Nowhere To Run (To Protect And Serve) by Mary Eason Read Free Book Online Page B

until the woman was out of earshot. “Like what? What do you mean?”
    Deb hesitated, sipping her coffee while choosing her words carefully. “Why do you think the FBI’s involved in a local kid’s homicide?”
    He tried to inter pret her expression but couldn’t. “You tell me. Santiago would be MY guess. ”
    “ Yeah. Maybe. I don’t know. But the body’s barely cold and homicide’s off the case. This is just an assumption, but I’m thinking the kid is connected to something much bigger.”
    “ Bigger than Santiago? Like what?” Riley’s thoughts went ballistic. The implication scared the hell out of him.
    “My guess? ” He nodded. “This has something to do with national security more than Santiago. From all reports, Santiago isn’t involved in the family business so to speak.”
    “Yeah , and pigs fly. I don’t buy it, Deb. It’s too big of a coincidence. He’s dirty.” His eyes locked with hers. She looked dead serious. “Okay, so if this isn’t about Santiago, what would a kid like Jeremy Scott have to do with national security? He doesn’t look the part of terrorist. He’s never been out of the country. I checked. The kid hasn’t had so much as a traffic ticket before he got popped for possession and your guys put a lid on the thing.”
    Deb seemed surprised that he’d figured out the Feds connection so soon. “Yeah, well, it’s just a gut feeling, but something major’s going on under the surface here. Why else would the friggin FBI get involved in the case? There’s something else...” She stopped and gave him a measuring look as if debating her decision in confiding in him?
    “What is it?”
    “I’m not sure. That is, I don’t have proof to back this up, but I think…no I know, one of the reasons you guys were yanked off the case so quickly is because someone at the Bureau got a tip.”
    Riley drew in a shaky breath. He didn’t really need to ask what the tip consisted of. After all, if Santiago had someone from the Bureau on his payroll, it would certainly explain why no one had been able to pin any hard evidence on Santiago in spite of having some very good intel.
    A second passed before Deb confirmed his worst fears. “Riley, someone’s dirty.” She said and looked spooked enough to make him believe her. “It’s the only thing that fits.” She hesitated then whispered, “Promise me, you’ll be careful. You don’t know what or who you’re up against. ”
    He studied her expression for a moment. No doubt about it, Deb was dead serious. “What aren’t you telling me?”
    Her gaze fell to the plate. She picked up her coffee cup with nervous hands, sloshing the hot liquid onto the table. “Nothing. I’ll do what I can to help, but I can’t make any promises. What I’m telling you, is watch your back. You’re off the case, remember. If Thomas finds out you’re working this on your own then…” She didn’t finish. She didn’t need to. The implication was clear. Losing his job would be the least of his worries.
     
    Chapter Five
     
    “I told you to let me handle this.” The contempt in Caesar’s tone served to put an even deeper wedge between them. He’d been furious that she’d refused to sleep in his bed the night before. That resentment still simmered in him.
    “ I’ll stop by the apartment and pick up something for the viewing.” Renewed anger flared in his eyes like a lit match.
    “No.” She managed to catch herself before she said something more and gave too much away. It wouldn’t do to show him the disgust that burned deep within her. “No, you’ve done enough. Besides, I need to do something. Keep busy, otherwise I’ll go out of my mind. I just don’t understand any of this -- I feel so helpless. I can’t sit around here all day and think about what Jeremy must have gone through. You have…everything else taken care of.” She smiled briefly and watched as his narrowed gaze raked her face. Did he suspect that the change in her had