by Mia Dymond
“He’s not in Atlanta. He’s here, in Seaside Point. At the Seaside Inn, to be exact.”
“He contacted you again?”
She glanced at Annessa and then back at Casey. “Not exactly.”
In the slight silence that followed, Dane cleared his throat and lifted an eyebrow at his wife. Maverick shook his head and chuckled. Lexi elbowed him in the stomach.
The sheriff released a hard sigh and then turned to Annessa. “Something tells me you can help her explain.”
Annessa smirked and then shrugged.
“We followed him,” Verity answered.
Casey looked back at her. “When?”
“Thirty minutes before Annessa and I got here.”
Travis groaned. “You didn’t.”
“We did.”
“How many times do I have to tell you to steer clear of the Dupree twins?”
“Too late,” Annessa sang.
Casey pinched the bridge of his nose. “How?”
“He showed up outside Boudreaux’s. We snuck out the back door.”
“You followed him on foot?”
“Yes, and Annessa mapped out the perfect strategic route.”
“She did, did she?”
Verity nodded. “Worked out to our advantage.”
“Maybe you should deputize us,” Annessa drawled.
The sheriff pursed his lips and gave his soon-to-be-wife a long glare before he turned his gaze back to her. “Did you get the room number?”
“No. We were smarter than to go inside but I’d really like to find out why he’s here.”
“I’ll bring him in and you can talk to him through bars.”
“Can you arrest him? He really hasn’t broken the law, has he?”
“Technically, yes. His travel pass is for Atlanta. He’s not in Atlanta.”
Encouragement flooded her veins. “Good. At least he won’t be on the loose.”
“Did he see you?”
Annessa snorted. “Of course not.”
“I don’t mean when you followed him. Was he aware that you saw him at Boudreaux’s?”
“Yes. Our eyes met through the window.”
Casey ran a hand through his hair. “I hate to say this, but odds are he isn’t at the hotel.”
“You think he’s on the move?”
“I’d say so, but I’ll call for good measure. Maybe he’s not as smart as we think.”
Verity practiced great patience while Casey called the Seaside Inn. And when the call took only a few minutes, her previous encouragement sank to her toes.
“He’s not there,” Casey said when he disconnected. “In fact, they don’t have a guest registered under his name.”
“We saw him!” Annessa insisted. “We followed him all the way from the lingerie store to the Seaside Inn.”
“Hold on a minute.” Casey’s voice held the ever present tone of reason. “That doesn’t mean he wasn’t here. Most likely, he registered under an alias. With his money and influence, obtaining false identification and a bogus credit card wouldn’t take much effort. Maggie Benson has been the desk clerk for years and has the memory of an elephant. I’ll take a copy of his mugshot down to see if she can identify him. If so, I’ll issue an APB.”
“And in the meantime?” Travis asked.
“We wait.”
***
His fingers shook as he poked the key into the lock and turned. Sonuvabitch! That was an extremely close call. He’d hoped to get her attention, lure her out into the open and then let things take their course. Instead, she’d turned the tables on him – making him the hunted.
He slipped through the open door and then abruptly shut it. He’d made a very big mistake, thinking she would willingly meet him. Apparently, time had given her courage. And now, the whole situation spiraled out of his control.
He sat down on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and released a desperate chuckle when his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He purposely took a drag and exhaled before he answered.
“Yeah.”
“Did you take care of her?”
“No.”
“I don’t understand your hesitation. You should have finished the job.”
“She wasn’t alone. She travels in numbers.”
“Then take them all out.”
“The more we take out, the more the law is gonna come down on us. We have to be discreet. Less is more.”
“What are you? A criminal with a conscience? You’re a coward. I thought you had balls to do this.”
He ignored the taunt. “I’ve changed my mind, it should look like an accident.”
“You’ve exhausted my patience. You have forty-eight hours.”
He sighed, not surprised when the dial tone hummed loudly in his ear. Forty-eight hours gave him plenty of time to get her attention.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next evening, Travis stood on the large patio behind his house, surrounded by his friends, cautiously optimistic that Casey and Annessa’s party would be trouble-free. There was really no need to worry, especially after he’d taken several extra precautions. The front entrance to the house was locked tightly and the twins had roped off a makeshift path that directed guests to the backyard. The lone gate in the white-paneled, privacy fence provided a clear view of who entered from anywhere in the yard. And, several deputies planned to attend – armed and in uniform.
He glanced around the perimeter where his sisters had scattered multiple tables and chairs in the yard and around a temporary, wooden dance floor. Blake McGill stood behind a long table on one side that held a sound system blaring several different varieties of music. Before long, the place would be packed. If a stranger got in, he wouldn’t get out as easily.
Verity, Lexi, and the twins stood on the inside of the gate, greeting guests as they arrived. Surrounded by those three women, Verity was in good hands. Those women were stuck like glue and he knew from experience how dangerous it would be to attempt to break the bond.
Travis turned and poured charcoal into the grill, soaked the briquettes with lighter fluid, and then stepped back as the flames danced high above the coals.
“Good thing most of the Fire Department is here.” Casey snickered and handed him a beer. “At least your house won’t burn.”
He grinned and lowered the grill’s lid. “Thanks.”
“You sure you don’t want me to do that?” Dane moved the smoke with the wave of one hand.
“Your wife told me to keep you away from the grill.”
“I agree with her,” Maverick said as he picked up his beer bottle and stood next to Dane.
Dane grinned as he stretched his legs in front of him. “She’s right. She knows my talent is not in the kitchen.”
“She didn’t elaborate and you don’t need to either.” Travis lowered the lid, popped the cap off his beer bottle, and took a long swallow as he waited for the coals to burn. He moved his gaze back to the gate where neighbors and friends entered five and six at a time.
“Looks like we’re gonna have a big crowd.”
“You know your sisters.” Casey chuckled as he sat in a vacant chair. “They didn’t send invitations; they relied on word of mouth.”
“Faster than any mail truck I’ve ever seen,” Maverick mumbled.
Dane folded his legs at the knees and then leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Speaking of word of mouth, anything new on Danforth?”
Casey nodded. “I took his mugshot over to the Inn. Maggie recognized him, but he didn’t register with his own name. He checked in under Joe Kershaw and paid for the room on a daily basis.
“How long has he been here?”
“He checked in last Thursday, the first day Verity saw him. I’ve issued an APB on both names and we’re passing out flyers all over town. I’ve also instructed deputies to keep a close eye on you and Verity.”
“You think he’ll show tonight?”
“Not if he knows what’s good for him. All these people have seen hi
s picture by now. I’ve got deputies out in front, just in case.”
“Thanks, Casey.”
“Not a problem. Now, back to the party.” The sheriff stood. “I’ve got to go keep Annessa out of trouble.”
“Time for me to get the party started.” Maverick left the patio in a rush.
Travis lifted an eyebrow as he watched his friend make a beeline for the table where Lexi stood talking to several other women.
“If you’re sure you don’t need my help,” Dane told him as he left his chair, “I’m sure Vanessa has something for me to do.”
“Go on, I’m good.”
Travis shook his head when Vanessa handed Dane a pitcher as soon as he stepped off the patio. With a goofy grin, his friend accepted his task and planted a kiss on his wife’s cheek.
He found himself insanely happy for his sister – both of his sisters, for that matter. Not only had they found extreme happiness with two men who would move Heaven and Earth for them, but they were successful in their own right. He was just so damn proud of them. And maybe a little jealous.
“Hey, handsome.”
Distracted by a familiar, soft, feminine voice behind him, he quickly turned to see Verity.
“Let me know when the grill’s ready and I’ll bring the meat out.”
He pulled her into his arms, rested his chin on top of her head, and relished the fact that he could now do it in front of the whole world. He smiled when she placed a kiss to his chest. Even through the thin cotton of his t-shirt, the touch of her lips threatened to start a dangerous chain reaction.
“Watch it,” he murmured.
She giggled and carefully moved her hands to yank his shirt from his waistband. Before he could protest, she slid both hands beneath.
The chain reaction started.
“Verity,” he growled beneath his breath, “you’re playing with fire.”
Obviously ignoring his warning – most likely on purpose - she continued to move her palms over his abs, up and over his pectorals, and then down to his obliques.
“Enough.” He captured both small hands with his own just as he saw Cindy strolling across the yard toward them. “We have company.”
With a hard sigh, she dropped her hands and turned around.
“Hi, Cindy.” With his body insistent on a physical connection between the two of them, he eased her back against his chest and buckled his hands at her waist.
“You two make such a cute couple!”
“Thank you. I’ve been telling her that for a while now.”
Verity elbowed his stomach in a playful poke. “We’re so glad you could come.”
“Me too. I don’t have much time off now that I’m working two jobs. Oh, wow! A dance floor!”
He gestured with his head at the sound system. “Why don’t you see if you can get some of these people dancing?”
“I think I will. See ya later.”
Travis watched Cindy bounce around the yard, recruiting several people to follow her to the dance floor. As he continued to watch the crowd move that direction, he caught sight of something that made him extremely curious.
Vanessa and Annessa were headed toward the house.
He bent and planted a kiss on Verity’s cheek. “We could disappear for an hour or so. Nobody would notice.”
She turned in his arms and rolled her eyes. “Of course they would. You’re the Grillmaster.”
“The Grillmaster. I like that. Be sure you mention that to the guys.” He lifted the lid on the grill. “The coals are ready. You stay out here and have fun. I’ll go in and get the meat.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
Travis left the grill, opened the back door, stepped into the kitchen, and reached for the tray of meat just as a blast of feminine giggles invaded the silence. Now insanely curious, he headed in that direction. He’d know that laughter anywhere. Someone was in trouble.
He braced himself on one hip against the doorframe leading from the kitchen to the living room and watched his two twin sisters buzz around the room like a swarm of bees, seemingly oblivious to the fact that friends and neighbors packed the backyard or that he stood there. He wasn’t surprised; once the two women were on a mission, nothing stood in their way. Curious as hell to find out what they were up to, he folded his arms across his chest and waited. If the past were any indication, it was much to his advantage to wait them out.
“Verity bought the red one,” Annessa told her sister. “So I went with red.”
“Good idea. Although, I’m not quite sure I needed to know that about my brother.”
“Suck it up, Van. This is for Verity and Travis.” She struck a match and lit a tall, red candle in the middle of the coffee table. “And it’s about time, if you ask me.”
“Agreed.” Vanessa lifted a bouquet of red flowers. “Where do you want these roses?”
“In the vase on the side table. I grabbed some extra petals, too.” Annessa lifted a plastic bag from the coffee table and shook it. “We’ll sprinkle them on the sofa and across the floor, leading to the bedroom.”
“Speaking of the bedroom.”
Travis lifted both eyebrows. No way in hell did he need to hear them say anything else about him or the bedroom. Luckily, Vanessa paused and he took the opportunity to interrupt.
“You’re supposed to be mingling with your guests.”
Annessa spun around on one heel at the same time Vanessa glanced in his direction, her mouth wide open.
“Travis!” Annessa frowned. “You scared us to death! A little introduction would be nice next time.”
“What exactly is going on in here?”
Annessa’s frown magically turned into a smug grin. “Nothing.”
“Uh-huh. Something.”
“It’s a surprise.”
“For who?”
“That’s the surprise.”
“It’s not a surprise because I heard your conversation.”
“How rude, Travis,” Vanessa scolded.
“Rude or not, one of you had better spill.”
“We’re not children anymore, Travis. You can’t tell us what to do.”
He snickered at his sister’s attempt to put him in his place. “I’m the big brother. It’s my birthright.”
“Fine. We’re decorating.”
“Decorating? Looks like a scene for seduction from here.”
“It is. For you and Verity.”
“You should be planning it for Casey.”
“I’m already done. I’m working on the next one.”
He frowned. As usual, Annessa had managed to turn the conversation into a puzzle to confuse him. “Next one what?”
“Wedding. Yours, to be exact.”
“And what makes you think I need your help?”
“History, dear brother.”
“Come on Ness, I have a pretty good track record.”
“So you say. We’ve got this all figured out. Trust us.”
“Hell no.”
“Too late.” His sister gave him a huge, overdone smile. “We’re done.”
“Fine,” he groaned. “Can you just do me a favor and keep this between the three of us?”
“Depends.” Annessa looked at Vanessa and then back at him. “What’s it worth?”
Verity glanced around the yard, comforted to see everyone still having fun. Couples crowded the dance floor and conversation continued to flow from tables on the lawn. Obviously, the party wouldn’t wind down anytime soon, but that was okay with her. Even though she was anxious to be alone with Travis, she enjoyed being part of a loving community, something she was so not used to.
“Great party.” Casey stepped beside her and gave her a hug. “Thanks a lot for helping out. With everything that’s going on, I know it’s not easy.”
“I’m glad to do it. It’s better than sitting around thinking about you-know-who. Where’s Annessa?”
Casey raised an eyebrow. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her fo
r a while.”
Verity grinned. “Nervous?”
“Somewhat.”
She glanced across the yard and spotted all three Dupree siblings walking out of the kitchen door and toward them. “Relax, here she comes.”
“Travis needs a dance partner, Verity.” Annessa laid a hand on her forearm. “But watch out, I’ve seen him dance in front of the mirror.”
“Not pretty,” Vanessa added. “Not at all.”
Casey laughed out loud and then coughed. “Sorry, Dupree.”
Travis simply shrugged and took her hand. “Dance with me.” He led her to the dance floor and pulled her in close. “Ahh, just in time too. A slow song.”
She practically melted into him, swaying to the smooth, slow beat of the country music while his heartbeat echoed in her ear.
“I could get used to do this,” she sighed.
“Me too, sweetheart. I vote for only slow songs for the rest of the night.”
“Are Casey and Annessa dancing?”
“Yep. And Dane and Vanessa too.”
“What about Lexi and Maverick?”
She waited for his response, concerned when he didn’t immediately answer. “Travis?”
“Uh, well, I don’t know if you’d call it dancing, but they’re together on the dance floor.”
Curiosity pushed her to leave the warmth of his arms and turn. Her eyes widened when she saw Lexi’s body plastered against Maverick’s, not even an eighth of an inch between. From her vantage point, it appeared that if their movement picked up any momentum at all, the couple would start a fire from the friction. His arms were draped around her waist, his hands dangerously close to the zipper on the back of her skirt. Her hands were buckled around his neck, his head bent as she whispered something in his ear.
She turned and narrowed her gaze on Travis. “How much has she had to drink?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
A grin split her lips. Lexi appeared pretty happy; who cared if alcohol had anything to do with it? And, if pheromones kept swirling around them like that, it was only a matter of time before she gave in to her attraction to Maverick anyway.
She stepped back into Travis’s arms and settled in. “No reason.” She sighed and settled back in and began to sway. “This is the first time I’ve helped throw a barbeque.”