“That makes me feel better. Is he out of Atlanta?”
“Yeah, Burch Security. But it’s a she rather than a he.”
“Good.” That fact obviously didn’t bother Doug like it had him at first. Of course, it didn’t bother him anymore. God had a way of placing people exactly where they needed to be.
As Doug caught him up on happenings around the DA’s office, Colton settled into the driver’s seat. Something white snagged his gaze—a sheet of paper tucked under the right wiper blade.
Uneasiness settled over him, and he shook it off. Kidnappers didn’t leave notes on windshields. It was probably a flyer from one of the local businesses. He just needed to remove it before he pulled from the parking lot.
After ending the call a few minutes later, he stepped out to retrieve the page. As soon as he unfolded it, a bolt of panic shot up his spine. The paper fluttered to the ground. Bold, dark letters screamed out their message—You can run, but you can’t hide.
His heart pounded, sending blood roaring through his ears. The men he fled from in Atlanta had found him. They knew where he worked. They probably also knew where he lived.
He had to warn Jasmine.
He bent to pick up the paper at the same time a shot rang out. Glass shattered, and he hit the pavement, facedown, heart pounding.
As he retrieved his phone and dialed 911, his thoughts spun. If his enemy was here in town, firing on him, that meant he wasn’t at the house threatening his son.
Unless he’d gone there first.
The dispatcher picked up before the last thought could lodge too deeply. As he filled her in on what had happened, he doubled back to collect the paper, staying in a crouch. The light breeze had carried it across an empty parking space and pressed it against a car’s tire two spaces over.
Handling just the corner, he picked it up and carried it to his vehicle. The bullet had entered the driver side of the windshield and exited the rear passenger window. Judging from the angle, it had likely come from the direction of the library. The trees lining that side of the road would have offered a handy place for a shooter to hide.
As soon as he ended the call, he brought up Jasmine’s number. Sirens sounded nearby. Right downtown, he’d expected as much.
When the call went straight to voice mail, his stomach tightened. Why didn’t she have her phone on? The sirens were moving closer. Maybe he should ask the police to dispatch another unit to his house.
Or maybe he had a better idea. It would take the police a good ten minutes to get there, but his friend Bryce lived one street over, on Ranger Road. Tanner lived a mile farther, on 294. Both worked in law enforcement, Tanner with Murphy PD and Bryce with Cherokee County.
Bryce answered on the second ring. He was on duty several miles the opposite direction. Colton ended the call without an explanation and brought up Tanner’s number. A police cruiser turned onto Peachtree as his friend answered.
Colton dispensed with the formalities. “Where are you?”
“At Ingles, tackling the grocery list Paige texted me. Why?”
“I was going to have you check on Jasmine and Liam. Someone just shot at me, and I can’t get ahold of her.”
“Call 911.”
“I have.”
“I’m leaving my cart.”
“No, go ahead and finish your shopping.” Even if Tanner left the store immediately, he wouldn’t make it to Colton’s house until long after the on-duty officers arrived.
“On second thought, how about stopping by the courthouse and giving me a ride home?” His vehicle was evidence. He’d probably have to leave it there for some time.
As he disconnected the call, the cruiser made its way up the narrow drive into the courthouse parking lot. Its siren fell silent, but others still sounded nearby. Probably units searching for the shooter.
Before the officer could exit, Colton stepped up to his open door. “Will you please send a unit to my house?” He rattled off the address. “With this attack on me, I’m worried about my son and his bodyguard.”
The officer raised a brow but immediately reached for his radio. As he spoke, a little of Colton’s tension eased. A unit would be dispatched from Cherokee County. When the officer finished, he turned his attention to Colton. “Show me where you were and where this shot came from.”
Colton walked to his vehicle and relayed everything as it had happened. After donning latex gloves he’d retrieved from the car, the officer took the note into evidence.
“Any idea who’d want to take a shot at you?”
“I’ve made a few enemies during my time as an assistant DA.” He gave the officer the same names he’d given Gunter Burch two weeks ago.
“Did you see or hear anything before the shot was fired? A vehicle speeding by or anything?”
“No. But it seemed to have come from over there.” He nodded toward the library. Though it wasn’t situated as high as the courthouse, its grounds sloped upward from the road. Not an ideal position, but doable.
He continued. “I didn’t notice anything suspicious. But I’d just found the note, and I was pretty shaken. Someone tried to kidnap my son two weeks ago in Atlanta, so I came up here. The note tells me they’ve found me.”
He shifted his weight, impatience tightening his shoulders. He needed to get home and check on Liam and Jasmine.
He drew in a steadying breath. Law enforcement was already on its way and would likely arrive within minutes. Meanwhile, he’d left Liam in Jasmine’s care. She was sharp. She never let down her guard.
God, please protect them both.
A Silverado pickup pulled into one of the streetside parking spaces below, Tanner at the wheel. As he drew to a stop, the officer’s radio came to life.
“The woman and child on Hilltop are unharmed.”
Colton’s knees buckled, and he clutched the Highlander for support. Thank You, God.
The officer finished his report and Colton descended the stairs to the street. He’d been right. The detectives wanted to look at his vehicle before he moved it. Which was fine with him. He didn’t want to drive it until the damaged glass was replaced anyway.
After he slid into the passenger seat of the Silverado, Tanner made his way toward the four-lane. Little by little, the last remnants of fear and panic slowly dissipated, leaving room for annoyance, then anger.
He crossed his arms. “Jasmine had better have a really good reason for her phone being off.”
He’d had a major scare and hadn’t even been able to check on his son. That wasn’t acceptable. As long as Jasmine was responsible for protecting Liam, he needed to be able to reach her.
Tanner shot him a sideways glance. “Maybe the battery went dead.”
If that was the case, that wasn’t acceptable, either. She needed to be able to call out in case of an emergency. Allowing her phone to go dead would be totally irresponsible.
When Tanner approached Colton’s property, a Cherokee County cruiser was parked on the road, lights still flashing. The gate was closed, but Brutus wasn’t in the front yard. Maybe Jasmine had brought him inside when the deputies arrived. But why were they still there, twenty minutes after radioing that Liam and Jasmine were safe?
Colton jumped from the Silverado. “Thanks for the ride.”
When he swung open the gate, Tanner pulled inside. Colton wasn’t surprised. Tanner wouldn’t leave until he knew everything was all right. That was the kind of friend he’d been ever since the two of them had landed in the same group home at age thirteen.
The door swung open and Jasmine stepped onto the deck.
Colton stalked toward her. “Where is Liam?”
“Watching a movie.”
“Why isn’t your phone on?” His tone was several decibels louder than normal and filled with accusation.
Jasmine’s brows drew together. “It is o
n. It’s sitting on the kitchen counter, where I was cooking.”
Cooking? He hadn’t hired her to be cook or maid any more than he’d hired her to be babysitter. But that would be a conversation for later.
She frowned. “I was just getting ready to call you to ask why you sent cops to check on us. Is this all because you couldn’t get ahold of me?”
“Someone left a note on my windshield at the courthouse this afternoon. That was before they shot at me.”
Jasmine blanched. Her eyes swept over him, then bounced back up to his face. “Are you all right?”
“I wasn’t hit. I’d dropped the note and bent to pick it up just as he fired.”
The last of the color leached from her face. “If you hadn’t bent over when you did...”
Tanner approached and stepped onto the deck with them. “Where are the officers?”
“They’re checking the perimeter. When I filled them in on everything, they wanted to make sure no one was prowling around.”
Tanner nodded. “I’ll see if they found anything.”
Jasmine watched him disappear around the side of the house, then opened the door to step back inside. A pleasant aroma drifted to him, along with a childish voice he instantly recognized—Liam was watching Finding Dory.
When Colton followed Jasmine into the living room, Brutus met them, tail wagging. The Christmas tree twinkled with hundreds of lights, and Liam was lying on the floor, a throw pillow he’d pulled from the couch beneath him. Colton closed the door, and Liam swiveled his head. “Daddy!”
Colton almost stumbled. He’d waited nearly six months to hear his name from his son’s lips. Ignoring the dog, he scooped Liam up and held him close, heart swelling as a lump formed in his throat.
His eyes met Jasmine’s. The joy filling his chest was reflected on her face. When the assignment was over, and he and Liam were safe again, how was he going to be able to let her go? What was her leaving going to do to Liam?
He placed his son back on the floor and straightened. “What happened with your phone?”
“I don’t know, but I guarantee you it’s on.”
She marched into the kitchen and Colton followed. Two covered pots sat on the stove, but the burners under them were off. One held spaghetti sauce, based on the pleasant aroma that had wrapped around him the moment she opened the door.
Jasmine snatched her phone from the counter, swiped the screen and turned it to face him. “See, no missed calls.”
He squinted. “And one bar.” Cell service wasn’t always reliable in the mountains. He’d have thought of that if he hadn’t been so panicked. “We need to either get you a different provider or I need to program the landline number into my phone.” He’d had it installed last week, for the sole purpose of monitoring the alarm.
She nodded. “If you ever can’t reach me, call the landline. I’ll answer it.” She leaned back against the counter. “The note on your windshield, what did it say?”
“‘You can run, but you can’t hide.’ Not very original, but he got his point across.”
Determination entered her gaze. “I don’t want you leaving the house without protection.”
He closed his eyes, nausea churning in his gut. Jasmine was right. He and Liam were no longer safe here. But he had nowhere else to go. They’d be just as vulnerable at his home in Atlanta as they were in Murphy. Heading back to his in-laws’ place in Montana wasn’t an option. He wouldn’t put them in danger. He wasn’t licensed to practice there, anyway, and he couldn’t afford to take any more time off.
“I have to work.”
“Then it’s time to call in more help. We need someone on you and someone on your son twenty-four-seven.”
She was right. His son was his first priority. But if something happened to him, where would Liam be? Cade was far too irresponsible to raise a child. But Colton couldn’t afford any more security. At least not the paid kind.
“Let me talk to Tanner and Bryce. I know they’ll be glad to help out however they can.” Neither Murphy nor Cherokee County had the manpower to provide twenty-four-hour protection. But one or both agencies would probably make regular patrols through the area. And Tanner and Bryce would drive by even more frequently, both on and off duty.
A knock sounded on the door. When Colton opened it, one of the deputies stood on the deck, Tanner next to him. His partner was walking toward the car.
“We checked all the way around. No one was there. There aren’t any signs that anyone has been snooping around here recently, either. But Tanner told us about what happened in town today, so we’re going to try to make regular passes.”
Colton thanked him, and he walked away to join his partner. Tanner held up a hand in farewell. “Since everything’s good here, I’m going to go back to Ingles and pick up where I left off.” He dropped his hand and let it rest on Colton’s shoulder. “I’ll be circling up Hilltop every time I pass by, but if you need me, just call. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night.”
“Thanks.” Without even asking, Colton knew Bryce would say the same thing. When he’d moved to Murphy at age fifteen, Bryce had been his first friend.
After Tanner left, Colton closed the gate and let Brutus back outside. When he joined Jasmine in the kitchen, one burner was on High, the other on Medium.
“As good as this smells, I’m hesitant to have this conversation, but I only hired you to be our bodyguard.”
“No offense, but if I have to eat takeout once more, I’m going to scream.”
Colton winced. He’d never been a great cook. Though he’d done some cooking for Liam before and after the trip to Montana, he’d tried to take pity on Jasmine.
She removed the lid from a pot and peeked inside. It was two-thirds full of water, a thin layer of oil pooled on the surface. Tiny bubbles collected at the bottom.
She put the lid back on, then stirred the contents of the other pot. Just as he’d guessed, spaghetti sauce.
“By the way, you owe me $42.67.”
He lifted a brow. “For what?”
“Groceries.”
Tension spiked through him. “You took Liam to the grocery store?”
“I took him to the park last Friday, too. And we took him to the art walk and to church and a number of other places. And I’ve taken him to day care every weekday for the past two weeks.”
He released a pent-up breath. She was right. Leaving the house had become dangerous only an hour ago.
The water finally came to a boil, and she stirred in half a bag of pasta. When it had resumed boiling, she turned the burner down and faced him.
“Why warn you?”
“What?”
“The note. If someone really intended to kill you this afternoon, why put the note on your windshield?”
She had a point. “Do you think the shooter missed me on purpose?”
“I don’t know. It just doesn’t fit. Who warns their victims before attacking?”
Colton sank into one of the kitchen chairs, dread settling over him.
Perez.
That was his MO. He toyed with all of his victims—stalking and terrorizing them. The games sometimes went on for weeks. But they always ended the same.
Perez was locked up. For life. No chance of parole.
But it didn’t matter. He had thugs to do his bidding—two brothers, according to what Jasmine had learned. He’d see to it that they followed his pattern, so there’d be no doubt about who was behind every attack.
Colton had fought with every bit of legal expertise he had to secure a death sentence for Perez.
Instead, he’d secured his own.
He was on Perez’s hit list.
And no one made it off alive.
* * *
Jasmine stalked from the kitchen into the living room, heading toward the front door. She’d alread
y been outside a half dozen times to circle the yard, scan the woods and look up and down the road. Each time she’d seen nothing but a rural mountain neighborhood—safe, quiet and still.
Even though it was Sunday, they hadn’t left the house. The past two weekends, Colton had insisted on taking Liam to church. Which meant she’d had to go, too. So she’d alternated between watching from the back of the sanctuary and patrolling outside the building.
This afternoon, Colton was viewing the service online. And she was doing almost as well avoiding it as she’d done the past two weeks.
Nothing against MountainView Community Church in particular. The people were friendly, the music inspiring and the pastor’s message engaging. But she didn’t do church. For good reason.
While she’d stood in the back listening to the band play and the attendees sing, something had tugged at her. She’d looked away several times, but the song lyrics projected on the screen up front kept drawing her gaze back.
Too many spoke of an intimate God, a God who so wanted a personal relationship with His creation that He sent His son to earth in the form of a baby.
The Christmas story had never bothered her before. Of course, she’d never taken the time to fully analyze its meaning. Now that she was doing that, she found the whole idea disconcerting. If she wasn’t careful, the messages of those songs and the pastor’s words were going to upend her long-held beliefs.
On her way to the front door, she cast a glance at Colton. He sat on the couch with Liam nestled against his side clutching his little rabbit. If it wasn’t so close to nap time, Liam probably wouldn’t be so content.
Colton tilted his head toward the empty spot next to him. “You can join us if you’d like.”
“Thanks. But I’m going to check things outside again.” She probably wouldn’t see anything different from what she’d seen the first six times.
Colton had talked to her about his enemy Friday night. For the next days and weeks, the two of them were going to be continually on edge, waiting for Perez’s next move. Meanwhile, all they could do was wait.
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