Dangerous Protector (Red Stone Security #14)(28)
“Oh, I won’t stay long. I just saw you get out of the police car and wanted to come over and make sure you were okay. It’s good timing, too. I just finished this batch of cookies.”
Tegan smiled, stepping forward as Gina entered. “We’ll be fine. I’m just going to finish up packing,” she said to the officer.
“Packing?” Gina popped off the lid to the white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. “They’re fresh,” she murmured to the officer. “Want one?”
He nodded, taking one. “Thank you.”
“So, packing?” Gina asked again, falling in step with Tegan, who just wanted to get the hell out of her place and to the safe house Porter said he’d have ready for her.
“Ah, yeah. Just heading out of town for a few days.” Not exactly true, but after talking to Carlito, she’d called Porter. He’d been adamant that she not tell anyone where she was going—as if she would anyway. She liked breathing. Even telling one person where the safe house was could put them and her in danger.
“Have the police found any leads about the bombing? They’ve been questioning everyone in this neighborhood and down by the shop. I’ve been questioned three times.” Gina sat on the edge of Tegan’s bed while she returned to her closet.
It was a little weird that Gina was here, but Tegan knew this was what people did. It was human nature. They brought over food and wanted to know what was going on in situations like this. Especially since they were neighbors. Still, Tegan just wanted her gone.
“I think they have a few leads.” It wasn’t like she could tell her anything anyway. Carlito and the FBI had been careful not to leak any information that Enzo De Fiore might be involved. Publicly they were treating it as a potential terrorist attack, not an attack against her personally. They didn’t want to tip their hand that they thought De Fiore might still be alive.
“It’s so scary that something like that could happen right here in Miami.”
Tegan nodded, pulling a couple of shirts off a hanger. “Yeah.”
“You want a cookie? They’re still warm.”
“I’m okay, but thanks.”
“You’re sure?”
Tegan turned from her closet at the odd note in Gina’s voice. She sat cross-legged on the edge of Tegan’s bed, her low-cut sweater showing off an insane amount of cleavage. For the first time since Tegan had met the woman, she noticed she was wearing flat black sneakers instead of her normally spiked high heels. “Yeah, I’m not really hungry. But they look great.” She tried to inject some positivity into her voice, but she was mentally exhausted and, yeah, depressed that she wouldn’t be staying at Aaron’s anymore.
Last night, before the party they’d never made it to, had been wonderful. Incredible. It had been so damn long since she’d been intimate with anyone. And Aaron wasn’t just anyone. She trusted him, adored him, and despite her better judgment had completely fallen for him. Even as she’d told herself not to, to keep her distance, it was impossible to resist him.
Gina pressed the top back onto the cookie container and sealed them in. She sighed as she did it, making Tegan feel guilty. She could force a stupid cookie down if it would make the woman feel better.
Before she could say anything, Gina reached into her clutch purse and pulled out a small gun.
Tegan sucked in a breath and stared at the weapon. “Gina, what—”
“Shut the f*ck up,” Gina said quietly. “You should have eaten that damn cookie and made things a hell of a lot easier on yourself.”
Her body went numb. “You poisoned the cop?”
Gina rolled her eyes and pushed to her feet. Her perfectly manicured hands looked steady as she held the gun on Tegan. “He’ll wake up in an hour or two with a headache.” She used the gun to motion to the door. “We’re leaving now. Stay in front of me and don’t try anything stupid. You do, I’ll shoot you in the f*cking knee.”
Tegan dropped the shirt she’d been clutching and somehow made her legs obey her brain. She barely remembered moving but found herself downstairs in the foyer. The cop was slumped against the door, looking almost peaceful. A quarter of the cookie was crumbled on the shiny wood floor next to one of his open hands.
“Move him out of the way,” Gina snapped.
Tegan looked back at her. Gina was still holding the gun and had it pointed right at her head. “Why are you doing this?” She was going to have to get out of this on her own. But she needed to know what she was up against.
Gina lifted a shoulder, not answering one way or another. “I’m doing it for Enzo, you stupid bitch. Stop asking questions. Now move that guy. Just roll him over so we can get out the door.”
Doing as she said, Tegan grunted as she shifted the man to the side. At least he was breathing. She just hoped that Gina had been telling the truth, that the guy would wake up soon. For a brief moment she contemplated taking the cop’s gun, but it was secured in a holster. By the time she unsnapped it, pulled it out, and turned, she’d already be shot in the back.
When they stepped out into the bright sunshine, Tegan had to shield her eyes. Only the cop car sat in the driveway. Gina must have just walked from her place—oh God. Was Enzo there right now?
More ice settled around her chest, making it hard to breathe when she saw two little kids playing across the street as their mom watched. Even if she wanted to scream and make a scene, there was no way she could risk putting anyone else in danger.