Page 48 of Irresistible

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Two Months Later

Brock walked out of the station and felt the breeze brush across his face. It was done. Thank God. No one had agreed with his decision, and they’d tried everything to convince him to change his mind. But he wouldn’t. Or, more accurately…couldn’t.

Accepting responsibility for his actions and living with the consequences meant that he could move on. Which is exactly what he meant to do. He had a new career in the private sector that he was actually looking forward to. TRG wanted him to start right away and had a list of assignments for him the moment he walked through the door.

Loren followed with his union representative and was deep in conversation. It didn’t seem like there was much left to discuss after he resigned. Maybe they were talking about another case. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he entered his password and was greeted with a picture of Lilly. The sudden sharp pain was something he expected and almost welcomed. It told him that the work he was doing had a purpose.

The last two months he’d spent with a counselor had been about as pleasant as he’d expected. Facing his demons and feelings was harder work than he ever would’ve guessed. But it was work that had to be done if he wanted to find his way back to Lilly.

Every day was meant to take him one step closer to that possibility, and he’d made sure to keep her updated on his progress. Every day, he’d sent her a long email telling her about his day and what he’d been doing. It took a month for her to reciprocate, but she finally had. There was no way he was going to lose the connection with her while he got himself together, so he was relieved when she didn’t shut him out.

Loren walked toward him and gave him a small smile. She wasn’t happy with him, but that was something he could live with. What he couldn’t live with was a protracted fight with the department. He was happy with the resolution they’d come to and figured she would be eventually. “Can I buy my lawyer lunch?”

“Another day. I have to get back to the office and draft the final agreement so I can get it over to Drew’s attorney. I’m not taking the chance of them changing their minds. I want his signature on it by tomorrow.”

“Thank you for everything.”

Punching him in the arm, she shook her head. “No thank-you necessary. You’re family, and I couldn’t very well leave you in the hands of the department. Even if you didn’t take my advice.”

“I used excessive force, and I had to accept the consequences. This way it’s done and I can move on.”

“You could’ve kept your job if you’d really wanted to.”

“But at what price?” Leaning back, he crossed his arms. “I’m actually looking forward to working for TRG. It may be a better fit for me and my skill set. Uncle Sam spent over a million dollars training me, and I’d like to get as much use out of it as I can.”

“Makes sense. Standing out on the highway and interviewing people is probably not the best use of your talent.” After setting her briefcase down, she rolled her shoulders. “I’m impressed with TRG. They’ve done a great job with Lilly’s house, and the electronic tracking program they have is like nothing I’ve seen before. I’ve recommended them to a bunch of people, and I’m using them for the new client I have.”

“I’m going to be working in the Risk Management and Executive Protection Divisions. I also told them I would teach classes in their Ready Department.”

“Are you going to be traveling, or do they plan to keep you in the States?”

“I told them that I didn’t want international assignments. If I hope to convince Lilly to take me on, then I need to be here, not on the other side of the world. I’ve spent most of the last eight years OCONUS, and I want to stay home and build a future.”

“I’m proud of you.” Tilting her head, she studied him. “I wanted to kill you after I saw how upset my sister was, but I see now it was the best thing that could’ve happened. You could’ve taken the easy road and bluffed your way through, but you chose to get yourself healthy.”

“You think Lilly agrees with you, or is she done waiting?”

“Can’t really say. That is something you have to ask her.”

Not exactly what he wanted to hear, but he respected the sister code of solidarity. “I’m about ready to do just that.”

“I’d better get out of here.” Opening her arms, she gave him a hug. “I’ll let you know when I receive the signed agreement.”

“Thanks, Loren.” He waited for her to pick up her briefcase and walk toward her car before he did the same. Once he was in his truck, he sent a text asking Lilly when she would be available to come by his house. He had a lot to tell her, and he wanted her to see how he’d spent the last two months. He hoped to God she approved of what he’d done.

Just as he was about to pull out, his phone buzzed with a call. Lifting it up, he didn’t recognize the number. “Landry,” he answered. “Are you sure? Okay, on my way.” Throwing the truck into gear, he drove out of the lot and prayed his heart wouldn’t explode. How in the hell had Ruth managed to escape her halfway house? If she was headed toward Lilly, he was going to make damn sure she encountered him first. As he drove toward the highway, he called Lilly’s cell phone. If he was lucky, she would answer and he could make sure she stayed inside until he could get there. When the call got dumped into voice mail, he cursed. Slamming his hands on the steering wheel, he took the last corner on three wheels. He left her a message and hoped to God she got it in time. His next call was to TRG. When his new boss answered his call, he gave him a quick download and let him know he was on the way. He thought about calling Pete and asking for backup but decided against it. He had no idea if Ruth was headed for Lilly, and he knew the police couldn’t respond to a what-if call.

***

As he made his way through the streets that would lead to Lilly’s townhome, he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of Ruth. He had no idea if she had access to a car. For all he knew, she could be in a taxi. He’d studied the file back in January when Lilly had first told him about it and felt confident he would recognize her.

There was also the possibility that she was nowhere near here and had in fact been cured of her obsession. At least, that’s what the doctors out at the forensic unit had said in their report. Not that he believed a word of it. The state hospital was overcrowded, and they’d probably made a decision based on that and not Ruth’s recovery from schizophrenia and the ten other things she suffered from.

As he turned onto Lilly’s street, he noticed it was quiet with only a few cars parked on the street. Driving as slowly as he dared, he checked out each vehicle and determined Ruth wasn’t hiding out in any of them. Letting out a deep breath, he sent up a prayer of thanks. Parking directly in front of Lilly’s, he turned off the truck and leaned forward, looking up at her townhome. Everything seemed quiet. Which, he knew, often didn’t mean a thing.

He pulled out his phone and called Lilly’s land line. When she didn’t answer it, he tried her cell again. While he waited for the call to connect, he checked his mirrors and noted that the street remained quiet. It was three on a Tuesday afternoon, so he expected it to be. When Lilly answered breathlessly, he almost choked. “Are you okay?”

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