Undercover Warrior

“Preston, get an address on her, then let’s go talk to her,” Kyle said and saw his brother nod. “Erin, I’d like you to come in with us, too. Seeing a familiar face, one Hank trusted, might help.”

“Okay.”

Kyle led her toward the door, sticking close to her side. Until he knew for sure whether Erin was his best asset, or an enemy, he should keep her under guard; he wouldn’t let her out of his sight.

* * *

THEY WERE ON their way moments later. “Nice, safe speed,” she said. “I was beginning to think that driving under eighty miles per hour wasn’t part of your M.O.”

“Cop speak?” he asked, grinning.

“Hey, I watch TV,” she said. She was silent for several long moments, then finally spoke again in a heavy voice. “There’s something I still don’t get. You pulled into Secure Construction just as those men were attempting to kidnap us. That wasn’t a coincidence. I think you were expecting trouble, but if that’s true, why didn’t you come sooner, before it could go that far?”

“I went over as soon as I got the call to interview Hank. I had no way of knowing what was going to happen. I think the only person that wasn’t taken by surprise was Hank.”

“Maybe so,” she answered in a quiet voice. “I thought I knew Hank, but this.... Maybe nobody ever knows anyone,” she added, looking directly at him. Despite the steadiness of his gaze, there was a barrier there, a point where the proverbial shutters came down and she wasn’t allowed to see past. He was ostensibly one of the good guys, but it was hard to trust someone who clearly didn’t trust her.

“Do we have a problem?” he asked, as if he’d read her mind.

“Maybe. I want to trust you, Kyle, but you’re not who you say you are, and you’re keeping things from me. When someone else decides what I should and shouldn’t know, that makes me nervous.”

“It shouldn’t. I’m on your side. You’ve seen that already.”

“You say you’re keeping me with you so you can protect me, but if I’m in danger, why aren’t we holed up in some safe place?”

“Your best bet is to stay on the move with me. I’m not in a position to trust anyone else with your safety, except my brothers, and they have their own work to do right now. If you’re with me, you might also see something that jogs your memory, a detail that could be important. You’ve been working with Hank for quite a while.”

“I’m not connected to whatever mess Hank was in. I work hard, and my long-term goals have nothing to do with violence, control, or whatever these killers are after. I want to make a living farming the land. Check my background, and you’ll see I’m exactly who I say I am.”

“Whether you like it or not, you’re involved, and you can’t reason with these people, or fight them alone. You need me. I’m good at what I do, and I’ll keep you safe.”

“What happens tonight? Once you drop me off at home, I’ll be on my own anyway.”

“You can’t go home. Not yet. I can’t just put an officer near your door and hope for the best.”

“You think that the men who killed Hank have someone inside the police department?” she asked, reading between the lines.

“I don’t know, so I’d be gambling with your life. As far as my not being completely open with you,” he added, “in my job, everything is on a need-to-know basis.”

“I suppose that explains why you took something from the box on Hank’s desk and put it in your pocket without telling anyone, including the police.” Although she knew what it was, for now, she’d say nothing.

“I gave it to Preston when he and I were alone. He’ll sign it over to my brother Daniel who has the security clearance needed to find out what we need to know. I also sent a photo of it to my boss.”

“There’s a whole lot more to that story, but okay—for now.”

“Take me at face value.” Kyle gave her a disarming smile. “I’m your bodyguard.”

Her skin prickled with awareness. Kyle was high voltage excitement, a force of nature, adventure waiting to happen. Danger clung to him like an unholy aura. Considering that she was in a life-or-death fight, staying with Kyle was her best option.

“I’m really not bad company,” he said, his eyes dancing.

Her heart began beating overtime. “I’m sure you’ve got a long list of women who love spending time with you. Things are always happening when you’re near. It’s like a wild roller coaster ride, periods of calm are just the prelude to the next spiraling downturn.”

“That’s quite a compliment.”

“I don’t like roller coasters, I like paddle boats.”

“Up to now,” he said with a playful grin, then pulled to the side of the road and parked just to the right of a small cottage. “Okay, this is it. We’re here.”

“What a beautiful little casita. Frieda’s got good taste,” she said.

Freshly watered red and yellow miniature roses, covered in their last big blooms of the season, bordered the path to the door and glistened in the late afternoon light. As she walked up the narrow sidewalk, Erin relaxed, more concerned now about keeping her shoes dry and avoiding the small puddles on the concrete.

As she glanced at Kyle, she could see the tension in his body. He kept looking from window to window, his hand on the butt of his pistol. His reaction seemed out of place. “Frieda’s already met me, so why don’t you let me introduce you?”

“Fine,” he said, in a clipped tone.

“Frieda, it’s me, Erin,” she called out as they reached the front porch. Erin knocked on the front door, and as she did, it creaked open about an inch.

Kyle suddenly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her away. “Stay back. Don’t touch anything!”

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