Hearths of Fire (37 page)

Neal didn’t like how Trigger’s Mississippi accent got a little stronger when he introduced himself to Charlotte. It was an absurd reaction and Neal chalked it up to not enough sleep. He did manage another grin when Charlotte bypassed Trigger totally and doted on Diesel as if he were the only animal on the planet. Neal didn’t miss Starr’s smirk either.

“You are such a handsome boy,” Charlotte crooned, kneeling down and stroking her hands over Diesel’s fur. The dog tilted his head and looked up at Trigger as if to rub in the fact that he was getting more attention than his owner. Trigger shrugged and then went over to join Starr at the table. “Help yourself to some coffee, John.”

“Call me Trigger.”

Gunny and Stick weren’t far behind and neither one of them looked happy. Stick was muttering some words underneath his breath that Neal wasn’t sure could be strung together, but if it made the man feel better then so be it. Their bomb expert rubbed his hands together as if he couldn’t get warm.

“I forgot what this damn cold felt like and those two bumbling idiots outside has no set pattern for watching the house nor are they even paying attention to their surroundings.” Stick’s blue eyes were trained on Neal as if he were at fault. “They’re focused on the front of the house as if that’s the only access point.”

“Then our job shouldn’t be too difficult, now should it?” Gunny said, bringing up the rear. Even though their lead operator was only a few inches taller than the majority of the men, Gunny’s build made the room feel smaller and Neal saw that although Charlotte stood up, she kept Diesel by her side. “Who’s accounted for?”

“Everyone except Daegan,” Neal answered, not wanting to leave the back door until the entire unit was inside. “Charlotte, this is Kane Taylor and the
GQ
blond over there helping himself to your coffee is Aaron Scott.”

“How do you do?” Charlotte asked with a soft smile, making Neal realize that she was just as tired as he was.

“Aaron prefers to go by Stick, but you can call me Kane.” Gunny had blueprints in his hand, signifying that he’d had time to do some investigating before the team had left San Diego. He looked around the room, surveying who was here and who wasn’t. “We’ll give Daegan a few more moments. I saw him earlier in town chatting up a waitress.”

Neal and Charlotte shared a look, both of them knowing that Gunny was referring to Sally. It was doubtful that Daegan would find out anything that the two of them hadn’t, but Neal gave his friend props for diving headfirst into the townsfolk’s daily lives. He thought back to their phone conversation where Daegan indicated that someone he loved had died, and for some reason that changed Neal’s perspective on his friend. He’d always played his cards close to his chest, but damn if that wasn’t a wild card thrown onto the table.

Charlotte had brought in some folding chairs that she’d had stored in the garage and arranged them so they would accommodate everyone at the table. She’d placed one a little farther apart, toward the stove, and now he understood why. She took a seat, wanting to see and hear what was happening but not be in the way. Diesel, being the good dog that he was, seemed to understand that she was the only one who might not be able to defend herself and he laid down on the laminate floor by her side. Her fingers were still scratching his head.

“If there’s anything more than I can get any of you, please just let me know.”

Charlotte’s soft voice cut through the low chattering that was taking place at the table. Everyone looked over at her and surprisingly it was Starr who reassured her that they were fine. In Neal’s experience, Starr usually liked to lay low and use the time to observe. Because Neal had been looking at Charlotte, he saw that Diesel’s head tilted and his intent eyes focused on the back door, although he didn’t appear agitated.

Three taps could be heard before Daegan opened up the door and made an appearance. The talking diminished as his Irish blue eyes skimmed the room and then landed on Charlotte. He studied her momentarily before walking over to introduce himself. Neal rubbed his eyes, feeling that he’d been leaning up against the wall and not really paying attention. He needed another cup of coffee if he were to make it through the next couple of hours.

Within minutes the entire team had situated themselves around the kitchen table. Gunny had the blueprints spread open, but Starr started the discussion with questions that would get the team up to speed. Neal answered everything that he could and Charlotte would chime in now and again. By the time zero one hundred rolled around, the team had divided up duties on the intel that needed to be acquired before they descended upon the compound.

“You said you kept Mandy’s cell phone,” Gunny stated, sitting back against his chair. Neal was surprised the spindles on the older furniture didn’t splinter from the size of the man’s chest. As it was the lead operator had to order a customized holster so that the leather fit comfortably around his shoulders. “How many times has Garreth tried to call?”

“At last count, eleven.” Neal looked over at Charlotte, who nodded in agreement. He’d given her the device to monitor while the team organized tomorrow’s agenda. He glanced down and saw a water bowl next to Diesel, who was still lying beside Charlotte. “Considering Charlotte and I made it sound as if Mandy was still here and that she just needed a couple of days off from school, I figure he’ll either try to hit the house tonight or tomorrow.”

“I’ll meet with the sheriff first thing in the morning so that he understands why we are here and provide him with a copy of the federal warrant.” Starr and Gunny shared a look and Neal was quite certain that the sheriff would only be privy to information on an as-needed basis. “Any leaks within the department?”

“Hard to tell,” Neal answered, needing to stand before he fell asleep. He walked over to where Charlotte’s chair was positioned and leaned against the stove. “Deputy Bryan’s picture was up on that wall, but that doesn’t mean the Ashes have gotten their hooks into him yet. He seems like a solid man.”

“We’ll still err on the side of caution. I’ll request an offsite meeting with the sheriff and make a judgment on what he needs to know.” Starr stood, her action dismissing the team. “Everyone knows their assignments. Neal, get some sleep but make sure it’s with one eye open. Garreth Ashe has to be starting to wonder where Mandy is if she hasn’t answered her phone.”

“Trigger, you and Diesel need to patrol the neighborhood every couple of hours to monitor the two d-bags and to make sure their routine doesn’t change,” Daegan said, the only one staying in his seat. “Doc looks like he’s about to fall on his face, so I’ll stay inside so that he’s not useless to us tomorrow.”

Starr wasn’t one to micromanage per se, and she didn’t bat an eyelash at Daegan’s suggestion. Gunny stood beside her and Neal could feel his eyes on him, judging on whether Daegan was right. Neal knew enough not to decline Daegan on his offer. Charlotte’s safety was more important than his fucking ego, so he met Gunny’s stare head-on.

“Fine. Stick, you take the compound tonight and report in if you see any movement before dawn. I’ll relieve you then.” Gunny walked over to Charlotte, who was now standing and had her arms crossed over her abdomen. Neal’s exhaustion couldn’t make sense of the fact that he was glad she was wearing a sweater that didn’t show her flawless cleavage. He’d never been the jealous type and whatever this twinge of green was had to be because his mind wasn’t working right. “Charlotte, get some sleep yourself. We’ll do what we can so that you and Mandy can get back to your normal lives.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte replied, surprising everyone when she rose on her tiptoes and gave the large man a hug. She pulled away, her arms immediately wrapping around her own waist. “I don’t know if this is the type of case that you and your team take, but I’m grateful that you have.”

One by one, the team dispersed with Charlotte giving extra attention to Diesel. Neal thought of asking Trigger to allow the dog to stay the rest of the night, but he knew that would interfere with the shepherd’s training. Besides, Neal didn’t want Charlotte sleeping with a dog. He wanted her by his side where he knew she was safe. Stick was the only one who asked if he could steal another can of soda since he was taking watch of the compound. She did one better and produced a six-pack. In under a minute the only ones left in the kitchen were him, Charlotte, and Daegan.

“I know I’m saying thank you a lot, Daegan, but I do appreciate that you’re willing to stay inside so that Neal gets some sleep.” Charlotte went about clearing the table and putting the mugs into the sink. Neal could see the faint blemishes underneath her eyes as well and knew she needed sleep just as much as he did. “If you’ll just give me a moment, I’ll grab some fresh sheets from the closet and set you up on the couch. I—”

“Don’t bother,” Neal instructed, not meaning for his voice to come out so stern. He rubbed his eyes before focusing them on Charlotte. “He’ll take the spare bedroom.”

The last mug being set in the sink echoed through the kitchen as Charlotte’s head whipped to meet Neal’s gaze. Her blue eyes searched his and he waited to see if she accepted what she saw. Their time was coming to an end and he wanted her by his side for these upcoming days. He didn’t care what Daegan thought of this arrangement either. In actuality, Daegan would take the living room anyway and wouldn’t need sheets. He’d brought with him a bag that was currently sitting in the corner of the kitchen and Neal didn’t doubt that his night vision scope was inside. He’d use it to keep an eye on the two cult members lurking about outside from the position near the living room window.

“All right then,” Charlotte said with a nod of agreement. She dried her hands on the dishtowel, folded it, and then laid it softly on the counter. “Good night, Daegan.”

“Good night.” It was obvious that Daegan wanted to say something to Neal, so both men waited until Charlotte was out of the room. Even after so many hours her fragrance still hung in the air. Neal hoped like hell that whatever his friend had to say wasn’t longwinded. Fortunately Daegan kept his voice low as he leaned in to give his two cents. “You need to get your shit together. I want you to think about something before you get caught up in some fucking bubble where you’re wearing rose-colored glasses. Say the two of you proclaim your undying love for one another and finally put the past where it belongs. What then? Are you leaving Red Starr? Are you moving back here to pick up where you left off eight years ago? From what I heard today the bookstore has been Charlotte’s way of life. It was her mother’s shop and it gave Charlotte the means to raise her sister. They are both entrenched in this town with roots deeper than that oak tree out front. Give that some thought when she’s in your arms tonight, Doc.”

Neal didn’t bother to reply because he knew Daegan was right. No matter how things between them ended…he would still go to San Diego while she remained here in Hearth. It was just the natural directions their lives had taken and being told the truth made his exhaustion settle into his bones. He felt older than his years as he walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway to Charlotte’s bedroom. She was waiting on him and regardless that he agreed with every word Daegan said, he wouldn’t pass up one more opportunity to hold her in his arms. Come tomorrow, fate might lead them in another direction.

‡

C
harlotte stirred and
buried deeper into the warmth beside her. She slowly floated to the surface of reality, lifting her lashes and finding that she could just make out Neal’s features from the rays of the rising sun. Neither one of them had said a word when they had taken off their clothes and fell into bed after everyone had left last night, although Daegan had been somewhere in the house ensuring their safety. As she laid her cheek against his chest, there wasn’t a place on her body that didn’t feel cherished as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer into his side.

“Promise me you’ll be safe today?”

Charlotte spoke the words as softly as she could, not wanting this tender moment to come to an end. These last four days had felt like they’d been at each other’s throats, regardless that they’d made love—a term that she knew he wouldn’t have used to describe what they’d shared. It didn’t matter what he called it. He couldn’t take away what she had felt.

“This is what I’m trained for,” Neal murmured against her hair. “I need
you
to do me a favor though.”

Charlotte already knew what Neal was going to request before he continued speaking. He wanted her in a public place today while his team did their recon, or whatever it was called that they did to prepare for a mission. She wanted to be in the thick of things, but she knew she would only get in their way. It was time she made an appearance at the store anyway, although it wouldn’t keep her mind off of what was actually taking place.

“I know, I know.” Charlotte leaned up on an elbow and looked down at Neal, who was now reaching up and tucking one of her loose curls behind her ear. “You want me at the bookstore today. Just promise me that you’ll keep me updated.”