18. CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 18
GRANT
The anger still hits me at unexpected moments.
As Scarlett is sleeping, so sweet and vulnerable it makes my heart ache.
When she’s curled beside me on the couch, smiling at something ridiculous that just happened on one of her shows.
Last night, when she made me dinner and said how excited she was to move her things in here. How she wanted to donate some of her furniture, since she liked the stuff I have here better.
And first thing this morning, when she told me she wanted to visit Saul. Even though he’s a part of such terrible trauma, she was more concerned for his well-being than hers. She told me, “Imagine how he must be feeling, Grant. Alone in that big house with just nurses for company. Knowing what his son did. Feeling guilty, even though he did nothing wrong.”
Each of those times, a poker of white-hot fury pierced through me. Rage that someone could try to have my beautiful, kind, incredible Scarlett killed.
I wish I could get five minutes alone with Richard Cunningham .
Actually. That’s not nearly enough. If I could, I’d really want to take my time making him suffer. Making him fear like he did to Scarlett. Hurting him like he hurt an innocent woman.
I’ve never been a vengeful person until now. But I’m doing my best to shove those feelings down so I can concentrate on supporting Scarlett.
Including taking her to visit Saul, even though I desperately want to keep her far away from that place. The last thing I want is for Scarlett to have to go back into that big house filled with terrible memories.
But it’s important to her, so we’re going later today. And after hearing so much about Saul, I want to meet him. Especially given his role in this whole thing.
No, he wasn’t involved in Richard Cunningham’s plan to kill Scarlett. But he’s the main reason it happened at all.
We haven’t heard everything from Richard—under his attorney’s advice, he’s only doling out bits and pieces—but what we do know is heartless and chilling.
Several months ago, Richard discovered a change in his father’s will. Instead of everything going to Richard and his son, Saul wanted to give half of his fortune to Scarlett. When questioned about it, Saul told the police that she felt like the daughter he never had, and he wanted to do something to make her life easier.
Scarlett never knew, of course. Not that she would have treated Saul any differently had she known .
But Richard Cunningham… He was not happy about it. Coupled with his impending divorce, which was going to strip away half of his assets, and recent financial struggles with the family business, he decided to do anything to keep Scarlett from inheriting any of Saul’s money.
That’s when he came up with the idea of hiring a hitman. Leo found the first post in the archives of the same dark web site, looking to hire someone to kill the nurse and make it look like a robbery.
When that didn’t work, Robert started to panic. Saul suffered a small stroke, and undoubtedly Robert thought his time was running out. So he hired a second hitman; the one that broke into Scarlett’s house and nearly killed her.
Shit.
There’s that anger again.
I should probably take Scarlett up on her suggestion to join her for a few counseling sessions.
“Grant.” I’m so deep in my thoughts, I actually jolt at the sound of Scarlett’s voice. Which is highly unusual for me—after all my years in the Navy, I’ve trained myself to exist in a state of heightened awareness. I shouldn’t be taken by surprise while standing in the kitchen, staring blankly at the coffeemaker.
I spin around to face her, forcing my unsettled thoughts into a box to deal with later. “Hey, baby. Good morning.”
“Morning.” Hair still sleep-tousled, cheeks flushed from sleep, Scarlett crosses the kitchen and wraps her arms around my waist, snuggling into me for a few seconds. Then she leans back to look up at me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good.” At her raised eyebrows, I say, “Really. I’m fine. Just thinking. Are you alright? Did I wake you?”
She smiles, and while I know Scarlett doesn’t think she’s strong, she absolutely is. To be smiling and laughing and seducing me—complete with a sexy striptease before bed last night—and talking about visiting Saul and going back to work; she amazes me with her strength.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she says. “And no, you didn’t wake me up. Jasper did. I think he wants to go outside.” Glancing back at a hopeful-looking Jasper hovering in the doorway of the kitchen, she adds, “You know how he likes chasing the leaves. He’s obsessed with it. I don’t know what he’ll do when the snow finally covers them.”
“We can throw snowballs for him instead,” I suggest. “Wilson loves that. Or use one of those laser pointers in the snow. Ian says his dog goes crazy for it.”
“I’ve never tried the laser pointer. I bet Jas would like that.” To Jasper, she says, “After breakfast, buddy. Then I’ll take you in the yard and you can chase the last of the leaves.”
She moves towards the coffeemaker and picks up the task I never finished doing. As she fills the filter with grounds, she asks, “Do you want me to make breakfast? Do you have time before you head over to the Williamson’s?”
“I have time.” Brushing her hair away from the back of her neck, I kiss Scarlett gently there, breathing in the soft scent of the lotion I used to give her a massage last night. “Since we’re going to see Saul at noon, I’m taking the morning off. I’ll check on the job sites afterwards.”
“Oh, good.” She starts the coffee brewing and turns to me. “So we can have a lazy morning. Breakfast and playing with the dogs and maybe a shower together?”
“Yes to all of those things.” My body already responding to the idea, I add, “I will always say yes to a shower together.”
Her gaze dips below my waist and a satisfied smirk curves her lips. “I guess we should have a hearty breakfast, then. Eggs and sausage? Pancakes? Or….” Widening her eyes hopefully, she continues, “Or some of those yummy breakfast sandwiches from the Hungry Horseman? And the hash brown patties?”
I grin at her. “How much energy are you planning to use?”
“Lots?”
Part of me wants to make an excuse to say no. Even though Richard is in jail, my instinct is still to keep Scarlett safely with me. But if I tell her no, she’ll be disappointed. And if I insist on her coming with me, she’ll have to take a shower and get dressed instead of having the lazy morning she wants.
“Okay. I’ll go pick up some breakfast sandwiches.” Her face brightens, so I add, “And maybe some of those muffins you like? And the doggie biscuits for Jasper and Wilson?”
“Oh, Grant.” Scarlett hugs me, and she feels so perfect in my arms, my throat goes thick for a moment. “That sounds perfect.”
Which is how I end up waiting in line at the Hungry Horseman behind ten other people instead of drinking coffee on the porch with Scarlett. Who knew so many other people would be here at eight A.M. in the middle of the week to order breakfast?
Actually. That makes sense. Next time, I’ll call ahead to place the order instead of coming here to do it.
Two thirty-something women are chatting loudly in front of me, distracting me from pleasant thoughts of breakfast with Scarlett and then a long shower while I carefully wash every inch of her body. I can’t help but listen as one of them says, “But have you seen that new cop? The tall one with the dark hair and incredible blue eyes?”
“Oh, I know,” the other one enthuses. “He is something. And I heard he was in the FBI or the CIA or something secret like that. No wedding ring, either. I noticed when he was in line ahead of me at the grocery store.”
“If I see him on patrol,” the first one says, “maybe I’ll speed a little. So he has to pull me over.”
I’m assuming they’re talking about Oliver, as the only other new officer on the force is Noah White, who is much shorter and has curly blonde hair. From what I know about Oliver, he is single, but he doesn’t seem the type to ask out someone he pulled over.
“That’s crazy,” the friend replies, echoing my thoughts. “Just go to the next police fundraiser. I’m sure he’ll be there.”
I know Scarlett will love this exchange, and I make a mental note to tell her about it. She’ll tell Maya, who’ll tell Oliver and probably tease him mercilessly, just like my sister did when she found out a girl was interested in me back in high school.
“Who knows when the next fundraiser is,” the other woman scoffs. “I’m not getting any younger. I don’t want to wait—”
But she abruptly stops talking as my phone goes off; loud and shrill enough to startle the crowd in the diner into silence.
My heart leaps into my throat.
The alarms at my house.
They’re the only things I have set up to make such earsplitting noises on my phone.
What’s happening at my house?
Oblivious to the people around me, I yank my phone out of my pocket and jab at the alert on the screen. It opens the app, which shows me exactly where the alarm has been triggered.
Not in the house, but outside. One of the perimeter motion sensors at the rear of the property has been activated.
But the house. Scarlett’s still inside. She’s safe in there.
And it could be nothing. A local kid could have climbed the fence; it’s something I might have done myself when I was a teenager. Or the fence could have been damaged by a tree limb falling on it. Maybe the battery is dying and somehow I missed it.
Still. I need to call Scarlett. Make sure she’s safely inside. Maybe convince her to go into the safe room in the basement until I get home.
As I step out of line and dial her number, I tell myself I’m getting worried over nothing. Cash was just telling me recently that a bird triggered one of his alarms; trying to make a nest out of it.
It’s got to be something like that.
Except her phone keeps ringing, and the sick feeling in my stomach keeps growing.
After a tense voicemail and an urgent text, I open the security app to check it again. By now, I’m hurrying towards the exit; not running, but not walking, either. But as I scan the various alarms and sensors on my property, I notice something that makes me go cold inside.
The alarm at the back door of the house is turned off.
Which means Scarlett probably went outside.
She wouldn’t have thought twice about taking Jasper or Wilson out to the backyard.
Fuck.
But it’s okay. The backyard is enclosed by a reinforced fence, and the gate is always locked from the inside. Scarlett’s fine.
It doesn’t stop me from calling her again. From hoping she’ll pick up the phone, gasping for breath, telling me how much fun the dogs were having outside. But she still doesn’t answer, and my heart races exponentially faster with each unanswered ring.
Then.
The alarm goes off again.
Fuck.
I burst out of the diner, instinct screaming at me, get home, get home now, hurry .
I’m not just worried now. I’m scared.
Even as rational explanations are speeding through my mind—Scarlett decided to take the dogs into the woods, a simple equipment malfunction—my gut is shouting at me that something’s wrong.
It wasn’t wrong before. And I’m terrified it’s not wrong now.
But I can’t watch the surveillance video if I’m sprinting down the sidewalk.
Fuck.
I have to know. Have to see what’s happening.
So I stop dead in the middle of the sidewalk, ignoring the irritated mutters of the people leaving the diner behind me, and open the security app again.
In the moment it takes for the video feed to connect, I pray.
Please let me just see Scarlett out there with the dogs. Maybe searching for a tennis ball she accidentally threw over the fence. Please let it be nothing bad.
It’s not bad.
It’s horrifying.
My heart stops.
There’s a man in the yard. All in dark clothes. A gaiter covering most of his face. A hat pulled down low on his head, casting shadows across the rest of his features.
He’s holding something in one arm, gesturing with the other.
Something gleams dully in his hand.
Oh. No.
No. No. No .
He’s holding Jasper. Threatening him. And that thing in his hand is a gun.
Oh, fuck. No.
Scarlett’s frozen in place, at least twenty feet from the back door to the house. But she isn’t running, even though she could make it. She wouldn’t. Not with Jasper’s life at stake.
As I stand stock-still on the sidewalk, I watch in horror as Scarlett walks towards the man.
Terror turns my blood cold.
I can’t wait. I have to get to her. Stop this.
I’m jogging back towards my car, my muscles on pure autopilot, while my eyes stay glued to the screen.
Scarlett gets closer to him. She swipes at her face like she’s wiping away tears.
No. Stop. Don’t do it.
But she doesn’t stop.
And a moment later, he drops Jasper and lunges at her.
Grabs her.
His arm goes around her neck.
NO. NO. NO.
And I watch helplessly as the woman I love goes limp in his arms.
As he picks her up.
As he starts running out of the yard.
No. Not Scarlett.
She was supposed to be safe.
Panic threatens to take over. My lungs turn to ice .
But.
I can find her.
I will find her.
So I shove down the suffocating panic and focus on what I need to do.
I call Cole.
I’m nearly to my car when Cole answers cheerfully. “Grant. What’s up?” In the background, I hear Maya talking in a baby voice to Clara, telling her what a good girl she is for finishing her breakfast.
It’s a jarring disconnect.
“Scarlett’s in trouble.” My voice is as close to breaking as it’s ever been. “At my house. Someone got into the backyard. A man. He threatened Jasper, so she wouldn’t run. And he—” Rage collides with fear. “He took her. He knocked her out and took her.”
“Fuck.” After a brief pause, Maya’s voice fades away, and he asks, “Where are you now?”
“In town. Nearly to my car. You have her tracker, right? You can find her? Right?”
The tracker. Please let it be working.
Please let Scarlett still be wearing them.
We gave her the earrings after the break-in at her house. Blade and Arrow offers a pair of earrings with trackers in them to every woman they protect. Scarlett wasn’t crazy about them, she thought they weren’t necessary since she was never alone. But I asked her to wear them anyway, just to make me feel better .
“Hang on.” Now I hear footsteps moving rapidly on the other end of the line. “I’m checking right now.”
Several agonizing seconds later, Cole says, “Yes. She’s moving. At this speed, she has to be in a car.”
“Fuck!”
“Okay. We’re going after her.” His tone is calm, but tension bleeds into his words. “I’ve got Leo and Zane here. And I’ll let Oliver know what’s going on.”
I make it to my car and fling myself into it. “I’m coming with you.”
“Of course.” Another brief pause, and more footsteps. “I’m getting everyone together now. How soon can you get here?”
Not soon enough. I should be searching for Scarlett already. Tracking down whoever took her.
The primal, terrified part of me wants to go tearing off on my own.
But rationally, I know a team is better. Safer for Scarlett.
“Ten minutes,” I grit out. As I pull out of my parking spot with a squeal of tires, I add, “Eight if I don’t hit any red lights.”
I make it in six.
It’s a miracle I didn’t get pulled over, really.
But I probably would have kept going.
Cole’s already in the driveway when I get to Blade and Arrow, the rear passenger-side door already open and waiting. After coming to a screeching stop, I leap into the company SUV and yank the door closed behind me. “Where is she?” I bark. “Is she still moving? ”
As Cole pulls out onto the road, Leo turns around in the passenger seat to look at me. “She just got on the Saw Mill River Parkway. Heading north.” He taps the screen of his laptop, where I can see a red dot blinking. “She’s about ten minutes ahead of us at the moment.”
“Fuck.” I nearly crack my molars trying to keep from losing it. So much can happen in ten minutes. Scarlett could be hurt. Violated. Even—
“We’ll find her,” Zane says firmly, drawing my attention. His features are like stone, but his gaze flashes with compassion. “We have her tracker. She’s in a moving vehicle, which means she’s relatively safe for now.”
“Relatively?” My voice dips dangerously.
“I know this is hard.” Cole glances in the rear-view mirror at me. “Trust me. I know. We all do. But we’ll find Scarlett.”
“He hurt her. Choked her. What if she’s—”
A phone rings, interrupting me, and Cole jabs the display panel to answer it. “What do you have?”
It’s set to speaker, so I recognize Oliver’s voice immediately. “Kane and I are at Grant’s house. Inside looks clear. Outside, the dogs are okay. Looks like the gate was broken with something. Crowbar, maybe.” He pauses. “You’re headed after her already, aren’t you?”
“Of course,” I snap, my voice rising. “I thought this was over. Why is someone coming after Scarlett? What has Cunningham done? ”
“He hasn’t spoken to anyone but his attorney,” Oliver replies. “No calls. Nothing. There’s no reason to think—”
“Except that Scarlett’s missing!”
“I know that,” Oliver bites out. “I don’t know what fucking happened, either.”
Fuck. I’m yelling at the wrong person. I failed. Not Oliver. Not Blade and Arrow. Me.
Leo’s rumbly voice cuts through the thickening tension. “We’re catching up on them already. And I’m searching nearby surveillance cameras to hopefully identify the car they’re in. But we will get to her.”
I want to believe it.
I need to.
Icy fear douses the burning rage inside me, leaving me cold and empty. “Please.” I suck in a painful breath. “We need to find Scarlett. I can’t lose her. I can’t .”