by Melody Anne
Shivers racked her body as she got to her knees and then stood on wobbling legs. She hesitated at the door. “No one is there, Sheriff?” she called through it.
“You’re safe now, Gracie. Open up.”
The kindness in his tone made her suspicious, and her fear skyrocketed again. She undid the locks and threw open the door.
“I don’t think you should stay here by yourself, Gracie” was the first thing the man said.
“It might have just been a prank, but I’m really glad you’re here,” she told him, her entire body shaking.
“You can hang up the phone now, darling.”
Grace hadn’t even realized she was still clutching the phone and pressing it against her ear.
“Oh. I . . . I’m sure it was nothing. I’m sure it was just my imagination,” she told the sheriff, whom she’d known most of her life.
“It wasn’t a prank, Gracie,” he said, and he pointed at her door. She looked where he’d indicated and saw a note, written in big red letters, pinned to her door with a sharp hunting blade.
“What is this?” she gasped.
“It’s a threat, and I don’t want you here by yourself. You were real smart not to answer the door,” Sheriff Thompson said.
Just then, a truck came racing around the corner of her drive, squealing to a stop only a foot from the bottom of her stairs. Cam jumped out, looking wild-eyed, wearing jeans with the top button undone . . . and no shirt.
“Grace!” He rushed up the steps, practically knocked the sheriff over, and pulled her into his arms. “Hawk heard the call. He dialed me right away,” he said, holding her so tightly she couldn’t breathe.
“I’m fine, Cam. I . . . I don’t understand what’s going on,” she said as she fought back tears.
“This is too much, Grace. Too many things have been happening. I want you to come home with me now,” he said, finally releasing her so he could look at her face.
“What do you mean, ‘too many things’?”
“You’re not unintelligent, Grace. Think about this. Someone was in your apartment, then there was a spill on the top of the outside steps right before you were about to walk down them. Your car was disabled, and you got lost in the snow,” Cam said, and her heart thudded more and more wildly with each thing he listed. “And now this note. The person is letting you know they aren’t playing. They want you afraid.”
“Well, it’s succeeded, Cam, because I am definitely scared.”
“Gracie, you need to go with Cam,” the sheriff said grimly. “You shouldn’t stay here alone until we figure this out.”
“But this is my home! They can’t chase me from my home,” she practically sobbed.
“It won’t be forever. This is a small town with a lot of neighbors who are more like family,” the man told her. “We’ll figure this out and we won’t let anyone hurt you, not ever.”
“Please, Grace. Don’t make me beg. Please just let me protect you,” Cam said.
If he’d been demanding . . . if he’d insisted . . . if he’d been controlling, she would have faced her fears and told him to go away. But she was frightened, and he was being kind.
“This has to do with the case, doesn’t it, Cam?”
“I don’t know, Grace, but I think so. I think that whoever set you up wants to scare you or harm you so you can’t talk.”
“I’ll pack a bag. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to stop this.”
Cam sighed with relief before walking with her into the house. Sheriff Thompson waited until she was ready, and they all walked from the house together. Grace looked at the note one last time before the sheriff collected it for evidence.
I’m watching you everywhere you go!
Blind fury rushed through him during the ride back to his place, but Cam couldn’t allow Grace to see that. She was frightened, and rightfully so. They could set up all the security measures they wanted, but some person had come to her home in the middle of the night and stuck a knife in her door.
The message was clear. He wanted to review the footage, but he didn’t want her to know yet that it even existed. They were going to nail whoever was doing this to the damn wall. But for now, he had to keep it together.
She sat next to him on the bench seat of the truck, her arms around him, her head resting on his shoulder while he drove. He’d seen many sides to Grace Sinclair before, but this wasn’t one of them. He’d never seen her in the grip of fear.
That only served to fuel his fury. As he pulled up to his house, the lights were burning, and several vehicles were in the yard. A small measure of his anger drained at the sight of his family.
“What’s going on, Cam?” Grace asked as she looked up.
“I think there are a few people who want to make sure you’re okay,” he said as he turned off the motor.
“They shouldn’t have come out. It’s so late.”
He took her chin and looked into her ashen face. “Grace, a lot more people love you than you realize. And if you think any of them would be able to sleep when something has happened to you, you’re crazy,” he told her before leaning down and caressing her lips.
The front door opened and his family filed out, waiting for Cam to bring Grace in. Of course, Sage was too impatient for any waiting. She rushed down the steps and pulled Grace from Cam’s arms to hold her.
“I’m so glad you’re okay! I didn’t know someone was after you. I should have known. You told me strange things were happening, and I laughed it off. I’m such a fool!” she sobbed.
“I didn’t know it, either, Sage. It’s not your fault. Or mine. And it might not be as bad as it seems right now. Everything always seems so much worse in the middle of the night,” Grace said, bringing Cam’s rage back to the surface.
He managed to tamp it back down before Grace had a chance to see it.
“Well, you have all of us, and no one will get to you through this wall of muscle,” Sage assured her as they reached the doorway.
Michael, Spence, Jackson, and Martin were all standing there, their faces solemn as they each took a turn giving Grace a hug.
“Alyssa stayed home with our daughter, but she said she’ll be here first thing in the morning,” Jackson assured her.
“You’re all making way too much fuss,” Grace told them. “I shouldn’t have pulled you from your beds.”
“We’d be furious with Cam if he hadn’t let us know,” Martin informed her. “The ladies are going to be mad enough I didn’t call, but Bethel just isn’t pleasant when she’s woken up.”
“We have some hot tea ready for you,” Sage said, pushing the men aside and leading her friend into the living room.
Grace sat down and took the cup. Cam could see she was grateful to have something to hold on to so they wouldn’t see her fingers shake. But it was too late. He’d already noticed, already knew how rattled she was.
“Really, I think it’s a pathetic person trying to get a rise from me, which he did. But honestly, if he had wanted to harm me, he could have done it many times over.”
That didn’t seem to reassure anyone in the room. Cam looked at her and wondered if he was going to have to strangle her for scaring him so badly. He needed to punish someone.
“I’m going to go in the other room with my brothers while you sit with Sage,” he told her, then bent down, kissing her firmly on the lips. Her wide eyes told him she wasn’t expecting him to do that in front of his family. Well, too damn bad. She was his, and the sooner she accepted that, the better off they’d all be.
“Good. I want to visit with Sage.”
Cam brought his brothers to his den. The first thing he did was pour a double shot of whiskey. When the soothing fire burned into his gut, he felt his nerves begin to calm.
“You all know what’s been going on,” he finally said.
“Bryson has already been called. We can go over the footage and see if we can identify this person,” Jackson said as he followed suit and poured himself a drink.
“We need a pl
an of action. Because until this case is solved, Grace is in danger. Someone out there doesn’t want to be caught, and the more I’ve been asking questions, the more the stakes have risen.”
“Who have you been talking to lately?” Spence asked.
“Her parents.”
The room went silent with that information. The brothers looked at one another, no one wanting to ask the obvious.
“Her parents certainly won’t be getting any parent-of-the-year awards, but they wouldn’t do this to Grace, would they?” Michael finally asked.
“I don’t think so,” Cam replied, running a hand through his hair. “But someone in their circle is responsible. I just spoke to her father two nights ago, and I honestly don’t think he knows anything about this, but I’m telling you that someone is talking to them, and that someone knows I’m closing in. And that person is getting desperate.”
“And desperate people do foolish things,” Jackson growled.
“Yes, yes, they do,” Cam sighed. “Until this is solved, then, Grace doesn’t leave our sight. She won’t like that, but we can do it in a somewhat sneaky way.”
“We’re just going to have to figure out more creative ways to keep her company,” Michael said, and grinned at Cam. “I’ll babysit—no problem.”
“Very cute, Michael,” Cam said with a roll of his eyes. “But, yes, you’ll get some babysitting time.” He wasn’t worried in the least that his youngest brother might hone in on his girl.
While Sage chatted with Grace, Cam and his brothers came up with a solid plan. If Grace figured it out, they would all be toast, but as of right now she wouldn’t be alone for five minutes straight.
They just hoped she wouldn’t figure out what they were doing.
“I have a job to do, Cam!”
A week had passed since someone had left that note on Grace’s door, and she still wasn’t any closer to finding answers. Cam had leads, and she was just going to have to allow him to do what he did best, although it wasn’t easy for her to let go of the control she was so fond of having.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be at a very public party right now,” Cam told her, pacing the room in front of her.
“I’ve had to put up with your babysitting me all week, and, yes, I know that’s what your family has been doing. But now I’m done with it. I have a business to run, and in three days I’m throwing my client’s rehearsal dinner. You can either keep your mouth shut and come with me, or you can stand down,” Grace told him. “But make no mistake about it: I am going. Would you give up a case because someone had threatened you?”
Cam glared at her for several moments, but she wasn’t relenting on this one. He’d already insisted on being in the restaurant when she’d met with Kitty a few days earlier to finalize the plans for the party. And she was more than willing to compromise, because she knew he really did care about her safety.
She was not willing, however, to let him ruin her career. Planning events might not seem important to Cam, but she loved what she did, and it allowed her the freedom a nine-to-five job would never grant her.
“We still don’t know who left the note, Grace, and we don’t know how serious the person is about hurting you. I just traced some of the checks to a bank account yesterday. If the person is aware that we’re closing in on them, they might get desperate, might want to eliminate you as a witness,” he said, his voice calm as if trying to reason with her. That only irritated her more.
“I am cooperating fully with you, Cam. But I told you from the day I agreed to let you look into this case that I wasn’t going to let it change my life, that I wasn’t going to hide in some corner. You either accept that or don’t. I really couldn’t care less. I’ve compromised and I’m staying here at your place or at Sage’s place when I have to get away from here, but I’m sick of being coddled.”
“Is it really such a bad thing to have people care about you?”
Because he looked so confused, Grace felt a smidgen of sympathy for the man. Enough that she decided it was time they had a chat.
“Sit down, Cam.”
“I don’t know if I want to, not while you’re using that tone.” He continued pacing.
“You will either sit down and speak to me, or you can watch me pack my things up and go back to my house. I’m done with this.”
“What do you mean you’re done with this?” He stopped pacing, at least, and he turned, giving her his full attention.
“I’m done being overrun. I’m done with you and your brothers telling me exactly how to live my life. I’m done living in fear.”
Maybe it was the fact that she was so calm, or maybe it was the seriousness of her tone, but her words seemed to penetrate his thick skull. He finally moved toward her and sat down, although he kept a distance of several feet between them.
“I’m not trying to run your life,” he told her. “Nobody is.”
“Yes, Cam, you are. I don’t care if your intentions are honorable. The outcome is still the same.”
“What outcome? Having you stay alive?” he snapped.
“No. Having me die a little more inside.”
Cam was completely silent at her words. He sat there looking as if he wanted to reach out for her, but he was obviously unsure whether that would be a smart move.
“You’re going to have to explain that, Grace.”
“I told you most of my past, Cam, and about the relationships I’ve been in. Jimmy was the worst. I realize that now. Still I was stupid enough to then date Vince, who was just as bad, although he was smoother about his deceptions. Both of them took something from me, something I’ll never be able to get back. But when they took that, I swore I would never put myself in a situation like that again. I would never allow anyone to tell me how to live my life. I’m too good for that. And even though I care about you, the way you treat me chips away at that feeling until I’m not sure if I care more or despise you more.”
“I can’t believe you would compare me to Jimmy or this Vince.”
“That’s what you’re choosing to hear, Cam? Really? That’s all you heard from everything I just said?” Frustration was making her voice squeak. She didn’t want to show any form of weakness just then, not any at all. If she did, he would never listen to her.
“No. I heard what you said, but I’m nothing like either of those men. I honor, love, and respect the people I care about. I don’t lie, cheat, or steal. So for you to compare me to them is a total insult to my character, Grace.”
“And for you to not trust me enough to live my life safely is an insult to me. I can’t be controlled. I don’t know how many times or in how many ways I have to say this before you will understand that.”
Tears threatened, but Grace would not give in to them.
Cam held her gaze, emotion burning in his eyes. She couldn’t tell what he was feeling most—frustration, anger, sadness, confusion . . . or any number of other things. But if he didn’t speak soon, maybe it was time for her to throw in the towel.
She started to rise, but Cam’s hand shot out and he grabbed her arm.
“Please,” he said quietly. “Just give me a minute.”
Grace didn’t resist when he pulled her down into his lap and wrapped her in his strong arms. Even though she didn’t want to feel like she needed anyone, it was too hard to resist the warmth that flowed through her when Cam held her. It was everything she didn’t want to feel, but that didn’t erase the fact that it was true.
She realized he really was her hero. He just needed to learn how to trust her enough to save herself sometimes.
“I know I come across as stern or controlling. I don’t want you to think I don’t trust you. It’s just that I love you, Grace,” he said, making her want to cry. “I don’t expect you to say it back to me. I don’t expect you to even believe me, not fully, but a part of you, a big part, knows what I’m saying is true. I love you and I don’t think it makes me a monster to want to protect the woman I love.”
“If you care about me at all, you have to promise to start trusting me to take care of myself. You have to stop commanding me and instead be my partner.”
She waited for his reply, waited to see what he would say next. It seemed like hours, but was probably only seconds.
“I will try. But can you also allow for mistakes?”
She wasn’t expecting that at all. “What do you mean?” she asked, leaning back so she could see his eyes.
“I’ll respect you, Grace, but I’m human. I’ll make mistakes. Can you be understanding of that and give me more than one chance?”
“I’ll give you everything if you give me a reason to.”
That hadn’t been what she’d been planning to say. The words had slipped from her tongue involuntarily. But when joy lit his eyes, she didn’t regret saying them. He was trying to do right by her. She certainly could give him the same amount of effort.
“I’m going to make love to you right now, my beautiful Grace.”
“Finally,” she sighed.
Letting go, if only for a few moments, was liberating. As Cam kissed her, Grace gave him everything of herself in her response. His lips were unyielding as they captured hers, melting away the last of her resistance to this man she couldn’t let go of.
They tugged at each other’s clothing as their impatience to feel, to touch, to relearn each other’s bodies ignited their passion. The warm air breezed across Grace’s skin as Cam tossed her shirt away and then dragged off her pants, taking her panties with them.
Breaking their kiss only long enough to lift her into his arms, he rushed up the staircase and into his master suite, and set her down gently on his silk comforter.
“You’re wearing too many clothes,” she said as she sat back up and reached for his jeans, leaning in and running her lips across the flat plane of his stomach before undoing his zipper and reaching inside, feeling the full strength of his hardness.
