Bound by Fire

by Tracey Jane Jackson

  “I want to thank Connall and Pepper again. Didn’t they do a great job?” Max said.

  The crowd screamed and Pepper was grateful they didn’t know where she was sitting. She felt the heat in her cheeks as she buried her head in Connall’s shoulder.

  The band finished and left the stage. Connall took Pepper’s hand and led her downstairs to the room they’d been in for dinner. The band was scheduled to do a meet-and-greet for a few fans, but Connall wanted to touch base with Max before they left.

  Max grinned as Connall and Pepper approached him. “How badly do you want to kill me?”

  “A lot a bit.” Pepper shook her head. “But it was probably a good idea to spring it on me. I wouldn’t have agreed otherwise.”

  Max laughed. “That’s what Sam said.”

  “We’ve been friends too long apparently,” Pepper joked.

  “I’d really like to sing with you again,” Max said. “Wanna come on tour?”

  Pepper giggled. “No, but thank you. I have a horse and a husband to take care of.”

  “Okay, then in the studio.”

  “We can talk about it when you get back.”

  Max nodded. “Deal.”

  “Max, it’s time,” Niall said.

  A guard pulled open the door and Max’s face changed. A beautiful woman stood in the hallway, her long brunette hair falling almost to her waist. She appeared annoyed as she talked with the young man standing next to her.

  Max glanced at Niall and frowned.

  “Is that your—?” Niall asked.

  “Aye,” Max said and headed to the door.

  “Who was that?” Pepper asked. “And why does it feel electric in here?”

  Connall leaned down and whispered, “It appears Max just found his mate.”

  “No way. Really?”

  He nodded and guided her back to Sam and Kade. The small group headed out to the car and made their way back to their apartments.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  THE NEXT EVENING, after a relatively quiet day, Connall couldn’t help but catch onto Pepper’s excitement to join Kade and Sam for a private dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. He helped her clasp her watch to her wrist and then kissed her palm. “You smell amazing.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “I love this outfit.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  Pepper wore dark jeans and her blood-red cardigan with the black lace camisole underneath. Her black boots stopped at her knees and emphasized her perfectly formed legs. She’d pulled her hair back with a headband, but kept her bangs down and swept to the side. She was stunning.

  “Really?” She laughed. “My Old Navy standard?”

  “Is that a good store?” he asked.

  “It’s one of my favorites…probably not what you’re used to. Great value and great style all in one.”

  “Great style is certainly true.”

  She shrugged. “I just figured if we’re going to be bombarded with photogs like last night, I don’t want to embarrass you. Which is why I took a little extra time with my makeup.”

  “You could go out in a burlap bag and without makeup and still be the prettiest girl in the world, love.”

  “Which is why I love you.”

  He grinned. “Good to know.”

  “Any updates on Max and the mysterious lady?”

  “As a matter of fact, he called while you were in the shower.”

  “And?” Pepper asked.

  “Her name is Grace Wilson, she’s twenty-four—”

  “Uh-oh,” Pepper said. “Not ready yet.”

  “Nope and not interested in Max. She apparently has a boyfriend.”

  “Shut up! How does that happen…not in the Cauld Ane world but Max’s world.”

  “He’s a little surprised.” Connall chuckled as he slipped his watch on. “And he’s postponed part of the tour to follow her to Portland, Oregon.”

  “What?”

  “She lives there and he has a show in Portland in two months, I think, so he’s going to take time off to find her.”

  “Wow. You guys are serious about your women, huh?”

  Connall kissed her nose. “Once I found you, I would have moved the world to love you.”

  Pepper grinned. “And you did. Well, a very large animal who happened to be my world before I met you.”

  He kissed her, but they were interrupted by the doorbell.

  “I’ll get it,” he said and left the room.

  Pulling open the door, he gave Sam an assessing glance and laughed.

  “What?” Sam asked.

  He waved his hand. “Come in and see.”

  She stepped inside, followed by Kade.

  “Seriously?” Pepper exclaimed.

  The women groaned. Other than the shoes, they were wearing virtually the same outfit.

  “I’ll change,” Sam offered.

  “No,” Pepper said. “It’s fine. I’ll change. My blue cardigan’s clean. I’ll be right back.”

  “Sorry,” Sam called as Pepper headed back down the hall.

  Kade chuckled. “I imagine that’s going to happen a lot.”

  Sam grinned. “We could chalk it up to our new Cauld Ane connection, but honestly, we used to do it when we were human too. For all our differences, it’s scary how similar we are.”

  Without warning, a vibration resonated within them. Something they could all feel.

  “Shite,” Connall snapped and made a run for the bedroom, shoving the door open.

  Pepper stood in the middle of the room, her face white as a sheet and her old phone at her ear. She swallowed and nodded as tears streamed down her face. Connall managed to grab her before the phone slipped from her hand and her knees buckled. He slid to the floor with her, settling her on his lap.

  Kade reached down for the phone and handed it to Connall.

  “What happened?” Sam asked.

  Connall put his finger to his lips and the phone to his ear. The line was dead. He set the phone on the nightstand and swore.

  “What’s going on?” Kade asked.

  Pepper whimpered. Connall gave her a gentle squeeze. “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart.”

  She buried her head in his neck.

  “What the heck is going on?” Sam demanded.

  “Anders isn’t the stalker,” Connall provided.

  Pepper gasped and leaped off his lap. “You knew?”

  He nodded and rose to his feet. “Dalton called me yesterday. While you were cooking.”

  She crossed her arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you needlessly. Was that him?” Connall asked gently.

  She nodded, her body shaking. Connall pulled her into his arms and stroked her back. She smacked his chest with her fist. “You said he was the one. You said you’d found him.”

  “I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I thought we had. Anders is the one who left the notes on Jonesy’s stall, but he’s not the one who sent the other letters and he also wasn’t the one at Dalton’s store. That was someone else. Anders was not the one Dalton shot.”

  Sam bit her lip, leaning against Kade when he wrapped an arm around her. “What did Dalt say?”

  “Just that,” Connall said. “They don’t have any leads right now, but he’ll keep me posted.”

  Sam glanced up at Kade. “Cole can help.”

  He nodded. “So can Ali.”

  “You’re safe, baby,” Connall assured Pepper. “He can’t touch you here.”

  “He called me here!” she snapped.

  “On your old phone, which I’m going to destroy.”

  “But what about my mom? Or Rio?” She turned to Sam. “Or your parents?”

  Sam smiled. “Dalton will protect them. You know he will.”

  “And Rio and his family are being watched,” Connall added.

  “What about my mom?” Pepper pressed.

  Connall stroked her cheek. “Your mother is under twenty-four
-hour surveillance until she’s well enough to travel, which should be in about three days.”

  “What? Where’s she going?”

  “Here, sweetheart. Alasdair’s making the arrangements to have her transferred to a clinic in Inverness.”

  She took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. “He knows I’m in Scotland.”

  “What do you mean?” Connall said very slowly. “What exactly did he say?”

  “Hello, my love, how are you enjoying Edinburgh?” she whispered.

  “Damn media,” Connall snapped.

  Kade pulled out his phone and left the room.

  Connall tried to calm his rage as he stroked her back. “It’s fine, love. We’ll sort it out.”

  Kade returned a few minutes later.

  “What did you find out?” Connall asked.

  “The call didn’t originate here, but Ali said they can’t quite pinpoint where it did. It’s possible it came from somewhere in Scotland, but the only thing they know for sure is that it’s not Edinburgh.”

  “Damn it.”

  “It’s fine, Con,” Sam said. “We can order in. Hang out and watch a movie. It’s no biggie.”

  “We’re going home,” Con said.

  “I don’t think that’s necessary, is it? He probably just saw my picture from the café.” Pepper pulled away from Connall and wiped her face in frustration. “If he’s not here, then I don’t want to be chased away…or lead him back to our home. Maybe we should set a trap. I am sick of this asshat dictating my life! Let him come after me. I’ll burn the mother.”

  “Pepper!” Sam said, stifling a laugh.

  “Well, I will,” Pepper said.

  “It could be anyone, Pepper,” Connall said. “Until we know who and where the threat is, I’d feel more comfortable taking you home. And there’s no way in hell I’m setting a trap until you’re somewhere he can’t touch you.”

  “I don’t want to stop my life because someone is trying to mess with me.” She stomped her foot. “Then he wins.”

  “I know, love, but I still think we should be careful. If we’re at home, I can make sure you’re safe,” Connall insisted. “For now, let’s have some popcorn and watch a movie, okay? We’ll order a pizza. We can head home tomorrow.”

  “Throw in wine and I’ll consider it.”

  Sam laughed. “Like that would even be a question. Change into your sweats and meet us back at our place. We’ll have wine, popcorn, and a movie ready to go in the media room.”

  Pepper sighed. “Fine.”

  Sam and Kade left the apartment and Connall laid his hands on her arms. “Hey, we’re going to find the guy. No one’s going to hurt you.”

  Pepper nodded. “I know, baby. I just want this over, you know?”

  “I know.” He kissed her forehead. “Will picking the movie make you feel better?”

  Pepper chortled. “I want something with a lot of guns and men without shirts…I mean, a rom-com.”

  He laughed. “I’m sure Kade can accommodate.”

  * * *

  The next morning, Connall worked with Kade’s pilot to finalize a flight plan. Due to Connall’s meeting commitment at Gunnach Pharmaceuticals, they would have to wait until the following day to fly home, but as long as they stayed close to the office or the apartment, Connall was confident he could keep Pepper safe.

  He tiptoed into their bedroom just after nine and went about trying to wake his wife. She grumbled, but finally opened her eyes.

  “Good morning,” he said as he kissed her cheek.

  “Are mornings ever good?”

  “They are now that I get to see your beautiful face.”

  She smiled. “How did you sleep?”

  “Other than you tossing and turning in your sleep? Fantastic.”

  She sighed. “You sound like Sam.”

  “You often sleep with Sam, do you?”

  “I’ll never tell.” Pepper giggled. “My neat-nick friend wakes up with her bedding exactly where it was when she went to sleep. I could make my bed every day and still manage to destroy it…as she used to complain constantly. In the end, I had to remember to close my door so she wouldn’t have to see it.”

  “I’m sure she appreciated that.” He smiled. “I talked to Russell and he says we can leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

  “Who’s Russell again?” she asked, stifling a yawn.

  “Kade’s pilot.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “Anyway, I have a meeting I committed to this afternoon, but it won’t take long, so I thought we could head on over to the office for a tour and then have lunch with Kade and Sam. Sam said she cleared her schedule this afternoon to babysit you.”

  “Sounds fun. You could also come back to bed and we can meet them for lunch and then a tour. You already know what the office looks like.”

  Before he could answer, his phone rang. Surprised to see Max’s name come up on the screen, he frowned. “Hold that thought, love.” He answered the call. “Max? Hey, everything okay?”

  “I have some information for you. Kinnon came clean.”

  “Oh?” He put his phone on speaker and Pepper sat up with a frown.

  “He said some American paid him to take out Pepper’s boyfriend. The American’s words, not Kinnon’s. He’s southern I’m assuming, because Kinnon said he talked like Sam.”

  Pepper’s mouth gaped open. “How?”

  “Oh, hi, Pepper,” Max said.

  “Hi. How would Kinnon have met this guy?”

  “Drug deal. You know what Kinnon’s like. He’ll do whatever he needs to do to score.”

  “Did he say who the guy was?” Connall asked.

  “Here’s the thing,” Max said. “He’s not really sure. He was high.”

  “Shite.”

  “Sorry, Con. He’s not well. He’s always been an idiot, but he’s also so deep into this life, Niall and I don’t know how to help him. If we find anything else out, we’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks.”

  “We’re sorry, Con. I don’t know if you know how much.”

  “I do, Max,” Con said.

  “Thanks, brother. Gotta go. I’ll call you in a week or two, or earlier if I hear anything.”

  “Sounds good. ’Bye.” Connall hung up.

  “Who is this guy?” Pepper said, more to the universe than to Connall.

  Before Connall or the universe could answer, Pepper’s phone rang. “Hello?”

  Her face went white and Connall had a hell of a time honing in on what was going on. Finding the path to her brain, he discovered it was Dalton on the phone.

  “…he’s there,” Dalton finished.

  “The stalker’s here?” Connall asked. Pepper nodded and handed her phone to Connall. “Dalton? What the hell is going on?”

  “Jet’s the one after her and he’s in Scotland.”

  “The guy who attacked her in high school?” Connall snapped.

  “You know about that, huh?”

  “Of course I know about that.”

  “Right,” Dalton said. “I’m on my way. I’m in London right now and a day behind him, so just keep Pepper close.”

  “When’s your flight out of London?”

  “Delayed, so who knows?” Dalton complained.

  Connall swore.

  “Connall!” his brother called.

  “Hold on, Dalton.” Connall handed Pepper a robe. “Put this on, love.”

  He headed out of the bedroom.

  “I used my key.” Kade asked. “What’s wrong?”

  Sam didn’t say anything as she headed to the bedroom.

  “Dalton’s stuck in London,” Connall said.

  “Why’s he in London?”

  “Because Pepper’s stalker’s here.”

  “Right.” Kade pulled out his phone.

  “Dalton, you still there?” Connall asked.

  “Yeah, man.”

  “Russ can pick him up in an hour,” Kade said. “He just needs to get to the ter
minal.”

  “Kade’s sending his plane,” Connall said, and then gave Dalton instructions on where to go and who to meet.

  Sam returned with Pepper in tow. Sam held her hand out. “May I talk to Dalton, please?”

  Connall handed the phone to Sam and focused on Pepper. “You okay?”

  She nodded, but Connall could see her hands shaking as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

  “We’ll get him, baby,” he whispered and hugged her.

  Sam finished her call and then handed the phone to Pepper. “Dalton wants to talk to you.”

  “Hi,” Pepper said.

  “Hey. Stay alert, okay?” Dalton ordered. “I don’t know what he’ll do or how close he’s gotten.”

  “Don’t worry, Dalt. I will.”

  “Okay. I’ll be there in a couple of hours. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Thanks, Dalton,” Pepper said. “For everything.” She hung up and then pulled away from Connall.

  “What does he want?” she murmured.

  “Do you think he still holds a grudge?” Sam asked.

  Pepper shrugged and slapped her cell phone against her palm as she paced the room. “Oh, crap!”

  “What?” Connall asked.

  “The cassette, the movie poster, the forty-five! He was trying to send me a message.”

  “What cassette, poster, and forty-five?” Sam asked, irritation crossing her face.

  Pepper paced the room. “He was playing “Every Breath You Take” when I got to his house that day, and he said he wanted to watch Fatal Attraction.” She rubbed her forehead. “I remember thinking how weird that was.”

  “And obviously, the “My Obsession” record is self explanatory,” Connall added.

  “When exactly did all of that happen?” Sam demanded. “And why didn’t you tell me?”

  Pepper sighed. “I’m sorry. The weird gifts and phone calls started right before you left to come here. I didn’t want to worry you…or give you an excuse to stay.”

  Kade wrapped an arm around Sam and smiled at Pepper. “I’m grateful for that.”

  Sam scowled at her best friend. “You should’ve told me.”

  “I promise I’ll tell you next time,” Pepper retorted.

  “Are you okay?” Sam asked.

  “Right now, I’m pissed.”

  Connall raised an eyebrow. “Which means what, exactly?”

  “That we’re not leaving Edinburgh until Jethro ‘Asshat’ Rivers is either locked up, maimed, or dead. At this point, I don’t care which.”