by Caila Jaynes
Clearly, it would take her parents time to adjust to things.
Thomas stood up, surprising Claire as he extended a hand to her with a smile. “Whatever you decide, my dear, we’ll support.”
Claire’s gaze flew to her father’s face. Relief filled her as she took in the sincerity in his expression, and she accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her into a rare hug.
“You should do something you enjoy,” he said, patting her back awkwardly. “And be with someone you love. Someone who will have your best interest at heart and support your dreams.”
She pulled back and returned his smile. “Thank you, Dad.”
Her mother was blinking rapidly at the exchange, apparently stunned once again, but Claire didn’t mind.
For once she was doing the right thing. She was following her heart.
Epilogue
As Grayson passed by Eli’s office on his way in the next Monday morning, his boss looked up from his desk and beckoned.
“Come in and sit down, Gray. I have news.”
Grayson took a seat. Based on Eli’s animated expression, this was going to be good.
“Dustin Abbott’s still in the hospital but will face charges once he’s released. In the meantime, we’ve gone through both his home and office and hit pay dirt in his files. Turns out, Peter Cooley was represented last year by Abbott. He’d been pulled over after an event for a DUI, and called Abbott to defend him. Whether he picked his name out of the phone book or was referred, we don’t know, but either way, now we know how the two were connected.”
Grayson nodded. “Cooley must have sensed that Abbott was dirty and approached him when he needed a criminal contact. From what Rex Gibson said, his client wasn’t impressed by my undercover persona’s credentials, so Gibson must have then hired Lawson and King to do the job for Cooley.”
“Right,” Eli said, “and here’s where it gets interesting. We never could figure out how Lawson and King found the safe house, but over the weekend, Roy King decided to take a plea deal in exchange for information.”
“At least he didn’t ask for witness protection,” Grayson said.
“True. He wouldn’t have gotten it anyway.” Leaning back in his chair, Eli made himself comfortable as he continued. “He insisted that Lawson was the one who actually killed Jeremy, and in exchange for our dropping the murder charge against him, he rolled over on Lawson and Gibson for the kidnapping, and Lawson alone for the murder. In his statement, he said that they’d been texted Claire’s photo and flight information when she returned from Florida. He and Lawson had been on the way to the airport to intercept her when they got caught up in traffic and were a little late, just late enough for Jeremy to pick her up first.”
“Lucky for us,” Grayson muttered, his mood souring at the thought of what might have happened to Claire if the men hadn’t been late.
“Anyway, they followed and watched as Jeremy met up with you and switched cars. When you stopped for gas, they drove past and turned around, watching for an opening. When Jeremy left the car unattended for a moment to check on you and Claire, he left the door unlocked.”
Grayson sat up straighter in his chair. “Son of a bitch!”
Eli frowned. “Yeah, I wasn’t thrilled to hear that either. So they pulled up on the other side of the pumps and pretended to get gas, and—”
“They put a tracker on the Suburban?”
“Nope. They had no idea they’d need one, so they thought fast. King said he put his iPhone on silent and tossed it underneath your front seat, then drove off before you returned to the car. They then tracked it using the Find My Phone app.” Eli shook his head. “Pretty good thinking on his part. Too bad he’s on the wrong team.”
“Unbelievable. So, they knew where the safe house was and they just waited?”
Eli ran a hand over his shaved head. “Afraid so. When Jeremy was there alone overnight, they made their move.”
Grayson sat in silence for a moment, sorting through everything he’d just learned. “I still feel like shit about not being there that night—”
“Hold up, not so fast.” Eli’s expression turned thunderous. “This is my team. It was my decision to leave Jeremy alone overnight after I met with Claire. I should have stayed or called in someone else, but I didn’t. I thought he’d be fine for a few hours, which was a stupid call on my part. Jeremy’s death—”
Eli stopped short and looked away, clearly composing himself. When he spoke again, his voice was slightly hoarse. “I spoke to Jeremy’s mother last week, by the way. She’s doing a little better.”
“Bet she appreciates you checking in with her.”
“It’s the least I can do.” Eli shifted in his seat. “Listen, Gray, you did a great job on this case. The local police think they’ll be able to tie Abbott, Lawson, and King to other crimes. Gibson’s off the hook, unfortunately, based on the deal we cut with him.”
“Still, that’s good news.”
Eli drew in a breath as he studied Grayson. “So you’re headed back to Scranton today?”
Grayson nodded. “Yeah. Just checking in before I leave. It’s time to clear out my mom’s house and put it on the market.”
“I’m really sorry for your loss, Gray.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Eli’s lips lifted at the corners. “Will Claire also be helping?”
Grayson knew better than to deny it. Eli was too sharp and would see right through his protests.
“No, she has classes this week.” Grayson smiled. “But she’s meeting me this weekend to help Cam and Autumn look for a new home. They’re thinking about buying some land outside Charlottesville.”
“Sounds like a good idea. If Deck Wallace could find them, anyone could. Although, you can tell Camden that Wallace has been transferred out of Fishkill, away from all his buddies. And his communication with the outside world is now extremely limited and monitored. He’ll have a tough time coming after them again.”
Grayson pushed up from his chair. “Thanks. I’ll let Cam know.”
Eli stood up and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Enjoy the time off, Gray. You deserve it.”
Grayson left the office and climbed into his vehicle. Just as he was about to put his key in the ignition, he stopped and leaned over to feel under the seat. When his fingers brushed against something smooth and cool, he snagged it and pulled it out, annoyed at himself to find a dead iPhone.
Son of a bitch.
He grabbed an evidence bag from his glove compartment and dropped the phone inside, then took it back inside to log in as evidence.
When Grayson finally left the task force offices, he drove straight to Claire’s. He and Claire were seated on her sofa when she surprised him with her news.
“I told my parents last night I’m moving.”
“How did that go?”
“A little better than I expected. They want me to stay until I graduate in May, though, and I agreed.” She smiled. “And I told them I don’t want to join a firm.”
Confused, Grayson pulled back. “And yet you’re . . . smiling? I would’ve thought they’d be upset.”
“You’re right. Mother was furious. But Dad seemed to understand.”
Grayson pulled her close again. “That’s good news.”
“I’ve been thinking about what I’ll do after I graduate,” she said softly against his chest. “I might have figured that out too.”
Grayson stroked a lazy circle against her upper arm. “What have you come up with?”
As she sat up and faced him, her expression became animated. “I’d like to start a mentoring program to help teens like Chris who’ve aged out of the foster system, and other at-risk teens too. Right now, there aren’t many resources for them, but mentors would be able to give them advice on things like getting a job, finding housing, and managing their finances.”
Grayson smiled. Claire had that determined look on her face—the one that had driven him crazy when they’d first me
t. It still drove him crazy, but now it was in an entirely different way.
“Sounds great. And how are you going to fund this new startup?”
Claire gave him a sheepish look. “Dad’s parents left me a trust fund when they passed away.” When Grayson’s eyes widened, she laughed. “No, it’s not a huge amount of money. The bulk of their estate was left to Dad. But it is enough for me to pay for my own living expenses for at least a year. Plus, I have this.”
She headed to her bedroom and came out a moment later, a small jewelry box in hand. She sat down next to Grayson and opened it, revealing a pile of what looked like very expensive jewelry. On top was the diamond tennis bracelet he remembered seeing on her wrist when they first met.
“I’ve been wondering if the government would ask me to return Gabe’s gifts. You know, to help with restitution to the victims?” she said and he nodded. “But they haven’t, so I thought I could take these to my mother’s jeweler and have them sell them for me. I’ve been working on a business plan, and the money I get from the sale of the jewelry should be enough to float the program until we can run a proper fundraiser and apply for grants.”
“And I suppose your mom will help with that?”
Claire nodded. “She’s good at it. And there’ll be benefits for my dad’s office too. A program like this will create a lot of goodwill.”
Even when she was thinking of herself, Claire still had everyone else in mind. Yet another thing he loved about her, and the list kept growing by the day.
“Would you want to be a mentor?” she asked.
He smiled. “If you want me to.”
“You’d be great.” She laughed. “And you’d definitely keep the kids in line.”
“Then I’d be happy to help.”
“I spoke with Leah. She’s agreed to be a mentor.” Claire snuggled closer, pressing a hand to his chest. “And I was thinking that whenever the kids have legal troubles, I can step in.”
Grayson ran his hand down her cheek, the depth of his attraction to her astounding him. Part of it was physical, but there was so much more. He loved Claire’s core values just as intensely.
“You’ll be able to use that law degree after all,” he said softly.
“My parents will be happy about that part.” She let out a contented sigh. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too.” He pulled her closer, burying his nose in her hair.
Although Grayson had never given much thought to what the perfect partner would be like, Claire embodied it all. Her intelligence, her backbone, her caring ways—she was perfect. The best thing that had ever happened to him.
His mother’s words came to mind. There’s no better feeling than being with the right person.
Eleanor would have approved of Claire . . . very much. She’d have loved her.
And Grayson did too.
Turn the page for information about the third book in the Danger Series, coming soon!
Coming Soon
Seeking Danger
When a brutal murder becomes personal, Alex Nabokov tries to keep his emotions in check as he searches for a young suspect who fled the scene. The boy’s beautiful older sister insists he’s innocent, infuriating Alex as much as intriguing him.
Life has been hard for Willow Corbin and her brother, and she works hard to support them both. The overzealous federal agent trying to pin the murder on her brother drives her to prove the boy’s innocence on her own, but her sleuthing places her directly in harm’s way.
Although diametrically opposed, Alex and Willow’s efforts to seek out the truth bring them closer than they could have ever imagined.
Seeking Danger is written as a standalone and will be the third book in the Danger Series.
Acknowledgments
As always, our families are due a huge thank-you for all the sacrifices they make that allow us the time to create these stories for you. Their patience during all the times we’ve been harried, exhausted, and too tired to cook dinner is a blessing. We love you so much!
To our beta readers—Alyssa, Amanda, John, and Tammie—we truly appreciate the time you took to not only read our book, but also give us incredibly helpful feedback. You’re the best!
And to the readers who buy our books, take the time to leave a review, and beg us to write more, we appreciate you so much. Your support and encouragement energize us to keep plugging away, spinning stories to entertain you.
Note to the Reader
Thank you for reading Trusting Danger. If you enjoyed the book, please consider supporting these authors by leaving a review. Reviews are a valuable resource in helping readers find other books they may enjoy.
Just a line or two relating how the book made you feel is more than enough and much appreciated.
About the Author
Caila Jaynes
Caila Jaynes is a romance author who prefers a little suspense before her happily-ever-after. She and her husband live in the Inland Northwest, sharing their mountain home with their feline fur-babies.
When she’s not writing, she loves to curl up with a quilt and watch Hallmark movies, dreaming about writing one someday.
Website: www.cailajaynes.com
Facebook: facebook.com/cailajaynes
Twitter: twitter.com/cailajaynes
About the Author
Allyson Simonian
Originally from the East Coast, Allyson Simonian now lives in California with her husband and children. She began to write in 2012, inspired her by the emotion in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. It had been a while since Allyson had even read a romance novel. Now she’s obsessed with the genre, especially the sub-genre of romantic suspense.
Website: www.allysonsimonian.com
Facebook: facebook.com/allysonsimonian
Twitter: twitter.com/allysonsimonian
Books by Allyson Simonian
The Danger Series
Meeting Danger – Book One
Trusting Danger – Book Two
Seeking Danger – Book Three (Coming soon)
Standalone Novels
Brave Love
Books by Caila Jaynes
The Danger Series
Meeting Danger – Book One
Trusting Danger – Book Two
Seeking Danger – Book Three (Coming soon)