Bluegrass Brothers: Bluegrass Undercover Part 4

d.a.m.n, her dinner was sure to be destroyed saving Cade again. She s.h.i.+fted the handle, getting ready to smash it in the first person's face to reach her when Cade wrapped his arm around her waist and flung her behind him as if she weighed nothing. She stumbled backwards and fell on her bottom, landing against the old brick building. She cringed when the man with curly hair brought up a tire iron from his side. The moonlight, which had just moments ago cast a romantic glow on the street, now cast a menacing reflection off the tire iron. He raised the tire iron and swung it at Cade. She had to save him! She watched in horror as the tire iron came swinging down in an arc towards his head. He blocked it with his forearm and followed up with an uppercut that snapped the guy's head back before the man knew what hit him. She would never have guessed he had so much speed.

As the other two closed in at once on Cade, she watched the injured man stumble back to the car. She tried to get her feet under her to help, but it was already over as she stood up. With a swift kick to the knee, Cade brought the one with dark hair and girly bangs to the ground. Annie watched in awe as he crumpled to the ground, holding his injured knee. He had to drag himself to the safety of the car. With a quick strike of his hand, Cade shattered the nose of the third man. Blood flowed freely down the white s.h.i.+rt as the man with the shaved head scrambled into the car and tucked tail out of there.

Cade dusted off his khaki pants and turned to her. There wasn't a speck of dirt on him. The only evidence that he had just been in a fight was his hazel eyes shone bright with excitement. When he held out his hand for her, she stared at him for a moment in disbelief that he had disabled three attackers in less than twenty seconds. She looked at his large hand for a second and then placed hers in it. His hand was warm, strong, and she had to admit, she didn't want to let it go.

"Well, it's nice to see you took my advice and learned some self-defense."

Chapter Five.

Cade watched Annie set the takeout bag on the small kitchen table. The way her tight jeans hugged her hips was so s.e.xy. Her fitted Miami Dolphins jersey showed off her curves in an understated way that made it very hard for him to think of anything but what she might look like naked. Her long red hair was loosely tied back in a ponytail that swung as she walked.

Even through his l.u.s.t haze, something was nagging at him. He watched as she stretched up and pulled down a plate from the cabinet for her dinner. That's when it hit him. She was just acting normally. She wasn't shaking. She wasn't crying. She wasn't scared at all. Nothing. She was acting like a mugging was no big deal. It was the same reaction he got from her after both physical altercations with Corey. He knew Miami was a tough place, but something didn't seem right.

"I am sorry about tonight. Keeneston doesn't really have much crime. Certainly muggings do not normally happen. I didn't recognize them or the car, so I'm guessing they were just punks from out of town trying to score some easy cash." He certainly didn't believe that, and by the "what, are you stupid ?" look she just shot him, she didn't believe it either.

"Um, yeah. I'm pretty sure those are what are called gang members," she said to him as if he was a total bozo. She set the plate on the table and headed back to the kitchen.

"We don't have gangs in Keeneston. The Rose sisters would never allow it." He shot her a quick grin and was happy to see she momentarily returned it. He leaned his shoulder against the kitchen wall and put his hands in his front jean pockets.

"You may not have in the past, but you do now. Don't be so naive, Cade. Anywhere there are drugs there are gangs who sell those drugs. That was probably supposed to be a warning from the dealer who sells to those three kids on your team."

Annie tried not to suck in a hissing breath at her mistake. He hadn't told her there were three kids who had tested positive for S2. She knew because she got a sneak peek at the test results before he got them. She turned her back on Cade to get some silverware and hoped that he hadn't noticed her slip up.

"It sure sounds like you know a lot about drugs and gangs. But, how did you know about three of my players testing positive for S2?"

Annie set the silverware on the table and shrugged her shoulders. "Lee said something about it in the car." She turned back around and found his gaze sharp and totally focused on her face. Something wasn't right. That wasn't the scrutinizing look of a high school biology teacher. And those had certainly not been a teacher's moves against those gang members. What was up with this town? She really needed to get her computer hooked up, like now.

"Well, I'm going to have dinner now. Would you like some coffee?" she asked, hoping he would leave so she could throw the dinner in the fridge and hook up her computer. She needed to run a background check on him to see if her gut was right.

"No thank you. I need to get home and work on some lesson plans." What he needed to do was get over to Marshall's government computer and run a background check on this woman. Something was definitely off. "I have been so busy with football that I'm behind in getting my school work done."

"Well, thanks for an eventful night." Annie smiled and leaned against the front door jam. Would he hurry up already and leave?

"You're welcome. I'm just glad you weren't hurt. Make sure to lock your door." She watched him walk down the stairs and did take a moment to enjoy the view before he turned to give her a wave good-bye. She returned it with a smile and watched him as he headed back towards the Cafe. He really was a nice guy.

As soon as he was out of sight, she shut the door and ran into the living room. Against the far wall was a tower of unpacked boxes and somewhere in that stack was her computer. She searched for the box with her computer equipment in it, neatly at first, but when it became obvious it was hiding from her, she started tossing boxes and clothes in frustration. She finally spied the box with the word "computer" in black marker on it. Of course it was on the bottom of the pile. Wrapping her arms around the brown, cardboard box, she tugged at it until it wiggled free of the last couple of boxes surrounding it.

"Okay, let's see who you are, Cade Davies," she said as she started pulling computer equipment out of the box.

Cade slammed on the brakes and sent his SUV skidding to a stop in front of Marshall's old farmhouse. He jumped out of the car and in three long strides was on the old wood porch that surrounded Marshall's house.

"Marshall! I need your computer," he yelled as he burst through the front door without bothering to knock.

"You have a computer at home. What do you need mine for?" Marshall asked, looking up from his desk in his office next to the entranceway.

"Not that computer. The other one."

"Ah. Who are we hacking tonight?" Marshall slid his chair over to a locked armoire against the wall behind his desk. He pushed back a small panel hidden in the base of the armoire and pulled out the key.

"The lovely Miss Hill." Cade paced back and forth in front of Marshall's large oak desk. Was his brother purposefully moving slowly?

"Don't you think a date would be a better way to find out about her than running a background on her? It's more fun that way. I believe Mom calls it the honeymoon period."

"Not when she is not who she says she is."

"What do you mean?"

"I told you. She's not a guidance counselor. And I want to find out who she is. We were mugged tonight by three men, one armed with a crowbar, and she didn't even blink an eye. Went home and set out dinner all the while lecturing me on gangs and drugs."

"So you think she's a fed?" Marshall stood up and indicated the computer was ready.

"Yup. I'd also be willing to bet you my University of Kentucky basketball tickets that she's DEA." Cade flexed his fingers and went to work on the encrypted computer. "Here she is! Real name Annie Blake. Just like I thought, DEA," Cade told Marshall as he scrolled through her records. "Twenty-seven years old. Hmm."

"What?" Marshall leaned forward to try to see the screen over Cade's shoulder.

"She graduated second from the academy. That's pretty good. Let's see, after that she was stationed in all around Alabama and Georgia before ending up in Miami, where she has as many commendations as she does complaints."

"Complaints for what?"

"When she arrests them, seems she likes to rough up the drug dealers who peddle to kids. It also looks like she was the reason for some very big busts. The last one was just a week ago. However, there was an issue with her beating up the drug soldier she was arresting. They patched it up by saying it was self-defense during an a.s.sault. She was transferred immediately after that."

"Why was she transferred here? We don't have any dealers here."

"Apparently we do. She's looking into an S2 drug highway that they think starts here in Keeneston or possibly in Lexington." Cade leaned back in his chair and turned off the computer.

"What are you going to do about Miss DEA?" Marshall crossed his legs and shot him a grin. He was so glad Marshall found this all so amusing.

"I think I'll help her where I can. I do have a certain skill level that could be useful. At least I can try to keep her safe."

"I don't think you have to worry about that! Isn't she the one protecting you?" Marshall laughed. "Are you going to tell her you know who she is?"

"That would take all the fun out of it." Cade smiled. He had his own idea of how to handle Miss DEA.

Annie couldn't believe it. Shock had her frozen as she stared at the computer monitor in front of her. "Son of a...," she groaned. She buried her face in her hands and muttered, "I told him to learn self-defense, and he's a freaking national hero with a higher clearance level than I could ever dream of. He must have gotten one heck of a good laugh at my expense after I told him he couldn't protect himself from a kid."

She lifted her head from her hands and sat there for a minute staring at his military photo. Wow. She might have to make that her screensaver. He was lean and muscled, his face tight and his hazel eyes serious as he stared into the camera wearing his Ranger's beret.

"Well, I might as well find out who else is in town." She tried to remember the guy's name Lily introduced her too. "Ahmed, that's it." She typed in his name and gasped at the data that came back.

No wonder the name sounded familiar. He was famous for his interrogations. No one knew how he operated, but he had led the security teams that kept the Rahmen family safe and the country of Rahmi free of terrorist activity for the last ten years.

She searched Cade's brothers' names and couldn't stop the giggle that escaped. She couldn't decide whether to be angry or embarra.s.sed at herself for thinking she was the only one who knew danger and the seriousness of law enforcement, so she just laughed. What else could she do when she was actually surrounded by military heroes?

Annie pushed back her chair on the old hardwood floor and walked over to the front window. What must he be thinking of her? More importantly, how was she going to face him again? She had insulted him and he'd never said anything. Not too many men with his resume, or without for that matter, would let a woman take a bite out of their pride like that.

"Well done, Cade Davies. Or should I say Captain Davies." He was definitely different from all the other men she knew. Maybe he wasn't as bad as she first thought.

Chapter Six.

Cade placed the royal blue KHS hat on his head and took a deep breath. He hated television interviews, especially because he knew they would ask him about the dismissal of three of his players and the horrible loss they suffered last week during the scrimmage against a far inferior team. It had been a rough couple of weeks.

"Hiya, Coach."

"Hi, Steph. What's up?" he asked his fellow science teacher.

Stephanie Long taught chemistry. She was nice and loved to flirt with him, pretty even. She was pet.i.te, only about five two and had beautiful blonde hair that she kept in a French twist during school days. She always wore a pencil skirt and heels when teaching. After school, however, she wore her long hair down and switched out her tight skirts for tight jeans. She was every male student's teacher crush, and he could see why when looking at her. But, for some reason he just never felt any chemistry with her. So, he was polite but distant to make sure she didn't get the wrong idea.

"I just wanted to wish you luck for your first game. I know it's hard being the new guy, especially after losing three of your best players. What happened to them?"

"Sorry, Steph, I can't get into it. It was just a violation of team rules and was handled internally. But, thank you for wis.h.i.+ng me luck I'll need it." He looked nervously over the local news crew and tried to keep his stomach calm.

"You'll do fine during your interview. You're so handsome and nice that the camera will love you. Just pretend you're talking to me." She gave him a little wink and he couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Thanks. I do feel better. I guess I'll go get this interview over with. See you on Monday." Cade smiled and walked away from the small field house to the camera crew setting up along the sidelines where his players were warming up on the field.

"Coach Davies. Could we have a few minutes?" the sports reporter asked. He looked just like any other sports reporter: middle aged, small gut, big hair and a really weird colored tie.

"Sure." Cade stopped next to him and waited until the camera was recording.

"How do you think you'll do tonight against Oakdale High School?"

"I think it will be a tough game. They are returning twelve senior starters compared to our three senior starters. They have a lot of experience."

"It has been reported that All-State linebacker Corey Bonner, offensive lineman Lee Faust, and senior wide receiver Dan Likens have all been dismissed from the team. Can you tell us why and how you will make up for their loss?"

"They violated team rules. We cannot make up for the hole left by their dismissal. They were wonderful players and have now been replaced by less experienced players. Our freshman wide receiver, Ryan Hall, has stepped up in practice and is showing a lot of promise. Running back Trey Everett is the heart and soul of this team and will provide the leaders.h.i.+p we lost with Bonner's departure. We've taken some of the defensive players and converted them to offensive linemen. They have a lot to learn, but again, are showing great promise after only being in this position for a month."

"Thank you, Coach."

Cade nodded and headed out onto the field as the reporter wrapped up his pre-game comments.

He took in the scene and his nerves steadied. a.s.sistant Coach Parks was warming up the offense. The defense was stretching out. The smell of the fresh cut gra.s.s mixed with the aroma of popcorn coming from the stands now filling with people. This was it, the first home game of his coaching career, and boy, did he love it! He placed the silver whistle in his mouth and gave it two short bursts. His team responded immediately and circled around him.

"Okay, men. I want to focus on execution tonight. Hit your marks, block your targets, and make your tackles. Okay, Trey. You and Ryan head out there for the coin toss. Break!" The deafening sound of clapping and cheers arose from his team as they pumped each other up.

Annie took her seat in the stands. She opted for the highest row in the bleachers so she could see everything that happened around her. Maybe, just maybe, the boss or some more of the soldiers would be here tonight. If she kept an eye on who was in the crowd, and if she could identify anyone who looked like they didn't belong, she could then also keep an eye on which people the players looked at. Then maybe she could figure out who the dealer was.

She looked around the small stadium. Apparently the first home game was a big deal in Keeneston. The place was packed. People mingled with each other, kids ran around the bleachers, and signs and pompoms waved in the air. She heard cheers as the game started and cheered when others did. She knew football. She loved football, but tonight she was not here for fun. She was here for surveillance. She glanced down at the field and saw Cade coaching one of the boys before sending him into the game. Unlike a lot of coaches she'd seen, he didn't yell at his players. He taught them. He pulled them aside and showed them what they did wrong and how to do it right. That was just the kind of person he was.

They had talked quite often since the night of the thugs. He had stopped by her office to talk, and she had politely excused herself as fast as she could. She just didn't know how to act around him. After learning who he was, she knew he would have the smarts to figure out who she was and she didn't want to risk it. He was nice, polite, and the farthest thing from the egotistical men she was used to.

Every time he saw her at the Blossom Cafe, he would expertly remove her from whatever grilling she was receiving from Daisy or Violet. He always would walk her home, claiming he had to protect her from errant thugs. Which, in turn, would fuel the gossip flames at the Cafe and cause her to listen to lectures of not buying the milk when the cow was free or something like that from the Rose sisters.

She and Cade liked to talk about the team, and she tried to dig around to learn more information on the town. The way he would describe his childhood adventures with his brothers, or the way he helped teach Paige how to outshoot them, always had her laughing. It would only be later that she would realize they had been talking comfortably for almost an hour each time he walked her home. She would scold herself and try to remember to keep her distance. She had a job to do after all. She shouldn't be looking forward to nights on the porch with Cade.

Annie had to shake her head to focus herself on the task at hand. She was doing it again. She was here to keep a look out for drug dealers, not watch the way Cade's b.u.t.t looked when he crouched down to watch a play. She didn't know why it was so hard to keep her eyes off of him. She'd worked with plenty of attractive, masculine men before. She never had this kind of physical reaction to them though. Well, maybe it was because he wasn't exactly like those men. They were macho, egotistical and always c.o.c.ky.

If anyone had a reason to be c.o.c.ky it was Cade. She'd seen all the medals and awards he had won while in the Army. However, he never mentioned it. He never mentioned his accomplishments and he always talked to her about the accomplishments of the kids in his cla.s.s or his family. He was kind and caring and staring right at her! She felt her cheeks redden as she realized he'd caught her staring like a doe-eyed teenager at him. Oh G.o.d! This was so embarra.s.sing. She scanned the field and clapped when the receiver caught the ball. Maybe he would think she was just watching the game? She took a quick peek and saw he was still looking at her. Before she could look away, he smiled and gave her a wink.

She felt all eyes in the stadium turn on her. People stared at her and started whispering. They poked the people in front of them and they turned to look at her. Some smiled, some winked, and she felt her face turn an even brighter shade of red.

"You go, girl!" Miss Lily stood and waved from the front row. This couldn't be happening! Annie tried to make herself shrink as people laughed and shouted encouragements. It turned out Cade was quite the catch, but she already knew that.

She was watching him. He never thought he'd feel such pride as he did now. Cade turned back to the game just in time to see Austin throw an interception. He groaned as the safety ran into the end zone. Oakdale was now leading 21-10. The game had started off strong with a touchdown by Trey, but after the second quarter, things began to fall apart. Austin was sloppy. He wasn't seeing the field. He thought he was a running back instead of a quarterback and tried to run the ball every down.

Cade was undecided about what happened at half-time. Austin was an arrogant a.s.s. He refused to admit he needed to hand the ball off to Trey, the actual running back, or that he was refusing to throw the ball to Ryan. Trey had stepped forward and given an emotional speech to try to charge the team. It had worked. They had run out in the third quarter and put together a great drive until Austin decided to play running back again. They had to settle for a field goal. And now here it was nearing the end of the game and Austin throws and interception.

"Austin. What were you looking at when you threw that? There wasn't a receiver around?"

"Ryan missed his route. He should have been there. He just lost the game for us, so go yell at him." Austin yanked off his helmet and threw it to the ground. It rolled over to the metal bench and came to rest at the feet of a very upset Ryan.

"Ryan didn't miss his route. He was to run a fifteen yard post, and you threw the ball right into the middle of coverage while Ryan was still five yards from his mark."

Cade saw Ryan pick up the helmet and head over towards them. Austin was a strong guy. He was around Cade's size but still needed muscle. Even though Ryan was two years younger, he was much more developed. He was already Austin's height but probably had twenty pounds on him. Cade was sure by his senior year Ryan would be All-State.

"You dropped this." Ryan shoved the helmet at Austin. "And try to show some leaders.h.i.+p. Stop blaming others for your mistakes." Ryan turned around and headed back over to Coach Parks. He also had a maturity Austin was lacking.

"Take the bench, Austin. I'm putting your backup in if we even have another chance to score." Cade watched as Austin sulked his way to the bench and sat down, ignoring all his teammates.

Cade took a quick glance back at the crowd and saw Annie scanning the people in the bleachers. He smiled as she evaluated the threat level of every person. At least one good thing came out of this game he knew Annie was interested him thanks to Miss Lily! He turned his attention back to the game and watched as his defense managed to hold Oakdale to a field goal as the last seconds ticked off the clock.

Annie didn't know what she was doing. She was hanging around teenagers too much because she was starting to act like a lovesick girl. She leaned against the bleachers and sighed. Maybe he would think she was just slow to leave? Maybe she could say she was talking to the parents, who were the only ones left milling around the parking lot?

"Waiting for me?" Annie almost jumped as Cade came up behind her.

"Um. No. I was talking to some of the parents." Annie took a step away from him. She couldn't think straight when she was so close to him.

"I'm sure they appreciate you coming and supporting their sons. Some of them have talked about you, you know?"

"The parents are talking about me?" Annie stopped looking at the old cracked pavement and looked up into his eyes. They seemed browner tonight.

"No, my kids are talking about you. They really appreciate someone taking such an interest in their extracurricular activities. They said you've been trying to get to know each of them. That's real nice of you. Our last guidance counselor never sought out kids just to get to know them and to find out how they are doing in cla.s.s and on the field."