Page 24 of Trapped (Sheppard & Sons Investigations #6)

Nathan

J ack and AJ arrived first, but Jamie wasn’t far behind.

“I didn’t expect him to call in the team.”

“Ashley’s family,” AJ said.

“Dad’s waiting to hear what we find,” Jack said. “Doug’s on his way to the office. He’ll check if any neighbors have cameras and get permission to access them.” Damn, he really had called in the entire team. Well, everyone who was in Weatherford.

“ETA on your guy?” Jamie asked.

I glanced at my watch. “Twenty minutes.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you were here, but why?” AJ asked.

I looked at Jamie, who nodded. “I’m providing unofficial protection until we figure out how big a threat Finn is.”

“Oh,” he said. “Oh!” he repeated with a chuckle as it hit him. “How long have you loved her?” He asked.

Not if, but how long.

No way would I open that can of worms. “I’m just worried.”

“He doesn’t lie any better than you do, Janerek.”

“Shut up, Sheppard,” AJ snapped at Jack. I didn’t know the details, but apparently AJ fell for Blake after assigning himself as her bodyguard.

I ignored the implications of the coincidence.

“Knock it off,” Jamie said. “We all know what it’s like, so let’s give Nathan some space.” I nodded my appreciation, but he wasn’t done. “While he pulls his head out of his ass.”

One wouldn’t think it was acceptable to glare at one’s boss, and that one would get one’s ass handed to them for doing it. But Jamie only laughed.

AJ got close, like nose-to-nose, way too fucking close for comfort. “If you hurt her, I will kill you.”

I held his stare, contemplating my response. I couldn’t lie and say I wouldn’t. And he was threatening me for all the right reasons, so challenging him was out of the question.

“Understood.”

He narrowed his eyes, driving home the threat. “Good.” He nodded as he exited my personal space. “What’s the deal with the box?”

We examined it from a distance while I filled them in on my assessment, scant as it was. The box was lighter than I’d expected, and evenly balanced with the weight distributed along the bottom.

“No rattling as I carried it.”

“So your fingerprints compromised the evidence,” AJ accused.

“No, they didn’t. I wore gloves.” And because I needed to regain some of the power I’d lost in the stare-down with AJ, I added, “And I only used my thumb and trigger finger on opposite corners.” I pinched the two digits together on each hand and then rolled my wrists and flipped him two birds.

He laughed.

“This isn’t my first rodeo, Janerek.” I spat out.

“Right, sorry, Bro.”

My phone buzzed. “Kroup’s here.” I went around front to meet him.

“Hey brother,” I said, shaking his hand before pulling him into a hug and slapping his back. “It’s good to see you.”

“Right back at you.”

“Hey, Havoc, how you doing, boy?”

Havoc barked in response as I scratched behind his ears.

Pleasantries finished, Kroup asked, “The box in the back?”

I stood. “Yeah, this way.”

Ashley and Gran were handing out glasses of lemonade when we arrived. Having them so close to danger wasn’t ideal, but there was nothing I could say to control Gran. Or Ashley.

“What a pretty dog! I bet Prince would love to play with him.” Gran said enthusiastically.

“This is Havoc,” Kroup answered.

“Nathan, don’t be rude. Introduce me to the tall Greek Adonis standing next to you,” Gran ordered. Good God, she reminded me so much of Ashley with her zero fucks to give attitude.

“Just go with it,” I whispered to a wide-eyed Kroup before saying, “Violet, this is my friend, Jon Kroupa. Jon, this is Ashley and her grandmother, Violet.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

“None of that ma’am stuff. Call me Violet, like Nathan does. Or Gran, like I told him to.”

I closed my eyes so she wouldn’t see me rolling them.

“Noted.” Kroup humored her with a smile. “Everyone calls me Kroup.”

Kroup made a hand signal, and Havoc trotted to his side and sat. He released the dog when he introduced him to Violet, so she could give him love and attention. “Who’s Prince?” he asked.

“My cat.” As if on cue, a black cat sat in front of the patio window and glared at Havoc. At least I think he glared. I wasn’t familiar with cat expressions, so, for all I knew, Prince could’ve been bored or in love.

“Violet, thank you for the lemonade, but I think it’s best if you and Ashley go inside now,” Jamie said, adding a please at the end.

“Alright, but only because you said please. You boys let me know if you want lunch. Ashley makes a mean ham and cheese sandwich.”

After they went inside, Kroup said, “She’s a hoot.”

“You have no idea,” Jamie and Jack said together.

After introductions, Kroup put Havoc to work. Watching him obey Kroup’s subtle hand commands was poetry in motion.

It took all of five seconds for Havoc to sit at Kroup’s left side, signaling he hadn’t sniffed anything worth warning us about.

“I can’t guarantee the box is safe to open, but it’s not giving off a chemical signature,” Kroup said matter-of-factly. “Open at your own risk.”

We discussed theories before Kroup asked, “Do you need me to stick around?”

“We’re good, thanks for your help.” Jamie stuck out his hand.

After they exchanged business cards, I walked Kroup back to his truck. Havoc hopped into the back seat after I gave him a pat goodbye.

“Thanks for coming. I owe you one.”

“It’s good for him.” He nodded toward the back. “And don’t think I won’t call to collect.”

We shook hands and hugged again. “Let me know what you find. And Blaze.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t be such a stranger.”

“Copy that.”

They’d already cut the tape on the box by the time I returned. Apparently, AJ wasn’t a patient man. Jack and Jamie filmed from opposite sides as AJ’s large, blue-gloved hands lifted the flaps.

We held our breath as he slowly lifted the last flap.

All we could see was brown packing paper.

“Step back,” AJ said. His voice was thick with concern. We didn’t know what we’d find when he pulled the paper out.

“We’re good,” Jack replied. Jamie and I nodded our agreement. Their actions confirmed my initial impression of SSI—they were good men and wouldn’t leave their teammate to face the risk alone, regardless of the risk to themselves.

AJ grabbed a corner of the thick brown paper and slowly lifted it. It didn’t change shape as he lifted it out of the box in one rumpled piece and set it on the ground at arm’s reach. A thin decorative stone, glued to the bottom of the four by six-inch box, explained the weight distribution.

After confirming there was nothing under the stone, we shifted so Jack and Jamie could record AJ opening the wadded-up paper.

We held our collective breaths as AJ slowly, methodically unraveled the packing paper.

Wrapped inside was a plastic black rose. All that build up. All that worry. All that caution for a rose. Essentially, for nothing.

Well, caution was never for nothing, but it felt anticlimactic.

“Who the hell sends a rose in a box?” AJ asked.

“We need to ask Ashley about the black roses. The first delivery could be construed as an insult for breaking his heart, but this,” Jack paused, running his hand through his hair, “this was meant to scare her.”

“That’s fucked up,” AJ added.

A chill ran down my spine. This wasn’t the game of a jealous ex. It seemed like someone was testing us. Testing Ashley’s protection.

“We need to increase Ashley’s protection,” I blurted out.

If this was done on behalf of her ex, it meant he was a bigger threat than we’d anticipated. If it wasn’t, we needed to figure out who and why. And we needed to do it yesterday.

“She won’t like that,” Jack said.

“I don’t care,” I growled back. “This.” I kicked the box. “This was a test.”

AJ’s knowing smile irritated me, but I was glad he wasn’t arguing.

“Sum it up, Blaszek,” Jamie said. He was a cop before starting SSI with his father and brother. He’d have his own ideas, so it surprised me he’d asked for mine first.

“The flowers were delivered when Ashley wasn’t home. We,” eyebrows raised, so I corrected, “I responded by camping out in front of the house.”

“They delivered the box while Ashley was out, too,” Jack said.

“Exactly. Whoever left it knows we aren’t watching the house when Ashley’s not here.”

“We need coverage for Ashley and Gran,” Jamie said.

“She’s really not gonna to like that,” AJ repeated Jack’s sentiment.

“I really don’t fucking care,” I growled at him.

“Good. Because she’ll fight you every step of the way,” Jack said.

“Me?”

“Dude, don’t even pretend that you won’t be with Ashley twenty-four-seven from this point forward,” Jamie said.

He was right. I’d already planned to ask someone to stay while I ran home and grabbed some clothes and my gear.

“We’ll write up the official paperwork and have Gran and Ashley sign it.”

“Bill it to me,” I said, knowing they couldn’t afford SSI’s rates.

“We aren’t billing her. Ashley’s family. The paperwork is to cover our ass,” Jamie said.

“It also allows us to dig deeper into Finn,” Jack added. “I’ll start tonight, see what I can dig up.”

“Can someone stay while I run home?”

“I’ll stay. Gran loves me,” AJ said, earning a low growl. “Relax, dude, I’m happily engaged.”

Relaxing wouldn’t be on my to-do list anytime soon.

“Try to convince them to let Doug install cameras at the front and back doors,” Jamie said.

“Will do, boss man.” AJ saluted.

I went inside to talk to Ashley while the guys bagged up the box, paper, and rose. John would use his local contacts at the PD to have a chemical analysis run and check for prints, but I already knew they wouldn’t find any.

As soon as I walked in the door, a little black fur ball wound itself around my legs, almost tripping me. I squatted down and petted his head. “You must be Prince.”

“Look, Ashley, Prince adores Nathan,” Gran said from her seat at the table, her smile far too mischievous for my liking.