In the blink of an eye, time became a precious commodity.
Riley carried Jordan’s limp body to one of the empty rooms close by while Burbeck followed them into to the hallway and waited outside of the Scott kid’s room.
Once he’d kicked the door closed with his foot, Riley laid Jordan on the bed and tucked her hands in his. They were cold as ice. Shock did strange things to the human body.
Unaware of the drama unfolding around her, she appeared almost fragile, but he knew she wasn’t. Anyone dealing with the trauma of life and death on a daily basis had to be made of strong material.
“What happened?” Until she spoke, he hadn’t realized she’d regained consciousness. Her pain tugged him back to the moment. She pulled her hands from his, covering her face for a moment.
Riley leaned closer and awareness turned her breathing shallow. “You fainted. Are you okay?”
She pushed herself up on her elbows. “Yes, I think so.” Then she remembered her brother and her face crumbled as tears came in a rush of sobs. “Jeremy. Oh God.”
Time be damned. Procedure be damned. He needed to touch her. Seated next to Jordon, he gathered her close in his arms. For a brief moment, she resisted and then she clung to him and he wanted to hold her like this forever. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered against her hair, his lips brushing against its soft strands. The moment he touched her the attraction became stronger than before. A personal connection forming. As much as he wanted to hope otherwise, he knew it had nothing to do with grief really. All his years with the Bureau had insulated him from this part of death, dealing with facts only, the details of murder instead of the personal side. Coming to Homicide proved to be a revelation.
Survivors of violent crimes were now his specialty. One thing he’d learned from his time at Homicide was those left behind bonded with the person closest to their loved ones at the time of their death. Until now, until her, he’d managed to distance himself emotionally but Jordon would prove to be different, life-changing. Leaving her mark on him and his life.
“We’ll get whoever is responsible for doing this to your brother, Jordan.”
A vortex of out-of-place emotions warred with his common sense.
“Will you? You promise?” The pleading in her voice was his undoing and he bent his head and captured her trembling mouth. For a moment, neither of them moved. Shock and need and a thousand different unspoken emotions kept them immobile. This was dangerous ground. Tangling his fingers in her hair, the clasp holding it in place broke free, bouncing from the bed, clattering to the floor.
It was as if a dam broke inside of her. One hand cupped his face, the other hovered between them, touching his chest tentatively.
A breathy moan parted her lips as he dipped his tongue inside, tasting her, drowning in her softness.
For a second, she stopped returning his kisses. Greed and desire had him pulling her closer, pressing her against him.
This had to be wrong in so many ways, yet he lacked the strength to end it completely. If he let her go, it might mean whatever this crazy thing happening between them would end as well. Would he ever see her or hold her like this again? Still, time was critical. They had few leads on the case that had just turned into a homicide and Santiago would be well on his way to covering up his involvement in the crime. Riley needed answers.
Reluctantly he ended the kiss but couldn’t bring himself to lose contact just yet. Brushing his thumbs along her jaw, he pressed his forehead to hers.
At the first gentle push against his chest, Riley let her go.
“Jordan.” The raspy sound in his voice made it barely recognizable.
Remnants of shared passion still hung heavy in their breathing.
He stroked her cheek. “Don’t speak. Don’t ask questions. There isn’t much time and I need you to listen to me very carefully. Your life may depend on it.”
Surprise showed in her face but he’d gotten her attention. “I’m sorry about your brother, but you need to know the truth. This wasn’t a random act of violence. Jeremy didn’t happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. This was deliberate.”
“I don’t understand.” Something shifted in her expression. She knew something but she shook her head. “No one would want Jeremy dead. He’s just a kid. Why did you mention my fiancé earlier?”
Outside, Riley heard Burbeck making deliberate conversation in a louder-than-normal voice. Santiago. Quickly he retrieved one of his business cards and slipped it into Jordon’s lab coat.
“You can reach me at any of the numbers listed on my business card. My cell phone’s on all the time. I need to talk to you in private, about Jeremy and what just happened. But for now, I need you to listen. You may be in danger. Promise me you won’t trust anyone. Especially those closest to you. Especially not Caesar Santiago.”
“Danger?” This time he didn’t let her pull away.
“Jeremy’s death was a deliberate attempt to send a message.”
“Message? I””I don’t understand”””
Before Riley could answer, the door flew open and Burbeck stepped inside, followed by another man. Riley recognized Santiago mostly from the hours of video surveillance he’d seen of the man. The tall, well-dressed man appeared to be anything but dangerous.
“Ah, see, there she is, Mr. Santiago. Safe and sound.” The questioning look Burbeck shot Riley was easy to interpret. Burbeck wanted to know if he’d gotten anything useful from Jordan.
Caesar Santiago quickly assimilated the scene before him, not missing Riley’s close proximity to his fiancée or his personal touch. A gamut of emotions flashed across Santiago’s face. Anger. Jealousy. Speculation.
After reading all the horrible details of Santiago’s crimes, Riley had grown to despise the man. That he knew Jordan intimately increased that distain tenfold.
From the way Jordan reacted to his kiss, he couldn’t conceive she had any real emotional attachment to the monster that was her fiancé. No way could he be wrong about that.
Riley could only hope he’d gotten through to her. Yet he had to admit, pissing off a slimeball like Santiago would be an added bonus.
He deliberately took his time releasing her.
“Jordan, are you okay?” The caring persona Santiago used for public appearances slipped back into place. If Riley didn’t know the monster that lurked beneath the polished exterior, he might actually believe Santiago was as grief-stricken as Jordan.
“I’m so sorry, my love. So sorry. This is such a tragedy.” Santiago ignored Riley altogether. Moving to Jordan’s side, he tried to take her in his arms but she pushed him away. Her chilly reaction had nothing to do with the intimate moment she’d shared with Riley.
It didn’t take Santiago long to recover his poise. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. So sorry. I can’t believe this is happening. I came as soon as I heard the news.”
Santiago’s remark brought a whole new line of questions to mind. How exactly had the man gotten the news so quickly? He doubted Jordan would have called the man.
Just as Riley moved away, he caught the first strands of Spanish. No doubt, Santiago had intended his words for Jordan’s ears only. How many lies would he tell her this time to try to convince her of his innocence?
Burbeck tapped Riley’s shoulder and silently indicated they should leave. As he followed Burbeck to the door, he turned in time to see fear and something else in Jordan Scott.
Dear God, he hoped it was doubt.
