Bulletproof Read online

  “Ah, gotcha.” Dylan nodded. “What about you?” she asked. “How’s your taste in women?”

  Briana chewed her cheek to keep from grinning. Dylan was sexy and bold, and she loved where this was going.

  “Who said I date women?” She teased the straw of her drink with her tongue. Dylan wasn’t the only one with game.

  “Please don’t destroy my wishful thinking by telling me that guy you were talking to has a better shot than me.” Dylan looked positively irresistible when she pouted. “I waited a whole half hour just to talk to you.”

  “You could have interrupted.”

  “Nah.” Even her frown was loaded with confidence. “Not my style.”

  “Too bad. I could have used a lifeline.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yes.” She lifted the fruit garnish from the rim of her glass and took a small bite, her part in the subtle seduction.

  Dylan’s eyes were focused right on her mouth. “I didn’t know if you were into him.”

  “Did I look into him?”

  Dylan leaned into her space, and for the briefest second Briana thought she was going in for a kiss. She wasn’t entirely sure she was going to stop her.

  “I completely would have helped you.” Dylan’s voice was husky and full of dangerous promise. “But you didn’t give me any signals. Not a wave. No secret call for help. Not a single text.”

  “I don’t even have your number.” Briana gently poked Dylan’s toned arm, knowing full well initiating physical contact raised the stakes.

  “We should fix that right now. Here.” Dylan pulled out her phone and handed it over. “This way we avoid this problem in the future.”

  Dylan’s smooth approach should have scared her away, but it was too late. She was absolutely hooked.

  “Don’t you think your string of girlfriends is going to be upset you’re spending so much time over here?” Briana typed in her number and gave the cell back. She was teasing, but she could feel some looks being tossed in her direction.

  “Is that…” Dylan scratched her chin like she was searching for the right word. “Jealousy?”

  “You wish.”

  “Kinda do.”

  Damn, she was good. “Sorry to disappoint.” Briana scrunched up her nose, the playful action contrasting with the sincerity of her words. “I don’t do jealousy as a rule.”

  Dylan took a long sip of her beer, and Briana wondered if she was put off. “Why’s that?” she asked.

  If this had any chance of working, now was the time to lay her cards on the table.

  “My life right now is full. I have a great apartment, a job I love. Don’t misunderstand me. I like going out, meeting people, seeing where it goes.” She wiped the moisture off her glass. Even though Stef had said Dylan was a player, being transparent still made her nervous. “I’m just not looking for a relationship right now. So jealousy doesn’t really factor in.”

  “That’s fair.” Dylan smiled. “Even though a little jealousy can be hot.”

  “I didn’t say I wasn’t enjoying all of your attention right now. Even if those other women are shooting me daggers.”

  Dylan smirked, her amazing eyes loaded with sin. “There’s other women here?”

  “Cute,” she said with a smile.

  She was trying for aloof but Briana already felt herself giving in to the pull of attraction as she indulged in Dylan’s sweet woodsy scent. There were notes of cedar and lavender coming through, and for the life of her, Briana could not grasp how those scents melded so well together, or how much it made her want to taste Dylan’s bare skin.

  “She’s married.” Stef’s voice startled her, and for a split second Briana thought she was warning her with an announcement about Dylan.

  “Mackenzie’s married?” Dylan caught up before she did, sounding almost as surprised as Stef.

  “At least for the moment. Her wife is over there reading her the riot act right now.”

  Briana turned to see the showdown in the corner of the courtyard. “Yikes.”

  “I’m sorry to burst into your conversation. I just needed to be away from that drama.”

  “Of course,” Briana said.

  “Do you need a drink?” Dylan offered.

  Stef rubbed her temples. “No. No. I’m fine. I’m just going to go home.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “You don’t have to,” Stef said. Briana saw her eyes go to Dylan. “Stay. I’m fine.”

  “Nope. We came together. We leave together.” Briana took a final sip of her drink. “Roommates,” she said, explaining to Dylan.

  “Do you live nearby?”

  “A few blocks over. Carroll Street.”

  “I’m right on President Street. We’re neighbors. I’ll walk with you both if that’s cool.” Dylan looked around for a place to put her empty beer, and even though Briana knew she should tell her an escort wasn’t necessary, she would be lying if she didn’t admit to wanting a few extra minutes together.

  “Let’s go,” she said, leading the way to an exit that placed them right on the street without having to pass through the crowded bar.

  As they strolled through the quaint tree-lined streets that made up Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens section, Briana stole glances at Dylan while Stef vented about how things had seemed so promising right up until Mackenzie’s secret wife showed up. A few times the back of her hand brushed Dylan’s, and as much as she wanted more contact, she knew it was all hormones.

  “I’d invite you in,” Briana said as they arrived at her apartment. She nodded in Stef’s wake when her roommate hurried past them inside. “But I should make sure she’s okay.”

  “No, I totally get it.” If Dylan was bothered, it didn’t show. “Could we do this again?” she asked. She took one step closer, and Briana’s body responded without her permission. Goose bumps lined her forearms, and her nipples hardened under her shirt.

  “Maybe not this exactly.” Dylan edited her invitation on the spot. “I was thinking just me and you. Something noncommittal, but hella fun. Interested?”

  “So interested.”

  Dylan started to back away slowly. “I’ll call you,” she said, her grin full of wicked charm.

  “I’ll answer.”

  So much for celibacy.

  Chapter Three

  “There’s Rivas. Lower right.”

  Dylan stood in front of a corkboard in the Major Case Team 2 office, affectionately referred to as The Plant. George Rivas’s face jumped out at her from the link chart’s bottom row of suspects even before her new colleague pointed him out.

  “I see him,” she said. Her eyes scanned the board, hoping for a glimpse of Benji or Paul. No dice.

  “From what we can tell, Rivas is just a dealer. He’s working angles at a bunch of the local colleges. Mostly pills, but he’ll sell anything he can get his hands on.”

  Detective Trevor Gill was the lead investigator on the case. He’d met her in the lobby on the way in and whisked her through the office, rushing to show her the layout: bathroom, break room, lieutenant’s office. Now standing in front of the case subject flowchart, he zeroed in on the investigation.

  “We’ve been focusing on this guy here.” He pointed to a mug shot of Mike Johnson. “He’s got a decent record, but so far we’re going in circles with him. Basically he’s just a purchaser.” He shook his head, seeming pensive. “I’m more interested in identifying some of the players higher up the food chain. I made up folders for you to look through. I’m excited to get your take.”

  “Definitely.” Dylan couldn’t keep herself from smiling. Trevor’s enthusiasm was contagious. His blind faith in her opinion didn’t hurt either. He was about her age, which seemed promising for her future in this division. And his obvious commitment to police work matched her own, even if their energies seemed polar opposite.

  For the moment, she was happy he was going Mach 10. It kept her mind in focus. All morning she’d felt herself slipping back into fantasies o
f Briana. Which was fine. Delicious, even. Their brief flirtation had been the highlight of her weekend, and she couldn’t wait to see how things progressed. But today was big, and she needed to keep her head in the game.

  “Showtime.” Trevor clapped his hands like he was pumping them up.

  “What do you mean?” Dylan was lost.

  “Big meeting upstairs with our bosses and the lawyers. Let’s go.”

  “Oh, wow, that’s happening already?” For some reason she’d expected there would be more time to settle in. She’d envisioned a formal introduction to her new team, the sergeant, the lieutenant. A chance to at least get a sense of how she’d gel in her new assignment.

  “I know it’s quick.” Trevor could already read her. He guided them to the elevator. “I’ll give you a proper tour and full introductions after, I promise. It’s just that everyone is excited about the big break in the case. The brass wants to hear directly from the rock star who got the intel that’s going to get this investigation off the ground.” His smile was warm and reassuring. “Don’t be nervous. Everyone’s cool. Well, except the LT.” He lowered his voice as he pressed the button for the tenth floor. “He can be a tool, but you didn’t hear it from me.”

  Not even five minutes later, she was seated at one end of a conference table with the rest of the NYPD crew. Lt. Nieves greeted her with the expected pompousness, and she was grateful to Trevor for the small heads-up in the elevator. Sgt. Hollander was less formal, but perhaps that was because she and Miri recognized each other from the lesbian social scene.

  “We’re excited to have you on board, Prescott,” Miri Hollander said with a welcoming look.

  “Yes, we are.” Lt. Nieves commandeered the conversation. “Just so we’re clear, I’ll be presenting the information to Logan. If she has follow-up questions, that’s fine. You can answer those.”

  His tone said this was an order, and Dylan responded in kind. “Yes, sir.”

  “Logan is the AUSA.” Trevor filled her in with a discreet whisper.

  Dylan nodded acknowledgment, but there was little time to process the shifting dynamic as the legal team filtered into the room. They were a mix of men and women, and what she found most notable was that they all seemed young. Why she had expected the United States Attorney’s Office to be made up of stodgy old white men, she wasn’t sure, but the staff in front of her was refreshingly diverse.

  “She’ll be here in just a second, Lieutenant,” one of the women said, addressing Nieves only. It made sense—he was fidgeting in his chair like an impatient toddler.

  As she waited, Dylan assessed their interactions, an occupational hazard. The legal crew seemed to be comparing notes and chatting, and there was even some light laughter. It was in direct opposition to the silence that filtered down from Nieves at the police end of the table.

  “Sorry to keep you all waiting.” AUSA Logan’s voice entered the room a split second before she did.

  Was her voice familiar?

  As the lead prosecutor took a seat at the head of the table and placed her legal pad in front of her, Dylan let it sink in.

  Assistant United States Attorney Logan. Briana Logan.

  “Nice of you to join us, Miss Logan.” Nieves was the only one to laugh at his joke. What a dick.

  Briana jotted the date on her pad. “Let’s get to work, shall we? I’m excited to hear about this lead.”

  Dylan marveled at the way she dismissed the lieutenant outright. It was only then that Briana looked up and saw her. The slight stutter in her glance made it obvious Briana shared her surprise, but she moved past it with practiced professionalism.

  Nieves sat upright as he started talking. “One of our detectives got a decent overhear while on a different assignment,” he started. “So right away we had her transferred to our team.”

  “This is Dylan Prescott,” Sgt. Hollander interjected with a lean forward to introduce Dylan with a wave of her hand. “She comes to us from Vice. She’s responsible for the new intel.”

  “Hello,” Briana said with a friendly smile.

  With one word, Briana made her feel at ease while revealing nothing to anyone else. Not the fact that they’d met just the day before. And flirted. Hard. Nor had she pretended they were complete strangers, which Dylan oddly appreciated. It was all very…smooth.

  Dylan nodded in response and was thankful Lt. Nieves had taken the floor again. She listened to him stumble through his explanation of her overhear, trying not to wince as he butchered the details. The team of interns and attorneys took copious notes, but Briana just listened, taking it all in.

  “Did we happen to get names of the two guys Rivas was with?” she asked.

  “Benji and Phil, right?” Lt. Nieves looked to Trevor for support.

  “It was actually Paul,” Dylan piped up. “Benji and Paul.” She was a little concerned Nieves would be angry with her for answering, but the specifics mattered.

  “Great,” Briana said. She lifted her pen and took a note. Dylan felt herself swoon ridiculously at the sight of her delicate hand swirling names across the page with precision. “Trev, if you’d forward me the pedigree for Rivas, I’ll start to write for his phone today. Sound good?”

  “Sure thing.”

  Dylan was new to electronic eavesdropping investigations, but she could surmise the bit of information she’d overheard Friday night was probable cause to authorize listening in on Rivas’s phone conversations. Being up on a wiretap was a coup in any criminal case. She felt herself beam inside.

  “Great job, team.” Briana was addressing the entire crew, but Dylan felt her compliment personally.

  She wasn’t crazy, though—Briana was looking right at her. She could see her gorgeous hazel eyes from behind the tortoiseshell glasses she was wearing. Professional Briana might even be more enticing than flirty Briana from the bar. Her light brown hair was in a messy bun, as though she’d pulled it off her face just moments before the meeting. For the briefest second Dylan imagined releasing it from its rubber band and watching it fall loose across her shoulders. Her head went right to lifting Briana onto the conference table and sliding between her thighs, their kiss full of passion and promise.

  “Okay, people. Let’s get these guys.” Briana collected her pad and stood up. Her staff followed suit.

  Nieves rocketed to attention as though he was trying to race her to conclude the meeting. Briana looked as though she might laugh at him. “Go ahead, Lieutenant,” she said with a smile offering him the first exit. “I’m in no rush.”

  Damn, she was good. This was going to be a struggle. Or was it her fantasy come to life? She swallowed her desire, knowing there was hardly a difference.

  The remainder of Dylan’s first day was characterized by meeting the members of the team. Detectives Ahmed Baisir and Trish Suarez were in the office listening to the phone lines they were already authorized to record. Trevor had explained that there were also guys out in the field doing surveillance. He answered her eight million questions and never broke her chops when every answer prompted a new query.

  He showed her the inner workings of the wire room where they monitored and transcribed phone calls. The team took turns doing both plant and field work, so everyone was proficient in all aspects of the case. She read the case jackets of all the identified perps in the network. By the end of her tour she was completely overstimulated.

  As a tiny reward for surviving her first shift unscathed, she stopped at Connolly’s Public House, a revamped Irish pub with a chill vibe not far from her apartment. She sat at the adorable tiki bar out back watching the sun set as she thought about the day.

  Briana was the lead prosecutor. Unbelievable. What were the odds? And what did it mean in light of their promising banter? Just a day ago, Briana had been clear that she wasn’t looking for a relationship. But did professional overlap wreck their chances entirely?

  There was only one way to find out.

  Chapter Four

  Good evening, counselor.


  Briana exited the subway. She had yet to process the insane coincidence from today’s meeting, but Dylan was already texting. Usually this kind of persistence would irk her, but she felt a smile sneak across her face at seeing Dylan’s name on her phone. Even still, she should ignore the message. That was the sensible reaction. At least she shouldn’t respond right away.

  Detective, she typed back unable to resist.

  That was some curveball, huh?

  She tried to remain composed. Unexpected, for sure.

  Most definitely not what I had planned for our second meetup.

  Dylan’s text came through with additional bubbles indicating another message was on its way. Briana felt her pulse race in spite of logic. She should shut this down immediately. Mixing her professional and social lives was a terrible idea. At the same time, she was grinning like a teenager in anticipation of whatever Dylan might say next.

  However…since we’ve cleared that hurdle… Briana’s pulse raced as a final text appeared. Meet me for a drink at Connolly’s?

  Boom. There it was. The invitation she wanted. The one she should most definitely decline. Dylan was typing again.

  I don’t want to pressure you. But the sky is gorgeous. I’m enjoying the pleasant evening with a beer out back. It might not be a bad idea to clear the air at least…

  Briana was only a half a block away from the bar, and even though it went against reason, it was like her legs had their own opinion on the matter. Anyway Connolly’s was on her way home, and her hectic day earned her a glass of wine. An opportunity to clear the air, away from their shared workspace, was simply using good judgment. The fact that she got another dose of Dylan’s handsome face was collateral she had no control over.

  “One drink.”

  “You came.” Dylan’s expression revealed a mixture of delight and surprise. She moved to stand in greeting, but Briana stopped her with a hand to the forearm. The touch was unnecessary, and she internally scolded herself for giving in to pure desire.

  “I didn’t even know this place had a backyard,” she said, placing her purse on an adjacent stool.