HiT 149: Anna Brookes First Chapter Read online

  Evil.

  Ethan Martelli is not who he seems.

  Immediately my skin crawls and is covered in goose bumps. The hairs on the back of my neck rise.

  I need my mask now. I take a deep breath as I remove my hand from his. Danger is lurking near. Fuck that. The danger’s standing right next to the beautiful man opposite me. I survey the area again and don’t see anything that stands out as a threat except for Ethan Martelli. Breathe Anna.

  “Oh well you already know my name, Officer Martelli, seeing as you held my driver’s license and registration for a good five minutes before you returned them to me.” Of course I say this with a warm smile on my face. My eyes go straight to Ben and see he relaxes instantly; he must be aware now that I must’ve met Ethan over a small driving infraction. I let out a stupid, girly giggle to ease Ben’s mind, “It appears I may have been playing AC/DC a little too loud in the car on my drive over this afternoon. Officer Martelli pulled me over and was kind enough to just let me off with a warning. Again, Officer Martelli, I’ll be sure to keep my racket to a minimum.” I wink at Ben, he can take that statement anyway he wants.

  “Ethan, please join us. Anna and I haven’t ordered yet,” Ben says in a tone I haven’t heard before. It’s almost like a warning. Is it?

  I’m wishing this evil man would go away, far from me or Ben.

  “No, I’m sorry Ben and Anna, I can’t. I have a date of my own. I was walking past to go to the supermarket and I glanced in here and saw you both. I thought I’d come in to say hello.” Ethan’s eyes don’t leave mine as he’s speaking. I know that not one word of what he just blurted out is true. Not a fucking word. Is he after me? Or is he after Ben? Shit, I mean Hit 149. This whole situation’s seriously fucked up. I think my recon work has now broadened to two people, not just Hit 149. I need to find out as much as I can about Ethan Martelli.

  Ethan leaves after a few more minutes of small talk with Ben. I stay quiet and listen. When the conversation between Hit 149 and Ethan becomes strained, Ethan turns and says his goodbyes to both of us and leaves. Something’s not right. I can feel it in my gut.

  “So what have you decided to order?” Ben asks politely, oblivious to the fact that Ethan Martelli’s a serpent. Someone untrustworthy, someone willing to strike at any time.

  “I’m actually really hungry. I’m thinking a steak.” I look up and Ben’s looking at me with a very perplexed look on his face. “What?” I question the dumb ass look he’s giving me.

  “Are you for real? You’re ordering a steak.”

  “Is there a problem with that?” I’m getting a little pissed because he’s looking at me like I have two heads.

  “Good Lord, no. The last two dates I had only ordered salad because they said they were watching their weight. Not that you need to watch yours. You’re sensational. Every square inch of you,” he lowers his voice and says, “Every square inch. I can’t wait until my hands can feel every part of you again.” His voice is smooth and low. His eyes are heavily lidded and they have a certain smokiness to them. Damn. Who put the butterflies in my stomach?

  Just as I am about to respond, Tammy comes back, looking at me and ignoring Ben. “Ma’am are you ready to order?” There’s a fake smile plastered on her face. Exactly like the fake boobs that are way too big, or the fake nose she’s sporting, or the fake blonde hair. Plastic Tammy.

  “Thank you, Tammy, I’ll have the scotch fillet, well-done. Mashed potato and root vegetables, mushroom sauce on the side. I’ll have a bottle of sparkling water, unopened.” I rattle off my order and look over at Ben. He’s smiling at me with that same lustful look.

  Plastic Tammy turns her body to Ben but makes no eye contact with him. She’s stealing small looks over at me to make sure I can see she’s not looking at him. “And for you, Sir?” she asks.

  “I’ll have the same as my wife please. But I’ll have a Budweiser. Can you drive home tonight?” Ben looks at me and gives me that sexy, thigh-clenching smile.

  I shift in my seat to generate some friction between my legs, “Of course, baby.”

  Plastic Tammy leaves without another look in our direction.

  Ben leans in very close to my ear and whispers, “As you were ordering your meal I wanted to rip your fucking panties off and feast on your pussy, and when you called me ‘baby’ I almost came in my jeans.” He skims his lips across my jaw as he moves away from me.

  Damn. Hit 149 is going to be difficult. He sits back down and I can’t get the stupid smile off my face. But I need to work. I need to sort this problem out.

  “Ben, as much as I enjoyed our time together in Salt Lake City, I just don’t think anything’s going to work out between us. Let’s just leave that behind in Salt Lake City and carry the memory with us.” I try to convince him, but I’m actually having a hard time trying to convince myself.

  Ben sits straight up in his chair and rubs his hands down his thighs. He’s twisting his mouth and biting on his lip. His eyes have narrowed and I can see he’s thinking about what to say. He’s quiet for a good nine minutes, then he launches into a speech.

  “What’s the problem? Don’t like me? Have you got a boyfriend? A husband? What’s the issue here? I mean I just don’t get it. Please explain it to me, because just the other night you couldn’t wait to get me back to my hotel room. I mean I couldn’t wait to get you there either. And here we are, eleven hundred miles away from where we first met, and meet again by chance at a fucking supermarket and you’re telling me we can’t be together. Tell me why. Give me a reason. This is meant to be. You know it, and I know it. What’s the damn problem Anna?” His features are angry now. The police officer in him is emerging. His chest sticks out, he raises his chin. He’s not the sweet man I have met before. He’s now the hard, cold cop, demanding an answer.

  “Ben, its nothing like that. It’s…”

  “It’s what, Anna? You can’t say ‘it’s’ and not finish the damn sentence. What the hell is it?” He’s getting angrier by the second. At that very moment, Plastic Tammy comes in with our drinks. That seems to stop Ben’s rant.

  He takes a swig of his beer and waits a moment before he starts to say something else when Plastic Tammy interrupts us again with our food. I make a mental note to slip Plastic Tammy a decent tip. She may have pissed me off earlier, but now she’s saving me from an uncomfortable conversation with a beautiful man. She must’ve heard what was said, though. She scooted over pretty damned fast to put the drinks down. Obviously, she knows I’m not Ben’s wife.

  Ben doesn’t say anything throughout dinner. He’s watching me with frustration mixed with lust as I cut into my meat and eat it. I think I hear a growl come from over his side of the table as I place a piece of meat in my mouth. I steal a glance at him and see his fork’s half way up to his mouth and he has stopped mid-air with his mouth open. I swear this man would fuck me right here on the table if I asked him. As I smile at him, I see a figure quickly walk past the front window and look in. Ethan Martelli. Now I know Ethan was lying about his date. Shit, shit, shit. What do I do here? Ethan Martelli’s clearly interested in me and I need his attention purely on me and away from Ben as I do my recon work.

  “Ben, I really do like you and as much as I’d love to work on this,” I say waving my hand toward both of us. “I’m going to need time. I’m happy to continue being your friend and we can just take each day as it comes. I can’t make you any promises though. I can’t guarantee that it’ll all be happy times, but I can promise you that I will be your friend and we can try and spend time together. I have a few weeks here and want to buy a house. So let’s just take it as it comes. I don’t want to start something that I can’t see through.” Those last eleven words mean more then he’ll ever know. Ben sighs in frustration.

  “C’mon, baby. Let’s get dessert,” he finally says as Plastic Tammy comes over to clear our plates.

  “You know, I think I’ll pass. I’ve had a huge drive today and frankly I’m beat. I might just go home and
have a shower and get some rest,” I say rolling my shoulders to indicate that I’m tired.

  Ben eyes me suspiciously, “Okay, sweetheart. But I want to see you tomorrow.”

  You can bet on that, Hit 149. I have work to do. “I’d really like that. What time are you working? Would you like to meet for lunch?” I need to start analyzing his work schedule so I can figure out how I’m going to kill him. I don’t want to shoot him; I want to do something that will make it look accidental for his family.

  “I was actually called back here from my vacation because of a break in a case I was overseeing. Not that I mind, because I saw a sexy lady at the supermarket tonight and I’m lucky enough to be having dinner with her.” He smiles at me and covers my hand on the table with his. “So I’m still officially on vacation for the next eight days. Maybe I can show you around and take you to lunch tomorrow.” He whispers that last part and drops his eyes to the table in front of him.

  “Thank you, Ben. I’d very much enjoy your company tomorrow.” Recon work may be pretty easy if I get to spend the next eight days with Ben. I mean Hit 149.

  He motions for the check and Plastic Tammy brings it over. I quickly snatch it and stand to go over to the front to pay. Yes, that’s right. Plastic Tammy needs a decent tip for rescuing me from an upset Ben. I open the folder to find her damn number and name in there with the bill. How stupid can one person be? You want him to have your number? You’ve just stepped across the line into my territory. Ben tries to snatch the bill from my hand to pay and I shoot him an angry look. “I asked for your company for dinner tonight, so I’ll be paying,” I say, standing in front of Plastic Tammy. Ben’s at my side. “Clear something up for me, baby,” I ask him sweetly.

  “Of course.”

  “Are you interested in Plastic Tammy here? I mean would you take her out for dinner then take her to your house and fuck her stupid until she screams your name?” My face hasn’t altered, I’m still smiling. Plastic Tammy though, her face is bright red. I think they call that particular shade “fire engine red”. “You see Plastic Tammy didn’t get the first polite hint I dropped when we were seated and I threatened to rearrange her face, she thinks she can discreetly sneak you her number. So I just want to know if you’d stick your dick in any part of her – just so we’re all clear and on the same page.”

  “No, babe. You’re the only one I want to fuck, screw or make love to.” Ben’s trying hard not to laugh, and his eyes don’t even look at Plastic Tammy.

  “Now Plastic Tammy, I did intend to leave you a fantastic tip, but seeing as you can’t stop throwing yourself at someone who clearly belongs to me, I’m simply going to pay my bill and leave you with your pathetic attempt at giving your phone number to my man. Learn from your mistakes, before the next woman actually does do damage to your face. Have a great evening, Plastic Tammy. I know I will while I’m riding his cock. And by the way, his tongue is just as good.” I turn and leave the restaurant. Ben opens the door for me but this time he shoves me violently outside the front of the restaurant and devours my lips on the sidewalk. I groan and lift my leg up around his waist. His hands are all over me, in my hair, on my ass, running down my sides. I can feel the friction between us. If we stay here any longer we’ll be grinding into each other.

  He pulls away from me and is hyperventilating, “Damn, Anna. I almost came at the way you spoke about me to her. Fuck, I need you right now. Please come home with me. I need to be inside you.”

  “Thank you for a lovely evening Ben,” I say, but he cuts me off.

  “Not this shit again, Anna. What the fuck? You really didn’t feel that?”

  “Ben, going home with you is not us taking time. I’ll see you for lunch tomorrow.” I start walking back to my car. Ben stands in his spot for a mere seconds then jogs a few steps to catch up to me.

  “Okay, I’m sorry.” He makes no attempt to touch me again.

  I get to my car and unlock my door with the fob. I turn to say goodnight and Ben leans right into me. My back’s against the cold metal of the car, his face millimeters from mine. Our noses aren’t touching but if I move just slightly, they would be. I see his eyes are closed. He doesn’t move to kiss me, just rubs the side of his nose over my cheek. His mouth is open and I can feel his warm breath against my skin. I close my eyes and lean into his gentle, soft touch. I can’t help it. It’s an involuntary reaction, just like my soaked panties. His arms come up to cage me against the car. His body leans in, presses just slightly up against mine. He’s leaning in and so am I. I can feel the beat of his heart through his shirt; he can feel the swell of my breasts through mine. Our breathing’s jagged and rough. No kiss has been exchanged. He’s inhaling my scent as I take in his. Mmm. He smells spicy, like cinnamon. He sweeps his nose through my hair and comes to rest just below my hairline.

  “Fuck, Anna. I want you so much.” I feel his mouth on my neck, just below my ear. I can’t stop a wanton moan from escaping my mouth.

  I gather my bearings and push him away with the slightest touch. I don’t want to, but I have to. Ten more seconds of his scent and his lips on my skin, and I won’t be able to stop myself. I’ll be going home with him and not thinking about the consequences at all. “Good night Mr. Pearson. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” I open the door to the BMW, start it up and drive out of the lot. But my eyes are on the rear-view mirror where I can see Ben still standing just to the side of where my car was. We didn’t exchange numbers, he doesn’t know mine, but I’m sure I’ll find him tomorrow at lunch.

  I always find my target.

  Chapter 11

  After a restless night’s sleep I get myself up and ready. Shower first, then breakfast. Isn’t it funny how having a shower just changes the feel of the day? You can be having a shit day where everything goes wrong, and when you drag yourself into the shower you can let it wash the entire bad day away. You can be having the best day of your life and you jump in the shower and let the water entrap those specials memories in your mind forever. This morning, my shower is letting me prepare my mind for the task at hand. Hit 149. Ben Pearson.

  I spend the first part of the morning researching Ben Pearson. I’ve hacked into the human resource files within the police department and find that Ben is an outstanding police officer. In his eleven years there, he’s never had any disciplinary issues. He spent his first two years in the vice unit and quickly progressed to patrol officer. He went on to do four years in narcotics and special investigations.

  After those four years, he became a sergeant and went on to the bomb squad. However, that only lasted eighteen months. The records in his file show that even though he excelled in this position, he requested a transfer out and back to narcotics stating on his request that it was for ”family reasons.” His request was immediately accepted.

  That was something that I found quite intriguing. Usually requests like that take months, sometimes even longer. Ben spent a further two years in narcotics, and from there, he moved up the career ladder to Assistant Chief. That’s where he remained until eighteen months ago when he passed Executive Assistant Chief and went straight into the vacancy for Chief of Police. Henry’s old job.

  I know he didn’t take it from Henry because Ben wasn’t around when Henry was, but it still feels like a knife’s being driven through my heart every time I think about it. The only thing I can say about Ben is he works hard. He’s all business, and according to his personnel file, he does absolutely everything by the book. I’ve learned enough from his file. Now I need to hack into his banking records and see what’s going on in there.

  It appears that Ben Pearson has two accounts. His pay goes into one account and his mortgage payment comes out of it. His mortgage is very reasonable. He has a small amount in savings. I suppose he’s doing okay for himself. I wouldn’t consider sixty thousand anything flashy, but he’s a single man so that’s not too bad. I thought he’d get paid more than what he’s getting, seeing as he’s the Chief of Police. Wow, being a public servant real
ly doesn’t pay well. He must really love his job. I chuckle to myself.

  His other account has an amount deposited from his main account that looks like it’s his every day money. As I’m looking around on the computer I find one more account with Ben’s name and social security number. Now this looks odd. In this account there is over four million dollars. But what’s odd about this account is that there are monthly deposits of one hundred and fifty thousand, but there’s never been a withdrawal. So I keep searching to try to find where the monthly deposit comes from, but there’s no trail. It literally stops at the deposit.

  Why would a man have an account like this, untouched except for the deposits? And why do the deposits have no originating accounts? This is something I’ll need to keep in mind as I continue my recon work on Hit 149 and Ethan Martelli. I look at the clock and see it’s already 11:30. I’ll come back to Ethan Martelli this afternoon. I’ll be meeting Ben for lunch soon, so I had best finish getting ready. My plan to find Ben today is simple. I already have his number, even though he’s unaware I have it. So I actually can’t call him. Instead, I’ll just waltz into the St. Cloud police station and ask them to call Ben – a simple, yet effective plan.

  I’m out the door and in the BMW driving toward St. Cloud and eleven miles away from the cabin when there’s a familiar flash of blue and red lights behind me. My radio’s not even turned on, so it can’t be the music. I’m not surprised though, because I’m beginning to suspect this little town is bigger than any of us are ready for.

  I pull over and watch as the familiar body exits his vehicle. My babies are well concealed in that special compartment I’ve had installed in the car. I won’t be able to get to them quickly but I can certainly disarm him if he tries something.

  “Good morning, Anna,” Ethan starts saying.

  “Good morning, Officer Martelli. How’s your day so far? I didn’t realize I’d done anything wrong today,” I say with a small smile. I don’t want him to get belligerent or I’ll have to kill him. Well, I don’t want to kill him yet because I still need to find out as much about him as I can. Then I can kill him.