Chapter Eleven
After only two hours of sleep with Nora in his arms, Deke jerked his truck to a stop in a small driveway just as a local squad car screeched to a halt behind him. “Stay here,” he muttered to her, halting her reach for the door handle. When the call had come in, he hadn’t had time to get her to safety, and he sure as shit wasn’t leaving her at his apartment, alarm system or not.
She nodded, her face pale, her eyes wide. “The newest nanoparticle results will be available in about two hours, maybe three. I need to be there to see if the charges reversed when the particles found the bacteria. I’ve been working with zinc oxide nanoparticles, since Lynne thought zinc affected Scorpius somehow.”
He had no clue what charges she was talking about. “I’ll make sure you’re back by then.” He jumped from the truck and squinted in the sun before giving a short nod to a gnarled Metro Police deputy. “The FBI has secured the scene. Keep the neighbors back.”
The cop rested his hand on his hip, his bushy eyebrows rising toward Nora.
“Keep an eye on her. She doesn’t come near the house.” Waiting for a grim nod, Deke stalked toward the front door and knocked, leather gloves covering his hands and making them sweat. An FBI agent in full black suit opened the door. “What?”
Deke flashed his badge, the serious one nobody fucked with.
The agent’s eyes widened, and he stepped back. “All righty. Want to tell me why I was called down to secure an attempted rape scene?”
Deke sighed. “No. Go outside and wait for the CDC.”
The guy pivoted and took off, mumbling something sounding suspiciously likedickhead.
A trilling ambulance siren blasted through the day, and Deke glanced back toward the cop, who waited far away. “Don’t let them come in unless the CDC is with them and geared up.” Deke had called the CDC workers at the hospital the second he’d gotten the report of the assault.
“Yep,” the cop said, hand on his holster.
Deke walked around the vestibule to a quaint living room where a young woman sported a nasty black eye and split lip.
Anger and lingering fear darkened her pretty blue eyes. “Who are you?” she asked.
“Hi, Mandy. My name is Deke McDougall, and I’m with the police.” He remained on the other side of the room to keep from spooking her, having no problem lying about his affiliation. “An ambulance is coming, and they’re going to take you to the hospital.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. Fought the prick off.”
Deke nodded. “I know, and good job, by the way. You sure it was Zach Barter?”
“Yes.” She fingered the crack in her bottom lip and winced. “We went to undergrad together and have kept in touch. When he got into D.C. last week, he gave me a call, and I hoped we’d get a chance to meet up.” She flushed. “He’s cute, you know?” Red stained her cheeks.
Deke lowered his voice. “This wasn’t your fault, and don’t think for a second that it was. Tell me what happened.”
She patted the couch next to her. “I’m not scared. You can come sit down.”
He sighed. “Honey, I’m going to tell you something, and I don’t want you to get too worried. Okay?”
She blinked and her movements halted. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s not. There’s a possibility Zach is infected with some sort of bacterial pathogen.” Deke tried for reassurance, but as the ambulance pulled into the driveway, panic crossed the girl’s face. “Stay calm. Trust me.”
She pressed a hand to her chest.
“You’re probably just fine.” Deke ignored the ruckus behind him. “But we need to make sure, you know?”
She gulped, and tears filled her eyes. “Okay.”
Deke nodded. “Tell me what happened.”
She glanced beyond him and then focused back. “Zach called, and I invited him to dinner. When he got here, he came in, and almost immediately, he grabbed me and kissed me.”
Fuck it all.Deke nodded. “Then?”
“He tried to rip off my shirt, and I panicked. Starting fighting back. Hit him in the nose.” A tear fell down her cheek.
