Danger Under the Mistletoe

by Alexa Verde

  “I did two more jobs. Then I felt something was off about the fourth one. I told my new boss as much. He repeated the same threats. I went and was caught. The judge took pity on me and sent me to a center for troubled teens near Austin. While I was there, several other members from the group got caught and my boss was shot. Dad died from liver cirrhosis a year later. Mom… I couldn’t find her when I got out of the center. I like to think that she returned to France, where her ancestors were from.”

  Sebastian kept quiet while she seemed to gather her thoughts again.

  “The center’s manager told us about Jesus. I became a Christian. I studied a lot, got my GED, took enough college courses to graduate with an associate’s. I worked a lot and built my own business. But I can’t change what I’ve done.”

  “Rachel…” Sebastian started.

  “Hold on. Here it is. I’m not from the same world you and your grandmother are from. I’m a former thief. And nothing can change that.” Tears filled her eyes, and there was so much guilt in them that it nearly broke his heart. Then fear and hope battled in her dark eyes. “Are you going to look down on me now that you know the truth?”

  He shook his head. “I’ll never look down on you. Please stop blaming yourself for your past. I admire you for being able to change and become who you are now.”

  Her eyes widened as if she hadn’t expected it. “Do you… mean it?”

  Sebastian held her gaze and nodded. He couldn’t walk away, especially after seeing her emotional turmoil. “After Tess’s death, I used to drink. Heavily. I wanted to forget so badly that it took me a while to realize I was destroying myself. I’m no one to judge you, Rachel.”

  The waitress brought their orders.

  Sebastian said grace.

  There was a slight pause before she said, “Amen.”

  After what she’d told him, he’d lost his appetite, but Rachel seemed to have gained hers. She polished off her omelet and croissant with gusto, layering thickly the butter, then strawberry jam on the croissant. He pushed the plate with his croissants and peach jam to her, and she gulped them down.

  “Would you like something else?” He took a sip of his iced tea.

  She shook her head, watching the people who came in.

  He figured it was time to go, so he paid for the meal, and they were on the way back to her place.

  As Sebastian turned the corner, he couldn’t help glancing at her. She looked more relaxed, as if telling him her secret helped her.

  He hated to ruin the moment, but he had to ask this. “Do you think the break-in attempts are connected to your past?”

  Rachel sat up straighter in her seat. “They might be. I checked on my former, um, companions. Some of them are dead. None of the rest is outside now, except for Craig Marsden. Craig probably holds a grudge against me. I heard he said he was caught because he had to work alone while I was supposed to work with him. But I’m more inclined to think the recent events are connected to my job.”

  “How?” Sebastian stopped at a red light, all ears.

  “Well, I worked on making houses secure for some very rich people. And I have good skills at opening safes.”

  “Somebody thinks you robbed one of your clients?” The light turned green, and he moved forward.

  “Oh, no. The word would’ve spread around quickly. And I love my job and live my life honestly now. I’d never do that. Well, not voluntarily.”

  He put two and two together. “Someone knows about your past and thinks he or she can force you to steal again. Only now on a much bigger scale and using your current knowledge?”

  “Yep. Force me, blackmail me, or maybe both. I hope I’m wrong.”

  Sebastian turned into the familiar neighborhood. He hoped she was wrong, too. If she’d caught the attention of an organized crime ring, she was as good as dead.

  He suppressed the urge to grind his teeth. “Did you look at the cases you worked on?”

  “Of course. I spent yesterday evening and this morning studying the jobs I’ve done for my former clients, especially recent ones. I made careful calls to several of them.” She paused.

  Sebastian parked at the curb near her rental. “And?”

  “One of them, Mr. Lloyd in Austin, told me there was a break-in attempt to his house about a week ago. The burglar couldn’t get inside. The locks he’d put in held out well. It was a pity, though, that the cameras had only caught a figure in a dark hoodie.”

  “My gut feeling is that this break-in attempt and last night’s events are connected.” Sebastian reached for her hand.

  Rachel didn’t pull away. Instead, she laced her fingers through his, making his heart shift in his chest. She looked up at him, and there was so much trust and hope in her eyes that it took his breath away.

  “That’s why I have to leave, Sebastian. I don’t want to bring danger to you or Grandma.”

  He cared about his grandmother deeply, and Rachel’s concern touched him. Then why did his heart squeeze so painfully?

  Sebastian looked into the depths of her dark eyes. “While you’re here, I can protect you. How about going to a hotel for the night? I’ll rent connecting rooms. At least, stay until after Christmas. Let’s figure out all of this together.”

  Rachel breathed in sharply. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  “You’ve got your skills, and I’ve got mine. You know I’m a black belt in karate, right?” He was sure Grandma had already divulged that information to Rachel. Grams bragged about it to everybody who’d listen and often to those people who wouldn’t listen, too.

  “Yes, but—”

  “With connecting rooms, if somebody attacks you at night, just scream. I’ll come defend you. It’ll be much more difficult to do so if you’re somewhere in Austin or in another state.”

  She smiled. “You’re an amazing man, Sebastian Mora.”

  His heart moved in his chest. Her soft smile and the scent of fall leaves and flowers was affecting him, and he wanted to kiss her badly. But they had to get out of the truck and get inside, where it would be safer for Rachel.

  Instead of pushing him away, Rachel’s words only brought him closer to her. With someone after her, he couldn’t walk away. He needed to protect her.

  But that wasn’t going to be safe for his heart at all.

  CHAPTER SIX

  AROUND THREE P.M., RACHEL’S PHONE rang.

  Maya.

  Good.

  Rachel had called Maya early that morning to tell her about the break-in attempt, and Maya hadn’t had any new information at the time. Maybe that had changed now.

  Rachel swiped the screen to accept the call. “Hi, Maya.”

  “Hi, Rach. Craig Marsden didn’t show up for the meeting with his parole officer. No development in Butler’s case. Well, except that, while some art and electronics were stolen, the weapons, jewelry, and important papers stayed intact in the safe. There were no fingerprints anywhere. Any news about your intruder?”

  At least the safe she’d advised Butler to buy had served well. Small consolation.

  Rachel grimaced. “Nope, no news.”

  “And about your neighbor?” Maya’s tone changed from serious to mischievous.

  Rachel sighed in exasperation. “He’s not my—”

  “You’re right. He’s much more than your neighbor.” Maya chuckled. “He helped you to board the window. He staked out your house last night and stopped an intruder. He makes your breath quicken. He makes you want to kiss him senseless…”

  Rachel gasped. “When did I tell you about wanting to kiss him senseless?”

  “You just did.” There was a teasing note in Maya’s voice now, too. Usually Maya was super-serious and responsible, unlike her twin, January, who liked to tease Rachel and also could be reckless at times.

  “Oh. Oops.” Kiss him senseless… Rachel’s pulse increased. She forced herself to think about the matters at hand. “I believe there’s some reason I’ve become targeted while I’m so close
to McAllen. A gut feeling. But usually my gut feelings are right. Is there any way to watch out for my two former clients here? Especially Carl McPherson.” She’d already called them and had an unpleasant conversation about how there was a chance a burglar might target them next, but she knew she needed to do more than that.

  “Okay. I’ll ask my boss if he can talk to the authorities there. If all else fails, I’ll ask Connor to help.”

  “Thanks.” The corners of Rachel’s lips twitched up.

  Maya’s husband, Connor McNamara, might not be the cream of political society in Texas anymore, but he still had many connections. And from what Rachel had seen so far, if Maya asked Connor for something, he’d drop everything and do it.

  “Do you have any suspects?” Maya asked. “Besides Craig Marsden.”

  “Craig has more strength than the finesse that I feel would be necessary in this case. But I wouldn’t discount him. As for people who knew about the specifics of my business and the names of my clients…” Rachel almost slapped herself on the forehead. “Mitch Little. He worked for the security monitoring company I used to refer my clients to. He asked me out several times, hinting he wanted more than business relations. I felt it was a conflict of interest, so I politely declined. He seemed to hold a grudge because he’s refused to work with me ever since.”

  “Okay, let’s check him. Who else?”

  There was a pause, and Rachel knew why.

  January…

  Rachel chewed on her lower lip.

  January had the skills for breaking and entering. She also knew many of Rachel’s clients because she’d been the one who’d referred Rachel to them. Granted, January had been on a straight and narrow path since her challenging teenage years. And she didn’t need the funds, after earning huge paychecks while modeling. But knowing January, could she have decided to break into theft-proofed homes because of the challenge?

  No.

  Both Maya and Rachel knew January better than that. They wouldn’t put her on the list of suspects.

  Rachel had a vague suspicion about one more person, but it was totally ridiculous. She’d look at it from a different angle. “Maya, could you ask Connor to look into the families of my former clients in McAllen? I’ll text you the names.”

  “Sure thing. I’ve got to go, sorry. My boss granted me leave starting the day after tomorrow. See you soon.”

  Rachel’s heart warmed. “See you soon.” She disconnected.

  Who could be targeting her?

  After pacing in her living room and thinking over all the possibilities, Rachel gave up and headed shopping at stores on Main Street. She’d bought Christmas presents for Maya and January when she’d still been in Austin. But she didn’t have anything for Grandma or Sebastian.

  Despite the stores being crowded, she found several cute figurines for Grandma and a shirt and a watch she hoped Sebastian might like.

  Aware of her surroundings, she carefully made it back to her car and drove off, watching her rearview mirror.

  A black SUV with tinted windows pulled two cars behind her. Her heartbeat increasing, Rachel gripped the steering wheel. She turned on the blinker and moved into the right lane. The SUV stayed in its lane, and Rachel heaved a sigh of relief. Here she was, getting scared over nothing.

  Seriously, Ryan would’ve laughed at her. Ryan…

  A fresh dose of pain racked her body, but she put a tight lid on it before it could make it hard to breathe, hard to see, hard to function. Apparently, she hadn’t healed as much as she’d hoped to.

  And she had to heal before she could even think about a chance with Sebastian. Not to mention the little detail that she needed to find out who was after her.

  Rachel turned to the right and slowed down near one of the shops, as if considering parking there, and glanced into the rearview mirror. A chill ran down her back. The SUV turned as well, now only one car behind her.

  A surge of adrenaline rushed through her veins.

  She made several turns and thought she’d lost it until she passed a sporting goods store with the SUV parked at the curb.

  Coincidence?

  She didn’t think so.

  Her mind reeling, Rachel moved into the left lane, turned to the left, and slid into the parking lot of a large pharmacy, parking as close to the entrance as possible. She ran inside and into one of the aisles, where she snatched the first item she laid her eyes on, some over-the-counter painkillers.

  Her heart racing, she watched the entrance closely. So far, the only people who appeared were a woman with two toddlers in tow.

  Not a threat.

  Rachel scanned the parking lot through the glass doors as she paid for the medicine at the cashier. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted the SUV parked in the far corner.

  Done paying, Rachel pretended to study the magazines on the stand and considered her options.

  Call the police? Would they even believe her? Maya would, but she was in Austin, hours and hours away.

  What else?

  Besides medicine, the pharmacy carried food, cosmetics, sunglasses, and even clothes. She could disguise herself and escape through the fire exit, or even through a bathroom window. She was still slim and could probably go through it.

  She wouldn’t get away far without a vehicle, though. Well, opening and hotwiring somebody’s car wouldn’t take her long.

  No, she wouldn’t do that.

  Adrenaline pushing blood faster through her veins, Rachel did a mental head shake. She hadn’t had much choice when she’d been a teen, not if she’d wanted her father to survive. She had a choice now.

  Rachel rushed to her own car, slipped the key in the ignition, cranked up the engine, and shot out of the parking lot. The SUV stayed in its place, but then she didn’t expect it to leave right away. Sure enough, when she moved onto Main Street, she spotted the SUV three cars behind her.

  Rachel bit into her lip as she floored the gas pedal.

  Maybe she should hightail it out of town and do her best to lose the SUV on the freeway. Ryan’s life insurance had provided her with enough means for many fresh starts. Maybe she should drive to Houston and take the first flight anywhere, then another flight, until she ended up as far from Texas as possible.

  Whoever was after her might follow her anywhere.

  Her heart squeezed in her chest.

  High-speed car chases weren’t her forte, and she happened to like the town she’d moved to. She hated the idea of being forced to leave once again. Besides, she’d be a more open target on the freeway.

  And if that SUV smashed into her little environment-friendly car… She shuddered.

  No, thanks.

  Rachel drew a deep breath as she changed lanes. The SUV followed her. There was a possibility that the vehicle wasn’t after her at all, but she wasn’t willing to take that chance. Her instincts screamed at her to run. But how? She didn’t want to go on the freeway or let them follow her home.

  As a supermarket appeared in her line of vision, she had an idea. The idea was borderline stupid.

  Okay, probably not even borderline.

  But she didn’t see many options left.

  From the road, Rachel turned in the parking lot, making sure there were no people in her way. Then she picked a latte-colored truck parked near the curb, with no cars near it and no people or animals inside, and made a split-second decision. The truck looked like the one Sebastian drove, but then, it was a popular type of vehicle in Texas.

  She floored the gas pedal and barreled into the parking lot, tires squealing. She pressed the horn, the sound deafening, and braced herself for the impact.

  Now her idea seemed completely crazy instead of borderline stupid. But it was too late to change her mind.

  What had she been thinking?

  She wanted to attract attention to herself so the SUV would leave, but this wasn’t the best way to do it.

  Still pressing on the horn, Rachel slammed on the brakes, desperately hoping her calculations had be
en correct. She turned the steering wheel to the left so the passenger side would take the hit.

  The crushing sound of metal hitting metal warred with the horn.

  Her body shook from the impact, though the belt kept her from flying forward and through the window.

  The airbag exploded, and so did the pain inside her…

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  SEBASTIAN WAS HEADING OUT OF the supermarket, a bag with bread and milk for his grandma in his hand, when the thundering sound split the air. It was coming from the place where he’d parked his truck. He dashed in that direction.

  Martial arts training kept him in top shape, so he reached his vehicle in no time. He clenched his teeth as he dropped the bag into the bed of his truck and assessed the situation. The taillight was broken, and part of the bumper would need to be replaced, but he didn’t worry about that.

  The gray sedan that looked familiar had fared much worse, with the front bumper on the right and the passenger door smashed. Sebastian’s primary concern was the woman inside, slumped against the seat, a deflated airbag in front of her. He rushed to her.

  His heart dropped when he recognized Rachel. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn’t moving.

  He said a quick prayer for her.

  “Call 911,” Sebastian threw to the store employee and several passersby who ran up.

  Sebastian pulled on the door, but it seemed to be jammed. He considered breaking the window, then pulled harder, his muscles straining.

  Yes!

  The door gave in.

  “Rachel!” He touched her shoulder, debating whether he should drag her out of the car.

  On one hand, the vehicle might explode. On the other hand, she might have injuries that could be made worse by moving her.

  She opened her eyes, blinked, as if she tried to focus on something. “Sebastian…” She stumbled out of the car before he had a chance to say anything.

  He caught Rachel, her body limp. “The ambulance should be here soon.”

  “I don’t need an ambulance. I’m fine. I’m sorry about your truck. I’ll make sure to reimburse you,” she whispered.