Obie’s eyes widened behind his glasses when he saw her. “Molly,” he shouted and ran into her arms, almost knocking her down.
“Hey, there, cowboy. I’m so glad to see you.” She gave him a squeeze.
Her phone vibrated again. She glanced at it. A street address in Old Town. Nothing else.
“Hey, is your dad coming to the party?” She brushed the little boy’s silky blond hair from his eyes. His bangs were getting too long.
Obie tilted his head back to look up at her. “He said he was. After his meeting.”
Greenlee tucked the two birthday cards she was carrying under her arm. “He texted me a little while ago and said he was running late.”
An uneasy feeling settled over Molly. Something was wrong. “Where is he now?”
Greenlee ignored her and leaned into the hall mirror to check her makeup.
Molly’s chest tightened with impatience. She turned the phone around to show the girl the last text she received. “Is he here?”
Greenlee straightened away from the mirror and looked down at the phone. “How’d you get that address? He didn’t want anyone to know.”
“How long ago did he text you?”
Greenlee shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a half hour ago.”
Molly crossed her arms and nodded toward the Greenlee’s phone. “Do me a favor and call him.”
Obie must have sensed the tension in Molly because his brows knit with concern. Greenlee opened her mouth to argue but changed her mind when she saw the expression on the boy’s face. She raised her phone and swiped the screen to light it up. “What do you want me to say if he answers?”
“See if he’s all right and find out when he’s coming to the party.”
Greenlee dialed Anders’ phone.
There was no answer.
Molly’s stomach knotted. “Text him. Ask him to call you. Tell him it’s an emergency. He knows you’re with Obie, right?”
Greenlee looked at her like she was crazy. “You’re trying to get me fired.”
“This isn’t about you. Please text him. Or give me your phone and let me do it.”
“Have at it. I’m out.” The teenager handed the phone to Molly.
There’s an emergency with Obie, please call right away. She sent the text and waited. As the seconds ticked by, anticipation tightened the knots in her stomach until they were almost unbearable. She held both phones, her own phone in her right hand and Greenlee’s in her left. Her focus was on Greenlee’s phone.
The phone in her right hand buzzed.
Molly swiped the screen to read the message.
It was a text from Anders. Hope you’re on your way ;)
Chapter Thirty-Four
Molly flew across town in her old Kia Rio, grateful for the off-season and the noticeable lack of traffic. Her anxiety increased the closer she got to Old Town as she pieced the recent events together. Casey Conway was murdered in Anders’ hotel room after a fake story about their engagement was leaked to the tabloids. Then, the night after Molly’s supposed affair became tabloid fodder, Molly’s stair step was greased and she almost broke her neck. That was no freak accident, and the snake had been suspicious too. Sue had been right about that though Molly hadn’t wanted to believe it at the time. It was still too surreal to process, but the only conclusion she could come to was that she was being targeted by a psychopath obsessed with Anders.
Those texts weren’t from him. She knew that in her gut. Someone must have stolen Anders’ phone and they were trying to lure her to his new house.
Molly parked a block away and sat wondering if she should call the police. What would she say though? That she thought a stalker had broken into a house she didn’t own? They’d probably hang up on her. She decided to check it out first but keep her phone ready to dial 911.
As she made her way around the corner, she stayed close to the line of six-foot-tall shrubbery that bordered the neighboring house. Her heart stopped when she saw Anders’ car parked in the driveway. Was he in there? Was he in danger? An invisible rope linked to the knot in her chest tugged her toward the potential danger without thought to her own safety. She started for the house, determined to save him.
She was at the end of the neighbor’s tree line when the front door opened and Selena came out. Molly ducked back, wedging herself between two fat shrubs. Anders’ publicist crossed the street and climbed into the driver seat of a black sedan with tinted windows. The car looked familiar, but Molly was almost certain she hadn’t seen Selena’s rental before today. What was Selena doing there? Maybe Molly was wrong about everything and Anders wasn’t in danger. Maybe he really was waiting for Molly to show up for a booty call.
No, that didn’t feel right.
A moment later, Selena jerked the car away from the curb, squealing tires, as she drove up the street way too fast. Suddenly, Molly remembered where she’d seen the car before. The night of the wedding when Molly had been talking to Anders in front of Dixie’s. The car had peeled away from the curb before the driver turned the corner like a madman. It was odd because Molly had felt like the driver had been watching them.
Had it been Selena that night? Was she the stalker? She’d made her dislike of Molly clear from the start, and she was in town when the incidents started. She’d also showed up uninvited in Jamaica and refused to leave town even after Anders told her to go. Could someone from Anders’ trusted inner circle be Casey Conway’s killer?
Molly’s first impulse was to dash across the lawn and charge through the front door, but dread kept her feet rooted to the spot. What if this was a trap? What if Selena wasn’t working alone? Molly really needed a peek inside the house. Making a decision, she sprinted across the lawn and crouched down beneath a window on the side of the house. The blinds on the first two windows were closed. She made her way down to the next window and peered through a two-inch opening into an office. There was no movement or noises coming from the house. A tiny flutter of panic compelled her to get on with it. She needed to stop wasting time and check the inside. There was no telling how long Selena would be gone. And if Anders was hurt—
No. Molly wouldn’t think of that right now. He was fine. He had to be fine. Molly was Selena’s target.
The front door was unlocked. After quietly letting herself in, she closed the door carefully and stood in the hall, listening to the sounds of the house. The soft hum of a refrigerator. The chatter of kids playing up the street. A lone dog barking in the neighborhood. Treading lightly on the rustic pine floor, she made her way down the center hall. She was almost to the living room when she heard a muffled groan. She froze, as her pulse leapt and her ears prickled, listening for the sound again.
Peeking around the corner, she saw the couch had been knocked crooked and the coffee table was shoved askew. Between the two, an unconscious man lay hog-tied with rope and a gag in his mouth.
“Oh, my God. Anders!” Molly ran to him and dropped to her knees. She set her cell phone on the floor so she could cup his face with both hands. He was breathing, but there was a nasty burn mark on his neck. Christ, was Selena torturing him? Molly tried untying his gag but ended up just pulling it over his head. “Anders. Wake up, honey. Please. Oh, God. Oh, God. Just wake up.”
He moaned and then his beautiful, slanted blue eyes flickered open. “Molly?” he whispered, slightly dazed.
She smiled through her tears, and her heart soared with relief. “I’m right here. Thank God, you’re awake. What happened to you? What did she do to you?”
At first, Anders seemed bewildered by the question, but then something clicked and his eyes flared. “Selena! You’ve got to get out of here, Molly. I woke up once. Before she zapped me again with that fucking stun gun, she told me she sent you a text to get you here. It was Selena all along. She murdered Casey. She says you’re next. She saw us having sex at the restaurant. I think it pushed her over the edge.”
Fear tickled Molly’s nerve endings, but the rage boiling in her blood was the
stronger emotion. “The bitch can try to kill me, but I’m not going down without a fight. I saw her leave. Where do you think she went?”
“I don’t know, but please, Molly. You have to get out of here and go for help. I can’t lose you. Please go.” He struggled to sit up, but hog-tied, his bound arms and legs pulled him back.
“Stay here,” she said as if he had any other choice. She dashed into the kitchen, which was separated from the family room by a breakfast bar, and started opening drawers. Trembling with panic, she searched for something to cut him free. She was just taking a five-inch serrated utility knife from the drawer when the front door opened.
Selena was back.
Molly reached for her cell phone in her back pocket and realized she’d left it on the floor beside Anders. It was too late to go for it. Spotting the phone on the wall, she carefully closed the drawer and grabbed the receiver.
She dialed 911 as Selena’s sensible pumps thumped against the hardwood floor, moving toward the living room. “Good news, I found my phone. It was on your nightstand. I also packed a bag for you for our trip.”
“911. What’s your emergency?”
Ducking behind the wall beside the breakfast bar, Molly tensed, praying Selena hadn’t heard the operator’s voice.
“What’s this?” She came into the living room. “Do we have a visitor?”
Molly carefully placed the cordless phone receiver face up in a bowl of fake fruit on the breakfast bar.
Selena hadn’t spotted her yet, but she knew Molly was in the house. “Took you long enough to get here. Maybe the sex wasn’t as good as it looked.”
Disgust festered in Molly’s belly. She trembled with the urge to launch herself over the counter and choke the horrible woman.
“Leave her alone, Selena,” Anders shouted. “You’re not going to get away with this.”
“I already am.”
A strange sort of resolve spread through Molly’s limbs like a good shot of whisky, steadying her nerves and clearing her mind. Jimmy’s lecture on survival popped into her head. When your life is threatened you should always high-tail it out of there, but if escape is impossible and death is imminent, you should fight. Find something in your surroundings to use as a weapon and fight.
Molly readjusted her grip on the knife. Crouching down, she moved to the end of the breakfast bar and then stepped out from behind it and stood up. “He’s right, Selena. You’re not going to get away with Casey Conway’s murder.”
“Oh, there you are,” Selena said pleasantly. Like she was having Molly over for tea.
Anders thrashed on the carpet, struggling against his bonds. “Molly, please. Don’t—”
“Shut up or I’ll zap you again.” Selena pointed a stun gun at him and flicked it on, making it crackle with menace.
“I won’t let you hurt him.” Molly took an aggressive step forward, positioning herself in front of Anders. Her gaze was drawn to the pair of counter-height stools in front of the breakfast bar. They didn’t look too heavy. She could use them as a weapon, if necessary.
Selena switched the stun gun off. “Bahama Mama.” She read Molly’s T-shirt. “What’s that? A souvenir from your romantic rendezvous in Nassau?” Molly wore the white T-shirt she’d picked up in a tourist shop near Love Beach. Below the frozen drink name was a cartoon image of a redheaded 1940s pinup girl riding a blue marlin. Obie had said the girl looked like Molly so she bought the shirt.
“The wind didn’t knock that glass off the counter.” Molly’s face flared with angry heat. “You threw it against the door.”
Selena set her jaw but didn’t deny it.
Molly snorted. “What kind of sad life must you have? Creeping around, spying on people, watching them make love like a filthy Peeping Tom?”
“Don’t antagonize her, Molly.” The warning in Anders’ voice reigned Molly in, but it was too late. Selena was already spitting mad.
She switched the weapon back on. “You’re going to fry until your insides are crispy.”
Molly raised her knife and braced herself. “You made a mistake, Selena. You brought a stun gun to knife fight.”
Selena roared and rushed Molly. Throwing down the knife, Molly picked up a metal barstool and swung it at Selena. It whacked her in the side, throwing her off balance. The stun gun flew from her hand and landed on the couch. Molly didn’t wait for Selena to recover. She dove at her waist, tackling her, and together they stumbled into the end table. The glass shell lamp tumbled off and shattered on the ground, scattering sea shells across the floor. Molly straddled Selena’s hips and pinned her by the wrists as she struggled to overpower her. “Why did you kill Casey?” Molly shouted.
“Because that trashy whore deserved to die.” Selena tried to buck her off, but Molly grabbed her hair and channeled her fury to gather the strength to slam Selena’s head against the floor. It didn’t knock the woman out, but it made her stop fighting for a moment. Molly shifted, pressing her forearm into Selena’s throat.
Selena grabbed a sea shell and stabbed at Molly with the sharp edge. It caught her just above the elbow and pain sliced through her arm. Selena used the opportunity to shove Molly off and scramble for the knife, which had slid into the kitchen and partially wedged itself under the refrigerator.
Molly dove for Selena and caught her feet. She tried to kick Molly off, but she held on. She had to win. Anders was counting on her. Cheyenne and Obie were counting on her too, even though they didn’t know it. If Molly didn’t stop Selena, two children would lose their parents. And Molly didn’t want to think about Anders being killed because she’d failed him. His very life depended on her ability hold Selena off long enough for the police to arrive. Where the hell were the police? “Did you really think eliminating the competition was going to help you win Anders?”
“I had to protect him.” Selena lunged forward, gaining an inch, but Molly pressed her body weight down on the woman’s legs to hold her back. Selena let out a frustrated growl. “I thought this was going to be another job babysitting a famous, self-absorbed jackass and covering up his blunders with the press, but Anders was different. He deserved better than a fame-grubbing slut who made sure everyone knew she was screwing him. And you, an attention-seeking groupie who used her firecrotch to lure him to her bed.”
Molly ignored the insult and shouted, “You admit you tried to kill me, Selena Fry?”
“Yes,” Selena shouted back. “And I’m not done yet.”
Keep talking. Molly hoped to God the 911 operator was still listening and taking notes.
“You’re worse than Casey because you’re nobody. Just a fan. But when he met you, he stopped listening to me. He was so smitten with you he couldn’t see what you were really about. I had to protect him from you.”
“So, you electrocuted him and tied him up? You realize, he’ll never forgive you for this.”
“I only did what I had to do. Once you’re gone, his eyes will open and he’ll be grateful. He’ll apologize for telling me to go away. He’ll thank me.”
Molly almost felt sorry for the delusional woman. Almost. “And if he doesn’t? What will you do? Will you kill him too?”
“If it comes to that. I’m prepared to protect him from himself if I have to.”
“That’s what I thought.” Letting go of Selena’s feet, Molly jumped up and dove for stun gun, throwing herself onto the couch. She bounced off the cushion and tumbled to the floor.
Seeing her coming, Anders rolled closer to the couch’s edge and broke her fall with his body.
“Thanks.” She grinned at him.
“You’re welcome.” He grinned back. “Heads up.”
Selena snarled, charging Molly with the knife above her head in striking position. Molly switched the stun gun on and pushed off Anders chest, launching herself forward. She made contact with Selena’s stomach before the crazy woman could bring the knife down. Selena screeched and tensed up. The knife slipped from her hand as she vibrated like a jackhammer and collapse
d to the ground. She lay there, not unconscious, but lacking the strength to move.
“It’s over.” Molly sank to her knees, exhausted and relieved it was finally, truly over.
“The police are here,” Anders said an instant before chaos erupted and men and women in uniform flooded the house.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Anders cradled Molly against his chest on the king-size bed in the master suite of his new home. It was late, well past midnight. She rested against his length, her arm draped across his waist, her head on his bare chest. He’d taken off his shirt to be more comfortable but kept his jeans on. She was still dressed.
The nightmare was finally over. Casey Conway’s killer was in police custody and Molly was safe. He still couldn’t believe it was Selena. He’d trusted her, let her travel alone with Obie for Christ’s sake, and she’d tried to kill the woman he— His throat constricted and moisture burned the back of his eyes. He put his lips to the top of Molly’s head and kissed her silky soft hair. Selena couldn’t hurt anyone now.
When Molly was attacked and he could do nothing to help her, he’d felt like that powerless twelve-year-old kid again. Terrified and frustrated, he’d struggled against his bonds unable to save another woman he cared about. But Molly was nothing like his mother. She was a fighter. She might be small, but she was sturdy. And scrappy. She’d tackled the crazy bitch like an NFL linebacker. He smiled and snorted softly at the memory. He was safe now because of her. He would always be safe with Molly, and that thought gave him peace.
After Anders gave his statement to the police, he learned Molly had called 911 and left the phone off the hook so most of Selena’s confession had been recorded. It was enough to put her away for a very long time, and she could even face the death penalty in the state of Nevada.
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