Page 47 of Letting Go
“Yeah? Well, I think it’s safe to say I like you, but that’s not surprising when you’re so damn sweet, almost too sweet … like sugar.” He moves slightly closer and leans next to me against the kitchen counter. I nod, not trusting my voice. His eyes darken and—oh Mylanta, is he going to kiss me right now?!His hand slides up my arm and he brushes a piece of hair off my face, tucking it behind my ear. My traitorous body leans toward him, and a small whimper escapes at his touch. I seriously have zero cool when it comes to this guy. Just as I think he’s about to kiss me, his phone rings, jolting us both out of the magical moment.
“Uh, excuse me, I need to step out and take this.” His eyes are filled with regret, as he squeezes my arm before walking toward the door. I find myself hoping he regrets the interruption and not what almost happened. “This is Agent Bennett.” He closes the door and steps on the porch. I press on my cheeks and forehead. Am I sweating?
Very sexy, Vivian. Way to be play it cool with Sexy Special Agent Man.
I rush over to my purse and quickly spray a few spritz of my travel perfume on my wrists before he finishes his call then pour myself a glass of ice water to cool off a little. I think he should come with a warning: may result in drenched panties or potential explosion from hotness. I chuckle at my own joke as he walks back in a few minutes later.
“Unfortunately, that call means I’m needed back at the office. But I am grateful I was able to deliver your coffee, or … your sister’s coffee to you?” Walker scrunches his brows and tilts his head, both of us obviously figuring out my sister’s angle. I move to the front door to walk him out and lean against the door as he turns to me.
"When do you think you’ll be in Nashville next?”
“Eloise has an appointment at the end of next week, but I have to be honest, I’m debating cancelling it or seeing if we could do a virtual therapy session instead. Even though they are never as effective as in-person for her.” I hate that I’m even debating cancelling it but I must put our safety above all else, and with the escalation of the anonymous threats and Trent’s murder unsolved, I don’t feel like I have another option.
“Why would you cancel it? I thought you said it was starting to really make a difference.”
“Oh, it is, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable going go to a park in Nashville with everything going on.” He narrows his eyes trying to connect the dots. “Her therapist suggested incorporating some physical play after sessions to help Eloise process everything, giving her a physical outlet for feelings she may not be able to articulate. So, I like to take her to the nearby park instead of riding in a car for an hour immediately following a session, but to be honest, I just don’t know that it’s safe for us to do that right now.”
“Will you do me a favor? Don’t cancel it yet, let me check on something first.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Oh, I have an idea, Sugar.” Walker starts texting away on his phone and I’m not sure what his goal is, but I think I love that he is willing to try and solve a potential problem, if only to give me peace of mind. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he just made me swoon again. He looks up and gives me one of his dazzling smiles that makes me feel more things than I should.
Oh, crap on a cracker, he definitely made me swoon again.
Chapter twenty-five
Walker
When Vivian mentioned she was debating canceling Eloise’s upcoming therapy appointment in Nashville, I knew I could help ensure Eloise still got to play while keeping both her and Vivian safe. I would like to think I would offer to help anyone in that situation, but I refuse to think too much about it.
I pull into the parking spot and my sidekick pants in excitement, adding a little slobber to my truck’s interior. I’ve been working insane hours lately and feel bad I’ve barely seen Ghost. The other week, I felt so guilty about it that Christine connected me with a dog nanny friend of hers who takes care of dogs during the day, like a doggy daycare but in their homes. When I suggested helping secure the park for Vivian and Eloise, it presented the added perk of getting Ghost out of the house. A friendly dog also adds to my cover that I’m just a guy at the park with some friends and my dog, not an FBI Agent watching for threats or stalkers.
We planned on meeting at 2:30 p.m. and checking the time, I see I have five minutes to spare. I take a quick drink of my iced tea as my Bluetooth announces an incoming text.
Vivian
Sorry, Eloise’s session went a little long. She is just finishing up, but the offices are right across the street from the park. We will be there in five minutes!
Me
Perfect, see you then. I’ll be in the lot next to a big black truck, can’t miss me, right by the playground structure that looks like a giant pirate ship.
It’s been a little over a week since I last saw Vivian, despite wishing I had a good reason to drive back to Forrest Falls. I don’t dwell on about why I want to see her and stay focused on the case. We are making some progress on the cases, but we still haven’t found the big break I know we need to really crack this thing wide open.
One of the task members, Kelly, discovered that four months after Diego Garcia was killed in Miami, an investment group out of New York City purchased land that Mr. Garcia had owned. Without children, most of Mr. Garcia’s estate went to a niece that is a second-grade schoolteacher in Miami. Kelly learned Mr. Garcia’s niece sold multiple pieces of land that Mr. Garcia owned but he said this particular sale went for twenty percent over the listing price. When we looked further into the investment group, we confirmed the group is managed by associates of the New York City-based Bianchi crime family, which has started to expand into Miami in the last eighteen months. The connection doesn’t prove anything, but it is another link between one of our sniper’s victims and a crime organization.
Compiling information like this helps us expand on the theory the sniper is somehow connected to multiple criminal organizations. Independently these facts don’t tell us that much but when they are all put together, we can start to see a pattern and hopefully identify a mistake that allows us to blow everything wide open.
The task force has been busy chasing every possible lead. Harlow believes the sniper could be some kind of intermediary hitman because so far, the sniper’s victims have not been in direct conflict with whatever criminal organization their death may be connected to but have connections to someone that does have a direct affiliation with a criminal organization.
Mason uncovered evidence that it’s reasonable to conclude Miss Nguyen’s relationship with Van Tran was ongoing and they were very much together at the time of her death, despite Miss Nguyen’s daughter’s claims. Tran’s rap sheet screams mafia affiliate so Mason is now investigating his networks, while also having our bureau contacts in Cleveland explore any other of Tran’s local connections that may help our theory of these deaths being connected to criminal organizations.
Tara and Mason further investigated Jim O’Malley’s connections, specifically those of his nephew, Carter O’Malley. We know that whatever Carter does for the McCarthy family, his skills are valuable enough that Carter personally is worth protecting. However, that protection does not extend to his family members. Some of Carter’s digital footprint appears too clean to Mason, and he’s pursuing why that may be with a technology specialist out of Quantico. He is operating heavily on his gut but believes Carter may be providing some kind of technology services for the McCarthy family. Depending on the skill and level of involvement, it could justify his value to the criminal organization, but if that is true, then what happened that led to his uncle’s murder? Mr. O’Malley’s death may have been because of something else and his nephew’s connections are coincidental, but I don’t believe in coincidence. These are more questions we do not have the answers to yet, but we will answer them one way or another.
Vivian reacts with a thumbs up to my text message as I grab a water for myself from the small refrigerator under my backseat. It’sa ridiculous custom add-on but when my brother and his wife had babies at home, it became a standard add-on to our trucks. I have honestly never considered the needs of a breastfeeding mother but apparently having access to refrigerators is helpful when traveling with babies. I didn’t ask questions when it became standard, I just now appreciate that I always have cold water in my truck. Closing the backdoor, I slide my black Texas Tycoons hat on backwards as Vivian pulls into the parking spot behind my truck. I can’t help the genuine smile that stretches across my face as she gets out of her car. She has her hair tied up in a messy ponytail, a white V-neck T-shirt, snug jeans that fit her perfectly, and classic canvas tennis shoes. She looks like my very own all American wet dream incarnate.
“Hi! I’m so sorry we’re a few minutes late,” she throws over her shoulder, walking to open the backdoor of her SUV.
