She supposed prison had not only humbled him but changed his circumstances since his release. Unless he was resorting to blackmail again to fund his expensive taste. Sharon hadn’t paid him yet, but had other women? If he’d held on to Sharon’s photos, surely he’d kept some of the others. Those victims hadn’t wanted to come forward the first time around. They’d feared Tony’s retaliation later on. Once Tony had pled guilty, those women had had no need to take the risk. What about now?
As he strode closer to the front entrance, a woman exited the doorway, caught sight of him and waved. From behind him, a young boy ran toward him and Tony caught him in a hug. Sharon narrowed her gaze, watching him closely. Gabrielle had said he lived with his sister. Sharon and Tony had met and dated in college. She’d never met his sister and wouldn’t recognize her now. And Gabrielle hadn’t mentioned his sister having a child.
Sharon edged closer. Near enough to see and maybe hear, but she kept her head down so Tony wouldn’t notice her.
“How was your day?” the woman asked him.
He lowered the little boy back to the floor. “It was fine. Yours?”
His voice was deeper but essentially the same. Sharon shivered despite the heat of the summer sun.
“My day’s been busy.” She pointed to the toddler and laughed. “Tell Daddy what we did today.”
Daddy?
A wife? A child? A life?
Sharon licked her suddenly dry lips.
Could Tony really have straightened out his life this much? Or could his wife and child, the sense of normalcy, be a cover? And if he wasn’t her blackmailer, then who was?
GABRIELLE LEFT HOLLY with her uncle and headed back to her room at the inn, feeling surprisingly glum. She had thought that the more she explored the history of the curse, the simpler it would be to explain it away. The easier it would be to convince Derek nothing bad would happen if he fell in love with her all over again.
On the surface, it should be simple. She had Mother Nature to blame for the destruction of Derek’s grandfather’s life. It was horrible, but it could happen to anyone. In the next generation, Hank, Thomas and Edward, the matter came down to plain bad luck and human jealousy. It didn’t matter that in Gabrielle’s mind, those kinds of things happened. That was life.
To the Corwin men, though, those things could all be traced back to the curse. Thomas seemed intelligent and logical. Derek was the same. Yet both men deeply believed. She was beginning to wonder if anything could change their minds.
Frustrated, she went back to the inn. But before she even let herself into her room, she realized something was wrong. Her door, which she’d locked before leaving, was ajar. A glance at the door frame told her it had been wedged open.
She nudged the door open the rest of the way with her foot. “Hello?” she called out.
Nobody answered.
She didn’t see anyone in the small room. She quickly checked out the area. The bathroom door was open. Even the shower curtain was pulled back, so she could be sure nobody lurked there.
Heart pounding, she stepped inside. At a glance, she didn’t see anything missing, but how could she really know? Until she packed, she couldn’t be certain. The only jewelry she’d brought with her was on her body. Her watch, favorite ring, the diamond earrings she loved and the bracelet that her mother had given her.
And her laptop was in her car. Out of a sense of security, she kept it—and all her manuscripts and notes—with her.
So whatever was missing, it couldn’t be anything of real value, sentimental or otherwise. Still, someone had been in her room and ransacked the whole place. Drawers had been pulled out, clothes from the suitcase scattered everywhere.
Feeling violated, she backed up one step, then two until she got outside and felt less confined.
She glanced at the two doors to the other rooms, then knocked on each. No one answered. Both were shut tight, with no evidence of someone breaking into either one. She headed around the path to the front of the house and knocked on Mrs. Rhodes’s door, ringing the bell persistently at the same time, with the same result. Nothing.
Forcing a deep breath, she pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed 9-1-1. They instructed her to wait in the car until the police arrived. Gabrielle was more than happy to oblige.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DEREK’S MORNING HAD BEEN a success. An older couple whose money he’d been managing for the past six months brought their newly married son and daughter-in-law to meet with him. They had a substantial sum from their wedding, and with both parties working high-end jobs, they were a definite bonus to his portfolio. Of course he’d had a difficult time concentrating on business when all he could think about was the night he’d spent in Gabrielle’s bed.
By the time he returned to his father’s house to pick up Holly, he was on a definite high.
He let himself inside. “Who wants lunch?” he called out with Holly in mind. He was in the mood for a celebration.
“Dad!” She came running, skidding in front of him on the hardwood floor.
“Whoa!” He held out a hand in case she didn’t stop in time.
“You’re just in time!”
“For what? What’s the hurry?” he asked.
“Grandpa’s radio went off!”
“What radio?”
“My police scanner,” Hank said, joining them.
“You have a scanner?”
“From my days as a volunteer fireman.”
“Day,” Derek said. “You lasted one day.” Derek shook his head. “Never mind. What’s burning?” Derek asked.
“Nothing’s burning. Gabrielle’s in trouble!” Holly said, her voice rising.
Derek’s nerve endings went on alert. “What?”
“The chief said something about a break-in at Mrs. Rhodes’s inn,” Hank said, translating for Holly.
Derek refused to panic. “There are three rooms at Mrs. Rhodes’s place. It could be one of the other people staying there.” But even as he suggested it, he vetoed the idea. Gabrielle had already had her car vandalized and received a threatening note. This wasn’t a coincidence.
He curled his hand tighter around his keys.
“Chief mentioned a home invasion at the famous writer’s room. Want me to watch little missy here?”
Holly shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m going with you to check on Gabrielle.” She folded her arms across her chest and a mutinous look crossed her face.
Derek grasped Holly’s forearms gently and lowered himself to her level. “Listen to me. I know you’re worried about Gabrielle. I am, too. But if I take you with me I’m going to worry about you, as well, and then I won’t be any good to either of you. What if I promise to call you as soon as I know she’s okay?”
“I guess.” She glanced down. “If you won’t take me, take Fred with you.”
He paused. “Dare I ask why?”
“Lots of reasons. Protection, for one thing.” She raised a finger in the air. “And he can be your drug-sniffing dog, for another.”
Derek stiffened. “Who said anything about drugs? Dad, have you been letting her watch your Scarface DVD again?”
Hank ignored him, placing his hand on Holly’s shoulder. “Want me to take you for that lunch in the meantime?”
She shook her head. “I won’t be able to eat until I know Gabrielle’s okay.” She glanced up at Derek. “What are you still doing here? Go!” she ordered him, pointing her finger at the door.
She didn’t have to tell him twice.
BY THE TIME THE POLICE arrived, Gabrielle had gotten over being scared and had moved on to being furious. This was the third time someone had threatened her since she’d returned to town and she was finished putting up with it.
After examining her room, the police had two pieces of evidence to work with—the door that had been jimmied and a message left in the bathroom, which Gabrielle hadn’t gotten close enough to see when she’d first walked into the room.
You were warned! The words had been sc
rawled in red lipstick on the bathroom mirror.
“Ma’am?” a young police officer, the one who’d already questioned her when he arrived, asked.
Gabrielle turned. “Yes?”
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “What did you find?”
The officer scratched his head. “Nothing at a glance. We’ll have to see what Forensics uncovers.”
Gabrielle hoped Forensics was sophisticated in her old hometown.
“In the meantime, I suggest you don’t stay here.” He tipped his head toward her room. Two other officers remained inside.
“I thought as much myself.” But she didn’t want to go home.
Going back to Boston would be tantamount to admitting defeat. Giving the person trying to run her off exactly what they wanted. She didn’t see that she had much of a choice, though.
“I’ll need to know where I can reach you,” the officer said.
“She’ll be staying with me.”
Gabrielle turned at the unexpected sound of Derek’s voice. She might be an adult capable of handling things herself, but she couldn’t deny she was happy to see him.
“I’ll be right back,” she said to the policeman.
“Take your time.” He nodded and returned to her room.
Once the police were finished investigating, she’d have to pack up her things, but for now, everything she owned was on display for prying male eyes.
She took Derek’s elbow and led him to a private spot outside, beneath a tree. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Checking on you.” He cupped her cheek in his hand.
She turned her face into his palm, letting his strength calm her. “How did you know I needed checking on?”
“Intuition.”
“Seriously.”
“Dad’s police scanner. What happened?”
She shrugged, still not sure herself. “I dropped Holly off with your uncle Thomas and then I came back here. Someone had broken in while I was gone, tossed stuff all over and left a lipstick-scrawled message on the bathroom mirror.”
Derek clenched his fists. “What did the note say?”
“Nothing important.”
“Gabrielle…”
“It said, You were warned. But—”
He shook his head. “But nothing. Did you tell the police about the first note on your windshield?”
She nodded.
“And your car?”
She nodded again. “But we can’t be certain those things are related.”
“No, they’re coincidence,” he said, his sarcasm making his frustration clear.
“Fine.” She splayed her hands in front of her. “I’m just trying to calm you down. You’re getting all worked up.”
He was. His heart was beating hard against his chest and his palms sweat at the thought of someone wanting to hurt her in any way.
“Gabby, you’re coming home with me.” Where he could keep an eye on her. “I won’t take no for an answer.”
“As much as I appreciate your concern, you need to think this through.” She propped her hands on her hips, obviously ready to chastise him. “Someone is obviously after me. I don’t want to bring trouble to your doorstep.”
“I can handle it,” he said.
“You can, but do you really want to put your daughter at risk?”
That took the wind out of his argument. He ran a hand through his hair and groaned. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of Holly first.”
Her gaze softened. “You’re worried about me and I appreciate your concern. I do. But it’s better for everyone if I go back to Boston.”
He took her words like a punch in the stomach. Having just found her again, he wasn’t ready to let her go. “How do you know you’ll be any safer at home?”
“Because leaving is exactly what my tormenter wants me to do.” She bit down on her lower lip. “I can’t say it’s what I want to do, but I don’t see that I have any choice.”
He racked his brain for an alternative, but he couldn’t come up with one, either. “Maybe you’re right.”
She stepped closer, tipping her head back and meeting his gaze. “Will you miss me?”
He pulled her close and planted a long, sizzling kiss on her lips. One that made her light-headed and dizzy.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she said, when she’d finally come up for air. “It’s a good thing I’m only an hour away. I might sleep at home, but I’ll be in town during the day. I still have research to do.”
He frowned. “I’m guessing that’s going to make someone even more unhappy.”
She nodded, a pleased smile on her face. “Exactly what I’m hoping for. I want to push them into showing their hand. How else can I find out who’s behind this unless I keep doing what I’m doing?”
“Unless you bait them, you mean?” Derek was beginning to like this scenario less and less.
“You might call it that.” She clasped her hand behind her back and swung from side to side, apparently pleased with her idea.
“I don’t like it. You’re deliberately trying to provoke this person?”
“I’m going to do my job. In the meantime, if you’re nice and supportive, you can visit with me while I’m in town.”
And keep an eye on her while he was at it.
He waited with Gabrielle until the police let her back into her room. In the meantime, Mrs. Rhodes had returned from her grocery shopping. The older woman was overcome by the news, so the police took her inside and they called her sister to come help her.
Now Derek sat on the bed while Gabrielle began packing up her things.
It shouldn’t feel final, but it did.
He shouldn’t be upset. But he was.
Neither one of them mentioned the words on the bathroom mirror or the mess she had to clean as she sorted through the clothes and papers that had been tossed around the room.
“I don’t have all that much to pack. I’ve been living out of a suitcase since I got here.”
He’d already taken all of her toiletries out of the bathroom and placed them on the edge of the bed so she wouldn’t have to go in there and see the bold words again.
She paused at the foot of the mattress and sealed each bottle in its own bag before placing everything in the female version of a dop kit and laying it on top of all her clothes.
She zipped the suitcase closed. “That’s it.” She turned back toward him.
“Let me help you to your car.”
To his surprise, she let him lift the suitcase off the chair and haul it out to the street. He wedged it into the back of the trunk and slammed the door closed.
“Thank you.” She treated him to one of her sweet smiles.
“I didn’t think you’d let me help.” She’d always prided herself on her ability to do things on her own.
“Do you want the truth?”
“Of course.”
“After last night, I’m a little sore in body parts I didn’t know I had.” She curled her hands around his shirt and pulled him closer. “Since you caused it, I figured it’s only fair that I let you do the heavy lifting for me today,” she said playfully.
Leaning forward, she planted a kiss on his lips.
He cupped his hands around her face and reciprocated, his tongue slipping easily inside her willing mouth. His heart kicked hard inside his chest and he tilted her head to the side, delving deeper into her sweetness.
She broke the kiss first. “I think you’re going to miss me,” she said, sounding extremely pleased.
She should be, Derek thought. Because he wasn’t just going to miss her, he was going to worry every second she wasn’t in sight. Which meant he’d be thinking about her.
Day.
And night.
DEREK ARRIVED BACK HOME in no mood for an inquisition, but resigned to answer Holly’s questions, anyway.
Sure enough, she greeted him as soon as he stepped in the front door. “How is Gabrielle?” his daughter asked. “Wh
at happened at her place? Did someone really break in? Did they take anything? Is she hurt?”
He slung an arm over his daughter’s shoulders and steered her toward the kitchen. “Gabrielle is fine. Someone ransacked her room, but the police don’t think they took anything of value. Does that cover all of your questions?” he asked, unable to contain a grin.
“Just the first few. Where is she? Is she scared to stay alone? I can’t imagine being by myself after something like that happened to me.”
He lowered himself into one of the kitchen chairs. “Gabrielle went back to Boston,” he told her.
“What? Why?”
“Because it’s safer there for her. Besides, that’s where her home is.” He glanced at Holly. “Would you mind getting me a Diet Coke?”
She shook her head and headed to the fridge, pulled out a plastic bottle and handed it to him.
“Thanks.” He twisted off the top and took a long, cold drink.
“Dad, why didn’t Gabrielle just come back here with you?” Holly looked up at him with her big, inquisitive eyes and asked the question he’d hoped she wouldn’t think about asking.
“I offered, but it seemed smarter for her to go home.”
Holly narrowed her gaze. “Smarter how?”
Sometimes he really wished she wasn’t so darned bright. “She didn’t want to bring trouble to our doorstep,” he said carefully, trying to find a way to phrase things without making her feel guilty.
“You mean, whoever broke into her place could break in here if she was staying with us?” Holly asked.
“That’s right.” He lifted the bottle for another drink.
“But you could handle anyone who broke in! So could Grandpa Hank,” she said, pride and certainty in her expression. Just as quickly, the light in her eyes dimmed. “She was worried about me, right? I’m the reason she didn’t come back to stay here?”
Derek ran a hand through his hair. “Baby, she lives in Boston. She belongs at her place. She was never going to stay here permanently, anyway.”
“But she never took me to Target like she promised.” Disappointment tugged at Holly’s lips. He hoped she wasn’t about to cry.
“Hey! Boston isn’t the other end of the world. Gabrielle has every intention of coming back here often. She’s working on a book and she has people to interview here. And I know she’ll take you shopping. She wouldn’t miss that.” He rose and ruffled Holly’s hair, hoping he was cheering her up.
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