Lethal Allure: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 2)

by Olivia James

  She believed that. Even now she felt safe and protected when he was sitting beside her. He made her feel like he had it all under control.

  Which it wasn't. It was all shit but for the most part his calm and strong demeanor had kept her from losing her mind these last few hours.

  "We're assuming it's a him. It could be a her."

  "That's true."

  Shaw's gaze settled on the closed drapes over the front window. It was almost just like the one in her home. "You suspect James?"

  "As far as I'm concerned, everyone in your life is a suspect until they've been ruled out."

  "I think we can safely say that Melissa, Taylor, and Austin aren't guilty. They were with us tonight."

  His lips quirked up in a half-smile. "You could, but I would argue that since we had to drop Melissa off at her car and then took a few minutes saying goodbye that Taylor and Austin had time to drive over here, get into your apartment, and leave the gift."

  Her mouth fell open in shock. "You don't truly believe that Taylor and Austin did this? They wouldn't do that. That's crazy."

  "I don't think they did," he chuckled. "I just wanted to point out that we can't be so quick to rule people out. They had a window of opportunity, plus Taylor spends a lot of time with you. She would have had a chance to possibly make a copy of your house key. She would have known you didn't have any security cameras too."

  "Taylor didn't do this."

  Shaw was positive of that.

  "Once again, I'm not saying that she did. I'm just saying that we have to look at everyone. Even your creepy neighbor across the street, and yes, your ex-boyfriend Eric who apparently can't take no for an answer."

  Heat rose in her cheeks. "How did you know about Eric? Melissa?"

  "Of course. She suggested that I look into him, and I'm definitely going to do that. If there's anyone else that you've dated in the last year, we should look at them too. Or anyone that asked you out and you turned down."

  There was no one else. She didn't have the most active social life with the opposite sex. She'd spent most of her time working.

  "You're assuming that the person who did this is close to me."

  "When they were only sending you messages, they could have been anywhere in the world. Now they've made contact. They're circling you, getting closer. At the very least, they've been watching you for awhile because they knew you'd be out tonight. That makes me think it's someone you have contact with on a regular basis. It doesn't mean that you've ever spoken a word to them. You know as well as I do that stalkers can create an elaborate fantasy world in their heads and imagine an intimate relationship where none actually exists. There's a possibility that someone saw you on your channel, became obsessed, traveled here from wherever they were, watched you, and is now making contact. I won't say it couldn't happen because I've seen it happen, but that's not an easy thing to do."

  It made sense, although she didn't want to think about someone she knew stalking her. She'd much rather it be some random stranger from across the internet. It made it less...personal.

  "So what do we do now?"

  "I'd suggest sleep, but you said that's not going to happen. How about we play a game to kill some time until the sun comes up? Then tomorrow I'm going to install security cameras around your house. If someone comes again, we'll see them. I'm also going to check out your ex and anyone else that you have contact with, right down to your dry cleaner."

  "I don't remember the last time I dry cleaned my clothes. I'm a wash and wear kind of person."

  "Then I'll check out your barista and the guy that delivers your pizza."

  It was reassuring that Luke was taking this seriously. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her which made her feel safe. But if someone was determined to get to her, they'd find a way. They'd already found her home.

  Shaw wanted this to be all over, but she had a feeling that it had only just begun.

  He had her attention. She couldn’t ignore him now. His sweet Shaw would soon be his.

  12

  The sun was barely over the horizon the next morning when Luke heard a soft knock on his back door located in the kitchen. He was tapping away at his laptop while Shaw slumbered in his bed.

  She'd finally fallen asleep at about four in the morning, not able to keep her eyes open anymore after three hot chocolates. She'd settled onto the couch but he'd carried her into the bedroom so she wouldn't wake up with a crick in her neck and back.

  It was Ryan at the door. Did this bastard ever sleep?

  Apparently not. He'd arrived with three hot coffees and a box of pastries.

  "I’m worried about you. You’re always awake," Luke said as he stepped back to let his friend inside. It was a rainy and chilly day, the sun hiding behind the clouds.

  "I told you. I have insomnia. I would have been over earlier, but I assumed you were asleep."

  Luke placed his finger over his lips in warning. "I couldn't sleep but Shaw finally dozed off a few hours ago, so let's keep it down. She was exhausted and she needs the rest."

  "No problem. I came to bring you some breakfast and see what you needed me to do."

  Luke would love Ryan's help, but the guy had his own assignments. It was bad enough that he was taking time from his regular duties to deal with all of this.

  "I know you're busier than hell. I'll handle it. I'm going to check out the ex and also set up some security at her house."

  Ryan frowned but it quickly turned into a grin. "I can handle a little extra work. I don't sleep, remember? Besides, Logan wants us to be a close team."

  "He was at Shaw's last night when the cops were there," Luke conceded. "He did seem like it was okay for me to spend time on this, but I had no idea that he'd ask you to help."

  Ryan shrugged. "That's Logan for you. He's an enigma, but he knows what it's like to be stalked...and when it comes to females, he's extra protective. I think he figures that with two of us working on this it will close the case that much faster and then we can get back to our jobs."

  "That sounds like something Jared would say."

  "Or Reed. Logan also said that the police don't want us sticking our noses into this investigation, so they'll be absolutely no cooperation with them. That's going to be awkward."

  It was but Luke had thought about that.

  "I'm not planning for them to know that we're looking into anything. If they're not doing it, I doubt they'll notice that we are."

  "Interesting perspective but probably true. So what's our plan of attack?"

  "I want to set up a security system at Shaw's house. Cameras. An alarm. No one gets in without us knowing."

  Ryan's brows shot up. "She's going to go back there? Brave woman."

  "I don't want her to," Luke declared firmly. "I'd like it if she stayed here with me, but I have a feeling she's going to insist that she's fine being alone. She's independent as hell. Even if she does stay here, we still need to keep an eye out on the house. He or she might come back."

  "What's your gut telling you?" Ryan asked, reaching for a second donut. "Man or woman?"

  "My gut isn't talking. The messages haven't been overly romantic so at this point it's a toss-up. Statistically, the majority of stalkers are men, so I've been saying he."

  Ryan leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. "If you want to talk about statistics let's start there. The general profile for a stalker is a male, unemployed or underemployed in his thirties to forties with a higher IQ than your general criminal. The majority of victims know their stalker as well."

  "Shaw is a public personality, though. That means someone could have seen her channel and fixated on her."

  Rubbing his chin, Ryan took another sip of his coffee. "If they've traveled to get close to her, the escalation is through the roof. To go to that much trouble points to some serious delusion. Are you still thinking about her neighbor across the street?"

  "He had opportunity. His lights were off last night when I took her home. He might
have been out of course, but he could have been sitting in his house watching. He knows that I know what he's doing now so he might be more careful. I'd love to catch that son of a bitch on her property."

  "As far as I could find he doesn't have any record of stalking in his past. He doesn't sound like a guy I'd want to have a beer with but that doesn't make him an asshole."

  "Because you have high standards."

  "Damn right. So we're going to turn your girlfriend's house into Fort Knox. What else do we need to do?"

  "Check out her ex-boyfriend. Melissa said his name is Eric Bishop. He was clingy and possessive when they were dating, and Shaw dumped him after a couple of months. He's tried to establish contact several times since then. I want to know what he was doing last night. I also want to have her take me through a typical day. See who she comes in contact with. She's not looking at everyone around her as a potential stalker, but I will."

  Ryan nodded in agreement. "Have you thought about taking her away from here for a few days? Get her out of here and de-stress a little? Her birthday went to shit so you could frame it as a late birthday present. A change of scenery might help her."

  That wasn't a bad idea. Being less available to her stalker wouldn't be a bad thing.

  "I like the idea but where would I take her?"

  "There's always something happening in Vegas." Ryan cleared his throat and tugged at his collar. "My family has a place there. You could stay, free of charge."

  Luke had suspicions about his coworker but he'd never put voice to them. Ryan was hiding a couple of things, but he hadn't wanted to pry. When his friend was ready to talk, Luke would be ready to listen.

  "I might take you up on that offer."

  "I hope you do. Now finish your coffee and let's get started. This admirer isn't going to turn himself in."

  With a little luck, he might slip up though, and they'd find him.

  Before he got anywhere near Shaw.

  Shaw didn't want to admit that Luke was making sense. They'd been discussing - intensely - the topic since he'd come back from a trip to the hardware store. They clearly didn't see eye to eye.

  "I can't continue to stay with you. I have to stay here. In my home."

  She didn't want anyone to run her out of her own house. No one should have that much control over her life.

  "That's why I'm placing these cameras here and putting in an alarm system. Although I have to say, Shaw, that I don't think you should be alone. You should stay with me and the dogs where I know you'll be safe."

  "If what you say is true, and they've been watching me, they'll know that I'm at your place."

  Luke chuckled and grinned. "They'd be a fool to break into my home. Dylan and Murphy might look lazy and playful, but they'd rip an intruder apart."

  Really? The dogs didn't look scary at all. They were large balls of fluff mostly.

  Okay, fluff with big teeth.

  "How would they know whether it's an intruder?"

  "They're sensitive to reactions, especially Dylan." He began opening the myriad of boxes he'd carried into the house. "If you're determined to stay here then you're going to need to beef up your security a great deal. I'm going to put cameras around the house and install an alarm system so that if any doors or windows are breached, you'll be notified. Even if you're not home. You can run the entire system from your phone."

  "That sounds high tech. Can someone hack it?"

  "Yes, although it would take a tech pro. A general criminal isn't going to know how to do that. I did think about it though, so I purchased cameras that can be hidden. It won't be obvious that you have surveillance."

  Surveillance. That's what her life had come to.

  "I hate that I need this."

  His expression softened and he bent down to drop a kiss on her nose. "I know, honey, and I wish you didn't need this too. Let's just hope that the cameras catch someone lurking around and we can put an end to all of this sooner rather than later."

  She could only hope. The stress was wearing on her nerves. She'd finally nodded off last night, but it had been anything but restful. Her dreams were more like nightmares as she ran from some shadowy figure that hid behind every corner. She'd woken up just as tired as before she'd fallen asleep.

  "Is that your plan? Catch him in the act?"

  "That would be ideal." He nodded toward her laptop. "Have you checked your messages yet?"

  She hadn't. She'd been avoiding it. This was the third time Luke had mentioned it since she'd woken up. He was very sweetly trying not to be pushy but... It had to be done.

  "No, because I'm a great big chicken."

  "You need to," he said softly. "If he did this, I'm betting he'll tell us himself."

  She couldn't delay any longer. He'd already been more than patient. If her "fan" took credit for the incident, then they'd have more information for the police. When she'd checked her laptop last night while they were there, she hadn't received any new messages. Holding her breath, she lifted the lid on her laptop and opened her channel messages, clicking through them and perusing the contents.

  There it was. Just one, which these days was unusual. He had sent several the day before but then it was still early. He might send more later.

  "There's one here."

  Luke rounded the countertop and came to stand next to her, reading over her shoulder. The message was long with quite a bit of angry ranting. He'd come into her home to get her attention since she wouldn't talk to him. He once again warned that if she didn't reply it was only going to get worse. He kept saying that he didn't want to hurt anyone but if he did it would be her fault.

  "My fault," she murmured, the words running over and over in her head. "It would all be my fault."

  "Don't buy that shit. He's trying to manipulate you. If anyone gets hurt, it's because of the decisions he's made. Not you. He doesn't want to take responsibility for his actions. Tough. The legal system doesn't care about his fucking excuses."

  That was true. He might or might not be mentally competent. He appeared to know that what he was doing - or going to do - was wrong but if he had poor impulse control, knowing it wouldn't be enough.

  "You're thinking about replying to him, aren't you? It won't help, Shaw. It will only make things much worse."

  "I know. He's a bottomless pit of need but I can't help wanting to. I wish that if I replied and gave him some attention this would all go away." She sighed and slumped in the chair. "He'd escalate even more though if I did. It feels like it's all a waste. I keep saving these messages, but for what? You say that you can't trace where they're coming from."

  "Changing an IP address is easy. I doubt he'd be stupid enough to use the same address for every profile he's created. Of course, I'll check but I don't think that's going to be our magic bullet."

  "What will be our magic bullet?"

  Luke smiled and held up one of the cameras he was installing. "Good old-fashioned police work. Observation. Interviews. And a bit of technology. This guy has gotten away with it because you were trying to ignore it. Now we're going to put this front and center. We're going to turn the tables and start going after him, while at the same time he's coming closer. We'll get him."

  "You sound so sure."

  She wanted to believe him more than anything.

  "I am sure. In the meantime, we'll make sure you're safe. He's not going to get near you. I promise."

  Shaw had a feeling that Luke was a man who kept his promises.

  She was counting on that.

  13

  Luke and Ryan were installing the second to the last camera when a Lexus rolled up into the driveway. An older well-dressed couple exited the vehicle, chatting between themselves, although he couldn't hear exactly what was being said.

  Shit and tarnation.

  They had to be Shaw's mother and stepfather. He remembered now that she'd mentioned spending the day with her mother last night, but with everything that had gone on since that conversation he'd forgotten abo
ut it. Shaw must have as well.

  From what she'd said about her mom guilting her all the time this probably wasn't going to go well. As she'd come closer, the older woman appeared agitated and worried, her hands flying around as she spoke in a high-pitched tone.

  "I think that's Shaw's parents," Luke said to Ryan. "This might get ugly. You may want to get a snack in the kitchen and hide."

  His friend's brows rose and a smile played on his mouth. "Familial strife? I know all about that shit. Maybe I'll go check the motion sensors in the back yard."

  "Wise choice."

  Ryan disappeared around the corner of the house just as the couple climbed the few front porch steps. Luke was immediately struck by the resemblance between Shaw and her mother. They were both petite and delicate with pale blonde hair, although the older woman's complexion was golden tan as if she spent a great deal of time outdoors. Shaw was far more fair, close to porcelain with a peach-pink tinge to her cheeks.

  Jesus, I have it bad for this woman. I'll probably be writing poetry soon.

  "Who are you?" the older woman asked bluntly, looking up at him standing on the ladder.

  Climbing down, Luke gave them his best and most charming welcoming smile, determined to make a good first impression. This was Shaw's parents, after all.

  "Hello, I'm Luke Brewster. I'm a friend of Shaw's. How are you today?"

  "Confused," the woman snapped, her lips pressed together tightly. "I was supposed to meet my daughter an hour ago for brunch, but she never showed. Is she here? I can see her car in the garage."

  The garage door was up because he and Ryan had been going in and out and using it as a staging area for their work.

  "We were supposed to meet her," the older man echoed, although he didn't look near as upset as his wife. "Is she here?"

  Luke was about to answer when the front door flew open and Shaw stood there with what could only be described as a horrified expression.

  Yep, she'd forgotten and had just remembered.

  "Mom, I'm so sorry! I forgot about our brunch today."