Page 40 of Sizzling Nights

He pulled a mouse from the desk drawer and shook it to wake up the system. He also pulled a notebook from the top drawer. "This is the password. The notebook is to stay in the drawer until you need it and then put it back immediately. There are six cameras outside. Up the driveway and around the perimeter."

The computer came to life, and six squares appeared on the computer screen. "Here are your views from the camera. You can see all around the property beginning when we turned onto Hidden Oasis. There are cameras inside here..." He pointed to the corners above the door and across the living room in the upper corner. "There are also cameras in the kitchen, pointing to the back door. There are no cameras in the bedrooms or the bathrooms. And open disclosure, Wes has access to the cameras coming up the driveway. He knows when someone is here. He doesn't look at the cameras inside here, though. Only if something were to happen. He wanted you to know that."

Jace nodded and turned to Theresa. She smiled in return.

Jace continued. "Keep this up. It'll chime if someone comes up the driveway. You can look and see who it is. There are locks on the doors and windows. The windows are bulletproof glass, the doors are reinforced steel. There's also a safe room if you need it. Once the door to the safe room is opened, Wes will get a warning and he'll send police here immediately. I'll show you that next."

Marco nodded. "Okay. This feels a bit like Fort Knox."

Jace laughed. "That's exactly what I called it the first time I came out here."

Theresa finally found her voice. "Why did he build this?"

Jace shook his head. "He enjoys it. He has the knowhow and he loves tinkering. And he felt if his family ever needed anything like this, in the event of some type of catastrophe, they'd have a place to hide."

Theresa nodded and Marco grinned at her. He could see some of the tension leaving her shoulders and her face. It was less stern than it had been previously.

Jace finished off his tour. "Here's the Wi-Fi password." He pointed to the notebook then put it back into the drawer and closed it. "And follow me to the safe room."

Marco took Theresa's hand, and they followed Jace through the kitchen to a door at the back. It was a basement door. They descended the stairs and lights flickered on. "No one sneaking up on anyone down here. The lights will come on at the movement."

Theresa chuckled. "Wow."

Jace stopped them at another doorway. He pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped a couple of times then held the phone to his ear. "Wes, we're opening the safe room. I just wanted to give you a heads-up."

Jace listened a minute then hung up the call. He tapped a number into the electronic keypad that appeared after he waved his hand in front of it. He typed in the number. "The code is in the notebook in the desk drawer. Memorize it."

Marco responded. "Will do."

The door opened and they stepped into another amazing room with bunks on the walls, a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a sitting area. "There's food down here, MREs. Water bottles under the bottom bunk. You can live down here for two months if need be."

Theresa chuckled. "Oh, my gawd. This is unreal."

26

Theresa unpacked the groceries Jace and Margo had purchased for them. It frayed her nerves a bit to see there was enough food for them to be here for a month. Her system couldn't take this type of hiding and worrying for a month. The final exposé should be released in three days’ time, and after that, the cat would be out of the bag. She shouldn't have to worry about being offed, as everyone would come looking for the Celtics if anything happened to her. At least she hoped that would be her shield.

Marco stepped into the kitchen and whistled at all the food.

"It looks like there's enough food here to be locked up for a month."

She chuckled. "That's what I was thinking." She folded up a paper bag. "I won't stay sane for a month. Hiding. Being afraid of every sound."

He walked around the counter and put his hands on either of her shoulders. "The heat is on now because of the reports. They're likely hoping to stop them from being released. Once they can't, they'll need to go into repair mode, and they'll likely leave the country. At least the higher-ups will, so they can't be arrested."

"I hope you're right. If they're out of the country and their organization is fractured, they won't have time to worry about me."

He grinned. He was sexy all the time, but when he grinned, there was something that happened to her on a visceral level that made her entire body sizzle. His arms wrapped around her, and he stepped in closer to fully hug her.

Her arms wrapped around his waist, and she laid her ear to his chest. She liked hearing his heartbeat. It was comforting. It sounded so strong and solid. She closed her eyes and listened. They stood together, just taking comfort in each other. At least she took comfort in Marco. Maybe it was one-sided. What on earth did she bring to this relationship but trouble, turmoil, and upheaval in his life?

She swallowed the large knot that formed in her throat and released her arms. Marco pulled away and she felt the loss instantly.

Marco's phone rang. He wasted no time answering. "Karason."

She listened to his side of the conversation, not sure if she should. Maybe it was a personal call. Not everything revolved around her, though it seemed to lately.

Her cheeks heated as she realized she'd been rather selfish. His life had been turned upside-down the instant he offered to help her. She didn't resist enough either. She'd been caught up with the fact that Marco, this man she'd longed for from afar, wanted to help her. He likely had friends and things he did when he was off work that didn't include running from people firebombing your home or near it anyway. And, chasing off someone throwing rocks.

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