Seeking Worthy Pursuits: A Dark Romantic Suspense Novel (Alace Sweets Book 2)

by MariaLisa deMora

  The video had triggered for Eric’s visit, and she ignored that piece of footage, opening the previous one instead. It was a seven-second clip from the garage that only showed the overhead door slowly closing.

  Alace breathed in and held it for four seconds.

  She ignored the next several files from both the garage and interior cameras in the folder, and instead clicked on twenty-seven seconds of video that showed Todd in his kitchen. Due to the camera placement the sound was slightly garbled, something she could clean up later using a different piece of software. Right now she focused on him, because the still image had enough detail to show a surprised expression on his face. The video began at that frame, and his mouth moved in time with more garbled sound as a figure in a hoodie approached him and lifted hands that looked tiny in comparison to Todd’s. The figure got close, and Todd’s expression changed from surprise to shock, then filled with terror. It was only moments until he collapsed as the figure stepped back, allowing him to fall gracelessly to the floor.

  The figure, back still to the camera, shoved something Alace couldn’t see into the front pocket on the hoodie. Standing over Todd’s body, the figure moved their head oddly, jerking side to side as if to a tune. The sound bar on the recording was flat, telling Alace that nothing was playing in the home, so it was something specific to the person. To the woman. Alace could make that determination just from the video based on height and body type.

  “What’s that?” Heat enveloped her, and Alace sagged backwards slightly, letting her head rest against Eric’s chest. He immediately and unknowingly validated her evaluation of the intruder. “What’s she doing?”

  Alace let the final few seconds of the video play out, then selected the next one. There was a gap between the two of several minutes, the five-second triggered recording delay exacerbated by what she could only imagine was stillness from Todd’s attacker. When the video began, the figure had stretched Todd out on the floor and with a strength belied by her size was dragging Todd to the garage door.

  Alace’s head moved forwards and back, driven by Eric’s rapidly increasing breathing. “What?” He was panting, air audibly whooshing in and out of his mouth just over her head. “What’s going on?”

  “Todd’s being kidnapped.” Alace didn’t consider the terrifying power of the word until Eric made a pained sound, a keening trapped behind his teeth. “Eric, honey. Let me do my job here. Can you get me something to drink?” She glanced to the side and winced when she saw a full bottle of water sitting near her keyboard. “Maybe a snack to help with the nausea?”

  “Who’s that? Who’s in Todd’s house?” Eric leaned closer to the screen, taking her head with him until she was crouched over in her chair. “Fuck. Sorry, baby.” He shifted to the side and she straightened. “What’s going on?”

  “Eric.” She tilted her head up, staring at her husband’s strained expression. “Honey, look at me.” His gaze danced sideways, then arrowed back to the screen. “Baby.” Another tiny shift, then renewed focus on the screen. “Eric.” With more oomph behind his name this time, Alace succeeded in capturing his attention. “I can’t do what I need to do with you hovering over me like this. You need to step back, give me some room, and let me focus on what I can find out from the video. The good news is I have footage. That’s huge, baby. Let me figure out what’s going on.”

  Eyes drawn into downturned commas, face contorted by the savagery of his suppressed emotions, Eric stared at her a moment then blinked fast as he nodded.

  “Okay.” She gave him a slower nod in response. “I’m going to figure this out. Just—” She shrugged and tipped her head to the side, jerking it towards the door. “—give me some space.”

  Eric didn’t move for a moment, and she had almost decided to try again when he swooped down and pressed his lips to hers. Chaste and yet more filled with emotion than she expected, he kissed her hard and fast, eyes open and locked on hers. “Okay.”

  He straightened and she turned back to the screen, hands already moving to the keyboard and mouse. Moments later, she was lost in the video footage, watching the woman wrestle Todd into the back seat of a tiny gray import parked in the garage. The low-slung profile of the vehicle no doubt helped as she lifted his shoulders into the car, the woman climbing out the far side as his feet finally disappeared into the car. In the driver seat and leaving a few moments later, the woman and car vanished as the garage door silently closed.

  Fingers flying over the keyboard, Alace navigated to the local public works private website log-in page, gaining entry within minutes, using a brute force method she normally wouldn’t employ. She already knew they didn’t have the capability of finding her, hidden as she was behind widely spread VPN connections. It didn’t take long to sort out the naming convention for the city’s cameras, and once she did, it was the work of seconds to locate the closest camera to Todd’s house. Backtracking to before the woman showed at Todd’s home, Alace found the distinctive vehicle on the screen, with a clear view of the driver, hood not yet drawn up to hide her face.

  Short, dark hair matched with petite features Alace was well familiar with helped easily identify the woman as one of two. She had a pretty good idea which Temple sister it was.

  Staring at the frozen frame for several slow breaths, Alace considered the options open to her.

  Her cameras could be passed off as personal security, albeit with abnormally expensive equipment. Involving the authorities would jeopardize her and Eric. Any interaction with police—and eventually the FBI when this was identified as a kidnapping of a sitting judge—brought significant risk to her door. Her cover was firm and well established, but there was always an element of danger when under scrutiny of any kind. Her hunters would be under threat, too, because her network unavoidably terminated here, in her and Eric’s home. Even though she took every precaution, Alace knew from experience that no system was bulletproof.

  She could have Eric make the call, worried about his best friend being missing with his car and house untouched, acting out of concern. There was the risk the cops wouldn’t see the cameras, and even if she moved the recordings to a server inside Todd’s home, pointing all new recordings to the location, they’d be restricted, needing a warrant to seize and examine the computer equipment. It could be days before they realized he’d been taken against his will, and by then the traffic footage would be cycled off and overwritten with new recordings.

  Or she could work this like a gig and utilize her resources to find Todd. If he’d been killed, she could do what she had trained to do, and find and penalize his abductor. If worst came to worst, she could even make certain his body would be found and reclaimed by family and friends.

  “Alace?” She jerked her gaze away from the screen to see Eric close to her, the trembling tray in his hands threatening to tumble the plate of crackers and vegetables to the floor. He was staring at the screen, frozen on the still frame of the video she’d paused. “Is that Maddy?”

  “No, baby.” She reached out and took the tray, twisting to set it on the floor to one side of her chair. “That’s not Maddy. It’s her sister.”

  “The one who’s missing?”

  Alace nodded, her movement drawing Eric’s gaze to her.

  “She’s not missing anymore.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Alace

  “Come on.” Her mutter was scarcely audible to her own ears, frustration with the lack of information reflecting Mackie Temple’s route through the city. Chewing on her lip, she shoved back from the desk and computer and folded her legs, propping her heels on the edge of the seat. The slight rounding of her belly surprised her, making the position less comfortable than she was accustomed to.

  I’m pregnant. The knowledge was no longer new but still took her breath away sometimes. This was a tiny person, growing inside her body, unplanned but definitely wanted. The sense of protectiveness she felt was so strong, her fingers curled around her ankles, holding tight.

 
The video from the trial of the girls’ grandfather flickered through her mind, and she saw Mackie’s face again. Charming and innocent, upset by the attention but plainly uncertain why these people cared about what had happened between herself and her grandfather—it wasn’t until the trial came to a close that the betrayal she’d felt was clear.

  The sweet little girl had never stopped loving her grandfather, even when presented with the reactions of the adults around her.

  Alace leaned forwards, pulling up public property tax records, putting in the address from memory.

  Somehow she wasn’t surprised by what she found. Expecting to find it auctioned off at some point—Alace could have located when the transactions had happened but didn’t care, as the end result was enough to know—instead, the house had stayed in the family, still owned by an M. Temple, and the taxes were paid up.

  One county and two towns over, and just off a major highway.

  “Plenty of cameras between here and there.”

  She got back to work.

  “Alace.” Eric’s expression was less anguished and more concerned as he appeared in the doorway. “Time to take a break, baby.”

  Straightening slowly, she rolled her shoulders to work the kinks out of the muscles and glanced at the time in the corner of the screen. “Shit.” Six hours had passed since she’d started looking for Todd. “Yeah, okay.” Eric stepped close, hand out, and she accepted the help rising from the chair. Hissing through her teeth, she winced as the pins-and-needles woke in her feet. “I need to—” She nodded towards the bathroom door. “I’ll be right back.” It seemed her gentle dismissal of his assistance went unnoticed because Eric moved closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he turned them and walked alongside her. “I’m okay, Eric.”

  “And I’m going to make sure you stay that way.” The tender touch of his lips against her temple felt like a benediction, and she leaned against him. “Both my babies.”

  Head pressed to his chest, she sighed. “I’m going to activate one of my guys for this.” Eric stilled, muscles stiffening underneath her hands. “You know I can’t just call it in.” Statement, not a question, but she still waited for his response.

  “I know.” The sound that came from him was as far from a laugh as it could get. “He bought this when he asked you to find her.”

  “He did.” She reached for the doorframe, pulled away from him, and turned to peer up at his face. “I’ll handle with care.”

  “Go.” He gave her shoulder a gentle push, turning her more fully into the door. “I’m going to make you some real food.” This time when he laughed, the chuckle was closer to normal, rich and full of self-deprecating humor. “Pretty sure stale crackers and wilted carrot sticks aren’t going to cut it.” He pulled the door partly closed, then paused to say, “Yell if you need me.” The click of the latch was quiet but distinct, shutting her in the small room, separating her from him in a way that hurt somehow.

  Business done, she spread her palms flat on the sides of the sink and leaned close to the mirror, studying her face more closely than she had in a long time. What does Eric see when he looks at me? Normally, she believed he simply saw the woman he loved. Today, however, with the life of his friend on the line, she didn’t believe his view of her was quite the same.

  “Come out when you’re ready. I’ve got a mix of things, and if you’re a good girl, even dessert.” Eric’s voice rumbled through the door, and Alace watched her reflection’s lips curl up in response.

  So damned sweet.

  “I’m ready.” She opened the door to find him standing right there. “Whatcha got cookin’, good lookin’?”

  Skin around his eyes tight with concern, he forced a smile for her. “Soup, sandwiches, and juice.”

  “Went all out, huh?” Alace looped her arm through his, leaning lightly against him. She deliberately lowered her voice to ask, “Where do you want me?”

  “In our bed.”

  Surprised by the jolt of arousal that shot through her from his growled words, Alace glanced up to find him staring at her. The tension in his face had been erased, replaced by the dark look of hunger with which she was well acquainted. As she stared at him, there was an echoing rumble from her stomach, and the expression fled, chased away by a sweet amusement.

  “Seems my baby’s belly has some different ideas.” Eric bent and lifted her, hands on each globe of her ass as he snugged her against his front. Alace curled her legs around his waist and threaded her fingers together behind his neck. Secure in his grip, she arched closer and ran a line of kisses along the edge of his jaw. He captured her mouth with his, holding her tightly before they separated. He placed her on the bed, her feet falling away from his body to the cushioning surface. Gaze focused on her face, he smiled and said, “Let’s get you fed, and you can relax for a little bit. You know your brain will keep working at the puzzles you’ve undoubtedly uncovered. You don’t have to be in front of the computer to have it keep going.”

  “I didn’t realize I’d been at the computer that long.” She cupped his cheeks in her palms. “I promise. I’m doing everything I can.”

  “I know you are.” With narrowed eyes, he shook his head. “I hate that I’m useless to you with this.”

  “You’re not useless. You realized something had happened and checked on him, and then you came to me.” The realization swept over her, a feeling larger than nearly anything she’d ever felt swelling inside her. “You came to me.”

  Eric blinked at her amazement. The tension that had returned to his features disappeared as they flooded with love. “Of course I came to you, baby. Who else would I trust to figure out what was going on?” She pressed her forehead to his, letting the confidence he had in her roll around and over her. “Alace, baby, there’s no one I trust more.”

  She stayed there, breathing slowly synchronizing with Eric’s. “I love you so much.” His eyes curved into commas again, this time from a much more pleasant expression. She didn’t have to see his mouth to know he was smiling. “More than you’ll ever know.”

  “Oh, I think I know.” A broad palm curved over the tiny baby bump low on her belly, and the ease with which he expressed his gratitude without even saying a word of thanks made her laugh. “Get comfy. I’ve got your food on the dresser.”

  Alace arranged herself leaning against the headboard, pillow wedged behind her back. Eric placed the folding legs of the tray on either side of her hips, fingers tweaking the end of her nose as she looked down. She grinned, glanced at the neatly divided sandwich wedges, and picked up the bowl of soup, the savory scent making her mouth water. He stretched out beside her, elbow bent, head propped on his hand as he watched her eat. The look of satisfaction on his face was adorable, but she’d never tell him that. Eric had much better kitchen skills than she did, even after months of practice. If the man wanted to be pleased that he’d heated some frozen soup and made a PBJ, she’d give it to him.

  Their conversation was necessarily interrupted with silences surrounding her consumption of the meal, and Alace knew Eric was keeping the topics well away from Todd. She didn’t know what it cost him to do so, with the fate of his best friend up in the air, but she appreciated the effort. As he’d suggested, it gave her mind time and space to work, picking along the edges of what she knew and suspected, and into areas she hadn’t yet touched.

  By the time she was done eating, and Eric had felt she’d been resting long enough, Alace had a better idea of what to tackle next. She’d already found Temple’s vehicle on footage close enough to the grandfather’s home to believe that was her destination, so while looking for definitive proof would make Alace happier about the next steps, it was no longer necessary.

  “Hand me my tablet.” Eric glanced over his shoulder at the computer and she shook her head. “Not for this. I can stay where I am.” Smiling at him, she gave his cheek a poke with a soft finger. “You know that’ll make you happier anyway.”

  He rolled to his back and reached o
ut, grabbing the tablet from the nightstand. He finished on his feet, turned to hand her the device, and then retrieved the tray of empty dishes. Without a word, he pursed his lips and blew her a kiss, then left the room.

  Alace wasted no time before booting the tablet, connecting to her secondary Wi-Fi and keying in the pass phrase. Owen’s folder appeared a few connections later, and Alace frowned when she saw no activity.

  After she’d left him on the trail, he’d checked in a couple of times, answering her inquiries and reporting on the clearing. Alace checked the logs and saw he’d connected a couple of times but hadn’t updated. “Asshole.” Probably waiting on her to ask for a formal update. He should be out of the woods by now, even if there were more graves or a secondary cache at the clearing he’d been investigating.

  Backing out of the system, she stared at the tablet, then shifted her gaze to the computer.

  “Do it.” Eric’s voice was gruff, but when she looked at him where he stood in the doorway, he just shook his head. “Whatever you’re trying to do, if you can’t do it on the tablet, then get on the computer. Just—” The conflict he felt was plain, mouth twisting to the side before he continued. “Put your feet up or something. Is there anything else I can do, baby?”

  Tipping her head to one side as she crawled towards the end of the bed, she grinned and joked. “Rub my toes?” As she settled into the rolling chair, Eric pulled her footstool out from under the desk, set it just to the side, and plunked himself on top of it. He motioned towards her feet with curled fingers, and she laughed aloud as she lifted her feet and placed them in his hands. “I was joking.”

  “I know.” He smiled back at her. “I’m just going to stay close anyway. Might as well make myself useful.” A stiffened thumb dug into the ball of her foot, and Alace lifted her chin at the soothing sensation. “If I’m a distraction, I can stop.”