Alpha Warrior

“Maybe they figured that we’d be on the alert for two men. Or you might have left a mark on the one you slugged in the face that would have identified him.”

“Where are we going now?”

“Back to the station. We need a debrief and a new plan. After the chief hears what just happened, he may decide that you’re better off getting out of town altogether.”

“This is turning out to be a very long night,” Drew said, swallowing hard and slumping down in her seat.

Nick gave her a quick glance. Drew was holding on by a thread, but somehow, she wasn’t falling apart. The librarian had turned out to be one helluva woman. “Keep in mind that you’ve come out ahead. You’re alive, unhurt, and, if you face any more trouble, you’ve got the best backup in the state right next to you.”

“You know what? I believe you,” she murmured.

Though her words had been barely above a whisper, he heard her and smiled.

Chapter Four

As they rode back to the station, only the road noise from the Jeep’s knobby tires marred the silence.

“Give me something to work with, Drew. Everyone makes enemies, and I need to know what I’m up against,” Nick pressed. “Everyone in your line of work makes enemies, but not in mine,” she said. “I’ve wanted to work at the Willa Cather Public Library ever since high school,” she said, softly. “Books have always been my first love. They saw me through the worst times of my life. I was only fifteen when my dad died unexpectedly. My mother never got over it, and followed him to the grave a year later. Uncle Earl took me in, but grieving for my parents was a long, hard process, and books gave me the only comfort I had. They transported me anywhere I wanted to be. Through them, I became a spy, a detective, and had adventures with elves and superheroes.”

He’d never been one for fancy daydreams, but adventures with elves? He glanced out the window so she couldn’t see him smiling.

“As I got older I knew I wanted a job that would help me guide others into that safe world where imagination was king. That’s why I became a librarian. To be offered a position in the place that started it all for me was like icing on the cake. But things haven’t exactly gone as I’d planned.”

“What about your competitors for the job? Anyone with hard feelings there?”

“Nick, think about it. Librarians don’t hire hit men.”

As they pulled into the station’s underground parking garage, Nick climbed out, then stopped and examined his side of the Jeep. There was a single bullet hole in the side panel just behind his door. The round had passed through, entering the back of his seat. There was no exit hole, so the round was probably still inside the upholstery.

Seeing Earl Simmons standing by the stairwell door, Nick hurried over with Drew. “Anything on the shooter?” Nick asked.

Though Earl held the door open for Drew, he never even glanced at her. “We’ve already located the shooter’s vehicle. It was stolen,” he told Nick. “The crime scene people are on their way now.”

“There’s a round lodged in the driver’s-side back rest somewhere,” Nick said. “I accelerated just before he squeezed the trigger.”

Captain Wright strode down the hall toward them. “What the heck happened, Blacksheep?”

Chief Franklin came around the corner just then. “Let’s go into my office and talk about this.”

They all gathered inside the chief’s office. Earl Simmons had come in as well, followed by Detective Harry Koval, who closed the door behind him as Nick and Drew caught everyone up to date.

“Is it possible the shooter followed you from the station?” Captain Wright asked.

“I kept watch and saw no one, so I can’t tell you how he pulled it off,” Nick said. “But here’s what I do know. Drew saw something I missed. I don’t know how, but she knew that something wasn’t right before the attempted hit went down.”

Drew sighed as all eyes turned to her. She’d been through this before with the men in her family. Police officers preferred to deal with tangible concepts, and woman’s intuition didn’t qualify. Intending to give it her best shot anyway, she answered the questions in their eyes. “Have any of you ever known that someone was behind you without turning around? Or maybe had the feeling the phone was going to ring, and it did?”

“No,” came the unanimous reply.

“All right. Let’s try this from a different angle. Think of your experiences out in the field—like maybe a time when you knew a suspect was going to bolt, or reach for his weapon, even though he hadn’t moved.”

“Feelings like those are usually based on something concrete, like a change of expression, or a flicker of movement,” Nick said. “They’re explainable. Think back and concentrate. What triggered the feeling you got in the car?”

Drew sighed. They had to have it in black and white, but intuition was intangible and didn’t work that way. Still, she closed her eyes and tried her best. “The streets were almost empty. I was looking ahead at the path cut by the Jeep’s headlights when I began to feel uneasy. I looked in the rearview mirror, and that’s when I saw the sedan behind us. After it closed in, everything went crazy.”

“The shooter yelled, telling me to stay away from Drew,” Nick said. “He knew her name.”

“I heard him clearly, too, but I didn’t recognize the voice,” Drew said.

“So we’re back to the stalker angle,” Chief Franklin said. “The shooter is jealous and possessive, but you still have no idea who he is?”

“No, I don’t,” Drew answered.

Wright looked at Nick. “You should start wearing a vest, Nick. You, too, Ms. Simmons.”

“From what you’ve said, Blacksheep, it appears the gunman had a plan.” Koval’s slow, methodical voice held everyone’s attention. “To stay ahead of him we’ll have to come up with a better one. We can start by having me cover the outside of whatever place you stay at tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll see where the investigation leads.”

“I’ll be happy to cooperate fully,” Drew said, mostly to remind everyone that she did have a say in the matter, “but we never made it to my place earlier and I’ll need to pick up a few things. I live in a gated apartment complex, so it should be safe enough to stop by there for a few minutes.”

Koval shook his head. “No way. You’ll have to rough it for now.”

They left the room and Nick pointed to a room with a reinforced metal door. “We need to stop at the armory and get some vests for both of us.”

After putting on the vests they went down to the garage. This time Nick was able to pick up an MDT from a mechanic. Returning with Drew to his Jeep, he plugged the computer into the accessory jack and they got underway.

Noting how anxious she was, Nick gave her a smile. “Relax. Koval’s nearby, ready to provide backup if we need it. There are other units in the area, too, still searching for the van.”

“It’s bad enough that someone’s after me, but now I’m putting others in harm’s way. I wish I could just stay somewhere that’s one hundred percent safe until this is over.”

He smiled gently. “Like the fortress cave of a superhero?” he said, thinking of what she’d said about books.

“Why not?” she answered, with a sad smile.

“I have no cave, but I’m a good shot, and I’m darned good at my job. Nothing’s going to happen to you, Drew.”

“I’ve slipped through death’s grasp twice now, but it’s not done with me yet.”

“What you’re going through happens to everyone who comes face-to-face with their own mortality. Staring death in the eye—that changes a person.”

“Including you?” she asked, looking directly at him.

He nodded. “I was in the Marine Corps, and I saw my share of combat. My nightmares are a lot worse than the average cop’s.” He said nothing for several long moments, then glanced at her and gave her a totally outrageous grin. “Of course, that’s because I’m badder than most of the guys in the PD.”

She laughed. “Is that because you’re an ex-Marine?”

“There’s no such thing. I’m a former Marine. Once a Marine, always a Marine.” He took a breath, then, after a moment, added, “No matter what lies ahead, I want you to remember one thing. I make a very good friend, Drew, and a very bad enemy—as the ones after you will soon find out if they don’t back off.”

“All I want is to live through this so I can go back to my nice, quiet life,” she said.

He nodded but didn’t say anything. Experience told him that it could be a long time before Drew’s life became either nice or quiet again.

Chapter Five

They drove to the outskirts of town and eventually arrived at a tired-looking one-story cinder block motel along the old highway. The bright neon sign at the front looked as worn as the rest of the place, its letters advertising the QU-LITY-OTEL.

“You’re kidding. You want to spend a night in this roach trap?”

“It’s better inside. I guarantee you’ll have a clean room and hot running water.”

“And will we share?”

He gave her a slow grin. “Rooms? Beds? The first, for sure, as for the other…if that was an invitation…”

She nearly choked. “No, it was a legitimate question. I’m not sure how this is supposed to work. We take turns sleeping?”

“Leave those details to me,” he said, glancing around, then added, “Wait here.”

As he walked to the entrance, she watched the way he moved, advancing with purposeful strides, more like a soldier than a cop. There was an edge to him that practically dared anyone to stand in his way.

He returned a moment later and opened her door. “It’s clear. Let’s go.”

As she stepped out of the Jeep their eyes met, and for a moment she forgot to breathe. Nick had a lean, powerful build that could make any sane woman’s mouth water, but it was his eyes that attracted her most. They were nearly black in the dim parking lot lights, and impossible to read. Mystery clung to him like a second skin.

Drew grabbed her book bag and purse, then followed Nick into the lobby and to the front desk. The young Navajo man there greeted Nick with an enthusiastic smile. “Yáat’ééh,” he called, using the Navajo expression for hello. “It’s good to see you, man.”

“You didn’t see me,” Nick said.

“No problem. What’s up?” he said, giving Drew a quick once-over.

“I’m looking for adjoining rooms, somewhere toward the middle of the building, a place with one way in and one way out.”

“You’ll need one of our family suites then,” he said, placing a numbered key on the table in front of Nick. “Down the hall and to the left. If there’s anything else I can do for you, just let me know.”

“Dinner—anything at all—would be great,” he said, putting two twenties on the counter.

“Hey, for that amount I’ll even throw in a continental breakfast with plenty of java. Seven in the morning okay?”

“Sure,” Nick said.

As they walked down the long hall, Drew was surprised to see that everything was meticulously clean. There was no sign of dust anywhere, including the top of the ice machine.

Almost as if sensing her thoughts, Nick spoke. “I know Joe Tso. Though the place isn’t much to look at from the outside, he’s got great plans for it.” Nick paused, then added, “Joe’s a member of my clan.”

“Navajos are never really alone in the world, are they?” she asked, with a touch of envy.

“No, not really. We have our families, our clans, our tribe. It’s all part of who we are.”

That sense of connectedness was something she hadn’t felt since the death of her parents. Although she’d lived with her aunt and uncle, they never really made room for her in their lives. She’d felt more like a tenant. Yet something good had come out of that. She learned to rely on herself. The lessons she’d learned had given her the strength to pursue her own dreams.

Nick stopped halfway down the hall and unlocked the door.

Drew followed him inside and looked around. They had one large bedroom, an open passage minus a door, and a second, smaller bedroom. Both had their own bathrooms.

“It may not be perfect, but we’re safe here,” Nick said. “Anyone trying to get to you will have to go through me.”

Drew checked out the smaller bedroom with the two twin beds, and peeked inside the bathroom. “An old-fashioned claw-footed tub! I love it! This is definitely my room.” She sat her purse and backpack on the table.

“Then it’s settled.”

Drew glanced through the open door and knew that she’d be sleeping with her clothes on tonight. Anything else would be tempting fate.

Nick strode around both rooms like a panther on the prowl, checking everything. “Everything’s clear and in good order. I’m going to get a few things from the Jeep. Lock up behind me.”

She did as he asked, then sat on the edge of Nick’s bed as she waited for him to return. To think that this morning had started just like any other day! Now, here she was sharing adjoining rooms with a man who was equal parts trouble and temptation.

She was still contemplating a long soak when she heard someone walk up to the door and stop. Thinking it was Nick, she waited for the sound of the key in the lock, but nothing happened. Fear, sudden and overwhelming, engulfed her. For a moment she couldn’t move.

“Yáat’ééh,” Joe Tso called out. “It’s me, from the front desk. I’ve got your dinner, but no free hands to knock.”

“Hang on.” She opened the door and invited Joe in. Hearing more footsteps, Drew glanced out and saw Nick coming down the hall carrying a gym bag and a rolled-up blanket she suspected contained his shotgun.

“Your favorite, cuz,” the young Navajo man said, as Nick came in, then placed two greasy paper bags on the table.

Once Joe left, they sat down by the table and brought out two huge, foil-wrapped enchiladas, still warm. He placed one in front of her and quickly unwrapped the other and took a huge mouthful.

Drew unwrapped hers and took a bite. “These are heavenly,” she said.

Hungry, they ate quickly. Drew smiled at him as she consumed the last bite. “That’s the best dinner I’ve had in ages,” she said, licking the salsa off each of her fingers.

Nick watched her for a moment, then swallowed the last of the cold water in the bottle. “Will you help me get out of this vest? An old injury I got overseas is acting up. I aggravated it earlier today when my brother and I were working out. The vest made it worse.”

Drew helped him remove his vest, and as she did, his western style shirt came open in front, revealing the jagged scars that covered his upper chest. “Those aren’t bullet wounds, are they?”

He shook his head. “Shrapnel—flying metal.”

She ran a gentle finger over one of the scars and heard him suck in his breath. As she looked up at him, his eyes, gleaming like granite, held hers.

Her mouth went dry. He was magnificent in every sense of the word. Instead of detracting from his looks, the toll war had taken on his body enhanced his appeal. He looked rugged, a man of experience, whose assurance came from self-knowledge, not bravado.

“If you don’t need any more help,” she managed.

“I need you,” he whispered. “Don’t go so soon.”

A shiver touched her spine, and for a second she stood where she was, feeling the heat from his body and wanting more. “You’re on duty….”

“Koval’s outside in the parking lot, and he’ll be there till daybreak. Joe’s keeping an eye on things, too. We’re okay,” he said gently, then cupped her cheek with his palm, and traced her lips with his thumb. “Let’s get to know each other a little better.”

Awareness and desire squeezed the air from her lungs. She had to use every last shred of willpower she possessed just to step away. “You and I are temporary associates—partners by necessity. Let’s keep it that way.”

He reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing the pulse point there. “Your heartbeat tells me a different story.”

Drew tried to swallow, but her mouth was completely dry. “What we may want right now and what we really need are two very different things.”

“I can make them be one and the same,” he said, leaning over and whispering the words in her ear.

A shiver coursed through her, but once again she found the will to step back. “Stop it. I’m no one’s one-night stand. Your reputation precedes you, Detective Blacksheep.” Without another word, she walked into her room and unhooked the straps of her own vest. After slipping out of the heavy garment, she turned on the TV and sat cross-legged on the edge of the mattress.

“You’re not fooling anyone,” he murmured.

Drew pretended not to hear. Just standing close to him had made everything inside her blossom to life. He was the stuff of dreams. To make love for the first time and have it be to a man like Nick… She sighed.

As her heart slowed to almost normal, she glanced at the tub wistfully. There was no way she was going to take off her clothes now. She knew her limitations.

NICK WENT STRAIGHT INTO the shower and turned on the cold water. He wasn’t used to being turned down. He wasn’t a traditionalist, but like them, he believed that the Anglo world made too much of sex. It was a pleasurable need—like eating, only better.

Making love—that was something else entirely. It meant a deeper union—a coming together of two halves, a completion. Experience told him that was precisely what a woman like Drew would require.

As he allowed the cold water to course over his body, unsatisfied needs pounded through him. He should have taken off his own vest, but watching her lick her fingertips had stirred something inside him. He’d wanted her. And she’d wanted him. He’d felt her tremble and had heard the little hitch in her breath. Yet something had stopped her.

Innocence? Could that be part of the answer? Maybe she’d never had a man, not in that way. The possibility made his body harden again, but this time it came with a hefty dose of guilt. He had to keep his distance from her. If she was saving herself for a future husband, that left him out of the running. He wasn’t marriage material.

Nick came out of the shower, toweled himself dry, then pulled on his jeans. As he walked barefoot into his room, he looked through the open doorway and saw that Drew had fallen asleep on the small bed.

Good. One less distraction to worry about.

He used his phone to check with Koval next, and after getting the all-clear, he crossed the room and unwrapped his shotgun from the blanket. Placing the weapon back on the bed, safety on, he sat down at the table, brought out his pistol, and began cleaning it.

Although he’d tried to be quiet, the click of the slide woke her and Drew sat up immediately.

“It’s okay, relax.” Nick stood and placed his pistol back in its holster. “I’m going to take a walk outside and make sure everything’s secure.”

Nick left the room and walked down the hall. As he stepped out into the parking lot, the cold night air rushed to greet him. He remained close to the wall, in the shadows. He liked the freedom of the night, that’s why he’d embraced investigative work. He belonged in the darkness, just as someone like Drew belonged in the light.

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