Theirs To Claim (Predatory Desires Book 1)

by McKinley, Diana

  Emily chuckled and blushed a bit. “I’ve been writing all through high school and college. So, I’ve kind of been at it for several years.”

  “Written anything I might of read?” he asked, clearly delving.

  “Perhaps. But I write under a pen name, and I don’t usually give the secret away,” she hedged, hoping he would take her words at face value and leave the topic alone.

  “Ah, I understand. I’m sure it’s hard to maintain any sort of normalcy if you’re famous. And you are, I can tell.” He smiled and waggled his eyebrows at her.

  Oh, Lord, Emily cringed inside. Please get him to back off, she prayed. It was true, her novels were wildly popular with young adults, but they’d recently caught the eye of older readers as well and her sales had skyrocketed. Now, Emily was regretting the fact that she had been truthful about her profession, for she feared Mr. Eberhardt would figure out just who she really was and blow her cover. And then she’d be running again.

  “I’m sorry, dear,” he said ruefully. “I’m an old man, and I tend to pry too much sometimes. Your secret is safe with us, and don’t you fret about your privacy. I know every time a vehicle turns into our drive and comes up this mountain, so you can relax and focus on your writing. Here, now just sign this agreement and the key’s yours.”

  “Thank you,” Emily breathed, feeling some of the tension leaving her shoulders.

  She read over the short-term rental agreement and then surprised Mr. Eberhardt by paying in cash for the entire month. Emily knew better than to purchase anything with her credit card, because if and when Gabriel and Noah ever looked for her, that would be like waving a red flag at them, heralding her location. And it just might do the same for her stalker, because Emily had no way of knowing how tech savvy her ever-present shadow was, nor the lengths said shadow would go to, to hunt her down.

  With a final thanks, Emily returned to her SUV and drove the rest of the way to the cabin that would hopefully be her safe haven for a while. She parked beside the small house, backing in so she could get away quickly if need be, and far enough back so that the vehicle wasn’t visible from the resort’s main road.

  She did a quick check of the perimeter, looking for any and all vantage points that someone might use to their advantage to see her while she was indoors. Once she had a lay of the land in her mind, Emily used the old-fashioned, gold-tone key Mr. Eberhardt had given her and opened the cabin’s front door. It creaked as it swung open, and she smiled, glad to know there would be a sound signaling an intruder. If, Emily laughed to herself, he or she chose to politely come through the front door to assail her.

  She walked through the small cabin’s rooms, finding a simple kitchen that flowed into a dining and living area, two quaint bedrooms with a large bathroom between them, and a deck that was closed in on one end. She opened the door to that section of the porch and found a hot tub. Emily almost cried when she saw that feature, knowing how desperately she needed the relaxation it could bring.

  Hopeful to sink down in its therapeutic currents sooner, rather than later, she headed back to her SUV and began the process of bringing inside all of her luggage, groceries, and supplies she had picked up along the way. Once all of her food items were placed in the refrigerator and cabinets, Emily set up the one thing from her own kitchen that she’d brought along. Her grandmother’s old crockpot.

  Emily ran her fingers over its surface and smiled at the memories the simple device invoked. So many dinners and late lunches had been slow cooked in that pot, and Emily could almost hear her grandmother scolding her grandfather for lifting the lid and letting the heat out, when he only hoped to catch a whiff of whatever she was preparing.

  Emily shook herself from the reverie, and went about getting a chili started in the pot that would cook for the next four or five hours. It would be ready just in time for dinner, and then she could have a long soak in the Jacuzzi. She strolled through the cabin and began to lower the blinds over each window. She paused as she lowered the third, shocked by the sudden sob that tore abruptly from her lips.

  She drew the back of her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, but another and then another came forth, as if from deep within. Emily bent over and braced her hands on her knees, but even that was not enough to steady her against the onslaught. It had just been waiting for her to let her guard down long enough that it might break free.

  She sank down on the floor and covered her face in her hands as a great dam opened up within her. All of the fear and heartache she’d held in for weeks came rushing out in that one moment, and Emily honestly wondered if she would be able to breathe as her throat constricted. On and on the storm raged within her, purging the gulf of hurt and anguish that her life could be so torn asunder from a nameless, faceless person.

  Finally, utterly spent, Emily sank back on the living room’s rug and scrubbed her hands over her face. Her eyes felt swollen and she knew she lacked the strength or motivation to drag herself off of the floor. She was just tired. So, very tired of the strain, terror, and never-ending unease that shadowed her every movement. She closed her eyes and drifted off right there, hoping a nap would chase some of her sadness away.

  The sound of a ringing timer, which she had found in a kitchen cabinet earlier, cut through the haze of the disjointed dreams she was having and Emily sat up abruptly to place her surroundings. It took her a few seconds, but then it all came crashing back in. The photos, the threats, her decision to leave home so maybe Tara, Gabriel, and Noah remained untouched. She swallowed, still feeling a knot in her throat, and then pushed herself off of the hard floor.

  “I must look a mess,” Emily muttered to herself as she went into the kitchen and checked on the chili. “Perfect as always, Gram,” she whispered.

  She gave it a quick stir and then headed for the bathroom. She took a few minutes there to refresh herself and grimaced when she looked in the mirror. Emily forced herself to shrug it off and then snagged her laptop, her grandfather’s old revolver and the prepaid phone she’d purchased in Tennessee on her way through that state. She came back to the kitchen and set up the computer on the small bar area, letting it start up while she resumed lowering all of the blinds within the home.

  Like it or not, Emily told herself, this was her reality now. Even here.

  Once she’d dished up a bowl of supper, she took the phone in hand and made the call that she had been dreading for days. But there was no putting it off any longer, so Emily prayed for the right words and called her editor, Wendy. She was supposed to have checked-in with her three days ago, but Emily had been on the road then and did not want to call from a hotel room or a phone that could be traced to a business. Now, she had one that wasn’t tied to her credit card, and she hoped that would be enough to keep her location hidden.

  Emily took a bite of food as the line rang, and then she heard Wendy’s familiar voice loud and clear. It was a shock after so many days and weeks of deliberately shutting everyone else out.

  “Hello,” she said cautiously, and Emily realized then that Wendy had no idea who was calling her from a strange number.

  “Wendy? Hey, it’s me, Emily,” she said and had to hold the phone away from her ear when Wendy shouted her relief.

  “Girl, where are you?! I have been calling and calling you for days!” she gasped.

  “I’m all right, so stop worrying.” Emily smiled, thinking it was good to know she was still missed by someone, and that she hadn’t alienated everyone who cared about her. “I just decided to take a little vacation, but I have my laptop, so it’ll be a working trip.”

  “Do you think I’m worried about you not meeting a deadline? Emily, honestly, I could clobber you over that stubborn head of yours sometimes,” she fussed, and Emily chuckled before she could stop herself. “Oh, go ahead and laugh. I’m very funny, I know,” Wendy said dryly.

  “It’s not funny. I’m sorry.” Emily grinned and took another bite of chili. “It’s just good to know that some things never change
, and I’m glad that you still feel comfortable reading me the riot act.”

  “Always,” Wendy sniffed in mock authority.

  She was nineteen years Emily’s senior, and like a big sister most days. Other days she could be a frightening adversary, but never to Emily. No, Wendy was Emily’s biggest cheerleader and staunchest supporter in the literary world. Always had been, and Emily hoped she always would be.

  “Well, if you’re on vacation, I can’t find fault with that. I’ve been begging you to take some time off for the last two years since you graduated from college. So, if you’ve got a few minutes, let’s talk business and then I’ll let you get back to whatever it is that you’re doing. Dare I ask if there’s sand and sun where you are? Because if there is and you didn’t invite me, I will personally tear into the next batch of chapters you send me for proofing.”

  “No sand, here. But there is sun,” Emily allowed. “And I’ve got time to talk now. I’m just eating dinner, so go ahead.”

  “Fine, you chew and I’ll go through the next few deadlines and what I’ll need from you. Got a pen and paper close by?”

  “Got my laptop on, so go ahead,” Emily encouraged her.

  She took another bite of food while she listened to Wendy begin their monthly conference call. It was a routine she knew well by now, and somehow the normalcy of it all brought fresh tears to Emily’s eyes. She willed herself not to sniffle into the phone and continued to eat while Wendy chatted away.

  CHAPTER 6

  Gabriel made a motion with his hand in the air for Wendy to continue talking, urging her to keep Emily on the line. He was standing across the table from her, looking with Noah at the computer their colleague and dear friend, Braden, was using to triangulate Emily’s location.

  After almost seven days of searching and coming up short, he was at his wits end and Gabriel knew Noah was too. But he was also so proud of Emily for staying off the grid as well as she had, that he wanted to sing her praises from on high. She was playing it smart, and her caution was keeping her alive. Because if they were having a hard time finding her with all the resources they had at their disposal, then hopefully so was her stalker.

  They’d finally thought to call Wendy two days ago, hoping that one of Emily’s deadlines was approaching. And to their utter relief, they found she was, in fact, past due to touch base with her editor. So, they’d hauled ass to D.C. and had their team converge on Wendy’s house.

  She and her husband, Joel, had welcomed them with open arms, hoping that they could play a part in locating Emily before the stalker did. Wendy had been in shock momentarily when Noah gave her a run-down of the basic facts, but she’d quickly rallied and promised them whatever she had, if it meant Emily was found and made safe.

  “Almost there,” Braden whispered. “Come on, come on,” he coaxed the computer.

  Noah smirked and shook his head, though his eyes never left the screen while Braden worked and talked to the technology. It was something Braden always did, as if the gentle tones of his voice could produce results faster than if he just silently stared at the screen.

  “And… We’ve got her!” Braden smiled and nodded his head in satisfaction. “She’s in Kentucky. Remote part, from the looks of it. Hold on,” he said, while his fingers began to clatter across the keyboard.

  “Damn, Braden. You’re going to need another one of those if you keep hitting it so hard,” Ross teased. And this was Ross. He always tried to keep the mood light, no matter what dark cases they worked. Just one year younger than Gabriel and Noah, with the same military background, Ross was a much needed breath of fresh air when things got heavy and depressing.

  Braden said nothing, only paused long enough to hold up his middle finger and then he resumed typing.

  “Love you too,” Ross quipped and blew him a kiss.

  “One of these days, he’s going to throw that keyboard right at your head,” Ethan said with a sly smile. He walked over and handed Wendy a cup of coffee, hoping it would keep her alert and focused while she talked with Emily. They couldn’t allow any mistakes at this point, and he was determined that Gabriel and Noah not lose their one shot at finding her.

  “I’d like to see that day,” Ross chuckled and crossed his arms over his wide chest.

  “Keep at it,” Braden warned, “and you will.”

  “Knock it off, guys,” Gabriel muttered and the chatter ceased immediately.

  “Okay, I have her exact location now within just a few miles. And from what I’m seeing, it looks sparsely populated. Just a few other dwellings scattered around the mountain. This is probably one of those places where you rent a cabin and get in touch with nature or your inner self, so let me see if I can pinpoint the exact name of the resort,” Braden said, not to anyone in particular.

  “Did he just say, ‘get in touch with nature’?” Ross asked incredulously. “I swear, I’ve been insulted. There is nothing wrong with the woods, nor those who come from it.”

  Noah held up a hand to silence their banter as Wendy ended her call. She placed the phone on the table and looked up at him as tears filled her eyes.

  “She’s okay,” Wendy whispered and then began to cry in earnest.

  Noah stepped around the table and pulled Wendy up, wrapping her in a tight hug. “You did good for us, Wendy. So good. And we’ll never be able to thank you enough. I promise you, we’ll have Emily under our guard before you know it, and home as soon as it’s safe.”

  “You had better keep my girl safe, Noah Johnston. And that goes for you too, Gabriel McPherson,” she warned. “Get to her, and then get this creep who wants to harm her.”

  “On it,” Gabriel said with a genuine smile.

  “Do we have transport yet?” Noah asked, looking to Braden.

  “Yep. Kaden and Garrett should be here within ten minutes with the helicopter and then you’re good to go. Emily is right outside the Grayson Lake State Park, so it’ll take you guys a few hours in the air to reach her from D.C.,” he replied.

  “Was coming to my home a bad idea? Did it make you lose time?” Wendy asked, worry creeping into her voice.

  “Not at all,” Noah reassured her. “It was more central for the whole team to come here, than to our home. And we also didn’t want the stalker to get wind of our group working to thwart his efforts. This was perfect, and we thank you for letting us crash here for a couple of days.”

  “You can have my house if that’s what you need to see to her safety. And I mean that,” she said firmly.

  “I don’t doubt you.” Noah grinned and gave Wendy another quick hug.

  “Where are we on the photo paper, Lawton?” Gabriel asked, turning his attention to his colleague who was quietly working away on a laptop of his own.

  “Getting somewhat closer,” the big man said softly. Though all of the members of their team stood well over six feet tall, Lawton edged over them all by several inches. Yet he was the quietest and most serious, often teased along with Gabriel for being too intense. And though they all answered to one chief supervisor, a discreet and controlled man named Gregory Hollington, it was Gabriel, Noah, and Lawton who most often led their team of eight when they were in the field.

  Hollington led two other such teams for the FBI, devoted to tracking the vilest and most determined child predators, and he rotated the three teams in the field so none of them got too beaten down by the filth they had to witness while on a case. It was what he had insisted on when the task force was first established, and his model was well respected and still in place. When Gabriel had called Hollington to apprise him of Emily’s situation, he had promised Gabe and Noah that the full resources of the department were at their disposal without hesitation.

  “It’s definitely stock that’s purchased for use in a home printer,” Lawton continued, “so we’re not going to see the perp on any store footage happily churning out his filth. I’ve got the brand name, and I’m currently working with sixteen other techs to track down anyone who might have ordered it w
ithin a hundred mile radius of Emily’s home. If that doesn’t give us results, we’ll expand the radius. It may take a little time, but we’ll get him,” Lawton said in a low tone.

  “You all keep saying him, as if you know this is a male suspect. Is that true?” Wendy asked, and watched as all eyes turned towards her. “Sorry, I know I’m not allowed to ask. I’m just concerned, that’s all.”

  “And we get that.” Noah nodded sympathetically. “Just know that we’re looking at all prospects and we’ll be vigilant.”

  “I know,” she smiled.

  “Gabe, Noah, come on and let’s get you loaded up. Garrett just radioed and said that he’s only minutes out now,” Ethan said from the doorway.

  Noah gave Wendy one last pat and then he headed out, ready to see Emily’s face after months of separation. And with the challenges they’d faced over the last several days, as they searched endlessly for her, he was also ready to curl up with her in his arms and sleep for twenty-four hours straight. At least. And he knew Gabriel was too.

  When they walked outside, Ethan gestured to the SUV waiting curbside for them. He slid in behind the wheel, while Gabriel claimed the front passenger seat and Noah took his place in the second row. Ethan merged with traffic and headed towards the local hospital, one of the few places nearby that had a marked helipad they could use. Their badges and credentials always opened every conceivable door, but you couldn’t squeeze a helicopter through a door very easily. So, they’d had to find a spot and find it quick.

  “Got a question for you guys, and if it’s not one you want to answer, then tell me and I’ll let it drop,” Ethan said quietly, never taking his eyes off the road.

  “Shoot,” Noah said, thinking that he already knew the question.