Beyond the Call of Duty (2 page)
Read Beyond the Call of Duty Online
Authors: Wendy Stone
Tags: #Eternal Press, #love, #witness protection program, #contemporary, #agent, #romance, #erotic, #Wendy Stone, #erotica
“For your apple dumplings, Marissa, I’d beard the lion in his den.” He bent and kissed her cheek, shifting the box to his side. “I just don’t understand why you won’t leave this place and come marry me, Marissa. I’d treat you right.”
She giggled and smiled. “Mr. Gabe, you couldn’t handle me. I’d wear you out like those little blonde girls you bring home never do.” She laughed lightly and then nodded toward the hallway, hearing the boss’s voice as he came out into the entry way.
“Gabe, how many times have I told you to quit trying to seduce the help away from me. Thank you, Marissa. Give us a chance to clear away business and then I’m sure Mr. Gabe would love some of your apple dumplings.”
Tony Blandon was nearing fifty, but he was still a good-looking man with a full head of silvery hair. At home he was more comfortable in jeans, usually paired with a buttoned-down shirt and a knitted vest of some kind. He reminded Gabe of a rich man living in the prime of his life and doing what he wanted to do with it.
Tony held out his arm for the package, and Gabe held it out, just as happy to be rid of it as Tony was to get it. “Ray’s getting those
feelings
again, Tony. He says something’s going down and soon, but he couldn’t tell me what it is.”
“Ray and his feelings,” Tony said, a note of sarcasm in his voice. “I swear next thing you know, Ray will be seeing aliens again. I’m going to have to set up a drug test for the boy.”
“He swears he’s not using, boss, but he sure as hell is twitchy.” Gabe took the chair Tony offered, crossing his legs and smoothing the pleat of his pants. “I sometimes wonder why you keep him around.”
“He’s usually got some idea of what’s going on. He managed to save more than one shipment, Gabe. He saved your ass once or twice too.” He went to a table in the corner of the room, setting down the package and picking up a cut-crystal decanter of amber-colored liquid. It was Tony’s favorite brand of scotch, and he poured Gabe two fingers, adding a couple of ice cubes. He handed the glass to Gabe.
He took it, twirling the liquid and ice in his glass before taking a sip. “Thanks, boss.”
Tony nodded, slitting open the brown paper wrapped around the package. He pulled the box free and lifted the lid. He grabbed a formal-looking piece of paper off his desk and seemed to check the contents of the box against what was written there. Gabe didn’t even think to glance at what was in the box, not wanting to know what was delivered to the boss at strange times of the day or night. He sat and drank his drink and waited for Tony to finish what he was doing.
He sat up when Tony came around the desk and sank down into his desk chair. “I need to thank you for doing that tonight, Gabe. I know I gave you the night off...”
“It’s not a big deal. I didn’t have that much on my plate.”
“Ah, so what was her name?” Tony chuckled, seeing Gabe’s face grow ruddy. “Teri said you probably had a blonde sucking your cock, and I’d guess by the look on your face, she was right.”
“She was, but let’s not tell her that,” he said softly.
“Definitely. She already thinks she knows everything. So, I need you available Friday night. Caitlyn is going out on her first date, and I want this kid checked out.”
“Caitlyn? Isn’t she like twelve or something?”
“Yeah, but she’s sixteen and thinks she’s all grown up.” Tony shrugged. “Just be here Friday and look dangerous.”
“I can do that, boss.” He took another sip of his drink. “Anything else you need?”
“No, that should do it.” Tony rose when Gabe did, walking him to the door of his study. Shaking his hand, he held him up at the door. “We gotta talk about your future with the company, Gabe, but not tonight. Tonight, you go home and see if you can make up with the lady you were with when Teri called. Have a good evening.”
“That’s water under the bridge, Tony. See you in the morning.” Gabe nodded and headed for the front door. He opened it to walk outside, his hand instinctively going to his piece as three men suddenly pushed past him. One held an automatic and used the butt end of it to smash into Gabe’s head.
Gabe went down, head spinning. He heard screams from Caitlyn and Tony’s wife Greta, and then he heard Marissa scream and the sound of a gunshot. Tony and his son Cameron were brought out to the hallway in front of him and forced to kneel as each was shot, a double tap to the head, mob style.
The blood and gore from the violent wounds hit him in the face. He blinked, trying to reach for his gun again, and felt one of the gunmen bend close. “You’re lucky. The boss only wanted the family dead. Stay down and you’ll live through this.”
“Fuck you!” Gabe managed to get out. Another guy hit him again, and it was lights out.
He woke about three hours later and stared at the strange lights and the people in masks rushing around him. “Where’s Tony?” he groaned.
“Put him out, nurse. We’ve got to dig out this bullet.”
A mask was held close to his face. He heard a soft voice talking to him as the gas overcame him.
Chapter Two
Alexandra Hunter blew on the hot cup of coffee she carried in one hand. In the other was her briefcase, which was almost always attached to her. She hurried into the Justice building in Monroe City, excusing herself when she bumped into a group of men.
The men turned, staring down at her before parting like the Red Sea in front of her. Lexi smiled, adding a bit of sass to her full lips. “Thanks, guys.”
She got on the elevator, holding the door open with that same briefcase and cocking a dark, arched eyebrow. “Going up?”
There was a rush of tailored suits and expensive loafers as they all tried to fit into the small car, pushing Lexi back against the wall. She was elbowed and jiggled, had her foot stepped on and coffee spilled on her tight, black skirt. One of the men asked her what floor.
“Eight,” she said shortly.
The men looked at each other and back at her before one pushed the button for her. She was used to this kind of reaction. The eighth floor was the Department of Justice floor and where her office was located. Men had a problem believing a woman, one barely five-feet-two tall, could do her job.
Taking a sip of her quickly cooling coffee, she mentally reviewed her appointment book for the day. It was going to be a rough one, she knew that already, but she had a new case and one that might not be too happy about what she had to do with him; but then again, when were they ever happy about having to disappear out of their loved-ones’ lives?
Gabriel Jacob Elliott was definitely going to be one of those. She read his bio and what he planned on doing for the DOJ, while she risked her ass keeping him safe. He had the information they’d been searching for on the scumbags that ruled the backstreets of Monroe City. Getting him to roll had been a huge coup, and her boss Jack Harris was going to be a stickler on how she treated him.
She loved her job, and if she kept repeating that to herself, maybe one day she’d believe it. The thought brought a smile to her lips and helped to keep her civil as she pushed through the men to get to the elevator door. One of them, and she wasn’t sure which, pinched her ass as she walked by, and she made a mental note to pull all their files and send officers to their houses.
Stella McCartney was sitting at her desk in the front office of the DOJ, looking her coolly professional self. She sipped her coffee as she fielded calls and held out a stack of phone slips that looked a mile high.
“All of those for me, Stell? Dammit.” Lexi thumbed through them, briefcase between her feet, before she shoved the slips into the front pocket of her suit jacket. “Let me guess; he’s not in yet.”
“Nope. You know better than to expect him before nine o’clock, Lex. Since he had the bypass surgery, he only works eight-hour days.”
“Yeah, so he can give me a heart attack taking care of all these helpless babies.” She picked up her briefcase. “I’ll be in my office. Can you call and remind me of my appointment at ten? I don’t want to be late with this one.”
“You got it, baby, and smile. When he finally decides to leave, you’ll probably get his office.”
“And his cholesterol numbers,” Lexi said, smiling grimly. Jack had been a god to her; first in the office and last out, juggling cases like clowns juggle balls. He’d been absolutely amazing about the job. Before his heart attack and the bypass surgery that followed, Jack had taken care of all the big cases. He wouldn’t have put a case like this Elliott file on her shoulders, even though she was completely able to do the job.
He always put his face on the tough ones, the ones that might be a bit harder to handle, the ones that might come back to bite him in the ass. He knew the ins and outs of what they had to do, and seemed to enjoy the more difficult cases. Since the attack, however, he was now only available from nine to five, delegated a hell of a lot more and left most of the political stuff to her.
Stella was right; his office would be hers one day. Lexi was looking forward to his private bathroom, his key to the gym and pool and the view from his office windows. She sighed. Until that day, she had a hell of a lot of work to do.
She got out her keys and unlocked her door, pushing it open gently. Since one of her co-workers had been blown up here in the offices, she was much more careful about just rushing in to places. Her office looked the same as it did the previous night when she’d finally turned out the lights at ten, just in time to hit the last of the trains out of Monroe City to the suburbs.
She dropped her briefcase on the desk and growled when she saw her trash can was just as full as it was last night. She’d had to destroy her copy of a file on a case that was over now. The case had been finalized, and the man they’d been looking to put in the Witness Protection Program stroked out. That file, mangled and mutilated as she’d made it, was still in her trash can. She took it to the shaft that led to the incinerator, dumping it through the chute, turned and went back to her desk to start her calls.
At ten, Stella buzzed her, reminding her of the appointment, and she put the rest of the messages she still had to get to under the corner of her desk blotter. Going to the small wardrobe in her office, she opened the door and stared into the mirror. She critically dissected her appearance, running her fingers over the slightly dark shadows under her eyes.
She looked tired. Her amber eyes didn’t have their usual sparkle, her cheeks seemed a touch too hollow and her lush mouth turned down. She was a beautiful woman, but she couldn’t see it now. Now all she could see were the hollows and the shadows. Reaching for her extra make-up bag, she did what she could, adding color to her cheeks and using concealer to mask the shadows. She brushed out her long hair. It was naturally curly, reaching past the middle of her back. Grabbing it, she twisted the whole mass up, using a large clip to keep it that way. She reached for her suit jacket, neatly hung, and pulled it on.
Gabe Elliott was under police protection in the hospital. It was time for her to make him disappear.
* * * *
Lexi left her briefcase in the car, holding the vase of flowers she carried near her face so no one could possibly recognize her if they had someone watching Gabe Elliott. She walked past Information, already knowing what floor he was on. The elevator played the same boring music they all did, and she hummed absently along with it.
She got out of the elevator and headed down the corridor, her heels sounding loud and staccato, echoing as she walked. The cops at the door stopped her, and she showed them her United States Marshal’s badge and identification. She signed into the log and walked into the room, staring at the man on the bed.
He was nothing like she’d thought he would be. He didn’t portray the arrogance or the front she’d dealt with before. She wanted him to need her more than she needed him, though. Lying in that hospital bed, he was half-asleep, the bandages on his body tinged with blood. He looked younger than the picture she had in her file. He looked vulnerable, and it touched a side of her she’d always been careful not to let get involved at work.
“Mr. Elliott?” she asked softly, seeing his eyes open. He gazed at her as if he wasn’t sure who she was or what she wanted.
“You’re not supposed to be in here,” he said, his voice slightly drowsy and baffled.
She smiled. “Mr. Elliott, I believe you’ve been told about me. I’m Alexandra Hunter. I’m here to protect you and help you make the transition. I’ll be with you until we get you through trial, and then we’ll get you set up in a new life.”
“
You
are going to protect me?”
She could have laughed at the sound of disbelief in his voice. “Mr. Elliott, I’m a black belt in three different martial arts, I’m a sharp shooter and there isn’t a weapon I don’t know how to handle. Better yet, I was raised with four older brothers and a bunch of cousins. I was always in one fight or another. I am capable of handling your case and of handling you if necessary.”
“But...I could break you with my bare hands,” he said, raising his dark brows.
“You’d have to be able to get your hands on me first, Mr. Elliott. I’m also an expert in hand-to-hand combat.”
“Gabe, please. It kind of sounds like we’re going to be together a lot.”
“Call me Lexi, Gabe. You’re right; I’ll probably end up being your biggest nightmare.” She waited a second, and then continued. “How are you feeling?”