Glenn-Stormy-Love-&-Spaghetti-on-Aisle-Eight (13 page)

add any more stress to the women’s lives, he had to take measures to

make sure no one got to them or the baby. “I’m so sorry, Lisa. I don’t

know why this is happening. I can’t think of anyone that would do

something like this.”

“But…” Lisa glanced at the bed. “What about the baby? I thought

you wanted to be here when she was born?”

The thought of missing his daughter’s birth tore at Seth’s heart,

but keeping all three from harm had to trump what he knew would be

his biggest joy in life. “I do, more than anything, but keeping you all

safe is more important.”

“What if we go to Gideon’s place?”

Seth gulped. He hadn’t told her about Gideon’s home getting all

shot up. He hadn’t wanted either Lisa or Ruthie to worry more than

they already were. “Let me call Gideon and see what he suggests. He

knows more about this type of stuff than I do.”

Lisa set the container of water down and nodded. “Okay.”

Seth gestured back toward the door. “I’m just going to step

outside into the hallway to call Gideon. I don’t want to wake Ruthie

up.”

“I’m awake.” Ruthie’s voice was filled with sleep, but did Seth’s

heart good to hear it.

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91

Seth glanced at the door to see Ruthie staring back at him. He

hurried over to her side, brushing the hair back from her face. “Hi,

sweetie, how are you feeling?”

Ruthie rolled her eyes. “Fat.”

Seth chuckled, mostly because that was always her response.

“You’re gorgeous.”

She reached up and gently patted his cheek. “And you’re a sweet

liar.”

Seth grinned.

“Now, what’s this I hear about needing a guard?” Ruthie eyed

Seth critically. “What aren’t you telling us, Seth?”

Seth sighed as he sank down onto the side of the bed. He knew

Ruthie would see right through him. She always did. With Lisa, he

might have had a chance of getting away. Ruthie was a bulldog.

“Someone is seriously after me. As you know, they blew up the

house. But a couple of days ago, they tried to shoot me.”

Seth heard Lisa gasped as the woman hurried over to take

Ruthie’s hand, sitting down on the other side of the bed.

Ruthie raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“What makes you think there is an
and
?” Seth asked as innocently

as he could.

“Because you don’t know how to lie,” Ruthie said. “Now spill.”

Seth huffed. “And I don’t think the detective that brought you that

Kindle was anyone I know.”

“He said he was a detective,” Lisa said, “one of your friends.”

“The only two detectives I know are Frank and Nick. You met

Frank, and Nick is his partner. I think they would have said something

to me about visiting you, and I haven’t heard from either one of them

in a couple of days.”

“So, who do you think it was?” Ruthie asked.

“I think it was whoever is after me, which is why I’m going to call

Gideon. I want him to get someone down here to take a statement

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from the two of you as well as see if they can get anything off that

device.”

“Okay,” Ruthie agreed hesitantly.

“I also want Gideon to assign you some more guards. And until

this man is caught, I don’t want anyone in here that you don’t know or

hasn’t been approved by Gideon.”

“I don’t like this, Seth,” Ruthie said as she gripped Lisa’s hand.

“Me either.” Seth patted Ruthie’s hand, trying his best to comfort

her. “I hate it. I keep wracking my brain trying to figure out who

could be doing this, and I can’t think of anyone.”

Seth grabbed the Kindle off the side table then stood and took a

step back. “I’m going to have Gideon look at this. If everything is

okay, he’ll bring it back to you. In the meantime, call Micah if

something happens with the baby. He’ll know how to get in contact

with me.”

“Wait, you’re going to leave?” Ruthie cried out.

“I think it would be best if I stayed away from you until this

maniac is caught. He’s insane, and I have no doubt he would harm

anyone I care about to get to me. I can’t allow that to happen.”

“Seth, going out on your own isn’t a good idea either.”

Seth clutched the Kindle tight in his hand. “I’ll be okay. There is a

guard right outside that will call Ivan and make sure I have an escort

back to Gideon’s house.”

“But—” Ruthie protested.

Tears sprang to Seth’s eyes as he backed up to the door. “Take

care of our little girl.” It broke his heart to turn and walk out of the

room. After giving up Frank, Sophie was the last thing he had close to

his heart, and now it looked like he might not even have her.

As much as it pained him, he knew leaving was the best thing he

could do to keep her, and everyone else, safe. Until this madman that

had it out for him was caught, Seth couldn’t be with the people that

cared for him the most.

And maybe that was what this insane fucker wanted.

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93

Seth stopped next to the man guarding Ruthie’s door. “No one is

to gain access to Ruthie’s room unless they have been preapproved by

Gideon or Ivan, not even the police. Is that understood?”

The cop gave him a dubious expression. “I have to allow the

police entrance if they ask for it.”

“Not without a warrant you don’t.” Seth stepped closer to the

guard. He might be several inches shorter, but he was a whole lot

more pissed. “Someone gained access to that room on your shift,

someone that shouldn’t have gotten in there. Someone that could have

killed the women I care about and
my
unborn child before you even

knew something was wrong. Do you want to explain that to Ivan?”

The man swallowed hard, looking just a little more unsure of

himself. “No, sir.”

Even with the man’s compliance, Seth wouldn’t feel better until

there were a fleet of guards watching over Ruthie and Lisa. “Then do

not allow anyone in there without prior approval. That means doctors,

nurses, police, anyone.”

The guard gave a quick nod. “Yes, sir.”

“Now, get your boss on the phone and tell him you are going to

need more personnel down here until Gideon’s men arrive. The

situation has gotten worse, and the more people you have backing you

up, the better for everyone concerned.”

Seth waited until the guard pulled his cell phone out before

stepping from the maternity ward and into the private lounge. Once he

was alone, Seth grabbed his cell phone from his pocket. The guard

would be calling Ivan.

Seth was calling someone higher up on the food chain.

When Seth turned and glanced into the small alcove in the waiting

area, his breath left his lungs when he spotted the guard from the

night before lying in a pool of blood on the floor. The line connected,

and Seth whispered, “Gideon, we have a problem.”

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Stormy Glenn

“What do you mean he’s unavailable?” Frank shouted into the

phone. “Make him available, damn it!” Frank’s temper grew hotter

when he didn’t get the response he wanted and slammed the phone

down into its cradle.

“They wouldn’t put mushrooms on your pizza again?” Nick’s

sparkling personality was not what Frank needed right now.

Frank snarled at Nick, not in the mood for his teasing. “I’ve called

Gideon Wulfe’s house twenty times in the last three days, and every

damn time I’m told that Seth is unavailable.”

“Have you tried his cell number?”

“It keeps going straight to voice mail, which is why I’ve been

trying the house.”

“So, maybe he’s unavailable,” Nick mused.

“Even if he didn’t want to talk to me, he should at least come to

the phone and tell me that.” Although, Frank ground his teeth at the

idea that Seth didn’t want to talk to him. Granted, they hadn’t totally

worked things out, but he had thought they were making progress

after that sensual kiss and the bathroom incident.

Apparently, he had been wrong.

“Have you thought of driving over there to see him?”

“Yes.”

Nick cocked his head. “And you haven’t because?”

Frank planted his hands on his hips and dropped his head back to

stare up at the tiled ceiling. “Because if he really doesn’t want to talk

to me, I would rather hear it over the phone than in person.”

“Coward.”

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95

“Yep.” Frank put extra emphasis on the “p” when he spoke,

making it really pop. “Right down to my toes.”

Nick snickered. “Sabotaging things again, Frank?”

“No.” Frank dropped his head down and looked at Nick. “No, not

this time. I really am trying to get a hold of Seth and have been for a

couple of days. Every time I call, he’s unavailable. I’m not even sure

he’s still at Gideon’s.”

“Have you tried calling Gideon directly?”

“I was hoping to keep this between me and Seth.”

Nick glanced at the phone Frank had slammed down. “I think that

cat is out of the bag.”

Frank groaned as he picked up the phone and dialed Gideon’s

private line. It was a number he had memorized after figuring out

Gideon and Micah were permanent parts of Seth’s life.

When the line connected, Gideon said, “De Luca.”

Frank rolled his eyes at Gideon’s clipped greeting. So much for

them being friends. “I can’t get in touch with Seth, and I’m starting to

get worried.”

“Seth?” the man asked slowly. “You’ve been trying to reach

Seth?”

“Yes,” Frank snapped. “His private line goes directly to voice

mail, so I’ve been calling your house for the last two days trying to

get a hold of him. Each time I call I’m told Seth is unavailable.”

There was a momentary pause on the other end. “I see.”

Frank blinked then pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at

it for a moment. “Gideon?” he asked when he held the phone back up

to his ear.

“Yes?”

“Do you know where Seth is?”

Gideon cleared his throat. “Not at this exact moment but I would

be interested to know what you find out. Call me at this number if you

learn anything. It’s my private line.”

Frank already knew that.

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Stormy Glenn

Something about the conversation set wrong with Frank.

Unfortunately he couldn’t quite figure out what that something was.

Gideon sounded strange, brusque, like he was in a hurry and trying to

give Frank the brush-off.

Frank decided to tread carefully, his instincts telling him to word

his conversation carefully. “Did you get the windows replaced?”

“I believe the workmen are doing so now.”

“Good.” Frank waved at Nick to get him a notepad and a pencil.

He wrote out the words “trace this call” on the pad of paper. Nick

nodded and picked up another phone line, speaking in a quiet tone. “I

was worried about Micah,” Frank added.

“There is nothing to worry about. Micah is perfectly safe.”

Frank set the trap. “With all of those workmen hanging around the

house, you might want to put that painting Micah gave you into the

safe. If it means enough to you to have the damn thing insured for a

million dollars just because Micah painted it, then you need to protect

it.”

Gideon replied without missing a beat. “That’s a good idea. I’ll do

that.”

Frank clenched his fist and almost slammed it down onto the desk

top.
Painting, my hairy ass.
Micah had given Gideon a red tie. Frank

knew he had to keep the imposter talking long enough for Nick to

lock onto the guy. “Look, if you hear from Seth, could you please

have him call me. I have a few questions for him. We’ve found some

new evidence connected to the bombing that I want to go over with

him.”

The imposter took the bait. “Anything I can help with?”

Frank ground his teeth to keep from shouting. “No, I really need

Seth for this.”

“I’ll see if I can locate him.”

“I’d really appreciate it, Gideon.” Frank had to stop himself from

yelling into the phone that he knew the guy wasn’t Gideon and if he

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97

had done anything to Seth, the bastard was a walking dead man. But

he held his composure and tried to sound worried instead of livid.

“No problem,” the imposter replied.

There was silence for a moment. Frank didn’t know what to say

but he knew the trace would take at least three minutes. He was pretty

sure he had used up his quota of useless conversation.

The fake Gideon was the one who spoke next. “I’m afraid I need

to cut this short. I have a meeting I need to attend.”

“Oh, okay, well, if you hear from Seth, please have him give me a