“Oooh, wow. I don’t see purchases for any type of gardening supplies, but he’s really into some heavy shit...” Katt’s mouth twisted into a semblance of having sucked on a lemon. “Didn’t see this earlier.” Tilting her head to the side, she added, “I don’t think I could manage that position.”
Behind her, Matt covered his mouth on a choking cough. “Damn. Never saw that one before either. How’d you get to his personal video—never mind.”
“Stop! Do not tell me anything you’ve found through hacking. I don’t want to know.” As if confirming her neutral ground, Abby turned to Royden. “See what I have to put up with?” Curiosity mixed with desperation in her silent plea to sort the issue.
“Hey, Katt, catch this link back to Credlin. Did you see his—playroom?” Lexi asked, excitement in her voice belying her dropped jaw and heavy frown.
“Twisted millionaire. People think because they lock videos behind closed doors, no one can gain access or view them on their computer. The dumb shit thinks his firewalls protect all. Guess that’s what happens when you have more money than brains.” Katt leaned to the side, supported by her boyfriend’s strong hand. “How do they do that, anyway?”
“Bet he wouldn’t want that made public.” Ethan chuckled over Lexi’s shoulder.
“Enough! Ethan, you’re supposed to be the voice of reason for her.” Abby took a deep breath. “I do have a thought, however. Since we’re not any closer to narrowing down our list, I could meet with Credlin under the pretense of discussing terms of employment and maybe even feed what he tells me to Brad, my supervising attorney, who’s asked me out to dinner a hundred times.”
“No.” Royden’s emphatic declaration echoed among her brothers. “It was bad enough when you had a girls’ night out. I can’t take any more.”
“Royden, she was fine Monday night. The guy who tried to pick her up—turns out he works for Parks and Recreation.” Katt’s matter-of-fact explanation continued. “He’s got a place on Wharf Road. Considers himself a survivalist and is prepared to live off the grid for years. He just doesn’t seem the type looking for that kind of trouble.”
“And you learned all that during a couple of dances?” Abby arched a brow at her friend.
“Well, that and his wallet might have accidentally slipped out of his back pocket.”
“Wait, what? You danced with a suspect? What the hell? You were supposed to stick with Abby and observe.” Thunderclouds appeared less ominous than Matt’s expression.
“Lexi was with Abby while I checked out the potential suspect. I was fine, Matt. I am a licensed private investigator, remember?” Katt’s answer did nothing to placate her mate’s ire.
“Besides, if we don’t find the creep who’s after her, she’s gonna keep putting herself out there. It’s what any of us would do.” Lexi’s explanation stirred a round of grumbles from all present.
Subsequent bickering halted with Royden’s sharp whistle. “Enough. This isn’t helping.” A deep breath strengthened his resolve. “First, Abby, you are not putting yourself out there anymore. I know you need breathing room and feel like your brothers are smothering you, but they love you. We all do.”
Royden paused a second to let his words sink in. “Second, you have to know that any of us would go to any lengths to end this nightmare and see you safe. We all want to move forward in our lives, but we have to deal with this situation.” His next proclamation would receive the most resistance. “We cannot continue to take unnecessary risks as we have been.” He’d been as patient as possible, but the time had come that his heart’s desire understood the difference between testing limits and foolish, dangerous behavior. “Staying in this apartment is one of them.” What she’d considered security was a flimsy excuse to prove her courage.
“I need a night in my apartment to think things through.”
“No, you don’t. You can come to my place.” Matt’s firm tone left no room for argument. As the oldest, he’d always drawn the line when it came to sibling safety.
Abby groaned when Royden remained quiet. He wanted her in his home for all the right reasons, yet she still balked. He realized losing her independence felt too much like giving in. She was a fighter.
Either of her brothers would gladly accept responsibility for her safety, but she wasn’t their responsibility to accept.
Selfish as it might be, he’d rather she argue and hold her eldest brother at arm’s length than himself. There was a time to speak up and a time to let the cards fall where they may. He’d long understood the family dynamics and chose the timing of his battles.
Matt continued, unfazed. “Failure to move will result in some very unpleasant circumstances. I’m sure there are building code violations that could be found, perhaps some type of hazard?” A glance in Lexi and Katt’s direction received affirmative nods. “Not only that, but we could each make it our business to make our presence known. I think folks would get mighty nervous if they thought they were living in the middle of a hot zone. Wouldn’t you?”
“Damn it, Matt. This isn’t fair.”
“Life isn’t fair, half-pint. Get used to it. The question remains, which one of us are you going to stay with?” Matt arched a brow and waited.
Abby twisted in her seat, tears brimming her eyes. “Sometimes I hate coming from a large family.”
Royden accepted the hand she held out.
“I’ll spend tonight here to pack some things. I’ll be at Royden’s house tomorrow. Okay?”
He didn’t mind another stakeout. He’d done many over the years though never with a loved one. “Sounds good, sweetheart.” It wasn’t the way he wanted her to come to him, but safety trumped everything else.
Chapter Seventeen
Since Royden’s reluctant goodbye kiss, Abby muted her apprehension by perusing the online TV guide. She wasn’t in the mood for a thriller, romance, or even the documentaries she and Royden usually enjoyed. Nothing sparked her interest.
Her suitcases were packed and ready to go.
Alone and in the dark except for the screen’s white noise, she’d sat on the couch and pondered what other things she’d take with her the next day. If not for her pride, she’d be tucked against Royden’s side, sated, and discussing the upcoming weekend plans. She’d argued her point of the second-story apartment’s safety, gated community, alarm codes, etc, but in the end realized none of those measures could stop a bullet.
When she’d first seen the complex and amenities, she’d wanted a first-floor unit to take advantage of the space out back. Now, the second floor felt safer, to a point.
Moonlight seeping through the vertical blinds over her slider created thin bars that reminded her of her predicament. The twisted psychopath who’d kidnapped her might be the one in jail, but Abby was the one held hostage. Until she testified and her family found her stalker, she wouldn’t be free to continue life on her own terms. Another form of imprisonment.
Claaang.
The strange metallic clink outside diverted her attention to the dining area and balcony beyond. A killer isn’t going to announce his presence. She wished she had Diego by her side but having to take the dog for a walk after dark held no appeal. At Royden’s house, they could let the animal roam, but not around an apartment complex.
Fate threw out pivotal moments on occasion, whether to test a soul for worthiness or challenge a person’s courage didn’t matter. With no other sound louder than the heartbeat thrumming in her ears, she pushed to her feet and padded to the side of the glass door.
Another jangle of something solid, metal striking metal, forced a small whimper from her throat. The balcony’s railing is wrought iron. But what loose item could strike it?
Excess salivation and the lump sliding up her throat denied the ability to clear her airway. Shaking fingers halted midway to the vertical barrier hindering her view. It galled the crap out of her she couldn’t force her hand to open the door. I’m on the second floor for Christ’s sake.
Cauti
ously, she peered around the edge of the vinyl slat nearest the frame and wondered if someone waited to gain her attention, gun in hand. She could only view a small section of the balcony.
All the excuses given to Royden and family for not leaving with them left a bitter taste in her mouth. After witnessing Charlee’s determination in the bar, Abby was determined to give Royden time to think, to be sure of what and whom he wanted.
Intermittent cloud cover muffled nature’s highlighting the small yard behind her unit. Several maple trees spread their bare branches, one of which ended within arm’s reach of her balcony. A pinecone smothered in peanut butter and birdseed dangled from the thick limb.
She could make out patches of manicured lawn and the twenty-yard buffer of scrub grass lining the woods. A sturdy wrought iron fence divided the taller grass from the property line.
During summer, the large trees offered shade when she’d sat on her balcony and pondered the day’s events over a drink or enjoyed an evening breeze as it swept away her stress.
In the next instant, oxygen came in breathy pants, her mind thrown back into an eight-by-twelve dirt-floored prison. She briefly closed her eyes against the visual assault. Her imagination picked up the slack and supplied the scratching noises she’d heard but never pinpointed in the deep darkness. Covering her ears didn’t help.
Minutes passed as her eyes adjusted to the dark exterior environment. Instincts urged her to back away, yet an iron will planted her feet solidly on the hardwood. Her heart thumped louder, triple time to the diminishing but ominous metal against metal peal. She couldn’t see anything that would make a metallic noise.
Wind whistled under the eaves yet didn’t negate the intermittent crash of something she couldn’t define. The apartment’s window shutters were fixed, balcony furniture too heavy for less than gale winds, and the complex had no teenagers who’d pull mean pranks.
Perspiration moistened the skin between her shoulder blades and slicked her palms. Royden’s advice concerning instincts springing from subconscious thoughts to offer a form of protection came to mind. To her, retreat equaled cowardice.
Just as she pulled her finger away from the blind and turned away, her peripheral vision picked up moving shadows. Was that a person climbing over the fence and into the obscurity beyond or moving shadows? Distance and low light prevented her from seeing more clearly. If she called Roy or her brothers, they’d cart her off, regardless of the late hour.
Safety trumped doubt.
Two steps back then into the kitchen added a small layer of security. Another glass of wine while calling Royden sounded like a reasonable buffer in contemplating what she’d say.
She’d checked the lock on the slider earlier and had made sure the security stick remained wedged in place. Since those measures wouldn’t stop a bullet, she also pulled the outer sliding curtain closed.
Better to imagine an intruder returning than to see him on your doorstep.
“You’re getting spooky girl. It’s high time you got a dog.” Once I move to Royden’s house... Her brother Matt talked about a litter of shepherds bred by one of his friends. Though training a puppy would be difficult with her schedule, she had plenty of family to help.
Another clink outside convinced her the wine could wait. With her luck, the family would come in with guns drawn only to find the breeze had tangled the upper balcony’s wind chimes and a piece had fallen off, tangling on her railing.
The cell phone slipped from her grasp and slid back to the quartz countertop with the first somber notes of classical music drifting into her space. The melody resonated with a dark memory she couldn’t place. Turning her head to the side, she tried to pinpoint the source.
Walls separating the residences held a fair amount of insulation, yet a certain clarity indicated the music flowed from within her space as opposed to an adjoining unit. None of her neighbors listened to that genre, and the dark nature of the piece plucked at her nerves.
Like the cunning subtext of a document, muffled scratching underlay the notes with a discordance well remembered. Oh god, scurrying rats.
She’d been alone for two hours and already imagined all manner of scenarios ending in death. Picking up her cell, she started to call Royden, the same fear that prevented her from opening the slider kept her feet glued to the floor.
None in her family had ever suffered the challenges of mental illness. Abby wouldn’t be the first. She, the only female child, closeted and protected all her life by testosterone-driven brothers.
No tangible evidence explained the increase in her heart rate or the perspiration dotting her upper lip other than the paranoia of a scared woman.
False bravado had molded into an invisible shield and served her well during the few months since her kidnapping. She’d done everything she could to ward off the terror hovering ever closer around her aura. A spirit inundated with fear accomplished nothing.
Before she could push the speed dial known to bring peace of mind, the doorbell rang.
The metallic tinkling had stopped.
The music stopped.
I’m losing my mind. Either that or my imagination has a bitchy sense of karma.
Hesitant steps shuffling across hardwood floors carried her to the front door. Peeking through the peephole, she saw Lexi’s smile. Her friend gestured to the half-gallon of her favorite ice cream in her other hand.
At least part of the evening would be good. She opened the door, not expecting Hoover to bound inside. “C’mon on in. Um, but—”
“She’s wearing her vest. Service dogs can go about anywhere.” Lexi followed her dog to the kitchen. The established routine of visiting included treats of one kind or another. The small baggie pulled from her jacket pocket held homemade chewy biscuits. “How do you ask?”
Hoover dropped her shoulders and head to the ground and wiggled her butt at the same time. In the next instant, she sat and held one paw up. Lexi offered the expected reward then deposited her backpack on the kitchen table.
“How’d you know I needed this tonight?” Abby started to pull two bowls from the cupboard. “Just spoons, tonight?”
“Just spoons. And I didn’t know, but I needed it. Katt was gonna come too but Matt’s still pissed at her for dancing with a potential suspect.” Lexi tilted her head side to side then smiled.
“She carries a stun gun... I know she had it Monday night—she wouldn’t have come without it.” Abby thought about the times in high school when she’d gone out with a new guy. Her brothers were present every time to see her off. Dates had never needed further warning. It made her wonder what Katt’s teenage years had been like.
“Yeah, but you know how he is. A male version of a mother hen on steroids. I brought some movies if you’re interested.” Lexi took a spoon from Abby and headed for the sofa.
As soon as the girls settled, Hoover plunked her butt down between them and whined.
“Hoover, Abby has nice furniture. You don’t need to be shedding all over it.”
“It’s okay. Didn’t you tell me every hair is a magical fiber of love?” No sooner had Abby patted the seat once, the dog hopped up and settled between them, her head on Abby’s thigh.
Two hours passed in comfort and good company with a furry companion by her side, cementing Abby’s intention to get a puppy.
When movie credits scrolled down the screen and the ice cream carton was empty, Lexi stood and stretched. “Thanks for having me over. I needed a quiet evening.”
“Thank you for the company. I needed it.” She gave Hoover’s head a final pat before standing. “Come again, any time.”
Instead of heading to the kitchen to retrieve her backpack, Lexi moved to the door. “Hoover needs to go out. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure. The gate to the dog area is unlocked. And I’m sure at least Ethan is out there by now, right?”
Lexi grinned and shrugged a shoulder.
Abby smiled as the two left. Dog and hacker were as much a part of the ot
her as Lexi was to Ethan.
If not for college and then law school, she’d have a dog, too. Now, with nothing holding her back, it was time.
When the duo returned, a small smile played about Lexi’s mouth. “She’s good for the night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Wait, you forgot your backpack.”
Lexi stood by the front door. No, I didn’t. You’ll need to give her a treat in the morning. There’s a baggie of her raw food I stuck in the fridge. Make sure she doesn’t get too many goodies, she’s kind of a pig.”
Abby’s gasp filled the now-empty room, sans one mixed-breed shepherd. Damn. I didn’t see that coming.
“Well, girl. It looks like it’s you and me tonight.”
She’d thought about the strange music but hadn’t heard it since Lexi’s arrival. When she’d turned off the television, all remained quiet.
Intuition dictated she should’ve recognized the piece, yet somehow its significance escaped her. A walk around the open area resulted in believing the music came from the unit above.
In preparing for bed, she realized the dog’s presence lifted not only the pall of doom but lightened her spirit. No wonder all her brothers had at least one. She remembered Lexi’s comment that Ethan could always find her if he knew Hoover’s whereabouts. The two were inseparable.
After a single pat of the mattress, Hoover hopped on the bed and curled by her feet. Outside, the wind had eased, but Abby was still grateful for the dog’s presence.
The curtain of sleep had just pulled her under its comforting mantle when the jarring notes of a piano sent the shepherd to barking. A push of a knob flooded the room with light, in time to see Hoover racing for the living room. The soft but discordant cacophony forced her to the nightstand in search of pepper spray.
Chapter Eighteen
McAllister Justice Series Box Set Page 40
