The Protector's Promise (The Sinclair Brothers)

by Shirlee McCoy

“My parents are there. My sister and her husband are, too. And my brother and his wife. I’ve got another brother in Egypt who calls the hospital every day.”

  “No wonder he doesn’t want you up there. He’s being smothered by well-meaning loved ones.” She leaned against the door, her dark hair falling over her shoulders, her eyes filled with compassion.

  “I’m sure that’s the way Jude sees it, but it’s not the way we do.”

  “Of course not. You love him. You’re not thinking how frustrating it is for your brother to have his independence taken away, or how demeaning it is for him to have his dignity lost to hospital gowns and catheters. And you’re certainly not thinking about how hard it is for your brother to let all the people he loves see him weak and diminished.”

  “He’s not diminished.”

  “Not in your eyes, but he is in his.”

  She was right, of course. Jude would feel diminished by his injuries. The hallmark of his personality was his independent spirit. “The fact that you’re right doesn’t make me feel better about being hundreds of miles away from him.”

  “I understand. I’ve spent a lot of time working with people who are going through similar things. Physical trauma doesn’t only affect the person who’s been hurt. The entire family suffers.” She shivered and rubbed her arms. “It’s cold and it’s late. I’d better go in.”

  “Too bad. Talking to you is the best thing that has happened to me today.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “You really need to work on some better lines, Grayson.”

  “Who said it was a line?”

  “I can’t believe it’s the truth. A man like you must have plenty of wonderful things happen every day.”

  “A man like me? What kind of man would that be?”

  “Successful. Charming. Handsome.”

  “Somehow, coming from you, those don’t seem like compliments.”

  “What else would they be?”

  “Accusations.”

  “Why would they be that?”

  “Because you’ve made it clear that charm and flattery go hand in hand and that neither are qualities worth admiring.”

  “What I admire or don’t doesn’t matter. You can’t help what you are anymore than I can help what I am.” She unlocked the front door. “Besides, I can think of much worse things to be than successful, charming and handsome.”

  “And much better ones?”

  “I don’t know about that. I suppose what someone finds admirable depends on what she’s looking for.” She stepped into the house, but Grayson put a hand on her arm before she could close the door.

  “What is it you’re looking for, Honor?”

  “Nothing. Everything I need, I have. Now, I really do need to go. Lily gets up early, and I need to get some sleep before I begin another day.”

  “Good night, then.”

  “Good night to you, too, Grayson. And thanks again for escorting me home.”

  “Even though you really didn’t need me to?”

  “Maybe I did need you to, and I just didn’t want to admit it.” She started to close the door, but froze as the sound of a car engine filled the night.

  Three houses up, headlights flared and a car pulled slowly into the street, easing toward Honor and Grayson with a deliberateness that made Grayson’s muscles tighten. “Shut the door and call Jake.”

  “But—”

  “Shut the door.” He growled the words as he jogged down the porch stairs. The driver of the other vehicle paused in front of Honor’s place, flaunting his presence with the kind of casual arrogance that was often the downfall of stalkers. Darkness hid the driver from view, but Grayson had every intention of putting a face and a name to the person behind the wheel.

  He got in his car and started the engine, scowling and unrolling the window as Honor knocked on the passenger-side door. “Get inside the house.”

  “This isn’t your battle to fight, Grayson. And I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you while you were chasing after that lunatic.”

  “Would you forgive yourself if Lily or Candace were hurt because of him?”

  She blanched, but didn’t step away from the car. “I won’t let that happen.”

  “How will you stop it?”

  “By coming with you to make sure you find him.” She pulled the door open, slid into the seat.

  Arguing would waste time they didn’t have, so Grayson threw the sedan into Reverse and backed out onto the street.

  The car they were following accelerated, taking a left turn and disappearing from view. If Grayson didn’t hurry, he’d lose the guy. He stepped on the accelerator, adrenaline racing through his veins as he tried to close the gap between his car and the one he was following. For the first time since trading in the Jaguar, he missed it.

  “Use my cell phone and call nine-one-one. Maybe the sheriff’s department can cut this guy off before he gets to the highway. Tell them he’s heading toward the Blue Ridge Parkway in a black sports car. No license plate.”

  Honor’s fingers slipped as she tried to call the sheriff, her racing pulse and shaking muscles doing little to help the situation. She knew she sounded frantic as she relayed information to the 911 operator, but she didn’t care. She should have listened to Grayson and gone back inside the house. Traveling at an excess of ninety miles an hour wasn’t her idea of fun. Nor did she much like the idea of coming face-to-face with the man who was stalking her.

  Up ahead, the car rounded a curve in the road, disappearing from view. Grayson followed, taking the curve a little too quickly. Honor expected to see taillights again, but the road was empty. “Where did he go?”

  “He may have turned off his lights and gotten off the road. Or he might have pulled over to the side of the road to wait for us. We’re outside of town in a rural area. In his mind, this might be a great place for a confrontation.”

  “Confrontation? I’m not sure I like that idea.” As a matter of fact, she was confident she didn’t.

  “I do. I’m looking forward to having a little chat with the guy.”

  “Shouldn’t you leave that to the police?”

  “Only if they get to him before I do.” Grayson’s smile was hard and feral, and for the first time since she’d met him, Honor saw the iron will beneath the charm. The power. The ruthlessness. The determination.

  He wouldn’t give up on a goal. Wouldn’t back away from a fight. He was the kind of man who could be a great friend or a bitter adversary. The kind of man Honor wouldn’t ever want to cross. The kind she just might want to have on her side.

  She shook her head, refusing to acknowledge the thought. Grayson was trouble. In more ways than one. As long as she kept that in mind, she’d be fine. “Maybe we should go home and let the police handle things.”

  “If we have a chance to stop this guy, we’ve got to take it. Men like him are unpredictable. First he sends anonymous gifts and now he’s following you around. What will he be doing in a week? A month?”

  “Sheriff Reed will find him before then.” She hoped. She prayed.

  “I’ve worked too many cases where that hasn’t happened.” Grayson eased up on the accelerator, and the speedometer dropped from ninety to forty-five. “If our guy was waiting for us, we’d have seen him by now. He must have turned off. Let’s backtrack. There’s got to be a side road or driveway here somewhere.”

  “Grayson—”

  “We’re doing what we have to do to keep you and your family safe, Honor. There is no other option. You know that, don’t you?” He met her eyes briefly before he turned his attention back to the road, and Honor saw the truth in his gaze. His need to protect, his concern. His integrity and honor. So many things she’d thought were impossibilities. There for the taking. If only she could believe they were real.

  Her hands tightened into fists, her heart racing in her chest. Fear did funny things to people. It made them imagine things that weren’t there. That’s obviously what was making her see all the
things she’d longed for written boldly in Grayson’s eyes.

  She continued to tell herself that as Grayson backtracked along the country road, found an old gravel driveway and turned onto it.

  FOURTEEN

  The gravel drive meandered through thick trees and ended abruptly at an overgrown clearing, a decrepit house standing forlorn and abandoned in its center. A sporty black car sat in front of it, shiny and out of place in the neglected clearing.

  “Is that the car?” Honor whispered. Though why she felt the need to keep her voice down she didn’t know. If the driver was still in the car, he’d seen them coming and knew they were there. Talking quietly wouldn’t change that.

  “Yeah. That’s it, but it doesn’t look like the driver is still in it.”

  “What do we do now?”

  “We call for backup.” He took the cell phone she was still clutching in her hand and dialed, speaking rapidly to the person who answered. Giving their location. Their situation. A description of the car.

  And all the while, the clearing remained lifeless and black, the stalker’s car a glaring reminder that a criminal lurked somewhere in the darkness.

  By the time Grayson hung up the phone, Honor’s nerves were taut, her stomach tight with fear. She definitely should have done what he’d asked and gone back inside her house, locked herself inside and let other people deal with her troubles.

  Should have.

  Hadn’t.

  Now she was regretting it in a big way and praying that she’d get home to Lily and Candace in one piece.

  “It’s going to be okay. We’re safe enough here.” Grayson spoke quietly, his tone soothing.

  “How can you say that? We’re sitting in a car a hundred yards away from a lunatic’s vehicle.”

  “He’s not in it.”

  “That just makes it worse. He could be anywhere.”

  “He’s as far away as his legs have been able to carry him.”

  “You don’t know that.” She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling vulnerable and scared in a way she hadn’t since the days following Jay’s death when she’d realized just how deep in debt he’d left her, and just how much her life was going to change.

  “Sure I do. The guy is a coward. He skulks around in the dark shooting pictures of someone who doesn’t know he’s watching. Then he runs and hides. There’s no way he’s going to come out from wherever he’s gone.”

  “He was brazen enough to drive by us while we were talking.”

  “Because he knew we couldn’t see him. Men like him have agendas. They have plans. They don’t veer from them. This guy has already chosen a time and day to meet you face-to-face. He’s not going to want me around when that happens.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

  “I didn’t mean it to.” Grayson shifted in his seat so that he was facing Honor, his eyes gleaming in the darkness, his face sharp angles and hard planes. “I’ve prosecuted men like this before, Honor. I know how they think. I know how they act. And I’ll do anything I can to make you view the danger you’re in as real.”

  “I do view it as real.” More real by the minute.

  “You don’t. If you did, you’d have done exactly what I said and gone inside your house, locked the door and called the police.”

  “I couldn’t let you come out here by yourself.”

  “You should have let me come out here by myself.”

  “I’ve told you before, Grayson. My problems aren’t yours.”

  “And I’ve told you that I don’t make promises I can’t keep.”

  “Look—”

  Grayson pressed a finger against her lips, sealing in her protest. “I hear sirens. Jake and his crew must be close.”

  “Do you always have to have the last word on a matter, Grayson Sinclair?” She huffed the words, her frustration with the man beside her spilling into her tone.

  “Only when it serves a purpose.”

  “And exactly what purpose did it serve this time, I’d like to know?”

  “You’re not scared anymore, are you?” He got out of the car and closed the door before the words registered.

  When they did, Honor wasn’t sure if she should be angry or amused.

  Or both.

  She followed Grayson out of the car, relieved to see several police cruisers speeding into the clearing. Within seconds the once-dark yard was lit by spotlights, and uniformed officers were surrounding the stalker’s car.

  Not sure if she should get back in the car or stay put, Honor glanced around, searching for Grayson.

  “Where’s Gray?” Sheriff Reed strode toward her, his gaze probing the shadows at the far edge of the clearing before meeting Honor’s.

  “I don’t know. He was here a second ago.”

  “Hopefully, he didn’t go chasing after our perp alone.”

  “I don’t think Grayson would do something like that.” At least she hoped he wouldn’t.

  “He followed the guy here, didn’t he?”

  “Yes, but we waited in the car until we heard your sirens.”

  “He waited until he knew you’d be in good hands before he took off searching.” The sheriff scowled, and Honor’s stomach twisted with anxiety. Obviously, that was exactly what Grayson had done—waited until help arrived and then gone looking for the confrontation he’d talked about earlier.

  “He’s only been gone for a couple of minutes.”

  “Then maybe I can catch up to him. Get in the car and stay in the car until one of us comes back for you. Okay?”

  She didn’t think she had a choice, so Honor nodded and did as the sheriff asked.

  Minutes ticked by as the activity in the clearing intensified. More police cars arrived. More people. More lights. The house lit up room by room, flashlights illuminating the dark interior. A van pulled up behind the car and a team of people began searching the sports car. From what Honor could see, they didn’t find much.

  A half hour passed. Then another.

  Where were Grayson and Sheriff Reed? What was taking them so long? Had they found a trail to follow? Some sign that indicated which way the stalker had run? Or had something happened? A run-in they hadn’t been expecting? An ambush? Were they hurt? Did they need help?

  The questions circled around in her mind until she wanted to scream with frustration. She was too used to doing things on her own. She wanted to be outside the car, in the thick of things.

  And she wanted to be home.

  Safe.

  Checking on Lily and Candace. Going on with her life the way it had been for so many years.

  But she didn’t think that would happen.

  She didn’t think things would ever be the same again. The tide had turned and she’d been turned with it. Struggle as she might, she’d never be able to free herself from its grip.

  She shuddered at the thought, pulling her coat tighter and hugging her arms against her chest.

  Where were they?

  As if her question had conjured him, Grayson pulled open the driver’s side door and got in the car, his expression dark and unreadable.

  Relieved, Honor grabbed his arm, wanting to hold on tight so that he wouldn’t leave again. “Thank goodness you’re back. I was beginning to think something terrible had happened.”

  “Nothing terrible. Nothing good. Nothing, period.” Grayson ground the words out, and then sighed, running a hand down his face. “Sorry. It’s not your fault we came up empty.”

  “No apology needed. I’m just happy you’re okay.”

  “Yeah?” He squeezed her hand and offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I won’t be happy until we find our guy.”

  “There was no sign of him?”

  “I found some tracks and followed them to Summer Creek Road. It’s a mile through the trees. After that, nothing. No tracks. No clue as to which direction he went.”

  “Could he have gotten a ride?”

  “Anything is possible. Jake is going to call in a search t
eam. They’ll bring in their dogs, try to get a scent from the car and then see if they can catch his trail.”

  “And the car?”

  “The state sent in their CSI unit. They’ve recovered a camera, but that’s it. No papers. No old cups. Not even a fingerprint. The car is clean as a whistle and looks brand new.”

  “So we’re at a dead end?”

  “I’d say it’s too soon to tell. I’d also say it’s past time to get you home.” He shoved the keys into the ignition and started the car.

  “Should we tell the sheriff we’re leaving?” Honor glanced out the window, searching for Sheriff Reed and finding him easily enough. He was standing near the crime scene van, talking to a tall, rail-thin woman.

  “He already knows. He followed me to Summer Creek and read me the riot act for going it alone.”

  “And well he should have. You’re a lawyer. Not a police officer.”

  “I’m a man before I’m a lawyer, and when a person I care about is in trouble, I don’t wait around for someone to help me solve the problem.” Grayson’s sharp retort surprised Honor, and she put a hand on his arm, feeling the tension through his wool coat and wishing she could do something to ease it.

  “I know. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”

  “You didn’t. I’m just frustrated that this guy slipped through my fingers. I can’t believe I let him escape.”

  “You didn’t let him do anything. I did. If I hadn’t insisted on coming along, you would have gone after him sooner and found him.”

  “So, I can blame it on you, huh?” He glanced at Honor, and she saw the darkness in his eyes, the fury he was hiding beneath his smile. Despite his statement, she knew where his anger was directed—not at her for insisting she be included in the hunt, but at himself. He’d wanted to rescue Honor and her family, and he blamed himself for not being able to.

  Something inside Honor shifted as she read the truth in his eyes. Some icy part that had grown around her heart in the years after she’d married Jay, when she’d realized that the one person she most wanted to trust couldn’t be depended on.

  She took a deep, steadying breath, refusing to believe what she knew was true—that Grayson was the kind of man she could trust. “I guess you can blame me, since I’m the one who slowed you down.”