“Thank god,” Beth continued to whimper.
I frowned.
Neil ran a brisk hand over his head. “Do you know what caused those explosions?”
“We haven’t found any intruders, but we’ll do a more thorough search once you and your guests are off the perimeter and safely away.”
“Yeah. Okay.” My dad started forward. “Sheldon, Bryce.” He stopped and searched the patio again. “Is Corrigan not back yet? I thought a car had come through—”
“I’m here.” A voice spoke up from behind me and my heart leapt into my chest as I whirled around.
He flashed me a grin, raking a hand through his curls, as he straightened from the wall in the shadows. He materialized to the side of one of the security guards as if he’d been there the whole time. The guard closest to him jumped back and reached for his gun reflexively.
Corrigan held up a hand. “Sorry. No, no. Friend, not foe.” He held both of his hands up in surrender. “I’ll announce I’m here better next time. I swear.”
Relief swept over me. It was overwhelming, and for a moment, my knees buckled under the abruptness of it. Then I shot him a dark and pointed look.
He shrugged, his smirk deepening to show off a dimple in his one cheek.
Bryce muttered, “My god.”
Corrigan laughed, his eyebrows wagging up and down now.
Beth frowned, taking on the exchanges. Then she shook her head and followed behind my dad, who was being led by one of the guards. When the three of us didn’t follow right away, he barked over his shoulder, “Get going. Now’s not the time for jokes. Let’s go.”
Corrigan saluted him, but my dad had already turned back around.
The three of us formed a close huddle as we started to follow the guards.
Bryce whispered, leaning close, “That was close, Cor.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” He flashed an apologetic grin. “I, uh, think I got the wrong presents. Too strong, you know.”
“Yeah,” I hissed. “You don’t say.”
“Sheldon! Boys!”
“Whatever. Let’s talk later. We have to make sure to go to Denton’s house now.” Bryce broke in front and hurried behind my father, who was climbing into the back of a car.
“You okay?” I brushed the back of Corrigan’s hand. I wanted to hug him. I would’ve, if we had time. Once we were in the car . . . no, not even then. It would be too suspicious.
“Yeah. I’m good.” Warmth filled his eyes as he studied me. “You okay?”
“I’m better.” Then to hell with it. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. He was my best friend. I needed to know he was okay. “Thank you.”
He nodded and held back so I could get into the car first. There were guards all around us, shielding us. Before I ducked down and climbed to my seat, I turned and slid my arms around him. I didn’t give a damn. I needed to hug my friend.
After a second’s hesitation, Corrigan hugged me back.
“Any time, you two.”
I pulled back and got inside. Avoiding Bryce’s gaze, I ducked my head down and reached for Corrigan’s hand as he slid next to me. My dad’s impatience didn’t even piss me off. That’s how grateful I was to have them both there again.
My dad rapped on the window. “It’s time to go.”
Finally. We were going back to the city, back to find out who was trying to frame me.
One of the security guards had slid into the back with us. There were three rows of seats, and he had taken one of the first seats. His hand went to his radio, and he spoke into it, “All clear. Go ahead.”
The car started to roll forward.
The guard asked, “Mr. Jeneve, to the safe house?”
My dad opened his mouth to answer. Bryce leaned forward, cutting him off. “We can go to Denton Steele’s home.”
The guard looked to my father.
“What?”
Bryce said again, “Denton Steele. He still lives near your old home, but I’ve been in contact with him. He said we could go to his home at any moment, if we needed.”
My dad narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side.
Not good. I spoke up, “He has security, too, Dad.” Fuck. I’d called him that a second time. Cringing, gritting my teeth, I saw how his eyes widened and added, “My relationship with him isn’t that known. No one will look for us there.”
I was lying. People did know I was friendly with Denton, but I was hoping my dad didn’t know that fact. Corrigan and Bryce turned to me. They were thinking the same thing. People did know. I shook my head at them, the slightest of movements. I wanted it known. I wanted people to look for me there. No, I wanted Grace’s murderer to know exactly where I was going to be, then maybe they’d come to me.
Maybe I could find out who was trying to make my life hell and exact some of my own revenge.
“Denton Steele, huh?” My dad was mulling it over. He sighed, shaking his head. “We were good friends with his parents. It’ll be nice to catch up with him, see how they’re doing.”
“They divorced.”
My dad gave me a regretful look, pinching the top of his nose. “I’m aware, Sheldon, but I’m sure their son keeps in contact with his own parents.”
A retort was at the tip of my tongue. Corrigan squeezed my hand, and I knew he was telling me to shut up. Don’t rock the boat, Jeneve. Let us count this one a win. Hearing my own thoughts, I swallowed it and gave Neil a smile instead.
“You’re right.” I tried to deliver that with a cherry on top, all the while holding off from rolling my eyes at myself. Be fake. Be fake and let’s catch this fucker. I took a breath. That was more like it.
“Fine. Let’s head to the Steele household.”
The security guard nodded and reached for his radio again to relay his instructions.
Beth looked over herself and grimaced. “My. I’m going to meet a superstar like this. Neil, we’ll need to send for clothes.”
My dad lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulders. She snuggled into him as he murmured, rubbing a hand up and down her arm, “I’m sure that can be arranged. We’ll get everything sorted out.”
As those two got comfortable for the long drive to the city, I was anything but. The closer we got, the closer we were getting to Grace’s killer. Ignoring Bryce, ignoring Corrigan, and even ignoring that same-old tension that’s always there between the two, I needed to keep thinking. I would find this fucker, and I would make them pay.
I frowned.
Neil ran a brisk hand over his head. “Do you know what caused those explosions?”
“We haven’t found any intruders, but we’ll do a more thorough search once you and your guests are off the perimeter and safely away.”
“Yeah. Okay.” My dad started forward. “Sheldon, Bryce.” He stopped and searched the patio again. “Is Corrigan not back yet? I thought a car had come through—”
“I’m here.” A voice spoke up from behind me and my heart leapt into my chest as I whirled around.
He flashed me a grin, raking a hand through his curls, as he straightened from the wall in the shadows. He materialized to the side of one of the security guards as if he’d been there the whole time. The guard closest to him jumped back and reached for his gun reflexively.
Corrigan held up a hand. “Sorry. No, no. Friend, not foe.” He held both of his hands up in surrender. “I’ll announce I’m here better next time. I swear.”
Relief swept over me. It was overwhelming, and for a moment, my knees buckled under the abruptness of it. Then I shot him a dark and pointed look.
He shrugged, his smirk deepening to show off a dimple in his one cheek.
Bryce muttered, “My god.”
Corrigan laughed, his eyebrows wagging up and down now.
Beth frowned, taking on the exchanges. Then she shook her head and followed behind my dad, who was being led by one of the guards. When the three of us didn’t follow right away, he barked over his shoulder, “Get going. Now’s not the time for jokes. Let’s go.”
Corrigan saluted him, but my dad had already turned back around.
The three of us formed a close huddle as we started to follow the guards.
Bryce whispered, leaning close, “That was close, Cor.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” He flashed an apologetic grin. “I, uh, think I got the wrong presents. Too strong, you know.”
“Yeah,” I hissed. “You don’t say.”
“Sheldon! Boys!”
“Whatever. Let’s talk later. We have to make sure to go to Denton’s house now.” Bryce broke in front and hurried behind my father, who was climbing into the back of a car.
“You okay?” I brushed the back of Corrigan’s hand. I wanted to hug him. I would’ve, if we had time. Once we were in the car . . . no, not even then. It would be too suspicious.
“Yeah. I’m good.” Warmth filled his eyes as he studied me. “You okay?”
“I’m better.” Then to hell with it. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it hard. He was my best friend. I needed to know he was okay. “Thank you.”
He nodded and held back so I could get into the car first. There were guards all around us, shielding us. Before I ducked down and climbed to my seat, I turned and slid my arms around him. I didn’t give a damn. I needed to hug my friend.
After a second’s hesitation, Corrigan hugged me back.
“Any time, you two.”
I pulled back and got inside. Avoiding Bryce’s gaze, I ducked my head down and reached for Corrigan’s hand as he slid next to me. My dad’s impatience didn’t even piss me off. That’s how grateful I was to have them both there again.
My dad rapped on the window. “It’s time to go.”
Finally. We were going back to the city, back to find out who was trying to frame me.
One of the security guards had slid into the back with us. There were three rows of seats, and he had taken one of the first seats. His hand went to his radio, and he spoke into it, “All clear. Go ahead.”
The car started to roll forward.
The guard asked, “Mr. Jeneve, to the safe house?”
My dad opened his mouth to answer. Bryce leaned forward, cutting him off. “We can go to Denton Steele’s home.”
The guard looked to my father.
“What?”
Bryce said again, “Denton Steele. He still lives near your old home, but I’ve been in contact with him. He said we could go to his home at any moment, if we needed.”
My dad narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side.
Not good. I spoke up, “He has security, too, Dad.” Fuck. I’d called him that a second time. Cringing, gritting my teeth, I saw how his eyes widened and added, “My relationship with him isn’t that known. No one will look for us there.”
I was lying. People did know I was friendly with Denton, but I was hoping my dad didn’t know that fact. Corrigan and Bryce turned to me. They were thinking the same thing. People did know. I shook my head at them, the slightest of movements. I wanted it known. I wanted people to look for me there. No, I wanted Grace’s murderer to know exactly where I was going to be, then maybe they’d come to me.
Maybe I could find out who was trying to make my life hell and exact some of my own revenge.
“Denton Steele, huh?” My dad was mulling it over. He sighed, shaking his head. “We were good friends with his parents. It’ll be nice to catch up with him, see how they’re doing.”
“They divorced.”
My dad gave me a regretful look, pinching the top of his nose. “I’m aware, Sheldon, but I’m sure their son keeps in contact with his own parents.”
A retort was at the tip of my tongue. Corrigan squeezed my hand, and I knew he was telling me to shut up. Don’t rock the boat, Jeneve. Let us count this one a win. Hearing my own thoughts, I swallowed it and gave Neil a smile instead.
“You’re right.” I tried to deliver that with a cherry on top, all the while holding off from rolling my eyes at myself. Be fake. Be fake and let’s catch this fucker. I took a breath. That was more like it.
“Fine. Let’s head to the Steele household.”
The security guard nodded and reached for his radio again to relay his instructions.
Beth looked over herself and grimaced. “My. I’m going to meet a superstar like this. Neil, we’ll need to send for clothes.”
My dad lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulders. She snuggled into him as he murmured, rubbing a hand up and down her arm, “I’m sure that can be arranged. We’ll get everything sorted out.”
As those two got comfortable for the long drive to the city, I was anything but. The closer we got, the closer we were getting to Grace’s killer. Ignoring Bryce, ignoring Corrigan, and even ignoring that same-old tension that’s always there between the two, I needed to keep thinking. I would find this fucker, and I would make them pay.
