by J. S. Scott
“I know. I talk to her on the phone every day. It was one of the reasons I wanted to visit. She sounds…better.” The murderous expression left Zane’s face, replaced by a look of concern. “But I’m not certain she’s ready for another relationship.”
“I think you need to let her decide what she does and doesn’t want,” Gabe told him rationally. “She’s spent years under another man’s thumb. Don’t make her live in the shadows again because you’re afraid she’ll get hurt.”
Zane’s gaze met Gabe’s, a gray-eyed stare so much like Chloe’s that it made Gabe soften toward the other man. He wanted his sister to heal and find peace. Gabe couldn’t fault the guy for caring.
“I want her to be happy. I don’t care how she does it,” Zane conceded. “I just don’t want her to get burned again.”
“If it’s any consolation, she told me flat out that she’s using me,” Gabe told him seriously. “I’m more likely to get wounded by this whole thing. I care about your sister. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give to see her stay happy.”
Zane was silent for a moment before he replied. “I believe you. She sounds better. Just keep it that way.”
Gabe grinned. “I plan on it. I’ll go crying in my beer when she kicks me to the curb.” Although the statement was meant to make Zane feel more certain of him, Gabe was afraid there might be more than a little truth in his words.
“Better you than her,” Zane shot back at him, a small smile on his otherwise serious face.
“Anything I can do to help search for Ellie? I’ve got a jet and helicopter if you need it,” Gabe offered.
“I’ve got them, too. Air search hasn’t turned up anything. I’m more or less spinning my wheels right now. The police are less and less interested in the case as time passes. I’m not saying they don’t care, but I get the feeling that they think an extensive search is futile now.”
“What do you think?” Gabe asked curiously, wondering why Zane wasn’t giving up.
“I think if I’m stubborn enough I’ll find a way to get to the truth. Ellie deserves that.”
“You’re watching James. That’s why you’re here early for Thanksgiving,” Gabe concluded.
Zane nodded slowly. “As much as possible. He’ll give something away eventually. Most sociopaths do. He wants fame and glory. He wants to be noticed. That’s his idea of winning. Eventually, he’ll tip his hand.”
Gabe’s respect for Zane Colter raised a notch; he couldn’t help but admire the man’s tenacity and patience. Personally, he wanted to kill James for what he’d done to Chloe. He wasn’t sure he could see the bastard again without beating his head into the ground.
“You know where to come if you need anything,” Gabe told Zane sincerely.
“Right now I’m just waiting for something to happen. I feel like shit knowing that there’s a woman who might be out there needing help and I can’t find her. I always liked Ellie,” Zane admitted. “She’s a good person.”
Gabe wasn’t going to tell him that in all likelihood, Ellie was probably dead. He probably already knew that anyway. Zane wasn’t much older than Chloe, and he’d obviously been well-acquainted with his sister’s best friend. In fact, for a geek scientist, he looked pretty bummed out and stressed over the whole thing. If he wanted to continue to hope, Gabe wasn’t going to stop him. But he knew it would take a miracle to find Ellie alive. There were only a few farfetched scenarios that would make that possible.
“She was Chloe’s best friend. I’m sure she was a good person.” Gabe couldn’t see Chloe having a buddy for that long who wasn’t as sweet as she was.
“Chloe really doesn’t want to talk to my brothers about her relationship with James, but I think she should,” Zane contemplated. “If someone in town is involved with Ellie’s disappearance, I think it’s better if they know the truth. All of them have a hell of a lot of power, and anybody would think twice before pissing them off.”
Gabe had thought the same thing. He’d rather the whole family know about Chloe’s abuse so they could all be on alert. If they did, James would be unlikely to approach her ever again. “I agree. But we’d have to convince Chloe. She doesn’t really want to talk about it again. She just wants to move on.”
“I understand why, but I think it’s important. My brothers are going to want to kill him just like I do, but I think they can manage to deal with it without murdering him. Blake has his political career to deal with, and Marcus isn’t around much. Tate will be pissed, but he’s a master at keeping cool when he has to be.”
“I’m leaving it up to Chloe,” Gabe answered supportively. “But I’ll tell her why we think she should tell.”
“I guess I’d better get home. I don’t remember, but I think I left the house kind of a disaster,” Zane commented as he scratched his head.
“You don’t remember?” Gabe was curious. “Exactly how long has it been since you were there?”
“I stayed there for a while when Ellie disappeared, but I tend to forget unimportant things when I’m on the trail of a scientific discovery. I was on a roll back then, but my theory didn’t work.”
The poor guy looked so disheartened that Gabe said, “I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s your first error.”
“Nope. Science is always trial and error. I’ll figure it out eventually.”
“Don’t you have somebody to clean up your place while you’re gone?”
Zane shook his head. “I meant to hire somebody, but I forgot.”
“I know some people. I’ll arrange for them to maintain your place, and I’ll keep an eye out myself when you’re gone,” Gabe offered.
“Thanks,” Zane said, sounding relieved.
“No problem.” Gabe knew lots of people who could use a job as a caretaker. A man as smart as Zane couldn’t be that disorganized.
Zane rose from his chair and started walking toward the doorway. “Give Chloe a hug for me. And tell her I love her.”
Gabe nodded once, a lump the size of Texas in his throat at Zane’s willingness to say how much he cared about his sister. He swallowed hard before answering. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“I wish he’d do something to give me some help. I’m used to observation, but this case is personal. Something happened to Ellie, and I need to find out what and why. She wouldn’t have just run off. She doesn’t have the type of personality,” Zane rumbled.
Gabe got up to show him out. “What was she really like?” he asked as he climbed the stairs. He talked to Chloe about her friend, but he never pushed for details. He was afraid it might be too painful for her right now.
Zane was so silent for a moment that Gabe wasn’t sure he was going to answer. Finally, he spoke. “Sweet. Very organized, and incredibly smart. But she has a stubborn streak. She could have done anything with her life, but she chose to skip college and help her mother by going to work right after she graduated. I wanted to help her, but she refused to accept any financial help from me or Chloe. By the time her mom remarried and was more financially stable, Ellie thought it was too late for her to go back to school. She stayed in a dead-end job because it was safe. Probably working for James as his office manager seemed like a major step up. But it ended up being her downfall.”
“We don’t know that,” Gabe reminded him as both men stopped when they reached the front door.
“I think we do,” Zane answered, sounding angry now. “But I’ll find her, even if it means I’ll only be bringing her body back to Rocky Springs. She loved it here. She belongs here.”
Gabe slapped him on the back, feeling a little guilty for hoping the body wouldn’t be recovered because it would be painful for Chloe. He hadn’t really known Ellie, but now that he knew how much Zane wanted to bring her home, Gabe wanted that, too. It would probably be best to get closure for everyone, including Chloe, Zane, and Ellie’s family. “Good luck.”
Zane slipped out the door with a single nod. Gabe closed it behind him.
If James was responsible for El
lie’s disappearance or death, Zane was going to figure it out. Chloe’s brother was determined and he was pissed, two things that were very powerful when mixed together.
Although he’d been speaking of the power that Tate, Marcus, and Blake held, Zane had the same influence. He was at the top of his field, and well-known by just about anyone who studied science. He was also incredibly wealthy, and knew the same people his brothers did.
Gabe glanced out the window, noting that it was dark now. He wished Chloe would come home. He got twitchy when she was out in town after dark alone.
Unable to stop himself, he reached into his pocket and sent a text.
I miss you.
He waited, his heart racing, for a reply.
I miss you, too. On my way home.
Gabe released a sigh of relief, glad that she was safe, and elated because she considered the ranch home.
“Damn!”
Chloe cursed as she felt the pull on her steering wheel, knowing her tire was either flat or getting there fast.
She slowed on the desolate two-lane highway that led out of town and to Walker Ranch, pissed at herself because she knew she was going to have to call Gabe. She’d had a flat awhile back, and hadn’t bothered to replace the spare tire. She’d lost one of her rims and the tire when she’d been out searching for Ellie, and replacing it had slipped her mind entirely.
I’ll get a lecture from Gabe.
Chloe smiled, knowing it wouldn’t be a scolding, but more of a diatribe on how she had to look after her safety. Gabe worried more about her than how she behaved. From now on, he’d check her truck regularly, and probably blame himself because he hadn’t done it before.
Only Gabe would blame himself for her carelessness.
She slowed the truck carefully and pulled off to the side of the road, getting out of the way of traffic—not that there was much of it at this hour. Once a person got outside of town, the surrounding areas were pretty sparsely populated.
She shut down the vehicle, leaned across the passenger seat, and opened the glove compartment, fumbling for the flashlight.
“Gotcha,” she said in triumph, curling her fingers around the compact light.
Hopping out of the truck, she left the driver door open for extra illumination, and made her way to the front of the vehicle first. The tire on the driver’s side was fine; the one on the passenger side was almost as flat as a pancake.
Chastising herself again for not having a spare, she resigned herself to calling Gabe to come pick her up. She could call Tate. She’d just come from her brother’s house, and she knew he and Lara were still awake. But Gabe was closer, and for some reason he was her number one choice of a person to call when she was in trouble.
It was funny how she’d come to appreciate his support, knowing he’d actually want her to call him. He wouldn’t make her feel like she was a bother, or that she was inconveniencing him at all. In fact, he’d come just because…he cared.
She barely knew how to handle someone like Gabe, but she was learning, and his affection and kindness meant so much to her.
That’s what a normal relationship should be like.
Not having ever had someone normal in her life when it came to men, the difference between her ex and Gabe seemed like a rather startling contrast.
“But it’s so damn good,” Chloe whispered to herself as she moved to the door of her truck and jumped back up into the high seat. She scooped up her cell phone to call Gabe.
The phone only rang once before he answered.
“Chloe. Where are you?” His greeting was abrupt, husky with concern.
“Stranded,” she confessed into the phone. “I have a flat, and I forgot to replace the spare.”
She listened as he started his lecture, smiling because she could hear the telltale signs of him pulling on his boots while he was talking to her.
“I’m close,” she told him calmly. “If I didn’t know you’d probably be upset, I would have just walked to the ranch. I do have a flashlight.” She gave him the mile marker she’d just passed on the highway.
“You’re not that close,” Gabe growled. “Don’t move from where you are. I’ll be right there.”
She wanted to tell him that she’d grown up in Rocky Springs, walked the wooded areas alone many times in her youth, but he was too busy cursing at himself for not making sure she was safe.
“Gabe, you aren’t responsible for me doing something stupid,” she reminded him. “And my safety isn’t your obligation.”
“Bullshit!” His words exploded from the phone. “I’m making it my business because I damn well want to. I don’t want to think about you being stranded somewhere ever again.”
She heard the sound of a closing door and it was evident that he was hurrying to his vehicle, her assumption verified as she identified the roar of a truck engine.
“Don’t hurry. I’m fine,” Chloe begged, worried that he’d drive like a bat out of hell.
“Don’t hang up. Talk to me until I get there,” Gabe demanded.
“There’s a dead zone near the middle of your driveway. It will drop our call.”
“Shit, then—”
Gabe’s voice cut out and the call dropped.
“Obviously he found the dead zone,” Chloe muttered to herself, clicking the Off button on her phone.
It was funny that Gabe had never noticed that calls dropped when he reached the middle of the road to his house. There were plenty of dead areas outside of town. It happened when you lived in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. She’d first noticed it when she’d been talking to her mom on her way to her first day on the job. It had happened again when she’d called Lara on her way to see her mom not long ago.
She saw a set of headlights pull up behind her. Fairly certain it was probably the area police or somebody passing by from Rocky Springs to offer help, she wasn’t alarmed. In a rural area like theirs, almost everyone stopped to help each other around here.
She stepped out of the truck, ready to tell the Good Samaritan that help was already on the way.
Unfortunately, she realized a little too late that her would-be rescuer wasn’t a humanitarian.
It was James, and he wasted no time pinning her to her truck, taking her off-guard and slamming her against the metal. He had a death grip on her hair, and he used his body to keep her pinned.
“Hello, Chloe. I told you this wasn’t over. You didn’t believe me?” His voice sounded slightly manic, and she could see his dimly lit features morph into an expression of evil.
“What are you doing here? What do you want?” she asked in a hostile voice. She was frightened, but she’d be damned if she’d show him her fear. After spending years in his unyielding grasp, she was tired of worrying about what he wanted.
“I want you to marry me. You know you want to. This game is getting old.” He yanked hard on her hair.
Chloe yelped, unable to stifle the sound as he grasped her throat with his other hand.
Right at that moment, she caught a glimpse of his eyes as he turned his head slightly, the light from the truck’s interior landing on his face.
A cold chill ran down her spine as she got a look at his expression, a face that she was absolutely certain could cause her more than just pain.
He wants to kill me.
She shivered in his grasp, looking at eyes as frigid as Antarctica. James had no humanity. He was completely sociopathic.
“I won’t marry you. Not now. Not ever,” she gasped, struggling to breathe as his grip around her throat tightened.
She moved quickly, just like Lara had taught her, letting her body go limp for a moment to throw James off-guard. He hesitated and stepped back just enough…
Chloe used every bit of strength she had and raised her knee to his groin, scratching at his eyes, wishing she could claw his hideous eyeballs from his face. She used her anger to fight, having no mercy as he backed off with a loud howl.
“Gabe Walker is on his way. I suggest you
go and don’t ever fuck with me again.” She panted as she used her foot to kick him in the ass when he turned, cradling his genitals.
“You fucking bitch!” James wailed maniacally. “This isn’t over. Wait until tomorrow. You’ll be getting a package from me. I have a copy of what I’m sending, and I’ll ruin your whole damn family. You either marry me or I’ll destroy the life of every damn member of your family.”
Chloe was still breathing hard as James spotted the distant headlights. He was still covering his balls as he limped back to his car.
“You’ll pay for this, Chloe.” His harsh voice was menacing, dripping with the desire for revenge.
“I already have,” Chloe muttered to herself as James screeched out of his spot behind her truck, nearly nailing her in the process.
Doing a U-turn, she watched the expensive vehicle head back toward Rocky Springs as the distant headlights from the opposite direction got closer.
Sucking in heavy breaths of air, Chloe tried to calm her nerves.
What was James saying about ruining her family? How could he? Everyone had said that breaking an engagement was no big deal, and it really hadn’t been. Some society papers had sniffed around for some kind of scandal, but they’d gotten nothing, and the few who were interested quickly went on to a bigger story.
“Relax. He can’t hurt you anymore,” she whispered, consoling herself.
She watched as the approaching lights came over another dip in the highway and came to a stop after turning and parking behind her.
Gabe.
She hurried to his vehicle and threw herself at him the minute he exited the vehicle.
He caught her and wrapped his arms firmly around her waist. “Well, that’s quite a greeting, sweetheart. I think I’d like to rescue you more often,” he said in a voice that contained both worry and a little bit of humor. “But then you’d have to be in trouble, and I’d hate that.”
“I missed you,” she told him, holding onto his warm, strong body with everything she had, resting her head on his massive chest.
“I missed you, too. You okay?”