Part 20 (1/2)

13.

JESSE WAVERED between amus.e.m.e.nt and irritation as he watched Audra lead the investigating officer around by the...nose. between amus.e.m.e.nt and irritation as he watched Audra lead the investigating officer around by the...nose.

”She's not much into cops, is she?” Rob Dutton asked, a scowl creasing his freckled forehead. Jesse's partner leaned against a doorframe, tapping his pen against his blank notebook.

Jesse just shrugged, trying to ignore the sick knot in his belly. He'd had no idea Audra's warm, s.e.xy charm could take on such a sharp edge. Her mood didn't bode well for him. How would she take his eventual confession?

”You think it was Larson?” he murmured, indicating the trashed office.

”Pretty sure,” Rob agreed. He glanced at the nasty missive he'd pulled from Audra's wall, the angry words glaring through the clear plastic of the evidence bag. ”Even though the guy's a notorious wimp, I'll put an APB out on him. Walk me out, huh?”

Jesse frowned.

Ignoring Audra's questioning glance, he followed Rob out of the apartment. A soft evening breeze stirred the dark night. The two men were silent until they reached Rob's car, lit by the streetlights.

Jesse frowned again at the note, sealed in an evidence bag. You're not getting away with it. Give it back, b.i.t.c.h. Or you'll pay, and pay big. You're not getting away with it. Give it back, b.i.t.c.h. Or you'll pay, and pay big. Apparently Davey was getting desperate. Apparently Davey was getting desperate.

”We picked up a bimbette tonight,” Rob said without preamble. ”While she was shoveling dirt to get her a.s.s out of trouble, she tossed a few clumps at the triad. She also said she was stiffed on a deal. She was supposed to pick up a handoff of goods a week or so ago at The Wild Thing from ole Davey boy.”

Ahh. Last piece of the puzzle. Jesse nodded his satisfaction. Audra was clear. A few knots he hadn't even realized he had loosened in his shoulders.

”You don't seem surprised.” Rob took the evidence bag and tossed it into the backseat before leaning against the car and crossing his arms.

”I'm not. You weren't in the office this morning, but last night I'd discovered where the cash came from. As far as I'm concerned, Audra's clean. Nothing ties her to the triad or Larson except an accidental meeting.”

”And the goods he pa.s.sed off in the bar,” Rob reminded him as he got in his car and started the ignition. ”You might want to keep that in mind. Especially since whoever tossed the place obviously has a hard-on for your girlfriend.”

Jesse winced at the reference to Audra. But there was no condemnation in Rob's eyes, just sympathy and a hint of worry.

”Don't wait to break the case against the triad,” Jesse ordered. ”Larson's a threat to Audra. Pick him up, maybe we can get him to roll on the them.”

”You're kissing your promotion goodbye if you don't pull down the big boys. You know that, right?”

With a nod, Jesse shrugged. He wordlessly watched Rob drive away. The promotion had been important. Proof that he was as good a cop as his father. But it wasn't worth Audra's safety. Nothing was.

Between the bimbette's confession and the break-in, Audra was pretty much cleared. But, unfortunately for Jesse, it moved her cleanly from suspect to target.

And shoved her right back to the off-limits list. If he thought sleeping with a suspect was dirty, sleeping with someone under his protection was simply taking advantage.

Five minutes later, Jesse confirmed the drive-by schedule with the uniformed officers before closing the door behind them. Then he eyed the s.e.xy woman across the room from him.

”Well, that wasn't quite how I planned to start off our wild night of hot loving,” Audra said. Her tone was joking. But the stiffness of her smile and the stress bracketing her eyes gave away her turmoil. Even so, she stood in her usual, hip-c.o.c.ked s.e.xy stance and gave him a wink.

Was it any wonder he was crazy about her?

”Crime has a way of ruining the mood,” Jesse shot back, figuring she'd appreciate the joke more than his observation of her emotional state. ”I'll help you clean this up, huh?”

She looked around silently and then gave a sigh and a shrug. From where they stood, they could see the barely touched living room and bedroom, and the very trashed room that served as her office. Other than Davey's mess, her place was s.e.xy as h.e.l.l. Much like Audra herself.

”Did you want to come home with me?” he asked as they gathered CDs and books to put back on the teak shelving unit between the bedrooms. ”Is there someplace else you'd rather stay tonight?”

”Stay? What are you talking about? I'm staying here.”

”Here? You heard what the cop said. You should find someplace to stay until they catch that dirtbag who did this.”

”Cops say lots of things. Most of them irritate me, so I rarely listen.” At his frown, she shoved the last handful of books on the shelf, the red paperback spines w.i.l.l.y-nilly and teetering precariously, then stood.

”Look, I'm sure he had good intentions. Serve and protect, and all that jazz. But this is my home. No lowlife is going to drive me out of it. Like I told the cop, I have no idea why someone would threaten me and definitely have no clue what that note was blathering about. Besides, that one guy in the jeans, the one you were so chummy with?” She shot him a look that made Jesse's shoulders twitch. It was a combination suspicion, curiosity and underlying trust. ”He said they'd be doing drive-bys and keeping watch on my place.”

Jesse rose and stood over her. Trying to throw off his guilt over ignoring the question in her eyes, he offered his fiercest frown. ”Drive-bys are all well and good, but they are no guarantee of safety. Are you willing to take that chance? Willing to go climb into your bed and hope he won't be back?”

Rather than turning pale, stuttering or even looking thoughtful, Audra lifted her chin and gave a chilly smile.

”Let him try.”

”Fine. Then I'm staying with you.”

Her cold smile turned to steam and she gave him a look hot enough to melt his shorts. Beneath it, though, was a vulnerability he'd never imagined in Audra.

If he'd had any illusions of keeping his hands off her until after the case was closed, that look shot them straight to h.e.l.l. But not tonight. That'd just be wrong. His body was putting up a fierce argument, but Jesse tried to convince himself he wasn't led by his d.i.c.k.

”Look, you've had a rough night. The break-in, the threat. You're probably emotionally overwhelmed right now.” He ignored her wide-eyed stare and gestured to the now tidy hallway. ”I'll stay the night, but on the couch. I'm not going to take advantage of you in a vulnerable state.”

Audra's jaw dropped, a look of blank shock on her face. After five excruciatingly long seconds, she burst into laughter. He wasn't sure if he was relieved to see she wasn't overwrought, or offended.

At the sight of her delighted grin, he settled for relief.

”I can't remember the last time anyone took advantage of me. It sounds fun, though. Wanna take turns?”

She took a step toward him and her foot hit a string of beads, sending them flying across the room with a reverberating rattle. They watched as the string hit the wall, bright red orbs flying every which way on impact.

Jesse grimaced at the mess and glanced back at Audra to ask her where she kept her vacuum. His heart clenched at the sight of her face, silent tears swimming in her huge eyes.

With a barely audible groan, Jesse stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. Her scent, the heady richness of it, wrapped around his senses. Jesse rubbed her shoulders and murmured comforting nothings as she pulled in a shaky breath.

”You okay, babe?” he asked.

”Yeah,” she said against his shoulder. ”I'm just p.i.s.sed. And a little freaked that someone would hate me enough to break into my home and mess it up so bad. It's hard to fight someone when you have no idea who they are or how you p.i.s.sed them off, you know?”

Jesse winced. He had to tell her. As much as he'd like to put it off, to protect her-and, if he was honest with himself, protect his place in her life-he had to clue her in.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jesse realized once he'd arrested Dave Larson and kicked his a.s.s for breaking into Audra's apartment, he'd likely thank the guy for bringing her into his life.

That was, if there was a chance she'd still have anything to do with him after she learned the truth.