by Rebecca Deel
“Can I get up now?” Lacey asked.
“Unless you’re uncomfortable, you can sit up but stay on the ground.” The ground was the safest place for her. She’d present less of a target. “Jones should be here in a few minutes.” When she swayed, Jake steadied her with a hand to the shoulder. He called Adam.
“Yeah?” a gruff voice answered on the first ring.
“It’s Jake. I’m two blocks from the hotel near the corner of Sharon and Magnolia. I need a blanket and three bottles of water.”
“Problem?”
“Yeah. I’ll explain when you get here.”
“You have backup?”
“Cade’s with me and Lacey.”
“Three minutes.”
A siren sounded in the distance.
Lacey stirred. “The police are coming?” She was looking across the street though Jake didn’t think she was focused on anything in particular. How could she be? The vista in front of her was a closed department store.
“Lacey.” He tilted her head back. “Look at me.”
It took her two beats longer than he liked for her to respond to his command. Lacey was going into shock. One more trauma in a string of them. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on the creep terrorizing her.
“There’s Adam,” Cade murmured.
His team leader ran toward them, his wife, Veronica, on his heels. Vonnie handed Jake the blanket which he wrapped around Lacey. Adam tossed a bottle of water toward Cade who neatly snagged it in mid-air, then handed the other two bottles to Jake. “Sit rep.”
Cade summarized the attack, finishing just as Jones arrived at the curb.
Now that Adam and Veronica were on site to help Cade with protection, Jake concentrated on Lacey. He uncapped a bottle of water and encouraged her to sip the liquid.
She blinked when he pressed the bottle into her hand. “Drink. The water will help.”
With coaxing, she sipped the liquid. When she started shivering, he sat and gathered her close to his side, wrapping his arms around her to share his body heat.
By the time Jones finished grilling Cade for details of the shooting, Lacey was boneless, the shivers gone. Her eyes were closed, breathing even. Jake’s lips curved. Had she fallen asleep? No, he thought. Drowsing maybe, but not asleep.
Jones crouched on the other side of Lacey. “She okay?”
“She said she wasn’t injured.” Jake didn’t completely trust her assessment, though. Shock or adrenaline could mask symptoms of an injury. “We hit the ground hard.”
“Better than a bullet. Tell me what happened.”
While Jake ran through the events of the past few minutes and what he’d observed, the detective wrote notes in his small notebook.
“Did you see the shooter?”
“Not enough. I focused on protecting Lacey.”
“What did you get?”
“Male, big, baseball cap pulled low on his forehead, dark shirt. Cade already told you about the vehicle.”
A short nod. “I can already tell you it’s Yvonne’s SUV. The plates and vehicle match.”
“Figured. The killer is desperate to isolate Lacey.”
The detective’s attention shifted to the woman in Jake’s arms. His eyebrows rose. “She’s asleep?”
Not willing to confirm or deny the assertion, he said, “Adrenaline dump.”
“Sorry, but I need to talk to her.”
“I’ll do it.” Jake ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “Lacey.”
Her eyelids lifted. She turned her head enough to see the detective. “I’m awake. Ask your questions.”
“When did you become aware of the SUV following you?”
A smile curved her mouth. “When Jake told me we had a tail.”
“What did you do?”
“Jake and I kept running. Cade circled behind to look at the license plate.”
“Do you think he got the plates?”
“I know he got the plates. He’s Fortress, like Jake. Child’s play for all of them.”
He asked her the same questions he’d asked Jake and Cade, received similar answers with one new piece of information.
“I noticed a flash of light on his right hand,” Lacey said.
Jake tightened his grip on her. “What kind of flash?”
“He passed under a streetlight about the time he pulled the trigger.” She frowned. “Maybe a ring.”
“Would you be able to identify it?” Jones asked.
“Not a chance. Everything happened too fast.”
Jake exchanged glances with Cade. Zane could help if a traffic cam or security camera resolution was good enough. Of course, the Fortress techs could do amazing things with their gadgets and programs.
After Jones questioned Lacey a few more minutes and learned nothing more, he asked Cade to remain on the scene. “You and Lacey and the Walkers can go back to the hotel. Do me a favor. Stay in your rooms and get some rest. I need a chance to process the clues I already have before you provide new ones.”
Jake chuckled as he helped Lacey to her feet. “We’ll do our best to stay out of trouble.” But if trouble came knocking on his door, all bets were off.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Jake opened the suite door and ushered Lacey inside. Veronica closed and locked the door. She took a seat at the table facing the door, weapon close at hand.
He motioned for Lacey to sit on the bed. “Let me check your stitches.”
“My arm is fine, Jake.”
“I need to make sure.” He still wasn’t convinced he hadn’t hurt her when he took Lacey to the ground to avoid the shooter’s bullets.
She tilted her head. “Only if I check your burns afterward.”
He grinned. Feisty future doctor. “Deal.” He helped her take off the lightweight jacket she wore over her shirt. Jake removed the bandage from her arm. Relief swept through him. The stitches held despite the jostling and her wound didn’t appear infected. “Looks good.”
Taking the opportunity to change the dressing, he used a waterproof bandage this time. “You can take a shower with that one.”
Her face brightened. “Really? Thank goodness. Keeping your arm dry while you wash your hair is hard. Your turn. I want to check your back.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He reached back, tugged off his shirt, and turned. Lacey’s soft hands smoothed over his skin, her touch branding him with her sweet heat. “Well, Doc?” That earned him a gentle poke in his side.
“Not yet. Your back looks good.” She pressed a kiss to his shoulder blade. “Real good.”
Good to know his body appealed to Lacey.
“What happened to your back?” Veronica asked.
“Minor burns from the cabin explosion.”
“You need more ointment.” Lacey leaned around his shoulder to see his face. “The burns will disappear in two or three days.”
He handed her the tube of burn ointment from his mike bag.
“Hard to believe you managed to tick someone off this fast, Jake.” Veronica settled back in the chair.
Jake narrowed his eyes. “You’re not funny, Vonnie.”
She gave him an unrepentant grin. “Adam wouldn’t agree with you.”
“Your husband adores you. His opinion doesn’t count.”
Lacey recapped the tube of ointment and handed it to Jake. “His opinion counts more than anyone else’s.”
He captured her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm.
Veronica’s eyes widened. “Something I should know?”
“I’m in love with Lacey and plan to marry her as soon as she sets a date.”
Shock kept her immobile for a few seconds. When she moved, Veronica leapt to her feet and grabbed Jake and then Lacey in a hug. “Congratulations. I’m thrilled for you though surprised at the speed.”
He shrugged. “I’ve been getting to know Lacey for months and falling more in love with her every day. It was inevitable. How could I resist her?”
“Do you feel the same?�
� Veronica asked.
“He’s wonderful. Falling in love with him was a slow fall for me, too. After Frank, I didn’t trust myself, but I couldn’t resist Jake.”
“Adam will be happy. He’s been concerned Frank would worm his way back into your life.”
“Not a chance. He’s moved on to another woman. Frank hasn’t bothered me since Adam and Brent talked to him.”
A knock on the door alerted them to Cade’s return. Jake let in the two Fortress operatives. “Anything new from Jones?”
Adam kissed his wife before he replied. “He found a couple bullets, one in a store with a broken window, the other embedded in the wall of that store. Forty caliber rounds.”
“Shell casings?”
“None.” He took in Jake’s bare torso. “You hurt?”
He shook his head. “Lacey wanted to check the burns on my back.”
Veronica laced her fingers with her husband’s. “Adam, Lacey has something good to tell you.”
“I’m ready for good news.”
“Jake and I are engaged.”
Stunned silence greeted her announcement. Adam hugged Lacey, his embrace loose. “I’m happy for you. You deserve better than Frank. Jake is a good man.”
“I paid attention to what you said, Adam.” She patted his muscled arm. “That day in Coffee House changed my life. You made me face the truth. Thank you.”
“Jake will treat you like a princess.” A hard glance came Jake’s direction. “If he doesn’t, he’ll receive a visit from me and Brent.”
Jake would never mistreat a woman, especially one he adored. “The boss doesn’t know. Let Lacey tell him and Rowan.”
“No problem. Have you talked to Zane?”
Jake shook his head. “I was more interested in checking Lacey’s arm.”
“Call him. We need information. The cops have little to go on.”
He called Zane and put the phone on speaker.
“Murphy.”
“It’s Jake.”
“Hold.” A muffled murmur came through the speaker, then a series of thumps and a door opening and closing. “Go.”
“Sorry to wake you.”
“I’m considering it practice for when the baby arrives.”
Jake grinned at the reminder that Zane’s wife, Claire, was expecting their first child in a few months. Adam grinned at the mention of his future nephew or niece. That baby would have many people vying to babysit. “You’re on speaker with Adam, Vonnie, Cade, and Lacey.”
“What do you need?”
“Your hacking skills.”
A soft chuckle. “Nothing I like better, especially if it involves a fed database. What am I hacking?”
“Traffic and security cams near the corner Magnolia and Sharon in Winston. Drive-by shooting.”
“Injuries?”
“No.”
Keys clicked for a few minutes.
“Z, are you in your home office or just on the laptop?” Jake asked.
“Office.”
“Run the name Noah Holt.”
“DOB?”
“Don’t know, but his father is Senator Randy Holt.”
A soft whistle. “That narrows things down fast. I’ll see what I can find on him and his father. Got into the traffic cams. What am I looking for?”
“Black SUV.”
“How many of those are in town besides our three?” the tech asked, wry wit in his voice.
“This one is distinctive,” Cade said. “The vehicle followed Jake, Lacey, and me as we ran the streets around the hotel.” His smile had a hard edge to it. “It also has the back window shot out.”
“The SUV is my mother’s,” Lacey said.
“Get a look at the shooter?”
“Happened too fast.” Jake wrapped his hand around Lacey’s. “He was aiming for me.”
“Wouldn’t make sense for the killer to shoot Lacey when his whole focus is capturing her.”
Jake tightened his grip on Lacey’s hand. “He’s a lousy shot. He missed me and could have easily hit her instead. See if you can get me a shot of his face. One other thing. Lacey noticed a flash of light on the shooter’s right hand.”
“A ring?”
“Possibly.”
More keys clicked, then, “Got it. Definitely Yvonne’s SUV. Good thing you have fast reflexes, Jake. I’ll hunt for security cams along the route, clean up the images. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“How long?”
“Two hours. I’ll text you when I finish.”
“Send the info to our team plus Cade,” Adam said.
“Roger that.” He ended the call.
“What do we do in the mean time?” Lacey asked.
“Rest.”
She scowled. “How can you say that? The way I feel right now I might not sleep tonight at all.”
“You will.” Jake squeezed her hand. “When the adrenaline crash hits, you won’t be able to keep your eyes open.”
Cade handed Jake his phone. “On missions, we sleep and eat every chance we get. At times during a mission, we may not have the chance to do either. We take advantage of the downtime.”
“Speaking of sleep, I need more.” Veronica rose and kissed her husband’s jaw. “Come on, Adam. Jake, if you need us again, we’ll be across the hall. Remy and Lily will be here around 7:00.”
“Any information comes through, I want to know,” Adam said as he and Veronica left.
Jake tugged Lacey to her feet. “If you want to shower, do it now. Leave the connecting door open.” After she went to her room, Jake turned to Cade. “I’ll take the first watch.”
“I’ll keep an eye on things while you shower.” His friend’s lips curved. “I bet you’ll finish before Lacey.”
Cade was right. Jake had time to shower, dress, and brew Lacey a cup of chamomile mint tea by the time her bathroom door opened. “Let me know when you’re ready for company, Lacey.”
She appeared in the doorway, dressed in a hooded long-sleeved navy cotton shirt and pants. “Anything from Zane?”
“Not yet.” He turned to Cade. “I’ll be with Lacey for a while.” At least until she went to sleep. Maybe longer. He’d come too close to losing her tonight. He wasn’t ready to leave her yet.
Jake carried his laptop and the tea into Lacey’s room. He nudged the connecting door almost closed so they wouldn’t disturb Cade. “If I check the railing first, would you like to sit on the balcony while you sip your tea? We’re protected from the wind on this side of the hotel so you shouldn’t be cold.”
She smiled. “Sounds good.”
“Grab a blanket.” Jake carried her tea to the balcony table and checked the railing. Solid. Confirmed what he and Cade suspected. The killer tried to trim down Lacey’s protection.
“It’s safe,” he told her when she came to his side, blanket clutched in her hands.
“Come sit with me. How long will you be on duty?”
“Three hours. I’ll sleep until 4:00. We’ll figure out our priorities from there.” Jake tucked the blanket around Lacey and handed her the hot drink he’d doctored with a packet of sugar.
She snuggled into his side as she sipped. “You sweetened the tea?”
“Yes. Drink it anyway.” She didn’t add sweetener to her drinks, but under the circumstances she could use the calories.
“Bossy. Good thing I love you.”
“The only time I won’t budge on an issue is if your health or safety is at risk. Other than that, everything is negotiable.”
They sat in silence while Lacey finished her tea. After Jake placed the empty cup on the table, Lacey loosened one end of the blanket and draped it over him.
“I don’t want you to chill, either.”
Amusement and tenderness ribboned through him. The brisk breeze was nothing compared to some of the downright frigid temperatures he’d endured during missions. Freezing wasn’t the norm. Usually, they were sent to hotter climates. No hardship on his part. Jake hated to be cold.
They
sat in the quiet darkness, watching the leaves dance in the breeze, and the bushes sway. Off in the distance, a dog barked.
“When will I meet your family?” Lacey asked.
“After your mother is mobile enough to care for herself. We’ll make time to visit around my deployments and your schedule at the coffee shop.” He turned to her. “We need to go before the end of the year.”
“Why?”
“Once you start school, a trip out of town will be difficult.”
Her head whipped his direction. “I haven’t applied yet.”
“That’s why you need to start the application process.”
“Will Mom be well enough for me to return to Nashville by the first of the year?”
Jake cupped her cheek with his palm, thumb brushing over the soft skin. “Unless she has a major setback, Yvonne should be fine by then. If not, we’ll make sure your mother has help to function independently.”
“I still don’t have the money, Jake.”
“Talk to Brent first. If Fortress won’t pick up the tab, we’ll consider other options.” Including Jake paying her tuition. She was going to be his wife. He’d count it a privilege to fund her education. “It’s time to go after your dream.”
Lacey circled his neck with her arms and kissed him, slow and deep. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Believing in me.”
“I know you can do this. You just have to want it bad enough to not let anything or anyone stand in your way.” And that included her mother.
For a few minutes, they discussed colleges in the Nashville area. By the time Lacey was ready to go inside, she had narrowed her choices down to one university for her pre-med studies.
“Is it all right if I sit at your table and work? I’ll leave the connecting door open.”
She studied his face in silence a moment. “You’re afraid to leave me.”
“Reluctant is a more accurate term.”
Lacey’s expression softened. “Stay, as long as you promise to lay down when Cade relieves you.”
He nodded. He would have promised her almost anything, as long as he heard her breath and knew she was safe. Once Lacey was under the covers and asleep, Jake grabbed his laptop.
