Trusting Danger (Danger, #2)(41)

Autumn turned her head and spotted Claire. “You’re up.”

Grayson spun around. His gaze met Claire’s and his expression softened. “Were you able to get some rest?”

Claire blinked several times, surprised again by his concern. She nodded as she walked over.

She’d barely said anything to Camden and Autumn the night before when Grayson had made introductions. Her throat closed up as she remembered why she was here, but she couldn’t think about that now. Maybe a little small talk would get her mind off her grief.

“Do you all live here?” she asked Camden, studying him with curiosity. He was a little shorter than Grayson but looked to be just as fit, with brown hair and dark eyes and an open, welcoming expression.

“No,” Camden said. “But Gray and I used to be roommates. Autumn was living up north when we met, and once we got together, I left the team and we decided to move.”

“Where do you live now?”

“Bonnersville, a small town in Virginia,” Camden said. “But Gray’s been nice enough to let us stay here for a while.”

The glance he exchanged with his wife made Claire wonder what the reason for their stay was . . . and why they’d make such a drastic move. Her curiosity was killing her, but she didn’t want to be rude and ask intrusive questions.

An awkward silence fell between them until Grayson said, “Didn’t you guys say you were thinking about getting a dog? Claire has a golden retriever.”

Despite her melancholy, Claire gave him a smile. She missed her fur-baby, and since she couldn’t be with him right now, talking about him was the next best thing.

What would Charlie do if he were here? He’d always been able to sense when she was upset, and right now, he’d probably try to crawl into her lap even though he was much too big for that now. He’d lick at her face, wanting to give her sloppy kisses, anything to help her get over the misery she was feeling.

Autumn encouraged Claire to sit down with her and Camden at the kitchen table. When she did, Autumn smiled. “Mind if we ask you a few questions?”

“Of course not.”

“How old is your dog?”

“Charlie’s a year old.”

“How much does he weigh?”

“About sixty pounds, but I expect he’ll put on a little more weight this year.”

“He’s friendly?” Camden asked.

Claire smiled again. “Incredibly.”

“We’ve heard teething is brutal.”

“It can be, depending on what they like to chew on. Shoes were a favorite of Charlie’s. So much so that I had to keep him in a kennel when I was out.”

“What about at nighttime?” Autumn asked. “Did he stay in the kennel then too?”

“He didn’t need to. From day one, he was big enough to jump down from the bed when he needed to use a pad.”

Grayson looked like he was trying to suppress a smile. “Your dog sleeps with you?”

When she met his eyes, her body’s reaction surprised her. What was going on with her? Every time she looked into Grayson’s eyes now, she felt a jolt of heat.

She nodded and quickly looked away. Her emotions were in a jumble and she wasn’t thinking straight, that was all. Grayson had given her a shoulder to lean on, but it was only due to circumstances. She shouldn’t read anything more into it.

“Who’s taking care of your dog now?”

Claire’s attention snapped back to Autumn. “My dog sitter.”

It had been almost a week since she’d seen Charlie. How much longer until she was home?

A knot of stress formed inside Claire’s stomach at the thought. After the last twenty-four hours, it was hard to imagine her life ever being normal again.





Chapter Thirty-One





After a pre-dawn call on Friday morning from his aunt Mary, Grayson phoned Eli. Not surprisingly, his boss said he’d send their teammate Alex over to guard Claire and insisted Grayson leave as soon as he arrived.

“By the way,” Eli said, “the perp you shot at the safe house? His prints were in the system. Name’s Jack Lawson. He’s got an impressive rap sheet that includes burglary and assault.” His tone sharpened as he added, “And now he’ll face a murder charge as soon as he gets out of the hospital.”

“How about his partner?” Grayson asked softly as he paced the living room.

“Still in the wind. Lawson’s lawyered up; won’t say a word. We’re working to find a link between him and Gabe Rogers.”

“Damn it.”

“The lab couldn’t find anything in Claire’s belongings, so I’ll send those over with Alex. We still don’t know how these guys found the safe house, but we’ll figure it out.”

Grayson cursed under his breath, clenching his free hand into a fist.

“Don’t worry, Gray. We’ll find his accomplice. More importantly, we’ll find whoever set this entire kidnapping plot in motion.”

“We have to,” Grayson forced out from between clenched teeth. “Jeremy died keeping Claire safe, and I’ll be damned if we let his killers go free.”

“We’ll get them.” Eli’s voice was colder than Grayson had ever heard it. “Someone will pay for this. I’m getting on a plane to Chicago today to take a young man home to his mother so she can bury him. I’ll have to stand next to her and her sons as they cry at the funeral, and try to keep my shit together so I don’t cry like a baby with them.”