by Rebecca Deel
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
About the Author
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
Rebecca Deel
Copyright © 2019 Rebecca Deel
All rights reserved.
#
To my amazing husband, my knight in shining armor.
CHAPTER ONE
Nicole Copeland glanced at the clock and frowned. Riva was late. Cosmo, her beautiful Doberman-Great Dane mix, had been shampooed, pampered, and buffed, and was more than ready to go home.
She turned back to her computer, glared at the two unopened emails. Why did Ivan contact her after two years? She thought she’d made herself perfectly clear at their last encounter that she never wanted to see or hear from him again.
Ignoring the uneasiness caused by the emails she now deleted, Nicole refocused on the matter at hand. If Riva didn’t arrive in the next few minutes, she would have to call her. Pet Palace didn’t board pets although she was considering adding it to her growing list of services.
Boarding pets, however, required additional workers to staff the grooming salon overnight. Maybe Dawn, her employee and friend, would know a few students from the community college suitable for the position.
Nicole glanced at the clock again. She didn’t want to leave late tonight. Mason was picking her up for their dinner date soon. Nicole smiled as she thought of Mason Kincaid, the dark-haired, broad-shouldered construction worker with a heart of gold and kisses powerful enough to weaken her knees. The best day of her life was the day she arrived in Otter Creek, Tennessee, and met Mason. The day he asked her to marry him ranked a close second.
A car door slammed nearby, and Cosmo barked. Who needed an alarm with him around? Maybe Riva was here.
A moment later, the front door opened, and Dawn Metcalf, her co-worker, rushed in with her arms full of grooming supplies. “Sorry I’m late. I know you need to leave soon, but Colleen wanted to talk.”
Nicole smiled. “No problem. We’ll whip this place into shape for business tomorrow morning in no time. We have a full groom with Tank first thing tomorrow.” The chocolate Lab was a sweetheart.
“Aww! I love Tank. Hopefully, our order will go into the mail tomorrow morning so we won’t have to return to Cherry Hill for more supplies.”
“Tristan assured me our supplies will be here by the end of the week.”
Cosmo barked again.
Dawn frowned and peered into the holding room. “Cosmo is still here?”
“Riva will be here soon.” She hoped. What was keeping her? Nicole stepped around the counter. “I’ll start cleaning while you take the supplies to the storeroom. If Riva doesn’t arrive in the next few minutes, I’ll call her.” Good thing she and Mason chose to watch a movie at his house rather than go to a theater.
“Don’t you have a date with Mason?”
“Dinner and a movie at his place. He’ll understand if I’m delayed.”
“You’ve been here late every night this week. Go home. I’ll stay tonight.” Dawn’s voice sounded muffled as she walked toward the supply room. “It’s not like I have a hot date to worry about.” She returned a moment later.
“I don’t want either of us staying late,” Nicole said. “Tank will arrive at 7:00 a.m. along with three of his buddies. With both of us cleaning, we’ll finish fast and figure out what to do about Cosmo if Riva still hasn’t shown up.”
“If we offered boarding, we’d have a worker to handle late customers as well as care for pets staying overnight.” Dawn smiled.
Nicole held up a hand. “I know. I’m thinking about it. If you know of two people interested in overnight work, tell me their names. No promises, but we’ll see.”
After working fast for thirty minutes, Nicole dumped the last of the dog hair in the trash and tugged the bag from the can. “Go home, Dawn. I’ll find out what’s keeping Riva. Maybe I can drop off Cosmo for her. With her real estate job, she’s all over the county. Perhaps a client delayed her.”
Skepticism gleamed in Dawn’s eyes. “Almost two hours late? No matter how amazing a house is, nobody has that many questions. Call her again. This isn’t like her.”
Nicole grabbed her cell phone and called Riva Kemper for the fourth time in two hours. After five rings, Riva’s voicemail message kicked in again. Great. Looked like she would have to text Mason to let him know she’d be late. Again. Good thing the man she adored was understanding.
At the prompt to leave a message, Nicole spoke. “Riva, it’s Nicole at Pet Palace. Cosmo looks amazing and is ready to show off his buffed nails. Since your house is near mine, I’ll swing by your place with Cosmo. If you’re not home, I’ll take him to my house. Call me, okay? I’m starting to worry.”
She ended the call.
“Still not answering?”
Nicole shook her head. “Riva knows Cosmo hates to be in a crate and she adores him. This doesn’t make sense.”
“Maybe you should wait for Mason before going to Riva’s. If something is wrong, you shouldn’t be alone.”
“He’s picking me up at home and Riva’s place is only four blocks from mine.” She grabbed Cosmo’s spiffy red leash and opened the crate. “Come on, buddy. Let’s get you home.”
Cosmo barked and dashed from the crate.
“Sit.”
The dog plopped onto his butt, dark eyes bright and alert.
“Good boy.” After attaching the leash to his collar, Nicole walked with him to the front door. “Do you mind locking up, Dawn?”
“Wait for me. You’re not going to Riva’s alone.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Going to Riva’s with you will only take a few minutes, and I’ll feel better knowing you aren’t alone.”
She rolled her eyes. This was Otter Creek, an idyllic small town. What could possibly happen in this sleepy little burg? She also had Cosmo. Big dog plus big bark meant almost no chance of someone attacking her. “Let’s go. Cosmo is ready to see his human mom.”
Nicole unlocked her vehicle, opened the back door, and signaled Cosmo to hop in. When the 80-pound dog leaped into the back, she secured the dog with the seatbelt adapter she routinely carried and circled to the driver’s door.
Fifteen minutes later, Nicole and Dawn parked their vehicles on the street in front of Riva’s bungalow.
Nicole frowned. Riva’s red SUV sat in the driveway. Had she just arrived? Uneasiness crawled up her spine. Perhaps she should have asked Mason to meet her here. This was weird and
, frankly, a little creepy. Too late now. She was already here. Riva would probably offer a sincere apology along with a story about an impossible potential client.
She partially lowered a window for Cosmo and exited her SUV. Although Riva’s vehicle sat in the driveway, the house had no lights on. Goosebumps prickled her skin.
Cosmo voiced his opinion about being left in the vehicle. She winced, glad she wasn’t inside with him. That boy had a loud, piercing bark.
“Better find Riva before Cosmo eats your upholstery,” Dawn said.
That thought brought a scowl to her face. “He better not. My brother-in-law will have a fit if he does.”
Her friend grinned. “It’s not a good idea to tick off a PSI instructor.”
Nicole walked to the porch and reached for the doorbell when she noticed the front door standing ajar.
“What’s wrong?”
“Door’s open.” Man, what she wouldn’t give to have Mason at her back. “Something’s wrong.”
“Let’s go back to the vehicles and call the police.”
“Riva might need help. She could be hurt.”
Dawn didn’t look convinced.
“I don’t want to call the police for a wellness check when Riva might not realize the door didn’t close properly. She might be in the shower or something.”
“At 7:00 in the evening?”
Yeah, it was lame, but Nicole’s gut was screaming at her to check on the bright, vivacious real estate agent. “I want to check first. If we think something is off, we’ll scoot out and contact the police.”
“No way, Nicole,” Dawn said softly, her gaze fixed on the door. “I’m calling the police. Riva wouldn’t leave her door ajar. What if someone hurt her and they’re still inside? Come on.” Dawn gripped Nicole’s hand and tugged her toward the street.
She turned to accompany her friend when a moan sounded inside the house. She yanked her hand free. “Call for help. I’m checking on Riva.”
When Dawn grabbed her cell phone, Nicole used her elbow to nudge the door open wider and peered inside. “Riva?”
Another moan. Nicole dashed inside and climbed the stairs. She called out again and followed the weak response to a large bedroom.
Her breath caught. Blood splattered the walls and Riva lay on her side near the bed, her clothes torn and bloody. “Riva.” Nicole rushed to the woman’s side and dropped to her knees. “Hold on. Help’s coming.”
Riva’s eyelids fluttered. She whispered something.
Nicole leaned closer. “What?”
“Run.”
A footstep sounded behind her. Starting to turn, she caught a glimpse of someone dressed in dark clothes with an arm raised. A second later, pain exploded in her head and darkness swallowed her.
CHAPTER TWO
Mason Kincaid scooted out from under the kitchen sink with its dripping pipe and wiped his face free of the moisture with the towel provided by Lincoln Creed.
“What’s the verdict?” Linc asked.
“Rusty drain pipe. If I don’t replace it, you’ll have a puddle under your sink every day.”
The Personal Security International instructor flinched. “How soon can you do the job? Won’t take much water to create expensive problems with these hardwood floors.”
Mason laid the towel on the counter. “I’ll complete the repair in 30 minutes or less, barring complications.”
Relief filled Linc’s eyes. “You’re a lifesaver, Mase. I know my way around weapons, but I’m all thumbs with home repairs.”
He chuckled. “You and your friends from PSI keep me busy. I might I have the pipe I need in the truck. If not, I’ll have to go to the hardware store.” That would necessitate a call to Nicole to delay their date. Good thing his future wife was an understanding woman.
“Duct tape won’t work for this, huh?”
He grinned. “My cousin swears duct tape fixes everything in a pinch. I wouldn’t recommend that solution for your problem, though. As amazing as duct tape is, water will seep around the edges and drip.”
Mason’s cousin, Rio, worked for Fortress Security and trained bodyguards for them at PSI. As a medic, Rio learned to be creative in treating wounds on the battlefield. Duct tape was a standard part of the supplies in his mike bag.
Linc held up his hands in mock surrender. “I’ll bow to your expertise. I worked with trainees all day at the gun range, and my clothes smell like cordite. Need anything from me before I go clean up?”
Mason shook his head. “If you’re not out of the shower by the time I finish, I’ll leave the bill on your counter. We’ll settle up later.”
Outside, Mason unlocked his vehicle and sorted through the various pipes stored in a box behind the driver’s seat. He located the right pipe along with his hacksaw and returned to the kitchen where he crawled back under the sink.
Moving his toolbox so it was more accessible, he crawled back under the sink. Mason dug in his toolbox for his favorite pipe wrench but couldn’t find it.
Frowning, he searched a different section of his toolbox. Still nothing. Weird. He’d used the wrench earlier in the day at the Oakdale site. He must have left the wrench in one of the buildings. Good thing he returned to the same site tomorrow. Hopefully, his equipment would still be there. Several of his tools had gone missing the last few days.
Mason grabbed his backup wrench and loosened the nuts on the pipe, removed the rusted section, and used it as a template to cut the new pipe to the correct length. Within minutes, the new pipe was in place. He tightened the nuts and stood.
“Finished already?” Linc asked when he walked into the room.
“I’m about to find out.” He turned on the faucet and crouched with his flashlight in hand to watch for water leakage. After the water ran for a while with no sign of dripping moisture, Mason turned off the tap. “Got it.”
Linc clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re a miracle worker. I owe you for doing the repair on short notice. Your services are in high demand.”
Not always. Two years apparently wasn’t long enough for him to earn the trust of some people around town and wondered if he’d ever be free of the stigma of prison.
“Are you off the clock?”
He’d been off the clock when Linc called. “I am.”
“Have time for a glass of iced tea before you leave?”
A glance at his watch revealed he’d have just enough time to drink the tea, drive home, and shower before picking up Nicole for their date. “Sure. Thanks.”
Linc motioned for him to take a seat at the breakfast bar. After filling glasses with ice, he poured a tall glass of tea for each of them. “I can cook although I don’t do it often, but my specialty is iced tea.”
Mason sipped, his eyebrows rising. “This is good.”
Linc chuckled. “Told you.”
“For a man who doesn’t cook much, your kitchen looks well stocked.”
“That’s because my mother and sister drop in frequently to cook and freeze food.” He rolled his eyes. “According to them, I have the food habits of a teenage boy. Doesn’t matter to them that I’m 35 years old and capable of feeding myself.”
“Didn’t you hire Serena Blackhawk to prepare meals for you?” Serena, a personal chef, was also married to the police chief, the policeman Mason reported to once a week.
Linc nodded. “I told them about Serena. They insist on coming anyway. I think they’re making sure I don’t live like a slob. The Army drummed laziness out of me during boot camp.”
Their conversation drifted to the upcoming baseball season, speculating on which major league team would make it to the playoffs. When their glasses were empty, Linc eyed Mason. “When will you start your own business?”
Shock held him immobile. “Why do you ask?”
“Buddy, you’re a skilled artisan. I’ve seen your work. You have an impeccable work ethic. You’re dependable and easy to work with. You should be running your own crew.”
“Maybe.” He hadn’t co
nsidered that option too seriously. With his past hanging over his head, Mason wasn’t as confident as Linc that he’d be successful as a small business owner. Plus, he counted himself lucky that Brian Elliott of Elliott Construction had taken a chance on hiring him as soon as he was released from prison. He owed his kind-hearted boss for extending the opportunity to work.
“Think about it. I can’t be the only homeowner in desperate need of your repair services.”
His cell phone rang. “Excuse me.” Mason glanced at his screen, eyebrows soaring. Ethan Blackhawk. Was this a home repair request or a surprise check on Mason? He reported to Ethan every week per the judge’s order. Not a hardship. The chief was a good man. Still, if Mason stepped out of line, Ethan would come down on him hard.
He swiped his screen and answered the call. “What can I do for you, Ethan?”
Linc’s eyes narrowed, his attention locked on Mason’s face.
“Drop whatever you’re doing and go to 457 Ash.”
At Ethan’s sharp tone, Mason straightened. He’d been at Riva Kemper’s home earlier in the afternoon. Had Riva filed a complaint against him for some reason? “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Nicole.”
Blood drained from his face. What was his girlfriend doing at Riva’s? “Is she okay?”
“She will be. An ambulance is en route to take her to the hospital.”
Oh, man. “I’m five minutes away.”
“So is the ambulance. See you in five.” Ethan ended the call.
Mason shoved to his feet. “I have to go. Nicole’s hurt.”
“Accident?”
“Ethan didn’t give details.”
Linc pulled keys from his pocket. “Where are we going?”
“I can drive.”
“We’re wasting time.” The instructor locked up and led the way to his SUV. “Where am I going, Mason?”
“To 457 Ash. Ethan said an ambulance was on the way to take Nicole to the hospital.” Did she fall? Why was she at Riva’s to begin with?
Seconds later, Linc raced toward Ash. “We’ll be there in two minutes and find out what’s going on.”
