Always (The Protectors Book 3) Read online

  The elevator doors pinged open and Tank smiled. “I wouldn’t say no. Are you sure you don’t want me to carry the box?”

  “I’m okay.” Some of the offices they were passing were sleek metal and brick spaces. Others had plants and colorful walls brightening their interiors.

  Tank turned into another corridor. “John will give me a call when you’re ready to leave. I’ve got some paperwork I need to do.” He knocked on a door and held it open. “Good luck.”

  John smiled at her from behind his desk. “Hi, Mallory. Take a seat.”

  She left the box on a coffee table not far from his desk. “This is for you. It’s a carrot cake.” John’s smile was good to see. She hoped it set the tone for the rest of their meeting.

  “You’ve been talking to Rachel.”

  Mallory wiped her hands on her jeans. “I didn’t want to make something you don’t like.”

  “Thank you. It was thoughtful of you. How was your teams’ last figure skating practice before the festival?”

  “They were amazing. They’ve learned so much.”

  John took a file off his desk and led her across the room to some comfy chairs. “Let’s sit here. Grant called me a couple of minutes ago. He’s on his way back to Bozeman, but he won’t be here for at least half an hour. He wants us to start without him.”

  “Do you know why he was called out?”

  “A couple of kids didn’t show up at school. They’d taken their parents’ snowmobiles into the mountains and triggered an avalanche.”

  “Are they okay?”

  “I’m not sure. Grant will tell us when he arrives.”

  Mallory sat in a chair and took a deep breath. “Have you heard from the police about my break-in?”

  “They didn’t get any fingerprint matches and none of your neighbors saw anything. The envelope and card addressed to you have been analyzed. Apart from your fingerprints, both the envelope and paper were clean. All the police know for sure is that the stationery was from a high-end store.”

  “So we’re no closer to finding who’s responsible?”

  “That’s correct.”

  Mallory’s heart sank. She’d been so hopeful that they would have found something.

  “I’ve told the police about our investigation and sent them a copy of the forensic accountant’s report. Because of that, the police in Orlando are reopening the investigation they carried out after your car accident. The FBI have also been called. I wouldn’t be surprised if the CIA doesn’t get involved, too.”

  John opened the folder in front of him. “This is a summarized version of the forensic accountant’s report and our own team’s findings. I can make you a copy of the full document if you’d like to see it.”

  “I’d like that.” She took the report John handed her and read the first page. The folder on Simon’s cloud storage account had contained all of the email correspondence, financial documents, contracts, and construction plans associated with the resort his parents and Juan Garcia were building.

  She reread one paragraph. “Juan Garcia evicted a whole village to make way for the resort?”

  John frowned. “Evicted is too polite. When the villagers wouldn’t leave, he ran them out of the village. They had twenty-four hours to get everything out of their homes before bulldozers came in.”

  “Did Simon’s parents know about this?”

  “From the email correspondence going backward and forward, they knew there was a tight time frame for people leaving the village, but not necessarily what was happening. However, they also didn’t ask—and that tells us more than if there was no reference to what happened.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “They were being careful about what they said.”

  “Is that why Simon was upset?”

  John nodded. “Simon knew what was going on. He sent private investigators to the village and gave his parents a copy of their report. They did nothing about it. When Juan Garcia heard about the investigation he was furious.”

  Mallory’s gaze traveled down the page. “He almost called the whole deal off?”

  “That’s right. But both parties were so far into the project they had to continue.”

  Mallory compared the timeline in the report with what she remembered had happened leading up to Simon’s death.

  “We were on vacation when Juan Garcia heard about the private investigators.”

  John handed her another set of papers. “These are copies of the emails he sent Simon. If you don’t want to read them, I understand.”

  “Do they tell us who killed Simon?”

  “Not exactly, but they tell us who wanted him dead.”

  She held the papers in her hand. It had been two years since Simon had died—two years of believing she was the person who had caused his death.

  It should have been easy to look at the emails, but all she could see was Simon’s face as he lay dying in his car.

  As she read through them, she became more and more horrified. “Simon threatened to send copies of everything he’d found to the media?”

  “He was worried that no one would do anything if he went to the Mexican Government.”

  Mallory kept reading. In a heated email, Juan Garcia had told Simon’s parents to stop Simon from talking or he would do something about it.

  “Juan Garcia had enough motive to kill Simon, just like his parents did.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “You don’t think Simon’s parents killed him, do you?”

  “I don’t know. The police are reviewing Juan Garcia and Simon’s parents’ business dealings. If either of them were willing to kill someone, it wouldn’t have been the first time.”

  “How does this relate to my break-in?”

  “Someone knew about the files. They knew your memory had returned and they also knew about the photo. I imagine they’re doing exactly what they did after Simon died—trying to scare you.”

  Mallory sat straighter. “I’m not the same person I was two years ago.”

  “It’s just as well they don’t know that.”

  “How do we find them?”

  “We’re doing everything we can. In the meantime, I need you to be really careful. If they realize Fletcher Security and the police are searching for them, they could panic and come after you.”

  “Tess and Logan have a lot of security around their home. When I leave their property, Tank is always with me.”

  “If anything out of the ordinary happens, let Tank know straight away.”

  An image of Andrew leapt into Mallory’s head. “I should have told you this the other day, but Simon’s brother called me again.”

  “What did he want?”

  “You have to promise you won’t tell Grant.”

  John’s eyebrows rose. “He’s my brother.”

  “I know, but this is important. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do and I don’t want him to worry.”

  John didn’t seem happy, but he nodded. “Okay. I won’t say anything.”

  “Andrew told me about a coaching job in Los Angeles. He thinks I should apply for it.”

  “What’s stopping you?”

  Mallory raised her chin. “If I go anywhere, it has to be for a good reason, not because I’m running away. If I leave now, I would be running.”

  “I imagine good coaching jobs don’t come along all that often.”

  “Not at prestigious clubs like the one in Los Angeles.”

  “It sounds as though you’ve got a big decision to make.”

  “I’ve got more urgent issues at the moment.” She looked at the report on her lap, then at John. “There’s something that’s been bothering me. We’ve been assuming that the person who broke into my house knew about the numbers on the back of the photo. What if they didn’t? And if they didn’t, why did they take the photo?”

  “It’s a good question, but I can’t give you an answer. I’m hoping we’ll have more information by next week.”

  Mallory sig
hed.

  “What else is on your mind?”

  “It’s not huge, but you should probably know. Tess has registered me in the Winter Festival figure skating event. I’m skating after Bella’s team.” She hurried on before John could tell her it wasn’t a good idea. “I know it’s not exactly keeping a low profile, but I’ll only be on the ice for a few minutes. It’s not going to be advertised anywhere.”

  “Does Grant know?”

  Mallory shook her head. “We were going to surprise him.”

  “You’ll definitely do that.” John’s eyes narrowed. “If you do this, you’re on and off the ice as quickly as possible. I’m sending a team to guard Bella and Rachel, so they can make sure you’re okay, too.”

  For the first time since she walked into John’s office, she smiled.

  “I won’t tell Grant what you’re doing, but you have to talk to him after you come off the ice.”

  She didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried. “Thank you.”

  “You might not be quite so thankful after you’ve spoken with Grant.”

  Mallory knew he was right. She just hoped Grant knew why she had to do this.

  ***

  After waiting for a guard to let him into Fletcher Security, Grant’s patience was wearing thin. He’d wanted to be with Mallory when John gave her an update on what was happening, but he hadn’t been able to make it back to Bozeman in time.

  He glanced at his watch before stepping out of the elevator. He knew John was still in his office, but he had no idea if Mallory was there.

  As he turned into another corridor, he heard Mallory’s voice. At least he hadn’t completely missed the meeting.

  With a quick knock on the door, he walked into his brother’s office. “Sorry I’m late.”

  Mallory’s blue eyes settled on him and his heart rate kicked up a notch. He’d seen her three days ago, but it felt like it had been a lot longer.

  A smile replaced the frown on her face. “I’m glad you’re here. How are the boys you went to help?”

  “They survived. One of them came off his snowmobile when he tried to get away from the avalanche. He broke his arm and gave his head a good bang. His friend didn’t miss the avalanche, but he was only partially submerged. His snowmobile wasn’t so lucky.”

  John handed him a cup of coffee. “I’ll give you a brief rundown of what we talked about. There are no new leads on Mallory’s break-in and the Orlando Police are reopening their investigation on her car accident. The folder on Simon’s cloud account had copies of the financial records, email correspondence, contracts, and reports surrounding the development of a resort that Juan Garcia and Simon’s parents were working on together. Not long before he died, Simon hired private investigators to review the development. What they came back with would have given Juan Garcia and Simon’s parents enough motive to kill him.”

  Grant’s eyes widened. “His parents?”

  “That’s what I thought, too,” Mallory said. “I can’t imagine them doing anything like that.”

  John shrugged. “We can’t discount anyone at this stage. The FBI has been contacted and the CIA will be next.”

  “Can you email me a copy of the full report?” Grant asked.

  “Email might not be safe. I’ll copy the report onto a thumb drive for each of you.”

  While John walked back to his desk, Grant focused on Mallory. “Are you all right?”

  A soft blush hit her cheeks. “I’m fine.”

  “How did your final practice go for the Winter Festival?”

  “Everyone enjoyed themselves. Natasha did another perfect spin and the girls were great.”

  “You must be pleased.”

  Mallory nodded. She looked uneasy.

  “Have you had dinner?”

  “No, I didn’t have time. I thought I’d buy some takeout before I head back to Tess’ home.”

  “We could have dinner together. Charlie’s Bar and Grill won’t be too busy.”

  For a moment, he thought Mallory was going to say no, but then she nodded.

  “I’d like that. I just need to let Tank know what’s happening.”

  John gave each of them a thumb drive. “Everything is on here—be careful you don’t lose it. Did I hear you say something about dinner?”

  “Mallory and I haven’t eaten. We’re going to Charlie’s Bar and Grill.” Grant watched his brother. He wouldn’t have had dinner either. It would be just like him to invite himself.

  “Would you let Tank know that he can go home?”

  John walked back to his desk. “I will. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just call me. Otherwise, we’ll meet again next week.”

  Mallory picked up her bag. “Thanks, John.”

  “You’re welcome. See you soon.”

  Grant followed Mallory out of his brother’s office. He would read what was in Fletcher Security’s report when he got home. For now, he was more interested in what Mallory had told John.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Grant stepped inside Charlie’s Bar and Grill with Mallory. Country music played on the jukebox and a few couples were dancing. “Where would you like to sit?’

  She pointed to some booths on the far side of the room. “It might be a little quieter over there.”

  They chose a table and took off their jackets.

  He handed her a menu. “You seem happier than when I left you on Sunday.”

  “I’m trying my best to stay positive. Tess has been great and I’ve appreciated your phone calls.”

  “How is Tank working out?”

  “It felt strange to start with, but he’s a nice person. The staff at the hospital are impressed with my bodyguard.”

  “He’ll keep you safe.”

  Mallory’s smile slipped. “I know he will, but it’s not easy. I’ve been worried about what’s going to happen next. For the last three days I’ve been looking over my shoulder, waiting for the person who broke into my home to do something. I just want all of this to be finished.”

  “I know you do.”

  Mallory rubbed her forehead. “It could get a lot worse before it gets better.”

  Grant reached out and held her hand. “Why don’t you take some time off work? With the police and Fletcher Security working on Simon’s files and your burglary, it won’t be long until they’ve got the answers they need.”

  “If I did that it would be worse. I need something to keep me busy.”

  “You still need to spend a day with me on my ranch. Why don’t you come and stay with me after the Winter Festival? I’ve got plenty of spare bedrooms and the ranch hands aren’t far away. I could take you back to Tess’ home on Sunday evening.”

  Doubt clouded Mallory’s eyes. “I don’t want to put you in any danger. If something happens on your ranch, we’re a long way from Bozeman.”

  Grant leaned forward. “I have enough security hooked up to deter even the most seasoned bad guy. But I don’t think the person trying to scare you is particularly bad.”

  Mallory frowned. “Why not?”

  “Breaking into your home wasn’t the worst thing someone could do to scare you.”

  “You need to read the full report John gave us. Juan Garcia knows how to scare people. He evicted a whole village to make way for the resort he was building with Simon’s parents.”

  “If that’s the case, John was right. The CIA need to be involved. Is your family okay?”

  “I called mom and dad last night and told them someone broke into my house. They were glad I’m staying with Tess.”

  “Did you tell them about the files in Simon’s account?”

  “No. But I asked them to let me know if anything strange happens. I don’t want to worry them.” Mallory fell silent when a waitress stopped beside their table.

  After they’d placed their dinner and drink orders, she sighed. “Tell me about you. What was it like being in the military?”

  Grant shrugged. “I was proud to serve my country, but at times i
t felt like the loneliest career in the world. The guys in my team became my family. When I came home, I felt as if I didn’t belong.”

  “How do you feel now?”

  “As though I should have come back to Bozeman a long time ago. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

  “What’s the best thing about your ranch?”

  “We’ve got a lake that would make a great winter ice rink.”

  Mallory’s smile cut straight to his heart.

  “Nothing could beat Emerald Lake.”

  “Wait until you see Mountain Sky Lake. It’s so big it takes twenty minutes to skate from one side to the other.”

  Mallory laughed. “Are you sure you’re not exaggerating to make me want to see it?”

  Grant held his hand over his heart. “I swear on the ice cream sundae I’m having for dessert that I’m telling the truth. It should be listed as a modern-day wonder of the world. When I was younger, my step-dad taught me how to skate on the lake. When John was older, we’d all go fishing or exploring.”

  “Where did you live before you moved to Bozeman?”

  “Whitefish, and before that, Havre.”

  Mallory frowned. “I haven’t heard of Havre.”

  Grant smiled. “About ten thousand people live there. If you drive north for about five hours, you’ll find it. My biological father died when I was two years old. We lived in Havre until he died, then mom and I moved to Whitefish.”

  “Was your biological father a rancher, too?”

  “He was a ranch hand and a survivalist. Most people have furniture or quilts or other family heirlooms that they hand down from generation to generation. I have an interconnected bunker system in the foothills of Saddle Butte.”

  “Your dad sounds like he was an interesting person.”

  Grant shrugged. “I don’t remember much about him. Mom gave me some photos, but when I look at them I feel as though I’m seeing a stranger. But when I’m at the bunker, I feel as though he’s with me, watching what I’m doing. I had a really close relationship with mom’s second husband. He loved me as if I were his son. What about you? Do your mom and dad have any odd quirks?”

  “My parents are about as normal as you can get. Dad is a teacher and mom is a dental hygienist.” She smiled at him. “No cavities.”