She was taking him home as soon as she cleared this hospital. She started down the hall, fishing her cell phone out to check her messages as she walked.

'Detective Bishop?'

Scarlett looked over her shoulder to see Phillip's surgeon coming up behind her. Her feet came to a cold stop. 'Oh no,' she whispered. 'Please don't tell me Phillip Cauldwell is dead.'

'No, no. His condition is the same. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you.' He pulled a small plastic bag from his coat pocket and handed it to her. 'A bullet taken out of Mr Cauldwell's abdominal cavity. I didn't want to give it to you in front of his sister and co-workers.'

Yes. The bullet was mangled, but recognizable as the same type that Carrie Washington had taken from Tala's body that morning. 'Thank you, Doctor. I'll get this to Ballistics ASAP. We may just have a match to this morning's killing.'

Which still didn't fit, she thought. Because Tala knew her attacker.

'I thought you might say that, because whoever fired that bullet didn't want it found. There were three gunshot wounds, the first two superficial. The one in Mr Cauldwell's arm was a through and through, the other a shallow wound in his side where it had no danger of hitting anything important. That one had been dug out with a knife. The third bullet was the abdominal wound. There are deep gouges in Mr Cauldwell's tissue, like his attacker had stabbed at the thing. I'm not sure what happened, but it looked like the shooter tried to dig it out and gave up.'

Scarlett smiled, grimly satisfied. 'What happened was Phillip Cauldwell had already stabbed the shooter in the arm. He was bleeding and had to run.'

'Good for Phillip Cauldwell,' the surgeon said coldly. 'Hopefully he took the bastard's arm off.'

Scarlett lifted her brows. 'You sure you're not a cop, Doc?'

'Marine Corps.'

'Ah. Well thank you,' she said, sliding the baggie into her pocket. 'What are his chances, really? Please don't give me the "twenty-four hours will tell" song.'

'Before you told me he'd stabbed the guy, I would have said they were fairly lousy. But it looks like he's a fighter, so better than lousy.'

'Hey, better-than-lousy ain't so bad. Thanks for the bullet.' She gave him a wave and jogged down the hall to where Marcus waited.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Tuesday 4 August, 10.55 P.M.

Marcus was getting impatient, and a little worried. Scarlett had promised she'd only be a few minutes, but it had been much longer than that. He was tempted to go back to the little consultation room and make sure that she and Stone hadn't taken swings at each other.

Instead he called his brother's cell. 'Where are you?' he asked.

'Just getting my car. Gayle said that she's going to keep Jill with her for the night, so I have a temporary reprieve from babysitting. Why? Where are you?'

'Waiting for Scarlett in the lobby. I didn't see you go past.'

'I parked at the ER entrance. Your detective and I didn't have a knock-down-drag-out if that's what you're trying to ask,' he said mildly. 'I don't know where she is.'

The tone of Stone's voice when he mentioned Scarlett had changed, become . . . maybe not friendly, but not hostile either. Perhaps subdued. 'Are you okay? You don't sound like yourself.'

A little pause. 'I'm okay. Listen . . .' He blew out a breath. 'She's not Satan, okay?'

The statement caught Marcus by surprise and he choked on a laugh. 'No, she's not. Look, I'm not trying to get into your business, but after Phillip, I'd like to know where you are. Just in case whoever is trying to get to me tries to hurt you.'

'I'm not Phillip,' Stone said, no longer mild. He'd grown cold and angry again. 'I can take care of myself every bit as well as you can. I don't need you to babysit me.'

'Okay,' Marcus said cautiously. 'Can you at least call in every so often so I know you're okay? You can think about it as babysitting me, if you want to. Please, Stone. I need to know you're okay.' I've always needed to know you're okay.

'All right,' Stone finally said. 'I'll call in.'

Marcus hung up unhappily and began pacing again, watching for Scarlett. He'd held it together for far longer than he normally would, but he was starting to get antsy, needing to get out of this hospital. Combined with his worry over Stone and the rest of his team . . . And his mother. He couldn't forget about her.

He'd called her before he'd called Stone, to tell her about Phillip so she didn't hear it on the news. Audrey had answered, her tone flat when she'd said Della had turned in early and couldn't be disturbed. That usually meant she had taken a sleeping pill, or two or three. Or she'd had a drink or two. Or a whole fifth.

He and his sister had danced around the topic of an intervention, clashing once again when he'd come out and suggested they try to get their mom into rehab. Audrey still hoped she would pull out of it, and Stone wouldn't even talk about it. God, we're one fucked-up family. Marcus almost thought twice about bringing Scarlett into the drama, but he needed her too much to be so charitable.

Marcus was seriously considering going to look for her when she walked into the lobby, talking on her cell phone. Relief washed over him and he felt a smile spread over his face. He probably looked goofy and ridiculous, but he didn't care. She was back and they could finally leave.

She paused mid-step, studying him with concern, but when he smiled, she smiled back. He swore his chest felt lighter, even though his heart had started to pound.

'I'll have it to Ballistics in fifteen minutes,' she said into the phone. 'I'm leaving now.' She hung up and slid her phone into her jacket pocket. 'You ready?' she asked him.

'More than ready. I was about to go AWOL, but I knew you'd worry.'

'I would have,' she said, then shocked Marcus by taking his arm and tugging him out of the lobby double-time.

'What's going to Ballistics?' he asked as she all but dragged him through the parking lot.

'A bullet,' she answered. 'Surgeon dug it out of Phillip.'

Her car was parked beside a tall SUV, and she surprised him again by dragging him to the driver's side of the mammoth vehicle.

'What are you-'

He got no further, because she pushed him against the SUV, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into the hottest kiss he'd ever had. Her fingers tunneled through his hair, and she lifted on her toes as she licked into his mouth, making his already hard cock throb. The groan that rumbled through his chest was met by her frustrated little moan as she rubbed her hips against him, trying to get higher.

Without thinking, he turned them so that her back was against the SUV, and gave her a boost up before trapping her body with his and thrusting between her legs. Her pleasured hum vibrated against his lips, and he put a little swivel into his thrusts as he slid his hands inside her jacket and closed them over her breasts, thumbing nipples that were already so hard he could feel them through her shirt and bra.

She pulled back with a gasp, her head pressed against the SUV. 'Oh God,' she panted. 'You need to stop. I can't . . . Not here in the parking lot. Let me down.'

He ignored her, circling his hips against hers, lowering his head to suck hard on her right breast, the nipple like a pebble against his tongue.

'Marcus,' she groaned. 'Please. Not here. Wait till . . .' She gasped again when he lightly bit her. 'Oh my God. You have to wait until we get home.'

Reluctantly he released her breast, giving it a parting nuzzle before kissing her mouth again. 'You started it,' he murmured against her lips. 'Kissing me like that.'

'You started it,' she said, trying to get her breath. 'I told you not to look at me like that.'

He lowered her feet to the asphalt and rested his forehead against hers. 'Like what?'

'Like you want to eat me alive. I would have jumped you in front of everyone if Diesel hadn't intervened.'

'That was twenty minutes ago.'

She bit his lower lip, then licked it. 'Doesn't matter. Makes me crazy. So crazy that we're standing like this out here in the open.' She pushed his chest lightly, then slipped around him to unlock the car door. 'Get in, please.'

Still wound way too tight, he obeyed. 'How long will it take you to drop off the bullet?'

She slid behind the wheel. 'Ten minutes. I'll go straight to Ballistics and won't talk to anyone else.' She said it like she was promising herself more than him. 'I have to park this car and get mine, so make sure you take everything that belongs to you.'

Like the gun he'd stowed under the passenger seat. He tried to bend down to reach it, but gave up with a grimace. 'Can't yet.'

She shot him a heated glance from beneath her lashes before pulling into traffic. 'Why ever not?' she teased, making him laugh.

'You're evil, Detective Bishop. Get a guy hard as a damn rock, then taunt him about it.'

He choked a second later when her hand shot over to stroke him through his jeans. His head fell back against the headrest on a strangled groan. 'Fuck, Scarlett.'

'That's the plan,' she muttered.

He closed his eyes, thrusting into her hand desperately. Too damn close, he clamped his hand over hers, then forced himself to push her away. 'You're going to make me go off like a damn teenager. I won't last two minutes when I finally get you in your bed. Talking about non-sexual subjects would be helpful.'

She grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and sped through the nearly deserted streets. 'How about we debrief?' she asked, her voice husky and so damn sexy he nearly came just from hearing her. 'I got a voicemail from the forensic vet.'

'Forensic vet' got his attention. 'Is BB okay?'

'Yes. BB is comfortable and resting and you can visit her tomorrow if you like. The vet also said she got a viable sample of skin and blood from her teeth. The samples were delivered to CSU for analysis.'

'That's good,' Marcus said, digging his fingers into his thighs. He still wanted her so much that he was trembling with it. 'Um . . . I checked on Tabby Anders while I was waiting for you. She's still unconscious.' The thought helped deflate him. One more piece of bad news, he thought morosely, and he'd be able to bend over and get his gun from under the seat.

'I checked too,' she murmured. 'When I ID'd myself to the nurse at the OR station when we were waiting with Lisette and the others. The nurse said Tabby was hanging on by her fingernails. She was hurt in so many places.' Her lips thinned. 'That Chip Anders has to be a real man to beat an old woman within an inch of her life.'

'What about Mila and Erica?'

She shook her head. 'Nothing yet. They've been searching for hours. The scent trail might be cold, but they haven't found any blood or bodies, so that's hopefully a good sign.'

'We should probably join the search.'

She glanced over at him with a smile that said she understood how much it had pained him to offer to detour the two of them away from the privacy of her house. 'I emailed Isenberg to ask her. She said no, that she'd rather we focus on the list. Can I send it to Isenberg's clerk? She wants him to help us sort through the names, to see who had the opportunity to target you. And Tala and Phillip.' She huffed in frustration, barreling over him as tried to answer her. 'And Delores. Dammit, I forgot about her. I promised Stone I'd get her protection.'

She used the car's hands-free to call in the request, finishing just as she pulled into the CPD parking garage and rolled to a stop next to her aging Audi. She handed him the keys. 'Get in my car and wait for me. I'll return the department car and deliver the bullet.'

'Wait.' He grabbed her wrist gently, rubbing his thumb over her pulse. 'Rewind a second. You asked if you could send the list to the clerk. Not like it is. It's got too much sensitive Ledger information on it. I'll use the time you're inside to clean it up, then I'll email it to you. You can forward it to Isenberg's clerk.'

'Thank you.' She leaned toward him, then sighed. 'Cameras,' she muttered.

'Then hurry,' he said, dropping his voice, laughing when she narrowed her eyes. He managed to bend his body enough to get his gun. 'My laptop bag is in the trunk.'

She popped the trunk. 'You should be fine here,' she said, sobering. 'But just in case, be ready to peel rubber.'

His brows went up. 'You're letting me drive this time?'

'This time. Don't get used to it.' She waited until he was safely locked in the Audi before driving away to the parking area reserved for department vehicles.

Cincinnati, Ohio

Tuesday 4 August, 11.15 P.M.

'How bad is it?' Ken asked Decker when the younger man had finished stitching Demetrius up.

Decker peeled off his latex gloves. 'He probably wouldn't have bled to death, but I had to put twenty stitches in that arm. I'm glad you told me to bring something to knock him out with, although it would have been easier for me to get him up here if he'd been awake.'

'You didn't want to have to listen to him bitch,' Ken said. 'How long till he wakes up?'

'The ketamine will wear off in a few hours.' Decker tilted his head, curiosity in his eyes. 'What did you whisper to him as he was going under?'

Luckily Ken knew drugs, and when Decker told him that he'd brought ketamine to knock Demetrius out, he had been thrilled. The person dosed was highly suggestible as the drug was taking effect, his first thoughts when waking influenced by whatever someone had said just as he passed out.

'I told him that every cut I make with my knife will be fatal.'

Decker chuckled. 'Remind me not to fail a mission.'

'Yeah, well . . .' Ken let the thought trail, wishing it hadn't come to this, but not about to back off now. 'Did you find those trackers?'

Decker was sober as he shook his head. 'I know they were in the van, but Burton and I went over every square inch of it and Sean and I checked the box of electronics we brought in.' He hesitated, then shrugged. 'Which means we either dropped them, which is unlikely, or one of the Anderses did something with them, again unlikely as they were bound and blindfolded.'

'Or someone took them,' Ken said grimly. 'Shit.' He narrowed his eyes at Decker. 'How do I know it wasn't you?'

Decker didn't blink. 'I guess you don't. I don't have any reason to do so, though.'

'You want Burton's job,' Ken said, watching Decker's eyes fill with easy agreement. 'You stepped right in and took over when Reuben disappeared this morning.'

'I like to be on the front line. I hate working in Accounting.'

'But you're supposedly good at it.'

A shrug of Decker's massive shoulders. 'I'm good at a lot of things I don't like to do. I signed on to be a bodyguard, not a pencil pusher. I do, however, respect the chain of command.'

'But if a hole opens up in the front line?'