She’d talk to him tonight. She knew he had a lot on his mind in addition to his regular work. Until then, she had more than enough things in her own office to keep her busy.
***
Caitlyn said goodbye to her last client at four that afternoon, making sure to lock her front door before going back to her desk. Oddly enough, she hadn’t gotten more of the phone calls that had come every thirty minutes. At the moment, she wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. It would’ve been annoying to have her office phone ringing every half an hour, but she couldn’t help shake the feeling something was wrong.
She’d spoken to a woman earlier who was planning her daughter’s graduation party for later that spring and to another woman who wanted to have a big retirement dinner for her husband. Neither seemed remotely suspicious. She had her scheduled events to tend to as well, and her work calendar was filling up. After speaking with vendors and clients throughout the day, nothing else strange had happened.
A couple of years ago, it had been tough landing enough clients to justify renting an office space. Now, she’d possibly need to find something bigger if she wanted to expand and hire an assistant. Maybe she should look into a virtual assistant. The person could work from home and help her catch up on emails, phone calls, etc.
She looked up from her desk as a couple walked past her office windows for the third time in half an hour, and she began to feel uneasy again. They hadn’t even stopped directly in front of her office, but that didn’t prevent the hair on the back of her neck from standing up.
Was she just being paranoid?
Or were they watching her for some reason?
The incident on the yacht had been nearly an entire month ago. She hadn’t gone near a pier since then and was always more cautious in crowds, but most of her life had progressed rather normally. She knew a lot of that had to do with Troy. They’d begun dating and steadily grown more serious in the past month. Maybe she hadn’t been looking for a serious relationship, but she’d found one. And she was thrilled that they got along so well and had such fantastic chemistry.
She never felt unsafe when they were together and that had gone a long way in moving forward with her life. She wasn’t ready to get on a boat again, but otherwise, felt reasonably safe wherever she was.
When the couple walked past her office window a fourth time, she pulled out her cell phone. Troy was no doubt still working on base, but she tried calling him anyway. He’d told her several times to let him know if she had anything suspicious happen. Just hearing his deep voice would make her feel better. His phone rang several times before going to voicemail. She decided she was just being paranoid and hung up without leaving a message. She’d talk to him tonight and tell him about it then.
Typing an email on her computer, she clicked send. She just needed to update her spreadsheet and then she could head out for the night. Caitlyn was just shutting down her computer ten minutes later when the power flickered in her office. Looking outside, she saw the sky was beginning to darken.
Great.
She’d been running late this morning and hadn’t gotten a close parking spot, so she’d need to hurry if she didn’t want to get caught in the rain. Caitlyn grabbed her jacket and umbrella, walking toward the front of her office. She paused before opening the door, quickly scanning the sidewalk through the window. She didn’t see the couple who’d walked back and forth earlier, just other people hurrying to get out of the pending storm.
After locking her office door, she hurried along the sidewalk as the wind began to pick up. A few drops of rain began to fall, but she might just beat the storm. Her gaze tracked back and forth around her, but she didn’t see the couple from earlier anywhere. They were probably just enjoying a walk while the weather had been good. There was no need for her to be paranoid now.
A door swung open in front of her, a man rushing out. Caitlyn shrieked and jumped back, her heart pounding. The man looked over and apologized, then continued on his way. Caitlyn blinked, watching him go. He jogged across the street in the rain and then jumped into a taxi. Now she knew she was being paranoid.
Shaking her head, she hurried down the street to her car. She didn’t even bother putting up her umbrella, instead listening to the thunder rumble in the sky and letting some of the rain dampen her hair. She bumped into a woman coming the opposite way, apologizing, and then ducked into her own car a few minutes later.
Her hands were shaking as she clutched the steering wheel. This was nuts. She was worrying about every little thing today. The phone calls, the couple outside, the guy who’d almost knocked her over. She needed to get a grip.
Later that night, she was lying on her sofa reading when Troy called. It was much later than she usually talked with him, but she’d ordered delivery for dinner and then snuggled under a blanket all evening, knowing he was busy with work. The storm outside had raged on, and between the foul weather and her paranoia, she’d been content to lose herself in a book for a few hours.
Troy sounded tired when she answered. They hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, although she’d slept another hour after they’d made love this morning. He’d had to rush off to PT and then a full day on base.
“You sound tired,” she said, mentally cringing at stating the obvious. “Rough day?”
He blew out a frustrated sigh. “Yeah. There’s a lot going on. This whole mess with the admiral has everyone all worked up, and the team might get sent out soon.”
“Oh. Where are you going?”
“I can’t say,” he said in a clipped tone. “Sorry, Butterfly. I’m just wiped out tonight. I know we haven’t talked too much about my deployments, but when I get sent out, I can’t say where I’ll be or for how long.”
“Yeah, I get it. I mean, I understand why you can’t tell me. I’m just used to planning everything down to the final detail. I’m an event planner, remember?”
“And you’re great at what you do. How was your day?”
“Kind of weird, actually.”
Instantly, she could tell he was more alert. “Why? Did something happen? You should’ve called me.”
“I did,” she said patiently. “You didn’t answer. It’s okay,” she rushed on. “I know you were busy. I just had all these missed calls this morning. Someone called my office every half an hour for hours.”
“Was anyone there? Or was it some robocall or something?”
“They called early before I got in. I was running a bit late after—well, you know. I did talk to someone around nine thirty. He just wanted to know my office hours. Then I spoke with some other potential clients later in the day. It just seemed odd to have all those missed calls.”
“Maybe someone wanted to know when you arrive at work,” he said in a low voice. “Although they could’ve just watched your office if they were trying to see what time you got in. And nothing else happened?”
“Not really. No. Wait. I did see a couple walking back and forth past my office window this afternoon. They went by at least four times. I looked outside before I left to make sure they weren’t still around.”
“Jesus, Butterfly. You should’ve left me a message or something.”
She shrugged, knowing he couldn’t see her. “You were busy. And it’s not like they stayed outside my door waiting for me. I can’t bother you every time I get spooked. It was probably nothing.”
“What else spooked you?” he asked.
“Nothing. Some guy almost ran into me on the sidewalk. Again, it was nothing. It was right before the storm started, and people were rushing around.”
“I don’t know when we’ll get sent out, but I want you to promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Of course I will be,” she assured him. “Believe it or not, my life is usually pretty boring—the whole yacht incident notwithstanding. My only occupational hazards are typical bridezillas or drunk people at parties. Armed gunmen aren’t normally part of my repertoire.”
“It’s not a joke,” Troy ground out.<
br />
“I know it’s not,” she said, growing exasperated. “I run events all the time though. I can’t call you every time there’s some little hiccup. Someone probably had the wrong number this morning and kept getting my voicemail.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I just worry about you. I want you to be safe. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you are. I hate that you were involved in any of this. Seeing you so scared on that boat was gut-wrenching.”
“I know. It’s been a long day. I’m just tired, too. I’ll be happy when this entire situation blows over and I don’t feel so on-edge all the time.”
Troy cursed quietly into the phone. “What were you up to before I called?”
“Just relaxing on my sofa reading.”
“Not walking around in sexy lingerie?”
She burst out laughing. “No, is that what you were imagining? Sorry to disappoint. I changed into yoga pants and a sweatshirt. But maybe—just maybe—if you’re good, I’ll pull out the sexy lingerie next time you come over.”
“Is thirty minutes too soon?” he joked.
“Yes, it’s too soon. It’s late, and I think we both need a good night’s sleep tonight. Not that I minded you keeping me up for hours yesterday.”
He chuckled. “You’re still coming to my place Friday for dinner, right?”
“Absolutely. I mean, unless you’ve got a mission or something.”
He blew out a sigh. “There’s a chance I will. Our commander didn’t give us a timeline for when we’d fly out. But if I’m here, then absolutely I want you to come over. You’ll stay, right?”
“At your place?”
“Yes. I love the idea of you spending the night here—in my bed.”
“That’s kind of caveman-ish, isn’t it?” she asked with a laugh.
“I don’t care. I want you in my space, Butterfly, caveman-ish or not. There’s nothing I want more than you naked, beneath my sheets.”
“Hmmm. I think that could be arranged.”
Troy growled on the other end of the line, and she laughed. They talked for twenty more minutes or so but then said goodnight. Troy hadn’t even grabbed dinner yet, and she was tired, too. Friday was only a couple more days away, and she couldn’t wait to see him.
Chapter 18
Troy ran a hand through his short-cropped hair Friday night, thankful he’d been able to get ready quickly before Caitlyn arrived. After a long day full of briefings and discussions on how to proceed on their next op, he was wiped.
And then there was the entire blackmailing incident.
The photos of the admiral’s daughter had been posted online early this morning, and that had been a shitstorm in and of itself. Their office had been swarming with investigators, NCIS agents, and even PR people who’d been brought in.
No more codes had been shared with the perpetrators—fake or otherwise. The blackmailers had grown tired of waiting for Admiral Rice to give them the information they wanted and had simply blasted multiple sites with the illicit photographs.
It seemed like it had never really been about the nuclear codes after all. Any village idiot would realize that if they obtained Top Secret military codes like the ones to the nuclear warheads, they’d be quickly changed for security reasons. They’d just needed a reason to rile up the admiral. It was looking more and more like a disgruntled sailor—active duty or otherwise—who’d worked with a domestic terror group. An everyday civilian wouldn’t have access to his home address or family’s names, but this person had known everything. And after the gunmen’s bodies had been ID’d, it was clear they were part of an extremist group. The sailor had a grudge and wanted revenge. The group wanted access to the admiral. Like Troy had thought all along—what a clusterfuck.
Troy shaved in his bathroom, then tossed his razor down and walked into the master bedroom. He grabbed a fresh pair of shorts and a tee shirt and dressed.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand, and he glanced down, frowning.
I’m on my way but won’t get there until seven.
I was looking at hotel conference rooms all afternoon and need to get my things before coming over.
He’d rushed home from base to get ready, and now Caitlyn was running late. He was excited as hell to see her, but damn. A little notice would’ve been nice.
He stalked down the hall to his kitchen, grabbing a beer out of the fridge. He’d season the steaks and then chill them. There wasn’t any point in lighting the grill now if she’d be an hour late.
By nineteen hundred, there still was no sign of Caitlyn. He went out to his deck to light the grill, then came back inside. His stomach rumbled. He’d planned on steaks and a salad, plus he’d grabbed some salsa and tortilla chips for them to snack on. It wasn’t necessarily a gourmet meal like when Caitlyn had cooked for him, but hell. He just wanted to spend time with her.
Twenty minutes later, she still hadn’t arrived. He glanced down at his phone and saw there weren’t any messages, so he called her. The phone rang and rang but went to voicemail. Worry churned through his gut. He knew Caitlyn’s phone connected to her car. She could answer even if she was driving, and the fact that she wasn’t and was even later than expected was concerning. He thumbed a message and clicked send.
Did you get lost, Butterfly?
Let me know if you’re on your way. I’ll put the steaks on.
He took the last swig of his beer, tossing the bottle into the recycling bin. Now he was just getting irritated. Being late was one thing, but she could at least respond. Had she forgotten her phone? Was she still packing her overnight bag? He knew women were picky about that sort of thing, but he hoped like hell she wasn’t just standing around her apartment wondering what to wear. Caitlyn didn’t seem like the type who was overly concerned with her looks, but she’d never been to his place before. Maybe she wanted to make a good first impression, so to speak.
By ten minutes to eight, he still hadn’t heard from her and knew something was wrong. It wasn’t like her not to touch base. Even when he was busy with training, she’d still text him throughout the day. Not hearing from her wasn’t normal.
Troy shut off the grill and then grabbed his keys from his dresser. If Caitlyn wasn’t responding, he’d go look for her. What if her car had broken down on the freeway or something? What if she was hurt? Or sick?
He’d been stewing in his townhouse, and she could be stranded somewhere without a cell phone signal.
Damn it all.
***
Caitlyn’s heart pounded as she pulled to the side of the freeway. Her SUV had started sputtering a few minutes ago. She’d already been running late, but this was going to mess up their entire evening. She didn’t know what was wrong, but now she’d have to call a tow truck and then Troy.
Shaking her head, she remembered his story about his sister with a flat tire. How ironic that their dinner plans were now messed up because of her own car troubles. At least he wouldn’t ditch her like his flakey date had ditched him.
Smoke was starting to rise from the hood of her car, and she blew out a sigh.
She didn’t want to stand on the side of the freeway while she called for help, but sitting in a smoking car wasn’t exactly a good idea either. The sun was beginning to set, and she needed to call for help before she was stuck here in the dark.
A black SUV pulled up behind her as she scooted across and climbed out the passenger side of her vehicle. She left the door open, keys and cell phone in hand. Cars were still whizzing by on the freeway. Her heartrate sped up as a tall man climbed out of the SUV. He wasn’t threatening necessarily, but she was a woman alone on the side of the road. He was clean shaven and dressed in business clothes, but he was big. A guy that size could easily overpower her. Had anyone else even noticed she was here?
“Do you need help?” he called out, walking toward her.
The guy looked slightly familiar, and she tilted her head, trying to place him. She was pretty good with faces. After all, she had to be i
n her line of work. It went a long way to remember names of people at events.
“My car was making a weird noise, and it just started smoking. I was going to call a tow truck, but maybe I should call 911 instead.”
“I’ll take a look at it,” he said, moving closer without waiting for her answer.
He was right in front of her when she gasped. The scent of his cologne nearly knocked her over as memories flooded through her. It was him—the man from the yacht. The tall guy who’d been outside her office over a month ago. He’d followed Evelyn when they’d met that first afternoon and then been onboard that night.
Was this the gunman who’d escaped?
She warily took a step back as he pulled a gun from his waistband, pointing it directly at her. “I need those IDs, sweetheart,” he sneered. “Hand me your purse.”
“Wh-what IDs?”
“I stashed them in your bag. Now hand it over.” She looked in confusion toward her SUV. She did have a purse sitting there, but it wasn’t the one she’d had that night on the yacht. Either way, she didn’t know anything about the IDs.
He grabbed her upper arm when she didn’t move, hard enough to leave a bruise, the gun still pointed at her. “Don’t scream, or I’ll shoot you right here.”
Her car started smoking even more as the engine caught fire. She jumped in surprise, and he cursed. The man reached into her SUV, swearing even more as he pulled out her bag. “Stupid bitch. This isn’t the same purse! Where is it? Where are those identification cards?”
Caitlyn started shaking as he stepped even closer to her. Even without a weapon, this guy was large enough to easily hurt her. His grip on her arm was painful. Brutal. “Let me go,” she said boldly.
He jammed the gun into her side, other cars changing lanes to avoid her SUV as smoke filled the air. Caitlyn froze, panic coursing through her. Was this guy insane? They needed to move before her car exploded or something. “Not a fucking chance. Move.” He rammed the gun into her rib cage, causing her to yelp out in pain, and then he was moving her toward his own black SUV as sirens sounded in the distance.
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