A low rumbling noise broke the moment. Zee clapped a hand over her stomach.
“I guess I’m hungry.” She laughed.
“I guess I’d better feed you.”
When they arrived at the ranch, they headed straight to the dining hall. Luckily, the dinner buffet was still up for those vets who’d just finished their ranch chores.
They filled their plates and sat with a group of vets, including Truman and his dog.
Zee was charmed by the service dog who settled next to his master, well-behaved and ready for anything. “Who is this?” She waved a hand at the German Shepherd.
Truman offered her a simple nod. “Ranger.”
“He’s beautiful.”
He nodded again but said nothing more. Seeing that he wasn’t in a talkative mood today, Church filled the gaps with a little chat about the movie set; that had the guys interested.
They were just finishing their meal when Church spotted Theo out of the corner of his eye.
The grim expression he wore had his stomach going cold.
Theo stepped up to the table and greeted the vets with nods. Then his gaze landed on Church. “If you’re finished, can I talk to you and Zee?”
He felt Zee stiffen. When he caught her eye, she gave him a worried look.
They cleared their plates and followed Theo outside.
“You got something on the package?” she asked him.
Theo half turned, throwing her a glance. “In the office,” was all he said.
Church heard her drag in a deep breath. He clasped her hand to offer support as they entered the Black Heart Security office.
The space was empty but all the monitors were up and running. One screen showed a few views of the ranch via the security feed.
Theo didn’t waste a second. He waved for them to sit, and Church seated Zee in a chair before taking one of his own.
“We have some new information on the package.”
Under the table, Zee’s hand shot out, seeking, and Church enveloped it in his own.
“Talk to us, Theo,” he said.
“I got my brother Gray on the project. We did a deep dive on Lucian Pike and his finances.” Theo moved to a laptop and punched a couple keys. A second later, one of the monitors lit up with a bank statement.
“This is what we’re looking at since he left his SEAL team and set foot on American soil. You can see every dollar he spent in all of these states.” He scrolled through the list.
Zee pulled in a sharp breath, her fingers growing cold in Church’s hand. “I wasn’t imagining it. He was following me.”
Church dragged air through his nostrils, expanding his lungs as a way to gain control. But he wanted to hunt down Pike and take matters into his own hands. The man had followed Zee. Everywhere she went, he was right behind.
“How did he find her?”
Theo gave them a dark look before picking up a black object and setting it on the table in front of them.
Church’s body went rigid. He started to reach for it but stopped.
“We disabled it,” Theo told him.
