“So what happens next?” Teagan asked.
Good. She changed the subject. He’d said a couple couldn’t fall in love on an undercover op, but honestly, he could easily fall for this woman. Meant he had to be doubly, maybe even more, aware of his actions when around her. And the best answer was to limit his time with her. Starting now.
He turned onto the restaurant’s street. “I drop you at your car, then you wait for me to call you for another date.”
Her hands curled into fists. “Not happening.”
“Has to happen.” He pulled to the curb behind her small electric hybrid. “We can’t risk Sal getting suspicious.”
“Then what are you planning to do?”
“All depends on the information Nick Thorn provides.” He shifted into park and looked at her. “I won’t sit around and wait on him, though. I’ll do my own research and get an ICE analyst on it too.”
“Then we should meet for breakfast.” She clicked off her seat belt. “To review the information from Nick and set a plan.”
She wasn’t going to give up easily. He admired that, but his job was to bring these guys in, and now, also make sure she didn’t get hurt in the process. “I told you you’re out of this except for dates.”
“You forget. Nick will givemethe data, not you.” She pulled on the door handle, slid out, but paused to look back at him, her expression deadly serious. “Be at my house at eight, and we’ll go over Nick’s report.”
“Holding information hostage? Isn’t that beneath you?”
“It won’t hinder the investigation. At least not if you show up.” She ran her gaze over him. “You should probably have guessed by now that my family is everything to me, and I’ll stop at nothing to protect them.”
Drew clutched the wheel, but his mother came to mind. He would do anything to protect her from harm or financial ruin. Maybe more if that was even possible. So why would he fault Teagan for wanting to do the same with her family’s livelihood? Problem was, she was stubborn. Maybe too stubborn for her own good. She could get hurt. Drew didn’t want that. Not at all. To that end, he would follow her home to be sure she got inside okay.
He could’ve hung back in the shadows but didn’t make a secret of tailing her over the soggy but quiet streets. When she parked in front of a huge Victorian house with wide steps leading up to a wrap-around porch, he slid to the curb behind her and jumped out, ignoring the rain that had tapered off to a fine mist. He watched those long legs slide out of the driver’s side of her vehicle and her body stretch to full height.
She shoved the straps from her purse and computer case onto her shoulder and threw her hair over it, frustration in her moves. “You didn’t need to follow me home.”
“I feel responsible for your safety.”
“Why? I was the one who horned in on your investigation and wouldn’t let it alone.” She started for the sidewalk. “And I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for thirty-three years. Making sure I stay in prime physical shape in case I need to fight, and as you can see, I’ve survived just fine.”
Oh, he could see it all right. Every little inch of how well she’d protected that fit body, but he wasn’t going there.
Drew clamped his mouth closed and strode next to her up the sidewalk toward the big porch. He checked his surroundings as he walked. He would be lying if the not-so-veiled threat from the skinny guy in the warehouse didn’t bother him. Undercover brought uneasiness most of the time, and he always knew his life was on the line if he was made, but having an obvious thug come right out and say they’d bury him was alarming, to say the least.
More importantly, it raised his concern for Teagan. The very reason why he’d followed her home and walked her to her door. Not that she liked it. She didn’t. Arguing that she could take care of herself. But losing his dad so suddenly made him hyper-aware of protecting the people he cared about, and he was coming to care for this woman in such a short time.
They climbed the steps, and she unlocked the door and then pushed it open, the smell of freshly popped popcorn wafting out.
Did she plan to walk off without a word? Seemed like it.
His gut twisted with frustration—for her lack of interest in himandfor her interest in him. He wanted her to feel the same things he did, but he didn’t want her to feel itnow. Not when they could be in danger.
She clutched the knob and turned to look at him. “I’ll see you at eight. Not a minute before or some of my sisters might still be here and we need to keep your identity quiet for now. I love to cook, so you can expect breakfast.”
With that, she stepped in and closed the door in his face.
Bam. Just like that. Gone.
He had his work cut out for him. How did a man protect a woman from killers when she didn’t think she needed protecting? Sure, fine, maybe she could take care of herself most of the time. But this situation was different. They were not only trying to bring down smugglers and money launderers, but if the conversation they’d overheard at the warehouse was true—murderers.
Teagan’s sisters and cousins were still in the family room, gathered around a roaring fire and stringing popcorn for the tree. They’d decided on an old-fashioned Christmas theme this year, and since they worked long days, the décor had to be prepared at night. Teagan would love to stop in and help, but she was still amped up with adrenaline from the covert visit to the warehouse. She wouldn’t be able to hide her shaky hands while stringing popcorn. No way. She could claim the injured finger, but her family knew that even with the cut she’d find a way to decorate.
She hung her jacket on a hook in the large foyer and rushed past the room.
“I’m hitting the hay early. Night,” she called out as she rushed past the wide entrance.
