Beau just nodded, his features grim. Cassidy knew he blamed himself that Missy and Evie had ever been in danger. “They’re okay,” she said to him. “They’re both okay.”
Beau reached for her, pulled her into his arms. “It’s over,” he said, a shudder rippling through his tall, lean body. When he buried his face in her hair, Cassidy hung on hard.
“Missy and Evie are safe,” she said. “Everybody’s okay.”
He swallowed. “If it hadn’t been for Josh . . .” The words trailed off.If it hadn’t been for Josh, Missy would be dead.
Chief Warren walked up and they broke apart. “Josh is giving a statement. You’ll both need to do the same.” He gave them a weary smile. “I’m glad the girl and her baby are okay.”
It was over. Missy and Evie were safe and the hit-and-run driver who had tried to kill Cassidy was dead. The police knew his name now—Franco Giannetti. She breathed a sigh of relief.
“One down, one to go,” Beau said, reminding her there was still a contract killer out there. Cassidy felt like collapsing on the ground, curling into a protective ball, and crying till she ran out of tears.
Instead, she walked next to Beau toward the waiting police.
Chapter Thirty-Three
They gave their statements at a picnic table in the park, trying to ignore the chaos around them, the flashing lights of the patrol cars, the ambulances, EMTs, sheriff’s deputies, and SWAT.
After they’d finished, Beau went in search of Josh. Without him, Missy would be dead. He asked one of the policemen where to find him, but the officer said Josh had given his statement and left.
Beau didn’t know Linc’s brother well, but on the surface at least, Josh was the strong, silent type, a guy who probably didn’t want any thanks. Or maybe he was still just trying to get his bearings in a world so different from the one he’d left behind.
Josh liked his privacy. Unfortunately, by tomorrow, his name would be all over the news.
Eventually, they were able to leave. By the time Beau, Cassidy, and Frank were aboard the chopper on their way back to Dallas, the sun was a big yellow ball rising over the flat Texas landscape, spilling faint gold light on the farms and towns below.
From the Tex/Am building, Beau drove the Ferrari backto the house, with Marino following in the black SUV. Beau checked in with Will Egan while Marino took off for the studio apartment at the far end of the house.
Beau and Cassidy headed for the bedroom, desperate to get some sleep, both of them exhausted. Later, after they were rested, they would start over, try again to solve the mystery that was destroying their lives.
But only three short hours passed before their sleep was disturbed. Only three hours before Beau’s cell rang with a call from Will Egan, warning him the FBI was about to show up at his door.
Beau cursed as he rolled out of bed. Eyes gritty from lack of sleep, he dressed in jeans, shrugged into a long-sleeved T-shirt, and headed down the hall, leaving Cassidy to dress and join him.
She walked into the kitchen a few minutes behind him in a pair of tailored slacks and a yellow turtleneck that outlined her pretty breasts. She looked feminine and professional. This was, after all, the FBI. Considering the situation, it should have been impossible to feel a jolt of sexual heat.
Beau ignored it, turned to the pot of coffee he had just finished brewing, poured three mugs full.
“Cassidy, this is Special Agent Quinn Taggart.” He handed a mug to the agent, handed one to Cassidy. “Agent Taggart and I met a couple of years back when he worked a serial killer case involving one of our female employees. He also worked with Linc last year when he and Carly were having trouble.”
Taggart took a drink of his coffee. “Looks like now you’re the ones having trouble.”
“Nice to meet you, Agent Taggart,” Cassidy said.
“Pleasure’s mine, Ms. Jones.” Taggart was in his late thirties, thick-shouldered and barrel-chested, with short blond hair in a buzz cut. Dressed in a dark brown suit,yellow shirt, and a pair of polished wing tips, he pulled out a chair for Cassidy, one for himself, and they all sat down.
Cassidy took a drink of her coffee, apparently as desperate for a shot of caffeine as Beau was.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said, “but would you mind repeating the reason you’re here, Agent Taggart?”
“Actually, we were waiting for you to get here before we started.” Taggart leaned across the table, his authority clear. “Let me begin by saying how glad I am last night’s situation ended with everyone safe.”
Beau grunted. “Everyone but Franco Giannetti.”
One of the agent’s blond eyebrows went up. “I stand corrected. Everyone except Giannetti. Actually, it would have been better for us if Franco had been arrested. As I understand it, that wasn’t an option.”
“No,” Beau said flatly.
