Vendetta (Otter Creek Book 10) Page 18
“Do you mind if I check your car?”
“Of course not.” She dug her keys from her pocket. “Just in case you need to move my car. The key for the side door of the garage has a green cover on it.”
“Thanks.” He glanced at Mason who gave a short nod. Marcus squeezed Paige’s shoulder and walked out the back door. Inside the garage, he turned on the overhead light, blinked at the brightness.
He turned on the flashlight and ran the beam over the exterior of Jo’s car. While he was examining the nooks and crannies, his cell phone rang.
Marcus glanced at the screen, frowned. “Lang.”
“Where are you?”
He straightened at sharp edge in Josh Cahill’s voice. “In Jo’s garage. Why?”
“I’ll be there in two minutes. Is anyone with Paige and Jo?”
“Mason and Nicole. What’s wrong, Josh?”
“Information from Zane. Why are you in the garage?”
“Checking Jo’s car for a tracker.”
“I’m turning into Jo’s driveway.” The call ended.
Marcus clicked off the flashlight and walked to the side door, his gut burning. Whatever news Josh had would be bad. Was the news about him or Paige?
Josh’s black SUV rolled into view. His friend parked next to the side door. When he stepped into the light from the garage, Marcus saw the small black bug and tracker detector in his hand.
“Get inside,” Josh said curtly.
Marcus moved deeper into the structure, out of the doorway, careful to stay away from the window. Josh closed and locked the door behind himself. “Bad news?”
“The worst. O’Reilly hired a hit man to track you down.” He turned on the detector and walked slowly around Jo’s car.
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“The hit man he contracted with is not one of his normal pack of favored assassins.”
“Zane identified the man from the description I gave the sketch artist?”
A nod. “His name is Vincent Bianchi.”
Paige’s attack was about him, not her. Would she forgive him for putting her life in danger? “I don’t recognize the name.”
“You wouldn’t.” Josh flicked him a glance before continuing to scan. “He’s experienced and doesn’t work alone. He works with a team, two or three other guys. Bianchi’s services are very expensive. He doesn’t miss, Marcus.”
“He already has. Twice.” Not for lack of trying.
“Pure luck. Bianchi and his team will keep coming after you and Paige.”
“How did O’Reilly figure out where I was? I haven’t broken any of Maddox’s rules.”
As Josh rounded the back of the car, the light on the detector flashed red. He held out his hand for the flashlight, then dropped to the ground and rolled under Jo’s vehicle. A moment later, he got to his feet with a small black object on his palm.
“The land developer tagged her car?” Marcus shook his head. “He must be desperate.”
“Davidson may not be the one responsible for this.”
His hand fisted. “Bianchi?”
“It’s possible.” Josh did a final sweep of Jo’s car and handed back the flashlight. “Let’s go inside the inn. I need to talk to you and Paige.”
Marcus turned off the interior light. When he reached for the door, Josh signaled for him to wait and walked outside. He returned a moment later. “Clear. Move fast. Straight to the back door.”
He ran the 100 yards with his friend on his heels.
“Josh!” Jo stood, a delighted smile on her face. “It’s great to see you. What a nice surprise.”
“How are you, Jo?” He leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“Not bad considering many of my friends are angry with me these days. Please, sit down. Would you like some iced tea?”
“No, thanks. I need to talk to you and Paige.”
“Do Nicole and I need to leave?” Mason asked.
A head shake. “Stay.”
Jo sat again. Paige cast a worried glance at Marcus.
How did he explain that he was probably to blame for the attempts on her life? He wouldn’t blame her for walking away from him. Marcus sat beside Paige and intertwined their fingers, praying she would give him a chance to make it up to her.
“What’s wrong, Josh?” Paige asked.
“Zane identified the man who tried to kill you. His name is Vincent Bianchi, a hired gun, and he’s not here alone.”
“What does that mean?” Nicole demanded.
“He works with a team of two or three men.”
“I have a team of men after me?” Paige blew out a breath. “Why would anyone want to kill me? Wait. Is this about me or someone else?”
Marcus fell a little further in love with her at that moment. Even though she was afraid, Paige still protected his secret from Jo, Mason, and Nicole. Not that it would do much good. The way things were going, the whole town would know the truth before long.
“We’re still looking into the details. Bianchi was hired to take out a different target. You may be collateral damage or a means to an end.”
“I feel like we’re missing pieces of information,” Nicole complained.
“You are.”
“What can we do to keep my granddaughter safe?” Jo asked.
“We’ve prepared a safe house. The B & B isn’t secure enough. This hit team will keep coming until we stop them, Jo. We want to do it on our turf.”
Paige frowned. “What about my job? I can’t leave, Josh.”
“You will if you want to keep your boyfriend and grandmother safe.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“I can’t leave Gram unprotected.” Paige wrapped her hands around her glass of tea. Josh Cahill was a cop as well as a Fortress operative. She supposed he could take her into protective custody if she refused to go voluntarily. Man, she hoped that didn’t happen. If Paige wasn’t a visible target, Jo would be the next choice. She didn’t want to lose her grandmother. The loss would gut her.
“I made provisions for her as well.”
Jo shook her head. “I have guests coming this weekend, a wedding party. I can’t cancel on them at this late date.”
“We have that covered, Jo. Trent St. Claire and his wife will stay here as hosts for the weekend. Everything will be fine.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “What will you do with me?”
“You and your two best friends are going on a cruise with my parents, courtesy of Fortress Security.”
“Really? Where are we going?”
“The Bahamas. Go pack what you need. My teammates will arrive in a few minutes. Two of them will take you to the Knoxville airport. One of the Fortress jets will fly all of you to Florida where you will board the cruise ship tomorrow afternoon. You’ll be gone for a week. If Durango hasn’t resolved the problem by that time, you’ll stay at a safe house down there.”
“Why would Fortress go to all this expense for me?”
He smiled. “Don’t ask. Nicole, why don’t you and Mason help Jo pack.”
“We’d love to. Let’s see what we can find, Jo.” The three of them left the kitchen.
Josh waited until they were out of earshot before he said, “I know you want to argue with me, Paige. Don’t bother. We don’t have enough time. I’m under orders from Maddox and Ethan to get you and Marcus out of town immediately. Marcus, you know Maddox doesn’t overreact. The threat is real. You’re both in grave danger.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect Paige.”
“Even if it costs your job?”
“You already know the answer to that question.”
“Marcus, no,” Paige protested. “You can’t give up your pastorate.”
“I’ll take a leave of absence, but I may be forced to resign when this is finished.”
“Why? You haven’t done anything wrong.”
He looked at Josh. “You’re putting us in the same safe house?”
“It’s best.”
&nb
sp; Marcus nodded, a resigned look on his face. “Paige, people will notice when we’re both absent at the same time. They’ll come to the right and wrong conclusions. We will be out of town together but not for the purpose they’ll assume.”
An affair. “With a Fortress team tagging along? Doesn’t sound like a romantic interlude to me.” She glanced at Josh and saw the regret in his eyes. “No one will know you’re with us, will they?”
“We can’t tell them. If the hit man and his cronies discover we’re with you, all they have to do is wait until you leave our protection and strike when you least expect. The best I can do is float the rumor that Jo, her two friends, and my parents are with you.”
“Won’t someone notice when Durango is out of town at the same time and come to the obvious conclusion?”
“We’re sent on missions frequently. Del and my teammates’ wives will spread the word we’ve been sent on a rescue mission, which is the truth. They can’t tell where we’re going because we never give them the information until we return. It’s for their own safety.”
Marcus kissed the back of Paige’s hand. “When we return, if the congregation doesn’t believe other people have been with us, I won’t have a choice, sweetheart. I’ll have to turn in my resignation. If they don’t trust me, I’ll be ineffective. How can I counsel couples if they believe I’m a hypocrite?”
Paige wanted to rage at the unfairness. Instead, she did the only she could under the circumstances. She pressed her hand to Marcus’s cheek and laid her lips on his for a soft kiss. When she drew back, she said, “I’ll go pack. Do you have someone to keep the center open, Josh?”
“PSI has it covered. You have fifteen minutes, Paige. Make them count.”
She rushed upstairs to her room and dragged out her luggage. How did you know what to pack for a safe house? Casual, she decided. Tennis shoes, jeans, long-sleeved t-shirts, a jacket, a few books. She wasn’t sure where Josh had arranged for them to stay, but she figured she couldn’t go wrong with clothes she could run in if it became necessary.
The doorbell rang. The rest of Durango had arrived. Paige grabbed what she needed from her dresser and closet, threw them into the suitcase, along with a smaller bag of toiletries and figured that was all the time she had.
“I’ll get that,” Marcus said from her doorway. He lifted the bag, glanced around. “Is there more?”
“No. I chose casual clothes, things I can run in if necessary.”
“Smart. I hope it’s an unnecessary precaution.”
She clasped his hand. “Are you okay?”
“Heartsick. I never wanted my past to touch you.”
“This isn’t your fault. You saved a good man’s life. I know you, Marcus. You wouldn’t have been able to live with yourself if you had walked away.”
“Steep price to pay for saving a life.”
Losing the woman he loved, his identity, and his own family. Yes, a high price. “Every decision creates ripples. Some things we anticipate and can adjust. Others we have no way of knowing. No one could have foreseen the results of that night. Even had you known, you wouldn’t have made a different choice. Taken precautions to protect Chelsea, yes, although she might not have stayed in place. But you would have still chosen to save Brent. By making that choice, that sacrifice, Maddox and Fortress Security operatives save hundreds of lives every year. Consider that the next time guilt tears at your heart. I don’t regret becoming involved with you, Marcus. I will never regret choosing you.”
“Ready to roll?” Quinn Gallagher strode into the room. “The convoy leaves in ten minutes.”
Paige nodded at Josh’s teammate. “I’m ready. What about a bag for Marcus?”
“Nate used some of his more questionable skills and took care of that. The bag’s in the SUV.”
Questionable skills? She grinned. “He broke into the parsonage.”
A wince. “We prefer to use the term accessed.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Makes Josh more comfortable.” He took the suitcase from Marcus. “Escort your girl downstairs while I take this to the vehicle.”
When they reached the first floor, her grandmother was waiting for Paige near the front door. Jo smiled and spread her arms. Paige hugged the woman who meant the world to her. “I’ll miss you, Gram. I have a feeling you won’t miss me, though. Hope you and your friends enjoy the cruise.”
“I would enjoy it more if you and Marcus were coming along.”
“Sounds like fun.” Marcus kissed her cheek. “We’ll make plans for a cruise together later.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“Ready, Jo?” Rio wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “We have to pick up your friends and head to the airport.”
“Who’s riding with you?” Paige asked. She didn’t want him to be alone in case he ran into trouble.
“Nate. Alex and Quinn are driving you and Marcus out of town. Josh will follow you in another SUV.”
“Have him follow you. I want Gram safe.”
“Sorry, sugar. Josh is the boss. Besides, you’re the one at risk. This late at night, we don’t think we’ll have a problem with anyone coming after Jo. If they do, we’ll handle it. We’re trained for this, Paige. Trust us to do our jobs. We’ll keep her safe just like we’ll take care of you and Marcus.”
“What about Josh’s parents? How will they get to the airport?”
“Trent St. Claire. Come on, Jo. Time to leave.”
After a last hug, Jo left with the operatives.
“Your turn,” Quinn said.
After parking Marcus’s truck in the garage next to Gram’s car and saying goodbye to Mason and Nicole, Paige and Marcus climbed into the backseat of Quinn’s SUV. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“To a cabin outside of Murfreesboro,” Alex said.
She did a quick calculation. The middle Tennessee area was more than four hours from home. Murfreesboro was also near Nashville, the home of Fortress Security’s headquarters. “Does Fortress own the cabin?”
“Rod Kelter does. We’ve used it before for protection details. I think you’ll like it. Meg hates roughing it and she loves the place.”
Paige relaxed. Good. She didn’t enjoy rustic living much herself. “Will Ivy be all right while you’re gone?”
Alex glanced over his shoulder. “Durango’s wives are staying together at Rio and Darcy’s place. The Victorian house has plenty of bedrooms available, and it will be easier for Adam Walker and his teammates to protect them if they’re in one place. If you’re worried about the baby, don’t be. One of Adam’s unit is a medic. Ivy and Del have three months to go. If something happens, the medic will call. We also have a Fortress team on standby to take over the protection detail for you and Marcus if there’s a problem in Otter Creek.”
Paige laid her head on Marcus’s shoulder. This was what they did for a living, and their expertise showed in their extensive planning.
After they were on I-40, Quinn glanced in the rearview mirror. “We’re clear. No tails from town.”
“You’re sure?” Marcus asked.
“I haven’t seen anything and neither has Josh. We’ll be on the road for a few hours. Get some rest while you can.”
She fell asleep to the quiet conversation between the three men. Sometime later, Marcus stroked her cheek with his fingers.
“We’re at the cabin, baby.”
Paige opened her eyes to see his beloved face. He looked tired. “Did you sleep any?”
“I’m fine.”
In other words, no. She glanced at the front seats, saw they were alone. “Where are Quinn and Alex?”
“Talking to one of their friends. He’s been guarding the cabin to make sure we don’t have any nasty surprises.”
She looked out the window to see the men from Otter Creek in deep conversation with a heavily-muscled dark-haired man. They all looked relaxed so there must not have been any problems. “Can we get out? I need to stretch my legs.”
Still protecting her. How could she help but love this man? Marcus opened the door and held out his hand. They walked to the men who turned at their approach.
“Paige, come meet a friend,” Josh said. “This is Eli Wolfe. He and his teammate, Jon, have been on several missions with Durango.”
Eli shook hands with them. “Good to see you again, Marcus.”
Paige frowned. “You two know each other?”
“He and Jon protected me when I was recovering from O’Reilly’s bullet.”
“Thank you for keeping him safe.”
“We owed him big for saving Brent. We’ve been keeping watch over him ever since.”
“Anything we should know about, Eli?” Alex asked.
“Security measures are in place. The cameras and motion sensors are up and active. Same set up as before. Sensors are set starting at the half mile mark. Marcus, Paige, stay close to the house. There’s a trail in the back through the woods that will take you to a creek. You can walk the trail. Don’t veer off into the woods. The trail is clearly marked.”
Good grief. What kind of security measures were in place around the cabin? She decided she probably didn’t want to know the details. If she and Marcus had to run through the woods off the trail, hopefully one of Durango would be with them to steer them around hazards.
“Where’s Jon?” Alex asked.
“Inside checking the software to be sure the computer is operating properly.”
He glanced at Josh who gave him a hand signal. Alex jogged to the porch and walked inside the cabin.
“Do you need us to stay tonight, Josh?” Eli asked. “Brenna and Dana are together. We can keep watch while you and the rest of Durango sleep.”
Josh was silent a moment, then nodded. “Might be best if you’re sure Dana’s okay for tonight.”
“Jon wouldn’t be here otherwise. I’ll call Brenna, let her know. The rooms are ready. Paige, you take the master bedroom. The men can handle sharing one bathroom.”
“Fine with me.”
“Let’s get you inside,” Quinn said. “We don’t think the hit team knows where you are, but it’s better not to take chances. They’ll be here soon enough.”