Safe Haven (The Protectors Book 1) Read online

  Hayley smiled at the bright blue and pink striped stockings Emily was wearing. With her red hair and purple tunic, she looked like a go-go girl from the sixties. On anyone else it would have looked a little mismatched, but on Emily it worked.

  Hayley stood behind the mannequin and fastened the tiny pearl buttons at the back of the dress. “I’ve finished drafting the pattern for Sophie’s wedding dress. It’s going to look beautiful.”

  “As soon as I saw your sketch I knew it was special.” Emily gently placed a necklace over the mannequin. “All done. What do you think?”

  Hayley stood beside Emily and looked at the gold brocade dress. “It’s fit for a princess.”

  “Or a masquerade ball. As well as making more jewelry, Kelly is making a dozen masks to go with the dresses I’m designing.”

  “I don’t know anything about the ball.”

  “The Big Sky resort hosts a charity masquerade ball each year. This year they’re raising money for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank. It’s a wonderful evening and the Missouri Ballroom is a stunning venue. You should come—it will be fun.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Well, don’t think about it for too long. The tickets are on sale from tomorrow and they sell fast.”

  Hayley couldn’t think of anything worse than going to a masquerade ball on her own. Without Tank beside her, it would be like sending Cinderella to the ball without her glass slippers.

  She picked up a pin cushion and handed it to Emily. “I told Sophie you’re happy for me to make her wedding dress in the boutique. She was almost as excited as I am.”

  “I’m excited to have you here. Now come upstairs and see what arrived for you.”

  When Hayley stepped onto the mezzanine floor, she looked at the box on the table, then back at Emily. “My samples?”

  Emily nodded. “Go on…open it.”

  Hayley rushed across to the table and picked up a pair of scissors. “Mr. Rossi didn’t expect to have the sample ready so fast.” She ran the blade of the scissors along the edge of the box and carefully opened the flaps.

  Layers of foam padding and soft tissue cocooned the pale yellow chiffon. She lifted the sample fabric out of the box and sighed. “It’s beautiful.”

  Emily tilted her head to the side and smiled. “It’s not only beautiful…it’s stunning. I might have to call Mr. Rossi and see what samples he can send me.”

  “I have to call Sophie.” Hayley draped the fabric over the table and took her cell phone out of her pocket. She tried her sister’s number, but it was engaged. “I know she’s working in one of the labs at the university today. I’ll take the sample across to her and see what she thinks.”

  Emily handed her a gray garment bag. “Put the chiffon in here. It will be safer than folding it into the box.”

  Hayley couldn’t stop smiling. “I feel like this is the beginning of something amazing.”

  “Enjoy the moment. It’s not every day that you’re able to design and make your sister’s wedding dress.”

  Before Hayley left the entrance to the boutique, she looked carefully along the street. She could have easily ignored the heat between her shoulder blades, the feeling that something wasn’t right. Her sister always told her she had a good intuition. And that’s all it probably was—a figment of her overactive imagination telling her someone was watching her.

  But after what she’d been through with her mom, she wasn’t taking anything for granted.

  Before she had time to second-guess herself, she pulled out her cell phone and called John Fletcher.

  It was time to ask for help.

  ***

  Tank took out his phone and answered the call from John.

  “Where are you?”

  He looked over his shoulder before crossing the road. “On the corner of East Main and South Black Avenue.”

  “Quit following Hayley. You’re scaring her.”

  “How do you—”

  “She called me a few minutes ago. What the heck are you doing, anyway? You were the one who said you didn’t want any contact with her.”

  Tank wasn’t prepared to tell anyone how he felt about Hayley, and that included John. “I want to make sure she’s okay.”

  “You’re supposed to be working for me, not stalking your ex-girlfriend.”

  “I’m not working for you at the moment. I’m on vacation for the next two days.”

  “To stalk your ex-girlfriend?”

  Tank swerved to his left, narrowly avoiding being hit by a stroller. “No. To make sure mom and dad are okay.”

  “Shouldn’t you be in Denver doing that?”

  “Mom called me yesterday. Dad’s doing well. He wants me to stay in Bozeman and sort through some of the things I haven’t had time to do.”

  “Like see Hayley.”

  “Something like that,” Tank muttered.

  “Why don’t you talk to her?”

  “We didn’t part on the best of terms. I don’t think she’ll want to see me again.”

  John sighed. “If you let what you think will happen cloud your judgment, you’ll never move forward.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. You’re getting married in six months’ time. You’ve got someone to move forward with, unlike the rest of the bachelors you know.”

  “Which is why I’m taking matters into my own hands. I know you’re on vacation, but an urgent assignment has come up. I’ll meet you at the airport in two hours with your tickets and the case file.”

  “I thought you wanted me to work from here until Maria Hennessy or David’s money is found.”

  “I wouldn’t ask unless I was desperate.”

  Tank stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing you can’t handle. I’ll see you in two hours.”

  John ended the call and Tank stared at his phone. It wasn’t unusual to be given an urgent assignment. But it was unusual for John to meet him at the airport with the information he’d need.

  He put his phone away and glanced down the street. John’s mystery assignment was the least of his worries. If Hayley saw him lurking anywhere near Emily Green’s boutique, she might become suspicious. And that suspicion could lead to a lot of questions he didn’t know how to answer.

  ***

  Hayley threw open her suitcase and grabbed the first clothes she saw.

  After her sister left Chicago in a panic a few months ago, Hayley had packed a getaway bag for herself and her mom. As it turned out, they’d practically brought everything they owned to Montana except the kitchen sink.

  She looked at her case and mentally ticked off everything that should be there. She hadn’t removed her passport or other official documents, but she had moved her credit cards and cash.

  “Hayley? Where are you?”

  “In here, Sophie.”

  Her sister rushed into her bedroom and gave her a hug. “I came as quickly as I could. Why does John want you to go away for a couple of days?”

  “He has more information about Maria Hennessy’s disappearance. He thinks I’ll be safer if I leave Bozeman.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I don’t know. Can you bring me the pile of clothes I left in the linen closet? I’ll take some of them with me.”

  “Sure. Is there anything else you need?”

  “Toothbrush and toothpaste. And the first-aid kit above the fridge.” She threw clean underwear and a jacket into her bag, then looked at the pepper spray Tank had given her. As much as she wanted to take it with her, she’d never get it through airport security.

  “Here are your clothes.” Sophie dropped the T-shirts and sweatpants onto her bed. “I’ll be back soon with your toothbrush. Have you packed a towel?”

  “Not yet. I don’t know if I’ve got enough room.”

  “Well make it fit.”

  While her sister was getting a towel, Hayley wrapped a sweater around her flashlight and nightlight, squeezing them into the center o
f her case.

  Sophie handed her the rest of the things she needed. “Did John tell you anything about Maria, the reporter who’s missing?”

  “No. I just hope she’s okay. But the person I’m most worried about is Tank.”

  “Why?”

  Hayley looked at her watch. She still had another half hour before John arrived to take her to the airport. “The only connection I have to Maria is Tank. If John’s worried about me, then Tank must really be in trouble.”

  “I’m sure John’s got everything under control. Tank is able to look after himself. He might not be here, anyway. He could be overseas on an assignment.”

  “For his sake, I hope he is.” Hayley closed her suitcase and hauled it off her bed. “I’m ready.”

  Sophie gave her another hug. “Don’t worry. John knows what he’s doing.”

  “That’s what worries me the most. I wouldn’t be leaving Bozeman if it weren’t important. Will you be all right here with mom?”

  “Of course we will be. After you leave, I’ll take mom to Ryan’s home. She loves being at Emerald Lake and there’s plenty of security around the property. No one will come near us unless we want them to.”

  “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  Sophie sighed. “Neither can I. After the patent for the supplement was approved, I thought our lives would be less stressful. But they’re not.”

  Hayley wheeled her suitcase into the living room. “John won’t be here for at least twenty minutes. Let’s have a cup of coffee.”

  “And a huge slice of cake.”

  She smiled at her sister. “Have I told you how much I love you?”

  “Only about twenty thousand times—I love you, too. It’s going to be all right. John will keep you safe.”

  Hayley hoped so. If she’d learned anything over the last few months, it was not to take life for granted.

  ***

  Hayley waited beside John’s car while he unloaded her suitcase. She wheeled her carry-on toward him, frowning at the empty trunk. “Where’s your luggage?”

  He pushed the lock on his key ring and moved toward the airport terminal. “I’m not going with you. I’ve asked someone else to meet us here.”

  She pulled her bag along the asphalt, jogging to keep up with his long-legged stride. “Do I know the person who’s looking after me?”

  “You might have met him once or twice.”

  She tried to think of who it might be. The only people she’d met from Fletcher Security had been at Pastor Steven’s Halloween party.

  John looked at his watch. “He should be here by now. We’re meeting him beside the baggage claim area.”

  They walked across the road and headed into the terminal. So much had happened since the last time she’d been here. The supplement was nearly in production, Sophie was engaged to Ryan, and her mom was living an almost normal life in a new nursing home.

  Before Tank charged into her life like a white knight in a shiny SUV, she’d been happy. But spending time with him had changed her. She wasn’t willing to settle for living a life less than the best it could be. He’d made her a stronger person, and regardless of what had happened, she was grateful to him for that.

  The ground floor of the terminal wasn’t too busy. A few people were renting cars, others were sorting through their luggage, weighing bags on the airport scales. She pulled her carry-on along the carpeted floor, nervously looking at everyone, trying to recognize the person who would be traveling with her.

  Sophie had told her to look at the next few days as an adventure, but Hayley didn’t want any more adventure in her life. She’d already had enough to last a lifetime.

  She saw a large bronze sculpture of a grizzly bear. The person she was looking for wouldn’t be far away. She’d never been in an airport that had a bear guarding its luggage, but that was Montana for you.

  She turned the corner and Tank’s gaze hit her with the force of a sledgehammer. She froze, too stunned to do anything except stare at him.

  She looked from Tank’s startled face to John.

  John left her suitcase on the floor and pulled her close to Tank. “Before either of you say anything, I want to explain why we’re here.” He opened a folder and passed each of them a piece of paper. “Maria Hennessy is in Bozeman, talking with the police. She found two accounts that may be connected with the money David made from selling drugs.”

  Hayley looked at the piece of paper. A pretty woman with blonde hair stared back at her.

  “Where are the bank accounts?” Tank’s voice was low and flat.

  “In the Cayman Islands. The first account has a balance of more than two million dollars and was opened under the name, David Nelson. The second account, associated with your brother, has roughly five hundred thousand dollars in it. The Department of Justice is looking at whether any of the money is related to drug activities. Both accounts have been frozen until the investigation has finished.”

  Hayley was barely following the conversation. She’d missed Tank so much it was a wonder she could stand beside him without crying.

  Tank studied the photograph of Maria Hennessy. “What did you mean when you said ‘associated’ with David?” he asked John. “Whose name is on the account?”

  “Yours.”

  His eyes widened. “Wouldn’t David have needed some kind of identification to open an account in my name?”

  “The Cayman Islands’ financial regulations are different from here. He didn’t need any identification apart from your name and date of birth. The bank was also holding a safety deposit box in David’s name. There were two letters inside. One is addressed to you and the other to your parents. These are photocopies of the original letters.”

  Tank’s hand shook as he took the envelopes John handed him. “When were they written?”

  “I don’t know,” John said gently. “The investigation team looking into your brother’s finances are the only people who have read them.”

  Hayley touched Tank’s arm. He’d gone pale and she was afraid he’d pass out. “Do you want to sit down?”

  “No. I’ll be okay.” He took a deep breath and put the envelopes into his jacket pocket. “Now that Maria is safe and David’s money has been found, why are we here?”

  “Before I answer your question, I want to ask each of you something.”

  A sinking feeling hit Hayley’s stomach. She had a pretty good idea about what John’s questions would involve. He might think he was doing the right thing, but he was so wrong—it wasn’t funny. When Tank’s blue gaze connected with hers, she felt even worse.

  She focused on John instead of her pounding heart. “Tank and I aren’t seeing each other anymore. If you’ve brought us here to change that, it won’t work.”

  John looked at Tank. “Do you still care about Hayley?”

  Tank glanced at her. A blush hit his face. “Yes.”

  “Did you ever stop caring about her?”

  This time Tank’s face flamed redder than a ripe tomato. “No, I’ve never stopped caring about her.”

  Hayley stared at him. “But you broke up with me. You said it wouldn’t work, that I was—”

  “I said those things because I had to. I didn’t want anyone knowing how I felt about you. I had to keep you safe and the only way I could do that was to pretend I didn’t care about you.”

  John looked at his watch. “We need to speed this up if you’re going to make your flight.” He turned to Hayley. “Do you care about Tank?”

  She looked at Tank and sighed. “Yes.”

  “Great! Let’s go.” John picked up her suitcase.

  Hayley didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

  “You need to check in before your flight closes. Come with me.”

  Tank stepped in front of John. “We don’t need to go anywhere.”

  “You couldn’t be more wrong,” John said. “You’ve been having withdrawal symptoms from Hayley for the last three weeks. It’s Friday night. Take the we
ekend to get to know each other again. You’ll be back here on Sunday night, ready for work on Monday.”

  Hayley looked at John. “If we thought this was a good idea, where would we be going?”

  John handed Tank and Hayley their electronic tickets.

  Tank’s eyebrows rose. “Sioux City?”

  “There’ll be a rental car waiting for you when you land. You’ll be in Safe Haven before eleven o’clock.”

  Hayley tried to look disappointed. “I thought you were going to say Las Vegas.”

  Tank put on his backpack and took her carry-on out of her hand. “We can look at the stars instead of the bright lights of The Strip.”

  “Does this mean you want to go to Safe Haven?”

  He nodded. “I want to spend time with you.”

  And just like that, Hayley fell in love all over again.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Tank passed Hayley a bowl of popcorn. He still couldn’t believe that John had organized this weekend without telling him.

  The flight from Bozeman had been awkward and humbling. He had a long way to go before Hayley trusted him again, but they were rebuilding their friendship, one step at a time.

  Not long after they’d arrived at Safe Haven, they’d taken two chairs out of the living room and placed them in the middle of his backyard.

  “This is perfect.” Hayley leaned her head against the back of her chair and looked at the stars.

  He watched a smile drift across her face. He’d missed the contentment he felt when he was around her—the freedom to let go of the person he wanted people to see and be himself.

  “Are you warm enough?”

  She patted the blanket covering her legs. “This will keep me warm. Did you know that the Milky Way Galaxy has between one hundred and four hundred billion stars?”

  “That’s a lot of stars.”

  She sank further into the chair, lifting her chin to the night air. “How do you think astronomers know that?”

  Tank laughed. “They could have taken two chairs out of their living room, held telescopes to their eyes, and started counting.”

  “You forgot about the popcorn,” Hayley said as she dipped her hand into the bowl on her lap.