Vendetta (Otter Creek Book 10) Page 10

“And you couldn’t wait to talk to Seth until tomorrow at school?” Paige frowned. This didn’t make sense. The boys could have talked on the phone, a safer alternative to wandering around at night. “Why didn’t you call him?”

  Dalton adjusted the ice pack. “I’ve been tutoring him in geometry. It’s not a subject I can help him with over the phone. Besides, he’s embarrassed about needing help with his math, especially since I’m an eighth grader. His math class is first period and he has a test. I couldn’t put off tutoring him. If Seth doesn’t do well on this test, Coach Russell will bench him. And his dad? Man, I wouldn’t want to be in Seth’s shoes if his dad finds out he’s been benched. Mr. Parks is pressuring him to step up his game in the quarterback position. He’s banking on Seth earning a full-ride scholarship to one of the SEC schools.”

  Paige scooted closer to Marcus as her shivering grew stronger. The temperature had dropped and the breeze picked up.

  “Cold?” Marcus murmured.

  She nodded.

  “Josh, you have a blanket Paige can use while we wait for Ethan?”

  “Sure.” A moment later, policeman draped a blanket over the shoulders of Paige and Marcus. He handed a second blanket to Dalton. “Wrap up in this while I take a look at your eye.” He gave a soft whistle after examining the injury. “That will be a beauty, Dalton. No way to hide that one from your mom.”

  The teen looked morose. “I know. I’ll be lucky if she lets me leave the house for anything except school and church for a month.”

  “I’ll talk to her,” Paige said. “How about next time you need to do some tutoring you do it at your house or his? If it’s early enough in the evening, you can use one of the classrooms at the community center. I’ll make sure no one bothers you if you choose that option.”

  “The center would be perfect. It’s halfway between my house and his. I don’t think we can use Seth’s house. His dad doesn’t know he’s being tutored. Seth’s afraid to tell him.”

  “If the center isn’t open, call me,” Marcus said. “My dining table is a great place to do school work and the parsonage is close to the center.”

  “That sounds like the perfect solution.” Josh took the ice pack, gave the teen a stern look. “You have safer options, Dalton. Choose one of them next time. If you have another run-in with the clown who hurt Paige, you might not escape again.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Josh shifted position to stand in front of the three of them, his gun up and aimed at the entrance to the driveway.

  What did he hear? Paige listened carefully, but heard nothing except the wind.

  “Coming in soft,” Ethan called out.

  She expected Josh to relax and put away his weapon. He didn’t. He remained in position until Ethan moved into a bright patch moonlight. He was alone.

  “Find anything?” Josh asked as he returned his gun to his holster.

  “Several good footprints and tire tracks where the perp left in a hurry.” Ethan turned to Marcus. “Did you see a vehicle parked off to the side of the road?”

  He shook his head. “Sorry. I was more concerned with finding Dalton.”

  “I did,” Paige said. “A black SUV. I can’t tell you what kind. I just got a glimpse of it. It was parked back in the tree line, maybe one hundred feet from where Marcus parked the truck.”

  Ethan dragged a hand down his face. “There are too many black SUVs in town to count, several of them belonging to PSI. Josh has access to those himself.”

  “I was on the other side of town answering a prowler call. You can ask Mrs. Hendrix to verify.” Josh grinned at his brother-in-law.

  “Great. That only leaves nineteen other black SUVs in PSI’s stable of vehicles to check out plus the other unknown number owned by the citizens of Dunlap County.” He turned to the teenage boy. “What are you doing out here, Dalton?”

  After a glance at Josh who gave him a slight nod, silently encouraging Dalton to tell Ethan the truth, the teen went through his explanation. The police chief listened to the details to the end without comments or questions. “When I find Seth, and ask him for an explanation, he’ll confirm what you just told me?”

  “Yes, sir. At least I hope he will. If you contact him tonight, he might deny everything in front of his dad. Same deal tomorrow at school. He’s embarrassed about the tutoring.”

  “No shame in having a tutor. I had one for five years in high school.”

  Dalton’s mouth dropped. “You did?”

  “Sure. My cantankerous aunt. My dad wasn’t too worried about me attending classes regularly so my education was lacking when I went to live with her. Ruth is a book nerd and a whiz at everything. If she didn’t know something, she found someone who did, and the two of us learned how to do my assignment. She might look like a sweet old lady, but Ruth Rollins is a taskmaster. She made my drill sergeant look like a pushover compared to her.”

  “Wow.”

  “Officer Cahill will take you home. You stay there until you go to school. Do you ride the bus?”

  “Can’t. I have to make sure my brothers get on their bus on time. I ride my bike.”

  “Can your mom take you this time?”

  Dalton shook his head. “She has to be at Delaney’s by six for her shift. I think she’s working a double today plus the office cleaning job tonight. I probably won’t see her more than thirty minutes until late tonight.”

  “I can swing by and take him to school,” Josh said. “I’m off shift and my first class at PSI doesn’t start until 9:00.”

  “I can’t go to school in the cruiser,” Dalton said, his expression conveying his horror at the idea of being seen in a police vehicle. “Everybody will think I got busted for something.”

  Both policemen chuckled.

  “I’ll take him,” Marcus said. “I’m meeting Van Wilder’s father for coffee at 8:30 to plan his son’s funeral. I’ll go early and wait for him in the coffee shop.”

  Paige’s heart sank. Another day of little to no sleep for Marcus. How did he keep up with this kind of schedule? Although she knew he kept long hours, she had no idea the pace was that hectic. How he continued to stay in good health and top physical shape was a mystery to her.

  Dalton turned his face away from all of them, but not before Paige saw sadness fill his expression. The boys had been at each other’s throats off and on. That didn’t negate the fact they were friends.

  “That arrangement work for you, Dalton?” Ethan asked.

  “Sure,” came the choked response.

  “Come on.” Josh laid a hand on the teenager’s shoulder. “Let’s get you home. You’ll have a few hours to sleep. We’ll make arrangements for an undercover car to pick you up after school and bring you to the station. We still need your statement on record.”

  He shook his head. “I have to watch my brothers and help them with homework and stuff.”

  “No problem. We’ll drive you home and take your statement there.” The two of them walked away and were soon leaving the Croft property.

  Ethan scanned the area. “Marcus, did you get a look at the perp’s face?”

  Plastered against his side, Paige felt him tense at the question.

  “I did.”

  “You willing to work with a sketch artist?”

  A sigh. “I’ll do it, but I might not be able to testify if this comes down to a trial.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Ethan’s eyebrows raised at Marcus’s warning, and Paige stared at him. Yeah, this wasn’t how he wanted to spill the news of his hidden past to the woman who meant the world to him. Would the truth scare her out of his life? Man, he hoped not. Paige Jensen was burrowing into his heart, fast. Losing her would hurt far worse than losing Chelsea, a truth that surprised him. Maybe that indicated how much he’d changed in seven years. He wasn’t the same man, and Chelsea was gone.

  “Care to explain?” the police chief asked.

  “I owe Paige an explanation first.”

  “Do it fast, Marcus. I’
m assuming from your description the man who attacked Dalton is the same one who hurt Paige. For now, I will give the sketch to Nick and have him build a case aside from the picture. If we can’t make the case without your identification, we won’t have a choice. Letting this man skate away free is too dangerous for Paige.”

  That rock in the pit of his stomach grew to the size of a boulder. Again. “I understand.” Although he had told Zane he planned to stay in Otter Creek, he didn’t want to endanger Paige. That’s what would happen if he didn’t identify the man who choked her. Coming out of hiding put Marcus in the crosshairs again, but nothing mattered more than protecting her. If O’Reilly came for him again, he would handle it, perhaps with the help of PSI.

  This town crawled with Special Forces soldiers. They wouldn’t mind watching over Paige. In fact, most of them were friends with her and Jo. He could look after himself if the black ops groups were spread too thin. His main concern was the woman shivering in his arms. “Paige is cold. Are we free to leave?”

  Ethan gave a curt nod. “You and Paige need to stop by the station tomorrow to give a statement. We’ll go through your story again in detail.” His eyes held a warning.

  The story he’d hoped to avoid telling Paige couldn’t be delayed any longer. “Jeb Kirkland’s funeral is tomorrow at two. We’ll come to the station tomorrow morning after I talk to Mr. Wilder, but I have to leave by noon whether your interrogation is finished or not.” He turned to Paige. “All right with you?”

  “It’s fine. I can’t work for at least another day because Nick hasn’t cleared the community center. I’ll go to the coffee shop with you and visit with Sasha while you talk to Mr. Wilder. That will save you a little time.”

  “I’ll walk with you to the truck.” Ethan positioned himself on the other side of Paige. “How’s the head?”

  “Better. Nausea is gone and the headache is low grade. The only residual effect is bruises around my throat.”

  “You’re lucky.” Another pointed glance. “Very lucky.”

  Marcus gathered Paige against his side, the feel of her breathing and body heat a comfort. His blood still ran cold at how close he came to losing Paige before he had the chance to really know her. He couldn’t allow that to happen again, no matter the cost to himself.

  “I know. I’m grateful to be alive.”

  When they reached the truck, Ethan held up his fist. Marcus stopped in his tracks, keeping Paige at his side. Mentally, he berated himself for not considering a tracker or an explosive device attached to the undercarriage. Been too long since he’d had to be vigilant. Time to awaken those old habits.

  The police chief pulled out his flashlight and began a careful sweep of the truck. When he was satisfied, Ethan dropped to the ground and checked the undercarriage. Finally, he stood. “You’re clear. I’ll see you later this morning.”

  Marcus opened the door for Paige and tucked Josh’s blanket around her. He turned, shook Ethan’s hand. “Thanks for not pushing for information.”

  “Yet. I will when I take your statement.”

  He blew out a breath, nodded. Not much time to tell Paige his story and perhaps see his greatest gift walk away from him for good. As he drove toward the B & B, a final glance in the mirror showed Ethan standing at the side of the road. Guess his friend wouldn’t return home anytime soon. Ethan was in a class of his own. Otter Creek was lucky to have him leading their police department. He knew Ethan had been offered jobs in various cities across the country, jobs he’d turned down to remain here with his aunt and his wife’s family.

  Marcus turned on the seat heater for Paige and considered the best place to tell her his story. She shouldn’t be outside although he would love to sit on the swing for this discussion. Despite longing to be in the open, Paige’s safety was still paramount. Next best option was the first-floor library with the gas fireplace to banish the last of the chills for her. The warmth would help him as well. Talking about the past always froze him to the bone.

  “The heat feels great.” Paige snuggled deeper into the seat and wrapped the blanket tighter around herself.

  He cranked up the heat another notch. “We need to talk before we pick up Dalton. Can we use the library?”

  “Of course.” Paige twisted toward him. “Is this the discussion you didn’t want to have, Marcus?”

  “I wanted more time to cement our relationship.”

  “It’s that serious?”

  “More than you could ever guess.” More than he would have dreamed in his worst nightmares until the nightmares became reality and Marcus lost everything and everyone he held dear.

  “But you would have told me at some point?”

  “Before things grew too serious between us. I want a rock-solid relationship with you which means sharing the secrets I must keep from others.”

  Paige’s soft hand curled around his own. “A man of mystery. Good thing I enjoy solving mysteries. I’m honored you trust me.”

  He parked away from the access road in case the fire department needed to douse a rekindled blaze. He prayed their presence wouldn’t be necessary. Although Jo had acted as though replacing trees wasn’t a big deal, he’d seen the hurt in her eyes. The trees were part of the Jensen heritage, a heritage she longed to leave her granddaughter. Losing the trees was like losing members of the family.

  When Paige reached for the door handle, Marcus caught her arm. “Wait,” he murmured. Although Marcus turned off his headlights, he waited to see if anything changed or a dark shadow separated from the others.

  “Why are we waiting?”

  “Safety precaution.” Five minutes later, he was satisfied that they weren’t being observed or targeted by her attacker. How long before the man took another run at her?

  Marcus tucked Paige against his side again and, scanning the area, walked into the B & B. The house remained silent and undisturbed. “Start a fire in the library while I check in with Mason.” He climbed the stairs and tapped on the door frame to Mason’s room.

  “You’re back.” His friend sat up. “No trouble while you were gone.”

  “Good. Paige and I will be in the library. We need to talk and she got chilled while we waited for Ethan at the crime scene.”

  “The kid okay?”

  “Yeah. He was lucky. You can go back to sleep.”

  “I wish. It’s time for me to get moving. I have to be at the job site by six.”

  “Sorry for the short night, but I appreciate you watching over Jo and the house, Mase.”

  “Yep. I’ll start coffee after I shower.” His lips curved. “Nicole isn’t a fan of mornings.”

  Paige sat on the loveseat facing the fireplace, Josh’s blanket folded and draped across the back. He made a mental note to take the cover to the police station. Ethan could return it to Josh’s cruiser.

  Paige smiled and patted the floral-patterned cushion. “Sit with me. Anything happen while we were gone?”

  “Everything was fine.” Marcus sat and faced the fire. How did he explain his past without terrifying her?

  “Start at the beginning.”

  A lifetime ago. “Seven years ago, I was a chaplain in the Navy but had signed the papers to muster out, my separation date two weeks away. I was at a restaurant with a woman. Since she worked the second shift at a local hospital, it must have been close to midnight by the time we finished dinner.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Chelsea Daniels.”

  Paige looked thoughtful. “The name sound familiar?”

  “You probably saw her name mentioned in the national news.”

  She reached for his hand. “What happened?”

  “As we walked from the restaurant to the parking lot, I heard a gunshot. I told Chelsea to stay put while I went to see if I could help. When I moved away from the building, I saw two men fighting. One had been shot. I recognized him as a commander from one of our SEAL teams. I didn’t recognize the other man. I told Chels to call 911 and ran to help the SEAL. By t
he time I reached the men, the SEAL had his attacker subdued and unconscious. The commander didn’t realize the attacker had a partner waiting in the shadows with a gun drawn, ready to shoot. As he squeezed off the shot, I shoved the commander out of the way and ended up with a bullet in the gut. The SEAL hadn’t moved from where he fell, and I wasn’t sure he would. He’d lost a lot of blood.”

  Paige tightened her grip. “What about the man who shot you?”

  “He fired several rounds as I fell. When I hit the ground, I saw a weapon near my hand. I shot the gunman before he killed the SEAL or me. The police were close. With the gun battle was over, I expected Chels to come running since she was a nurse. She couldn’t. One of the gunman’s rounds struck her in the heart. According to the ER physician, Chels died instantly.”

  “Oh, Marcus. I’m so sorry. Were you close to Chelsea?”

  He laced their fingers together. “We were engaged.”

  Paige drew in a sharp breath. “I can’t imagine the pain you went through losing the woman you loved on top of your own injury. What about the Navy SEAL? Did he survive?”

  Finally, something to smile about. “He recovered and started Fortress Security. He’s Zane’s boss.”

  “You saved Brent Maddox’s life?”

  “You know Brent?”

  “Only by the stories from Josh and the others. Grace St. Claire can’t say enough good things about her husband’s boss. I understand wanting to protect his secrecy, but why were you reluctant to tell me your role?”

  “I was in the wrong place at the right time to aid a good man. Brent had separated from the Navy the month before, and was in the process of starting Fortress. Helping a SEAL wasn’t the issue. The problem was the identity of the man I killed to protect Brent.”

  “What was his name?”

  “Mick O’Reilly.”

  She frowned. “I don’t recognize his name.”

  “If he did his job right, you wouldn’t. Mick was connected to the Irish mob based in New York City. He was the oldest son of Sean O’Reilly, the head of the mob. He was also his father’s hit man. When I woke from surgery, Brent and two of his teammates were sitting in my room, armed to the teeth. I was Fortress Security’s first client. Brent and his buddies were there to protect me because Sean O’Reilly had placed a price on my head for killing his son even though the police declared the shooting self-defense. Sean didn’t care that the shooting was justified.”