Nick debated how much to tell Don, but decided to give him a hint to see if it would prod any more memories from him. "There was a witness to the murder."

Those words hung like a weight over the two men as it sunk into Don what Nick was saying.

"A...a witness? A witness? Where the h.e.l.l have they been?"

"Not important. What is important is that they saw someone with a badge."

"Holy s.h.i.t," Don cursed under his breath. "I can't believe Lin isn't all over this case then."

"She doesn't know."

"Huh?" Don replied, confusion on his face. "Why the h.e.l.l not?"

"Because the person doing the killing was an Asian woman with a badge."

The news knocked Don back where he sat, slack-mouthed, his breath coming in pants.

"This is being investigated covertly," Nick said, giving the only explanation he was going to.

Understanding what Nick meant, Don nodded his head emphatically, making his slight jowls shake. "No, no, I won't say a word. I promise, I won't say a word."

"Good," Nick stated, throwing some cash down on the table as he stood. Stalking out into the evening sun, his mood was even blacker than when he went into the bar. Looking at his watch, he called Monty as soon as he got in his SUV. Might as well set up a meeting and get this new information out there. f.u.c.k...sometimes I hate my job.

"Do you believe him?" Luke asked, facing the screen where Nick's scowling face was projected.

"I've got no reason not to," Nick responded. He had relayed the conversation to the Saints and knew the s.h.i.t would hit the fan if an FBI agent was implicated in the murder of Eli Frederick. "Don's close to retirement and I can't imagine he would want to be involved in a problem that would prolong his ability to leave the Bureau. He didn't overtly implicate Lin, but what he told me gave her no alibi. But," he said, pinning the camera with a glare, "that does not mean that she's guilty of anything."

"We understand," Jack acknowledged, "but it places her on the list of persons of interest."

"I'll start digging into her," Luke said.

"My superiors know about this," Nick stated, "but if this blows up in our faces-"

"She won't know she's being looked into," Luke promised. "I'm careful...there will be no kickback."

Nick leaned back in his chair, his face still unhappy. Finally nodding, he said, "Okay. I'll continue digging on what I can find out here. I've been given clearance to work on the murder case with her so it will give me a chance to keep an eye on what is going on."

Monty looked at the man on the screen, obviously struggling with the a.s.signment. "You know this is the right thing to do, don't you? Hard, but the right thing."

Nick sent a scorching look his way before growling, "If I didn't know it was the right thing to do...I wouldn't be doing it." With that, the video-conference ended and the Saints looked around at each other.

The silence was broken when Bart asked, "You think he'll check into her?"

Monty nodded, "Yeah, I do. I knew him when I was at the Bureau, and he's a good guy. Likes to do things by the book and that usually doesn't include checking into fellow agents. But he's tenacious and will do what needs to be done."

"By the book, huh?" Cam asked, a slight smirk on his face.

The others chuckled, shaking their heads.

"Well, he wouldn't fit in with us very well," Blaise added, voicing what the others were thinking.

Jack, quiet as usual, had a thoughtful expression on his face as he rubbed his chin. He looked up as the good-natured bantering continued. "Okay, back to business. Luke? What are you working on?"

"I'm going to start digging into Lin w.a.n.g and see what I can find." Cracking his knuckles in front of him, he joked, "And since I don't feel the need to do everything by the book, I'll have no problem finding anything I want!"

With the continued chuckles from around the room still ringing, he turned back to his computers and began digging.

Charlie continued to sift through the messages she received concerning the free services in the area. Several homeless shelter employees and social workers had messaged her as well, giving her no more information than she already had. She even received a message from someone from Medicare who had seen her request for information.

She was almost ready to close her laptop and fix dinner, when her eyes caught the last message she had opened.

Hi. My friend and I are at a free clinic. It's nice, but I'm afraid of what to do when I have to leave. I'm only 16 years old and so is my friend, who's been sick. He's why we got in here. I don't know what information you want to know, but I'd like to talk. I don't have anyone else I can talk to. Penny The age of the responder captured her attention. Only 16 years old! She quickly determined the IP address but it was not at a location she was able to triangulate. Hmm, I wonder if she'll talk to me?

Penny, thank you for getting back in touch with me. I am researching different clinics offering free services and will pay for information. Where are you? Charlotte Charlie had not considered offering to pay for information but she felt as though she hit the jackpot with a teenager responding. She and her friend probably need the money and she said she had no one else to talk to.

Not knowing when she might hear back, she left her laptop open as she headed into the kitchen.

The nurse stepped into David's room, a clipboard in her hands. He smiled as he recognized her from the other evening shift. He caught a movement behind her and realized she was not alone. Another woman walked behind the nurse, this one unsmiling. Her dark, glossy hair was tucked behind her ears and, instead of scrubs, she wore a navy skirt and jacket with a white blouse. His eyes darted between the two until the nurse smiled at him.

"Well, David, how are you feeling?

"Much better," he replied, returning her smile, while eyeing the woman standing just inside his room.

"I'm here with the paperwork for your surgery and to answer any questions you might have for me. The actual surgeon will come by in the morning to discuss the specific procedures with you. Have you made a decision?"

"Yeah, I think I have, but I want to make sure my friend will be able to stay with me."

Sitting down in a chair next to his bed, she clicked her pen and began filling in the forms. "You're referring to Penny Owens, correct?"

"That's right. We're together." His gaze moved back to the unsmiling woman as she stepped over to the nurse and peered over her shoulder at the forms.

"Together?" the woman asked. "As in...?"

"We...we're um...well, she's my girlfriend," he stammered, unused to defining their relationship.

"How sweet," the woman said, in a voice that made him feel that she did not think it was sweet at all.

The nurse continued her questionnaire, "Family to contact in case of emergency?"

His brow crinkled in thought, but finally he shrugged and replied, "Just Penny. She's the only one who'd care anyway."

As the nurse completed the forms, she stood and smiled at him again before turning to walk out of the room, the other woman with her.

"Wait," he called out. He hesitated until both women were facing him again. "I was told that if I donate the kidney, Penny would be able to stay with me. Right?"

"Don't worry," the woman said, her face giving a slight smile. "Penny will be taken care of."

With that, the two women walked out of the room as David lay back on the bed, his mind at peace with his decision.

As they moved down the hall, the nurse handed the forms to the other woman and said, "Here you go. I know you need to match his information to the database."

The woman took the form, glancing at it. "I want to see this girl."

"She's in the other hall...in the women's dorm room, Ms. w.a.n.g."

With a quick nod, the nurse headed off to the nurse's station as the woman stalked down the hall, her steps full of purpose.

Chapter 23.

Luke walked through the front door, the sight of Charlie's luscious hips swinging in time to the music on her phone's playlist blaring through the kitchen. Her back was to him as she shimmied and stirred at the same time. Her long, dark hair swished along her shoulder blades with each movement.

Deciding to test her, he slipped in, his eyes pinned on the tight pants stretched across her a.s.s and the soft skin of her back showing each time she lifted her arms. Just as he approached, she screamed as she whirled, the spoon in her hand becoming a weapon as it sliced down toward his head. With a quick circle of her leg, she caught him behind the knees, sending him backward onto the floor.

He gazed up at her beaming face and heaving chest, his admiration mixing with l.u.s.t. She stood over him, spoon still raised as the sauce dripped onto the floor. Glancing down, he quipped, "Glad that's tomato sauce and not my blood."

Grinning, as she offered a hand, she said, "If you had been someone else, that would have been your blood."

As he stood, his long arms encircled her waist, pulling her in tightly. "I see your lessons have helped."

Giggling, she nodded. "Yes, Marc's a good teacher. I was scared at first because he's so big, but he was right-If I could learn to fight him, I would become more self-confident." Stepping out of Luke's embrace, she turned back to the stove to finish dinner. Draining the pasta, she plated it first and then poured the homemade marinara sauce over the top.

Once they were eating, she said, "You know, I think Marc needs someone special."

Lifting his eyebrow at her proclamation, Luke waited to see what would follow.

"I mean, he's now the only Saint who doesn't have a special woman in his life. And that just seems...lonely. And he's such a great guy, it makes me wish I knew someone who would be perfect for him."

Shaking his head, Luke replied, "Sweetheart, the other women have been trying, but unless you know someone who can hunt, fish, loves to camp and can cook out over an open fire, I don't think you'll find the love of Marc's life."

"It can't be that bad," she said, looking askance.

"Oh, believe me, he'll hook up with someone he meets out on a hiking trail, but won't pay much attention to someone in a bar that has the look of high maintenance written all over them. He's a simple man with simple tastes."

"Hmph," she groused. "That doesn't sound too simple to me."

Laughing, Luke added, "But the others like to joke around and say that when he least expects it, someone will knock the big man onto his a.s.s...kind of like you did to me earlier."

The meal almost complete, Charlie leaned over to kiss a dab of tomato sauce off the corner of his mouth.

His eyes flared with l.u.s.t once more and he shoved his plate back. Easily lifting her, he settled her on his lap, her legs straddling his hips. One hand grabbed her a.s.s, pulling her tightly against his straining erection. Claiming her lips, he licked, nipped, and sucked until she was grinding her crotch against his, seeking relief.

With the other hand he moved the dishes and her laptop to the side before placing both hands on her waist and hefting her a.s.s to the table. Hooking his fingers into the waistband of her pants, he jerked them down as she balanced her feet on his chair and lifted her hips into the air. With an awkward kick, she was able to drop her pants to the side once he slid them down her legs.

Before she processed that she was a.s.s-naked on the dining room table, he parted her legs and dove in, licking a path along her slit.

Moaning, she threw her head back as she balanced on her arms behind her. He pulled her a.s.s to the edge of the table while tossing her legs over his shoulders. Instead of feeling exposed and vulnerable, she felt cared for and loved.

Love? Is this love? Or just great s.e.x? As he plunged his tongue into her slick channel, all thoughts of defining what they had flew out the window. His tongue flicked in and out before his mouth moved up to suck on her c.l.i.t and she dug her heels into his back as the coils tightened inside.

Her computer dinged an incoming message, but she slapped her hand to the side, hitting the silence b.u.t.ton to quiet the interference.

Luke lifted his gaze to watch her eyes glaze over as her o.r.g.a.s.m slammed into her. Her s.e.x pulsated as her channel became slicker. Her heels were almost painful on his back, but he welcomed the sensation. He knew he was taking her over the edge and was as lost in her as she was in him.

As her head flopped forward, her lazy smile was met by his still l.u.s.t-filled eyes as he licked her juices off his lips. Her hand moved forward to clutch his shoulders as she brought her legs back down. Kissing his lips, she tasted herself on his tongue, moaning once more.

Capturing her moan in his mouth, his c.o.c.k swelled to even larger proportions, causing him to wince at the uncomfortable tightness in his pants. Luke stood, his arms still wrapped around her, never letting her mouth go as her legs encircled his waist. Stalking to the bedroom, he set her on the side of the bed before sliding her t-shirt over her head. With a flick of his fingers, her bra was unsnapped and tossed to the side.

Scooting back on the bed so that she was at the center, she c.o.c.ked her head to the side and p.r.o.nounced seductively, "One of us is greatly overdressed."

Grinning, he unb.u.t.toned his shirt, allowing it to drop behind him. He watched as her gaze roamed over his naked chest, pride swelling inside. Her eyes darkened with l.u.s.t as she took him in from his face, down his abs, to his narrow waist. He watched her eyes move lower as he unzipped his jeans and let the heavy material slide to the floor before stepping out of them. He did not need to look down to know that she was focused on the ma.s.sive tenting in his boxers. Hooking his thumbs in the waistband, he shucked them off quickly, then stood at the edge of the bed fisting his erection.

She licked her lips as the pre-c.u.m pearled at the tip, about to scramble to her knees.

"Oh, no, sweetheart," he warned, halting her movements. "I want to be buried so deep in you, we can't tell where you end and I begin."

Sucking in a sharp breath at his words, she was sure her s.e.x grew wetter just at the thought. "How do you want me?" she asked, licking her lips in antic.i.p.ation.

Lifting his eyebrow while still fisting his c.o.c.k, he said, "Flip. a.s.s up and grab a pillow to put under you."

Eyes twinkling, she quickly maneuvered into position, her a.s.s already pushing back as he leaned over her, his c.o.c.k twitching at her entrance. Spreading her legs, she moved further back, rubbing along his erection, loving the feel of his fingers tightening on her hips.

He slid his hands from her hips up to her shoulders before sliding them down the smooth expanse of petal-soft skin on her back. Palming her a.s.s cheeks, he chuckled as he heard the sounds coming from her lips. "Now who's moaning?"

As his hands roamed around to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, he tweaked her sensitive nipples. No longer moaning but full out begging, she pleaded for him to take her as she pushed her a.s.s back even further.

Wanting to make sure she was ready, he kept one hand working her nipple as the other slid through her wet folds. Grinning as she cast a peek over her shoulder at him, "I'm just making sure you're okay first."

"Luke," Charlie pouted. "I need you now!"

Laughing, he slid the tip of his c.o.c.k to her entrance, saying, "All for you, sweetheart."

Plunging in, they both gasped-her, at the delicious sensation of fullness and, him, at the exquisite torture of tightness. Thrusting in and out, slowly at first and then with more vigor, he closed his eyes in awe of the beauty that was all her. His fingers dug into the flesh at her hips, careful not to bruise but desiring to crush her to him.

Her slick channel grabbed him, causing her entire body to tingle. The electric jolts shot from her core outward as the friction increased. Her fingers clutched the edge of the mattress in an attempt to hold her body in place as his thrusts pushed her forward.