TorC3

Logan Marshall. Victoria felt her heart skip a beat as the sensations from their brief encounter made her cheeks flush. She doubted that he had arrived at Flash by accident and he wasn’t like the others who sought her out. He didn’t want any information from her. Logan had come to the club just to rattle her.

He had player written all over him from his tailored suit right down to his capped teeth. It was all a show. She knew that he wanted her to tell Nash, or rather Teddy, that he had come on to her. What worried her was that she didn’t know if she was doing the right thing by telling Nash or simply playing into Logan’s hands. That was the one thing that made her hesitate.

She felt guilty for acting as if she was looking for a romantic rendezvous for lunch when she called Nash that morning. Whether or not to tell him had kept her up most of the night. Even as the clock ticked monotonously by, she still couldn’t decide if she should tell him about Logan. The suggestion of an intimate afternoon gave her an out if she decided against it at the last minute.

She had tossed and turned for most of the night, then acted as if she was sound asleep when Nash began to stir. She felt like a coward for not facing him, but she wasn’t afraid for herself. She was afraid for him. She knew that Nash would keep his cool just as she knew that he wouldn’t hesitate to confront Logan. It was the unknown, the fact that Logan was unpredictable that terrified her. She had met his kind only once before.

Nash hesitated for an instant on his way down the steps into his living room when he saw Victoria deep in thought. She hadn’t sounded quite like herself on the phone, but he wasn’t expecting to see her looking so serious. “Hello sweetheart,” he said and was surprised to see her jump nervously. She covered it quickly with one of her practiced smiles, but that concerned him even more. She was playing him.

“Hello darling,” she purred as she slipped her arms around his waist and received a lingering kiss. She sighed contentedly. “That’s what I needed to make my day perfect.”

Nash studied her upturned face as he laced his fingers together at the small of her back. “Why don’t I believe that?” he countered, chuckling when she lowered her eyes guiltily. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on now? You can’t exactly pretend like you’re asleep again.”

She could do nothing to stop her shocked expression, then she smiled when he chuckled again. “I can’t believe you knew.” Somehow, it was an incredible comfort for him to know her that well.

“Well, I didn’t...until now,” he admitted, then slid the palms of his hands up her back when she snuggled against his chest.

Victoria took a long moment just to enjoy the feel of him in her arms. She wanted to remember every second with him. She knew all too well how wickedly fate toyed with her life. Quiet moments were so rare that she savored every one.

Having shored up her courage, she looked up at him once more, memorizing every line, every curve of his face. “We need to talk.”

“No good news has ever followed that statement,” he returned warily.

She looked down at her hands as she slid them over his chest. “I think there’s a new player in town,” she said. There was no point in hiding it. Nash would find out for himself eventually, but she would rather prepare him than have him stumble onto it. “He came to Flash last night.”

“Okay,” Nash said slowly. It wasn’t like Victoria to be so unnerved by a drug dealer. She had been associating with them for years. Her intelligence and quick thinking had kept her alive.

She sighed, uncertain of where to begin. “I think that he’s coming after you,” she said, surprised that her voice could be so calm when she felt like her stomach had declared war. “And by you, I mean Teddy Malone.”

He nodded in understanding. “Did he ask for a meeting?”

“No. Nothing so obvious,” she said evasively, then she closed her eyes. Tell him the truth, she ordered herself. Trust him. “I think that he was trying to make you jealous by coming on to me.” When his eyebrows shot up, she pulled out of his embrace. “Please don’t patronize me by saying I was imagining things.”

His eyes danced as he read her every move, her every emotion. She wasn’t unnerved. She was scared. He reached out and took her hand and led her over to the sofa so that they could sit down. “Tell me what happened,” he said softly, giving her his full attention.

She relayed the brief encounter dispassionately, omitting Logan’s comment about making her his lover. “It wasn’t anything he said or did.” She searched her mind for the right words. “There was a presence about him. Something...” She shook her head, unable to process the thought. “I knew he was there before I even saw him,” she said in the hopes that he would understand. “The entire thing was very disconcerting.”

It was plain to see that she was upset by the scene so he smiled reassuringly as he toyed with her hand. “It’s not the first time some punk wanted to take me on and it won’t be the last.” He wanted to emphasize the fact that he could take care of himself. “I’m not particularly happy about the fact that he went to you instead of coming to me.”

“Which is exactly why he did it,” she said, her confidence returning. He had to understand that they were being set up. She knew it with every fiber of her being. “He’s pushing buttons.”

Nash nodded. “I know Tory.” He reached up and lightly brushed his fingers across her cheek. “But what I don’t understand is why this guy has you so worked up.”

She sighed heavily as she leaned against his hand. “There was only one other time that I felt like this,” she explained. “That was the day I met Cruz Montipinia.” She swallowed hard as the bile rose in her throat. Cruz had terrified her. He had irrevocably changed her life, but in some odd way, she couldn’t hate him entirely for the nightmare he had created for her. His reign of terror had eventually lead her to Nash.

His eyes slowly scanned her face. “I’ll take care of it.”

She knew that was meant to be a comfort, but somehow it only intensified the feeling of dread. She forced herself to relax, grateful that, at least, he understood. “But who’s going to protect you?”

The corner of his mouth turned up slightly. “That’s what my team is for.” There was no one he trusted more than the crew at the SIU.

She smiled then. “Do you always have an answer for everything?”

He chuckled as the atmosphere lightened. They both knew that the danger existed, but neither of them was willing to spend another precious moment dwelling on it. Life in itself was too precarious. “Usually.”

She slid her hand inside his jacket. “Then tell me how to vanquish this bazaar feeling that I have been feeling lately. I’m starting to feel domestic.”

“We definitely can’t have that,” he returned, his voice a low rumble. “I suppose that we should do something to distract you.” She had moved so close that he could smell the light fragrance of her hair and he savored the moment. His body instantly responded to her touch. It never ceased to amaze him how she seemed to know instinctively what he wanted, what he needed.

He kissed her deeply as he pulled her into his arms. Victoria was practically purring as she leaned against him. “Keep that up and I’ll become one of those lazy women who do nothing all day but lay in bed.”

“As long as it’s my bed, I don’t have a problem with that,” he returned smoothly.

* * *

“Harvey! Thank God!” Anna bounded up from her hard plastic chair outside of the courtroom when she saw Harvey walking up the stairs. “I can’t believe you came.” She stopped with a jerk when the officer assigned to her grabbed her by the arm to keep her from leaving.

“It’s all right,” Harvey said to the uniformed officer and held up his badge for inspection before letting it drop back to his chest. “I’ll only be a minute.” Harvey took Anna by the arm and lead her a few steps away for a little privacy.

“You’re not staying?” she asked, the desperation evident in her voice and in her eyes as she stared at him.

“I already told you, Anna. You’ve run out of favors from me.”

“I’m so sorry about what happened,” she said, trying to appease him. She wasn’t sorry for taking Jerry, but she was willing to do or say anything at that point. She knew that Harvey could help her. He was her last hope.

“Not as sorry as you’re going to be,” he returned, the anger churning inside of him.

“I was desperate. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“You took my son,” he said, his voice betraying the emotions seething just below the surface.

“I would have contacted you after we got settled.”

“Yeah right.” He laughed at the though. “Like you contacted me when he was born?”

“Please don’t do this,” she begged. “I’m innocent Harvey. I swear.” She grabbed at his lapel. The handcuffs on her wrists clinking against his badge spoke volumes about their situation.

He stared at her coldly, untouched by the tears glistening in her eyes. “After what you pulled, you’re lucky that I don’t get up on that stand to testify against you. I’d make damn sure you stayed in those cuffs.”

“You can’t do that, Harvey. They’ll take Jerry away from me!”

“But it’s okay for you to take him away from me?” His anger was evident in his face. He wanted to ring her neck, but he had to keep control. He rubbed a hand over his mouth. There was so much that he wanted to say, but he had to keep a level head. He couldn’t give her any ammunition against him in case she managed to find her way out of a murder wrap. “I’ve already gone before a judge,” he told her, getting to the point of his visit there. He wasn’t going to play her games anymore. “I have an injunction giving me full temporary custody of Jerry and I will be going before a judge again next week to make it permanent.”

“What?” she gasped. “Next week?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. If her attorney didn’t get her out on bail, she would be sitting in a jail while Harvey stole her son. “You can’t.”

“If your attorney manages to get you out, you will be allowed supervised visits with Jerry only. At my convenience,” he stressed. “You will not be alone with my son again and I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I’ll allow you visitation for Jerry’s sake. Not yours.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Her words broke from the emotions building up inside of her. “Do you hate me that much?”

“I don’t believe you!” His jaw clenched as he fought the onslaught of words screaming for release. He had to keep his cool. He couldn’t let her push his buttons. “The world doesn’t revolve around you, princess,” he bit out. “I’m doing what I think is best for my son. I’m going to give him a stable home for a change. With parents that love him.”

Her eyes widened in shock at his implication. “You didn’t actually marry her?”

He shook his head. She just kept pushing. “I’m not playing with you anymore Anna. Good luck in there today,” he said hospitably as he pointed back to the courtroom. “From what I’m hearing, you’re going to need it.” He took her arm and walked her back over to courthouse security. “She’s all yours,” Harvey said, then he turned on his heel and walked away.

* * *

It only took one look for Joe to know how his partner had spent his lunch break. “Maybe you should have lunch with Victoria every day,” he remarked with a smirk.

Nash shot him a glance, then returned his eyes to the road. “What’s that suppose to mean?”

“I’m just saying that you’re in a much better mood after getting a little TLC from her.”

Nash chuckled, then rubbed at his ear absently. “Well, it wasn’t all fun and games. Tory said that she’s met a guy gunning for Teddy Malone at Flash last night.”

“You’re kidding? Wait a minute. I thought she was giving up that gig to do interior design or something.”

“Fashion design,” Nash corrected him. “And she is, but she still stops in at the club a couple times a week. Her manager, Steve, runs everything on a daily basis. Victoria is planning on turning over the place to him once her designs take off.”

“Wow. That’s awfully generous of her.”

Nash shot him another glance. “I detect a tone.”

“What tone?” he argued weakly. “I didn’t use a tone.”

“Joseph.”

“Now that was a tone. I didn’t use a tone.” There was a long pause, then he couldn’t keep silent any longer. “I just don’t understand this thing you have with her,” he finally admitted. “I mean, I can see it from her side. You got Cruz Montipinia off of her back and you’ve practically let her move in with you and Nick. She must feel pretty safe having a police captain in her bed, but what if she decided to bring her work home with her? What are you going to do then?”

He looked at Joe with disbelief. He was amazed that they were actually having that conversation. “No, don’t hold back, Joe. Tell me what you really think.” He shook his head. It was no wonder half of the city thought that they were gay. He felt like he was having an argument with one of his ex-wives. “Didn’t you just hear me say that she’s going to give Flash to Steve?”

“Yeah, I heard you. I just think it’s pretty easy to give away something when it’s given to you in the first place.”

“Whoa, back up there bubba. I happen to know for a fact that she got the money for the club on her own.”

“For a fact?” Joe challenged. “Meaning you checked into her story?” When Nash turned his attention back to traffic as the light change, he knew that he had made his point. “How much can you trust her if you’re investigating her?”

Nash had a sour taste in the back of his mouth. He knew that Joe was speaking from experience when it came to Nash’s former love interests. Tamara Van Zant had convinced him that skepticism was the safest route for his job if not his heart. “All right. I’ll give you that one.”

Joe nodded. He knew that Nash cared about Victoria, but he wouldn’t consider himself much of a friend if he didn’t voice his concerns. “Now who’s this guy coming after you?”

“The name’s Logan Marshall.”

“Never heard of him.”

“Me either,” Nash admitted. “But he’s definitely got Tory spooked.”

* * *

“What have we got?” Nash asked as he walked into the family owned pharmacy. Harvey and Antwon fell into step behind him.

“Our dead guy’s name is Martin Peel,” Harvey returned as they followed Nash around the scene. “Average working stiff who had an accident six months ago and got hooked on a pain pill called OxyContin. The pharmacist said that he came in here waving a gun and demanding the drug. Then the security guard yelled for him to freeze and popped off two dead center in his chest when Peel turned the gun on him.”

Nash looked over at Harvey in surprise. “A security guard in a neighborhood pharmacy?”

“Apparently they’ve been robbed before,” Antwon clarified.

“So enlighten me. What’s OxyContin?”

“Known as Oxy on the street, this stuff was originally intended for prolonged use as a pain killer. A time released sort of thing,” Harvey explained. “But, apparently someone discovered that, when you crush it, you can get a morphine like high off of it.”

“Lovely.”

“It’s the hottest thing on the street right now,” Antwon added. “I made a few calls and found out that as many as nine deaths can be linked to the drug from ODs and situations like this.” He gestured down to the body in the middle of the isle.

“If there’s a new drug on the street, there’s got to be a supplier,” Nash said simply. “Harv? See what you can find out about who manufactures this stuff and make his ass accountable for every pill on the market.”

“Got it.”

“Twon? I want you to check into the security guard thoroughly. Two shots dead center in a high tension situation.” He shook his head. “Either he got lucky or he’s good for a reason. Find out which.”

“You’ve got it.”

“Uh, Harv.” Nash called him back when he started to walk off with Antwon. “What’s the latest on the auction site?” he asked in a soft voice. He knew that something big was brewing. There were too many coincidence arising for his taste.

“Same as always, boss,” Harvey returned in equally hushed tones. “We’re getting more and more hits, but nothing that tracks back to one of our guys.”

Nash nodded. “I want you to add the name Logan Marshall to that list.”

“I’m intrigued.” His eyebrows shot up. They were only watching for the major players and he hadn’t heard of Logan Marshall.

“So am I.”

“Gotcha,” Harvey returned. Apparently Logan Marshall was someone who needed to be looked into.

* * *

“Boss, we got lucky with Logan Marshall,” Harvey said as he put a call into Nash’s cell phone. “One of my CI’s said that Marshall just walked into The Belrose dinner theater.”

“Good,” Nash returned. “It’s been awhile since I took in a play. Have Ronnie and Antwon meet us there. Anything else?”

“We finally got a hit on the auction site. It leads back to Aldo Banner.” Harvey quickly stopped Ronnie when he started to walk by and held up a finger for him to wait a minute.

“Aldo’s just a small fry and I’m looking for the big prize in the happy meal. Keep your eyes open, bubba. I’ve got a feeling we’ll pick up a couple more hits in the next day or two.”

“Will do.” Harvey dropped the phone back onto the cradle, then looked back at the waiting officer. “Nash wants you and Antwon to meet him at the Belrose dinner theater in San Rafael.”

“Got it,” Ronnie returned, then went in search of Antwon.

Harvey turned his attention back to his computer and tapped at the keyboard. “Alrighty,” he said softly to himself. After spending a good part of the afternoon running down his sources and nearly an hour going through the traces on their bogus auction web site, he was finally able to get back to the details behind the pharmacy shooting. “Let’s see who the sucker is that owns Nostradam Pharmaceuticals.” He smiled at the name. It was a clever take on the legend of Nostradamus. Not only was he reputed to be a visionary, but he was a physician as well. Drugs of the future.

A good tip and a lot of luck had brought him to the Nostradam web site. After that, it was a small matter for him to hack into the board of directors. He clicked his tongue. “I certainly hope that you have better security on your pharmaceuticals than you do on your personnel information. Then again...” He chuckled to himself. He wouldn’t be investigating the pharmaceutical company if its security hadn’t already been breached.

He clicked on print when he found the board of director’s list before actually reading it. None of the people on the board rang any bells for him until he got to the CEO of the company. “Oh no.” He leaned back in his chair and stared at the screen for a long moment. “Damn it.” He jumped back to life, pounding at the keyboard to double check his facts. “I knew things were going way too smoothly today.”

* * *

Nash leaned an elbow on the arm of the leather winged-back chair and Joe stood silently at his side when Logan Marshall stumbled into the small, private lounge at the dinner theater. Logan straightened his jacket, casting Antwon and Ronnie a deadly glance at their rough behavior before taking note of the pair waiting for him. “You should teach your men some manners,” he said with distaste.

Nash gave him a bored expression in return. “Have you ever heard the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’?” He looked Logan Marshall up and down. “You wanted my attention. Now you’ve got it.”

An easy grin rose on Logan’s face. “Teddy Malone.” He felt so smug for getting the face-to-face. None of the other drug lords had met with the man who took out Cruz Montipinia. He was the first. “I’m something of a fan of your work.” Logan slowly moved over to the leather chair facing Nash, but didn’t sit. He merely ran his hand over the fabric, appreciating the luxurious feel before looking back at Nash. He was impressed and not many people could impress him. “I thought that having the CIA take Montipinia out was brilliant. Why do your own dirty work when you can get the feds to do it for you?”

“You’re wasting my time, Mr. Marshall,” Nash said impatiently.

Logan held his hands up in apology. “Then I’ll be brief.” Logan folded his hands in front of him and squared his shoulders. “Rumor has it that you were working with Sinclair concerning distribution of merchandise through an on-line auction company. It was originally designed as a partnership. One to import the merchandise and the other to transport. Your end was suppose to be the transport, but you have taken the burden of the entire company on yourself.”

“And I suppose you’re going to...relieve my burden.” Nash glanced up at Joe. Neither one could believe what they were hearing.

“You would not only have my resources, but that of three other major importers.”

“And they would be?” Nash prompted him.

Logan smiled, holding out his hands in helplessness. “Forgive me for my reticence Mr. Malone, but you have me at a disadvantage at the moment.” He glanced back poignantly at Antwon and Ronnie who glared in return. “I will guarantee you this, however; you name the quantity and I’ll have it available to you within twenty-four hours.”

The pause was heavy as Nash studied the arrogant Logan Marshall. “That’s an extravagant claim.”

Logan smiled. He knew that he could impress Teddy Malone if he had the opportunity. “One that I can back up. My resources are virtually unlimited.”

Nash stood and moved to stand in front of Logan as he hooked his fingers into the pockets of his vest. “Fine. We will test these virtually unlimited resources of yours, but let me make one thing clear.” He shifted even closer as he focused his attention in a stony stare. “If you want to do business with me, you deal with me. Don’t make the mistake of going through Ms Castle again.” Nash gestured to Ronnie who immediately moved behind Logan. “Escort Mr. Marshall back to his table,” Nash instructed. “I’ll be in touch.”

Logan gave him a respectful bow, then exited with Ronnie on his heels. Antwon and Joe quickly moved closer to Nash so that they could talk without risk of being overheard. “Do you think he can actually pull it off?” Antwon asked excitedly.

Nash gave his head half a shake. “That’s what we’re going to find out.”

Joe could tell that there was something more working in Nash’s mind. “What is it Nashman?”

He pointed toward the door. “I’m betting that he was the one that gave the order on Pele and Karakas and I don’t think that it was territory that Logan Marshall was after when he ordered the hit. He was trying to make an impression.”

“On Teddy Malone?” Joe asked doubtfully.

“My guess is it was to influence these three dealers that he has lined up. Kind of a ‘join or die’ membership. Pele and Karakas were probably his more vocal opponents.”

“Terrorist tactics within the drug cartel?” Joe shook his head. “Who would have thought of that?”

Nash stared at the closed door. Logan Marshall thought of it. That was what concerned him.

* * *