Page 24 of Honor ’N’ Duty

“Because,” he said, resting his hands on her shoulders, “this morning before we left to come here, I spoke with the director of security at your mom’s community. I told him what’s going on, and he agreed to keep an eye on things.”

“What does that mean? Is this guy a trained bodyguard or a Navy SEAL?” She was sputtering and didn’t care how ridiculous she sounded. “I doubt he can watch over her twenty-four hours a day.”

“You’re right, he can’t. But the rotating private guards I hired started their first shift at eight this morning. These people are trained.”

Her jaw dropped as she absorbed all that Kade had been doing for her, and she hadn’t even known. “How did you even know where she lives? I never told you.”

A corner of his mouth lifted. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he said, echoing the exact same words she’d thrown in his face last night.

“I-I…” The sputtering had returned. She didn’t know what to say at his thoughtful generosity except, “I’ll pay you back.”

His hands slipped from her shoulders down her arms, sending goose bumps barreling across her skin. “I won’t take your money. If it makes you feel better, I’ll consider those checks cashed. Okay?” When he touched two fingers to her cheek, those goose bumps prickled every hair on her body as if she’d been playing footsie with a live wire.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Releasing her other arm, he cupped her face. As if having a mind of their own, her lips parted. She and Kade had never kissed, never even—

He took a step back, then tugged his phone from the clip on his belt. He stared for a moment at the screen, then swiped to take the call. “Ashley, is everything all right?” He listened a moment longer. “No, I didn’t. Stay inside and lock the doors. We’re on our way.”

Laia’s heart began tripping in her chest. “What is it?”

He ground his jaws, every muscle in his sculpted face flexing. “Ashley said there’s a cable repair company at my house.”

“Oh, no.” This was the absolute worst news. “Alvita said there was a cable company at my house the day it was broken into.”

“Yeah.” His eyes narrowed dangerously. “And I don’t have cable.”

Chapter Seven

Kade punched it, slamming his foot on the accelerator and pushing the SUV as fast as he dared.

Beside him, one of Laia’s hands rested on her thigh, curled into a tight fist. Her other hand gripped the phone he’d given her so that she could call Ashley and speak to Rosa directly. Hearing her daughter’s voice had been the only thing having a calming effect on her.

That still didn’t alleviate the rising fear in his gut. Colon’s release had triggered a sequence of events that he suspected was about to spiral at light speed into the deadly zone.

“We’ll be there in ten minutes,” he said, trying to reassure her and knowing there was nothing he could say at the moment that could possibly come close to accomplishing that.

“What if they find Rosa before we get there?” Her voice was tight, filled with the depth of fear only a parent could have for her child, yet he felt it, too. “What will they do with her?”

“Nothing, because they don’t know she’s next door with Ashley.” He hoped and prayed that was true. He pushed the air horn button three successive times, scattering the traffic ahead of them. “The police are on their way. They’ll probably get there before we do.”

He risked a quick glance at Laia, then jerked his eyes back to the highway. Her chest was heaving as she took in a series of short breaths. He wanted to hold her hand, to reassure her that everything would be fine, but he couldn’t do that. Not only was he driving, but he couldn’t be absolutely sure everything would be okay.

With the exit to North Plainfield coming on fast, he serpentined through the thickening Sunday traffic, hitting the off-ramp way too fast, then pushing the air horn button again as he slowed to maneuver around another vehicle stopped at the top of the rise.

Minutes later, he braked to a screeching stop in front of his house. Two patrol cars were already on scene. The Somerset Cable Company van Ashley had described was nowhere in sight, and they hadn’t passed one on the way in.

An officer walked along the north side of his house, her hand at the ready, resting on her holstered weapon. Another cop tried the front door, then peered through a window.

Laia tore off her seat belt.

“Wait!” He grabbed her arm. “Stay here. I want to check things out first.”

Her eyes widened. “You’ve got to be kidding. My daughter—your niece—could be in danger, and you want me to sit here on my ass?”

“Laia, please. Between me and the police, there are four armed officers on scene, and Smoke is with Ashley and Rosa. We can’t do our jobs if we have to worry about you, too.” Her lips tightened, revealing tiny white lines etched at the corners of her mouth.

“The windows on this vehicle are tinted. As long as you stay inside, no one can identify you, and I’d like to keep it that way. Talk to Rosa on the phone again if you want to, but do not go outside. Trust me on this, okay?”