Page 49 of Blake

Reid lifted his hand in salute. “Of course.” He looked at Pax. “See you later, Pax.”

“Yeah, see you later, Reid.”

Pax followed Blake to the car and got in fastening her seat belt. She felt sad that Reid was shouldering things alone. So many good people around and yet hers were mostly bad. But she was lucky in some ways and seeing Nessa Reid and her stunning smile had given her a kick up the ass.

She spent way too much time feeling sorry for herself and that was going to stop right now.

Chapter Twenty-One

Deep in thought Blake took the exit towards Loma Linda, the revelation about Nessa Reid worrying for more than one reason. He was gutted for Reid and he couldn’t imagine how he would feel if it was one of his sisters. That aside, it also put Reid in the perfect position to be blackmailed.

As one of the names on the list, he had been watching Reid and had realised that on the mission where he had been injured, Reid hadn’t been accounted for. Now with Nessa being ill he wondered if Reid had a weakness that someone was exploiting. He refused to believe that Reid had just gone bad.

The man loved his family though, and Blake wasn’t sure there was anything he wouldn’t do for them. He couldn’t blame him as he would do anything for his. What he couldn’t figure out was if Reid was the mole, why he hadn’t gone to Jack. It also didn’t explain the motive behind the attacks on Eidolon.

He felt Pax’s hand on his thigh. “Blake?”

Blake tilted his head towards her. “Yes?”

“Are you all right?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes, just thinking about Reid.” He didn’t add that he wasn’t thinking about Reid’s situation—well, not only that.

“Are things okay between you and Reid? You two seem…” She paused as if seeking the right word. “Tense.”

He nodded tightly. “Yes, all good.”

He looked at her and saw the hurt cross her face. She knew he had just lied to her. He wanted to take it back and tell her what was going on with Eidolon and the mole, but he’d made a promise to Jack and he took that seriously. He kept quiet and slanted a glance at Pax who was watching the cars on the opposite side of the highway. Her jaw clenched, head tilted up with pride, he could practically feel the pissed off vibe fill the vehicle.

Blake sighed. “Listen, Grace,” he started but she interrupted him holding up her hand.

“You don’t have to explain it to me. I get it. We’re not in that place yet. I am, but you obviously need more time.” Her words were short and clipped with an underlying cadence of hurt.

He wanted to kick himself for that. “I am there.” He took her hand firmly as she tried to resist. “Gracie, I am there but I can’t tell you. It’s Eidolon business and I made a promise.”

Blake glanced at her as she turned slightly towards him, her posture less tense as he spoke. “If and when I can, I’ll share but until then I ask you to give me this without reading something into it.” He kissed her knuckles. “I love that you feel we’re at the point where we share things like that. I’m definitely in that place. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to build a life with you and that includes confidences, but I can’t break this one. Even for you.”

“I understand, Blake. I guess this is new for me and I already feel so vulnerable with my family that I reacted like a shrew.”

“I would never hurt you deliberately, Grace.”

“I know.” She smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

They remained silent as he drove the last five kilometres to Sally Nixon’s home. He pulled up and parked on the road beside a single storey home with an attached garage and perfectly landscaped gardens. A new Lexus was parked in the drive. He knew from the information Lopez had sent him that it was Sally Nixon’s car. He got out and moved to Pax who was already on the sidewalk.

The front door was open as they approached. Instantly, he got a bad feeling in his gut. He turned to Pax to tell her to go back to the car but that would also leave her exposed. “Stay behind me,” he said voice low as he drew his weapon and watched as she did the same.

Pax was not a marksman, but she could handle a gun well enough. Nodding, she followed as he entered. The house was eerily silent—the type of quiet that was unsettling as if all signs of life were gone from the home. It caused a shiver to snake down his spine. On soundless feet he moved down the tiled floor of the hallway, past an empty study on the right, and towards the kitchen.

He entered and his eyes found the body of a woman. A low gasp behind him confirmed his fear. It was Sally Nixon, blood pooling around her from a bullet wound to the chest and one to the head. Eyes closed in death, her face a relaxed mask.

“I need to clear the rest of the house.”

Blake felt Pax behind him as he moved from the kitchen to the bedroom wing of the property. The first two bedrooms were clear, both looked like they belonged to her younger sons. In the last bedroom he found the body of a man. He was around the same age as Sally Nixon and he presumed it was her husband.

“Marvin Nixon,” Pax whispered into the quiet of the room.

Once he had finished clearing the rooms, Blake returned to the kitchen with Pax. He knelt down close to Sally to try and get a closer look for a clue of some sort but found nothing visible.