Get Geri

by Woods, Karen

  She yawned once more and rubbed the back of her neck. “Nope, not at the moment, nor at a few other moments in the past. My life is just like flying; hours of sheer boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror. I could have easily done with fewer moments of terror, I really could have. But, I survived them and I’ll come through this, or I won’t. Either way, it really doesn’t matter in the long run. Everyone dies,” she offered and then she giggled again. “I think I’m getting just a little drunk to be quite this philosophical.”

  “You are really quite drunk, Geri,” he agreed.

  She laughed. “You’re probably right. Momma always told me never to drink alcohol when I’m alone with a man to whom I wasn’t married.”

  “Good advice.”

  “Why? Are you going to seduce me?” she asked.

  * * *

  He decided to treat it as a joke, even though the thought of taking her to bed was entirely too tempting for words. “I never seduce women who are better armed than I am.”

  * * *

  Geri laughed and removed the pistol from her waistband. Is that all that’s stopping him? “It’s against the law to be armed in the state of Texas when a person is drinking,” she confided. She then double-checked that the gun was on safety, then she ejected the clip and cleared the chamber before she placed the weapon, the single round from the chamber, and the ammunition magazine on the table between them.

  * * *

  He noted the efficiency with which she performed that operation and decided maybe she wasn’t all that drunk after all. Could she have been serious about wanting to sleep with him?

  * * *

  “I won’t tell if you won’t,” he teased.

  “That’s a relief,” she teased in return. “It’s nice to know that my secret indiscretions are safe with you.”

  “Always,” he pledged. “No matter what.”

  Her cell phone rang from across the room where she’d left it in her purse on the dressing table.

  “Are you going to get that?” he demanded.

  She listened to the phone ring a second time. Her stomach clinched. “No. It’s probably him again. I don’t want to deal with that, right now. My voice mail will get it.”

  Josh rose from his chair and walked across the room. “I’d like to give him a piece of my mind.”

  “Don’t, Josh. Just don’t say anything to him. If you have to answer that, and I wish that you wouldn’t, then just listen.”

  “I don’t think I can do that.” He flipped the phone open and listened to the abuse. She watched his face and wanted to sink beneath the floorboards that he should have first hand knowledge of the nature of the calls. Then he disconnected the call, shut off the phone, and put the instrument down with far more force than necessary upon the dresser.

  “Don’t break my phone, please. My contract has six more months to go before I’m eligible for a new phone and I can’t afford to replace the phone right now.”

  “I think I can buy you a phone. Geri, you’ve put up with that garbage for how long?”

  She blinked. “Since January.”

  “Are the calls always that awful?”

  “It’s always an electronically disguised voice. For the last few months, the calls follow the pattern of being a death threat and some foul language. Was that what you heard?”

  “Yes. Do you have any idea of who is behind this?”

  “If I did, it would be over and no one would ever find his body,” she said matter-of-factly.

  * * *

  Her tone left him with no doubt that she meant every word. Josh digested that. Somehow, it fit her take charge attitude. Yet, it spoke of ruthlessness beyond which he had thought her capable. Then again, until tonight, he had no idea she was capable of leveling a gun at someone with full intent to fire. He still wanted to know why the police detective had so readily agreed with her that she was lethal. Had that been a figure of speech? Or a statement? Who had she killed? It had to have been self-defense or she would have had a police record. But the security clearance investigation had come back clean on her before he’d hired her, and she’d lived a rather boring life since coming to work for him. Or at least I thought she had. But this is definitely not boring. And I didn’t know about it.

  “You mean that,” he stated. “If you knew who he was, you’d act against him directly and with lethal force.”

  “I’d use whatever force was necessary to solve the problem, once and for all. God willing, that could be done without taking a life,” she said, punctuating her comments with another yawn. “But, first, I’d turn the tables on him and make him understand what it feels like to be stalked. Every time he trained his binoculars on me, he’d see me looking right back at him.”

  “That’s a dangerous game, Gerianne.”

  “Less dangerous than the one he has me playing now. At least, then, I’d have some measure of control. I don’t have any control, at all, now. I hate being at his mercy, never knowing what is going to happen next. I hate this!”

  “I know that you do,” Josh said, sympathy in his voice.

  Geri rose from her chair and walked towards him. “I’m scared, terrified, my stalker will hurt you. Please don’t make yourself more of a target on my account. Please!”

  “I’ll defend you with my own life,” he said as he lightly touched her face. The instinctive way she nuzzled his hand made Josh’s mouth go dry.

  “That’s precisely what I’m afraid of. I couldn’t bear the thought of you being harmed, in any way, because of me. Don’t put yourself further on the line for me. I don’t think I could bear it if you were hurt—or God forbid, killed—helping me. That’s one thing I don’t think I could endure. Promise me you won’t put yourself further in harm’s way on my account. Promise me!”

  “Neither of us are going to be hurt by that maniac. I promise you.”

  “I wish I could believe that,” she said, unable to suppress the yawn.

  “You’re dead on your feet. You need to get some sleep. You’ve had a long and emotionally exhausting day,” he allowed, keeping his voice gentle. “Hit the sack and we’ll talk in the morning. Sleep well. The brandy should help you sleep. I’ll be right next door if you need anything.”

  “Josh?”

  He shook his head, denying her, even though he desperately wanted to take her to bed and keep her there with him. “Surviving mortal danger tends to signal all kinds of reactions in people, tending to make people want to affirm that they are still alive. The easiest way to do that is to have sex,” he said, trying to keep his voice gentle. “It’s always a mistake to act on those reactions, especially when you are experiencing diminished control. I don’t want you to have any cause for regrets, Gerianne Evelyn.”

  * * *

  Geri wanted to cry, but she wouldn’t. The first time she had the guts to be bold with Josh, and he dismissed it as mere hormonal reaction to danger mixed with drunkenness. Granted, she had thought about using that excuse herself. Yet, that was supposed to be in retrospect. Really, this was for the best. Or at least, she tried to tell herself that. Sex outside of marriage is wrong. You know that. It would hurt your soul, and his. Not a loving act to hurt the soul of someone you love. And it would be a sin against a potential child that could result. You know that… So, why don’t you care?

  Geri wanted to say that all she needed was for him to hold her, love her, and make her forget—at least for a little while— the horrors of the day. Yet, he had already dismissed her longing for him as reaction. She wouldn’t ask a third time.

  Chapter Four

  Josh awoke, as he always did, at five. He quickly showered, shaved, and dressed, then looked in on Geri. Much to his surprise, she wasn’t in the bedroom.

  He went over to her bed. It had been slept in. But, the bed was cold. She hadn’t slept any better than he had.

  The door leading out to the balcony was open. He walked over to it and looked out. His attention was drawn to a lone figure swimming laps. Two of his
bodyguards were on the deck, keeping watch. She had obviously raided the pool house for the demure black one-piece swimsuit she wore. But, then, he kept extra suits on hand, so that his guests could help themselves and enjoy the pool.

  He stood there for a long moment, watching her gracefully, speedily move through the water. Josh understood using physical activity as a release for anger, frustration, and a host of other emotions, including sexual frustration. He wondered if she were as frustrated as he was.

  He felt a surge of pride that she was comfortable enough here to make herself at home. But, he couldn’t help wishing she were still in bed.

  Last night, she had surprised him with her blunt question about his excuses for not seducing her. It had been the combination of the aftermath of danger, alcohol, and exhaustion loosening both her inhibitions and tongue. He was afraid she would be embarrassed about her question, if she remembered it. Frankly, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted her to remember it or not. But, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to forget the question. Leaving her alone last night had been one of the hardest things he had ever done.

  A few minutes later, Josh was on the patio with his coffee and morning newspaper. But, his eyes kept going to Geri as she swam on this Saturday morning, the second day of September. On the front page was the story of the bombing of her apartment complex. Josh had suspected that it would be the major story for today. There was a smaller article about the car bombing. So far, no one from the press had linked the two attacks. And Geri’s name wasn’t mentioned at all in connection with the apartment complex. Yet. At least, this bought them some time.

  One of Josh’s bodyguards came over. “Bradford Bennet is at the gate demanding to see Miss Erikson.”

  Josh nodded. He supposed if it had been his woman who had been threatened, he’d be tearing up the earth to find her as well. “Let him in.”

  It was only a few minutes until the attorney came storming out onto the patio.

  Josh had long ago assessed the attorney as a man not to meet in a darkened alleyway. Bennet was average in height, average in looks, and lethal in the courtroom, as well as other venues. Brad Bennet carried himself with the bearing of a military man, which wasn’t surprising. The man still served in the Naval Reserves with the office of the Judge Advocate General.

  “Morning, Sutherland,” Brad greeted.

  “Good morning. Have some coffee, Counselor,” Josh offered.

  “Where’s Gee?”

  Josh looked over to the pool. Brad looked at the sole figure in the pool and smiled a smile Josh could only call profoundly relieved.

  “Figures,” the attorney said, his voice relieved and indulgent, as he sat down at the patio table and helped himself to the offered cup of coffee. “The woman can’t pass up a pool. How many laps has she done?”

  “I don’t know,” Josh replied. “I’ve only been sitting her for a few minutes. In that time, I’ve watched her do ten laps, swimming like the hounds of hell were on her heels. She’s really quite a strong swimmer.”

  Brad sipped the coffee. “That, she is. But she’s good at almost every sport she’s ever done. As an undergraduate, she was on the golf, softball, and track teams. I really thought she’d go pro in golf. Still, she opted for grad school, and then taking her doctorate.”

  Josh refilled his own coffee cup from the silver pot. “Why haven’t you done something to help keep her safe from the stalker?”

  “I knew about the phone calls and the harassment, but only because I was there when the cat was found and because I ran interference with the cops when the box of cocaine arrived. Otherwise, Gee wouldn’t have told me about this. She plays her cards close to her vest. Always has. She really prefers to handle her business on her own, without outside interference.”

  “Foolish. But, I suppose we can’t blame her for wanting to handle this on her own.”

  “Gee’s never been one to lean on anyone. She’s a loner by nature. We tried to share quarters when she moved here, ten years ago. That didn’t last more than a month before she found herself a house of her own. Putting up with my idiosyncrasies on a daily basis was far more than she could bear. She hates leaning on anyone or feeling she might not be carrying her own weight.”

  Josh thought about that for a long moment. It was one thing to take it for granted Geri and this man were long term lovers. It was another thing entirely to hear him talk about their living together. Josh hadn’t ever felt intense jealousy, until now. And he didn’t like the sensation, at all.

  “It’s probably just as well you weren’t living together. Otherwise, you would be homeless as well, if not worse,” Josh replied as he tried to tell himself Geri was a grown woman entitled to make her own decisions about who the man in her life would be. At least Bennet was closer to her age than he himself was. But, he still knew that if she asked him again, when she was stone cold sober, to make love with her that he would have Geri under him in a heartbeat.

  “Have you heard anything definite about the number of people who were killed in the apartment building?” Brad asked, interrupting Josh’s thoughts.

  “No. Nothing definite. We don’t even know for certain that it is related.”

  Brad sighed. “Not for certain. But, I’d lay big time money on it.”

  “Yeah, I would too,” Josh agreed. “We’ll know more when the reports are in.”

  “You were there when her car went up,” Brad stated, not asked. “Tell me about it.”

  “Did you know she had rigged that remote starter to her car?”

  “She did the work in my garage a couple of days after we buried her mother,” Brad said.

  “Did you know she has a concealed carry permit?”

  “She said she was going to get one. If she had experienced any problems I would have heard about it. So, I assumed she got it without difficulty.”

  “I’m going to ask you again. Why didn’t you do more to take care of her?” Josh demanded. “Why haven’t you put guards on her, or taken her away from here until the idiot could be caught?”

  “I paid a PI firm to keep watch on her. But, the guys were either too sloppy or she was too sharp. I rather suspect it was the latter. Gee’s usually painfully aware of everything going on around her. She saw my PI and called the cops, thinking that he might have been the stalker…She doesn’t expect, ask for, or easily accept help from any quarter. I doubt she ever will. What was I to do? Hogtie her and lock her in a closet?”

  Josh sighed. “No. Although the thought is tempting.”

  “She’d fight that tooth and nail. Trust me, being on the receiving end of her temper is not a comfortable place to be.”

  “More than just uncomfortable, it’s lethal,” Josh replied, trying to draw the other man out.

  “I really can’t imagine what kind of inducement you had to offer her to get her to take refuge here. It would have to be an inducement instead of a threat. People who threaten her don’t tend to stay healthy for long.”

  “She had the option of taking shelter here or going into police protective custody,” Josh stated.

  Brad nodded. “Yes. That would do it. At least here she won’t be confined to a small room. She can be quite claustrophobic, actually. Tight places are one of the very few things she just literally cannot stand. That’s the reason I was surprised she opted for that tiny apartment she rented. I know living there had to have been a major trial for her. But, she never complained. She never complains, about anything,” he stated. “Thanks for taking care of her. It means more to me than you can know.”

  “She will have a cadre of bodyguards of her own starting later this morning.”

  Brad looked over at the pool where Geri was still swimming. “She won’t like that. At all.”

  “Tough. Further, I intend to see that she stays here, where my security can help keep her safe, until this is totally resolved.”

  Brad smiled. “Does she know that?”

  “Not yet. She thinks she is going to get a hotel room toda
y, until she can find an apartment. But, that’s just not going to happen. I intend to keep her safe.”

  “I would pay to see the fireworks when you tell her what your plans are,” Brad remarked with a small laugh. He looked over at the pool once more. “She doesn’t take kindly to people arranging her life for her.”

  “She’s a strong woman.”

  “If she wasn’t strong, she would have been dead a long time ago,” Brad replied, his voice distracted as he looked at her swimming figure. “The woman’s part fish, I swear,” he added, clearly distracted, as he looked at Geri who was still swimming her laps without any sign of fatigue. “You’d never know by looking at her that she only began swimming for exercise as physical therapy after she came out of the coma.”

  “No,” Josh agreed, “you wouldn’t.” He decided to try to draw the other man out. “That had to have been a terrible time for her.”

  Brad nodded once. “It wasn’t fun for any of us. The three weeks she was in the coma were terrible on Gina and Nate. Her stepfather, Nate, was a hard man. But, he couldn’t have loved Gee any more if she had been his own daughter, instead of his stepdaughter. The only time I ever saw that man cry was when he stood at her bedside in the hospital’s intensive care unit.”

  “It couldn’t have been an easy time for you, either.”

  “No. It wasn’t. She wouldn’t have even been assaulted if she hadn’t come to visit me that summer, after she completed her bachelor’s degree. It’s been over fifteen years now, and I still have nightmares.”

  “Does she?” Josh demanded.

  “I don’t know. She never talks about it.”

  “She was just nineteen when she was assaulted,” Josh stated, wishing he knew exactly what had happened. Three weeks in a coma meant she had suffered profoundly serious injuries. The thought of her being hurt made him both angry and sick.

  “The doctors weren’t at all sure that she’d pull through. In fact, they told Gina and Nate it was merely a matter of time until she would probably stop breathing. Delgado hurt her very badly.”