Boss

by Deborah Armstrong

  “You don’t think someone has—” Val couldn’t say the words.

  “She’s gone because of you!” Jules lashed out at Dane.

  Dane opened the front door. “Let’s get inside.”

  They entered the house. Both Dane and Bates took in their surroundings. Dane nodded to Bates, who then proceeded to make his way up the stairs.

  “Answer me! This is because of you, isn’t it?”

  Dane turned to face Jules and leveled her with a furious gaze, and yet his voice was calm. “No. This has nothing to do with me. Settle down and let’s figure out where Becca is. Where did you see her last?”

  “When I arrived,” Val answered. “Jules and I walked into the living room. That’s when I noticed Becca wasn’t with us, and Jules said that Becca would be hiding.”

  “She likes to play hide and seek,” Jules said, wiping at her tears. “I saw her go into my office. There’s hardly anywhere to hide in there. That’s why—” She stopped when Dane and Lucky headed for the office.

  “I took my time finding her,” Val explained. “I wanted her to think she was hard to find.”

  Dane held up his hand, motioning her to be quiet.

  “Find,” Dane ordered Lucky. “Find Becca.”

  Three weeks of yearning to be with his newfound daughter gave Dane plenty of time to focus his energy on her safety. He knew that Lucky was smart and talented. His knowledge of verbal commands was extraordinary. Although Lucky was trained to make Dane his sole responsibility, he had a fondness for Becca. Dane knew that the moment he awakened to find the little girl sitting beside the dog reading to him. Lucky didn’t tolerate anyone in his space when he was working. Except for Becca. Dane worked with Lucky to keep Becca safe. It turned out that Flopsy wasn’t the only thing left behind. Becca left behind a dirty T-shirt, and Dane made use of it by playing hide and seek with Lucky. Dane challenged the dog’s sense of smell, and the dog never disappointed him. No matter where Dane hid Becca’s shirt, Lucky found it.

  His nose to the floor, Lucky ran to Jules’ antique desk and sat. He didn’t make a sound. The wagging of his tail was the only sign he gave.

  “Good boy,” Dane said as he kneeled beside his dog. “Bates,” he called out.

  “What’s he found?” Jules asked.

  “How long have you had this desk?” Dane asked as he examined its exterior.

  “Since I bought this house. The original owners didn’t want to take it with them because of its size, so I kept it. Why?”

  “Becca?” Dane asked as he pulled on the drawers.

  Both sides of the desk had three drawers all with locks. The three on the left side opened. The right side was different. None opened.

  “Do you have keys for the desk?”

  “No. I should have had the locks changed, but I never got around to it.”

  “You’ve never opened it? Not even by accident?”

  “No! What is it?”

  Bates arrived and made his way to the desk and crouched beside Dane.

  “I can’t find the latch. There has to be a trigger here.”

  “What do you think it is?” Bates asked him.

  “I came across one in London in an antique store. This side here is a safety box. It opens by pressing a lever. They were made to protect valuables. There’s a story about a man who put his child in one when his house came under attack.”

  “You think Becca’s in it?”

  Dane nodded. “The damned thing must be soundproofed. Otherwise, I’m sure she’d be letting us know she’s inside.”

  The men moved their hands over the wooden drawers as they tried to feel the hidden lever.

  “It’s got to be at her eye level.”

  Lucky began to whine, his tail wagging excitedly.

  “Easy boy,” Dane said softly. “Damn it. If a child could find it, why can’t we?”

  Dane looked to Jules. “Does Becca ever sit with you at your desk? Or have you seen her sitting here by herself?”

  Jules stood close to the desk. “She likes to open the middle drawer. She puts her bunny in it and pretends he’s sleeping so that she can do her work.”

  Dane opened the middle desk drawer. There was no bunny. He emptied the contents onto the desk surface and then felt the inside of the drawer.

  “Look underneath the desk. Jules used to play at her father’s feet when she was a toddler. It’s how he used to keep her busy when her mother needed some time to herself.”

  Jules took Val’s hand in hers, thankful that her aunt was with her.

  Bates pulled the chair away from the desk while Dane got to his knees and looked under the desk.

  “Here,” Bates said as he handed Dane a pocket flashlight he’d taken from inside his jacket.

  Dane took the flashlight then rolled onto his back, pushing himself under the desk. He shone the light on the woodwork, and with his free hand, he felt the edges and surface of the wood, trying to find something that would act as a lever to open the desk.

  “What the hell did you touch, sweetheart,” he murmured as his keen eyes searched for a clue.

  “Anything?” Bates asked.

  “Nothing. Hold on. There’s something—”

  It was smaller than the size of a fifty cent coin, wooden, made out of the same material as the desk and stained to match the wood grain, inset in the right side. Dane pushed the circle and waited. Slowly, the wood side began to slide out from under the desk.

  “It’s opening,” Bates said.

  “Come on,” Dane urged under his breath, impatient to see his Becca.

  He kept the light aimed at the opening. Hopeful of finding her conscious.

  “Dane, you found me!”

  Becca’s bright eyes and toothy smile greeted Dane. She lay on her side, cradling Flopsy.

  “You found a perfect hiding place, sweetie.”

  “I did, didn’t I?”

  “Do you want to come out now?”

  She nodded her head yes. Dane reached for her and pulled her out of her hideaway. He hugged her to his chest.

  “I’ve missed you, little one.”

  “Silly, Dane!” Becca teased.

  “Lucky’s here. Why don’t you go out and hug him? He’s the one who found you first.”

  “Okay.” Becca scrambled off Dane and made her way out from under the desk.

  Dane wiped his hand over his face and let out a heavy breath.

  “Lucky!”

  Dane smiled at the sound of her voice. She had no idea the ordeal she had created. He imagined this would be a story for later. Much later.

  “Becca!” Jules cried out.

  “Don’t,” Val whispered, holding her hand tight. “Don’t make a fuss. Look at her. She wasn’t scared. Don’t upset her.”

  Jules looked at Val and nodded. Val always kept a cool head about her. It was something Jules didn’t fully appreciate until now.

  “Why don’t we make coffee? Auntie Val brought Christmas cookies for you and Mommy, Becca. Should we have some?”

  “Yes!” she answered happily.

  Dane examined the hiding place. He felt the base with the palm of his hand.

  He whistled softly. “Amazing.”

  It was made to open with the pressing of the disk. Once the child or contents were placed on the base, and the weight settled, the sliding mechanism would cause the compartment to close and keep the contents hidden or, the disk could be pressed again to close it. Dane tried it a few times to make sure he was right.

  “Are you done playing?” Bates asked dryly.

  “Yes,” Dane answered before sliding out from under the desk. “Fine piece of mechanics,” he said when he got to his feet.

  “We should burn it.”

  “No,” Dane answered thoughtfully. “We know how it works, and Becca�
�s not afraid of it. It stays. Agreed?”

  Bates nodded. “Understood.”

  “We should talk,” Val said to Jules as they made the preparations for coffee and cookies.

  “Not now.”

  “I wasn’t blind when I agreed to work for Dane. My eyes were opened wide, then more so once I got to know him.”

  “He’s a gun for hire.”

  “He hasn’t shot a gun since he had his accident.”

  “You know what I mean, Aunt Val.”

  Val stopped placing cookies on the plate and leaned against the edge of the countertop. She folded her arms across her chest. “Do you ever listen to the news?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Then you’ve heard of the atrocities that happen all over the world. Despots that torture and torment innocent lives without a second thought. Armies that kidnap children and turn them into child soldiers or sex slaves.”

  “I get it. There are evil people in the world. That doesn’t excuse what he does.”

  “Dane travels to the places that are forgotten by the rest of the world. He saves innocent lives, Jules. He saves women and children condemned to a cruel and horrific life. He and his men, they’re heroes. What they do—they do it without expecting any glory or recognition. You’ll never see their names on a plaque or read about them in the paper.”

  “Bad things still happen, Aunt Val. I don’t think what he does is working.”

  “I think things would be a lot worse in the world if it weren’t for men like Dane.”

  “Let’s agree to disagree, okay?”

  “He deserves better from you.”

  “Why?”

  “If I have to point it out to you—” Val sighed heavily. “Why do I even bother? You won’t listen. You never do when you get stubborn like this. You’ll just have to figure it out for yourself.”

  “Aunt Val, I don’t want how I feel about Dane to come between us. I came home to High River for Becca to be with her family. You are all we have.”

  “I want us to be family, too, but I won’t leave him to help you raise Becca.”

  Jules nodded her head in agreement. “I don’t expect you to. I’ve enrolled her in the hospital’s daycare.”

  “I’m sure she’s made lots of friends.”

  “I wish I could remember all of their names. The stories she tells me when I bring her home—” Jules smiled as she thought of their conversations. “I don’t know if they’re make believe or real.”

  “She must get that from you. You were always good at making up stories. And from what I’ve gathered, that’s what brought Becca into our lives.”

  “You’re not going to let this drop are you?”

  “Give him a chance, Jules. That’s all I’m asking.”

  Jules chose to sit by Dane. There were other places to sit in her living room, on one of the armchairs, a stool by the fireplace, or on the cushions piled on the floor—Becca’s favorite spot. Her choice was not lost on Val who busied herself listening to Becca read to her from a book of Christmas stories, or Dane, who got to his feet when she entered the room. Lucky raised his head to take note of everyone’s whereabouts and then lay back down on the floor near Dane’s feet. Bates had left the room, taking note of the townhouse’s security system.

  She offered Dane his refilled mug of coffee. “I’m sorry for what I said to you earlier.”

  “How earlier,” Dane teased. “You’ve said quite a lot to me.”

  She nodded her head, the slight blush of embarrassment touched her cheeks. “I deserve that. I blamed you for Becca’s disappearance. I’m sorry for jumping the gun.”

  The use of the word gun did not escape Dane. “Guns aren’t meant to be jumped, Red. Don’t you know how dangerous that can be?”

  “How can you find this funny?”

  “If I couldn’t laugh at serious stuff, I’d go crazy.” Dane took a sip of his coffee. “Maybe I am crazy.” He gazed over at Becca. “I’m crazy about her.”

  “She’ll make you crazier. I’m sure she gave me a few gray hairs today. No more playing that silly game.”

  Dane turned his gaze to Jules. “Let her play hide and seek. Let her inside the desk if she wants to. I’ll show you how to open it.”

  “Why should I let her hide in the desk? It could have been her death trap.”

  “Becca wasn’t afraid of being in it. She was confident someone was going to find her. You don’t want her to think that she should have been afraid if you don’t let her play in it again.” Dane looked back at Becca. “Besides, it never hurts to have a safe place in case you need it.”

  Jules placed her hand on his arm. “What is it you’re not telling me? Is there someone after you? Could we be in danger?”

  Dane turned to her. “No one’s in danger. I’m overly cautious. I’ve seen a lot of bad in the world. I can’t help bringing some of it back with me.”

  “Val thinks of you as a hero.”

  Dane chuckled. “Hero? No. I did my job.”

  “Do you miss it? Being in action?”

  Dane placed his mug on the coffee table before him. “There are different kinds of missing. I can still fire a gun, although I can’t go on a mission. I miss being able to do that. Then there are the other things I miss, my simple pleasures, like riding my motorcycle, riding my horse, and driving. It took some getting used to having Bates drive me everywhere.”

  “Having a driver isn’t so bad. I wouldn’t mind one.”

  “Ask your aunt how she likes Bates as her chauffeur. Better yet, I’ll give him to you for a week then you can tell me how lucky I am.”

  “You’re war buddies.”

  “That doesn’t even come close. We’re each other’s life safer. The number of times we’ve saved the other’s butt.” He shook his head and smiled. “We need each other, and neither one of us is too proud to admit it.”

  Jules glanced over at Val and Becca. They were why she came back to High River. She wanted Becca to know and love the woman who had helped raise her when her life had been shot to hell. There it was again, the gun reference. Jules sighed, realizing that she couldn’t ignore guns, especially now.

  “Why did you tell me about what you do? You could have kept it a secret. I’d have been happy with you being the owner of a bar.”

  “We don’t have secrets, remember?”

  “We could have. This one time.”

  “I don’t lie. I never have.”

  “The night we met—”

  “We played a game. We didn’t lie to each other.”

  “You see everything in black and white.”

  “So do you. Don’t deny it.”

  “I’m not. It’s just that—”

  “It’s what?”

  “I don’t know what to think about you.”

  “So you want to think about me? That’s good.” Dane shifted his weight and leaned into the back of the sofa. “Thinking can be overrated. Go with your gut, Red. You did that the night we met. Do it again.”

  “I have Becca to think about now.”

  “We both have Becca to think about now.”

  Jules startled, realizing Bates stood in the doorway watching them. “Geez,” she muttered. “Does he always do that? Just appear out of nowhere?”

  “You’ll get used to him.” Dane nodded to Bates. “What’s up?”

  Bates motioned for Dane to join him.

  “Excuse me,” Dane said as he got to his feet.

  Bates waited for Dane to get out of Jules’ hearing range. “All the locks need to be upgraded. They’re shit. The little one could open them if she put her mind to it.”

  “Do it. Anything else?”

  “The backyard fence should be replaced once the snow is gone. It’s not keeping anything out and it won’t keep the mite in.”

 
; “Okay. What about cameras?”

  Bates’ eyebrow raised. “Spying?”

  “No. Keeping them safe. I want cameras at the access points so that Jules knows who’s at the door before she opens it.”

  “We’ll get it done. Have you told her you’re upgrading her security?”

  “Not yet. I just told Jules she wasn’t in any danger. She’s not going to like this.”

  “What are you two whispering about?” Jules asked from behind Dane. She’d managed to approach the men without them noticing.

  Dane cleared his throat as he turned to face her. “I asked Bates to check your locks on the house and windows. They need replacing. We can do that for you.”

  “I thought you said we weren’t in any danger.”

  “Anyone could break in here. Robberies. Kidnapping,” Bates offered.

  “This is one of the safest neighborhoods in the city.”

  “You can’t be too careful,” Dane replied. “Do you mind letting us upgrade your locks? It’s your house. Your call.”

  “If you think it’s necessary, do it. And thank you.”

  “What for?”

  “For finding Becca. I would never have thought—”

  “It’s okay.”

  The chime of the doorbell interrupted them.

  “Expecting company?”

  Bates, closest to the door, opened it, using his body as a protective barrier between the visitor and the people in the house.

  “What do you want?”

  “I’m Dr. Mark Blackwell. I’m here to see Dr. Jules Montgomery. Who are you?”

  “Mark!” Jules gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “I forgot!”

  “Forgot what?” Dane asked as he watched Jules push by him and then Bates.

  “Mark! I’m so sorry. Come in. Please. I forgot about our plans.”

  Jules looked over her shoulder at Bates. “Let him in.”

  Bates stood back without taking his eyes off the man.

  Mark stepped into the house and glanced around him, noticing that the two large men stood with arms crossed as though they were Jules’ personal security team.

  “Jules? What’s going on?”

  “We brought Val over for a visit and then decided to stay for coffee,” Dane answered for Jules. “Jules forgot to tell us she invited anyone else.”