Chapter 31

Ian sat, watching Alec sleep. He’d wanted her to open up and talk to him, but he hadn’t planned on this. He hadn’t expected her emotional eruption to devastate him, but it had. Last night when she’d told him what had happened when she was only fifteen for crying out loud, his heart had shattered to the point where he thought he would burst with the pain of it. What she would have had to do to endure, survive and move forward he couldn’t even fathom.

Revealing what she had gave him more answers than he’d bargained for. Just knowing that little piece of her helped him understand why she projected that harsh, standoffish persona. Inside she was broken, held together by sheer will and nothing else. For years she’d been blaming herself for something that had nothing to do with her. Whatever had happened to her brother, a child as Alec had been couldn’t be to blame. He didn’t know how to change that, wasn’t even sure if he could.

He sat forward when she made a soft noise and turned onto her side, cradling her hand under her cheek. She was beautiful, he doubted she realized how much. There were so many things about her that intrigued him, and drew him to her. When she was that boldly aggressive cop, he wanted to challenge her just to see the flare in her eyes. Those times she was soft and yielding, he wanted to possess her and shout in triumph when she let him. Ian wanted to shelter her, protect her, there was just so much...

She sighed in her sleep and the tempo of his heartbeat increased. Swallowing the dryness in his mouth, he placed his hand over his heart and tried to steady the pounding. He was, without a doubt, so completely in love with this woman.

Getting up, he dropped the towel he’d wrapped around his waist onto the floor and climbed back under the blanket slowly. Lowering his head to the pillow he let his eyes roam over her face. Her breathing changed as she stirred again and started to climb out of sleep.

When her heavy eyes opened and focused on him, he smiled and brushed the hair back from her face. “Good morning.”

“What time is it?” her voice rasped softly.

“No idea. How did you sleep?”

Stretching, she closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. “Like a rock.” Turning, her pale eyes moved over his face. “Did you get some rest?”

There was something in her eyes that let him know she was unsure after the night before, a hesitance as she waited for his judgment. Grinning, he reached out and pulled her tight against his body. “I did, but I’m not ready to face the day just yet,” ducking his head down, he licked across her lips, “I think we should take a personal day and stay here until tomorrow.”

She smiled, her eyes shining back at him. “I don’t think we can do that, slick, too many bad guys to chase down.”

He nipped her bottom lip gently, “they’ll still be bad tomorrow.” He rolled closer and slipped his leg between her bare thighs. Running his hand through her silky hair, he held the back of her head and brushed his mouth over hers.

A soft breath blew over his lips. “I might be persuaded...” She dipped her tongue in his mouth and licked along his teeth.

With a groan, Ian rolled to cover her body as he began kissing her with all of the emotions he’d been holding in since the night before. She moaned into his mouth and moved beneath him so their bodies fit together, her hands gripping his hair in an unyielding hold letting him know that he wasn’t going anywhere until she was ready to release him.

The phone beside the table rang in a deafening shrill, making both of them freeze and turn toward it.

“God,” she muttered in a breathless tone, “who the hell uses that ringer still?”

Whooshing out a breath, he leaned over and picked it up. “Hello?”

Brent’s voice came shouted in his ear, the background noise almost drowning him out. “They got Vance, but we think he warned Bill.”

“Where are you?” Ian moved away from Alec’s warm body and sat up.

“Train station. The tail just called to say Bill is on the move and he’s carrying a suitcase.” Brent yelled into the phone.

“Shit.” Standing up, Ian looked down at Alec and felt regret that the soft sleepy woman he’d just held was wide awake and in cop mode. “Give Alec the details, we’ll meet you there.” He handed the phone to Alec and turned to get his clothes.

Alec jumped from the car as it came to a stop. She was running from the parking lot with the phone against her ear before Ian had it in park.

Cursing under his breath, he climbed out and raced after her. Rounding the corner, he stopped abruptly when he almost ran into her.

“Where is he right now?” Alec asked Brent on the other end of the phone.

Ian stood behind her and glanced around where they were. He spotted Reid leaning against the corner of a building on the other side of the street. He nudged Alec. She looked up at him and then followed the direction he nodded.

“I see Reid.” She nodded. “Who is covering the other end?”

Ian looked to the other end of the street and couldn’t see anyone.

“Well, they better get their ass in gear. Where are you?” Reaching around behind her, Ian watched her tuck the gun into a case clipped on the back of her jeans. “Okay, I’m on my way to Reid.” Hanging up, she tucked the phoned into her back pocket. Rolling her shoulders, she glanced up at him. “Brent is inside the bank,” she motioned to the building directly across from them, “I’m going over with Reid. The suits are taking the other end. You wait here.”

Ian clenched his jaw.

“At least then I know you’ll have eyes on him if anything happens.” She took a step toward the street then stopped and turned back to him. Placing a hand on his chest, she looked up at him.

His heart started thudding with the look of trust in her eyes.

“He’s going down.” Her tone was cold.

Ian nodded and clasped her hand. Lowering his head, he dropped a light kiss on her lips before straightening. “I’ll keep watch from here. You be careful, he’s going to be like a trapped animal.”

She gave him a big grin. “I hope so.” Turning, she looked briefly down the street and then ran across it toward Reid.

Leaning back against the building, he glanced to the other end and spotted two of Agent Bastion’s men standing at the corner. He had to hand it to them, if he hadn’t known who they were it would look like two businessmen standing outside the bank chatting.

He checked the door to the bank, wondering for a moment where a man the size of Brent could be hidden so Bill wouldn’t notice him. The observing and waiting part of the job Alec and the others did was definitely not something he could do. Smirking he thought of all the times he’d had to sit and act like he was meant to be somewhere and realized he did do his share of it.

With the grin still on his face, he looked at Reid and Alec again. Reid looked like he had nothing better to do than lean against the brick. Alec didn’t look anywhere but the front of the bank, and he was thankful she didn’t even notice the men going by were checking her out. Gritting his teeth, he clamped down on the urge to go over and glower at any admirers. When Alec’s posture went ridged, he quickly looked back to the bank to see Bill coming out the door.

Even from where Ian stood, it was clear Bill was panicking. He looked up and down the street as if he expected an unmarked van to pull up and grab him. Ian chuckled; he’d probably prefer abduction to what he had coming. Ian pushed away from the building when Bill turned; heading toward Alec, the man froze in mid-step when he saw her and Reid striding toward him. Quickly he spun around and began to go in the other direction, pausing a few feet later when the two men in suits began to walk toward him. They didn’t look like businessmen now.

Bill glanced back toward the bank and took a step back as Brent stepped through the door, a look serious enough on the large man’s face that logically Bill should have given up right at that moment. Did he? No, he tossed his suitcase behind him and spun toward the street, darting out into the traffic.

Ian watched the cars as they came down the street, as his boots stepped off the curb. It had been years since he’d played football, but he was fairly confident he could still tackle someone if needed.

The screech of brakes had him stopping to see Alec as she jumped over the corner of the car that had stopped and ran after Bill without so much as pausing. Just that alone had Ian more than ready to pummel the traitor for placing her in danger.

Another car came to an abrupt stop, causing Alec to slide across the pavement to avoid getting hit. Ian’s heart sat in his throat as she got back up and continued to run after Bill. He noticed Brent running along the opposite sidewalk keeping pace with them in case Bill ran back toward him. Reid shouted from behind Ian, which he took as his cue to do the same.

Each time he tried to step off the curb, he came close to being hit by a car. Where the hell had all of this traffic come from? He hadn’t even noticed it while they’d been standing waiting.

He spotted one of the agents catching up to Alec. As if sensing someone else might get to her corrupt partner before she did, she began to run faster. Gritting his teeth, Ian jumped out into the traffic and hoped he didn’t get flattened.

When a bumper going past got close enough to move the material of his jeans, he turned enough that he would be at the edge of the lane. Pushing his body as hard as he could, he focused on Bill and headed for the intersection where he’d have a chance to either cut him off—or get hit by a car. Huffing like a locomotive as he went, he prayed for the first.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the blonde of Alec’s hair and knew she was closing in on the crooked cop with each step. Glancing quickly over his shoulder, he checked to see how close the next car was and darted across the next lane. The echoing sound of tires squealing on the pavement made his already accelerated heart speed up. He didn’t want to know how close he’d been to getting hit.

The next few minutes played out before him almost in slow motion, even with the speed everyone was moving. A van slid to a stop on the other side as Bill cut in front of it. Alec was only a few feet behind him when she let out a cry he could only describe as a warrior call and flew through the air tackling Bill to the pavement.

There were sounds of metal hitting metal as the traffic came to an abrupt halt. Weaving through the cars, Ian could see the two bodies scrambling around on the ground, each trying to get the upper hand. Alec was on top of Bill as she tried to flip him to his stomach. Bill bent his leg and reached toward his ankle and Ian reacted faster than he knew he could. Covering the last five feet, he knew he wouldn’t reach her on time, so he kicked out toward the hand and stopped him from getting the gun.

In that second Bill was too stunned to react, Alec flipped him to his stomach and dropped all her weight onto his back. By the time Ian got his balance again, Brent and Reid were there hauling Bill onto his feet and half dragging him out of the middle of the street. Reaching down he pulled Alec to her feet and they hurried behind.

As his boots hit the sidewalk, Ian grabbed a parking lamp post and bent over trying to catch his breath. The two agents arrived at that point and asked if he was all right, he could only nod, still fighting to get enough oxygen into his lungs. Alec bent over her knees a few feet away and inhaled slowly, watching Ian the whole time. He expected to see anger in her eyes because he hadn’t stayed put on the sidewalk, but they sparkled with excitement as she nodded at him telling him good job. He realized her approval meant everything to him.

Reid was talking quietly to Bill and whatever he was saying had the man’s face darken with fury. Straightening up carefully, Ian checked his balance and decided he was going to make it. Alec had already stood up and was moving over to look at her partner eye to eye. Ian didn’t hear her words, but the furious look on Bill’s face turned to rage. Ian had only ever seen a bland expression on his mug before so when he snarled as he looked at Alec, he was genuinely surprised.

“I should have let Pelts have you,” Bill hissed, pulling against the hold on him trying to get closer to her.

Brent and Reid were holding him as one of the other men were putting the cuffs on. Both raised their eyebrows and looked at Alec.

She straightened up to her full height and studied him, the disdain more than visible in her expression. “Well, I should have done this long before now.” Lunging toward him, she decked him in the face. The sound of her fist connecting with bone was an audible noise that everyone could hear. “Be a fucking man and wear boots in prison,” Alec growled.

Brent and Reid stumbled to keep Bill on his feet as he howled and bent forward.

The second of Agent Bastion’s men hung up the phone and looked down to watch the blood drip from Bill’s nose onto the sidewalk.

“She hit me,” Bill whined in a nasal voice.

Turning the agent grinned at Alec. “Detective, that was quite the slip, are you all right?”

Alec held her hand on her forehead for a second then fanned her face in a dramatic manner. “Wow, I think maybe I should go grab some lunch, I’m feeling a little unsteady.” She sobered up and motioned to Bill. “He’s got an ankle holster on.”

Shaking his head, the agent glanced at Bill out of the corner of his eye, a grin still on his face. “Do that. Keep your blood sugar up.” Bending down, he pulled up the pant leg and took the small gun out of the holster. Straightening back up, he went over and spoke quietly to Reid for a moment before the two began to drag Bill down the block to their car.

Reid stood beside Ian and watched Bill stumble along between the two men in suits.

“I almost like them,” Alec said quietly.

Ian nodded. “How’s your hand?”

Shaking it she looked down at it. “I’ll live.”

Ian paused and looked at the disaster of cars on the street. Two uniformed cops had just arrived and were trying to sort it out. He exhaled slowly, amazed no one had gotten hurt.

Reid pulled out his phone. “Leigh and Max tracked down Theresa Graham and are bringing her in.” He dialed the phone. “I’m going to call the captain and see if Cardiel and Harris are in custody yet.”

Brent slapped Ian on the back. “Nice move. You’d make a great cop.”

Alec nodded. “And he wears boots.” She winced. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a few bones in Bill’s hand are broken.”

She leaned into his shoulder; Ian put his arm around her and shook his head. “I think once this is done I will have had enough of police work.”

Reid hung up the phone and sighed. “Ready to go again?” He didn’t look at anyone in particular. “They just got Cardiel, well actually they just fished him out of the lake.” A smile lit up his face. “He tried to swim to get away, but he’s alive.”

Alec pulled away from Ian and tightened her ponytail. “What about Harris?”

Reid started walking in the direction of the bank. “That’s where we’re headed. They couldn’t find him, so Mrs. Harris volunteered to call him and set something up.”

“Did she get him?” Brent asked.

“Yeah,” Reid paused as they stepped out onto the street. “He told her they had to go away, to meet him at his private hangar at the airport.”

“Shit.” Alec started walking faster. “If he gets on a plane, we’ll never get him.”

“Yeah, that was the captain’s thought.” He stopped and gave her a hard look. “We’re to go meet the rest of the team there before the scheduled time.” He glanced at his phone to check the time. “And we need to hurry.”

Ian looked at Alec, then Brent, and back to Reid. They were seriously going to do this again. He’d be lucky if he could walk tomorrow after that run and Alec had to be hurting, but she looked at Reid and nodded with excitement in her eyes. Unbelievable.