Grace

“Are you sure you’ll be safe here?” Mya asked, glancing around Ian’s house. “Daniel obviously wants Ian dead. Who’s to say he won’t kill you in the process?”

I watched Ian and Reed through the window, separating the individual cameras they were going to place around the house. “Ian’s more prepared than you think,” I said. She knew about Ian being an FBI agent, but she had no clue he was an assassin. It was Ian’s secret and I wasn’t going to tell anyone.

“Still,” Mya murmured, concern etched in her voice. I joined her on the couch and she passed me a glass of iced tea. “Doesn’t it scare you?”

I shrugged and took a sip of my drink. “A little, but we can’t hide away for the rest of our lives.” It’d been two weeks, and still no sign of Daniel.

“I guess you’re right.” Sighing, she turned her body toward me. “What’s going to happen if Ian gets called on a case?”

“He won’t. Ian decided to take time off while he’s dealing with the whole Daniel situation. He can’t exactly go undercover if someone’s hunting him. It could interfere with the case.”

“True,” she replied.

“Plus, the FBI are searching non-stop to find Daniel. I keep hoping it’ll end, but a part of me loses hope each week that passes.”

She patted my leg. “They’ll find him. I just hope whoever does, kills the doucheface.”

“You and me both.”

We finished our tea and I took our glasses to the kitchen, grabbing a plateful of the chocolate chip cookies I’d made that morning. I set a plate on the coffee table and Mya grabbed two, grinning from ear to ear.

“Changing the subject,” she said, taking a bite of the cookie. She moaned and closed her eyes. I waited for her to finish her sentence and when she didn’t, I laughed. There was chocolate all over her lips. “How did it go, meeting Ian’s family? I bet they all live in fancy houses and look like movie stars.”

Ian’s father definitely had; same went for Wade and Brina too. “Well, you already know who most of them are. All you have to do is a simple search on the internet and you’ll get tons of results. To be honest, they’re just like you and me—normal people. I had a great time meeting them. It’s just crazy to think that Ian has this whole other life no one knows about.”

Mya grabbed another cookie. “I know, right? He’s like an undercover superstar. Not to mention, loaded. You wouldn’t even have to work if you two got married.”

“Oh, no,” I stated adamantly. “I’m going to work no matter what. I don’t care how much money he makes.”

“Did your interview go well this morning?”

I nodded and picked up a cookie. “It did. The owner is really nice. She told me the job is mine if I want it.” She’d basically offered it to me before the interview even started. Luckily, my reputation at Snow Creek was known throughout the hotels in my city.

Mya ate the rest of her second cookie. “Are you going to take it?”

With a wide grin, I winked. “I am. Ian and I are going out to celebrate tonight. We’re actually going to have a real date for the first time.”

“Moving backward, aren’t you? Shouldn’t you have had that before agreeing to live with each other?” She giggled.

“Well . . . if it wasn’t for Daniel still being on the loose, I’d be back at my house.”

“Yeah, right. I don’t think Ian would let you out of his sight, even then.”

I shrugged. “Eventually, he’ll have to when he gets back to his day job. It’ll be weird when he leaves for weeks at a time on secret missions. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Mya put her arm around my shoulders. “You can hang out with me and play with your little niece or nephew. I want them close with their Auntie Grace.”

The back door opened and Ian walked in, wiping the sweat off his forehead with a towel. “Three of the cameras are up,” he said with a wink.

Mya patted my leg. “At least, I know you’re safe.” She stood and grabbed another cookie with a wink. “I should probably get going. Alex is going to be home from work soon. We’re going to look at baby furniture. I’m pretty sure I’m nesting. I can’t focus on anything else until we get the room all set up.”

“Aw, that sounds like fun, mama bird. I can’t wait to plan your baby shower.” I walked her to the door and hugged her tight. “I’ll call you later. Maybe one day next week you and Alex can come over and eat dinner with us.”

She squeezed me back. “As long as you make those cookies again.”

I burst out laughing. “Deal.”

“Bye, Ian,” she hollered as she walked out the door.

He shouted goodbye and I shut the door. When I walked into the kitchen, his shirt was gone and he’d just stuffed a cookie in his mouth. “Cookies and beer? That’s gross,” I said, curling my lip.

“Tastes pretty damn good to me. If you keep making these things, I’ll get fat.”

Biting my lip, I walked over to him, examining his toned chest and stomach. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, but I’m sure we could work off the calories somehow.”

He grabbed me around the waist. “I’ll expect a good workout tonight, when we get back from dinner.”

I shrugged. “Maybe even a dip in the pool? I’ve never been skinny dipping before.”

Groaning, he pulled me against his body. “You’re killing me, woman.” He kissed my neck and his stubble made me shiver. “Let me take a shower and then we’ll head out on our date.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Before he could walk off, his phone rang. We both looked at the screen and it was his father. Ian pressed the speaker button. “Dad, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to give you a heads up. Some of my contacts spotted Daniel.”

Ian met my gaze. “Where?”

“Heading north, up toward the Maine area. He was spotted at a private airfield, right outside of Boston. They couldn’t get inside in time to arrest him. Apparently, he’s taken up a new identity.”

I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief that he wasn’t in Wyoming, but there was no telling what all he was prepared for. With his grandfather being a former police officer when he was alive, he probably had several escape plans in place.

“Thanks for the heads up,” Ian said. “Reed and I are installing cameras all around the house. He won’t be able to get to us here.”

“That may be the case, son, but you’re not going to be there twenty-four-seven.”

Ian frowned. “I know. Keep me informed if you hear anything else.”

“Will do. Tell Grace I said hello.”

“Hi, Glenn,” I called out sheepishly. “Ian had you on speakerphone.”

He chuckled. “Good afternoon, Grace. I’m sorry I had to deliver such news. In a way, I was hoping he’d head back to Wyoming, so this could end.”

“Hopefully your people will catch him.”

“Yes, yes. And when we do, you’ll have to come back to Charlotte again. Bring your parents too. I’d love to meet them.”

“I’m sure they’d love to meet you too.”

Ian picked up the phone and sighed. “Let me know if anything changes.”

“I will, son. In the meantime, take care of yourself, and be watchful.”

“Always am.” Ian hung up and blew out a heavy breath.

“What are we going to do now?” I asked.

He cupped my face and looked deep into my eyes. Even though he tried to hide it, I could see the disappointment in his eyes. He hated himself for Daniel getting away. I could tell him a million times it wasn’t his fault, but his mind was set. It killed me to see him feel like a failure.

“We’re going to live our lives and move on,” he murmured. “And when that son of a bitch comes back, I won’t let him get away.” I leaned my head against his chest. His heartbeat thumped so loud it vibrated against my ear. “Now come on, let’s get ready to go. I don’t want to think about that cocksucker anymore tonight.”

“Sounds good to me.”