by Rebecca Deel
“Let go of me,” she snapped. “I’m not finished.”
“Yeah, you are, Sis. Let’s go. Dad, Mom, I’ll return in a few minutes.”
He propelled Tracey to the empty family waiting room. As soon as he released her arm, Tracey rounded on him, eyes lit with fury.
“You don’t drag me from our father’s bedside, Simon. I’m not some terrorist you need to subdue.”
“Based on the way you’re acting, that’s debatable. You were upsetting Dad.”
“Do you know what he asked me?”
“I can guess. He wants to leave the hospital. I don’t blame him.”
“He just had surgery. Dad can’t check himself out of the place and go home to recuperate without a doctor’s care.”
Oh, man. He should have figured his father would find a way to get what he wanted if Simon didn’t move fast enough. “B.J. will talk to him.”
“You said the men guarding Dad were the best. How did a killer come so close to him?”
“If they weren’t the best, the killer would have breached the room and finished the job he started yesterday morning.”
She snorted. “I’m not convinced, bro. We need to have a family meeting.”
“Agreed. Dinner at the ranch tonight?”
A scowl. “Why the delay?”
“It’s a long story, one I’d prefer to tell you at home.” Nothing like having to tell his family that he’d killed a man to protect his girlfriend and confirm their worst suspicions. “We need to give the overnight bodyguards time to talk to the police and rest a few hours before my team is free to leave the hospital.”
Tracey’s eyes narrowed. “No one said anything about inviting your team to this meeting. What part of family don’t you understand?”
His temper spiked. “You’re asking me to trust our entire family’s safety plus Zoe’s life to a dozen ranch hands. That’s not going to happen.”
“Your girlfriend?” She stared. “You mean the pretty woman with you?”
He nodded. “That’s Zoe Lockhart.”
Delight chased the anger from his sister’s face. “You’re dating the Otter Creek baker? It’s about time, buddy. Congratulations.”
He stared at his sister, unable to fathom the quick turnaround in attitude. Usually she was like a bulldog. Once she sank her teeth into something, she didn’t let go. “Thanks.”
“How serious is this relationship?”
“I want to marry her. She doesn’t know yet so I’d appreciate you not mentioning it until I broach the subject with her. We’re still in the early days of dating.”
Her jaw dropped. “But you already know you want to marry her? You don’t believe in wasting time, do you?”
Not in his line of work. Every mission could be his last and he wanted every single minute he could get with Zoe. “I’m in love with her. There is no other woman for me and never will be.”
“Do Mom and Dad know?”
“Yes, and they approve.” He’d been floored when his parents gave him their blessing yesterday. He thought they’d demand he slow down. Instead, they’d greeted his announcement with enthusiasm.
“How does Zoe feel about the sudden shift in your relationship?”
“She says she’s in this as deep as I am.”
“Have you told her you love her?”
“Why is that your business?”
Tracey grinned. “You might want to clue her in since you’re already planning on buying matching wedding rings.”
“Yeah, yeah. The right time hasn’t popped up yet. I need to convince her that we’re perfect for each other and I’ll do everything in my power to make her happy.”
She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. “I’m happy for you, Simon. You better not screw this up.”
A wry laugh escaped. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Tracey eased back. “Dinner. Are we ordering pizza or something else?”
“I vote for pizza. I’ve been craving Antonio’s pizza for months.”
She pointed a finger at him. “If you had bothered to come home last month like we planned, you wouldn’t be suffering from withdrawals. We ate a ton of pizza at the last family dinner.”
He scowled. “Don’t rub it in.” Simon had been deployed with Bravo at the time. “You want to arrange for delivery?”
“I’ll pick up the pizzas myself. How many people from your group are coming?”
“Counting me, six.” He’d leave the Texas unit on guard at the hospital.
“Dessert?”
Simon started to tell her to pick up dessert pizzas, too, but thought of Zoe’s longing to be in a kitchen. “I’ll take care of it. Zoe might want to bake something. If not, I’ll grab something from the local bakery.”
The smile slid from Tracey’s face. “Back to Dad’s crazy idea. Find a way to derail his plan or Dad and Mom will be joining us for this family dinner.”
“You’re the oldest and the mayor.”
“Doesn’t mean I have any power. Will the kids be safe tonight?”
“My team will be on full alert and we’ll bring some of the hands closer to the house to help secure the perimeter. As long as the kids stay within the safe zone, they’ll be fine.” Especially since the sniper was lying dead in the parking lot at the moment. Blake preferred to work in close quarters.
His sister glanced at her security guard. “Have the car brought around.” After he left, Tracey turned back to Simon. “I’m sorry for coming on so strong. I’m just worried about Dad.”
“We’re all concerned. Dad’s not as young as he used to be and he won’t bounce back from this as fast.”
She hugged him. “I love you, Simon.”
He held her a moment. “Even though I rank a little above a terrorist?” he teased.
Tracey gave a wry laugh. “Not my finest moment, I’ll admit.”
“It’s okay, Sis.” She wouldn’t be the last person to lay that label on him. Simon released her. “Go on. You have a world to conquer.”
With a grin, she smacked his shoulder and joined her bodyguard in the hallway. They left together.
Simon returned to his father’s room. His mother rose, her brow furrowed. “Where’s Tracey?”
“Gone back to work.” He winked at her. “She has world domination to plot.”
Lisa exchanged glances with her husband, then turned back to Simon. “What’s wrong?”
He sighed, his forced smile fading. “I could never pull anything over on you.”
“Your eyes give you away every time.”
“Remind me to wear sunglasses next time,” he muttered.
“Son, despite appearances to the contrary, I can handle bad news,” his father said. “What I can’t handle is a secret that concerns me or your mother. Talk to me.”
Simon felt a small, warm hand on his back, offering silent support. He twisted slightly and wrapped his arm around Zoe’s shoulders. “The men who tried to breach your room ran from the hospital as Zoe and I were walking toward the entrance. They fired on us. We evaded. They kept coming.”
He didn’t want to tell his parents that he’d killed a man, even in defense of his own life and Zoe’s. They knew what he did for a living. Didn’t mean they wanted to be confronted with the reality.
“Bottom line, Simon.”
“I killed one of the men as he was about to pull the trigger. The other escaped.”
Lisa gasped, one hand pressed to her throat. “You and Zoe aren’t hurt?”
“We’re fine.”
Don’s hand fisted. “Could have turned out otherwise. I want to take Lisa somewhere safe, a place that’s defensible and I want my handgun.”
The corners of Simon’s mouth tipped up. Guess he’d gotten the protective streak from his father. “I know, Dad. I’m working on it.”
“Simon, the detective’s here to talk to Lisa and Don,” Trent said.
He turned to his parents. “I’m taking Zoe to the cafeteria to get her some hot tea. D
o you want anything?”
When they both refused, he escorted Zoe from the room. At Chisolm’s scowl, Simon held up one hand. “We’re going to the cafeteria. We won’t leave the building.”
“Good. Once I’m finished here, I’ll need you both to come down to the station to make a formal statement.”
In other words, Simon was in for a long interview session with the good detective. He might need one of his teammates along to provide protection for Zoe until Chisolm was satisfied that all his questions had been answered and Simon wouldn’t be changing his story. “Whenever you’re ready for us, we’ll be available.” As long as he took care of Zoe first.
After purchasing a steaming to-go cup of tea for Zoe and coffee for himself, they returned to his father’s room to wait for the detective to finish taking statements from his parents. Ten minutes later, Chisolm emerged.
“Let’s go,” he said curtly. “I have questions for both of you.”
“Will I need an attorney?” Simon asked.
“You have that right.”
The question was, should he avail himself of that privilege? He’d hold off for now. If things looked like they were turning against him, he’d invoke his right to counsel and call Fortress. “We’ll follow you.”
A narrow-eyed glance from the detective. “I know where you live.”
“I’m not running, Chisolm.” He motioned for the other man to lead the way.
“Bravo is taking over the watch,” Trent said. “Texas unit will be going to the hotel to sleep. If you need help, call me. The Fortress lawyer is already on standby.”
Ten minutes later, Simon walked into the police station with Zoe. Since the cops had confiscated his weapons earlier, he didn’t have to worry about losing them now. He’d restock his weapons when he returned to his SUV. He always carried multiples of every weapon.
“This way.” Chisolm led into the interior section of the police station. He stopped halfway down a corridor and motioned to a room on the right side. “Murray, you’ll be in here. Ms. Lockhart, you’ll be in the room across the hall.”
“She needs an officer you trust implicitly stationed outside the room until you finish with me.”
“You’re not in charge here.”
“Zoe’s safety is my priority. Either you get an officer to stand watch outside her interrogation room or I put in a call to an attorney and bog down your case.”
“And if there isn’t an officer available?”
“Then we wait until one of my teammates arrives. I’d rather trust her life to one of them.”
With a scowl, Chisolm said, “Wait here. I’ll see who I can find to babysit.”
Simon held Zoe against his chest.
“I don’t have to have anyone with me,” she murmured.
“For my peace of mind, you do.”
Two minutes later, the detective returned with a linebacker-sized man dressed in a suit. The shield on his belt told Simon the man was a detective.
“This is Detective Moran, a ten-year veteran with the force. He also did eight years in the Marines. No one gets past Moran unless he wants them to. We’ll also keep the door cracked to this room so you can hear what’s happening in the hallway, Murray. Does that work for you?”
He nodded. “Thanks.”
A snort. “Not like you gave me much choice. I don’t want to spend the whole day waiting for your attorney to arrive when I could be hunting down the second thug from the hospital. Detective Moran, escort Ms. Lockhart into the interrogation room across the hall and I’ll start with Murray.”
“Would you like me to interview her? Save you some time.”
Chisolm looked at Zoe. “Is that acceptable to you?”
“It’s fine.”
“Murray?”
“As long as he stays with Zoe until we’re finished.” He pinned the second detective with his gaze. “I don’t want her left alone, Moran. She’s a target of a killer.”
“Understood. If another detective needs the interrogation room, Ms. Lockhart will be at my desk in the bullpen.”
Simon shook his head. “Too much exposure in a large, open room. Is there somewhere else to take her that’s close to this room?”
Moran was silent a moment. “We have an empty office off the bullpen. I can close the blinds. No one will be able to see her in there.”
The knot in his stomach smoothed away. “That’s perfect.” He brushed a gentle kiss over Zoe’s mouth. “You’re okay with this arrangement?”
“I want this over with as soon as possible. I don’t want to forget anything.”
“This way, Ms. Lockhart.” Moran indicated she should precede him from the room. He closed the door most of the way. A moment later, the door to the other interrogation room closed.
Chisolm indicated for Simon to take a seat on one side of the table. He sat on the opposite side and opened his notebook and grabbed a remote. “I’m going to record this to be sure I don’t miss anything. Now, take me through the events of this morning again, Murray.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Zoe paced the empty office as she waited for Detective Chisolm to finish questioning Simon. She glanced at the utilitarian clock on the beige wall and scowled. The detective had been hammering at Simon for six hours. What could be taking so long?
Detective Moran tapped on the door to the office and stepped inside. “Need anything else?”
She shook her head. The detective had already brought her lunch and a drink as well as two bottles of water. He’d even escorted her to the restroom and stood guard outside the door until he walked her back to the safety of the office. “I’m fine, thanks.”
“Shouldn’t be long now.”
“That’s what you said two hours ago.” Should she ask Liam to notify the Fortress attorney? Would Chisolm arrest Simon for murder?
He’d killed Barone to protect her. The shooter would have kept firing unless Simon had stopped him. If Barone pulled the trigger that last time, he would have hit her.
“I’ve been walking by the room every half hour. Chisolm is wrapping up this round of interviews.”
“This round?” Her jaw dropped. “How many rounds should we expect?”
“As many rounds as it takes to catch the second man. Each time we question witnesses and suspects, we learn something new. Every piece of information will help us find the shooter’s partner.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Here’s your boyfriend now.”
Within seconds, Simon entered the office followed by Chisolm.
Zoe jumped up and threw her arms around Simon, relief melting the ball of ice in her stomach.
He hugged her close. “Ready to leave?”
“More than. No offense, Detective Moran, but I’m sick of these four walls.”
His grin made him seem younger than she suspected he was. “I understand. I feel the same after most shifts.”
“Thank you for watching over me. What do I owe you for lunch?”
Moran waved her inquiry aside. “It’s on the house. Consider lunch a reward for doing your civic duty.”
Simon slid his arm around her waist. “If you have more questions, Detectives, contact the Fortress number I gave Chisolm.”
“Do I have to tell you not to leave town without notifying me?” Chisolm asked.
“I’ll be available as long as my team isn’t deployed. If it is, I’ll have to go but I will tell you.” Simon escorted Zoe through the bullpen and into the late afternoon sunlight.
“Where are we going now?” Zoe asked. She didn’t really care as long as she was in a space larger than the office she’d paced for the past four hours.
“Depends.”
“On?”
“If you want to bake dessert for our dinner at the ranch tonight.”
She smiled. “I’d love to. Do we need to stop by the grocery store for ingredients?”
“I don’t think so. Mom has all kinds of ingredients in the ranch kitchen. She loves to spoil Dad, the hands, and her grandchildren.” Sim
on unlocked his SUV and lifted her into the passenger seat.
When he drove from the lot, she asked, “Do the kids like chocolate chip cookies? They’re quick and make the house smell amazing.”
He chuckled. “You’ll be everyone’s favorite person tonight. The kids beg Mom to bake those cookies.”
“What about you? Do you like chocolate chip cookies?”
“Who doesn’t?”
“Handy for me that you’re a great kitchen assistant.”
After a call to his parents to check on them, Simon headed toward his family’s ranch. Now that she studied the terrain in daylight, the landscape amazed her with its beauty. The night before, the only thing that registered was the open land in the pastures and near the house. “This is gorgeous.”
He kissed the back of her hand. “We think so, too.” Soon, he turned into the long drive that led to the front of the two-story house. After parking, Simon circled the vehicle and opened her door.
As soon as Zoe’s feet touched the pavement, a Blue Heeler trotted toward them, tail wagging.
Simon gave the dog a good body rub, then scratched behind his ears. “This is Bow. His brother, Arrow, is probably out in the pasture with the cattle.”
“Will he let me pet him?”
“Oh, yeah. Bow loves to be petted and loved on. He’ll get his attention fix, then go find his brother. Arrow loves the same treatment, but he’s not as insistent.”
“Will I meet Arrow later?”
He gave her a pointed look. “This won’t be the last time we visit my parents.”
Afraid to guess the meaning behind that statement, Zoe showered Bow with attention for a few minutes. When he trotted off toward the pasture, Simon guided her to the back of the house and unlocked the door. He turned off the alarm and relocked the door.
Zoe glanced around the enormous kitchen with commercial-grade steel appliances and gleaming granite countertops. “This is a dream kitchen. I would love to have one like this in my home someday.” Maybe after her bakery was on solid footing.
“Mom loves it. Dad had the kitchen remodeled for their fortieth wedding anniversary.”