On The Edge

by Rebecca Deel

  “I’m not.” Her gaze shifted to the door through which Mason had walked. “Especially now.”

  Trent stood. “Do either of you want a soft drink? I saw a vending machine as we walked into the station.”

  “That sounds perfect.” Nicole’s lips curved as she looked at her sister. “I know your answer. A bottle of water.”

  Grace’s cheeks flushed. “So I like water.”

  “Your water consumption resembles that of a camel.”

  “Did you know a farmer who lives outside Otter Creek has a couple camels?” Trent figured his girlfriend would appreciate a change of subject.

  Nicole’s mouth gaped. “You’re serious?”

  “Grace can tell you about them. I’ll be back in a minute with the drinks.”

  The outer hallway and lobby were quiet at this time of morning. Glancing out the front windows, he noted the Randall vehicle was gone. He snorted. Simon and Judy must not have been considered serious suspects. No doubt Randall had power in this city. From what Trent read, the law firm represented the most powerful people and companies in Dumas and the surrounding counties.

  He located the vending machine, made his selections, and returned to the bullpen. By the time they had finished their drinks, the time limit Nicole set for Weston to call Blackhawk expired.

  She sent a dark look toward the detective’s empty chair. “Where is that man?”

  “If he’s smart, hiding from you.” Grace nudged her sister’s shoulder. “You probably scared him off.”

  Trent glanced up as the double doors opened again. Weston led a still cuffed Mason into the large room.

  Nicole jumped to her feet and hurried across the floor. “Well?” she demanded of the detective.

  “His parole officer vouched for him. I’m still not convinced Kincaid isn’t guilty of this crime.”

  “But you don’t have any proof.”

  “I’ll find it.”

  “Good luck with that, Detective, because he didn’t poison Devin and neither did the rest of us.” She stared pointedly at Mason’s restrained hands. “Get the cuffs off of him. Now.” Once Rio’s cousin was freed of the restraints, she asked, “Is Mason free to go?”

  “Yeah. For now.”

  Nicole circled Mason’s waist with her arm and turned him toward the doors to the lobby.

  “You’ll be seeing me again, Kincaid,” Weston said.

  Neither Nicole nor Mason bothered to respond to the detective’s warning. Weston eyed Trent and Grace. “Where are you staying? We will have more questions for you.”

  Trent gave the name of their hotel.

  “Phone number?”

  He smiled. No way was he giving the cop his private cell phone number. Very few people had that number, Grace being one of them. He gave Weston the main number at Fortress. “I can’t always answer my phone, Detective. I might be deployed for another mission at any time.” He doubted the latter as his boss insisted he take a break from work, but the possibility existed if hot spots popped up around the globe and Maddox didn’t have enough available teams. “Tell whoever answers the phone you want me to call. They’ll see I get the message. Don’t bother asking for Grace’s number. You won’t get it.” The bullpen went silent.

  When it had become obvious that he and Grace were in a long-term relationship, Trent bought her a secured cell phone through Fortress so they could talk or text when he was deployed. That way her safety and his weren’t compromised should someone try listening to their conversations electronically.

  Fury burned in Weston’s eyes. “I ought to arrest you for obstruction of justice, St. Claire.”

  “But you won’t because it’d be a waste of your time and would bring a lawsuit. I’m not hindering your investigation, merely delaying contact by minutes if I’m still in the country. If I’m not, a phone call at the wrong time could cost my life and those of my team. You don’t want that on your conscience.”

  “Get out of here, St. Claire.”

  Trent pressed his hand against Grace’s lower back and nudged her forward. Once the double doors closed again, the noise the in bullpen resumed. The lobby was empty.

  “Where are Mason and Nic?” Grace whispered.

  He shook his head. “Maybe outside.” He hoped Rio’s cousin remembered Nicole was still a target. Now that he and Trent were known to be involved with the women, both of them were also under scrutiny. The desk sergeant watched them with suspicion.

  Outside the glass doors, Mason stood with his arms wrapped around Nicole. Or maybe she was the one holding him. Hard to tell from this angle. The one thing Trent knew without a doubt? Mase was holding on by a thread. He needed a safe place to decompress, fast.

  “Let’s get out of here, babe.” He escorted her from the building. “Ready?” he asked the other couple.

  “More than.” Nicole wrapped her hand around Mason’s. “I’m starving. Is there any chance the hotel kitchen is still open?”

  “Doubtful. We’ll look a drive-thru still open on the way to the hotel. If we’re not successful, I’ll go back out after I drop off you three.”

  The ride back to the hotel was silent. Trent kept an eye on the mirrors and his passengers. Since he hadn’t located a fast-food place still open, he stopped in front of the hotel. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He kissed Grace. “Don’t leave the suite or open the door for anyone but me.”

  “Be careful, sweetheart.”

  His heart skipped a beat. Man, he could so get used to hearing that from her sweet lips for the rest of his life. Once the three of them were safely inside the hotel lobby, Trent drove the opposite direction from which they’d come.

  He found a fast-food place with an open drive-thru window. Minutes later, he left the restaurant’s lot. As he made the turn into the hotel’s parking lot, a loud crack sounded and the driver’s side window spiderwebbed.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Trent stomped on the gas pedal and shot into the hotel’s parking garage. He parked away from the entrance and grabbed his Sig, alert to the possibility the shooter might have slipped into the garage and waited in the shadows. No one stepped from the shadows with a weapon pointed his direction.

  At the entrance, Trent hugged the deepest pockets of darkness and found what he expected to find. Nothing. The shooter had left when he failed in his objective. Trent holstered his weapon. He scanned the area where his SUV had been hit and estimated the angle of the shot.

  He considered hunting for a shell casing. Trent opted to retrieve the food growing colder by the minute. His better option was to wait for daylight. The area he wanted to explore was dark and he would draw less attention if he wasn’t pacing back and forth with a flashlight. If the shooter was a professional, he would have policed his brass, leaving Trent nothing to find. If he was an amateur, he likely panicked and fled the area. Chances were good the shell casing would still be there at dawn.

  As he rode the elevator, Trent thought about calling the cops to report the incident, rejected it almost before the idea was fully formed. He was out the price of a window and wasn’t injured. He could just imagine the response from Barton and Weston. A mixture of disdain and disbelief that a Navy SEAL was calling them about an alleged shooting. They already believed Grace and Nicole attempted to murder Devin, and suspected he and Mase might be involved as well. Trent doubted the detectives would put themselves out. There were no witnesses and he could have shot his own window once he was parked to throw suspicion off himself.

  No, he’d take care of this himself. If he scored a shell casing, Trent would send it to one of the labs Fortress used. He didn’t have the same constraints as law enforcement. All he needed was a direction to go looking for a motive to murder Devin Bowen and possibly his half sisters. Once he had the motive, Trent would find the necessary proof to hand over to the police after he neutralized the threat to his girlfriend and her sister.

  He unlocked the door to the suite. Mason and Nicole weren’t in sight. A ball of ice formed in his s
tomach. They weren’t supposed to leave. In light of the shooting incident, Trent worried they might run into more trouble than they could handle. Maybe the shooter had gone after easier prey. Where could they be?

  Grace got up from the couch, took one look at Trent’s face, and said, “What happened?”

  “Where are Mase and your sister?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “On the balcony. Mason took a shower as soon as we arrived in the suite, but was still feeling claustrophobic when he returned to the living room. Nic is keeping him company.” She took the bags of food and set them on the breakfast bar that separated the kitchenette from the living room. “Trent, what’s wrong?”

  He wrapped her in a tight embrace. “When I turned into the entrance of the garage, someone shot at the SUV.” When she jerked, Trent tugged her closer. “I’m fine, baby. I’ll need a window replaced, but that’s the only damage.” Hopefully, Bear would have the window in stock. The damaged window was vulnerable to shattering with its integrity compromised. He’d send Bear a text after they ate, tell the car guru Trent’s SUV needed repairs completed as soon as possible. He couldn’t afford to leave the window as it was. Grace’s life was at stake as well as the lives of the others.

  “I want to see the damage.”

  Trent pulled back enough to see her face. What little color she’d regained since they left the police station was gone, leaving behind an icy pallor. “Can you wait until morning?”

  “I don’t want to wait. Show me your vehicle.” A stubborn light gleamed in her eyes. What bothered him the most was the hint of dampness gathering there.

  Trent studied her expression, considering his options. In the end he only had one he could live with since he wanted Grace as his partner for life. Should be safe enough to take her to the garage since the shooter was probably long gone. If the shooter had sneaked into the enclosure, he would have shot at Trent as he approached the entrance.

  A further plus? By giving in now, Trent and the others would be able to eat sooner and get some sleep afterward. “Let me tell Mase where we’re going.” Despite the trauma from being behind bars even for a short while, Mason wouldn’t allow anything to happen to Nicole. Knowing Trent was away from the suite would galvanize him into careful vigilance.

  After a quick conversation with Mason and Nicole, Trent escorted Grace to the elevator and down to the garage where his SUV was parked. He was silent while she examined the window, saw the exact moment when she realized how close he’d come to being shot and possibly killed. If the SUV wasn’t equipped for safety, he wouldn’t be alive right now.

  “Trent.” Grace’s voice broke. “I could have lost you.”

  He cupped her beautiful face between the palms of his hands. “You didn’t, sweetheart. I don’t have a scratch on me.”

  She said nothing for a moment. “If the killer had succeeded, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you something I’ve been holding back.”

  Trent stilled. Holding back? What secret had Grace been keeping? Uneasiness coiled in his gut, he prayed Grace hadn’t decided the risks he took on the job and off were too great for her to tolerate. “Tell me now.”

  “I love you, Trent St. Claire. I’m sorry if it’s too soon or if the knowledge sends you into a panic, but I want you to know how I feel. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you and you didn’t know what joy you bring to my life. I hope if you’re ever seriously injured, you take strength and comfort from my words and my love, and fight with everything you have to come back to me.”

  He closed his eyes, pressed his forehead to hers as relief swept over him in a tidal wave. “Thank God,” he murmured. “It’s not too soon to tell me you love me, baby.”

  “It’s not?”

  “I’ve been holding back a secret as well. I’m head-over-heels in love with you, Grace Rutledge. I think I have been for months. I’m grateful you didn’t give up on me or find someone who is home more while I was in a cesspool attempting a rescue and protecting my teammates.”

  “Never. I would never give up on you, love.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew his head down to hers. A long, hot, deep kiss later, Grace said, “Come on. Let’s return to the suite. You must be hungry.”

  The way she said that and the words she chose made him pause. “Aren’t you?”

  She shook her head. “The prospect of eating makes me feel a little sick.” A grin appeared. “I wouldn’t be opposed to another kiss or two or perhaps a dozen.”

  Trent chuckled. “Want more kisses from me, do you?”

  “Oh, I definitely want a lot more. They might even stoke my appetite for food.”

  Using a bribe since he was concerned about her calorie intake? He grinned. “I’ll see what I can do.” Definitely not a hardship on his part. When he’d been keeping watch deep in the night on many missions, Trent remembered kisses Grace shared with him and longed for more. Yeah, he wouldn’t mind sharing a lifetime more of those addicting kisses with Grace.

  Back in the suite, Nicole was pulling hamburgers and French fries from the bags and dividing the food on the breakfast bar. “Drinks?” she asked Trent.

  “Vending machine. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Mason shoved his hands through his hair, displacing the neatly combed strands.

  Trent didn’t need another pair of hands for this job. So what was up? “Sure. Why don’t you bring the ice bucket.”

  Mason didn’t say anything as they walked to the opposite side of their floor to the alcove with vending machines containing snacks, soft drinks, and water as well as the ice dispenser. Trent pulled out his wallet and fed dollar bills into the drink machine.

  He glanced at the construction worker who stood staring into the bowels of the ice machine without using the scoop to gather cubes. “What’s up, Mase?”

  “The memories are too close.”

  “Figured. You can handle them.”

  Mason’s gaze locked on his. “I spent every minute in that godforsaken police station praying I didn’t hurl in front of Nicole.” He swallowed hard. “I still might.”

  “You won’t. I know you, Mason. You’re a strong man with an iron constitution and a titanium spine. If you hadn’t been, you never would have made it out of prison in one piece and with your sanity intact.”

  Rio’s cousin said nothing for a minute, then sighed, discouragement evident. “I should stay away from Nicole.”

  “Why?”

  A snort. “As evidenced by what happened with the detectives, I’ll never be free of suspicion. I don’t want my lousy history to affect her. No woman deserves to be tainted by my past.”

  “Don’t sell yourself short.”

  Mason grabbed the scoop and jabbed at the mound of ice. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. We don’t live in the same town.”

  Trent didn’t bother to tell the other man his reasoning might not matter soon. He had a feeling Nicole wasn’t happy with her job. Plus, now that she knew Grace was her biological sister, she had a good reason to move closer to her blood relative.

  He doubted either of the women would ever consider Devin anything more than an acquaintance. Besides, Devin had made it clear he didn’t want a relationship with them and neither did his wife. They were both too worried the sisters wanted two-thirds of the Bowen estate for themselves.

  “I’m not an expert on relationships, but if you’re interested in Nicole, go for it and start courting that woman.” He held up his hand when Mason looked as though he would protest. “Just think about it. You don’t want to throw away the best thing that ever happened to you because you were being noble. She wouldn’t appreciate you protecting her from you.” Trent’s lips curved. “Grace’s sister will make up her own mind.”

  They carried the drinks and ice bucket back to the room.

  “Perfect timing,” Nicole said with a smile. “Grace and I warmed the hamburgers and fries.”

  Within minutes, the food was gone. Guess Grace’s appetite had
resurfaced without his kisses. Too bad. He’d been looking forward to them. Trent checked the time. “We should try to sleep.”

  “I’m afraid it’s a waste of time for me.” Grace gathered trash. “I still have enough adrenaline running through my veins to keep me awake for hours.”

  Nicole looked at Mason. “Since you’re my new boyfriend, why don’t you walk me home.”

  He blinked, glanced at the door on the other side of the suite. “Sure.” Mason held out his hand to Grace’s sister and escorted her to the bedroom door. After a whispered conversation, he kissed her cheek and nudged her inside the room before returning to the balcony and pulling the door closed behind him. He sat with his back to the glass, looking as though he was settling in for a while.

  Trent suspected Nicole and Mason had contrived to give him and Grace time alone. He helped his girlfriend with the cleanup. “Come on. Let’s see if we can find a movie to watch for a few minutes.” Once she was down for the night, Trent planned to call Bear.

  He led Grace to the couch and gathered her close to his side. Grabbing the remote, Trent hunted for an old movie. The pace on those was slow. He hoped his body heat and a slow-developing plot would be the perfect antidote to a difficult evening. Once her adrenaline dropped, Grace would crash, hard. He knew she was exhausted even though she didn’t feel it at the moment. Trent felt the drain on his energy as well.

  He found one of his favorite movies with Humphrey Bogart. Perfect. Black and white with a slow plot, mystery, and romance all wrapped in one package. Trent eased her head against his shoulder. “Relax. Let me hold you for a while. I can’t tell you how much I miss this, sweetheart.”

  “Me, too,” she murmured. “Sometimes when you were gone for weeks, I would ache to feel your arms around me.”

  Was it any wonder he loved this woman? Trent pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Those late night phone conversations and texts kept me sane when all I wanted to do was jump on the nearest plane and come home to you.”

  “Do you consider Otter Creek home?”

  “Home is wherever you are, my love.”