by Rebecca Deel
“Not necessary. We brought a couple extras just in case.”
“Mason loves the food from Delaney’s.” He opened the door and ushered them inside.
“Oh, Rio!” Grace’s eyes widened. “This is beautiful. And look at the piano.”
“Darcy still practices even though she’s not touring anymore. I love to listen to her music.”
“Same for me,” Trent said. “Don’t tell her I said so. Can’t give her anything to hold over my head.” He handed the takeout bags to Rio. “I’ll put Grace’s things in her room.”
“Come with me, Grace,” Rio said. “You can help me set the table. Darcy should be home soon.”
When Trent walked into the kitchen, Grace was setting the table while Rio dumped ice into glasses. The doorbell rang, followed by the sound of a key in the lock of the front door. Mason.
Rio’s cousin stopped short on entering the kitchen, his gaze taking in Trent and Grace. He nodded at Trent, smiled at Grace. “Good to see you out of the hospital, Grace.”
She grinned. “Mason Kincaid, you are the first person I’ve run into since the accident that hasn’t asked me how I feel. Thank you for that.”
He chuckled. “I figured you felt lousy so why bother asking the obvious.”
“Smart man.”
“How bad is it?” Rio asked. He held up a hand before she groused at him. “I didn’t ask if you felt bad, sugar. I know you do. You’re living in my house for a few days. That makes your health a concern for me. Spill.”
“The aches and pains will subside.”
“And the headache?”
She blinked. “How did you know?”
“I see it on your face.”
“I should wear a stocking mask for a while,” she muttered. “The headache is pretty bad.”
Rio walked over to the switch and dimmed the light. “Better?”
“Much. Thanks.”
“Oh, boy. Mood lighting,” Darcy said as she walked into the room. She made a beeline for her husband. “Thanks for taking care of dinner.”
“Wish I could claim the credit. Trent and Grace brought dinner.”
Darcy beamed at them. “Thanks, guys. Hi, Mason. How was work today?”
“We made a lot of progress on the PSI dorm. The trainees should be able to live there in another month.”
“That’s great news,” Rio said. “Maddox will be glad to stop paying the motel fees. Let’s eat. I’m starving. Josh had us running the obstacle course with the trainees today.”
Trent grinned. Rio’s unit leader, Josh Cahill, wouldn’t let his team slack off. Couldn’t since they could be deployed at any time. Now that Del, his wife, and Ivy, Alex’s wife, were expecting babies, Trent wondered if the Delta team would be willing to go on as many missions.
He glanced at Grace. If she was his wife and expecting their child, he wouldn’t be eager to deploy either.
By unspoken consent, the dinner conversation was neutral. Nothing upsetting to Grace or Darcy. At the conclusion of dinner, Rio said, “Baby, do you want to play for a few minutes?”
Her eyes brightened. “If no one minds.”
“I’d like that, Darcy,” Mason said, his voice quiet.
“I might fall asleep,” Grace said. “The nursing staff didn’t let me sleep much last night.”
Darcy laughed. “You won’t be the only person I’ve put to sleep with my music. If you snore, I’ll tease you unmercifully.”
“Just don’t record and upload it to the Internet.”
Twenty minutes into Darcy’s music, Grace was sound asleep, her arms wrapped around Trent and her head resting against his chest. Trent’s lips curved. If she didn’t wake up when the music stopped, he’d carry her to her room.
Darcy finished playing an hour later. “Beautiful, baby,” Rio murmured.
Mason stood, kissed Darcy’s cheek. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I needed that tonight.”
Trent exchanged glances with Rio, got a slight head shake in return. Wonder what was up with Mason? He was a good man, one who’d been dealt a hard hand in life. He’d made something of himself despite the hardship.
Trent’s cell phone buzzed as Mason left. He checked the screen. Zane. He’d call his friend after Grace was in bed.
“Anything wrong?” Rio murmured.
“Z wants me to call. Hope he has information for me.”
Grace stirred and opened her eyes. “Guess I fell asleep after all.”
“It’s okay,” Darcy said. “Rio thinks my music is good to sleep by as well.”
Rio wrapped his arm around his wife. “Helps when I can’t sleep because of PTSD. Now, though, I get live music instead of recordings. Grace, I want to check your stitches.”
“They’re fine,” Grace insisted.
“I want to see them for myself. Besides, I have waterproof bandages that will make showering easier.” He released Darcy. “Sit still while I get my mike bag.”
“Let him help,” Darcy said, a soft look on her face. “It makes him happy to help you.”
“He did plenty at the accident scene. Your husband crawled into my wrecked car to render aid until the ambulance arrived.”
“How do you know?” Trent asked. “I thought you were unconscious the whole time.”
“One of my friends told me. She talked to Rio when they brought me to the ER.”
Rio returned, mike bag in hand. “Go call Zane, Trent. I’ll take care of your girl.”
Trent grabbed his cell phone as he walked to the back door and out onto the deck. A breeze cooled his heated cheeks. Just the thought of Grace pinned in her car, helpless, made his blood run hot. He was looking forward to getting his hands on the clown who’d hurt his girlfriend.
“Murphy.”
“It’s Trent.”
“Finally tracked down the truck that ran Grace off the road.”
“And?”
“Nothing. Sorry, Trent. The truck was stolen yesterday morning. Whoever stole it dumped the truck in Knoxville at the West Mall. He took off on foot, climbed into another black truck two blocks over with false plates. The plates were registered to a minivan from North Carolina.”
“Did you get a look at the guy?”
“Nope. He was very careful to avoid looking directly at the cameras.”
Trent’s grip on the phone tightened. Fantastic. This clown had the presence of mind to avoid giving them a visual. “Have the police processed the truck?”
“Not yet. The Knoxville police just got an anonymous tip about a stolen truck that might have been involved in an accident.”
A tip Zane had called in, no doubt. “Keep an eye on their findings. Grace is staying at Rio and Darcy’s for a few days. Her place was broken into while she was gone yesterday.”
“Anything taken?”
“No. Someone probably accessed the calendar on her computer which had her schedule for yesterday.”
“Supports the theory that someone targeted her. What did she see or hear that she shouldn’t have?”
Good question. Another good question was how far would this guy go to shut Grace up?
CHAPTER SIX
Musical chimes woke Grace from a sound sleep. She felt around the nightstand for her cell phone, squinted at the screen, and sat up, propping her back against the headboard. “Kind of early for you to be calling, Nicole. Did you set your clock wrong?” she teased. Her friend believed four o’clock came once a day and it wasn’t in the morning.
“You’re never going to believe this, but someone broke into my apartment.”
Chills swept over her body. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine, Grace. I was too tired to drive home after shopping in Pigeon Forge, so I stayed over.” She sighed. “Guess it’s a good thing I did.”
A soft tap sounded on her door. Trent came in and shut the door behind him. Grace scooted over and patted the mattress at her side, grateful she’d worn yoga pants and a shirt to bed. Knowing he’d want to hear the conversati
on, she switched the phone to speaker mode. “Nic, I’m staying with friends right now. Trent just walked in and I put you on speaker. Tell him what you just told me.”
A pause, then, “Hello, Trent. Welcome home.”
“Thanks. I’m glad to be with Grace for a while. Tell me what’s going on, Nicole.”
“Someone broke into my home.”
Trent tugged Grace against his side. “You okay?”
“I haven’t been home yet because I stayed in Pigeon Forge after Grace left. The cops called to tell me one of my neighbors reported hearing strange noises inside my apartment.”
“Where are you now?”
“Getting ready to check out of my hotel. I had a series of work emergencies to clear up and couldn’t leave when I wanted. Now I need to see what kind of damage I’m facing.”
“You know what I do for a living?” he asked.
“Not really. Grace has been cagey about your job.”
A squeeze from her boyfriend. “I’m in private security. I want you to listen to me. Grace was deliberately run off the road on the way home from Pigeon Forge and her apartment was broken into as well.”
“Grace! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. A few stitches and bruises.”
“I don’t understand this. What a strange coincidence.”
“I doubt it’s a coincidence, Nicole,” Trent said. “No such thing in my line of work. The break-ins are connected. We need to find out why before either of you is seriously injured.”
“Do you really think Nic is in danger, Trent?” Grace asked.
“I do, baby.”
Oh, dear. She didn’t want Nic by herself and facing these people. “Can Maddox send someone to watch over Nic? What if someone tries to hurt her like they did me?”
“Don’t worry,” Nicole interrupted. “I won’t be home for long. I have to go to a lawyer’s office on Monday.”
Goosebumps surged over Grace’s body. “What lawyer?”
“Hang on a sec.” Papers rustled, then, “Washington, Randall, and Satterfield. They’re in Dumas, Tennessee.”
Grace swallowed hard. “Oh, boy.”
“What is it?” Trent asked.
“I received a letter from the same law firm, requesting me to show up in person on Monday.”
Trent hugged Grace tighter. “Nicole, why don’t you come to Otter Creek? That way I can drive you and Grace to Dumas.”
“Is it safe for her to drive here?” Grace asked. She didn’t want her best friend to experience the same horror she had.
“How could the guy who ran you off the road know Nicole would come here?”
“But what if he’s waiting for her?”
“Not possible unless he’s been staying in his car off Highway 18, waiting for Nicole to drive by. I can’t see that happening.”
A sigh from Nicole. “I guess it’s probably best if I come to you. Give me an address.”
Trent rattled off the address for Darcy’s home. “You’ll be staying here with us. My sister, Darcy, has plenty of room. She lives in a huge Victorian house.”
“What should I do about my apartment? I still don’t know how bad the damage is.”
“Your home is the most logical place for this guy to wait for you to show up. Do you really want to be there without protection?”
“Good point. I’ll be in Otter Creek in two hours.”
“We’ll have breakfast ready,” Trent said and ended the call. He turned to Grace. “Did the letter say what the lawyer wanted?”
She shook her head. “Only that my presence was required at ten o’clock, that everything would be explained and any questions answered. This is really strange.” And she didn’t like it. Once glance at Trent told her he wasn’t a fan either.
“Can you go back to sleep?” he murmured.
“Fat chance of that. I’m too keyed up after talking to Nic.”
“Take a hot shower to loosen your stiff muscles. I’ll put on a pot of coffee. Darcy’s already left for work.” He brushed a gentle kiss over her mouth and left the room.
A smile curved Grace’s lips. Trent was one observant man. She thought she’d hidden the stiffness well. Should have known Trent St. Claire didn’t miss anything.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and made her way to the bathroom. After standing under the hot water for twenty minutes, she felt almost normal. Hopefully the loosened muscles would last long enough to swallow more over-the-counter meds. Today, she’d have to move around to help the soreness leave her body faster.
After dressing, she walked to the kitchen, stopped short at the sight of Trent through the French doors, leaning against the deck railing. Rio stood beside him, dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt and fatigues, combat boots on his feet. What interested Grace the most was Trent wore the same type of clothes. They were both alert, watchful.
Her heart squeezed. How did she get so lucky as to have Trent in her life? She didn’t think he’d look twice at her so she’d been thrilled when he accepted a ride home from the hospital after he’d been injured. She believed that would be the last time she saw Trent. How wrong she’d been. Trent had called and asked her for a date the very next day. Grace didn’t regret saying yes even with her boyfriend’s erratic schedule. Her own work schedule wasn’t set in stone either.
She found a mug, poured herself a cup of the steaming coffee. More awake after several sips, Grace walked onto the deck. Trent turned, smiled. Oh, wow. What she wouldn’t give to see that face and that smile for the rest of her life.
“Good morning, Grace,” Rio said. “How do you feel?”
“Headache’s lessened, but I’m stiff and sore. In other words, on track to recover, Dr. Kincaid.”
He chuckled. “Just looking out for you, sugar. Did you change the bandages?”
She rolled her eyes. “I did. The stitches are dry and there’s no infection.”
“Excellent. Trent tells me we have another guest for a couple days.”
“It’s all right, isn’t it? I’m afraid for Nic’s safety.”
“Of course it is. Darcy will love having her here.” He clapped Trent on the shoulder. “I have to go. Josh has us running five miles with the trainees in a few minutes.” He grimaced. “If we’re late, he tacks on another two miles.”
“Go,” Grace said. She didn’t want to add more mileage to his morning. Good grief! She’d never be able to run that far even if her life depended on it. Her maximum distance was four miles.
“Darcy left breakfast wraps in the refrigerator. Should be enough for your friend as well.” With a wave, he left.
“Come on,” Trent said. “Time to eat.”
“Do you need to run first?” Trent was as disciplined as the rest of the Fortress and PSI people. She knew he ran several miles first thing in the morning.
He slid an amused glance her direction. “I already ran this morning, babe.”
“When?”
“I was awake at three.”
He’d run and showered before Trent had heard her talking to Nicole. “Did you sleep at all?”
“I only need four hours, beautiful. Rio and I kept watch through the night in shifts. He woke up early to help Darcy get ready to leave this morning. That’s when I ran.”
“Black ops guys must be superheroes. I’d love to be fully awake with only four hours of sleep,” she muttered.
A chuckle as he opened the door to the kitchen. “Military training will help you with that.”
“I’ll pass. Need help?” she said as she climbed on a barstool at the counter.
“Nope. The wraps will take less than a minute to reheat.” He pulled a covered plate from the refrigerator. “Do you want juice with the wrap?”
The thought of drinking juice made her stomach churn. “I don’t think so.” Now that the caffeine had done its job, Grace needed something else. “Do you know if Darcy has more chamomile mint tea?”
Trent grabbed the pitcher from the fridge, poured her a glass, and set
it in front of her.
After they finished their meal, Trent cleared their dishes, poured Grace more tea, and pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and placed the call on speaker.
“Maddox. Where are you and what do you need?”
“It’s Trent. You’re on speaker with Grace, boss. I’m in Otter Creek.”
“How do you feel this morning, sugar?”
“Not bad, considering. Thanks for sending Trent in the company plane.”
“It’s little enough considering how much work he’s done for me the past year. How can I help, Trent?”
“Called to give you an update. Grace’s friend, Nicole, called. Her place was broken into soon after Grace was run off the road.”
A soft whistle came through the speaker. “Interesting. Any idea why the two women were targeted?”
“Not yet. However, both women received a letter from Washington, Randall, and Satterfield, a law firm out of Dumas.”
“I’m familiar with them. The firm has an excellent reputation. Grace, do you know what the law firm wants?”
“Not a clue. What kind of cases do they handle?”
“Unless they’ve expanded their practice, they specialize in family law.”
Grace frowned. That didn’t make any sense. Technically, she didn’t have a family and neither did Nicole. They were both adopted. That was one of the reasons why they’d become fast friends in college.
“Grace was given up for adoption at birth,” Trent said.
“Nicole is in the same situation,” Grace added. “Her adoption was closed like mine.”
A male voice called Maddox’s name. Trent’s boss growled. “I have to go. Call Zane if you need help with research. Trent, watch your six. Sounds like someone might be willing to kill to keep a secret under wraps.”
Just hearing those words made Grace shudder. What could be so important? Certainly nothing that she knew of, and she suspected Nic would say the same.