Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Chris stood in the kitchen and eyed the dish of brownies on the counter, his nostrils flaring.
Who in the hell gave someone baked goods laced with drugs as a Welcome to the neighborhood gift?
Grabbing the dish angrily, he dumped the brownies in the trash, set the glass dish in her sink, and reached to turn on the faucet. No water. Right.
He cupped his mouth, trying to wrap his head around the unexpected turn of events. He’d come to hire Rory for a job, and now it looked like she needed him even more.
People want to kill her. Did her brother know this?
He crouched and went beneath the sink. His dad had run his own plumbing business in Boston, so Chris knew his way around pipes.
His mind blew through a half dozen scenarios where Rory could’ve gotten herself into trouble over the years while treasure hunting. She said she didn’t hunt for lost treasure anymore, but what had she been doing? And why’d she suddenly decide to leave that life to train dogs?
He’d be needing answers, but he’d give her time to recover from the brownies.
After he fixed the sink, he cleaned up and went out to his rental Dodge Ram to call Harper in privacy.
“She say yes?” Harper answered after picking up.
He slung his forearm over the wheel and pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand, eyes closing. “I don’t know.” She issued a warning and then threw up.
Harper chuckled. “Go that well, huh?”
He lifted his chin at the sound of something falling to the floor in the background. “You got company?”
“I’m at Emily’s helping put together the party for the newlyweds. Who, by the way, are going to kill us later,” she answered. “Liam just dropped some expensive vase, and he’s cursing like a sailor.”
Liam and Emily lived in D.C. with their two children. Emily had given Chris an earful about ensuring he made it back to the surprise post-wedding party she was throwing for A.J. and Ana since the couple had only recently revealed that they’d eloped over the summer.
“Better an expensive vase than his baby.” He sat upright and eyed Rory’s two-story brick house.
He didn’t like the idea she was in the middle of nowhere, and yet, her neighbor, who couldn’t be very close given Chris didn’t spy any houses nearby, had managed to show up at her door and drop off drugged baked goods.
Maybe he ought to do a trace on the brownies. Make sure they didn’t contain anything other than pot. Also, run a background check on the neighbor. On second thought, maybe he should include everyone within a five-mile radius. Yeah, that’d be a good idea.
“You’re going to make it back in time for the little shindig tomorrow night, right? I’m sure A.J. and Ana would love it if Rory came with you.”
“Is A.J.’s family coming this weekend?” A.J. had a huge Southern family, but Ana’s parents died when she was sixteen, and she had no other living relatives. Chris related more to Ana than A.J. even though his parents were both alive.
“Nah, they’re planning their own thing. Probably a huge town event.” She paused. “Hold on. Elaina wants to FaceTime.”
“Hey! How are you and Bear doing?” he asked once Elaina’s face filled the screen.
She backed up a little and circled an arm around his new dog. “I’m spoiling him rotten,” Elaina announced with a big smile. “I’m going to miss him when you take him back home.”
His smirk stretched, momentarily forgetting about his worries with Liam’s daughter onscreen.
She was such a great kid. She emanated the presence and wisdom of an old soul.
Wise was putting it mildly. The girl was more than just Einstein-smart.
She was also eerily prophetic. “You’ll be able to visit him anytime.
Plus, when he can’t come on a job with us—”
“He’ll stay with me!” Elaina hugged Bear, and Chris laughed when the goofy canine nuzzled her face with his nose. And if Elaina had a good feeling about him, then Chris knew Bear was the right dog for the teams.
“How’s Rory?” Liam crouched into view of the screen behind Elaina and rubbed Bear’s head.
“She’s good,” he forced out, remaining vague.
“Yeah, well, don’t lay the charm on too thick. We need her. This dog,” Liam said in a soft voice as if speaking to his baby, Jackson, instead of Bear, “really needs proper training, and we can’t do it.”
“I know. I know.” And we also need to help Rory.
“Uncle Chris,” Elaina said when Liam’s wife called him away, and he left the screen, “I think she needs you just as much as you need her.” She winked after her cryptic words.
“See you both tomorrow!” She handed the phone back to Harper and left him sitting in the truck, attempting to shake off the chills flying up his spine.
“So, why are you really calling?” Harper asked while staring at a bright orange spool of ribbon in her hand, a scowl on her lips as if she’d rather be breaking into an unhackable database, or well, jamming out to music on the roof of their office building in New York like she did whenever she needed to take a moment.
Harper wasn’t a fan of being crafty, and Chris was fairly certain Emily hadn’t been either until she’d become a mom to Elaina.
Chris shifted uncomfortably on the leather. “Can you do a little digging on Rory for me?”
“Like a background check to make sure we can trust her?” She scoffed. “You’re kidding, right?”
He patted the air. “Don’t let them hear you, and no, not a background check.
I need to know what Rory has been up to since college.
” He felt all kinds of wrong asking Harper for help, but he figured Rory wouldn’t have spilled such ominous news were it not for the brownies she’d eaten.
And he had no doubt she’d be a steel trap from now on.
He and the guys were typically closemouthed about their lives, so he couldn’t blame her.
“I’m not looking her up.” Harper set the ribbon down and walked out of Liam’s living room.
“She might be in trouble. But don’t say anything to A.J. or the others until I know more.” He knew Harper wouldn’t help him without a damn good reason. “Please.”
“And what gave you the idea she’s in trouble?” Her tone was a few notes softer this time.
“Because she told me if anyone found out her identity, she’d be killed.” He tensed at the thought. Every muscle locking tight. “Then, she puked. So, that’s all I know.”
“She threw up?” Harper was quiet for a moment, giving him a confused look. And when he didn’t elaborate, she added, “This is unexpected.”
“But is it?” He reached for the door handle. “Our lives are never ordinary.” The last thing he wanted to hear was that the woman he’d been obsessing over for three months was in trouble, her life in danger.
“I’ll see what I can find out, but if A.J. doesn’t know this—”
“He just started operating again. And we’re celebrating his marriage this weekend. Let’s not rush to worry him until we know more. Okay?” Chris pleaded, hoping he was making the right decision.
“And what are you planning to do next?”
“Get her to come to Virginia with me so that she can train Bear, and so I can keep an eye on her.”
“I figured you’d say that.” Harper held the phone in front of her face to find his eyes. “I, um, heard what Elaina said to you.”
His stomach squeezed at the memory. She needs you just as much as you need her. “Yeah, so I think that’s enough to make you realize that—”
“She’s in danger,” Harper finished for him with a nod. “Okay. I’ll get back to you.”
“Thanks.” He ended the call and scrolled through his contacts for Rory’s brother’s number. Jesse had given him his digits at the bachelor party back in June.
As soon as A.J. had seen Chris’s reaction at the sight of Rory, he’d warned Chris that Jesse wasn’t someone to mess with.
He was protective and a fighter like Bravo Three, using his fists instead of his mouth to handle situations.
Although Asher was a bit tamer now that he was married with kids.
Well, as long as no one threatened those he loved.
Here goes.
After two rings, Jesse picked up.
“You piss off my sis?” Jesse asked straight away, and Chris wasn’t sure if it’d been a joke or not.
“No, but she’s not feeling well,” Chris answered. “Apparently, her new neighbor laced those brownies he gave her with drugs. I’m guessing you didn’t have any since you seem to be fine. I’m about to pay the guy a visit, but I figured you should know and that you might want to come with.”
Jesse was stone-cold quiet for a moment before replying in a deep voice, “Be right there.”
“You didn’t kill him, did you?” Rory clutched a cup of chamomile tea, her knees pinned to her chest as she sat on the couch in her living room.
Some color had returned to her cheeks since she’d woken up and taken a shower, but he hated she was also wearing a soft shade of embarrassment.
She didn’t need to feel bad about throwing up, but if she was a touch crimson from her admission about the danger she was in, well, that was a conversation she wouldn’t be able to avoid.
“No, I didn’t kill him.” Jesse stood with crossed arms alongside Chris. “I just let him know the dangers of ever coming near you again.”
“We’re also not sure if living out here by yourself is such a great idea,” Chris said and winced when Rory’s eyes tightened as she set her tea down on a coaster.
“Oh, really?” she challenged. Chris was smart enough to know that was the equivalent of Jessica or Harper responding to a question with the words “I’m fine.” It meant trouble.
Jesse and Chris exchanged a quick look before Chris focused back on Rory’s hazel eyes.
“You boys better believe I am perfectly capable of handling myself.” It’d been three hours since she’d thrown up, but whatever impact those brownies had on her when Chris had first shown up appeared gone.
There was a beautiful fierceness and confidence in her eyes and the curve of her lips.
“Especially you, Jesse. You made sure I was strong enough to take care of myself, didn’t you? ”