Intrigue Books 1-6
Page 76
The man in the suit had pointed to Declan’s truck.
“Consider that an early baby shower gift,” he’d said. “For what it’s worth, I don’t hate that you Nashes might now have a shot at a happy ending. And consider this the only time I’ll ever break a contract.”
He’d already been gone by the time Declan saw what he’d left in Fiona’s front seat.
It was the bag of money he and his siblings had collected to pay for their contract with the Fixers back at Well Water. On top of the bag were two ribbons. One pink, one blue.
Declan and Remi had received another gift after they’d married that he believed to be from the man. It was a postcard of an island with well wishes and an exorbitant amount of money that they’d decided to give to charity. The card had been signed “the Whisperer.”
Other than that, Declan hadn’t seen or heard of the man in the suit or the Fixers since.
“I think Dad would have liked this, too,” Caleb said, bringing Declan back to the present. He motioned to the four of them. “Us, I mean, but, especially you.”
Declan was surprised to see those three sets of baby blues turn to him. Caleb continued.
“We realized this morning when we were helping set up the Christmas lights that we somehow have been idiots and haven’t told you this outright and in clear words. So, get ready for the mushiness.”
They all shared a look.
Desmond spoke next.
“Thank you, Declan.”
He didn’t understand.
“For what?”
Madi’s smile was small but true.
“For giving us peace.”
It was such a simple statement but it did something Declan hadn’t thought possible. A weight had been lifted. The guilt, the heartache... It all blew away in the nice December breeze.
Movement caught his eye at the edge of the field.
“You guys are going to make me cry in front of my wife,” he said with a genuine smile.
Madi laughed.
“Like you didn’t blubber when Michael and Lysa were born,” she teased.
“And don’t forget that tearing up you did at the wedding,” Caleb added with a grin.
Declan laughed and didn’t deny either accusation. Other than his kids being born, his wedding to Remi had been one of the best days of his life.
It had been a small, perfect ceremony held in the no-man’s-land between the Nash Family Ranch and Hudson Heartland. To show they approved of Declan, Gale Hudson had officiated while Josh and Jonah had walked Remi down the aisle of flowers and grass. Her mother and stepfather had held the twins while his mother and Christian had distracted the rest of the grandchildren. Every Nash sibling and spouse were either groomsmen or bridesmaids.
“Don’t act like you didn’t drop a tear or two,” Desmond said to Caleb.
Caleb in turn swatted at him, which riled Desmond up. Soon they were racing around the barn and up toward Caleb’s house. A car started up the drive and Madi waved Declan off.
“That’s Julian,” she said. “You can go on to your wife now, Sheriff.”
“If I could, I’d swoop down and kiss you on the cheek, little sister,” he said, half-mocking. She laughed.
“And if I wasn’t the size of a beach ball I’d stand up and accept it.”
Declan laughed and soon he was off riding. He slowed as Remi did, meeting him in the middle.
She was as beautiful as a sunset and he told her as much.
“You keep sweet-talking me like that, Mr. Nash, and we might be catching up to Madi and Julian’s kid count tonight.”
Declan chuckled.
“We did say we’d start sometime after the kids were walking,” he pointed out. “Though now I can’t see where the sense in that is.”
“We’re attracted to adventure, I suppose. Why else would we be building a house with a set of twins and two stressful jobs?”
Declan ticked the reasons off on his fingers as he listed them.
“Because my house was too small. We’re sentimental fools who thought it would be nice to live on the same stretch of land we got married on. We didn’t plan to get pregnant with twins, though I’m over the moon it happened. And because we actually love our jobs.”
Remi, who was now chief financial officer at Desmond’s foundation, nodded at each point.
“Don’t you come at me with answers that make sense.”
“Oh, I’ll come at you with something all right, cowgirl.”
He winked at her, which made Remi throw her head back as she laughed again.
Then she was all smiles.
“Only if you can catch me, cowboy.”
Remi was off on her horse, pointed toward their home, faster than Declan could whistle.
Before he followed after her, Declan turned around and looked at his family and the ranch he’d been born on and would probably spend the rest of his days around.
Caleb, Desmond and Madi were still hanging around, laughing, talking and riding. His mother was up at the house, not five minutes away, singing Christmas carols and baking gingerbread cookies, he had no doubt.
Declan had spent years worrying about his family. Worrying that they’d never be whole again. That they’d never truly find happiness. That life wasn’t as kind as it was mean.
Yet, sitting astride his horse in a field he used to ride with his father, Declan Nash really did feel it, too.
Peace.
* * * * *
PROTECTIVE ORDER
Rita Herron
www.millsandboon.com.au
Changing her name and identity
may not be enough to save her from a killer.
Reese Taggart’s search for her sister’s stalker lands her in Whistler, NC, following a fiery fatality. There, she must win the trust of arson investigator Griff Maverick. But that will be particularly difficult since she’s using a fake identity in an effort not to scare away her target. But as the pair closes in on the criminal, can Griff stop Reese from using herself as bait to trap the diabolical killer?
USA TODAY Bestselling Author
More than anything, he needed to win her trust.
“You do realize that by asking about this killer, he might come after you?”
She winced, her only reaction. “I do. But if I help catch him, it’ll be worth it.”
“Why is it worth risking your life?” he asked.
She looked away this time and absentmindedly rubbed her finger over the scar on her wrist. A telltale sign he was right. And one that made him more curious about how she’d gotten that scar.
Concerned about her now, he lowered his voice. “Ginny, tell me what you know.” He reached for her arm to trace the burn scar with his finger, but she jerked it away and crossed the room to the window. For a moment, she stood staring outside at the rain drizzling against the windowpane.
She looked pale, sad and frightened. But beautiful, like a lost child in a storm. The instinct to pull her into his arms pulsed through Griff, so strongly that he fisted his hands by his sides.
Pushing her would only make her run away.
USA TODAY bestselling author RITA HERRON wrote her first book when she was twelve but didn’t think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job. A former kindergarten teacher and workshop leader, she traded storytelling to kids for writing romance, and now she writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. Rita lives in Georgia with her family. She loves to hear from readers, so please visit her website, ritaherron.com.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Reese Taggart, aka Ginny Bagwell—All she wants is revenge against her stalker ex-boyfriend for killing her sister. Until she meets sexy firefighter Griff Maverick.
Griff Maverick—As firefighter and arson investigator, he’s determined to find
out Ginny Bagwell’s secrets.
Joy Norris—She was strangled, her body left in her fiery apartment. Did Reese’s stalker kill Joy, or did she fall victim to another predator?
Robert Bouldercrest—Reese’s ex swore she’d never escape him. And he will kill anyone who keeps him from getting her back.
Thad Ridgen—Joy was the only holdout to making this real estate developer a millionaire. Did he kill her for money?
William Roberts—Is he really Robert Bouldercrest?
To all those counselors who work as victims’ advocates for abused women. God bless you.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Prologue
He’d kill her if he found her.
But Reese Taggart couldn’t go back. Not to being smothered and held captive by his anger and his erratic mood swings. Not to pleasing him when that was impossible.
Not to a life without friends and a house where she had to follow his rules or be punished.
She tugged the ball cap over her head and struggled to stay in the shadows as she climbed in her car and pulled away from the gas station. A big burly man wearing a hoodie was watching her from the gas pump.
Tension gathered in her belly. Had Robert paid the man to find her?
Shivering, she pressed the accelerator and sped onto the highway. Nerves on edge, she looked over her shoulder to see if the man had followed.
Finally, when she veered onto the entrance ramp to the freeway, and she didn’t see him, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Although a feeling of despair mingled with fear as night fell. She’d left her apartment. Had packed everything she owned in her car and was on the run. She had no idea how to rebuild her life, but her first priority was to escape him.
The protective order she’d filed hadn’t mattered to him. He’d ignored it. Had broken in and threatened her. Had promised to make her pay if she ever tried to leave.
Then he’d tied her up and left her naked and alone. His ugly gray eyes had pierced her as he’d told her she needed to think about how to be a good wife.
They weren’t married. She’d turned down his proposal. Had made several attempts to break it off with him.
He’d refused to accept that it was over.
When she’d managed to free herself, she’d spent the night in a cheap motel somewhere on the highway, terrified and debating where to go. The police had said they couldn’t help her unless he hurt her.
She didn’t want to die.
This morning, she’d made a decision. Move to Raleigh where her sister lived. The two of them needed each other. And Tess deserved to know why Reese had cut off communication with her the last few months.
A gust of wind slammed against her vehicle, the windows rattling with the force. A storm was brewing. She had fifteen miles to go.
Her phone dinged with another text. Him again. He’d started calling and texting the minute he’d discovered she was gone.
You’ll be sorry for leaving me.
The only thing she was sorry for was ever believing he was a nice man. For signing up for that stupid online dating site.
Her friends said it would be easy. Safe. They were all doing it.
All she had to do was create a profile. Post some pictures. Swipe if she liked someone.
Meet in a public place. Like a coffee shop.
And she had.
He’d been so charming in the beginning. Almost shy. Quiet. Like a gentle giant, he’d complimented her and wined and dined her. She’d lost her mother the year before and had still been grieving. He’d offered a shoulder to cry on. Had understood the reason she’d dropped out of college to work for a while.
He’d promised to take care of her.
She hadn’t known that meant isolating her from friends and family and trying to control her.
Finally, she reached the exit for Raleigh. She considered giving her sister a heads-up she was on her way, but figured she needed to explain in person. Perspiration beaded on her neck as she took the exit ramp and veered onto the side street leading to her sister’s little house. Tess was an artist and worked at a coffee bar near the downtown area.
But she chose to live outside the city limits for the privacy. She said the countryside inspired her creativity.
The ten miles to her house seemed like an eternity, but Reese grew more relaxed as she approached. She’d missed her sister these last few months. Needed her now.
But as she rounded the corner, she spotted smoke in the air. Thick plumes drifted up into the clouds and swirled in a blinding haze of gray.
She punched the accelerator and sped the next mile. Just as she’d feared, her sister’s house was on fire.
Terror pulsed through her as she screeched to a stop. She punched in 9-1-1 and asked for help, then threw the car door open and hit the ground running. Flames had caught the roof and seemed to be coming from the back room. Tess’s studio.
The chemicals she used to paint and clean her brushes were there. Oh, God...
The wind howled as she ran toward the house. Maybe her sister wasn’t here. Although her little Toyota was in the drive.
Reese pushed the front door open and screamed, “Tess!” She called her name over and over as she raced through the small bungalow. Tess wasn’t in the living room or kitchen.
Smoke billowed everywhere. Wood crackled and popped from the back rooms. She coughed and covered her mouth with her scarf but refused to turn back.
Heat scalded her as she inched down the hallway. The guest room was empty but filled with smoke. Tess’s bedroom...so much smoke she could barely see inside.
She ducked into the room anyway. But Tess wasn’t in there.
Terror clawed at her. The studio.
Flames were starting to lick the edge of the doorway.
“Tess!” She blinked and peered inside. Flames crept up the wall. Her sister’s canvases were on fire, the beautiful colors of paint dripping like blood. Smoke and fire consumed the shelves of art supplies.
Then she saw her sister. On the floor. Not moving.
Screaming her name again, she raced toward her. Fire ate at the window curtains. A piece of burning wood splintered from the shelf and pelted her. Flames licked at her shirt, but she threw the splintered wood aside and beat at the flames. She knelt and shook her sister. Tess was unconscious.
Please, dear God, let her be alive.
Fear driving her, she grabbed her sister’s arms and began to drag her from the room. Sweat poured down her face and neck. Something shattered. The floor was growing hot, the fire spreading. She had to hurry.
She yanked and pulled with all her might, hauling her sister through the living room to the front door. A siren wailed in the distance. Lights twirled and glittered across the dark sky.
She pulled Tess onto the porch then down the steps and dragged her across the grass to a nearby tree. Then she dropped to the ground and shook her.
“Tess, honey, hang in there!” She felt for a pulse, but nothing. Seconds ticked by. A fire engine roared into the driveway. Firefighters jumped from the fire engine an
d sprang into action.
She shouted for help. “My sister. She’s not breathing!”
One of the firemen ran over, his face etched in worry as he stooped down and pressed two fingers to her sister’s neck.
A second later, he shook his head.
“No...” She refused to give up. She shoved him aside and started chest compressions. Understanding on his face, he murmured that he’d take over.
She stared in shock as he worked to try to save her sister. But as he performed CPR, she spotted ligature marks around Tess’s neck. Saw the imprint of someone’s fingers. A man’s.
Her hand flew to her own throat. Robert had choked her once. Had left marks like those.
His threats taunted her. You’ll be sorry.
An ambulance careened up. Medics hopped out and raced to help. Firefighters rolled out hoses, dousing the flames with water. The roof collapsed.
The medic traded a look with the firefighter. “It’s been too long,” he murmured.
The medic checked Tess’s pulse. Her heart. Then his look turned to sympathy. “I’m sorry.”
Reese shook her head in denial. Tears leaked from her eyes and dripped down her chin. She dragged her sister into her arms and held her, rocking her and crying as the truth seeped into her consciousness.
Robert had been here. He’d killed her sister to punish her.
Tess, the only person she had left in the world. Her best friend. Her little sister. Gone.
Dead at twenty-six.
And it was all her fault.
Chapter One
Three years later
Firefighter and arson investigator, Griffin, Griff, Maverick gritted his teeth. Wildfires were springing up all over the mountains. Some were accidental while others had been set by careless hikers—or, as he suspected in this case, teenagers.
He had to put a stop to it. If only he could catch the little culprits. But so far, they’d evaded the police.