Protective Order

by Rita Herron

  Ginny sucked in a sharp breath. Griff was so much healthier mentally than Robert had ever been.

  She tapped her foot on the floor. “So, what do we do now?”

  “Our teams are looking for Mitzi, and my people are working to identify his aliases and locate him.” Liam said. “Now that we have a profile and his picture, I’m going to release it to the media. Maybe someone in or around Whistler spotted him or has information about where he’s staying.”

  “And where he took Mitzi,” Ginny said.

  “That, too.”

  “Let me make a personal statement on the news,” Ginny offered.

  Griff cleared his throat. “I told you no, Ginny.”

  She turned to Liam. “Please. Maybe I can reach him. After all, I’m the one he really wants.”

  Liam pulled a hand down his chin. “That’s too dangerous. Give us a little time. If we don’t find him, we’ll consider setting that up.”

  She gritted her teeth. She appreciated the fact that he and Griff wanted to protect her. But what about what she wanted?

  She was tired of men making decisions for her. If Mitzi died, she had to live with her death on her conscience, not them.

  She’d driven to Whistler to find Robert. She would come up with her own plan and end this nightmare for good.

  * * *

  GRIFF WATCHED GINNY pace again as he stepped aside to talk to his brothers. “How do you think this information will help us find Bouldercrest?”

  Liam shrugged. “It might not. But when we do locate him, we can use it to establish a personal connection. That connection could enable us to convince him to release Mitzi.”

  Griff hissed. If she was still alive. They had no idea.

  “What can I do to help?” he asked.

  “Ginny seems to trust you. Stay with her and make sure she doesn’t do something stupid like go after Bouldercrest herself.”

  Griff wanted to argue that Ginny was smarter than that. And she was smart. But emotions could make a person do irrational things. And at the moment she was running on fear.

  “We’ll keep you posted if we hear something or find Mitzi.”

  Griff nodded and glanced back at Ginny as he closed the door behind his brothers. Her agitation was like a live force in the room.

  She halted her frantic pacing with a sigh. “I need to go back to the inn and shower and change clothes.”

  “I’ll follow you and we’ll pick up your bags and bring them back here.”

  Her lips pressed into a frown. “All right.”

  He slipped on his jacket and retrieved his keys, turned off the gas logs and escorted Ginny outside.

  The rain had passed although dark clouds still hovered, casting a grayness across the mountain. Trees swayed and the wind battered the bushes. The chill in the air hinted at another storm, maybe a tornado on its way.

  Knowing Bouldercrest had been at his house, on his property, roused his anger. He scanned the yard and beyond for signs the maniac had returned. Maybe he hoped Griff would leave Ginny alone.

  Not going to happen.

  Traffic was minimal, but he kept his eyes peeled for trouble as he maneuvered the switchbacks on the winding mountain road back toward town. Ginny was right behind him in her car. When he pulled up to the inn, he noticed the deputy Jacob had assigned to stand guard for Robert at the inn parked in the drive in an unmarked car.

  He threw up a hand in acknowledgement to the deputy, climbed out and walked Ginny up to the inn.

  “You can go now,” she told him when they stood on the porch.

  “I’m not leaving,” he said. “I’ll walk you to the room then wait downstairs while you shower and gather your things.”

  She didn’t look happy about it, but she didn’t argue. They walked up the stairs together, and she unlocked the door. He placed his hand on her arm and insisted he enter first and check the room.

  At first glance, everything appeared to be just as they’d left it. He took a quick sweep of the bathroom and didn’t see anything troubling inside, so returned to the door.

  Ginny walked over to her suitcase and unzipped the bag.

  His phone buzzed on his hip. Jacob. He punched Connect.

  “Griff, there’s another fire. This time behind your house.”

  Dammit to hell.

  “I’ll send my deputy inside to stand watch over Ginny while you go home.”

  “What’s wrong?” Ginny asked as he hung up.

  “A fire behind my house. Jacob’s there. I have to go.” He explained about the deputy. “Stay inside your room, Ginny. Bouldercrest could have set this fire to lure me away from you, so don’t go anywhere until I come back.”

  He gave her a quick hug, hurried out the door, waited until she locked it then jogged down the stairs.

  * * *

  IT WAS ALREADY HAPPENING. Robert was targeting Griff because he was helping her. No one was safe if they got close to her.

  Why had she let down her guard for even a moment?

  Praying Griff’s house was okay and grateful his brother was meeting him there, she locked the door, then stepped into the shower. That kiss with Griff taunted her. Sweet and tender, but she’d tasted need and desire, a potent combination.

  Griff knew how to respect a woman. To give, not simply take as Robert had done. To step away if she asked.

  She didn’t want to ask. She wanted him to kiss her again. To feel his lips on her and his arms around her and to know that she wasn’t alone.

  The hot water usually calmed her, but anxiety felt like needles pricking her skin. She quickly rinsed off, then towel-dried her hair and hurried to dress.

  Just as she opened her suitcase, the sound of a telephone ringing echoed. She reached for her purse, then realized it wasn’t her phone. A chill slithered through her as she felt in her bag. Buried beneath her underwear, she found a burner cell phone ringing.

  Her heart raced, but she steeled herself as she answered. “Hello.”

  “It’s good to hear your voice, love,” Robert murmured. “I’ve missed you.”

  She closed her eyes and envisioned her sister’s face in her mind. Felt her sister’s terror as Robert had wrapped his hands around her throat.

  Then Joy’s face. She hadn’t known the woman, but she imagined her shock and terror when she’d realized the man she thought charming was a sadistic animal.

  And Mitzi, the sweet, friendly young woman who liked to bake.

  “You took Mitzi, didn’t you?”

  “I warned you not to leave me.”

  “She has nothing to do with us, Robert. Please let her go.”

  “I can’t do that now, love. You have to be taught a lesson.”

  Emotions thickened Ginny’s throat. “I’ve learned my lesson. Just let her go.”

  His heavy breathing echoed over the line. “Not until you admit you belong to me. I told you that the first time we made love.”

  She swallowed hard at the memory. That night had started off tender and romantic. But when he’d held her arms above her head, looked into her eyes and declared that she was his, fear had rippled through her. The romance and tenderness had evaporated. In its place, she’d seen a dark, obsessive streak.

  “I don’t belong to you,” she said matter-of-factly. “I told you that when I left. But Mitzi shouldn’t have to suffer because of me.”

  “And I told you that I’d never let you go.”

  His sinister tone made bile rise to her throat. “You killed Joy Norris, didn’t you?”

  A bitter laugh rumbled over the line. “She wasn’t you, my love. No one else can ever take your place. Don’t you know that by now?”

  She inhaled slowly. “You need psychiatric help, Robert. Turn yourself in and get some counseling.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me, Reese. But when
you make promises, you should keep them. And you promised yourself to me when you crawled in my bed.”

  He was twisting everything to his advantage. Her therapist had warned her that abusers were manipulative and made the victims feel as if they were at fault.

  “I didn’t promise to let you abuse me or murder anyone,” she retorted. “Now let Mitzi go, Robert, and leave me alone.”

  “I will never leave you,” he whispered darkly. “Never.”

  “But I don’t love you.” How could she love a monster?

  “Because of that fireman,” he said, his voice terse.

  She breathed in and out again. “He has nothing to do with this.”

  “You spent the night with him,” Robert said. “You cheated on me.”

  “We would have to be a couple for me to cheat on you,” she quipped. “And we’re not a couple and never will be.”

  A tense heartbeat passed. His breathing became more erratic. “But we will be together again. And this time it will be forever.”

  “That’s not going to happen, Robert. Forcing me and killing my sister and other women won’t make me love you.”

  “Because you’re in love with him?” he said bitterly.

  No, she wasn’t. Was she?

  “Once he’s gone, you’ll come back to me.”

  She opened her mouth to tell him that Griff meant nothing to her. She had to protect him. But the line went dead in her hands.

  * * *

  GRIFF HIT THE ground running as soon as he made it back to his cabin. Relief hit him when he realized the fire hadn’t spread to his house.

  But he spotted the blaze in the woods behind his property, ran around the cabin to the backyard and down the hill into the brush. The fire engine had managed to park in close proximity to the burning leaves and trees, and his team was already geared up and spraying the flames from the fire hoses. Smoke billowed above the treetops and floated into the sky, a thick gray that obscured the clouds above.

  Jacob stood at the edge of the scene, a grim look on his face. “Those boys didn’t start this,” he said as Griff joined him. “I’ve already checked with their parents and they’re at home. Seems the parents took action after the interrogations and are monitoring their movements.”

  “It’s Bouldercrest,” Griff said, his pulse hammering. “He was here before. Now he’s leaving me a message.” That lighter he’d found at the ridge probably belonged to him. And so did the boot print.

  Jacob wiped sweat from his brow. Already the scent of burned lumber and grass permeated the air, and ashes swirled in the breeze, the fire threatening to spread to other areas of the woods as the embers fell onto dry land.

  “Griff, this man is extremely dangerous. Now that he knows Ginny stayed here with you, he’s gunning for you, brother.”

  Griff gritted his teeth. “Don’t worry about me, Jacob. I can take care of myself.” But Ginny...she was vulnerable.

  “Let me help my squad, then I need to get back to her.”

  Jacob gave him a worried look, but his phone buzzed, and he answered it while Griff jogged over to the fire truck, geared up and joined his team. The wind howled off the mountain, causing the flames to spread from one tree to another and feeding the fire.

  “We’ve set up a perimeter,” Baxter said as Griff took over one of the hoses. “Hopefully we can keep it contained.”

  “Any sign of point of origin?” Griff asked.

  Baxter pointed toward the edge of Griff’s property where a gas can lay in the bushes. “You got lucky. If the wind had been blowing uphill, it might have spread to your deck.”

  Lucky? Maybe. So far, he was alive, and his house had been spared. But what else did Robert Bouldercrest have planned?

  He and his squad worked for the next hour to get the blaze under control. By the time it had settled down and died out, he was sweating, angry and worried sick about Ginny.

  Jacob had left with the gas can to send to the lab for prints. One of his team was assigned to stay and monitor conditions in case the wind sparked the embers and resurrected the fire.

  He removed his gear and stowed it, then headed back to the inn. He called Ginny’s cell phone on the way, but she didn’t answer. He told himself she might be in the shower, but anxiety tightened every cell in his body.

  By the time he arrived, he was in a state of near panic. He pulled into the drive and glanced at the unmarked car where the deputy was surveilling the inn.

  His pulse jumped as he hurried to talk to the deputy. At first glance it appeared the man was sleeping on the job. His head was tilted to the side, and his body looked slumped.

  Anger zinged through him. How could he sleep when he was supposed to be watching out for Ginny? What if something had happened?

  He tapped the glass, but the man didn’t respond. He tried again, but nothing. Heart hammering, he yanked open the door, and touched the deputy’s shoulder.

  When he still didn’t move, Griff leaned inside, and tilted the man’s head sideways. Dammit.

  Blood. On the deputy’s shirt. Chest. Hands.

  He’d been shot in the chest. And he was dead.

  * * *

  MITZI LOOKED UP at him with frightened, doe-like eyes. She was a pretty girl.

  Just not Reese.

  “You just won’t do,” he murmured as he stroked her hair from her tear-stained cheek.

  She wiggled and squirmed, twisted her hands to try to break the ropes binding them together.

  Watching her fight made his body harden. He did like a fighter. As long as she learned her lesson and then accepted her proper place.

  But her hair was wrong. Not the right color.

  He pressed a kiss on her forehead, and she went bone still, tensing as if she might let him have his way if he’d release her.

  Silly woman. He’d told her she wasn’t right. Even if he took her or she gave herself to him and said she loved him, she still wouldn’t be.

  He gripped her face in his hands and squeezed her cheeks so tightly her eyes bulged. “It’s up to Reese now if you live or die,” he whispered. The same for the fireman. “It’s all up to my Reese.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Ginny imagined Griff’s beautiful house being destroyed by fire, a house he’d practically built with his own hands, and nausea clogged her throat.

  He’d lost his father in a fire, and now he was working to save his own house. What if Robert had started the fire and was there now? He could have set a trap for Griff.

  She snatched her phone to call and warn him, but hesitated. She grabbed the burner phone but couldn’t remember his number. Panic setting in, she considered calling the sheriff’s office, but Jacob was at Griff’s so he would protect him.

  At least she hoped he did, she thought as she paced the room. She could not allow Robert to hurt Griff or Mitzi or anyone else.

  She’d promised Griff she’d stay inside the room, but how could she sit here and do nothing when Robert might be mapping out his attack?

  A plan began to form in her mind. She had to take charge. Stop him herself.

  Nerves tightened her shoulders as she retrieved her gun, pulled on her jacket and stowed the weapon in her pocket. Then she called the number Robert had phoned from in the burner phone.

  The phone rang once, then twice, then a third time. Finally, Robert answered.

  “I’ve been expecting your call, love.”

  Her skin crawled. “Please don’t hurt Mitzi or Griff,” she said. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just tell me where to come.”

  A long pause filled with his breathing. “Did he put you up to this?”

  “He has no idea I’ve talked to you.” She just hoped he was okay.

  “How about the police? Are you working with the sheriff?”

  “No,” she said emphatically. “I’m alone. I just wa
nt this to stop. No one else has to get hurt, Robert.”

  His heavy breathing echoed over the line. “All right. I’ll text you the address where to meet me. But it has to be tonight. And no calling the police or telling that damn fireman or Mitzi is dead.”

  Ginny’s lungs strained for a breath. Now that she understood what made him tick, she’d play his game until she found Mitzi and confirmed she was safe. “I understand. I’ll do whatever you say.”

  “You’d better, Reese. This is your last chance.”

  A knock pounded on the door, startling her. “Send me the address. And don’t hurt Mitzi or the deal is off.”

  She didn’t wait for a response. She ended the call herself.

  “Ginny, are you in there? It’s me, Griff!”

  She threaded her fingers through her hair, then rushed to the door and opened it. The sight of Griff’s handsome face sent relief through her.

  Robert hadn’t managed to hurt him. At least not yet.

  She intended to keep it that way. Which meant lying to Griff. Escaping from his watchful, protective eyes and facing Robert on her own.

  “Thank God, you’re all right.” The strain on Griff’s face eased a fraction, then he drew her into his arms. “I was afraid he’d hurt you.”

  “I’m okay.” She curled her arms around him. “I was afraid he’d hurt you or burned down your house.”

  He eased away from her an inch, then brushed her cheek with his thumb. “My house is fine. But...”

  “But what?”

  “He killed the deputy watching the inn. I’ve already called Jacob.”

  Emotions flooded her. Sorrow. Guilt. Hatred for Robert.

  And a deep fear for Mitzi and for Griff that cemented her decision to meet Robert alone.

  * * *

  GRIFF’S HEART WAS hammering so fast he thought his chest would explode. He soaked in the sight of Ginny’s beautiful face riddled with panic and fear, and sadness twisted at his gut.