Don't Let Go

by Rebecca Deel

  “Do you want me out of your life, Simon?”

  “Are you kidding? I’ve wanted you for months. Giving you up hurts more than I can bear.”

  “Don’t push me away. I need you. You’re the only man I trust to keep me safe from the danger stalking us all.”

  His hold tightened. “Dirty pool, Zoe.”

  The other Fortress operatives assigned to PSI were well trained and could protect her. They weren’t Simon Murray, the man she’d dreamed about every night since he arrived in Otter Creek. She fought to preserve their budding romance. She loved his protective streak. His tendency to put himself last? She didn’t love that.

  “Stop fighting with me and start fighting for me, Simon,” she whispered.

  He remained quiet for a while, silently fighting an internal battle, his body tense and still. Finally, his muscles softened and he sighed, his warm breath against her ear sending another cascade of shivers through her body. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” No hesitation.

  “You’ll do everything I tell you, when I tell you?”

  “When it concerns my safety or yours. Anything else depends on the importance of the topic and how strongly I feel about an issue.”

  Simon’s rough laughter rumbled in his chest. “Fair enough. I hope you don’t regret your decision.” He ushered Zoe into the hall.

  Matt straightened. “Well?”

  “She won’t do the smart thing and kick me to the curb.” Simon’s voice held a mixture of concern and relief.

  A smile curved the medic’s lips. “Good for you, Zoe. Bravo women don’t run when trouble hits. They dig deep and stand strong.”

  A Bravo woman. Zoe liked the sound of that and felt honored to be included in those ranks. Only time would prove whether she and Simon were perfectly suited for each other, but she couldn’t imagine her life without him.

  She and Simon returned to Piper’s room for the remainder of their shift.

  At the top of the hour, Trent and Cade arrived to spell Matt and Simon. Simon handed off the watch and escorted Zoe to his SUV.

  He drove from the parking lot. “We have enough time to stop by your house for you to change clothes and head to PSI. Do you want me to stop at the diner for hot drinks?”

  Zoe shook her head. “I’ll make coffee while we bake.”

  Minutes later, Simon followed her to the front door of her home.

  Zoe shoved her key in the deadbolt and frowned. The door wasn’t locked. Chills bumps surged up her back. She never left her door unlocked, no matter how tired she was. She removed the key and moved away from the door until her back pressed against Simon’s chest.

  His hands cupped her upper arms. “What’s wrong?”

  “The door is unlocked. I know I locked it.”

  Simon eased her to the side and pulled his gun. “I’ll go in first. When I signal you, come inside and stay by the door.”

  “Be careful.”

  He squeezed her hand, then twisted the knob with his shirt-covered hand. Simon turned on the light and uttered a soft whistle.

  Zoe frowned. “What is it?”

  The operative moved aside. “Take a look.”

  She walked into the living room and gasped. Someone had broken into her house. Unlike Macy’s place, the person who broke in here wasn’t concerned about hiding his presence. Books littered the floor along with couch cushions. Pictures had been swept off her bookcase and lay among broken shards of glass around the floor. Decorations that had been on the wall now lay scattered around the room.

  “We should check the rest of your place,” Simon murmured. “Stay behind me.”

  Zoe believed that precaution wasn’t necessary. Why would the person who broke in be waiting for her return? She followed Simon throughout the rest of the house.

  When they reached her bedroom, Simon growled.

  “Is it safe to look?” she whispered.

  “Yeah.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as she took in the new paint on her walls.

  Written in red were the words, “Next time, I won’t miss.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Simon snapped pictures of the interior of Zoe’s house while Nick interviewed her and took notes. The detective had scowled at him when Simon walked toward the house. Tough. He wanted visual proof of the destruction. Partly for the insurance company. Partly to see if there was a pattern to the destruction. Right now, he was too angry to see past the red haze in his mind.

  Someone was out to terrorize Zoe and doing a great job. What was the point? The creep had to know Simon would protect her from threats. Was he hoping to make her run, separate her from Simon? If that was the goal, the plan was doomed to fail. Zoe Lockhart wouldn’t cut and run. She was made of sterner stuff than that.

  On one hand, he was thrilled to find a woman strong enough to stand in the face of adversity. At the same time, fear for Zoe’s safety settled deep into his bones. He wanted to whisk the sexy baker far away from Otter Creek and place a battalion of guards around her.

  The last shot he took was the wall vandalized with red paint. At least the words had been scrawled with paint instead of blood. Although he hadn’t touched the mark with his finger, Simon had scraped a small sample into a bag to send to the lab Fortress used. The scent had been of fresh paint, not blood as he’d feared. Whoever this guy was, Simon wouldn’t have been surprised if the thug had used animal blood or Macy’s blood to scrawl ugly words on Zoe’s wall in an effort heighten the terror quotient. As it stood now, he doubted the lab would discover anything distinctive in the paint to nail the creep targeting Zoe.

  He made his way through the house to the front yard where Nick and Zoe stood by Simon’s SUV.

  “Are you sure nothing is missing?” Nick asked her.

  “Positive. This is like Macy’s house.”

  Not quite. Macy’s break-in artist looked around and moved the dressers. Zoe’s place looked as though someone threw a temper tantrum and destroyed as much as possible.

  The detective frowned. “You haven’t received threats?”

  She shook her head.

  “No former boyfriends with an ax to grind or a man you turned down for a date?”

  “I haven’t dated anyone seriously in three years. The last relationship ended by mutual consent. Grant Caldwell is now happily married to one of my friends from high school. He’s not attacking my friends to win me back.”

  “But men have asked you out on dates in recent months.”

  Simon slid his arm around Zoe’s shoulders and drew her against his side in silent support.

  “I’ve had some offers.”

  Some? From the talk around town and PSI, a long string of civilians, operatives, and trainees had been turned down by Zoe.

  “Did you go out with any of them?” Nick asked.

  She shook her head. “The only man who has interested me for months is Simon. Before that, setting up the bakery and getting the business off the ground took up all my time.”

  “Did anyone seem insulted that you turned them down?” Nick held up his hand before she could respond. “Think about it and get back to me. I know several men asked. Madison and Del’s store is a central gossip point for the town busybodies. My wife mentioned the string of men hitting on you because the old biddies were wagering on who would win the first date.”

  Simon chuckled. “Who won the bet?”

  A quick grin from the detective. “Ethan’s aunt. Ruth is sharp as a tack and she noticed how you and Zoe acted when you were in the same room together…” His smile faded. “Could these incidents be connected to you, Simon?”

  Simon hesitated. In a matter of hours, Josh Cahill, Nick’s brother-in-law, would inform his entire family about the security leak. Nick should keep a close eye on his wife. “It’s possible.”

  Nick’s scowl deepened. “Explain.”

  Simon summarized what he knew about the security leak, precious little at this point. If Zane didn’t come up information soon, Simon would go
over his head to Maddox. Zoe was his to protect. He would keep her safe. If he failed, Simon would spiral into the darkness. He’d lost many friends to the war on terror. He refused to lose Zoe, too.

  “Does Josh know?”

  He nodded. “Durango and Bravo are meeting at PSI to discuss the situation and devise a plan to handle the fallout and security measures.”

  “If Maddox handled the security leak already, the only loose end is the party the traitor sold the information to.”

  They didn’t know who was gunning for them. If the traitor sold the information to more than one interested party, Otter Creek would become a blood bath.

  Simon’s hands fisted. They would uncover every bit of information the traitor leaked and stop the attacks. He couldn’t help but wonder if more than one person was breaking into houses. “Don’t let down your guard, Nick. Something isn’t adding up.”

  “Meaning?”

  “We might be dealing with more than one group.”

  Nick dragged a hand down his face. “Great. Just what we need. Look, I know your missions are classified and I respect the reason for the secrecy. But my wife’s safety is at stake as well as the safety of Otter Creek citizens. I need more information.”

  “I’ll pass along as much as I can. So will Josh. We know what’s at stake.” He wouldn’t be able to forget. The responsibility for Zoe’s safety weighed heavy on Simon’s mind. There was no limit to what he would do to protect her. “Do you need anything else? I’m taking Zoe to PSI. She has bakery orders to complete.”

  The detective closed his notebook. “I have what I need for now. If you leave town, I need to know.”

  “Yes, sir.” Simon helped Zoe into his SUV and drove them toward PSI. When Zoe remained silent, staring out the passenger window, he said, “Are you all right?”

  “Not really.” She twisted to face him. “Why did he destroy my belongings? Breaking in and scrawling those words on the wall would have done the job.”

  “Fortress will replace everything.” Especially since it appeared that Zoe’s connection to Simon might be the cause of her current troubles.

  “Why did he escalate to that level of destruction when a threat would have been sufficient to get his point across? What caused him to destroy instead of threaten?”

  Zoe frowned. “Some creep killed Macy with a knife and bashed my head against a wall. Someone broke into Macy’s house but didn’t take anything. He looked around and moved the dresser a little. Piper is injured in an attack. My house is trashed and a verbal threat is painted on my wall. Do we have two different groups preying on Bravo’s women?”

  That was the question. “Noticed that, did you?”

  “You already knew.”

  “I suspected. I don’t know if the two groups are related to the Fortress leak or not.”

  “Find out. I don’t want more of my friends at risk.”

  His lips curved. “Yes, ma’am.” If he’d had any doubts about Zoe’s ability to handle the potential danger of being involved with a black ops soldier, those doubts were a long distance behind him. Zoe Lockhart had the courage of a lion and a steel spine. A blessing and a curse.

  He held her hand until they reached PSI’s security gate. After carding them into the compound, Simon parked in the employee lot and ushered Zoe inside the main building.

  The hallways were shrouded in shadows, the place quiet in the early morning hour. He walked with Zoe to the kitchen and turned on the lights. “What are we making this morning?”

  “Blueberry muffins and cranberry-orange scones. I’ll replace Nate’s supplies when Nick releases my bakery.”

  After washing their hands, they started to work. Simon measured and dumped ingredients into the industrial mixer while Zoe prepared the pans needed for baking muffins and scones.

  Once the first batches of muffins were in the ovens, Zoe made coffee. Two hours into their work, Nate arrived.

  “Good morning. How’s it going in here?”

  Zoe smiled. “We’re right on schedule. Turns out Simon is a great kitchen assistant.”

  The EOD man’s eyebrows rose. “Is that right? Guess I know who to call if I need a hand in here.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up, buddy.” Simon wiped his hands on a nearby towel. “I’m a world-class follower of directions. Zoe is a champion director.”

  “I can work with that.”

  Simon sent his friend a narrow-eyed look to Nate’s amusement.

  The other operative sobered. “How’s Piper?”

  “Resting comfortably when we left the hospital. She refused pain meds for the headache.”

  Nate frowned. “Liam should have insisted.”

  Simon hesitated but Nate and the rest of Durango would learn about the baby in a few hours. “Piper is pregnant.”

  “That’s great! Stella will be thrilled for them.” Nate washed his hands and went to the refrigerator to grab ingredients for breakfast. “How’s the nausea this morning, Zoe?”

  “Better.”

  “Good enough that you can tolerate the scent of meat cooking?”

  She held up the mug of tea she’d brewed a short time earlier. “I remembered your breakfast plan. I have chamomile mint tea. If I need something stronger, I’ll grab another soft drink.”

  “Need help, Nate?” Simon asked.

  “You have a decent hand with bacon?”

  “It’s a staple of my breakfast menu.” Not that he’d be opening his own restaurant anytime soon, but he had a fair hand with breakfast items.

  “You’re hired.” Nate tossed him a large package of bacon.

  “I’m baking enough muffins and scones to include with your breakfast burritos,” Zoe said.

  “You’re going to be the VIP at breakfast this morning, sugar. Thanks for thinking about us.”

  “It’s the least I can do for allowing me to use your kitchen.”

  They made breakfast burritos and finished baking muffins and scones several minutes before trainees and instructors arrived for the meal. They boxed up muffins and scones to be delivered to Sasha’s coffee shop, Perk.

  Zoe secured the lid on the last container. “I need to deliver the order before six. I promised Sasha I would deliver at the normal time.”

  “I’ll help you load up.” Nate tossed aside his towel and went to a supply closet where he pulled out a cart. “This should work to transport the containers to the SUV.”

  They loaded the cart with baked goods and stored them in the cargo area of Simon’s vehicle. “Thanks, Nate.”

  “See you when you return. I’ll save breakfast for you.”

  As he and Zoe drove from the PSI grounds, Zoe said, “I didn’t want to hurt Nate’s feelings, but I’m not sure I can eat what he’s serving today.”

  “Good thing you made muffins and scones.” He winked at her. “They smell amazing. Thanks for thinking of trainees and instructors. We always appreciate having your baked goods. Eating your baking two days in a row will put everyone in a good mood.” Well, maybe not everyone. He couldn’t imagine Lyons and his buddy, Hollister, being happy about anything right now, especially knowing the treats were made by Zoe’s hands.

  They arrived at Perk with ten minutes to spare. Cade’s wife hugged Zoe when she and Simon stepped inside the shop. “Are you okay?”

  “Just a little bump on the head.”

  Sasha brushed Zoe’s hair off her forehead to examine the bruise and winced. “Ouch. I’m glad you’re all right, Zoe.” She stepped back. “Come on. We need to unload the muffins and scones so I can fill display cases. People will be banging on the door in ten minutes. I’m amazed how desperate people are for their coffee fix.”

  Simon chuckled. That necessary coffee fix was the reason Cade met the woman he married. The three of them quickly unloaded the baked goods, and the women filled the display cases while Simon checked the security in Perk. Couldn’t be too careful and Cade was on watch at the hospital until Piper was released.

  Once he was satisfied th
at Perk’s security hadn’t been tampered with, he returned to the dining room. “Will you be alone for long?”

  Sasha shook her head. “My assistant will be here by 6:15. Don’t worry, Simon. Perk is jammed with customers until ten o’clock. I won’t be alone. In fact, my helpers will be overlapping by thirty minutes the rest of the day. Cade and I talked about the security arrangements as he brought me to the shop this morning. I’ll be fine.”

  “If anything bothers you, whether you can figure out what it is or not, contact Cade. We’ll have someone here in minutes.”

  “I will. I know you have things to do. You don’t have to babysit.”

  Determined not to leave her until the shop was open and filled with customers, he said, “How about a to-go cup of coffee for me and hot tea for Zoe? We’ve been slaving away since 2:30 on your order.”

  The expression on Sasha’s face told Simon she wasn’t fooled at his delayed departure, but she turned away to fill their orders without comment. Once the orders were finished, she unlocked the door and admitted Ethan Blackhawk, the first person in line.

  Simon wondered if he had an ulterior motive for appearing on Perk’s doorstep this early when his own wife, Serena, made the best coffee in the county. “Good morning, Ethan.”

  The police chief’s dark eyes locked on his. “Simon, I need you to come with me to the station.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Simon’s eyebrows winged upward as he studied Ethan’s grim expression. “What’s going on?” He felt Zoe’s hand slip into his. Her cold hand trembled.

  The police chief glanced at the customers streaming into Perk. “Not here, Simon. I need you to come with me now.”

  Ethan’s insistence on talking to him at the station wasn’t good. Concern for his family sent ice water racing through his veins. No way. If his family was hurt, Maddox or Trent would contact him, not Otter Creek’s chief of police. “I’m parked in the alley. I don’t want Zoe walking through the square.” He refused to leave her in Perk and give the person after Zoe an easy target. Two Bravo women in the same place without an operative safeguard them? Too much temptation for an enemy combatant to pass up.