by L. P. Dover
It was true. Charles knew there were people being hunted. He obviously wasn’t the man I thought he was, but he still treated me like a daughter. He had a big heart. Ian waited for a response, but I couldn’t muster up one. My chest ached, and it felt like everything began to crumble around me.
“Grace,” Ian called softly. When I looked over, I could see his turmoil. “I know this can’t be easy, after everything you’ve been through.”
I shrugged. “I’ll be fine. It’s a lot to take in. I never dreamed I’d be in this situation.” It was strange to think I’d almost died. “What bothers me the most is knowing there’s someone out there who hates me enough to want me dead. I can’t think of who it could be.”
“I know where to start.” He never got to explain, as the front door opened. The man who walked in had dark brown hair, and there was no mistaking the familiar green eyes. “What’s up, brother?” Ian called out.
His brother walked over and slapped Ian’s shoulder. “Just got done with,” he looked at me and cleared his throat, “work. Just got done with work.” He held out his hand and smiled. “I’m Reed, Ian’s brother. I see you’re doing better.”
“I’m alive,” I agreed, shaking his hand.
“Do we know anything yet?” he asked, glancing at us.
Ian nodded. “Yes, which is why I’m glad you’re here. I need you to stay with Grace tomorrow. There’s something I need to do.”
“What?” I blurted.
He finished his chicken and guzzled the rest of his beer. “I know you don’t want to think about this, but I’m certain someone at the hotel played a part in your abduction. Those cameras didn’t disconnect themselves.”
“But who could’ve done it? I know all the people at the hotel.”
Ian’s eyes softened. “Our closest friends tend to be the ones who betray us first.”
Ian
The door to the guest bedroom opened the next morning and I heard Grace’s soft steps walking down the hall. She slowly turned the corner to the great room and saw me sitting on the couch, reading the front-page article about how she was still missing.
Running a hand through her smooth, dark hair, she closed the distance, wearing a pair of black yoga pants and a T-shirt. She looked sexy as hell, with the tight fabric hugging her curves.
She glanced down at her clothes and sighed. “Any way you can sneak me by my house to get some clothes? With your FBI ninja skills, surely you can get us in without anyone noticing.”
That brought a smile to my face. There were a million things I could do that she had no clue about.
She picked at her shirt. “I love my father to death, but he’s clueless.”
“I can sneak you in there tonight,” I told her.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat beside me, her attention landing on the picture of her on the front page of the newspaper. “If only people knew what happened.”
Folding it up, I sat it on the coffee table. “They will soon. There’s also an article about Charles in there, if you want to read it. His funeral’s in two days.”
She nodded, her chin trembling slightly. “Who are you going to speak to at the hotel?” she asked curiously.
I shrugged. “Usually, on my missions, I go in blind and wing it. I’m not a planner.”
Her brows furrowed. “Isn’t that kind of dangerous?”
“It hasn’t hurt me yet.”
The hint of a laugh escaped her lips and it was the sexiest sound I’d ever heard. “So reckless, Ian Chandler. From the first time I saw you at Wild River, I could tell you were a troublemaker.”
“How’s that?” I asked incredulously, pretending to be offended. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard something like that. Most women loved that about me though.
She laughed again, only this time it was more pronounced. “I don’t know. It’s the way you look. There’s always a smile on your face, like you’re up to something.”
I chuckled. “Most of the time, I am.”
Her smile faded. “Do you think you’ll be able to find who took me?”
“Finding people is what I do, Grace. Even if it takes weeks or months, I won’t let them get away.”
“What about me? I can’t stay here that long. I don’t want you having to look after me. It’s not fair to you.”
“Actually, I’m kind of looking forward to it. I’ll have you all to myself.” It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. That was my problem. I said things before thinking.
Grace bit her lip and turned her head, but I could see the corners of her mouth tilt up. As much as that turned me on, it wasn’t the right time. From the beginning, we’d always had sexual tension between us, that wasn’t new. I was attracted to her, and she was to me. But work always got in the way. Either I was away on a mission, or she was at the hotel.
Clearing my throat, I stood and went straight to the kitchen. I could feel Grace’s eyes on my backside. I was more than happy to keep her safe, but it was going to be hard as hell to keep my distance. Her father didn’t put her in my protection for me to fuck her.
My dick twitched and I gritted my teeth. It’d been so long since I’d had sex. And being in close quarters with Grace didn’t help.
“You okay, brother?” Reed asked from his seat at the kitchen table, a mammoth bowl of Frosted Mini-Wheats in front of him.
I glanced at him over my shoulder and nodded. “Getting ready to leave. You all set for today?”
“Yep. I figured Grace could keep me company and help with the horses.”
With Grace’s wrists and feet still sore, I didn’t think it’d be a good idea, but by the sound of her gasp, I held my tongue.
“I’d love to! Horses are my favorite,” she called out. A couple of seconds later, she appeared in the kitchen, eyes twinkling.
A part of me wanted to be the one to show her the horses, but I had a job to do. “Sure you’re up for it? They can be a handful.”
She waved me off. “I had some when I was younger. I know how to handle them.”
“All right,” I said, grabbing my keys. “Just be careful.” I started for the door and stopped at the sound of her voice.
“Who are you going to see today?”
I dreaded this part. “Zoe Henderson.”
Her eyes widened. “Why are you going to see her? She’s one of our housekeepers.”
Sighing, I opened the door. “Not anymore. She’s now the Events and Marketing Manager of Snow Creek Resort.”
“How’s Grace doing?” Colton asked.
I pulled into the hotel parking lot and shut off my truck. “Good. She’s going to help my brother with the horses today.”
“She’ll love that.” I heard him start up his car. “Look, I’m really sorry for the inconvenience, Chandler. I can pay you to watch her. I know with doing this on your own time, it’s costing you money.”
If he only knew how much my family was worth. “No worries, Chief. I’ll be okay. Having Grace at the house gives me the forced break I’ve needed for much too long.” I’d spent years killing people on a regular basis. It felt good to do something different for a change.
“Thank you again,” he replied earnestly. “I’m just so relieved she’s alive. Although, I think I’m going to have to bring Grace’s mother to your house. I can’t keep her in the dark anymore.”
I couldn’t blame him. If my mother was still alive, she’d have gone insane if something happened to me or my brothers. “Bring her by. I’ll be home this afternoon. Right now, I’m at the hotel to talk to Zoe Henderson. She’s the woman who took over Grace’s position.”
“Good. Grace always said nice things about her, but you can never be too careful.”
“Have you started looking at Jared Beckett?”
“Yep. I got my men on him. He’s always either at his house or the hotel. Nothing suspicious, as of yet. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Sounds good.” It was almost time for my meeting, so I hopped out of the truck. “Text me
when you’re on the way over tonight.”
“Will do.”
There were two ladies at the front desk when I walked in, one with bright blonde hair, around my age, and an older woman with short, black hair. The blonde noticed me first and smiled. “Good morning. Can I help you?”
Her nametag said her name was Emily. “Hey, Emily, my name’s Ian Chandler. I have a meeting with Ms. Henderson at eleven.”
She perked up, her smile bright. “Of course. Let me get her.” Picking up the phone, she punched in a few numbers. Then her smile faded. Clearing her throat, she hung up and tapped on the number pad again. “Sorry about that. I called the wrong extension. I’m used to Zoe answering from another line.”
I nodded. “It’s okay.” Stepping back, I turned around and feigned interest in the large landscape painting of the mountains on the wall. There were also a couple of deer and bison heads displayed above the desk.
“Zoe,” she said low. “I have a Mr. Chandler here to see you.” A few seconds passed. “Okay, I’ll tell him.” I turned around just as she hung up the phone. “Zoe’s on her way to the front.”
“Thank you.” I sauntered around the lobby, which wasn’t exceptionally large, considering it was a luxury hotel. The floors were hardwood, with a massive bearskin rug by the corner fireplace, and the whole place smelled like sandalwood. I focused back on Emily, who strutted around to the front of the desk, swaying her hips while she dusted the counter.
“I’m sorry about the owner,” I stated. “I saw everything on the news. It also looks like another one of your employees is missing too. It’s been a rough week for you guys, huh?”
She faced me and I could see the turmoil on her face. Setting the duster down, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, that’s an understatement. I hope they find Grace. If they do, she’s going to be so upset when she finds out about Mr. Beckett. They were really close.” The muscles in her jaw clenched, but they smoothed out quickly. “So were Grace and Jared.”
I could sense the jealousy in her tone, and even see it in her eyes. I was starting to think I should investigate her, instead of Zoe. “Jared is Mr. Beckett’s son?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
She nodded. “He’s been distraught over this whole thing.”
I wanted to know more about Jared and Grace’s relationship. Was she sleeping with him? Had she turned him down? There were so many factors that could implicate him.
“Mr. Chandler?” A woman with long, red hair approached and held out her hand. “I’m Zoe Henderson, it’s nice to meet you.”
I shook her hand. “Likewise.”
She nodded toward the hallway. “Shall we go to my office?”
“Lead the way, Ms. Henderson.”
“Please, call me Zoe,” she replied, smiling wide. I followed her to her office, but there was no mistaking Grace’s name still on the door.
But inside, there were pictures of Zoe rock climbing, and there was already a wooden placard with her name and title on it. They certainly moved fast in the hotel industry. I sat down in front of her desk and watched how she handled herself. There was an arrogance about her in the way she sat and looked at her paperwork.
“I see you want to have a company party here,” she announced, her voice smooth, almost seductive. I stared her down and that made her nervous. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. The only way I was going to get any information out of her was to get close. There was no time to take it slow.
“Yes, I do. What can you do for me?”
Her gaze dropped to my lips and she cleared her throat, looking away quickly. “That depends, Mr. Chandler. How big is it?” Her eyes widened in embarrassment, and she tripped over her next words. “I mean, the gathering . . . will it be large?”
I threw her a cocky smirk. “Huge.”
She shifted in her chair and blew out a controlled breath. “What about food? Would you be interested in our catering services?”
“Of course. I’ll also need accommodations for my guests as well. Will you be able to block off a few rooms for me?”
“Definitely. Just let me know how many you think you’ll need.” She wrote down a few notes. “Would you like to tour the facility?” When I nodded, she stood. “Follow me.” Her hand brushed against my arm in passing.
We walked around the hotel and she showed me the ballroom, where my party was going to be held. There wasn’t going to be one, but she didn’t need to know that. “What do you do, Mr. Chandler?” She leaned against one of the ballroom tables, pushing her chest out slightly. The woman had a nice body, but she wasn’t what I was interested in.
“We’re web designers,” I lied. “My co-workers are stationed across the nation. Every year, one of us is picked to host the party. And it’s fallen into my lap this year.”
Her eyes flitted down to my groin and back up. “Well, I’m certainly glad it did. We offer many services. I’d be happy to assist you in any way I can.”
“I might have to take you up on that, Zoe.”
Lips pursing, she nodded to the door. “I’m about to head out for the day. Would you like to join me for lunch? We can go over the different menus we have available.”
As always, my charm never failed. “I’d be happy to.”
Grace
It felt strange leaving Ian’s house for the first time. I hadn’t stepped foot on the grass since I’d showed up on his back porch. However, it was the perfect day. The breeze was warming up and there wasn’t a cloud in sight to hide the crystal blue sky. The mountains were magical, still covered in snow. It was like I was seeing things differently for the first time. Closing my eyes, I breathed it all in. I was alive.
“Grace, you okay?” Reed shouted, his voice echoing in the wind.
I opened my eyes and squinted against the sun. Reed stood by the barn door, his concerned gaze on me. I waved and started toward him. “I’m fine. Just taking it all in.”
From far away, his body resembled Ian’s, all toned and muscular. His clean-shaven face was what set him apart from his older brother. Ian always had a five o’clock shadow that made him look rugged.
The closer I got to the barn, the more my stomach clenched. Reed waited for me by the door and by the look on his face, he noticed my hesitance. “It’s okay, you don’t have to come inside. I should’ve thought about it. This can’t be easy for you.”
I shook my head. “I’m good. We all have to face our fears, right?” Without another word, I walked past Reed and into the barn. It didn’t smell like death, like the other barn had. The second I saw the three horses, I was in heaven. “Oh my God, they’re beautiful.”
Reed chuckled and joined me. He pointed at the black horse. “That one is Bryce’s. His name’s Charger. He’s the fastest of the three.”
“Bryce is Ian’s twin, right?” Ian had told me about having a twin brother in one of our conversations a long time ago. I’d just never met him. I couldn’t imagine there being another man out there who looked exactly like Ian.
Reed nodded. “Bryce is different from Ian though. He’s more serious. Right now, he’s undercover. He hasn’t been home in a year.”
“Oh, wow,” I gasped. “He’s part of the FBI too?”
His smile widened. “We all are.”
“No wonder my father wanted me to stay here. You’re all equipped to protect me.”Reed smirked. “I’m sure some of it was Ian’s doing as well.”
My heart jumped. “What do you mean?”
He looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “He clearly wants you. I could see it on his face this morning when I said I was going to show you the horses. He wanted to be the one to do it.”
Cheeks flaming, I tried not to show interest, but he could see right through me, judging by the grin on his face. “Ian seems like a great guy,” I said. “We’ve hung out before. I’ve always been able to count on him to make me laugh.”
“That’s what the ladies love about him.” He walked over to the stall that had a gi
ant brown and white horse.
“Is he seeing someone?” I asked curiously.
Reed shook his head. “Not for quite some time. Our line of work can be hard on relationships. We never know when we’re going to be away for a long period of time. Take for instance, Bryce. He’s been gone for a year, with little to no contact with family and friends.”
“I see.” Disappointment welled in my chest. “What do you do for the FBI?”
He averted his focus to the horse. “Unfortunately, it’s not something I can discuss.”
“Top secret, huh?” I joked.
He smiled, but there was no humor in it. “Something like that.”
I knew the ins and outs of the police force, but something told me, I didn’t know anything about the FBI. I could only imagine the kinds of things they had to do, the secrets they had to keep. It was intriguing.
The brown and white horse nudged Reed with its nose.
“Who is this beauty?” I asked.
Reed rubbed the horse’s face. “Her name’s Wildfire. She’s mine.”
I smoothed my hand down her neck. “I love it.” Then my gaze caught the white mare staring at me from the stall across the barn. She whinnied and I smiled. “I take it that’s Ian’s?” I walked over and she rubbed her face against mine.
“She likes you,” Reed said.
I rubbed both sides of her face, my eyes burning the entire time. “She reminds me of the horse I had as a child. Her name was Sandie.”
Reed patted her neck. “This one’s Ellie.”
“Hi, Ellie. I’m Grace. You are such a pretty girl.”
Reed’s phone rang and he stepped back. “Ian, what’s up?” Heart racing, I tried my best to listen to the conversation, but I couldn’t hear anything from the other end. “All right, we’ll see you later.” Reed hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
“What did he say?”
“He’s going out to lunch with that Henderson woman.” Reed walked over to one of the saddles on the wall and took it down. “Want to go for a ride?”
Sighing, I bottled up my mounting questions and glanced up at Ellie. “Can I ride her?”