“Scarlet and Eli offered to drive up with one of the company SUVs and take my Mercedes to a repair shop before they head over to New Hampshire. Totally out of their way, but she said they don’t mind.”
Arden slid onto the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. “Who are Scarlet and Eli?”
He started the engine and pulled away from the curb. “Where to?”
“Bennet’s Market. It’s up two blocks on Main Street.”
Brody braked at the only stoplight in town. “Scarlet coordinates between the team and the victim’s family. Her fiancé is Eli Croft. They’re getting married at his family home in New Hampshire in May, which is why they were planning to head north. Wedding details to wrap up.”
“Eli Croft who writes spy novels? You know that Eli Croft?”
“Yep.” He accelerated when the light changed. “Why? Do you want an autographed copy of one of his books?”
“Heck yeah, I do. Wow, does this mean I get to meet him in person?”
“Will you quit looking at me like I’m road kill if I ask him to bring along his latest thriller, the one that hasn’t released yet?”
She smiled. “I’ll still be mad, but I might let you live.”
He pulled into the small lot next to the market and parked. Turning in his seat, he touched her arm. “I’m sorry I overstepped. It isn’t my business who you date. I guess it’s easier knowing you have a personal life when I’m not staring him in the face.”
She closed her eyes for a moment. “I get that. This is the reason divorced people don’t hang out together. Too much baggage. Moving on isn’t simple or clear-cut. It’s messy and emotional, even after five years.” She pressed her hands against her thighs to keep from balling them into fists. “Since the subject seems to have struck a nerve with you, I’ll clarify. I’m not sleeping with Jim. However, I totally understand where you’re coming from. Believe me when I say I don’t want to meet any of the women you’re involved with.”
“There aren’t any. What I do is dangerous. Even though Counterstrike is covert, and we do our best to keep our identities under wraps, there’s a risk.” His grip on her arm tightened. “I wouldn’t intentionally expose someone I cared about to that sort of threat. I certainly never intended for it to come back to bite you.”
“I know that.” She looked him in the eye, proud of herself when she managed to hold his steady gaze. “So, no emotional entanglements? No love in your life ever again? Just meaningless sex.”
“Not a hell of a lot of the latter. Just so you know. I’ve never had much use for one-night stands.”
He wasn’t lying. She knew that for a fact. For a guy with the blond good looks of a Norse god, he’d never been one to take advantage of the women who eagerly threw themselves at him. Not before they’d officially become a couple, and certainly not afterward.
“Let’s go buy a few groceries and go home. I’m exhausted, and it isn’t even noon yet.”
“Sounds good.” He stepped out of the car and glanced at her over the roof. “When the adrenaline rush wears off, you tend to crash pretty hard. Getting shot at will do that to you.”
“I’ve noticed. Unfortunately, this seems to have become a regular thing.”
As they walked across the lot, his attention was on the few other pedestrians and vehicles in the vicinity. “I don’t see any sign of a green truck. Thanos could have changed vehicles, but I doubt he had time. He must be holed up somewhere nearby, though.”
“There are hunting cabins scattered throughout the area, all empty this time of year. It wouldn’t be difficult to break into one of them.” Arden stepped inside the warm store as the door automatically opened. “Grab a cart, please.”
He pulled one from the line against the wall and followed behind her. “Where to first?”
“The produce aisle.”
Fifteen minutes later, Brody paid for the groceries. Arden thought about arguing that she could afford her own food but decided not to waste her breath. Once the bags were loaded into the trunk, he jammed a floor mat into the empty space left by the broken window.
“That should help make the car a little warmer.”
“Thanks.” She rubbed her hands together. “You’d never know spring is only days away—at least on the calendar.”
“You live in a cold zone.” He started the engine. “Any more errands?”
“No. We can head home.”
“You’re the boss.”
They didn’t talk on the return drive to Tamarack Lake. Arden knew he was focused on their surroundings, his gaze darting between the rearview mirror and the road ahead. Instead of reassuring her, his hyper-vigilance turned her into a bundle of nerves. When they pulled up in front of her cabin, she let out a sigh of relief.
“No one shot at us this time. I guess that’s a plus.”
“I won’t make the same mistake twice.” He stepped out of the car and popped the trunk. “If you still want to go snowshoeing, I’ll do a little reconnaissance before we leave.”
She nodded. “After I put away the food. The dogs need exercise.” Grabbing a bag, she paused on the way to the door. “Are your friends coming for the car today?”
Brody followed her up the path with the rest of the groceries. “Yes, but not until later this afternoon. We have time for a walk in the woods.”
“Okay.” Arden unlocked the door, pet the excited dogs, and let them out. After putting everything away, she headed out to the shed to check on the rabbits and chickens and gather eggs. Back in the house again, she changed into thick running tights, boots, and a warm fleece jacket. By the time she was ready to go, Brody had returned.
“Anything?”
“No sign of a vehicle nearby or any fresh tracks in the snow. Let me put on some waterproof pants, and I’ll be right with you.”
“No rush.” She dug a second pair of snowshoes she kept for Ellie out of the utility closet on the back porch and waited for Brody in the yard. The day was cold and crisp, the kind of weather that burned the inside of her nose when she breathed. She tugged her knit hat down over her ears and stared out across the frozen lake to the thick forest on the other side.
“This place is beautiful and peaceful. I can see why you like it here.” He approached her from behind.
She turned to smile. “The serenity soothes my soul. Ready?”
He strapped on his snowshoes. “You bet. Lead the way. It looks like you’ve broken trail since the last storm.”
Following the dogs, she was breathless by the time they reached the far side of the lake. “This is where I stopped when that jerk shot at me, so the packed trail ends here. We can go farther, though.”
“I’ll take the lead. Which way?”
“Head north. It’s a steady climb, but the view from the top of the rise is pretty spectacular.”
The dogs lunged ahead for a while before growing tired and falling in behind Arden. Brody kept up a steady pace and finally reached the top. He leaned against a tree to get his breathing under control.
“My God, that’s a workout when the snow is deep. It’s been years since I’ve done this.”
“I come up here a lot. The colors in the fall are spectacular, but each season has its own unique appeal.” She surveyed the valley below, a patchwork of evergreens and deciduous trees with bare branches. “You used to like downhill skiing. Do you still go?”
He shrugged. “I never seem to find the time.”
“You could if you wanted to.” She turned to study him. “You should make time to relax more often. I bet you can’t remember the last time you took a weekend off without thinking about work.”
He bent to pick up a pinecone half buried in the snow and threw it for the dogs. “You’d win that bet. We’ll go days, sometimes even a week or two between missions, but I always make myself available for calls. Our work isn’t nine to five with holidays off.”
Before she could respond, his phone chimed. Brody’s brows drew together, and he muttered something Arden di
dn’t quite catch.
“Cell reception is better up here than in my cabin, just in case you’re wondering.”
“I wasn’t. This is—” He broke off, pulled a phone zipped into a plastic bag from his jacket pocket, stared at the screen, and swore.
“What’s wrong? Do you always carry your cell hermetically sealed?” Her attempt at humor did nothing to wipe away his scowl.
“Not my phone. We recovered it from the last kidnapping. It belongs to Thanos.”
Her skin prickled. “Shouldn’t you have turned it over to the police?”
“I didn’t tell them about it. He’s used it to communicate with me before.”
“He texted you?”
“Yes.” Brody blew out a harsh breath. “He also called with a promise to make me pay for his second cousin’s death. The fact that I didn’t pull the trigger didn’t seem to matter to him. He knows who I am and is making it personal.”
Arden wrapped her arms around her middle to try to stop the shivers running through her. “What did he text just now?”
“Short and to the point. I won’t miss next time.”
“That means he hasn’t given up.”
“I didn’t expect him to. The only thing that will stop people like Thanos is a bullet to the brain.”
Stomach churning, she stared at him. “Is that your plan?”
“Damn right. He’s not going to make it possible to turn him over to the authorities. I know his type.”
“I don’t have any idea how to answer that.”
“There’s nothing to say. This will be over soon, and you can go back to living your life. I promise.”
“And you’ll go back to yours.” Sadness for everything they’d lost filled her. For the man he’d become, one more attuned to a killer than the woman he used to love.
“You made your choice.” He regarded her steadily. “Has anything changed?”
“Not in the least.” Breaking eye contact, she whistled for the dogs. “Let’s go back. I’ve had enough.”
“Enough of what, Arden? Exercise? Threats? Or just enough of me?”
“All of the above. I’m tired and scared. Truthfully, being around you makes me sad and regretful and rips me apart. Part of me wishes we could return to the way we were together before we lost River, but that simply isn’t possible.” She stroked Heidi’s head when the dog came to lean against her leg. “She knows I’m upset.”
“I don’t want to cause you any extra misery, but I won’t leave you in danger.” His face hardened, and there was an edge to his voice. “You’re right. We can’t go back. But maybe we can move forward.”
She was quiet for a minute, collecting her thoughts. “I loved being a wife and mother, but I was restless the last couple of years of our marriage—even before . . .”
“You weren’t happy with me?” He reared back, as if she’d struck him.
“Of course I was, but I’d begun to realize I couldn’t simply exist as an extension of you. Your wife. River’s mother. I needed a purpose as an individual. Does that make sense?”
He nodded. “I had the family shipyards to manage, but I didn’t find the work fulfilling. I was simply one in a long line of Grants.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “The CEO I hired is far more capable than I ever was. With Counterstrike, I’m actually needed, and I’m excellent at what I do.” He stared at her for several long moments. “You never said anything about how you felt.”
“I should have, but I didn’t want to seem ungrateful when we had so much. I was wrong to stay quiet.” She gazed out at the view stretched before them and shrugged. “I have a purpose here. It feels right.”
“You could run your honey business anywhere you choose.”
Her chest rose and fell as she drew in a long breath and let it out slowly. “Maybe, but I feel safe in this place. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to risk my heart again. Here, I don’t have to.” She released her hold on Heidi’s fur. “Or at least I used to feel safe, before that madman started shooting at me.”
When he didn’t answer, she finally turned to meet his gaze.
“Thanos is a temporary glitch that’ll soon be dealt with. You don’t need a safe place, Arden. Deep down, you’re stronger than you think. Maybe if you ever stop hiding, you’ll learn that for yourself.”
Chapter Six
Brody didn’t have much to say as they trudged through the snow on the way back to the cabin. His mind was occupied with everything he’d learned about Arden today, and he wasn’t sure what bothered him most. That she was sort of seeing her neighbor, who had practically radiated a proprietary interest in his ex-wife. That she had been restless in their marriage, and he hadn’t had a single clue. Or that she was so broken inside she was determined to live her life without ever risking her heart again. He shied away from the knowledge that they weren’t so different when it came to emotional entanglements.
A glint of light through the trees caught his eye, and he stopped short. Turning, he grabbed Arden’s arm and jerked her down into the snow. She landed with a thump and sank deep as he covered her body with his own. When Hero growled low in his throat, he shushed the dog.
“Quiet.”
“What’s wrong?” Her voice was muffled as she pushed snow out of her face.
“I saw someone. Stay down while I circle around to assess the situation, and keep the dogs from barking.”
“Be careful.”
He nodded and levered off her. Staying low, he crawled into thicker trees before rising to his feet. Hunched over, he ran as quickly as possible with the awkward snowshoes until he was above the target’s position. Catching a glimpse of a brown jacket, he removed the safety from his revolver and cautiously approached the man from behind.
His long white hair was drawn back in a ponytail beneath an olive-green knit cap with earflaps. The man lifted binoculars to his eyes, but directed his gaze upward into the pine trees, not toward where he’d left Arden. Lowering the glasses, the old-timer let them hang around his neck while he pulled a collapsible pole from his backpack and extended it several yards. Tromping to the base of a tree, he raised the pole over his head and swatted at something in the branches.
Brody holstered his weapon and moved in closer. Obviously, this man wasn’t connected to Thanos.
“Hello there.”
The man swung around and dropped the pole. “Dammit, you startled me.” Thick white brows beetled across his forehead. “You aren’t the same one who was hanging around yesterday evening. Lately, it’s like a damn circus out here.”
“You saw someone in the woods?”
“Down near the lake. He took off when I asked what he was doing.”
Brody held out his hand. “I’m Brody Grant, Arden’s ex-husband. She’s had some trouble—I suspect from the man you confronted.”
The old guy shook his gloved hand. “The name’s Rusty. My guess is you’re right since he had binoculars trained on her cabin. Where is that little gal? Is she at home?”
“I left her about a hundred yards from here when I saw movement through the trees. We were headed back from a hike. Can I help you with something before I go?”
“I was trying to knock that clump of mistletoe out of the tree. I use it to make a tincture for my arthritis.”
Brody picked up the pole and stared upward. “Isn’t that stuff poisonous?”
“You gotta know what you’re doing. But hell’s bells, if it kills me, I’ve had a good run. I can’t live out here alone if I’m all crippled up, and I’m eighty-five. How long do I need to last?”
“I can’t fault your logic.” Taking a swing, Brody knocked off a section of the thick ball. It cascaded down, and landed in the snow at their feet. “Do you want more?”
“Give it another whack. You have better results than I do, so I may as well take advantage.”
After a couple more strikes, he helped Rusty gather up the mistletoe and stow it in his pack.
“Thank you kindly.”
“You’re welcome.” Brody pulled out his wallet and extracted a business card with his cell number on it. “Can you call me if you see that man again?”
“I would, but I don’t have a phone. There’s no one I want to talk to, so why bother? What I will do is walk over and tell Miss Arden if I notice anyone snooping around when I’m out in the woods.”
“Good enough.” He stuck his wallet back in his pocket. “It’s been a pleasure, Rusty. I’d better go tell Arden it was a false alarm.”
“I expect so.” He shouldered his pack and turned away. “Bye, now.”
Plowing through the snow, Brody waved as soon as he had her in sight. “Everything’s okay.”
She gave an answering shout and rose to her feet. The dogs bounded toward him, and he paused to pat their heads.
“Sorry that took so long. The person I saw was your neighbor, Rusty.”
“Better than someone intent on killing me.” Her teeth chattered. “It was pretty darn cold lying in the snow.”
“Only about a half mile to your cabin from here. Exertion should help you warm up.” What he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her to share some body heat, but he kept his hands to himself.
“I’ll take a hot shower when I get home.” She fell in behind him with the dogs leading the way.
“I did learn something from the encounter. Other than that mistletoe eases arthritis—if it doesn’t kill you first.”
Arden’s laugh rang in the still air. “Rusty is a fount of information when it comes to nature. What else did you learn?”
“Your neighbor saw a man near the lake yesterday evening, spying on your cabin. He bolted when Rusty confronted him. I’ll admit I went a little weak in the knees hearing Thanos was hanging around hours before I arrived.”
“Nothing happened so I’m not going to let myself have an anxiety attack.” She picked up her pace. “Right now, I just want to get home and warm up.”
They arrived at her cabin a short time later, and Arden disappeared into the bathroom. When his stomach growled, Brody pulled out sandwich fixings and built two large subs with all the trimmings, hoping Arden’s eating habits hadn’t changed in the last few years. He was halfway finished with his meal when she emerged from the steamy bathroom. Her hair was still damp, and she was dressed in black yoga pants and a gold Honey Bee Mine sweatshirt. She looked soft and warm and smelled sweet.
Imminent Danger (A Counterstrike Novel Book 3) Page 7
