Copy That

“Say that again and you’re fired.” Satisfaction flowed through him when Andrew’s mouth snapped shut. “We’re tracking Darren’s moves.”

“All the time?”

“Yes. We used the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act and got a warrant. We know everything he says and does, or we should. Your job is to check for loopholes.”

“Anyone else?”

“Garrett Hill has many enemies, the most immediate and obvious one being the fellow agent he turned in for extortion. With Darren’s trial looming, he is a logical choice for investigation. He takes out Garrett, he stands a better chance of walking away clean.”

MEREDITH PULLED BACK the thin yellow curtain with the strange flower print and stared out at the empty motel parking lot. The SUV they’d driven here had disappeared. Except for Joel walking back and forth in front of the door as he talked on the phone, there wasn’t any sign of life out there. Just the sun bouncing off the black pavement as it dipped lower on the horizon.

They’d driven across the bridge into downtown San Diego and kept heading east until the neighborhoods disappeared and nothing stood in front of them except a row of mountains. She had no idea where they were or how long they’d been in the car. She’d been too focused on keeping pressure on Jeremy’s stomach. Every flat, muscled inch of it.

“It’s not exactly four-star accommodations.” Despite the slight slur around the edges of his voice, it boomed strong and deep through the small room with the queen-size bed and bright orange bedspread.

She let the curtain drop and moved back to the bed. The white bandage glowed against his tan skin. She’d cleaned the wound then watched and winced as Joel stitched Jeremy up. Through it all, he gritted his teeth and introduced her to some inventive swearing combinations, but he never said anything else. Never yelled. It was as if he were made of steel.

She sat down next to him, careful not to let the bed dip or the shake of the cheap mattress jostle him. “I’ve stayed in worse.”

He curled one arm under his head and propped his body up on the flat pillows. “You need to date guys who treat you better.”

“I was paying my own way at the time.”

“I know you and Garrett…that you guys are…” Jeremy stared at the ceiling, his gaze following the lines in the crisscross panel design. “It’s not my business, but maybe he said something to you during some of your private time together. Something that didn’t seem important at the time.”

“I was his tenant.”

Jeremy’s gaze shot back to hers. Bright blue eyes held her fixed in place. “Tenant?”

“I rented the upstairs apartment.”

He shook his head then closed his eyes and let out a groan. “Shouldn’t have done that.”

“Are you okay?”

“Confused and trying to beat this headache.”

“Because?”

“It hurts.”

She sighed. “I meant the confusion.”

“It’s the house thing.” When he spoke again, his voice dipped even lower. He rubbed his temples as he talked. “It’s not possible.”

“It’s a fact.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” He grabbed his head as he spoke.

“You really do have a headache, don’t you?”

“There isn’t anything that doesn’t hurt, but I’d really like an explanation for the rental.”

Her gaze swept over him. His bloody T-shirt lay wadded up in a ball on the floor. That left him bare-chested and, despite the injury and pale face, as formidable and dangerous as when he’d stepped behind her attacker hours ago.

“I’d show you the lease, but it’s probably scorched, along with everything else I own.”

He waved her off. “Not a big deal. Insurance will cover most of it.”

“I hate when guys do that dismissive thing.”

His hands fell to the mattress. “How did I do that?”

“What about my memories? Nothing expensive or even important to anyone but me, but they’re still mine.” The photographs of her family and the diaries she’d kept since she turned twelve. She knew being alive was a miracle, but she mourned the moments she would now only carry in her head.

“But it’s only stuff.”

“Never mind.” A practical guy who carried light would never understand, so she didn’t even try. “Why do you doubt my renting status?”

“Because I own the house with Garrett. Because we never agreed to rent. Because he never mentioned you. Because I can’t believe Sara would agree.”

“I see you’ve given this some thought.”

“I’ve been stuck on an assignment in Arizona, but I’d think Garrett would have gotten word to me.”

“This assignment of yours.” Her gaze wandered to the nightstand and the two guns, one knife and strange-looking metal star thing sitting there. “I guess it explains the weapons?”

“Remember how I said I was a Border Patrol agent? Well, I’ve been undercover for fourteen months.”

“Sounds terrible.”

His mouth fell into a flat line when he tried to sit up higher on the bed. He flopped back against the pillow as the skin around the corners of his mouth turned white. “It was even worse than that, but it’s over.”

“No wonder you seem so comfortable chasing and shooting.”

“Not so good with being injured, though.”

She traced her fingers over the edge of the bandage and watched his stomach dip in response. “You got knifed on your last assignment. It hadn’t healed when the guy hit you.”

“And now I am on mandatory leave.”

The laugh bubbled up before she could stop it. “This is your idea of rest and relaxation? Dodging bullets and running from fires?”

“Believe it or not, no.”

His broad smile caught her off guard. Since she’d done enough admiring of his strong jaw and sexy mouth, she looked around the room, anywhere not to stare at him.

The room smelled like wet carpet, and the dark brown furniture and lack of sunlight made it resemble a tomb. Not the best place for a guy to recuperate.