Fatal Connection: A Phoenix Agency Crossover Novella (Phoenix Agency Universe Book 15) Read online

  “Sir?”

  Shoving his hands into his pockets, the fit, older man sighed heavily as he stared at the board behind Alex and Garrett.

  “We need help. And we need it yesterday.”

  “You have someone specific in mind, Sarge?” Garrett asked.

  “As a matter of fact, I do.” Murphy’s eyes shifted to Alex. “You still have Eden Westfield’s number?”

  Alex blinked, shocked as hell by the question. “I…uh…no. I mean, yes, I have her number, but she and I haven’t spoken since she quit consulting for us two years ago.”

  “Call her.” The other man thought a moment. “Better yet, find out where she’s living now and go to her.”

  Fear raced through his system. Not for himself but for Eden. Mind spinning with a million questions, Alex decided to ask the one burning at his core.

  “Why?”

  Murphy scowled. “What the hell do you mean, why? I want to see if she can give us something the Feds haven’t been able to.”

  “You want to use her.”

  His boss’s salt-and-pepper brows rose into two, high arches. “You got a problem with that, Bennett?”

  “Yes,” Alex told him bluntly. “I do.”

  “Well, get over it. We need her help, and after what happened with that last case, you’re probably the only one here who can talk her into it.”

  Was this guy serious? Not bothering to hide his feelings on the matter, Alex put his hands on his hips and looked his boss square in the eye.

  “What happened was Eden nearly died trying to help us. Then after everything she went through, the victim’s family blamed her for that woman’s death. The media ran with it, and instead of backing her up, you and the other higher-ups threw her to the wolves.”

  Murphy shook his head. “I never said a word to anyone about Eden.”

  “No,” Alex agreed. “You didn’t. Which was just as bad.”

  “How the fuck do you figure that?”

  “You should have defended her.” Alex took a step closer, fully aware he was yelling at his sergeant. But damn if he could bring himself to care. “You should’ve stuck up for her and told those reporters the truth. Instead this entire department turned its back on her when she needed it most.”

  “That’s right, Bennett. A department you are still very much a part of. I sure as hell didn’t see your ass out there singing her praises to the press.”

  “I tried, but it was too late. The damage had already been done.”

  “You didn’t do shit because Eden told you to stand down.” Murphy moved toward him. “You think I didn’t know about you two?”

  The hell? “There was never anything inappropriate between Eden and me.” And he meant it. Eden hadn’t so much as touched him the last time they’d worked together.

  Of course, he’d touched her, but only to hold her hand when she was in the hospital. Even then, Eden had been unconscious and completely unaware, so to Alex, that didn’t even count.

  “But you wanted there to be. That’s why when she told you to drop it, you were all too happy to fall in line with whatever she wanted.”

  The man was right. Alex had stopped pursuing justice for her when she’d asked but only because he knew she just wanted it all to be over.

  It was his biggest regret to date.

  “Doesn’t change the fact that she helped solve countless cases for this department, and the second she needed us, we gave her a big ‘fuck you’.”

  “Well, now’s your chance to make it up to her.” Murphy turned and headed for the door. “Find her. Grovel, kiss her ass, do whatever the fuck you have to do in order to get her back in here. Otherwise, I’m wiping my hands of this case and handing it over to the Feds for good.”

  What the hell?

  “You can’t do that, Sarge.”

  The formidable man faced him once more. “I can, and I will. And before you lose your shit, this comes from City Hall not me.”

  “Ah, hell.” Garrett ran a hand over his jaw.

  “I have my own boss to answer to. Sometimes, like you two, I have to say or do things I don’t particularly agree with in order to keep my job.”

  With that, their unit commander left the room.

  “Damn.” Garrett shook his head. “What are you going to do now?”

  Gut churning, Alex looked at his partner. “Guess I’m driving us to Eden’s.”

  Chapter Two

  “Jesus.” Garrett scanned the secluded area through the passenger window. “She must really like her privacy.”

  Alex looked at the old, two-story farmhouse ahead of them. “Can you blame her?”

  Slowly, he drove his Grand Cherokee down the long, gravel driveway. Parking next to Eden’s black Silverado, he found himself still oddly impressed by the fact that she drove a full-size pickup.

  She’d driven them to lunch once, and Alex remembered having an instant case of jealousy. He’d thought maybe it belonged to a boyfriend she hadn’t told him about. When Eden revealed the truck was actually hers, that jealousy had quickly turned to arousal.

  There was just something about a beautiful woman behind the wheel of a truck that turned him on. Or, maybe it was just this woman.

  “What do you think she’s going to say?”

  Staring out the windshield, Alex sighed. “Honestly? I’m hoping she tells us to go to hell.”

  Garrett studied him a moment. “You really care about this woman, don’t you?”

  Alex sighed. “Yeah.” He looked at his partner. “I do.”

  Without judgement, the other man opened his door and said, “Come on, then. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can leave her alone to her peace and solitude.”

  Nerves churned deep inside his gut as they made their way along the stone walkway toward the covered porch.

  “Couldn’t help but notice you didn’t use GPS to find your way here,” Garrett commented as they walked up the wooden steps.

  “Your point?”

  The other man shrugged. “Just making an observation, that’s all.”

  Alex filled his lungs, blowing the air out slowly before raising his fist and knocking on the screen door. “I didn’t lie to Murphy. I haven’t spoken to Eden since she left the hospital that day.”

  Garrett raised a single eyebrow. “But you’ve seen her.” It wasn’t a question.

  Nodding, Alex used a hushed voice to quickly explain. “I’ve checked up on her a few times since then. Just to make sure she was doing okay. Nothing more.”

  Saying it out loud sounded a hell of a lot creepier than he’d intended. Thankfully, his partner knew him well enough to understand his true motive for watching over Eden.

  Garrett put his hands up defensively. “I get it. What happened to Eden was shitty. I always liked her, so it’s good knowing someone’s had her back all this time. Even if she doesn’t realize it.”

  With a mumbled, “Thanks,” Alex knocked again.

  Garrett opened his mouth to say something else when Eden came to the door. Alex’s heart gave a hard thump against his ribs when he saw her.

  From the look on her face, she was as surprised to see him as he was to be standing there. After a few seconds’ hesitation, she recovered from her obvious shock and opened the door.

  “Alex?”

  God, he’d missed her voice. “Hello, Eden.”

  He had no idea how long they just stood there. Staring at one another. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Something he hadn’t thought possible.

  Eden’s long, dark brown hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, stopping just above her firm breasts. Even in something as simple as worn jeans and a white, long-sleeve t-shirt, he could make out her toned figure.

  Taller than the average woman, Eden’s five-six frame was lean, but the woman still had curves in all the right places. Places Alex had only dreamed about touching.

  Eyes the color of honey stared back into his. They were the first thing he’d noticed about her. He remembered
the day they met as if it were yesterday.

  Like most members of his elite unit, Alex had been skeptical of her so-called gift. He’d heard stories of psychics using their extrasensory abilities to aid police in solving tough cases. Personally, he’d thought they were all nothing more than a bunch of dog and pony shows. Then, he met Eden.

  One look into those mesmerizing eyes and Alex had instinctively known she was the real deal. It was one of the reasons he’d been so careful to avoid physical contact with her.

  If he allowed Eden to touch him, she’d be able to see into the depths of his soul. You touched her before, remember?

  The one and only time he’d been brave enough to reach for her hand, she’d been unconscious. For three days straight, Alex had stayed by her side.

  He’d held her hand and whispered soft words of encouragement. Even during the few times he’d allowed himself to doze off, Alex had kept ahold of her hand. After a quick trip to the restroom, she came to, having never known about their physical contact.

  The last time he saw her was the day she was released from the hospital. That was also the same time the media shitstorm hit. Eden left the city that day and hadn’t been back since.

  Clearing his throat, Garrett broke the awkward silence. “Hey, Eden. Good to see you again.”

  She blinked, her pretty eyes shifting to his partner’s. “Hi, Garrett.” She smiled. “It’s nice to see you, too.”

  A few more seconds passed before she shook her head at herself.

  “I’m sorry. Please”—she opened the screen door and stepped aside— “come in.”

  Wasting no time, Garrett accepted the offer with a low, “Thanks.”

  Following his partner over the threshold, Alex gave Eden a polite smile as he stepped into her home. The familiar scent of strawberries and vanilla filled his nostrils, and Alex didn’t realize until that very moment just how much he’d missed it.

  “Would you two like something to drink? I have tea already chilled, or I can make a quick pot of coffee.”

  “We’re good but thank you,” Alex answered for the both of them.

  Jesus, this sucked. He and Eden had worked together off and on for over a year before she left. During that time, they’d become friends. Good friends.

  Alex had prayed their relationship would grow into something more. He was almost certain it would have had things not gone down the way they did. Now he was standing in her house—a house in the middle of fucking nowhere—and they were acting like they barely knew each other.

  I never should have come here.

  Suddenly, despite not having been this close to her in years, Alex was more than ready to leave. Being near her again affected him a hell of a lot more than he’d expected.

  He needed to get this over with. She’d kick their asses out, and they’d both go back to living their separate lives, just as they had for the past two years. The thought left his pulse racing.

  Christ, he shouldn’t be this nervous. He’d been Force Recon, for fuck’s sake. His team had infiltrated some of the world’s most dangerous areas in order to retrieve and relay sensitive intel for the U.S. government.

  Surely, he could survive talking to this one woman for five minutes.

  “From the looks on both your faces, I’m assuming this isn’t a social visit.” Eden spoke up, beginning the difficult conversation.

  “No,” Garrett told her bluntly. “Unfortunately, it’s not.”

  “I have a feeling I already know the answer, but I’ll ask anyway.” Eden looked to Garrett before bringing her focus back to him. “Does this impromptu visit have anything to do with the four women who were murdered?”

  “Five.” Alex swallowed hard. “Another woman was found last night. And yeah, that’s why we’re here.”

  Eden drew in a deep breath. The movement caused her perky breasts to rise and fall slowly, and it took everything he had not to drop his gaze to her chest.

  “Let me guess. Sergeant Murphy asked you to come here to see if I’d help with the case.”

  Garrett surprised them both by letting out a loud chuckle. “Damn, Eden. You’ve gotten even better since we last saw you. Didn’t even have to touch us to know why we came.”

  Laughing softly—a sound Alex had missed dearly—Eden rolled her eyes at the idiot. “I have a television, Garrett, as well as a computer and phone. Doesn’t take psychic abilities to know your department and the FBI are in a tailspin over this guy.”

  Alex frowned. “That obvious, huh?”

  Intelligent eyes met his. “You could say that.”

  With a crooked smirk, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well, you’re right. As usual.”

  “Except Sarge didn’t exactly ask us to come here. More like he ordered.” Garrett looked his way. “What was it he said? Oh, yeah.” He snapped his fingers and faced Eden again. “We’re supposed to grovel and kiss your ass until you agree to come back as a unit consultant.”

  Eden looked at Alex again, her dark brows turning inward. “He ordered you?”

  Alex’s heart thumped, but it wasn’t from the anxiety he’d felt before. If he wasn’t mistaken, he could have sworn she sounded almost disappointed.

  “He did.”

  She licked her lips, his fists tightening from the sight. The woman honestly had no idea what she was doing to him.

  “But you didn’t want to come,” she surmised.

  Alex answered truthfully, “No.”

  “Not because we didn’t want to see you again,” Garrett jumped in quickly. “We miss seeing you at the precinct. Alex fought Murphy on this because he—”

  His loose-lipped partner cut himself off just in time. Glaring at the idiot from over Eden’s shoulder, Alex recovered the fumble. Sort of.

  “After what you went through last time, I didn’t think it was fair of us to ask you for anything.”

  Eden’s eyes softened. “What happened last time wasn’t your fault, Alex. I told you that back then. Unfortunately, stuff like that comes with the territory for someone like me.”

  Someone like me.

  He’d always fucking hated it when she referred to herself that way. As if there was something wrong with her.

  “Well, it shouldn’t,” he bit out too harshly.

  When the two went back to staring silently at one another, Garrett cleared his throat again and said, “I’m just gonna let you two sort this out.” He gave Eden a smile and a wave. “Good to see you again, Eden. And case or no case, I hope you’ll come by the station again, soon.”

  “Bye, Garrett,” she said with a forced smile.

  As he passed by on his way to the door, Garrett whispered so low only Alex could hear. “Take your time.”

  Soon, he and Eden were alone in her house.

  “Tell me why you really didn’t want to come here, Alex.” Sadness filled her gorgeous eyes. “And be honest.”

  He looked down at her, confused. “I am being honest.” Alex ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Media aside, you went through hell, Eden. I don’t want to see you go through something like that again.”

  “So, you fought Murphy on this because you were worried about me?”

  Alex took a step toward her. “Does that surprise you?”

  She shrugged. “Well, yeah. Kind of.”

  “Why?”

  Eden walked over to her couch and sat on the overstuffed arm. With her hands resting in her lap, she sighed. “Before, I thought…” She licked those perfect, bow-shaped lips again. “I thought we’d become friends. Not just two people who worked together.”

  “We were friends, Eden.” He moved a little closer. “As far as I’m concerned, we still are.”

  The corners of her mouth lifted in a haphazard smile. “We haven’t spoken in two years, Alex.” She looked around her living room. “You obviously knew where I was. Yet, you haven’t called once in all that time. Haven’t come to see me until now. Because you were ordered to.”

  Not that you know of. “Yeah,
I knew you’d moved out here. I also knew why.” He inched closer. “You wanted to get away from the media circus. The city and all the people.” It was his turn to shrug. “I assumed that included me, too.”

  “You know what they say about assumptions,” Eden whispered softly.

  “I do.” Alex nodded. He took another step toward her, leaving mere inches between them. “I also know being a part of my world damn near killed you.”

  Eden stood, their bodies so close he could feel her warm breath on his chin. “I’m a big girl, Alex. I knew the risks going in.”

  God, he wanted to touch her. Wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her the way he’d always imagined. So, he took a step back.

  “I didn’t.” He turned and walked a safe distance away. “But I do, now.”

  “Meaning?”

  Facing her again, his gaze zeroed in on hers. “Meaning, it’s not a risk I’m willing to take, now.”

  She scowled. “That’s not your choice to make.”

  “Damn it, Eden. This case…” Alex grabbed the back of his neck, the muscles there tense with fear. Fear for the stubborn woman in front of him. “It’s worse than before.”

  “How so?” Eden moved toward him.

  “This guy is different. I can’t explain how, exactly. There’s just something about him, and my gut’s telling me to keep you as far away from this as I can.”

  “Then why’d you bother coming here?”

  “I didn’t have a choice.”

  “There’s always a choice, Alex.”

  He really hated it when she was right. “Honestly, I didn’t think you’d come back.”

  “I didn’t say I am.”

  Alex studied her a minute. “But you’re considering it.”

  Eden nodded her beautiful head. “I’ve had a lot of time to think these past couple of years.”

  She took several steps in his direction. With their toes nearly touching, she stood directly in front of him.

  “I’ve used that time to heal. To get stronger. Both physically and mentally.”

  When she slowly began to raise her hand toward his chest, Alex took a reflexive step backward.

  “It’s okay,” she assured him. “I’ve gained more control over my gift since I saw you last.”