12. A Step Behind
Chapter 12
A Step Behind
M arcus battled to keep his rage under control. Some asshole was threatening Elina, and he was doing it almost right in front of them.
Did he realize it was a police station they were renovating? Was he ballsy enough to deliberately taunt Marcus?
His phone buzzed with a message from Sean. He’d been at the Saloon, so he was closest. When Marcus and Elina moved into the squad room, he could see Sean with his gun lowered by his leg as his gaze checked out the area.
Marcus unlocked the door, and Falcon strode in. “You okay?”
Marcus nodded but kept Elina back when she would have approached the front of the room. “Let’s wait until the others arrive.”
It took less than five minutes. Epic, Scooby, Oz, and Slick joined them. All armed. All ready. Marcus knew he was incredibly lucky to have such an amazing group of men at his back. He wanted Elina to know they were at hers as well.
He didn’t waste time getting them up to date. “While we were up front announcing mascots, our asshole left a trail of butchered rats and squirrels leading to the back door.”
Each man’s gaze darkened, and their bodies moved to even higher alert. They shifted slightly to ensure Elina wasn’t exposed through the window.
He nodded. “I need to record and collect the evidence.”
Troy nodded. “I’ve done that with you before. I’ll give you a hand.”
“We’ll check the area and follow any trails.”
Elina’s wide eyes looked at them all. “How can I help?”
There was a beat of silence, and then Scooby’s lips quirked. “Don’t suppose you’d like to hide in a secure room while we figure this out?”
Elina put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. “Not a chance.”
Scooby grinned. “That’s what I thought. You help Troy and Marcus. We’re on search. Let’s go.”
The four men left through the front door and waited until Troy locked it behind them. Then, the three of them headed to the back door. “Damn it. I need my evidence kit.”
Troy nodded. “I’ll grab it. Back in five.”
Marcus locked the door behind him and checked the area. His guys were already invisible.
When he turned, he found Elina watching him. She studied him carefully. “You okay?”
He barked out a laugh. “That’s supposed to be my line.”
A smile ghosted across her lips and was gone. “I don’t think so. This is pointing at you, not me.”
He frowned at her. “You don’t think it’s connected to the creepy vibes we felt here?”
She shrugged, face serious. “Potentially. It seems unlikely that two separate people are targeting this exact spot two days in a row. And this spot is yours, not mine.”
She had a point. “But you’ve felt those eyes on you before.”
Another shrug. “Who knows if it’s the same person? It also seems unlikely that the same person watched me in Seattle, then Albany, then here. Especially when I didn’t have a plan and absolutely no one knew where I was going. Including me. It could be you who is the target, not me.”
He nodded and moved closer to take her hands. “You’re right. I’ve been assuming this guy is watching you. Apparently, having you this close is messing with my judgment.” He kissed her softly. “But I’m not complaining.”
She patted his chest. “Me neither. I want you to be safe, especially if someone is targeting you.”
He nodded. “Same.”
When Troy returned, they moved into the kitchen. Marcus opened his video app. He gave the time and date, along with a summary of what had happened. Then Troy opened the door, and Marcus kept recording.
He moved the camera view through the scene without stepping out the door. He lowered to a squat and continued to record as he zoomed in to view each butchered animal. Two squirrels and a chipmunk. “This is one sick bastard.”
He shut off the camera and rose. With a sigh, he moved back and closed the door. “I don’t want to mess up any evidence, so let’s go around and see if we can figure out where he came from. Maybe he’s left a footprint or dropped something.”
“How could anyone do that? What’s the point?”
Marcus pulled her into a hug. “Some people are just sick. This guy wants us to know he’s watching us.”
Troy agreed. “He also wants us to know he’s capable of violence. Hurting animals, especially the way this was done, is a sign of someone with serious problems. It’s not a huge stretch to go from hurting animals to hurting people. We’re all going to be very careful.”
She nodded, took a deep breath, and straightened. “Okay. Show me how to help collect evidence so you can get him locked up for a long time.”
“Good plan.”
The light was fading, so they worked quickly. Elina’s eyes were sad, but she worked alongside them to record and collect the evidence.
A chickadee whistle preceded Oz’s return to the yard. “The guy is using the woods as a cover, but he hasn’t built a nest there.”
Marcus had been hoping for a nest. Then they’d have the asshole behind bars because his guys would have contained him.
By the time they’d collected all the evidence, the others returned. Slick grinned and held up a napkin from the Saloon. “Found something. I photographed it in place and took a video like you’ve shown us before. I used the napkin to pick it up.”
“What is it?”
“A cigarette butt.”
Everyone grinned except Elina. He held out an evidence bag. Heath dropped the butt inside and Marcus explained to Elina. “We should be able to get DNA off it. Once we catch the guy, it’ll prove he was here twice and watching.”
He held up the bag to look at it. “Is that Pashto lettering?”
Heath nodded. “It is.”
Holy shit. That narrowed their suspect pool because not too many people smoked Afghan cigarettes in the States. None of the Phail residents even smoked. Not a single one.
Sure, some tourists would, but this helped. Anyone they spotted smoking or who smelled like smoke was an immediate suspect. From their experiences overseas, he’d bet they’d all recognize the odor of an Afghan cigarette immediately.
Now, to figure out why someone who smoked Afghan cigarettes was here in Phail. Did it have something to do with Elina? One of their missions? That awful day in Suraih?What the hell was going on?
E lina stayed beside Marcus as the group walked to his office in Phail General. It didn’t surprise her when the others formed a group around them, with her and Marcus in the middle. They were natural protectors but their instincts had been honed during their time in the army. And in taking care of the situations that they’d been involved with here in Phail over the past year.
Had trouble followed her somehow? Worse, had someone been following her in order to find Marcus or someone on his team? Had she led them here?
Once they were in the office, Marcus locked the door and moved to his desk. He started up his computer and got to work.
Elina moved to sit on the couch, hoping to stay out of the way while she tried to figure this out.
After a few minutes, Oz—Levi—sat beside her. He’d always been the quietest of the men, so the move surprised her.
The big man studied her for a moment. “You need to stop with the guilty vibes. None of this is your fault.”
“But it might be. What if someone was looking for Marcus or any of you, and I led them here? Or if they are angry at me, I still brought them here.”
Levi raised an eyebrow. “You’re not the asshole, so it’s not your fault.”
That made her smile.
He continued. “We’re trained to cope with this kind of shit. It’s what we do for each other and everyone else in this town. We have a whole other team out at Midnight Lake ready to help at any moment, too.”
“But you shouldn’t have to take on my mess.”
“Not your mess because it’s not your fault. Besides, taking assholes out of the picture is kind of fun.”
Fun?
Her expression must have shown her thoughts because Slick sat down on her other side. “Definitely fun. Nothing like watching their faces when they realize they’re not even close to well-trained enough to take us on.”
That made her feel better. From everything she’d seen and heard overseas, this team had been the best of the best. Other units spoke about them with respect and maybe a bit of awe.
“I don’t want any of you to get hurt.”
Scooby laughed. “No one wants that. We don’t go looking for trouble, but we’re well-equipped to deal with it if it finds us. None of us know who this guy is or who he’s trying to annoy. But we’ll keep aware and figure it out while keeping each other safe.”
The absolute confidence in each man helped to steady her.
When Marcus had finished logging and securing the evidence and filling out his report, the entire group trooped along the quiet streets. They turned down a street she hadn’t visited yet and she realized they were heading down the street parallel to the Saloon and the new station. Marcus’s house, not the B&B. Which meant they all knew she was planning to spend the night with Marcus.
Her cheeks flushed at the thought, but the light from the street lamps would conceal that. None of the men acted any differently. No one made snide remarks or sly innuendoes. It wasn’t like they didn’t know Marcus and Elina were getting closer.
As they neared the end of the street, everyone except Marcus and Troy moved in different directions. “What’s happening?”
Marcus tucked her under his shoulder. “They’re checking the area.”
Troy stayed on her other side. “Marcus has the best security in town. We all think you should move out of the B&B and stay here while we figure out the threat. He’s got space.”
Marcus nodded. “While I was working on the computer, I let Jim and Carl know what happened and that you’d be here tonight. We’ll figure out the rest in the morning.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to any of that, so she nodded.
When they arrived at the final home on the street, she knew it had to belong to Marcus. The Craftsman-style two-story home with steel-blue siding and white trim exuded friendliness. Gorgeous maple trees sat out front with several bushes in various shades of green and burgundy. “It’s beautiful.”
Marcus squeezed her shoulder. “Thanks. I’ve been renovating since I moved here.”
The other four men appeared from all directions. “All clear. No one in the area, and no surprises anywhere.”
Which meant the person didn’t know where Marcus lived or that he was targeting Elina. A chill ran through her. “What about Jim and Carl? What if he tries to get into their B&B?”
Troy nodded. “We’ll do another check there before we head home. Arrow talked to them already, and they’ve got a great security system. When we’re there, I’m going to tweak the system. Any alerts will be sent to all of our phones until we figure this out.”
“Good. You’ll make sure they’re safe?”
He nodded. “We will.”
Marcus squeezed her shoulder again. “Hang out here while Falcon and I check the inside.”
“You think someone might have been inside?”
He grinned. “Not a chance, but it’s better to check.”
It didn’t take long before the two men were back outside, and everyone ushered her and Marcus inside with a chorus of Good night and Don’t worry and Have fun .
She was laughing as Marcus locked the door and set the alarm. “You have ridiculous friends.”
He grinned. “They are, but they’re the very best. And they’re your friends, too.”
That filled her with warmth. “They are, aren’t they? It’s a nice feeling.”
He studied her with those serious eyes. “I don’t think you’ve had enough of that feeling in your lifetime.”
She shrugged but he was right. “It wasn’t a life that led to deep friendships, but I don’t regret the way I grew up. My parents were amazing.”
“I’m glad. They’d be so proud of you, and what you’ve done.”
She scrunched up her nose. He’d seen all sides of her. He might as well know this side, too. “I’m not so sure about that. I was too scared to go back.”
Instead of sneering at her cowardice, Marcus stepped closer and wrapped her in a hug. “Just because you don’t want to head back overseas doesn’t make you afraid. My team and I made the decision to stay Stateside. Does that make us cowards?”
“Of course not. You retired from the military. That’s completely different.”
“Not even a little bit. You’ve retired from that career, and have moved on with a different one. There’s no shame in that. You’ve done far more good overseas than most people, but that doesn’t mean you need to commit to it for a lifetime.”
Elina’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. She leaned back to stare at Marcus. “But my parents did.”
He smiled and raised an eyebrow. “So?”
She didn’t have a response to that.
Marcus kissed her forehead and rested his lips there while she digested his words. “I didn’t know them, but I’m betting what your parents would want is for you to be happy.”
She nodded at that. They certainly would want that.
“And if this life that you’re choosing here is what’s making you happy, I think they’d approve.”
She rested her head on his chest again. “I think you’re right. I think they would approve. They’d like you a lot.”
She felt a chuckle run through him. “Good to know.”
He didn’t rush her to move, simply held her while she thought about it.
Her parents had been all about helping others, and their focus had been on the poorest people in the world. They’d shown her how to be kind and caring. They’d taught her to see the world with an open mind and an open heart.
And they’d never once tried to limit her. They’d encouraged her to try new things, to follow her heart. At one point, they’d tried to convince her to return to the States for an arts program in college.
The guilt and shame she’d been holding onto started to slide away. “I’ve always thought they’d be ashamed of my choice to stay here. But I think you’re right. They’d want me to be happy.”
She straightened. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have thought of things that way on my own.”
“You would have got there, but I’m glad I could help.”
He was such a good man. A huge heart wrapped in a strong, sexy body. A clear, analytical mind. Steady patience. Everything a man should be.
She’d fallen completely in love with him, but it was far too early in the relationship to tell him that. Instead, she ran her hands up his chest and around to the back of his neck, where she played with his hair. “I have another way you could help.”
Heat flared in his eyes, but his body remained steady. “Oh, yeah?”
She nodded. “I’d like you to kiss me. I’d like you to touch me. Everywhere. I’d like to kiss you and touch you everywhere. Make love to me, Marcus.”
She’d barely finished the words when Marcus swooped her up into his arms. His grin had her trembling. “Let’s start the house tour in the bedroom.”
“Perfect.”