Page 86 of Guarding Grace

My luck ran out when Grace turned the corner.

She startled at the sight of Deb, and the towel she had wrapped around her almost came loose. An instant blush formed.

“You guys?” Deb screeched. “You finally got out of your own way?” She rushed to Grace and gave her a hug. “I’ve been waiting for this.”

Grace fixed her towel when my sister released her. “He’s my bodyguard,” she said meekly.

“And she’s also now my girlfriend,” I said proudly. I intended to claim her publicly, and Deb was a good place to start.

“I knew it,” Deb squealed. “I knew it.”

Grace’s eyes bored into me. “Terry.” It was not an I’m-glad-you-told-her tone.

“What, Kitten? You’re mine. Get used to it.”

Deb watched with fascination as Grace huffed out a loud breath. “We could have discussed this first.”

I waved at my sister. “What were you going to tell her? That we didn’t just?—”

“Not another word,” Deb said, raising a hand. “Time out for a second. I don’t ever want to hear details, but I’m happier than a pig in shit for the two of you. Grace, you’ve got the best man I know in your corner now, and you, big brother…” She pointed at me. “,,,have the classiest, most driven, ass-kicking woman I know to put you in your place when you deserve it. Which we both know is almost all the time.”

I grinned, liking her description of the situation.

Grace smiled as well.

Deb shot her a questioning look and raised hand. “Hold on a second. Why do you need a bodyguard?”

“Elliot,” I said. “So, she’s staying here until the situation is resolved.”

Deb sighed. “That kid needs to grow up. But why are you in trouble?” she asked Grace.

Grace hitched up her towel again. “I have to get to work, but the short version is that Elliot got in trouble with the wrong people, and they think I know where to find him.”

Deb cocked her head.

“Or,” Grace admitted, “they think taking me will give them leverage over him.”

“Which is stupid,” I commented. “Because Elliot doesn’t care about anybody but himself.”

“Duh,” Deb concurred.

Grace backed away without contradicting me this time. “I really do have to get ready for work.”

My quickie was now off the table.Table? That was the answer. The breakfast table would do just fine when the opportunity for a quickie arose—or better yet, the table on the terrace.Yeah, that would be something.

Just then, a phone rang in my backpack, and both women looked at me. I pulled out the pair of phones we’d taken from the Russo pair. I’d just been waiting for someone to call one of them.

The one with the pink cover rang again. The name on the screen readVictor—no surprise there.

I motioned for Grace. “He’s expecting a woman to answer. When I accept the call, just answer it with ayes, nothing more.”

She nodded.

I pressed a finger to my lips, telling my sister to stay out of this, then I accepted the call on speaker.

“Yes?” Grace said as I held the phone out.

“Where are you?” Victor’s angry voice came across the line. “You said you had the girl, and then you don’t show. We don’t have any time to mess around, Maria.”