I keep hitting the bag.

I need something to get my mind off of what I really wanted to do and if I stood around and tried to explain my actions I'd be sitting in a nice cell waiting for my phone call to my lawyer. This had turned to FUBAR so quickly what was wrong with trying to do the right thing? From all the yelling upstairs a lot is wrong with being a good guy.

I just have to bide my time. This was serious. I couldn't erase the look of fear and how her hands shook when she tried to put that tape into the machine. I wanted to order her out of that office to sit this one out to let us take care of it but I didn't say a word, worrying she would let me have it as she had done the other day, I had to keep remembering she was no fragile flower here.

She needed our help. That wasn't the issue. The problem was that there was a maniac out there that had been watching and waiting to make his move and no one was the wiser. He had got her to believe she was safe and that the men that were in custody could not harm her. Cowboy, Roy, Will and everyone else in her family thought the same. But, she had felt someone watching her and she hadn't said anything, not wanting her family to think she was just being paranoid or worse think she was not in control. This woman was stubborn the more I was around her the more I saw that in her. What I still didn't understand was why she would think all of us would think any less of her but it seems like I got the same answer over and over again, 'that's CJ'.

I had pulled Will, Too Mean, Roy and her sorority sisters aside and started to poke around for information about her and the cowboy. They spoke of their friendship and how it had turned to something more after the abduction. It had triggered something in both of them realizing that life was too short to dance around their feelings and now they wanted to move forward. They spoke about what good people they were and how the work they did was a little on the stressful side and how each had been hurt one way or another some to the point of putting them at death's door and other times something minor but still enough to have everyone questioning them about why they did this type of work. I heard about Beautiful's childhood and some of Cowboy's, they had both suffered loss and heartache at such young ages that finding each other was their saving grace and how this childhood friendship had now blossomed to this adult pairing.

I'd wish I had met her while Houston was still the Billionaire Playboy or as Maureen dubbed him Cowboy Casanova. From what each of them said he had a different girl every month and had a habit of falling in and out of love this last woman he had been at the altar ready to say his vows when a crazed groupie wanting to make a name for himself had decided to crash his wedding and hearing him fill in the blanks I wondered why he didn't see what I had figured out in less than 2 days.

He was in love with her and her with him.

Beautiful had been in love longer than Houston from what her sisters told me. I'm sure it had been hard for her to see women come in and out of his life. Carol said it was like a turnstile one coming in while one would leave. This goes back to high school and college.

She had a front row seat and not to say she didn't have men in her life, Too Mean told me about the psycho from her high school days that had stalked her and had ended the life of the man she had been dating, Carol said they were serious I had asked her why she would say that she stated that Carl had asked her about her Sis ring size and put two and two together and was waiting for her to call with the good news. The only news was to tell her of his death and funeral arrangements. She said Beautiful had taken it hard, the maniac had followed her to Houston's cabin in the woods and she had been cornered and with Houston's help had pushed him to his death.

I kept this all in my head, she wasn't delicate but still, being responsible for the death of someone weighs on you. I should know. Her Uncle told me about the reporter that asked her to marry him and how the bastard was going to use her to further his career, she had fallen for him and would not listen to him or Cowboy. To the point that she resigned thinking Cowboy was just jealous of her finding love, she came to her senses and what Houston had told her was all true her almost fiancé had concocted the kidnapping to further his career. He was in jail but from what Chris said still sent her letters and left messages telling her he forgives her and that as soon as he was out of jail they would wed.

"Where do you find these guys beautiful?" I whisper.

I grabbed the bag and could still hear the arguing upstairs. It's loud but I am not interfering, Cowboy said he's got this I believe him.

When we heard the elevator chime and knew it was too early to have anyone coming in Luca and I went to high alert, I told her to go. To get on that chopper and get the hell out. If it was her abductor then he was 2 cards short of a deck to think we would let him waltz in here and try to take her from us.

Luca closed the doors and positioned himself behind the bar. I went to the stairs going down to the gym and waited. I heard the Helicopter engine start and let out the breath I had been holding, thank God she was listening. She could be a stubborn woman and I thought she would have put up a fight but he must have said something to get her to comply. Cowboy was at the door to the terrace as we saw the door handle slowly open and a gun came through the door.

Cowboy shouted, "Put your weapon down or die."

He was waiting to see what our unwanted guest would do. Luca jumped the gun and threw a glass at the hand that was holding the gun and it shattered. The gun fell to the floor and we heard someone yelling and cursing.

Luca shot but wasn't shooting to kill but to wound we wanted this intruder, I was already thinking of ways to make him hurt to get back for what he did to Beautiful.

"Houston! What the hell!" That was the last thing I heard before tackling the intruder and us falling into the hot tub. Why did he know Houston? That was what I was thinking as I held him underwater as Houston came towards me and yelling at me. But what got me to stop was her voice.

"Devin stop! That's Michael I mean Lt. Hoyt he's our friend."

I looked up at and let go, I knew better thinking this woman would do anything to keep herself safe. I got out of the hot tub, Cowboy was next to me pulling his friend out of the water and Luca helped me up.

I turned and went right up to her, "Do you ever listen to anyone? Dammit you should have been half way to Santa Monica or Hollywood by now!"

The fire in her eyes was all I needed to know I had crossed the line with her but I didn't care. I was going to pay for that outburst but she had to understand how serious this was, that tape revealed more than what I expected. These guys who we thought were harmless out for revenge were well trained and looked as it wasn't their first time taking someone.

"He's right CJ you should have been long gone. Why did you stay? How can I keep you alive when you can't even follow simple instructions?" Houston was yelling and not looking too happy either. Well at least I wasn't going to be the only one in the dog house. I was dripping on the carpet. She walked past both of us and went downstairs.

"What the hell is going on PI, who are these two and who shot at me? Do you know I can haul your ass into the station right now for trying to kill a police officer?"

Yup my day just started and I was already in hot water. I had assaulted a police officer oh boy I was going to be doing some stewing in a cell soon.

Beautiful walked back with towels and what looked like sweatpants and a shirt in her arms. She handed two towels and the clothing to Lt. Hoyt asked if he was okay and he nodded and thanked her. She turned to me and dropped the towels to the floor. She started to walk away when Houston tried to grab her arm and she raised her hand and gave him a look that had me cowering. She was mad and was trying hard to keep it together.

"Ah CJ I know, the Alpha Males here are overstepping their bounds but they meant well you know they did. Why don't you introduce us to your friend here?"

Luca the diplomat, he always tried to get all of us to get along in our unit. He was the peacemaker and hated when there was any conflict.

She looked at both of us, "Michael do you want to go change? I can send your clothes downstairs to get dry cleaned or better yet why don't we get Houston or Devin here to buy you a new suit? Yeah two new suits. Once you get dressed come on up and please tell me you brought the rest of the files and tapes on my case? Oh that's Luca you know the cranky cowboy and this guy here he's the grump. If you'll excuse me I need to turn off the helicopter, or better yet are we going to have any more outburst from you two? Because I can just leave and not tell you where I am going."

She had her hands on her waist, breathing hard and biting her lip. She wanted to go ballistic but had to keep it together. Yeah this woman would be the death of me.

I shrugged, picked up the towels and Houston said there was extra clothes downstairs and a dryer if I wanted to put in my clothes to dry. I nodded and looked at Beautiful and Houston mumbled to not bother when she's this pigheaded.

He should know. Her eyes went wide and she mouthed pigheaded and she spun around and walked into a door I believe Houston said was her office. I needed to get out of these wet clothes. I walked downstairs and Lt Hoyt was just coming out of the bathroom and looked up at me.

"I'm sure your name isn't grump? I'm Lt. Michael Hoyt. Those two up there are my friends, they have been through some really rough times these last couple of months. So how do you know them?"

I asked if I could change out of the wet clothes before the introductions and he nodded. We had talked about a cover story, Houston didn't want to say anything about Star yet to the police till they were guaranteed that she would be able to stay with us. So I was a colleague of Too Means helping them out on the investigation. I just hoped Cowboy told the feisty woman upstairs about this. She was not there when we had the conversation with the guys downstairs.

I dried up and came out and introduced myself and said I worked with Too Mean in security and we had been asked to help out Houston and CJ. He was about to ask another question when we heard commotion upstairs. We both ran up the stairs and I stopped. Someone had Luca on the floor with a shotgun pointed at his head another one was calling in reinforcements I looked around for Houston and CJ and they weren't around, I went to help my best friend and disarmed the guy with the shotgun knocked him down and Luca got up and grabbed the shot gun and pointed it at the other guy.

"Myers? Johnson, what the hell are you doing here?" Lt Hoyt yelled out they had their guns on us and I looked at Hoyt.

Cowboy ran from out from the office and saw what was going on. Beautiful right at his heels she ran toward us and was grabbed by either Myers or Johnson and Luca cocked the gun, "Let the lady go or lose the arm."

"There with the Police so everyone put your weapons down now and Myers let go of CJ that man will shoot."

Houston came next to Hoyt, "You better start talking PI before I haul all of you into the station, start talking. How about names and IDs from you two?"

Myers let Beautiful go and she came to us. She was rubbing her arm. I could see it was going to bruise and I started to go after the idiot. She grabbed me and whispered no. I didn't care. He had no right to manhandle her and she pushed me back. "Devin please." I looked down at her and said I needed to blow off some steam. She said to go downstairs to the gym and go crazy and not to come up till she called me.

I looked at Luca and he motioned for me to go, he was handling this better than me and I just stepped back and started towards the stairs.

"Stop, don't move, where's he going?"

I didn't stop, he was going to have to shoot me, I needed to regroup or those two were going to get hurt.

So I am down here hearing them yelling at Houston and Beautiful saying they were harboring a fugitive and to hand me over. Luca and I were going to be charged with assault.

But both were giving it right back to them. Beautiful wanted to know why they didn't identify themselves when they had come into the office and who had called in about shots fired. The security officer downstairs hadn't heard anything and no one was in the building. It was still too early.

How did they know about the shot? I stopped and figured out how. I ran upstairs and Luca looked at me. I motioned him over. Houston saw him come towards me. I pointed at him and at the pad of paper and pen next to him and motioned him over and put a finger over my mouth.

Hoyt looked at me, "so are you coming in willingly or is this going to be difficult?" I motioned to Beautiful and the other two to keep talking. She faltered but kept talking. I wrote what I had discovered and showed it to Houston and Luca. Hoyt walked over still arguing with Beautiful. He looked at me and started to look around. He grabbed the sheet of paper and handed it over to the two other officers and they looked surprised. I wrote in big letters BUGGED?

Beautiful looked at what was written and started to walk around. She grabbed another pad and wrote OR VIDEOTAPING?

Hoyt wrote out, 'you two play along okay?'

"We are taking them down to the station, sorry Houston, CJ you can't shoot at the police and get away with it."

They handcuffed us and Beautiful stated she was coming with us as did Houston we all got into the elevator and Houston pushed the 28 button. Beautiful was shaking and he put his arm around her and whispered something in her ear, she nodded as the doors opened to the 28th floor. It was Houston Inc. executive floor.

"Okay I think we can all talk now, your right Popeye who called the police it wasn't the guard we called him he said he hadn't heard anything till the officers came into the lobby and he said that Lt Hoyt was already up there. Do you think the offices are bugged or worse is this bastard watching us?"

Luca stepped up, "I'm on it. Can one of you unhandcuff me I need my people to bring down my exterminator, don't worry CJ this is what I do for a living if there is a bug or camera I will find it, find out who put it there and where it was purchased, this idiot made a big mistake."

They unhandcuffed us and I wanted to punch myself, this guy was always two steps in front of us and I was getting sick and tired of it.

"Shit!"

They all turned to me and I walked up to Luca, he looked at me. "Have them check his house and hers also everyone's car. I bet a mill this guy has them wired."

Houston covered his hand with his face, Luca nodded and Hoyt looked at me then Houston.

"Does someone want to fill me in? I only got a bit from Roy."

Houston came next to him and gave him all the details. I looked at Beautiful and she was on the edge. I came close and whispered her name. She looked up and she had tears threatening to fall.

"I'm putting everyone in danger. I'm sorry, Devin, what if he has been listening and watching he knows our routines, oh my god he could have grabbed us in Vegas no one would've known till it was too late. I don't feel well."

She started to falter. I grabbed and held her. She started to cry. Cowboy came up to me and I tried to push her back but she wasn't having it. I looked at him and he nodded and said he was going to call Too Mean to check her house and ensure everything was going according to plan.

I just held her and I swore when I found this animal I was going to make him pay.