the mission to keep her safe. The last part? I have no fuckin’ clue what happens when the mission is over. With that thought in his mind, he threw open the door and headed to the kitchen, the desire to see Josie overcoming all doubts.
Just as he made it to the end of the hall, there was a knock on her front door. She squeaked, her eyes wide, and he hated to see her fear.
She blushed and shook her head. “I guess someone threatening me would hardly knock, would they?”
He stalked to the door, looking at the security camera screen on his phone. As though the visitor knew he was being watched, an FBI ID badge was held up to the camera. Opening the door, Cobb kept his body in the way until he ascertained who he was talking to. Stepping back, he said, “Come on in.”
Agent Floyd Gomez was not quite six feet tall, black hair, and piercing black eyes that didn’t appear to miss much. The two men shook hands, and Floyd looked past him toward the kitchen. Cobb felt Josie approach, and he reached out to take her hand, drawing her nearer.
“Ms. Rector,” Floyd greeted, his gaze moving between her and Cobb. “I’m FBI Agent Floyd Gomez.”
Cobb had no doubt Floyd was taking in his hand linked with Josie’s but didn’t care. She smiled at the agent and asked if he wanted something to drink. Floyd declined, and Cobb was grateful. He wanted the agent to stick to business.
The three moved to the living room, where Cobb settled Josie next to him on the sofa and Floyd took one of the chairs.
“I’ve arranged for your vehicle to be taken to a garage that’s trusted by our local office. It’ll be processed for fingerprints, although I doubt we’ll find any. Once we’re finished, we have a reliable mechanic who’ll replace your tires. He’ll come to you directly for his fee.” His eyes moved to Cobb. “I’ll send you his info. He’s the brother of an agent and we use him for incidents when we need to keep something off the radar of the public.”
Cobb felt her gaze on him and turned to see the wrinkle in her brow. “It’s best to keep this out of the public knowledge. Agent Gomez will be handling things officially for you.”
She nodded, offering a slight smile. “I know and that’s fine.”
“I’ve looked at the records you provided. I’ve got codebreakers working on the parts that aren’t just financial, but I’d definitely say it was tied into laundering money and illegal betting. I’ve been working on local casino fraud, and Carson Wright, among many aliases, is right in the middle of things. He represents company CEOs who like to gamble and hide their winnings by shuffling them through various businesses or nonprofits.”
Josie’s hand flexed against Cobb’s and he glanced to the side, not surprised to observe the flash of anger that moved over her face. He offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile before turning back to Floyd.
“The good news, Ms. Rector, is that you’re the first person to rattle their cages. That means they’re more likely to make an error, show their hand, and we can finally get close. The bad news is that you’re in their sights. I can offer—”
“I’ve got her,” Cobb growled, his gaze holding Floyd’s, waiting to see if the agent would argue. They stared at each other for a moment, then Floyd nodded.
“Okay. Then we’ll process her vehicle and have it back to her as soon as possible.” Standing, Floyd extended his hand toward Cobb.
Getting to his feet, Cobb shook the other man’s hand and offered, “Thanks for coming by. I appreciate the insight and assistance.”
For the first time since meeting, Floyd’s lips twitched upward. “I’ll be in touch.” With that, he walked out after a chin lift toward Josie, and Cobb locked the door behind him. Turning, he held her gaze.
She stood, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Sucking in a breath, she let it out slowly, then said, “Let’s eat. If we’re going to be solving crimes tonight, we need our strength.”
Turning, she headed into the kitchen, leaving him smiling in her wake.
16
“Please, sit, Josie. You fixed dinner while I was on the phone, the least I can do is clean up.”
It seemed to be important to him, so she simply nodded, watching as Jorge rinsed the dishes, placed them into the dishwasher, and threw the refuse into the garbage. He opened