Chapter 19 #2
“They said my girlfriend, Quinn Kennedy, is here. I need to see her,” Knox told her, straining to see into the house.
“We’re getting her statement right now. I’m Officer Elkins.”
Jaylen leaned against the door giving Officer Elkins his you’re my next girlfriend smile. “Hey, baby. Why don’t you come here and tell me about your sexy self while my brother here goes to check on his girl.” Jaylen licked his lower lip in his best L.L. Cool J impression.
Officer Elkins didn’t look impressed. She placed her hands on her utility belt and looked him dead in the eye. “If you kept focus like that on the field, you wouldn’t have had two turnovers last game.”
Jaylen’s tongue stopped mid-swipe. “Excuse me? Do you think you know a little about football?”
She smiled, but didn’t answer.
“Are you going to let my man get to his girl or not?” Jaylen asked.
Officer Elkins looked behind her and Knox saw someone in a suit now standing there. “I am now.”
Knox thanked her and rushed inside with his father and the team, including Jaylen who was now trying to get the officer to give him the time of day, all heading into the living room.
“Sweet baby football!” a middle-aged woman gasped as she took them all in. One hand went to grab Quinn’s arm as the other covered her heart.
“Q!” Knox ignored the woman and pulled Quinn into his arms. He could finally breathe. “Look at your knees! Are you hurt?”
“Not really, just scared out of my mind,” she said into his chest as she clung to him. “Um, why is your whole team here?”
“We were worried about you, ma’am,” Zack said gently as he entered the room, towering over the shocked detective to his right.
“What happened?” Knox’s father asked, coming to gently place his hand on her back as Knox held her.
Quinn told them what happened, but never moved her head from where it was tucked under Knox’s chin and pressed against his chest.
A man cleared his throat and Knox turned to find a new arrival in a slightly nicer suit. He looked to be in his late thirties and clearly understood the lay of the land here. “I’m FBI Agent Ty Warner. My boss, Special Agent in Charge Ryan Parker, sent me here to see if I can help in any way.”
Knox thanked him, but then there was a squabble between the detective and the agent, which resulted in them heading out front to finish discussing it.
“Well, welcome to my home, team. My name is Jessica. Can I get anyone some coffee? Juice?”
“I’m good, but this nice officer might need some hot coffee to warm her up,” Jaylen said so smoothly that Jessica blushed.
Officer Elkins sighed. “When a woman turns you down, it’s not because she’s cold.
It’s because she’s taken your measure, evaluated you, and found you lacking.
No amount of coffee will warm me to your sugar-filled pick-up lines.
There are two types of girls, Number Thirty-Three.
The first type are girls who see a man like you—a man with a new girl every week—and see it as a challenge.
They think you’re going to be different with them.
Their magic punani will fix your straying ways.
The second type is Women. Women who have done too much and seen too much to give a damn about the fragile male ego one must possess to bounce from girl to girl.
We have more important things to do than try to fix you.
We have careers, lives, hobbies, and zero F’s to give you.
If you want a seat at our table, you'd better bring your best dish, not a buffet. What do you bring to the table, Number Thirty-Three?”
Jaylen’s mouth dropped open. Deon and Zack were nodding in agreement. Austin looked slightly embarrassed yet surprisingly contemplative, and the rest of the team all suddenly found the floor interesting except for Will Ashton who smirked.
“I, I—” Jaylen stuttered, but Agent Warner stopped all conversation as he asked the room to clear out until only Knox, Quinn, Will, Trey, and Juniper remained.
“I called my boss, Agent Parker. He put me in touch with your boss, Nico Saccone.” Agent Warner waited as everyone took a seat before continuing.
“Mr. Saccone filled me in on the issues you’ve been having.
The program that was infected, the attempted hack, and now this.
Mr. Saccone believes you’re being targeted, Miss Kennedy. And I believe he’s right.”
Knox felt Quinn’s body go rigid beside him. He had one arm around her and his other hand on her thigh.
“Do you have some place to stay tonight? Your townhouse is a crime scene for the moment. I can escort you in so that you can pack a bag.”
“She’ll stay with me,” Knox answered, and Quinn just nodded and leaned into him.
“Oh! You poor dear!”
Knox looked behind Agent Warner to find the Rose sisters slowly making their way down the hall with the very pregnant Greer and a highly amused-looking Kale and Nabi.
“I’m sorry,” Agent Warner said in his best agent voice. “You can’t be here right now.”
“Sure we can,” Miss Lily said, patting his hand.
Miss Daisy reached into a basket and brought out a brownie in plastic wrap. “Here you go, agent.”
“How did you know I was an agent?”
Greer held out her hand. “Greer Parker Abel. Ryan’s sister and Advisor to President Stratton. We know all sorts of things.”
“Ma’am. Nice to meet you. Sorry, I’m new to the area and have only heard of you,” Agent Warner said, quickly. Then he looked to Nabi and Kale. “And them?”
Greer just smiled again. “You don’t need to worry about them.
Now, I heard you believe my friend, Quinn, is being targeted.
” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement that had just been made so Quinn had no idea how Greer knew that.
“I want to offer the full support of the president’s office if you need anything. ”
“What does the president’s office have to do with investigations?” Quinn whispered to Knox.
“I’ll tell you later,” he whispered back.
“Later like when you’re engaged,” Miss Violet answered, pointing at her hearing aid and then giving Quinn and Knox a wink.
Quinn just nodded. The adrenaline was starting to fade.
“If there’s nothing else, Agent Warner,” Greer said, holding out her hand to the agent. “I’d like to take Quinn out for lunch.”
“Of course, ma’am. Let me escort her to her house so she can pack a bag.” Agent Warner waited for Quinn to stand up. Quinn was confused. Why did Greer want to take her to lunch? She had to get to work.
But it appeared to be a done deal. Quinn was escorted to her room, which had obviously been tossed, and watched as she packed as much as she could. Knox’s sweatshirts were the first two things she packed. If only she could go to sleep until this nightmare was over.