Under Pressure (Body Armor #1)(90)
Too many hours had been spent talking to the police, waiting while Leese was stitched, visiting with his friends and coordinating with Sahara.
Keeping a good distance away, Leese watched as Justice pulled into a private drive. He had Sahara with him, so Cat assumed it was her house.
“Do you know how to get through her gate?”
Leese gave one small nod. “She shared the passcode with me.”
As far as topic-starters went, that had failed miserably. “Are we trying to be less conspicuous? Is that why we’re not sticking closer to her?”
Leese’s brows twitched together. “Yeah.”
Not very forthcoming. Cat cleared her throat and tried again. “Your friends are coming in?”
His gaze shot briefly to hers. “What do you mean?”
Looking over the backseat to see out the rearview window, Cat confirmed that the same headlights were still there. “That’s them following us, right? I mean, I assume it’s not Tesh since you’re not worried about it.”
Gaze straight ahead, Leese worked his jaw. Finally he asked, “You knew we were being followed?”
Cat gave him an arrogant glare. “You think I survived this long by being unaware?”
His mouth flattened. “No.” After a glance in the rearview mirror, he said, “They’re not coming in.”
“So just making sure we got here safely, huh? That’s so sweet.”
“Downright sugary,” he growled, then he turned down the long driveway. Behind them, the SUV with his friends drove past without acknowledgment. He paused at a keyless entry gate and entered the passcode. Wide, arching gates parted to let him in, then closed again once he’d driven through.
The lighted private lane wound around trees and finally opened to a sweeping circular drive in front of Sahara’s home.
Another high iron fence secured the main entrance, blending into the landscaping. Sahara and Justice stood just inside the opened gateway.
When Leese parked and got out, Justice said, “Told you so.”
“Yeah.” Leese looked around, gauging the security and showing a little bit of awe.
Seeming pleased with her visitors, Sahara said, “Everything is wired, so if anyone intrudes, alarms are sent directly to a security company.” As she led them up the front steps and to another locked door, she said, “I want you to make yourself at home. Help yourself to the kitchen or anything else you might need.”
Instead of a keyed entry, she pressed more buttons and the front door unlocked. They stepped into a grand foyer with a double staircase. It was truly beautiful and, despite its grandeur, felt somehow homier than her stepfather’s estate.
Sahara turned to Cat. “I’ll loan you some pajamas and tomorrow the officers said we should be able to get into the penthouse long enough for you to grab some belongings. We just can’t disturb anything yet.”
They’d been about to leave the hospital earlier when the officers had shown up with more questions, especially since the two men Leese had fought off were both in critical condition.
On the one hand, Cat would be relieved if the two cretins were no longer around to hurt or threaten innocent people. On the other hand, they could possibly provide a clue that would help to nail Tesh, and then the senator.
But she doubted it. Anyone working for Tesh would have been thoroughly vetted.
Such an eventful day, and more than ever before, viable solutions remained hazy.
Cat’s eyes burned, her stomach churned and she wanted both food and sleep. But more than that, she wished Leese would hold her.
Forcing a smile, she thanked Sahara and went with her while Justice showed Leese around. The house was magnificent, and nearly as secure as the Body Armor agency.
Cat did her best to remain pleasant, but by the minute she wanted to collapse somewhere. She felt both physically and emotionally spent.
After yet another hour of polite chitchat, orientation and quickly consumed cheese sandwiches, she finally found herself alone with Leese in the lower level of the immense house. Justice had a room on the main floor, and Sahara’s suite of rooms was on the upper level.
Everyone had privacy, not that Cat expected it to do her a lot of good.
While she showered and changed into the borrowed pajamas, Leese prowled around, getting familiar with the windows, the double doors that opened into a vast yard, and each closet and room.
At the bottom of the stairs to the right, part of the basement was used for storage; to the far left, a pool table and other games took up a big section.
But the middle had been designed for guests, providing a three-piece bathroom, a modest bedroom with a full-size bed, a sitting room with a television and computer, and a bar with a sink and microwave.
While showing them the area, Sahara had said with a completely straight face that the couch would fold out to a bed if they needed it.
For certain, Sahara was aware of their intimacy, Cat had no doubts about that. Did she think Leese was too furious with Cat to sleep with her?
Maybe she only wanted deniability in case it all fell apart. Regardless of Sahara’s reasoning, Cat had no intention of sleeping alone. She needed Leese tonight, and by God, he’d hold her and make her feel safe, even if it was only a temporary ruse.
She found fluffy towels, a variety of toiletries—including new toothbrushes—and basic OTC medicines in the bathroom. Rather than shampoo it, she pinned up her hair, then lingered under the hot water longer than necessary.