The Protector's Promise (The Sinclair Brothers)

by Shirlee McCoy

  “He’ll never believe that.”

  “He’d better. I didn’t bring the gun to use on you, Honor. Though I will, if I have to. I brought it to take care of anyone who tries to stop me from going after what I want. So, you’d better make sure you’re convincing. I’d hate to see an attorney’s brains splattered all over the pavement before we go off on our adventure.”

  “You don’t know Grayson. There’s nothing I could say that would convince him to—”

  “I know everything.” The hissed words shivered through Honor and made her mouth go dry with fear. The hard nudge of the gun butting against her head filled her with the kind of terror she’d felt only once before. Then she’d been saved by a neighbor. This time, she might not be saved at all.

  “Please…”

  “Listen to me, I know your prosecutor friend won’t risk his career over you. All you have to do is convince him that pursuing his hero-fantasy might cost him that. He’ll take off, and we can be on our way in peace. Come on. Drive. If you take too long and he comes over to investigate, things might get messy. You won’t like messy.”

  Did she have a choice?

  Honor couldn’t think of one. At least not one that ended with her alive. She put the car in gear, her legs trembling so much she pressed too hard on the accelerator and the car jumped forward, the butt of the gun knocking into her head again.

  “Better watch it. These things can go off easily. I’m going to get out of sight, but this gun is pressed right against the back of your seat. It’ll be easy enough to make you sorry if I have to.”

  Honor’s teeth chattered, but she did what she’d been told—drive over to Grayson’s car, motion for him to roll down his window.

  He smiled a welcome and did as she’d indicated, speaking softly into the silent darkness. “Hey, looks like you’re out a little earlier tonight.”

  “Yes. I decided not to wait for Will.”

  “Didn’t I tell you not to walk outside by yourself?”

  “Yes.” Her mind was blank, her body frozen with fear. She couldn’t think of what she was supposed to say. She couldn’t remember what she had to do to save Grayson and herself.

  “Is everything okay, Honor?” Grayson shifted and Honor was sure he was going to get out of his car, see the madman in the back seat of her Ford and die. She wouldn’t let that be the last thing she ever saw. She wouldn’t let his life end so brutally.

  “It’s fine. Just fine. The thing is…” A hard jab at her back urged her on. “I’m getting tired of being followed home every night.”

  “It’s for your own safety.”

  “I’m beginning to wonder if that’s really the truth. I’m beginning to think something else is going on.”

  “What?” He frowned, and Honor knew he had no idea the direction she was heading in.

  “Everything was fine in Lakeview, Grayson, until you came home from New York.”

  His expression tightened, his frown turning to a scowl. “What are you implying, Honor?”

  “I’m not implying anything. I’m flat-out saying it.” Her voice was rising with her mounting fear. He’d hear it as anger. She only hoped it would convince him to drive away.

  “I don’t think I’m clear on what exactly you are saying. Maybe you can fill me in on a few more details.”

  “I met you and within twenty-four hours I started receiving flowers and threats.”

  “So?”

  “So how do I know that you’re not the one responsible? How do I know that you didn’t see me that first day and decide you’d do whatever it took to have me?”

  His laughter was harsh and ugly, his eyes flashing with anger. “You have got to be kidding me.”

  “Kidding? I’m dead serious.”

  “Honor, you received a phone call from the stalker while I was with you. Don’t you think it would have been difficult for me to make it while you were standing next to me?” The question was as harsh as his laugh had been, his eyes narrowing as he stared her down.

  “You know plenty of criminals. I’m sure one of them would have been willing to make the phone call for the right price.”

  “I think we’d better end this conversation. I’ll be happy to discuss the subject again when we’ve both had some sleep. For now, I’ll make sure you get home safely, and then I’ll get out of your life.”

  “Get rid of him now, or he gets it.” The soft whisper from behind Honor was like a cobra’s hiss—filled with deadly promise.

  “I already told you I’m tired of being followed. If you choose to ignore that, I’ll be forced to file an order of protection against you.”

  “Have you lost your mind?” Grayson bit the words out and Honor knew she’d done what she’d intended. She wanted to beg Grayson’s forgiveness, she wanted to tell him it was all a lie.

  “No, but I better have lost my tail. I will file the order, Grayson, so don’t follow me.” She rolled up her window and drove away, glancing in the rearview mirror, tears in her eyes.

  Had he sensed her fear?

  Did he realize how many lies she’d told?

  Did he know how much she cared about him?

  “Crying for your lover, Honor?” The man behind her sneered, rearing up from behind the seat and pressing his gun against her cheek.

  “Grayson is my friend.”

  “That kiss you gave him looked more than friendly.”

  The words left her cold. He’d been watching even when she’d thought she was safe.

  “Is he following us?” The disembodied voice was louder, the serpent sounding more like a self-satisfied man than a cobra.

  “No.”

  “Good. I didn’t want to ruin our party if I didn’t have to.” His masked face appeared in the mirror again, and Honor cringed. “You must be a good actress, Honor. He seemed completely convinced. But I’m not surprised. You’ve got so many other good qualities.”

  “Let me go. Please.”

  “You’re going to beg? I expected so much more from you.” The cold barrel of the gun ran down the side of her neck, and Honor had to force herself to keep breathing.

  “I’m not begging.”

  “Sure you are. But it won’t do you any good. We’ve got a date with destiny.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “Into the mountains. You know the Blue Ridge Parkway, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Drive toward it.”

  “What happens when we get there?”

  “I’ll let you know when it’s time.”

  “But—”

  “Drive!” The gun butted hard into her cheek, and Honor knew that the night was going to get a lot worse before it got better.

  If it ever got better.

  She shivered, keeping her gaze straight ahead and praying desperately for the help she was afraid would never come.

  TWENTY-ONE

  Grayson waited a few heartbeats before pulling out after Honor. He kept his headlights off and his speed down, not wanting Honor to know he was behind her. Not because he believed she’d file an order of protection against him, but because she was a bad actress. So bad that he’d known before she even began speaking that something was very wrong. She’d said all the right things, but he’d seen the fear in her eyes. Had known what it meant.

  Someone had been in the car with her.

  That was the only explanation he could come up with for the stark terror she’d shown in her eyes and for her bizarre accusation. His hands tightened on the steering wheel and his heart beat furiously as he followed her car.

  He’d had another late meeting and had intended to have a police officer escort her home again, but worry had nagged at his gut, pulled at his attention, demanded that he be the one to make sure she arrived home safely.

  It wasn’t often Grayson saw evidence of God’s intervention, but this was one of those times. It would have been easy for Honor to send a police officer on his way. She then would have driven off with a madman in her car and no one would
have been the wiser. Not until her girls woke up to her absence, or her body was found beaten and bloodied on the side of some road.

  And there was no doubt in Grayson’s mind that that was exactly what her stalker planned to do. He’d seen it before. Seen the photographs of crime scenes as he tried men who’d created elaborate fantasies, been disappointed and killed the object of their affection.

  He wouldn’t let that happen to Honor.

  He pulled his cell phone from the console, started to dial 911, but hesitated. If some gung-ho cop came riding to the rescue with lights flashing and sirens blaring, Honor would be dead before he ever made it to her car. He dialed Jake’s cell phone, instead.

  “Reed here.”

  “Jake, it’s Grayson. We’ve got a situation on the Blue Ridge Parkway.”

  “Tell me.”

  Grayson explained as succinctly as possible, refusing to give in to the anger and fear that were surging through him.

  “You’re on the Parkway, now?”

  “Heading toward the overlook.”

  “I’m on my way. You back off and let us handle this.” Jake issued the order, but Grayson chose not to hear it.

  “What’s your ETA?”

  “Fifteen minutes.”

  “A lot can happen in fifteen minutes.”

  “Back off. If you don’t, you’re going to get in our way and slow us down.”

  “If I do, Honor might not be alive when you finally get to her. I’ll call you if things change.”

  “Don’t—”

  Grayson hung up. He was done talking. Done with rational conversation. They were dealing with irrationality. Stalkers weren’t working with a full deck. They acted in ways that couldn’t be predicted. Grayson wasn’t willing to step back and wait for the guy who was with Honor to make a move.

  He pressed down on the gas, closing the distance between his car and Honor’s. If something happened, he wanted to be close enough to stop it.

  Honor gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her heart pounding at an alarming pace. If she had a heart attack, the car would go over the side of the mountain. She and her nightmare would tumble head over heels until they hit the earth below.

  Death. Quick and swift and hopefully painless.

  Something told her that wasn’t what the masked man behind her had planned.

  “There’s a scenic overlook up ahead. Follow the signs and drive there. Park the car.”

  “What are we—”

  “We’ll talk when we get there.”

  “If we’re going to talk, we should go somewhere warmer. Maybe a nice romantic restaurant.” If he really had some kind of fantasy about having a relationship with Honor, maybe he’d like the idea of having dinner with her better than the idea of brutally murdering her and throwing her off the side of the mountain.

  She shuddered at the thought.

  “Dinner at a restaurant? Why not just go back to your place? You’ve certainly been entertaining that lawyer there plenty.”

  “I wasn’t—”

  “Shut up.” The gun pressed against her cheek, jabbing hard enough to bring tears to Honor’s eyes.

  She did what she was told, her gaze darting to the rearview mirror. She expected to see her captor staring back at her, but saw only the open road.

  Or was it?

  Had there been something moving in the distance? She looked in the mirror again, her breath catching in her throat as she realized a car was coming up behind them. Lights off, but still visible in the moonlight. Was it the police? She’d been praying desperately that Grayson hadn’t fallen for her act, praying that he’d realized something was wrong and called for help.

  “The turn is coming up. Don’t miss it or we’ll have our chat somewhere a lot less comfortable.”

  Honor jerked her attention back to the road and took the turn a little too quickly. Her tires squealed and slid, and Honor gripped the steering wheel hard, terror filling her. She didn’t want to die. Not now. She had too many things to do with her life. Too many memories she still wanted to create.

  Please, Lord, don’t let me die.

  “This is it. Pull into the parking area and turn off the car.”

  Terror thrummed through Honor’s veins, her heart pounding so fast she thought it would leap from her chest, but she did what she was told. She’d fight when she had to. Until then, she’d do everything she could to stay alive.

  “Good. Now, we’re getting out of the car nice and slow. You try to run and I’ll shoot you in the back. Understand?”

  “I won’t try to run.” Yet.

  “That’s what I wanted to hear. Give me your keys and get out.”

  She pulled the keys from the ignition, her hand shaking as she placed them in his. He was wearing gloves. She hadn’t realized it until now. And she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was about to die.

  She got out of the car anyway. Her chances were going to be better outside.

  “Walk over to that little railing. The one that looks out over the valley. I picked this spot especially for you.”

  “I’m afraid of heights.” It was a lie she could live with. One that she hoped would keep her far away from any place where she could be thrown off.

  “Are you? Funny, I heard you climbed rock walls in college and dreamed of making a trek to Mount Everest.”

  That had been a dream of hers years ago, and hearing it now made her cringe. “How do you know that?”

  “I know everything there is to know about you, Honor. And I know everything there is to know about how to keep what’s rightfully mine.”

  “I’m not yours.”

  He laughed, his breath hot and clammy against her ear. “You? Did you really believe this was about you? You’re nothing, Honor. Nothing but some transplant from Ireland who thinks she’s better than everyone.” His voice changed as he spoke, the harsh whisper replaced by something familiar. Something she’d heard less than twenty-four hours ago.

  “Chad?” She pivoted toward him, saw a flash of movement.

  Pain exploded through her head, driving everything away until there was only darkness and the soft, sweet feel of oblivion.

  Grayson lunged forward as the man who’d hit Honor leaned down and grabbed her arms.

  He didn’t give the guy a chance to react, just grasped him by the back of the shirt and yanked him around, punching him in the abdomen. Not caring about the gun that clattered to the ground. Not caring about anything but protecting Honor.

  The man grunted, his breath leaving on a whoosh of sound. Grayson hit him again, this time in the face. Hearing the satisfying crack of bone against bone, the thud of flesh slamming into flesh.

  Honor’s attacker stumbled backward, landing in a heap, but then stumbling to his feet again, he turned, trying to run. Grayson lunged forward, grabbing his arm and jerking him around, ready to punch him again.

  His hand was grabbed mid-swing, the force of the restraint stopping his momentum. “You’d better cool it, friend. We don’t want any charges of police brutality.” Jake Reed’s voice was as calm as a placid lake, but there was steel in his grip.

  “I’m not the police.”

  “You’re the prosecutor. We don’t need you getting into trouble, either.”

  “I don’t really care what kind of trouble I get into.”

  “One punch to the guy, I can ignore. I can’t ignore two, Gray. And you’re not going to do Honor any good if I’ve got to cart you away and lock you up for a twelve-hour cool-down.”

  The words finally registered through the red haze of his fury, and Grayson released his hold on the man. Stepped back, turned away.

  Honor lay on her side on the ground, her hair covering her face. Grayson knelt beside her, joining a female deputy who was checking Honor’s pulse. “Is she okay?”

  “Her pulse is strong and steady, but she’s out cold. I’m going to call for transport to Lynchburg General.” The deputy stood, speaking into her radio as she hovered nearby.

&nbs
p; Grayson ignored her, focusing his attention on Honor. He brushed thick strands of silky hair from her face and saw blood on her temple. “Honor?”

  His fingers grazed her cheek, dropped to her neck to check her pulse again. As his hand moved, Honor’s eyes opened. Hazy. Confused. But open.

  “Grayson. You came.”

  “Did you think I wouldn’t?” Relief made his hand shake as he leaned in to help Honor sit up. He slipped a hand behind her back, supporting her when she swayed.

  “I told you not to.”

  “And you expected me to listen?”

  “I hoped you wouldn’t. I prayed you wouldn’t.”

  “And I prayed that God would help me keep you safe.”

  “I guess we both got what we prayed for.” She smiled, wincing a little as she turned her head. “It is Chad.”

  “What?” He stared into her eyes, trying to determine if the head injury was causing her confusion.

  “My stalker. It’s Chad Malone.”

  “Your father-in-law?” He looked at the man he’d punched. Short, stocky, cropped brown hair and angry, hate-filled eyes.

  “Yes. I just can’t figure out why he’d want to hurt me, or how he ended up here.”

  “Jake will find out soon enough.”

  “Good. My head hurts too much to try to work it out myself.” She leaned a little more heavily on his arm, and Grayson tightened his hold, calling out to the female deputy.

  “Is the ambulance on the way?”

  “It should be here in ten.”

  “Ambulance. For what?” Honor’s voice sounded much weaker than Grayson liked, and the blood from her head wound was beginning to pool on the pavement.

  “For you.”

  “I don’t need an ambulance.”

  “You’re bleeding like a stuck pig. You do need an ambulance.” Grayson pulled off his coat, using the sleeve to staunch the flow of blood.

  “Head wounds always bleed a lot.”

  “Yeah? Well, from the looks of things, you’re going to need stitches. You’ve got a two-inch gash in your temple.” He brushed hair away from the spot, lifting the coat to look at the wound. “It’s deep.”