‘But someone wants us to think that they are.’ She shrugged. ‘We’ll know soon enough. The ballistics tech was on her way in to do the test. They don’t usually work nights, but for something like this they get called in.’
‘You mean because a federal agent was killed,’ he said flatly.
‘No,’ she said forcefully. ‘Because we have a human trafficking murderer out on the streets. Nobody’s complaining about the extra hours.’
‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’
‘It’s all right.’ She slid her hand over his thigh and squeezed. Comforting him again, he thought. ‘Some of the time that’s true. But not this time.’
‘Why did the search team come back in?’
She sighed. ‘They lost the scent. Looks like Mila and Erica hitched a ride. We got their visa pictures and those of the husband and son from Immigration and have distributed them to all the officers on patrol now, and they’ll be passed out at the shift meeting in the morning. Officers are being told to approach the women with care and to show them photos of the husband and son and one that Children’s Services took of Malaya. Isenberg had her clerk caption all three photos with “They’re alive and safe” in both English and Tagalog.’
‘Hopefully that helps. I just hope they don’t go under. We might never find them.’
‘I know,’ she murmured, sounding troubled.
He stopped at a red light and turned to study her profile. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I just keep thinking about how none of this fits. It doesn’t make sense and it’s giving me a headache.’ She pointed at the traffic light. ‘It’s green.’
He turned his attention back to the road. ‘Wait till the ballistic report comes back,’ he suggested. ‘At least you’ll know if the same gun was used on Tala and Phillip.’
‘You’re right,’ she said quietly, but he could tell she hadn’t let it go.
Neither had he. He kept rerunning the events at his apartment building through his mind. ‘I’m trying to remember if I saw anyone that matched Phillip’s description of his attacker, but I’m coming up empty.’
‘Deacon is good at helping people remember things,’ she said, surprising him.
‘Deacon? How?’
‘He’s been trained to do hypnotism to calm you down, help you find things your mind’s filed in weird places. I watched him do it the first time with Faith nine months ago. Since then he’s helped three other victims recall things they either couldn’t remember or were afraid to. Don’t worry,’ she said when he grimaced. ‘He won’t make you cluck like a chicken. It’s just a relaxation technique.’
‘I don’t think that would work on me. It comes too close to an interrogation, or brainwashing even, and . . . well it probably just wouldn’t work.’ He left it at that.
‘You were trained to resist interrogation and mind control techniques when you were in the military?’
He frowned over at her. ‘I never said that.’ It was exactly right, though.
‘Come on, Marcus. Give me a little credit here. You move like a damn ghost. I’m good at being aware of people coming up from behind me, and you’ve snuck up on me twice now. Either you’ve had training or you’re secretly Batman.’
He snorted a laugh. ‘Okay, fine. You caught me.’
‘You mean you really are Batman?’ she teased.
He turned onto the road leading to her house and downshifted, making the Audi cough and rattle. ‘You may wish I were if this thing dies on us. We may end up scaling the side of the hill with a grappling hook.’
‘Big baby,’ she chided. ‘I run this hill every day when I’m training for a race.’
‘Really?’ He considered it, grateful for something to think about other than death and bullets and missing, frightened women. A glance over at her showed she’d accepted the momentary reprieve as well. Her eyes were alert and her mouth was curved in a smile that he wanted to see when he opened his eyes in the morning. ‘I want to see you run. Especially if I’m running behind you.’ The very thought made his mouth water.
‘Tomorrow morning,’ she challenged. ‘Crack of dawn. I triple-dog dare you.’
He shook his head slowly, a very different activity in mind. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘You’re refusing a triple-dog dare?’
He pulled into her driveway, turned off the engine and shifted in his seat, resting his forearm on the steering wheel. ‘I would never back down from a triple-dog dare. Game on, Bishop.’ He reached for her when she grinned, releasing her seat belt with one hand and catching her around the back of her neck with the other, then pulling her close for a kiss that left them both breathless. ‘But I think that tomorrow morning I’m not going to want to waste my energy on running that damn hill.’
She caressed his jaw with fingers that trembled. ‘Then I think I should give you a rain check on the triple-dog dare.’ She kissed him again, then smiled against his lips. ‘Mrs Pepper is watching.’
He pulled back far enough to peek around her. ‘How do you know?’
‘I saw the reflection of her porch light coming on in your window. We should go inside before she comes over to talk to us. She can talk for hours,’ she added in a whisper.
He was out of the car and around to her side to open her door in seconds, making her laugh. He tugged her out of the car and put her keys in her hand. ‘Unlock the garage door. I’ll pull it up so that you can drive the car in.’
‘I can open my own garage door, Marcus.’
‘I know you can.’ He gripped her chin gently, kissing her long and wet and hot, making her sigh when he kissed his way to her ear. His hands itched to run over her curves, but as hot as she looked in the tactical vest, it covered her curves all up. Plus he could see Mrs Pepper peering through the curtains on her living room window. ‘Let me open it anyway,’ he murmured. ‘Mrs Pepper will think I’m a gentleman, and I want to get on her good side. She makes great cookies.’
Scarlett shook her head, chuckling while she did as he asked. He waited until she’d parked the car and shut off the engine before pulling the door down, leaving them in semi-darkness. And total privacy. Finally.
He opened the driver’s door and pulled her to her feet and into his arms. Then he held her. Just held her. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her head rested on his shoulder.
He was shaking like a teenager, dammit. ‘This morning,’ he whispered, ‘was different.’
‘I know.’ She lifted on her toes and kissed his mouth softly. ‘This morning we were different. I didn’t know who you really were yet.’
He smiled down at her. ‘Batman?’
‘No.’ She nipped at his lip, then soothed the hurt with the tip of her tongue. ‘The man I so desperately hoped you’d be.’
‘I’m no hero, Scarlett,’ he said soberly.
‘Neither am I. I’m just me.’
He kissed her gently, because even though his body craved her, his mind knew this was too important to rush. ‘I like “just you”.’
‘Sometimes I’m not very nice,’ she warned.
‘I like my roses with a few thorns.’
Her lips twitched, then stilled as she grew very serious. ‘I’ve been alone a long time, Marcus, and I got used to it. But now, with you, I don’t feel alone anymore, and that scares the hell out of me. This morning was sex, and that was satisfying and fun. And simple. But this, us right here, right now . . . It isn’t simple anymore. This is . . . more.’
He kissed a line down her throat, making her shiver. ‘I want more.’
Her head fell back, giving him better access. ‘Oh good,’ she breathed. ‘It would suck if I were the only one.’
He unsnapped the vest, lowered his voice. ‘What do you want, Scarlett? A husband, children? A picket fence?’
She swallowed, shivering again. ‘Yes. I’m greedy. I want it all.’
He nuzzled her neck. ‘I can build a fence. And I’ve always wanted kids. And a wife. So we’re starting out on the same page.’ He slipped his hand under the vest, cupped her breast, felt the hardness of her nipple against his palm. ‘What do you want this minute?’
She laughed breathlessly. ‘To drag you off to bed and do all kinds of naughty things.’