by Rebecca Deel
“Yep.” A few key strokes later, he set the laptop on the bed for them to see the footage and tapped another key. On screen, people moved quickly in and out of camera range with gaps where no one crossed into view.
Lacey scooted closer to the screen. “That’s our hallway.”
They watched in silence a few minutes. A figure wearing a dark-colored uniform with a baseball cap pulled low on his forehead moved into view carrying a tool box. With a glance around, the figure slipped a card into the reader, opened the door, and walked inside. According to the time-stamp, ten minutes later, the person left again.
“We can’t see the face. That’s no help.” Lacey had hoped the camera footage would give them a face. At least then she’d know who wanted to hurt her and Jake.
“It tells us more than you think.” The medic threaded their fingers together and squeezed. “Our visitor is male and over six feet tall. He’s aware of the camera and had access to a master key.”
“We still can’t identify him.”
“Not with this footage,” Cade agreed. “Zane sent footage from four other cameras. Hopefully, we’ll catch this guy’s face in one of them.”
“Que up the footage,” Jake said. “Let’s see if we got lucky.”
Lacey wouldn’t hold her breath. Not many things had gone their way since this whole mess started with her mother’s disappearance. At least Mom was safe, and she had a real chance at a relationship with Jake.
Cade loaded more footage, and they repeated the same process with the view from the hotel lobby. Nothing. Baseball Hat hadn’t come through the lobby.
By the time they loaded the final footage, Lacey had decided Baseball Hat was too smart to give them a view of his face. While she was discouraged, the two operatives watching with her didn’t seem fazed by the lack of progress.
“Let’s see if this one gives us more to work with,” Cade murmured. He tapped a few keys and set the video in motion.
Lacey frowned. “Where is this camera?” She didn’t recognize the angle.
“Employee entrance at the back of the hotel,” Jake said.
She blinked. “How do you know that?”
“When we’re on a mission, we memorize our surroundings. We learned the layout of the hotel in case we needed a quick exit.”
“When? You’ve been with me almost every minute since we’ve been here.”
He smiled. “Zane sent me the hotel’s schematics and every picture he could find of the hotel. I memorized them while you were napping at the hospital.”
“Impressive.” Especially considering she hadn’t napped long. He’d memorized the layout in less than an hour.
“I’m motivated, Lacey. Learning the hotel’s layout means I can protect you better.”
Fewer people moved in and out of camera range at the back entrance. According to the time stamp, Baseball Hat entered the hotel ten minutes before he arrived on the third floor.
She groaned. “Still nothing.”
“We might have better luck when he leaves the hotel. Depends on which way he turns.”
Twenty minutes after the man entered, he left by the back door, his face turned away from the camera almost out of range. He stopped, his head whipping back toward the hotel. Unfortunately, he still had the presence of mind to keep his head lowered. The only part of his face the camera picked up was the jaw line on the right side of his face.
“Precious little to go on,” Cade muttered.
“It’s not great, but we’ll let the techs at Fortress take a crack at it.” Jake frowned. “Cade, back up this recording and play it again slow.”
“What did you see?” Lacey asked. She hadn’t noticed anything to identify the man who broke into Jake’s room and tampered with the balcony railing.
“I’m not sure.”
Cade restarted the video, this time in slow motion. They watched in silence until Jake said, “There. Back up the feed three seconds and freeze it.”
They edged closer to the computer screen. “What is that?” Lacey asked, pointing to Baseball Hat’s wrist.
“Can you blow that up?” Jake asked.
Cade worked on the laptop for a couple minutes, then said, “This is the best I can do without degrading the picture quality.” He turned the computer around.
The screen shot of Baseball Hat’s wrist showed a tattoo of an infinity symbol.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Jake turned to Lacey in time to see her clamp a hand over her mouth, distress filling her gaze. “It’s not your fault.”
“How can you say that? He’s after you because of me. I’m the reason he tried to hurt you.”
Seeing her this distraught gutted him. He stared at Cade.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” the operative murmured and left.
“I shouldn’t have let you come with me,” she said as soon as the door closed behind Cade. “I’m sorry, Jake. I didn’t know you would be a target.”
Jake stood and drew Lacey to her feet. He held her tight against his body. “There is no place I would rather be than with you.”
“You could have been seriously injured. I’d rather have you safe at home than in a hospital bed here. Please, go home. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you because of me.”
He cupped her face, tilting her head back to look into her eyes. What if she rejected him? “I’m not leaving you.”
“Why not?”
“I love you.”
Lacey’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“I love you, Lacey. So much that it would rip my heart out to lose you. I’ve been slowly falling in love with you for months. Your heart, your kindness, your enjoyment of the little things in your life, the attention you lavish on Alexa, all those things drew me to you. I wanted to move faster, but I worried you wouldn’t let me into your life. The last thing I wanted to do was scare you away.” His lips curved. “And I’ve probably done that by telling you how I feel this soon. Whatever you do, don’t run from me. I’ll move our relationship as slow as you need, but give me a chance to win your heart.”
She shook her head.
His heart stuttered until he noticed she was smiling. What did that mean? “Lacey?”
“You don’t need a chance to win my heart. You already have it.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Jake. I think I have for a while, but I didn’t think you noticed me.”
“Oh, I noticed you. How could I not?” His hands shook as he cupped her face between his palms. “Are you sure?”
“How could I not love you? You’re the beat of my heart, Jake.”
He drew a deep breath and went for broke. “Can you handle my job?”
“What happens if I can’t?”
Jake swallowed hard. Man, it would hurt to leave Fortress and his teammates. Bad. Losing Lacey over a job was unthinkable. Although he could find another job, he couldn’t replace the woman in his arms. “I need you in my life. I can find another job.” He tried to smile though pain ripped through his insides. “I hear EMTs are in high demand.”
“Would you really give up the job you love for me?”
“In a heartbeat. I don’t want to lose you.”
Lacey inched closer. “I love your job and the people you work with. I would never steal your dream. I can handle the absences that come with your work as long as you come home to me.”
He shared a series of long, drugging kisses with the woman he longed to make his wife. Soon, Jake hoped. He meant what he told Lacey, however. He’d go as slow as she needed. If that meant a long dating period and engagement, Jake would deal. “Does this mean you’ll think about marrying me?”
A broad smile appeared. “Are you asking?”
Oh, man. Did she mean what he thought she did? “Yes, I am. You aren’t going to break my heart, are you?”
“Never.”
“Will you marry me, Lacey Coleman?”
“I would be honored to be your wife, Jake Davenport.”
T
hank God. He drew in a deep breath. “Is there a jewelry store in town?”
“Yes, but don’t buy anything in Winston. Wait until we’re home.”
“As long as you don’t let some other man steal you away from me.”
“Not a chance. I love having my own personal medic.”
He stole a quick kiss. “Speaking of that, how does your arm feel?”
“It’s sore, but I’ll live.”
“Still taking the pills I gave you?”
“Yes, sir.”
He tapped her nose. “Smart aleck. I’ll check your arm before you go to sleep and change the bandage.” It would give him a chance to make sure an infection wasn’t setting up.
A quick knock and the door opened. Cade walked in, stopped short when he saw them locked in an embrace. “Should I walk around the block again?”
“Not necessary.”
Cade looked at Lacey, then Jake. “Something happen while I was gone for ten minutes?”
“Do you want to share the news, Lacey, or wait?” Maybe she wanted to tell her mother before she announced their engagement.
Lacey smiled at Cade. “Jake and I are engaged.”
His jaw dropped. “Nice work, man. Congratulations to you both.”
Jake pressed a tender kiss to Lacey’s temple. “Thanks. I’ll take watch if you want to sleep.”
“Actually, I need a run.” Cade rummaged in his duffel bag. “St. Claire is a stickler about physical training. I’m not giving him a chance to double my miles as penalty for skipping too many days in a row.”
“I hear you. Adam is the same.”
“Why does it matter if you skip a few days?” Lacey loosened her hold and twisted in Jake’s arms to face Cade. “Wouldn’t your conditioning hold?”
“One or two days off lets your body recuperate. After that, discipline starts to slip. It’s too easy to promise yourself you’ll run later.” He shrugged. “I hate running. I do it because it’s how I keep myself and my teammates safe. We have to be in better shape than the enemy. Sometimes our lives depend on it.”
“Go on, then. I don’t want to be responsible for Sasha not having a date with you.”
Cade’s face flamed as he turned away with his running clothes in hand and headed toward the bathroom to change.
“You need to run, too. Go with him.”
“Not a chance. One of us needs to be with you.”
“I’ll be locked in a hotel room. What could possibly happen?”
“The man who tampered with the balcony had an access card.”
“The card won’t do him any good if I bolt the doors.” She placed her hand over his heart. “Besides, you won’t have to worry if I’m running with you.”
He frowned. “You feel good enough to run five miles?”
Five miles? Holy cow. She couldn’t do that on a good day and this was anything but. “My limit is three. I guess you’ll have to go without me.”
“What about a compromise? We’ll run close to the hotel. When you’ve had enough, we’ll come back with you, make sure you get into the room safely. You can lock yourself in.” He’d make sure she had Adam and Veronica’s phone numbers programmed into her phone. If a problem developed while he and Cade ran the last two miles, help was across the hall.
She beamed. “Deal. Give me two minutes to change.” Lacey hurried into her room.
Cade strode from the bathroom. “I have my phone if you need anything while I’m out.”
“You’ll have to wait. Lacey wants to run with us.”
“She up to it?”
“We’ll find out. You scouted a route close to the hotel?”
A nod.
“We’ll make sure she gets back to the room when she’s tired, then finish the rest of the miles.”
Cade was silent a moment. “You’re a lucky man, Jake.”
“Why?”
“Lacey is protecting you. She wants you to continue training so you’re in top physical shape.”
“I know,” he murmured and turned to his duffel. “I’ll be ready in two minutes.”
Five minutes later, they started off at a slow jog. The night air felt crisp and clear, the breeze ruffling Jake’s hair and blowing the cobwebs from his mind.
Unlike Cade, he loved to run. To him, running equated freedom. Growing up, his mother had been overprotective. She’d had a good reason to guard him and his siblings with the fierceness of a mother bear. His family was wealthy and the threat of their children being kidnapped for ransom was a constant worry.
A nine-year-old boy he’d been friends with was kidnapped and murdered. Marnie Davenport had been afraid to let Jake and his siblings out of her sight for a long while. Finally, Dad had convinced Mom the danger was past once the killer was caught and convicted, and Jake and the other Davenport children were once again allowed outside without supervision. However, during those long months of fear in their community, the only freedom Jake had was when he ran to keep in shape for sports.
Because Lacey’s speed was slower than theirs, Jake and Cade matched their pace to hers. Into the second mile, Jake noticed a pair of headlights trailing several lengths behind them. He glanced at Cade who nodded. Jake wasn’t surprised Cade noticed. He was sharp and observant.
With a hand signal, Cade broke off and disappeared a moment later.
Lacey slowed, her expression puzzled. “Where is he going?”
“To circle around and get the license plate of the vehicle following us.”
“What do we do in the meantime?”
“Keep running unless you need to stop.”
“I’ll be fine for a few more minutes.” She sent him a sidelong glance. “You don’t look winded at all. Have you been holding back?”
“Your pace is a little slower than I’m used to. Doesn’t matter, though. Adam won’t care how fast I run.”
“I can speed up.”
“Save your strength. Do you like to run?”
“Love it. I don’t get a chance to run long distances. I usually have to fit it in between shifts at Coffee House.”
“You have good form. You’d be a natural long-distance runner. Unfortunately, once you start college, you won’t have time to run a lot of miles.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment. When the silence lasted longer than expected, Jake asked, “Something wrong?”
“We talked about your career. What about mine?”
Did she really think he would balk at her desire to attend med school? “What about it?”
“I still want to go to medical school. Will you be okay with that?”
He reached for her hand and slowed them to a stop. “Do what you’re called to do, honey. If that means being a trauma surgeon, I’ll support you every step of the way.”
“Even if the studies and interning keep me away from you?”
Jake cupped her cheek with his hand. “I’ll help you study. It will be fun and a good review for me.”
“Fun.” She shook her head. “Your idea of fun is different than mine.”
“I want to be part of your life. Studying together will give me time with you. I’ll take any time I can get, even if it is studying chemistry and biology.”
She placed a soft kiss on his mouth. “I love you.”
He grinned even as he slid his gaze to the vehicle crawling their direction. “Remember that when I make you mad one day.”
The vehicle stopped.
Jake edged closer to Lacey, his instincts screaming at him.
Behind him, he heard Cade yell, “Gun.”
A split second later, a gunshot shattered the peaceful night.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Jake dove for Lacey, wrapping his arms around her and taking them both to the ground. He managed to twist them in the air and take the brunt of the impact with the ground.
He rolled them until Lacey’s back was pressed to the brick wall of a store and his body covered hers. He wrapped his arms around her head, so no part of the woman he loved was
exposed to the shooter.
More shots rang out. Glass broke and the vehicle sped down the street.
Cade raced toward them. “You okay?”
Jake eased back from Lacey, his gaze scanning her body. “Are you hurt, baby?”
“Banged up.” She gave him a shaky smile. “Again. What happened?”
“Someone in the vehicle following us fired several shots our direction. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, Jake. What about you?” Her small hands gripped his arms. “Did he hit you?”
Knowing the adrenaline surge might have kept him unaware of a wound, he visually checked his limbs and torso. “No. Guess he’s a bad shot.”
“How can you joke at a time like this? Someone tried to kill us.”
More likely, he’d tried to kill Jake. The shooter could have hit Lacey. Jake shoved his anger behind a mental wall. Anger would cloud his thoughts, something he couldn’t afford. “He failed. When we’re back in the room, I want to check your stitches.”
Cade crouched beside them. “Hate to say it, but we need to call Jones.”
“He can’t do anything.”
“Maybe not, but we need the incident on record. I also have the plate for Z to run.”
“Traffic cams.”
Cade grinned. “Oh, yeah. Zane would enjoy hacking into the system.”
Jake reached into his pack and grabbed his phone. He reported the incident to the detective.
Jones sighed. “Someone really has it in for you three. Everybody okay?”
“We’re fine. Scared Lacey. Someone is going to pay for that.”
“I don’t know what you’re allowed to do outside the US border, but there will be no vigilante justice while you’re in Winston.”
Jake grunted without agreeing to Jones’ demand for compliance with his edict. No one would touch his girlfriend while he drew breath. Jake had no problem pulling the trigger or wielding a knife defending Lacey.
“Are you safe?”
He hadn’t stopped scanning the area since the SUV raced away. “Yeah, he’s long gone by now.”
“He? You saw the shooter?”
“Just get here. I don’t want Lacey out in the open longer than necessary.” He ended the call before the detective asked more questions.
