Chapter Thirteen
GRANT WRAPPED HIS hand around Rayne’s. Whatever had happened wasn’t good.
Did this problem concern the team, or would he and Rayne be under even more scrutiny by the time this conversation was over?
As far as he was concerned, he didn’t care.
The same couldn’t be said about Rayne. He didn’t want her name dragged through the mud.
Seth summarized the events from the time the team landed in Nicaragua until they were wheels up and on the way back to the US.
At the end of the report, Maddox turned his attention to Gerald White and his bodyguard. “Good to see you’re alive and well, Mr. White.”
“Thanks to your fine team.”
“What about the rest of your security detail?”
Trevor shook his head. “Cartel soldiers killed them before we made it out of the compound.”
Maddox shifted his attention to White. “What were you thinking?”
“I wanted to bring my family home safe. Any amount of money is worth the risk.”
“Tell that to the families of the men who died protecting you. I told you to stay out of this, that my people would rescue your family. They accomplished that goal and saved your hide, too, even though it wasn’t part of their original mission.”
“So, send me a bill,” White snapped.
“You owe Martin a favor, a big one.”
“What are you saying?”
“My operatives went back for you as a favor to him.”
Blood drained from White’s cheeks. “Your people would have left me and Trevor in Nicaragua?”
“You weren’t our priority, Mr. White. Your family was. You’re lucky Martin intervened and that my operatives weren’t injured rescuing you and your bodyguard.”
Maddox zeroed in on Grant. “We need to talk.”
His heart sank. Somehow he knew that was going to be the case. “Figured. Something else has happened?”
“Conner and Sanders have friends in high places. They got a warrant to search your home and Rayne’s.”
Grant flinched and glanced at the woman by his side. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I didn’t want them to invade your privacy like that.”
She shrugged. “I’ll survive.”
He turned back to face the screen. “I thought Conner and Sanders were going to Ardmore to search Selena and Dante’s home.”
“They waited on that search. The Ardmore police have the house secured with an officer babysitting outside. You and Rayne were the priority.”
“I assume the detectives found something if you felt it prudent to tell us about it before we landed in the US.”
“Oh, yeah. They definitely found something in your house. A body.”
He froze as the muted conversations around the jet’s cabin ceased. “Who?”
“Jed Bowen, your cousin.”
An arrow of pain pierced his heart. Oh, man. Not Jed. They’d been best friends growing up. Each time the Bowen family had a reunion, he and Jed acted like they’d never been apart.
His eyes stung. “How?” he choked out.
“One shot through the heart.”
“Do I need to say I didn’t do this, sir?”
“No.”
“Should I expect the detectives to be waiting for us when we land in Nashville?”
“Again, no. Time of death was determined to be after you and your team were wheels up. We gave the detectives plenty of proof that you couldn’t be their perp.”
“How did this guy disable my security system?” If his system had a weakness, Fortress had a problem. His security system was the best Fortress produced.
“He didn’t.”
Grant blinked. “Sir?”
“The perp broke the large living room window, tossed your cousin’s body through the opening, and drove away.”
“What about the security cameras? Were they working?”
Maddox inclined his head. “We pulled the footage, which we shared with the Hartman detectives. Wasn’t much help, I’m afraid.
The guy wore a mask and gloves and did something to the license plate of his truck to blur the image on camera.
We saw enough to convince us that your cousin was already dead when the killer dumped him in your living room. ”
Rayne tightened her hold on Grant’s hand, providing unspoken support during this difficult conversation.
“What about my family? Are they safe?”
“I’ve already spoken to your parents and your siblings. Although I offered Fortress protection until this matter is resolved, they’ve all refused to accept.”
Grant scowled. Bowens were stubborn. “I’ll talk to them after we land.”
“If you can convince them to cooperate with us, I have four bodyguards lined up for your family. They’ll stay until you run the perp to ground.”
Maddox shifted his attention to Rayne. “You’re at risk as well, Rayne.”
“Grant and I haven’t been dating long, sir. How would this perp know I matter to Grant?”
Their boss gave a short bark of laughter. “Anyone who sees you two together would know immediately that you’re involved in a relationship. You might not have admitted it until now, but the interest was clear on both sides since the undercover operation to take down the militia.”
Dismay had Grant’s stomach knotting. His gaze locked with Rayne’s. Had he unintentionally brought her into the middle of a nightmare? She’d already dealt with enough without him adding danger to her already dangerous career.
Rayne held his gaze for a long beat, then leaned over and brushed his lips with hers. “No,” she murmured.
He blinked. “No?”
“You aren’t dumping me, Grant Bowen.”
“You didn’t know what you were signing up for when you agreed to an exclusive relationship with me.”
“Didn’t I?” She shook her head. “Whether it was this enemy or another one at a later time, one of us would be in the crosshairs. Our jobs are dangerous, just as they were when we were cops. I’m not walking away, Grant. Are you?”
His lips curved despite his driving need to protect her from everything that might cause her harm, including himself. But he had to acknowledge the truth. It was far too late for him to walk away from Rayne Weatherly. He needed her more than his next breath. “Never.”
If she only knew how much he meant what he’d said. He was in this for the long haul. If he had his way, Rayne would be the center of his world from now on.
Since he wasn’t walking away, the only option left was to protect this woman with everything in his arsenal, including his own life if necessary.
Although the timing might be the worst in the history of dating, Grant couldn’t regret claiming this extraordinary woman as his.
He leaned close and brushed his lips over hers.
“Now that your love life is settled, can we get on with the briefing?” Maddox asked, his tone wry.
Grant tore himself away from Rayne’s gaze. “Sorry, boss.”
“Don’t lie to me, Bowen.” Amusement lit the man’s eyes.
He chuckled. “You got me. I take that back. I’m not sorry to have Rayne in my life.” His smile faded. “What are the next steps now, sir?”
“First thing on your checklist is to convince your family to accept Fortress’s protection. Whoever is behind this vendetta isn’t finished by a long shot, and I’m afraid your family is in the crosshairs.”
Easier said than done. Bowens didn’t back down from a fight, and his brothers and father would view accepting help as a coward’s move. They could take care of themselves.
Until they couldn’t. His free hand fisted. “Agreed. I’ll do my best, but I might not be persuasive enough.”
“You have a few hours to come up with irrefutable logic to convince your family that accepting help is in their own best interests. Make good use of the time, my friend. Your family’s lives may depend on it.”
Nothing like laying it all out there. “But no pressure or anything.”
“Suck it up and deal, Bowen. The next task on your list is to narrow down the possibilities of people who want you dead. After your cousin’s death, I’d say we have enough proof that this killer’s long game is your death. But he wants you to suffer before you die.”
“Have the Hartman police looked beyond Grant and Rayne for a potential perp?” Elias asked.
“They’re leaning that way, especially since the timeline for Grant murdering his cousin doesn’t hold. Zane is already digging into your old cases in case the killer is someone you arrested or related to someone you arrested.”
“Good place to start,” Grant admitted. “The people we arrested don’t send us Christmas cards each year.”
Andre rolled his eyes. “Speak for yourself. I have a couple of perps in the State Penitentiary who routinely send me veiled threats every year during the Christmas season.”
The operatives seated around the table chuckled.
“How can you laugh at a time like this?” Gerald White asked. “You act like it’s routine for people to want you dead.”
Grant lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “In our line of work, it is. We’re the ones tasked with holding the line against evil people. Threats are part of the job. You either deal or you find a new line of work.”
“What about the women on your team? Do they receive death threats too?”
“Hate knows no boundaries,” Iona said. “We’re just as likely to be targeted for retribution as the men.”
“Maybe more likely,” Teagan murmured. “Some men can’t handle being bested by a woman.”
“That’s the truth,” Riley said.
Seth draped his arm around Teagan. “What about our military operations? Is it possible word leaked of our missions?”
Elias sat up straighter. “If that’s true, all our families may be in danger.”
Maddox held up a hand to stop further speculation. “Zane already has bots scouring the Net for any mention of you, your families, or your missions for the Army. He hasn’t hacked into the military database, so he doesn’t know the specifics of your assignments or who might plan some payback.”
Grant exchanged grim glances with his teammates. Echo unit had served together for years. If the culprit was from their Army days, smoking him out would be difficult and time-consuming.
“Would Z be willing to do some hacking?” Seth asked.
“Nothing would make him happier. However, I’d prefer to hold that option in reserve since it would require a hacker of his skill to do the job. I have only Zane and one other person who can handle the job, and both of them are juggling multiple assignments already.”