To Protect And Serve Part 21

Alex snuggled deeper, warm and comfortable. She owed her so much. Keri had given herself completely and in so doing, allowed Alex to do the same. But more importantly, she'd demonstrated that it was possible to give and express love freely without expectations. Her faith amazed Alex.

They spent the night making love until they collapsed in each other's arms exhausted. Alex didn't want to talk or think about anything else. She wanted to touch and experience everything possible about Keri Morgan in one miraculous, delicious, all-consuming night.

Because after tonight, she had no idea what came next.

* 183 *

* 184 *

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

Alex twirled her pen and jabbed question marks onto a blank yellow page as Beth briefed her on the interview and booking of their dealer from the night before.

"He refused to give up his source, but we got a good enough sample from the buy to make a comparison with the others. Chad called Davis and he sent someone to post our snitch out. Overall, it was a great night." Beth eyed her mindless doodling. "Are you listening?" No response. She tried again. "Keri Morgan."

Alex's head came up immediately. "What? What did you say about Keri?"

"I knew it. You're gaga over her. Want to talk about it?" Beth couldn't suppress a smile.

"No, I don't." It was bad enough that she spent every waking moment thinking about her and every sleeping moment dreaming about her. She absolutely did not want to talk about Keri. Besides, Beth had probably already guessed from the look on her face that they'd slept together. "I've already said enough as it is." Alex dropped her pen onto the notepad. "We have work to do. Let's go to lineup."

As soon as they entered the conference room, Beth said, "There's only one new item on the clipboard today. Homicide squad's got a body found behind the abandoned warehouses on Phillips Avenue. A young black female. It appears she was tied up for a while, then shot. I'll pa.s.s the picture around. If anybody knows this girl, contact homicide detectives." She pa.s.sed the photo to Renee and kept talking. "Our next move with Davis is to prepare for the actual buy from him. We'll need Chad to-"

* 185 *

"Oh, my G.o.d!" Keri cut Beth off. "The son of a b.i.t.c.h killed her."

Alex felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle. "Morgan, do you know this girl?"

Keri looked at Alex, her eyes circles of disbelief and horror. "It's Tiffany Brown, our witness and Davis's ex-girlfriend. I saw the picture Steve took of her when he interviewed her." She pa.s.sed the picture to Steve. "Look."

"Yep, that's her. Somebody must've screwed up. She was supposed to be held without bail." He sighed. "But we don't know for sure that Davis had her killed. We'll need proof."

"Davis was p.i.s.sed," Keri said. "He admitted to me that she'd be pus.h.i.+ng up daisies soon. And you heard him, Lieu. He told her he meant for her to get the drink that killed Stacey. Do they have a time of death?"

Beth checked the alert. "Nothing here about it. They recovered a bullet at autopsy, but no weapon at the scene. Go talk to the homicide detectives when we break lineup and tell them what we suspect. Let them know they can't identify you as the source of this information yet because you're still undercover. But they at least need to check it out."

Alex felt the level of tension rising in the room. "Okay, folks, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Davis may be connected to this murder or not. All we have now is circ.u.mstantial evidence and a strong gut feeling. Let the homicide guys do their job on this one. We need to stay focused on our objective, nailing Davis for drug distribution and the other deaths."

"We have to be even more cautious," Beth said. "No one takes unnecessary chances." She stared directly at Keri. "Where are we on lining Davis up?"

"Chad's had a conversation with him. He's p.i.s.sed about the arrest.

I think he's about ready to deal."

Alex looked at Keri. "Is Chad's cover still intact?"

"Davis doesn't have a clue." Keri smiled with pride. "He's called me a few times since the strip club. All he can talk about is getting hooked up for that threesome he wants. I've been playing it cool."

"Good. So all we need is for Chad to put the idea in Davis's head that there's one sure re way to get you interested. Davis won't see it as permanent, just a means to an end." Alex considered the timing of the bust and Davis's apparent willingness to deal with Keri directly. He * 186 *

seemed anxious enough. It was now or never. "Tell Chad to set it up.

If even the slightest thing feels off, tell him to drop the conversation. I don't want Davis getting suspicious."

"So, what if Davis calls me and makes an offer?" Keri asked.

"Set up a meet on neutral territory-not his house, not a public place-in case there's...trouble." Alex couldn't bring herself to say the word that initially came to mind: gun re. The thought gave her chills.

"I'll take care of it, Lieutenant." Keri's eyes met hers and the look bored deeply into her.

Beads of perspiration formed between Alex's b.r.e.a.s.t.s and legs where Keri's lips had so hungrily fed. Alex dropped her gaze to Keri's hands and the pulsing in her c.l.i.t soared painfully. The sparkling glimmer in Keri's eyes said she knew exactly what Alex was thinking. She licked her lips and grinned. Alex knew she was playing with re but she couldn't help herself. It was like she'd had her first hit of cocaine and was forever addicted. She had to feel that high again-and soon.

She rose on weak legs. "Let me know when you have anything further. And contact homicide ASAP and ll them in." She walked toward her of ce to consider her growing uneasiness about the case.

Her insides knotted with apprehension. She wondered if she was losing her a.n.a.lytical and tactical skills or if this was the price she paid for becoming emotionally involved.

v "He called," Keri said, standing just inside the doorway of Alex's home of ce. They'd spent the past two nights together, getting very little sleep, reveling in the pa.s.sion that burned hot enough to consume them.

Alex sat hunched over her desk, her rm, full b.r.e.a.s.t.s peeking from the unb.u.t.toned sides of an oversized denim s.h.i.+rt. Keri was amazed by the wave of desire that swept over her like a hot shower. She wouldn't have thought herself capable of such feelings a few days ago, but now they were ever present and unstoppable anytime she was in Alex's presence. She loved the time they'd spent together and tried not to overa.n.a.lyze it. She could hardly believe her luck at being with such an amazing woman. Alex had turned out to be everything she could have hoped for-warm, loving, open, honest, and crazy about her. But Keri * 187 *

was also confused about what was going to happen next. She'd decided to live in the moment, give herself completely, enjoy Alex fully, and just wait. The fact that they hadn't talked about what was happening between them nagged at the back of her mind, but she dismissed the avoidance as inevitable. It was bad timing.

"He wants to meet in a couple of days," she said.

"That's great news." Emotions warred inside Alex. What if something went wrong? I can't let her go. "Did he say anything incriminating?"

"No. He's too smart for that." Keri crossed the room to lean against the desk.

"This is it, then." Heavy lines creased Alex's forehead. "Are you sure he doesn't suspect you?"

"As sure as I can be. He said I can bring Chad and he asked about you, but I said you had to work strange hours this week."

Alex's insides felt like she'd swallowed tacks. Her future in the department hinged on this case and all she could think about was Keri.

Things could go so badly wrong on a drug bust, she felt paralyzed.

She reached for Keri's hand and fought to tame the b.u.t.ter ies in her stomach. For a few seconds, she allowed her gaze to icker hungrily over Keri's body but she carefully avoided her stare. It was a struggle to think about work; Keri's presence was too professionally disturbing and too emotionally and physically arousing. Alex knew they shouldn't be doing this. She felt weak for allowing it. But a part of her had rebelled so powerfully against the constraints of the past year that she had not been able to restrain herself.

Looking around the of ce Keri noted again the unadorned walls and meager furnis.h.i.+ngs. She took a seat across from Alex and scanned the metal desk. Her eyes came to rest on a photograph beside Alex's computer of a handsome, gray-haired man with a ery redheaded woman.

"My parents," Alex replied to the unvoiced question. "They died a year ago in a plane crash. We were very close. My father was like a best friend to me. Laughter was our favorite form of communication. I miss them both a great deal." She stopped, intrigued that she had wandered off on yet another personal tangent with this woman. What is it about Keri Morgan that makes me want to spill my guts in the most intimate way?

* 188 *

"He has a kind face."

"He was a kind man. Thank you."

"And you have that same re in your eyes that your mother did."

Keri felt her con dence lift when Alex's skin ushed with color. There was no retreat to the impersonality of their work relations.h.i.+p, at least momentarily.

"That's exactly what my father used to say. He marveled at being able to survive a household with two redheads." Alex looked from her parents' picture back to the papers on her desk. "I apologize for my digression, Keri. I should be asking how you're feeling about the a.s.signment. Are you ready for this?"

Keri's palms felt sticky and a pulse throbbed painfully between her legs as she allowed herself to stare openly at Alex's slightly parted lips and her peekaboo b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Yes, I'm ready. I know this is important to everybody, especially you. I won't fail you."

The promise in Keri's eyes blinded Alex to everything but her presence. "Of course the case is important, but I care more about you."

The ash of caring on Alex's face made Keri realize the risk they were both taking by pursuing their relations.h.i.+p. For her it had already gone too far. She couldn't imagine her life without Alex in it. The feelings that had been awakened in her could never be satis ed without her. Keri felt her very essence was entwined with Alex's like the double helix of DNA. There was no going back. Pretending to be professional colleagues would rip her heart out. She'd do whatever it took to keep Alex in her life. Her last thought stopped her musings. Would she really do anything not to lose Alex? She knew at that moment that the answer was yes-even if that meant giving up the job she loved.

"I'll be careful, Alex, but I plan to make this guy pay for every vile and disgusting thing he's ever done. I know you're worried about me.

But there are no legitimate grounds to stop me from doing this without sabotaging the case."

But how can I protect you if you won't let me? Tormented by a desire to protect Keri at all costs, Alex said, "At least promise me there'll be no cowgirl heroics."

"Alex, the only way to stop me is for you to admit personal motivation, and you won't do that." Surprised by her own audacity and sudden a.s.sertiveness, Keri added, "Please, let me do my job."

* 189 *

Tears clouded Alex's vision as she tried to focus on Keri's face.

"I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. Do you understand?"

Their eyes locked and melted into pools of liquid longing.

"Yes, I do understand." Keri rose and came around the desk toward her. She took Alex's hand and pulled her to her feet. The air between them crackled. "I won't have you feeling guilty for giving me this a.s.signment. It had to be this way, don't you see?"

Alex spoke around the emotions that choked in her throat. "But I wasn't talking about just now. I wanted to say that I-"

Keri brought a nger to her lips. "Don't say it. Not just yet. I couldn't be responsible for my actions if you did. But thank you for letting me see that look in your eyes again. It'll get me through this case." She squeezed Alex's hands, leaned forward, placed a light kiss on her cheek, and turned to leave.

Alex eased her drained body back into her chair, pa.s.sion making her weak. "Do you always say exactly what's on your mind?"

"Yes, and that's one of the many things you love about me." Keri ashed her magnetic smile and Alex felt it sweep over her like a warm breeze. "I'm going home now."

"Okay, get out of my of ce and get ready to catch me a bad guy...

and be safe."

"Thank you. And don't worry. Nothing will keep me from you now." She ashed Alex a disturbingly seductive smile and exited. She wasn't sure her legs would carry her through the door.

Listening to her lover's departing footsteps, Alex was bombarded with guilt. She'd lost all objectivity and control. This had never happened to her on the job. What was going on? The reply was becoming more frequently the one she wanted to hear: I love Keri Morgan. She allowed herself to give voice to the notion again and prayed that it would be okay.

At work she had struggled to remain aloof and in control, while nightly she and Keri made love until their bodies or a new day forced them to stop. She pulsed with an almost debilitating ache to feel Keri's hands on her constantly, stroking her tender b.r.e.a.s.t.s, sliding her strong ngers into the moisture between her legs. The frustration in her body demanded relief that only Keri could provide. They couldn't hole up in Alex's home forever, ignoring the world outside, yet that was exactly * 190 *

what happened when they were together. Alex knew she had to de ne her relations.h.i.+p with Keri and gure out how they could be together after this case was over. One thing was certain; she wanted to be with Keri more than anything in her life.

Alex had experienced another side of Keri Morgan, the determined young woman who stood up for her beliefs and wasn't afraid, regardless of the consequences. Alex's concentration was admittedly off, but two things she knew without a doubt-Sonny Davis was dangerous and Keri was going after him virtually alone. She understood the driving force behind Keri's obsession with this man, but she also knew it could get her seriously injured. Wis.h.i.+ng she'd never chosen Keri for the task force, she looked toward the ceiling and shook her head. If she believed in prayer, now would be a good time to start.

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* 192 *

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

Earth to Morgan." Beth waved her arms.

"What? Sorry," Keri said. "I guess I was somewhere else."

"Girl, you shouldn't stand around naked in a police locker room.

Don't you know you could get molested? Then who'd you call to take the report?"

After a couple of dry runs of the takedown scenario in the muggy night air, Keri had decided to shower before her drive home. She hadn't heard Beth come in as she stepped from the tile surround and toweled herself. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea at the moment," she said.

Beth didn't bother to hide a snort. "You didn't hear a word I just said, did you?"

There was no use denying the obvious. "I'm sorry, Sarge. I was distracted."

"Is that what you're going to say when Davis has a gun to your chest?" Beth discarded her uniform s.h.i.+rt. "Am I going to have to call this whole thing off?"

"No," Keri insisted. "I know what I need to do."

"Then get your head out of your a.s.s or you won't be on this team anymore. Trust me on that. No arrest is worth getting an of cer hurt."

"I'll get it together. I promise." Keri tried to shake herself free of the worry she'd seen on Alex's face last night. She wanted so much to hold and rea.s.sure her that everything would be ne-with the case and with them.

Beth hesitated. "You know she cares about you, right?"

Keri tried not to give herself away. If anyone in the division found * 193 *