Part 7 (1/2)
”As a witness to a murder, possibly by someone in law enforcement, Charlie's going to need protection,” Marc stated. ”Do you want us to take turns?”
Luke whirled around, slos.h.i.+ng out a bit of coffee. ”No, I've got her,” he said vehemently. Suddenly, the idea of his co-workers spending more time with Charlie than he sent a bolt of unfamiliar jealousy through him. They're all married, he chastised himself. I can trust them. Well, all but Marc- ”Hey, watch it, speed-demon,” Blaise cried out, wiping some of the spilled liquid off the table next to his tablet.
”Sorry,” Luke mumbled. ”Look, we need to dig into Lin w.a.n.g, the Bureau files on Eli's meeting, and everything we can about someone named Jun in the medical field. I'm the most qualified, but I could use some help.” His eyes shot to Jude, who had a.s.sisted on the computer aspect of investigations before. ”I'll farm some of it to Jude, but I need more.” Piercing Jack with his stare, he said, ”I want Charlie protected so she needs to be with us anyway, but Jack? She's the most qualified to a.s.sist with the intelligence gathering in this case. Are you willing to use her talents?”
The room grew silent as all eyes moved to Jack. He pressed his lips tightly for a moment, focused sharply on Luke. Finally, he said, ”I vetted every one of you before I hired you. She's still an unknown to us.” Throwing his hand up before Luke could interject, he added, ”But, I know she's helped us before.” The room continued in silence as Jack pondered the situation.
Slowly nodding, he said, ”Luke, I agree that she needs to be in on this with us. Not just as a witness. She has the background, knowledge, and skills to a.s.sist. But...” capturing Luke's undivided attention before continuing, ”she works this case only. I'm not willing to give her access to anything else of ours until we have this investigation solved and know more about the resourceful and elusive Charlotte Trivett.”
Quickly agreeing, Luke grinned. ”Honest to G.o.d, boss, I think she and I together can make great things happen in our investigations.”
”Is that all you plan on doing to make great things happen?” Blaise joked.
The other Saints chuckled, all pleased to see Luke interested in something besides his keyboard for once.
Blus.h.i.+ng, he shrugged. ”Guess I'll find out.”
He was saved from more embarra.s.sing revelations by Cam and Bart entering the room from the back stairwell, coming from the garage.
”We found the van and swept it,” Bart reported. ”No bugs or tracking devices, but we began disa.s.sembling it nonetheless.”
”Where is it?” Luke asked.
”Got it in a safe place, off Jack's property and into the woods,” Cam answered. He set a duffle bag on the floor near Luke and said, ”I packed all of her personal items here. Thought she'd like to have it at your place.”
”Thanks man.” Looking at Jack, he said, ”I'd like to get her home. She's functioning on little sleep, nerves, and adrenaline. I know she's strong and survived this long on her own, but I'd...well, I'd like to make sure she's okay.”
He gratefully met the understanding smiles of the others in the room. Jack nodded and said, ”Okay, we've got our a.s.signments to begin working on. Marc leaves in a couple of weeks for his protection duty and the rest of us will work this case. Luke, take a day and then have her back here to meet with Faith again.”
Nodding, Luke snagged the duffle off the floor and proceeded up the stairs, anxious to take care of Charlie.
Chapter 11.
By the time Luke and Charlie left the Saints' compound, he saw the exhaustion plainly written on her face. Her smile drooped as much as her eyelids. Swinging into a hamburger drive-thru, he ordered burgers and fries before heading back to his home.
The scent emanating from the bag sitting on the console between them almost drove Charlie crazy. ”Mmmm,” she moaned. ”I know Bethany fed us, but I was too nervous to eat much. Now, I'm ravenous.”
Luke glanced to the side, staring at her profile before jerking his eyes back to the road, his heart pounding. The sound of her moans shot straight to his c.o.c.k, making him s.h.i.+ft uncomfortably in the seat. Get a grip, man. She's here for protection, not me making a move on her. A sigh slipped out as he realized that for the first time, he was meeting a woman that interested him on all levels-intellectual as well as physical-and, for now, he needed to consider her off limits since she needed protection by the Saints.
Charlie heard his sigh and grimaced. G.o.d, he probably hates this. Having to babysit me...in his home. Why is it that I've wanted to meet him for months...secretly fantasized about him for years...and, now that I'm here, I'm foisted upon him and it's making him uncomfortable?
”Luke, I really hate to make you stay with me. Honestly, if you can just show me back to my van, I'll be fine.” She caught the surprised lifting of his eyebrows and asked, ”What?”
”Your van is gone, Charlie. Bart and Cam have it well hidden.”
”But my stuff is in-”
”They emptied the van and all your things are packed in that duffle in the backseat.”
Luke pulled into his driveway and into the garage. As the door was lowering behind them, he twisted to her and saw the wide-eyed shock on her face. ”That VW van is like a beacon saying 'Here I am!' We didn't discover any bugs or tracking devices, but it's not a typical automobile on the road. Too easy to follow, too easy to identify with you. Honest to G.o.d, Charlie, you couldn't have gotten worse hide-out transportation.” He grabbed the burger bag and opened his door. ”Come on, let's eat while we talk.”
Huffing, she followed him into the house, determined to continue their discussion. ”Do not treat me as though I'm dumb,” she blurted. As her gaze landed on the burgers and fries now on plates, she had to admit her hunger was taking the starch out of her argument. She noticed he stood in the kitchen with the two plates in his hands and her eyes lifted to his face. He was smiling at her, with one eyebrow arched.
”I know this is all new to you and your life has once again taken a strange turn. But I want to get you fed first. Think we can table your complaints until after we've eaten?”
Wanting to fight back, she glanced down at the food and her stomach loudly protested its hunger. A grin slipped onto her face as she nodded. ”Yeah, it seems as though my belly agrees with you.”
”Good, I'll start with your belly,” he joked, ”and then we'll move to getting the rest of you on board.”
Thirty minutes later, she pushed back the almost-empty plate and leaned back in her chair. Rolling her head to the side, she stared at Luke as he polished off the last of her fries. ”That's not fair,” she grumbled.
Looking over, a french-fry drenched in ketchup hanging out of his mouth, his brows drew down in question. ”What's not fair?”
”You. I was all ready to complain about my van, my belongings, my being brought here where I know you don't want me even though I want to be here, and now I'm so full and p.o.o.ped all the fight has gone out of me.”
Swallowing the last fry, he said, ”Don't want you?”
Blus.h.i.+ng, she realized her full tummy had numbed her brain and she had blurted out more than she meant to. ”I...uh...I...”
She found her body moving as he grabbed her chair and twisted it around so that it faced him. He settled his long legs on either side of hers, effectively trapping her, before leaning his body into her s.p.a.ce. Her eyes grew wide as she dropped her gaze to his mouth, wondering if and wis.h.i.+ng he would kiss her.
Instead, he said, ”We need to get something straight right now. I've been interested in meeting you ever since you first messaged me. My intentions were purely friends.h.i.+p all that time...had no idea if you were young, old, male, female. But I can't deny that there was a part of me that hoped you were young and female. Maybe that was just my fantasy, but there it is.”
Eyes wide, she listened as her heart began to beat faster. His gaze bore into hers and she was incapable of staring at anything other than his beautiful eyes as he continued to speak.
”We officially met about twenty hours ago and, in that time, I've learned you've been on the run for months, the witness to a murder, and trying to investigate a crime of such proportions that you are at serious risk.”
Moving closer to her, he settled his hands on her shoulders, making sure she was listening to every word before continuing. ”Yes, the Saints are still working with the Bureau on Eli's life, his work, and what got him killed. But, Charlie, you are also now our mission. Your safety. Sure, we want your help in the investigation, but we are now more interested in taking care of you.”
Hearing his words, she could only stare at the lips so close to hers. He has no idea that I've spent months looking at his picture on the internet. Wondering what it would be like to have him staring back at me. Holding me. Kissing me. Pulled, as if by a magnet, she leaned the few inches forward to meet his lips, when he suddenly jerked back. Mortification rushed over her as she tried to hop up, but her legs were still trapped between his knees and his hands were still on her shoulders.
”Please let me up,” she whispered, her eyes downcast, feeling the fiery flames of a blush heating her cheeks.
”Not happening,” he said, watching her expression morph to anger, but before she could speak, he quickly added, ”Not until you hear everything I've got to say.”
Her eyes snapped up to his, her mouth in a tight line.
His warm eyes held hers as he confessed, ”You're still my fantasy.”
His words slowly seeped into her. c.o.c.king her head in confusion, she opened and closed her mouth several times but nothing came out.