Freezing Point (8 page)

Still, it was a comfortable silence. Jesse had stopped by to see her and it had nothing to do with her story, nor was she in imminent danger. But she warned herself not to jump to conclusions. He could have stopped by to check on her, considering that she tended to attract trouble.

Jesse released Simon from the leash and the dog took off across the beach, barking.

“He sounds happy, if you can tell that by a dog's bark,” Casey said with a chuckle.

Jesse laughed but said nothing.

“You're a mysterious man, Jesse Dufour.” Casey wasn't sure why she'd so easily voiced her private thoughts about him. The next thing she knew, she'd be telling him everything about her life in Oregon, and about Tannin.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I can't find out anything about you, about your past.” That fact disturbed her. “I'm supposed to be dong a story on you, remember?”

Simon came bounding back, carrying a piece of driftwood.
Jesse took it from the dog and tossed it. Somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled. Maybe the storm would pass them by.

Suddenly, Jesse turned to face her and stepped into her space. “Is that all I am to you, Casey Wilkes, a story?”

A knot lodged in Casey's throat. He was close, oh, so close. His cologne swirled around her. She closed her eyes, remembering the almost-kiss last night.

His lips were on hers, sending warmth through her entire body. She melted against him, lost to the world around her.

He'd become much more than a habit for her. He was an addiction.

J
esse ended the kiss and pressed his nose against Casey's, holding her hands in his. He sighed. “I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that.”

“No. It's okay,” she said, her words a little shaky. Then a playful grin tickled the corner of her mouth. “I liked it.”

Could she be any more appealing?

“And,” she added, “you're more than just a story to me.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I'm sure,” she whispered.

He wanted more than anything to believe it. But did he really? She could be playing him because she was after a different story all together.

Wasn't Jesse playing her?

He was a man torn in too many directions. He'd kissed her to keep her from asking questions. He'd kissed her because he wanted to kiss her. And now, where did that leave the both of them?

Him acting out a part, and her falling for
that
guy, not the real Jesse.

She didn't have a clue. And he was a jerk for it.

From the beginning, he'd wanted to prevent anyone else from getting hurt or, worse, killed, at the ice company. He feared Casey was in danger, but where would she be safest?
With him? Or far away from here? It wasn't within his power to send her away. Not without the threat of discovery.

For those reasons and a million more, he was torn over how best to protect Casey.

And worse, he was falling for her.

Help me, God. What do I do?

She lingered against him, her breath smelling minty, like she'd just brushed. He smiled a little at the thought. All the chaos in his head melted away as he savored this moment with her.

Thunder clapped, too close for comfort, startling Casey. She jumped and he wrapped his arms around her.

He'd thought it before—she was a woman on edge. But why? “The storm's moving in fast. Maybe we should get back.”

Simon returned just in time and, barking, ran ahead of them toward the house.

“I don't want to get caught in the storm. Race you!” Casey took off running. Surprised, Jesse laughed and then gladly followed. He had every intention of letting her think she was winning until the very last second.

Casey glanced behind her, shooting a mischievous smile at him. Keep that up and she'd lose without any effort on his part. Jesse burst forward and tagged her. She stumbled, and he fell next to her, laughing. A drop of rain smacked him in the face.

Lying in the sand next to the deck, Jesse looked up and noticed the lights were out. Footsteps pounded the sand, running from the house.

Simon growled and barked, then ran in the direction Jesse had heard the footsteps come from.

“That wasn't a happy bark.” Casey sat up. “Jesse?”

Jesse jumped up. “Stay there!” He ran after what he feared
to be another intruder. Had they armed the system when they left? He didn't think so.

Idiot!

Large raindrops began pelting him and, with the clouds moving in, the moonlight was no longer lighting his way. “Simon!”

The dog barked somewhere in the distance. Jesse paused and considered giving up on catching whoever had run from the house and began to worry about leaving Casey alone. Simon could find his way back.

From somewhere ahead on the dark and stormy beach, Simon yapped in pain. The sound crushed Jesse, angered him.

Should he go back for his standard company issue SIG P226 locked safely in his car?

An arm gripped his biceps. Fist raised, he turned and almost slammed Casey.

Lightning flashed, revealing that she was soaked to the bone. “I told you to stay put,” he yelled over the storm.

“I was too scared, so I ran after you.”

A few yards away, Simon limped toward them, whimpering.

Casey knelt down, “You poor thing.”

“Come on,” Jesse said, and lifted his dog.

 

“And be sure to arm the alarm system and lock the doors this time, ma'am,” Officer Perry said, standing in the doorway.

“Thank you for coming. I will.” She smiled and shut the door when he left.

Casey was glad when he'd finally turned off the flashing lights—they had to be disturbing the neighbors, especially at this hour. Then again, those same lights were certainly a deterrent to wannabe intruders.

What was going on?

She leaned against the door, pressing a trembling hand to her forehead, and blew out a breath. “What a night.”

She'd called the police to inform them of a possible intruder, and she suspected the only reason they sent a cruiser out was because it was John Helms's home. But again, she felt like an idiot. Nothing was missing—at least that she knew of. Jesse suspected they had scared the person off before they could enter the house.

“You've got to be exhausted.” Jesse stood with his legs wide apart and arms crossed, watching her. He had to be concerned about his dog.

“Listen, you can go now. I'll be fine, really. This is just a bad neighborhood, I guess.” Her laugh was insincere as she plopped on the sofa next to Simon. Resting comfortably, he lifted his head slightly to look at her, then rested it against his paws. He'd come back to them, limping, but he seemed to be better now.

She ran her hands through his fur, enjoying the feel of it, and knowing she brought him comfort, as well. For some odd reason, she didn't believe the intruder—or alleged intruder—had anything to do with Tannin. It just…wasn't his style.

A shudder ran through her at the thought—maybe he'd done damage after all, or left something she wouldn't discover until later. Absurd—he was in Oregon State, nearly a thousand miles from here.

Keep telling yourself that.

That should bring her relief, and she'd thought by staying in Aunt Leann's home, she'd feel safe. But that wasn't the case at all. Maybe her uncle's company had something to do with the attacks.

There was something to Jesse's odd behavior, and the cell-phone guy she'd first encountered at the ice company but then later dismissed.

She was staying in the owner's house, after all.

When she looked at Jesse, she wondered what he had to do with it, if anything. Suspicion splintered through her again.

He held her gaze, concern and something else in his eyes that almost took her breath away, washing away her errant thought. She couldn't bring herself to believe anything bad about Jesse right now.

She lifted a hand to him, an invitation for him to sit next to her. He answered, slipping his hand into hers, except he sat on the edge of the sofa, leaving a few inches between them. Though his action disappointed her, she reminded herself how he affected her—for his part, he'd made a wise decision. She wondered if he'd kept distance between them for the same reason.

She needed to focus on something else.

“I haven't exactly been in town long enough to find a church. Do you have any suggestions?” she asked, running her hand around Simon's ear.

Jesse's eyes narrowed, if only slightly, making her wish she hadn't asked. His reaction hurt because she cared for him.

“Where did that come from?” he asked, his voice sounding strained.

“Oh, I don't know. I need help getting through…whatever this is.”

A tenuous smile replaced his frown. “We can find one together.”

That wasn't exactly the answer she was hoping for—that he hadn't already been attending somewhere—but she'd take it. “I'd like that.”

He smiled and looked at the coffee table. “If you think you're going to be all right, I need to leave now.”

What is going on, Jesse?
She desperately wanted to know. But Jesse didn't have the answers. “Sure, I'll be fine. But
what about Simon? Are you going to take him to the vet tomorrow?”

“His leg will be fine. Whatever happened, he's not limping anymore. If you don't mind, I was thinking of leaving him here—that is, for you, to keep you safe.”

“Don't you think that's overkill? Especially if I set the alarm?” she asked, a tremor in her voice. She knew enough about alarms to know they weren't foolproof, even when set. If someone really wanted in…

“Whoever was here is long gone, and with the cops coming out to look around, I doubt they'll come back. But there's no better protection than a guard dog, though I wouldn't exactly call Simon ferocious. Still, he can protect you.”

Casey's throat constricted. Maybe she should just move out of her uncle's house. But how? She'd need money to get an apartment or rental home. And she was already in a lease in Oregon—she'd paid for the next three months up front. Where, then, could she go?

Besides, her initial intention was to wait things out where Tannin was concerned. She hadn't considered how long that might take when she'd decided to run.

“Thank you for your offer, but no, I'd feel guilty having Simon here—he'd miss you. Plus, I'd be responsible for him. I can hardly take care of myself as it is. Isn't that obvious?”

“It's your decision, of course.” Jesse called Simon to him, then just before he stepped outside, he turned back to her. “Don't forget what the sergeant said.”

“I got it. Set the alarm.”

Still. Would it be enough?

 

Jesse dropped Simon off at his house and headed back to watch Casey. He hadn't known how to respond to her comment regarding taking care of herself. It wasn't as if he could
spill any of his concerns because they were all related to his mission.

All evening, he'd wondered if Spear had been the intruder. Had the guy returned to look for the thumb drive? If Casey had been home would he have simply knocked, and questioned her politely? Or had he been waiting for her to leave?

His pulse thrummed in his neck. What if…what if he had planned to question her in a similar manner to the way he'd handled her the other night, and then he'd taken off when he'd seen Jesse with her?

Argh.
There was so much Jesse just didn't know, so much information that he was still waiting on—like how many silver SUVs were in the area? Had Casey's tire been tampered with? Was there anything relevant on that thumb drive? Anything incriminating? Or was Spear telling the truth?

These things took time, and they distracted him from his real focus—the sting operation to bring down the cash-smuggling crime ring.

Pulling up next to the curb and behind a van a little distance from the Helmses' home, he prepared to keep vigil, watching over the house. It would have been nice if Casey had allowed Simon to stay—that way Jesse could have stayed, too, though outside, and without her knowledge. Instead, he'd had to take Simon home. The dog had whimpered a little when he jumped from the Jeep, his leg still bothering him. Jesse suspected whomever Simon had chased had kicked the dog, but he didn't want to say so in front of Casey, increasing an already stressful situation.

Nevertheless, he knew Simon would be fine. If his pain persisted tomorrow, Jesse might take him to the vet.

He settled back in his seat. Before he could get too comfortable he needed to make sure that she was still all right, that everything was status quo since he'd left her.

He called her and held his cell to his ear, the house in full view from where he sat.

“Jesse?” she answered on the first ring. “What's wrong?”

“Does there have to be something wrong for me to call you?” Definitely on edge. He almost chuckled when he considered how often their time together had been a result of something going wrong. But it was anything except funny.

“Uh, no. It's just late, that's all.” She sounded tense, rather than groggy.

“I'm sorry if I woke you,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that you were all right.”

“As in, has someone else tried to run me over or break into the house or get me in the dark or if I'm scared to death to be alone? No, you didn't wake me.”

Whoa.
“Now that was a mouthful. I take it that no one has bothered you, but how are you doing? Mentally, that is?”

She sighed, and this time he heard drowsiness slipping into her voice. “I'm scared, Jesse. And I'm so exhausted, I'm not sure that my fear can keep me awake. How's that for an answer?”

“You're going to be fine tonight, Casey. Get some rest.”

Another sigh resounded over the line—one of contentment. She was settling, then. The sound stirred something deep inside Jesse. He laid his head against the headrest and closed his eyes. Maybe he would just stay connected with her, on the phone, all night, or at least until she fell asleep.

“Do you believe in God, Jesse?”

Jesse squeezed his eyes. All the questions she asked relating to God—like earlier tonight about church were tough. If she had any idea how far he'd been from God, the things he'd done in the name of his job…

“Yes,” he said. It was all he could manage.

“Pray for me then. Pray for me that God will watch over me.”

Oh, he'd prayed for her already—it was because of her that he'd put aside his own fears of approaching the Almighty and sent up a prayer for her safety.

“I will.”

“Good night, Jesse Dufour.”

The rain started again somewhere around three in the morning. He didn't know whether to be glad for more rain—because it might be a deterrent to criminals—or not, because it was limiting his vision of her house.

He'd contacted McCoffey to ask for help in watching Casey, because he couldn't watch her all the time and continue with his cover. He had half expected an earful regarding his involvement with the reporter and how she could cause him to blow everything he'd worked for, and he got it. If anyone discovered her shadow, though her escort should be invisible even to her, the entire operation could be in jeopardy.

Jesse had ground his teeth and pressed his back against the seat, enduring the tongue-lashing. Nevertheless, Casey had an answer to her prayer—someone to watch over her. An agent was being assigned to her and would watch from a distance starting tomorrow morning.