Jen_C’s Reviews > Tough Justice: Countdown Box Set > Status Update

Once she realized it was truly safe, nothing bad had happened when she’d released the trigger, she bounded away from Halpert’s dead body. Straight toward Nick. Love her or loved her, he still caught her, pulling her close. Holding her as she shuddered. He realized sitting there, literally on top of Halpert, had taken a toll on her. Hell, that was to be expected. “You should’ve said you were having a hard time.”

Lara, I’ve wanted to do this pretty much on a daily basis since the day I met you. And I might get fired, but it'll be so f-king worth it.” He leaned down and kissed her briefly. Tenderly. Then before she could figure out what the hell was going on, he drew back and sucker-punched her in the face. The world spun and she tumbled into Ty. “Take her out and get everyone away from the building,” she heard Nick say to Ty.

Nick had warned her. Or had tried. He'd been able to see what she couldn’t: that Lara was becoming obsessed. She’d definitely crossed a line today just to get crumbs of truth about her mother’s death. She’d made the selfish choice. The letters FBI stood for Federal Bureau of Investigation, but agents also used the letters for a motto: Fidelity. Bravery. Integrity.
That motto didn’t apply to her anymore.

If she’d been honest with her team at the beginning, they could be following her right now. Halpert would never have known. She could have snipers, undercover agents and her team protecting her as she went to meet him. But no. She’d been secretive about her obsession. She’d made herself vulnerable to a psycho serial killer. Deliberately. She...no. There were no words for what she was or how stupid she’d been.

You don’t care about your own life, Lara! We need you.” All of a sudden the fight seemed to have fled from Nick altogether. “I need you.” Lara refused to be drawn in to the emotion in Nick’s eyes. Refused to hear what he really wanted to say. Lara didn’t do real. “Yeah, Nick. You do need me. You need me to do the things you’re not willing to do.” He didn’t flinch as he looked at her. “Like be an uncaring bitch?

On every single screen in the CMU offices was a message in bold white letters against a red background.

LARA GRANT: LET ME EXPOSE YOUR SECRET ABOUT MORETTI, OR...

Lara held her breath, unable to tear her eyes away from the screen even if she wanted to. Everyone waited with her since the words had taken over every screen. A moment later the rest of the message flashed.

...WELL, YOU KNOW THE DRILL.

We’re going to nail this bastard, Nick. I can feel it.”
Nick stepped a little closer, as they walked, happy when she didn’t shift to put distance between them. God, this was when he remembered why he was so damned attracted to Lara. When she was excited to be part of the team and ready to move in for the kill. Her confidence. Her passion. Her zeal. It made her a great agent and made her damn well irresistible to him.

He had an epiphany about Lara. He did believe being partners was like being married, and if that was true, he was never going to marry Lara. She wasn’t interested in sharing, or being vulnerable with him, unless she was forced to. He could never get beyond her shell. There were no cracks in it, no weak spots. And he didn’t want to be with someone he couldn’t share his life with. Both the beautiful and the ugly parts.

*BORING*
At this stage in a case, we have had at least two or three breaks—even small ones. We’ve had nothing. He’s touched people close to us, and we can’t get a fix on him.” She stalked off toward the gas station.
Nick easily fell in stride next to her, his long legs covering ground faster than she could. It pissed her off for some reason. Mind you, practically everything was pissing her off right then.

A flash of images scorched across her memory. One in particular, a year before when Nick risked his life and jumped into the freezing waters of the East River to help her fight Moretti’s brother. Lara had been so exhausted that she would have drowned had Nick not kept them both afloat. Despite their push-and-pull, hot-and-cold, lust-and-lust relationship, Lara knew without a doubt that Nick Delano had a heart.