Chapter Fourteen
Caroline didn’t bother wondering if having sex with Jack was yet another mistake.
It probably was. Loss of focus and all that.
But she refused to regret what had happened and figured Jack was on the same page with her.
He certainly wasn’t doing anything to move her off him in the bed.
In fact, he looked pleasured and satisfied.
It wouldn’t last, though.
No. Not for her cowboy lawman.
Soon, very soon, he’d start to see the problems that this sort of intimacy would cause for the investigation.
That didn’t mean Jack didn’t love her. He did.
But clearly in his mind, this would put a little tarnish on his badge and a whole lot more tarnish on his judgment.
It had to be hard to think straight when feelings ran this hot and deep for someone in his protective custody.
Hoping to stop his guilt trip before it started, Caroline lifted her head and kissed Jack right on that incredible mouth of his. Rolling off him, she landed on her back next to him.
“Just remember that I’m the one who started this round,” she said.
His breathing was still a little uneven when he turned on his side and looked at her. “I sure didn’t do anything to stop you.”
“It wouldn’t have worked if you’d tried,” Caroline assured him.
“And that’s all the whining we’re allowed over this.
” She gave him another kiss—a quick, almost chaste one—and she forced herself off the bed.
“I’m getting dressed so I can start doing computer checks and calls to look for Grace.
Besides, Clarie might be wondering where we got off to. ”
“Clarie’s smart,” Jack grumbled. “She’ll figure it out.”
True, which would make it awkward when Jack and she came out of the bedroom and faced the deputy. Still, it had to be done because Clarie was no doubt working on the case, as well. She might not approve of them rolling around in the sack while she did the job.
Since her clothes were scattered everywhere, it meant traipsing around the room naked while she gathered them. Jack watched, of course, as if entertained by the peep show. But then he huffed, got up and started doing the same thing.
Caroline certainly got some entertainment of her own by seeing his incredible body flex and move, and she reminded herself that they wouldn’t get any work done if she kept gawking at him.
“You do know we’re going to have to do something, well, drastic, to draw our attacker out in the open?” she threw out there, knowing it would get his mind back where it needed to be.
Of course, he wouldn’t like that word drastic, and Jack expressed that dislike with a scowl. Then a huff, which actually softened his expression. “Look, I know you’re upset about Scotty’s death, but—”
That was as far as he got with his protest before his phone rang. His jeans were still on the floor, so Jack had to rummage around to locate it.
Caroline didn’t exactly breathe easier when she saw Kellan’s name on the screen. That was because he could be calling with more bad news. She hurried to finish dressing in case Jack and she had to do something right away. Jack answered the call, and he put it on speaker.
“We got an ID on the dead gunman,” Kellan said the moment he was on the line. “The name’s probably not going to mean anything to you. Amos Treadwell. He’s got a record and reputation for being a spine cracker for loan sharks and other lowlifes.”
So just a hired gun. That did nothing to make her feel better about any of this, because a paid killer could have done just as much damage as the person who’d hired him, or more.
“Please tell me that you can link Treadwell to one of our suspects,” Jack told his brother.
“I wish.” Kellan sounded disgusted that he hadn’t been able to do that. “But the CSIs did get something when they went through his pockets. Treadwell had other targets, and he’d written down the names on what he called his ‘to-do list.’”
Caroline felt a fresh coil of fear slide through her. “What names?” she heard herself ask.
Kellan took his time answering, and that let her know she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say. “Scotty, Grace, Jack, you and me.”
No, she didn’t like it, but it wasn’t much of a surprise. At least the first four weren’t, but she hadn’t expected Kellan to be on that list. Obviously, neither had Jack, because his now tight jaw muscles went to war with each other.
“Why would Treadwell plan to kill you?” Jack demanded.
She had no trouble hearing the long breath that Kellan took before he answered. “The person who hired Treadwell probably thinks Caroline has spilled all by now and that you spilled it to me.” Kellan paused, cursed. “The person could go after Gemma, too.”
Or anyone else in Jack’s family. That could include his partner, friends. The list could go on and on.
“I’ve put a reserve deputy on Gemma,” Kellan added a moment later, “and I’m heading home right now. Eli and Owen are doing the same.”
Caroline filled in the blanks on what Kellan wasn’t saying.
He couldn’t keep this level of protection going for long.
Eli and Owen had jobs to do along with their families to protect.
Their attacker could just wait them out.
Maybe wait even long enough until their guards were down and then go after them when they didn’t expect it.
Mercy.
They had to do something, now, to put an end to it so they could all get on with their lives. Especially Owen and Eli, since their families included babies who needed protecting.
“I’ve been mulling over a plan,” Caroline said.
As she’d expected, her comment caused some concern followed by anger to flash in Jack’s eyes. She figured that if she could see Kellan, he’d have a similar expression. That meant she was going to have to do a hard sell to convince them that what she had in mind could work.
Probably.
But she would keep the word probably to herself. They’d have enough doubts without her adding more.
“Both of you know we need to do something to go ahead and draw out this person,” Caroline continued.
“Our attacker seems to believe that I know something. Something that would incriminate him or her. So why not put it out there that I’m remembering more details of what Eric said when he kidnapped me? I could be bait.”
That, of course, didn’t go over well. Jack cursed and shook his head. Kellan grumbled some of the same profanity.
“Just let me finish,” she said, speaking over them.
“Word could get out that I’m going to the Serenity Inn to meet with a therapist or counselor.
Someone who can help me use the place to recall those final details that will help us figure out who Eric actually called that night and what he said to him or her. ”
“The killer won’t go for that,” Jack concluded, but she knew that he’d said that more out of worry for her than any doubt over the workability of the plan.
“He or she will, if word gets out,” Caroline argued. “And we can use Grace to do that.”
Jack huffed again. “Grace won’t even answer her phone.”
“No, but I’m pretty sure she’ll read a text.
We can ask her to leak that I’ll be at the Serenity Inn.
Tonight,” she added, though Caroline cast an uneasy glance at the window.
“If Grace is in on the plan to murder us, then she’ll get the info to the right person.
To the person who wants us dead. If she’s innocent, then she can help us with the leak so we can lure out the killer. ”
The curtains and blinds were closed, but she could hear the rain battering against the glass. It wouldn’t exactly be a good night to go to the old, abandoned hotel, but enduring the weather would be the least of their problems.
No huff from Jack this time, but he gave her a very flat look. “Our attacker could just send another hired thug.”
Caroline nodded, knowing that was a strong possibility. The proof of that was the now dead gunman.
“We weren’t expecting the other attacks,” she explained, “but if we know this one is coming, we can be ready for it. Instead of killing any henchman who shows up, we can take him alive. Maybe shoot him with a tranquilizer gun instead of bullets. After we have him, we can make some kind of deal to get him to talk.”
Jack certainly didn’t jump on that, either, but she was hoping that once he got over his emotional objection, he would see it could work.
“What makes you think you can trust Grace?” Jack demanded. “What if she shows up and tries to kill you?”
“I’m not sure I can trust her, not completely, but that doesn’t matter.
If it’s Grace who comes to the inn, then you can take her into custody and get her to tell you what she knows about Scotty’s death.
” She paused. “But if she gets out the word, then the real killer or his hired gun might show up. It’s worth a try. ”
Judging from the swear words that poured out of him, Jack didn’t agree with her. “I don’t want you at the inn,” he snapped.
Caroline nodded, knowing he would say that.
“I don’t especially want to be there, either.
” Not with all the horrible things that had happened to her.
There was the possibility of flashbacks.
Heck, there was also the risk of a full-blown panic attack that would pretty much put her out of commission in a fight.
“But we can’t let this danger and the attacks go on. ”
“She’s right about that,” Kellan said before Jack could spout what would have almost certainly been more arguments.
“It’s dangerous for too many people. I can’t protect everyone that this snake might target.
He or she is desperate. That’s obvious. Maybe because we’re getting close to finding out what really happened that night Dad was murdered.
A plan like this could be the tipping point to get us that truth. ”
“Yeah, and it could be the tipping point to getting Caroline shot,” Jack fired back. But then he groaned.