Unwritten Rules (Phoenix, Ltd. Book 1) Read online

  “All we ever wanted was your silence, but you refused to go along. Everything that’s happened is your fault. You brought it on yourself.”

  “How? There’s nothing in my book that’s a threat to either of you.”

  “It’s not the book, you fool. It’s you.”

  If he kept her talking long enough, she would confess the entire plot within earshot of three federal agents. “You’re going to have to explain that. I hadn’t seen Chick in fifteen years, and I only met you last month.”

  A chilly breeze lifted the ends of Laura’s hair, and she dashed the tendrils out of her face with her left hand. The gun in her right hand never wavered. “We warned you not to speak to the press.”

  “All I talked about was the book, and we’ve already established that’s not the problem.” He advanced toward her as he spoke.

  Laura stepped back to maintain the distance between them. “That reporter, Cindy Jensen, she asked you about Sam.”

  So his instincts were right. The whole affair revolved around Sam Barnett. “I hadn’t seen Sam for years either.”

  “But you knew him in the Army, in Kuwait. Chick said you couldn’t keep your mouth shut then and we couldn’t trust you now.”

  He took another step forward. If he could back her up far enough, Madelyn could take her down without a fight. He would shoot Laura if he had to, but he’d rather keep her alive to testify against Chick. “I don’t know what Chick told you, but he’s wrong. All I ever did with him and Sam was play a little poker and a few games of pick-up basketball.”

  “You knew about their extracurricular activities.”

  He shrugged. “I suspected they were dabbling in the black market.”

  “And you turned them in to the C.O.” Laura’s tone became louder and more aggressive. “Sam managed to hush it up, but the record’s still there. We can’t have some reporter digging it up just because of your silly spy book.”

  Carter raised both hands to demonstrate his innocence, and took another step toward her. “You’ve got it all wrong. I never said a word. If anyone went to the C.O. it was probably one of the guys Sam cheated at poker. I never paid much attention to what he and Chick were up to. They were small potatoes.”

  “They’re not small potatoes now.” She lifted her chin and tossed her hair. “Sam Barnett is going to be the next President of the United States.”

  “That remains to be seen. I suppose you and Chick hope to sail into the White House on his coattails.”

  “Sam promised to name Chick Chief of Staff.”

  “I’ll bet he’s excited about that.” Chick had always loved putting together deals behind the scenes.

  “Over the moon.”

  “And what did Sam promise you?”

  “I’m going to be Director of the FBI.”

  He hadn’t seen that coming, but it made sense on some twisted level. Madelyn had said Laura was devoted to the Bureau. “You plan to go from being a senator’s secretary to Director of the FBI? That’s quite a leap.”

  She faltered and lowered her weapon for a second before snapping back. “I’m much more than a secretary. I’m a trusted advisor.”

  “Does Sam know about this?”

  “Not yet. I’ll tell him after the election. With his head in the clouds, he’ll agree to anything. He always says he doesn’t know where he’d be without me. Ha!” She tossed her dark hair again. “He’ll never know how true that is.”

  “Is Sam in on your plan to shut me up?”

  “That buffoon? He’s got nothing above the shoulders but hair. Even if we could trust him to do what he’s told, he’d never go along with it. The idiot actually likes you.”

  While Laura talked, Carter continued to back her closer and closer to Madelyn and the edge of the pier. “Why Director of the FBI?”

  “I love the Bureau, and I hate the way its authority has been watered down.” Her voice was strident with passion. “I intend to see it restored to the full power and prestige of the glory years.”

  “Glory years? I assume you mean the reign of Hoover.” Just what the country needed, another paranoid megalomaniac at the helm of the FBI.

  “Exactly. People respected the FBI then.”

  “People respect the FBI now.” He measured the distance. A few more feet and he could end this charade.

  “Not like they should. Congress has added too many restraints.”

  “I see. Why let a few little laws get in the way?”

  Her lip curled. “I’m glad you understand.”

  “You realize the same Congress would have to confirm you.”

  “That won’t be a problem. People like me. I can be very gracious.”

  The woman was certifiable. But if he could keep her talking, she might not notice the black-clad figure sneaking up behind her. “I know. I’ve seen you in action. You throw a mean barbecue.”

  “I do, don’t I? I do lots of other things well too.”

  “I’m sure you do.”

  Madelyn was within ten feet now.

  Laura’s teeth flashed white in a swift smile, and she aimed her gun straight at the center of his chest. “So you can see why I can’t leave you alive to talk. Chick thought we could intimidate you into keeping quiet, but I knew that wouldn’t work. You’re much too talkative for a spy.”

  Carter’s earpiece crackled again. “We’re coming in.”

  “Hold your position,” he whispered back. “I’ve got her.”

  Pat had insisted he wear an FBI bulletproof vest under his jacket, but Carter wasn’t going to stand there and let Laura shoot him. It would leave one heck of a bruise, and he’d had all he was willing to take from these nut jobs. He didn’t want to kill her if he didn’t have to, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t intimidate her into submission. Before she could blink, his gun was out of his holster and into his hand, aimed at her heart.

  He smiled back. “This can end peacefully, or it can end in a bloody mess, but it’s going to end. Make your choice.”

  ****

  Not another stand off! Madelyn couldn’t believe it. Twice in two hours. She’d had enough. This had to end now.

  “You don’t frighten me.” Laura raised her gun a fraction. “This isn’t one of your Westerns, and I have no problem firing first.”

  Her hand moved an inch to the left as she corrected her aim. In response, Carter smiled and held his weapon perfectly still. Madelyn took two silent steps to the right, out of the line of fire. From her new vantage point, she could see both shooters and their weapons at the same time.

  Her eyes had adjusted to the dark, but it was still difficult to make out details. She concentrated on Laura’s right hand. She didn’t know who would blink first, but she was prepared to act at the slightest hint of movement.

  The barrel of Laura’s gun wavered, and her trigger finger contracted. Before she could complete the squeeze, Madelyn exploded into her side with a flying one-legged kick.

  Laura grunted as the air rushed from her lungs, and her gun clattered to the pavement. The force of the blow thrust her body the remaining three feet to the guard rail, which caught her neatly in the ribs. In a satisfying replay of Madelyn’s fall from the ship, Laura flipped upside down and toppled into chilly Lake Michigan with a resounding splash.

  Madelyn hesitated at the edge of the pier, staring at the spot where Laura had gone in, watching for a telltale stream of bubbles. At the Academy, Laura had been a strong swimmer, but what if she’d hit her head? She knew she should dive in and pull the woman out, but could she make herself do it? Could she force herself back into the same cold, black water that had nearly taken her life?

  She closed her eyes and clenched her fists. No, no, no! She refused to be a victim again. Ever. She’d had no choice when Laura pushed her overboard, but she had a choice now.

  Before fear could stop her, Madelyn dove into the lake. As soon as she surfaced, she shook the water from her face and began searching for her quarry. Flashlight beams danced across the surfa
ce of the lake, and shouts echoed from the pier. After a few seconds, she spotted Laura clinging to a support a few yards away.

  “Over there!” Madelyn yelled, waving and pointing.

  The beams converged on Laura, highlighting her pale features.

  “Can you make it back on your own?” Patrick shouted down. “We’ll take care of Ms. Burns.”

  “I’m fine,” she called back.

  She began swimming, but as she reached the pier a wave of exhaustion struck. So much had happened, and now it was over.

  Carter reached for her hand and pulled her out of the water. “Are you okay?”

  “I-I th-think so.”

  “You’re shivering.” He wrapped her arms around her from behind, enveloping her in warmth. When her shudders subsided, he turned her in his arms. “That was a nice move. Thanks.”

  She slid her hands up and down his arms, registering the hard bulge of his biceps and rejoicing in the solid feel of him. He was whole and pulsing with life. If she’d acted a split second later, the outcome might have been very different.

  “She was about to shoot you. I saw her finger move.”

  He leaned down, gathering her against his body again, and kissed her cheek near her mouth. “I wouldn’t have let her shoot me.”

  “I didn’t want you to have to shoot her. And I didn’t want to have to shoot her. She’s clearly disturbed.”

  He pulled her tighter and nuzzled the other cheek. “Clearly.” Then his mouth captured hers in a blazing kiss, and the world disappeared.

  When he released her, it took a moment to get her bearings. A few feet away Patrick and his agents were cuffing a dripping Laura. They must have fished her out of the lake, but Madelyn had missed it. Carter was alive and unharmed, and that was all that mattered. The ordeal was over.

  “Carter, honey, are you all right?” Margaret’s voice called from the darkness.

  They turned to see three figures rushing toward them following the beam of a single flashlight.

  “Did you get ‘em?” Gran shouted. “We got ours. Your mother knocked him out cold.”

  Carter shot Madelyn a questioning look.

  “I’ll tell you later. It’s quite a story.”

  Margaret broke away from the others and raced up to capture her son in a ferocious bear hug.

  He patted her back. “It’s okay, Mom. Everything’s okay now. I’m just glad you and Gran are safe.”

  Margaret stepped back and peered up into his face. “That piece of poultry wasn’t going to hurt us. Gran and I can take care of ourselves.” She glanced at Madelyn. “Although we appreciate you sending your friends over to help.” She stood on tiptoe and whispered loudly, “This one’s a keeper.”

  The warmth of Carter’s laughter chased the remaining chill from Madelyn’s body.

  Zoë arrived with Gran. “Sorry. There was no way I could stop them short of tying them up.”

  “She’s right.” Gran gave a vigorous nod.

  Carter reached for her and hugged her too. “I bet you two scared Chick blind.”

  “He’s not a very nice young man.”

  He smiled. “No, he’s not.”

  “I can’t wait to tell the judge about him. Do you know he wouldn’t let me watch Wheel of Fortune? That ought to be worth an extra five years at least.”

  “I don’t think you have to worry about Chick getting out of prison anytime soon. Why don’t you and Mom let Zoë take you home? It’s late and you’ve had quite a day. I have to stay here and tie up a few loose ends. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Is that one of the loose ends?” Gran pointed to Laura, who stood shivering in the cool night air despite the FBI windbreaker draped around her shoulders.

  “Yes.”

  “Did she try to kill you?”

  “She never got a chance.”

  “Did Madelyn stop her?”

  “She did.”

  “I like her. She’s handy to have around. Kind of like me.”

  He smiled. “Exactly.” He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Now go home and go to bed.”

  Madelyn studied Carter as he watched Zoë herd Margaret and Gran back toward the park entrance with her flashlight. A lump formed in her throat. His love for his family glowed like a beacon. She wondered how it would feel to be on the receiving end of that all-encompassing love. One thing she knew, his casual mention of love yesterday didn’t count. Not by a long shot.

  Without turning his head, he reached for her and drew her to his side. “There are no words to thank you for what you did for them—for me—tonight.”

  She gave a shaky laugh. “Those two are quite a pair. Your mother was right. They probably could have handled Chick just fine on their own.”

  “No.” He turned her to face him. “Don’t try to minimize what you did. I was able to come here tonight because I knew they would be safe, knew I could trust you to take care of them.”

  “They’re your family.” That said it all.

  He opened his mouth to speak when Patrick’s voice interrupted. “If you two can pull yourselves away, Chicago PD will be here any minute. I can fill them in on what I observed, but you’ll both need to give statements.”

  Madelyn released her breath in a huff. “I’m getting way too much practice at this.”

  “Agreed.”

  “When I took you on as a client, I had no idea I was going to spend half my time talking to the police.”

  “Are you sorry?” There it was, that naked-in-a-tub-of-bubbles seductive undertone.

  She shivered, but not from cold. How did he do that with just his voice?

  “I thought I was done making official statements when I left the FBI.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “That’s true. Look, here come the police.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  An hour later, Madelyn was back in the car on her way home. Carter had decided to accompany Patrick to the police station, and she gladly left that chore to them. They didn’t need her help to supervise the booking of one wet, crazy woman.

  She cranked up the heater even though her apartment was only a few blocks away. Whether from the brisk night air or the pounding flow of stress hormones, her shaking had returned. The events of the past twenty-four hours had pushed her to her physical and mental limits. At the moment, all she wanted was to climb into bed, pull the covers over her head, and hibernate for a week.

  When she approached the front door of her building, Manuel rushed to greet her. “Welcome home, Ms. Li. We’ve missed you. It’s been so boring around here since you left.”

  She forced her brain into reverse. Oh, yes. The last time she’d stood in this lobby, Rudy had been shepherding the other tenants away from the fake car bomb. It seemed like a year ago instead of a few weeks.

  “Where is your luggage?” he asked, opening the door with a wide sweep of his arm.

  Her luggage? Good question. It must still be in her office. She’d forgotten about it when she left to meet Zoë. “I’ll get it tomorrow.”

  Too bad that would require getting out of bed. Maybe she’d call Risa and ask her to bring it over.

  “Are you okay, Ms. Li? You don’t look so good. And you’re all wet.”

  “I’m fine, Manuel. I’m just tired.”

  “You go upstairs and get some rest. If you need anything, you call me or Rudy.”

  He looked so concerned, she patted his arm. “Thank you, Manuel.” She pushed the button for the elevator and stared blindly at the little lighted numbers counting down the floors on the way to “L”.

  “Oh, Ms. Li,” Manuel called as she stepped into the elevator. “Where is Mr. Devlin? Isn’t he with you?”

  The doors closed, and Manuel’s question burrowed into her weary brain. Was Carter with her? Would he ever be?

  She could no longer imagine a day without him. He’d been beside her during the most intense period of her life, but the circumstances that forced them together had ended. T
he book tour was over. He was no longer her client. They’d lived the past few weeks completely in the moment, but that was over. The lingering question was, now what?

  She stuck the key in her lock and glanced across the hall to his door. He could never be just a neighbor or former client again. She would think of him every time she stood outside this door. If she saw him in the lobby or elevator with another woman, her heart would turn to stone. In fact, it might be better for them both if he moved.

  She leaned her forehead against the door. Talk about getting ahead of yourself. What was she thinking? They’d been apart less than an hour. If she didn’t get some sleep soon, she would be as batty as Laura. She opened the door, stumbled to her bedroom, and crashed.

  Twelve hours later, she resurfaced.

  Before doing anything else, she called the hospital in San Francisco to check on Herman. He was still in intensive care, but the nurse said he was conscious and holding his own. Next she called Normandy Press and made a preliminary report, promising a full write-up as soon as possible. Her relationship with Carter might have far outstripped that of a bodyguard, but Normandy Press was still her client.

  With business complete, she savored a cup of her favorite tea in her own kitchen. Then she indulged in the luxury of a full work out, flexing and stretching every muscle until she collapsed on the padded floor in healthy, relaxed exhaustion. She hummed while she took a long, hot shower.

  After drying her hair, she rummaged through her closet and found something respectable to wear to the office—black, of course. She glanced at the clock radio on the bedside table. Zoë might or might not have come in today, depending on when she managed to get Margaret and Gran settled, but Risa should be in the office for another hour or two. Madelyn could catch up on the agency’s ongoing jobs and pick up her luggage.

  She stepped into the hallway and without thinking, shot a quick glance at Carter’s door. Nothing. She wasn’t sure what annoyed her most, the fact that he wasn’t there, or the fact that she couldn’t help looking.

  Two hours later, Risa dropped Madelyn and her luggage in front of her building. Rudy rushed out to help with the oversized suitcase.