Operation Hero's Watch

Jace glanced at her. “No kidding. I never thought she’d grow up like...that.”

“Nothing sisterly about her now.”

Jace swallowed tightly. “No. No, not a thing.”

“Except that promise.”

His gaze shot back to Rafe’s face. “Yeah. That promise.”

He’d made that promise to Cory, to take care of his sister if ever he couldn’t. To look out for her, help her if she needed it.

“Doesn’t sound like her brother’s the type to keep them.”

“Depends how much it costs him.” The rather cynical observation was out before he thought. His mouth tightened ruefully. What was it about this guy—and that blessed dog—that made him say things he normally would never say? Especially to someone he’d just met?

“Some would say that lets you off the hook.”

Jace’s brow furrowed. “Why? I made the promise, not Cory.”

The slightest of smiles flitted across the other man’s face. “And that you make that distinction is why I’m here. You’re the kind of person Foxworth helps. Cory, not so much.”

Jace was saved from responding by Cassie’s return. She handed Rafe the list of names. “You swear they won’t ever know?”

“As long as they’re not involved in whatever this is, they won’t have a clue,” Rafe promised. Somehow Jace thought the guy would deliver on that.

“And if they are?” she asked, warily. “If someone on this list—” she sounded extremely doubtful “—turns out to be my stalker, what then?”

“That’s up to you,” Rafe answered.

“Me? Not...the police?”

Rafe gave a one-shouldered shrug. “We work with the police, often. They like us because we share what we can, sometimes things they don’t know. If it becomes a police matter, we cooperate. And if it turns into something big for them, we don’t want the credit. But we’re not bound by their rules, which sometimes cripple them. And we work for you.”

Cassie still looked uncertain. Jace couldn’t really blame her; he’d seen the Foxworth setup, had watched as Rafe had started certain wheels in motion, and he still couldn’t quite believe it all.

“Think of it like this,” Rafe suggested. “Imagine finding out it’s a friend with a misguided but innocent reason. That would make you feel differently than if it’s some unbalanced stranger with a fixation.”

“Oh.” She grimaced. “Yes. I see what you mean.”

“If it is that...stranger,” Jace began.

“Then we’ll deal,” Rafe said. “I’ll get the process of elimination started with our tech guy. But there’s one more thing. We all need to be clear on what the goal is here.”

“Keep Cassie safe,” Jace said instantly.

“Catch him,” Cassie said simultaneously.

Startled, Jace stared at her. “Cassie,” he began.

She looked at Rafe as if for support. “The one accomplishes the other, right?”

“Yes,” Rafe agreed, “but I’d say Jace’s goal has to come first. Your safety is paramount.”

“Exactly,” Jace agreed. And he was suddenly relieved that they had this man on their side, to accomplish just that. But then Rafe spoke again and blasted all other thoughts out of his head.

“So Jace should stay here with you. Just seeing you’re not alone should slow this guy down.”

Cassie frowned. Which made Jace frown and refocus. Was the idea of him under her roof that distasteful? Did she—

“But won’t that just make him wait?” she asked, snapping him back to reality, where it seemed the idea of him under her roof didn’t matter at all. And he wasn’t sure that didn’t bother him even more.

Feeling suddenly contrary, Jace said, “If I stay long enough, he’ll move on, won’t he?”

“Depends on his goal,” Rafe said. Then, sounding almost weary, he added, “Some fixations can withstand both time and logic.”

Cassie studied the other man for a moment. Then, quietly, she said, “You’ve dealt with this kind of thing before, then.”

“Yes. Foxworth has dealt with several stalking cases.”

“I mean you, personally.”

Again the shrug. “Three.”

“And how did they end up?” Jace asked.

“One misunderstanding. One in jail.” He stopped.

“And the third?” Cassie prompted.

Jace watched Rafe meet her gaze. “Dead.”

If the Foxworth man had thought she would crumple, he’d misjudged her. Jace hadn’t. He knew Cassidy Grant was made of sterner stuff than that. Still, he stayed silent, curious to see how she responded.

“Since I doubt you’re the type to indiscriminately kill, I presume it was necessary.”

Rafe’s voice was barely above a whisper. “There are some who would say I’m exactly that type.”

Jace had the sudden feeling this was about something else entirely. And that if this man had killed, as he’d said, it was not something he did lightly. And he would carry the responsibility of it forever. Jace was certain of it in the same way he was certain that his father was the most irresponsible man on the planet, if indeed he still was on it.

For the first time since he’d taken a position at Cassie’s side, the dog moved. He padded silently over to the man with the haunted eyes and nudged his hand. And again without a look, with the appearance of a habit long ingrained, Rafe put his hand on the dog’s head.

“Thanks, buddy,” he murmured. “I’m okay.”

Jace glanced at Cassie, who was watching the pair intently.

“All right,” she said suddenly. “What else do you need me to do?”

“Go about your business. Jace, stay close.”