Secretly Craving You(13)

"I don't know." If it did, it probably had something to do with her showing up, but he had no proof of that yet. "Mainly, I have to keep you safe. Tell me more about the bastard who called you. What did he say again?"

She repeated what she'd told him in the bar.

"Sonofabitch," Nick muttered. The killer might have followed her here, hoping to get his hands on whatever it was he wanted, and then alerted someone in Rebel's that he was a cop. If the bastard was someone from Savannah who knew Jared well, then Jared might have told him Nick was a police officer in Atlanta.

Nick's cell phone rang and he answered.

"I'm in the lobby. Where are you?" Pierce asked.

"I'll be right down." He clicked the button ending the call and turned to Emily. "Stay in this room. Don't open the door for anyone except me, not even a hotel employee. We can't take any chances."

"Okay." Emily's skin paled. "Where are you going?"

"My partner's here. I need to talk to him in private to see what he knows."

She nodded. "Be careful."

"You too. I'll be back in about ten minutes. I wish I could stay here and keep an eye on you, but I have to see what's going on."

"I'll be fine."

Thankful she wasn't in hysterics, he impulsively stroked a thumb over the soft skin of her cheek. He admired her spunk and grit, and a hell of a lot more about her. "I'll be back soon."

* * * *

"Why the text?" Nick asked in a low tone once he and Pierce stood in a dim corner of the hotel lobby, far away from any customers or the registration desk. "Has my cover been compromised?"

"We don't know yet. Morgan's checking into it. So, who is she?" Pierce's blue eyes gleamed with curiosity and concern.

"Emily," Nick mumbled. He generally kept nothing from Pierce—he was both his partner and his best friend—but he didn't want Pierce to know what kind of off-the-charts effect Emily had on him.

"Emily? Your sister-in-law?"

"She isn't my sister-in-law anymore. She and Jared were divorced." Nick wanted to kick himself for sounding defensive.

"Right." Pierce eyed him speculatively. He was even holding back a damned grin. "Have you got a thing for her now or what?"

Annoyance welled up in him. "Why the hell would you ask that?"

Clearing his throat, Pierce plowed fingers through his short black hair. "Well—to put it mildly—Morgan said you were all over her."

"It's part of my cover to be all over women."

"Maybe so, but he said you were acting different. You weren't paying attention to anything around you. She was your sole focus."

"To hell with Morgan. I knew everything that was going on." The annoyance was deepening to anger, but he knew he had no one to blame but himself. He'd let her take his mind off the job.

Pierce inhaled a deep breath and let it out slow. "I'm not questioning your professionalism. Morgan was concerned you were letting a woman mess with your focus. And that you were pulling her too deep into your cover. He said she wasn't a regular and that you seemed to know her."

Nick forced himself to keep his mouth shut. If he said something, he might reveal what she did to him. Hell, he probably had been acting strangely with Emily. He'd practically devoured her on the dance floor.

"What was she doing there?" Pierce asked.

"She needs my help and protection. I already told you Jared was murdered."

"Yeah."

"The sonofabitch who killed him wants something and he thinks she has it. He broke into her house in Savannah, searched it, then called and threatened her."

"Shit." Pierce looked ready to tear into someone. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No. Thanks. I'm going back to Savannah with her. I have to find this bastard and nail his ass to the wall."

"What about your cases?"

"Hell, I know, but I need at least a week off," Nick said.

"Maybe I can help. I'll let the chief know your cover might have been compromised, and while things are cooling off you should take a brief leave of absence."

"Won't work. He'll bust my balls and make me do nothing but paperwork for a month."

"He owes me a favor."

"In that case, thanks. If this works I'll owe you one."

"You've saved my ass more than once already."

That was true, but that's what partners were supposed to do. "We're heading back to Savannah tonight then."

* * * *

"I'll drive," Nick told Emily fifteen minutes later as they approached her car.

"Good. I'm exhausted." Besides, she hated driving in Atlanta traffic. She unlocked the doors with the remote and they slid in. She was glad she wasn't alone right now. She felt much safer with Nick.