A beat of silence carried with it excitement from Dillon. Duke gave a small smile.
But I didn’t give them long to absorb this news. We had to plan to get ahead of Drew, if in fact he was a threat.
“Yvonne’s has cameras inside, right?” I asked.
Grace nodded. “Of course.”
“I’m on it,” Dillon said without me having to finish my thought. “I’ll get a copy of the video then have Ted run the photo through his database.”
“In the meantime,” I said, “I’ll be with Grace at all times. You can stay here, baby girl.”
Duke created distance between himself and Grace and me. “I’ll make sure Knox is with both of you.”
Grace sat on a barstool next to Dillon. If she was terrified, she wasn’t showing it. “Did Miguel say anything else?”
“He was lying about the bounty,” Dillon said.
“I want to rip out that fucker’s throat.” Duke paced again.
“Get in line,” Dillon returned. “Let’s not forget he kidnapped Maggie.”
“In exchange for me,” Grace chimed in.
I remembered the night. I’d never before seen Duke angry and elated at the same time. Angry that Miguel was fucking with his family. Elated that Grace had suddenly shown up in Boston after four years in a sex-trafficking ring.
Dillon shoved a hand through his hair. “Miguel wanted to scare the crap out of Grace and also make her pay for tarnishing his name in the industry. However, Drew Lopez contacted him shortly after they found John’s body and that of a girl’s, which was how Miguel learned that you escaped.” Seeing her teary eyes, he placed a hand on her leg.
My chest tightened. I was learning more and more about Grace’s time in captivity, and if Drew or Zane or anyone dared to replay the past, they would have to deal with me.
“Thea.” She covered her mouth with her hand, blinking away tears. “It was my fault she died.”
“That’s who you were referring to when Ted walked into the interrogation room that morning,” Dillon said, more as a statement than a question.
She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Yes, and I wanted to die that day too.” She clasped her shaky hands in her lap, showing the first signs that she could break into a million pieces if she had to relive her past.
I wasn’t about to let that happen. She was mine to protect, and I would die before anyone took her or touched her again.
26
BRIAN
Everyone had been on edge for the last five days, ever since Detective Ted Hughes found Drew Lopez—a younger version of him—in the system. Though Lopez faced rape charges in his youth, they didn’t stick, and authorities hadn’t been able to find a connection between Lopez and Miguel Rivera. But Ted was still looking.
Knox and I had kept a constant watch over Grace, but there were no signs of a stalker—no shadowy figure lurking in the darkness, no feeling of being watched. If Lopez was out there and spotted us guarding her, he probably slunk back into whatever hole he’d crawled out of. Smart move on his part. The desert had plenty of secluded spots perfect for an unmarked grave.
Nevertheless, as strong as Grace was, I could tell her armor of steel was cracking. Ten years of wondering if Zane Smith would exact his revenge were taking shape and rattling her nerves, as well as mine. I would kill for her if it came down to it without a second thought.
I crossed the lobby in my apartment building, my boots scuffing along the tile floor as I headed to the security desk.
Ray, an older gentleman, looked up from the book he was reading on World War II.
“You said you had an envelope for me and it was urgent?” I asked.
“Mr. Allan from the management company left you a voicemail two days ago but also wanted to follow up with this letter.” He handed me the envelope. “My predecessor on shift earlier should’ve dropped it off at your apartment. I would’ve, but it’s late.”
I looked through my phone. “I don’t have a voicemail from Mr. Allan.”
“You have a message center on the one in your apartment,” he said. “Didn’t he go over that with you when you signed the papers?”
