Page 14 of Body Heat

I hurried into the living room, picking up my pace when I saw how pale she was. “Is it your heart? Do you need me to call you an ambulance? Or should I just drive you to the hospital myself?”

“I don’t need to go to the hospital.” She shook her head and lifted up the piece of paper she was holding. “Although my heart is beating faster than normal, Afib isn’t the problem. It's this letter I found on my doorstep when I went out to check my mail.”

I took the note but didn’t examine it until I got Rachel settled on the couch and grabbed her a bottle of water. Crouching down in front of her, I asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, dear.” She patted me on the hand. “Or at least as good as I can be, considering the shock I had.”

Glancing down at the letter, I cursed myself for not thinking clearly when I took it from her. I should’ve put on gloves or placed it in a bag so I didn’t make it more difficult to get fingerprints if they were left behind. Not that I expected our techs to find any since the cops hadn’t, but it was still worth a shot. “Give me a second.”

After Rachel nodded, I headed in the kitchen to grab a bag. I dropped the note inside, zipped the bag shut, and grabbed my cell to send a quick message to Brecken, Whit, and Devon. Then I snapped a picture of the letter to send to them as well. Once that was all done, I finally read it.

I’m notsure what you did to make Rowan decide to retire, but I know you’re the reason behind it. You must be. Nothing else makes sense.

You’re his mom, but he deserves better. I blame myself.

Rowan’s #1 Fan

Shit.This wasn’t good.

* * *

LeavingRachel alone wasn’t an option, so I brought her with me to the office. Brecken’s wife, Hadley, and their son, Quinten, were there for a visit. Their little boy was quite the charmer, and Rachel was easily distracted by him. Since Whit was sticking close to Rowan, it was just Devon and me in Brecken’s office as I let loose.

“How did we let this happen? Why didn’t we think to wire Rachel’s house, too? If we had, then we’d have this guy on tape.” I paced back and forth while both men sat back and watched. “The safeguards we put into place after Whit and Devon reviewed Rowan’s security system have done us no good with this guy. I don’t like feeling that he’s a step ahead of us. Not when it’s Rowan’s ass on the line.”

“We couldn’t have known he’d switch shit up and go after Rachel like this. I would’ve been less surprised if he switched his focus to you. You’re the only new thing in Rowan’s life. If he was going to blame the early retirement on anyone, it should’ve been you.” Devon scrubbed his hands over his face. “We still should’ve covered her better since she and Rowan are so close, though. Even if none of this makes any sense.”

Brecken tapped his pen against his desk. “They live in a gated community, and the guy we put in the guardhouse said nobody unexpected tried to get through today. Only residents and their guests. The guard on duty today followed protocol. He checked the identification for anyone who didn’t live there and called the residents to confirm their visitors. There weren’t any surprises.”

“Some good came of the security overhaul. While you were driving over here, we pulled the footage on the cameras at the front of Rowan’s house,” Devon added as Brecken turned his monitor so I could see the screen. The video clip they played showed a teenager on a skateboard.

His pace slowed as he passed Rowan’s house, his hand dipping into his pocket just as we lost him. “Shit. Do you think he’s the one who left the letter on Rachel’s doorstep?”

“Give it a minute, and you’ll see,” Brecken urged.

It wasn’t long before the kid was back on the screen, heading in the same direction he’d just come from. “Do we know who he is?”

“Yeah, his dad lives in the neighborhood. Recently divorced and rotates custody with the ex every other week,” Devon explained. “It didn’t take long to identify him since the guard recognized the kid. Our guy at the gate just finished questioning him, and he said some guy paid him a hundred bucks to do him what he’d thought was a harmless favor.”

“Did he remember what the guy looked like?” I asked.

“The guy gave him cash. Of course he did,” Brecken confirmed. “Not that it did us much good. The kid said it was some old dude with dark hair and eyes, who looked fit for his age and was a tall motherfucker. He thought he was around his grandfather’s age but way cooler.”

“That’s not much to go on.” I was frustrated as hell and felt like I didn't have anyone to blame but myself. “If I'd had my mind focused on work instead of what’s been going on between Rowan and me, I might've caught on to a clue that would've tipped us off to this guy by now. Who knows what I’ve missed?”

“Quit beating yourself up. There hasn’t been anything to miss, Sera,” Devon reassured me.

“I can’t blame anyone else. It’s my fault.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I'm the one on close protection detail. The buck stops with me.”

“That's not how it works,” Devon argued. “We’re a team, just like we were in the military. If one of us fucks up, all of us fuck up. And you didn’t fuck up.”

“But I—”

“Clear the room,” Brecken ordered, interrupting me. He waited until Devon shut the door behind him to turn to me. “I think I know what's going on in your head right now because I've been there. It’s different when you’re protecting someone you've grown to have feelings for.”

“It is,” I agreed with a sigh. “Which is why you should take me off the case. My emotions are getting in the way of my ability to think clearly, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to Rowan or his mom because of it.”

“Are you sure that's what you want to do?” Brecken asked.

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