Kicking the Habit (12 page)

 Patty’s words, “Soften him up,” filtered
through Cece’s addled brain. She balled her hands into fists and jabbed them
into Ace’s sides as hard as she could. Even through his rib pads, she heard him
grunt. That spurred her on even more. She hooked her heels over the top of his
feet and then poked him hard in the armpit with her straight, stiffened fingers.
He flinched, and she didn’t hesitate. She grabbed his elbow with her other hand
and lifted her hips off the floor, bucking hard and to the side as she pushed
him off of her and scrambled to her feet.

She
smiled while panting, feeling strong and alive and brave. That feeling was
short lived as Patty called out, “Cover the Flame!”

Ace
scrambled to his feet as well and from out of nowhere a gun appeared in his
hands. It was fake, but it looked real enough to Cece’s untrained eyes. He
pointed it directly at her head. She was stunned to realize she didn’t even
have to think about it. She simply reacted on instinct, and the moves came to
her.

 She dropped down below the gun with feet
spread wide apart and knees bent in a sumo stance as she grabbed his wrist with
one hand and the barrel of the gun with the other, pushing up hard all in one
motion. Then she yanked his bent wrist down until it couldn’t bend back any
further and wrenched the gun out of his hands, tossing it to the side and then
turning around to run. Patty had told her Ace knew enough not to put his finger
on the trigger, but the average attacker wouldn’t anticipate her fighting back.
That move alone would have broken his finger.

Cece
hadn’t gotten very far when Patty yelled, “Turning the Flame!” The next thing
Cece knew, Ace was behind her, with the same gun poking into her back this time.

“Put
your hands up where I can see them,” he growled, sounding menacing and scary.

“Okay,
okay.” She quickly thrust her hands in the air, making sure to keep them shoulder
level, and glanced over her shoulder to see which hand the gun was in. Then she
spun around to face him, wrapping her right hand around his wrist and twisting
in an unnatural direction as she stepped forward with her left foot and pushed
her left hand down on the back of his elbow. Since arms aren’t meant to bend
that way, Ace had no choice but to drop to the floor or have his arm break. Once
she had him down and vulnerable, she wrenched the gun from his hand and threw
it aside once more, only this time she snap-kicked him in his cup a couple of
times before running away again.

Patty
wasted no time calling out, “Rising Elbows!”

Ace
shot to his feet and gave chase, catching Cece in seconds and wrapping his arms
around her from behind in a tight bear hug. For a moment, she forgot what to
do. Her arms were pinned to her sides, helplessly, but then she realized her
hands were free. The moves came back to her. She grabbed his hands with her own
and held on tight, then lunged to the right in another sumo stance to throw him
off balance as she slipped her left foot behind his and twisted her body to the
left, tripping him. Tightening her core, she held her stance as he fell down
hard to the mat.

Out
of breath and exhausted, she stood there panting, praying they were done. Patty
started clapping, looking impressed, and intense relief flooded through Cece.
Relief and pure satisfaction. Ace rolled to his feet a little more slowly this
time and walked over to Cece’s side with a proud grin on his face. He wrapped
his arm around her shoulders in a hug, and Cece’s gaze met Patty’s. Patty
didn’t need to say a word. Her devilish grin said it all.

Crossing Guard
!

Cece
slipped her foot behind Ace’s, lifted her arm, and twisted to the side, easily
tripping Ace as he fell back, landing hard on his hindquarters.

“Sucker,”
Cece said and couldn’t help but giggle.

“Hey,”
he responded on a laugh, looking at her with pride that warmed Cece’s heart. “I
think you’ve created a monster, Dr. Jeckle,” he said to Patty, as he slowly
climbed to his feet while rubbing his behind.

“I
prefer to be known as the Terminator.” Patty winked. “Great job, Cece. I’m so
proud of you.” She hugged her hard. “Don’t forget to practice every day. Like
anything else: if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.”

“Thank
you so much, Patty. I really appreciate everything. I feel so much stronger
now. Much more capable than I did two days ago.” Cece was still afraid, but at
least she felt like she had a fighting chance if anything ever happened again.
And she owed it all to Ace.

 “Anytime, and remember I’m just a phone call
away if you need anything at all. As for you,” Patty gave Ace one last jab in
the arm, “I better see you in my class next week. You’re getting soft.”

“The
hell you say.” Ace shot her a fake scowl, but the twist of his lips gave him
away.

“To
hell you’ll go if you keep cussing like that,” Cece interjected, shaking her
head at him. “Don’t worry, Patty. He’ll be there even if I have to drag him
there myself. I do believe I know how now.”

“And
she’s back,” Ace said.

“I
told you that you might not like the outcome, Detective.” This time she winked
at him.

“Oh,
I like the outcome just fine.” He didn’t even try to hide the full-fledged
smile that spread across his handsome face.

 Something told Cece that smile was far more
dangerous to her well-being than any attacker would ever be.

“Wow, looks like
the whole town showed up,” Ace said, glancing down at Cece as they stood in the
park the next day on Wednesday, just one week after the senator’s death. Her
bruises were already turning yellow and fading a little. She looked prim and
proper and totally vulnerable in her dark burgundy, conservative dress, but he
knew better. She was ready and alert and capable. The biggest change was her
confidence level after taking Patty’s self-defense class. He owed Patty big time
for putting the sparkle back in Cece’s eyes.

“I’m
not surprised that everyone’s here,” Cece replied. “The senator was well liked
and respected. People might not have approved of his affairs, but no one denied
he did a lot of good for this town. This tribute is a big deal.”

 “Put on by some very powerful people it would
seem.” Ace looked around, pointing out various individuals as he talked. “Take
Sloan Sr., for instance. He has the money to foot the bill for this shindig,
not to mention there were plenty of donations by fellow wealthy businessmen
like Allen Rutherford. Then there’s the mayor. He has the connections to bring
in every politician from those of great importance right down to the senator’s
campaign manager, Li Wang. And then there’s Councilwoman Reynolds. Her
connection to the NRA and her pro guns stance put her in tight with some pretty
hefty top-ranking military officials. The fact that she got U.S. Army General
Bruce Montgomery to come is impressive.”

“Do
you know him?” Cece asked curiously.

“I’ve
never met the man personally, but I’d heard of his legendary accomplishments
when I was a Ranger. He went to West Point, same as the senator, but instead of
serving his time and going into politics, he was commissioned into the Army as
a second lieutenant and later appointed to lead a surge in Iraq. He is a war
hero and on the path to doing something great. I’ve heard he has his eye on the
CIA.”

“That
is
impressive,” Cece said, but then her
forehead puckered in confusion. “Wait … the senator went to West Point and was
in the Army? I thought his stance was anti-guns.”

Ace
was impressed with the way she listened closely and remembered details, always
attentive and observant like a real detective. He had to keep reminding himself
that she wasn’t a real detective and was still vulnerable. “His stance was anti-guns,
but not until later,” Ace answered her question. “My sources say the senator could
have gone wherever he wanted, but he didn’t want to use his old man’s money. He
wanted to earn his way into politics through West Point and the military. His
political views weren’t fully shaped until he took office.”

“Going
that route must have been hard given his sexuality.” Cece looked reflective,
yet he noticed how she kept watching the crowd. Still on guard for her own
safety.

Atta girl
, he thought,
and then replied, “I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him. That’s probably why he kept
his sexual preferences quiet all these years.”

“I’m
sure you’re right. That’s also probably why he was a great advocate for equal
rights for everyone.”

“I
agree.” Ace did one final sweep of the area. Everyone had spoken and things
were winding down. The sky was overcast and looking darker by the minute. If he
were going to learn anything new, he had to make a move now. “I’m going to go
pay my respects to the senator’s widow. See if I can dig up anymore leads for
us to follow. You might want to stay here since you’re still not exactly on
friendly terms with her.”

“Okay.”
Cece folded her hands behind her back, looking up at him wide eyed.

A
little too wide eyed. And she’d replied a bit too quickly for his liking. He
narrowed his eyes a fraction. “Are you going to be okay?”

She
scoffed, looking offended, as if she wanted to say:
Do you know who you’re talking to? I’m the queen of self-defense now.
But all she actually said was a simple but firm, “Naturally.”

He
raised a brow. “The better question to ask is: Are you going to behave?”

“Scout’s
honor.” She blinked.

“Hmmm.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Let me see both hands.”

She
flushed a guilty pretty pink and then held up both hands, fingers spread wide
apart as she replied sweetly, “I promise to be good.” She fluttered her lashes
at him. “Happy now, boss?”

“That
remains to be seen,” he responded as he walked away, but he couldn’t have
missed her exaggerated eye roll if he’d tried.

Forgive me,
Father, for I have sinned. Well, I can’t really say I’ve sinned this time, as
kissing isn’t a sin, but it sure felt like one. Trust me when I say being me is
still not easy. You see, I have a truce with Detective Jackson, so I’m
legitimate now, or at least my investigating is. I let him protect me, and he
lets me tag along while he’s working on the case: mostly because he can’t stand
to let me out of his sight, mind you, but it works for me. There are some scary
people in the world I now live in. Bless me, Father, for I can use all the help
I can get.

Cece
watched as Ace walked over to the senator’s widow. He shook her hand, then
Sloan Sr.’s, and then Rutherford’s. They were all busy in deep conversation: even
Trumble was there. Eleanor was nowhere in sight, so maybe he was supposed to
report back to her. Wallace and Rogers—the FBI guys—were questioning him like Cece
had. Probably because he was new in town. She hadn’t seen them around lately,
but after the latest attack on her, they’d reappeared. Must be whatever lead
they had been following hadn’t panned out any more than hers had.

Councilwoman
Reynolds was talking to the senator’s campaign manager, Li Wang. When she
finished, Cece made her move. She’d told the detective she would be good … it
wasn’t her fault he misunderstood she meant she’d be good and friendly. Besides,
she’d learned her lesson. She wasn’t about to be bad and wind up in trouble on
her own again. She was simply being social.

 Cece was halfway there when she spotted Mumfry
Walker. His gaze ran over her bruised face, and then he gave her an evil smirk
that said,
I told you so
. The man
sent chills through her body, and she clenched her fists, taking deep breaths
and striving to remember her moves. If he made a move toward her, she’d be
ready. She waited a second, and his smirk widened as though he knew exactly
what he was doing to her and enjoying every second of it. Cece clenched her
jaw, refusing to give him that satisfaction for one more minute. Ignoring him,
she started walking again but didn’t remember to breathe until she came to a
stop by Ms. Reynolds.

 “Councilwoman Reynolds, so nice to see you
here.” Cece pasted a pleasant smile on her face and tried to focus on the task
at hand. “I hear things are looking good for you in the upcoming election. It’s
terribly unfortunate that the senator died, but that aside, I do want to offer
my congratulations. No one else has stepped up in his place against you, have
they?”

“No,
they have not, and thank you.” Ms. Reynolds smiled, looking sharp and
sophisticated in her kelly green pantsuit. “I too am terribly saddened by the
senator’s death. This is certainly not the way I wanted to win the election.”

A
bright flash went off, blinding Cece for a moment. When the stars finally left
her eyes, she realized it wasn’t lightning when she saw a senior scrapper dart
out from behind a bush and scramble after her next victim. They truly were
relentless in their quest to outdo each other in the town scrapbook. There
wasn’t a single person there who hadn’t been photographed at some point. The
councilwoman didn’t even blink, too used to living life in a fishbowl, Cece
imagined.

She
tried to refocus. “I’m sure people know you would have preferred to win this
election by a fair fight. You went out of your way to get someone as esteemed
as the general to speak on the senator’s behalf today. That was really nice of
you.” She let her face soften and her tone gentle, trying to remember all that
Father Flannigan had taught her: how to make people feel at ease and
comfortable enough to open up. The detective might not be able to get anything
out of the councilwoman, but Cece had a skillset that neither he nor his
partner possessed.

“Well,
thank you for that. Not everyone thinks as you do.” Councilwoman Reynold’s eyes
wandered to the senator’s widow and then to Mumfry Walker. “Some people think
I’m ruthless and cold. That I’ll stop at nothing to get what I want. And then
they try to take advantage of that.”

Cece
followed her gaze. “Hmmm. I know exactly what you mean.”

The
councilwoman looked startled for a moment, and then she studied Cece curiously.
“How so?”

“Well,
I couldn’t help noticing that you looked at Mrs. Sloan. She’s not exactly a fan
of mine either. I can’t blame her. I feel horribly responsible for the
senator’s death. I won’t be satisfied until his killer is behind bars,” Cece
responded sadly—and meant it.

“You
shouldn’t blame yourself. Politicians are a tricky bunch. There’s usually a lot
more going on than what’s on the surface,” the councilwoman said, almost to
herself.

Interesting
, Cece thought,
and then she decided Father Flannigan would keep the councilwoman talking, so
that’s exactly what Cece did. “I also saw your gaze wander to Mumfry Walker.
Yet another person who’s not a fan of mine. In fact, just the other day he
warned me to back off or else.” She pointed to the bruises surrounding her neck.
“And lo and behold
or else
happened
to me.”

“You
don’t think that was by his hand, do you?” The councilwoman looked alarmed and angry
at the same time, her glare slamming hard in Walker’s direction, with a
definite warning behind it, then turning sympathetically toward Cece’s throat.

“I
don’t know what to think when it comes to that man, especially after he showed
up in church with his own black eye the other day. Maybe the same people who
gave me one did the same to him.”

“That’s
not possible considering my security guards were the ones who gave him the
black eye when he refused to back off.” Ms. Reynolds blinked as though
surprised at her own admission.

“Was
that the night I saw you two together at Benny’s Brewpub?” Cece asked
innocently, trying not to sound like she was interrogating the woman.

Councilwoman
Reynolds looked startled even further, then she quickly smoothed her features.
“There’s something about you that has me rattling off at the mouth it would
seem.”

“I
don’t mean to pry, I’m just trying to lend a friendly ear. That’s what I do,
and you looked like you could use someone to talk to.”

“You’re
very astute, Miss. Monroe, yet somehow trustworthy. I can see why people love
you.” The councilwoman studied her for a moment, making up her mind about
something, and then said, “Benny’s Brewpub isn’t exactly a place where
politicians hang out, but Senator Sloan knew Benny’s father when they lived in
Boston. He met him during a political rally to clean up the streets and get rid
of the violence and guns. He was instrumental in helping Benny’s father buy the
brewpub and move Benny to New Hope for a better life after the death of his
older brother.”

“How
wonderful,” Cece said. “The senator really did do a lot of good for this town
and Massachusetts in general.”

“I
agree. After Benny’s father passed away, he and the senator remained close. I
was there to pay my respects to Benny and to ease his mind that even though the
senator and I had opposing views when it came to stricter gun laws, that didn’t
mean I supported gun violence. Walker cornered me before I had the chance. He’s
a dangerous man. Not too many people know him well, except the organist Eleanor
Meriwether. She was always nice to him. In fact I think she’s the closest thing
to a friend he might have. If anyone has any insight into the mind of the man,
she’s the one you want to talk to.”

“I
will. Thank you for that.” Cece made a mental note to talk to Eleanor later.

 “Contrary to popular belief, I really didn’t
want the senator to die. Anything I can do to help catch his killer is my
pleasure.”

“I
believe you, Ms. Reynolds. What happened that night, anyway?”

“He’d
obviously had one too many drinks before he arrived. Let’s just say he wanted
me to basically write in blood that I would stick to my campaign promises or
else. When he wouldn’t back off, I had my men give him a little taste of his
own threats. No one threatens me and gets away with it.” The ruthless
politician that Harriet Reynolds was known to be resurfaced.

“Maybe
I need to hire my own security guards,” Cece said lightheartedly to ease the
tension a bit.

The
councilwoman looked behind Cece as she said, “Seems to me you already have one,
though judging by your bruises, not a very good one.”

“Not
a very good what?” Detective Jackson asked as he stopped beside Cece.

“Tailor,”
Cece said without hesitation. “The fit of this dress is all wrong, but thanks
to Councilwoman Reynolds, I have a new lead.” Cece gave her a knowing look and
a wink, then added, “Thanks again for your help. It was a pleasure talking with
you.”

“The
pleasure was all mine, Miss Monroe.” She shook Cece’s hand and then looked down
her nose at Ace. “Detective. No sidekick today?”

“He
has other matters to look into.”

“I’m
sure he does.” Her gaze wandered to a man heading with determined strides in
her direction, and her spine stiffened ever slightly, but Cece noticed. “If
you’ll excuse me, I have to mingle. Make the rounds so to speak.” Councilwoman
Reynolds walked away, successfully avoiding Mayor Evans and stopping to check
on the general.

“I’m
sure you do,” Ace said more to himself.

Cece
could practically see the wheels spinning in his head as he watched the mayor
veer in another direction, looking frustrated until he spotted the senator’s
father. And then he looked like he was on a mission.

 When Cece and Ace had come to their truce,
they had exchanged any information they had—except for the senator’s confession
that he’d been involved in something illegal, of course, or the fact that
someone close to him had betrayed him. She knew about the mayor blackmailing
the senator’s father.

The
question was … why?

“Your
dress looks fine to me,” Ace broke into her thoughts with his suspicious tone.
“Care to tell me what you two were really talking about?”

Cece
decided a truce was a truce, and she hadn’t been in a confessional or her
clinic, so telling the detective what she knew would be morally okay. She
relayed everything she’d just found out, with the exception of the councilwoman
saying he was doing a bad job of protecting her. There were some things that
were definitely better left unsaid.

“Good
job.” Ace cleared his throat.

“Pardon
me?” Cece sputtered. “Did you just give me a compliment?”

His
face flushed a tiny bit, and he tugged at his tie. “I have no problem giving credit
when credit is due; just don’t let it go to your head.” He shrugged like it was
no big deal.

“I
wouldn’t dream of it, Detective.” She bit back a smile. “Tell me more. What did
I do exactly to earn this wonderful credit?” She knew what he was talking
about, but she couldn’t resist prolonging the moment just a little. Obviously
doling out compliments wasn’t something he did often. It was about time he
changed that.

He
fidgeted and then finally added, “You managed to get the councilwoman to talk
to you. That’s something neither Detective Antonelli nor I have been able to
do.”

“Well,
thank you.” Cece beamed. “That was very nice of you to say.”

He
looked down at her warily. “You’re welcome. It was just a compliment. Not a big
deal.”

“It
wasn’t so bad, either, now was it?” Cece peeked up at him, biting her bottom
lip and poking him in the stomach.

He grunted, but his features relaxed and the flush
left his cheeks. “Don’t push your luck.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” This time she did smile, turning the full wattage up at his
face.

He
just stared down at her and shook his head, but his lips twitched ever so
slightly at the corners. “Care to try your luck again?”

“Depends.
How do you mean?”

“By
questioning Eleanor Meriwether with me. We could bring her some of those tea
and scones you’re so fond of.”

“Together?
As in you and me? Like we’re a team?”

“We
are
a team now. Unless you’re not up
for it.” His gaze held a challenge.

“Oh,
I’m in, Detective.” Her gaze challenged him right back. “According to you, I’ve
got better game than either you or your partner.”

“Prove
it.” He grinned.

She
smirked as she replied, “Game on.”

Ace and Cece
stood outside of Eleanor Meriwether’s house, preparing to knock on the door.
The wind had whipped up, carrying with it an ominous feel and an icy bite, as
though a shower of snow were about to fall upon them at any moment. He looked
down at Cece, who stood there all smiling and innocent, yet still looking so
damn vulnerable. And cute. Well, hell.

 He might have been busy talking with Sloan’s
widow, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t fully aware of every move his little nun
made. If Walker had taken one single step in her direction, he’d have been a
dead man. In fact, Ace’s questioning hadn’t been successful at all since he
couldn’t take his eyes off of Cece, making sure she was okay. Distraction was
not good for this investigation or his soul.

“Let
me handle the questioning, okay?” he snapped, irritated with himself for
getting irritated with her.

Her
face puckered in distaste. “But I thought you said I ‘done good?’” She made a
set of air quotes.

“You
did.” He patted her arm, striving for a calm expression and having to work hard
to ease the tension from his brow.

She
scowled and shrugged him off. “Really? Then why do I have to remain silent?
It’s not like I committed a crime for Peter’s sake.”

“Because
like it or not, I am the professional.” He slapped his chest, his frustration
winning, hands down.

“Yet
this
amateur
is the one who gets
people to talk.” She slapped her chest and then winced, rubbing the spot.