Born To Protect

by Christina Tetreault

  “Will do. I gotta go.”

  She dropped down next to him and leaned her elbows on her thighs. “Detective Murphy said Kassidy never called him or anyone else at the police department. And the lab never contacted him to say Kassidy called in.”

  At least this one time, he wished he’d been wrong.

  “Did your boss have any news?” She glanced his way.

  For her sake, he wished Ax had had news. “Nothing yet. And if she called Lafayette, they would’ve reached out. They don’t want to be dishing out money.”

  “I don’t understand.” She stood and paced across the area rug. “What is she really doing? Why lie about being on vacation to me? I’m not her supervisor. I don’t care if she shows up at work or not.” Becca paused and looked at him. “This morning the police said they were concerned she was in danger. Do you think they’re right? She’s a scientist, not some spy. Why would anyone want to hurt her? And if she was in some kind of danger, wouldn’t she have told me so I could get her help?”

  In the last ten minutes, he’d started developing his own working theory of what was going on. And if he was right, Becca wasn’t going to like it. Until he knew for certain, he’d keep it to himself. “If she’s being held against her will, someone might have forced her to give you that explanation this morning,” he said. “If you give us the number you used to contact her, it might help us find Kassidy.”

  “I didn’t call her.”

  “You said you talked to her this morning.”

  “I did, but she called me.” Becca retook the seat she’d vacated earlier. “After the police left, I sent a text message to her tablet because Detective Murphy said she wasn’t answering her phone. She doesn’t have the two devices linked, and she prefers to get messages on it instead of her phone anyway. Not long after, she called me.”

  She ran her fingers through her hair and then down her face. “But Kassidy didn’t call from her cell phone. At least not the phone I have the number for. She said it’d been acting up since they got to the beach, so she borrowed a friend’s.”

  Connor stored away every bit of information Becca shared. Later he’d pass it along to Ax. “Then she’s not alone?”

  “She’s with someone named Jameson. Or that’s what she told me. She’s never mentioned him before, so it must be someone she either met at the tech conference or when she got wherever she is. After everything else, I’m not sure I believe her about even that. And I know several weeks ago she had a second cell phone. I heard it ringing one morning.”

  It didn’t matter much if it was some guy’s phone or a cheap, disposable one. Both could be traced. “The number should be on your phone,” he said.

  Even before she shook her head, he suspected she wouldn’t be able to provide him with what he wanted. “It came through with no Caller ID. If I hadn’t been hoping Kassidy would call me, I wouldn’t have even answered it.”

  Another red flag went up in his head. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, but it was a hell of a lot more than just a simple clerical error.

  “Did she tell you where she is?” He doubted Kassidy had shared her location, but he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t ask.

  “Nothing specific. She said she was sitting on a deck overlooking a private beach and the Caribbean Ocean. But she could’ve lied about that too. For all I know, she might be in the middle of Kansas.”

  “If we have access to your phone records, the tech gods at Elite Force might still be able to trace the call and get a location.” The men and women who worked in the cyber division amazed him all the time with the information they could get their hands on.

  “Yeah, of course. If it helps find her, they can poke around in them all they want.”

  “Can you think of anything else that might help us? Maybe something she said during the call or the last time you saw her.”

  Becca sighed and leaned back. “I wish I could.”

  He did too, because so far they had very little to go on. “The people I work with are the best out there. They’ll do everything they can to find her.”

  “Then you think she’s in some kind of danger too?” she asked, biting into her bottom lip.

  Either she was in danger or in hiding for some reason. “I think it’s possible.” He didn’t want to cause Becca any additional worry, but he needed to be honest with her. “She might know something or have something someone wants.”

  “Do you think the break-in is somehow linked to all this?” Becca asked, voicing the same thought he’d had earlier.

  “Maybe.” He took hold of her hand and squeezed it. “If it is related, they took what they wanted and have no reason to come back.”

  All Becca’s instincts had told her Kassidy was lying this morning. Her conversations with Connor and Detective Murphy confirmed it. Unfortunately, knowing her stepsister was lying didn’t help explain what was going on. Connor, like the police, thought she might be in danger. But in danger from whom? Kassidy was a scientist who liked to have maybe a little too much fun, not some high-level government employee with access to top-secret information. Nothing about the situation made any sense.

  “I guess you’re right.” Her mind went back to the encounter at lunch and the man in the parking garage.

  Connor moved closer, the fabric of his jeans rubbing against her bare leg. “Has someone been hanging around?”

  “No, at least I haven’t seen anyone. There was just this man on the Mall today at lunch.” She didn’t want Connor thinking she was afraid of her own shadow. “Before you even say it, I know I’m worrying about nothing.”

  “What did he do?” Connor asked, his tone hard.

  “Nothing really.” She should’ve kept her big mouth shut. “He sat on the same bench while I was having lunch and said he hoped he would see me there again today.”

  “And?” His tone remained suspicious.

  “Then he introduced himself as Ross. He said he often sees me there and then asked me to lunch.” The more she considered it, the more innocent the encounter seemed. “He was just being friendly. And if he visits the Mall at lunchtime, it makes sense he might have seen me there. I go over there a lot. Besides, it’s a public bench in a public park, so he wasn’t breaking any laws by sitting next to me.”

  Connor’s expression didn’t change, making it difficult to guess his thoughts. “What did he do when you turned him down?”

  “Offered to walk me back to my office and asked me to meet him after work.” Becca shrugged. “I told him I had a boyfriend and then left. Like I said, he was just being friendly. Other men have sat down and talked to me like that while I was out there. I’m sure it happens to other women too.”

  “Yeah, but this one made you uncomfortable. Think about it. Was there something off about him? The tone of his voice? The way he walked? His clothes?”

  Why did he have to be right? Becca ran through every detail of the encounter then shook her head. “He just looked wrong. He was wearing a suit, and said he worked at the IRS, but I can’t imagine him there. But that doesn’t mean anything, Connor. You can’t judge a person by his looks.” She considered the man in the parking garage. He’d looked out of place too.

  “Still with me?” Connor asked, pulling her thoughts back to the present.

  “Yeah, sorry. I was thinking about the guy in the parking garage tonight. He was parked on the same level as me, but I’ve never seen him around. Most of the people who use the garage work with me or in the building next door, and they park on the same level every day. It makes it easier to find your car at night. At least that’s why I do it.” There was nothing worse than wandering around a parking garage or lot at night, looking for your car.

  She picked at the skin around her fingernail. “He could be new. Employees come and go all the time. I’m sure I’m overreacting about him too.” Normally, her imagination didn’t get the better of her like it seemed to be today. Then again, the police had paid her a visit this morning before she’d even man
aged to shower. Considering their visit, perhaps an overactive imagination was to be expected.

  “Possibly, but there was a reason he made you uneasy. Was it the way he was dressed? Did he have any odd tattoos or piercings? Something unusual about his car?”

  Closing her eyes, she pictured the man again. He’d looked to be in his mid- to late-twenties. She hadn’t noticed any tattoos. They would have stood out to her because the people she regularly saw in the garage never had visible tattoos. There hadn’t been anything unusual about his suit except that it looked to be on the cheaper side, but not everyone could afford custom-tailored clothes. “Sorry, I can’t….” Her voice trailed off, and she looked at Connor.

  “What?”

  “He backed into his parking space. Most people pull into them.” Another detail remained just out of her reach. Rubbing her temples, she tried to think back to the very moment she first saw him. She pictured him closing his car door and starting to walk.

  “His shoes.” She dropped her hands into her lap. “He was wearing boots similar to those a person would wear on a worksite or hiking. Not the type a person pairs with a suit.”

  “And did he approach you?”

  “No. He didn’t speak to Danny or me. When I pulled out he was headed toward the elevator. I didn’t stick around to see if he got into it.”

  Connor remained silent for several moments. “Until Kassidy is found, I think you should hire some protection.”

  “Like a bodyguard?”

  She should’ve kept her stupid mouth shut. Just because the man had committed a fashion faux pas and paired work boots with a suit didn’t mean he was dangerous. “I don’t need someone following me around. I’m not in danger; my imagination is just getting the better of me.”

  He leaned closer and shook his head. “Maybe it is, but until this situation is straightened out, it’s a good idea, Becca.”

  “And have everyone think I’ve lost my mind? No thanks. The house has an alarm, and I’m perfectly safe at work. Everyone goes through security when they come into the building.”

  Placing his hands on her shoulders, he rubbed his thumb back and forth across her skin. “Just think about it. Please. I’d feel better if you had someone with you.”

  She was touched by his concern, even if it was misplaced, but she had no intention of changing her mind. At the same time, she didn’t want to argue with Connor either. “Okay, I’ll think about it, but I’m not making any promises.”

  “Ax wants to see me.” His right hand left her shoulder and moved around to the back of her neck. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Demanding lips came down hard on hers, caressing them with each pass and making it impossible to answer. Soon it was impossible to think as well.

  When he pulled away, she considered asking if he’d be her bodyguard so she could enjoy similar kisses and other forms of physical pleasure whenever she wanted.

  “If you need me, call.” Connor stood, pulling her up with him. “And I need you to contact me right away if you hear back from Kassidy.”

  “Go do whatever you need to at work, I’ll be fine. I don’t even plan on leaving the house tonight.” At the moment, she couldn’t think of a single place she wanted to go except the hot tub upstairs. Hopefully, a long soak would wash away some of the anxiety eating away at her. “If she calls again, I’ll let you know, but I don’t think she will.”

  “Neither do I, but if she does, don’t tell her Elite Force has been hired to find her.”

  If she was in danger or being held against her will, she’d want to know people like Connor were out searching for her. “Why not?”

  Connor didn’t immediately answer, and she didn’t understand why. It seemed like a pretty straightforward question, unless he knew something he wasn’t sharing. “Connor, why don’t you want me to tell her?”

  “We don’t know who else is listening to her conversations,” he answered.

  Although he still hadn’t said Kassidy was definitely in danger, everything about their conversation tonight made Becca think he believed it to be true.

  Chapter Thirteen

  When Connor had left earlier, she’d locked the front door and set the security system before doing anything else. Still, when she entered her room, she locked the bedroom door as well and then double-checked the console on the wall.

  Yep, still on. Some might say she was a little paranoid, but having a stranger enter her home again would be bad enough. If they entered while she was naked and enjoying the jets in the hot tub, it would be a thousand times worse.

  Becca crossed into the master bathroom and locked that door behind her too. Then she set her wineglass and cell phone down near the hot tub and turned on its jets.

  “Turn off your brain for ten stinking minutes.”

  She dropped her clothes on the floor and stepped into the bubbling water. Since the moment Connor left, she’d had terrible scenarios involving Kassidy going through her mind. If she didn’t shut her thoughts off for a little while, she was going to drive herself crazy.

  Closing her eyes, she slipped under the water and tried to think about Connor rather than their conversation about the police and the firm. He’d sounded concerned when he suggested she hire a bodyguard. In fact, he’d said he’d feel better if she had protection until this situation ended. Should she interpret his words to mean he considered their relationship more than just a physical one?

  Her own view of whatever was between them had started to shift the night they enjoyed dinner out on the deck. Since he’d called out of the blue that night, she’d thought maybe he wanted more from her than casual sex before going their separate ways for another fifteen years. So far, though, he hadn’t labeled their relationship; although, in all fairness, she hadn’t either. And, unfortunately, he wasn’t always the easiest man to read.

  When the need for air became too great, Becca popped up out of the water and reached for her wine. The moment the rich merlot hit her tongue, she wished she’d taken the time to bring a few pieces of her favorite dark chocolate up with her too. Wine and a good soak helped ease anxiety, but chocolate, wine, and a soak worked even better. To get the chocolate, she’d have to dry off and go down to the kitchen. At the moment, she didn’t want to exert the effort required. She’d settle for the merlot and the hot tub’s jets. Once she finished in here, she’d grab something from her stash of sweets downstairs and pair it with a second glass of wine.

  She managed two sips of her drink before her ringing cell phone ruined the peace and quiet in the room. “Please be Kassidy,” she muttered, squeezing her eyes shut and reaching for the device.

  Neither Kassidy’s name or the words No Caller ID greeted her when she checked the screen. Instead, the name Graham stared back at her. It had been days since she’d last talked to her brother. She wondered if the police had contacted him too. If they had, it might be why he was calling now. Either that or he wanted to set her up with another from his endless supply of single friends. Even if Connor wasn’t in her life, she’d tell her brother to play Cupid with someone else.

  “Can you come and pick me up? I’m in the emergency room at Washington General,” he said after they exchanged greetings.

  At the mention of the emergency room, Becca stood up and stepped out of the hot tub. Water dripped off her and puddled on the floor as she reached for a bath towel. “What happened? Are you okay?”

  “For the most part, I’m fine. Just needed some stitches, but my car is totaled. Do you mind picking me up and driving me home?”

  Becca wrapped the towel around her body. “Of course. I’ll be right there,” she said, already out of the bathroom. “Do you need me to bring anything?”

  “No. I just need the ride. Tomorrow I’ll work on getting a rental from the insurance company.”

  She pulled out shorts and tossed them on her bed. “See you soon.”

  Her hair resembled a drowned animal, but she didn’t care. After tying her sneakers, she left the house.

 
Thanks to normal rush hour traffic being over and a heavy foot on the gas pedal, she pulled into one of the hospital’s parking garages thirty minutes later. It took a little searching, but eventually, she found an empty spot on the third level. The memory of the man in her work parking garage popped up as she slammed her door shut.

  “He was a bad dresser but harmless. Get inside. Graham needs you.”

  A glass-enclosed bridge connected the second level of the garage to the hospital. So rather than stand around and wait for the elevator, she headed for the stairwell. If Graham wasn’t up to walking, he could wait at the hospital’s front entrance while she drove around and picked him up.

  “He’d better be okay.” Graham had said he only needed a few stitches, but he’d been known to understate his injuries. She wouldn’t put it past him to tell her what he thought she wanted to hear. “If he’s seriously hurt, he’s coming—”

  An arm grabbed her around the waist, pinning one of her arms to her side, and her feet froze.

  “Keep your boca shut,” a voice laced with an accent she couldn’t quite place whispered against her ear. But she remembered enough from high school Spanish class to know he’d mixed a Spanish word in with his English.

  A scream welled up in her throat despite his warnings. Before she could let it out, a large hand covered her mouth.

  The owner of the hand pulled her back against him like the intruder had done in all the nightmares she’d had. “We’re going to take a little drive together, princesa.”

  Becca’s heart raced, nearly exploding in her chest, and she glanced around. There wasn’t a single person around to help. But if she could get to the second level and the bridge, there might be.

  The man holding her took a step back. Immediately, Becca dropped her body into almost a squat like she’d been instructed in her women’s self-defense class. Supposedly the position made it harder for an attacker to move you around. She prayed it helped now, because she was on her own.