Chapter 16 Caden
CADEN
The phone on my desk rang, and I picked up the receiver. “Caden Shaw.”
“Good to see you’re at your desk early.”
The sound of my father’s voice wasn’t ever something I wanted to start my day with, but at least he wasn’t reaming me out.
“Morning, Dad.”
“I spoke to Clive last night.”
Of course, there was no greeting back. No asking how I was. Business and nothing else.
“Did he get home smoothly?” I asked.
“He did, and he was very impressed with your out-of-the-box thinking.”
I stayed quiet, sensing a but coming.
“That was a risky move.”
I slid my hand into my pocket, my fingers finding the smooth metal disc. It was a miracle the charm hadn’t faded away into nothing. “I know, but he needed something new. I had an idea.”
“You’re lucky it paid off. He wants to go with your plan.”
I grinned, but the win didn’t feel as good as it should’ve because all I could think about was how pissed Gabe would be. “I’m glad he liked it.”
Dad grunted.
“While I have you, I’m going to need some additional staff and funding for the stables. There’s been a shift away from that part of the resort, and I think it’s a mistake.”
My father was quiet for a moment. “Why?”
“People don’t come to the rugged mountains for polo; they come for a ranch-like experience. At The Peaks, they can have that but still go to a five-star spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant at the end of the day. We need to give them both.”
“I see what you mean. Draft a proposal.”
“It’s already done. Sending it to your email now.”
My father grunted again. “You’re doing good. I was right to bring you back.”
I hated the surge of pride I felt at his words. I didn’t want them to matter anymore. But some part of me would always be that little boy who wanted his dad’s approval. “Thank you.”
“You still need to work on your image. You’ve damaged it with all your galivanting over the years. Look at your brother. You need to bring that new girlfriend of yours to events so people see you’ve changed. If that’s even possible.”
He said it as if I’d terrorized small children or something. I went on dates—if you could even call them that. Occasionally, those outings were photographed. But my father thought I’d committed treason just because I hadn’t settled down like he wanted.
My back teeth gnashed together. “Grae’s coming to the gala with me.”
“Wouldn’t hurt to have her show her face around the resort before then, too. You’ve got a lot to make up for.”
He hung up without another word.
I kept the receiver to my ear for a moment, listening to the dial tone.
There was never a compliment that wasn’t followed by a slap.
I had to remember that. Distance from my father might have helped me remain numb to him, but now that I was in his presence again, that wasn’t so easy. And it was killing me.
My cell buzzed on the desk.
I set the receiver back in the cradle and picked up my device. A text flashed on the screen.
Nash
G’s SUV caught on fire. We’re at Vacation Adventures.
I was on my feet in a flash, striding toward the door. I practically ran Jalen over as I stormed out.
“Shit. Everything okay?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Reschedule today’s meetings. I’ll call if anything changes.”
“Or if you need anything,” Jalen called after me as I jogged down the hall.
On fire. Those two words circled my brain as I headed for my SUV. Nash would’ve said if Grae were hurt, wouldn’t he? Icy claws of dread dug into my chest.
I hit Nash’s contact on my phone as I climbed behind the wheel. It rang and rang with no answer. I cursed as I started the engine.
The tires squealed as I pulled out of the parking spot and headed for the resort exit. I nearly came out of my skin, waiting for the gates to open. The moment they did, I took off down the mountain road.
Memories battered at the walls of my mind. Grae passing out in my arms. Running down the mountain trail to my car. Racing her to the EMTs. Her face so pale. The doctor telling us they weren’t sure if she would make it.
I shoved all of it from my mind. She was okay. She had to be.
I made the fifteen-minute drive into town in eight. I caught sight of fire trucks and police cars, but I didn’t see Grae.
Squealing to a stop, I jumped out of my SUV and ran toward the four hulking forms I recognized as Grae’s brothers. Their heads came up at the sound of my footsteps.
Roan was the only one who moved. It was a slight shift that allowed me to see Grae’s petite form between them all. My chest seized.
I shoved through them, pulling her into my arms and gripping her tightly. I couldn’t speak for a moment. It wasn’t until I felt the rise and fall of her chest against my torso and the beat of her heart that I could form words. “Are you okay?”
My voice was barely recognizable, even to my ears. Raw, gritty, ravaged.
Grae’s hands fisted in my shirt. “I’m fine. It was just my car. I don’t know what happened.”
I knew I needed to let her go for a million different reasons.
But it was the last thing I wanted to do.
I inhaled deeply, letting the scent of honeysuckle and spice fill my lungs.
I held on to that as I let her go but shifted so my arm was around her shoulders.
I told myself it was what a boyfriend would do, and that I was just playing the part. But I knew it was a damned lie.
“What do we know?” I clipped.
Lawson’s gaze narrowed on me. “Firefighters just put it out. They’re doing a cursory examination now.”
“Who reported it?” I asked.
Nash motioned to a couple talking to another officer. “Tourists from Seattle. They were walking to breakfast when they saw it. They called it in and shouted for help.”
“They see anyone lingering around?”
Holt shook his head. “The vehicle was fully engulfed by the time they saw it.”
I cursed under my breath and glanced down at Grae. She was pale. Too pale. Fear put my chest in a stranglehold. “Do you need something to eat? Is your blood sugar okay?”
Grae blinked a few times and pulled out her phone, checking an app. “I’m fine.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded, showing me the screen. “See? Right in range.”
A little of that fear lessened but not enough. I leaned in closer, my lips grazing the shell of her ear. “We need to tell them about the break-in.”
She squeezed my waist hard. “No. This could’ve been some freak vehicle malfunction. Just wait.”
My jaw clenched. Holding this back was a bad idea. But when I registered the pleading in her eyes, I couldn’t go against her wishes. So much had been taken out of Grae’s control. She needed it now more than ever.
“What’s going on with you two?” Lawson asked, suspicion lacing his tone.
Grae scowled at him. “Caden’s worried. Just like you four were.”
“Yeah, but—”
Lawson’s words were cut off as Fire Chief Ramirez and Rance strode up. Rance made a beeline for Grae. He looked as if he might try to pull her out of my hold, but I shifted my body so that wasn’t possible.
He glared at me, but then his expression gentled as he turned to Grae. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine.”
“This could’ve been really bad. You’re lucky the SUV didn’t explode.”
“Not helping, Rance,” I gritted out. It was then that I realized he was still in civilian clothes. “Are you even on duty?”
He flushed. “I heard the call come in over the radio, so I came straight over.”
Of course, he had.
Ramirez cleared his throat. “I’m glad you weren’t injured, Grae.”
“Thanks for putting out the fire, Chief,” she said.
Lawson was all business, shifting seamlessly into police-chief mode. “What’d you find?”
“We found the remnants of what appear to be fireworks.” Ramirez turned to Grae. “Did you have your window down?”
She nodded. “I always leave them cracked in the summer. It’s not like there are many car thefts around here.”
Holt groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Seriously, G?”
“It gets hot. I don’t want my car baking for hours while I’m at work,” she defended.
Ramirez held up a hand. “I do the same thing. Unfortunately, it looks like someone used that as an invitation to drop some fireworks onto your driver’s seat.”
Nash frowned. “We had a call yesterday evening about someone setting off fireworks in trash cans.”
The fire chief nodded. “One of the dumpsters actually caught fire, and we had to put it out.”
“But this is an escalation,” Lawson said.
Roan grunted. “Someone likes setting fires.”
Grae shivered, and I pulled her tighter against me.
Rance’s eyes narrowed at the action.
I ignored him. “Do you guys have any leads?”
Lawson sighed. “We’re pretty sure it’s teenagers. There’s been an uptick in random vandalism with no rhyme or reason for the targets. It’s been going on too long to be tourists. It has to be locals.”
“You need to find them. Even if they are teenagers, someone could’ve been killed today.” There was an edge to Holt’s voice. He knew better than anyone the damage angry teens could do. He’d almost lost Wren because of it.
Ice slid through my veins as I held Grae tighter.
She looked up at me, worry in her blue eyes. “I’m okay.”
“Holt’s right. You could’ve been killed. What if the SUV had exploded?”
Grae’s thumb stroked in rhythmic swipes across my abdominals. “It didn’t.”
A muscle fluttered under Lawson’s eye. “I’m putting additional officers on foot patrol, days and nights. I’ll put a handful in plain clothes so we’ve got a better chance of finding them.”
That was something, at least.
Grae blew out a breath. “Do you guys need anything else from me? I’m supposed to take a group on a kayak trip in fifteen minutes.”
I jerked back. “Are you serious?”
She shrugged. “I’ve got a job. It’s not like sitting around here and crying over my car will help.”
Jordan strode up to our huddle and squeezed her arm. “You sure you’re up for that?”
Grae nodded. “It’ll be good.”
He studied her as if he wasn’t quite so sure. “I’ll come with you today. You’ve had a shock. I don’t want you out there alone.”
“You don’t have to—”
Jordan cut her off with a look. “It’s good for me to get out in the field every now and then.”
Grae sighed. “Okay.”
I glanced down at her. “You don’t have to do this.”
“I know. I want to.”
I told myself to release her, to let go, but I couldn’t get my arm to obey.
Grae stretched up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to the underside of my jaw. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”
My arm slid off her shoulders, but the action was agony. “Call if you need anything. I’ll deal with your car.”
“Thanks.”
As I watched her walk away, it felt like someone had taken a meat cleaver to my rib cage. The moment she disappeared, I turned to Grae’s brothers.
“We need these assholes found. And now.”