Games We Play (10 page)

“We hope so.” Sasha wasn’t hesitating to admit the truth to her big sister, which could prove to be another problem. “I don’t like that you didn’t tell me about the move and I like even less that you’re here in the middle of this.”

“I didn’t tell you because I know how much you hated growing up here and how much you love to argue.”

Nick chimed in, “I told you it wasn’t just me who thought so.”

Carolyn turned and really looked at him since they all entered a room together. “Is this the same Nick you work with in Washington?”

“You talk about me?” he had no idea until last night she had a sister but apparently said sister knew all about him.

With a sigh Sasha moved to the couch and sat. “Don’t feed into his already huge ego. What are we going to do about this? You have to leave town.”

“No, I can’t. Jim is the new guy at the office and he can’t take any time off yet.”

Sasha made a face that only Nick picked up on and if he had to guess he’d say Sasha wasn’t a fan of her brother in law. “We can’t force you to leave,” he began. “but everything you know you can’t tell a soul not even your husband. This might be our only chance to catch this guy and we can’t take any risks he finds out this is all a trap.”

Carolyn bit down on her lower lip. “I don’t like any of this. Why couldn’t you find a nice safe job where you don’t have to lie about your name?”

“Because that’s not what I wanted.” Sasha said it in a way that suggested it was
n’t
the first or even the tenth time the Madden sister’s had this conversation. “I need you to promise you’re not going to tell Jim. I know you take the honesty vow very serious but I need you to back me on this.”

With a sigh the older sister agreed. “I won’t say anything but I have some questions you can help me with. I’m working at the police station assisting the sheriff.”

Sasha and Nick shared a look that echoed the same distain. “Crap. I thought you hated everything to do with law enforcement?” 

“Daddy didn’t just pass down the inquisitive gene to you. They had an opening and I took it, simple as that. I know there have been two bodies found and there’s FBI agents in town overseeing the investigations. Does it connect to you being here?”

Nick reached out and gripped Sasha’s arm before she answered her sister’s question with no hesitance again. “Right now it’s all speculation. We have no contact with the other agents in town and know nothing of their mission.” That wasn’t true but he would fill Sasha in when they were alone.

Carolyn wasn’t the headstrong argumentative sister, she nodded and accepted his answer with no fuss. “I have to get back home to prepare lunch. I guess seeing as you’re here under a different name we shouldn’t hang out too much.”

Sasha stood to walk her sister out. “Right, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see each other. Maggie’s a nice person always looking for friends.”

“You must really be whipping out those acting chops.”

“I’m trying. I’ll see you around and when this is over we can catch up better.” Both sisters hugged each other goodbye. Sasha shut the door and leaned back against it until she heard the car door shut and her sister drive away. “Spill McBain, who else is in town?”

He sm
iled, it impressed him every time
she was one step ahead figuring out the puzzle before someone else could explain it to her. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Pete’s running the show wherever the FBI is concerned and he would’ve sent his own team to the local PD. I know I’m right.” Forgetting momentarily they weren’t back at the office and she wasn’t in her usual attire, summer dress and all she put her hands on her hips and stared him down. 

“You are right but I didn’t want your sister knowing more than she already does. It’s not safe for her or us. Noah and Wayne were already in Texas so Pete assigned them here after the cartel bust was all taken care of. Now we have to talk about your sister. I just met her but something tells me she isn’t going to butt out when something about the case comes her way at the office.”

“She likes answers.” Sasha agreed as she went back to the couch and sat. “I can’t force her out of town because she won’t go anywhere without her husband. We can call Noah and Wayne and tell them to keep an eye out for her and make sure she doesn’t learn anything.”

“That might work. What’s the story with you and your brother and law?”

“What?”

“You made a face anytime he’s mentioned.”

“I told you to stop profiling me.”

“I wasn’t. Its simple observation and you do it all the time. So what is it? We’ve been trying to get to know each other better.”

“Yeah but I’m the only one spilling my guts.”

“Not true.” He joined her on the couch. “I don’t have anything really to tell about my family unless you want individual li
f
e stories on them but it’s nothing juicy. I have been vocally honest about what I’m feeling with you.”

Just like that the air tensed up again and she was closing herself out from his reach. “That’s not true either. You’re telling me bits and pieces of stuff that makes no sense but whatever. You want to know why I don’t like my brother in law? It’s simple, I think he’s a controlling jerk and my sister lets him get away with too much. I’m going to go before we start arguing about who gets the TV remote.”

Nicholas didn’t feel like watching anything as he sat there alone and gave her words some serious thought. She was right; he wasn’t spelling it out correctly for her. He was telling her he was interested only when she showed interest in another guy and only paying her compliments around others or just as they were rushing out the door. That was the problem; the rushing. He needed to take it slower and really get her attention where she’d have no doubt about his intentions at the end of it.

He wasn’t exactly sure where exactly all of this would end up but he was sure the attraction he felt for Sasha Madden soared past a point of being ignored ever again and he wanted to do something about it. He wanted to give her another real kiss that was between them and not some act, he wanted to take her out on a real date and continue learning about the past of a hurt girl she liked to keep hidden from the real world. He wanted her in his arms and preferably with her legs around his waist. “I’m screwed.” He chuckled as he realized yet again all this time Pete was right when he hinted months ago that Nick’s feelings for his co-worker ran much deeper than he was willing to admit even to himself.

Chapter 13

Sasha was lounging in bed reading a book she picked up during her shopping spree back home. It was a crime thriller and it made her miss being in the action of things. Playing bait wasn’t as thrilling as it sounded, it was boring with long days all made up in hopes of drawing out the bad guy. She didn’t doubt by now their unsub took notice that Maggie was back in her home town but would he really make a move? Who’s to say he hasn’t already picked out all seven of his victims and they were too late to change his mind? She prayed that wasn’t the case.

He knocked on the door before saying, “Hey.”

She shut the
book
and sat up from lying on her stomach. “Yeah?” Nick’s eyes were on her legs, more accurately her exposed thighs where her dress had risen up. Embarrassment burned her cheeks as she realized the way she had been laying probably gave him a bit of a show too. “Why are you bothering me?”

“Zebra print panties?”

Her eyes widened into the size of dinner plates. “You weren’t supposed to see that.” She fought not to bring her hands up and cover her mortified expression.

“I’m not cracking a joke. I’m only pointing out an observation.”

She wondered if this is what a heart attack felt like. Her palms were sweating and her heart was violent along her ribcage. “Nick…I don’t want to talk about my underwear with you.”

“That’s fine. I came to grab you for dinner, we’re going out.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s part of our orders? I saw some stuff on the dinner menu at that diner form this morning I’m dying to try out. Change and meet me downstairs in ten minutes.”

With a groan Sasha fell back on the bed and mentally counted to ten. It was a
part of her job but damn it she wished just for one night they didn’t have to go out and play the happily married couple. With the article in the paper and the appearances put in the other two days one night at home wasn’t that big of a deal. She could reason it all she wante
d but facts were facts and the M
arshals wanted them out there mingling with the town as much as humanely possible. With another long ugly groan she got up and dragged her feet to the closet. Opting for something different she stayed away from the dresses and instead grabbed a denim skirt and one of Nick’s dress
shirts. She had to go out and p
ut on a happy face but this time she was doing it comfortably. She tied the bottom of the shirt into a knot at the base of her hip and grabbed a pair of boots to go along with the outfit. It was very southern i
f
she did say so herself.

It didn’t take long to join Nick downstairs. “You know,” she began. “I think you want to go out so much to secretly pig out of food you’d normally say was bad for you.” Mashed potatoes and gravy didn’t fit in with the type of food he ate around the house.

“Is that my shirt?”

“Yes, I’m borrowing it.”

“That’s fine. It looks better on you anyway.”

She was reminded of their encounter at the conference room back at the bureau before flying out to Texas as again the heat of his eyes reached down to her toes. It was an amazing feat to affect someone so intimately with just a look and she hated him for it. Before this case she had been sure she had Nick all figured out and now she knew nothing about what the hell was going on through his head. “Are you ready?” she decided whatever game he was attempting she wouldn’t be playing along.

“Yup.”

Nick was enjoying her sassy attitude and he knew if she suspected that she’d pop a vein in her forehead. She was trying to fight her reactions to his words and failing miserably at it. He was a confidant man and he knew body language but more than that he knew Sasha Madden. Over the last few days he came to realize he didn’t know the details about her past or the way she beat herself up trying to do the best she can but he did know more than they both thought at the beginning of this case. He knew she bit down on her lip when she was nervous and she was doing so now. Her cheeks turned impossibly red when he got under her skin and they had been red all day.

Nick pulled into the diner’s driveway and saw that unlike that morning the parking lot was full of cars and loud booming music could be heard pouring out of the walls. “Do you want to try somewhere else?” he also knew she wasn’t a fan of big crowds.

“A lot of people means a lot of exposure so let’s just get it over with.” She put on her warrior mask to conceal her thoughts and gave her the mental security to take on the world.

Nick got out of the car and met her around the front. She was getting better at not tensing up like a lamppost when his arm encased her waist. Inside the waitress offered them a seat at the bar or a booth. “Let’s go with the bar, I want a drink.” Sasha piped up quickly. The bar also meant they wouldn’t have a lot of opportunity to talk freely without someone over hearing.

His whispered in her ear as she hoped on the stool. “I’m not going to let you ignore me.”

Startled and at a loss she shrugged her shoulders and faced forward. Her expression took on a much different look when their bartender came to take their order. “You work here too?” Sasha asked. It was the same man from that morning, Wes, the man she obviously liked. Nick didn’t share the same sentiment, he wanted to reach across the counter and strangle to guy.

“I help out when I have some free time. It’s sure nice seeing you again Maggie May. What can I get you fine folks?”

“Whatever you have on tap.” Sasha rubbed her hands over her skirt in a nervous habit. Nervous because of the guy staring at her like he could see her naked or nervous because of her pretend husband sitting next to her? Nick was very interested in the answer. 

Nick refused the play the jealous husband and instead slapped on a pleasant smile and put his order in for some appetizers. As he waited he watched the only person that held in interest in the large sea of people. She was tapping her foot along to the beat of the music as she trailed her index finger around the rim of her beer glass. Preoccupied with whatever was running along her thoughts she didn’t seem to notice anyone around her or even hear them. He understood how easy it was to get caught up in something because he too was seated in a crowded room and noticed none of them except
for
her. With each passing second he felt himself falling farther and farther down the rabbit hole and there would be no way back up. Fuck it, he didn’t want to crawl out anyway.

He reached out and grasped the free hand she had rested on her lap. “Dance with me.”

“What?” caught off guard she wasn’t hiding her reactions as well as earlier, her chest rose and fell now at rapid speed and yes he took notice.