“No. From what I can tell, Carlson deals with street thugs and local drug dealers, not organized crime. Where would he get that kind of explosive?”
“From some really bad ass**les. This shit is worse than I thought.”
Del dropped her face into her hand. Suddenly, staying alive felt like something way beyond her ability. “How’s Seth?”
“He’s fine, angel. Still asleep. Kimber and Alyssa will be there to get him soon and take him for a playdate with their kids.”
She nodded. Seth would enjoy having new friends and the chance to run around like a kid, not spend the day cooped up in a car. “Thanks.”
Still, worry plagued her. What happened if they didn’t catch Carlson right away? What happened if all her sources had dried up or refused to talk? She couldn’t leave Seth indefinitely.
Or what if Carlson found him?
“I see that look. Stop worrying,” Tyler warned. “Jack and Deke will never let anything happen to Seth. I swear it. Jack is a former Army Ranger. Deke was also military and did a little time with the FBI and still has connections all over the place. Seth couldn’t be safer.”
Those credentials did make her relax a bit. Her son was definitely safer with them. “If I thought for a second that giving up this story would make Carlson go away, for Seth’s safety, I would.”
“Somewhere along the way, you drew blood. You could have flown under Carlson’s radar if you hadn’t confronted him.”
“I was hoping to catch him off guard and that he’d say something for the record that was incriminating.”
Tyler just shook his head. “But since you did confront him . . . he’ll do anything to prevent what you know from going public. Today demonstrated that.”
“Since he destroyed all my latest notes, it’s going to take some backtracking to put the pieces of his warped puzzle back together so I can prove what I know. Right now, all I’ve got is my word about a conversation I overheard, plus a thug willing to pin a crime on a respected member of the community—none of that will hold up in court. I did get a chance to back up some of my evidence a few weeks before the explosion.”
Tyler sat up, hyper-focused. “In a safe-deposit box?”
“No.” She bit her lip. He wasn’t going to like her answer. “I put what I had at the time on a flash drive. I tried to think of the very last place that anyone would look for it. It couldn’t be my house or office. A safe-deposit box seemed too obvious. So . . . I snuck into Eric’s place.” Tyler’s eyes went wide, and before he could object, she plowed ahead. “Everyone in law enforcement circles knows our divorce was ugly. I figured if Carlson asked around about me, he’d never imagine that I’d hide my backup at Eric’s. I put it where I used to hide anything I wanted to keep private.” Even from Eric. Birthday cards from Tyler and her journal came to mind.
“When you called, he didn’t respond. So you need to get in the house and retrieve your evidence. Any chance Carlson knows that?”
“How could he? People don’t normally leave valuable items at their bitter ex’s place.”
“A bank might have been more obvious, but it would have been more secure.”
“Until he found some trumped-up way to subpoena the contents.”
Sighing, Tyler reached for her hand. “Yeah. This is all kinds of f**ked up, but we’re going to fix it, angel.”
“You didn’t have to come with me.”
Tyler gritted his teeth. “Don’t start that again. We’re in this together.”
Del knew that tone of voice well. Conversation over. He’d used it countless times before on suspects—and a time or two on Eric. That deep conviction rumbling from his chest always gave her the shivers.
“You’re not the only one who wants to protect our son,” he said softly.
And she loved that about Tyler. When he cared, he cared big.
“I understand, but I want to be clear: What happened last night in your bedroom can’t happen again.”
She didn’t dare let him melt her resolve to keep distance between them. That kiss had been a huge mistake. They had a clear objective to take down Carlson and make Seth’s life safer. Anything else just complicated the situation. Tyler, being a heartbreaker, made it all even more complicated. She’d never forget the breathless, sublime moments she’d touched him, had him deep inside her. They’d connected in a way she never had with any lover. But he’d taken a chunk of her heart . . . and then he’d moved on. That’s who he was, and she’d be a fool to think that she—or even Seth—was going to change him.
“You want me to back off, keep my hands to myself?”
Even the thought of his hands on her made her belly flip. “Yes.”
Tyler turned to her as the empty road flew past and the sun crawled up the sky. His green eyes gleamed. He sent her a cocky grin. “Don’t hold your breath, angel.”