It was beginning to dawn on Jenna the Knox had issues with his older brother. Not just little ones but really big ones.
"You don't like him at all, do you?"
He didn't reply at once, instead jumping up from the floor where they were sprawled out on a bunch of cushions.
"I don't hate him..."
"But you don't like him."
"No, I don't like him." Knox sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sometimes I just can't believe I'm part of the same family. Randy and I are pretty normal, but my brothers and sisters... Shit, and don't get me started on my parents."
"Is your dad still contacting you?"
"Yes, and I keep avoiding him."
"Maybe you should just talk to him. Get it over with."
"You're starting to sound like my brother Randy. Why should I give him five minutes of my day?"
"Not for him, but for you. Tell him once and for all that you're done."
"I don't care to even spend that much time with him. I've given him too many chances as it is."
Jenna never had the chance to respond. Before she could open her mouth, there was the sound of breaking glass. Knox pushed her to the carpet and behind the couch, telling her to stay down. Crouching behind the sofa, her heart racing a mile a minute, she peered around the edge of the cushion and watched as Knox ran out of the house.
Toward the danger.
Maybe it was nothing. A tree branch falling or something like that.
That was it. It was probably nothing at all. Everything was fine. Knox would check it out and calmly come back in the house and tell her that all was well. He'd been overly cautious but it was all good outside.
Except that he'd left the front door open and the slight smell of smoke was beginning to waft through the living room.
Fire?
17
The sun was peeking over the horizon by the time the local fire department put out the flames completely. An acrid scent filled Knox's nostrils and hung in the air along with the wisps of smoke from the smoldering building.
When he had exited the house, he'd seen the orange and yellow flames jumping on the detached garage's roof. The wooden structure went up like tinder, the fire eating at the building until there was only a skeleton and some rubble left behind. The firefighters had done all they could, but in the end their valiant efforts simply weren't enough. The flames had been far too aggressive, and luckily, not deadly.
To Knox, it wasn't a coincidence. He'd definitely heard breaking glass. Had someone given them a warning by starting a fire in the garage? It was a possibility. Right now, the fire marshal was combing through what was left of the dripping and sodden structure to find the cause.
Jenna, Michelle, and Tom, along with Knox had watched in ever growing horror as the scene played out. They were totally helpless to stop the carnage.
All three of the siblings were huddled together, their faces pale and tear-streaked. Jenna looked so shocked and hollow that it was all Knox could do not to pull her into his arms and tell her that everything would be okay. He'd take care of her. He wanted to protect her from the ravages of the world. That's how much he felt for this woman. He'd been slow to put a name to his emotions but clearly, they were strong. Stronger than anything he'd ever felt.
Yet, he had to stand there and do nothing which wasn't in his nature in the least. He wanted to do something, but what? He didn't know except that he wanted to carry Jenna off somewhere where no one could ever hurt her.
But he wasn't a part of their world. They were drawing strength from one another, a close and loving family. And if there was one thing that Knox didn't know shit about that was family. He couldn't intrude on their bond, but he could damn well be there for them if they needed it.
"I guess we were lucky," Michelle murmured, wrapping her cardigan more tightly around her body. "The fire could have jumped over to the house if the wind had been blowing in a different direction."
"I don't feel very lucky," Jenna replied, her voice low. The whole scene seemed eerily quiet now that the firefighting part was done. Only one fire truck remained and there were a few people milling around. A news truck had arrived much earlier and taken video when the flames were at their zenith, but then left shortly after. "Although I suppose that we are."
Tom placed an arm around each of their shoulders, pulling them closer. "We are lucky. We're alive. It could have been so much worse. We only lost the garage and the vehicles inside. We have insurance. It will be fine."
Knox's SUV had been parked in the front of the house and was undamaged, as was Michelle's sedan. Tom's car, on the other hand, and his truck that he liked to drive on the weekend were incinerated. A complete loss.
Tom had already called his insurance company and the adjuster would be arriving at any moment. But Knox had yet to call Detective Bauer. He wanted to hear what the fire marshal had to say first. If the fire was set intentionally, then Bauer needed to know.
My money is on that this was no accident.
If this was some crazy accident, Knox and Jenna would go back to working the case as if nothing had happened. If it wasn't an accident...
He needed to put this family under protection immediately. This might have been a warning, but it didn't mean that the next time would be. And there would be a next time. Someone wasn't going to go to the trouble of burning down a building and then giving up. Whomever had done this wanted Knox and the Waters family to be scared. They wanted them to back off.
Not going to do that.
Even now, Knox found himself striding back and forth around the grounds, his gaze darting from one corner to the other, looking for anyone or anything that seemed out of place. He had that prickle on the back of his neck, the sign that told him that something wasn't right and he needed to pay close attention.
Eventually, the fire marshal walked out of the burned-out structure and stood in front of the family.
"My preliminary findings are that the fire was set intentionally with an accelerant."
That would explain why the garage went up so quickly. They hadn't had a chance to stop it.
"Who would do something like this?" Michelle asked, her voice choked and broken. "Why would someone do this?"
Knox didn't say anything out loud but he and Jenna exchanged a quick glance. She was thinking the same thing that he was. They'd stirred up a hornet's nest by asking questions about Lori's disappearance.
"Has anyone at your work made any threats, Mr. Waters?" the fire marshal asked. "Have you let anyone go from the company recently that might harbor a grudge?"
Tom shook his head. "No, nothing like that."
Michelle tugged at her brother's arm. "What about Miles Clark? You let him go last week. He wasn't happy about it."
"He wasn't happy but he didn't threaten to burn our house down," Tom replied. "I doubt Miles did this."
The fire marshal was already making notes. "Miles Clark? We'll need to check him out. Just to be sure. Is there anyone else?"
Jenna glanced at Knox again, her brows raised.
"There might be," Knox said. "I'm here investigating Lori Waters' disappearance. I think we may have ruffled a few feathers."
The fire marshal appeared confused so Knox quickly explained the situation including the break-in at Lori's townhouse.
"So you have suspects for the break-in?" the fire marshal queried. "Then you think that they may also be suspects in this case? The police are going to want to talk to them after I turn all of my evidence over to them."
Would Detective Bauer finally take this case seriously? It really didn't matter one way or the other. Knox was already planning to have a serious conversation with his brother Cal. It was time for Knox's older brother to face the consequences of his actions. Even if he wasn't responsible for Lori's death - and Knox truly didn't think that he was - he had a great deal to answer for when it came to their relationship. Cal was a total douchebag but he wasn't a killer.
Knox stepped away from the group and be
ckoned Jenna to follow him. They walked around to the far side of the wrap around porch.
"I'm going to call Logan and let him know what's going on," Knox said to Jenna. "We're going to need get you all to a safe house as soon as possible."
At first, she didn't react but then her eyes widened in surprise. "Wait...you think...that they might hurt us? They burned the garage, Knox. They easily could have set fire to the house but they didn't."
"What if that was just a warning? Their opening salvo. We can't take those sorts of chances with your life. You, and your family by extension, need to be protected. Right now this house isn't safe."
Jenna's gaze ran over the house and then over the smoldering remains of the garage.
"Are you sure? Do you think they would come after us?"
"I think it's better to overreact and be safe. The good news is that we've clearly upset someone with our investigation. We just need to keep the pressure on."
The fire marshal climbed the porch stairs and waved to get their attention.
"Uh, there's something you might want to see," he said, shifting from foot to foot nervously. "My guys didn't see it until the sun came up and one of our trucks was moved."
"I'll follow you," Knox said. He was getting that feeling again, watching how uncomfortable the fire marshal looked. This wasn't going to be good.
The three of them walked down the long driveway almost to the street where Tom and Michelle were already standing. The fire marshal pointed to something written in spray paint at the end of the drive. Knox had to step around it to be able to read the scrawl. His blood ran cold when he saw the message their arsonist had left.
You're next.
18
It all happened so fast. One minute she'd been standing in the driveway taking in the threat scrawled in spray paint on the concrete, the next Knox had her packing a bag while he dealt with Detective Bauer who had shown up a few minutes later.
The cop was grouchier than normal, clearly not happy about the turn of events. One again, he wouldn't even make eye contact with Jenna, talking only to Knox and the fire inspector. He took pictures of the driveway and asked about any security video that they might have. She was surprised he was actually doing his job - albeit not very happy about it. Unfortunately, Tom had never installed any security cameras or alarm. Their area wasn't dangerous and he hadn't thought it necessary. Her brother was now regretting that decision.
"We're going to drive to Tremont," Knox said, entering her room. His hair looked like he'd been scraping his fingers through it again - standing on end. "Are you almost ready to go?"
"What's in Tremont?"
It was on the opposite side of Douglas so they would still be able to work on the case.
Wait...we are still working the case, right?
"A safe house," he replied. "It's actually a home that belongs in the Anderson family which is my boss Jason. Apparently, it's all set up with security, plus Logan is sending the new guy at the office to help out."
If they were sending more help, then they were still investigating.
"Well, thank you to your boss then. They’re okay with us staying there?"
"They’re fine about it. They've been renting it out but it's currently between occupants. It's in a good location in town, not too remote. I think you'll be safe there."
"What about Michelle and Tom?"
She'd heard Tom and Knox going back and forth about leaving this house, and the safety of staying. Tom didn't want to let anyone scare him from his own home. He was digging in his heels and stubbornly saying that he wasn't going to leave.
Knox sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't convince your brother to go. He already told me that nothing I say is going to change his mind. He did agree to have an alarm system installed along with some cameras. My firm is working on getting someone out here to do that, hopefully today."
"And Michelle?" Jenna asked. "Please tell me she's going with us."
Michelle, although frightened, hadn't liked the idea of leaving Tom all alone in their home. Jenna didn't like it either but Knox was going to drag her out of there is she tried to stay. Frankly, she thought her brother was crazy to want to stay here after the fire this morning.
"Tom agreed to send your sister to Miami for a business trip. I think she'll be safe there."
Jenna sunk down onto the mattress, sighing in relief. She'd been afraid that Michelle was going to be as stubborn as Tom.
"Thank goodness. Now I only have to worry about my brother being burned alive."
"You won't have to worry about that either if we can get the security system set up here."
Knox sat down next to her, reaching over to hold her hand. Their fingers laced together and she instantly felt better just knowing he was with her. He wasn't going to let anything bad happen if he could help it.
"Did Detective Bauer leave?" she asked, cushioning her head on his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around her waist. It felt good to have someone to lean on when everything seemed out of control. "He was certainly in a mood, wasn't he?"
"I'm getting the distinct feeling that he hates his job. A whole lot. At this point, I wouldn't take it personally. I think he simply doesn't like police work."
"Then he should find another job."
"Probably, and he may be doing that for all we know. In the meantime, I'll deal with him plus the police from the local jurisdiction. He seems happy to let me do whatever the hell I want so I'm not going to complain too much."
"And after we set up house in Tremont? What happens then?"
"We talk to that Brett guy, plus I need to talk to my brother, of course. They're both going to need alibis for this morning."
"And for the break-in at Lori's home."
"That too. Basically, I'm going to crawl so far up my brother's ass he's going to wish he was an only child. Hell, he probably already does. We've never seen eye to eye on anything."
"When was the last time you saw him?"
"That day at the prison for my dad. We barely spoke because he pisses me off by simply existing. I swear every time he opens his mouth he says something that grinds my gears."
"Because he's like your dad."
Jenna didn't make it sound like a question because she was pretty sure of the answer.
"He's far too like our father. Sadly, he doesn't see anything wrong with that."
"Do you think he'll tell you the truth?"
"Eventually, but he won't be happy about it. I can tell when he's lying, which is why he avoids me as much as I avoid him."
She ran her hand up Knox's arm, squeezing his shoulder. "You know...you know that I don't want it to be your brother? I don't. Not really. It's just...he's the one that I knew about."
Knox nodded, his expression grim. "I get it. He looks suspicious. If he wasn't my brother, and I didn't know him the way that I do, I'd believe that he was guilty too. I don't think that he had anything to do with Lori's disappearance. I've said that before. But I do think he might know more than he's letting on about that last day. That I would believe."
"I know you'll find out who did this. I know you'll find Lori."
She didn't say the last part of the sentence out loud. Dead or alive. At this point, Jenna was aware that the odds weren't in their favor.
Knox turned toward her so she could look up into his blue eyes that were dark with emotion. Her heart drummed against her ribs, so loud she was sure that they could hear her downstairs.
"I will. And I'll protect you. I promise you that."
Leaning closer, he brushed her lips with his own. She reached up and pulled him down to her, their kiss soft, sweet, and long. Despite all the chaos around them, she was falling for this man. She wasn't scared or nervous about it. It seemed right and natural.
Knox Owens just might be her future. It was certainly something to look forward to when all of this horror was finally over.
After hugging her brother and sister goodbye, Jenna had climbed into Knox's SUV and they'd
driven directly to Tremont. The ride had been uneventful and she'd found herself dozing off at one point, her head lolling against the window. She'd woken when the vehicle came to a stop.
"You needed the rest," Knox said, leaning over and dropping a kiss on her temple. "I'm glad you were able to sleep.'
Stretching in her seat, she yawned widely, her hand over her mouth. "I can't believe I actually slept. I thought it would be the last thing I would be able to do."
He smiled, pushing open the driver's door. "Maybe you felt so safe with me, you were able to relax."
That might be it. She hadn't been scared with him next to her. She didn't think a big truck was going to come out of nowhere and run them off of the road.
"But you didn't get to sleep, and you have to be just as tired. Now I feel bad because I should have helped drive."
"I'm fine. I'm used to living on little sleep. Not as little as my buddy Ryan, but almost. He's unreal. Sometimes I'm not sure he's even human."
He hopped out and pulled the bags from the back before unlocking the front door. The house was charming and obviously well-maintained. It was white with dark blue trim, with window boxes filled with multi-colored blooms. The whole property had a welcoming vibe that Jenna instantly liked. There was a warmth in this home that she desperately needed at the moment.
"I'll put the car in the garage after we unload," Knox said. "Apparently, they just returned it to being used as a garage. It was being used as an art studio for a long time."
An artist had lived in this house. That explained the riot of colors that greeted them when they walked inside the living room. Far from being unsettling, the color scheme actually made the interior more relaxing and warm with its mix of blues and golds, with a few splashes of red.
"This is lovely," Jenna said, peeking into the light blue kitchen with white cabinets and dark granite countertops. "Just beautiful."
"Think you could be happy here while we investigate?"
Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) Page 14
