Margin of Error (Fog Lake Suspense Book 2)

by Christy Barritt

  “I’m just giving you a hard time. Believe me, I wish that was the worst thing people had to say about me.” He rubbed his hands on his legs. “How are you doing?”

  “I’ve been better.”

  “I’m sorry this is happening to you, Brynlee.” There. Boone had said it. It was the truth. He was sorry this was happening to her. He wished the woman had someone here to offer support during a time like this.

  Brynlee said nothing, only stared at the fire.

  Boone let her be quiet. Gave her time to process. Stayed where he was in case she wanted to share her thoughts.

  Because during the hard times of his life, that’s what he’d wanted the most also. Not someone who forced him to talk. But someone who simply stood by him when he needed it the most.

  Brynlee couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened. Now that Boone sat inside with her, her heart had calmed considerably. Just his presence gave her an unusual comfort, and she was grateful for his quiet.

  She needed to contend with her tumultuous thoughts.

  How could she stay here in Fog Lake after all this?

  But another question remained also: How could she leave?

  She stared at the dancing fire in front of her.

  She knew the truth. She couldn’t leave. But was it worth it to die for her cause?

  Think like Dad would, she told herself. What kind of solution would he find in a moment like this?

  What kind of solution was there?

  If she stayed here in Fog Lake, she needed to put some precautionary measures in place. She couldn’t see herself staying here at the chalet alone after what had happened. Yet would she feel any safer in a hotel? If she moved into town?

  She had no idea.

  It didn’t seem like she’d be safe anywhere. This . . . this beast seemed to have finely honed senses that could track her.

  She sat up slightly as a new thought hit her. But she could hire someone to protect her. Maybe there was a retired officer here in town.

  It was the only solution that made sense.

  As Sheriff Wilder came back into the room, Brynlee stood, feeling a new hope sweep through her.

  “I need to hire someone to work security for me,” she announced. “Is there anyone in town you can recommend?”

  Luke remained silent a moment before shrugging. “I agree that having some protection could be wise. There’s only one person who comes to mind, really.”

  “Who’s that? I want to see if he’s available ASAP.”

  “You can ask him now.” His gaze turned to Boone. “He’s sitting right there.”

  9

  Boone felt himself rise up, irritation rushing through him.

  “Have you lost your mind?” He stared at his brother, unsure what exactly Luke was thinking. Boone didn’t work security. He had no experience. No desire. He ran a camping store for a living.

  Luke shrugged, unaffected. “You are the only person who makes sense.”

  “You can’t be serious.” Brynlee looked equally as displeased with his suggestion. “He works retail. No offense. But that doesn’t exactly make him bodyguard material.”

  “Boone has the best instincts of anyone I know.” Luke’s voice sounded convincing enough to win the trial of the century. “He was an Eagle Scout, an Army Ranger, and he was offered a position with the US Park Service—a position he turned down. He’s a skilled marksman, a survival expert, and he knows this area better than anyone I know. Don’t let his unassuming demeanor and boyish good looks fool you.”

  “I have a store to run.” Boone forced his voice to come out in even tones.

  “Tourist season doesn’t pick up for another three weeks. Chigger can handle it until then.” Luke wasn’t even playing. No, he was dead serious. His brother had lost his mind.

  Boone’s scowl deepened. He couldn’t believe Luke had put him in this position.

  “There’s really no one else you can think of?” Brynlee’s voice sounded nearly desperate.

  Luke’s gaze traveled to Deputy Cruise as he poked around outside on the deck, mulling over the evidence there. “He could do it on his off hours.”

  The deputy dropped his flashlight and fumbled to pick it up from the ground. Boone forced his lips not to curl in a smile. He liked Cruise. He really did. But the man still had a lot to learn about police work.

  Boone’s gaze went back to Brynlee. She watched Cruise also and frowned.

  “Look, I didn’t say I was interested in the job, so don’t get all stressed out over this.” Boone waved his hand in the air in a “don’t sweat it” motion.

  Brynlee rose and let out a long, resigned breath. “I need someone to watch out for me until I’m finished with my business here. It’s not an option for me. If you’re the only person here available, then fine. I can pay a thousand a day, and I’ll need you for the minimum of one week.”

  A thousand a day? Man, Boone could use that kind of money. If he worked for Brynlee for even a week, that would be a nice down payment on the repairs he needed to do at his store. Maybe he wouldn’t have to choose between selling his family home and his business.

  He stared at her another moment.

  She was high maintenance. Foolhardy. Too beautiful for her own good.

  Working for her would be a challenge.

  “It’s going to be a little hard for you to pay me considering your checkbook was probably in your backpack.” Boone watched her reaction. If he was honest with himself, he might admit he was trying to get a rise out of her.

  Brynlee scowled, her luminous brown eyes narrowing with irritation. “I’ll make sure you get your money.”

  Boone chewed on the idea another minute before nodding. He’d been praying that he could find a way to pay his bills. How could he say no now?

  “Fine, I can do it.” Boone’s jaw tightened, and he hoped he didn’t regret his words. “But if you start to do anything stupid—”

  “I won’t.” Her scowl deepened.

  He extended his hand. “Then you’ve got a deal, Ms. Parker.”

  Brynlee straightened up the chalet, removing any evidence of her ulterior motives for being here in Fog Lake. The last thing she needed was for Boone to get nosy and start asking too many questions. Her goal in coming here was to stay under the radar.

  So far, she’d failed.

  Sheriff Wilder was staying here with her while Boone ran home to pick up a few things. He’d been on the phone, talking to several people about what sounded like police business. Several times, he referred to his notepad.

  At least he was taking this seriously.

  Shoving her laptop back into a bag, Brynlee shook her head. She still wasn’t sure why she’d agreed to have Boone of all people be her security detail. But in a small town like this, she didn’t have many options.

  Sheriff Wilder jammed his phone back into his pocket and turned toward her. His expression clearly showed his apprehension, but he offered no new information.

  Brynlee paused by the fireplace, reveling in the heat warming her. “Anything I need to know about those marks outside?”

  “They appear to match those from the murder scene.”

  She touched her throat, which suddenly felt dry. “I see. So that man . . . he tracked me back here.”

  The sheriff frowned and sounded almost compassionate as he said, “By all appearances, it was a bear out there. If it was a man . . . he could have broken a window to get inside or there would be jimmy marks by the door. There was none of that. This has all the signs of a wild animal.”

  “It was a man.” Her jaw tightened. “I know it.”

  The sheriff lowered himself onto the couch, but his body still looked stiff. “Why would a man go through all the trouble to look like a wild animal?”

  She shrugged and remained by the fire. “I have no idea. But a wild animal wouldn’t have stolen my backpack either.”

  Sheriff Wilder nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “There could have been other hikers in the
area who came across the bag and took it. The trails are usually safe, but we do on occasion have people who want to go up in the mountains just to get high and cause trouble.”

  “I’m sorry you don’t believe me, but I know what I saw.” Brynlee’s voice wavered with fear. It would be a long time before she was able to relax. Before she would forget about what she’d experienced so far in her stay here. Maybe she would never forget it.

  “I assure you that we’re doing everything we can to find answers, Ms. Parker,” the sheriff said. “In the meantime, you’ll be in good hands. My brother can be a pain, but he’s very efficient and capable. I didn’t recommend him just because he’s family.”

  “I hope so.” She was wagering everything on it. But if what the sheriff had said was true, then she should be fine. A former Army Ranger? Eagle Scout? Survival expert?

  She could do far worse.

  Just then, Boone appeared at the door with a duffle bag in hand.

  She frowned.

  Here went nothing.

  10

  He watched from his place behind a thick evergreen tree. Saliva pooled at the back of his throat, and hunger made his stomach growl.

  He lingered so close, yet no one knew. He mixed in with the darkness, just as he always had. Life had afforded him a natural camouflage that allowed him to blend in effortlessly.

  The attribute wasn’t physical. Or maybe it was. He didn’t know. He only knew that he was practically invisible—at least when he needed to be.

  The best part was that no one would suspect he was a killer.

  He observed as Boone Wilder lay on the couch in the living room of Brynlee Parker’s vacation rental.

  Yes, he knew her name. He knew why she was here too, thanks to that letter in her backpack. Fate had played a role today. He hadn’t even known she was an enemy—until a few hours ago.

  Boone Wilder? Certainly, Brynlee didn’t think he could protect her.

  No one could.

  Because he knew why she was here.

  He hadn’t expected to see her on the trail. Somehow his finely tuned instincts had missed her presence. Probably because those two jerks had distracted him. That was okay. He’d taken care of them.

  Then he’d chased Brynlee. He feared she’d seen too much.

  But the woman had been faster than he thought. His only advantage was that he knew this land. That he took his victims by surprise. But speed? No, he’d never had that.

  As Brynlee had reached the camping store, he’d turned. He’d gone back to the spot where she’d been. Had found her bag. Discovered her name.

  His fingers dug into the tree bark until the wood wedged beneath his nails. He ignored the pain shooting through him. Ignored the blood that sprouted at his fingertips.

  His mission had become to stop Brynlee Parker at all costs.

  At all costs?

  He shook his head as a new voice began nagging him from a distance. No, not from a distance. It was coming from somewhere in the hollows of his mind.

  It was always there, trying to talk to him.

  You can’t hurt that woman. You don’t have to do this. There are other ways.

  He shook his head and pressed his hands against his temples.

  Yes, you have to. You know what you have to do. People are counting on you.

  He pressed his hands harder into the sides of his head.

  At all costs. That’s right.

  He lowered his hands and raised his chin as a moment of peace washed over him. His job was to protect this area from predators. Just as his ancestors had been doing for years before.

  He had to do this.

  He had to stop Brynlee Parker.

  And that meant she had to die.

  No voice of reason inside him was going to stop that.

  11

  Boone punched the pillow beneath him and sighed, trying to get comfortable on the couch.

  There was a spare bedroom in Brynlee’s chalet—three of them, actually—but he felt better sleeping out in the living room where he could keep an eye on things.

  He and Brynlee hadn’t spoken much after Luke left. Not only was it now the middle of the night and exhaustion had kicked in, but tension crackled in the air between them. She didn’t really care for him, and Boone didn’t care for her much either.

  Maybe Boone should have thought harder before taking this job. It had been a bad, bad idea. Spontaneous. Egged on by the payout.

  The money would be an answer to so many of his problems.

  Plus, if he were honest with himself, there was a small part of Boone that felt protective of this newcomer in town. Not because he was attracted to Brynlee but because she seemed so alone here.

  She’d been through more in the past sixteen hours than most people went through in their lifetime. Seeing those men being killed. The menacing scratches on her SUV. Having a strange creature mark her chalet door.

  In the morning, Luke and the park rangers would search these woods, looking for more tracks. They would try to figure out exactly what was going on here.

  It hadn’t been that long ago that four people had been killed in this area. Boone had hoped that evil had left the area when the man responsible had been arrested.

  Then again, this town had always been haunted by some type of generational curse, hadn’t it?

  Images began to pummel him. Images of Katherine. About how much she loved this area.

  She was one of the reasons Boone had decided to stay. When he’d gotten out of the army, the national park service had offered him a job.

  But Katherine had loved Fog Lake. She’d wanted to stay here forever and raise a family in a small town—just like she’d been raised. Her whole life revolved around this area.

  She worked as a personal trainer here in town. Whenever she hadn’t been working, she was organizing 5Ks, planning treks through the mountains, and seeking out new adventures.

  She should still be with him now.

  Boone’s stomach churned at the thought, as it always did.

  He blamed himself for her death. If only he’d done things differently that day, Katherine would still be with him now.

  That was something he’d never forgive himself for.

  He punched his pillow again, desperately wishing for sleep to find him.

  He had no such luck.

  Instead, it appeared he’d have to contend with his thoughts all night.

  Brynlee awoke with a start.

  It took a moment for her to remember where she was.

  Here in Fog Lake. In the chalet she’d rented. Sleeping under a warm quilt.

  Her quick moment of relief disappeared.

  In its place were the awful events of yesterday. Seeing those men murdered. Seeing the claw marks on her car. Seeing that beast outside her chalet.

  And then there was Boone.

  He was here.

  Downstairs.

  Her unease turned into apprehension.

  Brynlee had to get dressed, go downstairs, and remain pleasant. She’d make the best of this business arrangement. She should be used to uncomfortable situations. When she’d been thrust into her father’s family, it had been awkward, to say the least. Her three half-brothers didn’t exactly welcome her into their brood. They seemed threatened by her instead.

  They’d all grown up affluent. Lived a jet-setting lifestyle. And then there was Brynlee, whose mom had lived a gypsy-like existence, unsuccessfully pursuing her passions until the day she’d died. Most of Brynlee’s clothes had been secondhand, she’d lived out of an old RV for much of her childhood, and she knew nothing about fancy dinners or cocktail parties.

  Not that Boone was like that. But he was off-putting in a different way.

  Brynlee didn’t know what it was about the man that rubbed her the wrong way, but it was definitely there. Then again, maybe she should be thankful. He was nothing like Will.

  At least Boone would be providing a service to her right now. She’d never had to hire security bef
ore, and she felt a little silly doing so. But the threat was real. There was no way she could continue staying here in town alone.

  She could put up with Boone Wilder if it meant she was safe. Besides, he’d shown a halfway human side when he’d helped her at the camping store after she’d run down the trail.

  Still, why did a flutter of nerves rush through her at the thought of seeing him again? It made no sense.

  Brynlee went through her morning routine before wandering downstairs. Her gaze went to the couch. It was empty. The blanket had been folded and placed neatly on top of the pillow.

  She glanced around. Where had Mr. High and Mighty gone?

  She followed the noises into the kitchen and found Boone staring into the refrigerator.

  Brynlee paused for a moment to observe him. She loved how manly he was. Loved that he didn’t appear to be the type who spent hours in the gym. She guessed that his muscles had been earned from hours of being outside, hiking, rafting, climbing. As an art major, Brynlee definitely knew about appreciating beauty.

  And Boone, physically at least, was a sight to behold.

  “Yogurt and fruit and nuts? Is that all you eat?” he asked, poking his head out of the refrigerator long enough to show his frown.

  “They’re good for you.” She squeezed past him and grabbed a container of Greek yogurt from the fridge.

  “Don’t you just want some protein sometimes?”

  “You’d be surprised at how much protein this one little package contains.” She pulled a spoon out of the drawer. “Let me guess. You’re a meat and potatoes kind of guy.”

  “Is there any other way to be?”

  “Don’t get me started.” She peeled the silver top from her container, stared at the creamy blueberry yogurt inside, then stared at Boone as he closed the fridge. “How’d you sleep?”

  “I didn’t.” He leaned against the counter and crossed his muscular arms over his chest. Apparently, he’d given up on finding food.