Allison Brennan - Silenced

Sean loved her for her commitment to her job, but also worried that sometimes she cared too much, and sacrificed too much of herself for others.

What he was more concerned about was the hidden room Lucy had uncovered yesterday. The dark circles under her eyes, visible now that she’d showered and all traces of makeup had been removed from her face, told him she hadn’t slept well last night.

He should have been here for her. She should have told him. But when he was going to ask why she hadn’t talked to him about the case when he called last night, she was already asleep.

He stared at her, his heart in his throat, wanting so much to take away the pain she harbored inside. He combed her hair with his fingers, lightly, not wanting to wake her. She needed sleep, and he was pleased she could relax with him. He felt her weight shift on his legs when she slipped deeper into sleep, trusting him.

He would never betray her trust.

Lucy was a classically beautiful woman, but the beauty was secondary in his intense attraction.

Going back to his hometown of Sacramento for a week had been difficult on many levels. Not just working for his brother and being treated like the irresponsible black sheep of the family, something he’d been striving to shake for years, but seeing old friends-and old girlfriends. Word got around fast that he was back, and the calls came in. He went to one party and left early-it wasn’t his thing anymore.

Sean had always been attracted to girls who knew they were beautiful and enjoyed the attention their good looks and hot bodies elicited. He also liked smart girls, because talking to an airhead got old real quick. But the girls he’d dated before Lucy were short-term girlfriends-smart and beautiful, but also shallow, conceited, and demanding. Still, for years, he had preferred the no-strings-attached lifestyle.

And then came Lucy.

More important than looks and brains was Lucy’s lack of selfishness. She had so much hope and compassion, even after the shit life had handed her, and every day dedicated herself to helping others. To seeking justice.

Sean was the first to admit that he was selfish. He liked having toys, he liked being smarter than other people, and he wanted Lucy all to himself. Sharing her with her career and her family grated on him occasionally, because he wanted to come first.

But he couldn’t imagine his life without Lucy in it. Six months they’d been together, and he didn’t miss his carefree past. Going home had proven it, if he needed proof.

He’d hated being away from her for so long-eight days this time-especially since she would be leaving for Quantico soon, and he’d only get to see her one night a week for nearly six months.

Stupid rule, he thought. He wondered how difficult the security would be to crack. Did they have security cameras on campus? Or just on the perimeter? He’d have to get Lucy to take him on a tour one day. He’d figure it out. No way was he going six days a week without seeing her.

He kissed her forehead and she smiled in her sleep. Maybe she wasn’t sleeping. He leaned down and kissed her lips. She kissed him back.

The doorbell rang.

She sighed and opened her eyes. They had a sleepy, content look. “Dillon never forgets his keys,” she said. “What time is it?” She rose and stretched.

“Ten thirty.”

She walked down the hall to the front door and peered through the peephole. Sean watched from behind.

“It’s Noah,” she said.

What the hell was Mr. Law amp; Order doing here so late at night? Sean didn’t know he’d be home today until he got on the plane. He’d surprised Lucy. Had Noah tried to weasel in on Lucy while Sean had been gone?

Lucy opened the door. “Come on in.”

Sean stared at the Fed. “Noah.”

“Sean. I didn’t know you were back.”

“Surprise.”

They’d agreed to a truce after their adventures in upstate New York-Sean had a grudging respect for the guy. But he still couldn’t shake the jealousy whenever Noah was around Lucy. Lucy had done nothing to make Sean think she was at all interested in Noah-they were just colleagues. And friends. But Sean couldn’t explain why he felt the way he did-except that a lot of people Lucy cared about had been critical of her decision to get involved with him. That normally wouldn’t bother him, but with Lucy it did. It annoyed him.

He trusted Lucy.

He didn’t trust Noah. Not when it came to Lucy’s heart.

“Would you like some spaghetti?” Lucy offered.

“I just stopped by to brief you on a couple things.”

“Did you eat?”

“No, but I’ll get a sandwich-”

Lucy shook her head. “Sit. Sean made plenty.”

Lucy went to the kitchen and dished Noah a plate. Sean came up behind her and kissed her behind the ear. “So much for our quiet night.”

She glanced at him, and he saw she was worried about something. She was still concerned about their relationship, so he winked. The last thing he wanted to do was upset Lucy. He’d work through this jealousy thing on his own.

“Beer?” Sean called out to Noah.

“Sounds good.”

Sean opened a couple bottles of imported beer, put one in front of Noah, and sat across from him.

Noah nodded his thanks and drank, then dug into the spaghetti.

“So, do you always stop by Lucy’s house in the middle of the night?” Sean said.

“If it’s important,” Noah said between bites. He glanced at Sean. “And it’s only ten thirty.”

Lucy wished the sniping between Noah and Sean would stop. It had gotten better since New York, but Sean liked their time alone, and she had to admit they didn’t have enough of it.

“It’s fine,” Lucy said to Noah. “Any big break? Did the killer walk into the police station and turn himself in?”

“No,” he said, “but since I was on my way home, I thought I’d swing by and fill you in on the Wendy James homicide.”

Lucy was secretly pleased. “Thank you.”

“Thank you?” Sean asked. “For keeping you informed about your own case?”

Lucy had fallen asleep before she told Sean about Josh Stein. “I got pulled from the case.”

“Pulled?”

Noah put up his hand. “The SSA has his own way of doing things, and considering the high-profile nature of the case, having Lucy publicly involved was problematic.”

“That sounds like a load of bureaucratic bullshit.”

“It’s fine, Sean,” Lucy intervened.

“Like hell.”

“I overstepped. I’ve been doing that a lot lately.” She caught Noah’s eye, but couldn’t tell whether he’d truly forgiven her or not. He had too stoic a poker face.

“Crowley’s alibi checked out-he was in committee during the window Wendy James was murdered.”

“And his finances?”

“Still being reviewed, but on the surface, nothing odd. Our techs confirmed there had been video and audio equipment in the hidden room, but they can’t tell when it was removed or by whom. We’re going over both apartments meticulously for trace evidence, but the consensus is someone tried to blackmail Crowley, and either he didn’t play and the affair was exposed, or he exposed the affair himself to take the pressure off.”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t-not enough information. It could be random, or a stalker-she drew a lot of attention when the affair broke. But in light of the hidden room, I think that’s the reason she was killed.”

“It also opens a whole new roomful of suspects,” Lucy said.

“And no way of knowing who was there.”

“What about security cams?”

“The management only keeps them for thirty days. We’ve already got a warrant for the last thirty days, and Cyber Crimes is going over them.”