When the man rose, his mask was cockeyed. But Jasmine didn’t get a good look at him. He again made a beeline for the fence.
Paige charged off after him, and Brutus resumed barking, louder and closer. He appeared around the side of the house as the man slung himself over the top rail of the fence. Paige grabbed his leg, but he slipped through her grasp and disappeared into the woods. When she made her way around the Suburban, she was limping.
Jasmine frowned. “You’re hurt.” It was amazing she wasn’t dead. Whatever had possessed her to attack someone half again her size?
“I’m all right.” She motioned toward the road. “I need to bring my car into the yard.”
Jasmine glanced that direction, but the hemlock blocked the view of whatever she’d driven.
Paige continued. “As I was coming up on Colton’s place, the creep was walking along the other side of your car. Then he squatted down. I pulled off the road, slipped through the gate and tackled him.” She frowned. “I think I got to him before he had a chance to do anything, but I’m going to look at your brake lines to be sure.”
“You’re a mechanic, too?” Nothing would surprise her at this point.
She shrugged. “I’ve picked up bits and pieces over the years, enough to recognize if brakes have been tampered with.”
Paige went to retrieve her vehicle, and Jasmine headed back inside to call 911 and check on Liam. She unclipped her phone from her belt, then picked up Colton’s cordless instead. She’d had one bar. Her signal was better outside than inside.
While she waited for her 911 call to connect, she stood in Liam’s doorway. He fished through the colorful pile on his floor and picked up a rectangular piece. “This one.”
She smiled. He was even starting to talk to himself. A good sign, something she’d share with Colton when he got home.
Leaving Liam to his play, she moved to the front of the house. When she finished relaying everything to the 911 dispatcher, she stepped onto the deck. A Dodge Charger sat in the drive. Paige was limping toward the opposite side of the Suburban, favoring the injured leg. She disappeared, rose a half minute later, then disappeared again.
As she walked back around, she made a fist, thumb raised. “So far, so good.”
She again lowered herself to the ground, gripping the front wheel well for support. Jasmine shook her head. Tanner wasn’t going to be happy with either of them.
Once she’d checked the rear, she straightened. “Everything’s fine.”
Jasmine released a pent-up breath. If Paige hadn’t come when she had...
The commotion in the back was definitely a decoy, something to distract the dog and get Jasmine to focus her attention behind the house. She wouldn’t fall for that ploy again.
Paige followed her inside and sank onto the couch.
Jasmine stared down at her, hands on her hips. “I don’t know whether to scold you or thank you.”
Paige shifted position and winced. “How about neither?”
“You’d probably rather I don’t say anything to Tanner, too.”
“Yeah, that would be good.”
Jasmine sat on the opposite end of the couch. “I was going to ask you what your superpower was. I don’t think that’s necessary now.”
“My superpower?”
“You reminded Tanner you could hold your own, so I knew there’s more to you than meets the eye.”
Paige gave a sharp nod. “Street fighting. Hand-to-hand combat.”
“You good with a gun?”
She shrugged. “Not bad.”
“Did you bring one?”
“Can’t.”
Jasmine cocked a brow, but Paige didn’t explain.
“How long have you and Tanner been together?” She’d give Paige a reprieve for now. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t circle back to the topic before the end of the day. If the woman was going to be around Colton and Liam, it was her job to know what secrets she harbored.
“Married eight months. Dated almost two years before that.” Paige gave her a crooked smile. “Took me a while to give in and take the plunge.”
Liam padded into the room, his stockinged feet almost silent against the hardwood floor. “Water, peez.”
“Sure, sweetie.” Her response came in unison with Paige’s.
Paige held up a hand. “I’m the babysitter, remember?”
Jasmine nodded. “I’ll be outside.”
She’d make her rounds until the police arrived, then take over the babysitter role while Paige came out and talked to them.
After scanning the front yard through one of the windows, she opened the door and stepped onto the deck. For the next ten minutes, she walked the yard, studying the woods beyond the fence. The man who’d run from Paige had trampled down underbrush and kicked up leaves in his rush to escape. Whoever had had Brutus in an uproar hadn’t left so obvious a trail.
Approaching sirens drew her eyes to the road. An emergency vehicle was making its way up Hilltop. She opened the gate and flagged in a Cherokee County sheriff cruiser.
The uniformed deputy stepped out and introduced himself. “You called about someone tampering with a vehicle?”
“I did.” She relayed what little she’d witnessed. “But the lady you really need to speak with is inside.”
She jogged to the house and sent Paige out. When she checked on Liam, he’d returned to his Legos. He looked up at her, and his mouth lifted in a smile. “Movie?”
“Which one do you want to see?”
“Cars.”
Two minutes later, she’d located the DVD and had the credits rolling. As soon as she laid the remote on the coffee table, a small hand slipped into hers.
“You want me to watch it with you?”
He nodded. When she sank onto the couch, he climbed up next to her. She put her arm around him, and he snuggled against her side.
She closed her eyes and dipped her head, breathing in his strawberry-scented shampoo. Her chest tightened in a combination of love and longing.
This was precisely the reason she’d tried so hard to get Gunn to reassign her. Whatever he was trying to do, it was likely to turn out poorly for both her and Liam.
When a soft knock sounded sometime later, she rose to let Paige in.
Paige locked the door behind her. “I closed and latched the gate.”
“Good. I don’t suppose the deputy found anything.”
“No. He headed into the woods the same direction the guy had gone, then came back a few minutes later. Didn’t see anything. The other one found where it looked like someone had tromped through the woods in the back, but didn’t find anyone there, either.”
Paige returned to her babysitting duties, and Jasmine stepped back outside. After spending the morning alternating between patrolling the yard and checking on things inside, she sat down to grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches Paige had prepared.
“Thanks for lunch.” She picked up her sandwich, still hot from the griddle. “So, what are we keeping you from? What do you normally do with your days?”
“I’m taking classes at the community college, but as of today, I’m on Christmas break.”
“What are you studying?”
“My Gen Eds now, but next term I’ll start education classes. I’m working toward getting my teaching certificate.”
“I didn’t think you could teach school if you were a felon.”
“Who said I was a felon?”
“You did, but not in so many words.”
Paige shrugged. “That was another lifetime.”
“Considering you’re married to a cop and are a regular church attender, I gathered as much.”
Paige gave her a half smile. “Back to the teacher question, it depends on the felony. I never killed or molested anyone.” The smile widened. “Although I was te
mpted to run that creep’s head into the ground this morning.” She sobered and a fierceness entered her eyes. “Thinking about anyone threatening Liam just about makes me lose it.”
Jasmine nodded. She liked Paige. Tough and no-nonsense. She was a good one to have around.
She’d told Tanner she could hold her own.
After watching her this morning, Jasmine agreed wholeheartedly.
SEVEN
Colton stepped from the courthouse under a steel-gray sky. The weather had been cold and dreary for the past two days.
But that wasn’t the reason for his dark mood. When he’d gotten home yesterday evening, Jasmine had told him about the events of the morning. His enemies had been watching, waiting until he left and Jasmine was alone with Liam.
It all about drove him nuts—waiting for the next strike, unable to predict when or where it was going to happen.
He didn’t do well with helplessness. It had been a constant companion through most of his childhood as he’d been shuffled from one foster home to the next. He’d thought that once he became an adult, he’d never feel helpless again.
But it wasn’t a malady reserved for unwanted children. For the past six months, he’d suffered through more than his fair share, at a loss as to how to help his son and defenseless against the grief that threatened to drown them both.
Last night, he’d taken out his fear and frustration on Jasmine, demanding to know why she hadn’t called him immediately. She’d stood her ground, and she’d been right. There’d been no reason to intrude into his workday. No one was hurt, and there was nothing he could have done anyway.
He hurried through the parking lot, glancing around him. Next on the agenda was a trip to the grocery store, with Tanner accompanying him. According to Tanner’s text, he was already there, probably inspecting the Highlander.
Colton had gotten it back yesterday afternoon. Now it was parked at the rear of the courthouse next to the parking for the senior center. The area was open, with no trees for someone to hide behind.
When Colton approached, Tanner was lying next to the SUV, looking beneath. After Jasmine and Paige’s experience, they’d all agreed—no cranking vehicles without first checking them.
Tanner rose. “So far, so good.”
As he circled around to the front, Colton’s phone rang. He frowned. Cade was calling. Three days had passed since the last warning. Apparently, it was time for another one.
Colton put the phone to his ear and greeted his twin. Cade’s “how are you?” seemed to hold more meaning than the three words usually did.
“We’re all fine. How is your trip going?”
“Could be better. I’ve been looking for a particular piece. Everything similar seems to be locked away in someone’s private collection.”
“I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.” He always did.
Colton was smart, but he’d always had to work for what he got. Cade was brilliant. Everything seemed to come easily to him, gift wrapped and delivered on a golden platter. He’d partied his way through college and still managed to maintain a 3.8 GPA.
And no one could deny that he was good at what he did. He had a knack for finding the deals and turning everything he touched to gold. Their adoptive father had always been able to make a nice profit, but Cade’s success lately had been phenomenal.
Tanner finished his inspection and held up both thumbs.
Colton opened the driver door. “I’ve got to run. Tanner and I are getting ready to do some grocery shopping.”
“You guys actually made plans to grocery shop together?” Cade released a throaty laugh. “That’s as bad as some of the girls I’ve dated who won’t go to the restroom without a friend.”
Colton winced. “We’re keeping Liam inside, and I’m trying to avoid going anywhere alone at night.” In fact, if he hadn’t had a midafternoon appointment across town, Tanner would have insisted on dropping him off in the morning and picking him up at the end of the day.
He stepped into the opening but didn’t get in. “We’ve had some threats.”
“What kind of threats?”
“Just random stuff.” He didn’t need to worry his brother. Colton almost laughed at the absurdity of the thought. Until two and a half weeks ago, it wouldn’t have crossed his mind. He’d never seen Cade worry about anything.
“You’ve got to get Liam out of there.” Cade spoke with urgency bordering on panic.
Colton sighed. So much for not worrying his brother. “I don’t have anywhere to go. Even if those guys have found us, it’s different now. Liam doesn’t have a babysitter. He has a bodyguard.”
Actually, he had both. And the babysitter could almost double as a bodyguard.
Colton ended the call. “Thanks for checking it out.”
“No problem. It pays to be careful.” Tanner’s jaw tightened. “I have to admit, I spent most of my day off at your house.”
Colton nodded. Tanner knew about someone tampering with Jasmine’s car, but Paige probably hadn’t told him she’d accosted the guy. And Colton wasn’t about to spill any secrets. That was between Paige and Tanner. “Ready for that Ingles run?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be. Swing around front, and I’ll follow you.”
Colton watched his friend head toward the steps leading down to Alpine and slid into the driver’s seat. When he turned into Ingles’s parking lot a short time later, the sky had darkened from gray to deep charcoal. He pulled into a space a short distance from one of the parking lot lights, and Tanner stopped next to him. By the time they finished their shopping, the darkness would be complete.
Colton snagged a cart and pulled out his cell phone. When he looked at his friend, Tanner had done the same thing.
Tanner held his up. “List from Paige.”
He nodded. Jasmine had texted hers early that morning. At least Tanner was doing more than following him around the grocery store.
When they stepped back through the automatic doors a half hour later, each of their carts held four bags.
“That was relatively painless.” Tanner’s words held a touch of humor, but he didn’t meet Colton’s eyes. Instead, he scanned the parking lot, lines of concern on his face and tension radiating from him.
When they reached the SUV, Colton opened the back door.
Tanner passed him two of the bags. “Once we return the carts, I’m going to do a quick check of your vehicle again.”
Colton nodded, his jaw tightening. It had been only four days since the note and the shot. Already that state of being constantly on guard was wearing on him.
When the last bag was loaded, he wheeled his cart toward the corral several spaces down, Tanner next to him. Away from the relative safety of his vehicle, a sense of vulnerability swept over him. Were his enemies out there somewhere, watching from the shadows?
He shook off the sensation. It was past dark, but the parking lot was well lit. It wasn’t deserted, either. He wasn’t the only one making an after-work stop before heading home.
He wheeled his cart between the parallel metal rails, then watched Tanner do the same. “Thanks for coming with me.”
Tanner shrugged. “I had to come anyway. Besides, you’re feeding me.”
“Paige is feeding all five of us.”
“With your food.”
True. The ladies had planned it that morning, and Jasmine had informed him at lunchtime that they’d have company for dinner.
Tanner slid him a sideways glance. “Liam’s starting to talk again.”
“I know.”
“Jasmine spent a lot of the day outside, but every time she came back in, Liam seemed to light up. I think she’s good for him.”
Colton gave him a sharp look. What was he getting at? “She’s his bodyguard. Liam getting attached to her isn’t a good thing, because once this is over—”
Tanner’s eyes dipped downward several inches and widened in a momentary flash of panic. Colton’s words stuck in his throat.
The next moment, his muscled six-foot-two-inch friend slammed into him, knocking him to the asphalt behind the Highlander. Pain stabbed through his wrist and elbow.
“What—” He couldn’t move. Tanner was on top of him, the injured arm pinned beneath him.
The weight lessened, then was gone.
“Stay low.” Tanner hissed the words. “Get between the vehicles and call 911.”
Colton’s thoughts were spinning, but he forced himself into a crawl. When he put pressure on his left hand, the pain in his wrist intensified, and his arm buckled. Definitely sprained.
He finished the short trek in an awkward one-armed crawl. His elbow was on fire. He sank back on his heels and cupped it with the opposite hand. When he drew it away, blood dotted his palm. His suit coat was probably history. So was the dress shirt. The pants were likely shot, too, because now that he thought about it, his left knee had started to throb.
He unclipped his phone from his belt and looked for his friend. Tanner was positioned two feet away in a partial crouch, weapon drawn, peering through the Highlander’s windows.
What had he seen?
No one had tried to shoot at them. There’d been no crack of gunfire, not even the pfsst of a weapon with a silencer.
Colton dropped his gaze to his phone. It looked undamaged. Good thing he carried it on the right. Otherwise it might not have fared so well.
“What am I reporting?” All he knew was one of his best friends had just tackled him.
“I’m pretty sure someone aimed a rifle at you. I saw the red light of the laser on your chest.”
Strength drained from Colton’s body, and he leaned against his vehicle. If he’d been alone, chances were good he’d be dead right now.
Or maybe he wouldn’t. Whoever was out there took aim but didn’t pull the trigger. Maybe leveling that laser on his chest was part of the terror, one more way to make him crazy before delivering the final blow.
The scenario fit Perez perfectly. Once he had a target, he never lost interest until he’d seen his plans through to completion. Being on the receiving end of Perez’s wrath was like walking around with a bomb strapped to one’s chest.
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