

“Follow the smell of bacon—you know, a little
pig!
” Cyndi called after him.

“Hey! I resemble that remark!”

“I know you do.” Cyndi filled her cup with coffee. Bacon jokes were one of her favorites. Being married to a
pig
—a common slang term for cops—definitely gave her license to toss out a joke once in a while. The way their life ran sometimes, Cyndi had to crack a little fun at it, or she would lose her mind.

Jason reappeared exactly thirty minutes later, as Cyndi dished up a pile of breakfast for him.

“Man, this smells delicious. I sure did marry well!” Jason picked up a piece of bacon and popped it into his mouth.

“Don’t you know it, baby. Harper! Turn off your program and come have breakfast with Daddy.”

“Okay, Mommy!” In less than a minute, the little girl had climbed into her seat at the table and attacked a plate of scrambled eggs.

“So, what are my girls going to do today?” Jason asked in between bites of bacon and eggs.

“I was thinking we would take a walk down by the oceanfront. It’s supposed to be pretty warm, and the sun looks bright already.”

“How’s your ankle doing?”

“Just about as good as new.” Cyndi kicked her leg out and rotated her foot enough for Jason to get a good view of the purple and yellow bruising. “Doesn’t even hurt at all.”

Jason probed the bruised area lightly. “Swelling seems to have gone away.”

“I told you it doesn’t hurt.”

“Well, then.” Jason winked at Harper. “You two have fun.”

“We will, Daddy. ’Specially if Mommy lets me have ice cream.”

“I will have a talk with Mommy about that while you are in the bathroom washing your hands and face, and brushing your teeth.”

“’Kay, Daddy.” Harper skipped away as Jason winked at Cyndi.

“Are you going to spoil our little girl with an ice cream cone today?”

“I just might. The walk will do us both good. Nothing like sea air and sunshine to revitalize a weary soul.”

“Are you a weary soul?” Jason studied her with a worried look.

“I'm tired, J.J. Nothing to worry about. Bad dreams, remember?”

Jason planted a kiss on her forehead. “Yeah, I remember. I’m going out in the garage to clean my weapon. That’s the first thing they always seem to inspect at training.”

“I’ll clean up in here and grab a shower. We won’t leave until you do.”

“Sounds like a plan, babe.” Jason disappeared through the door into the garage.

Cyndi stacked the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and headed to her room, stopping by Harper’s. “Mommy will be in the shower, and Daddy is in the garage. You stay here and play with your toys until I am done.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

“If you need me, come in the bathroom, the door will be unlocked.”

“’Kay.” Harper waved her off as she returned to what she was doing.

“Maybe we do need to have another baby,” Cyndi murmured to herself. “That girl needs someone to play with.”

She wasn’t sure she was ready to mother two little ones. It
would
mean giving up her job. Not that it should matter—they didn’t need for her to work. If only she didn’t enjoy it so much.

“You are getting too old to be dancing around like that, Cyndi Mills,” Cyndi chastised herself as she stepped under the hot spray of the shower. The heat felt fabulous against her tired muscles, and by the time she was done, Cyndi was wide awake and ready to hit the beach with Harper. She wanted another chance to see that alley in the daylight. Maybe she had missed the tire iron in her haste to get home the other night.

When she wandered back to the kitchen, Harper was still happily entertaining herself, and Jason was rooting around in the fridge.

“Didn’t you eat enough breakfast?”

Jason’s response was unintelligible from inside the refrigerator.

“I said, are you still hungry?”

Her husband backed out of the fridge, smiling and looking as guilty as sin. “No…”

“Then what are you doing in there?”

“I remembered that there was still a bit of cake left in the back, and I had a sweet tooth craving.”

Cyndi laughed. For someone so fit, Jason was always hunting around for something sweet.

“Well, enjoy it, then. I am going outside to check the mail and grab the newspaper.”

Jason reached in and grabbed the cake pan with a big grin. Cyndi laughed again and headed to the front door. The sun was bright when she stepped onto the front porch, forcing her to shield her eyes until they could adjust. Holding the rail, she felt her way down to the sidewalk and walked to the mailbox at the end of the driveway. The daily paper was in the plastic box attached to the mailbox post, but the mailman hadn’t been by yet that day.

Grabbing the paper, Cyndi turned around to make her way back to the house. Her eyes adjusted to the brightness in time to see the old rusted tire iron propped against the side of her rear tire.

“What the hell?” Cyndi stepped forward to examine the tool. It was definitely the same iron from the alley.

Straightening, she made a slow circle, inspecting the entire neighborhood. A few trees rustled their leaves and the happy voices of children in someone’s backyard echoed down the empty street, but not a single person was anywhere in sight. She turned her attention back to her car, walking a slow circle around the vehicle. Someone had obviously left the tire iron for her to see, but why?

As she moved around the front end to the passenger’s side, she figured it out. The tire had been sliced and lay flat as a pancake against the asphalt. Cyndi spun around on her heel, checking the street again, but all was still quiet. Returning her attention to her tire, Cyndi let out a low curse. So much for her trip to the beach with Harper; the only place they were going was to get a new tire.

What was she going to tell Jason? There was no way to explain the rusty tire iron without telling him what she had been up to. Maybe she should just tell him everything. Things were obviously getting personal if she was being stalked at her home.

Kicking angrily at the destroyed tire, Cyndi walked to the back of her car and over to the back wheel on the driver’s side where the tire iron sat propped against it.

“Damn it all,” she muttered, aggravation washing over her in waves. As she moved back to the damaged tire, debating on what to tell Jason, her husband suddenly appeared beside her.

“What the hell happened?”

“I have no idea, J.J.” Even she could hear the frustration in her voice. At least she sounded believable.

“I knew this would happen eventually!” Jason cursed and kicked at the flat tire.

Cyndi whipped her head up to look at her husband. “You knew
what
would happen eventually?”

“One of those dirt bags I deal with would find us, target you.”

“Why would they do that?” Cyndi asked, instantly relieved that Jason had offered his own explanation for what happened. Now she could give him the tire iron and maybe the crime lab would find something that connected it to Jade. Like blood…

“You know I piss people off on a daily basis, Cyn. People are always making threats. Why do you think I don’t wear my wedding ring to work or carry any pictures of you or Harper?”

“I guess I never really gave it much thought.”

“Well, let me snap some photos and call it in. I guess you and the rug rat aren’t going anywhere this afternoon. Sorry, babe.”

Jason acted like he was sorry, but she knew he preferred when his girls stayed close to home while he worked. In a rare moment of confidence, he had told Cyndi once he hated that he couldn’t protect them when he was at work. Cyndi had told him not to worry back then, that she had everything under control, and besides, the bad guys didn’t know where he lived.

At least one bad guy knew now.

And it was all her fault.

She knew she should tell Jason everything right then and there, but something held her back. A moment later, her opportunity was gone.

“I’m going to grab that tire iron and drop it off by the crime lab on my way to training.”

“You think something like that would have prints on it?” Cyndi asked.

“Hard to say, but obviously someone slashed your tire, maybe it will help us figure out who, maybe it won’t.”

“I guess I will let Harper know we aren’t going anywhere today.”

“I’ll be right behind you. Can you toss me the keys to my squad car first? They are on the table inside the door.”

“Sure thing, Officer.”

Jason blew her a kiss as Cyndi jogged to the house. After tossing him the keys, she headed inside. Cyndi stood by the living room window, watching as her husband processed her flat tire with the same intensity he would have processed the most gruesome crime scene. Jason was so meticulous with his work; it made her proud, even though it frustrated her at times.

It only took him a few minutes to snap pictures and place the tire iron in the trunk of his police cruiser. Cyndi stepped away from the window and headed to the kitchen so Jason wouldn’t catch her watching him. As she filled a glass with water, she heard the front door open and close. From down the hall, Harper’s little girl chatter filtered back to her, making her smile.

“I’m heading out now so I can drop by the crime lab.” Jason grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close. “I’d much rather stay home with you though.”

Cyndi planted a kiss on his cheek. “Go, Officer. You have things to learn so you can keep on saving the world.”

Jason squeezed her tight. “You are the best, you know that, Cyndi? I will be thinking of you all day.”

“No, you won’t. But that’s okay. I know how special I am.”

“Special doesn’t even begin to cover it.” He winked as he turned his attention to getting ready for work.

Once he was ready to leave, Jason kissed her one last time before heading to the door.

“Love you, Cyn. You two girls behave now, you hear? I will see about getting that tire fixed first thing in the morning.”

“I think we can manage to entertain ourselves. Love you too.”

She heard him call goodbye to Harper. The front door opened and closed as Jason left them alone for the day.

As the house became quiet, Cyndi experienced a feeling of unrest. The little hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and the need to be with Harper was suddenly overwhelming.

Cyndi checked the doors and windows on her way to her daughter’s room. Much to her surprise, the curtains were blowing in a chill breeze.