by Donna Grant
An approaching white Mercedes S-Class pulling into the driveway snared her attention. The car parked, and the door opened as a tall woman with short blond hair got out. She was dressed smartly in clothes that looked more expensive than everything Marlee owned combined. The woman’s face was hidden as she opened the back door of the car and took out some shopping bags along with her purse. Then she turned around.
And Marlee finally got a good look at her.
“Stella?” Marlee asked in surprise before she could stop herself.
Stella stood in shock for a heartbeat before she blinked and smiled. She was in her late fifties but looked years younger. “Marlee Frampton? Is that you? What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?”
“Working.” Marlee’s mind was in overdrive as she pulled up as many memories of Stella as she could. Stella had been a neighbor for five years before she moved away for several more and then returned. For some reason, Marlee’s mother had taken an instant liking to Stella, and the two had become friends.
But there had always been something about the woman that didn’t seem right to Marlee. Macey had said she was crazy, so Marlee had let it go. Yet when she tried to remember the last time she had personally seen Stella, she realized it had been right after Macey died. And not since.
“How long have you been here?” Marlee asked.
Stella laughed and shrugged, but the sound was forced. “Awhile, actually. Oddly enough, I like the quiet. Your mother called yesterday. I didn’t get a chance to call her back yet. How is she doing?”
“She’s fine. What is it that you do exactly? I asked Mom once, but I don’t know that she ever told me.”
“I’ve got the best job. It allows me to move anywhere I want and still get paid. Thank goodness, because I’ve got wanderlust.” Stella laughed.
Marlee didn’t join her. She waited for Stella to give her an answer.
Stella cleared her throat. “I work for a law firm. They like to keep tabs on their clients who feel they’re in danger as well as others who might cause problems for them. I hire men,” she said and jerked her chin over Marlee’s shoulder, “to ensure all that happens without incident.”
Marlee turned her head just enough to spot the man from the door standing a few feet behind her. “And I suppose if there is an incident, your men know how to take care of it.”
“That they do.” Stella moved closer as she adjusted her purse and bags. “Perhaps while you’re in town, we can have dinner together. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. I’d like to get an update on your parents.”
“You could get that by calling my mom.”
Stella’s smile tightened, and her blue eyes turned cold. “I could, but we both know your mother glosses over things. They’re both getting on in years. I’m surprised you aren’t there helping to care for them. It would be a shame if anything happened.”
“Is that a threat?” Marlee demanded as she took a step closer.
Stella smiled. “Not at all.”
“I hope not.”
“It was nice seeing you, Marlee. Be sure and tell your mother hello for me.”
Marlee turned as Stella walked past her and into the house. The older gentleman stood his ground for several minutes until he walked backward into the home. Only then did Marlee turn and make her way to the truck. She was shaking by the time she got inside. It took her a moment to realize that Cooper wasn’t with her. She started to get out to find him when she saw him peek around the corner of the house. As soon as he spotted her, he made his way back.
Once in the truck, he said, “What was that?”
“The house we’ve been looking for. Drive. We need to get everyone together because we have to move fast.”
Chapter 34
When Marlee finished her story, the room was quiet. Cooper twirled a toothpick between his fingers and looked at everyone standing in the middle of Clayton and Abby’s kitchen.
“The house was purchased twenty years ago,” Danny said as he read from his computer. “By a Stella Pearson.”
Clayton ran a hand down his face. “Twenty years? How long have they been operating in this territory?”
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is bringing her and the business down,” Ryan stated.
Jace leaned his hands on the island and shook his head. “I’m all for going in like we normally do. But this time, they’re going to be waiting for us.”
“So?” Caleb asked.
Brice shot his brother a dry look. “We all want to kick their asses, but not at the expense of casualties.”
“Brice is right. We should call in the FBI,” Danny said.
Cooper’s gaze slid to Marlee, who stood beside him. Other than telling everyone what had happened at the house, she had been quiet and seemed lost in her thoughts. Something was bothering her. Something she hadn’t mentioned to the others.
He touched her arm, causing her to jump. She looked at him and gave him a small smile. He pulled her against him, and to his surprise, she allowed it. He hadn’t been sure she would. “What’s wrong?” he whispered.
“The other person in the house,” Marlee said loud enough to get everyone’s attention. She looked from the others to Cooper. “I told you I got a call from Stephanie.”
Cooper nodded in agreement. “Your FBI friend.”
“Something about that call didn’t sit right.”
Ryan raised a brow. “You mean besides her not being able to give you Kate Sommerset’s real name?”
Marlee shifted her feet. “Besides that. You see, I could hear a can being opened through the speaker of the phone. While talking to Stephanie, I could see into the house through the window. The shadows prevented me from seeing if it was a man or a woman, but someone was sitting at the table, drinking a canned drink while on the phone. When Stephanie and I finished our call, the person in the house lowered their phone.”
“You think Stephanie was in the house,” Cooper said.
Marlee nodded. “I do.”
“I saw someone when I went to the house,” he told the room. “They walked toward the back when Marlee knocked on the door. I didn’t get a look at them, but they made sure to move away from the front so they couldn’t be seen.”
Marlee released a long breath. “I’m telling you all of that to say that I don’t think we should call in the FBI. If that was Stephanie inside the house, then she’s working with Stella.”
“Dammit,” Clayton said as he slammed his Stetson down on the island. He turned and paced away.
Ryan looked at Danny. “We could ask the judge for a warrant to search the house, but I’ve got a feeling we won’t find anything there.”
“I agree. They’ll be using this time to get rid of everything,” Danny said.
Caleb squeezed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “Please tell me someone has eyes on the house?”
“Two of my men are undercover,” Ryan answered.
Jace widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s the plan? Because sitting here and talking about it isn’t getting anything done.”
“I have nothing but gut instinct,” Marlee said. “There is no proof of anything. Stella moves a lot. She’ll use that as an excuse. We can’t just go in there and arrest her. We have to have something on her, or she’ll slip through scot-free.”
Cooper smiled as an idea came to him. “Then we make sure we have something.”
“As in?” Brice asked.
Cooper swung his gaze to Marlee. “The owner of the adoption agency in Dallas. The one who sent you here. I bet we could make them turn and give up anything they have on Stella.”
“That won’t be happening,” Danny said. “I’ve not gotten a chance to tell any of you, but Penny Howard’s body was found this morning by the Dallas police department. It’s been ruled a homicide.”
Cooper’s breath left him in a whoosh as if he’d been kicked by a horse. “She’s known you were here.” He faced Marlee, grab
bing her arms in his hands. “Stella has known all this time. She had to figure out who sent you here, as well.”
“And had Penny killed,” Marlee finished. “I agree.”
Jace snorted as he straightened. “Anyone want to guess why Stella hasn’t just had Marlee killed?”
“Because of us,” Cooper said. “All of us.”
Ryan rubbed his nose. “We’ve backed Stella and her group into a corner now. All bets might be off.”
“Then we better get ready,” Brice announced as he turned to walk away.
Danny’s voice rang out, halting everyone. “Hold up! This is police business now. I know all of you have fought for and with each other before, but this isn’t something we’ve dealt with. You need to let the sheriff’s department and the police handle this.”
“Of course,” Clayton said after a tense few moments of silence.
Cooper exchanged looks with Jace, Caleb, and Brice. They were going to do anything but stand down.
Chapter 35
“What are we going to do now?” Chuck demanded.
Stella was shaking as she set the bags down in the kitchen and turned to him. “We do what we’ve always done. Survive.”
“It won’t be easy,” Stephanie said as she walked into the room.
Stella met the agent’s blue eyes and shrugged. “It never is. Did Marlee see you?”
“I’m better than that,” Stephanie said in a flat tone.
Chuck snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest. “How many times are we going to underestimate Marlee before she gets to each of us?”
“She has nothing on me,” Stephanie stated.
Stella’s gaze was on Chuck. What Stephanie didn’t know was that his loyalty didn’t lie with her or the FBI, it was with Stella. Chuck would turn Stephanie over before he said anything about Stella or anyone else in the company. That’s just the way Chuck was. He’d never liked Stephanie, and while he understood what her role was, he hadn’t been comfortable with it.
His reasons were valid. Stephanie wasn’t the only agent in the FBI that Stella had dealings with, and she had enough blackmail on all of them to ensure they didn’t turn on her. But that didn’t mean the rest of her employees were safe.
“Stop,” Stella told the two of them. “Stephanie, you need to get out of town. Quickly.”
Stephanie shook her head of blond hair. “There’s no need. Besides, I was sent by someone much higher up to make sure this meeting tonight goes smoothly. If it doesn’t, it could be a nightmare for the agency.”
As if Stella gave a damn about the FBI. The only reason she had dealings with them at all was to keep the authorities off her scent. It was the price she had to pay to continue her operation, and she did it willingly. The cost was being at the FBI’s beck and call when it served them. As it did tonight.
Stella took a deep breath and faced Stephanie. “I’ve never failed the agency before, and I’m certainly not going to start now. What I need is to have Marlee and her Scooby gang off my ass. You’ll serve better in that department while you let me do what I do best.”
For long minutes, Stephanie stared at her. Then she sighed. “Let me make a call.”
Once Stephanie was out of the room, Stella turned to Chuck. “Notify the others. We need to get some of them out of the state as soon as possible.”
“What location do you want to meet at?”
She thought about that for a moment. “I think it might be time we all took an extended holiday. We need to lay low. Otherwise, Marlee is going to end all of this.”
Chuck’s nostrils flared as he dropped his arms to his sides. “That isn’t going to happen.”
“We all knew this couldn’t continue forever. She’s gotten too close.”
“You should’ve let me get rid of her years ago.”
Stella looked away. “Maybe I should have.” But she hadn’t wanted her friend to lose both of her daughters. It would destroy Diane.
“I’ve always protected you,” Chuck said as he came closer. “Even when you didn’t want me to.”
Her head swung around, and she met his brown eyes. “I know.”
“We could’ve had a life together.”
This wasn’t the time to be discussing old feelings, but instead of shutting him down, Stella found herself replying. “I wouldn’t let myself.”
“Why?” he pressed, a frown marring his features.
“I left an abusive home to live on the streets where I fought for food every day. But I didn’t care because I was free to live my life the way I wanted. Then I found myself with an opportunity that I could use not only to pull myself out of the gutter but to also give me a life I never would’ve had.”
Chuck’s shoulders lifted as he inhaled. “I know the story.”
“Yes, you do. But what you don’t know is that when I made the decision to become the woman I am, I knew I would never get to share it with anyone. Not because I was afraid that someone would betray me. Rather because I have to be this cold person who doesn’t let feelings get in the way of business. If I let myself love someone, if I dared to open my heart, I feared that what I had created would crumble.”
“And you’d rather have the money,” he replied.
She put her hand on his arm. “It’s not just the money, though that is a factor. It’s that I built this company. I put together the teams, hired the employees, developed the contacts. I did that. A woman without a college education. Because what I learned on the streets was much more valuable. Look at what it created for us.”
“You,” he corrected. “You created this for you. The rest of us just happen to be along for the ride.”
He was hurt. Of that much, she was certain. She dropped her arm to her side. “I’m trying to let you know that my decision about us had nothing to do with you. It was about me.”
“I see that now. Have you ever been in a relationship?”
The very idea of it made Stella shudder, but she held it back. “No.”
“Because of time?”
Why was he pressing her about this? Why couldn’t he just leave well enough alone? “The fact is, I don’t like anyone thinking they can control me.”
“That’s not what relationships are.”
“Really?” she asked with a quirk of a brow. “Because all the ones I’ve been in have done exactly that.”
“I didn’t control you.”
She blew out a breath, reining in her anger. “No, you didn’t. Because I didn’t allow you to get that close. It’s how males are, Chuck. You let women think we’re equal, and once the relationship is solidified, usually by marriage, then the men start laying down rules. They begin telling women what they can and can’t do, and then the beatings start.”
“I’ve never laid a hand in anger on any woman I was dating. Never,” he stated in a deep tone.
“You’re a decent man. Otherwise, I never would’ve hired you, much less taken you to my bed. We had a good time together. Shouldn’t that be enough?”
“You’d think,” he said before he pivoted and walked into the kitchen.
Stella put a hand on her brow. Chuck had never spoken to her like that before, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it. She didn’t get a chance to think more about it as Stephanie came back into the room.
“It seems that you get your way,” Stephanie told her. “I’m leaving and will make sure Marlee is diverted elsewhere. That should give you time to get to the meeting tonight in Houston.”
Stella was aware that nothing else was offered. Even if she asked, she wouldn’t get it. She had to be happy with whatever the FBI gave her. It was too bad she hadn’t developed any relationships with the local authorities in Clearview, because that would have come in handy right about now. There hadn’t been a need before, but it was a mistake she would rectify as soon as she could.
“Thank you,” Stella said. “Looks like we all need to get busy. Time is of the essence.”
* * *
Time certainly is of the e
ssence, Chuck thought to himself as he sent out the texts to the other groups. Everyone had their own escape routes wherever they were, and they never left together. It made it harder for the authorities to track them down.
Chuck watched Stephanie get into her car that was hidden in the garage and then drive away. He breathed easier with her gone. But a cloud still loomed over them. Marlee Frampton. If something wasn’t done about her, they might as well turn themselves in to the authorities.
Marlee knew their faces. She was smart. That’s why she had been out in the area today. As soon as she saw Stella, Marlee pieced it all together. The fact that the police weren’t here yet was only because Marlee didn’t have any substantial evidence—and she never would.
They were professionals. None of them left behind any DNA. Besides that, Stella had a system designed by the world’s leading hackers, just to make sure that no one could crack it. The files there were set to be wiped the moment an incorrect password was keyed in twice.
There wouldn’t be any evidence this go-round, but how much longer until Marlee had what she needed? Since she knew their faces—and Stella’s name—it was simply a matter of her following them wherever they went. They might get a month or more in a new city before Marlee showed up but show up the little bitch would.
Chuck looked over his shoulder to see Stella in her office. She’d always traveled light. The only things she had on her were her laptop and a planner, neither of which would give anything to the police to link them to the murders or kidnappings.
“It’s hours before your meeting,” Chuck said. “I’d advise against staying here.”
Stella dropped her cell phone into her purse before she turned to him. “No doubt Marlee has someone watching the house. They’ll know when or if any of us come and go.”
“Then why did you send Stephanie away?” he asked with a frown.
“Because I wanted her out of my hair and doing something useful.”