.38 Caliber Cover-Up

back.”

“If I get you wet and naked, we’ll never leave. Go.” He kissed her nose, and gently pushed her—shaking head and toned body—through the bathroom door. Once the water came on, Erren leaned his forehead against the cool wood.

His partner was waiting in the shower—for him—convinced he was wrong.

He wasn’t wrong.

Joining her and forgetting about the world for a few more hours would only put her at greater risk. He couldn’t do it. He sighed and looked through the pictures on the phone card.

Staring straight into the camera was his Dallas DEA handler. The man who’d set him up with Beavis and Butthead. Probably the guy who’d caught him in the alley cross fire and had shot the drug dealer dead when the cops had made the scene.

Proof positive the drug operation went deeper than just dirty cops. The dirt spread at least through the DEA. And it would be a hell of a mess to clean up.

So why couldn’t he tell her?

How do you tell a woman whose entire life is her family and love of police work that she most likely would have to give all that up when she testified? Her sense of duty would force her to testify. He didn’t doubt that.

He’d seen it several times in his work. He’d convinced witnesses himself. Testify against the big, bad drug cartel and the government will give you a new life.

WitSec. Witness protection. More like witness punishment.

The simple solution to keep these guys from killing Darby was to eliminate them first. He couldn’t do it. No matter how much he cared for his partner, he couldn’t betray everything he and Pike had accomplished. He wouldn’t denigrate the man’s memory by turning dirty cop. He wanted revenge for Pike, the man who’d lost his life fighting for justice.

The not-so-simple solution was to eliminate the threat to Darby by finding a second witness. A person who knew more about the organization. Or creating someone. Infiltrating their operation would take time. It meant the worst undercover operation of his career. Portraying a dirty DEA agent who was willing to become dirtier.

He’d portray scum again if it meant finding Pike’s killer. And what about you and Darby? She’d be safe. His wants didn’t matter.

He wouldn’t be able to protect Darby forever. The government would stash her someplace safe until Thrumburt could file charges. She was their only viable witness. That might be months down the road. The O’Malleys would be secured as well.

He attached photos and sent them to his electronic drop box. Three or four forwards later and no one would be able to trace the source for several days. By then, he’d have the information safely stored in two or three places.

It was even money something had already happened to the original files at the police station. He needed Darby’s copies. And he knew how he’d have to get them.

“Dammit!”

“Did you say something?” she asked from behind the closed door.

He’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed the water was no longer running. The bathroom door opened and the candlelight made her skin glow. The effect made him want to spout poetry or something as utterly embarrassing. “Just kicked my toe. I hate candlelight.”

Liar. He didn’t care about the dark, but loved the way the candle glow had turned her hair a deeper auburn. The way the honesty of her heart showed on her face. Her loyalty had reminded him why he’d become a police officer.

Darby had given him back his soul. She’d shown him hers. He knew her.

She wouldn’t run. She wouldn’t go into witness protection. She wouldn’t leave the family she’d just reunited. He knew that much about her.

And as a result, she’d die.

It was that simple.

“You are a very complicated woman with a beautiful heart, Darby O’Malley.” He wanted to drag her into his arms but if he did, he wouldn’t let go.

“You ain’t so bad yourself.” She smiled while towel-drying her hair.

A pause stretched into several seconds of silence. He had no freakin’ idea where those words had come from and was at a total loss as to what to say next.

“Did you get in touch with Brian?”

“Just getting to the call.” He tried to ignore her quizzical look, but gave in with an explanation. “I’ve been thinking about our next move.”

“We decided to hand over the evidence to Thrumburt and find out where Michael was taken.”

“Right.”

She looked like a woman getting ready for a hot date of country dancing. Low-riding jeans, a green undershirt and a plaid top—layered to make her look ordinary, yet worn specifically to hide her Glock. Anything but ordinary.

“Have you changed your mind about what we should do? Do you think Michael is still in danger?” she asked.

“I’m not worried about your brother.” Man, she was cute in tight-fitting jeans. He switched his stare to the phone cards in his hands. “We need to think about your safety.”

“Hey, I can take care of myself.”

“Right.”

She popped his leg with the towel, taking him off guard and causing him to yelp in fake pain.

She giggled. “Seriously, Erren. I’ll be fine. I’ll testify Monday and we’re good. Case closed.”

She didn’t know the extent of the corruption or how many agencies were involved. No one did. Yet.

All his doubts about what to do next were gone. He’d made up his mind as soon as he’d seen the picture of Knighton, his handler. He’d keep his promise to Pike and the Sergeant Major—protecting Darby at all costs. She had a life and deserved to keep living it. He’d become the witness the government would stash in the middle of nowhere.

He could handle being a nobody stuck in nowheresville in a mindless job, lying to everyone he met. Hadn’t he basically done that for the past seven years?

Darby wouldn’t last three hours. She just wasn’t a liar.

“Guess you should call Thrumburt,” she said. “I’m going to dry my hair.”

“A message from a dead guy should get their attention,” he mumbled too softly to be heard over the hair dryer.

Using Michael’s SIM card and subsequently the man’s phone number, he selected the attachment to prove he had the evidence, punched in Knighton’s number and hit Send. Then opened the phone and switched the SIM cards again. He’d call Thrumburt from the prepay number issued to them at the cabin.

He didn’t want to leave her. He fought hard not to pull Darby into his arms and make love to her one last time. She trusted him enough to make the call with her in the bathroom, but he’d choose his words carefully, just in case she was listening.

“We found it.”

“Where should I pick it up?” Thrumburt said.

“The files are electronic. I’ll forward to your phone, then give you the whole package when I see you.”

“Are they what you expected?”

“Everything we discussed and worse.”

“So she’s in serious danger.” There was no missing the sadness in Thrumburt’s voice.

“You could say that.”

“When will you turn her over to witness protection?”

“The Medic took O’Malley to the VA on South Lancaster?” Erren answered so Darby could overhear and assume he hadn’t known her brother’s location earlier. “We’ll meet you there within an hour and I’ll be proceeding.”