Safe at Last (Slow Burn 3)

Her gaze leapt to Isaac. From all Eliza had imparted, getting to Ramie was as hopeless as getting into Fort Knox undetected. She bit her teeth into her lip and then glanced Wade’s way. Wade’s allegiance wasn’t with DSS. It was with her. It was why he was here. And . . . Gracie knew in her heart, though she chose to deny it, Wade was not always a good man. He was steeped in shadows and had connections no ordinary man should ever have.

But she’d never questioned him. In truth, she didn’t want the answers. She preferred to live in ignorant bliss and consider him the friend he’d indeed become.

Wade turned as if sensing her gaze and his eyes sharpened as he stared at her. Then he glanced Isaac’s way, as if knowing Gracie had something on her mind she wouldn’t want the DSS agent to hear.

He headed toward Gracie and tucked his hand underneath her elbow and gently guided her into the bedroom he occupied, leaving Isaac alone in the living room. He didn’t shut the door. It would likely arouse suspicion, but he took Gracie into the bathroom, to the farthest point away from others.

“What’s wrong?” he asked bluntly.

Gracie swallowed. “Wade, if I asked you . . .” She sucked in a deep breath. “If I asked you to do something no questions asked, would you do it?”

His gaze narrowed even further as he studied her. Then, as if reaching a decision, he simply said, “Yes, of course. Name it.”

Her shoulders sagged in relief. “I need to get in touch with Ramie and Ari Devereaux. Eliza is in great danger, Wade. I shouldn’t have waited this long. God, if she’s been hurt or killed, it’s my fault. But I didn’t believe that my power had come back. I questioned it. But I can’t wait another minute and the only two people who can help are Ramie and Ari. And their husbands can’t know about it, because they would never allow them to be involved in what I plan to do.”

Wade frowned. “I’d very much like to know exactly what it is you plan to do.”

She placed her hand on his arm and squeezed gently, a gesture of friendship and gratitude for all he’d done for her.

“I need you to trust me,” she said in a low voice. “I don’t have time to explain it a dozen times. I’d rather do it once so we can act as quickly as possible. I know I’m asking a lot, but Wade, I know Eliza is in trouble and that she’s hurting. And I can’t—won’t—just sit here and do nothing because it might put me in harm’s way,” she said fiercely.

Wade cupped her jaw and tenderly caressed her cheek. “Yes, all right. As long as you fill me in before you act on whatever this plan of yours is, then I’ll get you what you need.”

“I swear it,” she said. “But hurry, please. I’m so worried about her, Wade. You know how dependable she is. She said she’d be gone two hours at the most and that was now over four hours ago. She wouldn’t just flake like that.”

Wade’s expression grew grim. “I know. I’ve been worried as well.”

Relief made her sag a little more. Okay, so she wasn’t the only one that suspected Eliza was in very real danger. Even though she knew, it was nice to have validation.

“I’ll need you to tell them how to get here,” Anna-Grace said in a low voice.

Wade nodded. “Not a problem. I can send transportation to get them since the chances of them getting out on their own past their husbands is zero.”

She squeezed him again. “Thank you for believing me, Wade. For not thinking I’m crazy.”

His entire expression softened. “I’ll never not believe in you, Anna-Grace. Now, let me go and make some calls so that we can go find our Eliza.”

TWENTY-NINE

RAMIE and Ari Devereaux stared curiously at Gracie as they took a seat in the living room of the safe house. Isaac had been apoplectic when the two women had shown up, escorted by three burly bodyguards who were not employed by DSS. Wade had taken proper precautions, but then, Gracie would have expected no less.

And Isaac was most assuredly on the phone with either Caleb or Beau or both this very minute, so Anna-Grace figured she had fifteen minutes tops to convince these women she wasn’t crazy and to help her—help Eliza—before their husbands burst in losing their minds that the women had escaped their temporary safety restrictions.

Though there was a hint of impatience that Anna-Grace picked up from both women, neither had malevolent thoughts about her cryptic call to them. There was only concern for Eliza and puzzlement over why they were called and not their husbands.

Anna-Grace nervously put her hands together, clenching them until her knuckles were white. “We don’t have much time, so I’ll explain quickly. I’m not crazy. You two of all people should have the easiest time believing me. And you two are the only ones who can help Eliza now.”

Concern darkened Ramie’s eyes. “Are you sure she’s in danger?”

Anna-Grace hesitated a brief second and then scolded herself. She was not crazy. She knew what she’d heard. What she’d seen in the other man’s head. And then Eliza disappeared mere hours later? There was no such thing as coincidence. Eliza was being held prisoner and she was hurting.

Her stomach clenched, remembering her own pain and terror at their hands. Her beating had been a message. Not an intention to kill her. But could she say the same for Eliza? The hatred in the man’s thoughts didn’t give Anna-Grace any reassurance they wouldn’t kill Eliza just to prove that DSS wasn’t impervious to the threat they posed.

“I’m positive,” Anna-Grace murmured.

In as few words as possible and as to the point as she could make it, she explained everything: her ability to read minds, the loss of that power when she’d been so brutally attacked and her belief that her mind had simply shut out the power as a protective measure. Why it was reasserting itself now she wasn’t sure, but then she realized it was because she’d come to care about Eliza. She’d relaxed around the other woman. And her consciousness had picked up on the threat to her.

“She’s been missing for three hours,” Anna-Grace said grimly. “Does this sound like the Eliza you all know so well?”

She received worried answering frowns from both the other women.

“No,” Ramie muttered. “Eliza is as solid as they come. She’s gone to the wall for us all. What’s your plan? I’m in.”