Chapter Four #2
“Something going on that I need to know about?” Jacob asked, flicking a quick glance at M?rten before busying himself getting a coffee.
Shit, he should’ve known he wouldn’t be able to hide anything from his ex-partner.
The man was whip-smart and highly observant, even if he liked to downplay it with his breezy attitude.
Deep down, Jacob was astute and could read a room as soon as he stepped into it.
It was why Jacob had made such a good cop, if perhaps one with a reputation for being a tad reckless.
It was also why the director of the FBI had offered Jacob a job; even he could see how much of an asset Jacob would be to his department.
Jacob lifted a mug out of the cupboard and poured himself some coffee, then sat at the table. But M?rten saw the subtle sharpness in Jacob’s gaze as he waited for an answer.
“Not really.” M?rten dumped his cold coffee down the sink and served himself another mug.
But Jacob pinned him to his chair with his stare when M?rten took a seat, and so he shrugged and said, “I was just reiterating to Summer that perhaps she should take a little more care, and not go blithely out jogging on her own when the perp is still out there somewhere.”
“I’m sure she took that well,” Jacob said, raising one eyebrow. It seemed Jacob had already pegged Summer as a self-sufficient woman with a stubborn streak.
“No, not really,” M?rten acceded with a grimace, which made Jacob laugh quietly.
It was unusual for M?rten to dive in and order people around; he was usually a better judge of character than that.
He should’ve taken a different tack with Summer; he knew that now.
But he’d been so… irritated, exasperated, annoyed by her behavior.
And he could admit, perhaps a little scared. Worried about her well-being.
“You don’t really believe this guy is going to come back for her, do you?” Jacob sat up straighter, all pretense of sleep now washed from his face as he changed the topic.
“No. Maybe. I don’t know.” M?rten shrugged again with a frustrated sigh.
Jacob stared at him unhappily for a few seconds. “I know you don’t like to believe in hunches or intuition,” he said at last. “But for whatever reason, if you think there’s something else going on here, you shouldn’t dismiss it.”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure what else I can do,” M?rten replied. “I’ll keep pushing those cops to make certain they’re investigating it properly, but I’m an officer of the law from a foreign country. I have very little sway here in America.”
“Hmm.” Jacob nodded his agreement. “I wish I could help more. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s anything that warrants the FBI getting involved,” he added with a frown.
“I know.” M?rten raised his palms to show he understood. The FBI never took part in anything as simple as a break and enter. They were concerned about national security, not petty theft.
“I could ask Miller; she’d know better than I if there were something we could do,” Jacob offered skeptically.
Miller was Jacob’s new FBI partner. M?rten had been introduced to Claire Miller when he’d met Jacob while they were both on their lunch break last week.
He liked the woman. She was smart and no-nonsense, a great foil for Jacob’s impulsiveness.
But M?rten still found it ironic that Jacob had been paired with the same agent who’d shot him in the leg to stop him from escaping custody when he’d been trying to protect Nikki back in February.
Jacob had insisted that he was the one who had requested the partnership, saying that he respected her as a highly skilled officer, and knowing Jacob, M?rten wasn’t all that surprised.
He was always doing the thing that people least expected him to do.
“I’m still the rookie over at the office, and you know what that’s like,” Jacob added, his mouth puckering as if he’d just sucked on a lemon.
M?rten patted him on the back. “Don’t worry, mate, I wouldn’t want you to jeopardize your new job.
” His ex-partner had been recruited by the head of the FBI after he’d discovered the extent of Jacob’s skills when he’d fought tooth and nail to keep Nikki safe, while exposing a corrupt agent who’d done everything in his power to stop her from testifying at the court case against the Chinese company.
Jacob had been in the job less than three months and was yet to complete the compulsory, rigorous, five-month training regime at the FBI Academy in Quantico—the gunshot wound to his thigh making it impractical until he was declared physically fit enough to endure it.
Even though Jacob had been at the rank of inspector back in the Swedish force, he’d returned to the bottom of the pile with the FBI and was now a basic-level trainee agent, with very little—if any—clout.
Thankfully, because Miller was his partner, people offered him a certain degree of respect that he might not otherwise have received.
“Thanks for that,” Jacob grouched. But then his countenance changed. “Speaking of rookies, have you heard from Aurora lately?” He shot M?rten an impish grin.
M?rten grunted in displeasure. “Don’t you start. I’ve got enough trouble with one willful woman by the name of Summer right now. I don’t need any reminders of the other thorn in my side. Aurora needs to respect that I’m on a break and just get on with the job,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, you’re probably correct. But you did leave her in the middle of an investigation while you jaunted off on holiday.
And she just wants to make sure she doesn’t muck anything up while you’re away.
Besides, I don’t agree with Nikki’s theory.
I don’t think her constant need to contact you has got anything to do with the fact she’s got the hots for you,” Jacob said, but was already on the move as he said it, dodging away neatly as M?rten took a swipe at him.
Nikki had said something similar the first time M?rten had complained about how he couldn’t seem to get any peace from the rookie cop, and so he’d kept quiet ever since.
It wasn’t true. Well, he hoped it wasn’t true.
She was young, beautiful and very intense, wanting to get everything right.
That was all. And M?rten wasn’t the slightest bit attracted to her.
Not that he’d condone a workplace relationship anyway.
“It’s your fault that I’ve been saddled with the little…
” M?rten bit back the word that’d been on the tip of his tongue.
He’d been going to say menace, but that would’ve been unfair.
Aurora was just very enthusiastic and motivated.
He needed to remember that. If only Aurora would stop emailing him and texting him two and three times a day with so many questions and theories, or requests.
Like the one she’d sent him yesterday when she’d asked to be allowed to get a warrant to search an alleged rapist’s house.
Which was a definite no. She was driving him quietly insane.
“If you hadn’t left to move halfway around the world, then we’d still be partners and…”
Footsteps in the hallway announced Nikki's entrance, and Jacob stood up to kiss her good morning, offering her his chair as he poured her a coffee. With silent agreement, M?rten knew their conversation was over.
“How did you sleep?” He asked Nikki instead, reverting to mundane topics.
“Gosh, I haven’t slept in this late for a long time,” she admitted. “But how is Summer going? Is she up yet?”
M?rten and Jacob exchanged a glance, but M?rten finally said, “Yes, she’s already been out for a run.”
“Wow, she’s keen. But she mentioned something about competing in triathlons, so that makes sense.
” Nikki tilted her head up to give Jacob a doe-eyed look as he handed her a coffee, not realizing how Summer’s safety might have been at risk.
“Do you know what her plans are? Perhaps we should help clean up her apartment?” That was so typical of Nikki, always ready to jump in and lend a hand.
They already had an agenda for the day, as it was M?rten’s last weekend in town.
They were going to catch the light rail into the city and show him around.
Afterward, they were hoping to end up at the famous Pike Place Market, where they would buy some fresh fish and vegetables and bring them home to cook a feast for dinner.
M?rten didn’t want to ruin their schedule, but he knew all three of them would give up their day in a flash to help Summer.
As if summoned by their thoughts, Summer stepped into the kitchen, a towel draped around her shoulders as she dried her hair.
“Good morning, everyone.” She smiled warmly at Jacob and Nikki but failed to meet M?rten’s eyes.
“That has to be the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in.
It might even be better than my own bed,” she added, heading straight for the coffee.
“Thank you so much for letting me stay. You’re right, I wouldn’t have gotten any sleep if I’d been in my apartment.
” This bright and bubbly Summer was a different woman from the one who had snarled at him on the front porch only half an hour ago.
But the show was clearly for Nikki and Jacob, and he guessed he deserved his treatment.
“That’s good,” Nikki said, indicating Summer should take the chair next to hers.
“We were just talking about whether you’d like us to come and help straighten up all the mess.
It’d be no bother; we’d love to be of service.
I can’t stand thinking of you going back to that place and having to cope all alone.
” She patted Summer’s arm, and something unspoken passed between the two women.
“Thank you, I appreciate the offer…”
M?rten knew what was coming next before she even opened her mouth.
“But I’ll be fine. I don’t want to put you out any more than I already have. You let me sleep in your beautiful house in your comfortable bed, and I’m eternally grateful.”
M?rten held back a grunt of irritation. She was so stubborn, not wanting to accept help from anyone, but he kept his eyes focussed on his coffee, telling himself he shouldn’t get involved. It was none of his business if this woman found it impossible to accept support when it was offered.
“Besides, I have friends I can call on. Mayte and Trent will be around in a flash when I tell them what’s happened,” she continued.
Yes, but she hadn’t wanted to call those same friends last night in her hour of need, M?rten thought to himself. But again, he said nothing.
“I don’t think you should go into the apartment alone.” Nikki persisted.
“No, neither do I,” Jacob added, narrowing his eyes over the top of Summer’s head in M?rten’s direction.
“I’ll be fine,” Summer reiterated, keeping a smile plastered on her face. “I’m sure you already have plans; it’s the weekend after all.”
Before Nikki could open her mouth to offer another objection, M?rten jumped in. It seemed this woman only ever reacted to an ultimatum. “Yes, you’re right; we have some things we were going to do,” he admitted. “But we all want to make certain you’re safe. Surely you can respect that?”
Summer glared at him, but didn’t dare argue.
“I propose I walk you back to your apartment while these guys get ready to go out. I’ll wait with you until your friends arrive, and then we can continue our Saturday as we planned. Is everyone in agreement?”
He raised his eyebrows and turned to look squarely at Summer, hoping she could see the determination in his face.
He wanted her to know that if she didn’t comply, there would be consequences.
If she refused to phone her friends for support, then he’d stay in her house until she did.
Much the same as he’d done last night, he was prepared to stand in her way for however long it took, until this feisty little lady accepted his help.
He could see her running through the scenarios in her head as she pursed her lips.
“That sounds fair enough,” she finally agreed.
But he could see the same hot fury from this morning glinting in her eyes, burning just below the surface.
She didn’t like his implied ultimatum. Not one bit.
But she was smart to know when she’d been backed into a corner.
“Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready.”
Nikki and Jacob, who’d remind silent during this conversation, turned two pairs of curious eyes toward him as Summer exited the kitchen, both of them feeling the strange undercurrent of the things that remained unsaid between himself and Summer.
But right now he didn’t need anyone trying to dissect the reasons Summer seemed to push all of his buttons.
So he rose from the table and went to his room to get changed.