Page 89 of Guarding Grace

“Given your past, isn’t that an abrupt change?”

“I said, she’s mine.”

Lucas pulled in a long, deep breath. “Listen to me, Marine.” His voice was measured, but insistent. “People under severe stress often compensate by making risky choices that they later regret.”

“I don’t need?—”

His voice entered beast mode. “What part oflistendidn’t you understand, Marine?”

I was yanked back into the corps, and my training kicked in. “Sorry, sir. Go ahead, sir.” I’d woken the beast, and it was a damned good thing we weren’t in the same room, or I’d have my head handed to me.

“Son…” He dialed back his voice. “Go slow is all I’m suggesting. Don’t take any agreement on her part for granted. She needs to actively buy into whatever happens between you two with time to think things through. As the writer Richard Bach said,‘If you love someone, set them free; if they come back they’re yours. If they don’t, they never were.’”

“You want me to push her away?”

“No. William Shakespeare once wrote,‘Wisely and slowly. They stumble that run fast.’”

“Yes, sir. Copy that.” Once again he was speaking in riddles.

“Don’t take this to mean I don’t support you, Terry. I do. Have you explained yourself to her? I mean, been totally open?”

I didn’t get exactly where this was going. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. I can tell manipulation when I see it. For a long time, your voice has said one thing, while your eyes have said another. You’ve been pushing her away on purpose.”

“We talked.”How could my eyes have given me away?I’d thought I’d been doing a good job, but Lucas had seen right through me, as he did with pretty much everybody. The man was a damned human lie detector.

“Good. Be honest with her. You’ve been pretty mean at times.”

That hurt. “I will.” I’d been trying for annoying. Had I drifted into mean?

“One more thing. Russo has put out the word there’s a five-hundred K reward for the case.”

I whistled. “That will get people’s attention.”

“True, and it could motivate some idiots to get creative in their search.”

He meant that it increased the danger for Grace.

“Understood.”

“We’ve all got your back. Catch you later.” He clicked off before I had a chance to get an update about Pete. It was hard to wake up each day and wonder if he’d be extracted or if I’d get the bad news that it hadn’t been successful.

At least Grace was being spared this daily agony.

CHAPTER 20

Grace

First thingafter Terry’s sister left, I raced into the bathroom and threw on clean clothes.

My phone rang less than a minute later.

“Did you forget something?” I answered. It was Deb.

“Tell me what happened,” she said breathlessly. “I know I won’t get anything but a watered-down version from my brother.”

I put her on speaker while doing my makeup and gave her a quick rundown on the attacks.