Under the Lawman's Protection Read online

  Isaac nodded. “He’s super proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”

  “Goes both ways,” she assured him. “I’m proud of him and you, too. Especially after the way you and Shane both turned your life around after being at Saint Jermaine’s. I wonder why Wade didn’t make the same decision?”

  “I think Wade’s lawyer must have pulled some strings to get him sentenced to the school rather than sent to jail,” Isaac said with a frown. “He had several run-ins with the law prior to the time he was sentenced to Saint Jermaine’s. The rest of us didn’t. As first-time offenders, we were given the opportunity for a second chance.”

  “I know that Shane’s public defender made a big deal out of the way we lost our father,” Leah said softly. “I think he used it as a way to garner sympathy for the self-destructive choices that Shane made.”

  Isaac nodded, knowing his own attorney had done something similar. Not that he was anxious to share the details of his personal life with Leah. She and Shane had suffered a blow when their father died, but at least they’d had a dad. He’d tried to find his dad when he was eighteen, but his father had refused to see or talk to him. Isaac had moved on, but always wondered why his dad refused to have anything to do with him.

  “What about you?” Leah asked, leaning forward and pinning him with her clear blue eyes. “How was it that your lawyer managed to convince a judge to let you go to the school?”

  He hesitated, wondering just how much he should tell her. “My mom... Well, let’s just say she had problems. There were a lot of different men in her life, none of which seemed to hang around very long. She worked in a hair and nail salon, but we were constantly struggling to make ends meet.” He shrugged and averted his gaze, not wanting to see the sympathy reflected in Leah’s. “I was arrested for selling drugs because we didn’t have any food at home. I think my story and the fact that it was a first drug-possession offense helped him plead my case.”

  “You had it rough, didn’t you?” Leah asked softly.

  He waved it off. “I’m nothing special. Lots of kids have it rough.” He walked over to the fire and put another log on, wishing Leah would change the subject.

  “Mommy, come look!” Ben said in an excited whisper.

  Isaac followed Leah into the bedroom, hanging in the doorway as she and Ben stared through the window. Ben pointed at a spot in the glass. “Deers,” he whispered in awe.

  Sure enough, two white-tailed deer, likely a mother and her baby, were standing about fifty yards away, peeling bark off one of the trees. If they were aware of the humans watching from the window, they didn’t show it.

  “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Leah whispered, putting her arm around Ben’s shoulders.

  “We have to talk quiet so we don’t scare them, right?” he asked.

  “That’s right,” she agreed.

  Isaac moved back to the living room, feeling a pang in his chest. Leah was a great mother to Ben, and watching them together reminded him of how much he’d missed with Becky and Jeremy.

  His fault for not cutting back on his overtime hours. His fault for letting his career mean more to him than his family.

  His fault for not loving Becky enough.

  He dropped onto the edge of the sofa and ran his hand over his hair. He and Becky had gotten married too young and had Jeremy just a year later, but he hadn’t loved her the way Caleb and Deck loved their wives. He could admit now what a mess he’d made of his life.

  Leah was right to stay far away from him. He was a cop and a guy who didn’t know how to find the right balance between his career and his personal life.

  It was easier to focus on the former and ignore the latter.

  When his disposable cell phone rang, he reached for it gratefully. He recognized Jenna’s number. “Hey, Jenna, did you find something?”

  “Yes, and I think you’ve been holding out on me,” she accused without heat. “The ballistics from the gun we recovered at the mall shooting is the same type and caliber found in two recent murders.”

  Two murders? He gripped the phone tightly. “Enrique Morales was one of them, right?”

  “Bingo. And the second is a dead cop by the name of Trey Birchwood,” Jenna said.

  Isaac’s gut tightened at the news, even though this was exactly what he’d suspected.

  “Birchwood and Morales weren’t murdered with the exact same weapon as the one used in the mall shooting, but it’s the same make, model and caliber of bullet. So tell me, how did you know?” Jenna demanded.

  “Educated guess,” he hedged.

  “Don’t give me that line,” she snapped. “If you don’t want to tell, fine, but don’t pretend you’re not in the middle of some sort of investigation. And you know I need to let Griff Vaughn know what you’ve found, since it’s connected to the mall shooting.”

  “Look, Jenna, I’m helping out a friend who just happens to be working undercover, okay?” Isaac couldn’t stop her from going to their boss, but he wanted to make sure she understood the gravity of the situation. “Things are happening pretty fast, and hopefully, I’ll know more by tomorrow. If you really feel the need to tell Griff what you know, that’s fine. But trust me, I’m working on it and hope to know more soon.”

  There was a long pause on the other end as Jenna considered his words. “Okay, fine. I’ll hold off for now. But if you need help, call me. We’re supposed to be part of a team, remember?”

  He couldn’t help but grin at her annoyed tone. “Yeah, I remember. And I will call you if I need help.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, right. Later, Morrison.” She clicked off before he could say anything more.

  Isaac realized that Jenna was all too aware of how close he was to Declan and Caleb, and why shouldn’t he be? They were his best friends. But maybe Jenna felt left out by their closeness.

  Nothing he could do about that now, but he made a mental note to mention the issue to his pals once this was over.

  Right now, he had bigger concerns to think about. Wade and his cohorts in crime were part of an underground ring selling illegal guns to criminals. And now three crime scenes were linked to the same type of gun.

  Were there other crimes, too? He had to assume so, since he knew Wade had to be doing this for a while.

  But if they put out an arrest warrant on Wade Sharkey right now, the top guy might get away. What if he left town, only to set up shop somewhere else, in another city or state?

  No, they needed to figure out who was the mastermind of the gunrunning ring and take him down as soon as possible.

  While keeping Leah and Ben safe at the same time.

  A monumental task, at best.

  * * *

  Leah encouraged Ben to play a card game with her in an effort to keep him entertained. After several rounds of Go Fish, he lost interest and decided he wanted to play his video game. Left alone, she pulled out the Bible she’d found in a drawer and turned to her favorite Psalm, 23:4.

  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil. For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”

  The words soothed her soul and helped to keep her calm. She could hear Isaac in the other room, tapping on the laptop, and even though she continued to read the rest of the psalm, she found herself wondering what Isaac was working on.

  After a few minutes, she gave up and set the Bible aside. Ben was still focused on his game, so she crossed into the living room to look over Isaac’s shoulder.

  His expression was intense as he remained focused on the screen, and for a moment she admired his square jaw, his sandy-brown hair and deep brown eyes. She caught a whiff of shaving cream and noticed that he’d nicked himself earlier that morning along the lower edge of his jaw. For a moment she was tempted to place a tiny kiss there.

  Idiot
, she chided herself. She cleared her throat and forced herself to take a step back. “Find anything new?”

  “Not yet,” he muttered. He pushed away from the computer and glanced up at her. “Are you hungry? We can think about what you and Ben would like for dinner.”

  “I’m okay for now, although didn’t we pass a diner on the way in? Might be nice to have something different.”

  “We can get something to eat at the diner, no problem,” Isaac agreed.

  She noticed he’d made a list of notes as he worked on the computer. “What is all this?” she asked, running her index finger down the page. “A list of crimes in the Milwaukee area?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, they are.” Isaac didn’t say anything more, so she sat down and began reading through the list.

  It took a minute for her to see the pattern. “These are all crimes involving guns. You think these are all linked to the illegal sales?”

  Isaac glanced at her and nodded. “Yes. I didn’t realize that armed robberies and other gun-related crimes have doubled in the past three months.” He rubbed the back of his neck and then tapped the computer screen. “I found an article from a few weeks ago, describing a recent press conference by the chief of police regarding the city’s plan to create a task force to address the spike in crime.”

  Realization dawned. “Shane was sent undercover as part of the task force.”

  “You got it. Plus it’s an election year for the mayor, so I’m sure he’s not thrilled about having these stats released mere weeks before the good citizens get to vote on whether or not he gets to keep his job.”

  “Okay, I can see why this is important, but we already knew Shane was working undercover. How does any of this help us find him?”

  “I don’t know. I’m just trying to get a sense of the bigger picture here,” Isaac admitted. “Every little bit helps.”

  “I think it’s tedious,” she muttered with a sigh.

  Surprisingly, Isaac grinned. “That’s because you think cops spend all their time shooting bad guys. There are a lot of tedious aspects to the job. And you’re used to constant action, working on trauma patients that come rolling through the E.R.”

  “True.” Ironic how much she missed her job now that she was forced to call off work for a few days. All the hustle and bustle of taking care of sick patients, never knowing what was coming through the doors next, made it a job that was never, ever boring.

  Similar to Isaac’s job in many ways, without the inherent danger, of course.

  She purposefully shied away from thinking about Isaac being in danger. Although at the same time, watching him perform the investigational aspect of his job was oddly reassuring.

  Why couldn’t she seem to get Isaac out of her mind? She’d been blessed to have found love with her husband. There was no reason to go down that path again. She believed what her pastor told her as far as Elliot being in a much better place, but that didn’t mean she didn’t miss him. That Ben didn’t miss having a father.

  Some people went their whole life without finding someone to love. She should be glad for the short time she’d had with Elliot, even if their marriage hadn’t been perfect. What marriage was?

  She didn’t need to find someone else to take his place.

  Isaac’s musky scent was messing with her ability to concentrate, so she stood and crossed over to the fireplace. The glowing logs were still radiating heat, making the cabin warm and cozy.

  When the sound of a cell phone broke the silence, she glanced over at Isaac, figuring it was Jenna or one of the other SWAT members calling him.

  “It’s your brother,” Isaac said. “Do you want to talk to him?”

  “Absolutely.” She took the phone and tried to calm her racing heart. “Hello?” she said breathlessly. “Shane, is that you?”

  “Yes, it’s me.” Her brother’s familiar voice sent a wave of relief washing over her. Even if he was speaking so quietly she could barely hear him. “Why are you answering Ice’s phone?”

  “Because I wanted to talk to you. Are you okay?” she asked. “I’ve been so worried.”

  “You’re not alone, are you?” Shane asked abruptly. “Ice is still there with you, right?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at Isaac, who was watching her and listening intently. “Yes, he’s here, keeping me and Ben safe. But I want to see you, Shane. Tell us where you are and we’ll come and get you.”

  “Not yet,” her brother hedged. “I’m getting close to finding some answers.”

  Her patience with his constant evasiveness was wearing thin. Leah was just about to give him a piece of her mind when she heard a loud noise, followed by her brother letting out a strangled cry of pain.

  She tightened her grip on the phone. “Shane? What happened? Are you okay?”

  But he didn’t answer. There was nothing but an eerie silence on the other end of the line.

  Her fingers shook with fear as she quickly called him back. But still no answer.

  Tears blurred her vision and a sob rose in her throat. Her brother was hurt or worse, but she didn’t even know how to find him.

  What if he died before help arrived?

  She couldn’t bear the thought of losing her brother. Shane was her rock of support, as well as being a father figure for her son.

  Please, Lord, keep Shane safe in Your care!

  ELEVEN

  Isaac watched the blood drain out of Leah’s face and knew right away that something was wrong. He stood and crossed over to her, reaching for her hand. “What happened?”

  The dazed expression in her blue eyes wrenched his heart. “There was a loud noise and Shane cried out as if he was hurt, and then he disconnected from the call.” She shook her head helplessly. “We have to find him, Isaac. We have to find him!”

  He wished it were that easy. Hawk hadn’t been very forthright about any aspect of this case, which left Isaac stumbling around in the dark. He wanted to knock some sense into her brother, but right now, Leah was his bigger concern.

  Her devastation was impossible to ignore, and she needed support. He slipped his phone into his pocket and then pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her in a reassuring hug.

  For a moment Leah held herself stiff, but then with a strangled sob she burrowed against him, clinging to him as if she wouldn’t ever let go.

  Isaac let her cry, wishing he could think of something reassuring to say.

  But words failed him. Because he knew Hawk was in big trouble. For all they knew, his buddy could be dead.

  As much as he wanted to protect Leah from the truth, she knew full well what her brother faced. Isaac kissed the top of her head, wishing there was more he could do for her.

  Leah didn’t cry for long. After a few minutes she sniffled loudly and lifted her head so that she could look up at him. “Isaac, will you pray with me?”

  He gazed down into her watery blue eyes, knowing he could not refuse her request. “Of course I will.”

  Her tremulous smile made any embarrassment he might have felt inconsequential. He led her over to the sofa and sat down at an angle so he could partially face her.

  Leah sat beside him and clasped both his hands in hers. She bowed her head and he followed her lead, bowing his, as well.

  She was silent for a moment, so he took a deep breath and began to speak, hoping he would know the correct words to say. “Dear Lord, we ask You to watch over Shane, keeping him safe in Your care.”

  “And we ask that You guide him home to us,” Leah added.

  How was it that he hadn’t realized how easy it was to pray? Isaac continued, “Lord, we also ask that You keep the three of us safe in Your care.”

  “And we ask that You guide us on Your chosen path. Amen.”

  “Amen,” he echoed. He couldn
’t deny the sense of peace that washed over him and realized, not for the first time, just how powerful leaning on God’s strength could be. And how important it was to have faith to guide you through the difficult times.

  “Thank you, Isaac,” Leah murmured, still holding on to his hands. “I’m thrilled that you believe in God and have begun to trust in His goodness and strength.”

  He surprised himself by wanting to share more with her. “You know, both Caleb and Declan have discovered faith in the past year, and I resisted following in their footsteps,” he admitted. “Now I can’t figure out why I did that. Why didn’t I trust my closest friends enough to believe?”

  Leah tilted her head to the side, an ebony curl brushing against her cheek. His fingers itched to smooth it away. “Giving up your old beliefs can be scary,” she said. “But once you let go and open your heart to God, you realize that believing in Him isn’t hard or scary at all.”

  “You’re right—it’s not one bit difficult.” Isaac stared at their joined hands for a long moment. The choices he’d made in the past still haunted him. Mistakes that had cost him his wife and son.

  “What’s wrong, Isaac?” Leah asked. “You look troubled.”

  For the first time since losing his son, he found himself wanting to talk about what had happened. “I wish I would have found God sooner,” he admitted. “I can’t help thinking that if I had, my son might still be alive today.”

  “I didn’t realize you had a son,” Leah murmured, her eyes full of sadness. “Tell me about him.”

  “Jeremy was a great kid. He was always happy. He loved dump trucks and front-end loaders—he spent hours in the sandbox pretending to be a construction worker.” The memory didn’t bring the same level of sorrow that it had in the past.

  “He sounds amazing,” Leah said.

  “He was.” Isaac felt his chest tighten as he forced out the rest. “And it’s my fault he’s dead.”