Emergency Response (14 page)

She dug out her phone. “I'm calling Jake.”

“No,” he said sharply to stop her. “Not until we hear an all-clear on my radio.”

“You think there are others who might keep attacking the firehouse?”

“No, but just in case, we can't take their attention when they might still need it. Our need to know how they're doing comes secondary to their safety.” He took her hands. Icy cold and clammy. “You know that, right? You've been in situations like this with the team?”

“Yes, but I've always had Jake calling the shots. I can trust his instructions to always be right.”

“And you don't feel that way about my directions?” For a moment, he couldn't think of anything except how much her words hurt. “You don't trust me.”

“I do, it's just...” She shrugged and slipped her hands free. “I don't know you as well as Jake. Our team has been through so much with him, and we've always come out the other side.”

“And we haven't been through tough situations? Your life has been threatened and I was there, right? By your side.” He firmly met her gaze. “And as long as you're in danger, I'll never walk away. Never.”
Not like your ex. Not as I did with Ashley.

“You
will
be there, won't you?” she asked, as if for the first time she realized how committed he was to her safety.

She lifted a hand and gentle fingers settled on his cheek like a kiss. “I trust you, Noah. I really do.”

Even if he could come up with a response, the surge of emotions he felt when he looked into her eyes, liquid with emotion, made it hard to speak. The urge to sweep her into his arms was as tangible as the pull between them. He reached for her hand instead. Took it. Twined his fingers through hers. She pulled her gaze away to look at their hands.

“Darcie,” he whispered, hoping she would look at him and he could find a way to talk about Evan. Tell her that he was falling for her and hope that she would understand his past.

The all-clear came over his radio, and she jerked back. “We should go. They might need me.”

“You're right.” He shifted the car into gear and knew something had shifted between them, too.

They'd forged a bond of trust and without words, they'd communicated an acceptance of the interest burning between them. Another step in bringing them closer together. The last thing either of them needed.

FOURTEEN

D
arcie held her breath as Noah drove through the yellow crime-scene tape fluttering around the perimeter of the firehouse property. He'd said he wasn't letting her out of the car in the street, so he'd gotten special permission to drive into the back lot that, though it hadn't seen any action, officers had cordoned off. Several officers were standing duty there.

He parked and turned to her. “Your attacker would be foolish to try anything with the extensive police presence, but stay close by my side, just in case.”

Memories of the shooting at the precinct came rushing back and he didn't have to tell her twice. She would gladly stay close to him. He got out, and she waited for him to open her door. The minute she exited, his arm went around her waist, drawing her tight against his hip. His posture was rigid, his expression closed, but his eyes were focused, and he stepped with purpose around the side of the building.

Her first look at the firehouse brought a gasp to her lips. Cops swarmed over the area like a disturbed hill of angry fire ants. Bullet holes riddled the building. The shooters had literally sprayed the first-floor exterior from top to bottom, and bullet holes peppered the beautiful antique fire doors. Tears pricked at her eyes as she searched for her team. Jake stood outside along with Brady, who had his sniper rifle casually slung over his shoulder.

She forgot all about Noah's directions, broke free and ran to Jake. “Is everyone okay?”

“Fine. I'm glad to see you're okay, too.” He hugged her hard before setting her free. Jake was always the picture of professionalism whenever he was on duty. If he thought to hug her in front of the sheer volume of police officers in attendance, he had to be very unsettled and that raised her anxiety even more.

“We should get you inside,” Noah chided her, along with a look that said
I told you to stay close by
.

The anxiety she'd barely kept under control broke free. “Why? Because it's so safe in there?” She gestured at the door. “Look at this. Anyone sitting in the family or game room would have died.” She shuddered and a dam of tears burst.

Jake stepped forward, but Noah beat him to her side. He drew her into his arms, and she let him hold her. Right here in front of everyone. She didn't care if she seemed like a weak, weepy female. She'd been choked, shot at, bombed and now they'd open fired on her friends, too. If that didn't deserve a good cry, what did?

Noah pulled back. “C'mon, honey. We'll go inside and the rest of the team will join us soon, right, Jake?”

“Right,” Jake replied.

With a warm arm around her shoulders, Noah guided her through the chaos. Under normal circumstances, she'd shrug off his touch and take time to analyze that he'd just called her honey. But now, her entire focus needed to stay on the latest shooting.

They stepped into the foyer and she cringed at the extensive damage to the place she'd called home for the last six years. “Why do they keep trying this whole drive-by thing over and over? Don't they realize it's not working?”

“Gangs work on the dumb-luck theory. If they keep trying it, they figure that at some point they're going to hit their target.”

His comment struck like a knife to her chest and she jerked back.

“Hey.” He cupped the side of her face. “I know that was blunt, but you want the truth, right?”

“Yes.” She shuddered. “But this truth is almost too hard to handle.”

“Just hang in there a little longer. We're going to end this today.”

“End it today? How? We don't have any solid leads.”

“I'm going to arrange a safe house for you with round-the-clock protection until we catch whoever's behind these attacks.”

Darcie glanced around the space. Bullets had lodged in drywall and chipped off concrete. She wasn't one to run, but she suddenly liked the sound of a safe place. For her. For the others.
Isabel and Pilar.
“I'm not going anywhere without Isabel and Pilar.”

“No problem. They can come with you.”

She gestured at the tattered space around them. “After seeing this, I won't argue.”

“We'll pack your bag and I'll make the arrangements.”

“Isabel and Pilar will need to pack, too.”

“I'll go tell Jake to send them upstairs as soon as they arrive.” He turned to leave.

Darcie stopped him. “Thank you for keeping a level head and making me wait in the car. If I had come over here in the midst of the gunfight...” She shook her head.

“No biggie.”

“I don't know what I'd do without you,” she said, and she meant it. Boy, how she meant it. Not only in regards to her safety, but also in regards to her life.

She was getting used to having him around, and she'd honestly miss being with him when this was all over.

* * *

The safe house with very few windows was quite serviceable in Noah's opinion. Sure, it was blandly decorated, the furniture was sparse and basic and the heavy blinds to keep people from looking in meant that the place seemed dark and cave-like.

It was, in one word, safe. And that was all that mattered to Noah.

Archer was too busy checking the windows and doors to seem to care about the decor. Darcie and Pilar seemed less impressed. Pilar ran her finger over a table, checking for dust, and Darcie stood in the entry as if not wanting to step deeper into the house. Isabel, now in a cast that allowed her to walk, limped into the family room and frowned at the ancient television.

Noah's best bet was to ignore their unease and try to make the stay there as enjoyable as possible. “The bedrooms are down the hall. You can choose the ones you want.”

“Yippee.” Isabel hobbled toward the rooms.

“I'd better go with her to make sure she chooses wisely,” Pilar said, already heading across the room.

“You should choose one, too,” he said to Darcie when she didn't move.

“What about you?” she asked him. “Don't you need a room?”

“I'll be on duty most of the time. When I'm not, I'll catch a quick nap on the sofa.”

“We could call in more of my team members to rotate standing watch so you can get some sleep.”

He met her gaze and held it. “The more people coming and going, the greater chance that your attacker will find this place. Plus, I doubt I'll be able to sleep much anyway. Not with all of your lives on the line.”

She stepped closer. “You seem to be taking this personally.”

“It is personal. Don't you know that by now?” He ran a gentle finger over her cheek, before forcing himself to step back. “I'm heading out to meet with Winnie's sons. Is there anything else you need before I go?”

She shook her head, but seemed sad that he was leaving.

Noah didn't want to go, but he believed he needed to question the Kerr brothers personally so he could look them in the eye and assess their truthfulness. Besides, Darcie was safe here.
If
she followed his directions. “Promise me you'll stay inside and listen to Archer.”

“I will.”

“All the time, Darcie. Not just when it suits you.”

She watched him for a few moments. “Your comment stings, but I deserve it. I've argued with your directions plenty of times. I've tried not to, but—”

“But you won't depend on a man again.”

“I'm that obvious, am I?”

“Tom hurt you. I get that you're gun-shy, but is that how you want to live the rest of your life?”

“Honestly?”

“Yeah, honestly.”

She nibbled on her lip for a moment. “I thought so. Until this week. Until I spent more time with you.”

“And now?” he asked, holding his breath in wait for her answer.

“Now I don't know.” Her lips tipped in a sweet smile. “I guess I'm on the fence about it.”

He wanted to ask what it would take to move her to his side of the fence, but he had no right to ask that of her. Not until he dropped his bombshell. “There's something I need to talk to you about when I get back. Will you make some time for me then?”

“It's not like I can say no. There's nowhere I can go to get away from you.” She chuckled.

He smiled but he didn't really feel it. She joked, but he wondered if she was just trying to lighten the mood or if she really didn't want to talk to him. It was becoming more and more important for him to know how she felt about what he'd done and he was going to tell her about Ashley and Evan tonight if it was the last thing he did.

FIFTEEN

R
andall and Michael Kerr sat at the polished mahogany table in their posh conference room on the top floor of their high-rise office building. Noah remained standing as he questioned them about LK Design. The pair clearly looked down their noses at Noah, but if they thought that would intimidate him, they were wrong.

“Why all the questions about LK?” Randall crossed his legs, leaving a crease in otherwise perfectly pressed khakis. “Is the business in some sort of trouble?”

“Leland King is missing,” Noah said and waited for a response.

“Missing.” Michael shot to his feet. The oldest of the brothers, he was tall and thin with nondescript brown hair and wore a perfectly tailored gray suit. “How? What happened?”

“I really can't share details of the investigation, but his sister reported him missing.”

“And you think we might know where he is or be involved with his disappearance? Preposterous.” Randall stared coolly at Noah, a cold, sharp gaze that probably served him well in the business world.

Noah didn't like this guy, but unfortunately for the investigation, he believed that the brothers weren't involved in King's death. Still, Randall was nervous about something as he fidgeted with the collar on his polo shirt.

“Have you checked with Ramon?” Michael asked and turned to his brother to share a worried look.

“Yes, Ramon. Good idea,” Randall chimed in as he often had after Michael looked to him for confirmation. “They work very closely together. If anyone knows where Leland might be, it's Ramon.”

They had to be referring to
the
Ramon Flores on the hit list. Noah schooled his voice to play down his interest. “Ramon who?”

“Ramon Flores,” Randall replied. “Leland's top freelance designer.”

“He was more than that.” Michael ran a hand through his hair, leaving tufts standing. “Leland was also Ramon's teacher at the community college a few years ago. Plus he's serving as a mentor for Ramon while he finishes his schooling.”

Interesting. Very interesting. Ramon and Leland
were
connected. Something that, given time, he suspected Skyler would have discovered in her research.

Noah needed to know more about this guy. “Did Ramon work out of Leland's home office, too?”

“Not sure if he worked there,” Michael said. “But he was often hanging around when we met with Leland.”

Randall nodded. “We never really interacted directly with Ramon. Leland said he wasn't officially associated with the firm but was an independent contractor.”

“I'm surprised Ramon wasn't the one who reported Leland missing.” Michael eyed Noah. “Is Ramon okay?”

Hardly.
“We're focusing on King.”

Noah could see the brothers didn't miss his non-answer and were about to ask additional questions so he decided to quickly change the topic. “Your mother tells me that that two of you have been involved in a bit of financial maneuvering.”

Randall rolled his eyes, then glanced at his brother. “As we've told her over and over again, we aren't doing anything illegal. She has a vivid imagination spurred by her dementia.”

Noah made strong eye contact with Randall. “She didn't seem to be confused or suffering from dementia when I spoke with her.”

“She has good days and bad days,” Michael said. “You must have caught her on a good one.”

Noah doubted it. He'd seen people with dementia and even when they had good days, some confusion lingered. Not so with Winnie and he hated to see these young men speak so poorly of their mother.

“Where do you think she got the impression that you were involved in underhanded activities?” Noah asked.

“She probably got suspicious when she learned about the attorney we hired to help manage the company's finances.” Randall shared their well-known attorney's name. “We simply hired him to learn effective ways to minimize our tax liabilities on company profits, but he's represented clients who've been found guilty of tax evasion so he's gotten a bad rep.”

“I've heard of him,” Noah said. “He and his associates go beyond questionable to sleazy.”

Randall crossed his arms. “That's your interpretation, but our attorney has never been implicated in anything illegal.”

Noah assumed these were the unethical men Winnie mentioned. Noah would find pictures of the attorneys on the internet and show them to her for confirmation.

He turned his attention to Michael. “You rent several of your retail spaces to Rocket Cycles.”

“We have a few leases with them, yes.”

“So you're in regular communication with the Nuevo gang, then?”

Michael jutted out his chin. “First of all, there's no proof that the Rocket stores are owned by any gang.”

Noah snorted.

Michael crossed his arms. “If you're so sure about the connection show us the proof.”

The answer didn't surprise Noah. The Kerrs' lawyers likely investigated Rocket before signing a lease with them so they could disavow all knowledge of the criminal connection. “What about money laundering?”

The brothers shot a quick look at each other, and Noah would have to be blind not to catch the guilty surprise in their expressions.

Randall's chin went up and he looked very much like a larger, tougher version of his mother. “If Mother has accused us of that, she truly has gone off the deep end.”

“As we've said—” Michael planted his hands on the table “—we've done nothing illegal. That's all you need to know. If you have further questions please direct them to our attorney. We're done here.”

Noah couldn't force them to talk to him or answer any additional questions, so he let their secretary escort him out of the building. In his car, he dialed Archer to check in on the safe house.

“Everything okay?” Noah asked.

“We're all good.” Archer said. “And as a bonus I have some news on the Kerr brothers.”

“They're involved?”

“Maybe.” Noah heard papers shuffling. “I used the online access from Winnie and did a preliminary search through Kerr Development's recent financial records. I discovered someone is paying exorbitant monthly rents on the vacant properties. I don't know if they have official leases as I don't have access to their legal paperwork. I
can
see that rents are currently paid by a subsidiary of the shell corporation that owns Rocket Cycles.”

“Interesting,” Noah said as he digested the information. “So why are the buildings empty?”

“I have more work to do to prove this, but I believe that the Kerrs are indeed laundering money for the Nuevos and leaving the properties vacant allows their scheme to work.”

“How?” Noah asked excitedly.

“Kerr Development has a very generous program in place for their lessees who refer a potential client to lease vacant spaces. In a given month there are hundreds of referrals paid out, but—” he paused and Noah tapped his foot in wait for the information “—all of the paid referrals thus far have gone to one corporation only. The same shell corporation that owns Rocket Cycle.”

“So let me get this straight. This subsidiary pays rent on all of these properties and then Kerr Development pays it back to Rocket as a reward for client referrals.”

“Yes, but Kerr also keeps a hefty portion of these inflated rents. It's a win-win. They make money and the shell corp gets clean money that they can then legitimately spend.”

“You're right. It's a classic case of money laundering.”

“And if the Kerr brothers are guilty of money laundering with the Nuevos, then it isn't too much of a stretch to imagine they are in deep enough with the gang to order a hit on Darcie so they don't lose their inheritance.”

“And the Nuevos would be happy to comply because if Darcie inherited a controlling interest in Kerr Development, the Nuevos money-laundering source would dry up.”

“Exactly,” Archer said and let the word hang there for a moment. “You think this is what Judson meant when he mentioned the Nuevos's money-laundering scheme?”

“Only one way to find out,” Noah said. “I'll give him a call. If our theory is right, and he wants evidence, how long before you have this locked down?”

“I should have it by the morning if I pull an all-nighter.”

“Then pull the all-nighter. I'll even make the coffee to keep you awake.” Noah laughed. “I'll call Judson and come straight back to the safe house to update you.”

Noah disconnected and immediately dialed Judson. He answered on the third ring.

“Hold on a second.” Judson put Noah on hold before he could get his story out.

This call was so important, Noah couldn't sit still in the car. He got out and walked the perimeter of the parking lot. The crisp, cold air brought his thoughts into focus. This could be the lead they needed. The lead that would end these attempts on Darcie's life so they could all go back to their own lives.

He absolutely had to tell her about Evan tonight. His gut tightened with that all too familiar worry. Just the thing Winnie talked about earlier. He was letting life take over. Drowning, as she'd said. He was choosing to ignore God and forget that He was bigger than Noah's circumstances. God could find a way for Evan to know Him. And a way for Darcie to understand his past. Noah just had to trust.

“Okay, Lockhart,” Judson said as he came back on the phone. “What did you need?”

“It's not what I need. It's what I can offer to help you.” Noah relayed Archer's information.

“And your guy has proof of this?” Judson asked.

“Yeah,” Noah replied. “At least he will by morning.”

“Then get it to me ASAP and we'll bring the Kerr brothers in and have a run at them. Maybe we'll solve both of our problems at the same time.”

* * *

Not more than five hours later, Noah stood before Darcie in the safe house living room. She sat on the sofa, a soft smile on her face, looking expectantly up at him. Archer had located concrete proof of the Kerr brothers' money-laundering connection to Rocket Cycles and delivered it to Judson. The DA would review the information tonight. If he thought they had a prosecutable case, officers would pick up the brothers first thing in the morning.

A cause for celebration for everyone but Winnie. Noah couldn't celebrate anything. Not when Darcie didn't know about Evan.

Noah drew in a deep breath to start his story, but a familiar thread of worry wove through his gut.

Remember. If God wants Darcie to look favorably on you, then she will.

Please, Father
, Noah prayed though the time for praying was over and the time for acting was upon him.

“I don't know how to start so I'll just blurt it all out,” Noah said as he paced across the small room.

Darcie's smile evaporated. “You're scaring me.”

He had so much to lose here that he could barely continue to meet her gaze. “I have a son,” he began. “My college girlfriend got pregnant.”

“Wow!” Darcie fell back against the sofa and stared at him. “I can't imagine—”

“I know this is a bombshell,” he interrupted. “But please let me tell the whole story before you say anything more. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said, sounding cautious.

“So like I said, Ashley got pregnant. We were sophomores. Just barely nineteen. Way too young to be parents. But there we were. Five months from having a child.” He shook his head and couldn't speak as the panic from the day Ashley had told him about the baby came rushing back.

“So what did you do?” Darcie's voice was a breathless whisper that he couldn't begin to evaluate when he so wanted to know what she was thinking.

“Nothing,” he admitted.

Her mouth fell open and he had to pull his gaze away.

“I did nothing,” he continued. “I didn't support Ashley. Didn't help her figure out what to do. Didn't even tell my parents. I just blocked her and the baby from my mind and went about my life at college as if it never happened. Started drinking a lot to help forget.”

Darcie crossed her arms and sat back. “You abandoned her?”

“Yes,” he said, but it was barely audible.

Darcie's eyes narrowed. “What about Ashley? What did she do?”

“She dropped out of college to have the baby, then asked me to sign over my rights when the baby was born, which I did without blinking an eye. Her parents have been raising him. His name's Evan. He's fifteen.” Noah glanced at Darcie and saw nothing in her expression that told him what she was thinking or feeling. “Once I knew her parents had custody of Evan and that he would be raised in a safe, stable home, I came to grips with it all and went on with my life for a long time.”

“So you're saying you're okay with what you did?”

“Okay with it? No. I shouldn't have given Evan up before knowing if I really could handle being a parent. I should have stood by Ashley and tried to be a dad, or at least helped her decide what would be best for the baby, whether it was us or not.”

“And now? Do you want to have a relationship with him?”

“Yes, of course. In fact, I recently learned Ashley's parents turned away from their faith when she got pregnant and they haven't raised Evan to know the Lord.”

A look of disapproval crossed her face. There, finally, was the judgment he expected.

“I want to change that,” he rushed on. “I've tried to change it. After I found out, I approached Ashley's parents. They won't let me have anything to do with Evan.”

“And so you gave up?”

He shoved his fingers into his hair in frustration. “What else am I supposed to do? I can't go against their wishes and talk to Evan. That would be wrong for everyone.”

“Got some news for you,” Skyler said, charging into the room.