Page 30 of Relentless

“My job is dangerous. There’s always the possibility my identity and location will leak to my enemies. Looks like that’s what happened here. The MOs are different, Piper.” He glanced toward his house. “The people who broke in here have training similar to mine.”

“How do you know?”

“This is the best Fortress security system. The people who burglarized your place would have tripped the alarm system in mine. The same people are not responsible for my home invasion.”

“Could you break into your own place?”

A slow smile spread across his mouth. “What do you think?”

That’s what she thought. “You have skills, Mr. McCoy.”

He chuckled. “Come on. We should go before the police delay us again. I want to leave town as soon as possible.”

“How will they get inside?”

“Trent has a key. We have keys to each other’s homes in case we need emergency access.”

“Why did Trent say you might have a leak if the tech team didn’t accompany the crime scene team?”

“The tech team will look for surveillance equipment planted in my house.”

She stared. “Surveillance equipment?”

“Bugs and cameras. The intruders had plenty of time inside the house and we don’t know how long ago they broke in.”

Oh, man. Being under that kind of scrutiny made Piper’s stomach twist. “You were gone almost a month.”

He frowned. “Someone could have been targeting me the entire time.” Liam glanced at her. “Did you notice anything odd while I was gone?”

Other than missing him until she could barely breathe most days? Piper shook her head.

“Did anything strike you as weird while you were at Wicks?”

She thought about the weeks when Liam and his teammates were gone. She and Delilah spoke frequently of the men in their lives in those long days. At least her boss talked to Matt every day or so. With her phone unsecured, Piper understood why she received a handful of texts from Liam but no conversations. He’d been concerned about her safety.

That’s when she remembered the stranger who visited the shop soon after Bravo left town.

Liam glanced Piper’s direction at her continued silence. “Tell me.”

“This may be nothing. We have visitors from out of town in Wicks all the time.”

“But someone stood out.”

“One man,” she confirmed.

“When did he visit Wicks?”

“Three days after Bravo left town. Otter Creek Community College had family day so the shop was crazy busy. The man I’m thinking of came in near the end of the day.”

“Why did he stand out?”

“He came alone. The rest of our customers came in with other family members and friends.”

“And?”

“He asked me to go to dinner with him.”

Liam’s eyes narrowed. “What did he say when you turned him down?”

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