Page 30 of On the Chase
“This isn’t a joke,” Theo almost snarled, taking a step closer to Hugh as his hands balled into fists. “Who’s doing these things? We need to catch this asshole.”
Grace glanced back and forth between the two cops. Theo looked like he was about to punch Hugh, and, although part of her could appreciate the sentiment, she wanted information before they went off on another tangent. “You didn’t find him?”
Theo glanced at Grace. “No.” Although he appeared snarly, Grace was pretty sure it was at the situation and not her. “Looks as if he took the shot from that center second-floor office, like you thought, but he was gone when we got there. Viggy tracked him out the back door and a half block east down the alley before he lost the trail.”
“Left in a car, probably,” Hugh guessed, and Theo jerked his head in agreement.
“The LT has people going door to door, checking to see if anyone saw an unfamiliar vehicle.” Theo let out a frustrated huff. “Not many people are left in town, so it’s a long shot.”
“Have to ask, though,” Hugh said. “We need to get this guy.”
“Who’d do this? First, your truck explodes, and now this?” Theo asked, glaring at Hugh. “Who’d you piss off so bad they want you dead?”
Grace’s shoulders sagged under the weight of her guilt. “Hugh didn’t piss off anyone. It was me.”
Chapter 10
“I told you it’s probably not your ex-boyfriend,” Hugh said.
“I know it’s not him.” When Hugh opened his mouth as if he was going to interrupt again, she rushed out the rest of the words, needing to say it, to get confession time over with. “It’s his uncle.”
“His uncle? Whose uncle?” Theo had his gaze locked on her, his expression set in harsh lines. He’d softened toward her since she’d arrived in town, but any hint of friendliness was now erased. “Why is he trying to kill Hugh?”
“Martin Jovanovic,” she said. “I think he’s trying to get to me through Hugh.”
As she said Martin’s name, both men went perfectly still. If Grace hadn’t been so eaten up by guilt, she could’ve appreciated the fact that she’d finally stunned Hugh into silence. Their expressions were telling, however. Not only did they know the name, but they knew just how bad it was to be Martin’s enemy. She tried to swallow, but her throat seemed to have closed.
“You’re dating Martin Jovanovic?” Hugh asked, his voice low and deadly serious.
Grace’s chest tightened. “No. I was dating his nephew. We were at his uncle’s house in LA—that’s where I live…lived—when I got lost searching for a bathroom.” Her laugh was rough and humorless. Her entire life had been destroyed because Noah gave bad directions. “I found these three guys…” The scene played in her head, as vivid and terrifying as ever.
“Hey.” Hugh cupped her face, tilting her head so she met his eyes. “Tell me, Gracie.”
She stared at him, taking comfort and strength from his touch and steady gaze. Although she was vaguely aware of Theo’s silent presence, she focused on Hugh. He was the one she needed to share her nightmare with. “They’d been tortured.” Her voice shook, but she managed to keep talking. “Tied up and tortured. One guy was unconscious, and another’s face was so swollen that he didn’t even look like a person anymore.”
A memory of the empty eye socket flashed through her mind, but she couldn’t talk about that. For some reason, of all the terrible things she saw that night, that visual still horrified her the most. “I helped free them, and they escaped.” She hoped they had, at least. It kept her up at night—wondering where they were, if they’d gotten out of the house, if the unconscious man had survived.
“How’d you get away?” Hugh’s voice was harsh, but his hand on her face was gentle.
“I almost didn’t.” Even though the bruises on her arms had faded to yellow, she could still feel Martin’s hold on her. “I went out a back door and snuck around to the front. The valet was getting my car when Martin grabbed me and tried to drag me inside.”
With a sound that could only be called a growl, Hugh wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. “I’m going to kill him. This is my new life goal, to end Martin ‘Fuckface’ Jovanovic.”
Even though he’d sounded completely serious, his words still made Grace choke out a laugh.
“How’d you get away from Jovanovic?” Theo’s question reminded Grace of his presence, and she turned her head to look at him without pulling away from Hugh. She needed his arms around her if she wanted to get through reliving that horrible night.
She lifted her shoulders in a movement that would’ve been a shrug if she hadn’t been squashed against Hugh. “A lucky shot to the groin, and then a knee to his face.”
Hugh’s arms tightened around her. “Nice. Good job, Kick-Ass Gracie.”
“I went to the police, but he had a guy there.” Officer Jovanovic’s expressionless face flickered in her mind, and she shivered. Hugh stroked her back. “I ran. My friend…” Her voice quavered on the word. She missed Penny so much it hurt. “My friend works at a women’s shelter. She gave me the number of a guy who helps people start new lives.”
“Who?” Theo asked.
She wasn’t about to rat out Mr. Espina, not even to the good guys. She already felt guilty enough about involving Jules and her family in her mess. “He helped me. Why does it matter?”
“No,” Hugh corrected. “He means who’s the dirty cop in LA?” Theo nodded grimly.
