Amazing Grace (The American Soldier Collection 3)

“Here, try little sips.”

Within a few minutes she was sitting up and some of the coloring was coming back to her cheeks.

“How about we get washed up and grab a bite to eat? Then I can help you settle down for the night in your room?” Sandman asked.

“Thank you, Sandman, Duke. Again, I’m sorry for nearly fainting. I guess with everything that has happened since this morning, I never remembered to eat anything.”

Duke felt the twinge of anger hit his belly. Sandman explained a little bit about the situation, but not nearly as much as he and Big Jay needed to know. As soon as the beauty went to bed, they were going to have a sit down.

* * * *

“Is she all settled in?” Big Jay asked as Sandman returned from upstairs.

He nodded his head then leaned back against the kitchen counter. Running his hand through his hair, their brother appeared exhausted.

“What’s the deal, bro? We know you’re tired, but can you give us some details?” Big Jay asked as Duke looked on with a serious expression on his face.

While Sandman was assisting Grace, Duke and Big Jay talked about her and wondered why someone would want to kill her. They wanted information and considering they took off from their regular jobs to assist their brother, they knew this was serious.

“I don’t know where to start. I guess at where I came involved with the investigation in a number of recent homicides,” Sandman began to explain. They listened to him give great detail into the investigation and about their friend Detective Jim Warner calling him in to assist. Big Jay felt his guard come alert at knowing that Grace not only experienced finding her dead sister’s body, but also being harassed by the killer and actually touching a lock of a victim’s hair. The package delivered to the guys’ house where she was staying was ballsy, to say the least. As Big Jay heard in detail about the explosion at the police department, his military experience went into overdrive.

“There’s more to this case than just one individual getting his kicks off raping, torturing, and murdering women,” Big Jay stated.

“I agree a hundred percent. The whole bomb thing doesn’t even go with the killer’s MO from the other cases you’ve described in the files you sent to me today,” Duke added.

“I know. That’s why I need you guys involved with this. Protecting Grace is my top priority. I need your computer hacking abilities and connections, Big Jay, to filter through these files and find a connection, different than the obvious. Duke, we need this house and perimeter of the area secured at all times. I’ll need some rest in between and we’ll be taking turns in shifts with her, watching her, going over the information the detectives send to me. This guy has to fuck up sometime or perhaps he has already,” Sandman said then rubbed his eyes.

“You need some sleep, bro. I’ll take first watch over her tonight,”

Big Jay said as Sandman stared at him.

“She’s scared, she’s tough, and she holds back a lot. Don’t push her too much.”

“You got it, bro.”

Big Jay watched his brother walk out of the kitchen and upstairs to the bedroom. He couldn’t help but feel protective of Grace now and it made him understand why his brother sounded the way he did days ago over the phone and also why his brother Sandman was in protective mode. He was worried and Sandman never looked worried.

Chapter 6

Grace awoke with a start. She wasn’t sure where she was and that panicky feeling hit her all at once. She had taken a shower before going to bed and her hair was still damp. A glance by the bedside table and she saw the clock read 4:00 a.m. It was quiet. She couldn’t hear a sound and that made her nervous. Too many thoughts were traveling through her head.

Were Sandman and his brothers still in the house? Had the killer gotten to them, perhaps found her somehow? Why was Sandman involving his brothers in this case? Who the hell were they?

She pulled the covers back and stood up from the bed. As comfortable as the mattress was, she wouldn’t get another wink of sleep unless she knew she was safe.

Her heart pounded inside of her chest. Grace should be used to handling things alone and being alone. But someone wanted to hurt her, emotionally and physically, and he could have hurt or killed Sandman and his brothers already.

She was shocked by the thought and even more so by the fact she felt sadness, regret. Why would I feel regret? It wasn’t like I was involved intimately with him, with them. God, where the hell did that thought come from? I’m losing it. For crying out loud, get a grip, Grace.

She was only wearing a T-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts. She looked around the room for a weapon. The bed was calling her back. It was large and delightfully decorated with an old-fashioned, country, patriotic theme.

The comforter on the bed was all white and fluffy. There were red, white, and blue solid throw pillows scattered at the top earlier and she had placed them onto the bottom of the comforter. The bed was huge and she wondered which brother normally slept there.

She tiptoed across the floor and slowly opened the door. From where the bedroom sat, there were three others and all had their doors closed. Quietly, with her heart racing, she walked toward the staircase. That was when she heard what sounded like someone typing away on a keyboard. She made her way closer to the sound in the kitchen and caught sight of Big Jay.

“Couldn’t sleep, darling?” he asked without turning around, startling her.

She gasped, jumped, and covered her mouth.