Straight Flushed (Hot Pursuit #1)(57)

When I got back to the bedroom, Vance was leaning against his headboard with his eyes closed. He looked green.

“Here. You look like you need these,” I said, opening the package of crackers and laying them across his lap.

“Thanks.” He smiled. “Oh, and here.” He handed me my phone. “Don’t forget this.”

“Oh, thanks. My lifeline. What would I do without it?” I smiled. “I’ll check on you in the morning. Feel better, okay?” I leaned in, pressed my cheek to his, and kissed the air.

“I will.”

As I walked out of his bedroom, his television came on. He didn’t like to go to sleep without noise either. At his door, I punched in the code to his security system as I was leaving. When I heard the signature two beeps of the system arming, I left.



. . .



I gave my apartment door a few light knocks before I turned the key in the lock; I didn’t want to startle Stephen. When I opened the door, I found him sitting on the couch.

“Hey,” I said, “sorry it took me so long.” I walked toward the kitchen and tossed my keys on the table.

Stephen came over to where I was and stood in front of me. “Don’t worry about it. How’s your partner?” He ran his hands up and down my arms, and I found his touch incredibly soothing after the day I’d had. He’d showered again, and the way he smelled confused me. He smelled like home.

I had the urge to hug him. I needed someone to tell me everything was all going to be okay, but I couldn’t let myself. “He’s going to be fine. The bullet went in and out. He’ll recover completely and should be feeling better in a few days. The drugs they gave him at the hospital made him sick to his stomach though, so I stayed a little longer.”

“You’re a good friend.” He smiled and nodded. “What happened?”

“A man came up behind me right after I texted you and shoved a gun in my back. He asked me to tell him where you were. No one came by today, right?”

“Other than the delivery guy who brought Chinese, no. It was quiet.”

“Good. Well, I hope you worked something out today because I’m over this.”

He shook his head. “I’ve been researching and reviewing some things on my computer.”

I felt like I’d been slapped and my cheeks grew hot. “Wait, how’d you get your computer?”

“I went and grabbed it from my car.”

I scowled. “You went outside! I told you to stay here.”

“Sorry, but I was careful.”

Maybe it was the combination of everything that had happened, but I didn’t sense an ounce of regret. The heat in my cheeks spread throughout my body. “I asked you if you needed anything from your car this morning before I left! What’s wrong with you?”

He put his hands up. “Relax. It all worked out okay.”

“Jesus! But what if it hadn’t? Do you know what I’ve been through today? If I’d come home from my partner almost being killed to you being dead on the street, do you have any idea what that would have done to me! How would I have begun to explain that one to my boss? The rules! It’s been one damn day. Did you forget them already?” I was about to spit venom.

“I…I didn’t forget. You asked this morning, and I thought I would be fine. But I got so bored sitting here by myself—daytime TV sucks. I wrote out some notes and was trying to connect the dots but I had an idea and I needed my computer. I’m so sorry. I really am. I didn’t think it would upset you like this.”

I closed my eyes and had to count to calm myself down. “If we are going to survive another day together, you have to do what I say. I need to be able to control the situation when I’m not here and when you blatantly break the rules—”

“—It won’t happen again.” His hands cupped my face. “Trust me. It won’t.”

I sighed and pulled my face out of his hands. The area around the couch was scattered with more of his things. His computer, a back pack, and a duffle bag with what looked like a few articles of clothing sticking out. I’d bet he’d been completely inconspicuous when he’d retrieved all of it.

I counted again to get ahold of my anger. “What did you find today?” I asked.

He slouched. “Why don’t we go sit down?” No good news has ever been delivered sitting down. We went over and sat next to each other on the couch. “I logged back into the bank’s system like I had before. It was where this all started, but I put up some protection this time so I couldn’t be traced. I was hoping I’d find a link to the person who is behind all this, but someone put up new security protocols. It could take me a week to get through it.”

I threw my head back and stared at the ceiling. “We don’t have a week at the rate people are getting hurt. What else can you do, because if that’s as far as you’ve gotten then we should go to the police. I have a card from some detectives who can handle this.”

He shook his head. “Don’t do that. I’m afraid it’ll lead to a bloodbath. Look what they’ve already done. Avery, me, you, the woman from your office, and now your partner. These men are crazy.”

“It’s our only option. This is beyond what I’m capable of and you need more help. I can keep you alive.” I glared at him. “When you follow my rules. But I’m not Sherlock Holmes and neither are you.”