Third Eye Watch (A Serena Shaw Mystery) (6 page)

“Audrey, What happened”? His voice was deep, and he wore a worried look on his face.

So this was Raina. And her name is Audrey. Hmm. It quite suited her.

He and Audrey spoke in low tones and Serena took the time to check him out. His face was striking, all angles and bones as if chiseled from honey-tinted marble. His neatly trimmed beard outlined a strong jaw, and he even had a dimple in his chin. Broad shoulders stretched the crisp white shirt he wore, over which he too wore a tan shoulder holster from which a gun protruded. Serena’s gaze trailed lower, taking in his narrow waist and muscular thighs, which strained against dark blue jeans.

Special Agent Raina, partner of Special Agent Audrey Glennon, was sexier than a GQ model, and H-O-T with serious testosterone oozing out of every cell of his body.

What would it feel like to be held by him?

“Serena, meet Special Agent Raina.”

Serena’s looked at Audrey blankly, her fantasies dissolving as reality intruded.

“Jesus Christ, is there any woman who isn’t instantly bowled over by Sam?”

“This is my partner, Samvir Raina.” She said, her mouth curving.

Serena raised her eyes to look at him and felt her heartbeat accelerate to a gallop.

I could drown in those warm cognac-colored eyes.

She felt his eyes on her for a long moment. Then he said, “Hello, Ms. Shaw”, and stepped closer, offering his hand to Serena, his voice sending slivers of pleasure through her.

I want to be in your arms, not shake your hand.

She forced her gaze downward to his outstretched hand, and that’s when she caught sight of a Kara on his wrist.

Ah, McHot’s a Sikh!

She was surprised. She’d not known that the local FBI included an Indian American Agent. She had many Sikh friends and knew that Sikhism was a monotheistic religion from Northern India; it was based on the belief in one God. Like Special Agent Raina, all of her male Sikh friends also wore a Kara, a stainless steel bracelet, which signified their commitment to God.

She hesitated, unnaturally unwilling to shake hands with him. Then keeping her gaze lowered, she extended her hand and watched it disappear in his large masculine palm.

She shivered visibly when his fingers touched hers, feeling an electric current sting her and send a bolt of energy through her palm, reverberating throughout her body. Her head jerked up, and she found him watching her, the amber flecks in his eyes glowing with intense heat.

“Nice to meet you Ms. Shaw”, he drawled softly.

She didn’t reply, instead tugged at her hand to free it from his clasp but he held it firmly. Serena’s eyes flashed at him in annoyance and she tugged harder; this time her hand came free.

“Serena, wait for me in my SUV. I’ll take you home”, Special Agent Glennon said, her voice as if coming from a distance.

Serena nodded, turning to leave, then stopped abruptly.

“What about my car?” she asked.

“I’ll tell a uniform to drive it to your apartment.”

As she started to turn, Serena stole a glance at Special Agent Raina from under her eyelashes. He was watching her steadily, an intense look in his cognac-colored eyes

xxxx

Sam watched Serena walk the few steps to Audrey’s car, and the gentle sway of her hips sent ripples of lust through his body.

When his gaze had first landed on her as she stood next to Audrey, his heart had thudded, as if in recognition.  And he had forgotten to breathe when she had gazed up at him. When he had held her gaze, he had found that her eyes were pools of melted milk chocolate. They were wide-set and large, and she was wearing little or no makeup. Her dark brown hair was straight and long, cascading down almost to her waist and when the sun had caught it just so, the red tints in her hair had seemed aflame. And her lips, he thought; plump and sensuous, just begging to be kissed by him.

Upon closer inspection he realized that she was truly beautiful. And short, he thought with an inward laugh. Her petite frame had barely reached past his shoulders, even though she had to be wearing four-inch heels.

And in spite of the news about Sofia and the mysterious Escalade situation, her eyes had not held a trace of fear in them. He admired such strength in women. His mom and his sister were the same, fearless in the face of any thing that life threw at them.

He’d sensed her unwillingness to shake hands, and had perversely kept his hand outstretched so she’d be forced to. But the joke was on him. Her touch had electrified him, flooding him with raging desire. It had taken every bit of self-discipline he possessed not to drag her into his arms and kiss her senseless.

What the hell is wrong with me?

His intense hormonal reaction to her surprised him. She was beautiful, no doubt, but he had dated numerous women, including a gorgeous and famous television actress who had been nicknamed “bombshell” by the press.

He stood watching her now as she sat in the vehicle and fixed her lips, his own lips curving as he recalled the way her eyes had flashed in annoyance when he wouldn’t release her hand.

“Sam,” Audrey called out to him.

He rocked on his heels, grinning to himself. Serena would be seeing him again; very, very, soon. Then he turned, and stepped closer to Audrey.

xxxx

Serena slumped in the passenger seat of Audrey’s car (she no longer thought of her as Special Agent Glennon) and looked out at Special Agent Raina, aka, McHot as she had christened him.

His hot stare had made her back tingle as she walked the few steps to the car. And now he still stood there, staring at her. She scowled, then took out a compact and lipstick from her purse, and began fixing her lips, watching him covertly over the tiny mirror.

She breathed in relief when he turned away, and then her breath hitched again. McHot was sporting a ponytail, and she, Serena Shaw, had a thing about men with ponytails.

Serena put her compact away and waited for Audrey, pensively staring outside, and keeping her gaze away from them.

A few minutes later, Audrey got in and started the car, a cellphone glued to her ear. As she pulled out of the parking lot, McHot gave them a small wave. Serena watched him from the visor vanity mirror until she could no longer see him.

Audrey remained on the phone, and Serena sat back, closing her eyes as she focused on what had been bothering her. She had made eye contact with Special Agent Raina, several times. But his thoughts had not transmitted. When their fingertips had met, she had felt as if she had touched a live wire and when she had looked at him, she had thought she’d catch a few stray thoughts. But nothing had come through.

So why wasn’t McHot transmitting?

She shivered slightly, as she remembered the heat in his dark eyes.

Will I see him again?

Thankfully Audrey’s phone call lasted the entire way and prevented her from noticing Serena’s preoccupation.

When they arrived at her apartment, Serena invited Audrey upstairs, which she accepted, leaving her car at the curb.

When Serena raised an eyebrow, she told her “Cops don’t park,” her eyes dancing.

Serena made lemon tea, her most recent obsession, and they wandered out on the balcony. The downtown intersection below looked busy. Cars were inching forward slowly; impatiently waiting for dozens of pedestrians to cross. Serena recalled that a weeklong festival was being held at Hart Plaza, which was only two blocks from her apartment; and which explained the people crowding up the sidewalks and snarling traffic, long after rush hour.  They had come from the opposite direction, thus missing the traffic below.

They drank the tea and nibbled on anise-flavored sugar cookies, another recent obsession of Serena’s. The cookies were imported from Canada and carried by a local South Asian store. Serena had found the best way to eat them was to dip the cookies in coffee or tea, and then pop them in her mouth, upon which they just melted, leaving behind an alluring and potent taste of anise.

“So, do you want to stay with your parents for a few days?”

“I didn’t see a ring but is your partner married or….”

They spoke in the same instant and then burst out laughing.

“It’s like that eh?” Audrey wiggled her eyebrows at Serena, grinning widely.

“I’m going to have fun teasing Sam over this.” “I should tell her that he has a girlfriend.” “Girls are always ga-ga over him.” “I saw how he looked at her like he wanted to….”

“Like he wanted to what??? Tell me, tell me”, Serena whined internally.

“Who were the people in the Escalade?” Serena changed the topic.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Sam thinks it’s related to another case we’re on. Maybe I can have a uniform follow you for a few days, just as a precaution.”

“And no, he isn’t married. But he does have a girlfriend. Why, are you interested?”

“Maybe Sam can keep an eye on her, lol.”

“I don’t really want cops following me around. But if Special Agent Raina wants to……”, Serena grinned at her.

Audrey looked at Serena suspiciously.

“It’s like she’s plucking the thoughts right out of my head.”

Serena laughed.
You have no idea!!

“How long have you two been partners?”

“Almost fifteen years.”

“And you and he, you never……”, Serena prodded.

“No, he and I, we never….”, she teased, laughing openly now.

Serena couldn’t help laughing back.

“Do you enjoy being a cop?”

“I couldn’t imagine not being a cop.”

“Why wasn’t Sam here with you, on the day Sofia disappeared?”

“He had to appear in court, testifying on a drug case we had worked on.” She hesitated, and then continued,  “It was a drug deal gone bad. Five people had died, including two cops. Sam had been subpoenaed because he had been the lead on that case.”

They stayed outside, talking until twilight fell, and a few stars peeked out of the sky.

“Is his girlfriend very beautiful?”

Serena clamped her hand over her mouth as the words spilled out involuntarily.

“Don’t tell him I said so, but you are prettier; and nicer,” she said, giving Serena a conspiratorial wink.

“She really is.” “I will be happy to play matchmaker to these two.” “ I need to head back to the office and check out those imbeciles” “When I get my hands on them…”

“I’m going to take off now, lock up Serena; and stay vigilant.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Serena mock-saluted her and walked Audrey to the door, then locked up, throwing the deadbolt and keying in the code for the electronic lock. Serena had it installed after Sofia’s disappearance.

Goodbye security deposit, hello safety.

MYSTERY MAN

PRESENT DAY

“Who are you here to see?”

The officer’s voice sounded gruff through the microphone; he was sitting behind the bulletproof glass of the security checkpoint, in the FBI headquarters building in downtown Detroit.

“Officer Glennon.”