Noah's Quest - 11. The bear and the warnings.

I stared at the bear for a long moment before picking it up. The first thing I noticed was that it smelled exactly like Chase—the familiar, comforting scent of his cologne. The chain was one he wore frequently, but the ring hanging from it was something I had never seen before.

“Ethan’s grandmother got that for me,” Chase said, leaning against the doorway with a soft smile.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, choking back a sudden wave of tears.

Chase crossed the room, sitting beside me on the mattress and pulling me into a sideways hug. “You know that since I’m active duty, I can get called away at a moment’s notice. I wanted you to have something so it feels like I’m with you all the time.”

“No one has ever done something like this for me,” I whispered, wiping my eyes.

Chase reached over and helped me fasten the gold chain around my neck. “This looks great against your tan skin,” he murmured, pressing a lingering kiss to my neck.

“No sexy time!” Little B’s voice shouted from somewhere down the hall.

We both burst out laughing. That kid was going to be an absolute handful.

I tucked the chain and the ring securely inside my shirt, gave Chase a quick kiss, and we headed downstairs. We found Little B sitting at the kitchen island, swinging his legs and intently watching Grandma cook.

“How did you become such a good little spy?” I asked, walking over and ruffling his hair.

“I learned a lot from Tristan,” he said matter-of-factly. “And some on my own.”

“I might have to learn a few tricks from you,” I laughed.

Grandma had made a massive lasagna, and the kitchen smelled rich with garlic bread.

“Is anyone else coming for dinner?” Chase asked, helping to set the table.

“No, just the four of us tonight,” Grandma replied, checking the oven.

Suddenly, my phone chimed in my pocket. I pulled it out to find a message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Do not trust Kellan.

I stood frozen, staring at the screen, completely unsure of what to make of it.

“Everything okay?” Chase asked, noticing my puzzled expression.

Without a word, I turned the screen so he could see the message.

Chase frowned. “Why wouldn’t you trust Kellan?”

“I don’t know. I literally just met the guy today. This is so strange.”

“That it is,” Chase murmured.

Little B suddenly looked up from the island. “The fuzz,” he muttered, pulling out a piece of paper and a marker.

When Little B started drawing, nothing good ever came of it.

“The fuzz?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood. “You mean he’s a furry?”

Little B stopped his marker mid-stroke and gave me a deadpan look that asked if I was seriously being that stupid right now.

Grandma noticed what Little B was starting to sketch, and a flash of deep worry instantly crossed her face. “I’ll be right back,” she said. Like a lightning bolt, she teleported out of the kitchen.

Right on cue, the oven timer for the bread started blaring. I quickly shut it off, pulling the garlic bread and the bubbling lasagna out of the oven. A few moments later, Grandma materialized back in the room, her expression still incredibly tense.

We ate mostly in silence, our eyes constantly darting over to Little B as he meticulously worked on his drawing, adding an unbelievable amount of detail.

Hoping to break the heavy quiet, Grandma set her fork down. “The car you asked about arrived at the dealership today, Noah. It will be delivered here tomorrow.”

Chase looked over at me, surprised. “New car?”

“I visited campus, and the truck is just way too big to park over there because of the lift kit,” I explained. “And there’s no way in hell I’m taking my Super Bee. I just wanted something simple and used.”

“He only got a new one because I stepped in,” Grandma interjected. “I wanted him to have something he could keep for a while, and every used one I found in the color he wanted had way too many miles.”

“Which reminds me,” I said, smirking as I slid a small velvet box across the table toward Chase.

Chase opened it slowly, his eyes widening as he pulled out the contents.

“Jeep,” Little B said without looking up from his paper.

Chase leaped out of his chair and ran to the back door. Parked right beside the garage was a brand-new Jeep.

“I wanted to get you the pink one, but Grandma talked me out of it,” I called out after him.

“Why did you do this?” Chase asked, stepping back inside, completely stunned.

“Your Mustang is practical for speed, but it lacks the room for you to haul anything around. Plus, I saw how much you enjoyed driving Uncle Matt’s and Brody’s.”

Chase walked back out to inspect the interior. Through the window, I watched him open the driver's side door, freeze, and then double over laughing. He walked back into the house, holding up the pair of silk jockstraps I had purposefully left on the driver's seat.

“Seriously?” he laughed.

“Hey, that’s your official uniform, Marine.”

“No sexy time outside!” Little B scolded.

Total buzzkill.

We gathered back around the island, and Grandma picked up Little B’s completed drawing. The level of detail was staggering, and a chill ran down my spine when I saw what it depicted. It was a construction site. Grandpa was being led away in handcuffs by Kellan, and in the background, it was unmistakably clear that Jack’s body was buried in a shallow grave.

“Where did this come from?” Grandma asked Little B, her voice laced with caution.

“I saw it in the future,” he replied, tilting his head.

I leaned forward. “Did you send me that text message, Little B?”

“No.”

Grandma asked him a few more hushed questions before murmuring something about needing to warn the rest of the family. She turned a sharp look on me. “Noah, I just ask that you don’t share a single detail with Ethan about what happened to Jack.”

“Does he have a legal duty to report?” I asked.

“Yes,” Grandma said grimly. “And I am getting the distinct feeling that Kellan might be using Ethan to get to us.”

“They’ve been happily married for over ten years,” Chase interjected defensively.

“I am not questioning their marriage, Chase,” Grandma countered smoothly. “But this is a very high-profile investigation. Tipping the wrong person off could ruin everything.”

Horror washed over Chase’s face. “Are you going to pay Kellan a visit?”

“No. But if I have to, you know I will. I will go to the ends of the earth to protect this family.”

“Yes, Mrs. Jacobs,” Chase said quietly, looking genuinely intimidated.

Grandma could be terrifying when she wanted to be. Knowing what Chase had been up against in the military, seeing him slightly afraid of my grandmother was low-key funny.

After Grandma and Little B left, a heavy silence settled over the house.

“You know she’s just terrified Grandpa is going to get arrested,” I said, sitting back on the couch.

“I get that,” Chase sighed, rubbing his temples. “But I just don't see Kellan breaking a case like this open. He's good, but not like that.”

“When I have my therapy appointments, I’ll just need to be extra careful about what Ethan and I talk about.”

“Probably for the best.”

We snuggled together on the couch, but every single time we tried to lean in for a real kiss, our brains instantly replayed Little B’s 'no sexy time' comment, completely killing the mood.

Before heading upstairs, I walked around the entire first floor, double-checking that every single window and door was securely locked. For the first time in a very long time, I actually switched the security alarm system on.

After hours of tossing and turning, I finally drifted into a restless sleep—only to be violently jerked awake by a massive, splintering crash echoed by the blaring shriek of the house alarm.

“I think someone broke in,” I gasped, my voice violently quivering.

“It sure sounded like it,” Chase whispered back, his military instincts kicking in. He instantly dragged me off the bed and into the master closet, pulling the heavy door shut to secure us.

My phone screen suddenly lit up. A secure notification from our family network showed that Black Hawk tactical agents had already arrived on the property and were currently securing the perimeter.

We waited until the all-clear was given. When we finally cautiously stepped downstairs, Grandma had already arrived. One of the armed Black Hawk guards was pointing toward the hallway wall, talking to her animatedly.

I walked over to where the guard was pointing. There, sprayed across the wall in dripping, blood-red paint, were four words:

DON'T TRUST CHASE.