by L. P. Dover
A small snicker escapes his lips. “Even then, you still might be able to.”
I jerk my attention to him. “What do you mean by that? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
With the biggest smile on his face, he waves out toward the field. “This is all mine, Ellie. The house, the barn, the land, everything.”
“What?” I squeal. “You can’t be serious.”
He glances at me over his shoulder. “I bought it months ago. I was going to tell you and Jake by flying you up here at Christmas. One day, I’ll retire here.”
Excitement bubbles in my veins. “Owen, this is amazing. Jake’s going to flip when he finds out tomorrow.”
Turning away from the mountains, he leans against the fence, his serious gaze on mine. “Speaking of Jake, did you know he’s been spending time with Bryan? Apparently, he was released from the hospital this morning.”
Eyes wide, the news shocks me. “What do you mean spending time with him? How do you know this?”
“Detective Bradshaw has been keeping me in the loop. Jake and Bryan went out searching for clues today, even though Bryan’s request to join the case was denied.”
“Guess I’m not surprised, since he was a former suspect,” I state. “But I know it has to be killing him not being able to help.”
Owen’s brows furrow and he shakes his head. “I don’t know, Ells. I can’t help but think he’s still a part of this somehow. He’s already been proven innocent of killing Samantha, but what if he had someone to help him?”
“Seriously? You really think that?” I ask. “Do you honestly think Bryan would intentionally drug himself for days, pissing and shitting on himself?”
He shrugs. “The guy was obsessed with you for years. He tried to get you to call off your wedding. That’s how delusional he was about your relationship.”
I shake my head. “What are you getting at?”
Grabbing my arms, he pulls me in front of him. “Maybe Bryan has an accomplice, one who made it look like he didn’t kill Samantha. She suffered two blows to the head, not one. He could’ve been the one to deliver the final blow.”
“If that were true, what’s his game plan now?”
“To work on the case. Who knows, he might get wind of where we’re at. Now that he’s not a suspect, he can walk around freely.”
What he says sounds like a possibility I’d never considered, but is Bryan really that screwed up in the head? I don’t know what to believe anymore. “Seems like a lot of trouble to go through just to get to me. Very risky too.”
“You’d be surprised what people do when they want something, Ells.” His phone rings and he hands it to me. “It’s Jake. Mention to him what I said. I don’t think it’s a good idea for him to be near Snyder.”
Now he’s got me worried. Owen walks back to the barn until he’s out of view.
“Hey, Jake,” I answer.
“Hey, babe. How’s Canada?”
I look out at the mountains. “Gorgeous and cold. I’m ready for you to get here tomorrow.”
He sighs. “I’m ready to get there too.”
“So . . . I heard you hung out with Bryan today?” I ask, gliding my hands across the soft snow on the fence.
“How did you hear that?”
“Owen’s been keeping in touch with Detective Bradshaw. He told him that you two went to look for evidence together.”
The line goes silent for a second. “We did. Why does it sound like you’re not happy about that? I thought it’d make you happy that Bryan’s innocent.”
“Is he though?” I retort.
“What’s that supposed to mean? I saw the video. It wasn’t him who killed Samantha.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, there are so many emotions warring inside me. I wish I knew what to believe. “Owen said he doesn’t think you should get involved with Bryan. It’s not safe.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t forgotten about him trying to sabotage our wedding, but he’s fucked up right now. He lost the love of his life, and he’s trying to help figure out who did it.”
“That’s the thing,” I say cautiously. “Owen thinks he might still be a part in this, that he has an accomplice. All I’m saying is, you might want to keep your guard up. I don’t think I want you anywhere near him.”
He huffs incredulously. “Seriously, Ellie? Owen’s up there and I’m down here. I might not be a detective, but I can see what’s right in front of me.”
It kills me to doubt him. “Still. Can you please just stay away from him, for me?” The line goes silent again. Just the sound of his breathing is all I can hear. “Jake?”
“Okay, I’ll stay away from him,” he says, giving in. “Does that make you happy?”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Yes. What makes me even happier is knowing you’ll be here tomorrow night.”
“Same here, cupcake. We have a lot of time to make up for.”
“Yes, we do. I don’t want to think of anything other than that.”
Twenty-Two
Jake
My flight leaves in four hours, but there’s somewhere I need to be. Ellie doesn’t want me anywhere near Bryan, yet I can’t let this go. If Owen thinks he’s still guilty, there has to be some truth in it. I’ve always trusted his judgment. I don’t like being played for a fool, and Bryan’s going to find that out.
Samantha’s funeral is almost over by the time I arrive at the graveyard. Her parents can barely walk as they retreat to the limo to be driven back to the funeral home. Bryan is nowhere in sight, until I finally see him standing behind a tree several yards away. He doesn’t sense me as I come up behind him. The second he turns around, I grab him by the throat, and slam him against the large oak.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he croaks, grabbing at my arms.
I get right up in his face. “Sending a message. I don’t know who’s right and who’s wrong, but if you’re playing games, I will kill you if you so much as get near Ellie.”
“Playing games. What the fuck are you talking about?” He pushes me off and gets right back in my face.
“If you’ve been a part of this all along, we will find out.”
Eyes blazing, he stands his ground but then backs up, throwing his arms in the air. “I don’t understand. You saw someone else attack Samantha.”
I did, and that’s what makes the situation even more messed up. “You could’ve had an accomplice. A cocky guy like you, with all your skills, probably wanted to get off on committing crimes right out in the open.”
His mouth gapes. “Are you serious right now? Who the hell have you been talking to?”
Turning on my heel, I march back toward my truck. “Doesn’t matter. Just stay the hell away from me and my wife.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong, Jake!” he shouts. “Whether you help me or not, I’m not giving up.”
I get into my truck and speed away. All I have to do now is stop by home and grab my bags, so I can head to the airport. Tires squeal behind me and Bryan is right there, keeping up with me. “Motherfucker,” I growl, speeding up. With my old truck, he has no problem staying on my tail.
Clenching my teeth, I pull into my driveway and jump out. Bryan pulls in behind me and I’m ready to go. If it’s a fight he wants, he’s going to get it.
He opens his car door and pulls out a computer bag. “You didn’t give me enough time to explain,” he huffs angrily.
“I suggest you get out of here. You’re trespassing on my property.”
Bryan stops and holds up his hands. “If I wanted to go after Ellie, I could’ve already done it by now.”
I scoff. “You don’t even know where she is.”
His brows lift. “Wanna bet?”
My eyes narrow. “You’re bluffing.”
“You think so, huh?” He pulls out his laptop and sets it on my truck, his fingers typing away on the keys. “I knew where she was last night, Jake. If I want her, like you supposedly think I do, don’t you think I’d already be in Canada b
y now?”
The air leaves my lungs and I freeze. “How do you know?”
A frustrated sigh escapes his lips. “Come here and I’ll show you.” He waves me over and I look at the screen. The beeping blue dot is exactly Ellie’s location.
“What makes you think she’s there?” I ask, feigning indifference.
He rolls his eyes. “I’m a professional, Jake. All I needed was Owen’s untraceable phone number to find them.” He taps at the blue dot. “There’s no such thing as untraceable. I can find anything.”
I scoff. “What about those two phone numbers I gave you? You haven’t been able to locate them yet, have you?”
A low growl rumbles in his chest. “Probably because I’ve been mourning my dead girlfriend. I was going to start my research after the funeral.”
“Why not do it now, if you’re so damn good? I don’t have to be at the airport for another couple of hours.”
He picks up his laptop and nods toward the house. “Lead the way, and I’ll get to work.”
I don’t really want him in my house, but I also want to keep my eye on him. He follows me inside and I point at the kitchen table. “Get to work then.”
Without wasting any time, he sits down and starts typing away. I pace back and forth behind him, curious as to how he can understand all the codes popping up on the screen.
“You used to fight MMA,” he says, still typing away.
Stopping mid-step, I stare at his back. “Did Ellie tell you that on one of your lunch dates?” I ask, my voice bland. I really don’t want to go down memory lane about the times they spent together. They used to eat lunch once a week together when we first started dating. At first, it didn’t bother me, but the closer I got to her, the more I didn’t like other men taking her out.
His fingers stall on the keys, then he pounds away again. “Actually, she did. She talked about you a lot. I watched a couple of your fights online. You were really good.”
“It was a hobby.”
He snorts. “Hobby? Yeah, right. You could’ve been one of the best, if you kept with it.”
Sighing, I sit down at the table beside him. “I know.”
His eyes meet mine. “Why’d you stop?”
Mine and Ellie’s wedding picture is across the room, hanging over the fireplace. Ellie’s mother had given our photo to an artist who painted a replica onto a large canvas. The picture reminds me that everything I’ve done, I’ve done for Ellie—for our future. “Ellie loves home,” I reply, looking at our portrait. “She also has her bakery. If I’d have pursued a professional career in fighting, I would’ve been traveling all over the country. I couldn’t ask her to put her life on hold to follow me around.”
“That’s very noble of you to give up something you loved.”
I shrug. “You do what you have to for the people you love. Besides, fighting is only a temporary job. I wanted to focus on my long-term career.”
There’s a stack of blueprints on the table; he points at them. “You an architect?”
Reaching over, I slide the papers toward us. “I am. These are for a new development out west.”
Still typing away, he sneaks a glance over at the prints. “After all this is over, I might hire you to design me a new place. I can’t live in that house anymore.”
“I will, if I haven’t killed you yet,” I add, knowing he can hear the truth in my words. Eyes trained on the computer screen, he moves closer and sucks in a breath. He shakes his head, staring at the screen in confusion. “What is it?”
“I . . . I found the phones,” he replies, turning the laptop toward me.
Pulse pounding, I focus on the screen. “Holy fuck.”
Twenty-Three
Ellie
“Watching the road isn’t going to make him get here any faster,” Owen says, laughing.
I’ve been staring out the window for the past hour. Jake’s flight has already landed, but there’s no telling how long it’s going to take for him to grab his luggage and find a taxi. Not to mention, we’re a good bit away from the airport.
“Does my potato soup look good?” I ask. It’s so cold outside, I thought it’d be good to have something warm for dinner.
Owen peeks into the crock pot and breathes it in. “Smells great.”
I spot a taxi down the road, slowly making their way to the house. Butterflies swim in my gut and I jump off the couch, straight for the door. As soon as it turns down the driveway, I rush outside with the biggest smile on my face. The taxi comes to a stop and Jake steps out, his eyes focused solely on me. I run to him, not caring if I slip and fall on the snow, jumping into his arms. Tears fall down my cheeks.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I cry.
He holds me tight and breathes me in. “I’ve missed you too.” The taxi driver grabs his bags out of the trunk and Jake gives him money before he leaves. Taking my face in his warm hands, Jake kisses me softly. “I’m just glad I’m here. There’s so much going on at home.”
“Like what?” Owen asks from behind.
Jake lets me go but keeps an arm around me. “Have you talked to the detective today?”
Owen shakes his head. “No, what’s going on?”
He nods toward the house. “Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“First,” I say, grabbing one of his bags, “I’m going to help you carry your stuff upstairs. You should see our room. It’s gorgeous.”
Jake winks and kisses me again. “Sounds good.” He pats Owen’s arm when we get onto the porch. “Thank you for keeping her safe, brother. I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.”
Owen opens the door. “Anything for Ellie.”
We get inside, and Jake follows me up to the bedroom. I open the door and rush to the window. “Can you believe this view? And guess what . . . Owen bought this place. He was going to surprise us this Christmas by bringing us up here.” Jake’s gaze narrows as he looks out the window. I can’t help but think something’s wrong. “Jake, you okay?”
He glances at me over his shoulder, before turning back to the window. “I’m fine. Just looking outside. We’re out in the middle of nowhere out here.”
I sit in the windowsill, so I can see his face. “Forty acres is more like it. Owen plans on getting horses and a whole barn full of animals. I can take you for a tour.”
A small smile spreads across his face. “I’d like that. First, I need to tell Owen what’s going on.”
We go back downstairs, and Owen is by the front door, his vigilant gaze on the road. “Everything okay?” I ask him.
He jerks his head toward us. “Yeah. Just waiting on you two to get back down.” We follow him into the living room and I sit on the couch, while both guys stand by the fireplace. They look so serious, which makes me nervous to hear the news.
Jake sighs. “Before I left for the airport, I received word that the two phone numbers used to text you with have been traced.”
“To where?” Owen blurts out.
Jake turns his focus to Owen. “Tennessee. The police were on their way to investigate right before I left. So far, I haven’t heard anything yet.”
“Tennessee?” I say. “I don’t know anyone there.”
Jake shrugs. “Not unless they’re hiding out right now. Hopefully, we’ll know something soon. Have you found anything on your end?” he asks Owen.
Owen shakes his head. “Not yet. I’ll do more searching tonight. It’d be helpful if we could see the video of Snyder’s abduction. There has to be clues in there somewhere.”
Jake takes a seat beside me on the couch. “I watched it and didn’t see a thing. You can’t see the guy’s face.”
I lean my head against his shoulder. “Hopefully, they’ll have some answers for us soon. As much as I love this place, it’d be nice to get back home.”
He kisses the top of my head. “I agree, cupcake.”
Taking his hand, I stand and pull him up. “How about I take you for that tour? You should se
e the view out back.”
“Sounds good. Lead the way.”
I turn to Owen. “Want to join us?”
He waves us on. “Nah, you two go ahead. I’m heading out in a few to work in the barn.”
“Okay,” I say, grabbing my coat off the rack. Once Jake puts on his thick coat, we’re good to go. With his arm around my shoulders, we walk around the house and I fill him in on everything I’ve done the past couple of days. He listens intently, but I can tell there’s something troubling him.
“You haven’t taken the pregnancy test, have you?” he asks, leaning against the fence.
I stand in front of him and he folds me into his arms. “Not yet. I told you I’d wait on you.” Closing my eyes, I breathe him in and lay my head on his chest. “Do you want me to take it tonight?”
He rubs my back. “Hell yeah, I do. I just wish we were at home and alone. If you are, I’ll feel bad rubbing it in Owen’s face, especially since he’s not with Kimberly anymore.”
I point at the small mountain and smile. “Want to hike it? Owen cleared a trail around it yesterday.”
Eyes narrowed, he studies the mountain. “What’s on the other side of it?”
“A small town. Why?”
Sighing, he looks around at the land. “Just trying to see if anyone can do a sneak attack. The main road is pretty visible . . . you can see someone coming from a mile away. But this,” he says, nodding at the mountain, “is a different story. Someone could easily hike over it and be near the house in a matter of minutes.”
I grab his hand. “You worry too much. No one’s going to find me here.”
By the look on his face, he doesn’t seem too sure. “I’ll hike it tomorrow and see what it’s like. Anyone could be hiding in the woods.”
A shiver runs up my spine. “You sure do know how to scare me.”
He pulls me into his arms. “That’s not my intention. All I care about is keeping you safe. Now that I’m here with you, I feel much better.”
I squeeze him tight. “I feel better too. Come on, I’ll take you to the barn. Owen’s been working like crazy in there.”