by Katie Ruggle
Rather than flinching away from her prod, he squeezed her closer to his side. “I am glad. I’d just be gladder if you moved in with me.”
“I’d love that.” She really, really would. In the past two weeks following Noah’s arrest, she’d realized how much she’d undervalued privacy when she’d lived alone. Jules, the kids, and even Theo acted as an effective and entirely frustrating chastity belt.
Because of Hugh’s casted arm, he’d hired some people to help him reconstruct the deck, so his house was a beehive of activity during the day. Several times, Grace and Hugh had ended up parking his new pickup in some remote spot and then making out like teenagers despite their various injuries and the confines of the truck cab. The only reason they had the couch to themselves at the moment was that Jules and the boys were at the high school for an informational meeting about new safety measures implemented since the shooting, and Dee had gone to bed. Grace was reveling in the rare alone time with Hugh.
“Everything just happened really fast with us, and I want to give normal a chance, I guess. It’ll be different now that I know we’re both safe here, with the Jovanovics and Truman locked up.”
He frowned. “You always were safe. Noah and Martin had no idea you were here. If it hadn’t been for me…”
“Stop.” She gave him her best glare, but it only made him smile at her. “That’s all on Truman. Your only fault in all of that was being too good at your job. We’ve won, good has prevailed over evil, and there’s nothing the bad guys can do to us anymore. We get to live normal, boring, uninteresting lives now.”
“We could live a normal, boring, uninteresting life together at my house.”
“Nice try,” she retorted, “but you don’t get to skip the dating part.”
What she didn’t mention was that her confidence in her man-picking abilities had been shaken to her core. The FBI had searched Noah’s house and office, and what they’d found had led to eight other arrests—including Martin Jovanovic’s. Not only had Noah known about his uncle’s illegal pursuits, but the younger Jovanovic had actually been the leader of their expansive criminal organization—and the one who’d ordered the three men’s torture. Both Jovanovics were now in jail, waiting to be tried on charges ranging from drug trafficking to money laundering to murder.
Grace felt like an idiot. How had she mistaken the head of a crime family for a Disney prince? She suddenly had sympathy for the baffled people who were interviewed on the news after a serial killer was exposed, saying how they didn’t understand it because he seemed like such a nice man. Noah had seemed perfect, but he’d actually been as far from perfect as a guy could be. Although Grace trusted Hugh completely, and loved him so much her heart hurt, her trust in herself was a little shaky. Plus, she wanted a little more time to get to know her new Grace self outside her relationship with Hugh.
“So…we date?” Hugh scrunched up his face.
“Yes.” Shoving Noah’s perfidy out of her head, she laid her head on Hugh’s chest. “We date.”
“Do we have to?”
“Yes.”
“Why can’t we just skip to the good stuff?”
She pulled away slightly so she could frown at him. It was hard to hold a straight face when she saw his pout had returned. “No skipping to the good stuff. We’ll plan a date, and then you’ll drive here, and you’ll stand uncomfortably in the entry while Theo and Sam glare at you and Jules lectures you on responsible behavior. Next, I’ll sweep down the stairs, looking glamorous, and you’ll be struck speechless by my beauty, and then you’ll give me flowers, and we’ll go on a nice date. At the end, if you’re on your best behavior, you might get a kiss good night.”
“Huh.” He looked like he was trying not to laugh. “I’m not sure I’m capable of most of that, especially all the parts where I don’t talk. Theo glaring sounds about right, though.” Pulling her close again, he tucked his face in her neck. “I know I’m not capable of good behavior when I’m around you.”
At the touch of his lips, Grace lost the ability to think. She tipped her head so that he had better access to the side of her neck, and he immediately took advantage, kissing and nipping lightly at the sensitive skin. When he lifted his head abruptly, she made a soft sound of complaint until she followed his gaze to where Dee hovered in the doorway, watching them uncertainly.
“What’s wrong, Dee?” Hugh asked.
“I can’t sleep.”
Grace shifted over to open a space between her and Hugh. “C’mon in. Want to watch the end of your movie?”
“Okay.” Smiling, Dee rushed to snuggle into the gap between them while Lexi thumped her tail against the couch in approval. Hugh gave Grace a long-suffering look over the little girl’s head, and she had to swallow a laugh. Dating Hugh was going to be fun.
“When does your friend get here?” Dee asked.
“Penny?” Saying her name made Grace’s smile widen. That had been a fun phone call to make, even if she had to admit that her friend had been right about Noah’s lack of princely virtues. Another almost-as-wonderful call had been with her supervisors at St. Macartan’s. They’d agreed that Grace could continue working for the college by telecommuting from Monroe. Getting to keep both Hugh and her beloved job felt almost too good to be true, and now Penny was going to visit. Even while talking to her friend, Grace hadn’t doubted her decision to stay in Colorado. She’d carved out a new life, become a stronger person, and now that the threats to her life had ended, she was incredibly happy in Monroe. It was where she wanted to stay. “Tomorrow.”
“Are you excited?”
“Yeah.” Grace gave Dee a teasing nudge. “Especially since she’s bringing all of my shoes.”
Hugh snorted. When Grace mock glared at him, he gave her an innocent look and leaned over Dee’s head to whisper in Grace’s ear. “Fine. We’ll date. But I’m not promising good behavior.”
She met his eyes and smiled. “Perfect.”
Epilogue
The buzz of Jules’s cell phone vibrating against her nightstand brought her out of a really nice dream about Theo to the reality of her half-empty bed. Theo was working nights, and she missed him horribly. Scowling, she reached for the phone and answered it with a snap. “Yes?”
“Ms. Jackson.”
She was immediately wide awake. “Mr. Espina?”
“Another…school friend of yours needs a safe place to stay. She’ll be arriving tomorrow.”
Jules closed her eyes.
“Motherf—”
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Rocky Mountain K9 Unit series
Survive the Night
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Chapter 1
“Alice!”
Jeb’s shout made her jump, the tiny zipper tab slipping from her fingers. Alice glanced at the closed door. “Just a moment!”
“Hurry up.” Jeb sounded tense, making Alice’s fingers tremble in response. “Your brother is waiting.”
Her gaze darted to the clock. It was just past eight, and Aaron had told her to be ready by eight thirty. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t actually late, though. The punishment would be the same. “I’m almost ready.”
Alice fumbled for the zipper, only to have it slip from her fingers again. Gritting her teeth, she sucked a silent breath in through her nose and closed her eyes, willing her body to stop shaking. It would only delay her, and that would make everything worse. Opening her eyes again, she grasped the tab and slid it up until it touched the back of her neck.
Something scratched at her skin, and she frowned as she reached inside the collar. Had she forgotten to remove the dry cleaner’s tag? Her fingers closed around a small piece of paper, and she tugged it free. Taking the two steps toward the small trash can next to
her vanity, Alice absently glanced at the now-crumpled scrap. It wasn’t the usual red tag the dry cleaner used, though. Smoothing it out, she saw there was something written in a slashing, aggressive hand.
Be ready to escape. Soon.
Alice froze, staring at the words. What was this? A joke? Why had it been attached to her dress? It couldn’t be meant for her, even though the wording made her desperately hope it was. How wonderful it would be to have a friend, one who would be willing to help her.
She didn’t have any allies, though. Not in Aaron’s world.
“Alice, for Christ’s sake.” Jeb swung open the door and stormed into the room. “It’s like you’re trying to piss off your brother.”
Years of practice allowed her to keep the guilty anxiety from showing. Closing her fingers around the slip of paper in a way she hoped looked casual, Alice glanced at her bodyguard over her shoulder. “Almost ready.” Her voice sounded calm, not revealing how hard her heart was pounding. “I just need to use the bathroom, and then we can leave.”
“No time.” Jeb grabbed her arm, his fingers pressing into old bruises, making it hard to hold back a wince. “You can go at the restaurant.”
Alice twisted free, despite knowing that he would make her pay for that small act of disobedience. Still, whatever Jeb’s punishment would be, it couldn’t be as bad as what would happen if Aaron found that message. “I can’t wait. I promise to be quick.” Without hesitating, knowing it would be impossible to escape Jeb’s grip if he caught her a second time, she darted for the bathroom.
The lock was something a five-year-old could unlatch with a piece of wire and some luck, but it would give her a few seconds, and that was all Alice needed. She allowed herself one last quick glance at the message, just long enough to convince herself that it was real. The words were still there, exactly the same as before, and her heart sped up again—this time, with hope.
Jeb’s heavy fist pounded on the door. With sweaty fingers, Alice shredded the note, allowing the bits of paper to fall into the toilet. She flushed and watched the tiny pieces spin in circles until they were sucked down the drain. After a last check to make sure every bit of evidence was gone, she pulled up her sleeves and washed her hands.
As she dried them, the lock popped out, and the door opened. Alice adjusted her sleeves so they reached her wrists, hiding the faded and fresh oval bruises that dotted her forearms. She turned to Jeb, keeping her expression blank, but inside she braced for his anger.
“Let’s go,” he grunted, and she relaxed slightly. Obviously, Jeb wasn’t willing to delay them any longer, even if he was irritated with her. He rushed her out of the bedroom and down the stairs, staying so close behind her that the thud of his footsteps was almost painfully loud.
“Alice!” The impatience in her brother’s voice made her want to run back up to her room, but that would be futile. Not only would Jeb stop her, but her bedroom wasn’t a sanctuary. There wasn’t a safe place in the entire house—or in Alice’s entire life.
The promise scrawled on that note flickered in her mind, but she quickly banished it. It could be a joke or a trick or meant for someone else or…who knew. She couldn’t get her hopes up. If she did, and whoever it was didn’t come through, the disappointment would crush her.
As she reached the bottom of the steps, Aaron was already charging down the hall toward her. “Alice! Where is that—oh, there you are.” He stopped abruptly, frowning as he took in her appearance. Even though she knew he could find no fault—that he himself had chosen the blue dress for its nun-approved neckline and concealing sleeves—her stomach still soured with nerves. “What took you so long?”
She just stayed quiet. It was futile to protest, to tell him that she wasn’t late, that she was, in fact, fifteen minutes early.
Besides, he wasn’t really interested in what she had to say.
“Come on, then.” He turned to the front entrance. “The car’s waiting.”
With Aaron in front of her and Jeb behind, Alice made her way out of the house. The driver holding open the car door was Chester, and he gave her a subtle wink as she slid into the back seat of the SUV. She raised her hand in a tiny return wave, hoping he saw it but not daring to do more. When she was younger, she’d spent as much time as she could with Chester and his wife, Gloria. He’d taught her how to drive and take care of the horses, and Gloria had taught her how to cook and take care of herself. Both of them had showed her how to be a decent human being. After her father died, Aaron took over as head of the family and assigned Alice full-time bodyguards. It became impossible to sneak away to the kitchen or the barn. Surreptitious waves were the closest she’d gotten to talking to Chester or Gloria in years.
Jeb circled the car to climb into the front passenger seat as Aaron sat next to her. Chester closed Aaron’s door, and Alice had the almost irresistible urge to scramble out of the car and run. Only the knowledge that she’d barely get ten feet before Jeb tackled her stopped her from trying. They said to be ready, she reminded herself, fingers clutching the leather upholstery on the side away from Aaron, where her brother couldn’t see her bone-white, desperate grip. What if there really is a plan? I just need to wait a little longer.
Aaron glanced at her sharply. For one terrified second, Alice thought she’d actually said the words out loud. Then reason returned, and she was able to smooth her expression into its usual placid lines.
“Best behavior, Alice,” he warned, settling back in his seat. “This is an important meeting. First impressions matter. Make a good one, or there will be consequences.”
Fire flared in her belly, working its way up to her cheeks. With a huge effort, she kept her rage locked inside and gave Aaron a small nod, hoping that he’d mistake her red face for embarrassment. Turning her head, she stared blindly out the window, not seeing the irrigated lawns or brassy, overdone homes they passed.
Just a little longer, she repeated, turning it into a chant in her head. Just a little longer. If the note is real, if it’s meant for me, if there’s an escape plan…so many ifs. Wait and see and be prepared, just in case it’s real. It won’t kill me to wait a little longer.
Why did it feel like she wouldn’t survive another second?
When Chester pulled the SUV up to the entrance of Mod fifteen silent minutes later, Alice swallowed a groan. Of all the Dallas restaurants, they had to go to the most pretentious one? She shook off her annoyance. Of course they did. Aaron had chosen the place after all, and he was easily swayed by flash over substance.
“Miss?” Jeb held her door open. With a deep, soundless breath, she climbed out of the SUV.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, waiting for Aaron to circle the vehicle and step to her side. Instead of offering an arm to her, he strode ahead. Alice hesitated, the temptation to turn and run so strong that it almost overwhelmed her. A nudge from Jeb brought her back to reality.
“Miss,” he said again, gesturing for her to follow Aaron. Straightening her shoulders, Alice walked into the restaurant after her brother.
As she approached the hostess stand, she heard the tail end of his question. “…the Jovanovic party arrived yet?”
Her heart skipped at the name, and she sucked in a quiet, shocked breath. As shady and unethical as her father had been—and now Aaron was—the Blanchetts were angels compared to the Jovanovics. The Jovanovics, according to everything Alice had heard, were the worst of the worst.
Alice had always been quiet, even as a small child, and people tended to forget she was in the room. She’d heard dozens of horror stories about the Jovanovic family, and she wondered which of the demons they’d be meeting tonight. From what people said, Noah Jovanovic was the true head of the family now, although his uncle Martin was the false face of their empire.
She’d gotten a glimpse of Martin one day five years ago. Breathless and with bits of hay in her hair, Alice had been hurrying inside fr
om the stables, hoping to clean up before her father caught her. She may as well not have bothered. Not only had he spotted her, but so had his guest. Her father had introduced them, and Martin had shaken her hand for a bit too long as he stared intently at her face. Alice had to fight not to yank her hand back, not to rip her captive fingers from his grip and run to her room. Even now, five years later, those eerily light blue eyes were burned into the memory. His gaze had been cold, as calculating and predatory as a snake’s. Even if she hadn’t heard whispers about Martin Jovanovic and his family, Alice still would’ve recognized evil at a glance.
Now she was going to have to sit and have dinner with them. Alice briefly considered faking sick, but she was too afraid of the consequences. Aaron didn’t like it when things didn’t go as planned. It was either sit with the Jovanovics for a few hours or deal with the fall-out. Her stomach churned until she thought she was going to vomit for real. Whatever she did, Alice knew it was a lose-lose situation. Once again, she was trapped.
The hostess began to lead them into the dining area, making the decision for Alice. She’d endure dinner. At least this way, she knew it had to end. Aaron’s anger never did. Alice flexed her shoulders, trying her best to stand straight and not cower as she followed the hostess into a private room that held a single round table surrounded by four chairs. Four men in dark suits stood around the room, and Alice knew they were most definitely armed to the teeth.
The two men who were seated at the table rose, and Alice’s heart thumped in her throat. The elder of the pair wasn’t Martin, thank God, but rather a somewhat older and more faded version. Despite his slightly cruel smile, he didn’t have the same aura of menace.
Alice’s muscles relaxed slightly. Dinner might not be quite as torturous as she’d expected.
“Judd,” Aaron greeted the white-haired man, shaking his hand. “Good to see you again.” He moved to greet the younger man, tall and gangly, with a sparse mustache, who looked to be in his late twenties. “Logan. This is my sister, Alice Blanchett.”
