Page 97 of Caught in the Crossfire

“If there are, we’ll be able to narrow our search for the sender.” He flicked his gaze toward Nicole’s door. “Nic told me she was fine. Is she?”

“I’m not convinced.” Mason walked into the security room. “Rod asked her if she set up the confrontation with Dannon so I would retaliate against him for his behavior two years ago.”

Linc laughed. “She did fine on her own. Two years after the incident, Nicole isn’t interested in revenge. The only thing your lady wants is to marry you.”

Good to know Linc saw things the way Mason did. The trick would be to find enough proof to convince Rod of Nicole’s innocence and his own. He hadn’t forgotten that he was the prime suspect in Riva’s murder. “What did Dawn think about Rod’s visit?”

The smile on Linc’s face faded. “One of the other PSI instructors saw her while she had coffee with Rod at Perk. He said Dawn looked upset.”

“Was she?”

“She’s outraged that Rod thinks Nic is setting things up in Otter Creek to get you out of her life or to pay back Dannon. No one who knows you two would consider that to be true.”

“Seems like the standard operating procedure for Rod is to irritate the people he interviews.”

“As long as he gets the right man behind bars, I don’t care how irritating he is.” Linc clapped Mason on the shoulder. “Get some rest, Mase. We won’t solve this with the information we have at the moment. I have the first watch. Nate is taking the second shift since his wife is on duty overnight.”

Mason returned to his room and sprawled on the bed fully dressed, a quilt draped over his body. If trouble developed overnight, he’d be ready to respond.

He woke briefly when Nate arrived for his shift, then settled back into sleep. When his alarm woke him at 4:00, Mason rolled out of bed and stumbled to the shower.

Walking into the kitchen minutes later, he was surprised to see Nate at the stove. “I thought you were on shift.”

The EOD man glanced over his shoulder. “You look more rested than the last time I saw you. And, yes, I am on shift. Linc agreed to watch the security screens while I whipped up breakfast for everyone.”

“Don’t you have to cook for the trainees this morning?”

“Not on weekends. We have two trainees in this class with cooking experience. They cover the weekend meals to give me a break.” He inclined his head toward the coffee pot. “Coffee’s fresh. Help yourself.”

“When is Stella’s shift over?”

“Hopefully in four hours. If she catches a case, it might be later.”

Mason poured coffee into a mug. “Thanks for the coffee and food, Nate.”

“No problem. Any new developments?” The chef slid a plate with an omelet and home fries across the breakfast bar along with utensils.

While he ate, Mason updated the operative.

“Have Rio contact Fortress about the upgraded security system for Pet Palace. The boss will cut Nicole a good break because she’s family or will be soon.”

Nicole opened her bedroom door shortly before Mason left for work. She snuggled into his embrace with a sigh of contentment. “Good morning, handsome.”

“Good morning, beautiful.” He bent his head and indulged in a leisurely kiss. “Two months and one day,” he murmured when he ended the kiss.

“Can’t come soon enough for me.” Nicole studied his face. “You look rested. No excitement overnight?”

He shook his head. “Linc will drive you to work. Alex and Josh will split guard duty at Pet Palace today. Let one of them take out the trash for you, okay?”

“I learned my lesson. Be careful today.”

“Always. I love you, Nicole.”

She crushed her lips to his in a hard, fast kiss. “I love you, too. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

Thankfully, Mason’s day passed in a blur of activity. He and Dean tackled Brian’s list for Building 4, redoing tasks they knew had been finished properly. After consulting with the boss, Mason made another trip to the hardware supplier for more locks.

Knowing they were under a time crunch, he and Dean skipped lunch to keep working. By the time 3:00 came, they had finished their list.

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