Chapter 11 #2
They slept, and when he woke to her hands exploring him beneath the covers, he made love to her again. Slower this time. More tender. He took his time, learned what made her gasp, what made her moan, what made her say his name like a prayer.
When they finally collapsed, exhausted and sated, Claire fell asleep almost immediately. The stress and trauma of the past days finally caught up with her.
Garrett lay awake, watching her sleep. She was curled on her side, facing him. One hand was carefully tucked under her cheek. Her breathing was deep and even. Peaceful for the first time since she’d arrived.
And all he could think was: I’m going to lose her.
Not to Derek. He’d make damn sure Derek never touched her. But to the truth. To the Bobby revelation. To the knowledge that he’d been lying to her from the start.
She’d hate him. And she’d have every right to.
He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face. She didn’t stir. He was both glad and disappointed.
He’d told Vivi he’d tell her after Derek was caught.
But now, lying here with her next to him, he wondered if that was just another excuse.
Another way to delay the inevitable. Because the truth was, he didn’t want to lose this.
Didn’t want to lose her. And once she knew who he really was, everything would change.
I’m sorry, CJ, he thought. I’m sorry I’m too much of a coward to tell you the truth.
But tomorrow—tomorrow he’d catch Derek and then sit her down and explain everything. Tomorrow he’d face whatever came.
In the final hours before dawn, he’d just hold her and pretend they had forever.
Garrett woke to sunlight streaming through the window and Claire’s warm body pressed against his. She was still asleep, her hair spread across the pillow, one arm draped over his chest.
He checked his watch—0743 hours. The meeting at the police station was at ten. They had time.
Not enough, though. Never enough.
Claire stirred, made a slight sound. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused for a moment. Then she saw him and smiled. “Hey,” she said, voice rough with sleep.
“Hey, yourself.”
“Did you sleep?”
“Some.” More than he usually got. “I shirked my bodyguard duties, though.”
Claire stretched, chuckled. “I’d say you were as close to me as you could get. Your protection service is first-rate.”
He pinched her side playfully, and she let out a little yelp. She propped herself up, the sheet slipping. “We should probably talk about this.”
Garrett’s chest tightened. “Yeah, we probably should.”
“I don’t regret it,” she said quickly. “But I know this complicates things. Just…don’t turn this into a guilt trip, okay? We’re two professionals. Adults. We knew what we were doing.”
He kissed her. “I don’t regret it either, and yes, it complicates things. But we’ll figure it out.”
“After Derek’s caught?”
He glanced up at the ceiling, rubbing a circle on her shoulder with his thumb. “After Derek’s caught.” And after I tell you who I really am and watch you walk away.
Claire studied his face. “You’re holding something back.”
His heart stopped. “What?”
“I can see it. In your eyes. There’s alwasys something you’re not telling me.
” She touched his face. “You don’t want to tell me your name—fine, I get it.
Shadow Point Security has rules about client-bodyguard interaction.
But it’s more than that, isn’t it? This place, this job…
it’s armor you hide behind. Eventually, I need to know all of you.
Not just the parts you think are safe to share. ”
Garrett’s throat was tight. “I know. After this is over, I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”
He could live with that compromise even if Vivi wouldn’t approve.
Claire seemed to accept his decision. She brushed her lips over his, soft and sweet. “Okay. But I’m holding you to that promise.”
“I know you will.”
They showered together—which turned into more touching and kissing—before reluctantly getting dressed. Claire tugged on fresh jeans and an FBI t-shirt. Garrett wore tactical pants and a Shadow Point polo.
Ready for the meeting. Pretending last night hadn’t happened.
Except it had. And Garrett could see it in the way Claire looked at him. In the small smile she tried to hide. In the way her hand brushed his when they walked down the hallway.
In the ops room, the team was already assembled. Lynx was at his laptop. Grizzly was checking weapons and Hawk was reviewing tactical maps. Bobcat was on perimeter duty.
Vivi informed him that her husband, Lt. Commander Ian Kincaid, had joined the team.
“He’s also a former SEAL and works for our sister company, Shadow Force International.
He’s on loan to help us out.” She gestured toward the monitors.
“Currently, he’s walking the compound with Bobcat, reviewing entry and exit points. ”
Vivi studied Garrett, and he saw the knowing look in her eyes. Nothing got past her. She knew exactly where he’d spent the night.
Great.
“Sleep well?” she asked. “Coffee’s fresh.”
“Thanks, Doc,” Garrett said, pouring two cups. He handed one to Claire, who wrapped her hands around it gratefully.
“I haven’t slept that well in ages,” Claire told Vivi, that small smile teasing the corners of her mouth.
“Status?” Garrett asked quickly, trying to change the subject.
“The FBI team from Missoula should arrive at the station in about ninety minutes,” Lynx reported. “Local PD is coordinating with them and us, but they seem relieved to turn this over to the Feds. There’s no sign of Sullivan anywhere. It’s like he vanished.”
“He’s here,” Claire said quietly. “Somewhere close. He’s waiting.”
Garrett didn’t doubt her instincts. “We proceed as planned—a full briefing at the station where we coordinate with the FBI and the local PD.”
The next hour played out according to plan.
Garrett met Ian and liked him immediately. He’d just gotten back to the States from Bolivia and was jet-lagged. The tall man with pine green eyes that didn’t miss anything kissed his wife’s head and left them to grab a shower. “I’ll meet you at the station once I’ve cleaned up,” he said to Garrett.
They all ate breakfast and then prepared to leave.
“I’m going to stop at the crime scene,” Vivi said as they walked to the parking lot.
“I want to get a look at where Derek killed Ms. Martinez, take a few pictures, and document what I see to put into Trident. The more information my system has, the better. It won’t take long. I’ll meet you at the station.”
They took three different vehicles—Vivi in her Lexus, Garrett and Claire in a black SUV loaded with tech and weapons, and a third vehicle with Lynx and Grizzly bringing up the rear.
The streets of Blackridge were moderately busy, with folks heading to work and dropping off kids at school.
Claire studied it. “This is a lovely town,” she said. “I can only imagine how they’re reeling from this tragedy.”
Garrett reached over and squeezed her hand. “Places like this feel safe until they don’t. But we’re going to catch Derek, and when we do, they’ll feel safe again.”
The station was a small, cinder-block building with a wide front entrance and a pitched roof.
A flag flew proudly on a pole in the postage-stamp-sized yard.
They parked, Garrett insisting Claire stay in the vehicle until he came to get her.
Lynx and Grizzly joined him, and the three moved as a unit to surround her as they guided her inside.
Just as they crossed the threshold, Ian arrived. He jogged up the steps and nodded at Garrett. “Hope you don’t mind if I tag along.”
Detective Mills with Blackridge PD greeted them and took them into a conference room. “Special Agent Dawson, it’s nice to meet you. Wish it were under better circumstances.”
Claire shook the man’s hand, and Ian introduced himself, then Garrett and the others as simply the ‘Shadow Point Security Team.’ No real names, not even their call signs. “Dr. Montgomery will be here shortly,” he told the detective.
Coffee was offered, and the FBI team from Missoula showed up.
More introductions. Once those were done, Special Agent Honoree Hendricks took charge.
She gave all of them a quick briefing, then turned the floor over to Claire.
“We’ve all read your reports, Agent Dawson.
Now, we’d like to hear directly from you.
Tell us what we need to know about Derek Sullivan in order to stop him. ”
“Should we wait for Dr. Montgomery?” Claire asked Garrett.
He glanced at Ian. “Call her? She should be here by now, shouldn’t she?”
Ian took out his phone and dialed. After a minute, he frowned. “It keeps going to voicemail.”
Garrett’s blood ran cold. “Lynx, you got a tracker on her?”
Lynx’s fingers flew over his keyboard. “Her car’s still at the coffee shop.”
Ian stood. “I’ll check on her. She’s probably lost track of the time.”
As he left, Claire straightened her blazer and addressed the gathered group. “Derek Brands, aka Derek Sullivan, is coming afte me because i’s personal,” she said, and proceeded for the next few minutes to explain why.
Questions were asked and answered. Claire called on Garrett to share the plan they’d come up with to bait Derek and trap him. Standing beside her at the head of the conference table, he felt a renewed kinship with her. They were equals, partners, in more ways than one.
Just as Garrett was finishing up, Ian rushed in. “She’s gone,” he said without preamble.
The room fell quiet. Garrett’s eyes met Claire’s. She paled.
“Say that again,” Garrett said, his voice deadly calm.
A muscle in Ian’s jaw jumped. “Dr. Montgomery—my wife—is missing.”