Rundown (Curveball Book 2) (19 page)

“
Why?”

“
I’m
not sure.  I can tell you that if the CIA is involved, we won’t
be able to make contact with him.  We shouldn’t talk about
this anymore until we’re back in Boston.  I don’t know how
Jackson got ahold of that information but there’s no way it was
given willingly, even if it came from Patterson.”

“
This
is such a mess,” I mutter.  “You need to tell me what I’m
allowed to say because I need to make a statement to the media.  I
didn’t see any press at the airport, but that doesn’t mean they
weren’t there.”

“
You
can’t say anything.”

“
What
do you mean I can’t say anything?”  I ask.

“
This
is part of an ongoing investigation.  I mean just what I said;
you can’t say a word.”

“
That’s
really what you expect?”

“
That’s
what the FBI expects.”

“
So
I’m just supposed to let the world think I fucked over Breanne with
two sluts from a bar?  No fucking way.”

“
What
would you say?  That you were drugged?  People will want to
know why.  If you say you were ambushed so that a safe could be
taken from your sister’s house, the public will want to know what
she was hiding and who attacked you.  We aren’t in a position
yet to play our hand, Drew…we don’t have enough information.  It
isn’t fair; I get it.  That doesn’t change anything, though.
 You can’t say anything.”

“
Breanne
doesn’t deserve this and it could ruin our relationship.  I’m
not risking that.”

“
What
about risking the truth?  Huh?  If you go public there’s
going to be conspiracy theorists, crazy fucks that will turn this
into a circus.  It’ll take the focus off the investigation and
the people responsible for all of this could get away.  Is that
what you want?”

My
blood is boiling.  This really is bullshit, but I’m not
stupid.  “No.”

“
Then
until I tell you different, your only response to the media is ‘no
comment’.  We clear?”

Begrudgingly,
I agree.  “At least do me a favor then before we head out.”
 

Everett
looks at me questioningly.

“
Take
a picture of the receipts and my neck and text them to Breanne.”

“
Drew,”
he begins.  “I can’t—”

Everett
stops mid-sentence and takes his phone from his pocket.  He
looks at the screen and hands me the phone.  “It’s Breanne.”

I
answer the phone and launch into the speech I’ve spent hours
working out in my head, yet I only get a few words out when she
interrupts.

“
Just
come home.”

Traditions

“
Welcome
to Dunkin’ Donuts.  Would you like to try a Wake-Up Wrap for
0.99 cents?”

“
No
thanks. We’ll take five medium hot regulars.”

“
Will
that complete your order?”

“
Yes.”

“
Your
total comes to $10.30.  Please drive up.”

“
You’re
going to need more than coffee this morning.  Maybe you
should’ve asked for a turbo shot,” Corinne suggests as she drives
around to the window.

“
If
they’re adding shots it had better be alcoholic,” I reply. 
Not to be dramatic or belittle other events, but yesterday had been
one of the worst days of my life, and I’ve got a lot of
comparisons.  I need a freaking break.

I
sip my coffee in silence as we speed through the tunnel towards Logan
Airport, imagining what I’ll say to Drew when he walks off that
plane.  Despite running through the events repeatedly, I’m not
sure where to start.  We had agreed during our brief
conversation late last night that we wanted to talk face to face.
Though Corinne had relayed his messages and had given me updates from
Everett, I need to hear it from Drew when I could look in his eyes. 

I’d
already come to the conclusion that whatever occurred was the result
of foul play, and the call Corinne received an hour ago further
confirmed that there was indeed wrongdoing.  Not that my doubts
lasted very long, but I’m kicking myself for being skeptical of
Drew at all.   We can’t seem to escape the impending
threat that we’re both continually faced with, and it’s getting
closer every day.  If only we knew who was after us, and what
they wanted.

My
phone pings as we pull up to the curb at the arrivals area. “He
just got his bags.  He’ll be out in a few minutes,” I tell
Corinne.

“
When
are you going to tell them?”

“
I’m
hoping he’ll figure the added security is because of my visitor the
other night.”

“
I
guess that’s partially true. Get ready because here he comes.”

He’s
going to take this so hard.

I
step out of the car and run to Drew who has just spotted me. 
Disheveled hair and exhaustion never looked so sexy.  He drops
his luggage and when I’m close enough, I launch myself into his
arms and squeeze him tightly. 

I
could have lost him. 

Just
as I predicted, Drew figured out that I was keeping something from
him, but it wasn’t based on the additional security. He waited
until Brett took off and his luggage was loaded into the trunk before
he started asking questions.  It became clear fairly quickly
that he mistook my apprehension about giving him bad news as me
having second thoughts.  I assured him that wasn’t the case
and luckily, he accepted my request to wait until we got to his place
before we discussed it.  Surprisingly, instead of starting an
inquisition, he focused on holding me with one arm and chugged his
coffee, and I happily complied. 

When
we arrived at his house, Everett and Corinne accompanied us inside
while the other two agents remained outside. Everett closes the door
as Drew leads me into the living room.  “I’m so sorry bab—”

“
Don’t,”
I tell him, cutting him off with a kiss before he has the chance to
continue.  “Don’t apologize for something you had no control
over.”  He watches me with uncertainty but eventually nods,
slumps onto the couch and pulls me into his lap. 

Drew
glances over at Everett and tells him and Corinne to take a seat. 
It’s then that I notice the small puncture wound on his neck and
recall the ordeal Corinne said they’d been through. 
I
mistook his blood as lipstick.
 Absentmindedly, I run my
fingers over the spot, and even though I’m gentle, Drew blanches at
my touch.

“
Sorry,”
I exclaim, yanking my hand away.

“
You’re
fine, it’s a little sensitive.”

“
Tell
me what happened.”

“
There
isn’t a lot to tell aside from what you already know.  I had
my meeting with the Giants, I did the photo shoot and that’s the
last thing either of us remembers.  It wasn’t until I was
pulled aside after going through airport security that we knew we’d
been to Alexis’s house, and that was sheer luck.”

Corinne
told me something found in Drew’s belongings caused him to miss his
earlier flight, yet neither of us knows what it was.  I nod,
encouraging Drew to continue.

“
TSA
found things, receipts, stuffed in the sole of one of my shoes as
they went through the scanner.”

“
Receipts?
Of what?” I ask.

Drew
runs his hand through his hair.  “This is going to sound
insane.  I’m still trying to process it because it makes no
sense.”

I
wait patiently as he takes a deep breath.  “Drew,” I prompt.

“
Your
alexandrite necklace and the jewelry box.”

“
What?”
I ask. “How did you get those?  And what does that have to do
with Alexis?”

“
We
assume they came from a safe that was taken from her house after we
were ambushed.”

“
What
safe? And why would your sister have receipts for my things?”

“
Because
Alexis bought them.”

“
She
what? No. That can’t be right.”  I stare at him in
disbelief.  “Where are they? I want to see them.”

“
With
the FBI.  They were taken as evidence.”

Covering
my mouth with my hand because I’m scared of what will come out, I
close my eyes and process Drew’s words. 
His sister bought
those things.  Not Mark.
 

“
Why
would your sister do that?  We didn’t know each other.  She
would have had to of known about Mark’s death and our anniversary.
 I don’t get it.”

“
We
think it was a warning of some sort,” Everett chimes in. “Of
what, we aren’t sure yet.”

“
Did
you find anything else?” 

“
If
we did, we can’t remember,” Everett replies.

“
We’ll
get to the bottom of this.”  Drew reaches up, cupping my chin
and searches my eyes.  “Alright, now it’s your turn.  I
can tell something’s happened.  Has the person from your
backyard returned?”

 “
No,
it’s not that.  It’s just…” I pause and take his hands
in mine, staring at them briefly, trying to come up with the best way
to break this to him.  Out of the corner of my eye I watch
Corinne put her hand on Everett’s shoulder.  

“
Just
what, Breanne?” he questions.

I
hesitate, worrying my bottom lip.  I need to get this over with,
yet this isn’t the sort of message anyone likes delivering.
 “Whatever you were injected with had a really bad affect on
O’Conner.  Babe…he didn’t make it.”

Drew’s
mouth parts marginally and his eyes drift away from mine.  He
untangles me from him and abruptly stands, knotting his hands behind
his head.  He paces silently for a few beats and then walks to
the window, looking at what, I can’t say.  I push off the
couch, wanting to comfort him, but Everett beats me to it.  He
pats his back and says something to Drew that I can’t hear.