Chapter 27
Trevor
“Top to fucking bottom.” I give Tucker a final set of reminders before he leaves to go through Maren’s trailer. “I want every damn inch of that place searched.”
“Understood.” He pulls out his phone, scanning the screen. “Dad’s on his way. I’ll let you know if we find anything.”
I wish I could join my brother and father, but I trust them. If there’s something in—or around—that trailer that could help us identify who is actually responsible for the break-in, they’ll find it.
As Tucker heads out to meet our dad at Maren’s home, I practically sprint to where Titus is setting up so we can go through the feed from the cameras I put on Maren’s house. When I reach the conference room, the lights are dimmed and the recording is displayed on a large portable screen.
Maren is already seated at the table, her skin pale as she watches the slightly sped up video, ready to point out anything that seems suspicious.
Sitting down next to her, I drape one arm across the back of her seat, leaning close. Having her right beside me—near enough I can grab her and run if anything happens—soothes a little of the unrest inside me.
“Have you found anything?” She’s only been in here a few minutes, and I’m positive we won’t be lucky enough to figure this out that quickly, but I have to ask.
If for no other reason than so she’ll snap at me over being impatient.
“No.” Her eyes come to me, moving up and down my sitting form. “You’re going to have to give me more than five minutes.” It’s not the tongue lashing I’m used to, but I’ll take it.
Anything to reassure me she’s okay. That this isn’t upsetting her the way it’s upsetting me. Because if it was, I would personally start dismantling her trailer piece by piece in search of a clue.
I can handle this stress. This uncertainty. She shouldn’t have to. Especially if we’re right and this ties back to the Dead Dans.
“Has your team found anything on the laptop?” I don’t have much hope that the laptop will provide anything—it’s probably a unit that was purchased from a pawn shop after being wiped clean—but it’s worth a shot.
Titus glances at the door I closed behind me when I came in. In spite of the barrier, he lowers his voice, speaking quietly, like he’s concerned someone might be listening. “My team doesn’t have the laptop.”
“What? Why not?” I get that it’s not our best lead, but it’s still a lead. One we should be investigating thoroughly.
“Because we still don’t know who we can trust and who we can’t.” He shakes his head. “I don’t think anyone on my team would betray me, but I’m not willing to bet our family’s safety on it.
“Fuck.” I didn’t even think of that. I always think of all the fucking variables, and now—when it matters most—I missed one of the most important ones.
“So I overnighted it to Heidi.” Titus turns back to the screen. “If anyone can find something on that computer, it’s Heidi’s team.”
That is a fucking brilliant idea. One I probably would have thought of if I wasn’t so fucking twisted up over everything.
I need to focus on the task at hand, but all my thoughts circle back to Maren and Zara. What could have happened if they were in the trailer when these fuckers showed up. How far they would have gone to get what they wanted.
How far they still might go.
My head snaps to Maren. “Who’s allowed to pick Zara up from school?”
“Only me.” She continues watching the screen. “And I already called to remind them of it.”
I want that to make me feel better. Want to believe Zara will be perfectly safe. That no one will be able to get their hands on her.
But then I think about what happened to Toby and Walker. What could have happened to Maren and Mariah.
I’m out of my seat and striding for the door before I fully process what I’m doing. “I’m going to call Pierce.”
Hopefully it seems like I don’t want to distract them by being on the phone.
In reality, I don’t want Maren to attempt to shut down what I’m about to do.
I wouldn’t listen to her regardless—I have no problem making hard decisions even when I know there will be fallout—but I would feel like an asshole about it.
Pulling my cell from my pocket, I go to an empty conference room a few doors down, closing the door before dialing the owner of Alaskan Security.
I pace as I wait for him to answer, practically wearing a hole in the industrial carpet over the course of only a few rings.
When the call finally connects, I don’t wait for Pierce to say anything.
“I need you to send me one of your men.”
Pierce sent a trio of men after Dead Dan attempted to blow up our servers, but they couldn’t stay here indefinitely. So when things seemed to quiet down, they went back to their regularly scheduled programming. Whatever the hell that is. Probably killing people.
Hopefully killing people. Because I’ll feel better knowing Zara is being protected by someone willing to kill to keep her safe.
“I take it something new has happened.” Pierce is annoyingly calm.
And he remains calm as I fill him in on this newest development.
I continue pacing as I explain about the burglary.
The missing electronics. The switching of the laptops and how one is headed his way.
I even offer a small bit of insight into Maren’s past so he understands why we weren’t initially concerned.
When I finally finish, I suck in a deep breath, replacing all the oxygen I expended word vomiting details of the last two days.
“I have to say, while I’m sorry something new has unfolded, I am relieved to discover it doesn’t involve you sending me human remnants in a plastic bag.”
I don’t know if it’s Pierce’s dry wit, or that I’m slowly unraveling, but I laugh. “There’s still time.”
I would love to send Pierce remnants of whoever did this to Maren’s home.
Whoever decided to make her their target.
Dozens of other employees have the same sort of computer she does, and while I don’t necessarily want to put the bull’s-eye on the back of someone else, I sure as hell wish it hadn’t landed on Maren.
To my relief, Pierce is more than willing to send someone to serve as Zara’s bodyguard until this is all cleared up, and assures me they’ll arrive before the end of the day.
One of the many perks of owning a private plane, I guess.
Once that’s arranged, I join Maren and Titus, but this time I can’t sit down. If I don’t keep moving, I’m going to lose my mind.
I pace the back of the room, going from one side to the other as I watch along with them, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
From sitting outside her home, I’m able to identify a few of her neighbors—including the prick I ran off twice.
Outside of that, I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to mark as unexpected.
Until I notice something.
I point at the screen. “Back that up.”
Stepping closer, I watch as the man walking his dog replays in front of me.
I watched this in real time from my car, thinking I was going to have to kick his ass after the pup took a steaming shit on Maren’s lawn.
That night, I was relieved when he crouched down to collect the pile in a bag.
When I knew he was taking care of the mess, I stopped paying attention.
I wish I hadn’t. I don’t know that it would have changed anything, or if I would have noticed at the time that while he was picking something up, he was also setting something down.
“There.” I walk up to the screen, finger jabbing directly at the spot where he seems to shove something into the dirt. “What the fuck is that?”
Titus shakes his head. “I don’t know.” He backs the feed up again, standing directly beside me as we both confirm that prick definitely leaves something behind. “But if you didn’t see it when you were there, it can’t be very big.” He turns to Maren. “Did you notice anything weird in your yard?”
“I have a five-year-old kid, a full-time job, and your brother harassing me twenty-four hours a day.” She lifts her brows. “When am I gonna have time to do a complete surveillance of my yard?”
I know I shouldn’t be smiling right now, but hearing Maren’s spicy retort eases a little of the tightness in my chest.
Digging my phone out again, I dial Tucker’s number, giving him the approximate location to check. I wait as he does his search, the sound of his boots crunching over the grass carrying through the line. When they stop, so does my breathing.
“I don’t know what the fuck that is.” His boots begin to pace again. “But I think it’s probably some sort of a camera.”
My eyes meet Titus’s. “Is there any way for us to figure out where the feed is being sent?”
I’m sure the cameras I put up around Maren’s could be tracked to me—or at least McKinley—so there’s got to be some chance we can do the same.
“Possibly.” Titus props both hands on his hips as he considers. “If we can identify the IP address it’s using, we have a shot.” His eyes drift to the phone in my hand. “But it’s possible they’ll wipe it entirely before I get my hands on it.”
“Don’t pick the fucking camera up.” I snap out the warning to Tucker.
“Do you think I’m a dumbass? The second I figured out what it might be, I kept walking. I only looked at it for a second, so they might not realize we’ve found it yet.” Tucker murmurs something to my dad. “Are you all headed this way then?”
“Titus is.” I won’t be of any help in the situation. I can handle the basics of what Titus does, but hunting down IP addresses and network traffic monitoring are above my pay grade. “I’m staying here.”
“Good call. Now is not a good time for no one in the family to be in the building,” Titus explains.
“What do you mean, no one in the building?” My brows pinch together as I watch Titus collect his gear. “Where are Toby and Walker?”
I know Titus and I were both giving directions at the same time, but I’m pretty confident I would’ve noticed him sending Walker and Toby out to do something.
“They’re with Ruth at the police station, remember? Pierce got them into the cold case archives again.” Titus shoves his laptop into his work bag. “I told them to go. They should only be gone a few hours, and Walker’s already waited so long for this.”
Titus seems like he thinks I’m going to be mad. Upset my cousin is getting answers about his mother’s death instead of sitting here watching fucking camera feed videos with us.
“That was the right call.” I roll my shoulders, trying to ease the tension dragging them toward my ears. “Hopefully they find something that helps him finally move past what happened.”
At least then there would be some closure happening for someone. I’m not sure I’ll get as lucky, because Titus’s mouth is set into a grim line as he leaves. One that tells me he doesn’t have much hope he’s going to get anything useful from the camera in Maren’s front yard.
Once the door is closed behind him, I turn to where she sits, trying to gauge how she’s handling all this.
Maren looks… Surprisingly okay. A little murderous—but that’s normal for her. Possibly slightly unhinged—also normal.
And fucking stunning. Absolutely, totally normal.
“I guess you aren’t the only one putting cameras on my house, huh?” She stares at the frozen screen displaying the man with his dog. “How much do you think they could see if they put a camera right there?”
I bring a hand up to rub at the back of my neck, suddenly understanding how invasive my actions were. “If it’s a single lens, the field of vision would be pretty limited. If it’s a fisheye, the view would be distorted, but more complete.”
Maren nods, rubbing her lips together. “I think there’s something wrong with me.”
The shift in conversation stuns me for a second, but then I’m rushing to her side. “Are you okay? Do you feel sick?” I press one hand on her forehead, trying to identify the problem.
She shoves at my arm, pushing me away. “Not like that.” Her eyes go back to the camera feed and she sighs. “I hate thinking some stranger was watching me.” Her focus shifts to me. “But I kind of liked it when I knew you were.”
“That’s probably a good thing, because I’m not sure I’ll be letting you out of my sight anytime soon.
” I take a deep breath before confessing the full extent of my sins.
“And someone from Alaskan Security is coming to town. He’s going to be assigned to protect Zara until we get this all figured out. ”
I expect her to fight me. Zara having a normal life is of the utmost importance to Maren. She’s busted her ass to make sure her sister has the kind of childhood she never had. And now I’m about to put an armed guard at the five-year-old’s side. Not exactly normal childhood material.
“You can’t do that.” Her argument is much less aggressive than I anticipated.
“I know it’s not what you want, but it has to hap—”
“No. I mean her school isn’t going to let you.” Maren’s eyes narrow. “I’d love for her to have an armed guard who shoots the shit out of anybody who tries to hurt her.”
“Vicious.” I lean in, pressing my lips to hers. “I love it.”
I take another kiss, but stop there. It’ll be a slippery slope if I’m not careful. Making Maren feel good makes me feel good, and right now I could really stand to feel good.
But I need to take care of all the loose ends before I can even consider that.
“Are you sure they won’t allow it?” I run both hands up and down the front of her thighs, the connection helping me think. “I’m sure I could get some sort of a note or permission slip if they need it.”
Maren snorts. “I’m pretty sure it would take more than a note for them to allow an armed mercenary on school grounds.”
I would think having an armed mercenary on school grounds would be a great benefit, all things considered, but that’s not a fight I’m currently in a position to take up. “What do they allow?”
Maren begins explaining. “Teachers and aides, obviously. School secretaries, lunch ladies, nurses—”
An idea sparks. “What if Zara needed special care? Would they let her bring a medical aide?”
Maren considers. “Probably, but she would definitely need a doctor’s note for that. And they would need to run a full background check on whoever—”
“Not a problem. I can make all that happen.” Relief courses through me, chased quickly by the desire I tamped down earlier. Leaning close, I breathe in a lungful of her scent, letting my lips tease against her ear. “I can also add a thousand dollars to your bank account if you’re interested.”
Maren angles a brow at me, her lips curving. “I could be persuaded.”