“What about Grace? Is she saying anything?”
Creed turned back. “Nothing I’ve heard. Her family has her surrounded by security.” Creed gave a low whistle. “Could you have picked a worse hostage?”
“I didn’t know. The information didn’t come in time.”
“From our source at the police department, she’s said very little. She described how you and your men took her and the guards hostage and led them downstairs to the common room. She said you kept her and the guards from being hurt. Other than that, she hasn’t told anyone what happened inside.” Creed turned more fully toward Ice. “Anything I need to be worried she could say?”
“No.” Ice shuttered his expression. “Have you heard how she is?”
“The family gave a statement that she is fine and recovering at her home. Ice, you’re not…”
Ice stood up, not wanting to talk about Grace to Creed. He had lowered his guard briefly to find out what he could about Grace, but it wasn’t smart to let his interest in her be known by anyone. “Just curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat. Her family isn’t messing around. I watched the television report showing her home surrounded by those reporters. Those aren’t just any security guards holding them back. It’s Gamble Security.”
“Gamble with your money, not your life,” Ice repeated the motto the company was famous for.
“Those fuckers aren’t a joke,” Creed warned.
Ice shrugged. “Makes no difference to me.”
“Keep it that way.” Creed motioned to the guard to let him out.
Ice followed the guard back to the cellblock.
“I heard you might be getting out.”
Ice didn’t respond, going inside his cell. The guard didn’t immediately leave; instead, he leaned against the doorway.
“Did you know Jackson has a brother-in-law who works on the police force?”
“No, I didn’t, and I don’t give a fuck.” Ice faced the guard with his feet braced apart.
“You should.” Jackson came to stand in the doorway. “You should always know everything about someone you piss off, Ice. Slater signed for our first home. My paycheck wasn’t enough for us to get the mortgage. I owe him a favor for helping out his sister.”
“Is your wife as ugly as her brother?”
“You can decide for yourself. She works at the hospital in the ER.” Both guards raised their clubs, coming toward him. “Slater wants us to see how far we can shove this up your ass.”
Ice didn’t lose his cool as he prepared himself. His only goal was to survive.
For the next twenty agonizing minutes, he discovered two reasons to live: one was Grace, and the other was to kill Slater.
Chapter 13
“Maman, it’s time you went home.” Exasperated, Grace stared aghast at the huge meal her mother had cooked while she was at work. Christmas had passed two weeks ago, and her father had left last week to help Dax on his movie. Now she just had to get rid of her mother’s smothering presence to get back to a normal life.
“I will in a few more weeks, darling. I thought you would be happy with what I cooked.”
“It’s not the food. I’ve gained ten pounds. My foot has healed, the reporters have left, and I went back to work last week. Go home, Maman. I know Pére is missing you.”
“He doesn’t do very well without me, does he?”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“All right, I’ll leave tomorrow if you’re sure,” her mother gave in.
Fixing her a heaping plate of food, she set it down on the table, looking at Grace expectantly. It would be worth the extra pounds to keep her mother happy until she left tomorrow.
As Grace sat down at the table and began to eat, her mother sat across from her, sipping her green tea. She knew her beautiful mother well; something was on her mind.
“Grace...” Her mother began. “I want to leave the security team for a while longer.”
“No, they leave tomorrow with you. I have a perfectly good security system, and what that won’t handle, the shotgun in my closet will.”
“Darling, you’ve never even fired that gun.”
“Yes, I have. I went to the practice range.”
Her eyes widened. “You have to be careful. You could accidently shoot yourself.”
“I will be very careful. The good thing about a shotgun is all you have to do is point and shoot.” Her delicate mother had a deep fear of guns of any type; however, the cheap shotgun Grace had bought at a pawnshop, which was hidden in her closet, made her feel safe.
“You won’t need it at all if you just keep the security detail,” she argued.
“I won’t need it because nothing is going to happen.” Grace leaned across the table to take her mother’s hand. “Let’s enjoy our last night together, please.”
“Oh, all right, but if you need anything...”
“I will call immediately,” Grace promised.
“You better, or I will be on the first plane back with your brother,” she threatened.
Grace smiled at the idea of the woman who couldn’t hurt a fly threatening anyone and anything that would dare to cause her any trouble after she left. Now that she had gained her agreement to leave, Grace felt a hole in her heart. She would miss her mother, but she could tell from her conversation with her father last night that he was missing his wife.
“How about I come visit you for your birthday?”
“Really?” Grace nodded. She hadn’t been back to New York City since her kidnapping. It was time she faced all her demons.
A picture of Ice came to her mind. She had tried to forget about him yet found it impossible. Going back to work had helped; even the therapist she had talked to had encouraged her to put the prison riot behind her and begin going out more.
She was right, Grace decided. She had been cooped up long enough. She would call CeCe and make plans to go out with her this weekend and have a girls’ night out. Well, afternoon out. She would make sure she was home before dark because she didn’t want to leave Daisy and Bear alone too long, not admitting to herself she just wanted to be home before dark period.
Bolstered by her talk to herself, she settled down and enjoyed the last evening with her mother, all the while trying to keep her mind off a certain blue-eyed convict.
* * *
“How can you have a closet of clothes like that and find nothing to wear?” CeCe’s envious question brought a smile to Grace’s lips.
“Because my mother has bought me most of them and her taste is different than mine.”
The royal-blue dress she was wearing as she stared at herself in the mirror was seriously hot. She would never have bought a dress like it for herself. The form fitting sheathe dress was cut into a sharp, deep V at the breasts with cap sleeves. It was kind of demure if one didn’t stare at the triangle of flesh bared at the waist, showing her belly button.
“Can I borrow it when you don’t wear it?” CeCe joked.
“I’m going to wear it tomorrow night,” Grace told her with a grin, going back into her huge walk-in closet to change, staring at the enormous row of clothes her mother had bought. Her mother believed a woman should be sexy at all times of the day. Even the jeans she had purchased for her were slim-fitting and cupped her bottom.
Creed turned back. “Nothing I’ve heard. Her family has her surrounded by security.” Creed gave a low whistle. “Could you have picked a worse hostage?”
“I didn’t know. The information didn’t come in time.”
“From our source at the police department, she’s said very little. She described how you and your men took her and the guards hostage and led them downstairs to the common room. She said you kept her and the guards from being hurt. Other than that, she hasn’t told anyone what happened inside.” Creed turned more fully toward Ice. “Anything I need to be worried she could say?”
“No.” Ice shuttered his expression. “Have you heard how she is?”
“The family gave a statement that she is fine and recovering at her home. Ice, you’re not…”
Ice stood up, not wanting to talk about Grace to Creed. He had lowered his guard briefly to find out what he could about Grace, but it wasn’t smart to let his interest in her be known by anyone. “Just curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat. Her family isn’t messing around. I watched the television report showing her home surrounded by those reporters. Those aren’t just any security guards holding them back. It’s Gamble Security.”
“Gamble with your money, not your life,” Ice repeated the motto the company was famous for.
“Those fuckers aren’t a joke,” Creed warned.
Ice shrugged. “Makes no difference to me.”
“Keep it that way.” Creed motioned to the guard to let him out.
Ice followed the guard back to the cellblock.
“I heard you might be getting out.”
Ice didn’t respond, going inside his cell. The guard didn’t immediately leave; instead, he leaned against the doorway.
“Did you know Jackson has a brother-in-law who works on the police force?”
“No, I didn’t, and I don’t give a fuck.” Ice faced the guard with his feet braced apart.
“You should.” Jackson came to stand in the doorway. “You should always know everything about someone you piss off, Ice. Slater signed for our first home. My paycheck wasn’t enough for us to get the mortgage. I owe him a favor for helping out his sister.”
“Is your wife as ugly as her brother?”
“You can decide for yourself. She works at the hospital in the ER.” Both guards raised their clubs, coming toward him. “Slater wants us to see how far we can shove this up your ass.”
Ice didn’t lose his cool as he prepared himself. His only goal was to survive.
For the next twenty agonizing minutes, he discovered two reasons to live: one was Grace, and the other was to kill Slater.
Chapter 13
“Maman, it’s time you went home.” Exasperated, Grace stared aghast at the huge meal her mother had cooked while she was at work. Christmas had passed two weeks ago, and her father had left last week to help Dax on his movie. Now she just had to get rid of her mother’s smothering presence to get back to a normal life.
“I will in a few more weeks, darling. I thought you would be happy with what I cooked.”
“It’s not the food. I’ve gained ten pounds. My foot has healed, the reporters have left, and I went back to work last week. Go home, Maman. I know Pére is missing you.”
“He doesn’t do very well without me, does he?”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“All right, I’ll leave tomorrow if you’re sure,” her mother gave in.
Fixing her a heaping plate of food, she set it down on the table, looking at Grace expectantly. It would be worth the extra pounds to keep her mother happy until she left tomorrow.
As Grace sat down at the table and began to eat, her mother sat across from her, sipping her green tea. She knew her beautiful mother well; something was on her mind.
“Grace...” Her mother began. “I want to leave the security team for a while longer.”
“No, they leave tomorrow with you. I have a perfectly good security system, and what that won’t handle, the shotgun in my closet will.”
“Darling, you’ve never even fired that gun.”
“Yes, I have. I went to the practice range.”
Her eyes widened. “You have to be careful. You could accidently shoot yourself.”
“I will be very careful. The good thing about a shotgun is all you have to do is point and shoot.” Her delicate mother had a deep fear of guns of any type; however, the cheap shotgun Grace had bought at a pawnshop, which was hidden in her closet, made her feel safe.
“You won’t need it at all if you just keep the security detail,” she argued.
“I won’t need it because nothing is going to happen.” Grace leaned across the table to take her mother’s hand. “Let’s enjoy our last night together, please.”
“Oh, all right, but if you need anything...”
“I will call immediately,” Grace promised.
“You better, or I will be on the first plane back with your brother,” she threatened.
Grace smiled at the idea of the woman who couldn’t hurt a fly threatening anyone and anything that would dare to cause her any trouble after she left. Now that she had gained her agreement to leave, Grace felt a hole in her heart. She would miss her mother, but she could tell from her conversation with her father last night that he was missing his wife.
“How about I come visit you for your birthday?”
“Really?” Grace nodded. She hadn’t been back to New York City since her kidnapping. It was time she faced all her demons.
A picture of Ice came to her mind. She had tried to forget about him yet found it impossible. Going back to work had helped; even the therapist she had talked to had encouraged her to put the prison riot behind her and begin going out more.
She was right, Grace decided. She had been cooped up long enough. She would call CeCe and make plans to go out with her this weekend and have a girls’ night out. Well, afternoon out. She would make sure she was home before dark because she didn’t want to leave Daisy and Bear alone too long, not admitting to herself she just wanted to be home before dark period.
Bolstered by her talk to herself, she settled down and enjoyed the last evening with her mother, all the while trying to keep her mind off a certain blue-eyed convict.
* * *
“How can you have a closet of clothes like that and find nothing to wear?” CeCe’s envious question brought a smile to Grace’s lips.
“Because my mother has bought me most of them and her taste is different than mine.”
The royal-blue dress she was wearing as she stared at herself in the mirror was seriously hot. She would never have bought a dress like it for herself. The form fitting sheathe dress was cut into a sharp, deep V at the breasts with cap sleeves. It was kind of demure if one didn’t stare at the triangle of flesh bared at the waist, showing her belly button.
“Can I borrow it when you don’t wear it?” CeCe joked.
“I’m going to wear it tomorrow night,” Grace told her with a grin, going back into her huge walk-in closet to change, staring at the enormous row of clothes her mother had bought. Her mother believed a woman should be sexy at all times of the day. Even the jeans she had purchased for her were slim-fitting and cupped her bottom.
