Knight, p.12
Knight, page 12
“Got your long-range weapon?” Cassidy asked.
“In my truck. Why?”
“There’s a drone stuck at the top of that tree over there. If you can tag it, we can maybe figure out who the fuck’s been spying on us.”
Chase went to his truck and in a few moments had his long-range weapon in his hands. He sighted in on the drone and took aim – then fired. The drone shuddered and spun with one of the propellers shot out, then dropped from the tree to the ground.
Cassidy was already running and got to the drone as it landed in a pile of pine needles and brush just past Zach’s future home. She grabbed a stick and pulled the drone out of the brush, then held it up on the end of the stick towards Chase.
Chase grabbed the drone and popped the back off of it with a pocket knife and pulled out the data chip. “Now they can’t erase it, if they haven’t already. Let’s go see what we caught.”
They carried the gear and Cassidy’s things inside, then Chase pulled out a device that allowed one to scan and read a chip without plugging it into the network. He smiled as he read the information, then handed it to Cassidy. “Looks like we got us a live one.”
While she read the information, Chase called Red and explained what had gone down. “He’s on his way up. So, Fitch decided to get sneaky, huh?”
“I’m not surprised,” Cassidy said. “But this is a problem for us. We haven’t filed the relationship status paperwork with the state yet. They could use his information and fire us both.”
“Information he gathered illegally? He won’t take it anywhere,” Chase said. “But we should get online and file that paperwork anyway. Want to talk about it after Red’s done?”
Cassidy gave him a nod and stacked her things out of the way, then went to make a pot of coffee. She was worried that they’d started something they couldn’t continue – not and keep their jobs. And there was no way in hell she was quitting over a relationship, no matter how amazing the relationship was. Nor did she want him to have to quit, because he was so good for the department – and the county. It broke her heart, but they might have to go back to just being friends. Cassidy didn’t know if she could do that. Not now that she knew how his hands felt on her skin and his lips on her…
“Can I come in?” Red called out.
“Yeah, come on in. Cassidy’s getting coffee,” Chase said from a seat at the table where he was scrolling through data on his tablet. “Drone’s registered to Beauregard Fitch, an officer I fired a week after I took the chief job.”
“Fitch…Fitch…wait, isn’t that Montgomery’s son?” Red asked.
“Yep,” Cassidy replied as she set the mugs of coffee down. “And he used that connection every time he was disciplined about something. I swear if I heard “my Daddy will” out of his mouth one more time, I might’ve just punched him in the throat.”
“And he now has documentation about you two having a relationship outside of the usual friendship boundaries, yes?” Red asked with a glint of humor in his eye.
“A relationship we have yet to report to the state bureau yet,” Cassidy murmured as she kept her gaze on her coffee mug.
“A relationship we’ll report as soon as we’re done talking to you,” Chase added and reached out for one of her hands. He paused when she didn’t give it to him right away, then turned back to Red. “Unless you have another idea?”
Red watched the interplay and felt he had a pretty good idea of what was going on. “Both of you, look at me, please.” He waited until Cassidy’s eyes were on his face before he smiled. “I’ve watched the two of you fall in love with each other these past weeks, and it’s a beautiful thing. Don’t let rules and regulations keep you from the one person in your life that makes it all worthwhile.” He leaned back and picked up his coffee. “Do you realize there are over eleven hundred partnered couples working in the same department, often on the same shift, in the many different law enforcement and first responder organizations in this country?”
Cassidy’s eyes widened and she reached for Chase’s hand. “Seriously? That many?”
Red nodded. “That many. And with that kind of precedent, I don’t think the two of you have anything to worry about. On top of that, Judge Endicott and I have both put letters of recommendation and commendations for exemplary service in your files – since you took your new positions.”
“Thank you,” Chase said, his voice rough as he looked at Red.
“There’s more,” Red said with a wicked grin. “Bo Fitch is a registered member of The Initiative and as such, he will be picked up and held for an indeterminate time after breaking his parole with the FBIS. We released him a few days after we’d picked him up and apparently, he started stalking the two of you. If you hand over that drone and chip, I’ll see that he’s sent away for a good long time. Well, long enough that you two will likely forget about him before he gets out again.” Red finished his coffee and put the mug aside. “I had myself a nice long chat with Montgomery after the first arrest, and he’s fed up with, as he put it, his idiot son. Meaning, there will be no backlash on you from that quarter, either.” He got to his feet and took the chip out of the reader, then picked up the drone. “Good shooting,” he said to Chase and left them both seated at the table as he went out the door.
They heard him whistling as he walked down the road, then turned to each other.
“I was going to…” Cassidy started, while at the same time Chase spoke.
“We can,” he paused and looked at her. “You want to go first?”
“I was going to ask to be reassigned to the Pinehurst station and still act as your second, but that would give us distance and hopefully not get us fired,” Cassidy said.
“No,” Chase said. “I don’t want you that far away.” He smiled and lifted the hand he still held, then kissed her fingers. “In fact, I want you to completely move in here with me. I want you to see if you can live with me and maybe think about being my partner.”
“What about Janissa?”
Chase held her close and kissed her forehead. He’d told her about Janelle and Janissa the day they’d come back after getting the warrant sent out for the surveillance bubble. “I think she’ll be just fine with it. She’s been wanting me to find someone to make me happy.” He paused, then laughed low. “She also wants a brother or a sister.”
“Well, we’ll have to talk about that later,” Cassidy replied with a chuckle. “There’s plenty of time for that.” She leaned in against him and sighed. “On my drive over here today, I was so very happy. I know we’re going to have to work through some logistical stuff with the job, but you, Chasen Payne, make me happy.”
“And you make me happy. I thought I loved Janelle, but this is so much more. It’s different and in a good way. Stronger.”
Cassidy sighed softly and buried her face in his neck, then kissed him there. She felt him shiver a little and grinned. “I love that I can make you do that. Now, before I completely distract us both, let’s get that form filled out.”
Chapter twenty-three
Chase loved waking beside Cassidy. He watched her sleep, her features relaxed and at peace. He lifted a strand of hair from her cheek and breathed in the scent. Soft, silky, and fragrant, he rubbed the strands between his fingers, then slid them back so he could brush her cheek. Her eyelashes fluttered and he smiled.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he rumbled.
“Good morning,” Cassidy murmured as she snuggled into him. “What time is it?”
“Not time to get up yet. Soon, but not yet,” Chase replied as he slid his hands down her bare back and along one thigh. She opened to him so easily as his fingers found her already wet and ready for him. He teased her body awake before he slid her on top of him and tasted her lips, her throat, then her breasts. Her body was his to explore, to savor and sample with soft kisses and gentle touches.
Thorough, she thought dreamily, and oh so patient. Here was a partner who sought to please as much as he took pleasure, to give as much as he took. He was the first lover she’d ever taken that made her body quiver and her breath catch – and because of that, she gave him more. Her hands caressed the warm planes of muscle and sinew that held such power and could be so gentle.
“Let me,” Chase rumbled as he pressed a hand to her core and watched her eyes go opaque and her skin flush, a rose hue under the dusky satin. The sound of her cry made his thighs tense and she gasped and reached for him.
“Chasen. Chase,” she repeated and shifted so he slid into her.
The sheer pleasure of filling her shot through him like a rocket, having the wet heat of her around him. It took every ounce of control to move slowly and savor each gasping rise and each trembling fall of their bodies. He watched the pulse beat in her throat as her body arched back and the pleasure built stroke by deep, slow stroke. They clung to the edge, and when he felt her clutch around him, he pulled her down to meet his mouth and they took the fall together.
“I could get used to this,” Cassidy said as they showered together. Gentle touches and lathered caresses, and a deep, slow kiss were shared before they dried off and got dressed for the day.
Chase was making them breakfast while Cassidy made the bed and straightened the room. The late summer weather had had him open the French doors to the screen porch so the scents of the morning could drift in on the light mountain breeze.
That’s where Myke tapped when she saw the doors open. “Can I come in?” she called out.
“Come on in, Mykie,” Chase replied and pulled out another mug for coffee. “Have you eaten yet?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Grabbed a breakfast sandwich at Red’s when I debriefed. He said I should come up here and fill you in on what I’ve learned.” She dropped into a seat at the table and accepted the mug of coffee, then added a healthy splash of cream.
Cassidy came out and smiled at Myke. “Hey, you. I like that shade of purple. Did you refresh it?”
Myke ran a hand over the top of her hair and grinned. “Yeah, I wanted something darker for a change.” She looked from Cassidy to Chase and sighed. “I’m so glad you guys figured out your shit. You both look beyond happy.”
Cassidy laughed and took her mug from Chase before she joined Myke at the table. “I am happy. Besides, what kind of idiot would I be to pass up a man who cooks?”
“I know, right?” Myke retorted and Chase rolled his eyes. “Okay, so I had Belfleur in a cell outside of DC and once he realized his ass really was on the line, he sang like the proverbial bird.”
“Was he singing about Bentley?” Chase asked as he slid a stack of waffles onto the table, along with fresh-cut berries, homemade whipped cream, and a warmed pitcher of syrup. He winked at Myke when he put three plates and utensils out as well, knowing she couldn’t refuse his waffles.
“Yeah, okay, I’ll have one,” Myke said as they filled their plates. “And yes, he sang about Bentley. But he also sang about Milos Owens. Seems Bentley and Owens have an arrangement where Owens fronts the costs and Bentley gets the mayoral seat by buying votes – then smooths the way for the medical facility to also front as a drug lab.”
“We’d figured out some of that,” Cassidy said. “About the lab at least. But not that Owens was giving Bentley the credits to buy his election.”
“It’s not that far of a reach, though,” Chase said as he took a bite of waffle.
“No, it’s not. Not when we know Univy bought Bentley’s company. The problem is, we have no proof, just Belfleur’s word, which isn’t worth much,” Myke said. “It confirms some of what we’d figured out, and gives us a direction to look, though.”
Cassidy swallowed a mouthful of waffle, berries, and cream and sighed. “So damned good.” A sip of coffee and she added. “We got a surveillance bubble put over Bentley’s place after we learned that he was changing the registration on his heli so it looked like it belonged to Owens. Since the bubble’s been set, he’s behaved. We’ve only got him coming and going to events where he talks about bringing the county back to basics.”
“Oh, gods, one of those?” Myke sighed. “Let me guess, where men were men and women knew their place?”
“Yep,” Chase replied. “And some of the pro-Halstead residents are eating it up.”
Myke finished up her waffle and leaned back with her coffee. “That was excellent, Chase. Thank you. Now, I’m going to finish this coffee, go home and get some sleep. After I get some rest, I’m going to dig in to Milos Owens and that lab. I want to see what permits and notices they’ve filed for the place and I want to see what other connections Owens might have out this way.”
“You never know what thread you pull that might lead to a big fish,” Chase told her and looked over at Cassidy. “We’re going to finish up with Janissa’s room. I know you said you’d help, Myke, but you’ve been more than a little busy.”
“Crap, I forgot about that. I’m sorry, man. Yeah, you two figure it out,” Myke yawned and put the mug down. “Here’s the link to the set I found that I thought she’d like.” She dropped the link from her wrist device to Cassidy and Chase’s, then got to her feet. “I’m gonna go before I start snoring on your table. Catch you guys later.”
Once Myke had left, Cassidy shook her head. “She’s going to burn out if she doesn’t slow down a little. I mean, she’s amazing, but how many balls can one woman keep in the air at one time?”
“With Myke?” Chase said with a chuckle. “As many as she wants. She’s absolutely brilliant and seems to thrive on chaos.”
“You cooked, I’ll clean,” Cassidy said as she started to clear the table. “Then let’s bring up that set and take a look at it. I also want to get a couple of throw rugs and some cute lamps. We don’t want to get too much, though, because she’ll want to make it her own space with her own touches.”
“I think you two will get along great. She’s supposed to be here Saturday night, so I figured we could go for a hike on Sunday up to the waterfall. She loves hiking but there’s no real place for it in Chapel Hill.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Cassidy replied. “Okay, let’s get shopping. You can put it on the big screen so I can see while I clean up.”
They decided on the bedding and curtain set that Myke had chosen. It was in shades of green, blue, and gold with Celtic knotwork and tribal designs on the duvet cover and the border of the curtains. A couple of throw pillows in the same shades of green and blue, soft braided rugs of blue, gold, green, and cream echoed the color scheme and softened the plank-style floors. A pair of lamps and a cushion for the chair finished the order. By the time they were done, the kitchen was clean and they were seated on the screen porch with their tablets and a pot of coffee. Even though it was a day off for them, they still had some work they could get done.
Cassidy looked up at Chase as he worked and smiled. This life? This she could get used to. In fact, she planned to get very used to it all.
Chapter twenty-four
The debate had been scheduled for a couple of weeks, so Lacey was ready when Thursday evening rolled around. She stood at the podium in a dark blue skirt suit and cream silk blouse with garnets at her ears and on her wrist and a simple silver necklace that settled a teardrop garnet that settled just below the collar of the blouse. Her shoes matched her suit and put her at eye level with Folsom Bentley when they met in the middle of the platform to shake hands.
His white blonde hair was combed back and he looked vaguely anemic against the dark gray suit and pale blue shirt he wore. They returned to their separate podiums and the monitor began the questions. The first two went well, but the third question is where it started to fall apart.
“If you are elected,” the monitor read. “What is the first order of business you will address as mayor?”
It was Lacey’s turn to answer first and she smiled into the recording lens before she spoke. “As mayor, it is my duty to see to the needs of the people in Lake County. The people of this county have had their homes and land stolen by corporate thieves, their lives disrupted by illegal drugs, and their livelihoods threatened by organizations determined to take over small businesses and replace them with conglomerate box stores. I will fight that kind of destruction and do my best to make sure our way of life improves with appropriate measures, not heavy-handed tactics.”
Folsom made a rude sound of amusement and tsked softly. “Dear woman, you have no idea what it takes to run a business, so of course you’d be against the processes and procedures a business takes to succeed. When I’m elected mayor…”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bentley, but you’re wrong,” Lacey said. “I helped my husband run Foster Consolidated for over twenty years, then ran it while my son finished his education for another five years before I worked with him to help turn it into a successful business both on and off planet.”
“I’m never wrong,” Folsom snapped. “You’re a fucking idiot, but then you’re a woman, what could we expect?”
“Mr. Bentley, do you need a minute to calm down?” the monitor asked. “Because speaking to Ms. Foster like that is against the rules.”
“I don’t need to calm down,” Folsom shouted. “I need to not have to waste my time standing up here while that woman babbles about shit she doesn’t even understand. I’m done. If you want an imbecile for a mayor, go ahead and vote for her. If you want someone who can bring progress to this backwater hole, then vote for me.” He turned from the podium and shoved his way past a couple of the recording crew and out the door.
“I think we can end the debate now, yes?” Lacey said with a wry smile. “Unless you want to ask me the questions and I can continue to answer for the people watching to hear more?”
“Your platform and information have already been published, Ms. Foster. We’ll just post it up after the break. Thank you for your time and your patience,” the monitor said.
