Game of Fear (3 page)

“Please, we need help. Some of the kids are hurt bad. They need a hospital.”

Deb scanned the inside of the chopper. How many could she fit and safely make it back? If she left equipment behind, she could carry someone extra. Her boss would be furious she’d taken the risk, but she’d worry about her job later.

Gabe cut a few limes and refilled the pretzels where some joker had upended a bowl, trying to prove he could balance them on his head after one too many. Gabe had called a cab and ushered the guy out. Hopefully the cop wasn’t on duty tomorrow so he could sleep it off.

Gabe could understand. He’d faced the dark side of the city, but being here all day every day gave him a whole different perspective on his fellow cops. Once a drink or two stripped away their masks, men and women he thought he’d known well showed more than they realized.

Hopefully Gabe hadn’t fallen into the trap. He had too much to lose. Giving away the investigation could get people hurt.

The thud of a pool stick and the clatter of balls falling in the pockets filtered through the chatter in the bar. Gabe checked the clock for the umpteenth time. Hawk shot him a knowing glance and poured two fingers of scotch. “Is your leg bothering you again . . . or is it that empty bar stool?”

Gabe scowled at Hawk. His bartender had reminded everyone of Gabe’s cover story, part of the ex-spook’s job. Fine, but Hawk hadn’t been able to resist bringing up the vacant end of the bar. Shoving past the dig, Gabe pulled a draft. A deputy snagged his drink and sent Gabe a sympathetic grimace.

“You learn to deal with it,” Gabe said with an exaggerated wince, just loudly enough for the cops nearby to hear.

He hated playing up the injured-in-the-line-of-duty card, a SWAT deputy driven from his job. So far he’d engendered pity, not suspicion, among the clientele. Every one of them knew it could have been them with a sliced-up leg. The gangbanger was doing time, but that didn’t heal Gabe’s nerve and muscle damage.

As to that empty bar stool at the end of the bar, he should focus on luring a couple of his prime suspects from the sheriff’s office to it. Maybe pour a little liquid truth down their throats.

But it was Sunday night. She should be sitting right there. And he noticed when she wasn’t.

Hawk caught Gabe’s second glance. “Guess Deb and her gang from Search and Rescue aren’t coming tonight. They hardly ever miss a Sunday football game.”

Damn Hawk. The ex-spook could read minds.

Gabe shifted his focus to scrubbing down the surface of the bar and pretended he hadn’t been completely obvious in his mooning over the gorgeous pilot. “It’s getting close to dark. I hope they’re not searching for some idiot driver who thought using chains was optional in the mountains.”

“I hear you.” Hawk delivered a couple burgers to a table, then rounded the bar. “That pileup at Loveland Pass during last weekend’s storm sure was a mess. She had her chopper do things that shouldn’t be possible, and she refused to leave until she could get everyone to the hospital. She must have nerves of steel.”

“She’s something all right.” Gabe took another look at his watch. He hoped Deb wasn’t doing anything crazy tonight. She didn’t seem to care what chances she took. He didn’t know what her demons were, but nobody flew like that without a monkey on their back—or something to prove.

Just like Gabe. Of course he knew exactly why he’d put himself in the potential crosshairs of organized crime. But why did Deb take those kinds of risks? If he had the freedom, he’d love to peel off those layers, but he couldn’t do it. Not now.

Hawk pulled another couple of drafts. “Didn’t Seth tell me she rescued you?”

“My brother talks too much.” Gabe swiped some peanut shells from the counter. “She’s probably rescued half of Denver since she arrived, but yeah. If not for her, I’d be dead.”

“That’s got to count for something.” Hawk’s grin was guileless. “Sounds like you owe her a date.”

“Right. I’m sure that’s what she’s thinking.” There was no doubt Gabe owed Deborah Lansing big-time. After the knife had sliced his femoral artery, she’d flown him to the ER in record time. The doctors couldn’t believe he’d survived the blood loss, much less walked again given the leg’s muscle and nerve damage.

When Gabe had taken over Sammy’s, he’d offered her dinner and free drinks for life, along with his thanks. If not for her, he wouldn’t be on the op, and he wouldn’t have come to know her a bit, but she’d said his gratitude was enough. He wished all he felt for the pilot was gratitude, but he noticed a few too many little things about her. Like how she gave as good as she got with her Search and Rescue colleagues. Like how she was partial to the longneck bottle and potato skins. Or that occasionally she’d choose the chef salad and joke she needed a few veggies during the week. And once a month she’d go for a hot dog. All the trimmings. A woman who liked hot dogs—and ordered them—that was a woman Gabe could respect.

For months, whenever he brought her that plate, the urge to ask to join her grew stronger. Lately, though, she’d inspired more than just the desire for a meal and conversation. His subconscious had been working overtime, disturbing his dreams with some very interesting nighttime fantasies.

Yeah, Gabe was in trouble. He liked her too much. He noticed too much, and he really shouldn’t be thinking about her. Not during the investigation.

“So, boss, when are you going to ask her out?”

Gabe whipped his head up and glared. “You know, they say that only the good die young, but in your case, an exception can be made.”

“You wuss, Montgomery. Stop hiding behind your bar apron strings. Man up and ask her out.”

Gabe wished he could, any other time he would have, but Hawk knew the risks. What was he thinking? Then again, his bartender didn’t pretend to play it safe. Which was why he was behind this bar in the first place. Gabe didn’t need Hawk needling him as it was. He couldn’t get the auburn-haired helicopter pilot out of his head. Not during the day, and sure as hell not during the night.

Especially when she wasn’t where she was supposed to be.

The woman worried him.

Gabe shouldn’t care, but he did. For months he’d tried to pin down the answer. Was it that sexy-as-hell challenge in her eyes when she smiled? Or maybe the pensive look that she couldn’t hide, that made him want to know more? Gabe fought not to rub at the scar tissue that still seized up his leg muscles, particularly after he’d been on his feet all day. Was it because she still lived the life he could no longer have? Did he seriously have thrill envy?

On cold nights like this, Gabe had to wonder. The painful limp was all too real. He could use an evening out of this bar, to stretch out on his couch with a double dose of ibuprofen, a hot dog with mustard, and a longneck bottle.

“Nothing to say? Oh, then you won’t mind if I make a move on her?” Hawk’s brow quirked.

Gabe slammed down a shot glass. “I see a firing in your immediate future, Hawk. I don’t care if Seth got you this job or not.”

Hawk just laughed, clearly not worried at all. “Have I ever mentioned that your brother is a whole lot nicer than you?”

Gabe shot him his best zip-it-or-die glare.

“Shutting up now, boss.”

Gabe’s gaze lingered on the bar stool once more. He’d made the right choice. Before long Ernie would be lurking nearby, hopefully waiting with some concrete intel on the Gasmerati crime syndicate, the group Gabe was convinced had engineered the threats against his brother.

A tin wind chime sounded outside the entryway and a group of laughing men pushed into the bar, followed by a woman with striking auburn hair. Deb Lansing.

Hawk elbowed Gabe. “She looks hot.” When Gabe didn’t respond, he leaned closer. “For the last few months you two have been sending signals a five-year-old would see. It’s past time to make a move.”

“Give it a rest. Now’s not the time. You know that.” Gabe knew the words to be true, but his heart rate picked up anyway when the group closed in on the bar.

Though her flight suit hid most of her curves, Deb’s forthright smile and the spark of fire in her eyes kick-started Gabe’s libido. Her bold gaze traveled down his body, then up, settling on his lips. Her no-nonsense stare fanned the embers into a full-fledged fire inside him.

“A shot of Cuervo for everyone, Gabe. On me.”

“Oh, no.” The head of the Search and Rescue crew shouldered in. “On me, Montgomery. We’re celebrating.”

“So, I’m not fired anymore?” Deb said, her brow arched.

Her boss frowned. “I haven’t decided. After that stunt you pulled, you’re grounded for a week. Then I may reinstate you. You could have ended up splattering my chopper on the side of the mountain.”

“What the hell happened?” Gabe swallowed back his fear. He knew Deb’s rep, and he nearly leapt over the bar.

“The boss is overreacting,” she said, sprinkling salt on her wrist, biting the lime. With a deep breath, she tossed back the tequila. Her face flinched as the drink went down.

“I don’t think so.” The guy turned to Gabe. “You were SWAT. You know about chain of command. Picture this. We’re in the mountains of New Mexico. Snow everywhere. Cloudy day so the light sucked. Sun’s going down. We call the flight crews in, but Annie Oakley here decides to disobey orders and fly several more passes. Practically gave her partner heart failure. Not to mention costing me at least ten years of life while I watched the air show.”

“We found the kids, didn’t we?” Deb countered. “I knew what I was doing. The risk was worth it.”

“Look, Deb.” Her boss snagged a peanut and popped it into his mouth. “You’re a great flyer, but you can’t save everyone. One of these days you’re going to have to face that fact.” He glanced at Gabe. “Get us two sampler platters.” He downed a tequila in one shot. “And another round. I need it.”

The rest of the group patted Deb on the shoulder before huddling at a table in the corner with their boss. “He’ll get over it,” one said. “That was some hellacious flying.”

Gabe squeezed the bottle of tequila in his hand. How his grip hadn’t shattered the bottle, he didn’t know. “Deb, can I see you for a minute?” he asked through gritted teeth.

She’d taken a couple steps toward the S&R group but paused and turned toward him, her look quizzical. “Okay.”

He clutched her hand and pulled her to his office, walked in and shut the door. He turned on her. “Are you crazy?”

Her mouth fell open and then a disbelieving expression that should have warned Gabe away crossed her face. “Excuse me?”

He clasped her shoulders. “You could have been killed.” Gabe knew he was being unreasonable, knew he was out of line, but he couldn’t stop himself.

Her arms thrust out to escape his hold, and she launched forward, pressing her hand against his chest. With the other hand she poked him, just below the collarbone. “I knew exactly what I was doing, Deputy. It’s my job and I’m damn good at it. Or perhaps I should address you as ex-Deputy.”

The barb didn’t stop him. In fact, the flash in her green eyes only fed his desire to get closer.

“I know you’re a great flyer, Deb. That’s what terrifies me,” he admitted. “I’ve gotten used to you sitting on that bar stool giving me a hard time. I’d hate to think I’d miss that because you decided to be a hero one too many times.”

She stilled, the anger seeming to seep out of her, and her shoulders sagged. “You think that’s what this is about. I want to be a hero?”

She dropped her hands. He didn’t want to lose her nearness, but it was the disappointment in her voice that squeezed his heart.

“I didn’t mean—”

“I don’t leave anyone behind. Not ever,” she said, her voice firm, but with just a hint of shaky desperation. “And especially not kids.”

Her eyes flashed with pain, her expression haunted. He’d seen the same look in Luke’s face after a particularly rough tour in Afghanistan before he’d turned journalist.

Gabe hooked her finger with his, the tentative touch cautious. He hated himself for bringing that inner ache to her eyes. He said nothing, but slowly he laced her fingers with his, staring at the connection. They fit together. Too well.

The outside world faded. In this small room, they were alone. He tugged her closer, unable to resist. He’d wanted to touch her this way for so long. Longer than he’d admitted. He wanted to know if his dreams were anything close to reality.

Her gaze rose to meet his, her cheeks flushed. She stared at his lips, then her tongue moistened her own.

Gabe didn’t want to say a word. He didn’t want to break the spell that had settled over them like a warm blanket. He leaned in, hovering closer, his lips just inches away. They tingled in anticipation.

Deb’s phone blasted between them. Gabe sucked in a deep breath and straightened. With a last look, he let her hand drop. At his movement, Deb’s eyes went from foggy to clear.

He’d almost stepped over that invisible line. And for a few seconds there, he hadn’t cared.

But now, the moment was gone. Reality had intruded. For both of them.

The very girlie pop ring tone sounded again. She winced. “My little sister.” She cleared her throat, reached into her pocket, and clicked on the phone. “Ashley? I didn’t expect . . .”