Dan shrugged. “Maybe nothing. Even if her ex was suspicious of the way she took off without a word or thought she knew more than made him comfortable, he would have been a fool to jump the gun and come after her in any way that called more attention to her, or their relationship.”
“That’s my thought. If he played it smart, he’d show concern about her whereabouts or make up a story about them splitting up. But if IA now questions him and his partner?” Grayson’s jaw went rigid as he thought of the jeopardy Avery had placed herself in by sending those files to IA. Despite the risk of that department suspecting her right from the get-go, she had alerted Lancaster and Banks she was through with hiding.
“I can tell by your face you know the answer to that. They may not be willing to ignore her any longer. Best case scenario – the two of them cut their losses and leave the country.”
“That would make this too fucking easy to resolve.” Grayson sighed, running one hand through his hair.
Dan slapped his hat back on and got to his feet. “Do some discreet investigating and get back to me. I’ll help in whatever way I can. She’s a sweetheart, and much braver than I would have labeled her, considering everything.”
“Yeah, she is, and I’ll make sure she stays safe.”
With a thumbs up as he pivoted to leave, Dan returned, “We both will. Later.”
Chicago – two days later
Darren slid into the passenger seat of Chad’s car, slammed the door and threw the bag of cocaine and money on the floor in a fit of temper. “Fuck!”
Starting the car, Chad pulled out of the apartment complex parking lot as he bit out, “What now?”
“Her apartment has been rented out to someone else following, I’m sure, a thorough cleaning. Since the landlord stored her things, I couldn’t very well stash the stuff now. Bitch,” he swore.
“I warned you,” Chad reminded him.
“Shut up. Hell, I never imagined that meek mouse would get up the nerve to contact IA, not with the chance it could backfire on her.”
Surprise and fury didn’t begin to describe what both Darren and Chad had felt when Internal Affairs called them in that morning and asked them to look at the contradicting reports e-mailed by an anonymous sender over the weekend. Wesley, the detective in charge of investigating both the source and the discrepancies, hadn’t appeared suspicious of either them or Avery, but that meant nothing. So far, they hadn’t drilled Darren on his relationship with Avery or questioned him about her abrupt resignation, but that was only a matter of time.
“We either need to split the country and retire early or track her down, and I, for one, am not ready to cash in. Close, but not yet, not if I want to have enough to spend the next thirty years on a warm island with no extradition back here,” Darren said. “I’ll start combing through airline and
bus rosters, see what I can find.”
Chad turned into the parking garage of their condo building where they each enjoyed their own place. “No need. Pack up and get ready for a long drive on Friday. We’re going to Montana.”
“What the hell for?” Darren snapped, not bothering to stifle his worry and irritation.
“Because that’s where I traced your fucking girlfriend. She got a speeding ticket heading west on the highway between Billings and some bumfuck place called Willow Springs. We start there. Since we’re off on Friday due to the stakeout tomorrow night, that will give us just enough time to drive there, take care of her and get back here late Sunday night.”
Darren sent his partner a questioning frown as they walked toward the elevator. “She doesn’t drive, or at least not since I’ve known her. I didn’t even know she had a license let alone a car.”
“It seems there’s a lot you don’t know about Avery Pierce,” Chad shot back.
Darren punched the number for his floor without commenting. Damned if Chad wasn’t right. Again.
For the fifth morning in a row, Avery awoke in Grayson’s bed, spooned with her buttocks nestled against his groin as he rubbed his cock between them. She pushed back, loving the feel of his rigid hardness gliding up her damp seam to spread her juices along the sensitive path and over her rear entrance.
“You’re almost ready to take me here,” he whispered in her ear as he thrust his cock head against her anus, his deep voice and tight hold around her waist drawing a shiver.
“So you keep saying.” She wasn’t sure if she was looking forward to that new experience or dreading it, only that she was tired of waiting.
“I’ll fuck your ass when I think you’re ready and not before. In the meantime…” Rolling her beneath him, he shackled her wrists above her head and crushed her mouth with his, swallowing her breathy moan.
Avery bucked beneath him and he pinned her hips with his, dipping his head to one straining nipple. The sharp sting from his bite fed her arousal as much as his tight hold, making it easy for him to slide his now sheathed erection between her slick folds. She wrapped her legs around his hips and locked her ankles, his lower back muscles bunching under her heels as he reared back and began the steady, pounding rhythm she had come to crave.
I love waking this way. The idle admission slithered past the slow fogging of her brain as he drove into her quivering sheath over and over. He’d surprised her Monday morning when he’d driven her into town to pick up her car at the tow shop and she discovered he’d paid for new snow tires to replace the worn treads. A warmth had invaded her chest when he’d announced she would stay with him without offering her a chance to refuse or putting a time limit on it. Happiness she hadn’t felt in ages, if ever, filled her with joy when he’d taken her out to eat at the steakhouse, the only pricey, fine dining establishment in Willow Springs. After lots of wine and a decadent filet mignon topped with an even more decadent chocolate cheesecake, they’d driven out to Caden’s to play cards with him, Sydney and Connor who was still bunking at their place. He’d been so attentive, overprotective and demanding the past few days, she didn’t know whether to bask in his undivided attention or smack him for not sparing her time to make a move without him or his permission.
Avery tightened her thighs, her breathing turning shallow as he plowed into her quivering pussy with heavy grunts of exertion. Small contractions clutched at his invading flesh, her abundant cream easing his way as his shaft jerked against her clamping muscles.
“Fucking yes. Now, Avery,” he demanded, huffing as he took her harder, faster.