Fatal, p.3
Fatal, page 3
“Raina is safer here. With both of us. Two people protecting her, no one in and no one out. No one knows where we are. If we left and Street found us—”
“You’d protect her.”
“Like I did last time he found us?” Adam knew Lorelei couldn’t argue with him on that point. He’d hate himself forever for letting Raina, Lorelei, and Edie get hurt. For not putting up a fight at all. Street cold-cocked Adam before he knew what was happening, but he was a fucking FBI Agent! He should have known someone was in the house. He should—
“Stop beating yourself up,” Lorelei snapped. “That’s not going to make any of this any better. You have to let it go. Shit happens. We are all alive. That’s the important part. We will get Street again. Every single one of his victims will get justice.”
Adam held Lorelei’s gaze for a long minute before he nodded. “I hope you’re right.”
3
Adam paced the living room like a caged animal. He hated waiting for updates. He checked his phone, growling when the clock on the front hadn’t changed.
“Sit down,” Lorelei admonished.
“I can’t. They should have called by now.”
“You’re making her more nervous,” Lorelei hissed.
Adam glanced back to where Raina was sitting at the kitchen table, watching him with wide eyes full of fear and ringed with tears waiting to fall.
“Dammit,” Adam breathed. He forced his ass to the armchair and flipped the phone over to stare at the useless fucking thing. Why hadn’t anyone called yet?
The safe house had been quiet for days. Their grocery delivery was simple the previous weekend, but aside from that, they’d had no contact with the world outside the four bulletproof walls that kept them separated.
Stir-crazy didn’t even begin to describe how Adam felt. He’d convinced himself they would be getting out of there today. That Street would be hauled off to jail and not allowed to walk free with the rest of the world while he waited for the trial that would put him away for life.
It would mean Raina was safe. It would mean she could go back to a normal life.
But it would also mean Adam wouldn’t see her again. The selfish dick he was hated the idea of not having to live with her. As much as he was sick of being stuck in the house, he was not regretting the assignment and the hypnotizing woman it brought into his world for a little while.
Adam looked over at Raina and found her gaze locked on him. She chewed her bottom lip, the flesh white next to her teeth and bright pink around that, like she’d been worrying it the whole time he paced the living room.
He needed to reassure her that everything was fine, even though he didn’t believe it.
“I’m sorry,” Adam said, holding Raina’s gaze. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She shook her head, her light brown locks teasing the tops of her breasts with the move. She hadn’t worn a bra in days, and it was testing his resolve even more than her presence had the entire time. “It’s not you. I’m just anxious. I know today matters a lot.”
Adam opened his mouth to tell her it was just one step when his phone rang. The old-school ringtone he chose because it reminded him of the phone mounted on the wall in his parents’ kitchen was too loud and grated all his nerves.
Adam stood and tapped the screen to answer the call before the phone could ring again. “Johnson.”
“You alone?” Liam’s voice was guarded, cautious. Something wasn’t right.
“I can be.”
“Do it,” Liam said.
Adam glanced at Lorelei, telling her without words that something was not okay. Lorelei’s eyes widened. She stood and moved toward Raina, talking to her as Adam moved down the hallway toward the bedroom.
Adam closed the door as a sob broke from Raina. It gutted him, like it did every time he heard her cry, which was far too damn often.
“Okay,” Adam said, letting Liam know he was alone.
“Street didn’t show.”
“What the fuck? He’s required. Is there a warrant out for his arrest?”
“No.”
“You better spit out a few more words, or I’m going to have a few for you.”
Liam sighed loudly, not any happier with the situation than Adam, but Liam’s woman was safe and not being threatened by the psycho who was currently not in prison.
“His lawyer showed up and said Street was not there because the charges against him were all fabricated and he felt as though Street was being targeted by the police and FBI and us, and showing up in an open court was more of a risk than they were willing to take.”
“Are you fucking…?” Adam released a frustrated breath and tried to wrap his head around what Liam said. “And the judge let it stand?”
“The chances of the judge not working for Street have dropped to zero. No judge would ever let this go.”
“This is a fucking joke. This judge needs to be put in jail, and all of this needs to go in front of someone else.”
“I agree, and we’re working on that, but for now, there are no pending charges.”
“How in the ever-loving fuck did that happen?” Adam slammed his fist against the wall, wincing when the drywall cracked. Guess the interior walls weren’t bulletproof.
“The lawyer said you and Lorelei weren’t reliable witnesses since you both had head trauma. Raina and Edie weren’t reliable because Raina is a disgruntled ex-girlfriend, and Edie is a drug addict. The fact that none of you were there made the judge agree—”
“We couldn’t take the chance! He would have followed us back here to kill Raina!”
“I know,” Liam said, his tone softer, soothing.
All it did was piss Adam off even more. “Don’t fucking handle me. Not you, Liam.”
Liam exhaled loudly. “I’m not trying to. I’m just as angry about all of this as you are. We all are. Captain Patrick went off on the judge and almost got thrown in jail for contempt. It was bad. The whole thing was bad. But the lawyer sat there and smiled like he expected everything we did. He had an answer for every charge, and he had an excuse for everything.”
“What about abusing Raina?”
“The lawyer said he never touched her. That she was mugged and didn’t want to admit it. She left Street after that because she was ashamed that she blamed him.”
“Fuck!” Adam put his head against the wall and closed his eyes. “I’m starting to see why he’s never been locked up.”
“This is next level. I’ve never seen a lawyer like this. We’ve gone against some pretty ugly criminals, but none have had this orchestrated of a setup. The judge just sat there, looking annoyed whenever we tried to say something to change his mind.”
Adam let out a long breath and pushed off the wall. He walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. He rested his elbows on his knees and wished he could go out for a punishing run until he couldn’t stand upright any longer. Something that would give him rest.
“I know none of this is what you wanted to hear today. We were all hoping you and Lorelei could help us with the case and Raina could go back to her life, but now we don’t know when any of that will happen.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you need a break? Need one of us to stay there and you can take a few days off? Or Lorelei can?”
Adam shook his head before Liam even finished the question. “No. I’m not leaving Raina. We’ve been with her the whole time. We’re not going anywhere.”
“Okay, okay,” Liam said defensively, making Adam wonder how harsh his tone was.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get nasty.”
“All good. I know this isn’t easy on any of you. Have you talked to your parents lately?”
“No. I touch base every few weeks, but I’m not even sure they know I’m in this area.” Liam’s dad and Adam’s dad were brothers. Their parents all still lived in the town where they grew up in northern Vermont. Liam got out of there as soon as he graduated high school, and a year later, Adam did the same. Neither of them had ever looked back, even though Adam had two brothers and a sister who stayed in the area.
“What about Holly?” Holly was Adam’s sister and the only member of his immediate family he stayed in touch with on a more regular basis.
Adam drew a breath and let it out slowly. He knew what Liam was doing, and it was working. Adam adored his little sister. She was a doctor, and Adam was so damn proud of her his chest swelled with pride and emotion just thinking about her. “She’s doing well. She and Mallory are thinking about a summer wedding.”
“Yeah? That’s great news. I didn’t realize they’d gotten engaged.”
“Mallory surprised Holly one night. I didn’t ask for details, but Holly said it was romantic and sweet. And she had an engagement ring for Mallory, too. But Mallory asked first.”
“Good for them. I know it hasn’t been easy for them, but I’m happy they found each other.”
“Yeah, me, too.” Adam breathed a little easier. “Thanks.”
“I know how this goes. You know I do. When Caitlyn was the one in danger, I felt just like you do now.”
“Raina and I aren’t together. Nothing is going on.”
Liam snorted. “Just because you aren’t together doesn’t mean there isn’t something going on. I saw the look on your face when Lorelei told you what Street did to Raina.”
“How could I not be pissed off? Weren’t you?”
“Of course, but I was pissed because he’s a horrible human who manipulated her and hurt her over and over. You were pissed because you have a thing for her.”
“That’s not…”
“Adam, I’m not judging you. At all. I was supposed to be protecting Caitlyn when I fell for her. You and Raina have been stuck under the same roof a lot longer than Caitlyn and I were. You don’t get to choose when you meet the person who flips you inside out.”
Adam breathed a laugh and shook his head. “She really fucking does.”
Liam chuckled softly. “Feels better to admit that, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, but I would never tell anyone else. Lorelei would have me tossed off the case for violating the rules and getting emotionally involved. And Raina—”
“I’d never say a thing,” Liam said. “I’m just letting you know I understand what you’re going through and that it’s that much harder when it’s a woman you care about.”
Adam sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, it is.”
“Listen, I gotta go. We’re working on next steps. I’ll be in touch once we have a plan.”
“Sounds good. Thanks.”
Adam hung up the phone and stared at it until the screen went dark. He did not want to go out there and tell Raina that not only was Street free, but all the charges against him were dropped for lack of evidence. Lies. All fucking lies. But it meant he was out there and no one was going to put him away. And she wasn’t safe.
A knock on the door raised Adam’s head. Time to face the music. “I’m coming.”
Lorelei was on the other side of the door when Adam opened it. She raised her eyebrows, asking for the update.
“All charges were dropped. He’s free.”
“You’re fucking kidding me.”
Adam shook his head. “Said he was targeted by the police, FBI, and Liam’s group. Didn’t even show up today because of it. Liam said the judge was in on it and the lawyer knew everything they were going to say.”
“How is that possible?”
“When you’re a criminal, it’s easy. But whatever the reason, he’s free.”
“Shit.”
Adam nodded. “Yeah. Nothing changes, just means we have to stay here longer.”
“You should seriously think about getting out of town. Like I said before—”
“No. Not an option.”
Lorelei sighed. “Fine. I’m going to take a shower. Raina’s laying down. She knew it was bad when you locked us out of the call. I think she crashed.”
Adam glanced at the door that separated Raina from where they stood in the hallway. “Probably good she’s getting some sleep.”
“I agree. You think you can start dinner?” Lorelei asked with a smirk.
Adam snorted. “Might not be the best idea for us, but sure, I can give it a shot.”
Lorelei clapped him on the shoulder and pushed past him into the bedroom they shared. One of them stayed alert at night while the other slept in the bedroom. They gave Raina her own room so she had a sense of stability in a shaky world.
“What did you want tonight?”
“Raina and I were thinking spaghetti and meatballs. Meatballs are in the freezer. Put them on a cookie sheet and stick them in the oven. Start the water to boil the pasta. Should be easy enough for you.”
“You give me far too much credit.”
Lorelei grabbed her clothes from the dresser she was using and followed him out of the room again. The house only had one bathroom, but they were making the most of the situation.
“Thanks for trying,” Lorelei said.
Adam nodded. He needed to step things up. He was letting Lorelei do too much of the heavy lifting between being available for Raina when she needed someone to talk to and doing almost all the cooking. He was staying in touch with Liam since they were cousins, but other than that, he hadn’t been much of a help so far.
The bathroom door closed, and Adam went to the kitchen. He read the directions on the meatballs and set the package on the counter. He started the oven and set a cookie sheet on the counter while the oven heated. The package was small, and leftover were always good, so he dumped all of them onto the tray. Lorelei was a stickler for the rules and insisted on waiting for the oven to pre-heat, but Adam didn’t want to wait that long. He slid the cookie sheet into the cold oven.
“I saw that,” Raina said from not far behind him.
Adam spun and smiled at her smirk. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She shook her head. “Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks. Lorelei would have me skewered.”
Raina chuckled.
“I thought you were resting.”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep.” She turned on the water and washed her hands while Adam waited to answer whatever questions she had. She knew Street was going to court earlier, and she knew it wasn’t good. But she didn’t know the details yet.
“Raina, I—”
“Can I help with dinner?” she asked.
Adam leaned back, surprised she wasn’t jumping in and asking about court. He closed his mouth and nodded. “Of course.”
Raina bent at the waist to get the stockpot from one of the lower cabinets, and Adam nearly groaned at the sight of her hips tipped up for him. Her perfectly round ass was covered in hot pink sweats and all he could think about was the other pink he wanted to bury himself in.
“Do you think this is big enough?” Raina asked, holding out a large pot.
It’s definitely big enough. Adam shook his head at himself, trying to dismiss the dirty thought, but Raina saw him.
“No?” She bent at the waist to retrieve another pot.
“No! It’s fine. Sorry. All good.” Adam reached for the pot, hoping she didn’t notice the way his sweats tented around his full erection. Maybe he should take Liam up on the offer to get out of there for a little while. Take the edge off his desire for Raina. A little distance before he grabbed her hips and lined himself up at her entrance and lost his fucking mind inside her.
“Are you okay?” Raina asked, looking at him like he was losing his mind. “Oh, God, was it that bad?”
“Was what that bad?”
“Damon. I didn’t really want to know because I figured it’s bad news, but you look like you’re going to be sick. What happened?”
Adam cleared his throat and forced himself to focus on Raina. He was lusting after her, and she was fearing for her life. He was such an asshole.
“Sorry. I’m fine. I promise.”
“But Damon’s still free, isn’t he?”
Adam nodded.
Raina let out a breath. She straightened her shoulders. “Okay. It’s not a surprise. We just have to wait a little longer until his trial. I can do that. I can handle this.”
She forced a smile that turned Adam’s stomach. She thought there was going to be a trial.
“We need some water in this pan. Then we can start the pasta.”
“Raina…”
She looked at him, then shook her head. “No. Don’t tell me right now. Let me believe it’s all going to be okay. For just a few minutes. Please.”
Adam didn’t like it, but he nodded. He could give her that.
She flashed him a grateful smile and set the pot in the sink. She turned on the water and asked, “What was your favorite dinner growing up?”
“Growing up? Um, I don’t know. Maybe burgers? We didn’t get to grill often living in Vermont, so it was a treat when the weather was nice enough for my dad to grill. What about you?”
She nodded. “I get that. It makes sense. My favorite was always spaghetti and meatballs. My grandma would make it whenever we’d go to her house, and it was so good.”
Adam held up the jar of sauce he found in the pantry. “Was it as good as jarred sauce?”
Raina laughed and shook her head. “Of course not. Nothing could compare to jarred sauce.”
Adam laughed with her, enjoying the smile on her beautiful face. Her hazel eyes looked brighter than they had the last two weeks.
“My best memories as a kid were spending time with my grandma. She lived next door to us, and when I’d get off the bus, I’d go to her house.”
“You had spaghetti and meatballs every day?” Adam teased her.
Raina laughed and slapped his arm. “No. She’d only make it when all of us were there for dinner. When I’d go after school, she’d have cookies for me.”
“What were your favorites?”
Raina tipped her head back, a faint smile on her face as the memories of the past washed over her.
Adam wanted to keep her right there in that moment. She was at peace. Happy. Fear couldn’t touch her right then. It was the most relaxed Adam had ever seen her.
“Butterscotch, definitely. They were like chocolate chip cookies, but with butterscotch chips instead. Her chocolate chip were good, too. And molasses.”
