by Rebecca Deel
“I don’t think he’ll be willing to leave.”
“Why not?”
“Grace’s sister, Nicole, is here. He won’t leave her.”
“So the fake relationship isn’t fake?”
“I don’t think it is anymore. He’s aware of the risk of staying.”
“Make sure Mason is covered. He’s a good man and I don’t want him behind bars again. He’s come too far to end up with hardened criminals for another stint in prison.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You might need another person to watch your back. If this does come down to a fight, Mason can’t help unless it’s in self-defense.”
He considered asking for backup while he was in the shower, and Trent was reluctant to bring someone else in unless Mason wasn’t able to help. Guess he needed to have a private talk with Rio’s cousin. “I’ll talk to Mase. Fortress is already aware I may need backup.”
“Don’t wait too long. Mason will always be the first suspect because of his record.”
“How are Serena and Lucas?” The police chief’s wife had given birth to their son a few months earlier when Trent was deployed with his unit.
“Fantastic. Lucas is growing fast and Serena is an amazing mother. They’re my life.”
Longing hit Trent with the force of a tidal wave. He wanted the same for himself, one day soon he hoped. The timing for starting a family depended on how soon Grace felt ready. She would carry the lion’s share of the load for their family when he was deployed. Knowing that, would she still be willing to raise a family with him?
When a muffled voice came over the phone’s speaker. Ethan paused, then said, “I have to go. I want an update in six hours.”
Amusement surged through Trent. Yeah, Ethan wasn’t his commanding officer, but he wanted to be kept in the loop just the same. Didn’t blame him. “Yes, sir.”
“Let me know if I can help.” Ethan ended the call.
Trent slid his phone into a pocket. Since he’d never unpacked his Go bag, the operative took a minute to enjoy the quiet. One thing he’d learned on missions over the years, you enjoyed the pockets of peace when you had a chance. Those moments didn’t happen often.
The French door opened behind him. Without turning, he knew his visitor was Grace. Trent held out his hand. “Come sit with me.”
“What did Ethan say?” she asked as she sat in the chair beside his.
“He’s worried about Mason.”
“So am I. Do you think Ethan could convince Barton and Weston to let Mason go home?”
“I don’t think it would matter if he had permission. Mase won’t leave Nicole.”
“I’m afraid you’re right. She’s been trying to convince him to leave since you came out here. He’s not having it.”
Oh, yeah. Mason Kincaid might not know it yet, but he was a goner. Trent smiled. Couldn’t think of anything nicer coming out of this situation. Now if Nicole developed the same feelings for Mase and she moved to Otter Creek, everything would be perfect.
“What do we do now?” Grace asked.
“We can’t wait for Barton and Weston to figure out what’s going on. They’re too focused on us.” He stopped as a thought occurred to him. “What about Ron Satterfield?”
“What about him?” Grace’s nose wrinkled.
“We haven’t heard from him.” He grinned. “I thought he would have called you by now to press his case for you to go on a date with him.”
“Not funny, baby. I would be happy never to see him again.”
“The man has good taste.” The smile faded. “I don’t share, though.”
“Good.” She brushed his lips with hers. “I don’t, either. Make sure you tell that to the women who hit on you.”
“Call the law office. See if Satterfield has access to the papers you and Nicole need to sign.”
A moment later when she spoke to the receptionist in the law office, Grace tapped the speaker button. “This is Grace Rutledge. Is Mr. Satterfield available?”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Rutledge. Mr. Satterfield hasn’t come in today.” The woman’s voice sounded frazzled.
Trent’s eyes narrowed. Two of the partners hadn’t showed up today? “This is Trent St. Claire, Grace’s boyfriend. When do you expect him to come in?”
“He should have already been here. Were you able to talk to Mr. Randall?”
“No, ma’am. That’s why we wanted to consult with Satterfield. He knows about the forms for Grace and her sister.”
“I see. Does Mr. Satterfield have your number?”
“Let me give you my work number. If he agrees, leave his contact information.”
Grace turned a troubled gaze toward Trent when the call ended. “I don’t like this. The situation was the same with Simon Randall and look how that turned out.”
“We need to find Satterfield.” Trent called Zane.
“What do you need, Trent?”
“Several things. First, you’re on speaker with Grace. I need a new hotel, one outside the city of Dumas.” He brought his friend up to speed on what had happened the past twelve hours.
“Someone has a target on your back.”
His gaze locked with Grace’s. “Mason and I are all that’s standing between the attacker and the women.”
“Name you want to use?”
Trent thought about his options and chose one of the IDs he’d procured for himself. “Thomas Slater.” He took a picture of his credit card in that name and sent it to Zane.
“What else can I do to help?”
“We need to find Ron Satterfield. He’s a partner in Randall’s law firm. He hasn’t been in this morning although he was expected. The last time we saw him was at the hospital last night.”
“I don’t like Ron,” Grace said, voice soft. “But I don’t want to see him end up dead like Simon, either.”
“I understand, sugar. Hold.” The sound of keys clicking drifted over the speaker. “Satterfield has three residences listed. One is his family home. Parents are still living there. The other two are in his name alone. One residence is in the mountains, maybe a vacation cabin. The other is on the outskirts of Dumas.”
“Whatever hotel you send us to, make sure it’s nowhere near Satterfield.”
“Same room arrangements?”
“If possible. The suite worked well for us.”
More keys clicking. “Done. I’m sending the address and hotel confirmation to your email. What else?”
“I’m sending a bullet casing to the lab. I need it processed, fast.”
“Better not be one of the casings at the Randall place. Even Maddox can’t keep you out of the pokey if you filched the brass from a crime scene.”
“It’s from the bullet fired at my SUV. I didn’t report the incident. My omission isn’t going to be a problem. I need that information, Z.” Grace’s safety was in jeopardy.
“Let me check one thing.” A minute later, Zane said, “Hold off on sending the package to the lab. We have an operative an hour away. I’ll divert him to your new hotel and he’ll pick up the brass. If we’re lucky, we’ll have information for you in a few hours.”
“Who am I looking for?”
“Adam. He ran through a few exercises with Durango last night. He’s on his way to Nashville as we speak.”
Excellent. Adam Walker was as tough as shoe leather, well-trained with deadly skills, and a good man to have at your back. The Force Recon soldier was also Zane’s brother-in-law.
“Trent, if you need him to help, he’ll be happy to stay. The boss doesn’t expect him back in town until this weekend.”
“I’ll talk to him.” After he talked to Mason. “If he stays, we’ll send the casing to the lab via express mail. A few more hours probably won’t make much difference. We have a missing lawyer to track down and Mase needs recovery time. If we’re lucky, we’ll have a chance to speak to Judy Randall.”
Grace shot him a skeptical glance. Yeah, based on what she’d said earlier, he didn’t think that likely. Beside
s, if the Dynamic Duo, as Nicole dubbed them, found anything useful and logged it into their computers, Zane would have it in a matter of minutes.
“Do you know Mrs. Randall’s condition?”
“No,” Grace said. “I planned to corner one of the nurses when I visited Devin.”
“I’ll see what I can find out. I’ll get back to you.” He ended the call.
Trent stood. “Let’s see if Mase and Nicole are packed. We need to get out of here.” Trent knew in his gut something else was coming.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Trent slung his Go bag over his shoulder and picked up Grace’s small suitcase. Though Mason was sore from his encounter with the truck, he insisted on carrying his and Nicole’s luggage to the SUV.
Trent had already settled the bill at the front desk and was reluctant to attract attention by traipsing out the front door with luggage in their hands to his waiting vehicle. No, he’d rather take his quarry by surprise.
He herded the group to the elevator and punched the button for the garage level. Trent figured with everything going on, Barton and Weston had the plainclothes cop watching the hotel to make sure they didn’t run. He didn’t run from a fight, but he wasn’t letting the woman he loved be a sitting duck for someone trying to kill her, either.
When the silver doors slid open, Trent stepped out first and scanned the interior of the garage to make sure it was empty of threats before he let the others leave the safety of the elevator. He unlocked the SUV and stored their bags in the cargo area before climbing behind the steering wheel.
After checking the hotel name and location on his phone, Trent drove from the garage and turned toward downtown Dumas. He spent several minutes turning squares, making sure they weren’t followed by either a cop or a criminal. When he was satisfied they were clear, he drove to the new hotel.
His eyebrows soared at the sight of the building. Very nice. He bet the price tag would match the luxury of the place. He’d gladly pay the price, though, if it kept Grace and the others safe.
Trent parked in the garage of the hotel, and they unloaded the SUV. In the lobby, he registered them under his alternate ID and grabbed two key cards.
Inside the suite, Grace and Nicole made noises of approval over the lush, thick carpet, overstuffed sofa, loveseat, and recliner, and full kitchen, complete with an espresso machine. Even Trent had to admit the place was beyond his expectations. Once rooms had been chosen and luggage moved to the appropriate place, they congregated in the living room.
Nicole stared at the gas log fireplace. “I want one of those. Ever since I moved from home, I’ve missed having gas logs. Nothing beats the warmth they generate without the mess to clean up.”
“I can install one for you,” Mason said.
“I live in an apartment. I don’t think the landlord would appreciate the remodeling job.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “I’ll remind you of the offer again when I move into a house, though.”
“Deal.”
Trent’s cell phone signaled an incoming text. He checked the screen, typed in a message. “Adam is here.”
“Who is Adam?” Mason asked.
“Adam Walker is Zane Murphy’s brother-in-law.”
A frown. “Isn’t that the guy Zane and the Durango team rescued from a sadistic drug lord a few months ago?”
“The same.”
“What’s he doing here?”
“Taking a bullet casing to a private crime lab to process. He’ll stay if we need him.” Trent speared him a pointed look. “Do we need him, Mase?”
Rio’s cousin was silent a moment. “Might be a good idea to have someone else here.” He grimaced. “So far, I haven’t done the best job.”
“That’s not true,” Nicole said.
“Mason, you saved Nic’s life.” Grace laid her hand on his forearm. “You put your own life at risk to save my sister. Nic has one scratch on her arm while you’re bruised all over, and Trent has been able to sleep because of your vigilance. You’ve been effective.”
Mason slid a glance Trent’s direction, questions in his eyes. Trent nodded. “She’s right. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. The only reason I considered asking Adam to stay is you’re banged up and distracted.”
The other man’s cheeks flamed. “No more distracted than you. I can handle it,” he muttered.
Nicole looked puzzled. “Handle what distraction?”
A knock sounded on the door, saving either of them from having to answer Nicole’s question. Palming his Sig, Trent checked the peephole and admitted Adam to the suite. “Thanks for the package pickup, Adam.”
“No problem. I was in the area.” Adam’s gaze swept over the others in the room in a threat assessment Trent recognized from his own military training. He doubted that would ever change for either of them.
Trent drew Grace forward. “Grace, this is Adam Walker. Adam, my girlfriend Grace Rutledge.”
Adam shook her hand briefly. “Ma’am.”
“Please, call me Grace. I’ve spoken with your brother-in-law, Zane, on the phone a number of times in the last few days. He’s been invaluable.”
He gave a lopsided smile, the deepest scar on his face restricting his muscle movement. “He’s a good man, but don’t tell him I said that. He thinks I tolerate him because of Claire. Wouldn’t want him to think I like him. Keeps him on his best behavior this way.”
Grace smiled. “Adam, this is my sister, Nicole, and Mason Kincaid, Rio’s cousin.”
Adam greeted both before turning to Trent. “Zane said you might need backup. I’m not due in Nashville for a few days. I’ll be glad to assist.”
“I could use another person on our team, one who’s objective. However, I still need to transport this bullet casing to the lab for testing.”
“The lab’s an hour away. Give me a sit rep, then I’ll take the casing and return.”
He studied the operative’s face a few seconds, nodded. Adam seemed fully recovered from his ordeal in captivity. Operatives, though, were notorious for ignoring injuries and pushing themselves back in the game long before they were ready or medically cleared.
Trent gestured toward the couch. “Let’s talk.” When everyone was seated, he brought Adam up to speed.
The Marine whistled softly. “Someone has a target on your backs. Makes me wonder why. What’s the game plan?”
“We need to find the missing lawyer.” Trent frowned. “At the very least, he knows about the forms Grace and Nicole need to sign.”
“Aren’t you curious if Clarice is with Ron?” Nicole asked. “They disappeared close to the same time, a fact Weston and Barton failed to mention.”
“The thought crossed my mind.”
“Maybe they aren’t aware he’s missing,” Grace said.
“Clarice would have to be cold to go off with another man while her husband is fighting for his life in a hospital bed,” Mason said.
Trent threaded his fingers through Grace’s. “You’d be surprised what people will do with enough incentive.”
“You can’t deny there were romance vibes between Ron and Clarice when they were in the same room.” Nicole rested her head on Mason’s shoulder. “Why didn’t Devin pick up on it? They were blatant about the interest.”
“Maybe Devin sees the interaction so much he ignores the byplay between them,” Grace said.
Didn’t make sense to Trent. No way would he ignore any man making moves on Grace. He’d confront the interloper and squash any further attempts to take Grace from him.
Adam stood. “Where’s the casing?”
Trent handed the plastic bag to his friend along with one of the suite key cards. He inclined his head toward the room he’d just left. “You can store your Go bag in there. Grace and Nicole are in the other bedroom.”
Adam shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll sleep on the couch or the floor out here.” His lips curved. “I’ve slept on worse.”
Trent grunted. Fact of life in the military. You learned
to sleep whenever and wherever you had the chance. “No need, man. There are two double beds. Only one of us needs to stay awake each shift. You might as well sleep in comfort.”
With a short nod, Adam left to complete his errand.
“What now?” Nicole asked.
He planned to do more digging into the backgrounds on the Randalls, the Bowens, and Satterfield, but he could do that during his night shift with his laptop. Through Fortress, he had access to many databases. If he needed more information, he’d tap Zane or one of the other tech geeks for the work. Something was triggering the attacks and he needed to figure out what before the attacker killed another person.
Trent frowned as another thought occurred. What if the problem stemmed from Grace or Nicole’s background or their families? Man, he didn’t want to go behind Grace’s back to dig into her background. However, she might not be aware of questionable things her family didn’t share with her.
“Trent?” Grace’s soft voice brought his attention to her. “What is it?”
“Thinking about where to focus.”
A skeptical look crossed her face, but she didn’t challenge his statement. Yet. His lips quirked. His Grace wouldn’t let him get by with that vague answer for long. When she did confront him, he planned to tell her the truth. Though their life together wouldn’t be easy, he would be honest with her as long as he wasn’t sworn to secrecy because of national security.
He wrapped his arm around her waist. “I want to go to Satterfield’s house outside of town. If Satterfield is there, I’ll find out why he’s not answering his phone and what he knows about Clarice’s disappearance.”
“And if he’s not there?” Nicole asked.
“I’ll look around, see if I find anything to help us unravel what’s going on.”
Her jaw dropped. “You’re going to break a window?”
Trent grinned. “Who said anything about breaking glass?”
She blinked. “But how will you get inside the house?”
“Don’t ask. You can’t tell what you don’t know, Nicole.” He turned to Mason. “You need to stay here, Mase. I don’t plan to get caught, but unexpected things happen during missions. I promised Ethan I’d make sure you were covered. This little field trip isn’t one you should go on.”