Ash Rising (DEAd Series) (4 page)

“What do you have in mind?”

“If I can set this up right, you’re going to be part of a long-term op that could be huge. We’ll eventually work you in, but first you have to finish training and build your background. A lot of time and resources are invested in this, and we expect big returns. Can’t give you all the details—not yet—but if you’re interested, we’ll work on your street rep and getting you some experience.”

“I’m interested.”

“Good. Okay. So, all this is setting up to insert you an op where my unit moves money and drugs, some fake IDs. Don’t have to risk front money or the substances getting out on the street.”

“Read the files you gave me on a couple of those ops.”

“There’s going to be more. A lot more. I’ll have you drive for some mid-level deals, move guys that work for the UC identity I’m setting up for myself, name of Peter Russo. They’re all undercover officers, and you’ll make deliveries, drop off, pickup, transfers. You’ll accompany Russo’s ‘employees’ delivering packages, but first you need to pay your dues and finish your training. Show me you can handle yourself, and then we’ll talk about getting you more involved. You up for it, Beaulieu?”

“I am, sir.”

“Good.” Pete stood and walked around the desk to clap him on the shoulder. “I’ve got high hopes for you, constable, but working in this division isn’t all excitement and glory. You’re about to get thrown into a world of drugs, money, and corruption that will threaten the foundation of your beliefs and most likely your safety. I see a bright future if you can handle the pressure and things go according to plans—and I try to make sure they do.”

“I can handle it,” Ash said with quiet determination.

“If I didn’t think you could, I wouldn’t be wasting my time. Takes the right character and personality to work undercover. From what I’ve seen and read in reports, your nature is suited. You’re smart, able to deal with stress, adapt to the conditions as needed. You’ve got the ability to distance yourself, too, know how far to bend to make a situation work. Your family has money and strong values, makes you less vulnerable to bribes or temptation. Plus, you can charm people of either sex. That’s something I can’t teach.”

Nothing better than a challenge. He’d
prove Pete right and earn his place among the elite team of undercover officers. “Thank you, Commander. You won’t be disappointed.”

“Thank you, Constable. Have a safe trip north. I’ll be in touch.”

By the time Ash made the drive back to his parent’s house, his mom and dad had left for the night to meet friends in downtown Toronto for dinner and theater. The possibilities he and Pete had discussed rolled in his head and knocked around in his chest. Keyed up, needing an outlet, he usually turned to a woman and sex. Tonight, he’d savor the tension and anticipation all by himself.

He sat in his father’s study,
absorbed in the notes Pete had given him, when a scrape from the front hall jerked his head toward the door. His parents would come in through the garage, not the front. His head tilted at the familiar cadence of Lisa’s footsteps, easily recognizable from sneaking around with her, Andy, and Daniel since childhood. A glance at the clock showed the time close to midnight—way too late for her to tiptoe around his parents’ home unannounced. A few seconds later, she stood framed in the doorway.

“S
hould have known I couldn’t surprise you.”

“Hey.
” He chose to stand between the chair and the desk instead of the more vulnerable position of sitting in the chair. Lisa had been to the house thousands of times, with or without Daniel and Andy, and he’d never felt awkward. The sudden discomfort stemmed from the events of the previous weekend. Sucked to feel that way about one of his best friends. “What are you doing here?”

“Surprised?” Her mouth twisted into a smile as she walked
toward him. His uneasiness grew, but he held his ground. No reason to be uncomfortable around Lisa, after all.

“Um, a little. I wasn’t expecting anyone tonight.”

“No one? No company tonight? No girls?” She made a
tsking
noise as she approached. “I find that hard to believe.”

“Yeah, well…” How the hell should he respond? What the hell was she doing?

“Good thing I’m here, then.”

“Lisa, look—Huh
?” Okay, yeah. The weirdness vibe pushed him a step back.

“You’re leaving
, and I wanted to be sure you know how much I appreciate you bringing me home last weekend, taking the time away from the graduation party. It meant a lot. Last night, too, sticking up for me with Greg. No one’s ever been there for me like you have.”

“Ha. Ha. Yeah.
Andy, Daniel, and I are always here for you, you know that.” He forced a smile. “Hey, do you want a drink or something? Are you hungry? There’s some beer and wine in the kitchen.”

He took a step to get out of the study and into
a more open, less intimate space, one where he could maneuver and put the big granite counter between them. She smiled and placed the flat of her palm on his chest, running her fingers over his collarbone before giving a gentle shove. Ash let himself be pushed back. Last thing he wanted was to get physical with her. The backs of his knees hit the leather chair, and he dropped before he realized his mistake. Lisa’s smile grew smug. She stepped closer and lowered herself to straddle his lap.

“Lisa.” When h
is hands gripped her waist, she wiggled with a satisfied hum. Ash gritted his teeth. If he didn’t know down to his bones the situation was wrong, the fact that he had absolutely no reaction to a beautiful woman wriggling over his dick proved the point. “Don’t, sweetheart. Don’t do this.”

“Ash.
” She stroked his cheek. He let go of her waist to take her hand in his and lift her fingers.

“Lis, you don’t want—
”

“Yes, I do.”
The stubborn, determined look he knew too well flashed across her features. “You’re the one constant in my life. The one person I can count on, sad as that is. Last weekend after the party, and the other night with Greg… I just want to say thank you.”

“Uh. You’re welcome. But you don’t need to thank me
.” He tried to lift her off his legs, but she clung tenaciously. “Especially not like this. I did what anyone would do for a friend.”

The first hint of
irritation flashed in her eyes. “This is exactly what I want. I want you.”

“No, you don’t.” He stood, taking her by surprise, which enabled him to set her
on her own two feet. “Just because—”

She leaned against him and wrapped
her arms around his neck to force his head down. Ash grasped her wrists and took a deliberate step away. “Lisa. I said don’t.”

Lips parted and eyes wide, she stared at him and took a deep breath before her gaze narrowed. Color rose in her cheeks as she took a quick step backward, and
Ash watched her warily.

“You don’t want me,” she
stated in a low tone.

“No.”
He had to be clear and blunt after her insistent antics. “I’m sorry. You don’t want me, either. Not like that. You know you don’t.”

Ash cursed Greg—not for the first time. The shit
that asshole pulled undermined Lisa’s usually unshakable self-confidence and let her emotions overrule her good sense. If he could come up with an option other than rejecting her…but anything even remotely sexual between them was not the answer. Not going to happen. He cared about her too much.

He reached out to rub her shoulders, to hug her, maybe, but she shrugged
his hands off and turned her back. Mouth opening then snapping shut, he stared at the rigid set of her spine and eyed her with caution.

“I’m sorry.” V
oice dead and toneless, she didn’t turn to look at him. Ash took a step toward her but froze when her body tensed. “No. Don’t. Just…don’t.”

He
heaved a sigh as she bolted from the room and out of the house, the slam of the heavy front door echoing in her wake.

“Fuck.”
He scrubbed his hands over his face.

He had no idea what the hell just happened.

Ash didn’t sleep much with the events of the night playing over and over in his head. He hadn’t called Lisa to check up on her, hadn’t made sure she’d made it to her apartment like he always did. Everything had changed the night he’d taken her home from the graduation party. What the hell had he done that changed her attitude toward him? They’d been best friends for eighteen years with nothing sexual between them. Still wasn’t, as far as he was concerned, but something had shifted for her. Shit. No idea what.

With a yawn and a stretch, he entered the kitchen and thanked
the caffeine gods for timers on coffee makers. He’d finished one cup and started on a second when a car pulled up in the driveway. A few seconds later, Daniel’s footsteps rounded the house and thumped across the back deck. He filled another mug as his friend rapped on the door and stepped inside.

“Morning. Hey. For me?” Daniel
grabbed the mug before Ash could respond and inhaled the wafting steam. His eyes closed as he took a scorching gulp. “Ah. Thanks, man.”

“M
orning. What are you doing here? Why is everyone showing up unannounced all of a sudden?”

Daniel’s eyes popped
wide and color filled his face. “Is someone else here? Oh, shit, I’m sorry. You said… I didn’t think you had company last night.”

“I don’t have a girl here. I told you I had business to take care of yesterday.”

“You were being serious? You—” Daniel choked on his coffee and waved a hand in front of his face. “You really did work instead of a girl last night? Um, wow.”

“Shut up.”

“So, who stopped by unannounced?”

“Lisa.”

“Lisa?” Daniel’s brows were getting a workout. “Lisa was here last night? When? What did she want?”

Ash shrugged and
turned to make another pot of coffee. Daniel knew him too well. If he picked up on his discomfort, Ash would never hear the end of it. No one needed to know what happened the night before, mostly for Lisa’s sake. She’d be embarrassed as hell once she came to her senses. Maybe they could just forget the whole situation and move on. Good thing he was about to leave for his new job assignment. Some time apart might not be a bad thing after all.

“I guess s
he wanted to say thanks for the whole Greg thing over the past couple of weeks. She appreciated us being there for her.” Ash deliberately included all of them in reference to Lisa’s gratitude, but did a double take at the look on Daniel’s face. “What?”

“Did she say anything about what happened last night?”

“What? No. What about last night?” If something happened to her because he hadn’t seen her home—because she’d made him uncomfortable—he’d never forgive himself.

“Well, she might not know. Andy was going over to her place.”

“Daniel.” Ash fought for patience. “What happened?”

“Ash, Greg died last night.”

“What?” Holy shit. Pretty much the last thing he’d expected Daniel to say, and he hoped like hell Greg’s death had nothing to do with what happened between them the night before. He hadn’t hit him that hard when he slammed his arm across his throat. “How?”

“Drove his damn car into a tree. Pronounced on the scene.”

“Drunk?”

“Don’t know yet. Won’t have a report for a while.”

“Well, shit.” How was he supposed to take that news? He’d never liked Greg, had wanted to pound on him at the bar the other night, but…shit. Still sucked to hear about the man’s sudden and violent death. “Was the girl with him?”

“Yeah.” Daniel’s face twisted, but he took
another sip of coffee. “Both dead. Andy went to tell Lisa. He didn’t think she should hear from some random news report or something, but I’m sure that’s not the only reason.”

Ash let the comment pass, well aware of Andy’s feelings for Lisa.
“How did you find out so fast?”

“
Andy heard it on the scanner.”

“Any
details yet?’

“From what he said, s
ounds like Greg lost control and went full tilt into a tree. Won’t know more until they’ve had a chance to investigate.”