He finally got a short-lived break after running into Reid at the training center. According to Reid, she’d planned on running into town to say hello to a few people before heading back to Niles. The whole time Deke was in her brother’s company, he sensed the Green Beret had something sizzling beneath the surface.
Cutting the corner of the training center’s drive too short, his tires chewed into the gravel shoulder before climbing onto Cloverdale Road and barreling toward Steele Ridge’s downtown. He pushed back the panic burgeoning within his chest. Being off-the-grid didn’t always equate to danger. Her phone battery could be dead. She might have left her phone at home. Maybe she was driving with the music too loud or the windows down. She could have made an unexpected trip to Charlotte.
Still, he called Jax. “I need you to track down someone.”
“Shoot, boss.”
“First, I should to tell you that the director has shut down our operation on Dylan.”
“How the hell did he find out?”
“Headquarters is monitoring us.”
“You’re shittin’ me.”
“Nope.”
“What do you need?”
“Evie Steele is missing. Or could be. No one has seen her for several hours. Can you ping her vehicle’s GPS?”
“Sure thing.”
“I want to reiterate—”
“This has nothing to do with Dylan, so we’re in the clear.”
The vice around his chest loosened. “Thanks, Jax.”
“You got it.”
“Be careful.”
“I’ll ping your girl and then track down who’s spying on us at headquarters.”
“Thatta nerd.”
“Nerds rule. Give me five. Jax, out.”
Taking up Reid’s suggestion, he made his way into town. He’d make a quick stop at his apartment to grab his phone charger before heading to Brynne’s.
As he passed Mad Batter Bakery, he read the chalkboard sign propped outside the entrance. His vehicle slowed to a halt. He read the baker’s assistant’s words again.
Life’s too short to let the sweetest pastry slip away.
“Whoa.” He’d heard folks swear that Jeanine Jennings’s unusual sayings held prophetic meaning. But he’d never had one hit so close to home before. All in all, he didn’t much care for the experience.
His phone rang, and he tapped the talk button on his steering wheel. “Deke Conrad.”
“Found your girl.”
He tore his gaze away from the bakery sign and let his foot off the brake. “Where?”
“Is there an alleyway behind your apartment?”
“Yes.”
“Makes more sense now. That’s where you’ll find her vehicle.”
“Great job. I’ll check in later.”
“Much later, I hope,” she said in a sly voice. “Be bad, boss.” Her laugh echoed through his vehicle before she cut the line.
Deke smiled at Jax’s antics. His good humor lasted another block before questions started pelting him. Why would Evie park around back? Were all the stalls in the front filled?
Even in a small town like Steele Ridge, he didn’t like her parking in an alley. Undesirables spent time in secluded, shadow-filled places. What if she’d been mugged? Or worse, rape—? Deke couldn’t finish the thought.
He made it to Triple B in record time. Pulling down the alleyway, he spotted Evie’s vehicle right away. He parked two doors down and checked his Glock before striding toward the back entrance to Triple B.
After scanning the area, he glanced inside Evie’s vehicle and found a half-empty water bottle, phone cord snaking out of the console, and an umbrella in the back floorboard. Everything looked normal.
Testing the handle to Triple B’s back door, he found it unlocked. It usually was until about ten o’clock at night. He’d accessed this entrance a few times when he wasn’t in the mood for socializing.
All seemed quiet inside, though he could hear the drone of conversation coming from the common area. He stood still for a few seconds after the door closed to give his eyes time to refocus. He debated where to go first. To the bar? His apartment?
Randi’s sudden appearance decided his next step for him. “Hey, Deke. Avoiding my customers?”
“Not this time.” He nodded toward the alley. “Saw Evie’s vehicle parked out back. Have you seen her?”
She sent him a knowing smile. “Try the landing.”
He glanced upward as if he could see her camped out on the small five-by-five platform. “How long?”
“Awhile.” She winked. “Good luck.”
After Randi departed, he continued to stand near the door, staring in the direction of his apartment. Evie was safe—and here. Waiting for him to return home. Why? After their disastrous conversation at the coffee shop, he wouldn’t have blamed her if she never spoke to him again.
Being alone had become an “other duties as assigned” requirement of his job. Few women could tolerate long absences or guys who feared revealing too much if they got too close. It was all damn exhausting and he’d given up on serious relationships after his split with Lisa.
But there were a few who would, and he only needed to find one.
He rolled his shoulders back and cracked his neck before snaking his way through the back halls of Triple B to the staircase leading to his apartment. When he turned the knob, voices above caught his attention.
Male. Female. Something about the woman’s tone conveyed desperation. Anxiety.
He slipped around the door and ascended the stairs. Evie’s voice reached him.
“You want money? Here, take my wallet.”
Something cracked against the wall above him. He increased his speed, though he kept his approach quiet. If he had more time, he would go back outside and taken the fire escape stairs. At least then he could see what the hell was going on.
Material scraped against the floor. A thwump followed. “What is your connection with Deke Conrad?”
So the intruder wasn’t interested in her money.
“Deke? What do you want with Deke?”
“Answer my question.”
“Answer mine.”
He shook his head. What was she doing provoking the guy? He edged farther up the stairs.
“How about I just kill you instead?”
“Then what? Wait for Deke to come home so you can kill him?”
“Maybe.”
“I don’t think so. The first gunshot would alert fifty people that a madman was in their midst.”
“I’ve never strangled anyone before. You could be my first.”
The calm quality in the intruder’s voice shoved Deke’s instincts into hyperdrive. This wasn’t a burglary gone wrong. He was dealing with something far bigger. And he suspected his little brother was in the middle of the mess.
“I don’t think so,” Evie said, satisfaction ringing in her voice.
“Aaahck!” Staggering backward into Deke’s line of sight, the intruder rubbed at eyes. “Fucking bi—”
Taking the final three stairs at a time, Deke bore down on the guy. Before he reached him, a feminine hurricane came out of nowhere and drove a chair right into the intruder’s stomach, forcing him through the window.
“Evie!” Deke grabbed the tail of her sundress a split second before her momentum rocketed her over the edge, too.
Out on the fire escape, metal clanged several times.
After giving her a brief, hard hug, he commanded, “Get downstairs. Now!”
“I’m not going to leave you alone with that maniac. He has a gun.”
“Exactly! Go call 911.”
“But—”
“Go!” When her eyes widened at his tone, he softened his words, even though adrenaline pumped through his body. “Please, Evie.”
She nodded and stormed down the stairs. When he peered out the shattered window, the intruder swung a leg over his motorcycle and zoomed away.
“Dammit.” He slammed his palm again
st the window frame, causing jagged bits of glass to rain down.
Evie.
His feet barely touched the stairs in his rush to locate her. “Evie!”
She rushed out of Randi’s office, a cordless phone in her hand. “The police are on their way.”
“He’s gone.” He opened his arms, and she fell against his chest. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just shaken.”
He kissed the crown of her head. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. One second I was reading a book, waiting for you, and the next, I had a gun pointed at my head.”
“So you decided to throw your wallet at him?”
“I thought he was a burglar!”
“And when he didn’t take the bait? You challenged him?”
“How long were you listening?”
“Long enough for you to have shaved off a decade of my life.”
“He knew you.”
“I heard.”
“Did you recognize him?”
“I didn’t catch enough of his face.”
“How about his voice? Familiar?”
“Afraid not.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We aren’t going to do anything.”
She pushed out of his arms. “Don’t you dare try to shut me out. Not after what just happened up there.”
“I don’t even know what we’re up against. How do you expect me to protect you from what I don’t understand?”
“In case you didn’t notice, I did a pretty good job of taking care of myself.”
“Evie—”
“No, Deke. Someone wants to hurt you. Don’t ask me to sit back and do nothing. It would kill me.”
“You getting hurt would kill me.”
Her eyes rounded. “It would?”
“Of course.” He frowned. “Why are you smiling?”
“There’s absolutely no way you’re getting rid of me now, Deke Conrad. You’ve got a thing for me, and I’m not going to let you forget it.”
30
“Evie, did you call the police?” Randi asked, leading a deputy down the hallway.
“Sorry, Randi.” She glanced at Deke. “Everything happened so fast.”
“Super Nurse attacked an intruder,” Deke said.
“What?”
Evie sent him a dirty look before whopping him in the stomach with the back of her hand.
“Where’s the intruder?” Deputy Blaine asked.
“Gone,” Deke said. “Evie threw him out the window on the second floor landing. It’s possible that he’s hurt.”
“I’ll have someone check the local hospitals.” The deputy spoke into his shoulder mic. When he finished, he asked, “Can you walk me through what happened?”
Deke led their small group to the landing and detailed the incident as best he could. Evie added a few particulars that occurred before Deke’s arrival. The detective asked a barrage of follow-up questions before requesting that she and Deke stop by the station later to give a formal statement.
After the deputy left, she said to Randi, “I suppose I can’t persuade you not to tell Britt about this.”
“Already done, sorry. Someone texted him about a sheriff’s vehicle outside Triple B. Then he contacted me while you were going over the incident with Deputy Blaine.”
Evie groaned.
“I’d better work on getting that window boarded up.” She rubbed Evie’s back. “You gonna be okay?”
“I’m fine. Try to hold Britt off as long as possible.”
“Will do. I’ll send someone to sweep up the glass.”
“Thanks, Randi,” Deke said. “I’ll make sure whoever’s responsible for this covers the damage.”
Randi waved a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it.” She squeezed Evie’s hand. “Be careful.”
Silence reigned on the landing. Evie wrapped her arms around her middle to ward off a sudden chill. A slow tremble started at her core and grew in intensity as it rumbled into her arms and legs. A cold sweat flushed her entire body.
Seeing her struggle, Deke asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not sure. Can’t s-stop shaking.”
He bent low to peer into her eyes before pressing a hand against her cheek. “Shock. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“No, p-please. I’ll go home and take it easy for the rest of the day.”
“That’s not how shock works. You of all people should know.”
“I can’t stomach the thought of sitting in the ER, waiting forever for a doctor, only to be told I need to lie down for a while.” All she wanted to do was curl into his arms and close her eyes.
His jaw hardened before he turned to unlock his apartment door.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Don’t. I already regret my decision.” He lifted her in his arms and settled her onto his couch. The moment he released her, disappointment stabbed her heart.
He stashed a couple pillows beneath her feet, then drew a soft throw from the back of the couch to cover her from head to toe. Warmth penetrated the chill that had taken hold of her body. She burrowed deeper into her haven.
“How d-do you know so much about shock?”
“Lots of experience.”
Sitting beside her, he rubbed her arms and legs until her shivering subsided.
“You’re right,” she said.
“Never doubted it.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “About what?”
God, she loved that smile. “About me understanding shock.” She tucked the blanket under her chin. “I’ve studied it. I’ve seen it. But I’ve never experienced it. I don’t think I really understood the seriousness of shock until today. So odd. How it hit me after everything had settled down.”
“Shock affects people in different ways. It took a while for it to penetrate that hard head of yours.”
“Is that any way to speak to a sick person?”
“I noticed you’re not denying it.”
“Because I’m too sick to argue, muttonhead.”
“Muttonhead?”
“Suits you, I think.”
His playfulness vanished. “Feeling better?”
“Yes, thank you. Sorry for—” she waved her hand down her blanketed body, “—this.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I should be apologizing to you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
They grinned at each other before he threw out the first salvo. “Why were you waiting for me?”
“I needed to talk.”
“About what?”
“Something I discovered.”
“Evie—”
“I’m not sure I’m in the right frame of mind to discuss such a heady topic.”
“Would ice cream help?”
“Depends on the flavor.”
“Butter pecan, of course.” He strode to the kitchenette and pulled out a quart of ice cream from the freezer. “How many scoops?”
“Two, please.” She closed her eyes, finding her equilibrium and enjoying Deke’s coddling. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for butter pecan.”
“Why not?”
“You seem more like the chocolate fudge or rocky road type.”
“More manly?”
She chuckled. “I suppose.”
He held out a coffee mug with a spoon sticking out of two mounds. “I suspect there’s a lot of things about me that would surprise you.”
“A day ago, I would have said nothing about you could surprise me.”
“Am I that boring?”
“Hardly.” She jammed her spoon into her ice cream, breaking it up. “I’ve been studying you for over a decade.”
His spoon halted halfway out of his mouth while his piercing gaze roamed over her features. She’d learned a long time ago how to bury the emotional turmoil his presence often caused. Before she opened herself up to him again, she needed answers.
“I noticed you’re not wearing your sling. Have you settled back in at th
e office?”
“Somewhat.” He nodded toward her cup of ice cream. “You gonna eat that or play with it?”
The pivot. Sorry, big guy, but I won’t let you redirect my attention.
“It’s called foreplay.” She swirled her spoon around, making the ice cream softer and softer. “What project are you working on?”
“Nothing new. Trying to get caught up on some admin stuff first.”
She had to give him credit. He tried not to out-and-out lie. Some guys got off on crafting the most outlandish tales to make themselves look good. Deke did the opposite by downplaying the importance of his work.
Even with the rush of sugar in her veins, Evie found herself fighting off fatigue. She wanted to oust his secret, wanted him to confide in her. But the landing incident was sapping her strength, second by second.
Her eyes jerked open when he removed the cup from her lax fingers.
“Don’t even think about eating my icth kweam.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Her body gave up its fight and floated down a stream of security and comfort.
31
Deke stared at the sleeping black-haired beauty who’d bewitched him years ago and wouldn’t let go.
He couldn’t stomach lying to her. At some point, she would back him into a corner and the wheel of destruction would start whirling between them.
Unable to sit still, he carried their cups into the small kitchen and stashed her ice cream soup in the freezer. When she woke, she’d have to start the mutilation process all over again.
Who the hell had come armed to his apartment?
This incident had to be connected to his brother’s cluster or to the Distributor’s case. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed, and stared at his warrior nurse. What would’ve happened had he not arrived when he did? She would’ve tumbled down the fire escape with the intruder. If the fall hadn’t killed her, the intruder would have shot her for pushing him out the window.
If something happened to her because of him, he wouldn’t survive the guilt. His gut urged him to tell Britt everything, when he arrived. The eldest Steele brother would lock his little sister at his side until her hair turned gray. It would be the safest option. The less stressful option. The easiest option.
Roaming Wild (Steele Ridge Book 6) Page 16
