Page 46 of Counter Attack

“We have a press conference tomorrow afternoon, and I really need you to help me understand the castling move.”

“You sure? You look pretty beat.”

“I’m not going into that press conference unprepared. I’ll get the chessboard and set it up on the kitchen table.”

A few minutes later, with Gramps looking on, Alex had all the pieces in place. She didn’t know enough about the game to play well, so Nathan played both Black and White pieces and explained each of the moves, going over them until she grasped the concept.

She stared at the board. “I think I have it. One more question—can you castle anytime?”

“No,” her grandfather and Nathan said in unison.

Carson smiled at him. “You explain it.”

Nathan nodded. “You can only castle when neither the king nor the rook has moved. That’s the case here. With nothing between the White king and rook, I can move the king two squares to the left and the rook will move in place to protect his king.”

She looked at her grandfather. “Why didn’t you teach me how to play?”

“I tried, but you weren’t interested.”

Well, she was interested now. Alex reached to move the White rook, and Nathan stayed her hand, his fingertips brushing hers. His touch was like electricity jolting through her. She looked up, and his blue eyes held hers. She dropped her gaze to his lips, and briefly the memory of a long-ago kiss sent her heart racing.

“Always move the king first.”

His words shook the memory away. She ducked her head and nodded. “Of course, I knew that.”

Whatever this feeling for Nathan was, Alex was beginning to like it. And that posed a problem.

26

Alexis had felt the electric shock when their hands touched. It showed on her face. Nathan shook off the attraction he felt for her and forced his attention to the chessboard.

In chess a player had to think a certain number of moves ahead and picture the outcome. It wasn’t lost on him that he better think about what would happen if he pursued these feelings he had for Alexis.

He wasn’t handing over his heart again to have her break it.

But Nathan couldn’t ignore that he’d been battling his feelings for Alexis ever since he saw her lying on the sidewalk that night in Chattanooga.

Alexis moved her king over two spaces and then set the rook on the other side of it. “Do you see how your other pieces are defending your king?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Let’s say I’m the killer and have just castled queenside. When you counterattack, you’re telling the killer you’re coming after his king. That’s what you want to slip in at the press conference—that you’re coming after the killer.”

A light bulb went off on her face. “Okay, I get it. Let’s say it’s my move ...” She moved her queen. “I believe that’s check.”

He stared at the board. Her queen had a clear diagonal shot to his king. “I believe you are getting it.”

She beamed at him. “Probably just a bit of luck, but I think I’ll be ready for the media tomorrow.”

His phone buzzed, and he looked at the screen. His CI. “I need to take this.” Nathan stood and walked out into the Stones’ backyard. “What’s happening?”

“There’s a big drug meeting going down at the high school tonight.”

Nathan gripped the phone. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“What time is it happening?”

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