Tanner’s gut burned.
“Okay, don’t visit the garage. Call him. Tell him you understand, and you’ll man up.”
Sometimes that’s all the bad guys needed to hear. Bullies never questioned their power of intimidation. They’d expect Ray to fall like a house of cards. And it would buy them more time.
“Listen, I know it’s hard, but you need to keep acting like everything’s normal. Keep saying you forgot your stash at home.”
Ray popped his gum in loud bursts.
“Look, Thanksgiving is next week. I’ll have the drug results shortly after. You said people won’t be partying too much before they take off. You’re going home, right?”
“I don’t know if I can do this, Professor McBride. What if someone else dies?”
Ray’s gum-smacking grated on his nerves. “Jemma’s death was probably related to her heart murmur.”
Part of him hoped Ray was being paranoid about the drugs being laced. He expected shit like this in Afghanistan. He didn’t expect it here.
“So, what am I supposed to do until then? Ask people for their medical history? Fuck, man. You’ve got no idea how this works.”
“Ray, you know I’ve been in a lot of tough situations. You need to follow my advice here.”
When the kid looked up, his acne-pocked face crumpled. “I’ll try, but it’s so hard.”
He patted the kid’s back before he realized it. “Ray, you’ve got a real future ahead of you. Your latest article was incredible. You have everything it takes to make an incredible lawyer.”
His whole face lit up. “Really?”
“Give me a little more time to look into things. The only alternative is for you to leave school.”
Tanner heard voices outside. Tensed. They were taking too long.
“It’ll raise questions though. Staying here and acting normal is better. I know it’s hard, but you need to keep calm. Now, you need to go. We’ll talk after class next time.”
“Thanks. It helps knowing you’re on my side.”
“Thank me by getting through this. Call me if you need to.”
The kid programmed Tanner’s number into his cell, and then scurried out of the room and down the empty hallway. Walking back to his desk, Tanner was reminded of how much pressure he’d lived under while he was overseas.
It had found him again.
People’s lives were on the line. One had already died.
He was tired of it. Maybe he needed to finally consider the worst possibility. Was it time to give up journalism? How could he stand it anymore? Was anywhere safe?
Seeing this kind of death and danger in Dare might finally break him.
He picked up his tattered leather valise. He’d washed blood off it in too many countries to count. He couldn’t seem to throw it away and buy a new one. It had become a part of him.
Fingering the hole a stray bullet had left in the leather, he walked out of his office, listening to every sound—a habit he wasn’t sure he’d ever shake.
Fuck.
Chapter 27
Pretending to date Tanner made Meredith believe in karma for the first time in her life.
Being with him was driving her insane. He was always touching her—at the coffee shop, on the street. Tonight they were at Hairy’s, being blasted by a Denver-based Irish band appropriately named The Bangers.
Tanner was playing with her hair again. It wasn’t a friendly touch either. No siree.
His sneaky hand always reached up to rub her back when they were walking somewhere. He pressed his leg against hers whenever they were sitting close. And who could forget the absentminded kisses on her forehead, cheek, and neck? But he hadn’t kissed her on the mouth.
You want him to kiss you on the mouth again. Admit it.
The familiar voice made her grind her teeth. Did she need medication? Seriously, was she going crazy? Like Howard Hughes and his milk bottles crazy?
I won’t let up until you do what you really want to do.
They’d only been undercover for less than a week. What in the hell was she going to do? Explode probably. He had her hotter than a lead coffee cup, and she wasn’t cooling down any time soon.
“Something the matter?” Tanner murmured close to her ear as the band announced a break in their set. He wrapped his arm around her, of course, looking ridiculously hot in a simple white shirt and jeans.
Yes, she almost responded. My alter ego has gone rogue and won’t stop talking about you.
Oh, stop bitching.
“No. Why would it be?”
He tilted his head to the side. “You need to work on lying. You’re terrible.”
He placed a kiss on her cheek before she saw it coming.
“And stop frowning. You’re supposed to be crazy about me.”