Protective Custody Read online

  “But I should have—”

  “Carly, quit second-guessing yourself. You weren’t anywhere near the children. There was nothing you could have done.”

  “I should have insisted—”

  “Hey, Carly, Nick,” Mason called from the kitchen. “I’ve got an identity on our dead guy in the woods. The captain at the police department just sent it to me. I’ve been reading his rap sheet for the last ten minutes.”

  Nicholas realized he still held her hand in his and let it go—reluctantly.

  Carly jumped up, the flush on her cheeks speaking volumes. So, she wasn’t unaffected by him. He didn’t know whether he was glad or not. As she went to stand and look over Mason’s shoulder at the computer, he couldn’t help but heed the warning his heart continued to beat.

  He followed her more slowly, pondering his feelings, his thoughts. Okay, he would admit he was attracted to her, but that didn’t mean he had to act on those feelings. Because whoever he became romantically involved with wouldn’t just affect his heart. He now had two children to consider.

  Two children who’d already lost two women they’d loved, a mother and an aunt. What happened if he and the children fell in love with Carly and she was killed, not necessarily even on the job? What if she had a car wreck or…?

  Did he dare take a chance on loving and losing her?

  Did he have a choice anymore?

  Loving and losing hurt.

  So did living too carefully and not to the fullest.

  He was close enough to breathe in the fragrance that was completely her own. Longing stirred, not just for the physical intimacy marriage offered, but for the companionship, the security in knowing the person he loved returned his affection, a spiritual equal….

  And there lay another problem. Carly’s lack of faith. Until she came to terms with God—

  “Nick? Hello? Anyone there?” came Carly’s voice.

  He blinked, then flushed. “Oh, sorry, I was thinking.”

  “About?”

  “N-nothing.” He’d almost said you, and her intense gaze told him she knew it. He tore his eyes away. “What do you have?”

  Skepticism greeted his avoidance, but she didn’t press him. “Do you recognize this man? Terrence Brown?”

  He looked at the face on the screen and felt the familiar tug of recognition. “I’ve probably seen him in my courtroom at one point or another.”

  “He’s the one who was killed today at the scene,” Mason offered. “He’s got known ties to de Lugo. Strong ties.”

  “Okay. Just more evidence to add to the man’s already thick folder.”

  Mason sighed. “These guys mean business, Nicholas. We need to make sure every precaution is taken. Because I’ve got to tell you.” He looked up and met Carly’s gaze, then Nick’s. “You don’t want those kids falling into the hands of these people.”

  EIGHT

  Carly swallowed hard. Mason’s words punched her, bringing home the fact that they could have lost the children today.

  Nick looked sick then covered the expression, hardening his jaw and balling his fingers into a fist. “I know. That’s why I’m considering…”

  He paused and looked away, swallowing hard.

  Carly placed a hand on his arm, felt his muscles bunch under her fingers. Warmth immediately suffused her hand, and she snatched it away as discreetly as possible. Her cheeks felt hot, and she put some distance between herself and Nick. Mason had a bemused look on his face for a split second before he turned back to the computer.

  Why was she feeling this way? What about Hank, her friend and mentor, who now lay in his grave because of this man? Somehow the argument had lost its punch. Getting to know Nick again, watching him with his children, had lessened the hurt in her heart. His faith had even made her long to find her way back to God.

  Hank wouldn’t blame Nick. He’d blame the man who pulled the trigger. And he still would have forgiven.

  Drawing in a steadying breath, Carly asked, “What exactly are you considering?”

  “Giving in.”

  Shock made her flinch as she stared at him for a moment. Then she asked, “What? Are you serious?”

  Nicholas slapped the back of the chair and stalked to the kitchen bar. He placed his forearms on the counter and bowed his head. “Yes. I can’t let the children continue to live this way—and I can’t send them away. It’s not right, and I have to put them first.”

  “No, you don’t, Uncle Nick.”

  Carly snapped her head around to the door. Lindsey stood there, barefoot, hair spilling around her shoulders. Dark circles rimmed her eyes. She looked so small, defenseless. Nick raised a brow. “Eavesdropping again, Linds?”

  Lindsey blushed. “Sorry.”

  Carly walked over to her and placed an arm around her thin shoulders. “Did we wake you, honey?”

  “No.” She gave a wry smile that looked surprisingly mature on her young face. “You didn’t.”

  “Nightmares?” Sympathy tugged her.

  “Yes.”

  Nick walked over and pulled the girl into a hug. She slipped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes. “You can’t do it, Uncle Nick,” she murmured against his chest.

  Placing a finger under her chin, he lifted her head to look at him. “What do you mean? I thought you wanted me to pass the case to another judge.”

  A tear dripped from the corner of her eye to disappear into her hairline. “I did…until today.”

  Nick shot Carly a confused look. She shrugged, and he gazed back down at his niece. “Okay, you want to tell me why you’ve had a change of heart? I would have thought what happened today, the nightmares that just woke you, would have made you feel even stronger about it.”

  Lindsey pulled in a shuddering breath. “I was so scared, Uncle Nick. I can’t even put it into words…”

  Nick’s jaw went rigid, and he trailed a hand down Lindsey’s unblemished cheek to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I know, darling. That’s why—”

  “No, wait, let me finish.”

  He nodded, and Carly inched closer. Lindsey heard her and turned to reach out and grasp Carly’s hand. Surprised, Carly gave her a reassuring squeeze.

  Lindsey said, “He put the gun up to my head.” She released Carly’s hand to touch her temple then slid her fingers back into Carly’s palm. “He…he said to tell you that you would die and that everyone would die just like…” She bit her lip and another tear escaped.

  Nick wiped it away and whispered, “Just like…?”

  Carly tensed. She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

  “Just like my mama,” Lindsey finally whispered.

  Nick just shut his eyes, struggling for control. Carly felt a mixture of emotions surge inside her. Hurt, anger, the desire to get back at the people doing this to this family she’d come to care about in such a short time.

  Nick pulled back and grasped Lindsey’s arms in his big hands. He looked straight into her eyes. “Linds, I’ve already decided to pass this case on to Debbie’s father. I won’t put you and Christopher in danger anymore.”

  Carly watched Lindsey’s jaw harden in an exact imitation of her uncle. She looked so much like him at that moment, it was eerie. “No. You have to do this. It’s just like you said before. If you let the bullies get away with bullying, it gives them power they shouldn’t have, and they just keep on being bullies. And it makes you feel weak for giving it to them. I’ll admit that guy scared me when he pointed that gun at me…” She swallowed hard again. “But it also made me mad, so mad I promised that if he didn’t kill us, I’d make sure you didn’t quit the case.”

  Shock rendered him speechless. When he found his voice, it was low. “Lindsey, hon, I—”

  “I mean it, Uncle Nick.” Her earnest face pressed closer to his. “You can’t let them win. You have to put them in jail where they belong, or they’ll go around doing this to other people. And that’s just wrong.”

  He cleared his throat. �
��Yes. Yes, it is.”

  “So, you have to do this trial and trust that Ms. Carly and Mr. Mason and God will keep us safe, okay?”

  Nick looked at Carly. When his eyes touched hers, she blinked, not even realizing she had tears swimming in them. One dripped down her cheek, and she gave it a quick swipe.

  His gaze back on his niece, Nick raised a hand to rub his chin and blow out a sigh. “Lindsey…I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’ll do the trial and not give it to Mr. Wayne.” She squeezed his hand. “When Mom died, you gave him a lot of cases, and some of the bad people went free, remember?”

  “Some did, but I’m sure Mr. Wayne had good reasons. If I had handled those cases, I probably would have had to do the same thing. This is different. I can’t stand to see you in danger. You’re all I have left of your mom and…” Carly could see him struggling to control his emotions as he stood and breathed in deep.

  Lindsey stepped forward and wrapped her arms back around her uncle’s waist. “I know,” she said into his chest, “and she would want you to make the world a safer place for me and Chris. You’ve got to do this. I really believe that now. And everything you’ve been preaching about doing what’s right and not giving in to bullies makes sense.” She looked up at him. “So you’ve got to do your job and make sure they don’t get off on some technicality or whatever, okay?”

  Nick squeezed her shoulders. “When did you get so smart?”

  “When you don’t think I’m listening to you.”

  Carly coughed to cover up a laugh. Nick smiled then sighed. “I’ll think about it. Now go back to bed. It’s late.”

  She gave him a little smile. “Well, it’s not like I have to get up and go to school, right?”

  He laughed again, and Carly joined in, appreciating the attempt to lighten the heavy mood. “Right. But go to bed anyway.”

  “Okay. ’Night.”

  Before she could turn away, Nick placed his hands under her arms and lifted her straight up to place a kiss on her cheek, then lowered her back to the floor.

  She grinned, surprised and delighted. “You haven’t done that since I was a kid.”

  “You still are a kid, Linds. Now scram.”

  With a giggle, Lindsey darted down the hall to her bedroom, her steps lighter. Carly was sure her heart was, too.

  She looked at Nick. “Wow.”

  “Yeah. Out of the mouths of babes, huh?”

  “I’ll say. So…I guess you have a lot of thinking to do.”

  “A lot of praying.”

  “And that.”

  Carly’s phone rang, and she snatched it from her belt. “Hello?”

  “Hey,” came a weak voice.

  “Maria. How are you doing?”

  “Better. I wanted to call. I figured you guys had some questions.”

  “Definitely. Do you mind if I put you on speakerphone?”

  “No, that works.”

  Carly motioned for the guys to gather around the table and set her phone in the middle. “Okay, go ahead.”

  “I know you found the children. I’m so relieved—and so sorry this even happened.”

  Nick spoke up. “They’re safe now. That’s all that matters. That, and you and Grady getting better.”

  “Yeah, I hear Grady’s not doing too well.” Sadness thickened her voice. Then she cleared her throat. “Anyway, when we left the school, everything seemed to be fine, and then bullets started hitting the car from out of nowhere. The bulletproof glass couldn’t hold up to whatever they were shooting.”

  “They came prepared with armor piercing .308 slugs,” Mason said. “They put enough of them in the back windshield to finally shatter it. The bullet that hit Grady broke a rib, which pierced a lung. He was incredibly fortunate. In fact, I’d say it’s amazing he survived.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know what we’d been hit with. It felt like an explosion. How are the kids?”

  “Some bumps and bruises, but okay overall,” Carly said. “The back windshield held long enough for them to get on the floor. Thankfully, none of the bullets found them.” Just the thought sent her stomach churning. The look on Nick’s face said he felt the same. She switched gears. “Maria, Christopher was able to tell us a little about what happened, but can you fill us in on the rest of it?”

  “What do you need?”

  “After you shot the perp—whose name was Terrence by the way—Terrence Brown—what happened?”

  “Um, I saw the kids run off into the woods. I’d told them to hide. Then I saw the perp running after them. I tried to follow them, but guess I passed out.”

  “Okay, that’s basically what Christopher said.”

  “But Carly…” She paused. “How did they know which route we were taking? They had to have been waiting for us.”

  Carly froze. “Waiting for you? You mean they didn’t follow you?”

  “Um…no. No, they were waiting. Right when we passed, I remember a flash of something, then the bullets slamming into the back windshield.”

  “Then they had prior knowledge.”

  Her gaze shot to Mason, who nodded. “Yeah, I’ve already thought about that.”

  “So what did you come up with?”

  “Nothing, really. They could have been watching the roads, anticipating that we’d take the kids out of school as soon as Nick got the call and saw the video.”

  Maria interrupted. “What video?”

  Carly leaned in. “Nick got a call and a video of the kids. Then Lindsey entering the classroom. We could see her before you shut the blinds.” She tried to keep her tone accusation-free, but wasn’t entirely successful.

  Silence greeted her. Then a heavy sigh filtered through. “Lindsey pushed through ahead of me. I told her to wait in the hall, but she ignored me. By the time I got through the crowd, she was already in the classroom.”

  Carly sat back with a sigh and looked at Nicholas. “All right. Well, things have changed since then. Lindsey’s cooled it with the attitude and seems to understand the seriousness of the situation now.”

  “Good.” Relief sounded in Maria’s voice, and Nick nodded in agreement. “I’m just glad she realized it before something—”

  “Thanks for filling us in on the situation at the school,” Nick interrupted. He looked at Carly. “I think we can just keep this to ourselves. I’d talk to Lindsey about it if she hadn’t come in earlier, but now…”

  “I agree.”

  A sound came from the other end of the line. Then Maria said, “I’ve got to go. Keep me posted.”

  “Take care of yourself, Maria.” Carly hung up and rubbed her eyes.

  “I’m all hyped up on caffeine,” Mason said. “Why don’t you guys try to get some rest? I’m sure tomorrow’s going to bring its own brand of excitement.”

  Carly stood. “Great. I’ll take you up on that. Wake me in four hours.” She looked at Nicholas and said, “If you have earplugs, you might want to put them in before you go to bed. You might not remember from two years ago, but Mason snores.”

  “Hey!” Mason looked offended. “I do not.”

  With a roll of her eyes and a pointed look at Nicholas, she headed down the hall to the room she’d share with Lindsey. Christopher, Nicholas and Mason would share another room. And Debbie had the third bedroom. She wondered if any of the adults would really get much rest. For more reasons than what happened earlier today.

  However, she knew if she didn’t force herself to sleep, she would lose her edge. And she couldn’t afford that. So she slipped out of her shoes, shoved her gun under her pillow and closed her eyes.

  Even as she drifted off, her brain worked over the problems the day had presented. One: How had the caller gotten Nick’s private cell phone number? Two: How had the shooters known which route Maria and Grady were going to take? Three: Why hadn’t the shooter killed Lindsey when he’d had the chance? Or had he even really had a chance? Four: How was Carly going to keep her heart out of this assignment when she couldn’t deny th
e intense attraction she felt for Judge Nicholas Floyd?

  It was going to be a long four hours.

  NINE

  Carly sipped her coffee and watched the sun come up through the slight crack in the blinds. Cracked just enough for her to see out, but no one to see in.

  Surprisingly, the night had been quiet, and she’d slept soundly for the duration of her allotted time. Exhaustion hadn’t given her a choice, and she’d forced herself not to think about what could happen while she slept. She knew Mason was on duty and would wake her should the need arise.

  He’d given her five hours, and she was grateful. She’d done the same for him before. No doubt he’d read her like a book, noting that her fatigue went deeper than the physical. She’d needed the rest to recharge mentally, emotionally.

  Now she contemplated how best to keep the family safe. She could hear Mason’s snoring from her perch in the kitchen. He still didn’t believe her when she said he sounded like a freight train.

  Movement to her right made her start. She turned to see Debbie pad into the kitchen and head for the coffeemaker. “Good morning,” Carly said.

  “’Morning,” Debbie mumbled. She grabbed her mug, made her way to the table and set it down with a thunk. She sank into the chair and looked at Carly with bleary eyes. “I need earplugs.”

  Carly fought a grin but didn’t think she was very successful. “I know. You get used to it after a while.”

  “Never. I pity the woman who marries him.”

  A laugh escaped this time, and Carly secretly agreed. “I guess I don’t have to ask how you slept.”

  More footsteps sounded. Nick. Looking rumpled, grumpy, sleepy—and very, very attractive in his sweats and muscle T-shirt.

  “Good morning, Nick.” Tongue in cheek, she asked, “So, how’d you sleep?”

  He glared at her. “You need a new partner—or I need a new roommate.”

  This time she giggled. She couldn’t help it. “I warned you. Earplugs help.”

  “That man sounds like Joshua’s pet pig, Uncle Nick,” Christopher declared as he scooted up to the table. “What stinks?” He coughed, then declared, “I want pancakes.”

  Nick’s lips curved. His eyes met Carly’s, and she had to look away. He looked so appealing, so powerful, so…male.