Nick shot Rafe a pleading look. Luckily for his brother, Rafe had no choice but to take his side. “Angel, Nick does need to be here.”
“Why?”
Rafe thought of and discarded a bunch of reasons that didn’t involve him revealing her father was involved with drug dealers.
He finally settled on the one he thought she’d find the most believable. “They haven’t caught whoever’s after Sara yet, which means whoever she’s close to is in potential danger. Look at what happened to your booth. You don’t want to risk someone breaking in here to send a message to Sara and you being alone and caught off guard.”
She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again.
Nick wisely remained silent.
“Fine. He can stay.” She turned around and walked up the back stairs that led to the upstairs bedrooms.
“What’s got her so worked up?” Rafe asked.
Nick groaned. “Our first marriage-counselor appointment is in a couple of hours. I think it’s clicking that she’s going to need to talk and open up. And she resents me for putting her in that position.”
“Well, then. I’d say you’re making progress.” Rafe slapped his brother on the back. “Good luck.”
“Thanks,” Nick said wryly.
“I take it the newspeople aren’t here yet?”
He shook his head. “Angel got a call saying they’d arrive around dinnertime.”
“Okay. Well, I had someone from the city I wanted her to meet, but all things considered, I think it can wait.”
“Who?”
“Another news guy. He’s Sara’s neighbor, and he’s here playing a hunch.”
Nick rolled his shoulders. “Whatever that means. Look, I’m going to see if Angel’s okay and make sure she’s calm before this appointment.”
Rafe nodded. “Stay close to her,” he warned his brother.
“I will,” Nick said, but Rafe caught the curious look aimed his way.
Rafe wasn’t about to get into details about Angel’s father, Viagra, drug deals and the DEA. Even if he wanted to fill his brother in, there was every chance Nick might not believe the story, anyway.
“Good luck at the marriage counselor’s,” Rafe said, heading back to where Sara and Coop waited in the front hall.
“And good luck to you with whatever you’re involved in,” Nick shot back.
“Thanks.” Because they would definitely need all the luck they could get.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
LATER THAT NIGHT, Mark Lopez, the DEA agent from the Buffalo field office and a member of the local task force, arrived at Rafe’s house. Agent Lopez appeared more boyish than the youngest beat cop back in New York City. Rafe knew looks could be deceiving and hoped the man was up to the job.
Because nobody knew if Pirro would be.
Over the next twenty-four hours, Agent Lopez arranged the sting. He’d instructed Pirro to set up a meeting between Biff, Todd and Pirro’s distributor. It had taken a while for Pirro, in his agitated, panicked state, to understand he didn’t really have to get in touch with his Canadian contact. Agent Lopez would play that role.
The sting operation was set for ten o’clock. All Pirro had to do was get wired, show up, meet the men, make the introductions and let Biff and Todd incriminate themselves.
Rafe and Sara wouldn’t participate in the actual bust; they’d be monitoring the situation from a nearby truck set up with surveillance equipment. Once money exchanged hands, Agent Lopez would arrest Biff and Todd, and, with a little luck, they’d roll over on their ringleader in exchange for some kind of deal.
The sting was set for later tonight. Pirro was under strict instructions to keep his mouth shut and get through the day. He only had to lie to his wife one more time, and this would all be over.
Unfortunately, before the bust, they were all invited to a get together at Angel’s Bed-and-Breakfast. She wanted to impress the people from the Daily Post visiting from New York. And Coop wanted to tag along with them and surprise Amanda, his coworker, so he could observe her reaction to Rafe and Sara’s lovey-dovey performance. Any way Rafe looked at it, it was bound to be a long evening.
“How are you doing?”
He jerked at Sara’s touch on his shoulder. Sitting on his front porch, he’d been so preoccupied he hadn’t heard her open the door and step outside.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.” She sat down beside him. “Nervous?”
He shrugged. “I do this for a living, but Pirro doesn’t. He’s fragile.”
“And well coached. He knows what’s at stake. He can handle it,” she reassured him.
“You don’t think he’s in over his head?” The thought had kept Rafe tossing and turning all night long.
“I think he’ll be fine,” she insisted.
He appreciated her certainty—even if she was agreeing with him and lying in order to keep him calm. It was working. Rafe leaned back and, with his foot, kicked the swing into slow motion. He enjoyed sitting out here with her, talking about things that mattered.
“Agent Lopez called while you were out here.”
“What’s up?” Rafe asked.
“First, we’re both cleared for backup tonight. Medical leaves waved by special dispensation,” she explained.
Rafe nodded. “One issue down. Besides, it shouldn’t require much from either one of us to cover Lopez and Pirro.”
“Agreed. Even I should be able to handle it.” She leaned down and patted her bad knee.
Rafe knew her wry tone covered serious concern, but she was right. Tonight should be a routine cover. Anything more, and he’d be healthy enough to handle it. “You said first. What else did Agent Lopez have to say?”
“Right. He said he ran the name of Pirro’s Canadian supplier by the task force east of here working on closing distribution lines between the U.S. and Canada. Turns out he’s someone they’ve been after for a while. They don’t want us stepping on their investigation, so they’ll handle him…” She trailed off.
“But?” Rafe asked, sensing there was more.
“But they may call on Pirro down the road for information or to identify him in person.” Her eyes conveyed her regret about that.
But Rafe nodded in understanding. “One thing at a time. Let’s get through tonight’s sting first.”
She nodded. “We’re almost there.”
“We just have to survive Angel’s get-together first.”