Page 28 of Tracing Her Stolen Identity (Secure Watch #2)

Reece woke slowly, his gaze taking in the woman in his arms. Sky was still naked, as was he, and they were wrapped together in a blanket he’d pulled over them after she’d made him a very happy man.

She was gorgeous, all of her, and it killed him to think she believed she wasn’t.

If she gave him the chance, he’d tell her she was beautiful every day for the rest of his life.

He suspected that would be harder to do than to say.

When this was over and she had her life back, he expected her to push him away again. This time, he wouldn’t let that happen.

He noticed she was still clutching her charcoal pencil and the pad lay off to the side, having fallen from her lap in sleep.

She must have woken up with an idea she didn’t want to forget and sketched it out.

He gingerly lifted the sketch pad and paused as he went to close the book.

It wasn’t a mosaic she’d been sketching.

It was him. His jaw dropped slightly at the image in his hands.

He was alive and vibrant, even in black and white.

She’d managed to represent his two different-colored eyes using only shadows and light.

Stroke by stroke, she’d built him as she saw him, half the boy she used to know and half the man he had become, and married them perfectly into what he embodied as a man today.

She had incredible talent, but she also had incredible insight into people and drew them from the inside out.

“Secure Watch, Riker,” he responded quietly.

“This is an all-call alert,” Mina said. “I need you and Skylar here immediately.”

“What’s up?” he asked, eyeing the woman in his arms as she began to stir.

“We’ve got a new video. Things have escalated. Can you meet me in the conference room in ten?”

“We’ll need twenty. We were sleeping, so Sky needs time to get ready.”

“Ten-four.”

He sat up and shifted a sleepy Sky to the pillows. “Mina doesn’t do an all-call at this time of the night unless there’s a massive change in the situation. We need to move.”

Skylar grabbed his arm before he could leave the bed. “We need to talk, Land.”

“When this is over,” he said, praying the words didn’t sound as harsh to her ears as they did to his. “Until you’re free of this threat, that’s where our concentration needs to be.”

Without another word, she shifted her wheelchair and transferred into it. Watching her struggle to get her legs onto the footplate, he walked around the bed and tenderly lifted them down. She wouldn’t meet his gaze, and he knew she’d heard the sharpness of his tone.

He leaned in on her wheels and forced eye contact.

“Let me be clear—if I had a choice, I’d still be in that bed holding your warm body and kissing your sweet lips.

First, it’s my job to keep you safe and eliminate this threat.

Don’t misconstrue my shift in attitude to anything other than wanting to protect you and give you your life back. Got it?”

“I want the same thing, both your warm body and being free of this threat. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do to make that happen.”

“Good,” he whispered, leaning in and stealing a kiss from her lips. “Because when this is over, we aren’t going back to the lives we used to live. That’s over. Fair warning.”

Rather than answer, she gave him one nod and turned her chair, wheeling into the bathroom in a way that said she wasn’t as convinced of that as he was. That was okay. He was a patient man. He’d waited fourteen years to be with her. He could wait a few more days.

* * *

W HEN HE AND Sky arrived at the conference room, the team was assembled, meaning this video undoubtedly changed the game.

“Sorry to rouse you so early,” Mina said as a greeting, “but we’ve got a situation.”

“How bad is it?” Reece asked, pulling a chair away from the table so Sky could roll in.

“Explosively bad,” Iris said without looking away from the table. “I was on duty when it came in on the Facebook page. Whoever it is, they know we can see the page.”

“Can we see the video?” Sky asked, glancing at Mina and Cal.

“I’ve got it ready to show you,” Mina said. “Fair warning. It’s traumatic, and we will protect you no matter what.”

Taking her hand, Reece held it tightly between his and then nodded at Mina for her to play the video.

The screen across the room lit up with a building filmed in low light.

It was grainy, but they could make out a woman sitting in a wheelchair, strapped down with ropes, her mouth taped and wearing a vest. Skylar gasped.

“That’s Camille Castillo!” she exclaimed.

Mina paused the video. “You’re positive?”

Skylar nodded robotically. “No question. Why is she dressed like that?”

“The vest is full of explosives that can blow her and that building to kingdom come,” Iris said before she grimaced. “Sorry. This is why I shouldn’t talk to people.”

“You’re fine,” Skylar said, though Reece could tell she was in shock. “I’m grateful that you tell it like it is. I can deal with that better than being lied to.”

It was difficult, but Reece bit back the smile that threatened, because Sky was something else and he was glad to be the one to help her win this battle. Mina hit play again, and a familiar voice filled the room.

“Hello, Skylar. It’s time we end this little tête-à-tête, don’t you think? I’m sure you recognize our friend. I’ve been saving her for the finale.” The video panned to the roof of a building with decorative brickwork.

“No,” she cried. “That’s the art gallery Taken for Granted. It’s owned by a conglomerate of artists. We have to do something!” Skylar turned to Reece and grabbed the front of his shirt. “We have to stop him!”

While Reece tenderly grasped her hand on his shirt, Mina flicked the video back on so they could hear the rest of the message.

“I know how tight you are with this building. Last I heard, you were throwing some of that settlement money into it.” The man in the mask shook his head as though he was disappointed, clucking his tongue.

“Imagine how the other artists will feel if you’re the reason the building comes tumbling down. ”

Mina paused the video again. “Is that true?”

“No,” she whispered, her gaze glued to the screen.

“I was asked to do a gallery showing there in a few months. I could become a partner if my work was accepted and the showing was strong. I wouldn’t be using the settlement money, though.

I’d use the money I saved for this reason—money that’s now gone, I’m sure. ”

“But wait,” Reece said, turning to Sky. “How many people in your life know about the settlement money?”

She tossed her head from side to side. “I suppose it wouldn’t be hard to find the information online if you google the accident, but I haven’t talked to anyone about the settlement money.

Even when we first got the payout, we didn’t discuss it.

It wasn’t something to celebrate or to brag about. I’d rather we hadn’t needed it.”

“So only people close to you know about the settlement?” Cal asked to clarify.

“Well, yeah, that or people who followed the case or were part of the accident themselves.” She glanced at Reece. “Could this be one of the other accident victims?”

“Did everyone get a payout from the accident?” Cal asked, glancing at Mina with a grimace. Obviously, he had started to put things together, too.

“To a degree,” Reece answered for her. “The amount depended on how serious the injury was and if the victim would have lifelong needs because of it.”

“I am not a victim,” Sky said between clenched teeth.

Reece pressed a kiss to her temple, not even caring what his boss thought about it.

He noticed her smiling when he spoke again, though.

“Not what I meant, Sky. Let me rephrase. Anyone who was injured got a payout, but it depended on their injuries. I had a broken wrist, so my bills were paid and that was it. It was the same for others who broke their arm or leg. For those who suffered traumatic brain injuries, they got a settlement that reflected the lifelong care they would need.”

“That must be nice,” Iris muttered with an eye roll.

“Skylar, was anyone else injured as severely as you were?” Cal asked.

“No, most suffered broken bones or cuts and bruises. Because I was in the air when the team went down, my injuries reflected the height from which I fell.”

Everyone in the room grimaced at the thought as Reece took her hand again. “She’s correct that anyone from that time who followed the case or was part of it would know that she got a large settlement.”

“That still narrows it down considerably,” Cal said. “That’s a path we can follow if need be.”

“Let’s finish the video. Then we can hash out a plan,” Mina said, clicking the remote.

The creepy voice filled the room again. “It’s not too late to save Camille and your beloved building.

I’ll trade them for you. That seems even.

Be outside the loading doors of the gallery this morning at six, alone.

No cops and no security guys. If I see anyone besides you, I will blow this building and all of you sky-high.

See what I did there?” His creepy horror laugh sent a shiver down Reece’s spine.

“There’ll be a phone waiting for you there on which you’ll receive a call with further instructions.

If you’re not there at exactly six o’clock, well, boom!

Ta-ta for now, Skylar. Tick tock, run, run…

oh wait, wheel, wheel as fast as you can… ”

The room went silent for a beat before everyone inhaled. “That’s not happening,” Reece said before anyone could speak.

“But it is,” Skylar responded, turning to him. “A woman’s life is on the line!”

“A woman who could be in on this!” he exclaimed in return. They stared at each other in a stalemate until Cal spoke.

“Unfortunately, we have no evidence whether Camille is or isn’t in on it.”