Page 37 of Guarding Grace (Hawk Security #2)

Grace

“Who’s my next demo?” I asked Peyton. “I’d like you to check demo one and refresh the water and drinks.”

She sat back down and checked her computer. “Mr. and Mrs. Lim at one. And Mrs. Garcia wants us to look at her house before the demo and advise her on knocking out a wall or two, which will redefine the space she has to work with.”

“Let Marci handle that. Then she and I can do the demo with and without the optional room extension.”

She frowned. “She said she saw the magazine article and wants you. She was adamant.”

“Fine, but who is Mrs. Garcia? I don’t recall the name.”

“New customer. She’s in the small conference room right now with Marci. She read the article about us and has a rush job.”

The article in the Sunday paper a while back had been a turning point in our business, but these rich ladies could be a pain to work with. So I made sure the prices we charged made the effort worthwhile, especially if they were in a hurry. “Fine.”

“Do you want to poke your head in and say hi?” she asked.

“Not the way I feel today. I’ll meet her tomorrow.”

“Good choice. You look like crap. ”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks. You already said that.”

“An excellent assistant,” she argued, “keeps her boss grounded.”

I nodded. “Keep it up and you might even get a raise one day.”

“There’s no time like today.”

Usually I appreciated the banter with Peyton, but not while dealing with a headache. “You don’t want to be pushing this right after forgetting that I asked you to check on the status of demo one.”

“It’s fine. I checked first thing this morning.”

“And refresh the water.”

She sighed and stood. “I like you better without the hangover.”

“Me too,” I answered as she marched off.

Later, my phone rang with an unknown number. “Hello?” I answered wearily, hoping for a new client, but ready for it to be another spam marketing call.

“Gracie?” Elliot’s voice was hoarse.

“Elliot, where are you?”

“I need money to get out of town. If I stay here, they’re going to kill me.” He sounded frantic.

“You need to come to me, so Terry and the guys can keep you safe.”

“No way. He’d just as soon shoot me himself. You can’t tell him. You can’t tell any of them. I hear they’re working with my boss. I’ll end up dead.”

Elliot blew everything out of proportion, like he always did.

“He’s not like that,” I argued. “I promise you.” I knew in my heart that Terry was a good man we could both trust.

“Money. Money to get out of town. That’s the only way this works.”

Typical Elliot drama. It was all about him.

“No. You come in and let Lucas Hawk talk to Russo. He knows them. By staying out there, you’re putting me in danger.”

“You’re safe. Captain America won’t let anything happen to you.”

I shook my head at his stupidity. “Elliot, they’ve tried to kidnap me more than once, and yesterday they shot at us. You hear me? I almost died because of you. You call that being safe?”

“You gotta give me money. Or do you want them to kill me? Is that it? That’s what happens if I don’t get out of town. Maybe you’d like that.”

“Of course not,” I insisted, horrified that he’d even say such a thing,

“If you don’t give me the money to get out of town, you’re signing my death warrant. ”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m telling you to come in and have the best security firm in town protect you.”

“Nobody can protect me. Not from him. But that’s what you want, isn’t it? Me out of your life once and for all.”

Guilt ate a hole in my stomach. If I didn’t give him money, and he did get hurt or killed, how would I ever live with myself, knowing I could have stopped it? “Okay, but I don’t have much.”

“Remember, you can’t tell Captain America about this.”

I rolled my eyes. Typical Elliot. Not even a thank you, cousin. I’m so grateful, cousin. You saved me, cousin . “You have to tell me everything that’s going on, and I mean everything.”

“Right. When you get me the money.”

“I mean it, Elliot. Everything.”

“Sure.”

“I’ll have to go to the bank to get it.”

“Text me when you do. I’ll give you the meet. Oh, and you gotta ditch Captain America for that too. I’ll get another phone and call back later.”

Ending the call, I dropped the phone in my purse.

Peyton looked up when I opened my door.

“Is Zane still on his call?” I asked her.

“He took it in demo two.” She stood. “Do you need him?”

“It can wait until he finishes.”

Zane appeared a few minutes later. “Good news. Jordy has narrowed down where Elliot is, and thinks he’s only a day away from nailing him. This is almost over.”

“That would be nice,” I said without feeling the conviction I tried to add to my voice.

Zane stepped out, and as he closed my office door, Elliot’s words came back to me. “I hear they’re working with my boss.”

Leaning back in my chair, I felt trapped. How could I know if Elliot was telling the truth about the Hawk people working with his boss? I did the one thing I knew was right.

“Kitten, glad you called,” Terry said when he answered.

He deserved my trust. “I have a problem,” I told him.

His voice lowered. “Go ahead.”

“Are you looking for Elliot to turn him over to his boss?”

He paused a second. “You know we’re looking for him, but to find the case and settle this, not to turn him over.”

“Zane said?—”

“Screw what Zane said. He’s new. Lucas and I are clear on this.”

I let out a long, relieved breath. “Elliot called me. ”

“What did he say?”

“He wants money to get out of town.”

“Of course he does.”

I recounted the entire conversation for him.

“Then we pick him up when you meet,” Terry suggested, as I’d known he would.

“That won’t work. I told him I wouldn’t give him money unless he told me everything. I’m the only one he’ll open up to. You need to give me five minutes alone with him to get the story. He won’t tell you.”

“Okay. I’ll get you the time alone with him. Find Zane. I’ll call back in three minutes with a plan.”

Opening my door, I waved Zane over.

Peyton looked at me quizzically, but I didn’t entertain the question.

I closed the door to my office and told him Elliot had called, as well as the gist of the conversation. Then we waited for Terry to call back.

Zane angled his chair so that he could look toward the offices and my pretty assistant instead of out the window.

I laughed. “Why don’t you just ask her?”

“Huh?” he asked just as my phone rang. Saved by the bell.

I put it on speaker as I answered. “I have Zane with me.”

“The plan is simple,” Terry said. “Keep your phone with you so we can track you. Zane will escort you to the bank. From there, take an Uber to the meet. Duke and I will tail you from the bank and give you the five minutes before we close on Elliot. Zane, after the bank, the boss wants you back here.”

Zane spoke up. “Copy that, but I have a suggestion. If this Elliot twit is as paranoid as it sounds, he could be watching the building to see if she leaves alone or with one of us.”

“Good idea,” Terry commented. “Then Grace takes an Uber from the building as well, and you tail her to the bank. We still need to be aware that Marku is out there somewhere.”

After agreeing on the plan, I noticed that my hand wasn’t shaking this time—progress.

Down on the street, I climbed into the Uber I’d called.

“You all right?” the woman driving asked after the third time I craned my neck around to see if Zane was following.

“My ex,” I croaked, figuring it was a believable cover story.

“Mine is a piece of shit too. I’ll keep an eye out,” she said as she sped up.

I typed a message to Elliot.

ME: On the way to the bank. Where do we meet?

UNKNOWN: Behind the dentinator.