Page 64 of Committed
ChapterTwenty-Two
An hour later, Journey walked into Supreme Security, and Laz was the first person she saw. He was waiting in the back foyer, and the tenderness in his pretty eyes made her heart turn over in her chest. His hair was pulled into a ponytail at his nape, and he was finally getting some color back in his skin. She hadn’t seen him look this healthy in days.
Her gaze took in the rest of him. Whether in a black suit, his usual uniform, or jeans and a Henley like he was currently wearing, the man wasfineand a sight for tired eyes.
It didn’t matter that she’d seen him earlier. All she wanted to do was be wrapped in his strong arms and forget about her drama-filled day. Usually, she wasn’t so needy, but right now, she wanted him to hold her. To remind her that as long as they had each other, they could get through anything. Because the last few days of her rollercoaster ride of emotions were starting to wear on her.
As she hurried to him, Laz didn’t say a word. He opened his arm to her, and she molded her body against his. Like him, she couldn’t wait until he could get rid of the sling. A one-armed hug was okay, but it was nothing compared to the feel of both of his strong arms embracing her tightly.
“What a day,” she said, her cheek resting against his broad chest. “I can’t wait until it’s over. That way, I can start anew in the morning with no drama.”
Laz’s hearty chuckle vibrated against her ear, bringing a smile to her face.
“Yeah, let’s hope.” He kissed the top of her head. “How about a drink and a little dinner before we start tackling thedramathat is our life?”
She leaned back and smiled at him. “If ‘by drink’ you mean a shot of tequila or whisky, then I’d say that sounds heavenly. I also wouldn’t turn down food.” Especially since she’d only had a few bites of her sandwich at lunch before having to rush back to court.
Laz led her upstairs to a meeting space with several long tables with comfortable-looking chairs, a screen that came out of the ceiling and was as wide as one of the walls. They called it the war room. It was where they usually met up as a group to discuss significant assignments and debrief. The space could easily hold fifty people or more, but tonight there would only be a handful of them trying to determine who was threatening her.
“Come on in. The food table is set up in the back,” Laz said, his arm around her waist.
The moment Journey stepped further into the space, the enticing scent of oregano and other spices met her nose. She set her laptop bag on one of the tables and followed Laz to the mini buffet. Her mouth watered when she saw the pan of lasagna, salad, a vegetable tray, bread sticks, and a few more side dishes. It looked like others had already eaten, but there was still plenty of food left. There were also bottles of liquor, soda, and tea at the far end of the table.
While she fixed a plate for her and Laz, he poured her a two-finger glass of whiskey and grabbed a couple bottles of water.
“Where is everyone else?” Journey asked when they sat down to eat.
“They’ve already started working on the situation and will be here in a minute. I know you’re concerned about confidentiality, but Jay, I hope you know that you can trust all of the guys. What’s discussed in this room will stay in here.”
“I know.”
“There’s something I did find out,” Laz said, wiping his mouth with a linen napkin. “The gun used to shoot me was the same one used to shoot your witness, Fred Jacobs.”
An involuntary shiver rocked Journey. Laz was always so cavalier about guns, shootings, and death, and she knew it had a lot to do with him being former law enforcement. But for her, it all was very disturbing, especially when the person shot was her husband.
She lifted the glass of whiskey, slammed it back, and grimaced, with her eyes tightly closed, at the burn that slid down the back of her throat.
Goodness. Whew, that’s strong.
She blinked several times. She could already feel the liquor flowing through her body and giving her that extra little something to get her through the evening. Everything around her seemed brighter and clearer.
When she glanced up, Laz was smiling at her. “Would you like another?
“Uh, no. I think I’m good.” She cleared her throat and blinked a few more times. “How’d they find the shooter?” She was getting ready to eat a forkful of lasagna but stopped when she recognized the expression on Laz’s face.
Setting her fork down, she braced herself. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t break any laws,” he hurried to say. “Well, not many, but don’t worry. I didn’t mess up Ted’s case. It’s solid, and the shooters are going away for averylong time.”
“Yeah, tell it to the prosecutor, who’ll be asking questions about how the evidence was obtained.”
A slow smile kicked up the corners of Laz’s tempting lips. “That’s not going to be a problem. The case will be solid because, for years, the world’s greatest prosecutor has practically beat the law into me. I know it like the back of my hand.”
Despite her concern, Journey laughed. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”
He chuckled and wiped his mouth with a napkin before turning serious. “Trust me, sweetheart, everything is covered. The shooters gave their statement admitting to their part, and they’ve been cooperative.”
Journey nodded. She could only imagine what Laz had done to get them to admit to murder and attempted murder. Actually, she didn’t want to know. As long as he didn’t end up in jail—or worse—she was just glad he had found the shooters.