“What’s wrong?” A big hand cupped her hip, drawing her against him as faint morning light streamed through the window.
“Bad dream.” Goose bumps pebbled her skin, and she shivered.
“I’d be surprised if you didn’t have nightmares, but they aren’t real.”
Maybe not in the literal sense, but she feared she’d killed any chance of a meaningful relationship with Eli. Even if he hadn’t yet acknowledged his feelings.
“It’s early, but I may as well get up.” She rolled onto her back to look up at him. “I know I won’t sleep again, and I have a lot to do today.”
“Such as?” He nuzzled his nose against her neck and kissed the tender skin below her ear.
She drew in a quick breath as her body tightened. “I need to go home and put on some clean clothes before O’Leary calls me. My guess is I’ll spend my morning with the district attorney while she decides if she wants to prosecute me on some sort of murder charge.”
He reared back. “Surely no one can possibly believe you’re guilty of a crime? You saved my mother’s life. Mine, too. And that freak would have come after you, next. Isn’t that self-defense?”
“I hope they won’t pursue charges, but you never know. A few words on my behalf from the deputy director of the FBI should help.” She smiled, wanting to erase the fear in his eyes. “Wolf called in a favor so I wouldn’t have to spend last night in jail.”
“He has more clout than I do. The Croft name has some pull locally, but it sounds like your friends have real connections.”
“What Counterstrike does is off the official grid. It’s more efficient that way, but Wolf’s contacts have been known to pull a few strings when domestic situations warrant it. Out of the country, we’re usually on our own.”
“That’s what you call last night, a situation?”
“More like a total cluster. During a normal extraction, we’d be gone long before the authorities arrived. It’s a whole lot easier that way.”
Eli pulled away and flopped over onto his back. “Leaving the police to clean up the bodies and wonder what the hell happened.”
“I suppose so. A lot of the work the team does is in places where no one gives a damn. If anyone even notices, they’re probably relieved to have a few less criminals to deal with . . . or pay off.”
“So what you do . . . did . . . is justified because the people you target are nefarious killers? No need for trials to establish guilt?”
Jaimee clenched her hands at her sides. “We’re judge, jury, and executioner. Is that what you want me to say? Except we save people who would otherwise die pretty nasty deaths, and in some cases, we’ve managed to avoid an international incident in the making.”
“I’m not disparaging your choices. God knows I’m grateful you had the skills to save my mother. After what Legrand did, I have zero sympathy for that bastard.” He tucked one arm beneath his head and stared up at the ceiling. “How many innocents get killed in the crossfire?”
“Fewer than you’d think. Counterstrike agents don’t make mistakes.” She slid to the edge of the bed and sat with her shoulders hunched. “Unfortunately, the scum the team deals with aren’t terribly concerned about civilian casualties when they’re shooting at us. The team takes every precaution to reduce the risk to noncombatants.”
“But shit happens,” he said softly.
“Only once while I was with Counterstrike. A teenage boy who should never have been where he was. I didn’t pull the trigger—that was on the kidnappers. But the truth was, the boy wouldn’t have died if we hadn’t been there. We saved three missionaries who were being held hostage, but at what cost?”
Behind her, the covers rustled, and the bed dipped. Eli slid an arm around her and pulled her against his chest. “I’m sorry for all the pain you’ve experienced. Would you make the same choices if you had them to do over?”
She pressed her cheek to the pulse beating at the base of his neck. “Maybe not, but I’m grateful to those who are willing to act without question, no matter how great the sacrifice. They’re stronger than I am.”
“I doubt that. You’re pretty damn amazing. Braver than me by far.”
“Not true, Eli. If you were put to the test, I bet you’d surprise yourself.”
Chapter Twenty
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Maisie, although I’m sure you wish you’d simply stayed in California.” Jaimee stepped back from his mom’s fierce hug. “I truly regret you got caught up in my nightmare.”
“Nothing that happened was your fault. At any rate, I wasn’t harmed, and I have you to thank for that.” She patted Jaimee’s arm. “Next time we meet, I hope it’s under far better circumstances.”
“They couldn’t be much worse.” Eli opened the door. “The will reading is at nine sharp, so I need to get moving. I’ll be back to pick you up in an hour or two, Mom. We should make it to the airport in plenty of time to catch your flight.”
“You don’t have to drive me. I’m sure you can rent a car here in town to use until yours is repaired.”
“I could, but we’ve hardly spent any time together, and most of that has been stressful. The trip will be good for us both.”
His mom beamed. “It will, indeed. I’ll see you shortly, then. Bye, Jaimee.”
“Bye, Maisie. Have a safe flight home.”
“Let’s go, Watson.” Eli followed Jaimee to the rental car and opened the rear door for the dog. “Hop in.”
Once Watson had jumped onto the back seat, he slammed the door, got in, and started the engine. “You’re sure you don’t want to go to the airport with us?”
“Positive. I need to get my life in order, and you need some time alone with your mom.” Jaimee waved to his mother as they backed down the driveway. “After I talk to the D.A., provided she doesn’t have me arrested, I’ll see if I can find out where my car is and then contact my dog walking clients. Hopefully, they all haven’t replaced me by now.”
“You don’t sound very concerned about the possibility of being charged with murder.”
“Wolf called while you were cooking breakfast. He’s pulling strings to make sure that doesn’t happen. Or so he says. I choose to believe him and not stress out.”
“That’s a relief.” Eli glanced her way before focusing on the road. “You could come back to my place, you know. I can pick you up after the will reading. If your car is still at Sugarland, walking all the way home with that broken rib probably won’t feel great.”
“It’s not that big a deal, and I need to establish some normalcy.” Her voice held a note of resolution.
He clamped his teeth together and counted to ten. “I understand, but we need to talk. We got interrupted this morning when my editor called to tell me he’s not happy I missed my deadline.”
Eli had hoped to convince Jaimee to stay in bed a little longer. Instead, she’d used the phone call as an excuse to escape. As conflicted as he felt about what had happened the previous night, he didn’t want her to put distance between them. At least not when she was sitting on his bed, all warm and sweet-smelling.
Which probably made him a total asshole.
“You need to get back to your regular routine, too. This last week has been crazy for both of us.” She raised an arm to point. “Don’t miss the turn.”
He focused on the road and braked. “I almost forgot we’re dropping Watson at your cabin.”
“You’ll be on the road for several hours today. He might as well hang out with me this afternoon. Unless you have an objection, I’d like to keep him permanently.”
“Why would I object? I travel so much, he’ll be a lot happier living with you. Anyway, I’ll still get to see him on a regular basis. Right?”
“I hope so.” Her tone sounded strained.
“We really do need to talk, Jaimee.”
With a nod, she opened the car door to let Watson out and grabbed his bowls and bag of food. While she was inside the cabin with the dog, he brooded. She’d reb
uilt walls he’d worked hard to knock down. He slammed his fist against the dashboard and winced when he hurt his hand.
An irritating voice in his head whispered, your fault, moron. You’re the one who freaked out because she shot a man. Without hesitation. And certainly not for the first time.”
He didn’t blame her for acting a little defensive. His attitude had been judgmental in the extreme. But despite his very real feelings for Jaimee, he wasn’t okay with what she’d been—maybe still was. He’d noticed she had a hard time referring to her team in the past tense.
When the car door opened, he jerked out of his thoughts. Jaimee had changed into white shorts and a purple, sleeveless shirt. Despite the conflicting feelings rolling in his gut, he couldn’t help laying his palm against the smooth skin of her thigh.
“Is Watson all set?”
“Yep, although he wasn’t thrilled to be left alone.” She slammed the door. “Hopefully I won’t be gone long.” She didn’t have much more to say until they approached the sheriff’s office where she was meeting the D.A. Finally, she turned in her seat to face him. “You’ll see your relatives shortly. What do you intend to tell them about last night?”
“That the bastard who killed Maureen is dead. That Detective O’Leary isn’t going to stop his investigation to track down the person who paid for the hit. I hope whoever is guilty will be on edge, wondering what information is still out there for the cops to discover.”
“Wolf said Luna is also looking for connections. She’ll let me know if she finds anything significant.”
Eli pulled into the lot and put the car in park. “I’ll call you when I get back from Manchester.” Before she could get out, he reached over to cup her chin in his hand and leaned in for a kiss. “Good luck. If you have any problems at all, let me know.”
“I will.”
He kissed her again, wishing he wasn’t feeling so damn anxious.
“You should go. You’re going to be late.”
“You’re right.” He gave her a quick smile. “I’ll see you later.”
With a nod, she got out and shut the door. He waited until she disappeared inside to shift into gear and head back toward the Croft estate. By the time he turned into the driveway, he’d almost convinced himself he was being ridiculous. He and Jaimee would work through their differences because he wasn’t ready to let her go.
Not yet. Maybe not ever.
The driveway was crowded with the usual assortment of vehicles. After he parked, Eli glanced at his watch and shrugged, not really caring if he kept everyone waiting. But he did pick up his pace as he strode toward the house. His sneakers squeaked crossing the marble floor, and the murmur of conversation stopped when he entered the dining room.
“About damn time.” Stephen pulled his phone from his pocket. “You’re ten minutes late.”
“Sorry. Considering the night I had, you’re lucky I made it at all.”
Maureen’s attorney aligned the pages on the table in front of him as Eli took the empty chair next to Doyle. “Was there a problem?”
“My mother was kidnapped by Maureen’s killer. The hitman responsible has a bullet in his brain, and we were questioned by the cops until nearly midnight. So yes, there was a problem.” He carefully studied each of his relatives, but they all registered varying degrees of shock. A few looked completely horrified.
“You killed an assassin?” Doyle held up his hand for a high-five. “Impressive work.”
Eli ignored him. “He’s dead, but I didn’t shoot him. Jaimee Fleming did.”
“Who the hell is that?” Stephen asked.
“Is Maisie okay?” Reba asked.
“The hot dog walker?” Doyle’s brows shot up.
Eli waited until the clamor of voices stopped. “Mom is fine. A little shaky after having a gun held to her head, but she’s a strong lady. Jaimee Fleming is the woman who walked Watson. She actually saw the man who was hired to kill Maureen here at the estate. She’s been running from him ever since. I crossed paths with her shortly after Maureen was murdered, and we did our best to track down the asshole.”
“Good heavens, Eli. Why didn’t you tell any of us what was going on? Don’t you think we had a right to know?” Vanna asked.
“Since odds are one of you hired the assassin, you can understand why I kept my mouth shut.”
The uproar increased in volume, hot denials and indignation from everyone around the table. Finally, Eli let out a piercing whistle.
“Look, I’m not accusing anyone in particular. You already knew the police considered each of us a potential suspect. Their investigation is ongoing.”
“Why’d the killer kidnap Maisie?” Katherine spoke quietly in the sudden silence.
“He was using her to flush out Jaimee and me. He knew Jaimee could identify him, and we had documents he wanted back. At this point, the police have all the evidence, and neither of us has any additional information. You can talk to O’Leary if you have questions.”
“Does he know why the assassin was hired?” Stephen asked.
“Not yet.”
“Then can we get on with the will reading?” Webb’s hand shook slightly as he brought his coffee mug to his mouth. “Since I’m not expecting much, I’d like to get the hell out of here.”
Nerves or hangover jitters? Eli suspected the latter. Vanna’s lips were drawn together into a tight line, but Stephen was also wearing a scowl. Eli couldn’t tell if they were worried or simply annoyed.
Eli clenched his hands into fists. One of these people had hired a murderer. And he still didn’t know which of them was guilty.
The attorney cleared his throat. “I don’t see a reason to delay the proceedings any longer. I’ll summarize the document since there’s some pretty extensive legal phrasing. If you’ll please hold your questions until I’m finished, I’ll be happy to answer them then.”
Twenty minutes later, Eli pushed back his chair and escaped the room. Stephen looked ready to take a swing at him, although he wasn’t sure why. He certainly hadn’t asked Maureen to leave him the majority of her assets not restricted by the Croft Enterprises trust. After cutting through the living room, he exited out the patio doors and stood in the backyard to stare up at the house he now owned.
What a pain in the ass this place was going to be.
“Feeling like a cornered fox with the hounds on your trail?”
Eli smiled as Reba followed him outside. “You didn’t fare too badly since you got the Boston townhouse. I guess we were the only ones Maureen liked.”
“Stephen and Katherine’s boys will get sizable college funds. Maureen must have thought there was still hope for them.” His cousin rolled her eyes. “Just not for the adults.”
“Can you blame her? No offense, but your mom was kind of a bitch to her. She and Maureen clashed frequently at family gatherings. And we both know Stephen is a complete ass.”
“All true. Maureen had no use for Webb, but I’m kind of surprised she cut off Doyle.”
Eli lifted both hands. “He barely tolerated her, and she wasn’t stupid or clueless.”
“You realize Stephen will challenge the will, and Mom will probably jump on the bandwagon.” Reba grimaced, her eyes registering distaste. “I’m happy to stay out of the fray. I have enough on my plate with a wedding to plan.”
“I honestly don’t care what happens since I don’t need the money, but I’ll respect Maureen’s wishes, even if they are pretty damn vindictive.” He couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter. “Did you see Stephen’s face when the attorney read the part about Watson getting a chunk of change for his expenses. And she left the dog to Jaimee, which is perfect since she wants to keep him, anyway.”
“So, the dog walker did have him all this time?”
“He’s been at my house.” Eli scowled. “Aw, hell, here comes your mother, and she looks pissed. I’m out of here.”
He bolted in the direction of the garage but stopped when Rudy stepped out of the shed carrying a p
air of pruning shears. “How are you, Rudy?” he called out.
“I’m doing fine, Mr. Croft. Is the will reading over? I didn’t want to make a lot of noise while the lawyer was in there talking to the family, but the lawn needs mowing.”
“He’s wrapping things up now, so it shouldn’t be much longer. By the way, Maureen left the estate to me, so you’ll have a job for as long as I own it.”
The handyman’s face broke into a wide grin. “That’s good news. I know you’ll see that the place is kept in excellent shape.”
“With your help, I will.” He turned to look back at the house. “Do you know if Mrs. Elway is still cleaning on a regular basis? I’m not sure who was handling domestic details, probably Stephen, but it’s my responsibility now.”
“She is. I see her now and then when our schedules overlap.” He frowned and scratched his chin. “I talked to her yesterday evening. She came to clean after the memorial, and I was here to reset the sprinklers. I didn’t want the grass all wet for the family and guests.”
“And . . .” Eli took a peek at his watch. Rudy definitely loved to drag out a story.
“She said a bunch of stuff had been moved around. Not creating a mess, mind you. Just that things were out of place, like someone had been looking for something.”
“Maybe one of the guests misplaced car keys. As long as nothing was broken—”
“Oh, no, no damage. I expect you’re right, but she thought it was strange someone had pulled out books on the shelves in the office.”
“This family is an odd bunch.” Eli gave Rudy a gentle slap on the shoulder. “Keep up the excellent work you do around here. And if you see Mrs. Elway, tell her I’ll be in touch and that I hope she’ll stay on.”
“I sure will. Have a nice day, Mr. Croft.”
“You, too.” Eli headed around the side of the garage at a fast clip. When Maureen’s lawyer flagged him down before he could reach his car, he spent five minutes arranging a second meeting for later in the week—this one in private—to sign documents after the title transfers were prepared. It didn’t look like he’d be leaving New Hampshire anytime soon.
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