Chapter 37
“So?” Jace asked as they pulled up to the motel in the pouring rain.
Cooper turned off the ignition and looked at his friend. “You drank coffee and talked about the weather the entire way over here. And now you want to ask a question?”
“Not just any question. The question.”
“Oh, the question. What question is that?”
Jace rolled his eyes. “Don’t try that shit with me. You know what.”
Cooper faced forward and shrugged, no longer pretending he didn’t know what his friend was asking. “I’m not sure. She told me yesterday that I belonged here, and it would never work between us.”
“She certainly wasn’t acting like things were over last night. Neither of you was.”
“Because I don’t want them to be.”
“You need to call your mom.”
Cooper smiled as he glanced at Jace. “I did this morning before you came downstairs. I’ve been keeping her informed of things, and she was asking to meet Marlee.”
“I gather you told Mom you’re in love with Marlee.”
“Yeah.”
“I can guess what she told you.”
Cooper turned his head to his best friend. “Oh? What’s that?”
“The same thing I’m going to tell you.” Jace met his gaze, his expression serious. “I’ve seen you with lots of women. I knew the instant I saw you with Marlee that she was different. That she was the one for you.”
Cooper didn’t so much as move as Jace continued.
“We’ve been best friends for a long time, Coop. We remained close through the years while we were in the military. And you know what? We’ll always remain close. No matter where you live. If you want to be with Marlee, and I know you do, then that means your path lies alongside hers, which means traveling away from here.”
“I know,” Cooper said in a soft voice.
“You two work well together. Think what you could accomplish.”
Cooper nodded, unable to find words.
“I’ll always be here for you, brother. You know that. Get the girl and take hold of the life that awaits both of you.” There was a pause, then Jace got out of the truck, stepping into the frigid rain, and ran to Marlee’s door.
Cooper followed his friend. They entered the room and began collecting pictures off the walls, stacking them neatly. Jace had two boxes piled on top of each other as he headed to the truck to load them. Cooper kept packing. He didn’t even glance up when the door opened.
“We don’t have much left,” he said.
“That’s nice.”
The deep voice wasn’t one he recognized. Cooper froze and slowly straightened. He then turned to face whoever it was. That’s when he spotted the crowbar in the man’s hand that dripped blood on the carpet. The fact that the man was in the room and not Jace put Cooper in defense-mode.
The man smiled sadistically. “Jace never saw me coming.”
“You’ve got one chance to leave before I rip you apart.”
“With what?” the man asked. “You have no weapon.”
Cooper fisted his hands. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“I would,” he declared and drew out a gun with his other hand, pointing it at Cooper. “Not so cocky now, are you?”
“If you knew who I was, you’d stop running your mouth and do something.”
The man laughed. “I know who you are, Cooper Owens. I learned everything about those Marlee was investigating the moment she pulled into town. But all your training doesn’t scare me. Because I have much, much more than you.”
“What do you want?”
“Marlee. I knew someone would come for her things. I’ve been waiting all night for one of you to drop by. I’m really glad it was you.”
* * *
Jace winced as pain radiated through his head. The rain beat a steady tempo on his face, like tiny icicles piercing his skin. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to push up with his hands. The pain made his stomach roil, and he had to fight not to be sick.
He’d had a head wound before. He knew exactly what was happening. If only he knew how he’d gotten hurt. Had he fallen? He shifted his head and cracked open one eye. The boxes he’d been carrying had spilled, rain pelting the pictures and papers. Yet there was no ice on the parking lot that would have caused him to slip.
Jace forced his body to move as he got to his hands and knees. It took considerable effort because every movement was pure agony. He managed to reach one of the cardboard boxes, toss everything back in, and then put the lid on. It took forever, and he nearly blacked out twice.
As he reached for the second box, the pain became too much, and he had to turn away to vomit. As he finished, Jace glanced up and saw the door to the motel room. He had to get to Cooper. He forgot about the boxes and used the truck to help himself regain his footing. Once he stood, the world began to spin.
Jace grabbed hold of the truck again to remain standing. His legs were Jell-O, and everything kept whirling. He had no idea how much time passed before the Earth stilled. Only then did he attempt to walk. The last thing he wanted to do was fall. He wasn’t sure he’d get back up if he did.
Placing one foot in front of the other, he managed to get to the door. He threw it open, ready to attack whoever was inside. Except there was no one. It was empty and everything looked as it should, save for a bullet hole in the wall.
“No,” Jace said as he searched for his cell phone in his pockets. When he couldn’t find it, he rushed to the phone beside the bed, stumbling and falling upon the mattress. Jace righted himself and dialed Danny, apprehension and his wound, causing his hands to shake.
“We’re sorry. Your call cannot be completed as dialed,” said an automated female voice.
“Fuck!” Jace yelled as he slammed the receiver down.
He sank onto the comforter and tried to read the instructions on the phone, but his eyes were too blurry. He blinked several times. Thanks to the adrenaline pumping through him, the pain became manageable. Finally, he was able to read the instructions on the motel phone and get an outside line to Danny.
“Mornin’, Jace,” Danny said happily.
“I need you. ASAP.”
His tone shifted to that of the sheriff. “Slow down. Where’s here?”
Jace grabbed his head and grimaced as the throbbing intensified. “The motel Marlee was staying at. Cooper and I came … I … fuck.”
“Stay there. I’m on my way.”
The line disconnected. Jace looked around the room again as he hung up the receiver. Gingerly, he felt along the back of his head until he found the knot. As soon as he touched it, nausea roiled and had him running to the bathroom to empty his stomach again.
He must have passed out because the next thing he knew, Danny was kneeling beside him, trying to wake him up. Jace raised a hand to let his friend know that he was conscious.
“What the hell happened?” Danny demanded. “Never mind. I’ve been trying to wake you for about five minutes. I called an ambulance.”
Jace started to speak when Karl and Marina filled the doorway. He frowned at his paramedic friends, but before he could ask them what they were doing there, they shooed Danny out and began tending to Jace.