Game of Fear (Montgomery Justice #3)(8)

He’d almost stepped over that invisible line. And for a few seconds there, he hadn’t cared.

But now, the moment was gone. Reality had intruded. For both of them.

The very girlie pop ring tone sounded again. She winced. “My little sister.” She cleared her throat, reached into her pocket, and clicked on the phone. “Ashley? I didn’t expect . . .”

The frown on Deb’s lips made Gabe’s brow furrow.

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” she said, ending the call. She looked up at him, her eyes full of regret. “I have to go. My sister needs me.”

Gabe didn’t try to stop her. Family came first. Always. He nodded.

She cocked her head. “I’ll see you tomorrow night? The usual bar stool?”

“I’ll bring a hot dog. On the house. No arguments.” He paused, wanting to reach for her, to touch her again. He couldn’t. The worst part of wanting Deb wasn’t the need to touch her. It was wanting to dig into why she drove herself, why she took those chances. Why she’d risked her life tonight.

He didn’t just want Deb physically; he wanted to know her, inside and out. A dangerous combination.

He sidled around her and opened the door.

“No gratitude, right?” She slowly brushed against him as she walked past.

At her touch, a long, slow breath escaped from him. “Agreed.”

Halfway out the door, she looked over her shoulder, her expression pensive. “You surprised me tonight, Gabe Montgomery. It doesn’t happen often.”

She disappeared out the door and Gabe let out a long, slow breath. Too bad he liked Deb Lansing so much. Once he knew it was safe, he’d take Hawk’s advice, because he knew one thing. Women like Deb Lansing didn’t cross his path often, and he’d love to know if her bold spirit translated from the chopper to the bedroom.

But until he brought the sheriff and Gasmerati down, he had to find a way to keep his distance.




The solid wood desk dominated the office. Custom made in Italy, the finest money could buy, every item in this room let visitors know Jeff Gasmerati meant business. Deadly business. And no mistakes.

He leaned back in his chair and studied his latest acquisition. The Monet had disappeared during the Nazi’s occupation of France. Jeff had paid a premier price. Something the world didn’t even know existed.

He liked the feeling.

Just staring at the impressionist’s masterpiece eased the tension at the base of his neck. He had one very big problem, but if his latest plans moved forward—as he fully expected them to—soon he’d make the syndicate his father had built look like a mom-and-pop shop.

Right now, though, his biggest headache was the cops and the press, particularly Luke Montgomery.

The phone rang and Jeff glanced at the caller’s identity. Speaking of law enforcement. He gritted his teeth. “This line is off-limits to you.”

“We have trouble. I just received news over the wire. A car’s been found.” Sheriff Tower’s voice lowered to an urgent whisper. “Near Taos. A chopper pilot spotted it during a rescue. I recognized the location. It’s them. The boys from . . . before.”

Jeff drummed his fingertips on the mahogany desk. “We knew it would happen eventually. Eight years is a long time. People forget.”

“What if someone puts it together with the girl’s death? It’s a risk. To both of us.”

Jeff squeezed the phone. Tower was becoming a liability. “Make sure we have someone on the ground as they investigate. Let me know if concerns crop up.”

“New Mexico’s not my jurisdiction. I can’t just—”

“It is now, Sheriff Tower. Figure it out. If evidence needs to disappear, make it happen. This is not the time for complications. Your son’s poor judgment nearly cost us everything. You get me?”

The phone went silent. “I’ll find a way,” Tower finally groused.

“You’ve been given a cushy gig, Sheriff. Don’t screw it up. I can take your position away as easily as I handed it to you. And your vices . . . well, let’s just say you haven’t learned from your son’s death. A hundred grand in the last month comes to mind.”

“I said I’ll do it.”

Jeff walked over to the antique Waterford decanter and poured himself a snifter of cognac. “I suggest checking on Gabe Montgomery and Whitney Blackstone as well. It’s been eight years since that night. Neither of them is young and foolish anymore. They could cause problems if they recognize the connection with Shannon Devlin.” He took a sip. Very smooth. “And, Tower, I won’t tolerate further mistakes. There are plenty of men in your department who would step in if you met with an unfortunate accident.”





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CHAPTER TWO




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DEB PULLED HER car up to her apartment building and touched her lips. Gabe hadn’t kissed her, but when he’d linked his fingers through hers, a shiver had traveled down her back, settling low in her gut. If Ashley hadn’t called, Deb would be at the bar with Gabe right now, exploring feelings that made her very nervous. Which shocked her. If most men had tried to tell her how to do her job, she’d have kicked them hard enough to disable the guy’s ability to pass on his genes. But then she’d recognized something in Gabe’s eyes, an emotion she hadn’t seen in a very long time. Concern. For her. In that instant, the high of finding those kids coupled with the months of ogling Gabe had cracked through defenses she’d built since her first day at boot camp.