Saving Serena (Hawk Security #1)

Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

Duke

Wednesday morning, I was playing with my doodle pad again, waiting to hear from Terry. If any of them had been successful, the attacks on Serena would have made three EPA employees in succession, and that was the kind of coincidence I didn’t believe in.

The coroner’s report for Leo Gambino had been straightforward, in that his fatal injuries were consistent with a high-speed automobile crash. Now Terry was on his way to Bakersfield to see the vehicle Leo had been driving.

After lunch, Lucas joined me to wait for Terry’s call. Jordy was still searching for Spinelli without any luck. He’d disappeared after the attempted abduction, along with his oversized muscle.

Lucas and I had agreed that Leo’s death was our best open lead.

When one o’clock rolled around, I was getting itchy to know what Terry had found. “Should we call him?” I asked.

Lucas was laid out on the couch I’d ordered with his eyes closed. “Nope. Voltaire once said, ‘ Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.’”

“Translation?”

“If we rush him, he might do an adequate job. I’d rather have him check everything and make it a perfect job.”

It was after four when he finally called.

I picked up my pen and answered. “Talk to me, Terry. What do we know?”

“It’s not definitive, but it is fishy.”

“What is?” He wasn’t going to make this easy.

“Guess what I found?”

“Terry, I’m not interested in guessing,” Lucas called from the couch.

“Sure, boss. I found paint transfer on the rear bumper. It’s some flavor of black, so I’m bringing a scraping back to check for make and model.”

“Thanks, Terry. Good work,” Lucas said, giving him the kind of praise he didn’t heap on his brothers.

Serena had been bugging me about my pleases and thank yous. Maybe it was genetic and not my fault.

“That’s not all,” Terry said. “He went off the road at high speed, but the airbag didn’t deploy.”

Lucas smiled. “Any clue why that was?”

“This is the cool part. The airbag fuse was missing.”

Lucas’s fist hit the table with a bang. “Great work, Terry. Thanks. See ya back here when you’re able.”

“Copy that.”

My brother smiled. “It’s about time we made some progress. Fuses don’t go missing by themselves. Gambino had help dying in that crash.”

It was a clue, but we still needed to figure out who and why. Or maybe the why would lead us to the who.

Serena

By Wednesday afternoon, I felt safe saying things at work had gone more smoothly today than Tuesday—not a single fire alarm or kidnapping attempt.

When I said I didn’t want to talk about it, people dropped their questions about me almost being snatched off the street and went back to trying to guess what and who Constance was investigating.

Near the end of the day, my phone rang. Duke .

“Miss me already?” I answered.

“Always,” he said. “Are you somewhere you can talk?”

“Give me a second.” I stood and started for the large conference room. My heart sped up, hoping he was going to take me up on yesterday’s invitation for naughty phone sex.

The freaking conference room was occupied, so I ducked into an unoccupied office and closed the door. “I am now.” I was already wet with anticipation.

“We think Leo Gambino may have been murdered.”

The blood in my veins turned to ice, and I couldn’t breathe. I tried for the chair behind the desk and almost didn’t make it. I pulled myself up, tears threatening. He didn’t want any damned stick; he wanted to kill me.

“Serena, did you hear me?”

“Uh-huh,” I croaked out.

“This is good news.”

“How?” I squeaked. “You’re telling me he wants to kill me just because I work here.”

“No,” Lucas’s voice came on the line. “It’s good because we know more than we did yesterday, and we know he wants the drive, wherever it is. He most likely had Rossi tortured, and she told them she gave it to you.”

I shook my head. “That sounds like you’re telling me he plans to catch me and torture me.”

Their combined silence spoke volumes.

My stomach lurched. “I’m still not hearing the good news part.”

“We’re not going to let that happen,” Duke finally said.

“I think I’m going to puke,” I said as I got up to run to the bathroom.

Duke picked me up after work, as had become our pattern, but the kiss that started out for my coworkers’ benefit had shifted to real in the last few days.

He pulled me against his solid body and stroked my hair. “I realize we freaked you out this afternoon, but you wanted to stay in the loop.”

I held on as tightly as I could. “Yeah, but I didn’t count on you telling me torture was now his goal.”

“I’ve got your back, baby.”

I pushed away. If the killer was targeting EPA people, I wanted to get away from here. “Let’s go. Can we watch a happy movie tonight?”

“It’s your house. I’d say you get to control the clicker. Anything in particular?”

“ Legally Blonde .”

“Sure. The underdog wins the day.” He was more perceptive than I’d given him credit for.

I nodded. “Yeah. Against all odds.”

Back at home, nothing out of the ordinary happened. It was approaching dinnertime, Constance had gone home, and Duke was on a grocery run. So it was only Terry with me when the doorbell rang.

He pulled his gun. “Are you expecting anyone?” He started for the front door.

I followed. “No.”

He peered through the peephole. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I pushed him aside and checked the peephole myself. “Put that cannon away.” I waved him back. “I forgot Grace was coming over.”

He holstered the weapon. “Get rid of her.”

I glared at him. “No.” I pulled the door open for my best friend. “Hi, Gray.”

She came in and engulfed me in our special style of hug, long and tight, the way we’d done in our trauma support group.

I stepped back and closed the door. “Grace and I are cooking together tonight.”

“Does he have to be here?”

I looked between the two of them. “Uh…yeah.”

Terry gritted his teeth. “I’m her security.”

“I thought it was just the one day.”

“He’s on my team,” I explained. “And it’s more than one day.”

Grace shook her head. “Keep him away from me.”

“Same old Bobcat. There are those claws I remember. Maybe you should leave and make us both happy,” Terry said. The name change from Kitty to Bobcat was ominous.

“No, Serena invited me,” Grace spat, tossing her red hair.

I held up my hands. “Stop. I don’t know what your problem is, but neither of you is leaving. Grace, I hired security for a problem I ran into, and Terry is a permanent part of the team. He stays.”

Her brows creased. “I still don’t get why you need a team.”

“I’ll explain later. Terry, Grace and I have some cooking to do. Go do some push-ups, reload your gun, or whatever.”

“You can practice firing it at your head,” Grace added. “It’s big enough that you won’t miss.”

With a huff, Terry stomped away. “Lucas, we have a problem,” he said into his phone as he went.

I pointed us toward the kitchen. “I thought you two were getting along better?”

Grace sighed. “He’s a douche.”

“I heard that, Kitty.” Terry’s voice carried from the other room.

She looked away and shook her head. “Make that super douche.”

I shrugged. “Then let’s get cooking.” I needed the therapy of it.

She nodded. “I brought extra chicken breasts in case we need a redo to get it right.”

I took her bag. “Good thing. We’re cooking for four. Duke will be back soon.”

“Do I have to cook for him?” She thumbed in Terry’s direction.

I shot her a look. This was totally unlike the thoughtful and kind Grace I knew.

“Okay,” she relented. “For you, girlfriend.”

We unpacked the ingredients she’d brought and got everything ready. We were attempting olive-and-feta-stuffed chicken tonight. After creating the pockets in the breasts and scooping feta into a bowl, Grace addressed the elephant in the room. “You didn’t mention why you needed security?”

The recipe suggested kalamata olives, but all I had were green castelvetrano ones. “Will these do?” I asked.

“If that’s all we have, sure. We need to double it to twelve chopped up.” She pulled the oregano from the spice rack. “You forgot about tonight, didn’t you?”

I shrugged and counted the olives out on a cutting board.

“What’s wrong?” she prodded.

I chopped the olives and added them to the feta. “I got run off the road a week ago Monday, and it wasn’t random.”

She gasped. “Is it?—”

“No. He was still in prison then. Now, a teaspoon of oregano and a little pepper.”

“Then?”

“He’s just been paroled.” I didn’t have the stomach to say more.

“That sucks.” She ignored the spice jar and took me into a long, tight hug. “I’m so sorry.”

I shuddered into her. “I was really scared,” I admitted before pulling free and straightening. “But I survived, and now I have the best team around me. Oregano?”

She measured and added it. “You better have more than him .” She nodded toward the other room, derision in her tone.

I broke a clove off the garlic and handed it to her. “What happened with Terry?”

She shook her head. “Another time.”

Terry poked his head in. “What are we having?”

“Something appropriate for you,” Grace snapped. “Dog food.”

“Be nice,” I whispered.

“Stuffed chicken breast,” she said with sugary sweetness. “I hope you like it.”

Duke walked in with two grocery bags and stopped. “Hi, Grace.”

“Hi.”

He quietly unloaded his haul and put things away while we discussed the next steps.

“You like him,” Grace teased after Duke left.

I nodded. “Duh. He’s my boyfriend.”

“I can tell it’s more than a little.”

“Where are the toothpicks?”

As we finished the prep, she brought out a surprise. “My asshole landlord is having the building tented for termites so he can sell it. Can I stay with you for a few days when that happens?”

For my best friend, there was only one possible answer. “Of course. When?”

“He hasn’t told me yet, but soon.”

“This is delicious,” Duke said again as the four of us sat at the table eating.

We’d stuffed and closed the chicken with toothpicks, pan-fried it on both sides, and finished it in the oven. It looked similar enough to the picture in the recipe book to be called a success. Rice pilaf and a salad completed the meal, and I was proud of it.

“I agree,” Terry added. “Thank you, Serena…and Grace.”

She nodded, but after a moment, Grace checked her watch. “Sorry to run, but I have to go.” She stood before I could protest.

Duke turned to Terry. “Walk her to her car.”

Grace glared. “That’s not necessary.”

“Terry will walk you to your car,” Duke said in a tone that didn’t invite argument. “There are dangerous people after Serena, and one of them could be out there.”

Grace’s mouth dropped open. “Is it that serious?”

I nodded. “Go with him.”

Terry rose as ordered. “Suck it up, Kitty.”

Her face contorted as she stood.

“I’ll be right back,” Terry said.

Duke chewed. “No hurry.” He and Terry shared a look.

After the door closed behind them, I nodded toward the door. “Do you think I put her in danger by bringing her here?” That possibility was sickening.

Duke scooped up some rice. “Nope, but this will give them a chance to talk privately. Maybe it’ll help.”