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 naïve 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?”
