He broke away from her just as the car drove passed them. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to the SUV and leaned forward to wrap his arms around her one last time. “If I don’t leave, I never will.”
She nodded. “Drive safely.” The words came out in a whisper, her voice still breathless from their kiss. She waved at him and then made her way back to the elevator.
He waited to make sure the doors had opened and she was inside before heading out. She wasn’t a target anymore with Buckman in jail now, but he still worried about her. It was probably because he cared about her so much and knew all too well that there were more than enough idiots like Buckman to go around. Yet he couldn’t shake the feeling it was beyond that. That maybe he was missing something. He tried to brush the thought aside. Though he’d worked through his guilt over Robert, the incident was obviously still making him a little paranoid when it came to people he was close to.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jordan pried her eyelids open and looked around the room. Her disorientation gradually dissipated as the sliding doors came into view and the ocean sounds hit her ears. She barely remembered lying on the couch after Chase had left, deciding she’d rest for a few minutes before seeking out the white sand paradise she’d come to crave since her arrival.
Though the fan overhead was on, the room was hot from the sunlight drifting in. Her skin was clammy, and the blanket she’d kicked off while she was sleeping was hanging from her foot. She scanned the room, looking for a clock, and her gaze fell on her phone sitting on the coffee table.
Picking it up, she was stunned when she saw that she’d been asleep for several hours. “I must have been more tired than I thought,” she mumbled as she stretched her arms high above her head.
Her poor sleep last night had caught up with her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d taken that long of an afternoon nap. Her heart rate increased as she recalled her anxiety from the night before. Taking a calming breath, she reminded herself that the nightmare was over. Buckman wouldn’t be threatening her anymore.
Wanting to savor the few daylight hours remaining, Jordan sprung off the couch and changed into her swimsuit as quickly as she could. It felt odd being here without Chase. In the short amount of time, she’d gotten used to him always being around. She’d known it would be an adjustment when this was over, but she hadn’t realized how much she’d miss having him around to laugh or appreciate the sights with.
Her stomach fluttered as her mind drifted back to being tangled in his arms this morning, his talented hands leaving blazing trails of heat across her skin. The passion they shared was incredible. She grabbed her beach bag and threw in her sunscreen and an oversized towel. A smile flitted across her face as it dawned on her that he wasn’t even in the same room or, given the hours she’d just slept away, even the same town, and he could still elicit a sensual response from her.
Without a backward glance, she was out the door and headed down the walkway to the warm waters. She’d decided earlier that she’d head to the state park not far from the condo. From the pictures in the travel catalog she’d been flipping through, it looked like she’d have the chance to see more of the rustic shoreline.
Heading east, she stopped to slip her sandals into her bag and decided to walk along the shoreline. The cool water swirled around her feet as the waves crashed beside her. Though the park hadn’t looked too far away, she decided she’d better ask to make sure. A runner was approaching her from that direction.
“Hi. Could you tell me how far the state park is from here?” she asked.
She wasn’t sure if she had his attention at first, as his glasses reflected her image back at her, and he had a baseball cap pulled down low on his head. He was probably close to her age and had a deep tan that suggested he lived here or had been here a while.
Smiling at her, he removed his glasses. “Yeah, St. Andrews?”
“That’s it,” she said, remembering the name from her reading. She wondered if he’d visited the park and would have some recommendations.
“It’s not too far at all, maybe three-quarters of a mile straight ahead.” He pointed back in the direction he’d come from. “You’ll know you’re there when you see the pier and the jetties.”
“Jetties?” She furrowed her brow, not remembering anything by that name.
“Oh, sorry. Kind of a local reference point. Once you pass the pier, look for a barrier made up of large rocks stretching out into the ocean. Creates kind of an alcove from the Gulf. Good place for kids to swim because the waters are calmer there. If you want, I can walk down that way with you?”
She’d grown so used to keeping to herself and watching out for potential threats that it took her a minute to realize he was being friendly. Flirting maybe? She wasn’t sure. “Oh, thank you, but that’s not necessary. I should be able to find it now.”
“Are you sure? It’s no trouble. I live right over that way. Do you see the house with the deck coming out from the third level? That’s me.”
She looked where he was pointing. Sure enough, she saw a majestic house with a large balcony extending out from the highest floor. “I see it. Wow, what a view. I’m assuming you’ve been to the park, then?” She still wasn’t sure where his motivation came from. Was he was being friendly, which was pretty typical of the locals they’d encountered, or was he was coming on to her?
“Many times. You’ll enjoy it. There are a few trails around the bay. A lot of different bird species as well. Blue Heron, Great and Snowy Egrets, cranes, pelicans all hang out there quite a bit, and a few gators, too.” He gave her a wink.
She arched an eyebrow. She wanted rustic, but hopefully he meant gators to watch, not encounter personally.
“Don’t worry. They’re just part of the ecosystem. You can watch them from the dock at Gator Lake. The only time there’s been a problem is when people don’t follow the No Feeding signs and throw in food. It can make the gators less fearful of people and, as you can imagine, more dangerous.” He shook his head.
“I can see that. Then they’re conditioned to associate people with food as well.”
“Smart woman and beautiful, too.” He smiled. “Sure you don’t want any company?”
This time, there was no doubt he was flirting with her. He was an attractive guy, and she imagined he wouldn’t have a problem finding someone to share the beach with, but all she could think about was bringing Chase with her to explore the park the next time they were able to get away. “Thanks for the offer and the trivia, but I’m good. Enjoy your run.”
“My pleasure. Enjoy the park.” He slid his glasses back on and tipped his baseball cap to her.
She gave a quick wave as he headed off and continued toward the park.
§
With U2 blaring in the background, Chase almost missed the ringtone on his phone sounding out. Mike’s name popped up, and he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. He’d assured his friend that when it came to Jordan, he’d be hands off in any way other than to protect her from this perp. He hadn’t intended to deceive his friend. It hadn’t even entered his mind as a possibility when they’d made the arrangements. But it was different with Jordan, and being with her was something he had no regrets about.
“Might as well face the music,” he muttered, hitting the answer button. “Hey, bro. How’s it going?”
“Honestly, man, couldn’t be better.” His voice was full of elation. “I don’t think any of us realized how worried we were until that jerk was caught. Derek’s been the worst. He was driving us all mad wanting to know when she’d be back now that the whole thing is over.”
A surge of jealousy burned through him in response to Mike’s comment, catching him off guard. He reminded himself that Derek and Jordan were friends and he’d obviously be worried about her. It wasn’t like him to be so irrational. But his feelings for Jordan were new to him. Maybe that was why he felt so possessive.
Mike didn’t notice Chase’s silence and continu
ed on. “Luckily, Karen and I usually get the news first or we’d probably be just as bad. I probably shouldn’t have given him such a hard time.”
“What do you mean?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to continue the discussion but found himself asking anyway.
“Nothing. Just harassing him that maybe we’d overlooked some feelings he might have for her.”
Chase tried to keep his voice neutral. “I don’t think so, dude. He and Jordan are friends. That’s it.” His tone was firm, despite his efforts, and he gripped the phone as he passed a slower car in front of him.
“We were only messing with him. We all realized early on that those two had about as much attraction as water and oil. What’s more curious to me, my friend, is why you seem put off right now?”
Chase had said too much. Which was probably what Mike had intended all along. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he reckoned it was as good of a time as any to tell him the news. Hoping his friend would be happy for them, he jumped right in. “I’m assuming by your question that you figured all of it out.”
“I’ve got a good guess, but damn it, Chase. You’d better tell me it’s something I’m not guessing. Because ninja-warrior, tough-guy bodyguard or not, I will find a way to kick your ass if you added her to your list of finished assignments.”
Chase bristled at his choice of words. He waited a breath to avoid telling him that Jordan was never going to be anyone’s finished assignment. She was much too good for that. “Look. I know I told you this wouldn’t happen. I never thought it would. But she’s…she’s amazing, man. Smart, kind, funny, and freakin’ gorgeous on top of it all.”
There was silence on the other end of the line, and then Mike began to chuckle. “Sounds like you got the picture. You told her yet?”
“Yeah.” His voice caught a bit as he remembered exactly how he’d told her and everything that had followed. “Yeah, I did. It’s awesome between us. I’m actually heading back to Orlando now so I can rearrange some work commitments. I want to stick around here for a while.”
He paused for a second. “That’s a big change.”
Chase figured the silence meant he was probably trying to reconcile what he knew of him before with what he’d just told him now.
“Chase, I’m happy for you. And her, too. I never would’ve pictured you two together, but I can see now that you fit. You’re two of the best people I know. Not that I wouldn’t have kicked your ass if you’d hurt her.”
An image of Mike scooping up a harmless spider and releasing it outside when they were in college came to mind. His threat of violence meant Mike thought a lot of Jordan.
“I would’ve expected nothing less,” Chase said.
“So, now that we’ve got that settled, Karen and I are going out for drinks tonight. Taking a breather from all of this crap that’s been going on. You in?”
Chase hesitated. He’d enjoy spending time with Mike and Karen, but he was beat and he had a meeting to scheduled for early the next morning, so he could reassure his long-time client that he’d be in very competent hands with his replacement, they just wouldn’t be his.
“Come on, man. Derek already bailed on us. We need some fellowship.”
“I want to. It’d be good to hang out again. How about a rain check though? I’ve got some stuff to catch up on tonight. You two have fun.”
“Okay. I’m holding you to it. Dinner next week. You and Jordan both.”
“Deal.” Chase hung up.
As he drove the final miles home, Chase wondered why he’d reacted the way he had to Mike’s baiting him about Derek. Sure, it could be that he was jealous of Jordan in general. But he’s never really been the jealous type, and as far as Jordan was concerned, he trusted her completely.
No, if he tried to pin it down, it was his feelings toward Derek, not Jordan, that had caused the knee-jerk reaction. The man had never done anything specifically, but there was something niggling in the back of his mind that didn’t seem right.
Chase thought back to what Derek had written on her card that came with the flowers this morning. Things are pretty dull here without you. Nothing inappropriate, so why was he bothered?
Then it came to him like a picture slowly coming into focus. He hit the call back button on his phone but was immediately sent to Mike’s voicemail.
He veered his SUV off the interstate at the next exit and pulled into a rest area. Scrolling through his contact list, he found the general practice number.
Nancy answered on the first ring. “Clinical and Forensic Services. This is Nancy speaking.”
“Nancy, it’s Chase. Can you put Mike on the phone?” He kept his voice level, though his pulse quickened as he turned over the recent events in his mind.
“Oh, hey, Chase. He just went into a session. Is it urgent?”
Was it urgent? He wasn’t sure yet. “What about Karen?” He ran his fingers through his hair before landing them back on the steering wheel.
“Karen’s working in her office. Do you want me to connect you?”
“Thanks, Nancy.” Chase began inundating Karen with questions as soon as she picked up. “Karen, is Derek there today?”
“Chase?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s me. Sorry. I thought Nancy let you know I was on the line. I need to know if Derek is there at the office?”
“He’s been here all morning. But he cleared his schedule for the afternoon. Said something came up…a family situation. He’s okay? Nothing happened to him, did it?” she asked, sounding worried. “I thought he was driving a little recklessly when I saw him.”
“When? what time?”
“Around lunch, I guess. I was trying a new way back to the office. I saw him heading south. And you all may get your kicks from teasing me, but I can tell you I don’t drive like that. He really needs to tone it down.” She paused. “Seriously, Chase, what’s the deal? Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.” He kept his theory to himself for the moment. “Have you talked to him since then?”
“No. He seemed lost in his own world, weaving in and out of traffic. I tried to call him to tell him to be more careful, but he didn’t answer. I left a message. He hasn’t called back though. What’s all of this about?”
How in the hell had he missed it? A feeling of dread washed over him as he ruminated the question. The thoughts were eerily familiar. Damn it. Not again. “Did any of you know Derek before he started working with you?”
“No, we put out an advertisement.”
“Did anything ever happen between him and Jordan? Anything that would make him angry? Resentful?”
“No… Chase, you’re worrying me. Why are you fixated on Derek? The police got a confession from Buckman. He admitted to paying for the hit.” She paused then let out a breath. “But he didn’t admit to the rest. Oh, crap. You think it was more than one person?”
“Maybe.” Even as he spoke the word, he knew he was right. Call it intuition or whatever; something had felt off when he’d left her. And he’d foolishly attributed his worry to paranoia.
Why would a suspect confess to a hit but then deny the less serious offenses? It could happen, but that should’ve been Chase’s tipoff right there. Not wanting to waste any more time, he left the parking lot of the rest area. With no way of turning around, he reentered the Turnpike heading east. He’d been on this road hundreds of times before. The next exit with a westbound entry was miles ahead.
Karen seemed to be thinking aloud. “It doesn’t make sense, Chase. Derek is the one who saved her that night.”
“I know, Karen. Bear with me on this. I need to check some things out. Can you give me what you have on file, in terms of address, birthday, that kind of stuff?” He made a split-second decision and cut into the median, careful to keep a slightly left leaning trajectory, so he didn’t get stuck in the deep mud in the center.
“I’ll give you what we have, but it still doesn’t add up. He’s never done anything to indicate he had a role in what’s been happening.
If he did, he’s one damned good actor to have fooled all three of us. Give me a minute to grab that file.”
Now heading back in the direction he’d just come from, he drove as fast as he dared without getting stopped by the state troopers who patrolled the area. He had no time for a traffic stop.
He waited for Karen to get the information, drumming his fingers impatiently on the console next to him. His foot seemed to have a mind of its own when it came to the gas pedal, so he set the cruise control on the SUV. After what seemed like way too long, she rattled off the details she had from Derek’s employment paperwork.
“Got it. I’ll call you back.” He hit the end button before she could reply and dialed his office.
He briefed his secretary, Shelly, on the situation and the information he’d gotten. With what Karen had given him on Derek, the woman would be able to conduct a thorough background check and personal history review.
“Call me back as soon as you get anything. I need whatever you find as soon as possible.” He blew out a long breath and tried not to think about how different the situation would be had he only made the connection before he’d left Jordan.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
While watching the sun sink toward the water, Jordan stretched out her legs. A flat-topped rock in front of her made the perfect ottoman. She couldn’t believe it was already approaching nightfall, having spent over an hour in this very spot. A beautiful spectrum of colors paraded across the evening sky, and she wished for the first time since being there that she hadn’t forgotten her phone in the condo. Up until now, she’d been grateful for the uninterrupted silence and time to process the past few weeks, but she would have loved to have captured the vision in front of her on camera.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
The deep voice behind her was familiar, but she couldn’t place it. After turning around to face the speaker, she was surprised to see Derek standing on the rocks behind her.
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