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

by Olivia James

  "Jared did some digging for you on that guy Eric Bishop."

  Luke had traveled to Logan's home because he'd received a text that there was information about Shaw's clingy ex-boyfriend.

  "Where's Ryan?" Logan asked as they sat down in the kitchen. His wife Ava had left them a pitcher of iced tea and a plate of cookies. She'd left with the twins to see a movie. "I thought he was helping you with this."

  "He's finishing up the security system install so I could come here."

  Logan nodded absently. "Good. Glad you're getting that done. How's your girl doing?"

  "She's brave. She's determined to stay in her house tonight."

  That statement made Logan look up from the file folder and grin. "She sounds a lot like Ava then. I take it you're not happy about this decision."

  "I don't think it's the best idea. I'm planning to camp out on her street and watch the house from my car tonight."

  Throwing back his head, Logan laughed. "I can see that you're as stubborn as she is. Can you stay awake all night?"

  "With a little help from some strong coffee I should be okay. I'll grab a nap when I leave here and then head back to her place. I've been on some damn boring stakeouts in my time. I want to keep an eye out on that neighbor James Hornsby. He's creepy as shit watching her all the time."

  "You might change your mind when I tell you what Jared's found. Turns out Eric Bishop has a history of not being able to take no for an answer. It was with the campus police where he went to college, so it wasn't easy to find but when we did there was more than a few females who had lodged complaints about him. He'd follow, call, send gifts. The usual. I think he might be your best bet."

  "I might have to pay him a visit."

  Logan handed over a slip of paper. "Here's his address. How are you going to handle this? You're not on a case. You can't go in there officially. The local police don't want you anywhere near their investigation."

  "They don't have an investigation," Luke pointed out. "They think Shaw is blowing this out of proportion."

  "Did you let them know about the email from her fan taking credit for the birthday cake?"

  "She did. They gave her the same advice her agent gave her. Block the guy. Get a security system. Let them know immediately if he shows up. They said they would update the police report to reflect the new information. Basically, they can't do much until we find the guy, then she can file a restraining order."

  "The current laws are set up so that she kind of has to know who is harassing her before the police can do much. Her channel provider doesn't sound like they're doing much either."

  "They've blocked his IP address but he just uses a new one. It's like playing whack-a-mole. I doubt he's even using his own Wi-Fi. I'd guess he's going to the library or coffee shops."

  "You'll find him. I have confidence in you."

  Luke scratched his chin. "Listen, about that. I know I'm spending a lot of time–"

  "It's okay." Logan waved off his apology. "Your cases have been temporarily reassigned. We can spare you for a little while. Now if this stretches out, we'll need to have a talk about what we need to do."

  "I don't want this to jeopardize my chances of being chosen for the permanent team." Luke took a deep breath. "In fact, I was thinking that I might take Shaw out of town for a few days. Decompress from all of this stress. I was going to talk to you about it."

  "It won't jeopardize anything." Logan picked up a chocolate chip cookie and bit into it. "And you can take a few days if you need to. I know you, Brewster, and you'll continue to work even if you're not in the office. I'll be honest with you. Jared, Jason, Reed, and I talked this through, and we've decided to let you work on this because it's a much better audition of your skills than any cold case. This is the real fucking deal so don't blow it."

  Shit. Just...shit. They were evaluating his performance on this.

  Logan grinned and clapped Luke on the shoulder. "Now don't let that intimidate you. We're sure you can handle this."

  No pressure. He only had to worry about keeping Shaw safe and making the elite serials and stalkers task force. Piece of cake, really. No big deal.

  I'd better get to work.

  15

  Luke had left to go to a meeting with his boss, but his friend Ryan had stayed behind to complete the installation of Shaw's shiny new security system. It was slick as could be, allowing her to see her house whether she was inside of it or in another state completely. It did help to make her feel more secure, knowing that any movement outside would set off the floodlights. The sensors on the doors and windows were an added bonus too. Luke had joked that she now lived in Fort Knox.

  Retrieving a bottle of water from the refrigerator, she opened the back door to offer Ryan some water but he was standing right there, his hand outstretched as if to turn the doorknob.

  "I didn't scare you, did I?" he asked, a wide smile on his face. "I was coming in to let you know that I'm all done out here."

  She held up the water. "I was coming to offer you a cool drink."

  "I'll take it, thanks."

  Stepping back to allow him inside, Shaw handed over the bottle.

  "So you work with Luke?"

  She wasn't sly and Ryan knew exactly what she was trying to do if the twinkle in his eye was to be believed.

  "I do. What do you want to know, Shaw?"

  Heat flooded her cheeks, but she'd gone this far already so she might as well just go all the way.

  "He seems like a really nice guy."

  "He is a really nice guy. One of the best. I haven't known him all that long, just since we started working together earlier this year, but I can see that he's a good person. He'd give you the shirt off of his back and never remind you of it again. He's a loyal friend."

  Great, now Shaw had a vision of Luke walking around without his shirt. The heat in her cheeks was only the tip of the iceberg. Luke had an amazing physique. Not that she wouldn't like him if he didn't...but he did.

  "I guess I just wondered if he's all that he seems to be."

  "He is. His whole family is that way. I met them all on the Fourth of July. His parents had a cookout. They're close to one another. You could see the bond that they have. Not that I've ever personally experienced it, but they made me feel like part of the family the minute they met me."

  Her ears perked up at his casual statement. "You have family issues too?"

  Smirking, Ryan took a drink from the water bottle. "My issues have issues. Let's just say that I'm the family black sheep."

  "The black sheep? How so?"

  Leaning a hip against the kitchen counter, Ryan rubbed at his chin. "Can I trust you with a secret? Not even Luke knows. My bosses do, of course, because I swear they know everything, but no one else does."

  Could she keep a secret? Yes, she could. Even from Luke. Because all her friends from high school on had come to her with their problems and asking for advice, she'd become something of an expert in keeping secrets.

  "I can. I promise I won't tell anyone."

  "You see...it's like this. My family is rich. As in filthy rich. Old money too, the kind that sticks around for generations and isn't talked about because it would be tacky."

  It was the last thing that Shaw had expected Ryan to say.

  "You come from money?"

  "Yes."

  "I'm not sure how that plays into not experiencing family harmony."

  "Sorry, I sometimes assume that people get what I'm saying without me spelling it out. My family has a long tradition of business and finance. Guess who didn't join the family business? That would be me. I'm a huge disappointment to my father and grandfather. I wouldn't marry the daughter of another rich family to join the dynasties, either. That was a huge sin on my part."

  "Do people really do that? I thought that was just in books and movies."

  Ryan nodded grimly. "They do, although they pretend it's for love. I wouldn't play ball and they're still pissed about it. My father and mother still wond
er how they failed as parents when it came to me. I haven't done anything that they wanted me to do."

  "They didn't want you to be a cop?"

  "My family believes that we buy cops. And attorneys, and politicians. You get the idea. Getting my hands dirty with actual dirt? Not a good look for a Beck."

  "What did they want you to be?"

  "A senator and eventually the president of the United States."

  Uh, wow. The family was certainly ambitious. Shoot for the stars and all of that.

  "And you wanted to be a cop?"

  He nodded, a smile playing on his lips. "I was downtown with my old man and there was a bank robbery on the same street. I saw how the police handled it and from that moment on I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. It was my sole focus."

  "So they're mad at you?"

  "Yes, and whenever I see them, which isn't often, they remind me of what a disappointment I am. They also tell me that they still hold out hope that I'll repent and come back into the family fold. Fat chance of that happening."

  "So they try to control you?"

  There were parallels here to her own situation.

  "Sure, and for a long time I let them guilt me into doing shit that I didn't want to do. A prep school education, a fancy university. Country clubs, golf, elegant dinner parties, and the rest of that crap. They couldn't control me with money after I turned twenty-one, so they used guilt. Damn, they were good at it too. But eventually, it didn't work anymore."

  She needed to know why.

  "How did it stop working?"

  He shrugged carelessly. "They kept using the same old tired lines and tricks. It became repetitive and eventually it wasn't effective anymore. I'm guessing that your parents also use the guilt card with you?"

  "She invented the guilt card. She's a master at pushing all my buttons. Every single one."

  "Then don't let her."

  "That's easier said than done," Shaw groaned. "What's your secret?"

  "Do you really want to know? You aren't going to like the answer."

  She wanted to know. She needed to know.

  "I truly do want to know. I'm losing my mind here and I can't keep doing this."

  "Okay, I'll tell you." He leaned down and his voice dropped to a whisper. "If you want to stop feeling guilty then you have to not care what she thinks."

  "I don't care what she thinks."

  His smile was one of disbelief. "I don't think so. I think you're where I was a few years ago. I kept thinking that if I just stayed true to my beliefs and became a success on my own terms that eventually my parents would respect my independence and approve of my life. Spoiler alert. That was a huge nope. They aren't going to change, and the chances are that your mom isn't going to change either. She might, but you can't bank on that. You have to get to the point where you don't need their approval anymore. You have to not care. Because the only way that my parents were going to approve my life was if I lived it their way. Full stop. Their approval was too expensive, Shaw. It cost me way too much of my soul. How much will it cost you?"

  Far too much.

  "You don't think that they'll ever be proud of you?"

  He shook his head. "They want an unconditional surrender. I can't do that. Not even for my mother and father. I love them but I'm not going to live my life for them. That's asking too much. But you have to decide that for yourself."

  "Are they angry with you?"

  "Sure, sometimes. Last Christmas, my mom threw a little tantrum and my dad gave me the usual speech of how I'd made my mother upset. The thing is...I don't think that I did. The way she acted you'd have thought I told them I was joining a traveling carnival. I just told them I was taking this new job. That's it. My mom decided to get upset. I told my dad that I wasn't that powerful. I couldn't make anyone upset. He was trying to shift responsibility for my mother's emotions to me, but she's a grown woman. She has to be responsible."

  How many times had Julia done that to Shaw? Made her daughter responsible for her emotions and reactions? Even when she was just a child? Too many to count.

  "I think that maybe you and I grew up with the same sort of parents."

  "My mom and dad are nice people, but they think they should get their way all the time. I think that perhaps I'm the universe's way of reminding them that they don't run the world. Although they'd love to do that."

  "You've given me a lot to think about," Shaw finally said after a long silence. "Breaking a pattern of behavior that I've fallen back on for years isn't going to be easy."

  "It's work," Ryan agreed, emptying the water bottle. "And it's going to be hell. Mark my words. They won't give in quietly. You'll have to stick to your guns time and time again."

  "Does it still bother you? Just a little?"

  His gaze dropped to the floor and then flickered back up to Shaw. "I think the hardest part is that like all people I want to be loved for myself. I want them to love me for who and what I am. But here's the most important thing...I've found that the opinions of people who were important to me in my youth simply don't hold the weight that they used to as I've become an adult. I think that's the way it's supposed to be. I can respect them as my parents and still not worry about their approval."

  Could Shaw accept that? Could she finally get to the point where her mother's approval wasn't important?

  It was far past time to find out.

  Luke had gone over this a million times in his head, each iteration a little different than the one before. He wasn't supposed to be inserting himself into Shaw's investigation, and Logan had warned him not to call any attention to himself. He had to fly under the radar at all times.

  So he'd decided to approach Eric Bishop as a person asking for help. No accusations, no good cop and bad cop. Just a request for any information that Bishop might have. Simple and straightforward. Then Luke would watch the guy's reactions and answers extremely carefully, looking for any signs of deceit.

  Eric Bishop managed an upscale restaurant in a suburb of Seattle. The kind that was hard to get reservations for and when you did the portions were incredibly small. Not Luke's kind of place, but then he was more of a wings and beer type. He didn't know shit about wine pairings either.

  "Is Eric Bishop here this evening?" he asked the young hostess when she asked if he had a reservation. "I was hoping that I could speak briefly with him."

  "Um, just a minute." She picked up the phone on her desk and spoke quietly in it for a moment. "He'll be right out."

  "Thank you."

  Luke stepped aside so that the party behind him could be seated. While waiting he studied the old black and white photos on the wall of Seattle at the turn of the century.

  "That one is from 1907," he heard a voice say behind him. "Amazing to think that this is the same city, isn't it?"

  "It is," Luke agreed, turning to greet the other man. "Hi, my name is Luke Brewster. I was hoping to get a few minutes of your time."

  They shook hands but Eric Bishop didn't look like he was all that thrilled about having a visitor. Luke couldn't blame him though. He had to be wondering what the hell Luke wanted.

  "I'm a friend of Shaw Parker's," Luke explained, watching Bishop's expression closely. "I was hoping you might be able to help me...and her."

  Bishop's eyes widened, and he beckoned Luke to follow him down a hallway. "Shaw? Is she okay? Of course, I'll help. Let's just step into my office for privacy."

  They walked through a door at the end of the hallway into a small, utilitarian office with a metal desk, a couple of chairs, and a worn loveseat shoved up against the wall. Bishop reached for the desk phone. "Would you like something to drink? I can get one of the waitresses to bring you something."

  "No, thank you. I don't want to take up much of your time."

  Bishop sat behind his desk and Luke settled into one of the wooden chairs on the other side.

  "So how can I help you? I mean, help Shaw? Is she okay? Is she hurt or sick?"

  Luke shook his h
ead. "She's fine. But she does have a problem that I'm trying to solve for her. You see, someone has been harassing Shaw online and recently in person. They entered her home on her birthday while she was out. Left her a few things to find. Obviously, she's upset about it and I'm trying to find out who might have done it."

  Watching the other man's reaction closely, Luke leaned forward in his chair so they were eye to eye. Bishop was in the power position behind the desk, but Luke didn't want him to get too comfortable. This was a friendly discussion, but the goal was to keep the other man off balance if at all possible.

  Bishop's expression first went from confused to concerned and then back to confused. No flicker of guilt or recognition.

  "That's terrible but I'm not sure how I can be of help."

  "You and Shaw dated for a few months, right? During that time was anyone in her life giving her any sort of inappropriate attention? Maybe the guy that delivers her paper or the person that makes her coffee? Anyone that might have been a little too familiar or persistent?"

  Keep it friendly. Gain his trust.

  Bishop's eyes widened and he straightened in his chair. "As a matter of fact, yes. Her neighbor across the street. He was always around whenever I was there. We'd be getting out of the car and he'd walk up and just start talking to Shaw as if I wasn't there. I found it very strange, to be honest. I definitely think he had a crush on her."

  "Did you say anything to Shaw about him?"

  The other man shook his head. "I could tell that she thought it was harmless, and that she didn't have any interest in him. I assumed that he would eventually get the hint, but it sounds like maybe he didn't. Do you think he might have broken into her house?"

  "I haven't ruled anyone out at his point."

  "Are you a cop?" Bishop asked, squirming slightly in his seat. "I guess I'm confused as to your relationship with Shaw."

  That wasn't any of Eric Bishop's business, and Luke didn't want to stoke any emotions just in case this guy was the stalker.

  "I'm a friend who used to be a cop," Luke replied. "My sister is a good friend of Shaw's. You may remember her. Her name is Melissa."