CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Turned out, having a possible concussion worked in her favor. Clint insisted Gage’s interrogation take a back seat to her examination. Slightly disgruntled, Gage had agreed and left to help his deputies deal with Hannah’s body. Chloe knew it was only a temporary reprieve. He’d be back to get his questions answered, this time with her sister.
“I’m sorry,” Wes said from the bed beside her.
“You’re awake,” she said, scooting her chair closer.
A whimper sounded from the floor near the wall where Harriett had made a makeshift bed for Wöden.
“Might as well put him in here,” she’d muttered as she put the mattress from a stretcher on the floor and covered it with blankets. “No way is he leaving that wound alone if we let him out. If I’m going to have two cranky patients, might as well have them in the same room.”
“How is he?” Wes asked, leaning over enough to see his friend.
“The vet said he’d had two gunshot wounds. The first was the one we knew about when we found him. The second one, probably when he jumped to save my life, grazed across his rump.”
“Rump?” Wes chuckled, then held his side. “Damn.”
“Are you okay?” Chloe said, hurrying to the other side of the bed and pulling back the cover to examine his bandage. She moved his hand, checking that all the edges still held and no bleeding was on it.
“I’m fine, counselor,” Wes said, taking her hand in his and stilling her movement. “I’m just going to have to keep from laughing for a few days.”
“That goes for coughing, sneezing, and any other sudden movements. Trust me on this one.” They looked up to see Gage standing in the doorway, Bobby just behind him. He nodded to where Wöden lay resting, the cone of shame around his head to prevent him gnawing at his stitches. “Is he going to be okay with us coming in there?”
“Should be,” Wes said, trying to sit up. Chloe pulled his pillows up behind him as he held his side with one hand and wiggled into position. Despite being an observation room at the clinic the bed wasn’t hospital-grade with buttons that would lift the back. It was an antique bed with a brass headboard. “Just don’t raise your voice, too much.”
Gage raised a don’t-push-your-luck brow at his deputy. Reassured his wife and child weren’t in danger from the wolf-dog, he stepped aside, allowing Bobby to rush in, arms open wide. Chloe hurried into her sister’s open arms, tears suddenly streaming down her face. The pair began talking at once.
“I’m so sorry. I couldn’t tell you. We didn’t know she was after us.”
“I’m so glad you’re okay. Clint said you were. Are you?”
“I’m fine. A little shaken. Didn’t even get a scratch, I promise.”
“That’s the same thing you said the first time you punched in Cindy Seacort’s nose,” Bobby said with a chuckle.
“First time?” Gage asked. “How many times did you hit the girl?”
“Twice. Cindy was a slow learner.” Chloe laughed through her tears.
“Here,” Harriett said, elbowing her way past Gage and handing the women a box of tissues. “You have fifteen minutes to talk, then the three of them need to sleep.”
“Three?” Bobby and Chloe asked simultaneously.
“He needs to rest,” the nurse said, pointing at Wes, then arched a brow at Chloe. “You are under twenty-four-hour concussion watch.” She bent down and handed a dog biscuit to Wöden. “And this beast isn’t going anywhere but out to pee until you two are discharged. Better get talking, Sheriff.”
“She’ll be back in exactly fifteen minutes,” Gage said, coming in to lean on the dresser against the wall. He folded his arms over his chest and laser-pointed his gaze on Wes. “Why don’t we start with why Hannah was trying to kill you two?”
Wes and Chloe took turns explaining what happened since early that morning. They told how Hannah had blamed Wes for her brother’s death on the dark ops mission in South America, using her own words she’d shouted at them from the woods. Piecing things together, they figured she’d shot Wöden to draw them out, planned to kill Chloe to make Wes suffer and then finish him off.
“So, this has nothing to do with the person who ransacked your home?” Gage asked Chloe.
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. The person sending me texts has been watching me before I came to Westen to the wedding.”
“Which means,” Gage, said, shifting his don’t-bullshit-me stare to Wes, “your past nearly got you killed today. And you put Chloe’s life in danger when you brought her back here. In a blizzard.”
“It would seem so.” Wes didn’t blink. His lips pressed in a thin line, the muscle in his jaw ticked.
It was like watching too big-horned rams sizing each other up before butting heads.
“Oh, for goodness sake,” Chloe said, stepping forward, hands balled into fists on her hips to face her brother-in-law. “Wes didn’t plan this. There is someone stalking me back in Cincinnati, as evidenced by the destruction of my apartment. Bringing me here, out of the stalker’s vicinity, is a perfectly sensible step. One, I wholeheartedly agreed to. Neither of us suspected there was some psychotic woman hanging out in your town, ready to use us for target practice. Do not lay this at Wes’s feet.”
“He’s a professional, Chloe. It’s his job to know what’s going on around him,” Gage said, taking a step forward.
She pointed at him, raising her voice. “Doesn’t the same go for you? This woman’s been in town for months and no one, not Wes and not you, knew what she was planning.”
A low growl came from the floor.
“Why don’t we let this rest for tonight,” Bobby said, stepping to her husband’s side and wrapping her arms around his middle, making him immediately relax. “We’re all just thankful you two are okay. You two need to rest and Harriett will be back any minute.” She tilted her head to one side to look at Gage. “Besides, we have a body to deal with, a report to get to the Mayor and a town to help dig out from under all this snow.”
“You’re right,” Gage said, kissing the top of her head. Taking her hand, he headed out the door, then stopped, nodding at Wes. “Get some rest. Tomorrow, I expect a complete report on who Hannah was and everything that happened. Including anything you know about Chloe’s stalker.”
Chloe was still steaming when the pair left. “How can he accuse you of putting me in danger? You were trying to keep me safe.”
“He’s right.”
The quiet words surprised her. Slowly, she turned. “What do you mean, he’s right?”
“You wouldn’t have been in danger if I hadn’t brought you back to Westen,” he said, sadness dimming his blue eyes.
Stalking back to her chair, she struggled to control the anger her brother-in-law’s comment stirred inside her, not wanting it to leak out and feed the obvious guilt now riding Wes. “You don’t know that,” she said, perching on the end of the chair.
“Hannah was out to torture and kill me, Chloe. You and Wöden were collateral damage. Had I not brought you back here, you never would’ve been caught in her cross-hairs.”
“This is ridiculous. You’re no more responsible for her trying to kill all of us than you were for her brother dying. The decision to bring me here wasn’t based on her actions, but on the actions of the person stalking me.” She clenched her teeth for a moment at the stubborn set to his jaw. Taking a deep breath, she switched tactics. “Let’s look at this logically.”
“That’s what I’m doing. Hannah was hunting me.”
“True.”
“When I saw the slashed tires on your car back in Cincinnati, I assumed it was your stalker’s doing.”
“We both did.”
“But it wasn’t,” he said, focusing intently on her, wanting her to understand.
Tilting her head sideways, she let his words process. “You believe it was Hannah?”
“The knife she used on me was a tactical knife. More than capable of ripping through tires.” Again, he paused to allow the information to sink in, letting her come to her own conclusion.
“You think she followed you to Cincinnati, waited until we were together, then slashed my tires? Why?”
He gave a slight shrug. “To force us together. Probably hoping to push us back into her hunting grounds.”
Chloe studied him with her brows lowered in confusion. “But why would she do that, when she could’ve taken you out anytime in the months since she came to Westen?”
“She asked me how it felt to have someone I loved lying there bleeding out. At first, I’d thought she meant you. Then I realized it was Wöden she was talking about. She told me she was going to make me lose everyone I cared about. She made an effort to shoot into the shack, not so much to kill me, but hoping she’d hit you, not knowing you’d already left.”
“Why would she think shooting me would make you suffer?”
“She saw us together before the wedding. Even waited on us at the Peaches ’N Cream. When she followed me to Cincinnati and realized I was there for you, she must’ve concluded there was something between us.”
Chloe sat back in her chair, her arms wrapped around her body as she contemplated all that he was and wasn’t saying. “I can see your point. Hannah probably did force us into her plans. But that doesn’t mean leaving me in Cincinnati would’ve been a good decision, either. Think about it. If you’d just taken me home, who’s to say she wouldn’t have followed us?”
“True.” It was his turn to concede a point.
“Worse. What if you’d taken me home and headed back to Westen? I could’ve been trapped in my condo with my stalker.”
“I don’t even want to think about that,” he said, his face going pale and his hand trembling as he held it out to her.
She took it in hers and climbed into bed beside him, curling into his uninjured side. “Trust me, neither do I. Despite what my big, bad brother-in-law and my sister might think, I was far safer here with you, facing down a crazed gun wielding woman than on my own back in Cinci.”
The question was, what was she going to do when she headed back home? Who was going to keep her safe?
* * * * *
It took three more days for the roads to clear for travel out of Westen and down south to Cincinnati. The first day they’d spent still in the little clinic, resting and tolerating Gage’s inquisition about not only Hannah, but who might be stalking Chloe.
When the doctor finally decided Wes and Wöden could go back to the cabin, Chloe insisted on going with them, refusing her sister’s invitation to come stay with her and Gage. Wes knew she’d be better off with her family, more protected in town, but having her choose to be with him struck a chord deep inside him—one that both humbled and scared him senseless.
Humbled him because he’d never had someone so smart, so beautiful and so courageous put him before their family and their own needs. In the brief time they’d been together, she’d wiggled past his defenses. Like a slick cat burglar, she’d gone straight for his hidden secrets—his past sins and his heart—making them her own. That wasn’t what scared him, though. He knew she’d protect them both.
No, what scared him was that his past would rear its ugly head again and the next time he might not be able to protect her. Every time he thought of her lying dead somewhere, a cold sweat spread over him. If he did nothing else in this life, he had to find a way to keep her safe.
That is why they were finally on their way back to Cincinnati. He was taking her home.
“I have to confess it’s going to be nice to have some peace and quiet,” Chloe said beside him. “Don’t get me wrong. Your place is wonderful, all secluded in the woods, but for someone who was supposed to have rest after leaving the clinic, it was like living in a train station with everyone coming by to check on you and Wöden.”
“Trust me, it’s not normally like that,” he said with a half-shrug as he maneuvered from the outer belt ringing Columbus onto I-71 headed south to Cincinnati. The state road crews had managed to get the urban highways cleared of snow, although the snow still piled up on and around the side roads they drove past. In fact, the most hazardous part of their trip so far had been leaving Westen.
“You know it says a lot about you that so many people stopped by,” Chloe said.
He arched a brow at her. “I suspect it had more to do with you being my house guest, than anyone’s concern over my health, especially your sister and my boss.”
“Well, yes, you’re probably right about Bobby and Gage coming and spending every evening, as aggravating as it was. But I’m pretty sure the doc, the vet and Harriett were there to be sure you two were healing and getting some rest.”
“True.”
“Then there were all the Baptist Women’s group members dropping off meals, along with Lorna and her daughter. Don’t get me wrong. I’m very glad they did.”
“Cooking isn’t your thing, then?” he asked, glad that for the moment she wasn’t focusing on the mess in her condo or the crazed person who’d trashed it.
“Oh, I can cook enough to not starve.” She laughed, the depth of honest humor making him glance her way in time to see her smile. “Bobby made sure of it. One day when I was a teen and she’d been home sick from work, I was complaining that she hadn’t gotten up to make us dinner. She told me, ‘There’s soup in cans and boxes of macaroni and cheese with directions. There’s a pot and a stove. If you starve, then you’re not as smart as you think you are.’ I learned a quick lesson in self-sufficiency that night. Also learned to appreciate the efforts Bobby made daily to feed all three of us.”
“Trust me when I tell you that bringing food by was as much for their benefit as it was ours.”
She shifted in her seat and he felt her staring at him. “What do you mean by that?”
“One thing about living in a small town, everyone wants to know your business. You and I will be fodder for the gossip mill for a while.” Until they realize there is no future for us.
“You can’t accept that people care about you, can you?” she asked, making him wonder if he’d said that thought out loud. “Maybe everyone coming to see you and bring you meals was simply friends and neighbors who’ve come to count on you to keep them safe. No wonder you and Wöden have bonded. You’re exactly the same. Two lone wolves.”
She shifted again, this time to stare out into the wintery landscape.
Maybe she was right. Since coming to Westen he had slowly let his guard down, gotten to know the people in town, learned about their lives. He’d considered it just part of his job. Had they somehow come to know him, as well?
* * * * *
“You had me so scared,” Dylan said, engulfing her sister in her arms when they got to Chloe’s condo an hour later.
“I was worried about you, too,” Chloe said, hugging her tight.
Wes nodded over the sisters’ heads at Bulldog, who rolled his eyes at the two weepy women. With a little nudge of the duffle bag with Chloe’s things in it to her butt, Wes got the pair to make room so he could squeeze in and close the door.
“We tried to clean up as much as we could, once the police were done,” Dylan said, her voice a tinged with warning.
Chloe let go and stepped around her sister to look into the living room. “Oh. Oh, God,” she whispered. Wes grabbed her around the middle as her knees started to give out. He turned her trembling body away from the sight on her walls. W-H-O-R-E and S-L-U-T could still be seen through the fresh white paint on the walls.
“The guy at the paint store said it would take at least two coats of the primer to cover up the metallic orange,” Bulldog explained holding up the can of paint. “After that you can go back to the taupe you had up before.”
“Taupe?” Wes asked.
Bulldog gave him the don’t-piss-me-off-I-can-hurt-you look. “Taupe. Somewhere between beige and brown for Neanderthals like you, Chief.”
“Do you want me to take you somewhere else?” Wes asked Chloe.
“You can stay at my place until this is all cleaned up,” Dylan offered. “I’m off tonight, but have to work the next thirty-six, so we won’t be on top of each other.”
“Maybe for a few nights,” Chloe said, her emotions back under control. “Don’t think I can take your snoring for longer.”
“I don’t snore!” Dylan said.
Bulldog snorted.
Dylan slugged him in the arm. “You can just finish painting by yourself.” She turned to Chloe and took her hand. “We got the bedroom all cleaned up. I hope you don’t mind, but I threw out all your underthings yesterday and we went and bought new ones today.”
“We?” Chloe asked.
Dylan gave a sideways nod at Bulldog as they exited. “The big guy won’t me do anything by myself except pee and shower.”
“You got dragged into the women’s lingerie section, huh? Even straight guys hate going there.” Wes couldn’t help ribbing his friend.
“It was like touring a foreign country. Nice to visit, but ain’t planning on living there. The only silk I like is on sheets or in boxers, but you said stick with her and keep her safe.” Bulldog grew serious and nodded at Wes’s right side where all his injuries were. “Speaking of keeping safe, you good to go?”
“Slight limp in the leg, but otherwise, I’m functioning.” Wes pulled off his coat and sank onto the couch and stretched out his legs.
“I still can’t believe Isaac’s little sister tried to kill you,” Bulldog said dropping into the over-sized chair next to him. Both Chole and Wes had filled her sister and Bulldog in on what occurred up in Westen during the blizzard while they’d waited for the roads to clear for the long trek back to Cincinnati.
“She was deranged. Grief, most likely. We’re lucky none of us were seriously injured or killed. She was as good a shot as her brother.”
Bulldog let out a low whistle and the two grew silent for a moment. They’d both respected Isaac and his skills. The fact that Hannah had been trained beside him meant Wes was very lucky he hadn’t died out in the snowy forest.
“Got any news for me?” Wes finally asked.
“Bryerson called last night. Fingerprints came back to Chloe, the doc and me. He also doubts any DNA was left anywhere. Some black fibers were on the bedding, especially around the pillows. Thinks out guy might’ve had on some sort of hat while he slept there.”
“Shit. I wanted this guy caught so she can prosecute him.”
“How about on your end?”
Wes passed his hand over his face. “Managed to trace the phone number leaving the hang-up calls and texts.”
“Let me guess,” the former sergeant said, “A burner phone.”
“Yep. One paid with cash, so no electronic trail. This guy’s determined to hide his identity and not leave any evidence. Makes me think he’s very aware that without evidence, Chloe and the police won’t be able to stop him.”
“Like a cop or…”
“A lawyer,” Wes finished.
“Which brings me to the good news,” Bulldog said.
“There is some?” Wes couldn’t hide his skepticism. At the moment, his failures sat heavily on his shoulders. He hadn’t stopped Hannah from shooting Wöden, threatening Chloe and knifing him. Hadn’t kept her from getting killed. And there was still a stalker after Chloe.
“It depends on how you look at it.”
“Tell me.”
Bulldog glanced at the hallway where Dylan had taken Chloe before continuing. “After you talked with Bryerson a few days ago, he went back and looked at traffic cams in the area surrounding this place.”
Wes had managed a late-night call to his detective friend when Chloe was asleep and his brain was too geared up to drift off. They’d discussed the possibility that whoever had trashed her condo might have stuck around to witness the drama when it was discovered. “And?”
“There was a vehicle, a Lincoln Navigator, spotted down the block. Bryerson said it left the scene not too long after the police arrived, which caught his notice. So, he went back to before the blizzard came through. The car arrived the night before.”
“Could’ve been anyone living in the area. Why did he think it might be important?”
“Because of where it was parked.”
Bulldog stood and motioned for Wes to join him at the picture window that overlooked the street. He pulled back the curtain and pointed to the street perpendicular to Chloe’s. On the end of the next block, cattycorner from Chloe’s place was a Mexican fast-food restaurant.
“Pretty sure no one is leaving an expensive card like a Navigator in the parking lot of a fast-food place during a freaking blizzard. Especially when all the places around here have garages and covered parking available.”
“Please tell me Bryerson could get a plate number off the video.”
Bulldog got that shit-eating-grin he always got when they’d gotten their target in their sights. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Wes. “Your man is very good.”
“His man is good at what?” Chloe asked coming into the room, Dylan right behind her.
“Keeping us informed,” Wes said, slipping the paper into his pocket. “Looks like whoever did this didn’t leave any prints or DNA behind.”
Chloe stared straight at him, the corners of her eyes tightened just slightly and for a moment he thought she’d press the issue. Then she gave a simple nod as if she’d chosen to trust him. “Well, that’s good news and bad, isn’t it?”
Dylan flopped down on the sofa, propping her feet up on the coffee table. “The bad news part I get. No evidence, no way to go after this guy. How’s that in any way good news?”
“Because little sister,” Chloe settled onto the seat next to her sister. “It means other than those words, he left nothing disgusting in my apartment. Disgusting as in semen.”
“Ew, gross,” Dylan hit her sister with a pillow.
While the sisters relaxed, Wes met Bulldog’s gaze and they exchanged a nod. Tonight they’d be paying a visit to the owner of one Lincoln Navigator.