Page 46 of Fire and Ice

"Have you seen Brett?"

"Yes. How much longer are we going to have all these bodyguards? It's so difficult to go anywhere."

"It'll be over soon, mom," Jack said affectionately. "Don't worry."

They chatted a little bit more about his brother before he hung up.

Jack made his way to his room and quickly took a shower. He opened the drawers to his dresser and saw Maia's sexy lingerie. He skimmed his fingers over them and smiled, imagining her indignant reaction at being moved without her express consent.

Jack went running that morning to accomplish two things: the first was to work off thesexual frustration that had been plaguing him since the night before—he'd never been so hard all night long. Having her snuggled into him was torture but he did not want to set her away from him. He felt the stirrings in his groin again. Damn. The run hadn't done a thing. Second was to figure out exactly what he was doing with Maia. Every word out of his mouth to her implied that he understood their two-week, just-sex arrangement, but Jack knew he would want more after that. Shit, everything with Maia was a first, and he was frustrated by her willfulness and independence. He wanted her to need him, and not just for sex.

A buzz through the intercom interrupted his introspection.

"Jack," Grace whispered urgently. "Detective Tanner is here. He is accusing Maia of lying about the grocery shooting. I think you need to get down here."

"Be right there," Jack replied. Cursing under his breath, he pulled on some clothes and made his way quickly to the first floor.

The two were facing off in the living room. Maia was looking balefully at Rick, her hands on her hips. Grace was nervously looking on from the kitchen.

"I don't care if your CSI guys can't find a trace of the guy who helped us," Maia said. "He took down Benny and his thugs, that's all that matters."

"What the hell is going on here?" Jack demanded.

"I suggest you stay out of this, McCord," Rick Tanner said. "I repeat, Miss Pierce, is there something else you want to tell me?"

"Don't answer that, Maia," Jack warned. "Shall we take this into my office?"

Fuck, Jack thought. The story about the rescuer was, at best, very lame. Could anything lead back to Maia? She'd been very thorough, she even thought to take care of the gun powder residue.

When they got into Jack's office, Rick didn't waste time repeating his question. "For the last time, Miss Pierce, is there something else you want to tell me?"

Maia crossed her arms in defiance and just glowered at the detective.

"Back off, Tanner," Jack said. "The Bannings already gave their statements, right?"

"Yes," Rick bit out.

"So what is the problem?"

Without saying another word, Rick pulled out his laptop, switched it on and turned the screen to face them.

"The surveillance cameras in the grocery were shut off," Rick said. "But the ones in the bank across the street were not. And they caught every fucking shot."

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Seven seconds," Rick Tanner said to Maia. "It took you seven fucking seconds to take down Benny and his boys. Who the fuck are you?"

Jack was reeling from what he'd seen on the video. It was grainy because it was super-enhanced, but there was no mistaking that flash of red hair in action. Maia had told him how she took out Benny, Tommy and Syd, but actually seeing the whole bloody scenario unfold was something else. He was seeing her now as the lethal weapon she was.

"It was self-defense," Maia said coldly and reached into the back of her jean skirt. Just like that, she became someone dangerous; Rick tensed and reached for his gun.

"Now wait a minute," Jack barked and got between them. "Rick, holster that, damn it!"

Tanner hesitated for a minute then looked at Jack, "You know who she is? What she is?"

Jack nodded.

"I'm going to reach for my cell and make a call," Maia said carefully realizing she had spooked the detective. "You'll have your answer, agreed?"

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