Birds of Prey (20 page)

She huffed out a small laugh. “
You
were scared?”

“Okay”—he caressed her face—“you were more scared. As long as you’re okay now.”

“I thought I’d never see you again. Kiss me, Cody.”

He was only too happy to oblige.

“Never again!” he told her as he lifted his mouth. “I’m keeping you by my side every minute!”

“Whatever you want,” she told him, nodding.

“No more putting yourself in danger. I can’t lose you!”

“You won’t. I promise you won’t.”

“I love you!” he declared. “I won’t ever leave you! We belong together. ”

She was crying, so he cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers.

The sound of someone walking towards them had Cody pulling away from Aubrey and tensing.

“It’s just me,” Detective Lawrence called.

Cody relaxed.

“Ryder asked me to bring you some clothes and something to cut the ropes.”

Cody kissed Aubrey one more time before he stood. He accepted the bundle from the detective and started to dress.

“Dawson?” Cody asked, as he yanked on a pair of jeans.

“Got him in custody,” Lawrence assured him. “I have to hand it to you shifters. I’ve never seen anything like that eagle taking on a human.”

Byron sure could be relentless.

Cody joined the other man on the ground next to Aubrey as he continued sawing at the thick rope.

He uncurled it as, little by little, it loosened.

Her hands released, Aubrey also helped until the three of them had completely freed her. She threw her arms around his neck and Cody lifted her as he stood.

“I love you too,” she said, right before her mouth came down hard on his.

Cody tightened his hold. The detective cleared his throat.

“The news vans have started to arrive,” Lawrence told them. “So unless you want to show up making out on the six o’clock news, we might want to move along.”

Aubrey pulled back and lowered her head onto his shoulder. Cody wasn’t entirely sure that he could let her go. He had come too close to losing her.

She gave him one last squeeze and stepped out of his arms.

“I want to see the bastard behind bars,” she told him.

He nodded. “Let’s go, then.”

Hand in hand they started the trek up the beach to the bridge access.

* * * *

Aubrey watched as Cody leaned against the table, making sure to remain in Robert Dawson’s personal space.

Once they had reached the Coalition’s headquarters, Cody had taken Dawson in to interview and sent Chloe to help Aubrey. She’d got a hot shower in the locker room and a clean pair of sweats had been found for her.

Now she was witnessing Cody in full work mode. Ryder was with him while Chloe and Byron stood beside her.

Chloe had filled her in as she’d changed clothes, so Aubrey had a better understanding than before, but she still didn’t fully get it.

Robert Dawson had happily killed people. He would have ended her life just as easily.

And he had expected to get away with it! All of this was just so unbelievable.

“Would anyone like a cup of coffee?” Chloe asked, stepping away.

“Yes, please,” Aubrey replied. She was still shaky after everything that had happened. Cody had let her use his phone to call Adam and Mike, but she wanted to see them, to lay her hands on them, and at the same time, she couldn’t leave. She just…had to make sure that Robert Dawson was locked away. That the entire experience was really over.

Chloe walked out of the room after Byron requested coffee also, so Aubrey leant forward once again to listen in.

“We have everything,” Cody said to Dawson. “We have your laptop. Your plan. You kept everything real nice and neat for us.”

Dawson smiled, actually grinned up at Cody. Aubrey shivered at the crazed look in his eyes.

“You’re caught. We have enough to put you away for the rest of your life,” Cody informed him. “Do you want to say anything in your defence?”

Dawson snorted. “I ran circles around you guys. If it hadn’t been for that stupid bitch you’re fucking, I wouldn’t have got caught.”

Cody fisted his hands and leaned close to Dawson’s ear. The microphone in the room still picked up his words, although faintly.

“Yeah, it takes a real man to jump a woman and stun her,” he practically growled. “And ‘that bitch’, as you called her, could beat your ass if given the chance. Maybe I’ll let her have a few minutes alone with you before we take you to your cell.”

Aubrey grinned for the first time all day. Cody wasn’t going to let Robert push him. It would be a clean arrest and Dawson was going down.

She felt something inside her relax.

“I just can’t believe you thought you had the brains to pull off this plan of yours,” Cody continued.

“I would have. All you stupid shifters would have been following me. I would have got the prettiest girls and been in charge. Soon I wouldn’t just lead here, I would take over all of Arizona!” Robert cried.

“Delusional much?” Ryder asked with amusement.

Robert jerked towards him, but the cuffs attached to the table stopped him from going far. “I’ll kill you all!”

“No, you won’t.” Cody stepped back to the other side of the table and sat. “You’re going to prison. You’ll be the bitch now.”

Dawson tried to lift his arms again and fight the restraints. Cody and Ryder just looked on calmly.

“I hate you all! I should have killed you first! You’re just like the others!” Dawson screamed.

“What others?”

“My family! My old Cast! I was never good enough for them! They thought I was bottom-level? Well, I showed them, didn’t I? Took them all out!”

Cody turned towards the mirror and Byron pushed away from where he was standing.

“Damn,” Byron muttered. “We need to find his old Cast.”

“He killed his family?” she asked. Unsure why, she wanted Byron to tell her that she hadn’t heard Dawson correctly. How could he have killed his own family?

“Sounds like it.” Byron headed towards the door, but paused with his hand outstretched. “I have to…”

She waved him off. “Go, I’ll be fine.”

He nodded before exiting. Alone, Aubrey wrapped her arms around herself. Was it worse that Dawson had killed before coming to Lake Worth? Yes, she thought, it was.

In the interview room, Dawson continued to rant. Aubrey knew that was what Cody wanted. The more that sociopath said and recorded, the better, but she couldn’t listen anymore. When he started to explain how he’d begun with his own mom and dad, she had to get out.

She yanked open the door and almost ran into Chloe.

“I was just bringing this to you.”

“Thank you.” Aubrey accepted the Styrofoam cup. “I just need to get some air.”

“Sure.” Chloe stepped around her and entered the room Aubrey had just fled. Chloe closed the door behind her, but Aubrey didn’t mind. She couldn’t watch anymore.

Having that barrier between her and what was happening in the next room made her feel better. She started down the hall, sipping her hot brew as she walked.

The building the Coalition had transformed into their local branch was old, but the inside had been completely redone. She admired the place as she put more and more distance between her and Robert Dawson. Anything to keep her mind off what she’d just heard.

Spotting a small seating area with a couple of chairs, she wandered over. She had just taken a seat when two men walked by and glanced over at her.

The big one, who sported dark hair and a full beard, stopped, and smiled at her.

Since he was staring at her, Aubrey gave him a small wave. He grinned wider and sauntered to her.

“Jamie!” the other man with him called.

The guy, Jamie, just waved over his shoulder for the other man to follow.

“Hi,” Jamie said, standing in front of her.

“Hello,” she greeted back cautiously. He seemed way too happy to be in her presence. He was bouncing on the toes of his feet while he tapped his index finger against his thigh.

The other stranger joined them and offered her a shoulder shrug. “Sorry about this.”

She frowned, not understanding.

“So I’m Jamie and this is Zak.”

“Um, Aubrey.”

“I know!”

She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with the two men towering over her. Zak grabbed Jamie’s arm and pulled him back some. Jamie seemed to also realise that she wasn’t at ease and he sat right next to her.

“So I heard you were thrown off a bridge today.”

“Jamie!” Zak snapped.

It was okay, though. The question surprised a laugh out of her. “Yeah, I guess I was.”

“And then Cody came to your rescue. That is
sooo
romantic,” Jamie claimed with a roll of his eyes and a hand to his heart.

This time Zak laughed with her.

“Are you friends with Cody?”

“What!” Jamie practically shrieked. “He didn’t tell you about his two best friends?”

“Gee, I wonder why he wouldn’t have,” Zak mumbled and sat in the only remaining empty chair.

“Now, Zak,” Jamie said with a pout. “If Cody’s embarrassed about us, we need to know.” Then he turned to Aubrey. “I don’t know about you, but I think you and I are going to be great friends.”

Aubrey’s cheeks were hurting from smiling. She wouldn’t have thought that such a huge, scary-looking guy could be such a character. She patted his arm. “I think so too.”

“Awesome!” Jamie looked pleased and stuck his tongue out at Zak.

Zak shook his head, even as his lips twitched. “You’re explaining this one to Cody. I’m not taking any responsibility.”

Jamie chuckled. “Cody’s a pussy cat.”

Zak growled.

Jamie leaned closer to her, snorting. “Actually Zak here is a pussy cat.”

She tried to smother her laugh as a cough, but wasn’t very successful. Zak slouched in his chair and smiled kindly at her.

“So tell me all about flying in human form.”

Chapter Seventeen

Cody was so tired. He wasn’t sure that he had ever been so exhausted in his life. Robert Dawson was absolutely one hundred per cent crazy. He was proud of the lives he’d taken, the people he would have killed if he hadn’t been caught.

The fact that he’d confessed to everything should be enough to put him away for a very long time. Dawson had chosen Lake Worth because he’d seen Gregory on television one time. He’d had nothing against Gregory or anyone else. Robert Dawson was just evil.

He spoke quietly with his team in the hallway while they waited for the agents to come get Dawson. They still had a lot of work to do. The investigation into all the crimes Robert Dawson had committed had really just begun.

“Where’s Aubrey?” he asked, once all the work had been assigned for the next day. He was ready to get his girl and take her home.

“She’s in the break area,” Byron informed him with a grin.

Cody frowned at him, but he only smiled back.

“Okay, after they come and transport Dawson, go ahead and head home. We’ll hit it hard in the morning. The Commander has a press conference scheduled for seven, so let’s get here before then.”

After his team gave him their affirmative, Cody left them to track down Aubrey. It had been hours since he’d seen her and he needed to be able to touch her again.

Even though Robert Dawson had pushed him during the interrogation, Cody had managed to control his temper. Just the thought of Aubrey being in that madman’s presence set his teeth on edge.

Logically he knew that she was completely safe at the Coalition and that his fear wasn’t rational. But Dawson was certifiable and he’d had Aubrey!

He turned the corner to where she was and stopped short.

She was, in fact, resting in the break seating area. However, she wasn’t alone. Next to her, Jamie had his arm around the back of her chair and Aubrey was asleep on his shoulder. Jamie’s eyes were also closed, but Cody wasn’t sure if he was asleep or just resting.

Zak glanced up from his phone and stood. “Get that look off your face,” he whispered, as he walked closer.

“What? What look?” Cody snapped. It was all he could do to focus on Zak and not on the fact that another man had his arm around Aubrey.

“Right there,” Zak pointed at him. “You know damn well that Jamie isn’t doing anything wrong with your girl.”

Cody blew out a long breath. Damn, he really was losing it if he was concerned about his best friend with Aubrey. Both Jamie and Zak were two of the finest men he’d ever met.

“Shit!” Cody rubbed his hands over his face. “I’m just tired.”

Zak patted his shoulder. “So is she. She’s been through a lot today and you know how Jamie is. She fell right under his spell and calmed down.”

“I know. I’m actually glad she wasn’t waiting alone. It just hit me hard… Seeing her with someone else.”

With an arm thrown around Cody’s shoulder, Zak pulled him forward. “Then let’s wake up your girl and you can take her home.”

Home. That sounded nice.

As they reached them, Jamie’s eyes popped open. He grinned at Cody who couldn’t help feeling guilty about his first reaction. He was glad that Jamie hadn’t witnessed it.

“Hey, man.” Cody gripped his friend’s shoulder and squeezed it in thanks for staying with Aubrey.

“Hey.” Jamie nodded back and removed his arm.

Aubrey woke at the movement and looked up at Cody with sleepy eyes. He cupped her face. “Let’s go home.”

“Yes, please.” She let him help her to her feet and he wrapped his arm around her.

“Thanks, guys. I’ll see you later,” Cody told his two friends.

“No problem,” Jamie said with a chuckle. “And remember what we talked about, Aubrey.”

“I will.” She laughed softly.

“What?” Cody asked, as Jamie and Zak left them. “What did he say?”

Aubrey patted his chest. “I like your friends.”

“Yeah, they’re good guys,” he admitted. “But don’t believe everything Jamie told you!”

“We’ll see,” she teased.

Cody didn’t mind. After the day she’d had, she needed a little fun, and Jamie was good medicine for that. He still couldn’t believe he had been jealous of his best friend. He’d been fighting so hard to let the memory of Aubrey go, and now that he had her once again, he would never make the same mistake.