Heart of the Hunter (75 page)

“I did,” she said. “It’s my dream ring, Grant. And it probably cost almost as much as Rob’s apartment.”

“What? They make rings that cost that much?”

“They sure do.”

“I guess you can’t put a price on true love.”

“You can, actually,” she said. “I just saw it.”

I laughed. “I guess you did.”

“I just hope he pays for it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, he’s kind of been a disappointment so far. He didn’t want to come to dinner when I announced the engagement to you guys, he didn’t want to come looking at flowers, he didn’t even want to come look at rings with me.”

“Well, show me the ring.”

“Really?”

“Sure, I’d love to see it.”

“You don’t like this sort of stuff, Grant.”

“Lacey, I love it.”

She looked at me for a second, when I said the word love, and it made my heart pound in my chest. She turned and pushed through the heavy brass doors of the jewelry store. Inside, the place was really beautiful. I noticed four security cameras, a few detectors, probably for motion, possibly for temperature, humidity and other things.

“Stop it,” Lacey said, scolding me.

“What?”

“You’re casing the place out for a job.”

“No I’m not.”

“Just stop, okay. Promise me you’ll never do a job here. This is a nice place.”

I smiled. “All right,” I said, “but promise me you won’t ever pay for your own engagement ring.”

“He wouldn’t make me do that,” she said, sadly.

“He won’t if you don’t let him,” I said.

Lacey went up to a clerk and asked her to show me the ring she’d selected.

“Is this the lucky guy?” the clerk said, eyeing me up like a piece of meat at the butcher shop.

“Oh, no, this is Grant. He’s my …”

I finished her sentence for her. “Brother,” I said.

Chapter 33

Grant

A
N HOUR LATER I WAS
back in the surveillance van. I watched as two security guards clocked out and left the loan company. I wrote down the time in my notebook. I had everything I needed. All that was left was to actually do the job. I was trying to decide what night would be best to do it, but I kept getting distracted. I couldn’t get Rob Crawford out of my mind. What kind of a guy sent his fiancée out by herself to choose her own engagement ring? It just didn’t sit right. I’d overheard the proposal too. None of it sat right. Something more was going on with Rob, and I needed to find out what it was.

I knew where Rob’s plastic surgery clinic was and I headed out that way. It was a long drive and I listened to some old classic rock tunes on the way. When I got to the clinic I parked outside the gates and directed my surveillance equipment toward his building. It was no good, the building was built too well. I couldn’t make out anything but the digital clicking of cell phones, computers and the security system.

I’d have to try at his house. It wouldn’t take too much to find out where he lived. I had his name. I was about to start a search when a sporty Mercedes approached the security gate and drove through. I recognized the car as Rob’s and started tailing him. I was careful to keep a good distance between him and the van, but he was easy to follow. He didn’t know I was there so he wasn’t trying to lose me.

I followed him all the way back downtown, toward the area I’d been earlier in the day, and I figured he was going to meet up with Lacey. Probably so that she could show him the ring she’d picked out. I let him get some space, figuring I knew where he was going, but as I watched, I saw that he turned left instead of making the right I’d expected.

When he pulled up outside the loan company, I was really confused. What the hell was he doing there? Had he been following me too?

He parked and walked across the street, dressed to kill. I hopped into the back of the van and fired up the surveillance equipment. I put on the headphones and started twisting knobs and dials.

“I just need another five grand to hold me over.”

It was Rob’s voice. He was trying to borrow money.

“I’m not giving your broke ass another penny, you piece of shit.”

That was the loan-clerk’s voice. I knew it well. I’d spent hours listening to it.

“Come on.”

“You’re so far into a hole, I just can’t throw any more money at you, Rob.”

“You know I’m good for it.”

“Yeah, if I repossess your business or something. You know how many lawyers that would take? I ain’t giving you another penny.”

“I’ve got a big job running,” Rob said. “This broad, she’s rich as heck, thinks I’m in love with her. I’m going to get serious money out of her.”

“Sure you are,” the clerk said. “If she’s so rich, why the hell would she want to get hitched to a dirtbag like you?”

“Hey,” Rob said, getting angry. “Don’t you talk to me like that, you piece of shit. I’m one of the most respected doctors in the city. You’re a dirty loan shark.”

“All I’m saying is that I ain’t giving you any more money until you clear some of the debt you already have on the book, Rob. You know how it works. If you don’t give ten grand to my guys by the end of the month, they’re going to start roughing you up for it.”

“Yeah, I know how it works, you piece of shit. You’ve been waiting to get the collectors on me since you met me.”

“If you don’t pay me back what you owe me, I can’t pay my bills. All I want is you to make your next payment, Rob. Otherwise it’s beyond my control.”

Rob stormed out and got back into his car. I didn’t bother to follow him any farther. I’d learned enough. He was in debt. He owed money to these loan sharks. They’d hurt him if he didn’t make his payments. And he was playing Lacey to get money out of her.

I was overcome with anger. My fist came down on the dials of the monitor hard. The headphones rang out in my ear.

“Fuck,” I said.

What had Lacey ever done to deserve this?

She was a good person, kind and loving and honest and trusting. This fucking prick was trying to play her to get at her money. Hell no. Not on my watch. I’d make him pay for ever even thinking he could try to get away with a thing like that. I’d make him think real hard about his choices in life. And what was more, I’d make sure Lacey never heard a word about any of it.

Rob would have to break off the engagement, that much was certain. But I’d have to make sure Lacey never knew that he’d been trying to rip her off. She didn’t deserve that. She’d been cheated on before. If she found out about this, she’d be devastated. She was the most lovable, beautiful girl in the world, and she kept picking the worst douchebags possible.

“Fuck,” I said again.

I’d make that dirtbag pay.

Chapter 34

Lacey

I
SAT IN MY CAR
for a full minute before turning the ignition. I was in shock.

Positive
. That’s what the doctor said. There was no chance of a mistake. He was one-hundred-percent certain I was pregnant. And it was Grant’s baby. How was I sure? I’ll tell you how. Because no matter what I tried, no matter how I dressed, no matter how much I dolled myself up and tried to make myself beautiful, I still hadn’t managed to get Rob to make love to me. He just straight up didn’t want me.

I was in big trouble. I was pregnant, and it wasn’t with the man I was engaged to.

I called Faith. She was the only person I could think of who would understand.

“Lacey, you sound frantic.”

“I am,” I said.

“What is it? What’s happened?”

“You won’t believe me if I tell you.”

“Lacey. Tell me already.”

“Okay,” I said, catching my breath. “But it’s crazy.”

“Lacey.”

“Okay, okay.” I spilled the beans. “I’m pregnant, Faith.”

“Holy shit.”

“I know.”

“Who’s the father?” she said.

I laughed. “Who do you think?”

“Rob?”

“Nope.”

“What?”

“It’s not Rob’s. I know for a fact it’s not his, because we’ve never actually had intercourse. He’s too busy screwing his secretary, I think.”

“Oh, Lacey.”

“That doesn’t matter. I don’t care about that. I’m used to it. I’ve got bigger issues.”

“A baby.”

“Grant’s baby.”

I could practically feel Faith nodding her head on the other end of the line. She’d seen the tension between me and Grant in the weeks since her wedding. She knew what had happened, or at the very least, she had her suspicions.

“Well, are you happy about it?”

And that’s when I burst out crying. I didn’t know how to answer that. I mean, I knew the baby was a blessing, a gift from God, but these weren’t exactly the best circumstances in which to have it. If I was with Grant, I’d have been over the moon to be having his baby. But I wasn’t with Grant. I was with Rob.

“Lacey, stop crying. It’s not the end of the world.”

“I know,” I said, sobbing.

“It’s not, Lacey. You have people who love you. We’ll help you through this. Grant will help too.”

“Grant hates my guts.”

“No he doesn’t.”

“Well, he doesn’t want to have a child with me, that’s for sure.”

“How did this happen?”

“How do you think it happened?”

“I mean, didn’t you and Grant use protection.”

I took a deep breath and stopped crying. “No, we didn’t. Grant didn’t want to.”

“He didn’t want to?”

“He said, let whatever wants to happen, happen. It would be fate.”

“Well then, he’s going to get what he asked for.”

“I don’t think he meant it quite this literally, Faith.”

“You know what the funny thing is?” Faith said.

“What?”

“Jackson and I were talking today about trying for another baby.”

“Oh,” I said, wiping my tears away. “Faith, that’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you.”

“Oh, Lacey,” she said. “Where are you? I’m going to come over and look after you. We’ll make this all better.”

“No, no. You’ve got Sam and Jackson. You don’t need to be watching me like a baby. I’ll be fine. Just don’t tell anyone what I told you.”

“I won’t.”

“Especially not Jackson. He’ll have to tell Grant if he finds out, and I want to think of a way to tell him in my own time.”

“You can count on me, Lacey.”

“I know I can, Faith. I love you, you know?”

“I love you too, sweetie.”

I hung up and gathered my nerves before making my way back home. When I got home my plan was to go straight up to my bedroom before anyone saw me, but Grant was in the hallway.

“Lacey, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Grant.”

“You’ve been crying. Did Rob do something? I’ll kick his stupid ass.”

“Grant, calm down. Rob didn’t do anything,” I said, but then I realized I’d need an excuse for the tears that had obviously been on my face. “It’s just, I’m really sad that he’s not showing more interest in this wedding. It’s his wedding too.”

Grant smiled at me warmly. “You look like you could use a bite to eat,” he said.

I wasn’t hungry. I didn’t want anything, least of all company, but before I knew it I found myself nodding. “All right,” I said.

“Good. I’m going to cook for you.”

“You don’t have to.”

“It would be my pleasure, Lacey.”

Grant sat me at the counter and opened a bottle of wine.

“Just water for me,” I said, thinking of the baby.

“My pleasure, Lacey,” he said, as he took a bottle of water from the refrigerator and opened it.

“Why are you being so nice to me lately?” I said.

“What do you mean?”

“Flower shopping. Looking at the ring. Cooking me dinner.”

He shrugged as he put some water on the stove to boil. Then he started cutting an onion.

“Is pasta okay?”

“It’s perfect,” I said.

I watched as he prepared the meal. He’d never looked sexier to me than he did right then. Slowly, as I watched, it began to dawn on me that I wasn’t just watching Grant, the best friend I’d ever had. I was watching Grant, the future father of my child. The thought gave me goosebumps.

“Lacey, are you all right?”

I nodded, taking a sip of water.

“Let me just tell you something about men,” he said.

“Okay.”

“It’s not always their words that tell you what they’re thinking, or what they want. Sometimes, it’s their actions.”

I smiled. “Are you telling me that Rob’s going to get more into this wedding, even if he doesn’t want to talk about it with me?”

Grant shook his head. “No. All I’m saying is that actions speak louder than words. Especially with men. We don’t always know how to say what we feel, but if we’re smart, we know how to show it.”

Chapter 35

Grant

I
COULDN’T SLEEP THAT NIGHT.
I lay in bed thinking about Lacey, and all the things guys had put her through. The worst part was that I was one of them. And it was time I changed that. Enough was enough. Sooner or later, some man had to step up and protect Lacey, and that man was me.

Rob wouldn’t use her for money, and Lacey would never even know he’d tried. I’d make certain of that. I drove into San Francisco on my motorcycle, the cool night air clearing my head. First thing I had to do was pull off the job I’d been planning. I had everything I needed in my backpack. Timers, charges, circuit breakers, a gun, plastic explosives. I also had false plates on the bike and a fake California driver’s license. I was dressed in a tight-clad, black leather suit and my helmet had a black visor.

I pulled up outside the loan company at exactly ten minutes after midnight. I waited in the alley and watched the building. Five minutes later, right on time, the two security guards came out of the building and walked to a donut store six minutes away. It was an unauthorized abandonment of their posts, but they both went, together, every single night. I had twenty minutes before they’d be back.

I walked like a cat along a side alley until I reached an access door to the loan company. I tried the door. It was locked. I knew it would be. I knew also that it wasn’t attached to the alarm system. I looked at the lock. It would take too long to pick. Instead, I attached a small amount of plastic explosive to the keyhole, stuck a fuse and timer into it, set it for thirty seconds, and stepped back behind some dumpsters.