Dance Away, Danger (7 page)

She set her cup down and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Enough whining from me. Let’s examine this logically.”

Whining?
“From what I’ve seen of you so far, you don’t even know the meaning of the word.” And yet, she thought she’d been difficult. What he wouldn’t have given to have her level of competency from the girls in his family during the days he had to play man of the house.

She was a world of contradictions who had Matt so confused he wasn’t sure which way was up.

“What do we know? Jason calls you, claiming he’s not sure who else he can trust. You come to the studio for me. We find blood, but no Jason at his house. A few hours later, Pete and Gerry show up at your place for me.” She glanced up. “Why? What’s my part in the whole situation?”

“Good question. They either think you have something or can tell them something.”

“But I don’t have anything, and Jason doesn’t talk about the details of his work.”

Matt shrugged. “Or maybe Pete and Gerry wanted to use you to get to your brother.”

“How do you mean?” Her forehead wrinkled, she dropped her chin in her palm.

“Maybe Jason found some information he didn’t need to see. Your brother would’ve wanted to do what was right.”

“And now he’s missing.”

“The next logical step would be to find a way to rein him back in. If they kidnapped you, they could get him to do whatever they wanted.”

“Do you really think that’s what they’re planning?”

“It’s what I would do.”

Tessa traced squares on the edges of the napkin. “And I was worried about balancing the dance studio’s checkbook.”

He wanted to hold her hand, to rub his thumb along her knuckles and chase away the monsters frightening her. Instead, he gripped his coffee mug and took a gulp of the strong brew.

Suddenly she gave him a brilliant smile. “But you know what? If they’re trying to use me to find Jason, he’s still alive.”

Matt nodded. “Which is exactly why we need to be smart in whatever we do. What can you tell me about your brother’s partner?”

She pinched her bottom lip and thought for a few minutes. “Dave Walgren and Jason have only been partners for about a year, but they’ve been friends since shortly after Jason became a police officer. They play softball together, hang out, watch football.”

“Think about when you last talked to Jason or saw him. Anything been different about him?”

“He’s been distant lately, canceled plans,” she said. “I thought he was busy and tired. He claimed he was working a lot of overtime.”

“And what about Walgren? Have you seen him lately, or the two of them together?”

“Not since the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The department puts on a feast for neighborhood families. It’s been a tradition for us to volunteer ever since our parents died. Whit and his wife took us that first year.”

So much anguish had already blasted into her life, and she had this to contend with.

She tilted her head to one side and tapped the side of her cup. “I just remembered something important. Jason and Dave had a fight. They didn’t come to blows, but I saw them outside the kitchen arguing.”

“About what?”

“Jase didn’t tell me.” She sipped the coffee. Dishes clanked as the waitress delivered meals to a table close by.

“Has Jason said or done anything out of the ordinary with you?” he asked. An overweight trucker waddled behind another waitress toward a table close to the ancient, empty pay phone box at the back of the room.

“Other than canceling plans, not that I can think of.” For several minutes, she held her mug and stared into her coffee.

Matt would give a chunk of cash to find out what ran through her mind. Of course she feared for her brother, but did she wonder what would happen to her? If Jason never came home, would she ask Matt for help?

He couldn’t offer it. Life was too short to be sucked into making a lifetime commitment to someone he barely knew. He owed Jason, not her.

And yet, the thought of leaving her to fend for herself was…impossible.

She snapped her fingers. “Wait. There was something strange. He sent me my birthday present early.”

Matt straightened. Finally, maybe a break. “Why is that strange?”

“He mailed it to the studio. He only lives ten minutes away, and we see each other a lot. I thought it was odd when it arrived. Do you think Jason might’ve sent me a clue about why he’s missing and I have bad cops after me?”

“Wouldn’t you have asked him about it when you opened it?”

“Probably, but I haven’t opened it yet. My birthday’s not for another week.”

Matt chuckled. “You’re actually waiting to open it?”

“Of course.” She lifted her chin. “That’s what Jason would expect me to do.”

“The waiting would kill me.”

“I’ve always had excellent self-control.”

“Always?” His one-track mind drifted to those erotic images again, of her sweet body fitting with his, of her throwing her head back as he took her breasts into his mouth, of her writhing beneath him. He could think of several ways to make her shatter in his arms.

Pink tinged her cheeks, and her lips parted. Did she shiver under his gaze?

He shifted to relieve the pressure building behind his zipper and swallowed hard. Sweet Jesus, the conversation skidded into dangerous territory. Getting involved with Tessa Gage wouldn’t be the friends-with-benefits package Matt was used to sharing with a woman. A woman like her, with close family ties and a responsible, settled life, wouldn’t be satisfied with a casual relationship. She’d want devotion and flowers and a lifetime commitment, and he’d break her heart. No, thanks.

Yet, vulnerability blended with the goldie-green of her irises and reached out to him.

He forced his gaze across the room, to the counter where the server gawked in his direction. And the cook watched him.

His muscles tensed.

The customers sitting at the counter spun their stools toward them, too.

A swear pushed past his clenched teeth as he fished in his pocket for his wallet.

Tessa’s mouth dropped open, and she flattened her palms on the edge of the table. “What’s wrong?”

From the TV hanging above the counter, his own picture stared back at him with a phone number at the top of the screen and a banner scrolling along the bottom...in red.

Holy hell, he was a wanted man.

Chapter Four

Matt scrambled to his feet and tossed a few bills on the table. “We’ve got to go. We’re on the news, and it isn’t pretty.”

Her stomach knotted. “What?” She glanced toward the TV.

He grabbed her hand. “Head for the back entrance. The waitress is deciding whether to send one of the guys at the counter after us or to pick up the phone.”

Relax, relax. Breathe in through the nose, out by the mouth.
She slid out of the booth and Matt wrapped his arm around her. It would be all right. He’d keep her safe. “Easy.” He kept her tucked tight to his side as they walked toward the hallway. “Don’t run.”

The pressure of his hold filled her with strength, but it still took everything she had not to bolt out of his grasp
and across the linoleum floor. “What if there’s no rear exit?”

“There is one. Trust me.”

Yes, trust him. She had to, didn’t she? Eyes bore into her from the customers and employees at the counter. If she scooted close enough to him, could she disappear under his coat? “What if they try to stop us?”

“They won’t.”

He sounded too sure of himself while a thousand doubts hammered on her brain. “Matt, how can you—”

“Just go outside, Tess, and get in the truck.” He shoved the door open.

Early morning darkness surrounded them once again. She checked her watch. The sun wasn’t due to rise for another couple of hours. A light at the far end of the parking lot flickered. Tessa listened for footsteps behind them, but none came.

Quickly, they settled in the truck and Matt drove onto the road. He switched the radio on and fidgeted with the dial. “We need to find out what we’re up against.”

A news station spouted off a story about a string of bank robberies somewhere in Massachusetts. A few minutes later, the reporter said, “We have some new developments in the case of missing Hanover policeman Jason Gage. HPD officers are asking for your help this morning. They’re searching for a local man, Matthew Rylan, in connection with the officer’s disappearance. Police are also trying to locate Officer Gage’s sister, Tessa Gage, who they suspect might have been kidnapped by Rylan. You can find out more on the story by logging onto our website at Channel3news.com.

“In other news....”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Matt turned the radio down and pounded his palm against the steering wheel. “Common man to criminal in less than twelve hours. Dammit.”

Tessa flinched and pressed her lips together. She wanted to kick herself. She’d been sitting with Matt, chatting away with him like two old friends while the police had issued an all-points bulletin for him. Because her soul craved the peace only he’d been able to
deliver lately, the man had almost been taken into custody. She or Matt should have noticed the news report before the rest of the diner patrons.

Time to get her head in the game again. “I’m sorry, Matt. We’ll find a way to clear your name. I promise.” She owed him that much.

“You just keep yourself safe. Let me take care of the rest.”

“No.” She shook her head. “We’re in this together. We’ll fix it together.” But how would they accomplish that?

What was his life was like yesterday? Was he an early riser? Or had he lain in bed until midmorning? Had he been alone under his sheets? Or had some woman curled up on his naked limbs?

Not for the first time, she scanned down the length of him. The man was meticulous and careful with her in everything he did. He might be angry at her, at times, or annoyed with his duty from her brother, but his contact always remained gentle. He claimed often enough he was no longer cut out for carrying such a responsibility, but his actions so far had been nothing short of heroic.

Such a conundrum. The men she dated or hung out with were stable, dependable, nice guys with no surprises who respected her independence. Matt already sparked confusing emotions she’d rather not acknowledge, thank you very much, and she didn’t have a clue what he’d say or do next.

Every step of the way, he’d been right by her side. She had to find a way to get him out of the mess. If she called Whit, he’d be able to—

She slapped her hands against her jeans pockets.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“My phone.”

“I left it at my place. It wouldn’t be any good to you anyway. The cops are probably checking your phone records, and you can bet they’d be monitoring any calls you made or received.”

“Well then, how about yours?”

“Nope. Same thing. They’d track us with it. Who do you need to call?”

“Whit.”

“No.”

“Matt, he’s Jason’s sergeant. We can trust him. I’m sure of it.” He’d called her, hadn’t he? He’d pledged his loyalty time and again with his kind actions—sharing holidays with them, comforting her when Jase had an emergency appendectomy, practically adopting her when her brother joined the Army.

“And if he could have, your brother would’ve gone to him instead of dumping this crap in my lap. Sorry, Tess, but you’re going to have to wait. I need more proof before I’ll agree he’s trustworthy.”

Which left her completely alone, in every sense of the word, with...him. She leaned her forehead on the passenger window and sighed. Yeah, Matt knew what he was doing, but listening to him, following all his directions, and not feeling like her choices were respected left her feeling hollow. “Hey.” He broke into her gentle panic. “First chance we get, we’ll stop and get a burner phone. Then nobody will be able to track our calls. At that point we can try reaching your brother again.”

She nodded her thanks.

The sun’s early rays peeked over the horizon like a magic wand full of sparkle and glitter as Matt parked by the dance studio. She’d help him as best she could, and together they’d find Jason. Then Matt could return to his own world and she would forget the silly school-girl crush she was developing for him. That’s what it had to be, right? Only teenagers felt their insides go mushy with the sound of a guy’s voice. Not since Gavin had she allowed these emotions to tease her, and her infatuation with him had practically ended in disaster. Her adult crush would not.

Tessa stepped out of the truck. “Come on, big brother, don’t let me down.” The cold drifted through Matt’s sweatshirt and seeped into her skin. New England winters sucked. Rubbing her arms, she watched her breath become wisps of fog. If it weren’t for the other three seasons, especially the famous fall with the beautifully colored leaves, she would’ve moved a hundred years before.

A few snow-covered cars sat in the lot between the studio and the strip mall. Matt’s truck had made the only tire tracks in the whiteness. To most people, nothing had changed. Only her world lay upside down. And she remained dangling above a stage by a fraying harness.

Negative thinking didn’t help. Matt rummaged around in the back seat, then locked the truck and started toward the door. He peered at his watch. “What time does the place open?”

“Not for another hour, but the woman who opens is usually early.” Down the side street, a school bus engine rumbled.

“Then we better be quick.”

Tessa stopped short and held her arms out to her sides. “I don’t have my keys.”

“Remember how I got in last night?” He scratched the morning stubble on his chin. It was darker than the hair on his head. Coarser, too, she imagined. While he’d been gentle with any touch he’d given her, nothing about the man was soft.

Her fingers itched to feel his whiskers and find out for sure. Instead, she curled her hands into the sleeves of her borrowed sweatshirt and nodded. Yes, she did remember how he got in. Like a criminal.

A sexy grin curved Matt’s lips before he continued toward the building.

Tessa stilled, massaged her forehead. Sexy? What was wrong with her? Yes, he was handsome, and the way he sometimes stared at her made her bones behave like rubber, but she could not be interested in Matt Rylan. At the door, he motioned her to his side. “I need you.”

Her toes curled. His words generated a rush of confidence in her.

She joined him and waited for further instructions. Matt fished in his pocket and removed a small, flat leather case. He unzipped it and plucked out some thin, pointy tools. “Keep watch. Let me know if you see anyone.” After crouching down, he went to work on the lock.

Tessa stood behind him and scanned the surroundings. A soft breeze lifted the bare branches of the trees. Somewhere in the neighborhood, a truck backing up beeped.

Click.
“We’re in.”

She whipped her head around. Getting into the studio was too easy. Or was he just that good? Either way, she’d have to talk to her boss about increasing their security.

He opened the door and stepped aside. Once she entered, Matt followed. “Where’s the package?”

“In my office.” Tessa headed across the dance floor. When they entered the cubicle she shared with that busybody Alice, she walked straight to the filing cabinet. “Up here.” She stood on her tiptoes and grabbed the edges of the box on top. Matt came up behind her and reached for it. Heat fanned out to her limbs. His arms, his body surrounded her. For the first time since she’d tossed her ex out the door six months before for making their relationship too complicated, she became aware of herself as a woman. Tessa closed her eyes for a second and breathed in the scent of Matt.

He set the carton on the desk behind her. “Come on, Jason. Hopefully you left us a clue.”

Guilt stabbed her. Yes, her brother. Not Matt Rylan. Just because the man was good to her didn’t mean he was dating material. He didn’t seem interested in the one thing she would demand: a partnership.

She whirled around and fixed her gaze on her package.

****

Matt wanted to kick his own ass. When he’d stood behind Tessa, it had taken all his power to keep from wrapping her in his arms. Just because his body ached for her softness didn’t mean physical contact was necessary. He could be supportive to her without touching, couldn’t he? He was a grown man, dammit. How about exercising a little self-control?

A hint of a smile crossed Tessa’s full, pink lips. Fear had washed the color from her face at the diner. Not much had returned since. “Jason’s been there for me for so long. He’s my rock.”

As she inspected the package, something wrenched inside Matt’s chest. “Don’t give up on your brother, Tessa.”

“Oh, no. We’ll find him. I’m sure of it.”

Relief flooded his veins. Good. She didn’t need him to soothe her.

But he could, if he had to.

She opened the box and peered inside.

“What is it?” He inched closer and caught the fruity whiff off her hair. Crazy how it played with his senses. But he wouldn’t let any part of her disrupt his duty. Inside the box was a beautiful foot-long replica of some European castle.

Dammit. Not the clue he was hoping for.

Tessa’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I can’t believe he got this for me. For so long I’ve talked of visiting the Irish village of our ancestors, but I never thought Jason was listening.”

He pictured her walking along the streets of Temple Bar in Dublin or wandering through the ruins of the Rock of Cashel. No doubt her eyes would be wide with wonder and her bright smile would light up the dreariest rainy day.

As quickly as it had come, her wistfulness disappeared and Matt felt the loss. He wanted to make life safe for her. He wanted to see her smile with abandon and to know true joy while he was around.

Not necessary to get the job done.

“That’s why it came in the mail instead of him dropping it off next week. It had to be shipped from the company.”

He flipped over the top flaps and scanned the handwritten address label. “I don’t think so. If it came directly from the company, Jason wouldn’t have been able to put your card inside.” He reached in, grabbed the pink envelope, and passed it to her.

“I’m sure he picked a pink envelope to irritate me,” she said with a smile as she opened it. “I detest pink.” As she read it, she choked up. Still, though, no tears fell. Matt leaned closer and peered over her shoulder. A birthday greeting from a caring brother to his little sister. Inside were some jokes about getting old, a message full of love, and Jason’s signature.

No clues.

Double damn.

For a moment, he thought about his own sisters, about how he hadn’t exchanged a phone call, much less a birthday present, with either one in close to ten years. The bond the Gage siblings shared was a foreign concept to him. A beautiful, chest-tugging bond. Maybe if he’d had a similar relationship in his past, he wouldn’t be so alone.

On his own, rather. He’d chosen the single lifestyle because it was exactly what he wanted.

But damn, Jason was lucky.

“Can you help me take it out of the box?” she asked innocently, as if it really were her birthday and no strange situation had thrown them together. As if they were a normal couple.

But they weren’t. Would never be. He didn’t need to be tied down to anyone. One beautiful woman who kept surprising him at every turn wouldn’t change that.