Thread of Suspicion

by Susan Sleeman

  Luke’s gut clenched. If Echo could best Dani, then how were they going to keep her safe?

  “I’d have to look at your computer to see how he did it,” Dani said. “And I’m sure none of you are going to let me go back to Kat’s house to do that.”

  “You got that right,” Ethan said. “We now know who we’re dealing with, and we won’t let him get this close again.”

  The others nodded their agreement. They were circling around Dani like Luke would do with Natalie. Even with Dani’s family on guard, he wouldn’t sit back and relax. He’d be at that safe house, too. But first he needed to find out how to stop Echo, and that meant understanding how he could hack into the video feed in the first place.

  When the meeting broke up, he phoned Tim and asked him to come to his office. While he waited for Tim, Luke stared out the window. The sun hung behind clouds, mimicking his mood. He stretched the muscles in his neck and shoulders, stiff from the night spent on Kat’s sofa. Despite Dani’s continued attitude, with whatever had sent her running from him last night and her protests about him staying the night, he’d had little difficulty convincing Kat to let him stay. If he had, he would’ve spent the night in his car again.

  “You wanted to see me?” Tim’s voice came from behind.

  Luke let out a long breath and motioned for Tim to sit. He slouched in a chair and propped stained athletic shoes on Luke’s polished desk. He wore baggy jeans and a wrinkled T-shirt, as he did most every day. His hair looked as if he’d just tumbled out of bed, and likely he had.

  Luke didn’t like Tim’s sloppy ways, but then not everyone lived under the military precision he’d been raised with. He took the seat behind his desk, his gut continuing to churn over the video. “I need to know how someone could hack into video from a security system.”

  Tim crossed his ankles. “Someone hack our security?”

  “No. A friend’s system at home.”

  “How’d your friend know they’d been hacked?”

  “The creep sent a clip from the video feed.” Luke shook his head. “And I want to make sure he can’t do the same thing again.”

  “Most often it’s a matter of the network not being secure.”

  “Dani secured the system.”

  “Man.” Tim shook his head, then ran his fingers through long hair. “If he could break through Dani’s security, then he’s good—crazy good.” Tim’s tone was filled with admiration for this creep, and it riled Luke.

  “Tell me how to stop him,” he said more harshly than Tim deserved.

  “You can’t, man. If the dude wants to do it again, you’re not likely going to stop him.”

  “But Dani—”

  “Dani, nothing. Don’t get me wrong, she’s good at what she does, but hackers spend their life finding ways around security measures she thinks up. No system is one hundred percent secure.”

  Luke’s lunch churned in his stomach. How was he going to keep Dani safe? He was so out of his element here. Give him a visible target. Something, someone he could see. Not this whisper of attack hidden behind walls of the cyber world that Luke had no skills to deal with.

  * * *

  Dani packed up her computer under Luke’s watchful eye. She’d spent the afternoon proving the email to the procurement committee was a spoofed email and then tracking Echo’s movements but not coming up with anything new. Derrick had gone to get the car for their trip to the safe house, and Kat had made a quick trip to the restroom, leaving Dani alone with Luke for the first time since he’d received the video.

  Even now, the thought of Echo on Kat’s doorstep had Dani uneasy. Not one of them had expected Echo to find her. Not one of them was prepared for his arrival last night. And not one of them could have prevented him from entering the house and getting off at least one lethal shot before someone retaliated.

  She’d underestimated Echo’s abilities. They all had. Something she couldn’t do again if she didn’t want someone to get hurt.

  She zipped up her computer bag, and with nothing left to keep her hands busy, she looked up. Luke jerked his gaze away as if he didn’t want her to know he’d been looking at her. His phone rang and he grabbed it from his desk.

  She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he listened intently. As intently as everything else he did. He hadn’t been singling her out for his focus. That’s just how he lived. A man of passion and excellence. Of honor and compassion. She’d seen all these characteristics in him, and yet she wanted to focus only on the part of him that frustrated her.

  You have to keep up the wall. How else will you protect your heart?

  “You’re sure,” he said loudly. His brows knit together in concern. “We’ll need to call the police, then.”

  The police? Her heart skipped a beat. She forgot all about their differences and listened to see if she could determine what had happened now.

  He didn’t say another word, clicked off his phone and slipped it into his pocket. He went back to working on the paper in front of him. Not a word about the phone call. Right. Just when she began to think of his other attributes, he shut her out. He expected her to tell him everything about the case while he kept things close to the vest.

  She crossed the room and waited for him to look up. “Why do you need to call the police?”

  He’d turned to stare out the window, and she saw his hands clench on the arms of his chair.

  “The police?” she asked more pointedly this time.

  “Does your agency deal with attempted murder?” His tone was relaxed. Casual. As if he could ask such a startling question and not arouse her suspicions.

  “I’m guessing this has to do with the case.” She approached him and waited for him to face her.

  “That was my mechanic,” he said, meeting her gaze again, his eyes dark with concern. “He’s finally gotten around to looking at my brakes. They didn’t fail accidentally. They were tampered with. My car crash wasn’t an accident after all.”

  TWELVE

  “Who would want to tamper with Luke’s brakes?” Kat asked from the backseat of Derrick’s SUV on the way to Cole’s beach house. Derrick and Cole thought moving Dani out of town might be safer than a local safe house as Echo couldn’t follow them through the mountains without them seeing him.

  “I’ve been asking myself the same question since Luke’s mechanic called,” Dani said.

  Kat sat forward. “Did you ask him about it?”

  “Yeah. The only explanation we could come up with is that Echo wanted to keep Luke from showing up at the meeting and somehow saving the day.”

  Kat nodded. “Makes sense if Echo was hired to tank SatCom.”

  “If you can come up with a better explanation, I’m all ears.”

  “I’ll think about it.” Kat yawned. “That is if I can stay awake for the next hour. This drive always makes me sleepy.”

  “Good thing we’ve got Derrick here to chauffeur us.” Dani dug out her laptop. “While you snooze, I can get some work done.”

  Dani opened her computer and spent the next hour looking for additional leads. Derrick and Kat chatted about Luke’s brakes, but neither of them came up with a better explanation. When they arrived at the beach house and Dani saw Cole’s and Luke’s cars in the driveway, she knew she needed a break from everyone’s intense study before they sat down to dinner.

  “I’m going downstairs to read for a while,” she announced as she joined them in the family room, and didn’t give them time to argue but headed for the stairs.

  Luke jumped to his feet. “I’ll go with you.”

  Planning to tell him she needed to be alone, she turned. She caught Derrick’s look of utter consternation. He fisted his hands and opened his mouth several times, then snapped it firmly closed. Despite her angst, she had to smile. He’d tried so hard
since their talk to ease up and ask instead of telling, even warning the others to do the same thing, that she couldn’t tell Luke to stay here and ruin the effort Derrick had put in.

  “Thanks,” she whispered in her brother’s ear. “I know this is hard for you.” She squeezed his arm and, still smiling, she headed for the daylight basement.

  Thank you, Father, for opening Derrick’s eyes to my needs.

  Her brother truly loved her, and she was thrilled to see him try to change for her. Gave her hope that maybe Luke could change, too.

  “Care to share what’s making you smile?” Luke asked as he joined her in the rec room.

  She settled on a slipcovered sofa and tucked her feet up under her legs. “I talked to Derrick about the way my family babies me, and he’s trying so hard not to interfere in my life.”

  Luke took a seat in an oversize chair. “I wondered about that when I saw him being more accommodating tonight. Sounds like he’s really taken your wishes to heart.”

  She nodded. “It’s obviously hard for him to do, but I really appreciate that he’s trying.”

  “You never mentioned if there’s a reason he’s so protective.” Luke slid forward and planted his elbows on his knees.

  “He’s always stuck up for me. You know...the way a brother does. But he changed when our parents died in the car crash. We were just kids.” She took a deep breath to fight back the horror of the night that could still bring tears to her eyes.

  “Sounds just like my relationship with Natalie except we were much older when we lost our family.”

  She nodded. “Unfortunately we were too young to be on our own and we didn’t have any other family, so we were sent to foster care.” She told Luke about their time in foster care and the way Derrick had involved the newspaper in their plight.

  Luke smiled wryly. “I have to admit I haven’t much liked Derrick until now.”

  She nodded her understanding. “He’s been terse with you, but he’s a great guy.”

  “I get that he’s protective of you, but is he like this with all the clients?”

  Only the ones I want to let go of my common sense with and date.

  “No, just you. Apparently the attraction between us isn’t a secret.” It felt so good to get this subject out in the open and admit her interest in him.

  “I’m sorry if that’s caused you any discomfort with your family.”

  She shrugged. “I can handle it, but you have to know I don’t have room in my life for a relationship right now.”

  He dropped to his knees in front of her and looked her in the eyes. “Trust me. If I could change these feelings, I would. In a heartbeat.”

  At his veracity, she slid back. She should be happy about his admission. She felt the same way, but hearing it spoken aloud hurt far more than she thought it would. She didn’t know why he didn’t want to care for her, and she wasn’t going to ask or the unexpected tears that were suddenly threatening would flow. She wouldn’t break down in front of him. “Like I said. I don’t need the complication of a relationship. Especially not after my last one.”

  “Was it with the guy Kat called a stalker?” Luke eased closer, his eyes filling with concern. “Did he really stalk you?”

  She nodded.

  “What happened?”

  “I simply misjudged him. Paul was a great guy at first, but after we got serious, he turned controlling and manipulative. When I broke up with him, he hounded me at all hours of the night. Followed me everywhere.”

  Anger flashed on Luke’s face. “And your brothers couldn’t do anything about that?”

  “They could have if I’d told them.”

  He sat back on his heels. “Ah, another time you wanted to be independent, huh?”

  “Until he started to get physically threatening. He broke down the front door of my house. Put a knife to my throat and carried me across the living room to a chair, then tied me to it.”

  Luke watched her for a moment. “That’s why you freaked out when I tried to carry you to the sofa, right?”

  She nodded as the memory, still fresher than she wanted to admit, washed over her and those unshed tears started rolling down her cheek.

  Luke reached out and brushed them away with his thumb. “Now I can see why everyone’s so protective of you. If a man held my sister at knifepoint, he may not be alive to tell about it.”

  Their eyes met. His went dark. Dangerous and compelling. The intensity should remind her of Paul and scare her away. Instead Luke’s loyalty to his sister and his fierce willingness to defend those in need drew her closer to him.

  “Your sister is lucky to have you.”

  “I won’t let anything bad happen to you, either,” he whispered. “I promise.” He trailed a finger down her face and under her chin.

  Shivers traveled over her body. She wanted to give in. To let this man protect her from Echo. From every bad thing in life. To be a rock that she could depend on. And then what? Give herself up completely as Paul had wanted? Be someone she couldn’t be?

  “This isn’t a good idea,” she said, easing away from his touch and standing.

  She hurried to the stairs. She felt him watching her, but she kept going. If she looked back and saw those amazing eyes trailing her every move, she’d give in to her desire to let him take over, and that was something she couldn’t do. Ever. No matter how much she wanted to.

  * * *

  “Good job, Baldwin,” Luke muttered to himself as he paced the floor in the family room.

  Heavy rain from a sudden downpour pelted the roof, cocooning them all tighter in their little nest. Everyone had gone to bed except Derrick, who sat watch outside Dani’s door. Luke had also retired for the night, but his conversation with Dani kept playing through his brain like a horror movie. Over and over, he saw her bolt in fear from his touch.

  His touch, right! He knew her skin would be as soft as silk, and touching her would just make him want more of her. So why had he given in? It only made her run even farther from him.

  A good thing, right? He couldn’t commit to anything with her right now, and she was the kind of girl that did serious or not at all. That was one of the reasons he liked her so much.

  He pounded a fist onto the desk. The sting to his knuckles and pain radiating up his arm felt good. The computer monitor woke up and live video from the surveillance cameras flashed a view of the house’s exterior. He studied the video. All was quiet. Not that he expected Echo to know where they were, but at least it was one less thing for Luke to stew over.

  He went to the floor-to-ceiling window and scissored open the blinds to look at the beach. Rough seas pounded against the shore and rain pelted the window. Perfect. Foul and stormy, just like his mood.

  He usually enjoyed watching the waves, but his SEAL sense niggled at his brain. Something was wrong. Danger lurked. But where?

  He searched through the window. Nothing odd. Just the storm and darkness.

  “The storm.” Fear surging through his blood, he bolted from the window and up the stairs. He drew his gun and rounded the corner.

  Derrick came to his feet. “What is it?”

  “The weather on the security feed is perfect, but it’s pouring rain outside.” Luke stared at Dani’s door, the urge to burst in and make sure she was safe sending adrenaline pulsing through him.

  Derrick pulled his weapon. “You think Echo hacked the feed and spliced in old footage?”

  “Yes.” Luke went to Dani’s door and pressed his ear against the wood. “Quiet.”

  “Out of the way, I’m going in,” Derrick said, and for the second time today, Luke agreed with the man.

  He turned the knob, but the door was locked. He backed up, and with a hard kick, sent the wood splintering and the door flying open.

  Dani shot up
in bed and grabbed her gun from the nightstand. Relief for her safety made Luke’s limbs weak.

  She threw off her covers, and her feet were on the floor by the time he entered the room. She was fully dressed, and Luke knew she’d stayed clothed in the event of an attack. He hated that she’d had to plan ahead like this. Couldn’t rest. Couldn’t find safety no matter where she was.

  Derrick charged across the room to the open window. Drenched curtains slapped against the wall and rain pelted Derrick.

  “Did you open the window?” Derrick asked.

  “No.”

  He lowered and locked it. Luke carefully padded across the slippery wood floor and peered out. He spotted a dark figure skulking away.

  “There.” He pointed to a spot in the distance. “He’s there.”

  “Stay here with Dani. I’m on it.” Derrick bolted from the room.

  “What’s going on?” Dani asked, now fully alert.

  Luke turned and caught a shudder traveling over her body.

  “You’re cold,” he said, not wanting to tell her about the video feed. He crossed the room and retrieved her quilt from the bed. He settled the well-worn fabric over her shoulders and tucked it around her neck.

  “Please don’t ignore my question.” She reached up to clasp the corners of the quilt. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  He slipped a finger along her neck and freed a strand of hair caught in the quilt’s aged fabric. “Echo hacked into the security feed to cover his tracks while he attempted to break into your room. Thankfully we haven’t had rain in a while or footage he chose could’ve contained rain and we wouldn’t have stopped him.”

  She shivered again, but this time Luke doubted it was from the cold. She was thinking of Echo. As was Luke. Of the man easing the window open while Dani slept not ten feet away. Dressed in black, masked as Dani described him the night of her attack, climbing over the sill. A weapon in his hand, ready to end Dani’s life with hollow-point bullets guaranteed to do the job.

  Luke should have insisted on someone staying in the room with Dani. He knew he couldn’t do that, but Kat or one of her brothers could. And would stay with her now, if Luke had anything to say about it.