Part 17 (1/2)
”I'm trying to be.”
He held her arm as they walked to the small cluttered office. Daniel pulled out a metal chair and she sat. He knelt in front of her and she stared into those warm, concerned eyes. She needed that more than anything. The fear inside her began to subside.
”This won't take long, then we'll get lost somewhere.”
”You can't do that. You have to catch this killer and find the snitch in your department. My life is not the only one involved.”
”At this moment I'm only concerned about you.”
Her eyes melted into his and she wanted to absorb her whole body in him until the nightmare went away, until she could breathe normally again, until...
The door opened and Carlos came in. ”Found something you might want to see.”
Daniel stood and Sarah followed him out to the car. The hood was up and he pointed to a small gadget in one corner. ”There's your problem. Someone's attached a tracer to your vehicle.”
”G.o.ddammit.” Daniel ran both hands through his hair. ”Don't touch anything.”
”I know better than that,” Carlos snapped. ”I'd say someone was mighty interested in where you were going.”
”Yeah. Stay with the car until Russ arrives. I'm taking that gray sedan over there.”
”Keys are in the office,” Carlos said.
Sarah grabbed her things and once again they were on the highway.
”Where are we going?”
”I'm not sure,” he admitted. ”We're probably being watched right now.”
Sarah ran her hands up her arms to shake that foreboding feeling.
”Boyd called us a bunch of Keystone Cops and I'm beginning to believe he's right. We're running in circles without a clue.”
”That's only because someone close to you is feeding him information.”
”Yeah, and tomorrow I'm getting up close and personal with my officers.”
”So we're staying in Dallas?”
He thought for a moment. ”I think we should stop hiding.”
”What do you mean?”
”They seem to know where we're at anyway so we're going to my condo. That's the last place they'd expect us.”
”Okay.”
Daniel drove into a condo area and Sarah couldn't see much because of the darkness.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small remote. He pushed a b.u.t.ton and the garage door went up. After they drove in, it immediately went down again. It was a two-car garage and she noticed a black Jeep to her left. She got her bag and they went into the house through a laundry area then into a kitchen and breakfast room.
”It has an alarm system and I've set it, so that might put your mind at rest. Have a seat. I have to check in with Russ and my lieutenant.”
Sarah walked into the large den. It was light and airy, with overstuffed comfortable furniture that gave it a homey, country appeal.
She collapsed into an oversize chair and tried to gather her thoughts. She was here with Daniel and she felt safe, but she couldn't still that uneasiness inside her. Someone was trying to kill her and they'd been watching Daniel and her. Who was it? It could be anyone. That had her nerves stretched to the breaking point.
Daniel came into the room. ”Lieutenant Tolin's steamed about this turn of events and he's calling a meeting of narcotics and homicide first thing in the morning. All the dirty laundry will be thoroughly aired and he won't stop until he gets an answer. Forensics is working on the door and the car.”
He removed his jacket and laid it over a chair, his eyes on her white face. ”What's wrong?” he asked.
”Beside the obvious?”
”Yes. You have that look on your face I've seen before-that look that says 'leave me alone.'”
He was beginning to read her so well, she wasn't sure what to say to him. She could only be honest. That's what she'd told Chad.
”I'm just so scared and I'm trying to control it.”
”Me, too,” he said just as honestly. ”But whoever is after you will have to go through me to get to you. You do understand that I won't leave you until this guy is caught.”
A change came over her face. ”Last time I leaned on Serena and now I'm leaning on you. I'm tired of being weak and I'm tired of being the victim. I need to go back to my job, my life, and stop running, stop hiding. If this man wants me, then he has to come out into the open and find me. I've had karate and self-defense cla.s.ses and I'm suppose to know how to protect myself. Yet I'm hiding like a coward and the killer is watching and enjoying my fear. Well, no more.” She jumped to her feet. ”I'm going home.”
”Whoa. Whoa.” Daniel caught her before she could take a step. This was the Sarah he'd witnessed during the trial, the one who'd stood in open court and pointed a finger at Boyd and said he'd shot Greg in cold blood three times without even blinking. He could almost feel the fire coursing through her-the coldness she'd mentioned earlier was completely gone. She was fighting mad.
He held her by both arms. ”Listen to me. The lieutenant gave me four days to get this thing solved. I've got two left. Please, give me those two days.”
The fire in her eyes flickered and dampened. ”Okay. But I'm going with you wherever you go. I'm not sitting in a room somewhere. I want to help.”
”Okay. Deal.”
”I just want it over,” she murmured, stepping closer to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. Her arm rubbed against his gun-a reminder of their situation.
He did what any red-blooded male would do; he held her tight. Pus.h.i.+ng her away wasn't even in his mind.
”Do you feel something happening between us?” she asked, her head beneath his chin.
He took a deep breath. ”Yes.”
”A few days ago I wanted you out of my life and now I can't imagine my life without you in it.”
He closed his eyes, trying not to read too much into her words.
”You're thinking it's out of fear, aren't you?” She looked up at him.
He opened his eyes and the truth was there for her to see. He did and she had to make him understand. ”I knew that if I faced my feelings for you then I'd have to face my past, deal with it and get on with living. I told myself I'd already done that and it had nothing to do with you. But deep down I had all those negative feelings about you seeing me naked in Boyd's apartment. I didn't want to be a helpless victim to you.” She trembled slightly.