by Janie Crouch
Eva, not a shy bone in her body, leaned out of Marilyn’s arms toward Noah. He plucked her up without any effort whatsoever. “Is everybody okay? What can I do to help?”
“Everyone is out of the building, but I know I have to find somewhere for my people to stay until the living quarters are cleared for habitation. The fire shouldn’t have spread that far, but still.”
He nodded. “I would imagine it’ll need a lot of airing out, at the very least.”
“I’ll probably get everyone over to the old New Journeys building.” But it would still take a lot of coordinating to get everybody together, to make sure they had everything they needed before they headed over there.
He nodded. “You have work to do.”
“But I also have small people who need looking after.”
“I have an idea.” He smiled at Eva then reached down to ruffle Sam’s hair. “If you’d be okay with it, I could take these two and the pup back to the ranch so they can get some sleep while you get everything done.”
“Yay! Can we, for real?” Eva’s eyes got big and she tapped a little hand against Noah’s cheek.
Even Sam was enthused. “We’ll be good, Mom. I’ll keep watch over Eva and Tromsø. He’ll like to see Thing One and Corfu.”
“I know you will.”
She crouched so she was face to face with Sam and lowered her volume. Noah, always aware, immediately turned to show Eva a better view of the firetruck to give them some privacy. “Are you sure you want to do this, buddy? We can find another way so you guys can stay here if you’re uncomfortable going to Noah’s without me.”
She knew to the depths of her soul that Noah would never hurt her children. But it wasn’t just enough for her to believe it, Sam had to believe it, too. She wouldn’t force him to leave if he didn’t want to go.
“I’m okay, Mom. I like Mr. Noah. He’s nice to you. He’s not like Dad.”
Oh, baby. “I like Mr. Noah, too. And you’re right, I don’t think he would ever do anything to hurt me or you.”
“I’ll go. I’ll even help with ranch chores.”
She knew he was looking forward to it. They walked over to Noah and Eva and a couple of minutes later, she was buckling them into Noah’s truck. The kids were taking her phone and she was keeping Noah’s so they could call her any time if they needed to.
Another thing he’d done without her even asking.
He pressed a kiss against her forehead after she shut the door behind her. “They’re your most prized treasures. I don’t take you trusting me with them lightly.”
“Thank you. For watching them. For the phone. For understanding.” For being the most amazing man I’ve ever known.
“We’ll touch base later,” he promised, kissing her forehead again. “And I’ll keep them safe. I promise.”
She believed him.
12
The rest of the night was exhausting for Marilyn, but she got everyone settled at the old New Journeys house, borrowing mattresses and blow-up beds. She and Cassandra drove them over in multiple trips.
Once the fire was completely out at the new building, the firefighters were nice enough to escort Marilyn inside so she could grab essential items for each of the women, especially for mothers with babies.
It was an exhausting night, but no one was hurt and there was actually very little damage to the living quarters themselves. Bree and Cassandra were hopeful that everyone would be able move back in soon. The fire inspector needed to do an investigation and report first to figure out what happened.
Marilyn was relieved to see the kids when Noah brought them by the next day around lunch time. They hadn’t used the phone to contact her, but she’d still been concerned.
They began chatting her ear off about the thousand things that had happened that morning at the ranch. She looked over their heads at Noah, gave him a wave and mouthed thank you.
He tipped the cowboy hat he was wearing at her and her stomach did a little somersault. He nodded then got back in his truck.
She was still smiling about it the next day, even with everything that was going on. But that stopped when Tanner showed up, tension all over his face.
This wasn’t good.
“Tanner’s here to talk to you, Marilyn,” Bree said, swallowing hard. She offered to leave since Tanner was here in an official capacity, but Marilyn wanted her to stay.
If it was what she thought it was, it was going to affect them all.
They walked into the kitchen, away from everyone else. At least the kids were occupied in the other room with some well-earned TV time.
Bree and Tanner were talking about the fire report and insurance, but she was barely listening. She immediately began making a pot of coffee, mostly to give her hands something to do. To stop them from shaking.
“The fire inspector thinks the blaze was deliberate.” Tanner nodded in thanks as she handed him a cup when it was ready. He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again. He looked like he was in pain.
“Just tell me,” she whispered. “It’s Jared, right? He made bail?”
“Yes.” Tanner’s voice was just as low. “Three days ago.”
Sick terror slammed into her like a sledgehammer. She thought she might actually vomit. The urge to go grab the kids, pack them into the car, and run as fast and as far as she could was almost more than she could quell.
It took every bit of focus to merely keep breathing.
“Three days ago?” she finally choked out. “I thought the Denver Police were going to tell me immediately if he made bail?”
Her heart was racing so fast she thought it might bruise itself against her ribs. What was she going to do?
Jared was out.
“I know.” Tanner’s handsome face, so much like Noah’s, was full of remorse. “They should’ve told you right away. It was some sort of communication breakdown, but it was wrong and I’m very sorry.”
A communication breakdown?
She struggled not to laugh hysterically. The air seemed to be getting thinner and thinner in the room.
“But there is a little bit of good news,” Tanner continued. “Jared is on an ankle tracker. I’ve got the Denver County bonding office sending me the log for everywhere Jared has been since the moment he got out. I’ve also got one of my men looking into seeing if we can get direct access to the live data so we know where he is at all times.”
Marilyn gripped the counter until her knuckles turned white. Would that be enough to stop Jared?
Breathe. Focus. Stay in control.
Easier said than done.
“I thought you said Jared wouldn’t get out on bail given what he did,” Bree said softly to Tanner.
Tanner grimaced. “Yeah, I’ll be honest, I was shocked to hear it. Evidently he got himself one of the most expensive and well-connected lawyers in the state.”
“Jared has a lot of powerful friends. His fraternity brothers.” She hated those bastards almost as much as she hated Jared.
“Is Oscar Stobbart one of those?” Tanner asked.
“Yes.” She could barely force the word out. How many times had Oscar stood, silently approving, when Jared had corrected her for something in front of him? Egging him on, making it worse. Enabling and encouraging Jared in his cruelty.
And he had watched. He had stood by Jared and watched as—
She could feel the past sucking her under. Fear threatened to swallow her whole. She couldn’t let that happen now. She had to figure out what to do.
Jared was out—ankle tracker or not—and was with the people who haunted her nightmares. She tightened her grip on the countertop trying, and failing, to tamp down the panic bubbling up inside of her.
And then, through the glass of the kitchen door window she saw Noah, his steady green eyes on hers.
He knew. Tanner must’ve called.
Noah gave her a nod that communicated so much. It told her he was here. Ready.
Noah.
Her mind latc
hed on to him like a lifeline and his presence kept the fear from eating her alive.
He didn’t move through the door, just kept their gazes centered on each other, breathing. His steady breaths helped regulate hers for a few moments. Then he tapped on the door.
Tanner saw him and walked over to open it. “I asked Noah to come by just for added security until we have a true grip on what’s going on. Is that okay?”
She nodded, not breaking eye contact with Noah. “I’ll feel better if he’s here.”
He moved closer but didn’t touch her. He was always so careful not to touch her if he wasn’t sure she really wanted it.
“You can do this,” he whispered so low only she could hear.
“Doesn’t look like I have any choice.” She rubbed a hand across her eyes, then raised her volume so Bree and Tanner could hear. “I should probably leave. Take the kids and get farther away.”
“No,” Noah said. “He’s not going to get to you.”
He said it with such complete assurance it was almost impossible not to believe him. Impossible not to recognize the warrior lying under the thinnest veneer of civilization.
She eased herself closer to him. Having Noah here was already helping. Then a thought occurred to her. “If Jared got out on bail three days ago, could he have been the one who set the fire?”
Tanner lifted his sheriff’s office hat and rubbed his brown hair. “If Jared was involved, it would answer a lot of questions. It looks like the fire was set deliberately, but whoever did it wasn’t trying to burn the building down completely or hurt anyone.”
“It was set to shake things up,” Noah muttered. “Get everyone out of their routine.”
It had certainly managed to do that. They were all now in different living locations, with different schedules and patterns.
“He could’ve been out there,” she whispered. Now that feeling she’d gotten that someone was watching her didn’t seem silly at all. “Waiting to get me or the kids alone. That’s exactly something Jared would do.”
“And none of us suspected there was any danger.” Bree shook her head. “I almost left the kids with a paramedic. He wouldn’t have known to look out for Jared.”
Bree and Tanner started talking about the hackability of Jared’s ankle monitor. Bree was a computer genius. If anyone could figure out if Jared had hacked the ankle monitor, it was her. Evidently, she and Tanner were going into Denver to make sure security was as tight as it should be and that the law enforcement there were aware of the situation.
The situation being that Marilyn had almost died the last time he got his hands on her.
Noah stayed right by her side, a calming presence, through it all. He was still there as she collapsed in on herself once Tanner and Bree left.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
He slowly reached out until his fingers gently touched her arm where it rested on the counter. “It’s okay to be scared. Fear is an instinct that can help keep us alive.”
She slid her arm until it was more completely under his gentle touch. “I’m trying not to let it swallow me whole. But it’s hard. Jared could’ve started that fire. Could’ve gotten to me or the kids. Could’ve taken us because I didn’t know to be looking for him.”
His lips pressed together. “Tanner is going to get that shit sorted out. Jared won’t slip through the cracks again. And you can be damn sure I’m not going to let him come near you or the kids.”
“We can’t just keep staying at the ranch.”
They’d been there two nights already. There just hadn’t been enough space for everyone at the old house. She’d been prepared to move into a hotel, but Noah wouldn’t let her.
Now, knowing Jared had been out without her knowledge, she was so glad he’d insisted they stay with him.
He tilted a finger under her chin. “You can keep staying at the ranch. Actually, Tanner and I have already talked about the need for you to have help. Surveillance. He’s working on getting official protection. If not, we’ll go with unofficial.”
“Let me guess, you’re unofficial.”
His lips hiked up in a half-smile. “I’m unofficial in the eyes of the law. But I’m damn well not letting you stay at a hotel until we know more about what’s going on with that asshole. Let Bree’s scary computer brain make sure he can’t get out of that ankle monitor.”
“I know she’s really good at all things computer, but I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”
“Hey.” He slid a gentle hand up her arm and eased her toward his chest. She went willingly. Maybe it was weak for her to want to lean on him this way, but she needed it, just for a few minutes.
“You’re not taking advantage of me. I want to know you and the kids are safe. Once you’re cleared to move back into the new building where the security is so much better, that’s fine. But until then, please do me the favor and stay with me.”
Do him the favor. She rolled her eyes. “You know they’re going to keep expecting animal-shaped pancakes if you keep making them every morning.”
The sound of the chuckle in his chest against her ear made her feel like everything might really be alright. The smell of him—earthy and fresh—was comforting. He’d obviously come straight from working at the ranch when Tanner had called him. Had dropped everything to come here to help her. Again.
“I don’t mind. Everybody likes that little routine.”
“It means a lot, especially since the camping trip we were supposed to go on next week is probably going to get cancelled now. Cassandra was going to lead us on an overnight hike, complete with rafting. The kids were ecstatic. But now, with not knowing when we can move back into the new building and Jared…”
“Don’t you worry, we’ll get them their camping trip. It may not be next week, but it’ll happen.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I feel like I’m always saying that. But thank you again. For everything.”
His arms wrapped tightly around her. “He’s not going to get to you, gorgeous. Me, Tanner, Bree, all the people who care about you in this town… we’re not going to let it happen.”
She closed her eyes and prayed he was right.
13
That bastard was not going to touch Marilyn. Not while Noah was alive to stop it.
Noah had kept himself calm and steady in the kitchen with her because that was what she’d needed. He stayed that way all afternoon around the house before he brought her and the kids back to the ranch that evening.
And having her and the kids sleeping in his guest room had kept him at the ranch rather than driving into Denver and permanently solving this problem in a way where nobody would ever find the body.
He was so fucking tempted.
But his brother was a law enforcement officer, and Noah respected Tanner. Respected the badge. Respected his dad’s memory.
He wasn’t going to go kill Jared Ellis or render him a human vegetable.
But he was definitely still going to get his own eyes on Ellis and ascertain the details of the situation for himself.
Noah had already talked to Bree, circumventing Tanner, because Noah had known she would shoot straight with him. He needed to know if Ellis could possibly slip that ankle monitor.
She’d been frank. “I took apart the entire system. Hacked into the company that does the monitor, even looked over the hardware myself. It’s solid. GPS is spot on. Transmitting frequency is perfect. If he’s manipulating the system, Ellis is smarter than me.”
That meant Ellis wasn’t gaming the system. Because no one was smarter than Bree Daniels when it came to computers. Like literally, nobody on the entire planet. Definitely not Jared Ellis, a construction contractor.
So, if the ankle monitor said he was in Denver, then he was in Denver.
Bree had made an app for their phones which provided up-to-date info on exactly where Ellis’s tracking monitor was.
Not exactly legal, since neither he nor Bree were in law enforc
ement they shouldn’t have the information, but that hadn’t bothered either of them one bit. Not when it came to Marilyn and the kids’ safety. Bree was giving Marilyn the app too, which hopefully would reassure her a little.
It made Noah feel better, but he was still going to Denver tonight to get his eyes on Ellis, just to make sure.
He invited Tanner along in hopes that would keep him from killing the bastard outright. He was waiting at Tanner’s SUV when he came out of the station.
“Got time to hang out in Denver?”
Tanner rolled his eyes. “You know I’ve already been there once today, right?”
Noah pushed off from against the vehicle. “I know Bree said Ellis isn’t hacking his ankle monitor—”
“He’s not.”
“—but I need eyes on him and his crew myself,” Noah continued. “I’m going with or without you.”
Tanner shrugged. “Then I’m going.” Tanner threw his bag into the back seat, then got in the driver’s side.
Noah narrowed his eyes at his brother, a little surprised. He’d expected more resistance and had been prepared to argue his case. Had also been prepared to leave Tanner’s ass here if necessary. Would call that karma finally moving on Marilyn’s behalf if Tanner wasn’t there to babysit Noah and Ellis happened to die.
They were only a few miles out of town when Tanner glanced over at him. “I’m a little surprised you even told me you were going.”
Noah shrugged. “I respect you, little brother. I respect that you chose the same route as Dad and choose to uphold the law. And, even though I don’t spend much time hanging out in the town itself, Risk Peak is my home.”
“None of which actually explains why you invited me on this little adventure.”
Noah stared straight out the windshield. “I needed someone I could trust.”
“Trust to do what?”
“Trust to keep me from killing these bastards if the opportunity presents itself.”
