Page 40 of 2nd Strike
Charlie keeps her gaze glued to the notepad she’s furiously scribbling on. “Give me two minutes. Everyone go. JJ, you stay.”
I tap Ethan on the shoulder. “Come on, kid. I’ll get you a soda. Do your parents know where you are?”
“They think I’m at a student body meeting. If they check my location though, I’m busted.”
“Do they normally do that?”
“Only when I don’t immediately respond to texts. They’re paranoid that way.”
Understandable, considering he’s a kidnapping survivor.
I step around JJ into the hallway with Matt and Ethan in tow. Matt heads for his office, no doubt to call Taylor and fill her in. And keep himself out of trouble. I feel for him. He’s stuck with his future bride on one side and Charlie and I on the other. Rational thought tells me he should align with Taylor, but this situation defies logical thinking. Involving the FBI always brings complications. More eyes on the case may not be a bad thing, but the spin-factor could lead to a total loss of control.
Once they take over, we’re out. And they’ll make quick work using Charlie as their sacrifice.
A loud bang sounds on the front door. After the run-in with a serial killer, we try to keep them locked, but admittedly, we’re all getting used to that and sometimes forget. Habits die hard and this one is no exception. It’s also a nasty confrontation with the reality of our world. We are no longer safe in our own office.
Simply devastating.
It sounds again, harder this time and enough to stop me in the center of the hallway. Matt pauses at his door and eyes me.
“Ethan,” I point to the breakroom. “Have a seat in there. Check the fridge for snacks and sodas. I’ll be there in a sec.”
He shrugs and moves off while Matt and I head for the reception area where Haley is already at the door.
“Hang on,” Matt says.
The knock comes again. “Charlize Schock! Open up.”
Female voice. Who the heck?
Haley steps back, hands up as if the handle has fried her skin. I hustle to the window and peep out the blinds. Standing there are Lily Havers, and another woman—a blonde—with heavy make-up and big hair and…oh, no.
A camera man.
I tip my head back. I’ll need to meditate for a week. “Crap.”
Matt steps toward me, his big body moving fast as he morphs to beast mode. “What is it?”
I shove my arm out to block him from the window. “It’s Lily. With a camera man and, I assume, a reporter.”
“Charlize Schock!” The reporter yells. “Open this door. With or without you, we’re live in two minutes talking about your incompetence surrounding the Havers case and your affair with JJ Carrington.”
My jaw drops.
That witch. Lily knows,knows, that JJ was an up-and-coming prosecutor during the original investigation. At the time, they were nothing more than acquaintances. Any hint of impropriety between him and the lead agent on a case could wreck both their careers. This, I will not have.
No, sir.
Charlie and JJ appear in the hallway and I meet my sister’s gaze. “Go back in your office. Both of you. I’ve got this.”
The dead last thing we need is this news crew finding him here. I was outside with JJ and didn’t see any news vans, so we may have caught a break there.
My sister takes a step closer—damn her—and something churns inside me. She’s so used to taking charge she can’t see she’s about to run headlong into a disaster.
I jab my finger at her. “Stop. Right there.” I stomp toward them as the yelling outside continues. “That’s Lily Havers and a camera crew out there. Do you want them seeing the two of you in here? Get back in your office and let me deal with it. Go.”
JJ’s head snaps back and Charlie props her hands on her hips as she skewers me with a look that’s all who-the-hell-do-you-think-you-are.
