Caught in the Crossfire (Otter Creek Book 15)

by Rebecca Deel

  She smiled. After locking the back door behind them, she strode through the salon to the reception area where Dawn waited. Nicole grabbed her purse from the drawer beside the computer. “I hear tacos, nachos, and burritos calling my name.”

  Linc moaned. “Please say dinner won’t take long. The menu is causing my mouth to water already.”

  “An hour, tops.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  In the grocery store, Dawn pushed the cart along the aisles while Nicole selected the ingredients for the meal and Linc eyed everyone who neared them with suspicion.

  Once they purchased the food and left the parking lot, Linc frequently checked the mirrors as he drove home.

  “Is someone following us?” Dawn asked.

  “I haven’t seen anyone, but I won’t take your safety for granted.” He wrapped his hand around hers.

  Nicole turned her face to the window to hide her smile, happy for them. The couple might not realize it, but their emotions were already involved.

  When her thoughts turned back to the incident in the alley, her stomach knotted. Nicole dreaded the moment when she told Mason about Fisher. He’d looked ready to kill Ivan when he learned her former boyfriend had slapped her. Mason wouldn’t be happy that his coworker had been at Pet Palace.

  Why did Fisher get into her face? Even if she broke up with Mason, Nicole wouldn’t look twice at Fisher. Something about him gave her the willies.

  Linc parked in the driveway near the door. “Wait here.” He exited the SUV and scanned the area. When he was satisfied, he unlocked the front door and returned to the vehicle for Dawn and Nicole. “Go inside. I’ll bring in the food.”

  Dawn laid a hand on his arm. “We can help carry the bags.”

  “Not this time.” Linc nudged her toward the house.

  Nicole tugged her friend toward the door. “Come on. The sooner we clean up, the quicker we start dinner. Linc, store the cold stuff in the refrigerator while we change clothes.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She and Dawn walked into the house and to their rooms. Minutes later, refreshed and dressed in clean clothes, Nicole returned to the kitchen to see Linc and Dawn breaking a lip lock at her entrance. “Oops. Sorry.”

  Dawn’s face flushed. “What’s first?”

  “Dice the onions and brown the hamburger.”

  “Need me to help?” Linc asked.

  Nicole shook her head. “We’ve got this.”

  “I’ll be in the security room.” Linc saluted them.

  Dawn and Nicole worked fast to gather ingredients, and dice onions and garlic. “Open the cans, Dawn, and we’ll start cooking. Mason should be here in a few minutes.”

  “Wow. He must have worked like a demon today. I overheard him talking to Linc about the inspections scheduled every day this week.”

  “He has something to tell me.”

  Dawn slid her a glance. “I hope it’s good news. I’ve had enough bad news to last a lifetime.”

  Within fifteen minutes, their burritos baked in the oven. They set up the taco and nacho bar on the kitchen counter, then laid out plates, utensils, and glasses.

  Linc walked into the kitchen. “Mason’s here. You need to talk to him, Nic.”

  “I’m not hitting him with this as soon as he walks in the door.” She lifted her chin, daring Linc to challenge her decision. Mason needed time to clean up and relax a little first.

  “What did I miss?” Dawn looked from Linc to Nicole.

  “Something happened in the alley behind the salon.” Nicole nailed Linc with a glare. “I’ll tell Mason. We don’t keep secrets from each other, but I’m not starting his evening with this.”

  The man held up one hand. “Fair warning. If you don’t tell him tonight, I will.”

  “I wish someone would tell me,” Dawn muttered.

  “I’ll give you details later.” Linc dropped a quick kiss to her pouting mouth. “I’d love iced tea to go with dinner. You and I can make that while Nicole lets Mason inside.”

  Guess that was clear enough. Nicole sighed. Maybe she should talk to Mason sooner rather than later. She went to the living room and unlocked the door. She smiled and brushed her lips over his. “Hi.”

  “Hello, sweetheart.” Mason closed and locked the door. “How’s my best girl?”

  Her heart turned to mush. “I’d better be your only girl, Kincaid.”

  “No one holds a candle to you, Copeland. There’s only you for me.”

  “Sweet talker.”

  “Nope. Just honest.” He drew her in close for a longer, deeper kiss. A long time later he eased back. “Mmm. That’s much better. How was your day?”

  “Crazy busy. We took care of 30 dogs today along with a handful of cats, a new salon record.”

  “Wow. Did you have time for lunch?”

  “We managed. Dawn and I took turns.”

  He breathed deep and turned toward the kitchen. “What smells so good?”

  “Tacos, nachos, and burritos. Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes if you want to clean up first.”

  Mason cupped her cheek. “Something happened today.”

  How did he do that? “A couple of things. They’ll wait while you unwind.”

  He studied her face, then kissed her with a gentleness that stole her breath. “I’ll return soon.”

  Relieved that he agreed to wait, she retraced her steps to the kitchen.

  Linc scowled. “You chickened out?”

  “Delayed. I’ll talk to him after dinner.”

  True to his word, Mason returned soon, and they sat around the table to eat. Halfway through dinner, Nicole said, “You haven’t told us how your day went, Mason. How did the inspection come out?”

  “Building 7 passed with flying colors. Dean and I worked on Building 6 today.”

  “Is scheduling so many inspections back-to-back normal?” Linc asked.

  Mason shook his head. “Brian accelerated the pace for good reason. We landed a new development and, if everything goes according to plan, we start building soon. We need the Oakdale site complete before then.”

  “That’s great,” Nicole said. “Brian must be ecstatic.”

  “He is. No one else knows, though. He plans to announce the deal tomorrow evening at the company picnic.”

  She’d forgotten about the picnic. Nicole glanced at Dawn who already had her phone out. “Are you checking our schedule?”

  “Yep.” A moment later, she said, “Thank goodness. We have a slow day tomorrow. Only 15 dogs, four cats, and a rabbit. As long as we don’t have a run on drop-in appointments, we should be finished by 4:00 tomorrow.”

  “That’s perfect.” Mason squeezed Nicole’s hand. “The picnic starts at 5:00.”

  “Do we need to bring anything?”

  “I’ll take care of it. Brian promised to turn us loose tomorrow at 3:00.” He looked at Linc and Dawn. “You’re welcome to come.”

  “Sounds like fun.” Linc glanced at Dawn. “You game?”

  “Sure. We’ll stop by the store for chips and a dessert. Thanks for asking us to come, Mason.”

  After dinner, Linc and Dawn volunteered to clean up. With Linc’s pointed look at her, Nicole knew she couldn’t delay talking to Mason any longer. “Want to sit outside for a few minutes?”

  “More stargazing?”

  “Just to talk.”

  He wrapped his fingers around hers and led her to the swing on the deck. With her tucked against his side, he asked in a quiet voice, “You ready to tell me what’s troubling you?”

  “Before I do, you said you had good news. Did you mean the new development?”

  “The new development prompted Brian to ask me again about the home rehab position.”

  She straightened. “What did you tell him?”

  “I agreed to take it as long as Dean was assigned to me permanently. Brian agreed. You’re looking at the head of the home rehab division of Elliott Construction.”

  Nicole hugged Mason. “Congratulation
s! You worked hard and deserved that promotion.”

  “We’ll see if the rest of the crew agrees with you. They’ll find out tomorrow at the picnic when Brian announces the news about the development.” He eased back from her. “Now, tell me what’s going on, Nicole.”

  She first told him about Rod’s visit to Pet Palace.

  “Zane traced the emails to the Otter Creek library. Leah, Dean’s wife, might be able to help us with that. I’ll find out tomorrow if she was successful. What else happened?”

  “You know me too well, Mason. One of your coworkers stopped by the salon today.”

  He stilled. “Who?”

  “Ed Fisher.”

  That brought a frown. “What did he want?”

  “I’m not sure.” She summarized the incident in the alley, ending with, “He didn’t hurt me, Mason.”

  “Because Linc stopped him.”

  “I’m fine. I don’t want you to do anything to Fisher.”

  “I can’t let this pass without addressing it.”

  “You won’t have to do anything. Fisher will brag about his assistance. I don’t understand why he was in the alley behind the salon.”

  Mason rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll owe Zane a boatload of favors before this is finished.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s our best resource to find out if security cameras are nearby at the right angle. Surveillance footage might show what he was up to.”

  “If we’re lucky.” Nicole sighed. “I guess I need to talk to Fortress about a security upgrade for the salon.”

  “Excellent idea.”

  “First thing Monday morning,” she promised. “You’ll let Fisher come to you?”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “He’s pushing you, hoping you come after him. I guarantee he’ll press charges for assault if you give him what he wants. Don’t let him goad you into reacting with anger. I don’t want to marry you in a prison chapel.”

  He flashed her a quick grin. “Neither do I. I’ve already bought plane tickets to our honeymoon destination.”

  She moved close until her lips brushed his with every word she spoke. “So, where are you taking me for our honeymoon?”

  Mason chuckled. “It’s a surprise, one I think you’ll love.”

  “I don’t care where we go as long as I’m with you and we shut off our phones for a week. All I want is to have you to myself.”

  “A few more weeks, and you’ll be my wife.”

  She could hardly wait. With trouble swirling around them, though, Nicole prayed they lived long enough to enjoy their honeymoon.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Mason stood outside Nicole’s bedroom door, reluctant to leave her. He’d hidden his reaction to her news of the incident in the alley. In truth, he worried about her safety. Fisher had an attitude like a schoolyard bully, throwing his weight around to get what he wanted. Did he want Nicole or was he taunting her to get a rise out of Mason?

  Why go after her in the first place? Another thought made Mason’s blood run cold. Was Patton or Fisher the construction worker Riva was dating? No matter what the grapevine thought, Riva’s secret man wasn’t Mason.

  “Mase?” Linc’s low voice drew his attention. “Everything okay?”

  With one last glance at the closed door, Mason retraced his steps down the hall. “Not really.”

  “Nicole talked to you?”

  He nodded. “Thanks for protecting her in the alley.”

  “No thanks needed, buddy. I’m glad I was there.”

  “Did you know Rod Kelter came to the salon today?”

  Linc’s eyes narrowed. “Dawn told me. What did he want with Nicole?”

  Mason summarized what she’d relayed to him. “I talked to Z today. He traced the emails sent to Gage and Ivan back to an account established by someone claiming to be Nicole. They were sent from the town library. I have a friend checking to see if security cameras are in place to watch the computers.”

  “If there are, we’ll be able to narrow our search for the sender.” He flicked his gaze toward Nicole’s door. “Nic told me she was fine. Is she?”

  “I’m not convinced.” Mason walked into the security room. “Rod asked her if she set up the confrontation with Dannon so I would retaliate against him for his behavior two years ago.”

  Linc laughed. “She did fine on her own. Two years after the incident, Nicole isn’t interested in revenge. The only thing your lady wants is to marry you.”

  Good to know Linc saw things the way Mason did. The trick would be to find enough proof to convince Rod of Nicole’s innocence and his own. He hadn’t forgotten that he was the prime suspect in Riva’s murder. “What did Dawn think about Rod’s visit?”

  The smile on Linc’s face faded. “One of the other PSI instructors saw her while she had coffee with Rod at Perk. He said Dawn looked upset.”

  “Was she?”

  “She’s outraged that Rod thinks Nic is setting things up in Otter Creek to get you out of her life or to pay back Dannon. No one who knows you two would consider that to be true.”

  “Seems like the standard operating procedure for Rod is to irritate the people he interviews.”

  “As long as he gets the right man behind bars, I don’t care how irritating he is.” Linc clapped Mason on the shoulder. “Get some rest, Mase. We won’t solve this with the information we have at the moment. I have the first watch. Nate is taking the second shift since his wife is on duty overnight.”

  Mason returned to his room and sprawled on the bed fully dressed, a quilt draped over his body. If trouble developed overnight, he’d be ready to respond.

  He woke briefly when Nate arrived for his shift, then settled back into sleep. When his alarm woke him at 4:00, Mason rolled out of bed and stumbled to the shower.

  Walking into the kitchen minutes later, he was surprised to see Nate at the stove. “I thought you were on shift.”

  The EOD man glanced over his shoulder. “You look more rested than the last time I saw you. And, yes, I am on shift. Linc agreed to watch the security screens while I whipped up breakfast for everyone.”

  “Don’t you have to cook for the trainees this morning?”

  “Not on weekends. We have two trainees in this class with cooking experience. They cover the weekend meals to give me a break.” He inclined his head toward the coffee pot. “Coffee’s fresh. Help yourself.”

  “When is Stella’s shift over?”

  “Hopefully in four hours. If she catches a case, it might be later.”

  Mason poured coffee into a mug. “Thanks for the coffee and food, Nate.”

  “No problem. Any new developments?” The chef slid a plate with an omelet and home fries across the breakfast bar along with utensils.

  While he ate, Mason updated the operative.

  “Have Rio contact Fortress about the upgraded security system for Pet Palace. The boss will cut Nicole a good break because she’s family or will be soon.”

  Nicole opened her bedroom door shortly before Mason left for work. She snuggled into his embrace with a sigh of contentment. “Good morning, handsome.”

  “Good morning, beautiful.” He bent his head and indulged in a leisurely kiss. “Two months and one day,” he murmured when he ended the kiss.

  “Can’t come soon enough for me.” Nicole studied his face. “You look rested. No excitement overnight?”

  He shook his head. “Linc will drive you to work. Alex and Josh will split guard duty at Pet Palace today. Let one of them take out the trash for you, okay?”

  “I learned my lesson. Be careful today.”

  “Always. I love you, Nicole.”

  She crushed her lips to his in a hard, fast kiss. “I love you, too. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

  Thankfully, Mason’s day passed in a blur of activity. He and Dean tackled Brian’s list for Building 4, redoing tasks they knew had been finished properly. After consulting with the boss, Mason made another trip to the hard
ware supplier for more locks.

  Knowing they were under a time crunch, he and Dean skipped lunch to keep working. By the time 3:00 came, they had finished their list.

  “Whew.” Dean glanced at Mason. “I didn’t think we’d make it.”

  “We almost didn’t. Did you notice we’re fixing the same problems we repaired in the other buildings?”

  “Yep. I don’t suppose Brian talked to Josh about having the PSI trainees provide security at night?”

  “Not sure, but I’ll ask him at the picnic. The sabotage has to be in-house.”

  “What’s the point? We’re still on schedule to finish the buildings by the deadline.”

  “The sabotage is the same as the sloppy work we pointed out to Brian.”

  “Patton and Fisher.” Dean sounded disgusted. “I should have known. They’re targeting our work now.”

  “Looks like it.”

  “They’re looking for an excuse to cause you trouble, aren’t they?”

  “More than you know. Fisher showed up at Pet Palace last night.”

  Dean straightened. “What happened?”

  “He cornered Nicole in the alley when she took out the trash. Although she says she’s fine, Fisher upset her.”

  “What did he want?”

  “Honestly, I think he wanted to tell me that he could get to her any time he pleased. Believe me, I got the message.”

  “Watch your back, Mase. Once Brian announces his choice for the head of the home rehab division, things will become more antagonistic around here.”

  He picked up the last of his tools and stored them in his tool box. “Let them come. I’ll handle them.” He’d survived more dangerous men than Patton and Fisher in prison. “Come on. Time to go.”

  “Leah planned to talk to the head librarian today. I might have information for you at the picnic.”

  “I can stand some good news. At the moment, I have nothing but questions.” And a ton of fear for the safety of his bride-to-be.

  After reporting the completion of their tasks to Brian, Mason left the Oakdale site and returned to his home to shower and grab more clothes. He’d owe Linc a big favor when this was over. Not only had the PSI instructor opened his home to three extra people, he also pulled more than his fair share of night watch to keep them safe.