Terror Mansion (Decorah Security Series, Book #12): A Paranormal Romantic Suspense Novella
Page 8
“Yeah, but I was right about the gun tunnel. He couldn’t see us through the smoke.”
“Thank God,” Kate whispered. “Or he might have known we’d survived.”
They stepped outside, and Wyatt blinked in the sunlight.
“We must have been out for a while,” Kate said. “It was getting dark when he gassed us.”
Wyatt stroked his hand up and down her arm, feeling her shiver in the nippy wind.
“Let’s get in the car,” he said, looking around and spotting a Decorah SUV.
Wyatt and Kate climbed into the backseat. From the front seat, Ben cranked up the heat, then took a first aid kit out of the glove compartment. The knife wound had started bleeding again, and he handed the kit to Kate so she could clean and bandage the wound.
“Probably you should have some antibiotics,” she said. “That water could have been dirty.”
“Uh huh” he agreed.
“I suppose we can’t just walk away from this,” Kate said with a sigh as she disinfected the cut.
“No. It needs to be on record with the cops.”
“Should we call Chief Judd?” Kate asked, naming the St. Stephens Police Chief.
“Actually, the Maryland State Police handle murder cases,” Ben told her. “And it’s best if they see you all messed up. It gets the idea of the fun house across pretty quickly.”
Wyatt glanced at Kate. “We’re in for a lot of questioning.”
“You have any problems with that?” she asked.
He dragged in a breath and let it out. “No. But I think we should leave out the psychic bullshit.”
“We both know it’s not bullshit,” she shot back. “It saved our lives in there.”
“It’s going to be easier if we come up with a reason why I showed up at your workshop in St. Stephens.”
“We can go with what Treeman assumed. I was worried about someone stalking me, and I hired Decorah,” she said.
Hearing her make the suggestion shocked him, given the way she’d reacted when he’d first tried to tell her she was in danger.
“Okay,” he answered, hearing the thickness in his own voice. He pulled out his phone and put in a call to the cops.
Hours later, after a lot of back and forth at headquarters, they were finally on the road to St. Stephens.
Wyatt took Kate to the Crow’s Nest, where they both showered, then collapsed into bed.
When they woke, she smiled at him. “It’s over,” she said, scooting closer, and he know she was thinking of some pleasant ways to celebrate. His desires were running along the same track, but there was still unfinished business they had to deal with.
“Not quite.”
Her eyes questioned him. “What?”
“Someone in the craft community really was stalking you,” he said.
“How do you know for sure?”
“Because of the first dream I had. It wasn’t clear cut. I couldn’t be sure what was happening. If it had just been Treeman, I would have seen him clearly.”
She dragged in a shuddering breath.
“It’s the same with the other person,” he added. “I don’t know who it is. But I think we can find out.”
“How?”
“Set a trap.”
As he outlined the plan he’d been thinking about, she nodded. “I hate to be so tricky. But I believe you’re right.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not going to feel like I can go on with my career until I’m really safe. The only thing that needs changing in your plan is—I should be in the workshop when we do it.”
“No!” he said at once.
“I want this settled once and for all. If they think they can hurt me, they’ll go for it.”
He knew she was right, and finally—reluctantly—he had to give in.
Still, they were both on edge as they ate some breakfast at the Crow’s Nest before returning to Kate’s workshop, where Wyatt planned what equipment he’d need. His next stop was at the local police station where he filled in Chief Judd on his scheme.
“Too tricky by half,” the chief muttered, but he agreed to go along with the program.
Wyatt and Kate had lunch at the Crab Claw, where they talked about how she was behind in her rent for the workshop and that she had to stay up late to finish a big order so that she’d have some money coming in.
The conversation ended in an argument in which Wyatt made sure everyone knew he was going back across the Bay Bridge because he was tired of Kate’s focusing on her work instead of him. And she told him she was keeping his nice comfortable room at the Crow’s Nest for the rest of the week—since it was paid for. Then he pretended to drive out of town, although he was really exchanging cars with Ben Walker so that he could complete some additional business before the evening.
He’d made very careful preparations, but as it grew dark, he gave Kate a worried look from where they sat in his darkened room at the Crow’s Nest—looking out at her workshop.
“I understand your reasoning, but this is dangerous for you,” he told her. “My scheme seemed like a good idea at the time,” Wyatt added. “Now I’m not so sure.”
“I am. And I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Kate countered.
“Yeah, we’re both all psyched up, but this might not work out the first time.”
“You didn’t see it in a dream?”
“Now you’re relying on my dreams?” he teased.
“They saved our lives at the fun house.”
“But I didn’t dream about this plan.”
“Like you said, you can always rely on tried and true detective work.”
“This is far from tried and true. Now I’m thinking it’s harebrained.”
She must have caught the worry in his voice, because she crossed the room and held out her arms. He came into them and hugged her tightly. “I want to make sure you’re safe,” he whispered.
“And this is the way to do it. For a lot of reasons.”
They held each other tightly for several minutes, swaying in the middle of the darkened room, and he almost couldn’t let her go. But finally she eased away.
“We can celebrate later,” she said with a suggestive note in her voice, which made him want to cancel the drama he’d so carefully planned.
oOo
Kate turned and headed for her workshop—alone. Or it looked like she was alone. But she knew Wyatt, who was dressed in black, was taking the long way around and would slip through the back door into her small apartment, where he would wait in the dark.
As she stood facing her workbench, she thought she heard him come in, but she stayed where she was, trying to focus on molding some silver clay into something that didn’t look like a kindergartner had done it.
She’d told Wyatt she wanted to get this drama over with, but now she couldn’t keep her nerves from jumping as she pictured what might happen.
“Come on. Come on,” she whispered under her breath, willing the stalker to make a move tonight. “Get this over with.”
Still, when she sensed movement behind her, she felt her whole body go rigid. Long seconds ticked by, each of them an eternity. And then she heard a scream.
Chapter Thirteen
When Kate whirled around, she saw that the net Wyatt had rigged earlier had fallen from the rafters of the old warehouse and captured an intruder who was now dangling a few feet from the floor. A hammer fell from a flailing hand and crashed to the wooden boards.
“What the hell? Let me out of here,” an angry voice cried out.
Kate stared in disbelief at the person who had been about to assault her. She’d thought it was going to be one of the silversmiths—probably Margot Redding. Instead she found herself staring at a Main Street shop owner.
“Mr. Hillman?”
His face had turned an angry red. “Let me down, damn you.”
Behind Hillman, Wyatt stepped forward. “So you’re the one who’s been causing trouble for Kate,” he said in a voice sharp a
s a silver dagger.
“Of course not,” the shopkeeper protested. “You can’t prove anything. Let me down.”
“Actually, I can,” Wyatt corrected. “I have you on video, holding up a hammer getting ready to bash in Kate’s head. Why?” he added in an angry voice.
The man sucked in a sharp breath. Apparently realizing he was well and truly caught, he said, “Because she’s going to put me out of business. She’s dominating my merchandise, but she’s not charging enough.”
Wyatt recalled his earlier discussion with the man, who had tried to get him to spend more money.
“And that’s your solution to the problem, get rid of her—the hard way?”
Hillman glared at him. “I’m not saying anything else without my lawyer.”
“Fine,” Wyatt agreed. “But meanwhile, let’s make sure you stick around.” Using a rope and a pulley, he lowered the net to the floor so that the shop owner was standing on his feet. Reaching through the net, Wyatt secured the man’s wrists with handcuffs.
As he was finishing, Everett Judd, the St. Stephens Chief of Police stepped into the workshop. A couple of years before he’d had a nasty run-in with Ben Walker when the Decorah agent was looking for a kidnap victim, but now he was dedicating himself to keeping the peace in town.
“Thank God,” Hillman said when he spotted the lawman. “You see what they’ve done to me. I demand that you release me.”
“Can’t do that,” the chief said. “I was watching the action on Granger’s camera feed. You were about to assault Ms. Kingston.”
They stood by as Judd removed the net, read Hillman his rights, and marched him off to his police car after saying to Kate and Wyatt, “I’d like to get a statement from both of you in the morning.”
“Yes,” they answered.
When the chief and his prisoner had left, Wyatt turned to Kate. “This time, it’s finally over. And I can finish up my arrangement with the state police.”
“Which is what?”
“They agreed to keep what happened in the fun house under wraps until I figured out who was going after you in St. Stephens?”
“They did?”
“Yes, that’s why there was nothing in the press.” He kept his gaze steady. “But now the story’s going to break—and get you some notoriety, I suspect. I mean, along with everybody finding out about dear Mr. Hillman.”
She nodded. “I hope we’ve got a few hours before anyone bothers us.”
He grinned. “Let’s hope.”
She grinned back, then came into his arms, holding him tight.
“You were pretty brave to stand there, waiting for someone to attack you.”
“Because I knew you were going to stop him.”
“You put a lot of faith in me,” he said, speaking around the lump in his throat.
She clung to him more tightly. “Yes, I did.”
The way she said that made his heart squeeze.
He gathered her close, and when he lowered his lips to hers, he felt a jolt of sensation sizzle between them. They had been on edge all day. Now the danger was over, and they were only a few yards from her apartment. She led him inside, and he slammed and locked the door behind them, kissing her, stroking her, undressing her as they headed for the bed.
They were naked in record time, both ready to show each other how much they felt. And when he took her down to the surface of the bed, she rolled to her back, her gaze locked with his as she guided him into her. They were so keyed up that they both climaxed almost at once, then lay panting in each other’s arms.
“Thank God you’re finally safe,” he whispered.
“Thank God you showed up at my workshop and forced me to listen to you.”
He stroked the silky skin of her back, thinking there was so much more he wanted to say—about how the two of them belonged together. But he had learned she was a woman who had to make up her own mind. You couldn’t push her into anything, which meant he’d have to take his time getting around to the subject of marriage.
He wasn’t going to pressure her, even when he knew this was the woman he wanted in his arms for the rest of his life.
And he had secret knowledge that he wasn’t going to share just yet. Most of his prescient dreams foretold bad things to come. The one he’d had last night was of the two of them standing on a beach in front of a minister, exchanging vows and rings. He’d been afraid to trust it. Now he knew it was going to happen—not too far in the future.
THE END
AFTERWORD
Thank you for purchasing TERROR MANSION, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it.
If you enjoy my books, do me a huge favor. Please go back to your favorite online book store, and leave an honest review. Authors live and die by their reviews. The few extra seconds it takes are really appreciated. Thank you!
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If you enjoyed TERROR MANSION, you might also like to read other Light Street Press books by Rebecca York:
DECORAH SECURITY SERIES by Rebecca York
Book 1. On Edge (a Decorah Security prequel novella)
Book 2. Dark Moon (a novel)
Book 3. Chained (a novella)
Book 4. Ambushed (a short story)
Book 5. Dark Powers (a novel)
Book 6. Hot and Dangerous (a short story)
Book 7. At Risk (a novel)
Book 8. Christmas Captive (a novella)
Book 9. Destination Wedding (a novella)
Book 10. Rx Missing (a novel)
Book 11. Hunting Moon (a novel)
Decorah Security Collection (an anthology including Ambushed, Hot and Dangerous, Chained, and Dark Powers)
OFF-WORLD SERIES by Rebecca York
Book 1. Hero's Welcome (an off-world series short story)
Book 2. Nightfall (an off-world series novella)
Book 3. Conquest (an off-world series short story)
Book 4. Assignment Danger (an off-world novella)
Book 5. Christmas Home (an off-world short story)
Book 6. Firelight Confession (an off-world novella)
Off-World Collection (includes Nightfall, Hero’s Welcome, and Conquest)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling Author, Rebecca York is a 2011 recipient of the Romance Writers of America Centennial Award. Her career has focused on romantic suspense, often with paranormal elements.
Her 16 Berkley books and novellas include her nine-book werewolf “Moon” series. KILLING MOON was a launch book for the Berkley Sensation imprint. She has written for Harlequin, Berkley, Dell, Tor, Carina Press, Silhouette, Kensington, Running Press, Tudor, Pageant Books, and Scholastic.
Her many awards include two Rita finalist books. She has two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times: for Series Romantic Suspense and for Series Romantic Mystery. And her Peregrine Connection series won a Lifetime Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense Series.
Many of her novels have been nominated for or won RT Reviewers Choice awards. In addition, she has won a Prism Award, several New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf awards and numerous other awards.
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Copyright Information
Published by Light Street Press
Copyright © 2015 by Ruth Glick
Cover design by Earthly Charms
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AFTERWORD
DECORAH SECURITY SERIES by Rebecca York
OFF-WORLD SERIES by Rebecca York
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PRAISE FOR REBECCA YORK
CONTACTS
ALL BOOKS by Rebecca York
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION