Secret Obsession (romantic suspense) (Red Stone Security Series Book 12) (10 page)

There was no way to hide what she was doing. “I’m trapped in the bathroom of the convention building with a man trying to hurt me! The first hallway off the right. I don’t know if he’s armed.” The words fell out of her like machine gun fire. She wasn’t sure how much time she’d have.

Grant cursed and she heard a crash, then, “I’m coming.”

“You bitch!” The door rattled violently. “This isn’t over,” he snarled before the squeaks of his shoes hurried away.

She heard the door open but she wasn’t sure if he’d truly left, could barely hear anything over the blood rushing in her ears.

Shaking, she stayed where she was, heel and phone in hand. She was aware of Grant saying something to her, but fear gripped her throat tight. She couldn’t talk, couldn’t do anything. And she hated herself for it. It was like fear rooted her in place.

Suddenly the lights were on, blinding her as the door slammed open. “Raegan!”

“I’m here.” Oh God, he’d found her. As if she’d been released by an invisible string, she jumped down from the toilet and yanked the stall door open to find Grant racing toward her, his expression dark and a weapon in his hand.

She dropped her shoe as Porter, Harrison, her uncle and even Mara followed after him—all carrying guns like a civilian SWAT team. And she burst into tears.

* * *

Raegan knew she shouldn’t be embarrassed. It wasn’t as if any of this was her fault. But the level of humiliation she felt that the cops had been called to such a huge event, that all her cousins and their polished wives were witnessing all this, that her own date had been dragged away from the party because of this—it was embarrassing.

She felt like she’d ruined everyone’s night, even if it wasn’t her fault.

Someone had opened up a private room called ‘Banquet Hall Two’ at the center, and it was filled with her relatives, police and some other people she didn’t know.

She sat at a round table drinking hot tea that Lizzy had brought her while Grant was talking to his former partner, Detective Carlito Duarte. Her own date had disappeared to get her a plate of food even though she’d told him not to bother. But it had seemed as if he wanted something to do after she’d subtly tried to brush off his concern. She knew he meant well but she didn’t want him fussing over her. Thankfully Belle had gone with him as well.

And Lizzy was on the phone with her babysitter. Now her cousins and uncle were all huddled together by one of the exit doors, talking quietly, and they kept looking over at her. Even though it was the first time in the last hour that she’d been relatively alone, it made her feel like a bug under a microscope.

As she sat, Mara Caldwell, her cousin Harrison’s wife, slid onto one of the cushioned chairs next to her, moving ghost quiet. Raegan was still a little stunned that Mara had burst in with the others earlier, a gun in her hand. And clearly she’d known how to handle it. She wasn’t sure what Mara had done before moving to Miami but she guessed it was law enforcement.

“So, you look as if you want to run out of here,” Mara said quietly.

She swallowed hard, wrapping her hands around the warm mug. “I’m really grateful everyone’s here and the police responded so quickly.”

Mara lightly squeezed Raegan’s arm. “You still look overwhelmed. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it for you.”

The gesture from the normally hard-to-read woman made tears rush to the surface.

“Oh, hell, don’t cry,” Mara muttered, looking horrified.

Raegan sniffled, felt even more pathetic. “I can’t help it,” she muttered. “After last night and now this, I just want to go home and hide out for a week.” Because what the hell was going on? Had she pissed off karma? First someone drugged her and now this?

Mara frowned, squeezed her hand once, before standing. “Sit tight.”

Raegan watched in awe as Mara singlehandedly kicked almost everyone out of the room, including Uncle Keith, until it was just Grant, Detective Duarte and Raegan. Well, and a uniformed officer by the door, but she was pretty sure he was there to keep people out. Mara gave her a thumbs up as she ushered the last person out of the room and left herself.

“Did they find anything on the security cameras?” she asked as the detective and Grant pulled up chairs and sat in front of her.

“There’s nothing set up in this hallway—or most of them. Their security is focused around the exits more than anything. Cheaper for them,” Carlito said, lifting a shoulder. But she saw the annoyance in his expression. He glanced once at Grant before looking back at her. “Have you been having any problems with anyone? A man who can’t take no for an answer, who keeps asking you out? Anything unusual?”

She blinked, surprised by the questions. “No. I mean, yeah, I get asked out by men and sometimes I say no, sometimes yes. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a date though. And I’ve never had any weirdos who kept asking once I said no.”

“What about the man you’re here with tonight?”

“Rhys? We’re just friends.”

Grant’s mouth flattened, but he didn’t say anything.

“You’re sure he doesn’t want more?” Carlito continued.

“I…I don’t know but nothing’s ever happened between us. Besides, didn’t you,” she looked at Grant, “say he was outside when I called you for help?”

Almost grudgingly, her cousin nodded. “Yeah.”

“Tell me more about last night.”

“Last night?” More surprise ricocheted through her, but it was hard not to make the connection of why he was asking. “You think the two things are linked?”

“I didn’t say that. But I’ve got to be thorough—”

They all turned at the sound of raised voices.

She stood when Ford stormed in, looking a lot different than she’d ever seen him. He looked almost afraid, but totally in battle mode. Wearing cargo pants, a T-shirt and his weapon and badge, he looked ready to charge into a war zone. She wasn’t sure why he was even there, but she didn’t care. She was just relieved to see him.

She was moving before she’d fully processed the sight of him. He was faster than her, covering the distance across the largely empty banquet room in long strides.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his gaze roaming over her even as he pulled her into a close, very proprietary hug.

“I’m fine, I swear. Just shaken up.” She held him back just as tightly, pressing her face against his chest. He felt good. Solid. She didn’t want to let go but at the sound of a throat being cleared she stepped back to find Grant watching them.

Not with anger exactly, but his expression was as hard as his voice. “You didn’t need to come down here. I just called you because you helped her last night.”

So that was how he’d known. “Well ‘her’ is right here and I’m glad you called him.” She turned in Ford’s arms. “Grant’s right though, you really didn’t have to come—”

“Yeah, I did.” Now he looked almost offended as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Something that did not go unnoticed by Grant. She figured he’d want to have ‘a talk’ with her later but she was a grown woman and she really liked Ford. And she was grateful for his presence. Just having him here made everything seem bearable. She wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him, making her feelings clear to them all.

The detective cleared his throat. “I still need to finish interviewing Raegan. We can do it here or down at the station but I know she wants to get out of here.”

Raegan guessed he was letting her make a statement here instead of taking her down to the police department because of his friendship and former partnership with Grant. “Here is fine with me.”

Carlito nodded once before giving Grant an almost apologetic look. “I need you to wait in the hall with everyone else.”

Next to her Ford tensed, as if waiting for the detective to say the same thing to him.

It was clear Grant wanted to argue, but after kissing her on the cheek and giving Ford a look of warning, he stalked out.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Ford snapped.

Carlito just sighed. “I figured that. Come on. Let’s sit down.”

Once they were back at the table, Carlito cleared his throat. “Why didn’t you report what happened last night?” Carlito asked Ford point-blank. “Grant filled me in on everything.”

“Is this on the record?”

He sighed, leaned back in his chair. “Not if you don’t want it to be.”

“I don’t. We both know how seriously her report would have been taken.” He snorted at that, disgust in the sound. “There’s nothing anyone could have done for her last night that I’m not already doing.”

The detective raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That tomorrow morning one of her cousins is meeting with the owner of the club she was at. He’s bringing the security feeds. No warrant needed, no red tape. And you know what his reaction would have been if the cops had asked for the feeds. If possible, we’ll get the identity of the guy who drugged her.”

Well that was news to her. She shouldn’t be surprised that none of her cousins had said anything, but she was annoyed Ford hadn’t at least told her. Carlito’s expression darkened and it was clear he didn’t like that. She was sure there were a multitude of reasons he didn’t.

The detective’s jaw tightened once before he pushed out a sigh. “I get it, but I want you to make a report now,” he said, focusing on her again. “I don’t know that what happened tonight is connected to last night, but I don’t believe in coincidence. I want this on the record so later, if this goes to court, there’s a pattern of escalating behavior.”

As his words sank in, chills spread through her like slow-moving ice. “You think…that’s possible?” That the same person really wanted to hurt her enough to drug her then come after her so blatantly at a public venue a second time? She couldn’t imagine anyone that angry at her. That this might end up in court someday made a wave of nausea sweep through her. “The guy in the bathroom, the things he called me…I don’t know why.”

“What did he call you?” Ford demanded.

“Ah, a whore and a tease.” She winced as his expression darkened. The detective already knew, had put everything in his report.

Ford picked up one of her hands, linked his fingers through hers.

The detective gave her a hard look. “I think it’s better to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.”

“Okay, I’ll make the report on that too. Do you mind if I tell my friend that he should just go ahead and leave?” Because she didn’t want Rhys waiting around here any longer. It was unnecessary and she felt bad. For that matter, she was going to tell her cousins to leave too. Even if she knew it wouldn’t do any good, she still had to try to get them out of here. There was no need to ruin everyone’s night.

Ford’s fingers tightened in hers slightly at the mention of her friend, but he didn’t say anything otherwise. Just let her hand go when Carlito nodded that she could take a quick break.

When he stood, she shook her head. “My cousins are in the hall and so is my uncle. And all their significant others. I’ll be fine, I promise.” She actually wanted him with her, but she didn’t want to throw it in Rhys’s face that another man was taking her home, even if they were just friends. It felt mean somehow.

As she hurried across the room she felt Ford’s heated stare on her back. As worried as she was right now, she was still inordinately pleased that Ford had shown up tonight.

Chapter 9

Tension knotted Ford’s shoulders as he waited for Raegan to finish saying goodbye to Lizzy, Mara and Belle.

Keith, Harrison and Porter were all giving him what equaled death stares from across the room, but he didn’t give a shit. They were pissed he was taking Raegan home—and probably that he was clearly interested in her—but they could get over it.

She brought out all his protective, possessive instincts and they could just deal with the fact that he was the one taking care of her. He would keep her safe.

Grant stepped back into the room and made a beeline for him. He’d been out in the hallway wrapping up with Duarte, a man Ford actually liked and had worked with on multiple occasions. He was a damn good detective, cared about finding justice and protecting the people of his city.

“So, you and my cousin?” Grant asked as he reached him, his voice low.

“I was going to tell you, and…we have our first date tomorrow night.” He didn’t know what else would happen, but he was into her. More into her than he could ever remember being with anyone. He knew he didn’t want casual. Not even close. That little voice in his head still fucked with him, told him that she was too good to be true, but he ignored it.

Grant gave him a hard, assessing look. “We’ve all noticed the way you avoided looking at her at parties. And the way you’d sneak glances when you thought no one was paying attention. Which tells me all I need to know. So this isn’t exactly a surprise, but…” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Treat her right.”

Or Grant—and likely his brothers—would kick his ass, was the implied threat.

That was a given. “I like her. A lot,” he murmured, not wanting to say more. Guys didn’t talk about shit like this and he wasn’t going to start talking about his feelings now. It was time for a subject change. “Who’s getting the security feeds, you or Porter?” He’d briefly talked to Grant about it when he’d called earlier but didn’t know all the details.