WATCHING (24 page)

Chapter
30

****

Damn, but his throat hurt. He
’
d stayed in the mouse
’
s room a little too long for his own good. But he
’
d ensured that anything that might have his fingerprints or DNA burned. And he
’
d managed to get back into his own room and grab his bag before it burned.

By the time he
’
d gotten out, people were shouting and trying to get everyone out of the building. He hadn
’
t known the fire would spread that fast in only ten minutes.
Old damned fucking building. Probably hadn
’
t passed inspection code in years.
No one paid him the least bit of attention as he
’
d joined the mass of agents evacuating.

He snorted, seeing half Brockman
’
s team in their damned underwear. At least they were all there. He hadn
’
t wanted to hurt anybody.
He
’
d need to check his own team, too.
He coughed the grabbed his throat when it seized. Tears hit his eyes and he wiped them with a hand that reeked of rubbing alcohol.

“
Are you ok
?
”
A soft, feminine hand wrapped around his much larger one. He stilled, tears still running down his face. It was
her
. The mouse.

Pretty hazel eyes hidden behind b
lack
-rimmed glasses looked at him with concern.

“
I
’
m fine. Or I will be, doc
.
”
He almost stuttered when warm fingers gripped his wrist next. Would she feel his now racing pulse? How long had it been since a pretty woman—no, a beautiful woman when given a second glance—had looked at him, had touched him?

Not since L
ind
a. So at least six months. That was a long time.

He tried to wave her away, sudden guilt ripping through him. She
’
d only been protecting herself today. The way he wished
Linda
had protected herself that day in Little Rock. Why had it made him so angry? The wound on his shoulder was just a little scratch. He could have seriously hurt her today. Her, the redhead, or the little princess. What kind of man did that make him? He didn
’
t get his rocks off by hurting women. He didn
’
t.

He despised men who preyed on those weaker than themselves. God, what was he turning into?

She
’
d been protecting herself and look what he
’
d done—he
’
d burned everything she had. Including those photos that obviously mattered to her.

He shouldn
’
t have done that.

He shot a look over his shoulder as the fire engines finally arrived. God. He could have fucking killed someone tonight. Just to get even with this woman. Who was trying to help him sit on the curb.

He didn
’
t deserve her
care
, her compassion.
“
Go, doc, there are others needing your help more than me
.
”

He damned well didn
’
t deserve her attention.

Chapter
31

****

Fire always made Georgia cold. The flames, the destruction, the threat, left her frozen on the inside. Tonight was no exception. She pressed her lips against Hellbrook
’
s, needing the escape for a minute. He provided much needed warmth. Reassurance.

She paid little attention to the agents surrounding them, throwing questions and orders in every direction.
Someone called her
name over the sounds of sirens. Dan was barking orders to junior agents to control the forming crowd and to ensure the other two buildings in the motel complex were evacuated.

None of that mattered to her. Hell must have felt the shivers shaking her; he wrapped himself around her and pulled her against his chest. She could hear, and feel, his heart beating against her. The sound comforted.

Her mind wouldn
’
t let go of the truth. She could have died today
—
twice. She pulled away from Hellbrook, but rested her head against his chest. For a moment while she attempted to regroup.

Every possession the team had was most likely destroyed, but that was easily remedied. She could borrow clothing and shoes from Ana
—
provided
Ana
’
s
room made it through the blaze. But her weapon, holster, and badge were still in Hellbrook
’
s room, alongside his. Probably destroyed. Hellbrook
’
s room was gone now. As was Georgia
’
s and Dan
’
s and the two rooms above theirs. Norton
’
s, Carrie
’
s, Jules
’
and K.D.
’
s. Hellbrook still had her backpack so she counted herself lucky. Her
laptop
was still there, her copies of the case files and her driver
’
s license and keys, among other things like her flashlight and sunglasses. And her cell phone.

She hadn
’
t even heard the smoke alarms. If Hellbrook hadn
’
t
,
would she have woken at all? Probably not. He looked over at her, his eyes black in the strange light of the fire, and she knew he could read what she was thinking. Thank God he
’
d wanted her in his room.

If he hadn
’
t, Matthew would have lost another parent.

Hands pulled her away from her unit chief and she found herself facing two concerned female faces.

“
George. God. Am I glad to see you!
”
Ana hugged her, the four-month bump of her pregnancy not hindering her. Jules stared at Georgia, her eyes fearful and wide, her face smudged with soot and grime, still dressed in that yellow sweatshirt. Jules
’
room was right over hers, Georgia remembered. The flames would have spread quickly. Thank God Jules had gotten out. Georgia hugged her. Tight.

Jules had no one else, Georgia knew that. Her friend
’
s mother and step-father had died when Jules was in college and she had no other close relatives. Georgia and Matthew were it.

“
I
’
m ok, Jules. I swear. Hellbrook got us out and we
’
re fine
.
I
’
m ok, I promise.
”
She started coughing, belying her words. Jules and Ana forced her to sit on the curb, Jules going immediately into doctor mode. Georgia waved her away.
“
I
’
m ok, Jules. No shortness of breath, no dizziness, no headache. Just slightly hoarse, that
’
s all
.
”

“
Are you sure? You and Hellbrook got the worst of it that we know of
.
”
Ana
pointed toward the motel.
“
George...God, this is getting crazy
.
”

***

Her lips were swollen from his kiss, a visual testament of their changing relationship. Her hair, loose down her back, was tangled from
his
fingers. Hell watched her as the medical examiner and Agent Sorin fussed over her for a moment. She stood, stepping back from the other two women. She flinched as she raised her injured arm
—
the one he
’
d used to pull her out of the burning room.

This case was taking too personal a turn, and it doubled Hell
’
s anger and resolve. Nothing else was going to happen to her, or any of the other members of his team.

Dan stopped him before he could go to her. The older man
’
s face showed an anger Hell hadn
’
t expected. Hell knew it stemmed from Dan
’
s over-developed protective streak where the female team members were concerned.

And Dan
’
s being friends with Edward Dennis had transferred his fatherly attitude to Georgia. Still, Hell hadn
’
t expected that sort of anger from Dan. Dan
’
s cell rang and he turned his back to Hell. He pushed thoughts of the older man away and turned to the women fifteen feet away.
He
’
d deal with Dan later, if needed.

She jerked when she was bumped from behind. Hell watched Stephenson disconnect and flip his cell closed before he apologized to Georgia. His team and Brockman
’
s were gathering around their unit chiefs. What remained of Hell
’
s team was doing the same.

Georgia left her friends and walked back to Hell
’
s side.
“
So now what
?
”

“
Back to the precinct with you. Or the hospital
.
”
He
’
d feel better if it was the hospital. He grabbed a blanket from a passing responder and wrapped it around her shoulders.

“
I
’
m supposed to hide myself away while the rest of you ride off into the sunset
—
sunrise, rather
—
to save the day
?
”

“
I wouldn
’
t put it like that, but yes
,
”
Hell said. Removing her from the line of fire was sensible in his book.
“
This bastard has seen you, and while we don
’
t know the official cause of the fire
—
it was probably in your room. That tells me that he
’
s gunning for you and you fit the victimology exactly
.
”

“
So I
’
m supposed to hide
?
”
Her voice rose and even with the sirens, had several people looking in their direction.
“
For all we know, this was electrical!
”

“
No. That would be one hell of a coincidence. You
’
re supposed to be reasonable. This
UNSUB
is likely to come after you. Therefore, you stay safe
—
either in the precinct or at the hospital with Sparks and Compton
—
and an agent assigned to guard you
.
”
Hell wasn
’
t budging on her safety.

“
Now do you see why am leaving the CCU
?
”

***

“
I
’
m sorry, but any transfer request you put in, I
’
ll deny
,
”
Hell said.

He smiled down at her, a look she recognized for Hellbrook at his most determined.
She bit her tongue, wishing she could bite back the words.

“
My father may have something to say about that
.
”

“
Is that what you want people to think? That because you and I couldn
’
t see eye to eye, you ran to your father
?
”
Hell
’
s tone softened and he leaned down until he could whisper into her ear.
“
I know that
’
s not what you want. Because it would always be that. Every case you worked, every success, all of it would be shadowed by the fact that Georgia Dennis got where she was through her father. Hardly seems fair, does it
?
”

“
You
’
re a
jerk
, Michael Hellbrook
.
”

“
No. Hate me if you want, but we are not using you as the damned bait
.
”
He slipped her backpack off his shoulder and hooked it over her left one.
“
And this whatever it is that
’
s happening between us
—
it
’
s separate from our positions on the team. Don
’
t confuse the two
.
”

“
One is part of the other
.
”
She tightened her hand on the bag
’
s strap.
“
I can
’
t forget that. If you can
’
t respect me in the field, why should I respect you in any other way
—
why should I even consider giving you what you want
?
”

He stepped back and stared at her, his eyes inscrutable. When he spoke his words were firm, resolute.
“
I
’
m not dangling you for this bastard to catch, end of story. And if you won
’
t stay in the precinct, you will stay with me. No questions. If this guy is gunning for you, he
’
ll have to go through me, first. Understand
?
”

She didn
’
t have to like it, but she
’
d do it. Truth be told, Georgia wasn
’
t any too eager to
be
the bait. But she did want to catch this
guy
and go home. She wanted her son, her townhouse, the basic normalcy of her life. Hellbrook had skewed that normalcy, and Georgia needed time to regroup.
From all of it.

She still hadn
’
t forgotten the words he
’
d said to her a few short hours earlier in the middle of the emergency room. Hellbrook wanted
her
. She couldn
’
t believe he
’
d been so bold as to admit it right then and there.

She should have had some indication, she supposed. She doubted Hellbrook had kissed many of his subordinates
—
he wasn
’
t that type. She could say that for certainty.

What the hell was she thinking? She
’
d slept with him, in his bed, in his room and had damned the consequences. They hadn
’
t had sex, but in the way of rumors and gossip, her actions alone were already damning.

So he
had
a point. There would be talk about how she got her new team, especially if she took it so soon. Either because of who her father was
—
or because she slept with the legendary Michael Hellbrook. She was screwed either way.

But would she
have sex
with Hellbrook?

She had enjoyed his kisses and it had been nice to be held by a man again. It had been three years since she
’
d done anything more serious than a casual good-night kiss. She
’
d only had a handful of dates in the last year, and none had progressed past the second. A combination of her not being ready and her not wanting to subject Matthew to attachments that would go nowhere combined with the type of job she had kept her from developing anything more serious than that.

Did she want something more serious than that? With
Hellbrook
?

A week ago she never would have considered it.

She couldn
’
t change the circumstances of her birth
—
and she wouldn
’
t if she could. She was proud of her father and the accomplishments he could claim. But she could keep her dignity by refusing to sleep with her supervisor.

No matter how much she may have thought she wanted to.

It might already be too late for her reputation. Not only would it get around quick
ly
that she
’
d not been in her room when the fire started, but the exact location where she was would burn through PAVAD faster than the motel fire in front of her.

Hell had kissed
her
, right in the middle of twenty
-
plus federal agents, all who either worked with them, or knew of them. It was done. The agents in St. Louis had probably already heard about it, rumors ran that quick
ly
through the division.

A relationship between her and Hellbrook
—
it had already been confirmed by both their actions. With such a public display they could do nothing to deny it. And if they tried, people could and would call them liars. There went all of their credibility.
Her
credibility.

“
Come on. I want to catch this bastard
.
”
Hellbrook
’
s words were grim but the hand he placed on her upper arm was gentle.
“
I
’
ll want you to call the hospital and update K.D. on what
’
s happened
.
”

“
And then? Should we leave her with Carrie and Compton
?
”
Georgia slipped her feet into a pair of shoes Ana had somehow found for her, watching as Hellbrook did the same. Ana was definitely resourceful.

“
No. We need her at the precinct. Someone overseeing communications is more important now than ever
.
”
Hellbrook gave a wordless signal that had Dan and Norton huddling closer around him. Georgia was trapped in the center of her three male teammates. Hellbrook was at her back, his words coming from above her left ear.
“
Whoever set this may still be here
.
”

“
You think so
?
”
Norton tensed for attack.

“
Why
?
”
Dan
’
s shoulders stiffened and his hand dropped to his weapon. He alone was fully dressed, complete with FBI credentials showing.
He obviously hadn
’
t been sleeping when the fire broke out.

“
He can
’
t not be
.
”
Georgia picked up on Hellbrook
’
s thoughts without effort. She studied the various faces of the crowd. What had to be three-quarters of Carterville
’
s residents encircled the motel parking lot.
“
This
UNSUB
is a sadist, remember? He lives and breathes for the pain he causes others. Something of this magnitude
—
especially if he set it
—
would be the highlight of his year
.
”

“
And in order to experience that thrill, he
’
d have to be watching
.
”
Dan
’
s words were grim and angry. The older man had confided in Georgia once that he admired what she, Hellbrook, how they were able to predict the why and how someone would think. He
’
d also told her that he
’
d never want those skills for himself, that he preferred to do his work using good old fashioned police work. He
’
d spent a decade with the Kansas City police before getting a law degree and joining the FBI.

He preferred to piece together the physical evidence over making what he called guesses into the UNSUB
’
s motivations. Said the
monster
s
’
heads were too sick for him to ever want to take a walk in.

“
You two, check the perimeter
.
”
Hell took Dan
’
s backup piece when the older man handed it to him.
“
Get the license numbers on all the vehicles in the parking lots and for the surrounding two blocks. Georgia and I will circle around and scan the crowds. Pay close attention to the trucks with campers or older model SUVs
.
”

Georgia nodded at him.
“
If this
UNSUB
is here, we
’
ll see it on his face. Excitement, hunger, and fascination. This
man
will be aroused, at least adrenaline wise
.
”

“
Let
’
s catch this bastard
.
”
Hellbrook led the way.