by Dale Mayer
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I heard about the beating on the news, but I doubt anyone was there at the time. Father didn’t like anyone to know what he was doing.”
“Where was your brother during all this?”
“Who knows? He lives at home part time but has another place. We’re not close.” She gave a half snort. “Meaning, I have nothing to do with him. Alex certainly is mean and petty but isn’t very aggressive. He’s more a pretty playboy. He was home that evening as he was at dinner with us, but I left. Maybe he did too.” She shrugged. “If he did try to kill our father, he’s smart enough to have an alibi.”
“And you?”
She shot him that same shuttered look. “I live alone. Since I left the military, I’ve been staying in a cheap furnished apartment until I sort out my life. I don’t have many friends, and, since this happened, I’ve been living on the streets. That means, no alibi. I was extremely resentful of my father for always beating my mother, and I was angry her for staying, and according to the police, that’s likely lots of motive. I also have a big chip on my shoulder right now. And I hate authority. And if I thought I could cut off the head of the snake at its source—and chop off law enforcement and the military’s evils all at the same time—I would do it.”
“Interesting that you put the two of those together,” he said. “And just because there might be a bad apple or a bushel within the thousands of people who work in both those areas, that doesn’t mean that either system is completely wrong or that the people therein are all bad.”
Chapter 6
She wanted to tell Harrison everything. But she didn’t know this man. She didn’t dare trust him. She hated strangers. And superiors. And coworkers. She glared at the darkening evening around her. Goddammit. How had her life come to this?
“Are you sure you don’t want a nice bed for the night? And a shower?”
“Do I stink?”
His eyebrows rose. “No. But that’s no reason not to accept an offer of help, is it?”
Disgruntled, she shook her head. “Fine. But I don’t want to bring more trouble to Richard. How about we go someplace completely different?”
“Why?” He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around so she was facing him. “Aside from your family being targeted, do you bring a particular danger with you wherever you go? Are you running from something? Why would going to Richard’s put him in harm’s way?”
“No particular reason, except, as you pointed out, somebody could be wiping out my family.”
He nodded. “But Richard’s place has round-the-clock security. And somebody would have to know you were there. If that’s the case, then somebody already knows where you are now.”
She shook her head. “Look, you don’t have to stick with me. I get this is a job. But it’s really got nothing to do with me. I didn’t shoot my father, and I didn’t beat up my mother. I want you to take all that energy and misguided concern and find out who really did.” She watched him glare at her and cross his arms over his chest. She sighed. “You really do have a hero complex, don’t you?” At that she could almost see him snapping his eyebrows together in a fit of temper. It was her turn to raise her brows. “So, you don’t like that term. Whatever. The thing is, I’m fine. And I’ll stay fine. And I don’t want to bring any trouble to Richard. Just in case.”
“Okay, then where do we stay?”
She shrugged. “There is a homeless center around here. I’m sure I can grab a bed for the night.”
He brought up his watch. “It’s almost eleven. Not only will it be closed but the beds might be full.”
He was right. “I’ll find a park bench then.” Although she didn’t feel safe enough to actually sleep in the open like that. If only she could make peace with herself and the miserable events that had dominated her for the last two years, and then all these considerations would cease.
He shook his head. “No way I’ll sleep on a park bench.”
“Maybe they can bring out a cot at the hospital, and I can stay with my mom overnight. She’s under guard, so I’d be safe too. That’s perfect.” She pulled out her phone and the card Richard had given her. “Richard,” she said when he answered the phone. “Any chance I could have a cot brought to my mom’s room, and I could stay there with her tonight?”
“I’m not sure that’s best for her right now. She’s been surfacing and going under, but she’s distraught. If she wakes up to find you there, I don’t know what kind of reaction it will bring up. If I thought it would make her happy, that would be perfect, and I’d be all for it. But because I don’t know, I’m not sure that’s the best way forward.”
“But I can come visit, right?”
“You can visit her in the morning. She is settled for the night,” he said cautiously. “What’s this all about?”
“I was looking at my options for the night.”
“Your best option is to go to my house. But I’m sure Harrison has already told you that.”
“Yes, he has, but I don’t want to bring any trouble to your doorstep. You’re already helping my mother. What if anything happened to you? That won’t be very good either,” she said in a half-joking manner.
“Right. So trouble is dogging your heels. Well, I have good security at home, and, if needed, I can bring in a few more men.”
“There’s got to be another answer.”
“There is,” Harrison said in a loud, hard voice. “I’ll grab a hotel for the two of us.”
“Like hell you will.”
“Richard, what do you think?”
“I think you are both being foolish. You should go to my place. I have a ton of guest rooms.”
Harrison glared at her. “Two choices. Hotel—with me sharing the same room—or Richard’s, where you get your own.”
She was so mad she stomped her foot on the cement. And then she gave a barely withheld scream of fury. When she realized Richard was laughing, she snapped, “Fine. But it’s not my fault if someone follows us there.”
“I hope he does,” Harrison growled. “Maybe this will come to a head. By the time I get him tied up in a chair and get answers from the asshole, we’ll know exactly what the hell’s going on.”
Richard said, “How long will it take you to get here? I’m having a nightcap, so hurry up.”
“We still don’t have a way to get there,” Zoe said. “It’ll be almost impossible to call a cab from here.”
“There are other means.” Harrison raised his hand in the air and gave a wave.
What the hell was he doing?
The Jeep she’d been in earlier drove up behind them. He motioned to the front seat and asked, “How about this? Would you accept a ride again?”
Her jaw dropped as she recognized the same two men. “You’re telling me that they’ve been following us the whole time?” She was put out she hadn’t even noticed. She blamed Harrison for that. She hopped in the front seat, glanced at the almost Icelandic-looking man driving and said, “Thank you for the ride. I don’t think I introduced myself earlier. I’m Zoe.”
The big man gave her a gentle smile and said, “No problem. I’m Saul.”
The darker guy in the back said, “And I’m Dakota.”
Harrison hopped into the back seat and said, “Richard’s place, please, guys. After that, you’re off duty.”
“Our first job as babysitter has been pretty easy,” Saul said with a grin.
Then came a hard ping on the side of the Jeep.
Saul’s foot hit the pedal, and the Jeep raced forward.
Zoe spun around and stared at Harrison. “Was that a gunshot?”
He placed his big hand on the back of her head and forced her down. “Stay low.”
The men checked their surroundings. Saul did a series of quick zigzags and turns. She studied the street signs as she lay prone on the seat to realize they’d returned to where they’d been shot at a few minutes earlier.
Saul drove slowly so the guys could see if anyone followed them.
As far as she was concerned, returning to the scene of the crime set them up to be a target twice. “What? Are you trying to get shot at again?”
The street was empty. Harrison let her sit up again. Saul took off, taking a very confusing route through the city, back and around, lots of left turns, right turns, and heading toward one of the wealthier districts in San Diego. When he pulled up outside a secure gated area and identified himself, the gates opened, and they drove through. She heard Harrison on the phone, talking to Richard.
“We’re in the compound. Lock down security. We were shot at.”
The lights outside amped up, and she had no idea what else went on. But she imagined security for this place was rather solid. The big mansion was ahead of her with a small house off to the side. “Why would one person live in something so big?”
“He used to live here with his daughter, but she now lives with Levi in Texas,” Harrison said.
“She’s the other part of Legendary Security.” That explained a few things.
Harrison exited the Jeep, quickly opened her door and ushered her into the house. There were no incidents getting inside. Saul and Dakota came in also, and Harrison asked them, “Are you heading home, or do you want to stay here for the night?”
Saul nodded. “Like hell we’re leaving at this point.”
“Good,” Richard said, joining them. “Now I don’t have to hire more men. My daughter just hired them for me instead.” Richard beamed at the group of four, standing at the front door. “Also helpful that I have lots of room here. You want to be on the same floor upstairs?” He turned to Harrison. “I trust I can leave room assignments to your choosing?”
Harrison nodded. “She’ll be in the room next to me, and I’ll have one of the guys on the other side.” He faced Richard. “What about you?”
“I’ll be in bed in about ten minutes, and I don’t plan to leave my room until tomorrow morning.” He gave a tired smile to the group. “As much as I like company, it’s been quite a long and difficult day. Tomorrow will not be much better. I have several very difficult surgeries. If you need food, the kitchen is to the left. If you need booze, the bar is right ahead. I trust you can help yourselves without needing a host.” As he headed upstairs, he added, “Breakfast is at seven.” At that, he disappeared.
“He really does have a lot of space, doesn’t he?” Zoe said. “My father’s house is big, but it’s not like this.”
“He’s been threatening to sell it for a long time,” Harrison said.
“And then what? What about his hospital?”
“If he didn’t have that, I think he’d moved closer to Ice, but maybe not for a while yet.”
The four of them moved upstairs. Harrison took a left when they got to the top. He quickly motioned Dakota and Saul to their rooms, then opened the door to his and said, “This is mine, and you’re in the adjoining room.”
“Adjoining room?” She glared at him suspiciously. “Does it have a connecting door?”
“Yes, they have a connecting door,” he said drily. “I promise I won’t come in and try to seduce you in the night.”
Saul and Dakota held back their chuckles.
Zoe shot them a glare.
Harrison opened the door to her room and walked inside the massive suite. He pointed to the door to the right, centered in a wall. “That leads to my room. You can lock it if you want. However, for the sake of security, it would be nice if you didn’t. I can pick that lock in about ten seconds flat, but, if you have an intruder, that ten seconds is a couple bullets’ worth of time.”
She stood inside the entranceway, her arms crossed over her chest, her foot tapping impatiently on the floor.
“What? The accommodations not to your liking?”
“The accommodations are superb, as you well know. But you can leave any time.”
He laughed and walked past her, gently brushing a hand across the top of her head. He stopped and said, “Oh, look at that. The porcupine quills don’t stand straight up when you’re touched.”
And he walked out, still laughing. She slammed the door shut behind him. She turned to face the room, which was wonderful. If only she could get a shower and manage a good night’s sleep, then get the hell out of here before anybody woke, that would really be ideal.
*
He really shouldn’t tease her, but it was damn hard not to. Yet the fulminating look she had sent his way had only heightened his enjoyment. And she needed to get rid of that chip on her shoulder. If he kept knocking it off, maybe it would stay that way. He walked into his room and closed the door. He really could use a shower and bed himself. But he had to update Levi.
He opened his laptop and quickly wrote a detailed email. After he sent it off, he stripped and took a shower. Ten minutes later, as he got in bed, he could barely see a slice of light under her door. He frowned. Was she having trouble sleeping? Was she worrying about something? It’d been a good half hour since he had left her.
He sighed. He’d better check. At the connecting door he gently turned the knob. The door opened under his hand. Good. He stuck his head through the doorway. Every light was on, but she was sound asleep in bed. He frowned, gently closed the door and returned to his own bed. Was she terrified of the dark? She didn’t have just one light on; she had the lamp on by the easy chair and the other two as well as the overhead light. Interesting.
He couldn’t imagine what her childhood had been like. If her father beat her mother, that would be tough enough. To fail to convince your mother to leave would’ve added to Zoe’s frustration. And yet it was the same old story all over the world. People got into these difficult relationships, and it was hard to find a way out.
He turned off his light and settled in under the covers. But his mind wouldn’t quit churning.
He knew Saul was worried about the Jeep and had done a quick search of the vehicle before coming up the front steps. But he never said anything. So far, Harrison had been quite impressed with both Saul and Dakota. They had been buddies in the military, serving in the same SEAL unit, and both had walked away over the same issue. Harrison hadn’t pushed, hadn’t asked what that was. But sometimes the men were put in difficult situations where their own personal honor came up against their orders.
He knew Flynn had walked away for that reason. Well, maybe Flynn had a little help leaving, as he had disobeyed a direct order. But with Dakota and Saul, it’d been their choice. When you couldn’t trust the men behind you, and didn’t believe in those men, what you were doing no longer made sense. Maybe one day, when they were part of the unit and felt comfortable enough, they’d open up about what had happened. Every one of these men in Levi’s unit had been there, done that. They’d all been forced to face issues that normally they wouldn’t have to. But being asked to do something that was wrong was,…well, wrong. When you were ordered to do it, disobeying an order came with severe penalties. Sometimes the definition of what was right changed.
He drifted off to sleep only to sit up wide awake at an odd sound. He checked his watch. It was 1:30 a.m. He got out of bed and walked to the connecting door, putting his ear against it. He couldn’t hear anything else. But what he’d heard had been enough to wake him. He opened the door and stuck his head around the edge. The room was empty except for her. She tossed and turned in the bed. Whimpering. He watched her for a long moment, wondering if he should wake her. She whimpered once more and then seemed to ease into asleep again.
Everyone had nightmares. But in her case, they were likely to be much worse than most. He understood. He never had any PTSD problems himself, but he knew lots of men who did. And it was awful. Sometimes the guys woke up, not understanding what world they were in, and their reactions were instantaneous, instinctual. And, all too often, lethal.
But she had quieted, settled. He slipped out again and returned to his bed. He punched his pillow, rolled over and fell asleep.
Several hours later he rolled on his back to see the doorknob turn on the
connecting door. He shifted in bed and pretended to sleep. Under his lashes, he watched as the door opened. All the lights were still on in her room, sending a halo of light through his. She poked her head in, and then, as if seeing him, she relaxed.
“Can’t sleep?”
She shifted in surprise. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“Not a problem.” He sat up, careful to not make any fast movements, in case it caused her to bolt. “Did you get any sleep?”
“I did, but I woke up from a nightmare,” she confessed. “It’s too early to leave yet,” she said. “I thought I heard someone downstairs. Wondered if maybe you guys were up already.”
He glanced at his watch and said, “It’s only five. Can you sleep some more?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m done for the night.”
“I guess I am too. Are you ready for breakfast? It’s not for two hours yet.”
“A walk if you’re up for it,” she said in a light challenge. “You mentioned a good run. You okay with that? Because I could really use a workout.”
“Are you dressed for it?”
“I only have these clothes with me.” She shrugged. “But it’s not like I can’t run in what I’m wearing. I have my sneakers on.”
“Give me five.”
She gave him a faint smile. “Hurry up.” She closed the door with a click.
He shook his head, quickly checked through his bag for his shorts, threw on a muscle shirt, grabbed his running shoes and walked out into the hallway. She was there waiting for him. “Let’s hope Richard or his staff are up so we can leave the compound without setting off his security system.”
She froze on the stairs. “I didn’t think about that.”
He led the way to the kitchen. And, sure enough, there was Foster, making a pot of coffee.
He turned in surprise and said, “Aren’t you two up early.”
“We’re going for a run. Can you shut off security so we can get out?”
Foster nodded. “I’ll give you three minutes to get to the front door, and then I’ll shut it down. You’ve got four minutes to cross the lawn and exit the gate, and then it’ll turn back on again. Call me when you need to come back in.”
