Vendetta (Otter Creek Book 10) Page 15

  “Marcus mentioned you were planning a cookout at the inn. Want help?”

  She grinned. “Absolutely. I didn’t plan an elaborate menu. Hamburgers and hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad. Typical picnic food.”

  “Let me know when you choose a date. If Durango’s in town, I’ll lend a hand.” His smile faded. “You going to Van’s funeral?”

  “Caleb is in class and there isn’t anyone else to cover for me.”

  “We’ll work it out. Do you need to change clothes before you leave?”

  Paige looked down at herself. Her black pants and shoes were fine. Her shirt, however, was a neon blue. The little kids liked it when she wore bright colors, but she didn’t think the color appropriate for a funeral. She had a forest green shirt in her office that would work. Keeping clothes on hand to change into had become a habit. She worked with children, after all. Mysterious stains and streaks often appeared on her clothes by the end of the day. It saved time to have an outfit to change into when she had a function to attend after work. “I have another shirt in my office. I’ll change before I leave.”

  “I’m going with you. Another operative will stay on site to keep the center open.”

  Right. She couldn’t be without protection. She’d promised Marcus, and Paige wouldn’t go back on her word. Lightening his load meant not adding to his worry for her even if having a bodyguard rankled. “I’ll be ready to leave by 11:30.”

  A nod. Nate snagged a basketball in mid-air and tossed it back to the six businessmen playing three-on-three.

  Someone hailed Paige from across the room. She answered another round of questions about her attack and the fire in the orchard. She noticed James Parks, the mayor’s son, walk into the gym. He nodded and continued to the weight room for his usual lunchtime workout.

  Fifteen minutes before she planned to leave for the funeral, James found Paige in her office. He walked inside without knocking and closed the door.

  “Open the door, please.” She smiled to take the sting out of her words.

  “Why?”

  “Safety precaution.”

  He scowled and, ignoring her directive, dumped his duffel bag on her desk. “Is your grandmother going to sell her property?”

  “I already answered that question during the town council meeting. I’m surprised your father and the rumor mill haven’t spread the word by now. The land and house are Gram’s inheritance from her great-grandfather and the legacy she plans to leave me when she passes away.” Hopefully not for many more years.

  “The developer will give her a fair price. She can build a newer inn and plant more apple trees.”

  Seriously? He wouldn’t be willing to sell out if he was in Gram’s place. “Not the same thing, James.”

  “Talk to her, Paige. Your stick-in-the-mud grandmother is holding up progress and costing your friends and neighbors a ton of money. They aren’t happy about it, either.”

  Paige’s stomach churned. Were Gram’s neighbors angry enough to set a fire? “That inn is Gram’s home and her livelihood. I’m not pressuring her to sell out when she doesn’t want to move.”

  A scowl. “The developer needs her property. If he doesn’t get it, the whole deal is in jeopardy.”

  “That’s not my problem. Tell him to look at other sites around the county.”

  “There isn’t another suitable site. He wants more than 100 acres and there aren’t 100-acre tracts of land available somewhere else. The developer worked hard to get this far. The town needs this deal, Paige. The tax benefits will pay for improvements in infrastructure and draw more business to the area. Dad says you want a bigger budget for the center. This is the way you make that happen. You’ll benefit as much as anyone if this deal closes.”

  “I’m not breaking my grandmother’s heart to broaden the center’s bottom line.”

  James placed his hands on the desk and leaned toward her. “You might want to rethink your stance. Things might become very uncomfortable for you and your grandmother if you don’t reconsider.”

  “That sounds like a threat.”

  “Take it however you want as long as you pay attention to the facts and the consequences of any decision you and your grandmother make.”

  “What are you doing back here, Parks?” Nate strode into the office, stone faced. “This area is off limits to the general public.”

  “What are you doing in here?”

  “Taking Paige to Van’s funeral. You need to leave.”

  “Our conversation isn’t finished.”

  “Yeah, it is. Go or I’ll escort you to the front door myself.”

  A snort. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Try me.” Nate glided a step closer, his soft voice eliciting a flinch from James.

  The mayor’s son turned, glared at Paige. “Be smart.” He slung his duffel onto his shoulder and stalked from the room after a last hard stare at Nate.

  “Did he hurt you?” Nate demanded.

  “No.”

  “Why are you shaking?”

  She dropped her gaze to her hands, realized the operative was right. Her hands were trembling and that ticked her off. James was bully, sure. He’d always been pushy, but he had never hurt her. “He didn’t lay a hand on me.”

  “But he scared you.”

  Paige had never seen him that intense, that determined. Maybe he’d taken his stance because of his father. Otherwise, he had no reason to get in her face about the development deal. Still, she was grateful Nate interrupted. “I’ll get over it. I’m sure he didn’t mean to frighten me.”

  “I’m not. You ready?”

  “As soon as I shut down my laptop.” A minute later, she stood, and Nate walked with her to his SUV.

  “We could take my car,” she offered.

  “That little tin can? I’ll pass.” He unlocked the vehicle and helped her inside. “Besides, my SUV is reinforced with armor plating and bullet-resistant glass.”

  She stared at him as he settled behind the wheel. “Are you serious?”

  “Fortress operatives have enemies, Paige. If they discover our identities and where we live, our families are at risk. We don’t take our security lightly. Marcus’s truck has the same security upgrades. Maddox arranged it for him before he came to Otter Creek.”

  The ball of ice in her stomach melted to the size of a marble. At least she didn’t have to be concerned about a bullet striking Marcus while he was behind the wheel.

  “That doesn’t bother you?” Nate asked.

  “I’m happy he has extra protection when he’s driving around town. If someone shoots at him, he’ll be safe.”

  Satisfaction filled the operative’s face. “My wife says the same thing.”

  “Have you needed the protection?”

  “More than once. Our safety measures worked. The vehicle Stella drives is also reinforced. We take care of our families, too.”

  Paige was pleased to see the inside of the church packed with people to support Van’s father. Since the service was beginning when she and Nate walked inside the sanctuary, they sat in the last pew.

  A teacher and the football coach spoke as well as Van’s uncle. When Marcus rose to speak, Paige paid more attention to his body language than the words he shared. He looked tired and disheartened.

  An invisible chord tightened around her heart. She wanted to help, but what could she do? He may not be able to share what was troubling him.

  When the service was over, Paige walked with Nate to the cemetery behind the church. The graveside service was simple and short. At the end, Marcus prayed for Van’s father, extended family, and his friends. He also prayed for the community’s healing and for justice to prevail. To Paige, that prayer was more powerful than the words of the sermon Marcus had shared.

  Afterward, a few of the teenagers huddled together while several adults spoke with Marcus and Van’s father. One girl separated from the group and mopped at the tears flowing down her cheeks as she hurried to Paige.

  “I
’m sorry, Darla,” Paige murmured to Van’s girlfriend. The teenager dove into her open arms and sobbed on Paige’s shoulder. She stroked Darla’s back and held her while she cried. Tears trickled down her own cheeks as she grieved with the girl. Such a senseless tragedy that affected many people and shattered the innocence of their community.

  When the storm of weeping passed, the teenager drew in a shuddering breath. “I miss him,” she whispered.

  “I know you do.” She’d missed her parents after their deaths. Though young when she lost them, Paige still remembered the pain and sadness she felt when she realized they weren’t coming back. Gram and Gramps had held her for hours that night, reminding her frequently that they loved her and she wasn’t alone. They had been her rock.

  “It’s not fair. Van never hurt anybody. Why would anyone kill him?”

  That was the question, wasn’t it? “I don’t know, sweetheart. The police are doing everything they can to find his killer.”

  “It still won’t bring him back to me. We made plans for after high school. We were going to marry and attend college together, then we were headed to med school. Now he’s just gone. How can I do this without him?”

  Paige’s heart ached for her. Hard to imagine them having long-term plans in place when they were only fourteen. She certainly didn’t craft such detailed plans at that age. “Van wouldn’t want you to stop living because he’s gone. If being a doctor is your calling, go to med school like you planned. Fulfill your dream. That’s the best way to honor his memory. Is your mom or dad with you?” She didn’t want Darla by herself this afternoon.

  A head shake. “They had to work. I came with a friend.”

  “Are you going home from here?”

  “Jeanine invited me to her house until my mom gets off work. I didn’t want to be alone.”

  Can’t say that she blamed her. “That’s a smart decision. If you want to talk, call me or Marcus if you can’t find your parents.”

  “I will. Thanks, Paige.”

  She squeezed the teen’s hand. “Any time.” She watched Darla walk to her friends. At least she had support there as well as from her parents. They were a tight-knit family. In the aftermath of this tragedy, they would be closer than ever.

  A hand touched her lower back. “How is Darla?”

  Paige swiveled to face Marcus. “About like you’d expect. She’s hurting. She and Van were talking marriage and med school after graduating from high school.”

  His eyebrows winged upward. “Marriage? They were young to be talking weddings. I’ll check on her tomorrow, make sure she’s handling things all right.”

  “Are you coming back to the center now?”

  “In a few minutes.” His gaze searched hers. “What’s wrong, Paige?”

  She frowned. “Do I have a neon sign on my forehead or something?”

  He waited her out.

  “I had a little run in with James Parks at the community center,” she said, her voice soft. “I’ll tell you about it later.” She didn’t want to talk about the confrontation in public. If they talked here, someone would overhear the conversation and the incident would be the latest topic on the Otter Creek grapevine.

  Marcus reached for her hand. “You’re all right?”

  “I’m fine. I would tell you if I wasn’t.”

  He slid his gaze to Nate who stood a few feet away.

  “I sent him on his way,” the operative said to the unspoken query. “He didn’t hurt her, Marcus.”

  “Did he put his hands on you?” Marcus murmured, a fierce light burning in his eyes.

  She laid her free hand over his heart. “He didn’t touch me.”

  A relative of Van’s called Marcus’s name.

  Paige squeezed his hand and stepped back. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  With a last solemn look, the man she loved with every fiber of her being walked to the group waiting for him.

  Nate escorted her to his SUV and handed her the seatbelt. “Back to the center?”

  She nodded. “Thanks for coming with me, Nate.”

  “It was no trouble.” He drove from the church parking lot and turned toward the community center. “Need to stop for lunch?”

  Paige started to refuse, but stopped. Marcus needed to eat and so should she. Even though the thought of eating didn’t appeal at the moment, they both needed fuel to keep functioning. “Let’s stop by That’s A Wrap.”

  “Stellar idea. Darcy always has something good in there, and I’m starving.”

  “Who is cooking for PSI trainees today?”

  He grinned. “Got a recruit who trained as a professional chef. She’s covering lunch today in exchange for a pass on PT tomorrow morning.”

  Sweet deal in Paige’s estimation. Why would a trained chef want to be a bodyguard? Thinking about it, she considered the advantages. Who would think a threat came from the cook?

  Nate parked in front of Darcy’s deli and met Paige on the sidewalk. “Let’s see what the special is today.”

  Turned out the special was a spectacular chicken salad wrap. Perfect for Marcus and light enough for Paige’s stomach to handle. She ordered three chicken wraps and two bottles of unsweetened tea along with an apple for Marcus and a banana for her.

  At the community center, Nate handed his bodyguard duties over to Cade Ramsey. He nodded when she motioned going to her office, then turned back to the man he’d been talking to.

  Thirty minutes later, Marcus tapped on the door frame.

  Paige rose. “I picked up lunch for us.”

  “That’s great. Thanks.” He shrugged out of his suit coat and draped it on the back of a chair.

  When he turned, she wrapped her arms around him. She didn’t say word, just held on until the rigid tension in his body eased.

  Marcus lifted her chin with a finger and indulged in a series of soft kisses with her. “I can’t tell you how much I needed that.”

  “We should eat. Caleb will be here soon, then we can go see Dalton and Seth.”

  After Marcus swallowed his first bite of the chicken wrap, he asked, “What happened with James Parks?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  The longer Paige spoke, the more furious Marcus became. He forced himself to keep eating as she gave him the details of her encounter with James Parks. “I can’t believe he threatened you and tried to intimidate you.”

  “Surprised me as well.”

  “He doesn’t have a stake in this. What’s the purpose in using thug tactics?”

  “Maybe he’s backing his father’s agenda. The mayor isn’t shy about telling anyone who will listen that Otter Creek needs the shopping center.”

  “Still doesn’t make what James did to you acceptable.” A point he would be making the next time he saw the man. Paige was his to protect. “I wish I had been here with you.” Yet another instance when he wasn’t available to protect the woman he loved. What if the next time something like that happened, no one was around to intervene? His blood ran cold.

  “You were needed elsewhere.”

  “You sure he didn’t touch you?”

  She covered his hand with hers. “I will never lie to you, Marcus. James didn’t lay a finger on me.”

  But what would have happened if Nate hadn’t arrived? The thought that she might have been in danger again without him by her side made Marcus feel sick inside. But the truth was he couldn’t stay with her twenty-four hours a day. He had a job to do, at least for now, and Paige did, too.

  After their meal, he returned to his truck and retrieved his duffel bag containing a change of clothes. Dressed in jeans, a black long-sleeved t-shirt, and tennis shoes, he hung his suit on a hook in his truck, then headed for the basketball court where he took turns with Cade shooting free throws.

  Soon, the high schoolers began arriving at the center. Several of the boys Van’s age lingered on the sidelines. After a final basket, he snatched the orange ball and passed it to Cade. “Time for me to go to work.”

&n
bsp; A nod from the operative. He pointed a finger at one of the older boys and motioned for the teen to join him on the court. The expression of pleasure on the boy’s face clued Marcus in to how much Cade’s attention mattered to him. To all of them. The Fortress operatives had deliberately interacted with the teens since the day PSI opened. Josh viewed it as a recruiting tool for Fortress and a deterrent to teen delinquency.

  Marcus spent the next half hour with the teenagers who hovered on the sidelines, drawing them into conversation, and making sure they knew he was available any time they wanted to talk.

  “Won’t Paige be mad if we take you away from her?” one asked. “My girlfriend would be ticked off if someone took my attention from her.”

  “She understands.” Marcus inclined his head toward the woman talking with a group of teenage girls. “Call me if you want to talk.”

  Within minutes, the elementary-age children arrived and, rather than making them look up at him, he chose to sit in the center of the stage. Immediately, kids ranging from six to 12 years of age surrounded him, all anxious and seeking reassurance.

  “Pastor Marcus?”

  He turned to the first grader. “What is it, Amy?”

  “Why did somebody hurt Van?”

  “I don’t know. The police will figure that out when they find the person who did it.”

  “What if they don’t catch him?”

  Marcus prayed for wisdom. He didn’t want to give the kids a false sense of security. On the other hand, it wasn’t a good idea to scare them more than they already were, either. “The Otter Creek police won’t give up until that person is behind bars.”

  “But what if he comes after us?” a fourth-grader asked.

  “He doesn’t have any reason to hurt you or your friends.”

  “What if he tries to take me away when I’m playing outside?” a second-grade boy asked, frowning. “How will my parents find me?”