Awaken to Danger (15 page)

The rumble of an engine drew closer. Hair rose on the back of his neck. The neighborhood seemed

sleepy and safe, but less than two years ago, Nikki's brother had a run-in with the law that brought

threats from drug runners...a drive-by wreck and later a brick through the window.

He gripped Nikki's elbow. "I'll walk you to your door."

And check the security system for the umpteenth time.

The approaching vehicle slowed, a nondescript sedan. Carson hustled her faster up the walk. Once he

got her inside, then he would deal with any problem, if there was one. The car stopped.

Agent Reis was behind the wheel.

What was he doing here? He couldn't be about to arrest her. No, no, and
hell no.

The primal drive to protect—already on high alert—seared his nerves. He suppressed the urge to do

more than tuck her away in the house. He burned to toss her in his truck and take her as far away as

possible from any and every threat. God knew he had the money.

Nikki stepped around him and started down the walkway, toward Reis, so strong and resolute it damn

near tore him up inside. She had a calm bravery under stress that would serve her well in combat.

He just prayed she wasn't about to enter the zone.

Reis tightened his tie, his coat flapping behind him as he charged up the curb. Sunglasses masked his

expression, not that the man gave much away with full face showing. He extended a hand. "Major. Ms.

Price. Glad I caught up with you so I can deliver some good news in person."

"Good news?" Carson pulled up behind Nikki, a palm to her back to brace her.

"Autopsy report finally came in, and Owens was definitely struck, and by a right-handed person. Since

you're a lefty, that's good news for you. Even as fit as you are, it's unlikely you could have exerted such

force with your right. While we haven't completely ruled anyone out, it's safe to say we're shifting our

focus elsewhere for now. Although why that someone would want his belt..." He shrugged.

Nikki reached out to Carson, trembling a hint, her eyes still glued to Reis as he detailed more intricacies

about the autopsy and height angles at the site of impact. Carson clasped her hand, a similar relief rocking

him slam down to his feet. No one should have to carry the burden of having taken another life, even in

self-defense.

Although since a large percentage of the world was right-handed, they hadn't narrowed the search much.

"I've already placed a call to your principal that you've been crossed off our suspect list. Given his sigh of

relief, I imagine there's already a message waiting for you on your voice mail."

"Reis, I have to confess I'm not overly impressed with the protective drive-bys around here. A broken

balcony, slashed tires, and all while she's being watched. Once word leaks that the investigation's no

longer focused on Nikki, this person's going to get deadly serious in eliminating her before she

remembers."

"I understand your concern, but we can't put someone in protective custody indefinitely." He chomped

harder, faster on his gum. "But I've got connections downtown. I'll put some pressure on local police."

A fair offer, even if nothing short of a closed case seemed like enough now. "Thank you. And thanks for

making the personal trip out."

"No problem. I need to ask her brother and mother some questions anyway, but I see now that their cars

are gone. I should have called first."

Nikki's hand twitched clasped in his, but she stayed silent.

"Have a nice afternoon, Major." Reis nodded. "Ms. Price."

Agent Reis slid into his nondescript blue sedan and pulled away from the curb. Once Reis's license plate

disappeared around the corner, Carson hauled Nikki into his arms. "About time he figured out you

couldn't have done something like that."

She trembled in his arms. "How could you be so sure?"

"I just knew, damn it." His arms convulsed tighter around her. "Although now there's not a chance you're

going anywhere alone."

Nikki eased her head back to look up at him, not too far since she was tall, a perfect fit. "I'll worry about

right-handed threats later. Right now, I'm so relieved at this sliver of hope."

"Fair enough. But I'm going to come back after work so we can all discuss more serious security."

Carson palmed the small of her back on the way up the side steps leading to the garage apartment. He

scanned the single room efficiency, an open space with a futon, kitchenette and cubicle bathroom. Only

one entrance in and out, with an alarm on the door as safe as she could be without him parking his butt

with her 24/7, something she wouldn't allow anyway.

Although damn, what he wouldn't give for the pleasure of simply watching her sleep.

She slumped against the door frame. "Ohmigod, I knew I was stressed, but didn't even begin to know

how much until now."

"You have reason to celebrate."

"Are you offering to celebrate with me?" Her loaded question broadsided him.

They were standing on the threshold of more than her apartment.

He cupped her face, fingers threading back into her loose hair. "What do you think?"

And somehow he was kissing her. He should pull away and make sure she wanted— Her lips parted

under his and yeah. Just yeah. He tasted her and a hint of the barbecue they'd had for lunch.

Her hands skimmed along his back and up to loop around his neck. "No mustache," she murmured

against his mouth. "Feels different."

"It's going to
be
different this time, too." His hands slid lower to cup her amazing bottom he'd admired as

she climbed the mast. Hell, to be honest, he'd been checking her out since she'd strutted past him in

shorts while subbing for a sick member of the squadron volleyball team.

All the reasons he should stay away faded under the onslaught of driving need to claim her as his, finally,

totally, and damn it, memorize every second of the feel of her toned body under his hands because he

wouldn't be idiot enough to treat her so recklessly again.

"Carson," Nikki whispered against his mouth, tugging him back to the present. "Either that's a phone

ringing in your pocket or you're really happy to see me."

"Both." He dropped another quick kiss before pulling back. He fished out his cell phone, looked at the

LCD panel and winced. "The squadron. I've got to take it." He flipped open his phone. "Hunt."

"Captain Seabrook. All hell's breaking loose here, sir. We need you back ASAP. There's been a

bombing in the barracks overseas, the barracks housing our guys."

His gut burned raw with each forced even breath. He needed a status report. "SITREP?"

"One confirmed dead, more expected, but it's chaos there and here."

His gaze snapped straight to Nikki and her furrowing brow as she somehow picked up on his tension

even though he'd kept his face neutral. Her father was over there along with so many of their friends, and

there wasn't a thing he could do except be the bearer of the horrific details. With the taste of Nikki still on

his lips, he was torn with the need to keep her close in case the news involved her.

But duty didn't give him that option.

"Hold down the fort. I'm on my way."

And he prayed when he came back to the Price home that it wouldn't be for an official notification visit.

Six hours later, the phone rang on her mom's kitchen wall.

Slamming her memory journal shut, Nikki launched from her chair at the table to snatch up the cordless

receiver and kicked herself for not placing it beside her, but she wasn't thinking clearly right now. Carson

had told her there was a bombing overseas and to keep her pregnant mother away from the television

until he could get details.

Please, God, let her father be all right.

And if her father wasn't okay, let her be strong enough when the time came to tell her mom. At least her

mother was upstairs resting after supper, so Nikki would have time to pull herself together if the worst...

"Carson?" she gasped into the mouthpiece, her fingers numbing from her death grip. Death? Awful word

choice. The smell of leftover spaghetti hanging in the air made her nauseous. "Is everything okay?"

Silence answered. A delay for a telemarketer recording? She glanced at the caller ID, which read

"unknown" as she'd seen before when Carson used his cell.

She put the receiver to her ear again. "Carson? Is that you?"

Was the news so bad he was searching for the right words? But no. He was never that shaken. If

anything, he became more focused in a crisis. She admired that about him, along with so many other traits

she'd never noticed before, too caught up in her hormonal crush and a thousand other things that seemed

frivolous now in light of how transient life could be.

Huffing breaths increased on the airwaves, sending a creepy chill down her spine. An obscene phone

call? Or something far more sinister and dangerous?

Footsteps sounded from the living room, coming closer, loping—her brother.

"Hang up," Chris hissed, the television echoing Jamie's Disney flick from the other room.

"What?"

He yanked the phone from her and barked into the receiver, "The line's tapped, you bastard, so quit

calling."

Chris nailed the off button and tossed the phone onto Jamie's empty high chair.

What was going on and why hadn't anyone bothered to tell her? "The phone's tapped?"

"We've been getting calls like that for two days, so Mom phoned that Agent Reis guy. Mom didn't want

to scare you and since you stayed up in the garage apartment most of the time, you were never here

when one came in."

Could that have been why Reis wanted to speak to her family?

And ohmigod, none of this even mattered if something had happened to her father.

Call, call, call.
She touched the phone, willing it to ring with Carson on the other end. Her hand slid

back to her side as she turned to her brother. "Were you going to tell me about the breather and

speaking with Agent Reis?"

"Haven't had the chance since you've been so busy with your major squeeze." Her brother slouched

against the counter with a leftover slice of garlic bread. "Major squeeze. Get it? He's a major?" When she

didn't laugh, he frowned. "Is something wrong?"

No need for Chris to worry, too. Pulling a weak attempt at a smile, she pitched a pot holder at his head.

"Major squeeze? That was pretty lame."

"So insult me or something. This is no fun if you won't fight back."

She dropped into a chair at the kitchen table, snitching up the cordless phone. "I'm just on edge." She

nudged her memory journal aside, not that she'd been able to add anything to the blank page with

worries for her father filling her head. "Now what about this mystery caller? What did Agent Reis have to

say?"

The phone rang under her hand. She snatched it up, thumbing the on button, but wary of another call

from 'the breather'. "Hello?"

"It's me." Carson.

She sighed her relief, only to have tension ratchet up all over again as she waited to hear what happened

overseas.

"Your father's okay."

Thank God, Carson cut right to the chase. She grabbed the edge of the table to keep from falling off her

seat, her whole body suddenly limp. Her silent, lumbering father would be corning home. She blinked

back tears.

Chris frowned, starting toward her and reaching for the phone.

Nikki palmed the mouthpiece. "The call's for me."

"Sure, I can tell when I'm not wanted." He ambled back to the Disney flick, whispering "major squeeze"

repeatedly. God, she loved her dorky brother who'd been so sweet helping out at home even after his

classes resumed.

She slid her hand from the receiver. "I'm back. Sorry, but I wanted to send Chris out. Details? Please."

"Your dad wasn't even injured. I spoke with him a half hour ago." Carson rushed to reassure her. "I'm

heading toward your house and I don't want your mother to freak out when I pull into the driveway."

"She's upstairs resting."

"Good," he answered, his voice so.. .dead? "Are you free?"

What did he need to say that couldn't be relayed over the phone? "Just hanging out with Chris and Jamie,

watching
Jungle Book."

"Could you explain to Chris what's going on so he can tell your mom if she wakes up and there's

something on the news?"

"Sure, but do you really think there will be anything on TV?"

"It was bad over there, Nikki." Cell phone static echoed along with the silence and what sounded like a

heavy swallow. "I'm pulling into the driveway now. Could you meet me outside?"

He was upset. Of course he was. And oh God, he'd come to her.

"Give me thirty seconds to update Chris, and then I'm out the door."

"Thank you."

His bass rumbled even deeper, hoarse with emotion. If the accident didn't involve her father, there could

only be one reason Carson had driven over.

He needed her. A couple of weeks ago she would have expected to take satisfaction from that. Now,

she could only think of racing out the door, her heart as heavy as his voice over the phone at just the