Chapter 19
Ace
Between the gorgeous woman I’m spending my time with and the fact that I’m actually on a real vacation, I almost forgot about Shannon’s stalker. Almost. I’m always on guard, aware of my surroundings and where Shannon is, but I’m a lot more relaxed about it.
It’s hard to explain, because I could be woken out of a deep sleep and break a man’s neck before I open my eyes but I feel different now.
Being with Shannon, as a couple, changes everything I thought I knew about myself.
Our relationship has advanced in leaps and bounds.
We went from distant-memory fantasies to friends-who-wanted-benefits to being together intimately within a very short period of time, but it all feels perfectly natural.
I rely on my gut to stay alive and normally moving this fast with a woman sets off all kinds of alarms. With Shannon, the only thing going off is me.
I’m crazy about her and can’t even begin to describe how amazing it was to make love with her.
We didn’t just make each other feel good physically, we forged a bond I can’t adequately describe.
There were no awkward getting-to-know-each-other moments even though we’re definitely still getting to know each other. It feels like I’ve known her most of her life because her father bragged about her incessantly when he was my CO.
Lying in bed thinking about the beautiful woman in my arms makes me reluctant to move, but it’s almost seven and I decide to meet Chris at the gym. We were up late but I rarely sleep more than five hours, so I’ll let her sleep while I get in a workout.
I gently kiss her temple as I slip out of bed and into the tiny bathroom. If we ever do this again, we definitely need a suite because not only do we have two twin beds pushed together, but the bathroom is also small for two people, even a fairly low-maintenance guy like me.
Ten minutes later I’m at the gym, running on the treadmill.
I’m in good shape for a thirty-seven-year-old, but it doesn’t come easy.
I spend as much time at the gym and training with martial arts and weapons experts as I do working, but it can be exhausting.
Not that I want to let myself go, but it seems like your late thirties is a good time to start using your brain more than your brawn.
I can and do use both, so it isn’t new to me, and that makes the decision I’m considering making a little easier.
I’m not na?ve or inexperienced with women.
I’ve had more than my share over the years, so I know that while whatever this is with Shannon is special, it might not be forever. We might not be the soulmates we think we are and could just as easily go our separate ways as stay together, but my heart and my gut are telling me otherwise.
It feels too right to be wrong, and as cliché as that is, I want to do everything in my power to give us a shot.
I gave up on the idea of a wife and kids a long time ago, assuming I’d devote my life to the agency.
Instead, I’m at a turning point and want to pivot in whichever direction will keep me with Shannon.
My phone rings and I’m glad I have my Bluetooth device in my ear as I hit the button to answer the call. “Hey, Chains, what’s up?”
“Hey.” He sounds frustrated. “I have to tell you, man, something is jacked up about this whole bloody situation.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s nothing. Since you left town, there’s no one suspicious around her building, no more visits to the apartment, nothing at all. As if whoever it is knows she’s out of town.”
“Which narrows it down because it means it’s someone she knows.”
“But you told her not to tell anyone and the two of you left town quickly.”
“She had to tell her boss, and her mother knows.”
“Well, when I tell you it’s quiet on this end, it’s like crickets. We got a fingerprint off the planter that was broken, so maybe we’ll get a hit there, but right now we’ve got nothing.”
“You think her mother had something to do with it?”
“There’s a part of me that does. I did a little digging into her mum, and there are a lot of phone calls to Germany that aren’t to the school or Shannon’s number. One number in particular. I’m waiting for my tech in Vegas to do a reverse search, see if it tells us anything.”
“What’s your gut telling you?”
“Her mum is behind this.”
“Shit.” I shake my head, nodding at Chris as he comes in. Noting that I’m on the phone he gets on the treadmill next to mine without a word.
“All right,” I say to Chains. “Let me know if you get a hit on that number. I’ll see if I can talk to Shannon about her mom some, get a vibe for anything that might be going on.
I’d believe it if she hadn’t dragged me into it, but her mom never liked me, so I’m not sure why she’d want to bring me here. ”
“Not sure, Ace, but watch your back, yeah? This is giving me the willies.”
“Thanks.” I disconnect and glance at Chris, who’s looking at me questioningly.
“Everything all right?”
“I don’t fucking know.” Blowing out a breath, I tell him about Shannon’s stalker and everything we know so far. I need to talk this out with someone and I trust him. “And my buddy who’s running point on this for me thinks her mother is behind it.”
Chris grimaces. “That’s not going to be pretty. Especially not after her story yesterday about how much closer they’ve been since her dad passed.”
“Yeah, and none of this makes any sense.”
“You going to tell her?”
I meet his gaze. “You think I should?”
“In my experience, trying to protect them by keeping secrets tends to blow up in your face. So yeah, I’d tell her.”
“Christ.” I pick up speed, looking to get my heart rate up and maybe burn off a little anxiety because that’s a conversation I’m not looking forward to.
* * *
When I get back to the room, there’s a note from Shannon reminding me she had an eight o’clock massage and would meet me for breakfast at nine fifteen. I take a quick shower and get dressed, check in with Erik, and am about to leave for breakfast when I see a text from Chains:
Find out who Sandra Barnes is. That’s who the number belongs to.
I frown but let him know I will.
Chris and Aubrey are coming down the stairs as I’m going up and we walk into the restaurant for breakfast together.
“Shannon will be here in a few minutes,” I tell them. “She’s getting a massage.”
“You two want some privacy this morning?” Chris asks me.
I shake my head. “I’ll talk to her later, when we’re in Heidelberg.
” That’s where we’re headed today and I hope the romantic backdrop of Heidelberg Castle will perhaps soften the blow of what I have to tell her.
I’m going to take Chris’s advice and tell her about her mother’s phone calls to a woman named Sandra Barnes.
That isn’t a German name, making me think it’s someone she works with.
“Hi.” Shannon leans over and drops a kiss on my lips before sinking into the chair next to me, just as Felix brings out her daily cappuccino.
“I figured you’d be ready,” Aubrey tells her.
“Thank you.” Shannon grins at her. “So, are we off to Heidelberg today?”
“We are.”
Aubrey and Shannon chatter and make plans for the day all through breakfast, and while I keep one arm around the back of her chair, gently stroking her shoulder and neck, I don’t say much.
I don’t want to ruin the relationship between her and her mother, but it will be really fucked up if it turns out that her mother is somehow behind this.
When we finish eating, Shannon gets up to go back to the room to get ready and tugs my hand. “We’ll see you guys for the tour!” she says to Chris and Aubrey as she pulls me toward the stairs.
“That was kind of rude,” I chuckle, allowing her to drag me back to our room.
She leans against the door as soon as it closes behind us, as if to prevent me from leaving. “Okay, spill.”
“What?” I want to smile at her ferocity but opt not to. She knows me better than I thought and while it’s kind of cute, the conversation we’re about to have isn’t going to be nice or cute.
“You were quiet and distracted all through breakfast. We haven’t been together long, but I already know you pretty well.
Something must have happened back in Cologne, so you might as well tell me.
” Her blue eyes burn into mine and I reach out a hand to her.
She takes it immediately, letting me pull her into my arms.
“This might sound weird, but answer my questions before I tell you why, okay?”
“Okay.” She leans back, watching my face intently.
“Who is Sandra Barnes?”
“A friend and coworker. She teaches history at the school.”
“Are you good friends?”
“Probably my closest friend in Cologne, but it’s not like we’re besties or anything. We’re about the same age, both single, and work together, but we probably wouldn’t be friends if not for the proximity.”
“Has she met your mother?”
“Once, the first time my mother came to visit, but it was briefly. I brought her to the school to see where I work and she met a handful of people. Sandra was one of them.”
“Did they hit it off?”
She frowns. “Not that I know of.”
“Your mother calls her. A lot. Can you think of a reason why?”
“She calls her?”
“Chains pulled your mother’s phone records. It’s part of being thorough, since there’s always the chance your mother is being blackmailed or something, so—”
“You don’t have to make excuses. I understand the need to be thorough.” She starts tapping her foot. “And you’re telling me my mother calls Sandra regularly?”
“Yes.” I’m watching her the way she’d been watching me a minute ago and she doesn’t seem upset so much as confused.
“That makes no sense. She’s never mentioned it and…” Her voice trails off and her eyes sharpen. “You think this has something to do with my stalker.”
I don’t say anything, waiting to see what her first reaction was to all of this. I’d be furious if it was my father or stepmother, but I didn’t know how she would react. To my surprise, she sank onto the edge of the bed, looked up at me and held up her hands in a somewhat helpless motion.
“You think my mother is somehow behind all of this?”
“I don’t know what to think but Chains said it’s been quiet since we left Cologne, as if your stalker knows you’re away.”
“And the only people who would know that are my mother and some of the people at school, so it has to be one of them. Or Sandra.”
“That’s the most logical conclusion.”
“Well, this fucking sucks.”