Deadly Observations will be available exclusively at Amazon on March 10, 2021
If you’ve read the first excerpt, here is a sneak peek of chapter two. Enjoy!
Chapter 2, Deadly Observations
Jayne checked her rearview mirror, spotted the motorcycle two cars back, and swallowed hard. It sure looked like the same motorcycle she’d noticed lately near the hospital. This couldn’t be happening again. A few months ago, when she’d first come to Charleston, someone had followed her with the intent to do her harm. She hadn’t anticipated ever dealing with the situation again, but she couldn’t ignore the sickening feeling in her gut.
Paranoia wasn’t a pleasant sensation. Her palms went damp on the steering wheel. She was probably being foolish. There were plenty of motorcyclists in Charleston on any given day and she was traveling a main thoroughfare, not a back road. Then again, she’d been giving herself those same reminders for a couple of weeks now.
What good was intuition if she didn’t listen?
She checked her mirrors, looking for Ace’s matte-black muscle car. Of course, asking Ace for help would be easier if she had his phone number. No matter. She had a lifetime of practice knocking down life’s curveballs on her own.
Changing lanes, she took the next exit. It made for a slightly longer drive to the coffee shop, but it was worth it to see if the biker followed. He didn’t. Bullet dodged. She relaxed, rolled the tension from her shoulders and smiled when she heard the deep purr of Ace’s car behind her.
Bailing on Ace or asking him for help would’ve been awkward on what amounted to a first date. She wasn’t quite sure how to classify the whole coffee and conversation deal, but she did enjoy the novelty of meeting a man who had no attachment to her newfound family.
Her twin sister and parents meant well and it amused her whenever they invited single men to join them for various events. The men they introduced her to were nice enough, always handsome and witty, and usually wealthy as sin or well on their way.
She appreciated all of those attributes, but she struggled with the idea that any of those men would ever like her for who she was as herself. She and her sister looked identical, but their upbringings had been wildly different. Jayne was just becoming acquainted with the kind of social circles that the Cokers dominated. She’d quickly learned that she preferred a challenging shift at the hospital to a typical charity gala. Paige had warned her that people might try and get close because of their father’s influence. Although Jayne appreciated her sister’s candor, it made it even harder for her to trust any new faces.
Trust had ever been her strong suit thanks to a resentful mother who used every opportunity to complain about being stuck with a daughter who made a carefree life so difficult.
“It’s behind you,” she coached. Even before coming to Charleston, Jayne had made choices and decisions that were a far cry from her mother’s opinions. She’d made it through nursing school, creating the stability and security she’d craved as a kid. “New place, new direction.”
Thankfully the hospital had picked her up quickly and she didn’t have to wonder how to fill so many free hours as a brand new heiress. She didn’t dwell on it, but it crossed her mind every now and then that maybe being Jack Coker’s daughter had given her application a speed boost to get through the system.
Not that she didn’t have the credentials to stand on her own. Her resume was packed with experience in a variety of departments. No one had mentioned or even implied any favoritism. Besides, when she was on shift it was obvious that even if Jack’s name had smoothed her path she was capable of handling any patient crisis.
That was her in a nutshell: dependable, skilled, and smart enough to cope with anything. On her own, as it had been for as long as she could remember. Now that she had a family they urged her to lean on them, but she wasn’t even sure how to do that.
It was a laughable twist. All she’d ever wanted was someone to talk to, someone to ease the load.
Ace was certainly built for that, she thought as she pulled into the parking lot in front of the coffee shop. His gorgeous muscle car turned into the open space down the row.
“I didn’t expect you to take the long way,” Ace said as he walked up to the front of her car.
“Seemed like a good idea at the time.” She smiled, hoping for a quick change of topic. She turned at the sound of a motorcycle passing by, but it was traveling in the opposite direction and the driver didn’t seem interested in her at all.
Ace held open the door and she walked into the little diner known for excellent coffee and the speedy service of everything from waffles to cheeseburgers. It was almost a shame she had to stick with coffee, worse that it had to be decaf. Her stomach rumbled, tempting her to order real food, but if she did that it would only prolong her time with Ace.
He was an interesting man, but not really her type. She couldn’t possibly be his type either. Charleston was a fairly small community, especially among the people who worked the overnight hours. It was no secret that Ace enjoyed the company of busty blondes. Jayne was about the polar opposite of his usual type, with dark hair and subtle curves easily blurred out by the scrubs she wore at work. He also had a reputation for being cocky and a little too tough for his own good.
She’d noticed the cocky attitude the first time she stitched him up after he’d broken up a brawl at the club. In the ER visits since, he’d dialed down the invincible-man routine when she was nearby. That effort was probably why she’d finally given in and joined him for a not-a-date coffee.
If the conversation went well, maybe she’d ask him for some advice on where to polish up her self-defense skills. It had been a few years since she’d really practiced. If someone was tailing her, she shouldn’t count on old instincts to keep herself safe.
The waitress looked up at the sound of the bell over the door and smiled in greeting. With a tip of her head she directed them to a table near the front window. The woman was older than Jayne, steel gray gleaming in her dark hair, but she gave Ace a long, appreciative onceover before shooting Jayne a wink.
“Good luck with this one, honey,” she said in a loud whisper.
Ace grinned as he ordered a carafe of decaf for the two of them.
The waitress hurried away and Jayne leaned back in the booth, massaging the tension out of her hands.
“You okay?” Ace asked, concern in his gaze.
“Fine,” she assured him. “It was a busy shift.” Compounded by the stress of the drive when she’d assumed the worst about a random biker.
“Here.” He reached across the table, his palm open. “I know a few pressure points.”
Fortunately, the waitress bustled up to the table, sparing Jayne an awkward refusal.
“Decaf. Fresh brewed.” She set down the carafe and two thick mugs, filling each without spilling a drop. Tapping the menus at the end of the table she asked about their order.
“This will do for now,” Jayne answered. “Thanks.” When they were alone again, she tried to envision a real date with Ace. The scenario wouldn’t come into focus. Still, she could be friendly. She needed friends. And having a man built like Ace nearby would give anyone following her something to think about.
She let Ace lead the conversation, frankly she was a little too weary and wired to offer an opinion on anything more significant than the weather. She couldn’t get Dr. Greer’s aggressive approach with Chuck out of her mind, but she couldn’t discuss any of that with Ace.
“So you’re an identical twin,” he said, his gaze on his coffee cup.
She smothered the reflexive groan, hoping he wasn’t going to propose something totally icky.
“Yes.” The Cokers might as well have taken out an ad in the paper when they claimed her. Jack and Cora were clearly done with damaging secrets. More than that, they truly wanted her to feel welcomed into the family, despite her delayed arrival.
Knowing their motives were rooted in love was the only reason she agreed to join them as often as she did for various events and causes.
“What’s that like?” he asked. “I can’t imagine it.”
They had that in common, strange as it sounded. “Well, it’s strange. I’m just getting used to it myself. It’s only been a few months of family dynamics for me. Growing up it was just me and my mom.”
“You didn’t have any idea about the family here? I heard twins can sense each other.”
She shook her head, uncomfortable with this particular line of questioning. “Paige and I must’ve been separated too early for that.” And there was no sense in feeling cheated about it. “Are you always this inquisitive?” she countered. “You’re getting pretty deep over coffee after a long night.”
“Why? We had all that surface chatter while you were stitching me up time and again these last few weeks.”
“Good point.” She did her best to match his friendly smile. Based on the way his expression faltered, she must’ve failed a little. “Hey, will you excuse me a second?”
He gave a nod and she slipped away from the booth and headed to the restroom. He was being nice and she needed to pull herself together and hold up her end of a friendly chat. She splashed some water on her face and then practiced a pleasant smile in the mirror for a second.
When she returned to the table, she noticed him refilling her cup. Good, he planned to stay for a few more minutes. She had another chance. She was so much better in a group setting these days, but that wasn’t a great topic for conversation either.
“How’s your brother feeling?” she asked. Ace had told her about his brother’s emergency appendectomy when he’d been in for stitches two weeks ago.
“He’s good, thanks for asking.” His gaze slid to the window and he shifted in his seat. “I’m surprised you remember.”
Her smile came easier. “I have a mind like a steel trap when it comes to medical matters. Unfortunately, that makes me a whole lot less fun when it comes to normal coffee chatter.”
“I’ve heard that. About your mind,” he clarified. He seemed increasingly uncomfortable and he couldn’t seem to look at her, suddenly consumed with the view outside the window.
“Is that a bad thing?” Obviously, she’d really botched this whole thing. He was probably regretting the time wasted. But she didn’t want to alienate a potential friend. He was a decent guy and she needed more people like him in her life.
“No. No way. I like talking to smart people. We don’t always get to chat with the smartest clientele at the club.” His grin was back in full force and she relaxed.
And then she yawned. Good grief where were her manners? She never doubted her intuition at work, but personal matters were different. He wasn’t exactly flirting, but she thought she’d picked up on an undercurrent of attraction. Maybe she was completely off base. So many things had changed in a hurry in recent months and she couldn’t find her balance.
“Excuse me,” she said. “I’m not the best company this morning.”
“Don’t worry about it. Do you want something to eat?” Ace offered. “I’ve got nothing but time and you look a little…”
“You can say it. I know it’s awful.” She smoothed her hands over her hair. Whether or not Ace became a close friend, she wouldn’t make this mistake again. It wasn’t enough that he worked late hours, only another ER professional understood how draining it could be.
“Not awful.” Ace surged forward. “You’re beautiful, Jayne.”
She stared at him, at a loss for words. Was she sending mixed signals or just misunderstanding his signals?
“Too much?” He chuckled. “Subtle isn’t my thing. But it’s true.”
“I don’t want to give you the wrong idea—”
“I’m not expecting anything,” he interrupted. “I just want to get to know you better. You’re interesting and I like you.”
Did he have fantasies about hooking up with nurses? She didn’t want to be a part of that any more than she wanted to be a part of a twin fantasy. Someday she’d find a man who could connect with her, not some preconceived notion of who she was.
“I appreciate you saying so,” Jayne replied. “But just so we’re clear, I’m only in the market for friends right now.”
His eased back against the bench seat and spread his arms wide. The pose showed his muscled chest and arms to perfection and he knew it. “You sure about that?”
She pressed her fingers to her lips, resisting the urge to giggle. “You’re beautiful too, Ace,” she assured him. “So it’s my loss, but I think the friend zone is the right place for both of us.” Her eyelids felt heavy and she needed to get going if she was going to make it home safely.
“I hear you. Let’s agree to keep our options open for a little while.”
That didn’t sound like he’d heard her at all. She watched him reach for his wallet, and she fumbled with the zipper pocket inside her purse where she kept her cash. They both put money on the table.
He stood, politely waiting for her to slide out of the booth. She stood up too quickly and had to pause while the diner settled back into normal around her.
“You okay?” Ace’s big hand landed on her shoulder.
It felt like a mallet slamming down, even though he must have touched her gently. “Just a long shift,” she said. “I didn’t realize it was quite this bad.”
“Next time we can meet up when we’re not both tired from work,” he suggested, guiding her toward the door.
“I think I’d like that.” As long as he understood she was serious about the friend zone. Romance and relationships weren’t in her immediate future. She needed more self-confidence before she ventured in that direction.
“How about I follow you home,” he said, walking her to her car. “You look like you could fall asleep at the wheel. Better yet, I’ll just drive you.”
“N-no thanks.” Her mouth felt dry and her voice sounded wrong. “I’m fine.” But the keys dropped from her hand and when she bent to pick them up her world went dark.
From his vantage point at the end of the counter behind Jayne, Ethan kept an eye on the exchange with the bouncer. It felt like a stretch to even call this a coffee date from what he’d observed. Neither of them looked particularly comfortable with the situation, yet they were both still sitting there, wallowing in the awkwardness.
He wouldn’t normally have entered the diner or risked getting quite so close to his target, but he would’ve been more conspicuous waiting on his motorcycle for her to emerge. Plus, he didn’t trust Ace to keep his hands to himself.
Good grief, he sounded like a jealous boyfriend rather than a long-distance precaution to keep someone from worrying.
Shielding his face with the collar of his jacket, he hunched over the breakfast special, texting updates to his assistant.
Jayne walked right past him—to and from the restroom—without sparing him a glance. Impressive, considering his face was one of the more memorable faces in the world.
He shook his head and then downed the last of the coffee in his cup. Every time he thought he was over the vanity of his mangled face, it reared up with a vengeance. The waitress could hardly take her eyes off Ace, but she barely made eye contact with Ethan.
Typical reaction. Hell, he’d startled himself at the mirror plenty of times after the accident. He didn’t need random people to be instantly attracted to him, but it would sure be nice if he didn’t terrify young children and dogs. It had been rough for everyone when he’d made a kid cry at the annual carnival back home last fall.
Finally, he saw they were wrapping things up. He left enough cash to cover the meal and a hefty tip and ducked out through the back door to get into position to follow her again.
With his assistant keeping tabs on Jayne, he’d been able to circle back to the diner after she’d unexpectedly taken that exit. He’d cruised by, confirming her location, and then he’d parked around the corner. On his way into the diner, he snapped a picture of Ace’s vehicle and license plate and sent that up the line for research and tracking purposes.
If Ace was going to be involved with Jayne, Ethan needed to adjust his approach and possibly put a GPS tag on the man’s muscle car too.
No time to do it now.
They were exiting the diner and the bouncer had his arm curled around Jayne’s waist. Was that really necessary? Ace guided her between their two cars and kept chatting.
Ethan’s intuition prickled across the back of his neck. Something was wrong. Jayne wasn’t moving with her normal, purposeful grace. She was listing like a drunk. Ethan snapped another picture and was dialing his assistant when Jayne dropped her keys.
The bouncer picked them up, but he didn’t give them back right away. Jayne was almost slumped against the big man now. Ethan was already closing the distance when a white panel van pulled into the parking lot, blocking in Jayne’s car.
“Not on my watch,” Ethan muttered. He pocketed his phone and jogged across the street. “Jayne!” he called out. “Baby, I’m so sorry I’m late.”
“Who the hell are you?” Ace demanded.
“Jayne’s boyfriend.” Ethan stuck out his hand, inserting himself into whatever was going on between Ace and Jayne and whoever was in the van. “Good to meet you, man.” He wouldn’t normally put his back to an unknown threat, but he didn’t dare let Jayne out of his sight.
He stepped closer and Ace pulled her back, out of Ethan’s reach, but also further from the van.
“I don’t know you,” Ace said. “Get out of here.”
The driver of the van rolled down his window. “What’s the trouble, dude? We’ve got a schedule.”
It took all of Ethan’s willpower to stand firm and remain focused on Ace. “Looks like she overdid it. It happens. Thanks for the assist. I’ll get her home,” Ethan said. He shifted, letting Ace see his bad side while he pretended to look at his keys.
Ace swore under his breath.
Scars detected. Even Ethan had to admit it helped to have a constant source of distraction.
“You-you’re not with her,” Ace accused.
“Window closes in three, two, one.” His countdown completed, the van driver sped away, leaving Ace to deal with Ethan alone.
“Hand her over,” Ethan ordered in a tone that matched his vicious scars.
Jayne, her movements sluggish, pushed weakly at Ace. “You look familiar,” she said, her words slurring as she peered at him. Her glassy gaze enraged Ethan. “I know you.”
“See?” Ethan stepped closer. “We’re together.”
Ace hesitated, one arm still locked around Jayne, but it was all the invitation Ethan needed. He struck Ace with one fast strike, using the side of his hand like a blade to the base of the man’s throat. Ethan grabbed Jayne’s keys as they fell from the bouncer’s hand and drew her close to his body.
She was wilting fast and he practically carried her to the passenger side of her car. Once she was buckled into the seat, he raced around the hood and made it to the driver’s seat before Ace had regained enough breath to try and stop him.
Ethan’s heart kept racing until the diner was out of sight. He expected to see that muscle car or even the white van surging into view any second, but they seemed to be in the clear.
Too easy.
He gripped the steering wheel, leaning forward in his seat until he reached the interstate. Unable to relax, he monitored his speed while he thought through what he’d witnessed.
Clearly the bouncer had no real desire to go out with Jayne. He’d been luring her there for what had looked like a kidnapping attempt. Why? Every other time he’d been around Jayne, he’d seemed friendly and sincere, as if he knew she was way out of his league.
Ethan’s theory that he’d only been assigned to watch Jayne to soothe an overprotective relative evaporated. In his mind a litany of curses and questions were on a never ending loop as he navigated the morning rush hour.
He tried to voice dial his assistant Jenna, but the car didn’t cooperate. It took a second try before he remembered he was in Jayne’s car and her phone would be the one synced up with the system. He tried a third time to make a call, this time speaking Carter’s name and phone number.
The call went through immediately. Thank goodness for family. And Guardian Agency protocols. He and Carter had never met, and if things hadn’t gone off the rails Carter never would’ve known another protector was in town. But if someone was after Jayne, her twin could also be in danger.
At last Carter answered and Ethan introduced himself. “Someone just attempted to kidnap Jayne,” he said, all business. “I have her and she’s safe. You can verify my story with Gamble and Swann. I’ll hold.”
“Spell your last name,” Carter instructed.
“S-h-e-l-l-e-y.” Ethan checked his mirrors. “I’m reaching out because Paige might be at risk as well.”
“I have eyes on Paige,” Carter said. “Let me speak with Jayne.”
Ethan glanced over. She was out cold. Drugged, but with what? “She’s not in any condition to chat right now. She was drugged during a coffee date.”
Carter swore. Ethan agreed with the sentiment. “If there was a threat against the twins I should’ve been informed,” Carter snapped.
“As far as I knew there was no imminent threat against either sister.” It was all he felt comfortable sharing. “I assume Gamble and Swann have more details.”
He needed to speak with Jenna and get directions to a safe location so he could protect Jayne. He didn’t dare take her home. Not when everyone in town knew the Coker estate.
“I need to get back to work,” he said. “The agency can reach me if necessary.”
“Understood,” Carter replied. “Thanks for the heads up. Do you need any assistance?”
Ethan appreciated the offer and knew it wasn’t made lightly. The top rules of the agency were autonomy and discretion. “We’re good for right now.” He hoped that held true. “If that changes I’ll be in touch.”
“One more thing.” Carter sounded amused. “Jenna wants you to answer your phone.” She has instructions.”
The call ended and Ethan almost laughed. Almost. Of course if she couldn’t reach him directly, she’d find another way. With one eye on his mirrors, ever vigilant, he took the next exit off the interstate and pulled into the nearest gas station. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he groaned at the display. Three text messages and two voicemails.
He returned the call, braced for the inevitable scolding.
“You called Carter, not me?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say I hurt your feelings.”
She snorted. “Good thing you know better. But come on, Ethan. Even you have better teamwork skills.”
“In my defense I tried to call you first. As you surely know, I’m in Jayne’s car.”
“I know.” The temper was gone from her voice. A heavy sigh carried over the line. “Head back downtown. There’s a room waiting at the Ellington Inn. I’ve arranged for immediate check in. Let me know when you’re settled.”
The Guardian Agency connections never ceased to amaze him.