by Caila Jaynes
“How long has your mother been sick?” Claire asked, keeping her voice pitched low.
Chastising himself—the attraction was pointless, after all—he focused on the question. “About six months. She doesn’t have much longer, I think.” His breathing hitched, and he closed his eyes for a second, pulling himself together. “This is the end.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He nodded. Despite all the painkillers, his mother’s discomfort had still been obvious. If only he could rid himself of the images inside his head.
“Who’s with her now?”
“My aunt. I didn’t leave her alone,” he said quickly, his tone sharp. Man, that sounded defensive. Embarrassed, he scrubbed a hand over his face. “Sorry.”
The concern on Claire’s face deepened. Rather than snap back at him like she normally would, she gave him a sympathetic look. “It’s a stressful time.”
“It is.” He let out a sigh. Worry for his mother was exacerbating his exhaustion, and the snatches of sleep he’d been getting just weren’t cutting it.
No matter what, though, he wouldn’t let his bad mood eat at the tenuous thread of connection he and Claire now shared. Speaking of which . . . he owed her an apology.
“Claire, the way I behaved this past week—I was a complete asshole. I’m sorry.”
For a moment, it looked as if he’d shocked her. Then her lips formed an amused smile.
“There’s something I never thought I’d hear.”
Grayson gave her a smile of his own. “Me eating my words? I can admit when I’m wrong, and I was with you. Very wrong.”
His gaze dropped to her lips and another bolt of heat hit him. Without thinking, he took a half step toward her, wanting nothing more than to take her in his arms again. Then sanity prevailed.
Reel it in.
“Get some sleep,” he said, not meeting her eyes. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Stepping around Claire, he walked into the kitchen to make himself some coffee, shaking his head. He’d been about to do something stupid and had stopped himself just in time.
His job was to keep Claire safe, and that was all. Once the team had determined who’d plotted to kidnap her and they’d put him behind bars, he and Claire would be parting ways.
But sadness spread through him as he turned on the coffeemaker. It would be a dark day when Claire Parker was out of his life for good.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Surprised, Claire stood her ground and watched as Grayson headed for the kitchen. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he’d been about to kiss her.
And would that be so bad?
Logically speaking, yes, it would.
Grayson confused her. Just when she’d gotten used to him being harsh and prickly, he’d done an about-face and been kind and understanding when she’d broken down the other night.
He stayed with her when she’d embarrassed herself by throwing up in front of him, actually holding her hair back while she retched, a reaction she would have never gotten from Gabe under the same circumstances. No, Gabe would have let her handle it on her own, saying he was sure she wanted privacy, when the truth was he wasn’t a nurturing person.
Claire quietly closed the door to Grayson’s bedroom, not wanting to wake up Autumn or Camden, and changed into the T-shirt and shorts she’d gotten used to sleeping in over the past week. As she slipped into bed and turned out the light, her thoughts turned to Gabe.
Is he worried about me?
Surely, he was. She hadn’t spoken to him since she left Florida on Sunday, almost a week ago. Even as distracted as Gabe had been lately, he would have tried to contact her by now and would be upset that she hadn’t returned his calls or texts.
No, he’d be annoyed.
Claire winced as the truth of the situation hit her. She lay in the darkness, staring at the ceiling, and finally saw her relationship with Gabe for what it was . . . one-way. It had always been about what he wanted to do, where he wanted them to go. If she couldn’t drop everything at a moment’s notice and fly away with him somewhere, Gabe pouted. And if that didn’t work, he’d become angry, accusing Claire of not loving him.
Without a shred of doubt, Claire suddenly knew what a future with Gabe would be like.
Miserable.
The revelation was stunning and life-altering. As soon as this ordeal was over and she could go back to her own life, she would break up with Gabe. He would be angry and her parents would be upset, but so be it. It was time she stood up for herself and made her own decisions.
It’s time I live my own life.
The thought was exhilarating. Claire turned over, hugging the pillow to her cheek, and smiled. It was about time she only answered to herself.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Grayson was typing a report on his laptop at the kitchen table when Camden walked out of the guest room the next morning.
“Autumn still asleep?”
Camden yawned, answering with a nod. “How’s your mom doing?”
Grayson saved his document and pushed the laptop aside. “It’s bad, Cam.”
“You didn’t want to stay longer?”
He shook his head. “She sent me back. Said she doesn’t want me seeing her this way.”
Camden poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat opposite Grayson. “Has she got enough help?”
“A home-health nurse has been coming in, but the doctors have mentioned it’s time to consider calling in hospice care. And that will be it.” He swallowed hard against the lump forming in his throat. “You should see what Aunt Mary thinks of me. It’s written all over her face.”
“You’re doing the best you can, Gray.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” He cupped a hand around the back of his neck, squeezing hard. “I should have been there more for her, taken more time off. But after losing my dad, to be honest, I just couldn’t stay there and watch her get sicker and sicker. It killed me, Cam.”
Camden leaned back in his chair, studying him. “You must be thinking of him a lot with everything that’s going on.”
“I am. My family has had some godawful luck, that’s for sure.”
His phone rang. Grateful for the distraction, he pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. Eli.
“Back from the funeral?” Grayson asked.
“Yeah,” Eli said, sounding a little hoarse. “It was brutal. There was a big turnout . . . all of Jeremy’s high school and college friends, and a lot of neighbors and extended family members. The church was packed with flowers, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. It was obvious he was well-liked.” Eli’s voice turned businesslike as he changed the subject. “Look, I’ve got some news. Is Cam there with you?”
“He is.”
After Grayson put the call on speaker, Eli explained what was going on with Deck Wallace, the Wicked Disciples member who’d contracted the hit on Camden and Autumn.
“Rob visited the prison wearing a hidden body cam to show him the pictures we took, saying Regina had hired him. Wallace was pretty damn pleased and spouted off, incriminating himself on video like we wanted. With the years this will add to his sentence, it’ll be decades before he ever gets a parole hearing.”
“That’s a relief,” Camden said.
Grayson nodded his agreement. It was one less thing they had to worry about.
“And, Gray, Gabe Rogers has been arrested,” Eli said.
Grayson’s gaze shot to the master bedroom. Although the door was still closed, he took the phone off speaker to ensure Claire wouldn’t hear the discussion about her boyfriend.
“Did Jack Lawson give him up?” Maybe Jeremy’s murderer had finally started talking.
“No. The SEC brought Rogers down as planned. They arrested him late last night at his home in DC and are interrogating him now.”
“Shouldn’t one of us be there?”
“I took it all the way to the top, but the director of the SEC told me in no uncertain te
rms that their department could handle things.”
Grayson shook his head in frustration. The way their team was treated by the other governmental agencies really rankled sometimes. “What if Rogers doesn’t confess?”
“The director sounded confident that he would.”
He frowned at the comment, then decided to let it go. “Is there anything new on Jack Lawson?”
“He still won’t admit to anything or give up the partner who was with him that night at the safe house. The SUV they left in the street, it turns out, was a Ford Edge registered to Lawson. It’s in our lab now, and our guys are going over it. Hopefully, they’ll find something soon. A print, maybe, or some other way to identify the second guy.”
Grayson gripped the phone tightly as he listened. Progress, yes, but for all they knew, Claire could still be in danger.
Eli paused for a moment. “Also, Claire’s parents are back in town, and the senator’s already called here twice. He wants her home, says he’ll hire security himself if necessary. Can you take her over there?”
“Of course,” Grayson said, surprised at the disappointment that filled him at the news. “We’ll leave right away. Let me know when you hear from the lab about the car.”
“Claire’s boyfriend’s been arrested?” Camden asked once he’d ended the call.
Grayson nodded. “They’re interrogating him now.”
“And she doesn’t know you suspect him?”
“She doesn’t, and I’m not looking forward to telling her.”
Excusing himself, Grayson walked to the master bedroom and knocked softly at the door, hoping that Claire didn’t have the television on. If she did, she might already know about Rogers’s arrest, and Grayson wanted her to hear it from him.
“Come in.”
She was standing by the window when he opened the door. He glanced at the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall above his dresser, relieved to see it wasn’t on.
As Claire turned and smiled at him, a sharp pang of sadness made his stomach drop. His orders were to take her to her parents, which meant his time with her was essentially over.
Trying to keep his tone even, he said, “You can pack up.”
Claire’s interest perked up. “The next safe house is ready?”
“No. My boss said I can take you home to your parents.”
The happy expression that had spread across Claire’s face faded. “I don’t get it. Why am I allowed to go home?”
“An arrest has been made you need to know about.” He moved closer and put his hands on her shoulders. “Sit down for a second, Claire.”
Instead of obeying, she lifted her head to meet his gaze. “What is it? What’s going on?”
“Your boyfriend, Gabe. He’s the one who’s been arrested.”
“What?” Claire squinted up at him as if she couldn’t wrap her brain around what he’d just said.
“He’s been running a Ponzi scheme. Agents from the SEC arrested him late last night.”
“I . . . I don’t believe it. That’s not right.” Her hands flew up to her face, and she rubbed at her temples with her fingers.
“He’s been under investigation for months. There’s a ton of proof against him. I’m sorry.”
She dropped her hands and looked at him again, but this time, her expression seemed calculating. “How long have you known about this?”
Grayson pressed his lips together but didn’t answer, having a feeling he’d just heard her lawyer voice for the first time.
“The whole time we were in the safe house?”
When he nodded, Claire squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
His stomach twisted painfully at the anguish on her face. “I wasn’t allowed to tell you what I knew.”
Before he could continue with his apology, she said, “I still don’t get why you’re willing to take me to my parents.”
Grayson kept his grip on her shoulders. How much more could she handle? “We believe your boyfriend was also behind the plot to kidnap you.”
The color drained her face. “No. He wouldn’t do that.”
When she swayed on her feet as if she was about to pitch forward, Grayson tightened his hold on her. The misery on her face tugged at something deep inside him, something he wasn’t ready to look too closely at. He longed to pull her into his arms, but given the state she was in, she probably wouldn’t have it.
Claire broke eye contact with him. Her shoulders slumped as she took a step back. “You said I can go to my parents.”
He frowned. “Yes.”
“But I can’t go back to my condo?” When he shook his head, she squared her shoulders. “Okay. I want to go now.”
Grayson let out a slow breath. He’d been hoping to relieve some of her distress—her confusion, at the very least—but it didn’t look as if that was going to happen.
Knowing he’d done his best, he nodded. “All right, pack your things. I’ll take you over as soon as you’re ready to go.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Even in her numb state, Claire didn’t miss the sidelong gazes Grayson kept giving her on the way to Georgetown. Staring out her window, she ignored him, not wanting to talk right now.
As he parked in front of her parents’ home, she took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together. She should be excited to see them, but the only emotion she could summon at the moment was mortification.
God, she was so embarrassed. The shame of what Gabe had done made bile rise in her throat. Her head kept spinning as she thought about what she’d just learned.
At first, she hadn’t believed it, but now things were beginning to make sense. All those times she’d wondered how Gabe was able to afford such a lavish lifestyle. It seemed she had an answer now, and the truth was gut-wrenching.
How many victims were there? And how many of them had she helped Gabe entertain during the past year, unwittingly helping to lure them in?
Claire used her key to enter the front door, and her parents rushed into the foyer from the living room, worry creasing their faces.
“Claire, thank God!”
Claire’s mother, Eva, grabbed her and pulled her into an embrace, surprising her with the depth of her emotion. Her father joined in, holding them close for several seconds. He then backed away to extend a hand to Grayson, who set Claire’s suitcase and tote in the foyer and accepted his hand.
“Thomas Parker.”
“Grayson Matthews.”
“Thank you for bringing Claire home safely. We’ve been worried sick.”
Claire’s mother seemed unwilling to let go of Claire’s hand, even after the foursome had walked into the living room, and that was fine by Claire. She’d been so worried about their safety the entire time she was in the safe house, and found she missed them a lot. This uncharacteristic physical contact from her mother warmed her, and she welcomed it.
When Grayson explained Gabe’s arrest, Eva stiffened and dropped Claire’s hand. “There has to be a mistake.”
“There isn’t,” Grayson said. “I’m sorry, ma’am.”
Eva looked to Thomas. “But we invested with him.”
“You’ll be hearing from the SEC about that.” Grayson explained his team’s suspicions about Gabe’s likely involvement in the kidnapping attempt, and Eva sank onto a chair.
“My God.”
Thomas looked at his wife with concern before shifting his gaze to Grayson. “We don’t want to keep you, Agent Matthews.”
Apparently, Grayson knew a clear dismissal when he heard it. He turned toward Claire, and the intensity in his eyes nearly stole the air from her lungs. He’d kept her safe, but this was it. He was leaving.
Her sadness compounded when her father said, “I’ll show you out,” stealing any chance she had for a private good-bye.
Holding Claire’s gaze, Grayson paused, opening his mouth as if he wanted to say something. Then he looked toward her father, who had moved toward the door.
With a resigned look, Grayson turned
back to Claire. “Good-bye.”
When he plucked something from his pocket and extended it to her, she accepted it without looking at it, hardly registering that he’d just returned her phone. Instead, she focused on the tingles that ran up her arm as his hand brushed hers.
“Good-bye,” she whispered, and her stomach bottomed out as he walked out the front door.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Leaving Claire with her parents like that—so abruptly, not having the chance to talk—had eaten at Grayson for the past two days. He couldn’t get the girl off his mind.
Although the threat against them appeared to be contained, Camden and Autumn had decided to stay at Grayson’s for a few more days, which elated him. Having them there helped keep his mind off his troubles.
Regina had been arrested, joining her boyfriend behind bars for their roles in the murder-for-hire plot. After incriminating himself when shown the faked photos, Deck Wallace would have enough years added to his current sentence that he would probably never see the outside of the prison again.
At the office Tuesday morning, Grayson did his best to stay busy. He drove the lab techs crazy with repeated calls for updates.
No, they told him, they were still waiting on lab results on Lawson’s vehicle.
No, they still hadn’t learned who owned the burner phone used to contact Rex Gibson and order the kidnapping of Claire.
And as for Gibson, he still wasn’t talking.
Grayson’s frustration made him crankier than usual, snapping at everyone in his path. When his coworkers began spinning on their heel when they saw him approach, he decided to hole up in his office. He cleared off his desk and reread the files on all the cases he was involved in at the moment—the drug ring, the kidnapping plot, the murder-for-hire—looking for something they might have missed.
Every day, he called his mother. When their conversation wound down, a little shorter each day since she had no energy, he would then speak to his aunt Mary. She’d take the phone to another room for privacy, and there would give him an update on his mother’s condition.