Tapping his phone against his forehead, as if he could pound in the answer, a thought popped into his head. With more confidence, he made the next call. “Are you still at HQ?”
With a slight hesitation, Stone responded, “Just walked out the door. What do you need?”
Even though, as far as he knew, there was no threat to her, he couldn’t stop himself. “She’s gone. Would you go back inside, pull up the tracker in her purse, and let me know where she is?”
Cowboy’s loud declaration drowned out Stone’s reply. “Dude, even I know better than that.” He shook his head and chuckled as if enjoying himself. “You are so fucked.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Why can’t she stay where I put her? She has free rein in Fells Point, but is that good enough? Apparently not.”
Fear like he’d never known coiled in his gut, ready to strike, as the drive to the Timonium Fair Grounds tightened the knot in his stomach. The fact she hadn’t gone far set a drip of relief flowing through him. However, the fact she went at all pissed him off. Did she not care about her safety? Although they hadn’t heard of a threat, it didn’t mean it didn’t exist. He knew she felt safe since Boyle thought her dead. Which, technically, meant she was safe. But he had his own way to play the odds.
He didn’t have a choice about leaving her though. He had to work. Ken was due back soon, so he’d try to work something out. He wasn’t sure he really needed someone watching her. As things stood, Boyle believed her dead. Besides, he couldn’t afford to give her guards forever. Ultimately, he had to allow her to enjoy her life. However, tonight wasn’t the night.
And that’s why he put his foot farther down on the gas pedal.
Looking over at Cowboy, it became obvious they couldn’t afford to be pulled over since, in addition to their concealed carry weapons, they had more of their gear.
Cowboy must’ve had the same thoughts. “Dude, you got a case in here?”
He felt insulted at the question. “Of course I do. There are two open handgun spaces for the ones I’m carrying.” Danny glanced over at Cowboy. “Do you?” He knew the answer but felt he should ask.
His answer came quick. “Of course. But they’re in my truck.”
Laughing, he shook his head again. Whatever woman nailed him down had her work cut out for her. “Not every male does. Just the awesome ones like us.”
“Hell yeah!”
Cowboy fidgeted with the temperature controls, and Danny wanted to slap his big hand.
“What’s your plan for her? I could toss her over my knees and spank her for you.”
With jealousy surging through him, if he could, he’d push Cowboy out the door, even while the car was in motion. Even if he succeeded, Cowboy would be waiting at the next stop, grinning his ass off like a lucky bastard.
That was partly why he’d not allowed Cowboy to visit or hang out while Moira was around. While growing close as friends, he and Moira had a few moments of more than that. That’s why the thought of turning her over his knees and spanking her naked butt until it was pink and he could soothe it with a rub from his hands was what he wanted to do, and curse anyone else who wanted to see even her panties.
Knowing she had his brother, Danny hadn’t pushed, even though they’d almost kissed. It sucked balls that she hadn’t answered his question about staying for love. What concerned him was that he worried she’d change her mind after meeting Cowboy. Women flocked to the agent for some strange reason. No, she might fall for his charm like every woman, but Ireland was her love.
Straining to keep the anger out of his voice for Cowboy’s offer of assistance, he ground his teeth and all but growled, “No. We don’t need that.”
In his peripheral vision, he caught Cowboy’s shrug. “All right. Just sayin’ that I’ll be there for you, bro. Always willing to take one for the team.”
Danny snorted and just like that, his jealousy of Cowboy slid to nearly nothing. That fifteen minutes could seem like another lifetime.
“How do you think she got here? She didn’t drive, did she?”
He hoped not because he’d told her more than once her new license wasn’t actually valid. “She rode with Luke and Laura. At least, in her note, she’d said she was with them.”
“Are you going to get more guys to watch her when you’re gone?”
“Yes. No. I haven’t decided.” He had to reevaluate the situation. There had been no sign of a problem locally or in Ireland. Yet he liked erring on the side of caution.
“What about the drug dealer? Any word?”
Tired of waiting, Danny had contacted his friend DEA Agent Lance Ting, who was working with authorities in Ireland. Danny had told Lance some of what Moira had seen and heard. Justin had insisted not all was released. “Nothing yet.”
Sitting in typical Baltimore traffic, Danny tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Cowboy turned in his seat. “Thanks for letting me tag along.”
He smiled at his friend who was only going because he was a dawg. “Truthfully, I’m glad to have the company.”
The traffic in their lane hadn’t moved in far too long. The other lanes were at least inching along, but not theirs. “An accident.”
“I’d agree,” Cowboy said, straining to see what he could out the window.
Danny put on his left blinker and tried to find a hole in the creeping traffic in the next lane. After several minutes of no openings, he slapped his steering wheel in frustration. “Doesn’t anyone have any driving courtesy anymore?”
“Then it’s time you forgot yours. Be a shit and cut someone off.”
“I’m just not like that.”
“Then you’ve got three options. Get over quickly. Let me drive and get over it. Or I can go block
