AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When We Meet
Chapter 1
Grace
Lying in this hospital bed with one hell of a headache makes me want to scream. How could I have been so stupid as to believe my brother, Tom? Everything out of his mouth for the past twelve months has been a lie. He’d told me he’d met a woman and that was his explanation for his regular trips out of town. Now he’s dead. Shot while trying to kidnap a woman named, Rona.
Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I try to control my emotions. No matter what he’s done, I can’t help being upset at his death. He was my brother first, and wasn’t always a bad guy. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have survived our parents’ death, or the bout of pneumonia I had in college. And now he’s gone.
My head has started to throb again thinking about everything that has been going on. Nick, a so-called friend of Tom’s had pushed me down while I was trying to run out of the house. I’d fallen and banged my head on the fireplace, and that was the last thing I remember before waking in the hospital.
My life couldn’t have gotten any worse. I’m a twenty-five-year old, relief schoolteacher at the elementary school close to my home. I’m temporarily out of work with no boyfriend to hold my hand and now I have no family. Reaching for a tissue from the table at the side of my bed, I wipe my eyes again and blow my nose just as the door opens.
Oh my, I really think I’ve hit my head a lot harder than anyone thinks. Walking into my room is a god! He’s tall, with broad shoulders, dark hair, blue eyes and a smile, which puts erotic thoughts into my head.
“Grace Landon?” the god asks.
Coughing to try and hide my embarrassment, I croak, “Yes.”
Hell, his smile should be illegal. “I’m Josh Mitchell from the Drug Enforcement Agency. Is it okay for us to have a chat?”
Stay forever.
“Yes, that’s fine. I’m not exactly going anywhere.”
He takes a seat to the side of the bed and just looks at me. Not saying anything he continues to watch me, which makes me want to squirm.
Pulling himself together, he sits up in his chair and takes out a small notebook. “Grace, I need to ask you about the attack.”
Reaching for my cup of water, I take a sip before making eye contact with him. “What do you want to know?”
“I want to know what Nick Lucas was looking for.”
“He kept asking me about a notebook of Tom’s. I have no idea where it is or what it contains. I just know he seemed
desperate to find it. I had no idea what Tom was up to until Daniel told me last night. How could I be so blind?” I wipe my eyes again. I’m finding it difficult to accept that my brother is no longer here and that he died a criminal. It breaks my heart really.
“Grace, I believe you. We need to try and find what Nick was looking for. That is providing he didn’t find it after he attacked you.”
“He didn’t really attack me.” Josh frowns. “I went to run out of the house, he tried to stop me by grabbing my arm. He didn’t have a proper hold. I lost my balance and fell, hitting my head on the fireplace. Then I woke up here.”
“When Nick first arrived did he mention any names, locations, anything that might help us to locate him?”
“No. He didn’t talk to me, just demanded to know where the notebook was. I had no idea what he was talking about.” I feel completely drained now, after talking briefly about the frightening experience in my home.
“I can see you’re tired Grace, so one last question for now, okay?” I look at him. “Did Tom ever mention where he was going when he left town?”
I sigh. “No, he just said he’d met someone and was spending time with her. I asked him on a couple of occasions where he was going, but he avoided the question. I gave up eventually.”
Josh stands walking closer to the bed. “So soft,” he states, wrapping a lock of my hair around his finger. God, how can I be all hot and bothered when I’m in the hospital with a hell of a concussion?
Hearing someone at the door, he coughs and stands back, seeming reluctant to let go of my hair. I look up and collide with his eyes. I can’t look away.
“Grace?” Finding it so difficult to look away, I finally move my eyes to see Anna standing in the doorway. She always makes me smile, and has been a good friend since high school.
“Anna! Come in. This is Josh Mitchell. He’s with the DEA.” Anna walks further into the room and shakes hands with him.
“We’ve already met. Hi, Josh.” Anna looks as hot and bothered as I feel. He obviously has an effect on women. I need to stay well clear of him.
