Forced to Hide, page 9
Irritation swamped her, ratcheting up the anxiety threatening to overwhelm her. “Don’t dismiss me. You either come or I stay.”
Swiftly, he focused on her. “Think of Scout, if not yourself.”
He played dirty. Of course, she didn’t want Scout to get hurt. “Fine. I’ll take Scout to the gate.”
And then she would head right back to his side. She marched off and stopped a few feet away when she realized Scout hadn’t moved from Brian. Even the dog wanted to stay with him. Didn’t the frustrating man realize... Realize what?
She didn’t know and right now was not the time or place to analyze all the emotions crowding her mind and her heart. Brian didn’t even have on a hazard suit like the gas company men or the firefighters.
If the house exploded, he could be injured—she tamped down that thought. She snapped her fingers, drawing Scout’s attention. “Come.”
The dog started for her but then hesitated and glanced up at Brian. He bent down and whispered in the dog’s ear. Straightening, he made a hand motion like he was sending the dog off. And Scout trotted to her side.
Adele made a face at Brian then at Scout. “You little traitor.”
The dog licked her hand.
Affection filled her chest. “Okay, fine, you’re forgiven.”
She and Scout hustled off to join the other neighbors at the entrance gate to the community. The US marshals were trying to calm everyone down. But the upset residents peppered the marshals with questions. These people were worse than the paparazzi. Marshal Armstrong and the fire chief joined in trying to assure the group they had the situation under control.
She approached Gavin. “Marshal, can I address my neighbors?”
Gavin scrubbed a hand down his whiskered chin and gave a nod. “It might help. Just be careful how much you reveal. We don’t want a full-on panic.”
“I understand.” Adele pushed past the marshal and wove her way through the crowd. She stepped up on one of the concrete pillars holding the sides of the gate up. She raised a hand. “Please, if you all could just take a breath and listen to me.”
“What’s going on?” someone yelled out.
“Does this have to do with the bombing at the courthouse?”
“Or the incident at the school?”
“What’s happening?”
“Why is the gas company and the fire department here?”
Understanding how scary this must be, Adele raised her voice to be heard over the voices. “Please, listen. We don’t have answers. I’m sure I most likely left one of the gas valves open and it filled the house. My mistake.”
“Well, that was dumb,” somebody groused.
“Yes, it was,” she shouted back. “A little grace here would be really nice.”
The crowd’s mumblings died down. Jace Armstrong held out his hand and helped her off the concrete pylon. She hadn’t even noticed that Jace, Sera and Gavin had joined them at the gate. He ushered her to his boss.
“You didn’t have to take the heat for this,” Gavin said.
“Sure, she did,” Sera said. “Going on the offensive is the best way to handle a scared crowd.”
Adele smiled at the other woman. She liked her. “Thank you.”
Sera gave her a nod. “Here comes Brian.”
Adele’s instinct was to rush up to him and make sure he was okay. Or rather, that her house was okay. She forced herself to stay rooted to the ground.
“Report?” Gavin asked Brian.
Brian met Adele’s gaze. “The gas has all dissipated. A portable gas heater in the crawl space beneath the house had been left on.”
“What?” Dread gripped Adele’s chest. “I don’t own a space heater. And even if I did, I certainly wouldn’t have it under the house.”
“There’s no telling how long ago it was left there,” Brian said. “Once the gas filled the crawl space, it rose, which is why we became ill.”
Adele’s stomach dropped. Who had access to her house to the extent they could go underneath and place a gas heater?
Only a few people came to mind. Her dog sitter was one. But why would Teresa want to harm her or Scout? There had to be another explanation. “I have a cleaning service that comes once a month. But they’ve cleaned my house since I moved in, and it’s been a couple of weeks since they were last out.” Surely, if one of them had left the gas heater in the crawl space, she’d have felt the effect long before tonight.
“We’ll check into them,” Gavin said.
“Boss, can I talk to you?” Brian tugged Gavin out of earshot.
Adele feared there was more to the story but Brian didn’t want her to know what it was. She hated being left in the dark. She hated even more the thought that Teresa, a woman she trusted with her dog, was involved in trying to hurt her.
* * *
As soon as Brian had Gavin far enough away from Adele to be sure she wouldn’t hear their conversation, he said to his boss, “That was a close call. Not an hour before, Adele had been cooking.”
His stomach twisted, thinking of all the times she’d turned on the gas stove or baked something delicious in the last few days. Horrible images of her burned and in agony seared his brain. Sweat broke out at his nape. He reined in his thoughts to focus.
Gavin put his hand on Brian’s shoulder. “It doesn’t do anyone any good to conjure up the worst-case scenario when Adele is safe now.”
“Right.” Brian took a breath that eased the constriction in his chest. “I asked Sera to check into Teresa Watts, the dog sitter, but nothing came up to indicate she could be behind the attempts on the judge’s life. I need to do an even deeper dive. Question her and see if she let anyone into the house or onto the property that she’d failed to mention to Adele.”
“Sera can do it. You and the judge aren’t going to be staying here. We’ll put you both up in a hotel.”
Brian shook his head. “I’d rather take her out to my family’s lake house. The place is not in my name. It wouldn’t be easy for anyone to connect me to the property. Nobody would find her there.”
“If someone is determined enough...” Gavin said.
Brian understood. There were no guarantees in life. Everyone in law enforcement knew there were risks and knew criminals were hard to stop when bent on destruction. “It would be easier to protect her in the country than in a hotel downtown.”
“I don’t have a problem with you taking her out of the city,” Gavin said. “But I want Deputy Conlan to go with you.”
“I’d appreciate the backup.”
Having the other deputy along would also provide a needed buffer between him and Adele. Because Brian was having a difficult time keeping his emotions in check where the lovely judge was concerned.
* * *
The preparations to move Adele to Brian’s family’s lake house commenced without a hiccup, much to Brian’s satisfaction, but he didn’t breathe easy until two hours later. After a stop at the 24-hour grocery store for supplies, he turned into the circular drive of his grandparents’ lake house.
The two-story home with a wide porch in front and a large deck in back sat at the tip of a small peninsula on Medina Lake. The backside of the house looked out over the water and covered dock, housing kayaks and a motorized speedboat.
The sun rose high in the early morning and light sparkled on the water. There were a few fishermen already out in aluminum fishing boats, hoping to catch a bass or catfish.
Beside him, Adele leaned forward in the passenger seat of his personal rig, a dark green sport utility vehicle.
“The US Marshals Service owns this?”
The awe in her voice made him smile. “No. My grandparents built this house in the ’50s. The whole family uses it as a vacation home. You can see cars coming from a mile away. The only other way to access the house is from the lake.”
She stared at him. “I’m honored you’d bring me here. It’s lovely.”
Pleased by her words, he held her gaze. “Wait until you see the inside.”
He liked the way her eyes lit up. She was so pretty and kind. Smart and brave. For some reason, Brian was excited to show Adele the house. He and his cousins had put a lot of manual labor into updating the amenities. This house had been his sanctuary as a kid and would now be one for Adele. He was glad he could provide that for her.
Because it was his job.
Deputy Joe Conlan brought his own SUV to a halt beside Brian’s.
Brian cleared his throat. “We should go in.”
Grabbing their bags and the grocery sacks, he escorted her and Scout to the porch.
“Wow, this is awesome,” the younger deputy said as he jogged over with his to-go bag in hand.
Brian gave Conlan one of the grocery bags as he unlocked the front door.
Adele sent one of the rocking chairs sitting on the porch to rocking with a gentle push. Scout sniffed along the edge of the porch. “I can imagine sitting here drinking coffee in the morning and looking out over the hills.”
Brian turned to follow her scrutiny of the tree-dotted landscape. The rolling greenery with natural foliage stretched for as far as the eye could see. It was a soothing site. “We have rocking chairs on the back porch, as well. You’ll be comfortable and safe.”
“Thank you for thinking of this place and allowing me to stay here.”
“Of course.” He opened the door so she could step inside. Scout slipped past and Brian followed them inside the lake house.
“This is beautiful,” Adele said as she turned slowly around, taking it all in.
For some reason, it gave him immense pleasure to be sharing this place with her. Hardwood floors stretched beneath their feet. A large stone fireplace dominated one end of the great room. Comfortable couches and chairs had been arranged for conversation and to take advantage of the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding-glass door that opened onto the back deck.
“Where am I bunking?” Conlan asked from behind Brian.
Swinging his attention from Adele, Brian gestured to a closed door. “Joe, you’ll be staying in this room here. One of my uncles uses this when he comes to stay.”
Joe opened the door and squeezed past him through the doorway into the bedroom. “Nice. This is great.” Conlan walked to the bedroom window facing the front of the house. “Good vantage point to keep an eye on the road.”
Brian nodded and dipped out of the room, leaving Conlan to settle in. Each room in the house had its own bathroom. One of the many upgrades he and his cousins had made over the last few years. Though he noted a few additional changes that he hadn’t been a part of while he’d been in California. Someone had changed out the Formica kitchen countertop for granite.
Adele had moved to the door leading out to the back deck. Scout sat beside her. “This is amazing.”
Sunlight glinted off her hair in fiery sparks. Her ability to adapt to and handle whatever was thrown at her despite her anxiety was admirable. The more time he spent with her, the more he found to like about her. She was amazing. And set his heart to pounding.
Giving himself a mental head shake, he gestured to the stairs at the end of the great room and said, “Let me show you to your room.”
At the top of the stairs was a large loft where several bean bag chairs littered the floor, a gaming console took up space in the corner with a large-screen TV, and bookcases with books and a window seat for reading made the space cozy.
“My cousins all have kids,” Brian explained. “When they come to the lake house, this is usually where the preteens and teens end up.” Back in his day, there were video games, only a small TV, books and board games.
She smiled at him. “I can see why they would.”
He returned the smile and ushered her down a short hall to another en suite. It was the largest in the house and was decorated in soothing blues with white oak furniture. “This is my grandparents’ room when they are here.”
Hesitating in the doorway, she said, “Are you sure it’s okay for me to use the room?”
“I’m sure.” He was also confident his grandparents would love her. Not that his family would meet her. They weren’t a couple or anything close to being romantically involved. She was an assignment. Though why he had to remind himself of the fact jabbed at him like an annoying finger in the back.
Suddenly overheating, he tugged at the collar of his shirt. “You should find everything you need in the bathroom. I’ll be downstairs in a room almost directly beneath you if you need anything.” He set her bags down on the floor and backed away.
She ran a hand along the beautiful wood dresser. “Whoever decorated this home did a lovely job.”
He had to agree. “That would be my mom and my aunts.”
Adele approached the four-poster then turned to look at him. “I need to apologize.”
He tucked in his chin, pausing near the door. “For what?”
“Two years ago, when we met, I blew you off, and it was rude of me,” she said in a frank tone that held self-recrimination.
Stunned by her words, he struggled to respond. He’d figured she hadn’t remembered him. Apparently, she had. “I wouldn’t say you were rude,” he finally said. “More like uninterested.” He shrugged. “That’s okay.”
She bit her lip, drawing his eyes to her mouth. His heart slammed against his ribs. She was so pretty. Vulnerable. In need of protection. From him even.
“The problem was...” she said in a soft voice that wrapped around him and held on. “I was interested.”
His pulse surged. Really? She’d been interested? “That was a problem?”
A faint smile touched her lips. “Yes. For many reasons.”
Not sure whether to be insulted or thrilled, he leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms at his chest. “Care to share?”
“Not particularly.”
Her honesty had him wanting to stride across the room and kiss her. He locked eyes with her. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with this information.” Did this mean she was interested now? His heart hammered a staccato tempo and made his blood dance. If she were interested, what would he do about it?
Nothing.
He couldn’t.
He wouldn’t.
“You’re risking your life for me,” she stated. “I just thought you should know.”
He steeled himself against the affection taking root. “I’m doing my job.”
He couldn’t let himself become emotionally involved. He really wanted to think there was nothing personal about protecting the judge. But now that she’d admitted she had been interested in him and for some reason known only to her had shut him down, he couldn’t stop the yearning to know just how interested she’d been. And if she still was. Because he was certainly interested in her.
Swallowing back the admission, he said, “I’ll let you settle in. Breakfast will be ready in an hour.”
He backed out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Running a hand down his bristled face, he took a deep breath. He really needed to keep his perspective. In the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter. Protecting her was what mattered. She was under his protection, and he had an obligation to keep things between them professional. He needed to keep a clear head. Becoming emotionally involved with Adele would be a complication neither of them needed.
With that thought firmly in place, Brian freshened up in his own en suite and then headed for the kitchen.
Conlan was sitting at the counter with his phone to his ear. He looked up when Brian approached. “Yeah, I’ll let him know. Talk to you soon.” He disconnected the call.
Brian arched an eyebrow.
“That was Jace,” Conlan told him. “He said to let you know that they can’t find anything linking Teresa Watts to the gas heater left in the crawl space of the house. They’re checking into the judge’s house cleaning service. But so far they’ve come up empty.”
As frustrating as that news was, Brian was glad that Adele’s dog sitter wasn’t in league with the bad guys.
Scout trotted over and nudged him with his nose. “I’m going to take the dog out.”
Brian opened the sliding-glass door, allowing Scout to dart out to the large patch of grass at the end of the deck steps. Keeping an eye on Scout, Brian breathed in the fresh air. It smelled different here in the Hill Country than it did in the city. As a kid, he’d always loved coming to the lake.
Scout’s nose went to the ground and followed a scent to the tall-grass-covered berm between the house and the lakeshore. For a moment, Brian lost sight of the dog. Then he caught sight of the black-and-white spots moving through the grass. Brian gave a whistle and Scout came running back. “Good boy. Let’s get you a treat.”
Back inside, Brian shut just the screen door on the slider, letting in the fresh morning air. Then he went to the pantry and rummaged through a box of treats reserved for his cousin Danny’s Great Dane. Because the treats were so big, he broke one in two and gave it to Scout, setting the other half on the kitchen counter. He unloaded the groceries they’d brought, setting out everything for the breakfast he’d promised Adele.
“What can I do to help?” Conlan asked.
“You can do a perimeter check,” Brian told the younger deputy. “Take stock. We’ll need to set an alarm signal in case we have visitors. There’s equipment in my SUV. Three motion-detector trail cameras with WiFi link for the laptop.”
Conlan jumped off the stool. “I can take care that.” He hustled outside.
Brian hoped they wouldn’t need the security measures, but he wasn’t about to be caught off guard. Adele was counting on him.
NINE
“Need any help?”
Brian’s gaze was riveted by Adele as she came down the staircase. She’d put her hair up into a ponytail, revealing the creamy column of her neck. Would her skin be as silky as he imagined?
