“We still don’t know who the leak is?” Luther stood in Colt’s office, preferring to keep his leg straight than lower himself into the deep chairs in front of the desk. A week out and his thigh was still sore as heck.
“No. I’ve narrowed it down to maybe five possibilities, but you know what this is like. It’s trying to find the snake amongst the brothers and sisters you trust with your life.”
“Right.” He winced. There had been a turncoat in one of his undercover teams in the FBI when he’d been a new agent. The sense of betrayal had hit the other agents hard, and the guilty party was still in jail for passing classified information to the enemy. “Claudia sent me over to see if you’ve been able to get any more information from Mishka Valensky.” SVPD had jurisdiction in all that happened with the case, at the agreement of FBI, DEA and other local LEA. Trail Hikers didn’t exist in practicality, and the federal agencies didn’t want their presence in the area exposed.
“I was at the hospital this morning. He’s still not talking.”
“He will once he figures out he’ll be next to Daddy in the slammer.”
Colt shook his head. “I’m not so sure. One thing with ROC and anyone who’s worked for them, they hold out hope of a breakout or release due to their slick lawyers. They’re not the cooperating kind.” Colt picked up a file from his desk and handed it to Luther. “These came in, though. I haven’t been able to get them to Claudia or TH yet. I don’t want to risk anyone in my department seeing them.” Colt’s voice was heavy with his regret over the leak.
“Understood.” Luther took the file and flipped through its contents—several photographs of Ivanov and a woman whose facial profile matched Markova’s, but with different hairstyles. They were in the same car, at different highway pit stops and small-town grocers. “They’re not flipping cars like they were a few weeks ago.”
“No. And they’re being bold, stopping at some of the same gas stations more than once.”
“Like they want a showdown. They’re headed to the win-or-die meeting.” Luther thumbed the last photo, taken as Markova got into the driver’s seat of the sedan, Ivanov on the passenger side. “It’s not like Ivanov to give up control, even with driving.”
“I thought the same. Do you see anything different about his face?”
Luther studied the photo more closely. “If the color’s correct, he looks kind of off. Yellow, even.”
“Exactly.”
“You think it’s the ROC disease?” Luther looked to Colt for his opinion. So many ROC bosses had bitten the dust over the years not from being captured by LEA but from cirrhosis and other complications of alcoholism. It was the genetic curse of many, and especially those raised on vodka.
“Could be. But Claudia and I are certain of one thing.” Colt paused, weighing his words. “We think that Markova wants to take over ROC.”
Understanding hit Luther. “That makes sense. Why else would she allow him to hold her hostage this past year?”
“It’s clear from the photos that she isn’t being kept on a tight leash by him any longer. She goes in and out of stores while he waits in the car.”
“Unlike when they first took off after the tombstone shoot-out. What do you want me to do?” He’d gotten orders from Claudia to work with Colt as a liaison between TH and SVPD. It chafed his butt that he couldn’t get back in the thick of it, but his injury would put too many at risk.
“I think we need you at the safe house.” Colt didn’t look up from his keyboard as he typed, for which Luther was grateful. He’d wanted to race to Kit’s side as soon as Claudia had told him where Kit was. “I’m printing out all SVPD has on Markova and Ivanov, so you’ll know what our regular cops have. The ones who work with TH know more, like you.”
“How are we going to figure out who your mole is, Chief?”
Colt met his gaze this time, and Luther saw a lifetime of weariness. “I’ve only had one other in SVPD, but I’ve faced bad cops in two other departments when I was younger. It’s my experience that they usually do themselves in. My one hope is that it happens without hurting any of our people, SVPD and TH. Here you go.” Colt grabbed the reports off his printer and handed them to Luther. “Get a good night’s rest, then head out to the safe house at dawn.”
Luther nodded. It was protocol not to come and go at the safe house during daylight unless absolutely necessary. “Roger. See you out there, Chief.”
Colt leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head. “You will.”
“You don’t have to tell me all the juicy details, but it’s obvious you’re different. Something happened when you were out in the field with Luther.” Annie absently petted Koshka as they lay side by side on the leather sofa. Kit was on the other side of the great room, cleaning up her meal. She and Annie were alone in the more relaxed, living area of the safe house, and she’d told Annie most of what had happened at the cabin. Annie was spending time with her while Josh was working. Josh and several dual SVPD/TH operatives were running the operations center adjacent to the safe house, for the duration of the Ivanov/Markova takedown.
“I am different. And I know you’ll think that I’m being too hasty, but there’s something between Luther and I that I haven’t ever felt.”
“Why do you think I’d ever consider you as being ‘hasty’ about anything? You’re the most thoughtful person I know, Kit.”
“I haven’t had enough experience with men yet. Didn’t you say I should date a lot of guys before settling down?” She shook her head. “Not that I’m thinking of settling down.” She knew her red face betrayed her.
Annie got up from the couch, carrying Koshka with her. “Hold on. Yes, I think it’d be ideal to see how you feel about different men. But you have all kinds of experience, Kit. Just not the happiest type.” Annie wriggled into one of the island chairs, and Koshka jumped out of her arms. “Sorry, kitty. Look, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. If you’ve met someone who’s made this much of an impression on you in such a short time, it might be more than just the fact that he’s the first guy you’ve ever really chosen to be with.”
Kit didn’t know what to think. But she knew what she felt. “I think Luther’s special.”
“Then you need to tell him, Kit. Life’s too short—”
“Don’t you think I know that? I thought he might die out there.” She choked back tears, held her wobbly chin up. “I couldn’t go to him in the hospital. It was too risky—if any of Mishka’s men are still tracking me, I’d lead them to Luther.”
“That’s not really it, is it?” Annie’s tone made Kit want to rage and laugh at the same time.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.”
“I think you do. How much time do you have until your next shift starts?”
“I’m back on at 0400.”
“Come back into town with me. I’ll drop you off, and Josh can bring you back when he heads in for his shift.”
“I can’t go back to my apartment.” Kit remembered Claudia and Colt had been clear that she wasn’t safe until they had ROC neutralized.
“Not your apartment. The only condo in Silver Valley that is as fortified, electronically, as this place.”
Luther’s apartment.
Kit’s knees shook as she walked the steps to Luther’s apartment. It wasn’t because she was afraid of what she wanted. She had nothing but joyful anticipation for what she hoped happened tonight. Nor was she concerned about being away from the safe house for this short time. Annie had promised that Josh would be here to get her before dawn, in enough time to make her next shift at the comms station.
It’d been tough when she’d asked Claudia for the break from the safe house. The main concern on both Claudia’s and Colt’s part was Kit’s safety. Kit assured Claudia that she’d be escorted to and from the safe house by other TH agents and that she planned to stay at Luther’s. Claudia had given her the okay, no further questions asked.
What neither Claudia nor Colt knew was that she hadn’t run her plan past Luther. She’d tried to reach him all week since the shooting and he’d done no more than texted short replies, stating he was “fine” and “back at work.” But he never stopped in the safe house, and she had a hunch it had everything to do with her and his not wanting to see her.
She walked up to his door and took in a deep breath. As she’d told Annie, she might be new at real intimacy but wasn’t an innocent. Kit knew that what she and Luther shared was more than sexual chemistry, and wanted to prove it to him, to herself. Tonight.
She raised her hand to the buzzer. Before she made contact, the door opened and Luther was in front of her. A little paler than she’d last seen him, but far more vibrant. Standing in front of her, his gaze steady and intense as ever.
“Oh! I—”
“Come in here.” His hand grasped her upper arm and in one smooth move he had her up against his chest, his back on the wall. He shut the door with his hand, the other arm wrapped around her waist.
“Luther—”
“No talking, Kit.” He wrapped the other arm around her, pulled her up tight against him. “Except—how much time do you have?”
“Until four.” Eight hours until she had to leave. She watched his expression as he comprehended her reply. Heat grew in her midsection, spreading to her breasts, her sex. All the planned speeches that she’d mentally practiced over and over failed her in the face of her need for him.
“We have all night.” He gave her a quick, hard kiss. His lips left hers too quickly and she leaned in, but he shook his head and gently broke the embrace. “Then forget what I said—we should talk first.”
He walked into the living room, and she had no idea but to follow. It was the same as she’d last seen it, before they’d gone into the field. Faced with something so tangibly a part of who she’d been just a short ten days ago, the truth hit her like a wash of ice water.
She was in love with Luther.
“I’ll make us some tea, since alcohol is out.” He was in the kitchen, pouring water into a small pot. “We might not have until morning, if word comes down sooner that Ivanov and Markova are on their way to the ROC meeting.”
“I know.” She made a slow walk to the sofa, where she sat. Space from Luther wasn’t what she’d expected to need tonight, but she had to take a moment to process what she’d just discovered.
“You want an herbal or straight black?”
“Herbal’s fine.” She tried to make her voice steadier than she felt.
They grew quiet as he boiled the water. Kit saw that he had his security system in place, his laptop showing views from six different cameras, including the apartment’s front entry and his door. No wonder he’d been right there when she showed up.
“How’s Koshka liking the safe house?” He placed a mug on the end table near her and took the easy chair opposite. Now that she was under his direct scrutiny, it was more important than ever that she keep it together. She’d come here to make love to Luther, but telling him how she felt wasn’t on the table. It couldn’t be; it wasn’t fair to either of them. Kit never wanted to burden someone with her emotions. It had to be mutual, the in-love thing. And she didn’t have to love someone to enjoy great sex with them.
“She’s adapted, believe it or not. The other agents adore her, except for Kyle, who’s allergic. Have you met him yet?”
Luther tilted his head. “I don’t know—there have been a lot of introductions since I’ve been here.”
“He owns the coffee shop downstairs. That’s his cover, for when he’s not doing TH work.”
“Actually, I have met him, but I didn’t realize he was LEA or TH. The first morning I was here I ran into him back by the café’s Dumpsters.”
“He’s not going to be in the coffee shop for a while. A lot of TH part-time agents are working now. I’m surprised the people of Silver Valley don’t suspect something’s going on.” She knew she was babbling but couldn’t stop the chatter.
“Kit.” He leaned over and grasped her hand. “It’s okay. Calm down.”
“I can’t calm down! You almost died out there, and then I couldn’t come see you. Claudia and Colt were insistent that I stay in the safe house, let you heal.” She knew she blushed red as ever, but pressed on. “I hated not seeing you, not knowing if you’d really not been too badly injured.” Her gaze dropped to his leg, covered by his workout pants. “It’s still painful, isn’t it?”
He shrugged. “It’s sore, yeah, but not that bad. I can get around. It has prevented me from being with the team that’s standing by to take down Ivanov, but I’ll provide backup. It’s all good as long as we bring them in.”
She watched his every expression, her fingers tingling to touch him, run her hands over his face, his shoulders, his—
“Kit, we’ve got to talk about what’s going on between us.”
At least he kept it in the present tense, but she wasn’t going to let that be her go-ahead to tell him what she was feeling in her heart. Not yet. Maybe never.
“Luther, that’s why I came over tonight.”
“Is that all?” His low timbre threw a match on her desire, and the place between her legs clamored for attention. She grasped her hands together, determined to get through this conversation before she jumped him.
“Well, no, but that all depends on you, too. I came here to tell you that I’m positive that we shared something real out in that cabin.”
“And the bath hut.”
“Um, yes. That was very nice, no question, but what I’m talking about is more than that, Luther. You became my friend, a confidant, someone I trust with my life.”
“How foolish for you. I almost got you killed. If you hadn’t taken out Mishka, we wouldn’t be sitting here.”
She shook her head. “No. I’m not going to let you play the self-pity card, Luther. I was able to take out Mishka only because you told me I could do it. Your confidence in my abilities did it. Yes, I have the shooting skills, but combined with your support it made me invincible.”
“He’s still not talking, you know.” Luther’s gaze was unreadable, and she wondered if he’d really missed her the way she’d missed him. When he’d just pulled her into his apartment she’d been certain he had.
“Claudia told me. But maybe it just means he doesn’t have anything to say. He seemed to be focused on taking me away with him. Without me to barter with Ivanov and ROC, he doesn’t have much. His father’s biggest contribution to ROC is over, for good.”
“If he’d harmed a hair on your head, or taken you, I would have found you. And killed him.” Luther’s declaration caught her short.
“I know you would have. But he didn’t get either of us, not in a lasting way.”
“No.” He shifted in his chair.
“Is it uncomfortable to sit there? Do you want to lie on the sofa? We can switch.”
“Kit, when I come over to that sofa I’m going to kiss you, and I’m not going to stop. It’s best we stay like this until we’re done talking. Why don’t you tell me why you’re here?”
“I already told you. I feel we developed a special bond. I’d like to explore that.”
“Explore?” He was teasing her and she laughed.
“Well, yes. But I mean to take our time with our friendship, get to know one another better.”
“I’m leaving once the op is over. And I don’t do long-distance relationships.”
“Why do we have to look past now? I’m willing to enjoy things just as they are, for as long as they last. Or don’t.” She never broke eye contact with Luther and thought she deserved a gold star for lying so well. She wasn’t lying, though, not really. Just omitting the hope that this could have the potential for more than an affair.
Luther was worth the risk of one night, though. If it was all she could have with him, she was willing to accept that.
“You deserve a man to be with you forever, Kit. I’m not that guy.”
She stood up, unable to remain apart from him for one second longer. “I’m not looking for ‘that’ guy, Luther.” Holding out her hand, she beckoned for him to take it.
He stared at her for a full heartbeat before he grasped her hand and tugged until her face was next to his. “I can’t have you on my lap, not yet.”
“Are you okay to do...other things?” she whispered, her lips so close to his. Every nerve ending was on fire.
His mouth curved into a bone-melting smile. “Babe, you have no idea.”
She stood, still holding his hand. “Then let’s go.”