Oakley: Marshall’s Shadow – Jaguar Shapeshifter Romance (Marshall's Shadow Book 3)

by Kathi S. Barton

  We’re looking for Roger, but he’s disappeared. Lach is in good hands and safe. The door to her cabin was locked behind her, and she was glad she’d not shared a room with Rita as she had wanted. Now she knew why. Harris is going to get to you. I’m not sure how that is going to work or when, but she said soon. Also, here is her number if you need anything right now.

  Thank you. Thank you both so much. Rita has a gun, and she told me if I were to tell anyone what she’s said to me, she’ll kill them. Thinking of anything else she should tell him, Rebecca knew she wasn’t out of the woods with Rita just yet. She still had to stay safe until help arrived. Frank, I have been so terrible to you. I’m so sorry.

  Harris said to act normal and to not be alone with Rita if you can. She also said for you to not go anywhere you might be cornered. She cried again. Frank, her ex-husband, was helping her even after all she’d done to him. Rebecca, we’re going to have to talk when you get back here. About a lot of things.

  Yes. Someone knocked on her door, and Rebecca knew it had to be Rita. Rita and I are going to dinner now. I’ll talk to you about anything you wish. Please be careful around Roger. They’re both insane.

  Rebecca nearly put her phone in her small purse but decided that was just buying trouble. Instead, she put it in the safe in her room with her other things. If Rita were to have found her phone, she was sure she’d just flat out kill her instead of following through with whatever her plans were now. Going to the door, she smiled at her daughter and told her she was ready to go.

  “You don’t want to just sit a little bit?” Alarms were going off in her mind. Cornered. She’d be cornered. Rebecca said she was very hungry and moved out of her room completely and into the hall, locking the door behind her. “Mother, it’s going to happen sooner or later. Why would you want to have it put off? You’ll never sleep well, wondering when I’m going to have to help you along.”

  “I’d rather it never happened at all, Rita.” She moved down the hallway to the dining room. “I’m not going to go easily, either. You should remember that, while I might be old in your eyes, I’m a spry woman who works out daily.”

  “And I’m a younger woman who has been planning this for a long time. I will win in the end, Mother. I can’t believe how selfish you are to think of only yourself in this. I would have thought you’d be happy that Roger and I are so forward thinking.” Rebecca told her it involved her murder. Rita grabbed her arm and pinched hard into her skin. “I told you it’s not murder, Mother. Don’t say that to me again.”

  Her arm was going to be bruised, Rebecca thought. Even as she looked at it after she was released, she could see that Rita had drawn blood, both on the top of her arm where her fingers had been and under, where her thumbnail had dug deeply into her skin. Taking a tissue from her purse, Rebecca was startled when Rita jerked the purse from her.

  “Good girl, Mother. No cell phone. I’d really hate to think you went ahead and contacted someone about this. It will only make it harder when I have to make sure no one knows about what we’ve discussed.” Rita laughed again. It was beginning to freak her out now. “I was speaking to Roger before I went to get you, and he said if you were to tell someone, he’d be happy for me to make it look like you were crazy and that you jumped over on your own. Isn’t that a delicious idea?”

  Not bothering with answering Rita, she moved on into the dining room and asked for a table. If Rita joined her or not, she was going to sit down and have a wonderful meal, ordered off the menu instead of getting in line for the buffet. She didn’t put it past Rita to poison her food now. Everything she ate or drank wasn’t going to be out of her site from now on.

  After dinner, Rebecca sat at her table enjoying the show until everything was finished. The meal was perfection, she supposed. Rebecca hadn’t been able to enjoy much of it because she was terrified she’d be drugged or poisoned. Rita kept up a steady conversation with her, but Rebecca didn’t bother engaging in any of it. She had to keep herself alert and ready to save her life.

  Going back to her room, Rebecca made sure she moved down the hallway with other groups. When her door came up, she slipped in and locked the door behind her quickly. Rita was laughing on the other side of her door when she turned on the lights. Fear of Roger coming out of a corner or even the bathroom had her picking up the umbrella by the door and holding it like a weapon until she was sure she was alone.

  Sitting on the couch, Rebecca didn’t know how much longer she could do this. It wasn’t just scary, but it was playing havoc with her nerves as well. Wondering how men and women did this sort of thing on death row, she had a great deal more respect for the people that worked there. Being high strung all the time wasn’t good on your heart either, she supposed.

  ~*~

  Oakley heard something in the kitchen and picked up the gun he’d been left as he moved in that direction. Lach was resting on the couch they’d gotten yesterday, and he’d been working at his computer. Well, he’d been looking at his computer, not getting too much done. He was a married man now, thanks to his family, and he couldn’t be happier. Sliding into the room, not making a sound, he nearly hit his brother Heath in the head when he turned and looked at him over the refrigerator door.

  “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Heath told him he was getting a drink. “You might well have gotten yourself shot by not making yourself known to me. Damn it, Heath, there’s a madman out there looking to kill off my wife and children. Don’t do that again.”

  “I’ll be more careful. I actually thought you and Lach would be making dinner about now. I don’t have much in the way of food in my place, and I wanted to bum a meal off you.” Lach came into the kitchen and kissed him on the cheek and touched her hand to Heath’s back as she made her way to the oven. It didn’t bother his cat so much when she did that. Her hugging his younger brothers drove him insane. “Are you going to invite me to dinner, Lach? I’m wasting away here, and Oakley said I can’t eat with you.”

  “I did not. He’s lying.” Both Heath and Lach laughed. “I guess I fell right into that one, didn’t I? Lach put on a roast earlier today so we could eat when we wanted. It’s been hard for me to get her to rest when she’s supposed to. But I’m getting the hang of telling her I’ve got it. We’ll need a cook soon, so she doesn’t scare me to death all the time. But the roast? I’ve been salivating all day when the aroma trailed down the hall to me.”

  “I was going into town, taking a little walk, when I could smell it. Christ, I’d eat here nightly if I weren’t so afraid you’d poison me to get me to stop.” Lach was starting to pull the roast out of the oven, but Heath moved her away so he could do it. “You need to be taking advantage of all this male help around you, darling. It won’t be that long before you aren’t able to bend over so well.”

  “What a charmer you are. And you want to eat with us?” Heath asked her what he’d said that was wrong. “You called me fat, dumbass. And mentioned that I’m going to get bigger. Not a way to get food in your belly. Just putting that out there.”

  The lid was taken off the roaster, and both he and Heath moaned. The sucker was big—they’d cooked one this size so they could have leftovers. He didn’t want Heath to stay, because that would mean fewer open-faced roast beef sandwiches later in the week.

  “Did you know Shep is all alone in his house? I guess Harris took off sometime last night for a job.” Oakley knew where she was going and why, but he didn’t mention it to Heath. “Shep would really like to be invited to dinner too, I’m betting.”

  Before he could tell his brother to shut up, him being there was more than he wanted, Lach told him to call them all over for food. They had more than enough. Oakley stomped to his office again, not wanting to hear about how many people were coming now.

  His phone was ringing when he sat down. Having a house phone was all right, he supposed. Neither he nor Lach had given the number out to too many peo
ple. It was going to be for people that didn’t know them all that well. Also, to order food in. The cell phone he had was nice, but he thought it was difficult to get away from people bothering him all the time if he had to carry it around. All he wanted to do was spend time with Lach.

  Picking up the phone, he listened to the person on the other end of it talking to someone. Oakley thought the second person was his dad, but he couldn’t tell when the man that called started talking to him.

  “Oakley, I’m here with your grandfather. He’s has had an accident and needs someone to come and pick him up. He’s not been injured too badly but has refused to go to the hospital. Would it be convenient for you to come and pick him up?” Oakley reached out for his grandda instead of answering the man right away. “He’s a really all right guy, isn’t he?”

  “He’s the best there is.” Grandda answered him, and Oakley asked him if he’d been in an accident. Grandda laughed and said he was at Dean’s home playing with Dru, their son. “Mr.… I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. Who is this I’m talking to again?”

  “Oh, sorry. Ben Smith.” Oakley told him he’d come and get his grandda if he just told him where he was. “We’re on Rat Cove Lane down by the river. I’m happy you’re coming, Oakley. He sure is a pistol.”

  “Yes, he is. A little slower moving around now that he’s contending with a hip replacement.” Mr. Smith said he didn’t seem to be diminished that much, but he was up there in age. “Try slowing him down. He’s worse than a toddler at times.”

  Oakley knew his grandda would be pissed off if he’d heard the man talking to him. Knowing for a fact that the man didn’t have his grandda made him feel better. Also, he knew he didn’t know much about him if he thought Grandda had a broken hip, much less a hip replacement. His grandda was as spry as anyone he knew, including himself. Oakley told the man he’d be there in twenty minutes. After hanging up, he called all his family to let them know what was going on.

  Well, if that don’t beat all. I’m not anywhere near Rat Cove. Durn people. What do you suppose he’s thinking to do by telling you that? Oakley told him what he thought. Oh. Oh, my goodness, I didn’t think of that. I’m sure glad you knew it. What’s he thinking? That he’d get you and then make Lach do something stupid? I wonder if he knows how smart your little wife is about things. Or you, for that matter.

  He could also be waiting, hoping you leave the house soon and leave Lach there all alone. I haven’t the mind of Harris, but that’s what I’d think. Shep was probably righter than he was about getting him alone. I have an idea. I know Heath is at your house—he told me about dinner tonight. Why don’t you leave there and leave Heath to protect Lach?

  Or a better idea would be for Oakley to stay here, and I pretend to be going to get Grandda. I think I’d live longer if I didn’t have to be alone with Oakley’s wife. Oakley laughed, but did agree with his brother. I think I’ve pushed him about as far as I can with inviting you all to dinner. With Lach’s permission, but you guys all know how Oakley loves his leftovers when it comes to having a fat open-faced sandwich.

  I think I like that one too. Shep said he loved it and felt better about it. Then he asked everyone if they thought Heath going to the spot was good thinking. Everyone agreed. Shep also had some advice for both him and Heath. Don’t be a hero by thinking you can take him in alive. Once you get there or he attacks, then kill him. I don’t care if he faces a jury or not; I’m going to be just as satisfied if he’s no longer a part of our lives.

  Heath borrowed Oakley’s keys and went out to his truck. While they didn’t have any idea what was going to happen next, Shep said he’d be close by to help, as did Rodney and Grandda. Everyone was in place as they waited for whatever was going to happen to happen.

  By the way, I left the front door ajar. Oakley asked him why he’d do something like that with a killer on the loose. Because he couldn’t have been looking at the back of the house, or he would have known I was there. So, he’ll come into the house all sneaky like, and you can control where he is when you have to kill him. I don’t know a lot about stealth work, but I’d think that getting caught in the kitchen with a killer would be the worst kind of place. Too tight. At least the hall and dining room affords you more room to attack.

  Oh. They were all laughing now, and Oakley held onto Lach as he told her what was going on. “So, I need for you to pretend, just for a moment, that you’re here alone. Don’t be afraid, love. He’s not going to be close enough to breathe on you, much less try and kill you.”

  “I know that silly.”

  She made her way to the dining room with him hot on her heels. As soon as they entered the dining room, they watched Roger come into the house by looking at his reflection in one of the china cabinets in that room.

  He was armed with a small handgun, and it looked as if he had several knives in the back of his pants. Oakley nearly screamed when Lach spoke. He was so tense, he thought he would have screamed had he not been just ready to shift to his cat.

  “Honey, is that you? I thought you’d be gone a good deal longer.” The small laughter from Roger made Oakley pissed. He was acting just like him. Or trying to. “Oakley? Did you remember to get some milk?”

  Lach moved to stand in the doorway just as Roger was coming around the dining room table. There wasn’t any way Roger had missed her standing there. It was confirmed when she backed up, saying Roger’s name then asking him what he was doing there.

  “I’ve come to make sure you’ve done just what my wife told you to do. To get rid of the girl child.” Lach told him she wasn’t going to do that. “I thought you’d say that. Stubborn to the very end, aren’t you, Lach? Well, I’ve come here to make sure you’re no longer a threat to Rita and myself. Killing you will give me great pleasure. Just knowing you’re out of the way means we can live our life any way we wish without having to worry about you coming in behind us and messing up our little lies.”

  “You mean like the one you told my sister about you not being the one who raped that baby, Roger? Or killed her mother? Perhaps you’d have more memories about what you’ve done if I were to call you by your real name—Collin Carter. Isn’t that right?” He asked her where she’d found that. “Oh, there is plenty of information to be found if you have the right people working with you—like my sister-in-law, Harrison. You might not know this about her, but she’s very good at making people regret messing with her family. I don’t suppose you’ve heard from Rita today, have you? I would get on that if I were you. You don’t want to miss talking to each other one more time, do you?”

  “What are you fucking talking about?” Lach was taunting Roger. While Oakley didn’t know why he had a feeling, she was doing this with the blessing of Harris. Staying where he was out of sight, for now, he heard the hum of something he’d not noticed before. “You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about. My wife and your mother are on a cruise ship that will be coming back soon. Well, at least my wife is coming home.”

  He found the source of the humming and stared at the device in the corner of the room for a little longer before he realized what he was looking at. A camera, if he didn’t miss his bet. He also figured the sucker was recording all the sounds going on as well.

  “I don’t think you’re thinking about the whole picture here, Collin. Let me give you some clues. I just love clue games. I’m sure you can guess what I’m referring to before I have to give you too many clues.” He told her to shut up. “The first clue is, why do you think I was left here in my home when we all knew you didn’t have Grandda? Come on. You can answer it. I know you can.”

  “You’re not alone.” Lach laughed and yelled bingo to him. “And how do you think that is possible when I saw your husband, or whatever he is to you, leaving? Riddle me that, Lach.”

  “Someone did leave here, Collin.” He told her his name was Roger. “No, it’s not. I mean, I’m not even sure that Colli
n is your real name. Is it? Well, not that it matters. But I would like you to meet my husband. And we are married, jackass.”

  He moved from behind the dining room table and stood near Lach. When she reached down and scratched him behind the ears, he purred to her. Whatever Lach had going on, he was going to have to pay attention. Nothing was going to happen to her as long as he was around.

  “Christ. Is that even real? Probably not. What is it about women that they think having a little plaything around is going to stop me from killing them? I’m a pro at this, Lach. Dogs and shit like them don’t bother me. You’ve just signed his death warrant too if you want to know the truth. As soon as my wife returns, she’ll be joining you on the other side.” He pretended to think about it. “Or she could be in hell. She’s not even close to being sane. Did you know that? Your sister is off her rocker. More so than people think I am.”

  When he pointed his gun at her, Lach didn’t move. The only thing that alerted him to her fear was that she pulled tightly at his fur. As soon as Collin smiled at Lach, Oakley felt his cat’s rage, and he leapt at the other man.

  The taste of blood filled his mouth. It was dark with madness, something he’d never had the occasion to taste before, but he knew instinctively what it was. Collin, or whatever his name happened to be, was as mad as anyone he’d ever encountered before. But he would soon be out of their lives forever.

  Chapter 6

  Harris moved into the bedroom and put her gun to the head of the woman lying in the large bed. As soon as Rebecca opened her eyes, wide with fear, Harris told her not to scream. Not only did she obey her, but Rebecca also put both her hands up and told her there was a gun under her pillow.

  “A fat lot of good it’s doing you when I was able to get the drop on you.” Harris turned on the light, filling the room with shadows and lights. “Don’t get dressed, but come into the living room. I need you to look as normal as possible for the next few hours.”