Chapter Nine

Christian's nerves, already sparking from the taser, were on edge. The thought of Aja Blue being alone with a killer on the loose was almost more than he could bear. The cop pulled up to the station and found a parking spot. He opened the door and helped Christian out.

Christian had decided not to say another word. The man would find out soon when hell rained down on him in the form of Luke Colton and Logan Bradley.

A black man in a starched uniform with several medals waited for them when they entered the door. "Officer Lange, what did you do to this man?"

"Captain Parsa, sir, I didn't do anything."

"His eyes are bloodshot, and his face is bruised and bleeding."

"I got him in that condition. I responded to a call, and Officer Cranny was getting ready to bring him in. I told him to stay at the scene."

"Lange, uncuff him now."

"But captain, we've got him for murder and resisting arrest."

"You've got the wrong guy, officer. Mr. Zamora, you have friends in high places. I didn't expect to speak with the attorney general today."

It paid to have an in with the President of the United States.

"I apologize on behalf of the department for the inconvenience you were caused."

"It was more than an inconvenience. It was brutality. Your other guy double-tased me without provocation. Neither read me my rights nor checked for weapons, and I'm carrying."

Officer Lange's face turned fire-engine red. "I thought Cranny took care of that."

Captain Parsa looked duly pissed. "That wouldn't have meant much if he had pulled his pistol and shot you in the back."

Lange swallowed heavily.

"Mr. Zamora, I'd like to talk to you in my office."

"With all due respect, captain, I need to get back to the crime scene. The woman I'm protecting was left alone."

"We've got eyes on her. She's safe."

Christian let out his first deep breath since he'd been shot with 30,000 volts. Twice. Knowing people with guns surrounded Aja Blue helped. Granted, he didn't trust the cops like he did his coworkers, but seeing authority figures would most likely scare off any other attempts.

"Lange, head to your desk and await my call."

Lange's head dropped. "Yes, sir."

The cop resembled a popped balloon as he trudged to the bullpen where the officers had cubicles.

"Go easy on him," Christian said, feeling magnanimous now that he knew Aja Blue was being guarded. "It's Cranny who caused the problems."

"Noted."

Christian followed Captain Parsa to a glass-walled office that was almost compulsively tidy. No stray papers, dust, or coffee cups littered the desk or matching credenza. Books and trinkets were arranged neatly on a bookcase. Several awards and accommodations decorated the back wall, along with photos of the captain with people Christian assumed were important in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach area.

Parsa rounded the desk and sat, indicating that Christian should follow suit.

"Tell me what happened."

Christian relayed the story, ending with the fake nurse and dead man. He didn't mention it to the captain, but he'd noticed cameras in the parking lot. He had no doubt the detectives would request copies, but he didn't have time to wait for red tape. As soon as he left the station, he would call the office and ask them to acquire the feed. So, it wasn't exactly legal. No biggie. He didn't need to follow the rules and build an airtight case. He needed to keep Aja Blue safe.

#

It took forever for Detective Herbert to explain the situation to the other detective. Aja Blue should be glad that she didn't have to stick around and answer questions, but she was eager to get to the police station to see Christian. She needed to assure herself he was okay. Watching him convulse in pain would give her nightmares for weeks to come.

She wasn't sure what to do about her and Christian's SUVs. He had the keys to his, so she couldn't drive it. She retrieved her purse and locked the doors from the inside. The trackers were still attached to her Land Rover, so it wouldn't be safe to use since it could easily be traced.

A thought struck. Whoever was after her had ramped up their efforts, big time. Attempted kidnapping kicked it into the felony arena. It made her fear for her employees. What if the person returned with a gun instead of spray paint?

Sara Lea, Darwin, and Marla could do their jobs remotely. She pulled out the phone Christian had given her and called the office.

"Aja Blue Designs. How may I help you today?"

"Sara Lea, it's Aja Blue."

"Hey, boss."

"Any more trouble there?"

"No. Have you talked to Jay?"

"Not yet. Listen, I don't want you guys to be there until the vandal is arrested. Close up shop, and the three of you can work from home until further notice."

"Are you sure? We can handle a little spray paint. Darwin's talking about ordering a taser from some special ops website."

Great. Just what they needed. She'd seen firsthand the effects of one of those torture devices. Darwin was lucky if he could walk and chew gum at the same time. Putting a device capable of startling an elephant in his hands wasn't a good idea.

"Tell him to save his money. We'll stay in contact via email and text. I'll let you know when it's safe to return to the office."

"Okay. I'll tell them now. Aja Blue?"

"Yes?"

"You'll let me know when you talk to Jay?"

The fear in Sara Lea's voice was palpable. Aja Blue should know since she felt it too. "I will."

She disconnected and tried Jay's number, disappointed but not surprised when it kicked instantly to voicemail.

"Ready to go?"

She spun toward the voice. "Yes." She hurried after Detective Herbert, whose long strides quickly ate up the distance. Soon, they were on the way to the station.

"That was good detective work," Herbert praised.

Aja Blue swung her gaze from the passing scenery to the cop. "Me?"

"Yes. Finding Darius and the video. It was quick thinking. Hell, half a dozen cops were standing around shooting the breeze. You saw them. You were proactive and got the evidence needed to prove Mr. Zamora's innocence."

Aja Blue warmed at the praise. Her only thought at the time was to clear Christian's name. Anything else was secondary. "Am I going to have to answer questions for hours?"

"Probably."

They both laughed.

"The video will fill in many blanks." With a sideways glance, the detective added, "You're lucky to have Mr. Zamora watching out for you."

That she was. It still floored her that he had dropped everything when she'd told him she was in trouble. "Do you think they put him in a cell?" The thought of him mixed in with thugs and lawbreakers made her shiver in fear. He could care for himself, but some criminals didn't play fair.

Detective Herbert chuckled. "Uh, no. If the video you secured hadn't cleared his name, a call from the United States attorney general would've done it."

"No kidding?" Wow, that was some serious firepower. He'd mentioned something about the president being a personal friend of the company. His coworker's son had saved her granddaughter from a child predator and secured her undying loyalty.

"Have you thought of anyone else who might target you?"

She hadn't told the detective about Polly and her boyfriend, Dirk, so she did, giving as many details as possible.

"You think this Haines character might have something to do with it?"

"I could see him going after me, my office, and my condo, but there would be no reason to include my assistant in the vandalism. He wouldn't even know about him."

"Have you talked to your assistant yet?"

"No. He's unreachable. I want to file a missing person report on him now."

"We'll take care of that at the station."

Soon, they were pulling into a lot scattered with police vehicles, regular cars, and trucks. Detective Herbert parked next to an identical sedan.

When they entered the building, a woman said, "The captain is waiting for you in his office."

"Thanks, Janet."

Aja Blue took in the surroundings. There was a loud buzz of chatter and ringing phones. It smelled of coffee and sweat. People were coming and going; a woman was sobbing, and a man was getting sick in a trash can. She averted her eyes. It was chaos. This kind of environment would give her an ulcer.

Detective Herbert knocked on a closed door, and when instructed to come in, she twisted the knob.

"Christian!"

Aja Blue ran to him and hugged him, not caring that they had an audience. She was so happy to see him. "How are you doing?"

"Better now that I know you're okay."

She pulled back and looked at his face. His eyes were still red, but there was an added scrape on his cheek.

"You must be Ms. LaLonde. I'm Captain Parsa."

Suddenly embarrassed at her display, she stepped back and turned toward the man before shaking his outstretched hand.

"Captain, we have a problem," Detective Herbert told him. "Can I use your screen?"

At his nod, she turned on the television hanging on the wall, paired her phone, and then played Darius's video. Aja Blue noticed Christian's jaw clench when it showed the man dragging her away. When the cop tased him, she couldn't watch. Living through it had been bad enough.

After it played through once, the detective rewound to where the nurse leaned close to the man on the ground.

Christian's back stiffened. "She injected him with something."

"She sure did. I'll ensure the medical examiner checks for toxins," the captain said, picking up his desk phone. As soon as he hung up, another knock sounded.

"Captain? Officer Cranny returned his car, but he's not here, nor is he answering his phone."

"Thanks. Keep trying."

"Will do."

"Cranny didn't call in that he was at the crime scene," Captain Parsa informed them.

"He arrived right after the nurse announced the man was dead," Christian recalled. "At the time, I thought it was too soon for anyone to have called it in, but then I assumed he'd been close."

Captain Parsa's mouth firmed. "He was in on it."

The next few hours were a blur of questions, official statements, and Aja Blue filing a missing person report on Jay. She hated to do it if he was off regrouping, but it was his fault. He should've stayed in touch. She only hoped he was recognized while lounging on a beach in Barbados or some similar island paradise.

When they were finally allowed to leave, Aja Blue was exhausted. Christian guided her out of the station and toward a black SUV.

She stopped in her tracks. "How did that get here?"

Christian wagged his brows, which looked strange with his bloodshot eyes and the butterfly bandage one of the cops had applied to his cut. "I whistled, and my trusty steed followed."

She gave him a droll look. If she weren't exhausted, she probably would've laughed.

He chuckled. "Okay, so I don't have any idea. I got a text from the office saying it was waiting for us." He shrugged. "I don't know how they do it."

"What about my Land Rover? It's still in the parking lot."

"I talked to the captain, and he had it towed to the police impound lot. We can pick it up there later. That ought to throw off the people tracking you."

It warmed her heart that he'd thought about her car. Christian opened her door, and she climbed inside. He waited for her to buckle up before closing the door and rounding the hood to slide behind the wheel. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Getting electrocuted does that to a person."

"Don't joke about that." Her raised voice in the confines of the SUV echoed loudly. A shudder ran through her body, remembering the helpless, hopeless feeling when he'd been writhing in pain, and there was nothing she could do to help. She didn't know him well, but he'd become one of the most important people in her life.

"Aja Blue, honey, I'm okay."

Somehow, he'd released her seat belt and pulled her onto his lap. She didn't realize she was violently shaking until he wrapped his arms around her and calmed her twitching limbs. The warmth of his body and the solid feel of his muscles cocooned her in a blanket of security. Leaning against him, she absorbed his strength, and her body relaxed. Usually, she was the rock. People came to her for reassurance and guidance. But not right now.

Christian ran a hand down her hair. "I didn't mean to joke about it. Almost getting abducted is frightening, to say the least. I know I'll be having nightmares about it."

She shook her head. "It wasn't that." She sat up and looked into his beautiful blue eyes, which were ringed with red because of her. "It was seeing you in pain and not being able to do anything about it. My heart couldn't take it."

"Oh, babe."

He slid his hands around her face, and then he kissed her tenderly, and Aja Blue whimpered at the contact. It was sweet and comforting, but she wanted more. She needed him. In a flash, the kiss turned hot and demanding. Tongues dueled, breaths mingled, and they became one. If not for the peel of a nearby siren, she'd have stripped him naked and had her way with him in front of the metro police station.

When they broke the kiss, both breathed heavily. Aja Blue stroked his face, careful of the abrasion on his cheek. Then she slid back into her seat and refastened her belt.

Christian started the SUV and backed out of the space. He asked the onboard navigation system for a restaurant recommendation, and soon, he pulled into a place that advertised the freshest seafood on the Eastern Seaboard.

"Have you been here before?"

Aja Blue shook her head. "No, but I've been meaning to try it. It gets glowing reviews."

She stepped out and joined Christian in front of the vehicle. He grabbed her hand, and they entered the restaurant. The dress code was casual, which was good since they'd both had a rough day and didn't look their best.

They were seated in a booth beside a window overlooking the water. Although Aja Blue stared at the menu, she wasn't seeing anything. Her mind kept replaying that kiss. It was mind-blowing. Life-changing. She was dangerously close to falling in love with Christian Zamora.

A server appeared and placed hot rolls in front of them before taking their drink order.

"Everything looks delicious," Christian remarked. "What do you recommend?"

Obviously, he wasn't having trouble focusing. She shook her head and perused the offerings as the server espoused the day's specials. The garlic shrimp linguini looked scrumptious but was not conducive to possible after-dinner activities, i.e., more kissing. She chose the pan-seared tuna while Christian ordered grilled salmon.

When the server left, Aja Blue focused on the gorgeous man across from her. Time to get to know Christian Zamora better.