Deadly Game (Fortress Security #5)(14)
It was a good one, he had to admit. The windows were made of bullet-resistant glass and hard to get. While Brent worked hard to protect his operatives’ identities, he and Micah were the face of the company. As much as they tried to conceal their addresses, apparently Carstairs had managed to get the information anyway. He needed to warn Micah.
His jaw clenched. Once they captured Carstairs, Brent would find out how he learned the information and close the security gap. He wasn’t worried so much for himself, but Micah had a young son and another baby on the way. No way would he allow anything to happen to Sophie and the kids. “I’ll be on site for about an hour. Make sure someone’s out here by then.”
“Roger that, sir.”
Rowan leaned against the door jamb. “Must be nice to have your windows replaced within an hour.”
“It’s not a service we offer. My logistics manager set it up as an extra security measure.”
“I don’t understand.”
“These aren’t regular windows. They’re made with bullet-resistant glass and it takes a long time to have them replaced. It’s not something kept in stock.”
“I’m glad your people take good care of you.”
They walked back to the front of the house where Officer Edwards was dusting his door for prints. “Shields is working on the incident report. When he’s finished, you’ll need to sign it.” The officer inclined his head toward the door. “I’ll let you know if we pick up any usable prints. So far, no luck.”
No surprise. He probably wouldn’t lift any. Fortress would be lucky to find Carstairs before he struck again.
CHAPTER SIX
Rowan unlocked the outside door to her apartment over the coffee shop. Before she could step inside, Brent laid his hand on her shoulder to hold her in place.
“Let me check your apartment before you go inside,” he murmured.
Her gaze dropped to the doorknob she’d had to unlock with her key. “Why? The door was still locked.”
“Let me check first, then I’ll explain.” After nudging her to a position against the wall by the door, he slipped into her apartment.
Rowan listened for any sound that might indicate Brent was confronting an intruder, but heard nothing. Then again, with the silent way the Fortress CEO moved, she’d be surprised if she heard much of anything from him.
An intruder, on the other hand, couldn’t be as skilled as Brent. Based on the noises coming from Heather’s phone at the start of the attack, the men who took Alexa weren’t trained like the Fortress people.
Tears stung her eyes. She couldn’t believe her sister was gone. It was just her and Alexa now. How was she going to raise a child on her income and with her hours? She worked full time and didn’t know a thing about being a mother.
Rowan blew out a breath, blinking back the moisture. She’d figure out the details of her new life. Lots of single mothers worked full time and raised a family. The first step was bringing Alexa home. Everything else would work itself out in time. The one thing she knew for sure? Alexa would never wonder whether Rowan loved her and wanted her.
Brent returned and motioned for her to come inside. Good thing, too. Rowan was starting to spook herself out here in the darkness. She needed better lighting at the door, doubly important now that she had Alexa to protect. “Find anything amiss?”
He shook his head and grabbed the bag he’d left at the door. After he locked the door, he set his bag against the wall.
Rowan dropped her purse on the side table. “Would you like some coffee or a soft drink?” She stopped, eyes widening. “You must be starving. We didn’t have a chance to eat.”
“I am hungry,” he admitted. “What about you?”
She wrinkled her nose, shook her head.
“So you’re one of those.”
“One of those?”
“One of those people who don’t eat when dealing with an adrenaline rush. Some of my operatives exercise until they drop to burn off the energy. Others eat. Still others listen to music. Then there are folks like you who can’t eat until the adrenaline bleeds off.”
“When will that happen?”
“Sometime in the next hour or so.” Brent brushed back some strands of Rowan’s hair clinging to her cheek. “When that happens, you may be too tired to eat.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“Do you have eggs and bread?”
Her mouth gaped. “You’re expecting me to cook for you?”
He chuckled. “Actually, I was going to cook for both of us. If you can eat anything, it’s likely to be comfort food.”
“Don’t you need something more substantial?”
“I’ll be fine. Now, do you have the eggs and bread? If not, I’ll run out and buy some.”
“I have both.” Luckily, she’d made a trip to the grocery store two days ago and hadn’t been home long enough yet to eat anything she’d bought, a hazard of working long hours as a small business owner.
“Excellent. Go change into something comfortable while I work on the eggs and toast. Take your time.”
She reached up and cradled his face between her palms. “Thank you, Brent.” Rowan kissed him lightly and stepped back.
Brent caught her upper arms. With excruciating slowness, he brought her back, cupped the nape of her neck, and tilted his head toward her. His lips captured hers.