Nerds on Fire (36 page)

She wasn’t even sure
what
had happened. When
she asked, Mark told her they were still trying to figure it
out.

“
Leo, did the dirtball put
up any resistance?” A large, wide man in a police uniform
questioned Leo. She wondered vaguely if this was the scary Morrison
cousin they set on Chrissy. She shivered.

“
Yeah,” Leo spit out. His
arms tightened around Katy. This wasn’t the easygoing pediatrician
she knew. In his place was a warrior who would take care of his
own.

“
Did anyone help
you?”

“
Ben was here, and his team
corralled the idiot. I arrived in time to help take him
down.”

Trixi sat up a little straighter. “Ben
was here?”

Leo’s deadly gaze turned to her. “I
talked to him tonight about what’s been happening to you. He,
Janine, Greg, and Welby came to take a look. They discovered the
guy right after he lofted that brick through your
window.”

Ben appeared in the doorway. “He tried
to throw an incendiary but Welby confiscated it.” He looked her
over. “Are you all right?”

Trixi nodded. Not that she was, but it
seemed like the expected response.

Ben moved out of the doorway to reveal
Janine.

“
Welby and Greg?” he
asked.

“
They’re cleaning up,”
Janine answered.

What did “cleaning up” mean? Since
Trixi didn’t have the energy to ask, she refrained. Another shiver
sped through her. Burrowing against Mark helped.

Gran settled herself on the other side
of Mark, her hand working in conjunction with his to soothe her.
The police asked Gran questions and Trixi admired the pragmatic way
she answered them. Succinctly and without drama. Gran should give
lessons.

Janine placed herself unobtrusively
close. When she caught Trixi paying attention to her she smiled
wryly. “I know there are three other doctors present, but I still
want to evaluate you.” With this small statement, she picked up
Trixi’s wrist and took her pulse.

“
I haven’t checked her much
beyond the preliminaries,” Mark admitted. Leo nodded his agreement
as did Katy who had wrapped herself around Leo. He held her just as
tight. Katy’s huge eyes were probably a mirror image of her
own.

“
I’ll do it,” Janine stated
and with little fanfare, she dragged a medical bag closer and
started a thorough medical examination. Trixi didn’t flinch, even
when Janine cleaned a few open wounds. It didn’t sink in they were
even on her face, until Mark leaned forward to watch Janine’s every
movement.

“
I know this might come as
a surprise, but I’m actually pretty competent, especially as a
combat doctor.” Her voice was dry.

“
This is my woman you’re
treating,” was all Mark said, but Janine nodded.

Combat? She hadn’t been in combat.
Then her eyes trailed to where her once intact window lay in shards
across the carpet. Her striped curtains flapped in the busy breeze.
That might account for part of the chill. She jerked her sweater a
little closer and burrowed deeper into Mark.

Greg and Sam entered her bedroom,
carrying a window the exact same size and shape as the broken one.
“Where did you find that?” Katy asked.

“
I told them where it was.”
Gran’s hand kept up the soothing pattern.

Gran had lived here mere weeks and she
already knew the place better than Trixi. The two men removed the
old window frame and inserted the new one with little fanfare and a
lot of skill. It took them less than fifteen minutes to secure it
in place and hand the old one over to the police.

Janine finished her examination. “I
think you’ll be fine, but you should have Mark check those cuts in
the morning to make certain you don’t need stitches. I don’t
believe you do, but they might look different in the light of
day.”

Her words seemed awfully
prophetic.

Chapter 35

“
What?” Nina rolled over
and gazed up at Rylan, who was leaning over her. Glancing out the
window, she noted it was barely dawn. Immediately her parental
instincts roared in. “What happened?”

“
Someone tried to burn down
Trixi’s house last night. With her, Mom, Mark, and I believe Katy
and Leo, in it.” His mouth formed a grim line.

“
Oh no.” She sat up. “You
didn’t sleep.”

He shrugged. “I got a few hours before
Mom called. I just wanted to let you know I’m heading over
there.”

She shoved the covers aside. “I’m
coming with you.” When she tried to alight from the bed, he stopped
her.

“
You don’t have
to.”

“
I know, but you might need
support and I’m not staying here while you’re there. I might be
able to help.” She said this in her firmest tone, because she was a
parent as well. Besides, she adored his daughters.

He looked relieved. “Thank
you.”

Nina smiled. “I’ll meet you in the
front hall in ten minutes.”

His eyebrows rose but he nodded. “Ten
minutes?” he echoed with the trace of a smile.

“
Ten minutes,” she
reiterated and flew toward the bathroom before he even exited the
room. Being a working woman meant she had her morning routine down
to nanoseconds. She knew exactly what she needed to do and set
about accomplishing it.

Nine minutes and forty-eight seconds
later, she met him in the front hall. He looked so impressed she
leaned up to kiss him. Rylan’s arm snaked around her and held her
tight before he reluctantly released her.

“
Did you let Bernadette
know?”

“
Yes. She’s aware of what
happened and has sent breakfast with us.” Rylan held up a basket
she hadn’t even noticed.

He led her back down the hall and
through the kitchen to the garage. Settling her and the basket in
his car, Rylan didn’t waste even a second heading toward his
daughter’s house.

Nina knew Trixi had her own place, but
she wasn’t prepared for the spectacular estate Rylan turned into.
He didn’t stop the car to give her time to enjoy the view but
barreled up the driveway to halt in front of the garage.

He helped her alight from the vehicle.
She caught up the basket with her free hand since he retained
possession of her other. Nina didn’t mind. He unlocked the outside
garage door and then the inner before sending her through. “Trixi,”
he bellowed as they entered a sort of mudroom.

An attractive older woman she
identified as Rylan’s mother burst through the door across from
them. “Rylan.” She didn’t stop until she was in his
arms.

“
Mom,” he murmured, holding
her close. “Are you okay?”

“
Yes, I’m fine.”

“
And Trixi?”

“
She’s had a bad scare, so
she spent the night in Mark’s room. He overrode me because he said
he knew the signs of trauma.” She didn’t sound happy about this
decree, but Nina had brushed up against Mark’s will
before.

His mother’s eyes lit on her, standing
off to the side as unobtrusively as possible. “Mom, this is Nina
McCormick. Nina this is my mother, Clarice Duvall.”

His mother, gracious even in a robe
and curlers, shook her hand. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you,
Nina.”

“
Thank you,” Nina murmured.
“Likewise.”

Rylan took both their arms and tugged
them into the kitchen before he headed down a hallway. His mother
offered her a seat at the table. “He’s going to check on his little
girl. Between him and Mark, she’s going to be coddled to the point
of smothering.”

Nina couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll
try to get him out of here before even Trixi’s long patience is
tried.”

“
Good idea. Now, what did
you bring?”

“
You know, I didn’t look.
Rylan’s amazing housekeeper packed this.” She set the basket on the
table and together they dug into it.

“
Bernadette is a gem,” his
mother stated as she tugged several containers of mouthwatering
pastries from the basket. “No one makes muffins like hers. Not even
the cook.” There were also scones, a couple loaves of sweet breads,
and a casserole that looked like it was made from eggs and cheese
and several breakfast meats.

Clarice tucked the casserole into the
huge range set against one wall. Nina took a moment to admire it
but before she could ask for details, Rylan appeared with his arm
tight around Trixi. Mark followed close on their heels.

Trixi sported cuts on her face, and
she was far too pale, but she seemed to have it together,
nonetheless. Before Nina could comment, Leo and Katy padded down
the stairs together. No one looked like they had slept
much.

Katy hurried into Rylan’s arms and
Nina was heartened to see the small group together, especially when
the girls pulled their grandmother close. Nina stood with Mark and
Leo and somehow still felt like a part of this dear little family.
Is this what love did?

She didn’t know and didn’t take time
to figure it out because Rylan made certain his girls were all okay
before he looked around and found her. With one large hand, he
wrapped it around her wrist and tugged her into the little group.
Both girls seemed happy to see her. At least based on the tight
squeezes she received from them.

“
What happened?” he
asked.

Katy told him, succinctly. When she
finished speaking he turned to Mark. Who added what happened
afterward.

Trixi stiffened. Mark curled an arm
around her. “They caught who did this?” Her voice sounded tight,
like it was stretched too taut.

“
Yes,” Mark said. “Ben,
Janine, Greg, and Sam don’t mess around. They nabbed
him.”

“
Why didn’t you tell me
this?” Trixi stared between him and Leo.

Leo shrugged. “Because the police want
to make certain he’s our man.”

Nina could tell Trixi was in a bad way
just looking at her, but Mark hauled her closer and whispered
something to her. She nodded and settled against him, her hand
stroking his chest. Whatever he said soothed her. Her grandmother
also stroked up her spine and the gesture further composed
her.

The three of them all lived here
together, and it was wonderful to see how they had formed a little
family unit. It was a beautiful picture.

Rylan turned back to Leo. His eyes
were every bit as hard as the other two men in the room. “Did they
find out why he did this?”

“
Not yet. He isn’t saying
anything at the moment.” Leo’s mouth firmed, his voice sharp. Katy
nestled close to him, circling her arms around his waist. His
tightened around her. Some of the cold melted in his
eyes.

“
He tried to burn my house
down. With people I love in it.” Trixi’s voice strengthened as she
spoke. Nina watched with interest as Trixi shifted from a victim to
a woman with fire in her eyes.

Mark’s phone beeped. “The police are
well aware of his intentions now. From what Ben just sent, he and
his team found all the evidence the police needed,” Mark assured
after reading something on his phone.

“
How did Ben and team know
to be here last night?” Katy suddenly asked.

Leo shrugged. “Janine and Greg are
both creepy. They decided they needed to come last night, so they
did. Ben and Welby tagged along.”

“
Do they do this type of
thing often?” Katy ventured. She gnawed on her lower lip and Leo
must not have heard the question because Mark answered
it.

“
Yes. Like Leo said,
they’re both creepy.”

Clarice Duvall stepped away from Rylan
and her girls and announced, “Coffee and breakfast.”

No one argued.

No one was particularly animated, but
Mark was pleased when Trixi showed more life. She wasn’t her usual
self, but the victim mode had shut off. No one would fault her for
being afraid, but he was pleased to see she wasn’t about to wallow
in it. Instead, her eyes burned as she viewed the night from a
different perspective.

If he hadn’t been in love with her
before, he was now.

The random thought made him
pause in the middle of the best meaty breakfast casserole he had
ever eaten. Perhaps love wasn’t the correct word.
Admired
or
respected
might be more
suitable.

Leo snagged his attention because he
kept trying to steal back his muffin from Katy’s greedy grasp and
losing. It was far more interesting to watch his brother’s
interaction with his future wife than consider his own
present.

Darting a look at Nina, he was happy
to see her enjoying the interactions around the table as well.
Rylan Duvall couldn’t have chosen better if he’d advertised for the
perfect girlfriend.

“
Are you settled into your
estate?” he asked the man.

“
Yes, although I’m thinking
of making a few changes.”

Leo managed to grab the rest of his
muffin. He wolfed it down and grinned in triumph at an unimpressed
Katy. She flicked his nose and stole his coffee instead.