Homeland Security (Defenders of Love Book 2) (4 page)

"I'm calling the police. We need to report this break in."

"No. Don't. It doesn't look like anything is missing."

A crash sounded in the bedroom. Katie looked at Kaiden with fear in her eyes. "Someone is still here."

He held a finger to his lips telling her to be quiet as he grabbed his gun from the ankle holster he wore under his tuxedo pants. Katie nodded and moved into the kitchen, out of sight of the bedroom.

Kaiden inched his way to the door and stopped to listen. There was definite movement in the room beyond. Taking a deep breath, he kicked the door wide open. A loud thunk sounded from the bedroom.

"Federal agent! Drop your weapon!" he called out but it wasn't necessary. The man was knocked out cold in a pile of satin and silk.

"What the…?" Katie stood behind him peering at the guy on the floor. "That's my lingerie! What was he doing in my underwear drawer?"

Kaiden studied the pinks and purples and blues with curiosity. Katie obviously liked sexy lingerie and he liked that.

"Looking for something."

"Again with the obvious. Is he a panty thief?"

"I don't think so. Panty thieves don't usually carry guns." Kaiden kicked a handgun away from the form on the floor. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.

"This is federal agent Kaiden James. I need local police and an ambulance." He gave Katie's address and then rolled the man over and slapped some cuffs on him in case he woke up before the municipal police arrived.

Katie walked around mumbling and trying to straighten her things.

"You have to leave everything the way it is for the crime scene techs."

She looked at him with a blank expression. "Crime scene techs?"

"I'm sorry, but your place is officially a crime scene right now."

"That's all my underwear!" She grabbed at a few of the silky things. "Not a crime scene!"

"Unfortunately, it is. You have to leave it all here until the scene has been completely processed."

"This is all your fault! You and your stupid
agency!"
Katie threw her hands in the air, sending the underwear she held flying around the room. A pair of black satin bikini briefs landed on his head.

She stood there, looking at him as Kaiden reached up and removed the undergarments from his head. Placing them on the bureau, he turned her toward the living room.

"Why don't you wait in the living room for the police?"

"I don't feel like it. I want to clean my room."

"Well, you can't. Not right now anyway."

"Hmpf! Well, it's not like I would wear anything
he
has touched ever again anyway." She turned and stomped from the room. Katie McCoy had a hot temper, something he thought he might enjoy under different circumstances.

Kaiden punched in his boss's number on his cell phone. Hunter picked up on the first ring.

"I'm at the McCoy place. Someone totally tossed it."

Hunter let out a long low whistle. "So she is involved."

"No. I don't think so. I think someone else thinks she is. I caught the guy in her bedroom sifting through her unmentionables. We are just waiting for the locals to get here to haul him away."

"Well, once they get there, you can head back to the wedding if you want. Thanks for handling her."

"Are you serious, Hunter? By the time I get there Logan and Angie will be on their honeymoon already! Besides, I am not done with Ms. McCoy."

"Why? A minute ago you said she's not involved."

"I also said someone else thinks she is. Our guys busted her front door pretty badly. She isn't safe here."

"What's your plan, James?"

"At the very least, the agency owes her a hotel stay for wrecking her front door."

"Fine. Check her in somewhere and then call it a night."

"Why are you in such a rush to get me away from her?"

"One of the guys told me you know each other. Breaches protocol. You are off this one, James."

"What the hell, Hunter?! You said I was the only one who could do it. Left my cousin's wedding and cut my vacation short because you said it was a matter of national security!"

"I didn't say that!"

"You know you did! I'm not letting this case go. Not until I figure out what Nathan Marks is up to. He is the case, not Katie."

"Katie?" Hunter shot back. "We're on a first name basis now?"

"Let it go, boss."

"Just get her squared away in a hotel and we will talk later."

Hunter disconnected before Kaiden could say anything else. Voices sounded from the living room so he exited the bedroom. Katie animatedly described the events of the evening to a detective who appeared barely old enough to drive. Kaiden motioned to a uniformed officer and led him to the suspect.

Chapter Four

Ninety minutes later Kaiden stood feeling awkward in the lingerie department of a twenty-four hour big box store. Katie didn't want to wear any of the underwear that the creeper had touched which was pretty much everything so there he stood, surrounded by panties.

In another place, under other circumstances, silk, satin and lace rubbing up on him would have been a turn on. At one in the morning, in a building that smelled of dust and must, nothing got turned on except his allergy response. He needed an antihistamine and a cup of coffee in the worst way. And maybe a sandwich. Or some fried chicken. His stomach rumbled at the thought of hot, moist fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits. He had missed dinner, after all.

He caught Katie's eye over a display of animal print push up bras. His blood warmed pleasantly as she smiled at him. A hunger of a different sort clenched in his gut.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know it's late but I can't stomach the thought of anything that man touched on my skin. I want to grab a couple of things to hold me until I can get to the mall."

"Take your time. You might not be able to go home for a few days so grab what you need," Kaiden responded with more conviction than he felt. He nodded at a leopard print push-up in front of him. "That looks nice." It would look
real
nice on Katie. Forget about his allergy response, everything started to warm up.

"Agent James! I had no idea you had such a wild side to you!"

"I'm not all business all the time you know. And please, call me Kaiden already. I am pretty sure we have gone beyond formal. Not every woman I meet gives me a sponge bath." He winked at her as a blush formed on her cheeks.

"We probably shouldn't discuss that. Nurse-patient privilege or something." She reached for a deep emerald satin and lace set that would look like the jewel of the same tone against her creamy skin and bring out the green in her hazel eyes.

"I don't think there is any such thing. Besides, it's something I certainly
enjoy
thinking about."

He watched as the flush in her cheeks darkened by at least three shades. Kaiden couldn't help but wonder if Nurse Katie had ever thought about him.
Of course not, you idiot, she was engaged!
Still, during his stay in the hospital they had definitely shared a flirtation. Apparently it ended at flirting since she had a boyfriend the entire time. The pain meds had probably colored the experience, making it something more in his mind than it had actually been.

"All right then it must be off-limits for a secret agent to discuss such things with a suspect."

Kaiden laughed. "There is nothing secret about this agent. You know who I am and what I do and I'm fairly certain the only thing you are guilty of is bad judgment in men."

As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted them. The look on her face, a mix of pain, betrayal and anger, cut him like a knife.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." Stepping around the rack of lingerie, he instinctively reached for Katie. He wanted to hold her close, protect her from the pain he had caused. She moved out of his reach around another rack where she grabbed a couple more hangers of bra and panty sets. Kaiden gave her the space she obviously wanted but it killed him to. He wanted to find out what, if anything, was happening between them but needed to keep his distance.

Katie scooped up a couple of nightshirts and a few pairs of socks. The faraway look in her eyes bothered Kaiden more than it should have.

Who was he kidding anyway? He had been attracted to Katie in the hospital and that obviously hadn't gone away. Last time her job kept them apart, this time it would be his.

Remembering Cara and the nastiness of his divorce, he knew it would be wise to avoid any more relationships. Cara had made it absolutely clear no other woman in the world would put up with his secrets and lies. It didn't matter that those secrets were usually a matter of national security and the lies were more like half-truths, intended to protect her from the evils of his world. Maybe things with Katie could be different.
You're better off keeping your distance, man. Hell, she'd definitely be better off.

Better than what? Better than the mess she had gotten in when some smooth talking politician's son had convinced her he loved her? Yeah, she had been so much better off with a man who only wanted her access to the hospital lab.

Access to the lab. Oh man, why hadn't he thought of that before?

"Katie?" he called across another rack of sheer fabrics and lacy cups. "Do you use a keycard to access your department?"

"Of course," she replied without looking up.

"Where do you keep it?"

"I always drop it in a box on my bureau after work before I hop in the shower." Understanding suddenly lit her eyes. "Oh boy, do you think that is what the panty raider was after?"

"I think we better pay for your stuff and get back to your place and grab that before someone realizes it is still there."

Katie led the way to the front of the store and used one of the self-check-out stations. Kaiden tried hard not to look at her purchases but natural curiosity won out and his eyes wandered to the pile of satin and lace. He caught sight of that emerald green set and his gut tightened.

Don't be getting your hopes up. You will never see that anywhere but on that counter right there.

Ugh. This case might go on for a very long time.

"Are you okay?" Katie looked worried as she studied him.

"Fine. Absolutely fine. Just thinking about the case." Not entirely a lie. Thinking about Katie in that green underwear sort of had to do with the case.
Yeah. Right.

"I wish I could help you get Nathan but I don't know anything more than what I already told you."

"It's all right. We will catch him one way or another. Homeland Security always gets their guy." He cracked a smile to ease her nerves but she still fumbled with the items as she rung them up and dropped them in plastic shopping bags.

"Judging by the way they crashed my door down tonight, nothing stands in their way either."

Kaiden reached to take her bags but ended up grabbing Katie's hand instead. Electric shocks stronger than any the physical therapist had used during his rehab shot up his arm. His body's primal reaction to Katie took his breath away.

She pulled her hand back and grabbed the bags. As she started to walk away, Kaiden stopped her. "I am very sorry for what you have been through tonight. It must have been very scary to be dragged out of your home like that. You can bet I'll follow up on that and it will never happen to you—or anyone like you—ever again."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Agent James. Like you said, Homeland Security always gets their guy. Even if it's the wrong guy." This time when she turned to leave he let her go. He couldn't deny what she said so he quietly followed her out to the parking lot.

Vibration in the pocket of his tuxedo pants caught his attention. As he checked the text message from his brother telling him all he had missed at the wedding, the squeal of racing tires sounded from somewhere in the dark. As the sound registered in his mind, Kaiden glanced up in time to see a small car with its lights off aim straight for Katie. She walked at least thirty feet ahead of him with the car barreling down on her. Kaiden took off at a sprint, his body slamming into Katie's just as the car blew by.

They lay there, on the asphalt, him on top of her, for a full minute, not moving.

"Are you okay?" Kaiden finally asked.

She mumbled something he couldn't quite make out. Rolling to the side he made a quick assessment for blood or obvious signs of injury.

"Oh, thank God."

"I know, I have no idea where that car came from. If I hadn't gotten to you in time…"

Katie sat up rubbing her left elbow. "No, I meant, thank God I can breathe again. You were crushing my lungs!"

Kaiden laughed. "Sorry about that. You okay now?"

She breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly. "Everything seems to be in working order now. Thanks for saving me."

"That makes us even. Well, now that I have saved you and you have saved me that nurse- patient thing is null and void, right?"

"I didn't exactly
save
you, I just cleaned your wound once or twice."

They both fell silent. Kaiden wondered if she remembered those wound cleanings the same way he did. The same way other parts of him seemed to remember.

He cleared his throat and with that the memories of her touch on his skin from his mind. "We need to get back to your place and check for that ID badge."

Kaiden rose from the ground and extended a hand to Katie. As he reached down to help her up, he realized her bag of silky things had split open when they landed on the ground. Lace and satin littered the ground. His mind once again traveled to forbidden lands as Katie scooped it all back into the tattered plastic.

"I'll wash these out in the hotel," Katie said. "At least they weren't pawed by a panty thief."

Allowing Kaiden to help her to her feet, Katie held the bag close to her and started back toward the truck. She tried to hide it but Kaiden saw the slight tremor in her step. He suspected the case was more convoluted than the agency first thought.

"I wonder why that car tried to run me over?"

"It could have been an accident," Kaiden replied.

"I don't know—seems sort of strange for an accident like that to happen the same day government agents kidnap me and someone trashes my underwear drawer."

"It is strange. Are you sure there isn't something you are neglecting to tell me?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Relax. I am not insinuating you are involved in the case, just wondering if maybe there is something you are forgetting?"

She fell into silence. It looked like she was considering the past months with Nathan. "I don't think so. We had a totally normal relationship until I found him with Mandy."

Kaiden stopped for a red light and turned to glance at her. "Give it some thought. Maybe something will come to you."

"I told you—" Her words were cut off as something slammed into the back of Kaiden's truck.

"Not my new truck!" Kaiden yelled at the headlights in his rearview. Snapping on the hazard lights, he reached to undo his seat belt when the vehicle behind him backed up and crashed into the truck again.

Before he could react, what looked like the same car that had tried to run Katie down in the parking lot pulled around him and sped away. Kaiden jerked the truck into gear and gunned it through the red light.

"We need to find out what that dude's issue is. Hang on!"

Thankfully the streets were mostly empty. They sped after the car but whatever the other guy drove had the advantage with its little size. The car quickly disappeared in the maze of intersecting streets that filled the ocean front area of Virginia Beach.

"Damn it!" he shouted, waving a fist at the dark surrounding them.

"What is going on tonight?" Katie managed between trembling lips.

"Damned if I know. Let's get back to your place so I can find someplace safe for you."

Once he parked in the garage, they took the elevator up to her floor. When they had left the apartment earlier, a uniformed officer had been told to sit on the place until morning since her apartment had technically become a crime scene. As they walked from the elevator to the apartment, the little hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Something didn't feel quite right.

Motioning Katie behind him, Kaiden reached for the .45 caliber Glock at his ankle for the second time in as many hours. Thank God he always carried, even in a tux at his cousin's wedding. The door to Katie's apartment stood open; the space beyond eerily silent.

Holding his gun in front of him, finger on the trigger, Kaiden flattened against the outside wall and listened. Silence. Either the watch officer had fallen asleep or… a moan sounded from inside the apartment.

Oh crap.

Kaiden stepped around the door frame, gun pointed, and did a sweep of the living area. Katie followed him in and started to rush toward a crumpled form by the sofa but Kaiden stopped her with a hand on her arm.

"But he's hurt…?"

"Shhh!" Kaiden whispered, with a nod toward her bedroom, "We might not be alone."

Katie nodded her understanding and stood still as Kaiden made his way through the living room and into the bedroom. After a quick search, he determined the room and adjacent bathroom were empty.

"Clear!" he called out as he returned to the living room.

Katie had dropped to her knees beside the injured officer. From the trickle of blood on his face, it looked like a nasty blow to the head had taken the young man out. The officer mumbled something Kaiden couldn't quite make out.

"Stay down for a minute while I get some ice and a couple of towels. You might have a concussion." Katie had gone all business. He loved watching her in action during his time in the hospital. She represented the polar opposite of Cara. Katie took charge of a situation. Cara needed a man to be in charge, even though she always believed otherwise. Simple decisions were the hardest for her and if he went off the grid for a couple of days and a plumbing issue or a roof issue came up, Cara would sit and wait for him to take care of it, even if the whole damned house flooded. He imagined Katie would have been up on the roof herself or snaking a pipe for a clog. The picture made him smile.