Free Guarding Light by Cate Mckoy Page B

forcibly led him to the door, Tasha had already left. "Hey, what do you thi-" Jack slammed the door on the rest of Agent Sanchez's sentence. Locking the door, he heard Tasha say something to the offended agent. Jack didn't care what as long as he stayed out.
       "It's a federal offense to assault a federal agent, Chief Gard." Catlyn informed in a bored tone.
       Jack turned from the door and started towards her. He was brought up short when Catlyn's hand rested on her weapon and she took on a defensive stance. He then realized he had been rushing towards her. Taking a deep breath he continued more slowly. She still kept her hand on the gun at her side.
       "Is there a problem, Chief Gard?" Catlyn asked with that I've-got-better-things-to-do-than-humor-you tone.
       "You're damn right there is, if your solution to these murders is setting yourself up as bait."
       "I assure you I've done undercover work many times before." Catlyn's inflection implied she was indeed humoring him. She didn't have to justify anything to him.
       Tough, Jack thought. "I don't give a shit."
       Catlyn's eyebrows rose, disappearing under her bangs, but she remained silent studying him from beneath her long lashes. Damn she still did that. And it still turned him to jelly inside.
       Her silence underlined just how out of line his outburst was, making Jack angrier. Here he was all tied up in knots both physically and emotionally from seeing her again and she just stood there being indifferent. She hadn't even wanted her partner to know they knew one another. His hands shook and she was steady as a rock. Well, he knew her! He knew what would make her unsteady and shake.
       Jack moved in close. To her credit she stood her ground, not giving up an inch. But Jack saw the nervousness in her eyes when she had to look up at him. He was much bigger than her. He knew grown men who were intimidated by his size, the muscular breath of his shoulders. He almost felt bad when he saw her hand tremble when she adjusted it on her weapon, almost but not quite. He couldn't allow her to put herself in harm's way in his city, on his watch, especially not for a fucking serial killer!
       He moved to take her wrist. Before he could take a hold she moved, had his wrist. Quickly he countered, putting her in a restraining hold but not hurting her. She slipped easily out and countered with a strike with her elbow. Jack blocked and swung and found he was blocked. Again and again he tried a move and found himself blocked or her able to break his restraining hold.
       Very quickly, Jack knew Catlyn was very well trained. And, not just in defensive tactics. She had successfully employed several different martial art moves on him, expertly executed. She moved so swiftly and agilely that it was hard to get a hold of her. And her strikes were fast and hard! She hadn't used any below the belt moves but some of her other moves were just as effective. Her main advantage, hands down, was the element of surprise. No one, including himself, expected such power and strength from such a small frame. By the time her opponent realized she was a lot more to contend with, it would be too late and Catlyn would be the victor.
       Jack admitted she was fast. But, although, she had power it was nowhere near his. He didn't want to hurt her and was pulling some of his strength. Realizing he wasn't going to win this way he stopped holding back some. She felt the change in him and tried to adjust her moves.
       As she was coming out of yet another one of his holds, he grabbed her upper arms with brute strength, forcing her back with great speed not giving her a chance to orient. He pushed her down onto the conference table. She almost got up and away. He put both her wrists in one of his hands and pushed her down against the table again, forcing her to lay back with the weight of his upper body. He grabbed her upper thigh with his free hand and pulled her towards