Sweet Reward (7 page)

What else could he do? She had refused his help. But the thought of something happening to this lovely, energetic, obviously naïve young woman clawed at him.

In seconds, his mind threw out and then rejected different things he could do to help her. She had friends, many in law enforcement, who could probably do a lot more for her than he could. Still, he had to say, “I could stay a few more days, help you out.”

A tender expression appeared on her face. “Thank you, but no.” And then she did something that totally floored him. Standing on her toes, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Behind that gruff, tough exterior, you’re a very sweet man, Jared Livingston.”

Hell, she was even more clueless than he’d thought. Giving her a grim nod, he walked out the door. Some people just couldn’t be helped.

Jared paced back and forth across the length of McCall’s office. Double jackhammers of frustration and hopelessness pounded inside him. Every single day had brought either no news or bad news. Today’s news might be the worst of all. “So how many more abductions do we think there have been?”

“Five in the last two years—at least that we know of. Whoever’s doing this has been very selective. The abductions have just enough in common to look related, but the locations are all over the world, and the leads either dead-end or have nothing in common with one another.”

“And we still have no idea where the children are being taken … or for what purpose.”

“Not yet.” McCall eyed Jared speculatively. “How’s Lara holding up?”

Disgust audible in his sigh, Jared dropped down into a chair in front of McCall’s desk. “Not good.” And that was an understatement. She had taken a leave from her job and called him almost every day with either possible sightings or near-hysterical rants about how if he was as good as he claimed to be, her daughter would have been found by now. Though grief could make people say things they normally wouldn’t, he couldn’t help but agree
with her assessment. If he was so damn good, just why the hell couldn’t he find these children?

“I have a person coming in today with some new intel,” Noah said.

Good. The more people on the case, the better their chances of success. There were already four operatives on it; one more would be a welcome addition. And new information? Hell, yeah.

“What kind of intel?”

“She’ll be here in about twenty minutes and can update us both. I only heard the sketchiest details a few days ago. She—”

Before McCall could finish the sentence, his intercom buzzed and Angela Delvecchio, LCR’s receptionist, announced, “Noah, she’s on her way up.”

A small smile played around McCall’s mouth as he stood. “She has a tendency to be early and impatient.”

Less than a minute later, the door flew open.

A woman in her late twenties glided into the room. Dark, mink-brown hair caressed her shoulders, creamy magnolia skin gleamed as though there were a light beneath the surface, dark brown, intelligent eyes glinted with life, and her full, mobile mouth curved up into a delighted smile the moment she spotted McCall.

Shit
. This was a distraction he hadn’t needed.

Jared glared at McCall, who strode around the desk to greet Mia Ryker. His head reeling, Jared barely registered that she threw her arms around McCall with an exuberant “It’s so good to see you again.”

McCall returned the hug and then smiled down at her like an affectionate uncle. “You, too.”

“Livingston, I believe you know Mia.”

Though he knew it was the polite and gentlemanly thing to stand, Jared had let go of those kinds of societal niceties long ago. He gave a silent, grim nod of acknowledgment.
Anything he said now would start an argument. He’d wait until he had his boss alone to ask him what the hell he was thinking. Mia Ryker … working on this case? McCall said she had new information, but they’d determined that her case and this one weren’t related. Was this another wild goose chase, like when he’d gone to Chicago?

She looked the same as she had a month ago. Beautiful and as delicate as air. Energy practically pulsated from her small frame; he’d never seen anyone so vibrantly alive.

The bright smile remained on her face as her gaze met his, but he saw the challenging glint in her eyes. She knew his thoughts. Yeah, well, he hadn’t exactly made his opinion of her abilities a secret.

When he’d returned from Chicago, McCall had asked him very little about Mia or her case. Jared had reported that the case wasn’t related to theirs, and his boss had accepted it. However, he’d also mentioned that Mia’s life could well be in danger and that she seemed to have no concept of that danger. McCall hadn’t acted surprised, but the hell of it was, he hadn’t acted concerned, either.

Jared had worked hard not to think about her and had, for the most part, succeeded. Sure, he’d scanned the Internet for news on her informant’s death and about her case, but that was professional curiosity and nothing more. He had been slightly involved in those cases, so it made sense for him to keep up with what was going on. And what he had found was a whole lot of nothing. Spunky’s murderer was still at large, and as far as Jared knew, the child Mia was looking for still hadn’t been found.

As if she wasn’t completely aware of his disapproval, Mia scooted a chair alongside Jared’s and sat down. Then, leaning closer, she patted his arm affectionately. “It’s really good to see you again, too.”

Jared ground his teeth until his jaw ached. She was teasing him—something no one had done in years. And the
hand on his arm? Incidental touches were not his thing. This woman seemed to be all about touching and feeling. His body’s reaction to that light touch was a normal occurrence. When a beautiful woman touches a man, there’s bound to be a reaction. Biology 101.

Without acknowledging her words or her touch, he turned back to McCall. “So what’s this new information?”

“Mia, you gave me the skeletal details, but they sounded promising. Tell us what you have.”

As her smile vanished, an expression of extreme seriousness turned her features from lively and attractive to beautiful. A simultaneous kick in his gut and another surge of arousal hit Jared.
Hell, she stops smiling and I get a hard
-
on?

She glanced over at Jared. “Remember the man with the limp?”

“You mean the one who almost killed you?” Jared asked.

As if he hadn’t spoken, she continued: “I didn’t think he had anything to do with your case; now I believe he does.”

“How so?” McCall asked.

“He was found dead a couple of weeks ago. Gunshot wound to his head, along with some substantial damage to his body. My theory is that he was killed because he kidnapped a high-profile child—the Hempsteads’ baby—instead of the usual low-risk victim.”

“Any proof of that?” Jared asked.

“Not yet.” When she leaned forward, he could practically feel the vibrating intensity in her slender frame. “Think about it, though. The day after it breaks on the news that a wealthy couple’s child had been taken, there’s a ransom demand and the baby is found. On that same day, the man with a limp tortures and kills Spunky to get
to me, because I’m investigating the other missing baby. And then that same man is found dead.”

“That ransom was over a month ago,” Jared said. “He could’ve been killed for something else.”

She was shaking her head before he finished. “He’d been dead for a couple of weeks when they found him. The body was so decomposed, they had trouble identifying the remains. A couple of days ago, they ID’d him as Boyd Fuller.”

“How do they know it’s the same guy? Did Sandi identify a picture of him?”

“No. She couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

Sadness and a hint of grief flickered over her face. “She OD’d last week.”

“Then how do they know it’s the same guy?”

“The Hempsteads identified him as the man who’d worked in the kitchen the night before their baby was kidnapped. And his photo is almost identical to the sketch of the man Sandi described.”

“You’re sure Sandi’s death was an overdose?” McCall asked. “Not murder?”

“Based on what I know about her, yes, I’m sure she OD’d.”

“Your client is dead … why’re you still on the case?” Jared said.

A flare of heat glimmered in her eyes. “The child is still missing whether the mother is alive or dead.”

Jared shrugged. “Most people would’ve given up and left it to the police.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Not any people worth their salt.”

“I still don’t see how this has anything to do with our case. Lara and Carter aren’t wealthy like the Hempsteads, but they’re not destitute or drug addicts like Sandi, either.
And Mandy Dennison’s disappearance has been all over the news.”

With fire still in her eyes from his earlier comment, Mia snapped, “Perhaps it would be helpful to let me finish before you made that assumption.”

Before Jared could snarl a reply, McCall’s voice cut into the crackling tension. “Okay, let’s get back on track. Anything else?”

“Just that and a gut feeling. I agree there are differences, but if there’s been no ransom demand, the chances are good that if we find one child, we might come across the others.” Her chin tilted with determination. “All of my leads in Chicago have dried up. I can’t find Sandi’s baby on my own. I need help.”

No way was Jared going to argue with that statement. “So you’re just here for this case?”

He knew McCall was looking at him strangely. Asking people personal questions wasn’t the norm for him. Yeah, if he needed to get information for a case, he would interrogate with the best of them. But anything else, he didn’t pry. So why did he care if she planned to be a permanent fixture at LCR?

“Just for this case … and however long it takes.”

“What about your pets? You just going to abandon them?”

“They’re my family—of course I’m not going to abandon them. A friend of mine is staying with them.”

Jared knew he needed to stop with the questions. What the hell did he care about her plans, anyway?

Furious words trembled on Mia’s mouth, but she refused to let them spew. Jared had made it more than clear that he didn’t think she was competent. Even while she reminded herself that she had nothing to prove, she knew that wasn’t exactly true. If they were going to be working together, he needed to trust her. She tried to convince
herself that this was the only reason she would want him to think well of her, but she’d stopped lying to herself long ago. Dammit, Jared Livingston was the first man she’d been attracted to in years, and he saw her as a brainless twit.

Her mind raced through different scenarios she could create to quickly show him that she was not only intelligent and extremely qualified but could probably best him in several areas.

Pulling herself out of this ridiculous fantasy of one-upmanship, Mia looked at Noah. “I’ve got a list of about a half dozen people who could be connected to the disappearances in Chicago. If they match up with any of your suspects, maybe we’ve got ourselves something other than a lot of suppositions and dead ends.”

Noah nodded. “I’ve got two other operatives coming in this afternoon. I’d like for them to hear your list. Why don’t you go get settled in your apartment.” He moved his gaze to Jared. “Livingston, can you come back at six o’clock for another meeting?”

There was a long, electric silence. Mia waited for Jared to say something else, sure that before he left, he’d take the opportunity to tell Noah how unqualified she was. Instead, with an abruptness that didn’t even border on rudeness, he surged to his feet, saying, “I’ll see you at six,” and walked out the door, closing it with a definite click.

Mia watched him leave, then turned to Noah with a small, wry smile. “Guess you might say that he doesn’t think a lot of me.”

Noah’s mouth twitched. “Not sure that’s how I’d describe it. Is it going to be a problem for you to work with him?”

She wanted to say no, that it didn’t matter if he liked her or not. She wished it didn’t matter, but it did. Still, it wouldn’t stop her from doing her job. “I’ll be fine. But
are you sure you’re okay with me working this case, even though it’s just temporary?”

“Wanting you on the team was never an issue, Mia. It was your methods I couldn’t abide.”

She grimaced and admitted, “Not sure I’m a whole lot better.”

“If I see a problem, I’ll call you on it. You’ve got the talent, training, and guts. If you decide the rules are still too rigid …” He deliberately let his words trail off.

Mia nodded, appreciating, as always, Noah’s honesty and straightforwardness. “How are Samara and the kids?”

A huge smile brightened his face. “Perfect.”

That was the expression Noah always had whenever his wife or family was mentioned. And it was something that continued to awe Mia. Having known Noah years before he’d married Samara, she found the changes in him remarkable. Though he was still as dedicated as ever to LCR’s goals and could be a hard-ass when necessary, the obvious contentment and happiness his family brought him had changed him. She and Noah had had their arguments and their differences, but she had always admired and respected him. She was glad he’d found the happiness he deserved.

Mia stood. She needed to get going if she was going to do all the things she planned to before their meeting this evening. “Give her my best.”

Noah walked her to the door. “I’m sure she’ll be calling, inviting you over for dinner.”

Stopping at the door, Mia turned back to him and asked, “What do you think of the chances of my case and yours being related?”

“I’d say there’s a strong possibility. Infant abductions are rare enough. With so many similarities …” He shook his head. “Seems like a damn good theory to me.”

She agreed. Now, if only they could find the bastards. “I’ll see you at six.”

Mia headed to the elevator, her mind on the various things she wanted to get done before the meeting. And while she was performing all those tasks, she would be fortifying her defenses. Jared wasn’t pleased that he’d be working with her, and she had no doubt he’d do everything he could to persuade her to go back to Chicago. Not that it would do any good.