Page 61 of Cold Silence
“That’s it,” he whispered. “Everything’s okay.”
She leaned back to grab a piece of paper from the sofa. “N-n-no. It’s not. This was on top of the basket.” She sniffled and handed the paper to him. “That’s why I opened it in the first place.”
Travis read the typed message.
I’ve proved I can get to you, and I want the specs for the software tomorrow. Don’t make me escalate my efforts. Watch your phone if you value your life. I’ll be in touch.
So their bad guy had come crawling out of the woodwork.
“I can’t stay here,” she said. “Not after this.”
“I wouldn’t let you, anyway.” Holding the paper felt like fire in his hands so he set it down. “Gage is already making arrangements for an alternate home for you.”
“But where?”
“Likely a hotel, but maybe a house rental. Depends on what he thinks we can defend best.”
She swiped away tears on her cheeks, leaving her glasses askew. “This is just getting way out of control. I’m not sure I can handle it.”
“You’re a strong woman, Claire. Stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’ll get through it. God is with you, and I’ll help in any way I can.”
Starting with finding the creep who’d now played his hand. A good thing as far as Travis was concerned. He was skilled at smoking out hidden enemies, but he was even better at crushing ones who’d surfaced.
Four hours later, in Claire’s garage, she climbed into Jackson’s vehicle along with Travis to go to her temporary hotel. They might be in the vehicle but they had to lie on the floor so they weren’t visible. The team had taken turns backing their SUVs into the garage and then leaving. If the suspect was watching them, he wouldn’t know which SUV she’d gotten into. Still, Jackson would take a circuitous route to be sure they weren’t followed.
Pretty ingenious if you asked her. But then these guys handled protection details all the time and were very resourceful. She couldn’t be in better hands.
The tires rolled over the road, and she lay there wishing Travis were in the same seat as her. His warmth telling her he was close by and ready to help her if needed. But they both wouldn’t fit comfortably for the thirty-minute drive to the posh hotel, so he took the floor behind her.
She’d never stayed in a five-star hotel, but Gage had chosen it for a few reasons. The staff accommodated their special needs and it had a top-floor suite with an elevator entrance restricted to the key card holder. Plus, at the cost of this suite, he didn’t believe the suspect would think they would stay there.
She’d attended a wedding at this hotel, so even though she couldn’t see the place when they arrived, she could visualize the entrance. The tall columns. The wide mahogany doors. The bellhops ready to take luggage to rooms and park fancy cars. To make their guests feel special and important.
Not that they went in that way. No, they parked at the loading dock, and the team hustled her into the service elevator. The space was tight with all four men and her, but it whisked them to the eleventh floor. She adjusted the big scarf and dark glasses Travis had her wear to hide her identity. Gage had told the manager that she was a celebrity whose name they wouldn’t share, and that she needed her privacy.
She felt like one. Like royalty with the men escorting her. Or the president with his secret service detail. Though he would have far more protection and an advance team. Once the room was found, Gage and Coop had come over to check it out and make arrangements before booking. So she had her own advance team of sorts.
Gage and Coop stepped out, hands on the butts of their guns.
Gage nodded. “Door’s not more than fifty feet down a private hall. Follow us.”
Coop strode off over the plush paisley-patterned carpet. Gage behind. Claire followed them. Travis walked beside her, and Jackson brought up the rear. She nearly had to run to keep up with their pace. Despite the danger, she wanted to laugh at being a security detail sandwich.
Coop stopped at her suite with a gleaming mahogany door and used his key card to release the lock. He and Gage disappeared inside, and she waited with Travis and Jackson. Her smile evaporated. This wasn’t a casual outing. It was serious. Her foe had announced his intention to hurt her if she didn’t give him the information he wanted, and she wasn’t about to hand it over.
Gage poked his head out. “We’re clear.”
She entered, followed by Travis and Jackson, who let out a low whistle. “Now this is what I call a suite.”
As did Claire. Floor-to-ceiling windows in a massive sitting room with velvet sofas and polished walnut tables overlooked the city skyline. Both sides of the room were lined with doors leading to three bedrooms.
“Let’s get those blinds closed,” Travis said.
Coop went to the window to draw them.
Travis turned to her. “Even with them closed and being on such a high floor, I want you to stay away from the windows.”
“Okay,” she said, fighting a shiver at his intensity.
