Protecting Justice (The Justice Series Book 4) (6 page)

She rolled her eyes and snickered. “My God, you’re a pain in the ass, but I like it. Multitasking.”

Another snicker.

Oh, honey.
She didn’t have a clue how true that ‘pain-in-the-ass’ label was.

He held out his hands. “I won’t touch you. Just let me look at that bump again.”

She dipped her head, let out a sigh. “Be gentle with me, big boy.”

At that, he grunted. “Smartass.”

“Can’t help it. Just so you know, you startled me before, that’s all. It’s not that I’m afraid of you.”

So, all right. Allowed to touch her. Progress made in less than three minutes. He ran his thumb gently over the spot, itching to drop a kiss there.

Uh, okay,
that
was weird. Since when did he want to kiss random Justice Team clients? This client though, something about her tugged at him. Her tough-as-nails persona and her grief inflicted vulnerability tapped into his protective instincts.

For her, the whole situation stunk.

Refusing to set her on edge with extended physical contact, he dropped his hands. “I’ll get someone over here. Anything missing?”

“Not that I can tell. But Heather didn’t keep cash or credit cards laying around. Or her good jewelry. It was all locked in the safe. He tried to move it while I was passed out.”

“What? How do you know?”

“I checked it when I woke up. It’s in the bedroom closet and it’s heavy. Three hundred pounds at least and one of those stand-up floor models. There are dents in the carpet where he moved it.”

Setting hands on his hips, Tony scanned the room, checking breach points, looking for damage, anything that would tell him how the guy got in. “Doors and locks all secure?”

“Yes.”

He waved at the keypad near the front door. “Alarm?”

“I can’t remember if I set it.”

He raised his eyebrows. Seriously? She couldn’t
remember
?

“I know,” she said. “Believe me, I
know
. But, I’m going through something here. My sister, my
twin
just died and I’m not tracking right. So sue me because I forgot to set the goddamned alarm.”

Yow. Consider him put in his place. “Hey, I’m a cop. I worry about shit like that.” He picked up the coffee, handed it to her. “Peace offering.”

She snatched the cup like it contained lifesaving drugs. “Thank you.”

“Did you call the cops?”

“Not yet. I wasn’t sure what to do.”

“I’ll call Grey. See what he thinks. Being she was a senator, this might be FBI jurisdiction. The guy could have been looking for anything. Trashing the place might have been a diversion or he didn’t know where to look. Could be a random break-in. Heather’s…” He stopped. Checked himself. She didn’t necessarily need to hear the word death. “Heather has been in the news. Someone may have figured the house was empty and easy pickings.”

Sick as it was, he’d seen it. People preying on the dead and robbing their homes immediately after their passing. Not only did loved ones struggle with grief, they had to figure out what was missing and file insurance claims.

“If it was random,” she said, “someone has a solid set of brass ones to rob the home of a deceased U.S. senator.”

She was right. Pulling this job would take the king of all idiots. Which, hey, it was DC. Plenty of candidates for the throne in this town. “Makes me think whoever this guy was, he knew what he was looking for. And it’s valuable enough that he tried to move a 300-pound safe.”

“And guess what was in that safe?”

“Heather’s tablet?”

“Yep. Now do you see why I wouldn’t let you take it yesterday? Whatever is on that thing is important to someone and they know it’s here.”

Chapter Four

The cops and CSIs went through everything thoroughly and Fallyn hoped to hear back from them by the next day about fingerprints or DNA. Meanwhile, the house was a crime scene and she was being booted out.

While she’d originally planned to head back to New York after the funeral, that was looking like an impossibility. She had to pack up Heather’s things and get as much in order as she could for her dad to handle, but now she couldn’t get back into the townhouse until the police and investigators cleared it. They promised to do it quickly, but Fallyn knew how these things went. She’d be lucky to get back in here before the week was over.

Tony insisted on taking the tablet to Justice Team headquarters and turning it over to their computer geek. Tablet or no tablet, he was staying so close to her, she’d barely gotten her clothes on without him in the general vicinity. As she packed up her belongings, she could hear his low, deep voice from downstairs. It relaxed her.

Having Tony around wasn’t exactly a hardship. Especially with her father, Jordan, and Carl all breathing down her neck. They’d been outraged when she’d informed them about the break-in and her injury, even though she’d insisted she was all right and perpetuated the idea that it was simply a burglar who’d seen the news about Heather’s death and was looking for an easy score.

Never mind that the burglar didn’t actually take anything that she could account for. The tablet had to stay a secret for now, although she wouldn’t be surprised if Jordan had told Carl about the tablet in passing. The two were very close and shared everything.

She had calls to make and errands to run. And breakfast. She needed something besides coffee in her stomach.

As she went downstairs, she hauled her overnight bag in one hand and briefcase in the other. Tony spoke on his cell in the kitchen. As she entered the room, he turned his back on her, lowering his already quiet voice. “Yes, Amber, I know it’s Mom’s sixtieth birthday. I told you, I’ll be at the party on Sunday.” A pause. “I have a new client. Things may not be wrapped up by then, but I’ll move heaven and earth to be there.”

He lifted his gaze to the ceiling, rubbing his temples with his free hand. “Of course, it’s important. I wouldn’t miss Mom’s birthday if it weren’t. Look, I’ve got to go, okay? I’ll call you tomorrow, and as things stand, I will be home on Sunday.”

He disconnected, stowing the phone as he avoided her eyes. “Sorry. Family business.”

“No apology necessary, Mr. Gerard.” She set her bag down and tried to catch his eye. He stared out the window over the sink, scanning the area as if expecting a gang of bad guys to suddenly emerge. “I understand all about family.”

“Tony.”

“Huh?”

“It’s Tony. When you say Mr. Gerard, I feel like my grandfather.”

“Got it. Tony it is.”

He picked up her bag and headed for the door. “I heard you tell the detective in charge that you had errands to run this morning. Where to first?”

“You’re going with me?”

“I’m driving.”

Well, well. How interesting. “You don’t have to babysit me. I know my way around DC.”

He retrieved her coat from the front closet and helped her put it on. “You’re a public figure right now with your face all over the news. Best to have some security in place.”

He was being polite but she heard the tone in his voice that told her she wasn’t getting rid of him.

Good. She didn’t want to. It was nice having someone to talk to. Someone whose personality and style matched her own.

Locking up, she followed him to his car at the curb. In the distance, a reporter snapped her picture. Tony saw it too. He was about to go into ass-kicking mode when she stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Let it be. I need breakfast.”

He guided her into the seat of his Ford Explorer and she laid her head back on the headrest, closing her eyes as he made his way to the driver’s side. It smelled like him in here. Musky with a hint of citrus.

“So I’m a client now?” she asked when he got in. “When did that happen?”

He buckled, checked his rearview. “Teeg’s initial visit and clearing the reporters from the lawn were freebies. A favor for Caroline. As for me and my services? The minute you called me this morning and asked for help, I was on the clock. Grey will bill you.”

Some kind of business Justice Greystone was running. “No forms to fill out? No down payment?”

Tony drove away from the brownstone, merging with traffic a minute later. “Boss man doesn’t like to leave a paper trail. From what I understand, services rendered vary from client to client. No set fee. And, no, we don’t require a down payment like Pasche & Associates. This gig is new to me, but apparently once Grey has decided to help you, we take you on good faith.”

A government, off-the-books unit that operated on good faith? More like they didn’t want anyone tracing them or their clientele. “Tell Caroline and Mr. Greystone thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, including the coffee service.”

She was also impressed he’d done his homework on her business.

“Caroline sends her regrets that she couldn’t make it to see you yet.” He hooked a right. “Says she’ll catch up with you as soon as she’s back in town.”

“No problem. Where are we headed?”

“Thought I’d get you settled at a hotel first. Grey suggested one.” He looked over, shot her a grin. “They have excellent breakfast.”

That grin made her think of a different kind of breakfast she wouldn’t mind having. But he obviously had other commitments. Family ones. “Once you drop me at the hotel, you’re free to go. I won’t hold you up all weekend. You should be able to make your mother’s party without issue. You can call Amber back and let her know.”

They rolled down the road, fighting morning rush hour. Tony’s driving skills were as impressive as everything else. “She’s been cancer-free for three years, my mother. Every birthday is a milestone.”

“Definitely. You should attend. You’re lucky to have a mother. I’ll be out of your hair, so there won’t be an issue.”

“Grey wants me to stay with you until we know what’s on that tablet and that you’re not in danger from it.”

Until
we
decide?

Fallyn chose her words carefully. “Whatever is on the tablet, I’ll be okay. I don’t need a bodyguard.” Need and want were two different things, of course. She might not
need
a bodyguard, but having one in her bed hit all of her
I want
buttons. “I’ve got your number. If I have trouble, I’ll call you.”

Tony didn’t respond, continuing to drive in silence. He made a few more turns and they ended up in front of a 5-star hotel. “Teeg made reservations. You should probably avoid the restaurant and order room service, just to be on the safe side.”

Efficient. She liked that. “I’m grateful for everything,” she said, unlocking her seatbelt and grabbing her briefcase where the tablet nestled. “Thank you.”

He didn’t drop her off at the front where the bellman waited. No, he drove around to the back and parked.

“Did you see anyone out on the lawn yesterday that looked even remotely suspicious?” he asked as he undid his seatbelt and climbed out.

What was he doing? He came around and opened her door. “Why? You think my intruder was casing the place yesterday in all the commotion?”

He helped her out of the car and motioned her toward a back door. “Just a thought.”

He took a keycard from his pocket and slid it through the security reader, ushering her inside after the door unlocked.

“Wait,” she said, stopping him. “You have a key to the hotel?”

“Teeg dropped it off earlier while the cops were talking to you.”

More efficiency. “And where do you presume you’re going?”

“Upstairs with you.”

“That’s not necessary. I told you, I’m fine. You can leave.”

“Afraid I can’t. My orders are to stick with you until further notice.”

Hardship there, but she didn’t want him or anyone else to feel obligated. He had other people depending on him. “Well, if I’m your client, I say when the job is done. Your job is done, Mr. Gerard.”

He smiled a patient smile like she was a toddler throwing a tantrum. “Like I said, it’s Tony, and you, Ms. Pasche, have a bodyguard whether you want one or not.”

* * *

The elevator doors opened to the concierge floor. In this case, a good upgrade from a regular room because guests needed a coded key to get off on this floor. Fallyn’s briefcase in hand, Tony held his arm out, keeping her on the elevator until he checked the hallway.

Maybe the added security was overkill, but after the break-in at Heather’s, why take a chance? If the chief’s death had taught him anything it was that random situations weren’t always random.

Now, in every event, he saw potential problems. Not necessarily a great way to live, but who the fuck cared about that? He needed to focus on a dead senator and keeping her sister safe until they determined what the intruder had been after.

Still on the elevator, Fallyn sighed. “Tony, it’s a locked floor. Relax.”

Never. When he relaxed, when he got distracted, people died. He’d learned that at twelve when he’d been outside shooting hoops while his father dropped dead of a heart attack in their kitchen. If Tony had been inside…

“No,” he said. “Thanks for the advice, but I’d rather make sure you stayed in one piece. Kinda my job.”