Love Inspired Suspense May 2015 #2 (21 page)

Laura swallowed hard, keeping her voice quiet. “Mr. Devaney said Dad was diagnosed nine months ago for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.”

“Yes, a type called diffuse large B-cell.”

She had no idea what it was, but it sounded bad. Laura's stomach knotted. She couldn't remember ever seeing her father like this. She wanted him to open his eyes and look at her even though her emotions were a mix of love, regret and shame.

Torn between going in or leaving her father in peace, Laura shifted beside her aunt. Nolan's raven hair had turned completely white. He was frail. For the first time in her life, she thought of her father as something other than strong and unyielding. Life had taken its toll on him, just as it had on her.

“Let's come back later.” Her aunt closed the door and steered her away.

Devaney fell into step on Joy's other side. The older woman gave him a quick hug. “Thank you for bringing Laura.”

Griffin smiled, his hard features softening, his blue-green eyes warming.

The change in his face made Laura a little weak in the knees, which completely shocked her. She jerked her gaze away. Oh, please. She was tired. That was why she'd felt that little wobble.

Retracing their steps, they made their way to the waiting area they'd seen when they stepped off the elevator. Among the groupings of chairs, there was a television on the wall. One section of chairs was broken up with a small table and phone in the middle. A long couch sat on the adjacent wall.

People clustered in groups of two or three along the near wall. Laura walked across to the less populated side of the room with her aunt and took a chair. Griffin eased down onto the gray sofa.

Joy dabbed at her damp eyes, lowering her voice. “The person who originally volunteered to be Nolan's donor is ill. Thank goodness your blood sample was on file with the register. I was tested, too. Siblings have the best chance of having the same HLA molecules, but I wasn't a match at all.”

“HLA molecules?”

“Antibodies that are proteins in the blood and could interfere with the success of the transplant. There's only a twenty-five percent chance that I would be a perfect match. The chances are even more slim that the parents or children of a patient will match.”

Laura frowned. “But I'm a match?”

“Yes, praise the Lord.” A determined look crossed Joy's face. “I've been praying that you would be able to help your father and now you are. God doesn't pay attention to percentages.”

Still shaken by seeing her larger-than-life father in such a feeble state, Laura was hit with a sense of urgency. “What do I need to do? Shouldn't we get started?”

“You'll undergo some tests to make sure you're healthy enough to donate.”

“What kind of tests?”

“Joy?” The red-haired nurse who had directed them earlier appeared in the doorway. Her name tag read Cheryl. “Sorry to interrupt, but I understand this is the visitor you want to be tested.”

“Yes.” Joy introduced Laura. “I told her she would need to be examined.”

Cheryl smiled, her brown eyes warm. “It's just to make sure you have no issues. Even something that seems as inconsequential as a tooth infection can cause problems. Whenever you're ready, we can get started.”

Laura recalled her father's fragile appearance. “I'm ready now. How soon will you know if I'm healthy enough?”

“Pretty quickly. The lab processes donor candidates ASAP in case we need to continue searching for a match.”

Joy squeezed her hand and Laura met her aunt's sober blue gaze. “I hope this works.”

“I have faith,” Joy said.

Laura should, too.

The nurse walked out and Laura followed with Griffin right behind her. An hour later, she and her bodyguard returned to the waiting area to meet her aunt. Once Laura explained about the tests she'd undergone, Joy patted her hand.

“I imagine you're exhausted,” the other woman said. “We can visit on the way to my house. I fixed you a room.”

“No,” Griffin said. “She's coming home with me.”

Laura jolted in surprise. “With you?”

“Yes. The one place I can guarantee your safety is my house.”

Though Laura didn't like it, he had a point. She turned to her aunt. “He's right. I don't want to put you in danger.”

“I don't want to put you at risk, either, but I wish we could spend some time together.”

“So do I.” Leaving her family behind had been much harder than Laura had anticipated. She had never realized how defined she was by whom she loved and who loved her, who was in her life. She glanced around the waiting area. “I could sleep here.”

Devaney was shaking his head before she even finished. “Not a good idea. Joy, you can stay at my house, too. In fact, I'd feel better if you did.”

“What if someone finds out?” Laura half whispered. “Won't that put her in danger?”

“You won't leave or arrive together.”

He turned to Joy. “Boone or Sydney will get you to and from my house without being tailed. Laura will be with me.”

“That sounds good.” Joy hugged Laura briefly. “Boone and Sydney work at Enigma. Staying with Griffin, we'll be able to catch up. I'll go home and get some things, then meet you at his house.”

“All right.”

The three of them walked toward the elevator. Griffin stayed close.

He'd said he would do his best not to let Vin find her and he hadn't been kidding. Devaney hadn't left her side since they'd flown out of Pueblo. As much as she hated to admit it, she found his presence reassuring. And now she was going to his home.

The elevator doors opened and the three of them stepped inside, moving toward the back. A husky boy who looked to be in his late teens slouched in one corner, hands in his jeans pockets, the hood of his red sweatshirt pulled over his eyes.

An athletic-looking man stood along the opposite wall between a young boy and young girl who each clasped one of his hands. Two older women filled that corner. Cheryl, the red-haired nurse who had taken Laura for her tests, moved to the back.

“Time for my break,” she said upon seeing them. She turned to the side to accommodate a small slender man with a long gray ponytail dangling from under a grimy baseball cap.

As Griffin and Laura shifted to give the newcomers some room, she noticed he kept her between himself and Joy.

When the elevator reached the lobby and the doors opened, the passengers angled so the older women could exit first. The movement caused Laura to scoot closer to her bodyguard.

The remaining occupants surged forward, knocking her off balance for a second. Someone bumped her from behind and Laura reflexively reached for the wall. Instead, she got Griffin's iron-hard biceps. Just as she steadied herself, Laura felt a sharp prick in her free arm.

She jerked, drawing in a jagged breath at the shooting pain.

Griffin immediately pulled her closer, allowing the rest of the group to disembark. “What? What is it?”

“Something just stuck me.” She started to pull up her sleeve, then stopped short at the sight of a syringe dangling from her sweater sleeve. She made a noise and Griffin's hand settled heavily on her shoulder as he turned her slightly toward him.

Though no one was waiting for the elevator at the moment, Griffin ushered her and her aunt off. After they entered the area that opened into the lobby, he stopped them and took Laura's arm, examining it carefully.

Joy leaned in. “What is that?”

“A syringe,” Griffin said grimly.

Laura reached for it, but he grabbed her hand.

“Don't touch it.” He glanced at Joy. “Do you have a tissue?”

“I have a handkerchief.”

As her aunt pulled the cotton cloth from her purse, Laura remained still, her arm smarting. The hankie was one made by Joy, her first name embroidered with a signature flower in place of the
o
in her name. Laura had one just like it.

Using the handkerchief to pluck the needle out, Griffin studied the clear liquid in the syringe. “It's full of something.”

“Drugs?” Laura's voice shook. Or something worse? she wondered.

“I'll find out. How's your arm?”

“It stings, but the pain is already starting to fade.” She pushed up the fabric to reveal a short raw scratch just above her elbow.

Concern clouded Joy's eyes as she looked at Griffin. “Do you think someone did this on purpose?”

His face darkened. “I don't know.”

Laura's gaze shifted to the man beside her, her heart suddenly pounding hard. “If it was deliberate, why stick me in the arm? That seems as if it would draw too much attention from others in the elevator.”

“Maybe they meant to stick you somewhere else.”

She swallowed hard.

“Like in the side or the hip.” Devaney gently eased her closer to the wall. “All of the jostling as people left the car could've made them miss their target. I doubt they meant to leave this syringe behind, but it snagged in your sweater. They couldn't retrieve it without drawing attention to themselves.”

Mouth dry, she stared up at Griffin. She mentally reviewed all of the faces of the people who'd ridden the elevator with them, but she couldn't remember anything unusual or suspicious or recall anyone being jumpy.

A muscle working in his jaw, Griffin's gaze scanned the milling crowd.

“Do you see anything?” she asked.

“No one running away or looking guilty or even appearing to be interested in us.”

Dread curled through her as Griffin cautiously wrapped the needle in the handkerchief and slid it into his coat pocket. He then took Laura's elbow and steered her toward the hospital entrance.

Joy followed. “What are we going to do?”

“First I'm going to figure out if there's a security camera in the elevator,” he said. “Then when we get to my house, Sydney can draw some of Laura's blood. She has medic training. We'll send that along with the syringe to a lab we use. Then we'll know the contents and if any of it is in your blood.”

“Does it really matter what's in the syringe?” Laura tried to temper her tone, but fear gave her voice a sharp edge.

“Once we determine the contents,” he said in a low voice, “we'll know if they meant to harm you.”

“And how badly,” Laura finished quietly at the realization.

Joy's gaze went from her niece to Griffin. “Do you mean it might have killed her?”

“Can't dismiss the possibility.”

“Oh, dear.” The older woman's face tightened with apprehension. “Could Vin have had anything to do with this?”

Griffin's steel-hard gaze slid to Laura's and held. “We have to assume so until we know differently.”

Laura struggled to breathe past the crushing pressure in her chest.

Could her ex have already found her? If so, how?

TWO

A
n hour later, Griffin had Laura settled in his house. Back at the hospital, she'd lost all color and had outwardly trembled at the thought that Arrico might have already found her. Griffin hadn't seen fear like that since his last rescue two years ago. He didn't like seeing it on someone he was supposed to protect.

She'd hardly spoken during the drive out west of Oklahoma City. Joy was on her way, escorted by Sydney Tate, Enigma's sole female operator. To be safe, Griffin had disinfected Laura's arm. Then they had eaten dinner. She'd been quiet throughout the meal, a sense of dread palpable in the room.

Before they'd left the hospital, Griffin had checked the security footage from the elevator. So as not to alert anyone else in the hospital, he had managed to keep that between him and the guard in the equipment room. It was impossible to tell who had jabbed Laura with the syringe.

It could've been the kid in the hoodie or the nurse or the guy who'd gotten on last. The nurse would certainly have easy access to a syringe. Since they hadn't reported the incident, only they and the person with the syringe knew what had happened. Before Griffin gave out that information to the nurse, he would observe her, see how she behaved around Laura. Griffin stood in the doorway between his kitchen and living room. Fluorescent light brightened the room, gliding over the white cabinets and light blue walls. His guest sat at the kitchen table in front of the bay window.

It was weird having a woman here. He never had, not in this house, anyway. He didn't bring dates here. In fact, he hadn't
had
a date since his broken engagement to Emily. And so far in this job, he hadn't needed to host a client—male or female.

Papers were scattered across the table's oak surface and Laura's head was bent as she worked on the mountain of forms needed by the hospital and the transplant doctor. Her black hair was down now, sliding around her shoulders like a silky midnight cloud. He wondered if it was as soft as it looked.

She glanced up and saw him. Griff braced one shoulder against the doorframe. “How's your arm?”

“A little sore. Not bad.”

“Getting through all of the paperwork?”

“There are a ton of questions, but I'm about finished.” She furrowed her brow. “I almost signed my real name a couple of times.”

“It's good you caught yourself.”

“That's one of the reasons WitSec likes witnesses to keep their real first name and the same first letter of their surname.”

“Makes sense.” Griffin had never thought about it, but he imagined it would be second nature to sign or answer to your real name. “It probably helps keep any friends or relatives in the program from blurting out the wrong name.”

She nodded, indicating the cell phone lying in front of her on the table. “Thanks for the phone. I called Floyd and explained that I'll likely be my dad's bone marrow donor.”

Griffin walked over and picked up the burner phone he'd given her, planning to dispose of it downstairs in the computer room. “How often does Yates want you to check in?”

“Every day until the procedure is finished. He's planning to come down in a week or earlier if he needs to.” When Griffin nodded, she continued, “I still can't believe I'm a match. From what Aunt Joy said, the doctor made it sound like it was a near miracle. I hope it makes a difference to my dad.” She finally stopped writing and put down the pen, frowning. “I hope it cures him. I don't want to let him or Aunt Joy down.”

“You won't. Just your being here helps.”

Her gaze searched his and after a moment, she smiled. “It's nice to have someone to talk to about it.”

It probably shouldn't be him. For a second, he was struck by the clear blue of her eyes. He didn't realize he was staring like an idiot until she looked away, pink blooming in her cheeks.

He gave himself a mental kick. What was he doing? He needed to focus on her protection, not
her
.

“Once Joy arrives, and we draw your blood, I'll send everything with Sydney to a lab we use,” he told her again. He was nervous all of a sudden and couldn't think of anything else to say.

“How long will it be until we know something?”

“If there are no glitches, twenty-four hours or less. The lab will email the results to me.”

“Is that safe?” Laura tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I know email accounts get hacked.”

“Everything on these computers is encrypted.”

“Good to know.” She gave him a little smile, which hit him right in the gut. He didn't like it. Suddenly he felt as if the walls were closing in on him.

“There's not a lot here to keep you entertained. TV or a few books, mainly thrillers. Or my gun range.”

“
Your
gun range?”

He nodded. “It's underground.”

“Really?” Interest flashed in her eyes. “I don't know how to shoot, but I'd like to learn, especially after what happened in the elevator.”

Being able to protect herself would give her some peace of mind. Griffin could do that. “If you're serious, I can give you some lessons.”

“That would be great. I'd feel better if I at least knew how to handle a gun.”

“Whenever you're ready.”

She rose. “Now?”

He nodded. He wasn't wild about taking her downstairs to the security room, but on the off chance that she might be threatened here, he wanted her to know she had a secure place to go.

After straightening her papers, she followed him across the wood floor of his large living area, then through the kitchen before they moved into the laundry room.

Griffin opened the closet used to store the iron and ironing board, which also had a rod for hanging clothes.

He pushed a button on the bottom of the clothes rod and the back of the cabinet swung open, revealing a set of stairs.

“Oh, my word! Is there a secret room?”

Laura's question sparked a half smile. Instead of answering, he stepped inside and started down the stairs. Motion-triggered lights flashed on to show the way.

She followed. At the bottom of the steps, the space opened into a large room that housed all his computers and security equipment. His guest stopped beside him and Griffin punched in today's code, killing the laser security beams.

He started across the dark floor, then realized Laura wasn't behind him. He glanced back, stopping when he saw her stunned expression as she looked around the room with its long chrome table full of black monitors.

“This is like the Batcave!” she exclaimed.

That startled a laugh out of him. “Not exactly.”

“Close enough.”

He was still smiling when she moved to the bank of flat-screen monitors stretching in front of her. When was the last time he'd laughed while with a woman? He didn't know.

His chair was arranged so that he faced the door and the screens, allowing him to see the entrance at all times. Along the adjacent wall was a refrigerator/freezer and a black leather sleeper sofa.

“What is this place?” Laura studied the monitors that displayed all the rooms in the house and various places on the property. “You really are prepared for anything.”

“If I need to, I can stay down here for a while.”

“You mean like if you were under siege?” Her eyes twinkled as she gave a disbelieving laugh.

He didn't laugh, recalling the night that he and his team had been ambushed and under siege, resulting in the loss of his friends. He wasn't going to be in a vulnerable position again if he could help it.

“It comes in handy,” he allowed.

“Impressive.” Her gaze moved around the space. Past the restroom at the back and to the vault on the same wall.

“This is amazing,” Laura murmured.

“If you get spooked and I'm not around, you can come down here.”

“Are you planning to leave me here while you go to work?”

“You are my work, so no.” He didn't miss the relief in her eyes. “This is a place you can come in case you need to. Plus there's another exit.”

She scanned the room. “Where?”

“Through the vault.” He led her to the large steel door with its engraving of the trident earned by all SEALs.

With an expression of awe, she stopped in front of the vault. “Wow.”

She reached toward the engraving of the eagle, anchor and flintlock that marked a sailor as a fully qualified navy SEAL. Griffin grabbed her hand. At the touch, a warm tingle spread up his arm.

Whoa
, he thought, releasing her. “You aren't in my system and you'll set off the alarm if you touch the door.”

“Oh.”

“Let me show you.” Stepping up to a recessed dark glass panel in the wall beside the vault, he bent so his retina could be scanned. After the approving beep, he placed his hand on the panel. It beeped again; then the vault lock clicked open.

“Unbelievable,” Laura breathed. “This is just like in the movies.”

“When we finish shooting practice, I'll put you in the system. I can delete your prints after you're gone.”

“All right.”

He opened the door wide and waited for her to precede him into the custom-made room.

She walked through the door, trailing a scent of spring freshness. “How long have you worked at Enigma?”

“Three and a half years.”

“What did you do before that?”

“I was in the Teams.”

“The Teams?” Her forehead wrinkled. “Like...sports?”

He almost smiled. “No, ma'am. The navy.”

After a second, her eyes widened. “You mean you were a SEAL?”

He tensed, wondering how she would react. Some women treated them like superheroes, some like killing machines in a video game. They were just men. Men who'd learned the hard way to do hard things. “Yes, I was.”

She didn't ask if he'd killed anyone. Instead, her question was “Are your teammates still SEALs?”

“No.” He didn't talk about them. Ever.

She must have realized he didn't intend to say more. After a moment, she said, “Thank you.”

His gaze shot to her. “For what?”

“Your service to our country.”

There was no mistaking the sincerity or admiration in her eyes. Those were the last things she needed to feel for him. He didn't deserve it. Not after what he'd done. Not after his decision had resulted in the deaths of his friends.

“How did you meet my aunt?”

“She was a volunteer at the hospital where I had additional surgery on my leg.”

“What happened to your leg?”

“Broken femur, gunshot, shrapnel.” In the firefight that had killed his teammates. “Joy, uh, urged me to come work for Enigma.”

Laura gave him a half smile. “I guess you learned pretty quickly that she won't take no for an answer.”

“I did.” Joy's job offer had probably saved his life.

Griffin walked between the two walls that exhibited a number of guns, everything from an Uzi to a sniper rifle.

He gestured toward the waist-high center cabinet with its drawers of ammunition. “The ammo is in the third drawer down.”

When she didn't respond, he looked over his shoulder. She stood in the doorway, mouth agape, blue eyes wide.

“How many guns do you have?”

“Seventy-five.” In here. “This underground range is also an alternate way to get out, if you ever need one. I'll show you after we get to the practice area.”

She joined him at the cabinet, picking up the box of cartridges he pushed toward her. “Your place is something else.”

“I never could've built it if I weren't working at Enigma.”

“What do you mean?”

“One of my first assignments was to rescue a man's daughter and he insisted on rewarding me.”

“He must be the richest man in the world.”

She wasn't far off, Griffin admitted. The man was a sultan. “He was grateful.”

“I'll say.” Her eyes sparkled. “Did he give you an island, too?”

“No.” But he had tried to give his daughter to Griffin. He had barely gotten out of that without insulting the man. The woman had been stunningly beautiful, but she'd never had an effect on him. No woman had after Emily and that was the way he wanted it.

“Ready?”

Laura nodded, following him through the opening at the back of the vault. The long hallway veed into an area composed of three shooting stations.

She chuckled. “I feel like Jamie Bond.”

He grinned. Despite the gravity of her situation and that of her father, she still had a sense of humor. He liked that.

She might look as though a strong wind would blow her over, but there was steel beneath that dainty shell. She'd testified against a vicious criminal. That took guts.

Before meeting her, Griffin had been curious. Now he was impressed.

In short order, he outfitted them both with safety goggles and ear protectors. The paper targets were already set up, so Griffin handed Laura a Walther PPK. The small gun would fit her hand better than some of his others.

After explaining how to engage the safety, he instructed her on loading the clip. As she slid the bullets in one by one, she glanced up. “How did you find me?”

“After Joy told me what happened, I touched base with an old friend.”

“Floyd's boss?”

“Yes.” He hadn't gone through the proper channels. He'd needed info and fast, needed to make sure he wasn't putting her in danger when he showed up. Bohannon, the US marshal he'd rescued two years ago in Eastern Europe, had been more than happy to supply Griffin with whatever information he needed.

It had taken less than an hour to get the name of the US marshal assigned to her case. Then Griffin had gone to the field office in Colorado Springs to speak with Floyd Yates and read Laura's trial transcripts and a copy of her file built by the marshals.