Homeland Security (Defenders of Love Book 2) (3 page)

Chapter Three

Katie couldn't believe she sat locked in a tiny room with a man she had secretly dreamt about for months. Kaiden, the government agent, was all business. Not at all like the man she'd taken care of in the hospital. There he had been teasing, flirty, and light hearted. Here, aside from expressing a little amusement at her expense, none of those characteristics had shown up yet.

"Look, Agent James. Here's the story in a nutshell. We met online. I thought we had fallen in love but now I know I was a naïve idiot to think someone as wealthy, connected, and good looking as Nathan Marks could ever fall in love with someone simple like me. He cheated on me with my only friend and I kicked him to the curb. Although I seriously doubt he cared. I'm sure Mandy gave him everything he wanted… and then some."

Kaiden's expression turned to stone. "And just why wouldn't he fall for someone like you?"

She glanced down at her disheveled self. "Come on, look at me. What does it matter for your investigation anyway?"

He didn't say anything for a long while but he sure did look at her. He looked at her for so long parts of her began to heat up a little bit. Okay, a lot.

Katie held his gaze as long as she could stand it before having to look away. His eyes seemed to bore straight through her, reading her thoughts.

Oh, good lord, he couldn't read her thoughts, could he? Her cheeks heated.

"Who is this friend you mentioned?"

"What?" Katie had trouble focusing on the questions Kaiden asked. She kept flashing back to a certain sponge bath incident that had haunted her dreams for months. Were his shoulders and chest still as strong and hard as she remembered?

"I was wondering about the friend you mentioned."

"
Former
friend. Mandy Howe. She worked in the ward with me. She's prettier than me and has a bigger rack than me. Nathan is a total breast man."

Why
had she said that?

Kaiden chuckled as his eyes bore straight into her chest. Thank goodness she had taken the time to throw on a tank top under her shirt, the kind with the built in bra.

As he studied her, tensions built to near impossible to handle levels. Katie began to fidget in her seat, wishing she could turn her back on Kaiden while at the same time wanting to tear her clothes—and his—off.

Get a grip, girl!

If only her body would listen to her brain.

"So, this Mandy, she worked with you?"

"Didn't I just say that? We worked the same shift. I found her and Nathan in the supply closet about a month and a half ago."

"What sort of diseases are researched in your part of the hospital?"

"Anything infectious. We treat those that are already sick but there's also a lab that is constantly researching infectious diseases that might someday be a problem. You know like the plague, Ebola, West Nile virus, Legionnaires'."

"Did Mr. Marks ever ask you to do anything for him? Like take home equipment or… samples of different diseases?"

"No! And if he had, I would have refused!"

"Would Mandy have refused?"

Perhaps Kaiden
had
been reading her mind earlier. In the back of her mind, Katie always knew Nathan was up to something. The questions he asked about her job were more than general interest. Nathan probably convinced Mandy how much he cared about her to get her to do what he wanted.

Of course, she had no proof of any of this. Nathan was a lying, cheating bastard and Mandy was easy. She knew Katie and Nathan were engaged and still she diddled him in the store room.

Reluctantly, she nodded. "No, Mandy would not have refused. I am pretty sure she would do anything Nathan asked her to."

"Nathan is the son of Richard Marks, the senator, isn't he?"

"So? Nathan hated politics. He didn't even tell me who his father was until we had been dating for several months."

"How much did he hate politics? Or could it be his father's politics he couldn't stand? Is there a chance of something else?"

"Like one of those terrorist groups? No way, Nathan is a big pansy. He couldn't handle being involved in something like that."

"You didn't expect him to cheat on you either but he did."

Ouch
. "That's harsh, Agent James."

"You're right. I apologize. What I mean is, could there be another side to him that he hid from you? Why else would he have been so interested in your job?"

"He only stayed with me because he thought I was useful to him?" It hurt to hear the words out loud. "I guess it was too much to ask that a man like Nathan, with his family's power and connections, would have wanted to spend his life with me."

Kaiden reached over and placed a warm hand on her free one. In an instant she forgot about Nathan, about the pain and betrayal. Everything around them seemed to slip away with a simple touch as she looked into Kaiden's eyes. They were a beautiful, crystal blue. Katie had forgotten how much she like looking into those eyes.

"I'm sure that in the beginning he genuinely cared for you." Kaiden removed his hand leaving Katie feeling lonely and cold. "It was just an added benefit that you may have become useful to him as well. Guys like Nathan Marks, they don't know how to really care for someone without an agenda."

"Well, now that you know everything, can I go home now?"

***

She wanted to go home and he wanted to keep her there as long as possible to feel her closeness again. The case took priority though and Katie McCoy had become a part of that case. There would be no sponge baths… or anything else… in their immediate future. Breaking that sort of protocol could cost him his job and as Cara would staunchly proclaim, his job would always be the most important thing in his life.

There couldn't be anything else, no matter how much he thought he might want it. Kaiden had sacrificed a great deal for his career and he wasn't about to jeopardize that for any reason, including the adorable nurse sitting there less than three feet away looking lost and forlorn.

She wanted to go home and he really didn't have any reason to keep her.

"I have a few more questions. Do you know where Nathan is staying these days?"

"Check his father's mansion. That place is locked down tighter than the White House."

"Do you know where Mandy lives? Do you happen to have her phone number?"

"She lives in one of those new high-rises in Towne Center. Her number is in my cell phone back at my apartment. Unless one of your commando goons grabbed it when they snatched me?"

"We'll ask about your phone. Do you have any emails or other correspondence from Nathan asking you unusual questions or talking about things that seemed a little odd to you?"

"We didn't email much. Nathan hated technology. Can I go home now? Please?"

More likely, he didn't trust it
.

Kaiden rose from his chair without a word and fished a handcuff key out of his pocket, using it to unlock the cuffs holding her wrist to the table. Katie rubbed at the red marks where the steel had pressed into her skin. Kaiden took her hand in both of his and inspected the marks, his thumb tracing the angry red lines. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize how tightly they were on."

He had longed for the feel of her soft skin again for months. He wanted to stop everything he was supposed to be doing and spend the night exploring more of it. When she pulled her hand away he felt the loss of her touch deep in his gut. The intensity of it shocked him.

"I'll live," she said. "So long as I can go home now."

"I'll drive you. But I have to tell you, don't leave town anytime soon."

"I can take a cab."

Kaiden looked down. "I am not sure a cab is the best idea."

Katie followed his gaze to her sock covered feet. "Yeah, okay. You might be right about that."

He led her from the tiny room, down a dark hall, and out a door that led to a parking lot. Not far from the door stood his black Ford F150 pickup truck, waxed to a high shine and just about glowing under the light of the lamp in the parking lot. Kaiden loved that truck almost as much as he loved his job. Holding the door, he waited while she climbed into the passenger side before striding around the front of the truck and sliding in behind the steering wheel.

"Nice truck," she said as she clicked the seatbelt. "You feds get treated well."

That truck represented the closest thing he had to a relationship since Cara had left. "Prior to meeting up with you I was at a wedding, remember? I get to drive my own car on vacation."

"Right." She fell silent.

"So, where are we headed?" Kaiden asked.

"Atlantic and Thirty-First."

"Nice neighborhood."

Katie shrugged. "I like seeing the ocean first thing in the morning and last thing at night. All those years of living in the mountains, I guess."

Kaiden could understand that. He had agreed to move east for the Homeland Security job because of the ocean. After years in the Coast Guard, the mountains made him feel landlocked while the ocean gave him a sense of freedom. He had even learned to surf since living in Virginia Beach. Nothing in life had ever given him so much satisfaction.

"Do you surf?" he asked.

She turned toward him with a puzzled look. "Um, no."

"You should try it sometime." Or, better yet, he could teach her sometime. Yeah, he liked that idea. The case wouldn't last forever. When it was over, there would be plenty of time to really get to know Katie. Unless she went to prison. Oh man. He really hoped she wasn't involved in this mess.

"I'm not the most graceful thing on two feet. That would probably be a huge mistake."

"It's really not that hard. I'd love to take you sometime." The words slipped out before he could stop them.

"I don't think that is such a good idea," Katie replied.

"Look, I know all of this is kind of weird."

"Weird? It's crazy! Masked men dragged me from my apartment and chained me to a table. Then this guy I once took care of in the hospital shows up and digs into my personal life. Now, without so much as an apology from the guy who kicked my door in, you are driving me home and offering to take me surfing? Yeah, I don't think weird quite covers it, Agent James."

Kaiden couldn't help but laugh. It did sound crazy. In his mind they had more of a relationship than in reality, he supposed. Months of her haunting his dreams must have clouded his judgment. Katie had been in love with another man who now had gotten her into serious hot water. An impromptu surfing date seemed out of place for sure. "Well, when you put it like that, I can see why you think it's a little odd."

Katie didn't answer. They drove the rest of the way to her apartment in silence. Her building looked impressive from the outside. Several floors of condo style apartments with balconies facing the beach were built above a series of high end clothing and décor shops. The building had its own parking garage that Kaiden turned into.

"This is a nice place. I haven't been down in this area much. I had no idea how developed it had become."

"What are you doing?" Katie motioned to the garage as he pulled in.

"Parking."

"No need. I can find my own way."

"I have no doubt of that; however, I would like to assess the damage done to your property by those 'commandos' you keep referring to."

Katie shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."

As soon as he parked the truck, Katie jumped out and started toward the elevator. Kaiden kept stride while still giving her some space. When the elevator doors opened, he stepped in beside her and stood without speaking, arms crossed over his chest. Katie watched the numbers light up as the elevator climbed but didn't acknowledge Kaiden at all.

They arrived at the seventh floor with a ding of a bell. The doors slid open and Katie walked away still giving him the cold shoulder. Kaiden smiled and followed her down the hall until she stopped in front of one of the doors.

"There's actually a boot print on it." Kaiden laughed.

Katie threw her hands on her hips and glared at him. "This is so not funny. The management company is going to make me pay for this you know."

"Don't worry, I'll get someone over here to fix it on the agency's tab."

"Hmpf…I'd say that's the least you can do," Katie grumbled as she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Kaiden let out a long, low whistle. The entire place was in shambles. Drawers had been dumped, cushions tossed on the floor, and furniture turned over.

"Did our guys do this too?" Kaiden asked.

"No."

"Someone tossed your place."

"Thank you, Mr. Obvious. I don't know how I would have figured that out without your crack investigative skills."

Kaiden walked further in the room as he pulled out his cell phone. "Someone was looking for something."

"Again, thanks for stating the obvious." Katie looked absolutely overwhelmed as she turned and examined her apartment. "I can't imagine what they were looking for."