Meg Lacey - A Noble Pursuit

“Where’s there?”

The woman scowled, avoiding his gaze. “Where I was.”

Shay rubbed the spot between his eyebrows where tension was starting to build. Talking to this woman was like being caught in a never-ending loop. “Let’s get this straight. You don’t know who you are, where you’re from or why you’re here. That about cover it?”

She shrugged. “That’s the story of my life.”

“I don’t think so, sweetheart. Life has a beginning, a middle and an end. You’re still working on the first couple chapters.”

“I think my middle and end are already written.”

“You’re too young to be a cynic. Trust me, I know.” Did he ever. No one lost his ideals faster than a cop.

“Aren’t cynics merely the flip side of idealists?”

He lifted a brow, studying her in closer detail, now more intrigued than ever by her aristocratic Southern accent and the aura of class she wore. What the hell was she doing out here? “That’s pretty heavy thinking for a woman who can’t remember her name.”

She frowned. “Maybe I read that somewhere.”

“Do you remember reading your address?”

She squeezed her eyes shut before saying in a fierce whisper, “No, I don’t.” She opened her eyes and stared into his, her gaze intense and gleaming with purpose. “Do you believe in fairy tales? In legends coming to life?”

“Fairy tales?” The intoxicating scent of jasmine brought on images of sultry nights under the stars, crushed flowers and soft moans, and Shay shook his head to clear it. They’d warned him in Cincinnati that New Orleans was more seductive than a high-priced whore, but he’d shrugged it off. Now here he was, lurking in a park near the Renard Restaurant on a half-baked tip from an iffy informant and what was he thinking about? “Nah, I don’t believe in fairy tales.”

“How about fate? Do you believe in fate?”

“I believe in making my own fate.”

A self-satisfied smile touched her lips. “I thought you’d say that.”

Shay straightened. “What the hell am I going to do with you?” He shoved a hand through his hair. He had a job to do and he couldn’t do it with this type of distraction. He’d already decided that this stakeout was a waste of time and he’d been about to cut bait when he saw her.

“What would you like to do?”

Her voice, soft and provocative, whispered on the breeze as Shay glanced at his watch, then at his companion. Despite the temptation, he made the instinctive decision to protect his undercover status. “I’d better find a cop.”

“A cop?” A hint of alarm crept into her question. “Why do you want a cop?”

A gust of wind stirred the branches above them. “Get real. Why do you think? You don’t know who the hell you are. I can’t leave you here. You’d end up a crime statistic.”

“I can’t involve the police.” Her voice started to rise, which set Shay’s warning lights flashing. Why was she so afraid of the police?

“I’ve got to get you somewhere safe.” Shay slapped his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Damn, what kind of…did you hit your head? Is that why you can’t remember anything? I didn’t even check. Maybe we ought to find a hospital or a clinic.” His fingers probed gently in her hair—searching for an injury, he told himself, not because he wanted to touch her. “Let me know if anything hurts.”

She slapped his hand away and stood up. “Nothing hurts. Nothing you can see, anyway.”

Shay straightened and reached for her arm. “Wait a minute. What do you think you’re doing?”

“I have to go now.”

“Go where?”

“Anywhere.”

Shay grabbed both of her arms and swung her around to face him. “Hold it. You’re not—”

“I’ll be fine,” she said through clenched teeth.

“The hell you will. Look, I’ll take you down to the precinct myself.”

She tugged her arm away, surprising him with her strength. “No. I can’t let you do that.”

A jagged flash of lightning split the sky. Shay glanced up, then back at her before grabbing her wrists. “You don’t have a choice.”

Her eyes abruptly filled with tears and her voice tightened. “No, no, let go. I can’t go to the police. I can’t have that kind of—please let me go.”

He pulled her close, stroking her tense back. “Shh, shh, it’s okay, it’s okay.” What in the hell was this woman mixed up in? he wondered. Should he tell her he was a cop, after all? Not that he had anything but temporary jurisdiction on one specific case, but still—

She struggled, attempting to pull away from him. “I have to go. Please, I’ll be okay.”

Another crack of lightning split the sky, followed immediately by a roar of thunder. “I’m supposed to let you run away into a storm, without knowing who you are? Forget it, lady. I can’t do that. What kind of hero would I be?” The rain started to fall lightly but steadily. All around the area people were running for cover. For a moment, Shay was at a loss. Even if tonight’s tip was proving a waste of time, he was still on the job, and he took his duty seriously. But, like every good cop, he knew when to cut his losses. He glanced toward the street and, with no sign of his quarry in the vicinity, decided to bail out. Then Shay pulled his attention back to the woman in his arms. Staring down at her, he cradled her closer. “I have to take you somewhere.”

The woman hesitated, then blurted, “Then take me home with you.”

“Home with me?”

“Yes. I can stay until the rain stops, and then I’ll go anywhere you want me to go.”

“That’s not the greatest—”

She shivered as the breeze whirled around them. “I’m getting cold.”

“Ah, hell.” Shay looked down at her, trying not to be distracted by the way the wet silk was clinging to her body, outlining every curve. He stripped off his jacket and threw it over her as the rain started falling harder. “Come on, we’ll have to run for it. My car’s on the other side of the park.”

Shay wrapped his arm around her, tucking her close to his side as they started running. They cut across the grass as the path was now crowded with fleeing people, some laughing, some swearing and some so drunk they were stumbling into each other. A man attempted to grab hold of them to steady himself.

Shay shoved him away. “Go sleep it off, jerk.”

“Looks like you’ll be doing the same,” he slurred with a leering glance at Shay’s feminine armful.

Sudden protective instincts leaped to the fore and Shay had to stop himself from punching the guy. “Get out of here before I arrest you.” The man moved away and only then did Shay realize what he’d said. He glanced down at the woman next to him, only to see a quick smile cross her lips.

“That was a clever way to get rid of him. I’ll have to use that.”

Shay chuckled as they continued to cross the wet grass toward the sidewalk. “No one in their right mind would take you for a cop, sweetheart.”

“Why not?”

“Because—” Just then the heavens opened, spilling rain in great drenching sheets. Shay grabbed the woman’s hand and tugged her along, running down the concrete walk to the side of an old white Porsche that had seen better days. He dug into his pocket for his keys, swearing when his hand stuck in his wet jeans. Meanwhile the rain was plastering his shirt to his chest.

Shay glanced at the woman next to him to see how she was doing under his leather jacket. Marginally better, but not much. He managed to grasp his keys and remove his hand without turning his entire pocket inside out, then leaned down to unlock the door.

Pulling it wide, he began tucking her inside. “In you go, Red.”

She stopped halfway into her seat. “What did you call me?”