Cold Case Recruit (20 page)

Something went off inside of him, a spark, a sense of intense truth. With her face so close, tipping back, eyes blue as a clear sky, sweet breath warming his skin, instant desire inflamed the spark.

“What’s your heart telling you now?” she asked.

He didn’t answer. Not with words. His head came down and he touched his mouth to hers, soft at first, then heating into something deeper. He could not satisfy his desire for her. The need he felt surpassed any other he had ever experienced.

His heart clamored with passion, a sure and strong passion that could only come from love. That’s what scared him most. And that’s what made him pull back.

Chapter 15

“I
had a bad dream.”

Drury came awake with a start. She lay against Brycen, her arm and one leg draped over him, his arm up along the pillow supporting her neck, his hand precariously close to her nipple. She’d put on a nightgown, if you could call it that. She’d put on one of her sexy ones. And Brycen had put on his underwear.

Junior didn’t seem bothered in the slightest over seeing her in bed with Brycen.

Brycen groaned and woke. Lifting his head, he blinked a few times before it registered Junior stood in the doorway. He jerked up onto his elbows.

“Can I sleep with you?” He walked toward the bed.

As Junior crawled onto the middle of the bed, Drury glanced at Brycen and him at her. She had to move over to make room for Junior. Unabashedly, he wormed his way under the covers between them. With a sleepy, content look at Brycen and then Drury, Junior curled toward his mother and closed his eyes.

She put her arm around him and looked over at Brycen as her heart swelled with warm love. He answered her look, equally touched by the power of the moment, by Junior’s act of innocent trust. He put his arm on the boy’s upper arm and propped his head on his other hand.

Her awe lasted only so long. What would Brycen’s leaving do to Junior? All this progress will have been for nothing. Maybe she should have been more careful. Seeing her son react in such a positive way had her cheering, but maybe he’d have been better off going through this tough time on his own, and with her.

When next she met Brycen’s eyes, she saw passion. This closeness affected him in ways he couldn’t have predicted.

*

A ringing phone woke Brycen the next morning. Junior mashed to his side, Drury with her arm over her son and hand on Brycen’s bare chest, he experienced a quick and strong bolt of longing. What if he ended his show? Could he move it to Anchorage?

The phone rang again, and he realized it was his cell. Picking it up from the side table, baffled over the two questions that had run through his mind, he answered.

“Cage.” Beside him, Drury stirred, rolling to her back. The covers slid down and one of her breasts peeked out from the twisted material.

“It’s Chandler. We got a lead on Watts. He’s staying at the Antler Motel.”

“He’s still here?” Brycen sat up, reaching for Drury’s nightgown as Junior began to wake, trying to ignore her sleepy but love-struck look.

Pulling the material over her nipple, she looked down and grew more awake as she straightened the gown.

“We’re checking now,” Chandler said. “One more thing you’re going to want to hear. The lead came from Evette Cummings. She called from her mother’s house this morning, as soon as she heard Melvin had been arrested.”

“Her mother? We spoke with her.” Brycen got up off the bed, aware of Drury’s glances toward his body.

“I’m hungry,” Junior said.

“Okay, get in the shower and get dressed.” Drury kissed his nose.

“She hid there,” Chandler said as Brycen watched the mother-son exchange, Junior smiling up at her.

“Her mother lied to protect her,” Chandler went on. “Evette was too afraid Watts would find her, or her husband would tell him where she was. Melvin came looking for her a few times.”

Junior crawled off the bed and walked out of the room as though he’d slept with the two of them many times before.

“How did she hide?” In a bedroom? Where and how had she not been sighted by others or found by Melvin and Watts?

“She never left the house and her family made no secret over how they felt about Melvin. They didn’t let him in. Watts sent someone looking, but Evette managed to hide.”

“How does she know where he is?”

“She said that’s where he goes when he’s here. She heard Melvin talking to him. It’s his secret place. Melvin didn’t know she heard them talking. After he started smacking her around, she began to pay attention to what he was doing. Eventually, she got caught.”

And that’s why she’d run.

“We have a team ready,” Chandler said. “Checking guests at the hotel. Watts would have used an alias.”

“All right. I’m on my way.” He’d drop Drury and Junior off at her parents first. Drury didn’t need to go with him and he definitely didn’t want Junior there.

Disconnecting, he went into the master bathroom and started the shower. By the time he stepped in, Drury followed. Her naked body took over his attention.

“No morning kiss?” she said.

He slid his hand around to her lower back and pulled her against him. Kissing her, he wondered why they kept doing this. The only good thing was Junior couldn’t see them.

“Who called?” she asked against his wet mouth.

“Chandler. They found Watts.”

She jerked back. “Really?”

“I’ll drop you and Junior at your parents’ and meet the team.”

“You want to drop me off, too?” She kissed his mouth.

She sped up his breathing, her slick skin sliding against his, her nipples hard.

“Yes. It’s over. Watts will be arrested.”

“The case is closed.” She kept kissing him, more fervently now, as they both drew closer to the time when he’d have to leave.

He didn’t want to call this farewell sex, but he had a strong feeling Drury needed the same. He had to return to Chicago. Even if he came back to Alaska, he couldn’t do that overnight.

“I’m afraid to ask, what about us?” she breathed.

He lifted her and pressed her against the back shower wall. “Wrap your legs around me.”

Kissing her to stop her questions, he found her softness as she hooked her legs around him. He entered her with the urgency he felt, the confusion over how he felt
for her
. Kissing her, making love with her, took him away from the conflict.

He kissed her as he moved, gently bobbing her up and down against the wall, warm water at his back and misting her. She dug her fingers into his wet hair and leaned her head back as he ran his tongue down her neck to her breasts. He held her while he caressed one breast. Treating the other to the same taste, he went back to her mouth and kissed her harder.

Unable to slow the craving, he thrust quicker. Her audible breaths heightened the building ache for release. He stopped a groan as he watched her peak, the sight and friction sending him to the same soaring cloud.

*

Drury flew the toy plane between the two front seats of the car Brycen had rented since his had incinerated, a black Volvo that in one way fit him and in another didn’t. Sleek and stylish and safe, but not as masculine as a truck or SUV. A girl car, her dad would say. She supposed she got that outlook from him. Her dad had a plane and drove a big truck. Her mother often teased him about how he stereotyped based on the vehicles people drove. She’d bought a big Cadillac SUV just to prove a point. Girls could drive big vehicles, too. He’d come back with, “Yeah, but only a girl would pick a Cadillac.”

Her parents often played around like that. And she used to, as well. Flying this toy plane was the first time since Noah died that she’d done anything like this.

“Vrrrroommm,” She twisted to fly in front of Junior’s face.

He giggled and flew his superhero after her.

“Okay, kids, we’re here,” Brycen said.

Smiling, Drury flew the plane in front of his face and he just looked over at her as though she’d gone coo-coo. With a laugh, she got out and joined her son on the driveway, walking with him toward the door as he continued to fly his superhero.

She took the doorknob and found it locked. “Hm. They must not be home yet.” She dug into her purse for the key she had.

“Where are they?” Brycen asked.

“They said they were going to go out for breakfast. Must have hit the church crowd.” It was Sunday.

When she had the door open, she turned to Brycen to say goodbye.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, leaning in for a kiss, pressing soft warm lips to hers and giving her a whiff of his cologne.

He moved back and met her eyes, the fire of yearning for more burning.

She didn’t think he’d planned to kiss her, just automatically did before going. Like a husband. Like a father. She felt part of a family again. What a wonderful, welcome gift.

“Ew,” Junior said, looking up at them.

Brycen grinned down at him. “Watch your mother for me, Partner.”

Junior smiled big. “I will.”

To Drury he said, “Don’t wreck your plane while I’m gone.” He tapped her plastic toy plane in her hand.

Laughing softly, full of joy, she watched him walk back to the Volvo, appreciating his butt in jeans beneath the hem of his leather jacket. She sighed wistfully. She could do this the rest of her life.

The last thought came unbidden and she quickly put it away. Best to not start hoping he’d stay and be a family with her. When would he say goodbye? When he returned, after arresting Dexter Watts? Should she prepare Junior?

“Mom.” Junior tugged on her sleeve.

She followed him inside and closed the door to a quiet house. Putting her purse on the front entry table and handing the plane to Junior, she found a note her mother had left.

This came for you.

Mom.

Drury lifted an envelope, one a card would hold. Opening the top, she slid out the card. It was from Avery.

I wasn’t sure how to get in touch with you and Brycen. I would like to apologize for the way I treated Brycen when I first saw him. I’ve had to live with what losing my sister did to my father. She was always his favorite and I often struggled with being second. I guess that’s why I went along with his bitterness for so long. I could see he was hurting and wanted to help, but I see now that I felt obligated to agree with him. Maybe in some way I did this to win his love.

You were kind when you could have been justifiably angrier than you were. We probably don’t deserve your or Brycen’s forgiveness, but I’d like to try to earn it. I’ve spoken with my father and with my mother’s help, we’ve managed to make him see what an ass he’s been. The time has come to put our bitterness behind us.

We would like to meet Brycen and try to establish more friendly terms. I don’t expect he’ll want to become close friends, but if we could at least part ways amicably, I think this would go a long way to heal my father, and maybe ease Brycen’s mind some. Would he be willing? I thought it best to approach you first, since I expect Brycen won’t initially want anything to do with us.

Avery.

She had left her phone number.

Drury wasn’t sure how long Brycen would be apprehending Dexter Watts. But meeting Avery and her father would do Brycen good. Would he be angry if she interfered? He might not ever want to see or talk to Kayla’s family again.

Junior’s toys clattering to the hardwood floor preceded his high-pitched scream.

Drury pivoted, her pulse flying as she saw a well-dressed man with a gun. He stood behind Junior, one hand grabbing his arm and the other pressing a gun to his head.

All the blood left Drury’s head. At first light-headed with a bolt of fear, she felt aggressive protectiveness quickly taking over.

“Let go of my son.”

“Mommy...?”

“It’s okay, Junior.” What could she do? What did this man intend? Though she hadn’t seen a picture of Dexter Watts, he had to be that man.

“Junior,” Dexter said. “I didn’t know this was your mommy. She’s been kind of a pain in my side lately.”

“If you hurt her, my partner is going to get you,” he said.

“Your partner, huh? Would that be my even bigger pain, Brycen Cage?”

“He’s not a pain!” Junior stomped his foot down on Dexter’s.

Dexter didn’t even wince. He gave Junior a jerk. “Hold still, kid.”

“What do you want?” Drury moved toward him. If he’d come to kill her, he’d have done it by now. Why the drama first?

“Junior? Do you want your mother to live?”

That was the last thing Junior needed to hear. She watched, helpless, as his eyes rounded with stark fear. “You can’t take my mommy away!” Junior yanked against the grip on his arm.

Drury stopped. “I’m not going anywhere, honey.” What if this terrible person succeeded and killed her? Brycen, too? She could not allow that.

“Can you ride a bike, Junior?”

“Yes.” He looked up at Watts.

“Go get on the one out front and ride it to the Antler Motel. Do you know where that is?”

“Let go!” He pulled harder.

Dexter released him and he ran to Drury, who hooked her arms around him, relieved beyond measure that Dexter hadn’t harmed him.

“There’s a bike in the front, Junior. It looks like it’s yours.”

Her parents did keep a bike here for Junior, and he rode it enough to be familiar with the area. He didn’t go into town, but the Antler was on the outskirts of town. She didn’t care if he didn’t find it. As long as she knew he was safe—away from here and Dexter’s gun—she’d feel a lot better.

And she’d find a way to deal with this disgrace to humanity.

“Go get on it and give this to Brycen.” He handed the boy a folded piece of paper.

What was that? What did he have planned? He had something planned, and it involved Drury.

*

Before Brycen entered the motel office, an agent emerged from there and intercepted him. The tall, sophisticated-looking black man put away his phone. “Detective Cage?”

“Yes.”

The agent tucked away his phone inside his suit jacket. “Watts isn’t here. He hasn’t checked out and is scheduled to stay through the weekend. I just received word that we’re going to wait for him to return. You’re welcome to wait with us, or someone can give you a call when we’ve apprehended him.”

He wished someone would have called to tell him. He didn’t like leaving Drury.

“Is anyone looking for him?” Were they really just going to sit here and wait? Odds were Watts knew his cover was blown and he’d fled.

“Yes. We’ve got some agents trying to locate him, but he uses several aliases. We’re doing our best.”

At least they hadn’t discounted the possibility that Watts had gone on the run. “Have someone call me when he turns up.” He’d rather not waste time hanging around a motel Watts most likely wouldn’t return to.