Grace

I was so warm, I didn’t want to wake up. There were times I thought I was dead, but then the pain would rear its ugly head. I remembered waking up and someone being there to lift me up so I could drink water, but then I’d fall into the darkness again. Squeezing my eyes shut, it felt like my lids were made of sandpaper. My mouth felt like the Sahara Desert.

“Grace,” a voice called out softly. It was a sound I thought I’d never hear again.

I opened my eyes and my father collapsed beside the bed, his warm arms wrapping around me. “Daddy,” I cried. “I never thought I’d see you again.” Looking over his shoulder, I didn’t know where I was.

Then, I remembered Ian’s face from right before I passed out.

My father sobbed as he held me. It was the first time I’d seen him cry since my grandmother died seven years ago. “How do you feel?”

I glanced over at Ian, who stood in the doorway, his muscular arms crossed over his chest. I would never forget how safe I felt wrapped in those arms. “Tired,” I replied, focusing back on my father. “How long was I out?”

His gaze saddened. “A full day. I have a press conference to be at in an hour, to talk about the disappearances. Your mother’s meeting me there.”

“Does she know I’m alive?”

Jaw clenched, he looked down at the floor. “Not yet. If she knows you’re alive, she’ll act differently. I need her to be distraught in front of the cameras.”

The thought of putting my mother through more pain broke my heart. “I understand. She’s going to kill us when this is over.”

He nodded. “But hopefully, this will give us more time to find who took you.” His hand closed over mine, brushing against the bandages wrapped around my wrist. I was scared to see what my skin looked like underneath. “I really think you should get checked out, sweetheart. That way, if you were,” he sucked in a ragged breath, voice warbling, “if you were violated, we could figure out who took you.”

“Dad, no,” I said quickly, squeezing his hand. I glanced back and forth between him and Ian. “I wasn’t raped, I promise.”

“What about the person who took you? Did you get a look at them?” Ian walked the rest of the way into the room, piercing me with his intense stare.

It was as if the bad dream I’d lived through came flooding back. The fear I’d felt in the dark. I could still hear my captor’s voice, not deep and seductive like Ian’s, but smooth, with a long drawl, like a country boy.

“It was a man, but I never saw him,” I replied, my voice a whisper. “I just remember the way he sounded, cold, yet humored by the fact he took me, so someone else could hunt me down. It’s what he does.” Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “I can still hear Chuck’s screams.” I opened my eyes at the next memory and gasped. “And Charles. My boss was there.”

My father’s eyes widened in shock and he cursed under his breath. Ian continued the line of questioning. “What was he doing there?”

I remembered every single word, the struggle. “He was angry. He asked my captor if I was there. When the guy said no, Charles didn’t believe him. He eluded to this type of thing happening before, that he knew what was going on. He—he demanded I be freed.” Tears fell down my cheeks and my chest tightened. I was worried about him. “And then, they fought. I don’t know what happened.”

Ian and my father shared a look that sent my stomach up into my throat.

“Please tell me he’s okay. He’ll be able to tell you who took me.” Deep down, I knew I was asking for too much from the situation. But hope was the only thing that had gotten me through the last two days. It was hard to let go of.

My father shook his head. “He’s dead, Grace. The accident looked as if he ran off the road, and his car exploded when he went over the mountain.”

Tears flooded my eyes and my shoulders shook with my sobs. Whatever Charles’ connection was to everything, he didn’t deserve to die. He’d tried to save me. I loved the man.

With a heavy sigh, my father met Ian’s gaze. “With this recent information, it doesn’t look like it was an accident at all.”

“You’re right,” Ian agreed. “But if you start investigating it as a homicide, the person who’s responsible could tuck tail and run.”

“The same thing goes for me,” I blurted. “If he finds out I’m alive, he’ll come back. Also, he’s not the only one involved. I was there when Chuck was murdered. Someone else showed up and hunted him down.”

My dad sat on the bed, his chest rapidly rising and falling. “You saw Chuck?”

I shook my head. “I was blindfolded. But he was tied up in the barn with me. He kept saying he was next; that he was going to be hunted down, just like the others.”

My father stood and ran his hands down his face. “This is worse than I thought.”

Ian knelt next to the bed and I could smell the soap on his skin. “How did you escape?”

I glanced down at my bandaged wrists, my vision blurring from the tears. “After hearing the scuffle with Charles, I knew something bad happened to him. Knowing no one else would be coming to save me, I decided I had to be strong and escape. I was in the barn, my wrists were tied behind me, and my ankles were bound together. I nearly dislocated my shoulder getting my hands in front of me, but I was able to manage it.

“After that, I took off for the woods. Having my wrists still tied, slowed me down and made me clumsy. Every now and then, when I needed a breather, I would stop and use rocks to cut myself free. I would rather have died running than being shot by someone who hated me.”

“Who would do that?” my father blurted incredulously. “You don’t have any enemies. Everyone loves you!”

Ian sighed. “Maybe that’s the problem.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

He stared right into my eyes. “If everyone loves you, someone’s going to be jealous of that.”

Who was this man in front of me? He didn’t even look like the man I’d kissed a few weeks ago. He was different.

My father glanced down at his watch and huffed. “I have to go, sweetheart, or I’ll be late for the press conference.” He hugged me again and kissed my forehead. “I love you. Oh, and I snuck some clothes out of your house. The bag is on the chair by the window. It should last you a few days.”

“Thanks. I love you too.” He started for the door and I stopped him with my next question. “Wait, am I going to stay here?”

Turning around, he looked at Ian and got a nod in return. “You’ll be safe with Ian. He’ll protect you better than anyone else. There’s a lot you don’t know, so you’re just going to have to take my word on it for now.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

My father nodded toward Ian. “He’ll tell you everything in due time. Until then, rest up. Once we find the bastard who took you, we’ll need your help.” He walked away and I heard the front door slam.

Ian stood and lifted my bag onto the bed. “If you want, you can take a shower while I cook us some dinner.” Holding out his hand to me, I grabbed it and he helped me out of bed.

I’d missed seeing him around the past few weeks. “Where have you been?”

“Why, did you miss me?” In true Ian fashion, he had to make a joke. It was nice. I needed his lightheartedness.

“Honestly, yes. I missed everyone. I didn’t think I was going to make it.” When I’d collapsed on his back porch, I had no clue it was his house.

He slid his fingers to the bandages and carefully unwrapped them, exposing my torn skin. I hissed when the air touched me. “I was on my way out to search for you again when I heard you on the back porch.”

“Again?” I asked.

He nodded. “I told your father we’d find you. Turns out, you found me.”

A small smile spread across my face. “I got lucky.”

I took the longest shower of my life. The water ran red and brown as it flowed over my skin. It burned the second the soap touched my open sores.

I had to wash my hair three times to get all the dried blood out. When I felt clean enough, I turned off the water and the smell of barbeque chicken wafted into the shower. Drying myself off, I walked into the bedroom and there was a bottle of water on the dresser with a note that said Drink Me on it. It brought a smile to my face.

I looked through my bag and found a pair of purple, flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt to put on. There was also a hairbrush, so I ran it through my wet hair. Grabbing the bottle of water, I downed it all by the time I reached the kitchen. Ian pulled out some sweet potatoes from the oven and a slight grin spread across his face when he got a good look at me.

“Nice pajamas.”

My cheeks prickled as a blush rushed up my neck. I hadn’t worn my purple flannels since I was in high school. “I don’t think my dad realized I don’t wear these anymore.” I ran my hands down the soft fabric.

Ian shrugged. “They look cute on you. Will it make you feel better if I wear mine?” He winked and I smiled.

“Maybe. I’m sure you have a pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pajama pants laying around here somewhere.”

“I’ll never tell.” His attention veered to my wrists and he nodded toward the seat at the bar. “Let me put some ointment on those and get you wrapped up.”

Sitting down, I noticed there was already a set of clean bandages on the counter. There was also a gun.

Ian sidled up beside me and I turned to face him. “Hold out your hand,” he murmured. I did as he said, and he gently rubbed the medicine on my skin. Even though it hurt, I also trembled with his touch. It wasn’t the first time he’d snuck chances to touch me. Chills broke out on my arms and he smiled. I pretended to be oblivious, just like I had every other time.

Once I was all bandaged up, I pulled my arms back. “Thank you.”

He smiled, the devilish tilt of his lips an indication he knew I wasn’t immune to his touch. “You’re welcome.”

I had to get it together. Focusing on something other than the gorgeous hue of his eyes, I turned back to the gun. “Is there a reason you have a gun on the counter?”

“Does it bother you?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’m used to guns. It comes with the territory of being a police officer’s daughter.” I looked at the gun again. “But you told me you were a web designer. Why do I get the feeling that’s not true?”

He glanced at the gun and blew out a heavy breath. “Because it’s not. There’s a reason I never told you what I do.”

Heart racing, I was intrigued. “You can trust me, just like I’m trusting you to keep me safe.”

His emerald green eyes locked onto mine. “I’m an FBI agent, Grace. Mainly undercover work. That’s why I was gone for the past three weeks.”

“Wow,” I gasped. “I was wondering if I was ever going to see you again.”

He moved closer. “Did you think I was avoiding you?”

Shrugging, I lied. “I don’t have time to stress over things like that.”

“What a shame, because I couldn’t stop thinking of you the whole time I was gone.”

My whole body lit on fire from the inside out. It was like he could see right through me. “That must’ve been boring,” I countered, trying my best to change the subject. “I guess with you being in the FBI, that’s why my father trusts you with my life. I never would’ve guessed with all the tattoos. Then again, I don’t know anyone with the FBI.” It was strange how, in the matter of a day, a person could appear completely different—body language and all. There was another side of him I didn’t know.

A serious expression passed across his face. “Nobody around here knows what I do. That’s why I’m trusting you to keep it to yourself. I don’t want people knowing who I really am.”

I held up my hands. “You know me, Ian. I’m in your debt for keeping me safe.”

“Good. Dinner will be ready in five.” He got up and walked around the island to pick up the fresh lettuce he must have just brought in from the garden.

I watched him fix our salads, feeling like I should contribute. “Want help?”

Lifting his head, he glared at me. “You just escaped death, Grace. I think I can handle cooking dinner for the evening.” It was different seeing him so serious. Every time I’d been with him at the bars, he’d joke around. “Speaking of which,” he narrowed his gaze at me, “how did you survive out there? You had to have hiked a good distance. You weren’t as dehydrated as I thought you’d be.”

I glanced down at my feet; they were covered with sores. “I must have walked about ten miles, only stopping for a few minutes to eat. I wanted to get as far away and as fast as I could. I didn’t even know where I was headed.”

Ian nodded as he walked over and set down my salad bowl, along with a plate with a piece of barbeque chicken and a sweet potato on it. He sat across from me and passed the salad dressing. “Do you think you could retrace your steps?”

I shook my head “There’s no way. I had no clue if I was going in circles. The whole time I was out there, I was in a daze. That’s why I kept going and refused to sleep.”

“What did you eat and drink out there?”

I cut a piece of my chicken and closed my eyes as I chewed, the flavor bursting on my tongue. It was a hell of a lot better than the stuff I’d eaten recently. “Since it rained a good bit, I drank it from the leaves. As far as food, I found a patch of Miner’s lettuce and Golden Currant. It’s not the best tasting stuff in the world, but it helped.”

“You’re a smart woman. I’m impressed.”

“My father taught me at a young age how to survive in the woods.”

Ian snorted. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

Memories of those hiking trips would forever stay ingrained in my mind. They were some of the best times of my life. “My dad and his old partner, who also happens to be Mya’s father, used to take us backpacking. You might remember her. She’s the woman with the curly, blonde hair who came with me to the bar the night I beat you in pool.”

He chuckled. “I remember.”

Thinking of Mya made me wonder how she was handling my disappearance. I couldn’t wait to see her and my mother when it was over. “We’d stay in the woods for a week, only bringing small snacks. Our fathers wanted us to learn what you could and couldn’t eat in the forest. And they figured we’d be less picky, and better students, if we were hungry.”

Ian stared at me, clearly fascinated. “I knew you were an outdoor kind of girl, but I didn’t realize you’d done all of that.”

Averting my gaze, I swallowed another bite of my chicken. “Neither did the man who took me.” The room fell silent and I could feel Ian’s eyes on me.

“Are you sure nothing else happened I should know about?”

“No,” I replied with a shake of my head. “I’ve told you and my father everything I can remember.” Eyes burning, I met his gaze. “When do you think Charles’ funeral will be?”

“Probably in the next couple of days.”

Tears fell. “I wish I could be there. He died because of me.”

“No,” Ian growled. There was a fierceness to him I’d never seen before; it gave me chills. “He’s dead because he knew what was going on. I know you cared about him, but believe it or not, he was a part of this shit.”

It was true. Charles knew there were people being hunted. He obviously wasn’t the man I thought he was, but he still treated me like a daughter. He had a big heart. Ian waited for a response, but I couldn’t muster up one. My chest ached, and it felt like everything began to crumble around me.

“Grace,” Ian called softly. When I looked over, I could see his turmoil. “I know this can’t be easy, after everything you’ve been through.”

I shrugged. “I’ll be fine. It’s a lot to take in. I never dreamed I’d be in this situation.” It was strange to think I’d almost died. “What bothers me the most is knowing there’s someone out there who hates me enough to want me dead. I can’t think of who it could be.”

“I know where to start.” He never got to explain, as the front door opened. The man who walked in had dark brown hair, and there was no mistaking the familiar green eyes. “What’s up, brother?” Ian called out.

His brother walked over and slapped Ian’s shoulder. “Just got done with,” he looked at me and cleared his throat, “work. Just got done with work.” He held out his hand and smiled. “I’m Reed, Ian’s brother. I see you’re doing better.”

“I’m alive,” I agreed, shaking his hand.

“Do we know anything yet?” he asked, glancing at us.

Ian nodded. “Yes, which is why I’m glad you’re here. I need you to stay with Grace tomorrow. There’s something I need to do.”

“What?” I blurted.

He finished his chicken and guzzled the rest of his beer. “I know you don’t want to think about this, but I’m certain someone at the hotel played a part in your abduction. Those cameras didn’t disconnect themselves.”

“But who could’ve done it? I know all the people at the hotel.”

Ian’s eyes softened. “Our closest friends tend to be the ones who betray us first.”