Shattered Rules

Shattered Rules

By Reggi Allder

Copyright © 2013 by Reggi Allder

All
rights reserved
.
Except for use in a review, this book may not be reproduced or utilized in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, known today or invented hereafter, xerography, photocopying or any information storage or retrieval system and is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Published by Cressmead Publishing

Cover art by Steven Novak

Dedicated to Lee Lee who knew I could.

Chapter One

The
doorbell broke the late night’s silence. Kelly Shaw woke with a start, sat up in bed and squinted to see the alarm clock. Eleven forty-five.

The bell buzzed again.

Out of bed, she adjusted her short blue cotton nightgown and rushed to the bedroom window. A brown delivery van idled in the dimly lit driveway. Maybe the airline had finally found her sister’s lost suitcase. Kelly threw on her robe and ran from the room.

In the
foyer, she flipped on the overhead porch light and peered out the sidelight window. A tall man in a brown uniform smiled at her.

“You’re working late
,” she shouted through the glass.

“
You’re the last delivery.”

“
Leave it on the porch.”

“I
need a signature.”

“
Oh, okay.”

When the
tumblers on the deadbolt lock turned, the front door flew open and the man lunged at her slamming her against the foyer wall. Before she could scream the intruder grabbed her by the neck.

“
Yell and you’re dead.”

S
he held her hand tightly against her mouth to push back a scream.

A
smaller man rushed into the house and jogged down the hall toward the kitchen.

The man holding her loosened his grasp.

“Get out,” she whispered. “Get out of my house.”

“
Shut up.”

“
What do you want?”

“
Where the hell is it?” Muscular, with black hair and tanned complexion the stranger glared at her.

“
Where is what?”

“
Wrong answer.” He twisted her arm. “Tell me now.”

S
he whimpered.

He
yanked her to him. His body heat burned through her thin cotton robe. She coughed as warm cigarette-breath played across her face. His black eyes gazed downward and gawked at her breasts. A smile formed on his thin lips.

Fear pulsed
in her.

T
he sound of slamming cupboard doors and breaking glass came from the kitchen. An odor of French coffee and Italian spices wafted from the room.

The smaller
man poked his head out of the kitchen doorway. “Nothing in there,” he shouted and ran down the hall toward the bedrooms.

The
stranger yanked her down the hallway.

If
she could break free, maybe she could run out the front door.

As if he heard her
thinking, he tightened his grip.

S
he screamed.

He slapped her.
“If you don’t keep quiet, I’ll kill you now.”

Now
?
Did that mean he was going to kill her later? She closed her eyes.
Don’t panic. Don’t panic.

He
pushed her forward.

In her
bedroom, she gasped as her mattress was thrown against the wall. The smaller man pulled out a switchblade knife, slit it open and ripped out the stuffing. Then he jerked open the dresser drawers and dumped the contents onto the beige pile carpet.

Liquid dripped from a
n open perfume bottle and the fragrance of roses filled the room.

The contents of her closet were tossed onto the floor.

The intruder held the knife against her neck. “Give it to me or I’ll cut you.”

She
trembled, afraid to speak with the knife at her throat.

“I could slit your throat
, bury your body and no one would be the wiser.” He moved the knife away.

She gasped.

He pushed her from him. Then he ripped a photograph of her late father off the wall. He looked inside the frame and tossed it and the photo to the floor, crushing it under his booted feet.

“No.”
She grabbed the mangled photo and held it to her.

He
rifled through her belongings with one hand and held on to her with the other one.

Johnny Vega must have sent these
guys.
She shouldn’t have come home tonight.

Naïve, she’d gotten mixed up with
Johnny, then learned he was, a vicious wise guy, a made man, cunning and mean. Careful in her escape from him, she’d been sure there was time to come home, gather her belongs and get a good night sleep before he realized she’d left him.

Wrong.
Her hands tingled and her heart thundered in her ears. With a deep breath, she fought against her growing
panic.

If the
men didn’t find what they wanted she’d be dead soon. She had to play for time. “Tell me what you’re looking for. Maybe I can find it for you.”

“
No more games. Just give it up and I won’t kill you.”

He
relaxed his hold for a second. She broke free and ran from the room.

Just as she grabbed
hold of the front doorknob, the intruder caught her.

“Bitch.”

He yanked her into the living room as the smaller man dismantled the room. Down stuffing from the couch flew in the air as he slit open the pillows.

The
man holding her pressed his hard body against her. He rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand and then ran his fingers through her hair.

“
Blonde silk.” He smiled for the first time.

She swallowed bile as
a chill ran down her back.

“
Bad things happen to little girls who steal,” he whispered in her ear.

With one swift movement, h
e covered her lips with his. A scream froze in her throat. The odor of his pungent cologne sent nausea swirling in her. Hot breath and coarse stubble scraped against her face.

She bit
him. He slapped her. She almost lost her balance and leaned against a wall for support.

A
drop of blood formed on his split lip.

“
This has been fun Kelly, but you have to give it to me.” He held her chin and turned her face toward him. “Listen bitch. I’m not leaving until you do. I get it and you’re still alive when I leave or I get it and you’re dead. I don’t care which. So, make it easy on yourself.”

She kicked him and
sprinted toward the front door, yelling for help all the way.

S
he had the front door open when he grabbed her.

Just then sirens
blared, the noise heading toward deafening crescendo drowned out her screams.

“
Someone called the cops.” The smaller guy ran out the front door.

“
I'll be back. You can run, but you can’t hide from me.” Her attacker raised his hand. “Next time I better get what I want or I’ll kill you and I’ll kill your sister too.”

H
e shoved her from him with such force she flew backward and hit the foyer wall. She crumpled to the floor. Sound ceased and light became dark.

C
hapter Two

Brick Larson battled to keep his eyes open.
After drinking three cups of coffee acid burned his stomach. Still, it wasn't enough caffeine to keep him alert. Exhausted from a long work week, he'd planned to stay in Los Angeles to sleep the weekend away. But a churning in his gut sent him out into the night with a need to return home so powerful he could no longer deny the place he hadn't seen in nearly five years.

He pushed
down bitter memories. They didn’t matter anymore. Still, he hadn’t meant to return. The FBI had transferred him back to San Francisco. He wasn’t concerned. He’d moved on with his life.

F
ocus on the road
. He rubbed his eyes. Highway 101 would have been a more enjoyable ride. There were more places to stop and stretch. Highway Five was just a long ribbon of boredom that stretched from one end of California to the other. But it was the fastest way home. Without driving more than ten miles over the speed limit, he’d be in the Bay Area in six hours. The dashboard light caught his eye, ninety miles per hour. He let his foot off the gas pedal.

With his left hand on the steering wheel, he used his other
one to rub his right knee. It throbbed from sitting in the same position for so long. His old injuries had healed, but sometimes late at night he ached.

A car's horn
blared. He swerved the wheel, brought the BMW X5 back into its lane. At the next gas station he'd stop and buy another cup of coffee. By three thirty a.m. he’d be home.

***

Fear woke Kelly with a jerk. She covered her mouth to stifle a scream. The intruders might still be in the house. Anxiety danced along her spine while she listened for sounds that the men were still in her home, nothing.

The
sirens from the nearby fire station must have frightened off the intruders. Living so close to the station, she’d often cursed the blaring noise that woke her late at night. Now she thanked God for it.

A dog barked and a car's engine sputtered.
In the entryway, she looked up to see the front door stood wide open. Dizzy, she waited, not daring to move again. Finally, she sat up.

H
er first instinct was to call the police.
I’ll kill you and I’ll kill your sister too.
The intruder’s words rang in her ears. She couldn’t call until she knew Carrie, was all right.

The cordless telephone sat
in the middle of the oak floor in the living room. She grabbed the phone and dialed.

“
Leave your name, number and the date and time you called. I'll get back to you ASAP,” Carrie’s voice mail said.

Shit
. S
he’d always been able to reach her sister by phone. Not today.
Dear God
p
lease let her be okay
.

“
Carrie whatever you do don’t come home. Meet me at the Lake Tahoe cabin. Sorry, but I’m in trouble again. I’ll explain when I see you.” With a shaking hand, she disconnected the call.

A dull pain pulsed
above her eyes. She rubbed her brow. What would her sister think when she heard the message? Ever since the death of their parents five years earlier, she and Carrie had had a rocky relationship. They’d shared their parent’s house out of necessity due to the high cost of living in the San Francisco Bay Area. But they lived separate lives and rarely spoke to each other about anything but the running of the home.

N
ow because of her stupidity in getting involved with Johnny Vega, her sister’s life was in danger. She could blame FBI agent Ted Simmons if she wanted to play “The blame game”. He was the one who talked her into taking Johnny’s flash drive.

Once
she learned the truth about what her boyfriend did for a living and his involvement in criminal dealings, she’d decided to end their relationship. It was then she met Agent Ted Simons. He seemed such a nice unassuming man and he needed her help.

“Do me a little favor,”
Agent Simmons had said. “It’ll be easy. No big deal.” He’d smiled at her. How could she turn him down? The FBI needed her.

She hadn’t even asked what was on
the flash drive she took. When Agent Simmons told her national security was involved and that was enough. For the first time in a long time she’d felt important, useful. She was an idiot
.

He’d promised it’d be simple.
Nothing in her life was ever simple. She should have remembered that, too late now.

S
till sitting on the floor, she looked up. Everything in the room was out of focus. She cradled her head between her knees and then reached up to touch the lump on the back of her head. Could she drive with her sight so blurry? If not, how would she get away?

The neighbor's dog bark
ed again. She glanced up. A man stood in the front doorway silhouetted by the driveway’s light. She squinted, hoping to see him better.

S
he fisted her hands ready to fight if the intruder had returned.

The man entered the foyer.

“My God, what happened?”

“
Brick.” Relieved, she sighed. Though she hadn't heard it in five years, she knew his deep voice.

“
Carrie?”

“
I’m Kelly.”

“
You’ve grown.” He stared at her and then scanned the room. “What the hell happened?”

“Two men broke in and ransacked the house.”
She pushed hair from her eyes and blinked several times to bring him into focus.

“
Are you alright?”

“
I think so.”

With
the swift movement of an athlete, he came closer. “Can you stand?" His vivid teal eyes narrowed as he checked her. His short blonde hair glistened in the room’s light. Telltale lines of maturity lightly etched the corners of his full mouth. “Need help standing?”

Without waiting for an answer, h
e reached for her. His large hands steadied her until she found her balance. She’d forgotten he was so tall, head and shoulders above her five feet four inch height. She stared up into the face of the man she had secretly loved since she was a teenager. His expression was kind.

“
Is Carrie here too?”

“
No. She’s on a business trip.” She hesitated.
“
What are
you
doing here?”

“
Tell me about it.” He pointed to the living room.

A
gnawing little voice in the back of her mind reminded her Brick worked for the FBI. Yeah, he’d been engaged to her sister, but he was an agent. After not seeing him for years, why was he on her doorstep at this moment?

W
hy did he drive by the house in the middle of the night, tonight of all nights? Was it to see Carrie? Was he still in love with her sister or could he be involved with the men who just ransacked the house?

The memory of
Ted Simmons words roared in her ears, “The FBI has been infiltrated. Don’t trust anyone except me.”

C
hilled, she pulled away from Brick.

Almost as if he understood her thoughts, h
is eyes narrowed. “I was driving back from LA. Nights are cooler. On a whim, I drove by the house and saw your front was door open.” He paused. “Have you called the police yet?”

“
The intruders threatened to kill Carrie if I call.”

A stunned expression spread across his
handsome face. "How is she involved in this?”

“She’s not.” Kelly
moaned.

“
Are you hurt?”

“
I bumped my head.” She forced her lips into what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’s nothing.”

“
Let me see.” He reached for her and ran his hand over the back of her head.

She
jumped back and ignored the desire to let him hold her. “I’m okay.”

“
That’s quite a lump.”

“
I’m fine.” She shivered under his scrutiny. “Really, I am.”

“
Then let’s get out of here.”

“
I can’t. Carrie might come home. I called her cell, but she didn’t answer. That’s not like her. I’m worried. I sent a text, but I can’t be sure she’ll get it. I don’t want her to come home and find the house like this.” She waved her hand toward the ransacked living room.

“
When are you expecting her?”

“
Not for a couple of days, but what if she comes home early?”

“
It’s not safe here Kelly. Those men could be back. You’ve got to get the hell out now.”

She swallowed hard
and glanced up to see his serious expression. “Just give me a minute.”

In the bathroom, h
er body ached and her mind cried out for sleep. Even so, she splashed cold water in her face.
Think. What are you going to do?
She had to get away from Brick, retrieve the flash drive she’d hidden at Lake Tahoe and give it to Agent Simmons. Then everything would be okay. Her hands trembled as she rubbed her temples to stop the migraine that pulsed behind her eyes. Could she focus well enough to drive?

In her bedroom,
grabbed clean clothes off the floor and tossed them all into an overnight bag. She slipped on underpants and a bra and pulled on a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. She found a black flat and hopped on one foot until she found the mate.

R
elief flooded her when she found her wallet. The small amount of money she’d had was gone. But at least it still held her driver’s license.

Back in the entryway, Brick p
ut a navy blue blazer over her shoulders. “I found it in the front closet. Let’s get you some place safe and then we can decide what to do next.” He looked out of the living room window. “All clear.”

“Fasten your seatbelt,”
he said as the BMW sped away from the only home she had ever known.

When would she
come home again and where was Brick taking her? She leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. It didn't matter as long as it was away from the house before the intruders returned.

If only she could
tell Brick what was really going on. Agent Simmons had said to trust no one.

***

Brick had vowed it’d be a cold day in hell before he saw Carrie or Kelly Shaw again. Now with Kelly sitting beside him, hurt and in danger, he didn’t know what he wanted. He cursed his boss, Don McCallum, for asking him to take this undercover assignment.

Kelly purred in her sleep. At a stop sign he
glanced at her. He’d forgotten how small she was, delicate, but not fragile. There was a time when she was just his fiancée’s playful kid sister. Back then he’d barely noticed her. However, she’d grown up. A dazzling female slept in the seat next to him. He noted the curve of her lips and the fullness of her breasts. Even hurt and exhausted, she oozed sex appeal. She definitely wasn’t the awkward teen he remembered.

He
focused on the road and brought his mind back to the problem at hand. It was important to get facts of what happened last night, before time dulled her memory.

Still, y
ears working at the FBI had taught him that sometimes it paid to be patient. She’d experienced a trauma and needed rest. He’d find somewhere for them to stay. After a nap he’d ask her to tell him, in detail, everything that happened last night.

The El Camino Motel, in Redwood City, was one of the few "mom and pop" motels left in the San Francisco Bay Area. The single story, adobe
style building with red tiled roof was a middle class haven, clean and relatively inexpensive. It was unlikely anyone would look for them there.

He drove into the lot
and parked. Kelly woke and stretched.

Too d
amned sexy
.

H
e told her to wait in the car while he registered. On the way to the motel's office he passed the empty swimming pool. No one would see him go into the lobby to register.

W
hen they entered the motel room, he took a deep breath. Fresh air, no musty smells like many of the rooms he’d stayed in during his other undercover assignments.

Though the
inn was built in a California adobe style, the rooms were themed. The bamboo furniture, upholstered in pink, green and gray floral fabric, had to be someone's misguided idea of Hawaiian décor. A framed picture of Mount Kilauea hung over the queen sized bed. He smiled at the choice of Hawaiian décor in the Spanish architecture motel.

“
There’s only one bed.”

“
We're lucky they had a room.” He pulled one of the pillows and the bedspread off the bed and threw them onto the maroon wall to wall carpeting. “I'll bunk on the floor.”

“
No. I shouldn’t even be here. I should be driving to Lake Tahoe. But I can’t seem keep my eyes focused. But I’m not going to take your bed.”