Rescuing Baylee (Nightshade #3)

Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Baylee attacked the cookie recipe with a vengeance. She needed something in-depth to take her mind off what talking with Landon had dug up.

She knew it was only a distraction, though. Eventually, she would have to deal with it. Just like she always did.

Her counselor said that she was able to counsel herself as well as he did, so Baylee let herself think about the past couple of days as she mixed chocolate chips into her batter.

Again, she felt no regret about taking the gang banger’s life, though she did regret making the baby an orphan. But then, maybe the baby would be better off without that kind of influence in his life.

She hadn’t even hesitated when it had been time to act. That was one thing the Army was good at: preparing their soldiers. It had been years since she’d been in the Army, but that training still held hard.

If she was presented with the same situation, she would repeat the same actions, too. She would like to think she had saved lives. No, she knew she had. Even if there were repercussions from her actions, she would be content in knowing she had done everything she could to save her friends and coworkers.

She needed to put it aside and get on with her life.

Baylee slid the first tray of cookies into the oven and took a bite of the batter. Mmm… cookie batter made everything better.

After an hour, she had a delectable pile of cookies spread along her counter. They needed to cool for a while before she packaged them up, then she was going to go try to improve her image.

An hour later, she stood before her neighbor’s door. It was quiet beyond, and there was a very good chance he wasn’t even in there. He could have been called out to a crime or something. Her pulse jumped at the thought of seeing him again, and she took a deep breath. It was just a guy, she told herself firmly. An incredibly attractive guy, granted. A guy that was tall enough and big enough to make her feel feminine and want to be protected.

As soon as she knocked, she heard movement beyond. A shadow moved beneath the door, and she smiled at the peep hole, praying he didn’t see her the nervous flush she could feel moving up her cheeks.

Landon Hunter pulled the door open, looking a little rumpled. His dark hair was mussed in the back, like he’d been laying down or something. He tilted his head curiously when he saw her.

Baylee forced a smile.

“I realized I left a little abruptly, earlier, and that I haven’t been especially friendly to you. I apologize for that. At the very least, we’re neighbors, and it’s nice to know who’s living down the hall.”

She thrust the square plastic container toward him. He took the offering, tilting it up to look through the side. “Are those cookies,” he asked curiously.

“Yes. I tend to bake when I have things on my mind. My neighbors usually benefit.”

She shrugged lightly, a little embarrassed to be standing there now.

“So, you’re the one that makes this place smell like a bakery,” he murmured, one dark brow raised.

Baylee winced a little. “Yes. Probably. Mrs. Traeger loves it when I bake. She got sick last year and lost a lot of weight, so if I can cook her something that she likes to eat, I do. I have another container just like that for her,” she said, motioning to the box in his hands.

“So, if I get sick, you’ll make me more?”

There was an avaricious glint in his eyes that made Baylee smile. “No,” she laughed. “You don’t have to get sick for that. I’ll bring you more. Assuming you like them.”

“Oh,” he said slowly, “I more than like them. Mrs. Traeger gave me two when I first moved in here, and I haven’t forgotten them. I wondered who the baker was.”

Baylee felt her cheeks turn pink again, and she had to glance away. “It’s a secret obsession of mine. And an outlet for my energy.”

Landon’s blue eyes darkened, and a smile quirked his lips. “I’d be happy to be an outlet for your energy.”

Baylee blinked, unsure she’d heard what she thought she did. Then a flush of heat rolled through her, from the top of her head to her toes. Holy hell, had he really said that? And did he mean what she thought he meant?

His gaze never wavered, affirming that he’d meant what she thought. Despite her embarrassment, she felt a smile quirk her lips. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she murmured, then had to turn away.

“Baylee,” he called, and she turned back, lifting a brow.

“Thank you.”

She dipped her chin once, and walked away, conscious that he was watching her all the way down the hall. She let herself into her apartment, and when she looked back, he was still watching her. With a slight smile, she slipped away.

Once she disappeared, Landon looked down at the box in his hand. He was aware that it was a peace offering, and he appreciated that. It gave him even more insight into Baylee’s psyche. Even though she’d been cool, no, chilly, in the way she had interacted with him, she wasn’t that way normally. He was sure she’d drawn in to protect her own emotions after a traumatic event. But she was working her way through them. He had a feeling she was used to working through difficult emotions. She was a nurse who worked with kids, and he knew she had seen and done sad things.

And then there was Nightshade. And what had been done to her. She’d been dealing with both of those situations when he’d interacted with her.

All night he’d been thinking about what she’d told him, and he’d been motivated to go research the attack. There wasn’t a lot of footage on Nightshade itself. At least, not until after the attack. Though the Rebellion had been a country-wide attack on Americans, Nightshade and one other FOB had been the only ones actually overrun, probably because they’d been so remote, and reinforcements hadn’t gotten there for so long. The American services there had had to protect themselves.

It was no wonder Baylee had gone off on that guy. It hadn’t been reckless by any means. Just deliberate. As her training had prepared her.

She was a hell of a woman.

Landon scrolled through videos on YouTube, but he eventually turned it off. There were a few stories about the survivors, but overall, it was pretty depressing what had happened there.

He cracked open the plastic container, inhaling deeply. “Wow,” he murmured, retrieving a cookie. Then he forced himself to put the container on the counter and walk away.

The next morning, he headed to work. As he passed her door, he half wondered what Baylee was doing. As early as it was, she was probably still curled up in bed, looking as delectable as her cookies, her dark honey blond hair a mess, her stunning green eyes half-lidded. Most mornings, he would wait until he heard her door open and close, and then he would follow her out of the building. She had beautifully rounded hips that had inspired more than one fantasy.

He would like to ask her out, but that really wasn’t an option right now. She was involved in a case he was working, and he knew his bosses would frown at any interaction other than professional. At least until all the details were buttoned up.

Any time there was a mass shooting like this, there was a ton of paperwork. And follow-up interviews. Hours of watching surveillance video.

Landon arrived at the precinct early, the morning air still crisp. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts about Baylee and the hospital shooting. He couldn’t shake the image of her, both strong and vulnerable, navigating through her trauma with a grace that amazed him.

As he entered the building, Detective Morgan Clay, his current partner, was already at his desk, poring over a stack of files. Morgan was a diligent cop, and he looked up as Landon approached. “Morning, Hunter. Ready for another round of interviews?”

“Yeah,” Landon replied, dropping his bag beside his chair. “I don’t feel like it’s going to change anything, but we’ll talk to everyone. I don’t think she’ll get charges out of this.”

Morgan shook his head, making a face. “No way. I’ve been reviewing the surveillance footage again. It’s clear Mitchell’s actions saved a lot of lives. It was obvious the shooter was looking for someone specific.”

Landon’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, his woman.”

“He seemed pretty out of it. Like he couldn’t focus.”

“Well, he was gut shot. Probably had a lot of things going on in his head. He was amped up from the shooting…”

They delved into the investigation. The morning was dedicated to reviewing witness statements, piecing together the events of the shooting. Each account highlighted Baylee’s bravery and quick thinking.

Around midday, Landon’s phone buzzed with a new message. He glanced at the screen and saw it was from an unknown number. “Need to see you about the shooting in the hospital. Park on 5th, 1 PM, in front of the soldier statue.”

Landon’s pulse quickened. He showed the message to Morgan. “What do you think?”

Morgan frowned. “Could be a lead. Or a trap. Want me to follow along?”

Landon thought about it. “Nah. They may not show if they see more than one cop.”

“Be careful, then.”

Landon nodded. “I’ll check it out. Keep digging into the shooter’s background while I’m gone.”

He left the precinct and headed to the designated park, arriving a few minutes before one. He scanned the area, looking for anything unusual. As he walked, he spotted a figure slouched on a bench, their face obscured by a hood. It was the only bench in front of the Stephen Austin statue.

Approaching cautiously, Landon sat at the other end of the bench, not looking at the other person. “You messaged me?”

The figure glanced up, revealing a young Hispanic man with a nervous expression. “Yes, Detective. I need to talk to you about the hospital shooting.”

Landon’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the kid’s face. “Who are you?”

“You can call me Haze. I knew the shooter. We were part of the same family.”

Landon’s heart raced. “The Tango Blast?”

“Yes,” the boy hissed softly. “You need to know, the woman that took out Chino is in trouble.”

Landon’s mind reeled. “Why do you say that? What do you know?”

The kid looked around nervously. “It’s complicated. But we have eyes on the inside, and they fingered her.”

Landon felt a chill run down his spine. “Why are you telling me this?”

Haze didn’t say anything for a long minute. Then he glanced up, and Landon could see something painful in his expression. “Because Catalina was my sister. And Chino fucked her over, bad.”

Landon’s mind raced. “Again, why are you telling me this?”

“Because I didn’t sign up for this mess,” Haze said, desperation in his eyes. “I was going to school and getting good grades. Then Cat hooked up with Chino, and they needed me. I thought we were fighting against the Texas Syndicate, or MS-13, because they were trying to take us over. But it’s gotten crazy. Now, we’re targeting innocent people.” He shook his head again, glancing at Landon, then away. “Chino has two brothers. One’s a BG but the other has standing, and he wants to avenge his brother’s death. When I found out what the plan was, I couldn’t go through with it. But the others won’t stop until they’ve taken her out.”

Landon took a deep breath, trying to process the information. BG was baby gangster. “You need to come in with me. We can protect you, but I need everything you know.”

Haze shook his head. “No fuckin’ way! I’m risking enough just being here today.”

Landon’s thoughts were a whirlwind. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together, but there were still so many questions. He knew one thing for certain: Baylee was in an incredible amount of danger.

“You have my number,” he said eventually. “If you need help, or get more info, call me.”

Then the kid was gone.

“Fuck,” he hissed.

If they knew Baylee’s name, they probably had enough information to track her down. He took off, dialing Morgan as he went. He needed to get home.