Trusting Danger: Romantic Suspense (Book Two of the Danger Series) Read online

  She’d never trust him again, and the thought sent a stabbing pain through his gut.

  Shoving aside his bedcovers, Grayson sat up and turned to rest his feet on the floor. He drew in a deep breath, then stood up and headed for the shower to face another shit day.

  Alone in his office a short while later, Grayson hunkered down to review everything they had on the kidnapping case. Again.

  With Claire’s help, they’d drawn up a list of everyone in her life—friends, classmates, teachers, and former boyfriends. There was no family to check . . . Claire was an only child, as were both her parents, and her grandparents were all deceased. When Grayson had approached the senator for the same, he’d asked his assistant to give Grayson whatever he wanted, so a similar list had been compiled for him that included friends and associates.

  The path to justice was a slow one.

  Over the past few weeks, the team had been working their way through the lists, performing cursory background checks since the list was long and resources were limited. With Claire and her parents in the center of a circle of influence, the team first focused on those closest to the Parkers and worked their way outward, leaving casual acquaintances for last since they were less likely to have a reason to want to cause harm to Claire or her family.

  Even though the background checks weren’t extensive, the process was still time-consuming. The team had started with Claire’s list, and so far, none of the people they’d checked had a criminal record worth examining closer—traffic tickets and the like didn’t count, and none of them were known to associate with criminals. Everyone’s identities checked out; no one was masquerading as someone they weren’t. None had a history of violence.

  Grayson went through the stack of files that had been compiled thus far, committing each name and face to memory, as well as their relationship to Claire and her family.

  While he was at it, he went over their files on the men who’d invaded the safe house again, Jack Lawson and Roy King, looking for a link to the Parkers. But once again, he came up empty.

  After another dinner alone in his apartment, Grayson put his dishes in the dishwasher and settled in on the couch for some TV. Since Camden and Autumn had left to return to Virginia a few days ago, the apartment had been quiet in the evenings when he was home. Too quiet.

  The truth was, he missed having people around, something he never thought would happen. He’d ostracized himself his entire life, keeping co-workers and acquaintances at arm’s length with a surly demeanor, a strategy he was now second-guessing. The only person who’d pushed past his unfriendliness and breached his emotional walls in years was Camden.

  And now Claire.

  Grayson picked up the remote to turn on the TV and flipped to the news, surprised when Claire’s heart-shaped face filled the screen. He sat up and leaned forward, his heart pounding.

  A young network reporter with silky black hair wore a serious expression as she interviewed Claire, her tone matter-of-fact but kind. She led Claire through an accounting of her relationship with Gabe Rogers, and asked if Claire knew that Gabe was rumored to be planning to propose.

  “I had no idea,” Claire said after glancing up to the right for a second.

  Lie. Every investigator knew that was a sure tell that what came next wasn’t true. It surprised Grayson that the thought of Gabe proposing to Claire bothered him, but it did.

  “And where does your relationship stand now?” the reporter asked.

  Without hesitation, Claire looked the woman squarely in the eye and said, “It’s over. After our last trip together a couple of weeks ago, I’d already decided to break things off when I saw him again. I didn’t want to do it on the phone.”

  True. Thank God.

  Grayson had wondered if Claire had harbored any feelings for Gabe, even after learning that he was probably behind the kidnapping plot. If anything, knowing that her boyfriend had been running a Ponzi scheme and had tricked her into helping him recruit should have turned her against him, but in Grayson’s experience, people weren’t always rational.

  Turning to Thomas Parker, who sat to his daughter’s right, the reporter asked about his relationship with Gabe. The senator looked sheepish as he admitted that he and members of his staff had been duped by Gabe, but insisted that he’d known nothing about the Ponzi scheme.

  “I’m as much a victim as the others,” he said, spreading his hands wide, palms up.

  True.

  The reporter shifted in her seat, focusing on Claire again. “We understand you’ve been through a harrowing experience lately. Can you tell us a little about that?”

  Claire pulled her shoulders back, visibly stiffening as she recounted learning about the kidnapping plot and being taken into protective custody. She glossed over the days spent in the safe house, simply saying that it was hard being cut off from the world with no contact with friends or family. When she talked about the night of the attack and Jeremy’s death, her voice broke. Her father reached over and took her hand, obviously trying to comfort her.

  “I’m so sorry. That must have been horrible,” the reporter said, her sympathy seeming genuine. “Have any arrests been made?”

  Claire opened her mouth to answer but her father squeezed her hand.

  “We’ve been advised not to speak about the ongoing investigation,” Thomas said, his stern expression a clear indication that the subject was well and truly closed.

  “I see.” The reporter gave him a closed-lipped smile and went for the kill. “Senator, do you feel that the threat against your daughter and her involvement with a disgraced fund manager will have any effect on your campaign?” Her smile widening, she said, “After all, Election Day is only two weeks away.”

  Turning to look directly at the camera, Senator Thomas Parker said, “I have every confidence that the voters in Massachusetts will vote for who will represent them best. For the past eight years, I’ve been proud to have that honor, and I’m looking forward to another four years.”

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Claire hit Save on her laptop, relieved that she was close to completing what she’d missed during her time away from school. All her assignments were turned in, and she was nearly caught up on her reading.

  She rose from her dining table and walked to the window. Another TV news van was pulling up on the street to join the others. The media circus below had started yesterday, shortly after the network interview she’d done. News of a kidnapping attempt would likely draw in more viewers than the day-to-day squabbles of Washington politics, and the vultures wanted to be there to snatch up every possible morsel.

  Claire shook her head as she recalled the interview. Although Nick had given the network conditions for the questioning, she had still expected a grilling. At the very least, she’d thought her father, who’d sat in on the interview, would receive one.

  But the reporter had been surprisingly professional, for the most part. She’d shown a great deal of sympathy when Claire had choked up while discussing what had happened to Jeremy.

  Her mouth going dry, Claire thought of the decision she’d made. She wouldn’t be taking the bar. There was no way she could go through life as a corporate attorney; her heart just wasn’t in it. Although she wasn’t up to having the conversation with her parents yet, she would soon.

  Ironically, it wasn’t the situation with Gabe that had prompted the decision—it was all that had happened with Grayson. He’d pushed her away, breaking her heart in the process, but he’d also done something else. He’d made her see what could be.

  It was possible to have passion in her life and in her career . . . she just had to find it.

  As she moved away from the window and picked up her tote, Alex stood up from the sofa.

  “All set?”

  Claire nodded.

  He had been invaluable these last few days, especially with the reporters. She hadn’t discussed Grayson with him, but he seemed to sense how she was feeling and had given her space.


  As she walked outside her building alongside Alex, microphones were thrust at her, making her wince.

  “No comment,” Claire repeated several times as Alex kept a hand on her elbow and steered her toward his SUV.

  As he sped them away from the reporters, Claire dropped her head against the headrest and let out a groan. “How does anyone deal with that on a regular basis?”

  Alex shot her a grin. “Not a fan of the media?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve been around it all my life, but it’s never been anywhere near this bad. The good news is that as soon as something else exciting or horrible happens, they’ll all go away.”

  She studied Alex for a moment, wanting to ask about Grayson, but decided against it. She turned her gaze back to the window. It wasn’t worth it; she’d only become emotional if she asked about him. The only thing she could do was try to put him out of her mind.

  Fat chance of that happening.

  Resting her chin in her hand as she propped her elbow on the door, she stared out the window, her vision blurred.

  When Claire and Alex arrived at the jail a few minutes early, she spotted Leah and hurried over to pull her aside, needing to talk. Something was going on with Leah, something to do with Chris, and Claire was determined to find out what it was. Their client deserved their best efforts on his behalf, and she wasn’t convinced Leah was entirely on his side.

  Taking Leah by the elbow, Claire told Alex, “Give us a minute. We’ll be right over here.”

  Alex nodded. “Sure. I’ll wait down the hall.”

  When he’d walked away, Claire turned to Leah. “Is there something I need to know?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “About this case. Your heart isn’t in it.”

  Leah froze and looked away, not meeting Claire’s gaze. “It’s just hard for me, all this drug-dealing shit.”

  Confused, Claire tilted her head as she studied her friend. “Why?”

  When Leah finally met Claire’s eyes, she blinked rapidly as if fighting tears. “My older brother was in a car accident a few years ago and got pretty banged up. The painkillers they gave him helped, but his back and neck kept giving him problems, so he asked his doctor for refills.”

  Claire froze, having a pretty good idea where this was headed. The opioid crisis was all over the news, so many sad stories of ordinary people with no history of drug addiction getting hooked on painkillers after a surgery or injury.

  “Pretty soon, his doc told him no more refills, but by then he was hooked and we had no idea. Oxy’s available on the street, but at thirty or forty bucks a pill, he couldn’t afford it for long. So he tried meth. Then heroin.”

  When she met Claire’s gaze again, Leah’s eyes were filled with tears. “My brother was dead within a few months. Accidental overdose. He was a good man, Claire, a really good man. But those damn drugs killed him. And every time we talk to Chris, I wonder if we’re doing the world any favors by helping him.”

  Stunned, Claire could only stare at Leah for a moment, trying to pull her thoughts together. She had no idea Leah even had a brother; she’d never mentioned him before. Her heart breaking for her friend, Claire reached out and gripped her hand.

  “Leah, I’m so sorry for your loss. What you and your family went through is horrible, there’s no doubt about it. But Chris isn’t a bad person, you know that. He’s just a kid trying to survive on his own with no family to support him. Given another chance, I know he’ll do better. You saw how terrified he was when we first interviewed him, remember?”

  Leah squeezed Claire’s hand, then pulled hers back to swipe at her eyes. When she seemed more in control of herself, Claire continued.

  “He’s no hardened criminal, but the people he works for . . . those are the ones who need to be behind bars. And if we can convince Chris to help himself, to agree to give the prosecutor information about who he works for in exchange for his own freedom, we’ll have managed to do two good things. If we can do that, maybe we’ll keep someone else’s brother from going down the same path as yours.”

  Blinking hard, Leah gave Claire a tremulous smile. “You’re right. It’s our job to help Chris, and if what we do helps put some of those scumbag drug dealers out of business, all the better.”

  Smiling back, Claire said, “Absolutely. Let’s go do our job.”

  Following Leah to the conference room, Claire smiled as they passed Alex standing post outside the door. Professor Moore was already there when they entered the room, scowling as she flipped through the pages of her notepad.

  Claire’s anxiety rose as she took a seat. Why did Professor Moore look so irritated?

  She didn’t have to wait long to find out. Before she’d even pulled her own pad from her tote, Professor Moore skewered her with an angry look.

  “The prosecutor called to let me know about the new deal.”

  Claire frowned at her. “What deal?”

  Leah’s head jerked up from her notes, her eyes wide. “There’s a deal?”

  Ignoring Leah, Professor Moore rolled her eyes. “Don’t play dumb, Miss Parker. You arranged it.”

  Claire’s heart pounded inside her chest. “No. I didn’t.”

  The professor threw a hand in the air. “Then your father did. That’s not the point. What I need to know is why you didn’t share this little development with me.”

  Trying not to let the accusation rattle her, Claire pulled in a steadying breath. “Because I have no idea what you’re talking about. Honestly.”

  But as the words left her mouth, something clicked. Whatever deal Professor Moore was talking about . . . could Grayson have played a role?

  “I have a friend who works for the government,” she said slowly, considering. “I mentioned the case to him. It’s possible he got involved.”

  “I see.” The professor studied her for a moment before her expression softened. “I saw the interview, Miss Parker . . . Claire. I’m sorry for what happened to you.”

  “Me too,” Leah said. “I had no idea.”

  Claire twisted her hands in her lap. “I wish I could have been up front with you both—”

  “I understand now why you disappeared for a while,” Professor Moore said, giving her an abashed look. “I got the messages sent on your behalf, but it all seemed so strange. I just wish you could have told me.”

  “Thank you.”

  Leah’s gaze went from Professor Moore to Claire and then back again. “Clue me in, please. What is it the prosecutor is offering?”

  “They’re willing to go along with the suspended sentence,” Professor Moore said. “This is a huge gift for Chris. I hope he’ll realize how lucky he is.”

  Their client was escorted into the room several minutes later and drew in a sharp breath once he was told the news. “Man, I can’t believe this.”

  “You’ll be remanded into custody if anything else happens,” Professor Moore warned.

  “He’s going to be good,” Claire said.

  Chris’s head snapped around and he stared at her in amazement. Then, for the first time in any of their meetings, Chris smiled. The sight of it spread warmth through Claire’s chest.

  The boy was going to have his second chance, and she was going to keep an eye on him. He wouldn’t get back into dealing. Not on her watch.

  The meeting quickly wrapped up, and once Claire and Leah were left alone inside the conference room, Leah said, “Never in a million years would I have expected that turn of events.”

  “Me either.”

  “You really are connected, Claire.” Leah raised a brow. “Was it Grayson who did this?”

  “Probably.”

  Leah looked toward the door. “Looks like you have a new guy now. Where’s Grayson?”

  Claire tried to ignore the curiosity on her friend’s face. “He’s not guarding me anymore.”

  Normally, she’d have told Leah what had happened between her and Grayson, but with Leah’s blatant interest, it was best to keep things to h
erself.

  Leah swung around to study Claire. “Why isn’t he guarding you?”

  “They assigned me someone else.”

  “The other hottie I saw.” A frown crossed Leah’s face as her brain spun. “Wait. Did something happen between you and Grayson?”

  Claire avoided her eyes, focusing on returning her pad and pen to her tote.

  “Oh my God! Did you guys hook up?”

  “Leah . . .” Claire let out an exasperated sigh.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Claire shrugged.

  “I’m sorry about the other day,” Leah said. “Seriously. I would never have flirted with him if I’d known something was going on.”

  “There isn’t anything going on between Grayson and me.”

  Not anymore.

  Once Alex had taken her back to her condo, Claire excused herself and headed for her bedroom, debating whether to call Grayson.

  Did he arrange this deal for Chris? And if he did, why?

  She pulled out her phone but as she stared at it, her resolve to call Grayson faded. If he’d wanted to speak to her, he would have. She had to let it—and him—go.

  I can’t keep thinking about him. I need to focus on school.

  Pushing aside her misery, she put away her phone and pulled out one of her textbooks. She might not intend to take the bar, but she did intend to graduate. Keeping her options open was the smart choice.

  It was time to get back to work.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Grayson followed Eli inside the DC Jail. Both men had been taken aback when a representative from the SEC had called to say Gabe Rogers was requesting a meeting.

  Gabe, his attorney, and representatives from the SEC were already seated in the visitation room when Grayson and Eli stepped inside. They took seats on the same side of the long table as the men from the SEC.

  An unwanted wave of hostility rolled through Grayson as he gazed at Gabe, who was wearing an ill-fitting orange jumpsuit.