Flynn (Oath of Honor #8)

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The gunman had found them! Taylor had her head down as Flynn made frequent and unexpected turns. The seatbelt tightened painfully against her chest. She wanted to cry or scream, but she was frozen in place, much like when she’d heard the four gunshots that had ended Steve’s and Robin’s lives.

The only good news was that Max wasn’t with them. The very thought of the baby sitting in the back seat as someone fired shots at them made her blood run cold. As hard as it had been to hand him off to child protective services, that was better than having him in danger.

She tried to swallow past the lump of fear in her throat. Gingerly lifting her head a few inches, she tried to see Flynn’s face. He seemed to be driving normally now, or maybe she was just getting used to the jarring motions. “I-is he gone?”

“Yeah, I think I lost him.” He glanced at her, then added, “But stay down anyway just in case.”

In case the gunman returned. Flynn didn’t have to say the words that echoed in her mind. She couldn’t fault him for being careful, so she lowered her head back down.

And silently thanked God for keeping them safe.

“Officer Ryerson? Are you there?”

Taylor had forgotten about the 911 dispatcher on the line.

Instead of answering, Flynn disconnected from the call. She lifted her head again. “Why did you do that?”

“There’s no point in broadcasting our location.” Flynn slowed the car, then surprised her by pulling into a driveway. “I’ll make some calls once we’re settled inside.”

“Is this your home?” She eyed the small white house curiously.

“No, it belongs to Zeke who, as you probably already know, is out of town at the moment with Sienna.” Flynn moved the gearshift into park. “Wait here. I need to open the garage door.”

She nodded, watching as Flynn opened the flap of a keypad and entered a code. The large garage door rumbled upward, revealing an empty garage. She’d met Zeke and Flynn a month ago when a stalker had targeted Sienna who had hired Taylor to be a live-in nanny for her daughter, Bailey. Zeke and Flynn were obviously good friends, so she had no doubt that Zeke wouldn’t mind them staying there for a few days.

Once Flynn had driven into the garage, he closed the garage door to hide them from prying eyes. He took a moment to grab her suitcase from the back seat, then led the way inside.

“I think you should take the main bedroom with the attached bath,” Flynn said, carrying her bag through the house. She followed him down the hall to the large bedroom. “Sienna would like that.”

She nodded, although it felt strange to be there.

Flynn turned to head back to the kitchen. “I hope they have something we can make for breakfast.”

Her previous hunger had vanished during the crazy drive away from the gunman. But now that they were safe in a location that couldn’t be connected to her, or Flynn for that matter, she knew she wouldn’t make it all day without something to eat.

“I’ll make coffee.” She opened the cupboard doors to find what she needed, anxious for something productive to do.

“Coffee is here in the freezer,” Flynn said, setting the bag of expensive dark coffee grounds next to the pot. “Looks like they have eggs and bacon, but no bread.”

“That’s fine.” She was grateful for whatever was available. “We need to make sure to pay them for the groceries we use.”

“I’ll leave some cash behind,” Flynn said. “But you know Zeke and Sienna probably won’t take anything. They’re too nice to worry about us eating some of their food.”

He was probably right; Sienna was generous and sweet. She didn’t know Zeke as well because Flynn was the one who’d stayed back to act as a bodyguard to her and Bailey.

A role she’d dragged him right back into just weeks later.

She moved out of the way as Flynn began to prepare breakfast. But then his phone rang.

“My boss,” he said, glancing down at the screen. “I really need to fill him in on what’s happened.”

“Go ahead.” She shooed him out of the way. She was perfectly capable of cooking breakfast. She’d done that and more household chores as part of her nanny duties. Some parents took advantage, but others were simply thankful.

“Hey, Rhy,” she heard Flynn say. “I’ve landed in the middle of an interesting situation involving a double homicide in Brookland.”

There was a pause as Flynn listened. She started the bacon in one frying pan, then pulled out another for the eggs. Then she filled two mugs with coffee, setting one on the kitchen table for Flynn.

He thanked her with a warm smile. “You remember Taylor Templeton; she was the live-in nanny working for Sienna last month. Her newest job was being a nanny for Steve and Robin Miller, and they were murdered in their beds in what looks to me like a professional hit. Taylor saw the gunman while she was hiding in the closet with their three-month-old son.”

She cracked the eggs into a pan, deciding to make them over easy as there wasn’t any milk in the fridge for scrambled. Flynn continued to outline everything that had transpired at the Miller residence, all the way up to and including the way she’d gone through mug shots at the Brookland PD.

“After we left the precinct, I saw a car with uneven headlights following us,” he continued. “I had noticed it earlier and managed to take a series of abrupt turns just as the driver took several shots at us. I called 911 and managed to lose the guy.”

Another brief silence as Flynn sipped coffee while listening to what Rhy was saying.

“Yes, sir. I brought Taylor to Zeke’s place since he and Sienna are out of town. I know Zeke won’t mind, and it was easier and quicker to come here than to find a hotel. You know how it is, we’re not exactly welcome at the City Central anymore after damaging the suite last month, and I figured we should avoid the American Lodge because it’s located in Brookland.”

Taylor shivered, thinking about the near miss at the City Central Hotel. Flynn had suffered a flesh wound from a bullet that nicked his arm. He and Zeke had managed to get her, Bailey, and Sienna out safely.

That was the reason she’d reached out to him in the middle of the night. She and Flynn were complete opposites, but she’d known he’d protect her without hesitation.

“I would like to be kept in the loop on the double homicide investigation,” Flynn said. “I heard something about a fingerprint being found in the homeowner’s office. Steve Miller is the president of Brookland Bank; it stands to reason he was the primary target. His wife, Robin, does interior design for people with money for that kind of thing.”

She took the strips of bacon from the pan, adding three slices for each of them to the plates, then she finished flipping the eggs and slid them onto the plates. She caught his eye as she held up the two plates, indicating breakfast was ready.

“Anything you can find out would be helpful,” Flynn said, nodding at her. He crossed to the table. “I’m afraid I’ll need to take some vacation time until the gunman has been found and arrested.”

After setting the plates on the table, she turned to grab silverware and her coffee cup.

“Thanks, Rhy. I appreciate your help on this. I’ll call for reinforcements as needed.” He nodded at something, then said, “Yes, later.” Ending the call, he set his phone aside. “We’re set. Rhy told me to take as much time off as I need.”

“Your boss sounds like a nice guy.” She dropped into the closest chair. “I seem to remember Zeke reaching out to him for help, too, when Sienna was in danger.”

“We hit the jackpot with Rhy and Joe leading our tactical team,” Flynn said. He sat beside her, then reached for her hand. “I’ll say grace, the way Zeke and Sienna would if they were here.”

“Okay.” She bowed her head, keenly aware of the warmth of Flynn’s fingers around hers. She’d attended church while growing up but hadn’t lived it the way Sienna had. After spending time with Sienna and Bailey, Taylor had found herself leaning more and more on prayer.

“Lord Jesus, we thank You for this food we’re about to eat. We ask You to continue to keep Taylor and Max safe in Your loving arms. Amen.”

“Especially Max, as he deserves a family who will love him. Amen,” she added.

“I know you’re concerned about the baby, but I’m sure he’ll be well cared for.” Flynn took a bite of bacon. “This is great, thanks.”

Thinking of Max made her sad, but she forced herself to eat, knowing she needed to be strong to get through this. “I hope you’re right about Max being placed with a nice family. To be honest, I’m glad Max wasn’t in the car earlier. I really don’t understand how the gunman found us.”

Flynn scowled. “He must have been hiding near the scene of the crime and watching the place when I drove up to the house. Either that or he was waiting near the police station, knowing you’d have to give a statement.”

She stared at him. “But he didn’t see me. I was hiding the entire time. I only happened to catch a glimpse of him walking past, but he didn’t turn his head to look at me. If he had”—she stopped, swallowed hard—“he’d have shot me.”

“I know that he didn’t see you in time to get rid of you,” Flynn agreed. “But the fact that he used a flashlight to look inside your bedroom indicates he knew there was at least one more person living in the home.”

A cold chill washed over her. Because Flynn was right. The flashlight beam proved the killer had come back to try to find her but ran out of time after hearing the sirens.

It hadn’t occurred to her until this moment that the gunman might know what she looked like.

And that he was likely more determined than ever to silence her once and for all.

Flynn wished he could say something to reassure Taylor he wouldn’t let this guy touch her, but they’d already been followed. And had been shot at.

He hated the thought of failing in his mission to keep Taylor safe. He should have anticipated the guy might stake out the Brookland police station.

He made a silent promise not to underestimate this guy again.

“Well, I guess that means I should keep going through mug shots,” she said, after a prolonged silence. “It would be helpful for me to identify him before he finds me.”

“Going through mug shots would help.” He knew it would be better for her to do something constructive, even though he wasn’t convinced the killer was in the system. “I’ll ask Cassidy to bring a computer for us to use.”

“Okay. That would be great.” He appreciated her attempt to stay positive. “Are you sure Zeke or Sienna don’t have a computer here we can borrow?”

He finished his breakfast, then rose to carry his plate to the sink. “I’ll take a look around, but it might be better to have two computers anyway.” He wasn’t sure what he could do to help figure out who had a reason to kill Steve and Robin Miller, but he couldn’t sit around doing nothing either.

Leaving the dishes in the sink, he refilled his coffee mug, then moved through the house. He didn’t like invading Zeke and Sienna’s privacy but reminded himself that his buddy wouldn’t mind.

He found a laptop computer tucked away in a drawer. After setting it on the kitchen table, he plugged it in and turned it on. Of course, the device was password protected. Eyeing the clock on the microwave, he figured quarter to nine should be early enough for Zeke, Sienna, and Bailey to be up. Sienna might sleep in after a show, but a toddler would want to be fed.

Pulling out his phone, he texted Zeke a message asking for a call as soon as possible. Less than a minute later, his phone buzzed with an incoming call.

“Hey, Zeke, how are things in Louisville?” he asked.

“Actually, we’re in Hot Springs, Arkansas, this week; Louisville was last week. Sienna is doing fabulous as always. Your text sounded urgent. What’s going on?”

Flynn quickly filled Zeke in on Taylor’s recent nanny position and everything that had transpired over the past few hours. “I hope you’re not angry with me, but I brought Taylor to your house. It seemed best to avoid going to my place since the shooter followed us after leaving Brookland PD.”

“Of course, I’m not mad, stay as long as you need. How horrible for Taylor to have witnessed a double homicide.”

“Yeah. She narrowly escaped being shot and killed too.” Hearing her name, Taylor shot him a quick glance from her position at the kitchen sink. “She wants to go through mug shots to see if she can ID the perp. I found your laptop but need the password.”

“Of course.” As Zeke rattled off the password, Flynn wrote it down on a sticky note, then typed it in using the keyboard. The screen sprang to life.

“I’m in, thanks.” Flynn felt better knowing Zeke was on board with his bringing Taylor here. “I’ll leave some cash for the food we’re eating.”

“No need, keep it as you’re going to need it. I only care about you and Taylor staying safe,” Zeke quickly reassured him. “You may need a replacement vehicle if you think the killer has your license plate number. If he’s a professional hit man, he likely has connections and access to information.”

“Yeah, I know. We’re parked in your garage now, but I’ll reach out to Cass soon.” He trusted Cassidy’s skills, and those of his other teammates, but he and Zeke had been close, and he missed having his friend covering his back. Not that Zeke could do much one handed. He’d been wounded back when the killer had almost kidnapped Sienna. “How’s the shoulder?”

“Good according to the physical therapist.” Zeke sighed. “But I feel like a weakling. I am only approved to lift a measly five-pound weight.”

“Don’t push it or you might damage the muscles and tendons worse than they already are,” Flynn warned.

“Yeah, yeah,” Zeke groused. “That’s what Sienna says too. At least I’m able to do basic tasks with Bailey, or I’d really be a hindrance here.”

Flynn realized that if Zeke hadn’t been shot and wounded, Taylor might still be working for Sienna as Bailey’s nanny rather than taking the position with the Millers.

It was strange the way things had worked out perfectly for Zeke and Sienna, but those same circumstances had thrown Taylor into the midst of danger.

He wasn’t as familiar with the Bible as many of his teammates, but there was no doubt that God worked in mysterious ways.

“Do you need anything else?” Zeke asked.

“No, we’re fine.” He pulled himself back to the issue at hand. “Thanks again for being cool with us staying here. I’m sure Taylor will feel better about it now that you’ve given your stamp of approval.”

“Anytime. Stay safe and let me know if you need anything else,” Zeke said.

“Will do.” Flynn ended the call, then thumbed through his contact list to find Cassidy’s number. Thankfully, she answered right away too.

“Hey, Flynn. What’s up?”

He sighed and went through the entire story for the third time in less than an hour. Cassidy had met Taylor before, so she was just as horrified over what had happened.

“I can’t believe Taylor witnessed two brutal homicides,” Cass said. “I can only imagine how scared she was hiding in the closet with a baby.”

“She was very much so. And now we need your help,” Flynn said. “Can you bring a computer and a replacement vehicle? We’re staying at Zeke’s home in Greenland.”

“Of course, I can be there in an hour or so,” Cassidy agreed. “Do you want a rental or to borrow my car?”

“A rental would be best. Can you get someone on the team to help?”

“Not a problem. Jina is back from her honeymoon. I’m sure she won’t mind pitching in.” Cassidy hesitated a moment, then said, “Flynn, how are you going to find a professional hit man?”

That was a really good question. One he wished he could answer. “So far our only option is to go through mug shots.” He didn’t like feeling helpless against an unknown foe. “I know Rhy will get any information he can out of the Brookland PD. Maybe they’ll find a way to track the guy.”

“I hope so.” Cassidy didn’t sound convinced.

He wasn’t positive about that either, but he kept his tone light. “Call me when you’re close.”

“Will do. See you soon.” With that, Cass ended the call.

He stared down at his phone for a moment, glad to know that Rhy and the rest of the team was unwavering in their support. Then he set the device aside to log into the police database. He knew how to perform a basic search, so he did so now, pulling up all males with black or brown beards in the age range of twenty to forty-five.

“Everyone knows all about this now, huh?”

Taylor’s voice broke into his thoughts. He turned to catch her watching him. “Yes. But it’s okay, as they’re more than willing to help me keep you safe.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I appreciate that; it just seems so surreal. Like something out of a movie. Hearing you explain what happened is a stark reminder that I didn’t dream it. That it really happened.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” He rose and stepped forward, closing the gap between them. He took her hand. “You don’t have to be afraid.”

“I know.” Her smile was lopsided. “Who would have thought that being a nanny would put me in danger?”

Flynn winced, knowing he’d made his feelings known when they’d first met. He honestly hadn’t been impressed with Taylor’s role as a live-in nanny. It seemed rather old-fashioned to him that a young woman would give up her independence to live with a strange family to care for their children.

A rich family, as most people couldn’t afford to pay for that luxury.

But he had come to appreciate how much Taylor loved taking care of kids. Who was he to look down on her decision?

“I’m sorry if I made you feel as if your career wasn’t worthwhile,” he said. “That wasn’t my intention. If I’m being honest, you’re the first live-in nanny I’ve ever met.”

She arched a brow. “I kind of figured that much. But thanks. I might not be as brave and dedicated as a cop, but kids hold the key to the future of our country.”

“That’s true,” he said. “I hadn’t thought of it like that.”

She grimaced. “Yeah, well, this might be the end of my nanny career. It’s probably safer to be a teacher or work at a day care center.”

He wasn’t sure what to say to that. It wasn’t logical that those occupations she’d mentioned seemed more noble than being a nanny. He told himself he was letting his own past color his opinion. Just because his mother had scraped by as a waitress to provide for him and his younger sister, Fiona, didn’t mean Taylor shouldn’t make a decent living being a nanny to rich people’s kids.

“I think you should do what makes you happy,” he finally said. “Your opinion is the only one that matters.”

She shrugged without saying anything more. He released her hand and gestured to the computer. “When you’re ready to look at mug shots again let me know.”

“I’m almost finished here.” She turned back to the sink. “I’ll rinse these and let them air dry.”

“I can dry them,” he said. “Just because I don’t clean as often as I should doesn’t mean I don’t know how.”

She shook her head ruefully. “I can’t imagine driving around in a messy car.”

It didn’t bother him, but he didn’t voice the thought. His teammates teased him mercilessly about being a slob, and he hadn’t really cared.

Until now.

“I’ll do better.” He gently nudged her from the sink. “Go check the computer. I set up the search parameters for you to continue looking through mug shots.”

She turned and dropped into the closest chair at the kitchen table. “Is there a way to narrow down the search to those mug shots I haven’t already seen?”

“Yes, we did the search by name, and you had already made it through the first six letters of the alphabet. You can start with the letter G .”

“I see that now, thanks.” As she worked, he finished rinsing the dishes in the sink, then began toweling them dry.

He watched her, thinking not for the first time how beautiful she was. Too young and pretty for him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t interested.

Flynn was not the chick magnet some of his teammates were. Quite the opposite. Most of the time women barely gave him a second glance. Growing up, he’d thought it was because they were poor or because he was cursed with red hair thanks to his Irish roots.

But now that he was older, he understood his features were plain, his red hair making him look younger than he really was. And he wasn’t considered handsome in the classical sense.

It shouldn’t matter, as he and Taylor were complete opposites. And she’d only texted him because he was a cop, and she happened to have his personal cell number from their interaction last month.

He shook off the thought, knowing he was letting the fact that everyone on their team was settling down, getting married, and having kids get to him. Even Jina, who was their team’s sharpshooter, had found the perfect guy for her. And he’d have bet his paycheck Jina would never settle down.

Cassidy was still single, but it was no secret their team tech expert, Gabe Melrose, had a crush on her. The only one who was oblivious to that was Cass herself.

When the dishes were put away, he picked up his phone. He wanted to text Rhy to see if he was able to get any information out of the Brookland PD but reminded himself it had only been an hour since he’d spoken with his boss.

An hour that seemed like ten , he thought with a heavy sigh.

He dropped into the seat beside Taylor, eyeing the screen as she went slowly and methodically through the mug shots. When his phone rang, he nearly dropped it in his haste to answer.

“Hey, Rhy, what’s up?” Maybe thinking of his boss had somehow garnered the call. “Did the Brookland PD give you any intel?”

“They have an ID on a print found in the homeowner’s office,” Rhy said. “I need you to put the phone on speaker so I can include Taylor in this discussion too.”

“Yep, hang on.” He lowered the device, pressed the speaker icon, and set it on the table. “Taylor, Rhy has information for us.”

“Hi, Rhy,” Taylor said. “I hope you have good news.”

“Hi, Taylor, first I want to say I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy.”

“Thank you.” Taylor looked at Flynn as she spoke. “I’m blessed to have Flynn here protecting me.”

“Flynn and the other members of our team will do everything we can to keep you safe,” Rhy said. “As I was telling Flynn, they ran a partial print from Steve Miller’s office. The print matches a man by the name of Roman Paulson.”

The name meant nothing to Flynn, but based on the blood leeching from Taylor’s features, she recognized it. Then he belatedly remembered the background check he’d done on Taylor back when he’d first joined forces with Zeke to keep Sienna and Bailey safe.

Paulson was Taylor’s mother’s maiden name.