Chapter 37 Lauren
Lauren
Lauren stirred the meat sauce, turning the heat down to simmer before checking the time on her phone.
Zach would be arriving any minute, and she needed to get the garlic bread in the oven.
She wiped her hands on the front of her apron and grabbed the spread from the refrigerator.
The front door opened, and she glanced at her watch.
“Lauren!”
“In the kitchen!”
A few seconds later, Zach stepped up behind her and wrapped his frigid hands around her middle. He pressed a cold kiss to her cheek and inhaled a deep breath. “It smells amazing.”
“Spaghetti. Not burnt this time,” she added with a chuckle.
“Yeah. Yeah. Laugh it up. I burned one meal, and you’ll never let me forget it.”
She turned around and slid her hands over his shoulders. “I’m just joking. Don’t get your feelings hurt.”
She pulled him by the back of his neck until their lips met in a scorching kiss. His arms tightened, and she melted into his embrace.
Zach pressed his forehead to hers and kept his eyes closed. “How was your day?”
“Great. All of my meetings went well.”
It was tough to keep the confidentiality of her patients most days. Today, she really wanted to tell someone about the woman who’d gotten her first job after living in an abusive home for ten years. The victories begged to be celebrated, but they weren’t her stories to tell.
Lauren slid her hands down his chest and around his waist. “How was your day?”
Zach hesitated and swallowed hard. “We have some things to talk about.”
“Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.” The fact that he wasn’t pulling away from her was the only thing keeping her from crumbling under the weight of impending news.
“I’m not sure what it is yet. We need to get Asa and Dawson on a call to talk about it.”
“Before or after dinner?” she asked.
“We might need to eat before. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to stomach anything after.”
If Zach was worked up about something, it meant the same problem was about to become hers. Things had been calm since their meeting at the police station, but every shred of normalcy could be upended in an instant.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stepped back. “I’m going to my place to shower. I just needed to see you,” he confessed.
Whatever was bothering him, hopefully they would be able to tackle it together. She finished the spaghetti and pulled the garlic bread out of the oven just as Zach walked back in. They shared a quiet meal before settling on the couch.
Zach reached for her hand and slid his fingers into the spaces between hers. “Whatever happens, I’ll always be honest with you.”
The seriousness in his tone had her heart racing. “I know that. I’ll always be honest with you too.”
Satisfied with her response, he nodded and picked up the phone they’d given him at the station. It was supposedly an untraceable phone that should be used for all calls between Zach and the authorities.
It took a few minutes to get Asa and Dawson on a conference call, but they jumped right into things once everyone was on the line.
“I got an invitation today,” Zach said. “You remember I told you about Eric Cross?”
“Yes,” Asa confirmed. “Leader of the Winchester location.”
“He reached out and wants me to come for a visit.” Zach turned to Lauren, gauging her reaction to the news.
She’d expected Zach might have to spend longer hours “working” undercover, but they hadn’t talked about travel. Winchester was a few hours’ drive but still in Wyoming.
This invitation felt like a step in the right direction. Zach was being trusted within the organization, and getting face time with one of the other top dogs would only unearth more information the authorities could use in building their case.
“When?” Asa asked.
“Next weekend.”
“Can you be ready by then?” Asa asked.
Zach straightened. “Let me talk to Lauren about it.”
“We should go,” she said, resting a hand on his arm.
Zach jerked back. “There is no we in this. I’ll go, but you’ll stay here.”
Lauren scoffed. “Rude. I’m coming too.”
Turning back to the phone conversation, Zach begged, “Please tell her to stop.”
“No can do,” Asa said. “Lauren would actually be an asset on this mission.”
Zach’s eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
Lauren straightened her shoulders, feeling the fire consume her insides. “When are you going to realize I’m not a fragile little flower?”
“You’re not a fragile flower,” Zach confirmed. “You’re a thorn in my side. I can’t focus on any of this if I’m worried about you.”
Dawson cleared his throat. “Kids, let’s save the lovers’ spat for later. We’ll have to make sure we have the equipment for her and approval from all the departments, but Lauren could be cleared to go with you if she chooses.”
Zach sat up, pulling his hand from hers. “Are you kidding me? The deal was that I would do the work, and she would be protected. How exactly are you going to make that work when you’re considering sending her into the fire?”
“Lauren can read people,” Asa said. “She has years of psychology and investigative training under her belt. She’s observant, and she has promised she’ll be more careful in the future.”
“I will,” she said, lifting her chin and ignoring Zach’s heated stare. She’d learned her lesson the hard way, and she wasn’t stupid enough to make the same mistake twice.
“Done. I’ll take care of the paperwork,” Dawson said. “You two show up on Wednesday morning for fitting.”
“Wait. Wait. Wait. I haven’t agreed to any of this,” Zach said. “This isn’t what I wanted.”
Lauren rested a hand on Zach’s shoulder and leaned forward. “Guys, can we call you back after we talk?”
“Sure,” Asa said. “If you have any questions, just reach out.”
Zach ended the call with a hard press of his thumb before turning on her. “Are you serious?”
Was she serious? How could he even ask that question? She’d never been more serious in her life. She’d been waiting for this opportunity for years, and now it was within her reach. “Please, just listen to me.”
He stood and paced in front of the fireplace. “I can’t listen when all I hear are danger sirens in my head!”
Lauren got to her feet and slid her hand into his, pulling it to her chest. “This is a good thing. We can help each other.”
“I don’t want help. I want you safe. I’ll have to lie to Eric. It won’t be a quick thing.”
Her shoulders lowered as the tension in her muscles faded. He was trying to do the right thing, not push her aside. They’d worked as a team for weeks, and they trusted each other.
“And I can tell you if he’s lying. We’ll have each other’s backs. We’ll both be on the lookout. We’ll see twice as much when we’re working together.”
Zach’s chest rattled as he sucked in a deep breath. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“No. It’s fine. Everything is fine.” She brushed her knuckles over his cheek and slid her fingers into the hair at the back of his head.
“We can prepare and meet this head-on. I know a lot about Anthony, and the fact that he was spotted in Winchester says he probably has something to do with Eric. We might be able to find Anthony and bring down two arms of the operation at the same time. Winchester and Blackwater.”
Zach wrapped his arms around her and buried his face against her neck. “It terrifies me to think about you being there,” he whispered.
She relaxed into his arms. “But I always know I’m safe when you’re around.”
“I would do anything to protect you.” His soft breath brushed against the sensitive skin of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
“I know. That’s the only reason this will work. I would do anything for you too.”
Zach quickly raised his head. “No. That’s not the way this works.”
“Yes, it is.”
He framed her face with his large hands and leveled her with a piercing stare. “You are the one that comes out of this without a scratch. Do you hear me? That’s the only goal. Promise me you’ll do everything to make that happen.”
She moved out of his grip and pressed her cheek to his chest, wrapping him in a tight embrace. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. You’re so important to me. We both have to make it out of this. Do you understand?”
His hand rubbed circles over her back as she waited for him to answer. They were both going to be making a difference, and she needed him to value his life in the same way she did.
“I’ll do my best to keep both of us safe.”
“Good. Then we’re ready to do this? Our first mission as a team?”
“Our first mission period. I’ve never done this before. I’ve never been scared to do anything, and now I’m suddenly terrified to move because I’m afraid it’ll come back to bite you.”
Resting her chin on his chest, she looked up at him. The way he cared for her was something she’d never take for granted. No one since Anthony had put her first.
“You know, it means a lot to me that you care. My parents didn’t even care,” she whispered.
He wrapped his arms tighter around her. “They’re stupid.”
She tucked her chin and rested the side of her head against his chest. The love she had for him was growing stronger by the day, and maybe soon he’d be able to understand it when she told him.