Page 27 of Shrouded Past

Despite being late, Bryce felt it necessary to let Will know what he’d discovered.

“Hello.” To Bryce’s surprise, Will answered on the first ring without a hint of having been awakened from sleep.

“Sorry to call so late.”

“Don’t be. I can’t sleep either. I just keep going over Piper’s case wondering how Protector and the kidnapper are connected, if they are at all. Anyway, I’m guessing you didn’t call to hear me whine. What’s up?”

Bryce explained what he’d seen at his house. “He was there earlier. You might find some fingerprints or possibly traces of DNA.”

“I’ll head over and take a look.”

“Thanks.” Bryce explained where to find the hidden spare key.

“No problem. As soon as I know something, I’ll give you a call.”

Bryce ended the conversation then carried his coffee with him to the kitchen window and peered out. A sky full of stars shone through the small space. Gentle waves rolled back and forth along the shoreline. The world outside seemed at peace yet it was a false peace. Somewhere out there, the man who kidnapped Piper was searching for her. He had no doubt about that. There was a showdown coming with him. With the approaching weather. It had the ingredients for the perfect storm.

A noise behind him had him turning. Piper stood in the kitchen doorway. She was fully dressed.

“Did I wake you?”

She shook her head and came into the room. “No, I couldn’t sleep either.” She pointed to the coffeemaker.

“Help yourself.”

She moved to the cupboard while stifling a yawn. Once she’d gotten the coffee just right, she leaned against the counter.

“What do you see out there?” She nodded toward the window.

“Nothing alarming.” He told her about the storm. “If we end up in the hurricane’s path, we’ll have to evacuate.”

“And you don’t like that.”

He shook his head. “No. The less you’re out in public until we have a handle on what’s going on, the better.”

She studied his face. “Something else is wrong.”

He smiled. Was it part of a women's intuition or something that they could read a man’s thoughts he didn’t want to share. “Yes.” He told her about the break-in at his home. “He may not have known we left. Maybe he was thinking he’d catch us off guard.”

Piper visibly shivered, the coffee cup trembling in her hand. “That’s brazen.”

“Or determined,” he added. “This guy wants you back. He won’t stop until he succeeds.”

The sudden fear in her eyes made Bryce wish he hadn’t been so direct.

“It’s only a matter of time before he figures out where we are, isn’t it?”

He came over to the counter and set his cup down before taking hers and doing the same. “We don’t know that yet. There’s no way he should be able to associate this house with me.”

“Unless he did follow us and he knows we’ve reached out to JT and his team for help.”

He’d been careful, but he was rusty, and he had no idea what the man looked like. It was possible. But right now, she needed reassurances. “Then we’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

She searched his face as if desperate to believe he could protect her no matter what.

A surge of feelings he hadn’t expected to ever experience again had him reaching out to touch her face. “I’m not going to let him hurt you, Piper. I’m not.”

She went into his arms, and he held her close while praying for help.

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