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“We’ll talk later, Ace,” she promised as she climbed inside.
They weren’t long underway, the ride far less punishing in the four-wheel-drive SUV, before Spencer spoke. But to her surprise he began by asking, “How are you feeling? Head doing any better?”
She cut a suspicious look his way. “I’ll live, but what gives? Trying to soften me up before you chew me out?”
“Oh, you deserve a chewing out, all right, scaring the nursing supervisor who’d been sworn to keep your secret and several of us at the station half to death when we heard you’d gone missing,” Spencer said irritably before blowing out a noisy breath. “But then, I got to thinking how I would’ve felt about it if I’d gotten knocked out after getting shot at, only to come around and find out the authorities had taken it upon themselves to tell everybody I’d been murdered. Oh, and by the way, my home had just been burned to ashes, and I’m go
ing to have to go by some name I’ve never heard of and hide myself away for life. It’s a hell of a lot to expect anyone to deal with all at once.”
“So you’re saying you forgive me?” It was a big ask, she knew, but a girl could dream.
“I’m telling you I understand, let’s put it that way. That’s not to say you haven’t made a damned fine mess of things, since you were seen leaving the hospital by some upstanding citizen who snapped your photo on a cell phone and decided to call in a hot tip to the TV news producer I phoned last night about how she’d been duped about your so-called murder.”
Sierra sucked in a startled breath, her pulse fluttering at the realization that whatever safe span of time she’d thought their cover story might have bought her had been blown.
“Which, by the way,” Spencer continued, “has dropped my future credibility with the local media into the toilet.”
“Have they reported Sierra’s still alive yet?” Ace blurted, sounding rattled from his spot in the backseat.
“No, no, they haven’t,” Spencer said, “but it took my promise of my next big exclusive, a cashed-in favor the producer had forgotten and an all-out plea for Sierra’s life to get her to hold off.”
“Thank you,” both Sierra and Ace said at once.
“Save your thanks,” Spencer said gruffly. “Because I’m afraid that idiot, that guy that snapped your photo in the first place, is like a dog with a bone with what he’s decided is his big scoop. He’s posted it all over all social media, yelling about fake news, a police conspiracy to only make it seem like some shady secret government operative named Sierra Madden has been murdered.”
“Government operative?” Sierra echoed. “Where on earth did he come up with that nonsense?”
“Turns out this guy’s big time into conspiracy theories, and he’s thrilled to have stumbled onto a little of what passes for social currency in his online circles.”
From the rear seat, Ace cursed over the implications, and looking back at him, Sierra said, “My sentiments, exactly. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for making your job harder, Sergeant, and sorry to you both for being so ungrateful when I do understand that you’ve—you’ve been doing the best that you know how to help me.”
“It’s only because you’re well worth saving.” Though there was a metal gridded divider separating the front seat from the back, the sincerity in Ace’s voice came through loud and clear. “Never forget that for a moment.”
Glancing back, she saw in his eyes how much he believed it. But how would he feel when more killers came for her, endangering the family he had loved far longer?
Chapter 16
Though Ace had nothing to hide, Michael Seaver nonetheless arrived at the police station later that night to guide Ace through that evening’s police interview. As sharply dressed as ever, in one of his trademark designer suits and glasses, Seaver deftly steered Ace around any legal gray areas that he might be wading into while recounting the events that had taken place that afternoon and evening. He also helped to refocus Ace when his mind repeatedly drifted during questioning.
“Sorry. It’s been a hell of a day,” Ace said, pushing back the mostly untouched coffee he’d been offered to look from Seaver to veteran Detective P.J. Doherty, who’d been called in to handle his interview. Though it wasn’t a stretch to say he was still reeling from recent events, Ace was far more distracted by the thought of what might be going on with Sierra in the next room.
Once she’d finished answering questions, would they tell her she was free to go?
After all, just before coming in here, he’d managed to pull aside Spencer, who’d been on his way to formally interview Kyle O’Neill, to ask, “So after Sierra’s interviewed, will you take her back to the hospital since she was never officially released?”
Spencer’s look had been dubious as he shook his head. “Is there really any point? You know damned well she’d just find her way out again, and considering the fact that her cover’s been blown—”
“Then what about protective custody? Or my custody? I’ll take her out to the ranch and keep her there, where she’ll be safe.” Though Ace still felt a little strange about returning to the mansion where he’d been raised after such a long absence, he was willing to put aside those feelings, and his lingering worries about any potential awkwardness with Genevieve, for the sake of Sierra’s well-being.
Spencer made a scoffing sound. “Come on, man. No judge is signing off on that, nor should they. Your lady friend’s a grown adult, more than capable of making her own decisions, and I see absolutely zero indication that she’s a threat to her own welfare or that of others.”
“But if she leaves, those hired goons’ll hunt her down. As smart and resourceful as she is, we both know they’ll kill her.”
“And if you keep her here against her will, what’ll you have killed, Ace?” Spencer had asked him quietly. “I think maybe you need to consider that, as well.”
With a sinking feeling, Ace realized Spencer was one hundred percent right. But what consolation would that be if she ended up murdered when there was something he might’ve done to stop it?
By the time he’d finally finished with his own interview, Ace could see that his attorney’s irritated glances had grown decidedly more pointed.
