Both men were out of sight by the time Luke landed his parting shot. “At the rate Gil’s going, he’ll be married before I am.”
“Don’t give me any ideas,” Gil yelled out the door. Their laughter was the only response.
GIL LEFT HIS OFFICE AT 4:45.
His normal attire for a ball game was shorts, T-shirt, tennis shoes, and a ball cap.
For tonight, he’d gone with hiking pants and added a waterproof rain jacket. If anyone asked, he’d say it was because of the impending deluge. A hurricane was expected to approach the coast but stay offshore. Damage should be minimal, but it promised to dump a lot of rain over eastern North Carolina for the next few days.
He didn’t make a habit of dressing for the weather. But he also didn’t make a habit of being armed when he was around the kids. Tonight would be an exception. He had an ankle holster and a shoulder holster, and both were in use. His pants had lots of pockets, and he’d put them to good use as well.
He’d considered skipping the game tonight, but despite a promising start to the morning, every lead he thought he’d found had gone cold.
Now he was going to do the next hardest thing.
Try to convince Ivy to stay away.
He drove to her office, and she appeared in the door beforehe even got the car in park. She was at the car by the time he got her door open, and then she slid into the passenger seat with a murmured, “Thanks.”
As soon as he returned to his seat, she asked, “What’s happened?”
33
GIL DIDN’T ANSWER IVY’S QUESTION. He didn’t even speak until he’d put the car in drive and exited the parking lot.
“Spit it out, Gil.”
“Nothing specific, but I need to ask you something.”
“Then ask.”
“Would you consider going to Tessa’s this evening while I’m at the game?” Gil didn’t give her a chance to respond. “I talked to Morris, and you still can’t go home.”
The last thing she wanted to do was spend an evening at home, alone. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever want to spend another evening in that house alone. Or even not alone. But she did want to spend the evening with Gil. She’d been looking forward to it all day. It took effort, but she didn’t say any of that out loud.
If Gil noticed that she wasn’t arguing or agreeing with him, he gave no indication of it. “I want you to come to the game with me. I want to introduce you to my kids and see you sitting in the dugout.” He looked left and right before turning left onto the highway. He didn’t look at her but kept his focus on the road. Aroad that led directly to Tessa’s apartment. “I don’t know what’s happening, Ivy. I don’t know why you’re being targeted or who’s behind it. You could be completely safe, or you could be in immediate danger. I don’t want to leave you alone tonight. I don’t want to leave you, period. But...”
She should probably tell him that she appreciated him asking, and since the whole dead-body-in-the-bedroom situation, she’d had a change of heart about insisting on spending any time out from under the protective care of Gil or his fellow agents.
She should probably mention how she’d been tense and edgy all afternoon and how she kind of missed the way people had popped in earlier in the week.
She didn’t, and Gil continued on in his quest to convince her to do something she was already prepared to do. “The thing is, I can’t put my kids at risk. Or their families. I keep thinking that whoever is after you hired a guy to kidnap you in broad daylight out of a crowd of people. Twice. That makes me think a family oriented event like a ball game wouldn’t stop them. In fact, they might think it would be an ideal scenario.”
“You’re right.”
“I realize I overstepped before. I promise I’m not trying to handle you or micromanage your life. But Tessa will be home anyway, her apartment complex is secure, and it’s unlikely that whoever is after you knows where she lives. They might be able to follow you, or her, to the building, but once inside, which apartment? It makes it pointless for anyone to come after you there.”
“Okay.”
“I realize this may make me seem indecisive, and I don’t want you to think I’m going back on my word. If you want to go to the game, I can take you. But I hope— Wait.” Gil’s expressionshifted from earnest to confused. “You’re good with going to Tessa’s?”
“I am.”
“Why?”
“You made a convincing argument. I would never put anyone at risk, much less children. I don’t love the idea of putting Tessa at risk, but she’s equipped to handle it, and my guess is that if I go to Tessa’s, Zane will show up at some point claiming to be there to keep me company but will actually be there to back Tessa up should everything go sideways.”
Gil pulled the car into a gas station and parked in a spot along the edge.
