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

  Grayson crossed the road on foot and climbed up a ridge. He’d just crested the top when he spotted something pale on the other side that contrasted sharply with the evergreen forest—a tent set up at the floor of the valley and a pickup truck parked behind it. Based on its location, it was on Parker property, and Claire had told him her parents were private people. They wouldn’t have given someone permission to camp here, would they?

  Deciding to try his luck again, Grayson pulled out his phone to call Alex. Maybe he could find out from Claire.

  When the call didn’t connect, Grayson thumbed off the phone and shoved it in his pocket. Remembering the gift Gabe had given Claire in Florida, Grayson shook his head.

  That satellite phone would really come in handy now.

  He flicked a glance over his shoulder. Should he go back to the interstate where he’d had coverage and make his calls, or stay here and take a look? Eli already knew he was on the property . . .

  His mind made up, Grayson started down the other side of the ridge to investigate. He was nearing the tent when a cracking noise behind him had him spinning around.

  Grayson’s adrenaline surged as he spotted a brawny man approaching quickly through the trees. His face was familiar, and Grayson quickly flipped through his mental Rolodex.

  About six feet tall, two hundred twenty pounds or so, black hair, mid-forties . . .

  Then it clicked. Roy King.

  “Who are you?” King demanded as he came to a stop about ten feet away, scowling. “What are you doing here?”

  Cursing himself for not having his weapon in hand the moment he left his vehicle, Grayson curled his empty fingers into fists. “I could ask you the same.”

  “I asked first.”

  Grayson resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Federal agent. I need a soil sample.”

  “For what reason?”

  “Trying to match it up to a suspect.”

  King spread his feet a little further apart and casually hooked a thumb in his back pocket. “A suspect in what?”

  “Kidnapping and murder.” Grayson tensed, keeping a close eye on the man’s hands. “Sound familiar?”

  King’s eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to imply something?”

  “Why are you here?” Grayson demanded.

  The big man snorted. “Since you seem to know so much, maybe you should tell me.”

  “My best guess is you’re hiding out. Who’re you working for, King? Nick Papadakos?”

  A rustle came from the bushes and Grayson whipped his head around, wary of a potential attack from a second person. Too late, he realized it was a mistake to take his eyes off of King.

  Electricity jolted him as a pair of sharp probes slammed into his chest, freezing every muscle in his body. Stunned, he tried to react but could only clench his teeth as pulses from King’s Taser paralyzed him with a rapid tick-tick-tick. When they finally stopped a million years later, his body folded and he dropped to the ground hard, gasping for breath.

  “For a federal agent,” King said with a grunt, “you’re not too bright.”

  Grayson cursed himself mentally as the large man picked up his gun and tucked it into his waistband, then tased him again for good measure. When that pulse ended and Grayson’s body went limp, King yanked out the probes and bent over to grab his wrists. Still incapacitated for a moment, Grayson couldn’t resist as he was dragged over rough ground and into the tent, and his wrists quickly bound with rope.

  His heart raced while he did his best to think. He couldn’t fight the man, not tied up.

  How long would it be before Eli checked on him? Given how scrambled Grayson’s brain was, it was hard to tell. Another couple of hours, at least; it would take Eli that long to get here once he realized Grayson was late calling in.

  Grunting with the effort, King hefted Grayson onto a folding camp chair. More rope was wrapped around his chest and tied off.

  Grayson scanned the tent, taking stock. Other than three canvas camp chairs and a lightweight aluminum table, there was no furniture. Several sleeping bags were rolled up and stacked against a canvas wall. A couple of duffel bags sat in a corner, one opened enough that Grayson could see it was filled with food. This had to be where they’d planned to hold Claire.

  But who else is involved? Who’s calling the shots?

  As King tied his ankles to the chair, Grayson ground out, “You’re under investigation.”

  Ignoring his comment, King searched Grayson’s pockets and extracted his keys. Grayson clenched his jaw as the man took his wallet and phone as well.

  Son of a bitch. How was he going to get out of this?

  Chapter Sixty

  En route to her parents’ mountain property, Claire fidgeted with worry in the backseat of Eli’s Explorer as she stared out the window at the passing scenery, only able to hear his side of the conversation with his admin, Joanne.

  As Alex drove, he glanced at Claire in the rearview mirror. Keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Eli, he asked, “What’s the terrain like?”

  “Steep and rocky.”

  “And the tree cover?”

  “Dense. It’s national forest all around there. Lots of trees.”

  As they talked, Eli straightened in the front passenger seat at what Joanne was relaying. From the corner of her eye, Claire noticed as he exchanged a meaningful glance with Alex.

  “That’s great news,” Eli said into the phone. “Have the team pick him up as a person of interest. That young man has some explaining to do. And expedite the checks on the other employees.”

  He ended the call and avoided Claire’s curious gaze. “It looks like we’re still more than an hour out. Do you know of a shorter way?” he asked her.

  Disappointed that Eli wasn’t sharing, she said, “No, I don’t.”

  “How about if we get a helicopter out there?” Alex suggested. “Claire said the tree cover’s dense, but maybe they’ll still be able to spot something.”

  Eli ran a palm over his shaved head. “Let’s see if the local authorities have been able to find anything. I called in a request for them to check things out before we left.”

  He lifted his phone again, and once he was connected to the county sheriff, he asked, “Have your people seen anything suspicious?”

  The sheriff’s reply sounded tinny on the speakerphone. “The deputy I sent couldn’t find anything that looked strange.”

  “You only sent one person?”

  “That’s all I had available.” The sheriff’s voice was harried as he said, “We have a wildfire down here. It’s taking a lot of our resources.”

  Alex muttered a curse under his breath.

  Eli’s voice turned grim. “Sheriff, we have a missing federal agent. We’re going to need you to re-task a helicopter.”

  Chapter Sixty-One

  In addition to a futile struggle with the ropes binding him, Grayson had spent the past couple of hours thinking of Claire. If he wanted any kind of shot with her, he’d need to find a way out of here.

  King had been in and out of the tent, but he hadn’t said a word. About ten minutes ago, he’d left again but hadn’t come back yet. Grayson looked toward the tent’s opening. If it had been a bathroom break, King should have been back by now.

  Grimacing, Grayson shifted in his seat. The camp chair wasn’t heavy; being tied to it was more an inconvenience than anything else. There was no way he could loosen these ropes on his own, and there was nothing in the tent that would help. He needed to get outside, find a rock or something else sharp. He’d heard helicopters flying overhead, most likely related to efforts to put out the wildfire. If he could free himself and get outside, try to draw attention to himself, a pilot might spot him.

  He jerked his body as much as the rope binding him would allow. The lightweight chair wobbled slightly before righting itself.

  Grayson jerked again, this time in a sharper movement. As the chair lifted, he shifted his weight. The ropes around his wrists and ankles cut deeper
into his flesh. He gritted his teeth as the chair teetered.

  Come on. Come on.

  Finally, the chair toppled. Grayson landed hard on his shoulder, but there was no time for pain. Using his hands and feet, he began inching himself along the ground toward the opening of the tent.

  Minutes later, after slow and painful progress, he was inches away from the tent’s flap. Grayson froze at the sound of a vehicle approaching.

  A moment later, a man lifted the tent flap and nearly walked into him, kicking dirt into Grayson’s face. Grayson’s wallet was in his hand. He studied it for a moment before tossing it onto the table.

  “Going somewhere, Agent Matthews?”

  The man hoisted the chair Grayson was tied to with a grunt, righting it again. Grayson swallowed down dust and disappointment.

  What now? The only thing he could do was try to reason with him.

  Blinking against the grit in his eyes, Grayson took in the newcomer. His piercing blue eyes sparked a memory of a photo Grayson had seen recently, and then it all clicked into place.

  Glad to have some frame of reference, Grayson met the man’s gaze. “Is this where you planned to hold Claire?” When he didn’t answer, Grayson tried again. “How did you find us at the safe house?”

  The man let out a snort. “You want answers? Fine. I’ll throw you a bone. You’re right. This is where we were going to hold Claire.” He scanned the tent with a grimace. “Not exactly what she’s accustomed to, but it would have done the job.”

  Grayson’s anger surged. “Then what? You were going to kill her?”

  The man scoffed at him. “Killing Claire was never part of the plan. She’s like family. She would have never seen my face, never known I was involved.”

  “Kidnapping her is treating her like family?”

  “The disappointment goes both ways, Agent Matthews. I would never have been in financial trouble if it weren’t for Claire’s relationship with Gabe.”

  “How did you find us at the safe house?” Grayson asked again, but the man shook his head.

  “That’s all you’re going to get from me. I’ve said enough.”

  Keep him talking. Stall. “You’re under investigation, you know.”

  The man laughed. “Proving things will be another matter, Agent Matthews.”

  “My team knows I’m here.”

  “Yes, well, your trail will soon disappear. Your cell phone will be leaving here. So will your car. And soon, we’re going to take a little walk.”

  Son of a bitch.

  His heart jackhammering, Grayson grated out, “So you’ll up the ante from just being an accessory? Go from kidnapping to murder?”

  The man gave him a somber look. “You’ve left me no choice.”

  Grayson’s jaw tensed as he stared straight ahead. What was going to happen when King came back?

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Claire chewed on a knuckle as she stared out the window, ignoring the idle chitchat between Eli and Alex. It was probably for her benefit, a distraction from her worry. Her stomach burned and she pressed a hand to it, wishing they could drive faster.

  When they were turning off the interstate about twenty minutes from her parents’ property, Eli called the county sheriff again and put him on speaker. “Any luck yet?”

  “I was just about to call you. A helicopter pilot working the fire circled your area and spotted something. A large tent.”

  Eli turned back to look at Claire and asked, “Is there a reason a tent would be on your property?”

  “No.” Raising her voice, Claire asked, “Where is it?”

  “By a pond.” The sheriff’s reply came through with some static. “It’s a good-sized tent, maybe ten by ten or bigger.”

  Claire bit on her lower lip, thinking hard to remember. “There are two ponds on the property.”

  “Both have access roads?” Eli asked Claire.

  “Only one does. The other is about a half mile off the main drive. You can get to it on foot or with an off-road vehicle.”

  “Can you have your deputy meet us at the entrance to the property?” Eli asked the sheriff. “We’re about fifteen, twenty minutes out.”

  Eli ended the call, then turned back to Claire. “Can you show me the ponds on your phone?”

  Claire brought up a satellite photo of the property and handed over her phone.

  Eli studied the screen for a moment and returned her phone, then pulled a couple of two-way radios from the glove compartment. One he handed to Alex, who slipped it into his jacket pocket, and the other Eli clipped to his belt. He reached in again and pulled out several gun clips, handing two to Alex before slipping a couple into his own jacket, a black windbreaker emblazoned with the Phoenix logo.

  Alex turned onto the property a few minutes later. The deputy’s vehicle, a dusty mid-sized SUV with all-terrain tires, was parked a hundred feet ahead, and the deputy climbed out of the vehicle as Alex parked behind him.

  Claire wrinkled her nose at the smell of smoke as all three climbed out of the Explorer. She looked up at the gray sky, the smoke so thick it was dimming the sun.

  “How far away is the fire?” Eli asked the deputy.

  “About twenty miles.”

  “Let’s drive as close as the road will take us, then split up,” Eli suggested. “Alex, why don’t you and the deputy try the pond near the southern boundary? Claire, you and I can hike to the other pond.”

  “We can take mine.” The deputy gestured toward his SUV. “It’s better equipped for the terrain. The road’s rough on this part of the property, more like a logging road.”

  Once they were inside the deputy’s patrol car, they drove for several minutes before Claire told the officer to stop.

  “Eli and I can get out here,” she said. “You two will see the other pond a little further down the road.”

  “Radio once you guys get there,” Eli told Alex as they got out of the SUV.

  Alex nodded. “We will.”

  Claire and Eli climbed out, and the deputy’s vehicle crunched on gravel as it continued down the road.

  Claire led the way as they crossed the road and started up the ridge facing them. The terrain was rocky and had steep areas that took some effort to climb, making Claire glad she’d changed into jeans and hiking boots before leaving home. Despite the miles she ran a few days each week, she was breathing hard as they crested the top, but Eli had barely broken a sweat.

  Claire looked down at the floor of a small valley. There was no tent in sight. Pointing, she said, “There’s the pond.”

  “Let’s get closer,” Eli said, and Claire followed as he carefully picked his way down the ridge. They passed the pond and climbed another small ridge.

  At the top of this one, Eli halted Claire. “Stay behind me.”

  She frowned in confusion before following his line of sight. Behind a cluster of trees, tan-colored canvas was visible, and a chill ran through her.

  Eli radioed Alex, keeping his voice low. “We’ve found it.” He described the route they’d taken.

  “Can you tell if anyone’s inside?” Alex asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “We just made it to the other pond and there’s nothing here. We’ll head toward you.”

  Tucking his radio into his pocket, Eli said, “I’d like to get a closer look. Can you stay here, out of sight?”

  After Claire promised that she would, Eli started down the hill. He was almost to the bottom when the front flap of the tent opened and a large man exited.

  A bird squawked nearby, startled into flight, and the man turned around. He spotted Eli, whipped a pistol from his waistband, and fired off a shot in his direction.

  Eli ducked, taking cover behind the trunk of a large pine tree. Seconds later, he peered around the tree and fired back. Claire’s heart pounded against her ribs as she watched. Someone else was coming out of the tent now.

  At the sight of Grayson, her heart stopped.

  His wrists were bound in front of
him and he was being shoved forward at gunpoint. When the man holding the gun emerged from the tent, Claire gasped.

  Oh my God. My father’s chief of staff is behind all this?

  As Peter Cooley shoved Grayson in the opposite direction of Eli and the large man, Claire held her breath, pushing aside her shock and the deep sense of betrayal that threatened to pull her under. She couldn’t break down now . . . there’d be time for that later.

  Forcing herself to remain calm, Claire glanced around. Could Eli see what was going on? Given his location, probably not.

  Her fingernails bit into her palms as her mind spun. She had no radio, and there was no way she could get to Eli. Not safely.

  She had to do something to help Grayson. Now, before he and Peter disappeared from sight.

  Crouching so that Peter wouldn’t see her, she moved as quietly as she could through the brush parallel with him and Grayson, struggling to come up with a plan. The only thing she could think of was providing some sort of distraction that would allow Grayson to get away.

  Rejecting the idea of yelling, she snatched a stone from the ground. Now she just needed to get closer. Tall grass grew along the ridge. She used it as cover as she made her way down.

  Once she was within yards of Grayson and Peter, she ducked behind a tree and said a quick prayer that the rock would make it where she intended.

  Taking a step forward, she hurled the stone. It hit a tree several feet away from Grayson and Peter, making a loud thud against the bark before bouncing to the ground.

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  What was that?

  Grayson didn’t waste any time thinking about the noise he’d just heard. He threw his weight against Peter Cooley.

  Cooley, who’d stopped to look behind him, was thrown off balance. His gun flew out of his hand. As he lunged forward to retrieve it, Grayson took off running.

  He made it about thirty yards before a gunshot sounded and a bullet whizzed past, way too close for comfort. Who knew a desk jockey could shoot so well? Grayson ran faster, startled to hear more shots coming from a different direction.