Deadly Game (Fortress Security #5)(27)

“He’d be foolish to take on either of those two,” Chase muttered. “Anybody with eyes and two brain cells to rub together can see those guys aren’t ones to mess with.”

Rowan glanced toward the door again. She wasn’t sure Frank recognized how dangerous and trained Brent and Adam were. Guess it wouldn’t take long for reality to sink in. Brent and his friend wouldn’t allow Frank to hurt anyone.

Figuring Lacey needed to keep herself busy, Rowan asked her to make more coffee. If the afternoon progressed as it normally did, they’d have another mini-rush around two. She busied herself making Lacey’s tea.

With the fresh coffee brewing, Rowan said, “Sit down for a bit, Lace. I’ll bring your tea in a minute.”

“I’m supposed to be helping you,” she protested.

“You will be. You’ve had a shock. Give yourself a chance to recover for a few minutes.” She led her friend back to Adam’s table. “Sit here.”

“But this is your friend’s table.”

“Lace, Adam won’t mind. He’s working on a project for Brent. In fact, I’d like you to make sure he has everything he needs. Water, coffee, snacks. I think he’ll be here until Coffee House closes. He works for Fortress, Brent’s security company. Adam will make sure employees and customers are safe. I didn’t want to take chances after what happened last night.”

Relief flooded Lacey’s face. “That’s a good idea. I have to admit I was worried about being here at night. I promise I’ll keep him comfortable.”

“I knew I could count on you.” Once Lacey’s tea finished steeping, Rowan brought the mug to the table. The bell over the door rang. Brent and Adam entered the shop.

“Take care of the garbage?” Chase called out.

Adam nodded and approached the corner table. “You okay?” he asked Lacey in a quiet voice.

“Thanks to you.” Lacey’s gaze swept over Adam. “No injuries from Frank?”

He exchanged an amused glance with his boss. “He didn’t lay a hand on either of us.” Adam sobered. “I don’t think he’ll be bothering you again, Lacey. We made it plain what would happen if he approached you again.”

“You don’t know what he’s like.”

Brent lifted one shoulder. “He’s a bully. We don’t need to know him to deal with him.”

That’s when Rowan noticed his reddened right hand. When he caught her staring at him, he winked at her. She could guess the type of persuasion they’d used on Frank. Hopefully, whatever they did worked because threatening to call the police sure hadn’t.

“Thank you, Adam,” Lacey said. “Brent, too. Frank can be difficult.”

“You deserve better than Frank,” Adam said.

Lacey’s eyes glistened. “You’re right.”

Maybe the message would sink in. Rowan hoped Frank stayed away for good. “Brent and I need to go to the police station. You’ll be fine with Chase and Adam here. Call in extra help if you need to.”

“Will do. We’ll keep Coffee House going for you. Don’t worry about a thing.”

Rowan leaned down and hugged her friend, then picked up her purse where she’d dropped it to confront Frank. Brent’s hand rested against her lower back as he escorted her to his SUV.

He opened the passenger door for her, then leaned in to give her a lingering kiss. “Thank you,” he murmured.

Trying to think despite the haze enveloping her brain after that romantic display, she asked, “For what?”

“Trusting me to handle Frank.”

Her eyes narrowed. “He is still alive, right?”

“He’s breathing.”

Rowan noticed Brent didn’t say how well Frank was breathing. She hope Frank was reminded of the warning to stay away from Lacey with every breath he took. “Will he call the police?”

“Why?”

“I’m trying to figure out if I have enough money in my checking account to post your bail.”

Brent burst into laughter. “Won’t come to that. He slunk away like the coward he is.”

“Good. Let’s get going. I want to know what Cal learned.”

“He may have gone home, sweetheart.” Brent climbed behind the wheel. “He works third shift, which means he’s well into the time he normally sleeps.”

She groaned at the prospect of having to wait longer. “I hate to deprive him of sleep, but I hope he’s still awake.”

They were in luck. In the bullpen, Cal Taylor sat at his desk, peering at his computer screen. He glanced up as they approached. “Perfect timing. I just finished interrogating your unwanted guest. He’s sticking to what he told Brent. Salazar is also not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He didn’t wear gloves when he broke into Rowan’s place. I lifted clear prints.”

“You have plenty of charges to keep him locked up,” Brent said.

“Oh, yeah. With his fingerprints, your eyewitness testimony, and his confession, he’s not going anywhere.”

Great. One potential assassin down. Who knew how many others might be offered the job? Depressing thought. “Do you know anything about Alexa?” she asked.

“I’m sorry, Rowan. I’m working on it. The FBI is also on the case now.”