Safe at Last (Slow Burn #3) (27 page)

Eliza was cheerfully making a cup of coffee, and Wade . . . well, he didn’t look pleased by Eliza’s company. Anna-Grace wondered what that was all about. Wade certainly wasn’t immune to a pretty woman and Eliza was very attractive. Not to mention capable and self-sufficient. All the things Anna-Grace wished she was.

Wade turned down the coffee Eliza offered, and with a shrug, Eliza sank down onto the couch with her mug cupped in her palms as though she had a cup of ambrosia. The look of bliss on her face was comical.

Then Eliza glanced up and saw Anna-Grace in the doorway. Immediately she shot to her feet and set her coffee on the table in front of the couch and hurried over to where Anna-Grace stood.

“How are you feeling?” Eliza asked.

She put her hand under Anna-Grace’s elbow to lead her farther into the living room and then firmly deposited her in one of the armchairs.

“Would you like some coffee? I just brewed it so it’s nice and hot, and I do make a pretty mean cup of coffee if I do say so myself.”

Wade also walked over to Anna-Grace, concern darkening his face.

“Are you all right, Anna-Grace?” he asked quietly. “Are you hungry? Is there anything I can get you?”

To her surprise, Anna-Grace
was
hungry. After a few days of sipping, at best, a few spoonfuls of soup, her stomach was protesting loudly.

“Coffee and breakfast sound heavenly,” she breathed.

Eliza beamed. “I’d say that’s a good sign that you’re starting to get better.”

Wade turned to Eliza and grudgingly asked, “Would you like something to eat as well?”

Eliza’s eyes twinkled mischievously, almost as if she knew she annoyed Wade—and didn’t care one bit, and she smiled sweetly with exaggerated innocence. “Why thank you, Wade. I’d love something to eat. Gracie and I can eat together.”

“Her
name
is Anna-Grace,” Wade growled.

Eliza’s gaze shot to Anna-Graze, apology evident in her eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s just that Zack has always called you Gracie and that’s what I know you by. Would you prefer that I call you Anna-Grace?”

Anna-Grace gave her a reassuring smile. The other woman was so nice and the last thing Anna-Grace wanted to do was make her feel as though she’d done something wrong.

“You can call me either. Truly. I don’t mind. Zack is the only one who ever called me Gracie. It was his pet name for me.”

She couldn’t control the spasm of pain that wrinkled her features when she spoke of Zack, and recalled the giddy pleasure she’d always experienced when Zack had used the affectionate endearment.

Eliza gave her a look of sympathy and impulsively reached out to squeeze her hand.

“Where . . . where is Zack?” Anna-Grace asked hesitantly.

She didn’t want to appear eager, but after spending every single minute with her since her attack, it seemed odd that he was nowhere to be found. Had the revelation from the night before unnerved him? Was he through keeping up his pretense of innocence and had left as a result?

But he’d been so . . . adamant that he’d done nothing. And Zack had always been stubborn. She couldn’t imagine him simply giving up and walking away.

Eliza and Wade glanced uneasily at one another and tried to cover that they had, but Anna-Grace didn’t miss the quick exchange. She frowned and pinned Wade with her stare since Eliza was likely more loyal to Zack and may or may not tell her what was going on.

Wade sighed and ran a hand through his immaculate hair, and astonishingly didn’t mess up a single strand. But that was Wade. Always impeccably dressed and perfectly put together. Anna-Grace had no idea how he managed it. But his appearance—like everything else in his life—was well ordered, without a single thing out of place.

“He left,” Wade said hesitantly.

Anna-Grace was stunned, but more unsettling was the fact that she was . . . upset? Disappointed? After the events of last night, she couldn’t imagine him simply leaving, but perhaps she shouldn’t at all be surprised.

“Oh for God’s sake,” Eliza said in exasperation. “Leave it to a man to completely fuck up an explanation.”

Wade shot Eliza a glare and she glared right back at him. The animosity between the two was tangible, and it puzzled Anna-Grace. They’d disliked one another on sight, but then they’d had contact before Anna-Grace had been pulled into the picture, so perhaps something had occurred between the two that she had no knowledge of. Whatever it was must have been serious to have sparked such an intense reaction.

“Come on, Gracie,” Eliza said, taking her hand and gently pulling her toward the breakfast table.

She pinned Wade with an imperious stare. “Make yourself useful and get Gracie something to eat while I pour her a cup of coffee, and
I’ll
explain everything to her.”

Wade didn’t look at all pleased to be ordered about by Eliza, but then he was a man used to doing the ordering. But he didn’t argue and began taking out items from the refrigerator and banging pots and pans about as he pulled out two skillets.

Eliza set a steaming cup of coffee down in front of Anna-Grace and then sat down catty-corner to her with her own cup.

“First, and most important, you will
not
be left without protection,” Eliza said emphatically. “Wade and I are staying with you here, and members of my team will rotate through so that there is always a third present here as well. And well, also because Wade is a civilian, so he doesn’t really count.”

Wade slammed down one of the skillets and turned, a fierce scowl on his face.

“I’d pit my skills against one of your pansy-ass operatives any day of the week,” he said in an icy tone. “And I can damn sure protect Anna-Grace better than
you
can. You aren’t much bigger than she is, for God’s sake. What exactly are you going to be able to do if faced by two or three much larger and stronger men who aren’t exactly deterred by the fact that you’re a woman? Are you just
trying
to get yourself killed?”

Anna-Grace’s eyebrows rose because she could swear mixed in with the obvious irritation was actual
concern
for Eliza.

“I wasn’t dick-sizing you, Wade,” Eliza said dryly. “Nor was I implying that you were some ball-less pussy.”

Anna-Grace coughed trying to stifle her laughter and ended up wheezing when her mouthful of coffee went down the wrong way.

“I was merely suggesting that as refined and as highbrow as you are, you likely aren’t used to what I—and my coworkers—deal with every day.”

Wade’s eyes glittered, and his expression grew deadly, suddenly giving Anna-Grace the impression that despite his outward appearance, he was something quite different underneath. And his next words confirmed that fleeting thought.

“Don’t let the outward trappings fool you even for a moment, Eliza,” Wade said, his tone sounding . . .
lethal
. And dangerous.

Anna-Grace shivered, because he suddenly sounded like someone you did
not
want to cross. Ever.

“You may very well be surprised by what I’m capable of. I didn’t get to where I am with good looks and charm.”

Eliza didn’t seem ruffled at all by Wade’s declaration.

“And you may be surprised by all I know about you and your various business practices,” she said airily. “So, in that regard, no, I doubt I’d be surprised by anything when it comes to you. And that’s quite an ego you have there. Who said you were good-looking and charming? Personally I find you to be a royal pain in the ass.”

Wade’s eyes narrowed at the insult. “What the hell does that mean? What exactly do you know about me? And there are plenty of women who disagree with you,” he added in a silky, mocking voice.

Eliza laughed, ignoring his comeback about other women, who were countless, Anna-Grace was sure. It was a mystery to her why Wade had ever been interested in her on a more personal level than casual friendship.

“I’m a wiz at uncovering information on people that they don’t necessarily want the rest of the world to know. It’s useful in my line of work. It frustrates my computer geek boss—one of them—that I’m better with technology than he is and he knows it even if he won’t admit it.”

Wade’s scowl deepened. “I don’t even want to know,” he grumbled and then turned back to the stove, muttering about all-knowing, interfering women.

Eliza’s eyes were sparkling with laughter when she turned her attention back on Anna-Grace. “Now that we’ve got certain egos in check, I’ll continue telling you about Zack.”

Anna-Grace got the impression that Eliza quite enjoyed yanking Wade’s chain, and even more interesting was the fact that she clearly got under Wade’s skin when not much ever seemed to bother him. He was the epitome of cool and calm, and Anna-Grace had never seen him remotely ruffled.

Eliza’s expression sobered as she reached over to place her hand on Anna-Grace’s. She squeezed lightly in a gesture of comfort.

“Zack specifically asked me—hell, he demanded—that you be protected around the clock and that you not go anywhere if possible, and if you absolutely must, then you were to have a full security detail. And he asked me to tell you that there were things he had to do, things that had to be taken care of and that he would be back as soon as possible. But, and he was very adamant about this, he said to tell you he
was
coming back—to you—no matter what.”

Eliza hesitated, clear concern marring her pretty features. A sense of dread overtook Anna-Grace as she took in Eliza’s words. And their meaning. Surely . . .
surely
he wouldn’t. But he’d been so angry—
furious
.

“Gracie, do you have any idea where he would have gone?” Eliza asked. “I’m really worried about him. I can’t imagine what could be
so
important that he’d take off—on his own—when his primary focus is—has
always
been—you. He said nothing, other than he had something he had to do. He didn’t ask for help or backup. And we do nothing without backup. It’s the only way we do things at DSS, which tells me this is very personal and that he didn’t want to confide whatever it is he’s doing in anyone.”

Anna-Grace closed her eyes, shame and embarrassment overwhelming her. How could she tell Eliza—someone who obviously cared a lot about and respected Zack—what she suspected was the thing Zack had to do?

“Gracie?”

Anna-Grace opened her eyes to see Eliza’s imploring gaze locked on her, a silent plea in her eyes.

“You can talk to me,” Eliza said softly. “I know you don’t know me, and I know it’s hard for you to trust anyone. But you can tell me anything. I won’t judge. Nor will I betray your confidence. But Zack is very important to me—to everyone at DSS. And if he’s in trouble, we want to help him. Just as we’ll do everything we can to help
you
. You’re important to Zack, which makes you important to us as well.”

Tears simmered in Anna-Grace’s eyes and she looked down for a moment, indecision weighing heavily on her mind. Then she took a deep breath and glanced Wade’s way.

“If you want to speak privately, I can ask him to leave,” Eliza said in a voice too low for Wade to hear.

“No,” Anna-Grace said just as softly. “He knows part of it. And he needs to know the rest, or at least what I’ve told Zack. Because he hates Zack because of what I told him sometime ago, and now . . .”

“Now what?” Eliza prompted.

Anna-Grace lifted her head and stared directly into Eliza’s eyes and admitted what had been nagging at her ever since witnessing Zack’s reaction the night before.

“Now I’m not so sure that I was right. Maybe . . . maybe I was wrong.” Tears flooded her eyes and sloshed over the rims, streaking down her cheeks in wet trails. “And if I was wrong . . . Oh God, Eliza. If I was wrong, then I’ve made a terrible, unforgivable mistake. If I was wrong, then I punished Zack for
years
for a sin he didn’t commit. I don’t know
what
to believe anymore.”

“Oh, hon,” Eliza said, her voice filled with sympathy.

“He’ll hate me,” Anna-Grace whispered. “Just like I’ve hated
him
for the last twelve years.”

TWENTY-FIVE

ZACK
jammed the rental car into park, got out and strode up the walkway to Stuart’s house. Stuart was the weak link in the chain. The one who never had an original thought in his head and went along with whatever the group was doing. And yet Zack wondered just how much persuading and nagging Kevin and Bryan had really had to do in order to get him to participate in their gang rape of Gracie.

Nausea boiled in his stomach all over again and he had to shove back his visceral reaction to what three men he’d called friends had done to an innocent sixteen-year-old girl or he’d lose his tenuous grasp on what was left of his sanity.

If Zack had any hope of getting a confession out of all three—and he’d beat it out of them if he had to—he needed to start here. And in truth he relished the thought of exacting punishment and cold-blooded revenge. Justice for Gracie. And for himself. But most of all Gracie, who’d suffered the most. Lost everything. As had he.

His hands itched, curling into fists as he knocked forcefully on the door. Never in his life had he experienced such an intense need for blood. And more than anything he wanted to know
why
. What could have inspired men he would have never suspected of such depravity to attack a defenseless young woman in such a horrific, degrading manner?

The door opened and Zack’s vision clouded with rage as Stuart stood staring back at him, blinking in confusion. And then to Zack’s complete surprise, Stuart’s eyes went dull and he sagged like a deflated balloon. Guilt and resignation were stark, and he simply stood there, unmoving, unspeaking. Almost as if he knew exactly what was coming.

Zack’s fury reached its boiling point and he rammed his fist into Stuart’s jaw, smashing his nose with his knuckles. Stuart flew back and landed on the floor, his hand covering his now-bleeding nose. And he simply stayed down, looking at Zack with so much guilt and regret that it made Zack physically ill.