Shane swore under his breath. “How did he get caught in the lie?”
“An anonymous tip to the website started me checking on his history. His claims all over social media didn’t match up with the reports from anyone he served with.” She remembered how easy his case had been. Her third and the one she celebrated the hardest because she’d done it alone. “His story unraveled from there and his hometown newspaper did a story.”
Shane exhaled. “How do these guys think they can get away with it?”
“Some of them do.” She lowered his voice. “Or they do unless the site or someone else exposes them.”
They walked a few more steps in silence. They’d almost hit the edge of the table when he whispered one more thing. “You do good work.”
The shock still gripped her when Frank looked up. She stuttered a few times before forcing out a greeting. “Thanks for coming.”
He tipped his head back and stared up at Shane. “Who are you?”
Shane shook his head. “Not important.”
“It is to me.”
“He’s with me.” Makena slid onto the bench across from Frank and waited until Shane sat next to her to start talking to Frank again. “As I said on the phone, we need to ask you a few questions.”
Frank shot a quick glance in Shane’s direction before focusing on Makena. He reached a hand across the table. “I heard about your house. Are you okay?”
She folded her hands together on her lap. No way was she giving this guy mixed signals.
Shane jumped in and asked, “How?”
Frank frowned. “What?”
“How did you hear about the attack?” Nothing in Shane’s tone suggested he had an ounce of patience left. His words came out in staccato bursts and he looked half-ready to lunge across the table and pounce. Probably would have done so if kids weren’t playing on a swing set in the distance.
She decided to step in before she witnessed another bloodbath. “Frank, please. We need you to answer these questions.”
He finally nodded. “There’s an online group. Men who have been targets by the Wall of Dishonor website. They talk and someone mentioned you were in trouble.”
“Trouble?”
Frank swallowed. “Attacked.”
Her stomach fell. She could have sworn she heard it thud against the ground. A sick shaking moved through her as she tried to imagine the conversation and information these men shared. “So they all know where I live?”
“Not before the police were called in.” He winced. “They do now.”
She didn’t realize her foot had started tapping until Shane put a hand over her knee. The touch should have soothed her. At any other time, it would have. But not now.
She knew these men and how desperately they held on to their lies. How they viewed themselves as victims and took zero responsibility for their behavior. Except for Frank. He’d stepped up, but now that she knew about the loop and his involvement... She kept her mouth closed because she feared she’d start throwing up any second.
Shane gave her knee a gentle squeeze. “Did you know about the group?”
She could only shake her head. She’d almost regained the ability to form words when a wall of indignation smacked into her. The mix of fury and frustration pounded off Shane. Sitting so close, she could practically feel the fire burning inside him.
“Holding back information, Frank? I thought you were all about making amends.” Shane didn’t move, but he looked bigger, more formidable. Somehow his body expanded and all the air around them stopped, as if suspended. “You understand how guilty that makes you look.”
“I wouldn’t be here if that were true.” Frank’s jaw tightened along with his fists. Only the slight bobble in his voice gave him away.
And Shane didn’t back down. If anything, he leaned in. “I’m not so sure.”
“Who are you, again?”
Shane ignored the question. “Is anyone on this loop taking credit for the attack?”
“No.” Frank held up his hands as if he thought he could hold back the flood of anger shooting at him. “No, I would have said something. There was no warning. No one is admitting anything.”
She almost hated to ask but had to. “Is anyone celebrating it?”
Frank nodded. “Everyone.”
She really was going to be sick, right there where little kids played. She wanted to get up, pace around...move across the country. Somehow she stayed in her seat. Clamping on to Shane’s hand with both of hers helped. Feeling his strength fed her. Helped her focus the rage and panic coursing through her at backbreaking speed.
“Except you, of course.” Shane’s voice dipped lower.
Makena knew that meant trouble. When his tone went soft, he hovered on the brink of explosion. This time she didn’t plan to stop him.
“I’m trying to help here. I came when called. I’ve provided information on other men.” Frank jerked in his seat when a dog started barking.
“Then give me what I need to look in on this loop.” Shane took out his cell phone and swiped the keyboard.
The move seemed so normal, so every day, but something grabbed her attention. He didn’t enter a lock code. She concentrated, studying the black rectangle in his hands. Yeah, that wasn’t his phone. She had no idea where it had come from or why he had two, but now was not the time to ask.
“You can’t just sit in or read along. This is a private loop and these guys guard all the information on there very closely.” Frank’s fidgeting ratcheted up. He looked around and leaned in. His hands kept moving.
Shane didn’t show one sign of nerves. “I probably can, but just in case give me your log-in information.”
“I...just...” Frank’s mouth dropped open, and then he turned to her. “This is a dangerous game.”
She got that now. Maybe at the beginning this had been an adventure. Never a game, because she took the work seriously, but she’d been excited about the research and uncovering information. The whole thing had given her a thrill. Now she knew how far some men would go to hold on to the lie they’d built, and it scared her.
“I’m the one people tried to kill. I’m well aware how dangerous this all is.” She doubted she’d ever forget. She wondered if she could continue doing the work or take pride in any of it from now on.
Frank played with his hat, then scratched his neck. “Fine.”
“Why are you so nervous?” Shane’s eyes narrowed as he asked.
The question pulled her attention from the numerous little things and made her focus on the bigger picture. Frank looked ready to crawl out of his skin.
“You’re not exactly the friendliest guy,” Frank said.
No, it was more than that. Something bigger. She’d seen this guy at his worst, right after being found out. Over time, he’d changed. He got sober. He told people the truth. He delivered information, maybe even some of it from that private loop.
“He’s actually being pretty civilized.” And she wasn’t kidding. Shane led with his fists. He’d been trained to ferret out the truth and punish liars.
She knew fury brewed and built inside Shane. The fact that he held it back and stayed coherent amounted to a pretty positive step forward.
“I’m not killing you for lying about being a big-time war hero, so you should consider this a good day.” Shane spun the phone around and pointed to the blank notes section. “You’re lucky, but I can’t guarantee that will last if you don’t cooperate and do it right now before I really get ticked off.”
Well said. “Listen to him.”
Frank coughed up the information. He typed it into the notes section, grumbling under his breath the entire time. He shoved the phone at Shane. “Here. Are you happy?”
Shane scoffed. “No.”
“It’s a start,” she said at the same time.
“You should know there is a guy...” Frank wiped a hand over his mouth as he blew out a long breath.
“Get to it,” Shane said as his voice sharpen
ed around the edges.
She knew pushing too hard would stop the flow of information, so she trod a bit more carefully. After rubbing her fingers over the back of Shane’s hand, she let go. Put her hand on the table in what she hoped came off as a supportive gesture. “Tell me.”
“The owner of the group is a guy named Jeff Horvath.” Frank gave one final look around before dropping his voice to a near whisper. “Be careful of him.”
She talked over whatever Shane was going to say. “Why?”
“There’s a core group of really angry guys, and he’s their leader.” Frank stared at his hands for a few seconds before looking up again. “He doesn’t try to hide his dislike of you.”
Not a surprise. He never had done so to her face, either. Still, hearing Jeff’s name sent a shiver of fear racing through her. “Okay.”
“What else do we need to know?” Shane asked.
Frank started talking before Shane finished. “Nothing.”
“That better be accurate.” Shane put both elbows on the table and eyed up Frank. “You know why?”
“I don’t—”
“Because I know where you live.” Shane didn’t even blink. “So, if anything happens to her, if someone comes near her, I’m going to assume you knew and didn’t warn her. That for some reason you made the decision not to choke up the intel for me.”
Frank shook his head. “That’s not—”
“Then I’m going to choke you.” Shane made it sound like a promise.
That was probably enough. She rushed in to get the conversation back on track. “Shane—”
Frank stood up. “I don’t have to listen to this.”
Shane rose, slow and deliberate, with each inch seeming to take a year. “Yeah, you do. That’s the price you pay for what you did.”
The nervous tics drained away, leaving behind only anger. A wall of it, from the angry red blush on Frank’s face to his ramrod-straight back and stiffness in every muscle. “And just how long do you think I should pay for my mistake?”
Mistake? Makena couldn’t believe the lack of self-awareness in that word.
“Forever.”
She liked Shane’s clear answer, so she didn’t add one of her own. She stood up, ready to march back to the car with Shane. He’d launch into a lecture at some point, and in light of the information they’d just learned, she thought she might deserve one.
But they had to get out of there. Well, she did. If she looked at Frank for one more second, she might punch him just on principle.
“We should leave.” She wrapped a hand around Shane’s arm and tugged.
He didn’t move. “Do you understand me, Frank?”
“Fine.” He had taken two steps when the crack echoed through the trees.
Makena didn’t understand what she was hearing, but it sounded wrong. As she turned toward the parking lot, where she thought the sound had come from, a pounding weight nailed her in the back. The world flashed in front of her as her body went down. She put out her hands and waited for the ground to smash into her face. But she felt a tug and turned in midair. Not by choice. Something moved her. It took a second for her to realize Shane had wrapped his body around hers.
She landed with a bounce against his chest. He groaned but didn’t stop moving. He rolled her under him, pressing her back into the freshly cut grass and her face into his chest. She was about to ask him what was happening when the screaming registered. She heard voices and crying. Glanced up and saw people running. Then Shane’s weight lifted.
“Do not move.” He issued the order as he went.
She followed the flash of his body. In a few steps he hit Frank and knocked him to the ground. They both went down with Frank falling under Shane and neither man moving.
Tires squealed and sirens wailed in the distance. It took her brain another few seconds to kick into gear. A shooting. Someone had fired at her or Shane or Frank. Maybe at all of them. She doubted this was a coincidence and they’d just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Someone knew they were there or followed them...maybe Frank had been lying all along. The long list of possibilities made her dizzy.
Her gaze flicked to him. He lay on his stomach with his arms folded over his head. His whole body bucked as he said something she couldn’t make out. Tears. The man was in a full-blown panicked cry. She sympathized. She also doubted a shooting mastermind would act like that.
Then Shane was by her side. He slid to his knees and pulled her up in his arms. His hands rubbed up and down her back as he rocked her. “Are you okay?”
“Is it over?” she stammered. She’d never tripped over her words before the attacks. Now she spent half her time trying to find the right word and spit it out.
“Makena?” Shane ran his hands over her. “Any injuries?”
Just from where he’d clunked her against the ground, but she didn’t care about that. She snuggled closer into his chest. “I’m fine.”
He held her for a few more seconds, mumbling soft words to her that made no sense but managed to soothe her. And she held on. Grabbed on to him with a death grip and refused to let go.
He finally let go, not seeming to notice she didn’t. “I need to check on everyone.”
“Don’t leave me.” She knew her answer came off as selfish and maybe a bit crazed, but she didn’t care. Irrational was all she had right then.
“It’s okay.” Each word he uttered sounded measured and calm.
“No.” That was all she could get out as she sat there all tucked and hiding from the world.
He slid that new phone out of his pocket and pushed a button. “Cam is on the line. Talk to him while I do a quick look.”
He got away from her that time. Shifted to a crouch as he scanned the area.
“You could be killed.” And that would destroy her. She’d lost control of her life, and the world kept spinning around her, but she knew that much. Losing him would rip her open until she’d never be whole again.
“The police are coming. Do you hear the sirens?” He caressed her cheek. “They are on the way, which would have made the shooter run.”
Logical. Made sense. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to process common sense at the moment. But she tried. “You better be right.”
“I am.” He leaned in and kissed her. A soft peck on her forehead, more calming than heating.
He got up and went to a lady hiding under a picnic table nearby. Makena watched until Frank blocked her view. He scrambled over to her with a pale face and a drip of blood running down from a cut over his eye.
She knew she should rush to help, but all the energy had drained out of her. She sat there unable to move. “You’re bleeding.”
Frank touched his fingers to his head and stared at the red on the tips. “From the guy knocking me down.”
The words lit something inside her. This man had pretended to rescue. Shane actually did. “He saved you.”
“I know. I was frozen.” His voice sounded far away and stilted. “Could only stand there.”
Realizing he wasn’t arguing with her or blaming Shane sucked the rage right back out of her. “Me, too.”
Some of the haze cleared from Frank’s eyes. “Is that what happened to you the other night?”
She shivered at the memory and the new one that would haunt her for days...maybe longer. “Close.”
“So this is all about the website.”
Last week she might have let the comment pass. Not today. “No, Frank, it’s about the men who lied and got called out on the website. One or more of them did this. Blame the right thing.”
“We don’t know that for sure.”
“I do.” She did. Knew it to her soul. She’d brought this danger into her life. She’d put Shane in peril. Shane and everyone in the park. Anyone who came near her. “And this time when they get caught, the punishment will be way more than public humiliation.”
Frank’s body froze. “What do you plan to do?”
That was easy.
“Stop them for good.”
Chapter Eleven
Shane couldn’t shake the rage that threatened to plow him under. The men in Makena’s life had her teetering on the edge of danger. He’d stepped out to give her space. To keep the need inside him from spilling out. The logic had made sense back then, but now he wondered if distance had done anything but cause more trouble.
He still wanted her. Kissing her, touching her, sleeping with her. It all had been so easy and felt so right. Then the bullets started flying and danger signs flashed and he fell back on the only way he knew to operate—he backed away. The cycle was making him nuts.
He blew out a long breath as he paced the parking lot. After the gunfire ended he’d performed a quick injury check of the people standing nearby. Most were shaken up, but none were injured.
Satisfied, he’d headed out here. Even now, police sirens echoed in the distance as they raced to the scene. Between the noise and calls from potential victims, an entire crowd of law enforcement should show up within minutes. Pretty soon he’d see the lights and then he’d lose control. If there was some piece of evidence to find, he needed to do it now.
Another glance in Makena’s direction eased some of the anxiety slamming into him. She sat on the picnic table bench and watched over Frank and a few of the other people who roamed around, waiting for the police to arrive.
Frank... Shane couldn’t place that wild card. The guy claimed to have some renewed sense of purpose after being exposed for the fraud he was. He acted as if he’d found a pool of integrity, but he possessed all the nervous tics of a man two inches from being caught in a lie. Not a good sign.
Shane vowed to wait and see what Connor’s investigation turned up, but Frank had moved up on Shane’s list of suspects. He did not trust the guy and certainly did not want him near Makena. Now was fine because Frank sat with his head down and looked ready to drop out of fear or guilt or whatever else was jumping around inside him.
Two Good Samaritans had the parking lot blocked off and were stopping new cars from pulling in. Shane had given them the directions and was relieved they followed them without question. Speaking with authority tended to work in these situations. Trouble made some people more willing to follow law-and-order commands. Brought out an inner protective streak Shane leaned on right now to keep the parking lot emptied out.
Tamed (Corcoran Team: Bulletproof Bachelors Book 3) Page 9