Текст книги "Alone in the Dark"

Автор книги: Karen Rose

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Текущая страница: 31 (всего у книги 49 страниц)

‘O-kay,’ she murmured, hoping that she never saw Diesel truly angry. That evil smile of his was enough to raise the hairs on the back of her neck. She looked at Marcus. ‘Were there any other incidents?’

‘A few. Mostly we just had Diesel pay them a visit. He rarely had to do more than raise a finger to convince them to walk away.’ He pointed to the flash drive. ‘I’ll tell you all the details when we go over the list.’

‘What about names that aren’t on this list?’ she asked. ‘People you’ve investigated that haven’t made threats? Or the targets of ongoing investigations that haven’t been closed, or who you haven’t exposed or “gently coerced” yet?’

Lisette drew a sharp breath. ‘Mr Arrogant. Phillip was asking questions in his office today.’

‘But that doesn’t explain the alley or the sniper,’ Marcus said.

Lisette’s shoulders slumped. ‘You’re right.’

‘Who is Mr Arrogant?’ Scarlett asked.

‘His real name is Rich McKay,’ Lisette said. ‘He’s a corporate attorney. Works for Wesman Peal, the department store chain. He’s a vice-president there.’

‘And attorneys know just how to slither around the law,’ Scarlett said coldly. ‘What was Phillip doing in his office?’

‘Trying to find an employee list,’ Marcus said. ‘We figured if he’s beating his wife and kid, he may have been aggressive with his office staff too. Phillip posed as a courier.’

‘Then we can use that,’ Scarlett said, thinking. ‘We can say we’re checking out all the places that Phillip’s been today as part of our investigation into his attack. Anything else? Any other ongoing cases we need to consider?’

‘No,’ Stone said. ‘Things have been very quiet since the fall.’

Since Mikhail’s murder.

‘We were just starting to gear back up,’ Marcus added.

Scarlett nodded. ‘I understand. But you’re right,’ she said to Marcus. ‘I don’t think Mr Arrogant is involved in Phillip’s attack, because of the shooting this afternoon. If we assume you were the target, the sniper had to either have been waiting at the Anders house or he followed us there.’

Marcus’s face suddenly paled. ‘Oh shit. Delores.’

Stone stiffened. ‘What about Delores?’

The brothers’ gazes locked. ‘We’d just come from her house,’ Marcus said. ‘She identified the dog that Tala had been walking in the park. That’s how we got the Anderses’ address. We drove straight from Delores’s shelter to Hyde Park.’

Stone also paled. ‘They could have hurt her. Goddammit to hell.’ His hands visibly shaking, he pulled out his cell phone and hit a number from his speed dial while the rest of them looked on in stunned surprise. After a moment, he relaxed. ‘I was just wondering about your hours,’ he said into the phone. ‘Thank you.’

Scarlett looked at Marcus, but he appeared equally confused.

‘Um . . .’ Marcus hesitated. ‘Did you have her on speed dial?’

Stone had gone from pale to bright red in a heartbeat. ‘Yes.’

‘You just asked for her hours,’ Diesel said, brows lifted.

Stone’s frown was formidable. ‘Drop it. I’m serious.’ He stared at each person around the table harshly. ‘I worry about her being all the way out in Bumfuck. I keep track of her, okay? I just wanted to be sure she was okay.’

‘Loveland isn’t Bumfuck,’ Scarlett said mildly.

He turned his fury on her. ‘She lives in the middle of nowhere all alone. Anyone could break in and she couldn’t defend herself.’

Scarlett suspected that more was going on, but knew not to push. Stone’s feelings were his own. But she could soothe his fears. ‘She has a great big dog and I’ve given her lessons on operating a firearm myself. She’s a pretty good shot. You don’t need to worry so much.’

The big man drew a deep breath. ‘Thank you,’ he muttered. ‘That’s helpful.’

‘I’ll send an officer out to her place to check on her, and I’ll recommend she find somewhere to stay for a few days,’ she said, and the glance Stone flashed her was grateful even though he made no further reply.

The brother sitting beside her squeezed her knee. ‘Thank you,’ Marcus murmured.

She covered his hand with hers. ‘It’s nothing. She’s a good person. And my friend. You should also consider adding security at the Ledger building. Maybe even at all of your personal residences. Especially your mother’s house, Marcus. Gayle’s house too. If they failed luring you with Phillip, they may try again, and your mom and Audrey are alone right now. Gayle’s safe here, but she has to go home to sleep at some point.’

Both Marcus and Stone paled. ‘We should have thought about that already, dammit,’ Stone said, then sent a quick text, talking as he typed. ‘I’m contacting the company that does security for Audrey’s fund-raisers. I’ll post guards at both houses and at the Ledger.’

Marcus drew an unsteady breath. ‘Mom’s driver is retired army and her personal maid is also trained in defense, so she’s always covered in the house. They can handle security until the guards get there.’

‘I’m texting them too,’ Stone said grimly as his fingers continued to fly over his phone’s keyboard. ‘I don’t want them taken by surprise.’

‘I already asked for drive-bys on her street when I requested the guard for Phillip,’ Scarlett said. ‘The department couldn’t justify full-time protection, though. You should tell your internal security and the guards you’ve hired to coordinate with CPD.’

Stone looked stunned. ‘Thank you, Detective. That was kind of you.’

‘It was a phone call,’ Scarlett said simply. ‘Your mom’s been through a lot. I’d like her to feel safe. To be safe.’

Marcus’s lips curved ever so slightly at Stone’s expression, then he turned his hand palm up to lace his fingers through Scarlett’s. ‘So what now, Detective?’ he asked, his businesslike tone in contrast with the warmth of his hand in hers.

‘We start on the list.’ She bit her lip. ‘But something still doesn’t fit. Tala knew her attacker this morning. I’m sure of it.’

Marcus leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling with a weary sigh. ‘You’re right. That doesn’t f—’

He was cut off by the door opening, revealing a tired surgeon. ‘Miss Cauldwell? The duty nurse said I could find you here.’

Everyone at the table came to their feet, including Scarlett. She kept her hold on Marcus’s hand, squeezing hard as they waited.

‘I’m Lisette Cauldwell,’ Lisette said, a quaver in her voice.

Cal slid his arm over Lisette’s shoulders, holding her close. ‘Is he all right?’ he asked.

‘He came through the surgery,’ the doctor said. ‘It was a very serious wound, but he’s got a fighting chance. Whoever did first aid did a good job. He might have died had he lost any more blood. We had to give him three pints as it was. He’s in recovery and will be moved to ICU. The next twenty-four hours are critical. We’ll know something by then, one way or the other.’ With a nod, the doctor backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Lisette turned into Cal’s arms, starting to cry again, her tears a mixture of relief, fear and adrenaline, Scarlett thought. She understood. She’d held her sobbing mother when the surgeon told them Phin would be all right. She’d cried those tears herself when no one was looking.

Marcus sank into his chair, his grip on Scarlett’s hand nearly punishing. He dropped his face into his free hand, shuddering as he tried to hold back his own emotion. Scarlett stroked his hair with the hand he wasn’t holding, pulling his head to rest his cheek against her stomach, her heart catching when he turned his head to bury his face against her, wrapping his arm around her waist. There was nothing sexual about his embrace. He sought only comfort. From the way he held on, Scarlett wondered how long it had been since anyone had given him comfort. Or, like her, how long since he’d allowed himself to accept it.

At that moment she didn’t care who saw them, wouldn’t have pushed him away even if Lynda Isenberg had walked in with the commissioner himself. Especially when she felt the front of her thin cotton shirt grow damp. He was crying too and didn’t want anyone to see. She’d make sure they didn’t.

Her own eyes stinging, she bent so that her lips brushed his ear. ‘You heard the doctor,’ she murmured thickly. She curled around him, cradling him to her as he clung. ‘You probably saved Phillip’s life. You didn’t cause what happened, nor are you responsible. Whoever broke into your apartment and shot Phillip is responsible.’

His arm around her tightened and his shoulders heaved, the movement nearly imperceptible.

‘You listen to me, Marcus O’Bannion,’ she whispered fiercely. ‘Every person on your team knew the risk. Accepted the risk. Whoever’s pissed off enough to kill you could be angry because of something one of the others did to expose him. You are not the sole owner of whatever misplaced guilt you’re feeling. You will not shoulder the burden. I won’t let you.’ She kissed his neck, just below his ear, relieved by the muted chuckle that rumbled in his throat. ‘He’ll be all right, Marcus. You have to believe that.’

His shoulders sagged on a sigh that warmed her belly through her shirt. ‘You play dirty, Detective Bishop,’ he said quietly, the muscles in his face tensing as he clenched his eyes shut and rubbed his face against her middle, nuzzling her while he dried his tears.

‘Only when I have to,’ she said. ‘So don’t make me.’

One side of his mouth lifted ruefully when he pulled away, releasing her hand to scrub his palms over his face. She surreptitiously buttoned her jacket to hide the dampness on her shirt. She expected he’d be wearing a stoic face when he lowered his hands, but what she saw stole her breath. She’d seen plenty of emotion in his dark eyes – pain and desire, anger and guilt. But now he looked at her with an unmasked need so profound, so . . . hungry that it shook her, froze her where she stood. Burned her from the inside out. Made her want to reach for him again, but this time it wouldn’t be about comfort.

And she would have done it had Diesel not politely cleared his throat behind her. ‘Do you need us anymore?’ he asked. ‘Cal and I need to get back to the paper. We have an edition to print.’

Scarlett drew a breath, closed her eyes to compose herself. Contain herself. When she opened her eyes, Marcus was still gazing at her like he was a starving wolf. With an effort she pivoted on her heel to look up at Diesel. ‘I think I have enough to get started. I may have more questions later.’

Diesel’s brows were raised in amusement. ‘I take it you’re not going to arrest us.’

Scarlett blinked cluelessly. ‘For what? I have received no formal complaints against you. Please keep it that way.’

With a grin, Diesel walked around the table and kissed Lisette on the cheek. ‘I’ll be back, Lissy. They won’t let us into ICU for a while anyway. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll come back and take the night shift so you can sleep.’

‘I don’t think I’ll sleep,’ Lisette said, sniffling. ‘I think I’ll just watch him breathe.’

‘Come on, honey.’ Cal led Lisette to the door. ‘Let’s go back and tell Gayle.’

Marcus was right behind Cal, pausing at the door when he realized Scarlett hadn’t moved from where she stood. ‘Aren’t you coming?’

She started to say yes, but realized that Stone still sat at the table, his arms folded across his broad chest, his features bent in a suspicious scowl. ‘In a minute,’ she said. ‘I want to talk to Stone first.’

Because Stone clearly wanted to talk to her. Marcus gave his brother a warning glare before turning to her, that hungry look back in his eyes. ‘I’ll meet you in the lobby, then we can start working on the list.’

The list was not what she was thinking about when he looked at her that way. But the list was what would keep him alive, so she nodded. ‘Stay away from the windows.’

Marcus gave her a quick salute. ‘Yes, ma’am.’

Twenty-four

Cincinnati, Ohio

Tuesday 4 August, 10.35 P.M.

Scarlett sat down across from Stone, and folded her hands in front of her. For a long minute neither of them spoke, Stone glaring at her . . . well, stonily.

Scarlett broke the silence. ‘I understand,’ she said.

He smiled mockingly. ‘Exactly what is it that you understand, Detective Bishop?’

‘That you protect him just like he protects you. That you don’t trust me.’ She hesitated. ‘I know what happened twenty-seven years ago.’

Fury roiled behind his eyes. ‘You don’t know jack shit.’

‘I know that you were kidnapped when you were a small child and almost died. I know your baby brother did die. I know that you lost another brother nine months ago and I understand that you nearly lost your only surviving brother three times today.’

A muscle in his cheek twitched as he ground his teeth. ‘How did you know about Matty?’ he finally asked.

Matty. Matthias’s nickname. ‘Marcus told me to Google your old last name and Lexington. I did, so I know what the papers covered. No more.’ She watched his agitation begin to fade. Marcus had told her that some of the story was Stone’s to tell, and she’d suspected that Stone had been worried about personal details Marcus might have shared with her. ‘I’m sorry you lost your brother, Stone. Both brothers. I have brothers too. I can’t imagine losing any of them, although I came awfully close a time or two. Which I know doesn’t mean anything to you, but I want you to know that I understand that you’re worried about Marcus.’ She sighed. ‘Look, I can’t promise that everything will be roses, rainbows and happily-ever-after between Marcus and me, but I can promise that I won’t hurt him.’

‘You won’t mean to,’ Stone said wearily, all his anger gone. Or at least stowed. ‘You should know that I told him to take you out for a spin and then dump your ass.’

She frowned. ‘Oh really?’

‘But he said he couldn’t. Apparently this . . . thing he has for you, whatever it is, goes deep.’ He leaned forward, looking her squarely in the eye. ‘Very deep. Do you understand that?’

Scarlett drew a steady breath, unsurprised. ‘Very deep’ was what she’d seen in Marcus’s eyes just minutes before. ‘Very deep’ was what she’d felt since she’d first heard his voice. It was a connection she’d had with no other man. ‘Yes, Stone. I understand. I also understand that you’re asking me if I feel the same way.’

Stone didn’t budge. ‘Do you?’

‘Yes.’

Stone shook his head, clearly skeptical. ‘You don’t know him.’

‘Perhaps not. But I know that I want to know more.’

Stone’s shoulders slumped. ‘My brother deserves to be happy, Detective. Can you promise to make him happy?’

The sadness in his voice, the forlorn hopelessness there, tugged at her heart, making her want to promise that his brother would never be sad or lonely again. But she wouldn’t lie.

‘I can’t,’ she said with regret, ‘but only because I learned a long time ago that you can’t be responsible for someone else’s happiness.’

He nodded thoughtfully, surprising her. ‘That’s true,’ he murmured.

‘I can promise to take care of him, and if that means protecting him from himself, that’s what I’ll do.’

Stone studied her for a very long moment, then nodded, still scowling but less so than before. ‘Maybe you do know him, after all.’ He stood up, looking exhausted and afraid. ‘Call me if he decides to go off and be a damn hero,’ he said quietly. ‘He does that way too often.’

‘I’ve figured that out myself,’ she said wryly, wringing a ghost of a smile from his lips that was gone almost before it started. ‘And yes, I’ll call you.’

A sober nod. ‘Thank you, Detective. And please don’t forget to arrange for protection for Delores.’ He swallowed hard. ‘She deserves to be safe and happy too.’

‘I’ll take care of it as soon as I get to my car. Stone, one question. That young woman back with Gayle, that’s her niece?’

His expression instantly hardened. ‘Jill.’

‘What’s her role in all of this?’

‘She makes trouble,’ he said curtly. ‘Marcus gave her a job because Gayle asked him to, but the girl has an attitude that makes me want to—’ He bit back the next words.

‘I wanted to smack her too,’ Scarlett said, and saw his fleeting smile once again. ‘She’s not part of your team?’

‘No. Marcus doesn’t trust her.’

‘Neither do I. How does the girl know about the threats?’

‘She broke into Gayle’s computer when her aunt was sick. Claims she was just trying to help, and she may have been, but she’s got her sights set on Marcus. She resents him because Gayle mothers him.’

‘And you?’

He pushed away from the table. ‘She just wants to get in my pants, which Diesel thinks is a real scream. Me, not so much. Spoiled little girls have never been my type.’

Scarlett blinked up at him. ‘Um, I meant, does Gayle mother you?’

He blushed, making him look ten years younger. ‘Oh. Right. Well, not really. I’m not exactly the type to be mothered by anyone. I need to go now. With Diesel and Cal back at the paper, I’m on Jill-sitting duty.’

‘Because she knows about the list,’ Scarlett guessed, and he nodded. ‘What are you afraid she’ll do?’

‘I don’t know, but I don’t trust her not to use it to hurt Marcus, especially after her little outburst in the waiting room. The kid needs to be taken down a notch or two.’

‘Then do it,’ Scarlett told him.

He shook his head. ‘I’m afraid I wouldn’t be gentlemanly about it. Marcus is the nice brother. I just . . . am not. Figure this out, please, and find out who’s trying to kill my brother.’

‘Are you not targeted by any of the threats, Stone?’

He shrugged. ‘Some. Most of the more dangerous investigating happened while I was out of the country covering other stories. The really vile assholes are out for Lisette, Phillip and Marcus of course.’

‘What about Diesel?’

‘Diesel hacks and lends muscle when needed. He’s not really a writer, although he pinch-hits from time to time. I wanted to bust his face for keeping this threat list a secret from me. I had no idea that so many people were out for Marcus’s blood.’

She came to her feet, fascinated by this side of Stone. ‘When did you find out?’

‘Right after we lost Mikhail. Marcus was laid up and Cal needed help.’

‘So you stepped forward.’

He shrugged uncomfortably. ‘I was here. Didn’t have anything better to do.’

Scarlett smiled at him kindly. ‘You’re a fraud, Stone. You want everyone to believe you’re a Neanderthal, but there’s a good guy in there.’

The look he gave her was witheringly cold. ‘I’m no fraud, Detective. I’m not a good guy. I’m not a nice guy. Most of the time I’m not even a very smart guy. But I do love my family and I will do anything to keep them safe.’ He took a step backward toward the door. ‘If you want to help me look like a good guy, then keep Marcus safe. Please.’ Then he was gone, leaving Scarlett staring at the empty doorway, her mouth open but with no words to say.

Sadness welled up in her, then helpless rage. At least she’d been old enough to understand when she’d found Michelle’s body. Those boys had been traumatized as children so that some bastard kidnapper could get rich quick. Six and eight years old. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for them.

She gently pushed the thought of a traumatized eight-year-old Marcus aside, replacing it with the memory of the man who’d returned to that alley this morning, risking a scandal. Exposure. Maybe even prosecution, were his team’s activities to come to light – to the wrong person, anyway. All because he wouldn’t leave Tala Bautista alone in the dark.

This was the man she’d dreamed of for nine months. The man who was waiting for her right now. The man who made everything go tight and hot inside her every time she thought about the way he’d looked at her, like he could never get enough.

The man who wants to have me every way there is until I scream his name.

She was taking him home as soon as she cleared this hospital. She started down the hall, fishing her cell phone out to check her messages as she walked.

‘Detective Bishop?’

Scarlett looked over her shoulder to see Phillip’s surgeon coming up behind her. Her feet came to a cold stop. ‘Oh no,’ she whispered. ‘Please don’t tell me Phillip Cauldwell is dead.’

‘No, no. His condition is the same. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.’ He pulled a small plastic bag from his coat pocket and handed it to her. ‘A bullet taken out of Mr Cauldwell’s abdominal cavity. I didn’t want to give it to you in front of his sister and co-workers.’

Yes. The bullet was mangled, but recognizable as the same type that Carrie Washington had taken from Tala’s body that morning. ‘Thank you, Doctor. I’ll get this to Ballistics ASAP. We may just have a match to this morning’s killing.’

Which still didn’t fit, she thought. Because Tala knew her attacker.

‘I thought you might say that, because whoever fired that bullet didn’t want it found. There were three gunshot wounds, the first two superficial. The one in Mr Cauldwell’s arm was a through and through, the other a shallow wound in his side where it had no danger of hitting anything important. That one had been dug out with a knife. The third bullet was the abdominal wound. There are deep gouges in Mr Cauldwell’s tissue, like his attacker had stabbed at the thing. I’m not sure what happened, but it looked like the shooter tried to dig it out and gave up.’

Scarlett smiled, grimly satisfied. ‘What happened was Phillip Cauldwell had already stabbed the shooter in the arm. He was bleeding and had to run.’

‘Good for Phillip Cauldwell,’ the surgeon said coldly. ‘Hopefully he took the bastard’s arm off.’

Scarlett lifted her brows. ‘You sure you’re not a cop, Doc?’

‘Marine Corps.’

‘Ah. Well thank you,’ she said, sliding the baggie into her pocket. ‘What are his chances, really? Please don’t give me the “twenty-four hours will tell” song.’

‘Before you told me he’d stabbed the guy, I would have said they were fairly lousy. But it looks like he’s a fighter, so better than lousy.’

‘Hey, better-than-lousy ain’t so bad. Thanks for the bullet.’ She gave him a wave and jogged down the hall to where Marcus waited.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Tuesday 4 August, 10.55 P.M.

Marcus was getting impatient, and a little worried. Scarlett had promised she’d only be a few minutes, but it had been much longer than that. He was tempted to go back to the little consultation room and make sure that she and Stone hadn’t taken swings at each other.

Instead he called his brother’s cell. ‘Where are you?’ he asked.

‘Just getting my car. Gayle said that she’s going to keep Jill with her for the night, so I have a temporary reprieve from babysitting. Why? Where are you?’

‘Waiting for Scarlett in the lobby. I didn’t see you go past.’

‘I parked at the ER entrance. Your detective and I didn’t have a knock-down-drag-out if that’s what you’re trying to ask,’ he said mildly. ‘I don’t know where she is.’

The tone of Stone’s voice when he mentioned Scarlett had changed, become . . . maybe not friendly, but not hostile either. Perhaps subdued. ‘Are you okay? You don’t sound like yourself.’

A little pause. ‘I’m okay. Listen . . .’ He blew out a breath. ‘She’s not Satan, okay?’

The statement caught Marcus by surprise and he choked on a laugh. ‘No, she’s not. Look, I’m not trying to get into your business, but after Phillip, I’d like to know where you are. Just in case whoever is trying to get to me tries to hurt you.’

‘I’m not Phillip,’ Stone said, no longer mild. He’d grown cold and angry again. ‘I can take care of myself every bit as well as you can. I don’t need you to babysit me.’

‘Okay,’ Marcus said cautiously. ‘Can you at least call in every so often so I know you’re okay? You can think about it as babysitting me, if you want to. Please, Stone. I need to know you’re okay.’ I’ve always needed to know you’re okay.

‘All right,’ Stone finally said. ‘I’ll call in.’

Marcus hung up unhappily and began pacing again, watching for Scarlett. He’d held it together for far longer than he normally would, but he was starting to get antsy, needing to get out of this hospital. Combined with his worry over Stone and the rest of his team . . . And his mother. He couldn’t forget about her.

He’d called her before he’d called Stone, to tell her about Phillip so she didn’t hear it on the news. Audrey had answered, her tone flat when she’d said Della had turned in early and couldn’t be disturbed. That usually meant she had taken a sleeping pill, or two or three. Or she’d had a drink or two. Or a whole fifth.

He and his sister had danced around the topic of an intervention, clashing once again when he’d come out and suggested they try to get their mom into rehab. Audrey still hoped she would pull out of it, and Stone wouldn’t even talk about it. God, we’re one fucked-up family. Marcus almost thought twice about bringing Scarlett into the drama, but he needed her too much to be so charitable.

Marcus was seriously considering going to look for her when she walked into the lobby, talking on her cell phone. Relief washed over him and he felt a smile spread over his face. He probably looked goofy and ridiculous, but he didn’t care. She was back and they could finally leave.

She paused mid-step, studying him with concern, but when he smiled, she smiled back. He swore his chest felt lighter, even though his heart had started to pound.

‘I’ll have it to Ballistics in fifteen minutes,’ she said into the phone. ‘I’m leaving now.’ She hung up and slid her phone into her jacket pocket. ‘You ready?’ she asked him.

‘More than ready. I was about to go AWOL, but I knew you’d worry.’

‘I would have,’ she said, then shocked Marcus by taking his arm and tugging him out of the lobby double-time.

‘What’s going to Ballistics?’ he asked as she all but dragged him through the parking lot.

‘A bullet,’ she answered. ‘Surgeon dug it out of Phillip.’

Her car was parked beside a tall SUV, and she surprised him again by dragging him to the driver’s side of the mammoth vehicle.

‘What are you—’

He got no further, because she pushed him against the SUV, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into the hottest kiss he’d ever had. Her fingers tunneled through his hair, and she lifted on her toes as she licked into his mouth, making his already hard cock throb. The groan that rumbled through his chest was met by her frustrated little moan as she rubbed her hips against him, trying to get higher.

Without thinking, he turned them so that her back was against the SUV, and gave her a boost up before trapping her body with his and thrusting between her legs. Her pleasured hum vibrated against his lips, and he put a little swivel into his thrusts as he slid his hands inside her jacket and closed them over her breasts, thumbing nipples that were already so hard he could feel them through her shirt and bra.

She pulled back with a gasp, her head pressed against the SUV. ‘Oh God,’ she panted. ‘You need to stop. I can’t . . . Not here in the parking lot. Let me down.’

He ignored her, circling his hips against hers, lowering his head to suck hard on her right breast, the nipple like a pebble against his tongue.

‘Marcus,’ she groaned. ‘Please. Not here. Wait till . . .’ She gasped again when he lightly bit her. ‘Oh my God. You have to wait until we get home.’

Reluctantly he released her breast, giving it a parting nuzzle before kissing her mouth again. ‘You started it,’ he murmured against her lips. ‘Kissing me like that.’

‘You started it,’ she said, trying to get her breath. ‘I told you not to look at me like that.’

He lowered her feet to the asphalt and rested his forehead against hers. ‘Like what?’

‘Like you want to eat me alive. I would have jumped you in front of everyone if Diesel hadn’t intervened.’

‘That was twenty minutes ago.’

She bit his lower lip, then licked it. ‘Doesn’t matter. Makes me crazy. So crazy that we’re standing like this out here in the open.’ She pushed his chest lightly, then slipped around him to unlock the car door. ‘Get in, please.’

Still wound way too tight, he obeyed. ‘How long will it take you to drop off the bullet?’

She slid behind the wheel. ‘Ten minutes. I’ll go straight to Ballistics and won’t talk to anyone else.’ She said it like she was promising herself more than him. ‘I have to park this car and get mine, so make sure you take everything that belongs to you.’

Like the gun he’d stowed under the passenger seat. He tried to bend down to reach it, but gave up with a grimace. ‘Can’t yet.’

She shot him a heated glance from beneath her lashes before pulling into traffic. ‘Why ever not?’ she teased, making him laugh.

‘You’re evil, Detective Bishop. Get a guy hard as a damn rock, then taunt him about it.’

He choked a second later when her hand shot over to stroke him through his jeans. His head fell back against the headrest on a strangled groan. ‘Fuck, Scarlett.’

‘That’s the plan,’ she muttered.

He closed his eyes, thrusting into her hand desperately. Too damn close, he clamped his hand over hers, then forced himself to push her away. ‘You’re going to make me go off like a damn teenager. I won’t last two minutes when I finally get you in your bed. Talking about non-sexual subjects would be helpful.’

She grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and sped through the nearly deserted streets. ‘How about we debrief?’ she asked, her voice husky and so damn sexy he nearly came just from hearing her. ‘I got a voicemail from the forensic vet.’

‘Forensic vet’ got his attention. ‘Is BB okay?’

‘Yes. BB is comfortable and resting and you can visit her tomorrow if you like. The vet also said she got a viable sample of skin and blood from her teeth. The samples were delivered to CSU for analysis.’

‘That’s good,’ Marcus said, digging his fingers into his thighs. He still wanted her so much that he was trembling with it. ‘Um . . . I checked on Tabby Anders while I was waiting for you. She’s still unconscious.’ The thought helped deflate him. One more piece of bad news, he thought morosely, and he’d be able to bend over and get his gun from under the seat.

‘I checked too,’ she murmured. ‘When I ID’d myself to the nurse at the OR station when we were waiting with Lisette and the others. The nurse said Tabby was hanging on by her fingernails. She was hurt in so many places.’ Her lips thinned. ‘That Chip Anders has to be a real man to beat an old woman within an inch of her life.’

‘What about Mila and Erica?’

She shook her head. ‘Nothing yet. They’ve been searching for hours. The scent trail might be cold, but they haven’t found any blood or bodies, so that’s hopefully a good sign.’