He kissed her cheek then squeezed her naked body against his. His warm breath caressed her ear. His hands smoothed over her ass and back, and she felt his erection against her belly.
“I love you, baby. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms in bed.” He kissed her ear and then walked away, closing the door behind him.
Chastity turned toward the mirror and her battered skin. The tears flowed from her eyes, and her heart ached. She loved them both so much. But it seemed like this wouldn’t last. Their love wouldn’t survive, just like the other things in her life.
She stepped into the shower and cringed at the ache the flowing water caused against her cuts and bruises. She absorbed that pain and accepted it, for nothing was as bad as the pain in her heart. Nothing would be worse than losing the love of Riker and Nash.
* * * *
“Riker, Nash, sit down,” Commander Samone told them as they sat in a small sitting area away from the other agents and their friends.
“What is it?” Nash asked.
He could tell that his commander looked grim and angry. “Your friends Cash and Zane found out some interesting information. This man, Desi Merdock, knew Maggie.”
“We know that. We just don’t know how,” Nash stated.
“Cash and Zane found out that her apartment lease was in Desi’s name,” Samone stated.
“What does that mean?” Riker asked.
“Our agents took it a few steps further. I don’t know how to tell you this, Nash. But she was working with Desi. They, along with a guy named Luke Propell, are the heavies for that drug operation you two were working. It seems she was sent in to set you two up.”
“No. No fucking way. Where did you get this information?” Nash asked, raising his voice and rising from the chair. He drew everyone’s attention.
“As you know, we have Luke in custody. After a bit of questioning, we found out that Maggie was sent to seduce the two of you. She then was told to get you two to the marina, where she helped set up the bomb to kill you. She was supposed to leave the boat. Luke said that their boss had other
men set the bomb that exploded as back up, in case Maggie failed. You were both getting too close and were going to figure out the leader of the operation.”
Nash couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Maggie had used him and Riker? Maggie had lied about her feelings for them? She manipulated them into bed? She seduced them? He had struggled with her death for the last two years. He hadn’t fully lived his life out of guilt.
“Nash?” Riker said his name and placed his hand on his shoulder.
Nash pulled away. “I don’t fucking believe this.”
“I know you’re upset. But right now, as we speak, the team is gathering more evidence. We got leads on some locations, and the operation headquarters, Nash. We’re within reach of taking down the operation, and the leader that caused all this shit,” Commander Samone said.
Nash looked at Riker. He couldn’t help the betrayal he felt and the anger toward Maggie and the agency. Now Chastity knew Desi. How?
“Have the agents investigated Chastity?” he asked and felt the bile fill his throat at even thinking she was part of this, never mind saying the words.
“What the fuck are you thinking? You don’t really believe that she’s involved?” Riker asked this time, raising his voice.
Now their friends joined the conversation.
“No way. There’s no way that she’s involved,” Cash told them.
“How do you know? How do we fucking know?” Nash raised his voice.
“She has no family. She came here from Charlotte to start a new life,” Zane told Nash.
“And you know this how? How did she get involved with Colt? How come she doesn’t have any family? What if she’s involved with this, too? What if she seduced us like Maggie did?”
“You don’t believe that, do you, Nash?”
Everyone turned to see Chastity, standing in the doorway. Her hair was wet, and she wore a light green sundress and was barefoot.
Nash felt his gut clench. He feared everything. He felt so confused.