Bound By Shadows (The McAllister Justice Series Book 2)

by Reily Garrett

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “You’re stressed, Caden.” Kaylee winced when she handed him a trail cam. His smile never reached his eyes. “Are you upset that I handle a gun with ease?”

  “What? Hell no. Actually, it’s kind of sexy. You were a real badass, this morning. Your dad taught you well.”

  “Still not as good as you. And before you ask, no, I didn’t hold back.” Kaylee sifted her fingers through Damien’s soft fur as she watched Caden check the box’s settings.

  “Yeah, I knew you’d want to kick my ass. Thank God you didn’t because my brothers would never let me live that down.”

  “Maybe next time.”

  During Matt’s persistence in appraising her marksmanship and evaluating her ability to assess various situations, Caden’s teeth grinding and heavy sighs had provided a constant distraction. It didn’t take a genius to realize Matt was assessing them both. Explanations detailing how the aftermath of harrowing experiences could cause hesitation or loss of focus during intense situations was aimed at Caden. Barely heard comments defined what might constitute Matt’s future and what he should do in the meantime.

  Now that they were alone and hiking the trails around the property, Caden relaxed into his former self-assured persona. Damien padded by her side, navigating the steep hills and ravines, sniffing curiously every few feet.

  When Caden held out his hand to help her navigate a rough incline, she accepted, not because she needed the aid, but because she needed his warmth. Each time his thumb brushed over her knuckles, a simultaneous thrill arced along the distant threads of her nerves.

  They shared many traits in the way they related to each other, reminding her of the easy comradery of family. The only exception, when he stood close. Then, pure instinct took over, a soul-deep yearning to merge to one spiritual being.

  “Hold still, I want to take a pic of you against that backdrop.” Maneuvering her camera into position and adjusting the field of view, she opened the aperture to narrow the depth of field so he’d stand out against a blurred background. Several clicks later, they continued down the trail.

  A moment of apprehension followed when she stopped to push aside thick vines concealing a darkened, wide-mouth entrance to a cave. The stiffening of Caden’s frame was the only outward indication he didn’t want to enter. Damien sniffed several times but displayed no evidence of a perceived threat.

  “It’s small, not very deep. When I first inspected the property, I thought it was great—now it’s kind of a security nightmare. There’s a bunch on the property.”

  No sounds emanated from within, lending a creepy atmosphere that would surface again in her dreams as the backdrop for another round of terror-induced hell. “I get that. I do. I also need to face my fears. Not today, but soon. Will you take a pic of me in front of it after I take yours? It’ll be a visual goal for me. Kind of like hanging a pair of skinny jeans on the bathroom hook to badger my conscience into sensible eating.” Once framed, the picture would be a symbolic reminder of all they’d conquered.

  “Just so you don’t use software to draw a crown of daisies or a tiara on my head.” His frown alluded to an understanding that pride would never voice.

  Standing with her back to the cave, she waited for him to manipulate the settings for the desired effect. In her mind, subjugating the cave to a vague blur gave her a sense of power over fear. A small step in the right direction. When she finished and stepped away, the incremental confidence boost lightened her step.

  Cresting a small hill, Kaylee sat on a small rock outcropping to rest. Damien rubbed against her thigh while wagging his tail, demanding his due of attention. “It’s beautiful here.”

  “Yeah, this place has everything I’d wanted in a home.”

  The pensiveness in his voice and distant look in his eyes squeezed her heart. She pushed to her feet to stand eye to eye, the best way to interpret nonverbal. “What?”

  “You read me too accurately. It’s a little unnerving. Only my brothers can do that.”

  “I speak two languages fluently, English and body.”

  “You’ve learned well.”

  “And you’re stalling. Whatever’s churning in your mind and gut, spit it out.”

  “This stalker. I’m not sure of the best way to keep you safe.”

  “First, that’s my problem. Second, I feel safer with you than anywhere else. If I’d been alone on the river, well, I’d be dead now. I dropped my paddle, remember? I wouldn’t have made it around the bend or to shore.”

  His answer was part smile, part grimace. She didn’t know how to respond, so she turned away and smoothed her hand through Damien’s soft fur when he sniffed then pawed at the ground before whining. “What’s up boy?”

  Frowning, Caden set the duffle aside and kneeled by the dog. “He’s found a scent that doesn’t meet with his approval. Matt said he doesn’t like bobcats. Maybe we’ve crossed paths with one. There’re quite a few in the area.”

  The shepherd barked and cocked his head to the side before giving the ground and small rock base a final sniff.

  “These woods are ripe with all kinds of game. I’ve seen tons of tracks. It’ll be interesting to see what my trail cams pick up.”

  “I assume you’ve already updated the firmware and these have GPS chips?” Kaylee noted the camera’s distinct demarcation in several spots.

  “Let me guess, your dad?”

  “No, Reese. He used them to study yarding behavior in deer. In wintertime, they shift to areas that better sustain them—hence we tracked their movements. Initially, we had some equipment stolen. If you yank the batteries out, it can’t notify you of tampering, though if you have it set up on a feed, you might get a pic of your thief first.”

  “At least with the way I’m attaching them, we won’t lose the feed due to vegetative growth. Hold on while I fix one atop this ridge. We can capture anything on the path without it being easily spotted.” Navigating off the trail a short distance and scrambling up a steep slope, Caden climbed a moderate-sized white oak before attaching the device with a locking cable snugged tight.

  “When the trees bud out more, I’ll probably have to move this one, but at least the height and cable will deter theft.”

  “Not many poachers or scumbags slinking through the woods are gonna look up.” Kaylee swatted at a buzzing fly while tracking Caden’s progress.

  Free fall facilitated his return when a smaller branch snapped underfoot. His deft tuck and roll ended with him standing near the tree’s base. “Nice that we can face it north and still capture two trails without worrying about exposure blow-out.”

  “You’re like a giant cat, grace and all.”

  “Yep. Unfortunately, I think I’ve used up most of my lives. What’s up, pirate? You have that look.”

  “Not sure. Just feel like someone’s watching us. Scratching the back of her neck didn’t relieve the itch between her shoulder blades blooming into a blaring premonition.

  “Yeah, I do to at times. But you’ve got me and Damien to watch over you.” The confidence in his words matched his expression.

  Shadows crept along the forest floor, growing, and fusing to form monstrous figures with moving parts, each threatening her wavering stability. “I guess it’s just the sun’s setting that’s giving me the creeps.” She’d never been one to ignore her instincts.

  “Are you getting flashbacks of the tunnels?”

  “Sometimes. Maybe the earthy smell kinda takes me back. Last night I dreamed about the accomplice. He was arguing with someone else, his accent was worse with stress. I couldn’t hear the other voice well enough to discern anything about it. The thing is I don’t know if the accent was real or just my imagination. Plus, the tunnels distort sounds. I guess we both have cause not to like them.”

  “All the more reason to go down there again at some point.”

  “Jeez, to think fascination with the area’s history brought me back here.”

  “Obviously I’m sorry
a crimp got ahold of you, but I’m not sorry you’re back. Are you going to stay once this is over?” A furrow of concentration lined his brow as he spoke.

  “I don’t know. I’d surely never find another Caden to see me through a similar adventure.” Whether he referred to her leaving his home or the area didn’t matter. Both enticed her to make the area her stomping ground. Bad things could and would happen no matter where she went, making it crucial to focus on the good. Caden is an adventure unto himself.

  “Considering you’re nearly as good a shot and have a greater wariness, I don’t think you’ll need one.”

  Ah, but I do. A very specific one.

  Despite the comforting words, she was glad he’d kept his shoulder harness on for their walk. Technology, medical advances, transportation, and many other things had changed over time, yet humanity couldn’t weed out greed, cruelty, and aggression. That creep will be coming for me. “I’m beginning to wonder if there’s such a thing as a safe place.”

  “C’mere, pirate. We’re going to get through this.”

  Comfort derived from close proximity could never be duplicated with anything else. Contact from shoulder to knee meant she could absorb his heat as well as his strength. The light rumble of satisfaction emanating from his chest and feather-light graze down her back created emotions she couldn’t hope to suppress. Nor would he miss the shudder.

  “Cold?” A low chuckle filled the air.

  “Nah, just right.” Therein lay the problem. He did fit and felt too perfect, too comfortable, unlike anything she’d ever experienced. The longer she remained in his presence, the harder it would be when another woman took her place.

  Even if he wanted her to stay, she couldn’t. She’d always wonder if it was because of her feelings for Caden or fear of being alone. She had to stand by herself again to know.

  He molded her closer, the invisible threads connecting them thickening to undermine her will.

  When she inched back, she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. “Thanks. You always know how to make me feel better.”

  “I want you to stay.”

  Knowing he was going to kiss her didn’t prepare her for the tidal wave of heat washing through her body. Like the endless flow of lava from an unseen well, the blazing inferno created by Caden’s lips brushing across hers multiplied to the point of pleasure-pain. Heaven in one stroke. When he settled them lightly over her own, the rush of lust surging through her frame crested in her chest and broke any remaining thoughts of a platonic relationship. She wanted him, for however long and however much he’d give. In the past year, she’d learned to grab whatever happiness fate sent her way. Now Caden spoon-fed it in short spurts that made her hunger for more.

  The light sweep of his tongue along the seam of her lips preceded him delving inside to twine and explore. Weakening muscles were no concern when he tightened his hold and supported her weight.

  Nothing in her life compared to that moment in time when nothing could hurt them, a split second in the vast universe that remained sacred and invulnerable. Her groan answered the growl rumbling under her fingers while the steady rise and fall of his chest created a tantalizing friction against her breasts. Evidence of his growing desire pressed against her belly to augment her hip’s natural inclination to tilt into his length. The result brought a slight twist of his hips that was her undoing. It was no longer a matter of if they would join, but when. Air became a precious commodity taken in short gasps as the volcanic heat from their contact tightened the muscles around her core. No stranger to her own body, she’d never climaxed without direct contact.

  Her thin mewl was answered with his fingers tightening on her ass, pulling her snug while massaging the muscle with his large hand. Her breaths came shorter, faster, spiraling her toward a bliss where nothing existed outside of a natural wonder that would consume her from the inside. Caden’s harsh breath stirred her hair before he nuzzled her neck. The light nip of her earlobe brought a pleasure-pain that rocketed her senses near the point of no return.

  When he ripped paradise from the natural world and loosened his hold, she opened her eyes to see his cocky grin.

  “How many times have you done that to a girl?”

  “What? Supported her weight so she didn’t fall?”

  “Yeah, that.”

  “Never like this, Kaylee. Believe me, never like this. If we weren’t up to our necks in this mess...but I won’t take chances with your safety. We can’t do this while there’s a killer on the loose.”

  As if understanding she needed a minute to regain her senses, he supported her with hands at her waist until she took a small step back.

  “You sure know how to take a girl back to nature.”

  “Hmm, why don’t we finish setting up these cameras and head back? A late lunch and a little relaxation in the hot tub sounds good.”

  She couldn’t stop the groan. “Beast.”

  He grinned before leaning in and whispering in her ear. “Soon, Kaylee. Soon.”

  “I don’t have a suit. You won’t mind if I go in naked?”

  “Ha. Now who’s the beast?”

  “Hey, I give as good as I get.”

  “Can’t wait to test that theory.”

  Damn, what a kiss. A fog of bliss swirled through her thoughts for the duration of their hike. Caden set the cameras at strategic locations, explaining the angles he used and the easiest ways to access his property from the surrounding woods along with what lay beyond in each direction. In such a remote area, his few neighbors were a good distance away.

  The trek home passed quickly with images of Caden in swim trunks flitting through her mental catalog of top pics. Each gave new definition to the memory of substantial ropes and ridges of muscles her fingers had defined. He’d shunned a brief sexual encounter in his desire for a deeper relationship yet wouldn’t take advantage while she was in danger.

  Admirable.

  Damien whined while visually searching the path ahead.

  “Has he ever had a grudge against deer or other wildlife?” Kaylee inched closer to Caden’s side, keeping her gaze trained ahead along the trail.

  “Not that I know about.”

  Near the edge of the tree line adjacent to his home, Damien growled low in his throat. His hard-eyed gaze locked onto the house. Chuffs morphed into a threatening rumble. Caden urged her behind him. “Stay back, Kaylee. I’m gonna let Damien go first to see if he can track the scent.”

  Using the garage to shield their approach, he scanned the area. She hadn’t heard the telltale slide of metal over leather, but he’d palmed his gun, its shadow against a large oak reminding her that Caden’s darker side would compel him to shoot an intruder. Matt’s earlier words rang true. Shooting a person was a lot different than paper targets. She didn’t know if the same conviction ran in her veins.

  No noise warned of danger, yet icy fingers of dread increased her pulse and breathing. She expected the sharp bite of a bullet in crossing the open yard.

  Rounding the corner of the garage, Caden’s soft expletives spoke volumes. “Back slider’s ajar.”

  The shepherd growled.

  “Search, Damien.” With his tail out straight and nose low to the ground, the dog bolted, tracking an invisible route into the house. Glass walls gave them a bird’s eye view of his progress until disappearing in the den.

  Caden glanced over his shoulder and frowned as if undecided on what to do with her. She didn’t have a gun and weighed all of a buck ten when soaking wet.

  She took the options off the table without tact or diplomacy. “I’m going with you.”

  “Yeah, figures. Stay close but leave me room to maneuver.”

  “You set the alarm before we left.”

  “Yeah, but it didn’t sound—and I didn’t get an SMS text message.”

  She’d known the killer would eventually track her down but didn’t expect it so soon. Each time death or capture came for her, she’d escaped. No doubt, Ciera had felt the same
way, that she’d cheat the reaper’s best effort.

  With Caden between her and the house, she wouldn’t see a frontal threat until it was too late. Keeping an eye out to make sure no one circled around behind them was the best help she could offer.

  Minutes earlier, she’d locked her body in a timeless embrace, praying for more passion, more intimacy, and more security. Now, she just wanted to survive the next ten minutes, then the next hour. Over Caden’s shoulder, Damien padded down the stairs at a uniform pace, sniffing side to side with each step.

  In a frantic bid for normalcy, her mind tabulated various factors to bring logic back into the equation. The time line of the puzzle pieces coming together narrowed their suspects to Ciera’s husband, the proprietors and clerks in the Denelli shopping center, along with anyone who’d happened to be nearby and shopping that day. Great.

  Her father had bragged about her analytical mind—which now failed to filter the vague evidence to come up with a plan. Her location at the time of the abduction pointed to a shop owner, probably close to the café. But how’d they know where I was staying? She’d paid cash for her few purchases.

  Caden’s shadow form and shadow gun advanced along the garage wall, followed by a small, trembling, pretender. Phantom branches from a nearby oak shook with laughter, slapping them both soundly for their intention to outsmart destiny.

  Caden led her through the kitchen, watchful of his surroundings. Damien sat by the front door, excited breaths and quiet snuffling marking his enthusiasm and their intruder’s absence.

  “Looks like our uninvited guest has left. Stay with me while I clear the rooms.”

  Looking around, she noticed Ciera’s computer was gone, and the security panel by the door was open, the cover hanging by one hinge. Figures. Was the killer somewhere in the woods even now trying to track them down to finish what he’d started? Thinking back to the tunnel, her assailant didn’t appear to have the intelligence to disable an alarm without triggering it.