Page 61 of Fatal Intent

Grant squeezed her fingers, studying his boss’s face. The man definitely had something on his mind. But what could it be that also involved Andre and Riley?

Maddox waited until Elias closed the door behind him before he spoke. “Grant, since you are now off deployment rotation for five weeks, this might be a good time to go see your family.”

“Do you know something I don’t, sir?”

“I know whoever is behind the deaths of your cousin, Selena, and Dante isn’t finished. Might be a good idea for you and Rayne to leave town for a few days. What better excuse than to introduce your girlfriend to your family?”

He turned to Rayne. “Do you mind? No pressure, Rayne, but I’d love to introduce you to my family.”

“Of course you should go. If anyone can persuade your family members to accept Fortress’s help, it’s you.”

“Will you go with me?” If she refused, he didn’t know yet what he’d do. Leaving her alone to fend for herself was unacceptable. It didn’t matter that she could protect herself. Even the best of them needed someone to watch their backs.

That’s when he realized why Maddox had asked Andre and Riley to stay for this meeting. He planned to send them to East Tennessee as backup.

She smiled. “If you’re sure they won’t mind my adding an unknown factor into the mix, I’d love to meet them.”

Tension dissipated in his body. Excellent. He turned back to his boss. “You’re sending Andre and Riley with us?”

“You need someone to watch your backs while you focus on your family’s safety. Someone has to be focused on you. Can you think of a better option for your protection and Rayne’s?”

Proving once again that the rumors about Maddox were true. He was always ten steps ahead of everyone else. Just one more reason he’d been an outstanding Tier One SEAL. “No, sir.”

The boss shifted his attention to Andre and Riley. “Are you willing to go on a working mini-vacation for part of your time off deployment rotation?”

They exchanged glances and came to a silent agreement before Andre said, “We’re in.”

“Good. Between Seth, Teagan, Iona, Elias, Jake, and me, we can handle the security detail for the Whites. The jet is being serviced as we speak to fly you back to Nashville. From there, I suggest you get on the road to Duncan. Zane has already reserved a suite for you at the Waterfall Hotel. I don’t think it’s wise for the four of you to stay with your parents, Grant. Too much temptation for the perp to take out multiple targets at once.”

“I agree. I appreciate the reservation, sir, but it’s unnecessary for us to stay at the Waterfall. It’s a five-star hotel.” And very expensive.

“You’ve earned it, Bowen. Just enjoy the luxury.” He folded his arms. “The next assignment may not have plush accommodations like these.”

“Thanks.”

“Grab your gear. The SUV leaves in ten minutes.” He headed for the food table and filled a plate. “Rayne?”

“Sir?”

“Go see Sorenson. He’s expecting you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Grant turned to Rayne, puzzled. “Why do you need to see the doc?”

“Bullet kissed my arm. It’s not a big deal.”

“Baby, you should have said something. Go now. I’ll grab your Go bag.”

“Thanks.” Rayne left the conference room.

After retrieving their bags, the rest of the operatives filed from the conference room. Grant pulled up short when he almost ran into Seth guzzling water. “Everything okay?”

Seth gave a curt nod. “Maddox said he planned to send you back to Nashville.”

“Along with Rayne, Andre, and Riley. He’s encouraging me to go back to Duncan to see my family.”

“What do you want to do?”