LITMIR.BIZ

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      While Scotty’s gaze remained glued to the action on the TV, Nick was watching her. “What’s up?” he asked.

      “Josh is melting down. Gotta do some damage control. I shouldn’t be long.”

      “Be careful.”

      She went around the bed to kiss him, which had Scotty making retching noises.

      Nick smiled and curled his hand around her neck to keep her there for a moment longer. Into her ear, he whispered, “Watch out for Troy Hamilton. Be extra careful.”

      “I will. Don’t worry.”

      “That’ll be the day.”

      Mindful of Freddie’s warning, she powered down her phone and put it in her pocket. Though she was suspended, she still unlocked her bedside table to retrieve the weapon she never left home without, except when running after the ambulance carrying her husband. She stuck her badge into her back pocket just in case she needed it, not that she expected to.

      “Scotty, you’re in charge,” Sam said. “Make sure he does nothing but rest.”

      “Got it,” he said, eyes still glued to the TV.

      Though they were both a lot better than they’d been, she still hated to leave them, even for a couple of hours. And when she stepped outside the bedroom to see Melinda positioned in the hallway, she hated leaving them even more.

      “They’re not to be disturbed for any reason,” Sam said.

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      Sam wanted to snap back at her, to tell her not to call her ma’am, but that would be pointless. As the second lady, she was ma’am to the Secret Service whether she wanted to be or not. There were battles that could be fought and won, but that wasn’t one of them. Besides, she had enough on her plate at the moment without taking on Nick’s detail.

      Was it petty to let the woman bug her? Of course it was. Melinda was only doing her job, but why had her young, sexy husband warranted a young, sexy female agent on his detail? Sam wondered if there was someone she could complain to and get Melinda reassigned. But she’d never do that, especially as a law enforcement officer herself. It was hard enough working in the old boys’ club without making life difficult for a female colleague.

      So she would keep her mouth shut and put up with Melinda’s presence in her home and her eyes on Nick, but she didn’t have to like it.

      Traffic was light on Sunday afternoon, and she made good time on her way to Arlington, keeping half an eye on the rearview mirror looking for a tail that didn’t materialize. If Hamilton was having her followed, he wasn’t being obvious about it. There was no way anyone could get near her car outside the house with the Secret Service all over the place, and the car had been home since she brought Josh there the other day. For once, having the place crawling with Secret Service was coming in handy.

      Well, that time they stopped Stahl from killing her on her own doorstep had been rather convenient too.

      She kept an eye in the mirror as she took the 14th Street Bridge out of the city into Northern Virginia and headed for the Crystal City exit. That the Crystal Gateway Marriott was right next door to the Crystal City Marriott perplexed her as it always did. Who’d had the big idea to give two hotels practically the same name? Freddie had said Gateway, hadn’t he?

      She pulled up to the main door and flashed her badge to the valet on duty. “I won’t be long.”

      His eyes bugged when he recognized her.

      Sam was long gone before he stopped gawking. Inside, she used a house phone to ask the operator to connect her with Freddie Cruz’s room. He answered on the first ring.

      “Yeah.”

      “It’s me. Where are you?”

      “Room 718.”

      “On my way.”

      “Were you tailed?”

      “Not that I could tell.”

      “Okay.”

      Sam took the elevator to the seventh floor and followed the hallway signs to the room. She knocked once, and Freddie opened the door. With one look she could see he was harried and annoyed.

      “Thank God you’re here,” he said in a low growl. “He’s driving me nuts.”

      Josh was pacing the small room, energy coming off his body in waves that were nearly visible. With his face a scary shade of red, he looked like he was about to blow from the pressure building inside him.

      “Josh,” Sam said, since he hadn’t seemed to notice her arrival.

      Whirling around, he said, “You gotta let me out of here. He’s going to find me. I’m like a sitting duck here.”

      “Calm down—”

      “Don’t tell me to calm down! You don’t know him! You don’t know what he’s capable of!”

      “Why don’t you tell me?”

      His lips tightened as he shook his head. “Take my word for it.”

      “I wish I could, but I just met you on Friday, and his reputation is legendary, so you’ll have to forgive me if I need more to go on.”

      He took a series of deep breaths, obviously trying to calm himself down. “He raised me, and I’m terrified of him. What else do you need to know?”

      “Specifics. Why are you terrified of him?”

      “He’s ruthless. Nothing I ever did was good enough for him. If I screwed up, he beat the shit out of me. If I mouthed off, he beat the shit out of me.”

      “Just you, or your siblings too?”

      “I don’t know if he ever hit them. They’re older than me, and by the time I was old enough to be his punching bag they were out of the house.”

      “And you never asked them?”

      Shaking his head, he said, “Until now, I’ve never told anyone that he hit me.”

      “Did your mother know?”

      “I think she did, but she never said anything, and she certainly didn’t try to stop it.”

      “So she wasn’t in the room when he hit you?”

      “Never. It was only ever the two of us.”

      “Why didn’t you tell me this the other day?”

      “Because! It’s not something I just blab about. I know who he is and what people think of him. Who’s going to believe me over him?”

      “I believe you, Josh.”

      He stopped moving, and his shoulders sagged, as if he’d been relieved of a weighty burden. “You do? Really?”

      “Yeah, I do. I’ve been in this business a lot of years, and I know the difference between someone who’s playing the sympathy card and someone who’s been the victim of violence.”

      At that, he stood up straighter again. “I am not a victim. I’m a survivor. Huge difference.”

      “You’re right. There is a huge difference.”

      “I can’t stay here. He’s going to find me, and when he does, he’ll kill me.”

      Sam exchanged glances with Freddie, who looked as tense as she felt. “Give me a minute to talk to my partner, okay? We’ll figure something out.”

      Josh didn’t acknowledge her question or her statement, so Sam turned and took Freddie by the arm. “Hallway.”

      They stepped outside the room.

      “You’ve got a key?”

      “Yeah.”

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