Calculated Risk (Triumph Over Adversity #1) - Lynn Shannon Page 0,45
greet the lawman. “Grady, I sure am glad to see you.”
They shook hands and patted each other on the back in a manly embrace. Grady’s eyes were shadowed with concern, but his mouth quirked up. “What is it with you and burning buildings, Jason? This is your second incident with one. You should’ve been a firefighter.”
They shared a laugh. Jason had run into a burning cabin to help Grady rescue his then girlfriend, Tara. The event itself wasn’t something to joke about, but Grady—like Jason and his friends—sometimes used dark humor to cope with the aftermath of dangerous situations. Thankfully, Grady’s story had a happy ending. He and Tara were married with two beautiful children. One of them was Jason’s goddaughter, Maddy.
Addison appeared at Jason’s side. He wrapped an arm around her waist. “Grady, I’d like you to meet Addison. Addison, this is Grady West.”
She extended her hand toward Grady, a bright smile on her lips. “It’s so nice to meet you. Jason has told me wonderful things about your family. Maddy, especially. He has a soft spot for his goddaughter.”
Grady shook her hand warmly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, although I’m sorry it’s not under better circumstances.”
“So am I.”
Grady turned his attention to Jason. “It’s good you called. I requested and received permission from the Austin Police Department to lead the investigation into this attack. Chief Walters won’t be happy, but he doesn’t have a say anymore. Based on the evidence and the previous attacks on Addison, I have a responsibility to investigate everything.”
A weight Jason didn’t realize he was carrying lifted from his shoulders. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time. Given Chloe’s disappearance and the way Michael McCormick was acting at the courthouse today, I believe he’s involved.”
“I agree.” Addison’s gaze drifted to the smoldering apartment building behind Grady. “But proving it won’t be easy. Michael was at court, surrounded by a judge and his attorneys when the fire started.”
Jason’s jaw tightened. “Have you spoken with the responding officers? Do you have any idea how the fire was set?”
Grady nodded. “The perpetrator was hiding in the empty apartment across from Chloe’s. He waited for you and Addison to go inside, and then he spread gasoline and lit a match.”
That answered one question. The attack was designed to kill Addison, not Chloe. It’d almost succeeded. Jason couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Had they been wrong about Wendall’s involvement?
“If I was the target, how does Wendall fit into all of this?” Addison asked, echoing Jason’s thoughts. “And where is Chloe?”
“I’ve got officers and troopers scouring every part of the city, searching for Chloe and her vehicle.” Grady’s brow furrowed. “We need to be careful about jumping to conclusions. Although there have been previous threats on your life, this attack may not be connected to the others. Can you think of any reason why Wendall would benefit from hurting Chloe?”
Addison shook her head. “Not directly, but whoever is behind these attacks has been stalking me for a while. It wouldn’t take much effort to know Chloe’s divorce trial was happening this afternoon. Wendall could’ve kidnapped or hurt Chloe, hoping that I’d show up at the apartment. But that seems a lot of trouble to go to.”
Jason nodded. “I agree. The person who benefits the most from hurting Chloe and Addison is Michael.”
Grady opened his mouth as if to say something, but his phone rang. He removed it from his belt, excused himself, and stepped away to answer it.
Addison turned to Jason, rose on her tiptoes, and brushed a kiss across his mouth. “Thank you for calling Grady. He’s as wonderful as you said, and I feel a lot better knowing he’s on the case.”
“So do I.” Jason ran a thumb over the curve of Addison’s cheek, relishing in being close to her. Holding her. “You’re covered in soot.”
She smiled, the corners of her gorgeous eyes crinkling. “I’m not the only one, Marine.”
Grady ran up to them. “Officers located Chloe. She’s being transported to the hospital.”
Twenty-Five
The hospital emergency room was pandemonium. A five car pileup on the freeway had resulted in numerous injuries. Addison hurried to keep pace with Grady’s long strides, her progress hindered by the oversized tennis shoes on her feet. Jason’s shoes. A reminder of how perilously close they’d come to losing their lives.
Her throat was sore from the smoke inhalation and every single one of her muscles ached. Especially her shoulders. But all of that paled in comparison to the