“THIS MUST BE the address, Lola.” Stormy rechecked the number on the address card that the veterinarian’s office gave her. Although the house was old and dilapidated and looked unoccupied, the number on the front door matched the one she was given. After she’d run her errands, she’d decided to have Lola checked for a chip and sure enough, she had one.
Getting out of the borrowed SUV, Stormy led a leashed Lola up the cracked and crumbled steps to the weather-worn door. Lola growled and pranced, but Stormy calmed her with a scratch on the head. “It’s okay, girl.”
However, Stormy wasn’t feeling one hundred percent sure about this herself. Yet, what choice did she have? What if Lola belonged to a living family and they were worried sick about her? And before she could call the dog hers, Stormy needed to make sure she’d at least tried to find the owner.
She knocked twice more, and no one answered.
Starting back toward the vehicle, she heard something that sounded like yelling. Going back to the door, she pressed her ear against the peeling paint and listened. It was quiet.
Then she heard it again. Fear trickled down her spine. She tried the handle and it opened…
Peering inside, she called out, “Hello? Is anyone in there?”
The yelling turned into screams.
Her heart slammed against her ribcage.
Lola barked and growled.
“Lola, be still.” She tugged on the dog’s leash, but she was too strong for Stormy’s hold. Lola lunged through the doorway, practically dragging Stormy with her.
“Lola! Get back here,” Stormy yelled in a quiet voice.
Stepping further into the room, her boots crunched on glass and metal. She started to take backward steps toward the door, ready to get back to the SUV when she bumped into something solid. She swiveled on her heels and looked into an angry, familiar face.
She realized she’d made a grave mistake.
“I’ve been waiting.”
Her heart skipped three beats. “Duncan?”
Stormy fluttered her eyes open and the first thing she realized was that her head felt like she’d been hit by a truck. The second thing she realized was that she wasn’t alone…
She jumped up. “Colette?”
“Stormy? Oh my God. How? Why are you here?”
The sisters fell into each other’s arms, hugging as tears flooded their cheeks. Stormy pulled away, looking her sister up and down in the dim light coming through a crack in a boarded window from across the room. Her blonde hair was matted. Her clothes were dirty and ripped. Her face looked bruised and splattered with blood. “Tell me what happened?”
“Storm, it’s Duncan. He’s the one—” she whispered.
“I know. I realize that. How long have you been here?” Stormy scanned the small space. It was the size of a jail cell with barred ceiling and walls.
“I-I don’t know. I’ve lost track of time. I’m sorry, Storm. I found out who he was, that he was lying, and I planned to tell you, but he got to me first. He used chloroform and I woke up here.”
Stormy tried the bars, shaking and tugging frantically. “We need to get out of here.”
“It won’t work. I’ve tried every single one of them,” Colette said.
“There must be a way.” Stormy couldn’t give up. She stood, a little wobbly and pain attacked her temples, but she managed to stand long enough to inspect the rusty bars at the top of the cage. “Maybe if we climb up.”
“Storm. He’s listening. He’s watching everything. He’ll kill you. He’ll kill us. That’s his plan. He killed the woman, right in front of me.”
“The woman? Tiffany?”
“Natasha. He’s lost his mind.”
“What do we do? Just sit here and wait until he decides he no longer needs us?” Realizing by Colette’s expression that her words were a little harsh, Stormy sat back down next to her sister and hugged her. “I’m sorry. I know this is hard. Don’t worry. Once Gray realizes I’m gone, he’ll look for me. He’ll find us,” she whispered.
“Who’s Gray?”
“I’ll tell you all about him soon, but for now tell me, are you okay?” Stormy inspected her sister as much as she could in the bad lighting.
“Sore.”
“Okay. Things will be okay.” Stormy hugged Colette close and saw her flinch. “What is it?”
“He branded me,” Colette said in a quivering voice.
“Branded you? What do you mean?” Stormy moved and lifted her sister’s shirt. A raw-looking, blistered mark in the shape of a D covered a two-inch space on her shoulder.
“I’ll always have this as a reminder. He’s dangerous, Storm.”
A door squeaked somewhere across the dark space, then footsteps echoed off the walls until Duncan stepped into the ray of light streaming in through the window. Stormy shifted to put Colette behind her. “What the hell are you doing?” she growled the words.
“I think you know, Stormy.”
“No, I don’t Duncan, or should I call you Phantom?”
His laughter vibrated her ears. “Either is fine, but I do tend to like Phantom better. It has a sense of mystery, don’t you think?”
“The only mystery about you is the fact that you like to play with explosives. You’re a sick man.” She watched him move closer to the cage and felt Colette shaking. “You’re going to pay for this. Someone will come and save us. You can bank on that.”
“Oh, you must be referring to the Ghost Hawk, Gray Carlisle. Yes, darling, I am banking on the fact that he’ll show up like a hero with a badge. When he does…well, we shall see.”
She blinked. “That was your plan? All this? From the wedding planner, to the cabin, and even Lola?” Dread filled her. “Where is Lola?”
“I’d like to think of it as the master plan. The letters were like the glue. I must say, I did enjoy being near you, and you played right into my plan. It was like eating a cupcake. Sugary and satisfying. I wasn’t sure the timing of placing you and the Hawk would work, but just like fate, it worked like a well-oiled machine. Lola, well, how’d you like that one? It worked like a charm. For a man who is supposed to be as smart as Carlisle, he certainly didn’t catch that one, but then again, when he has his dick balls-deep inside sweet pussy I’m sure that’s a good excuse. I know I enjoyed it too.” He grinned.
A sickness unlike anything she’d ever known washed through her. To think this maniac had touched her made her feel dirty. She wanted to scrub her skin and vomit.
“In the end I get what I want. It wasn’t always that I wanted to destroy the Ghost Hawks, but after they made my work their business, I knew what I must do. An eye for an eye.”
“You’re crazy, Duncan. You’ll use any excuse to defend your massacre of innocent people. Let’s just be honest here. You like having the blood of innocents on your hands, point blank. But your reign of tyranny has come to an end. Gray will see to it. You’re no match for him. I assure you.”
“Oh, but darling. I realize my time has come. That’s part of the plan. I’m willing to pay the highest cost so that my fellow people can seek justice for the wrongs the government has committed upon us. Yet, knowing I will take out Carlisle as I go down is a golden ticket in the eyes of my group. And thanks to you, you’ve made that easy. You’ve led the lamb to the slaughter and my blade is sharpened. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you have a front row seat to my revenge. Maybe even let you watch as Carlisle goes down, not as a hero, but the catalyst to all this. You like concerts. Remember, we had tickets to see the orchestra? Sorry, I had something that came up. If you’re a good girl, when I’m finished, I’ll make both your deaths quick and painless.” Raw anger covered his face.
There were so many things Stormy wanted to say to him, but she feared that he would take his anger out on Colette. She had to bide her time and pray Gray found them sooner rather than later. She trusted him. She loved him.
“Where’s Lola?”
“She served her purpose. When I reach my purpose with anything I end them, as you well know. I really am sorry it had to be this way, darling. I rather found you a delightful challenge, although a bit cold at times.” He shrugged and took a step toward the door. “But the time has come for all of us. I’ll let you ladies enjoy your last few hours.”
*
Gray stared from each of the men. Cowboy, Cade and Abel.
“Hate me, but you know it’s true,” Able said.
“Don’t apologize. It’s nice to know who has my six and who doesn’t,” Gray said pointedly.
“That’s not true, bro. I’ve always watched your back, even though we don’t agree most of the time. I only told Jamison that I felt you were a little too deep in this case to make rational decisions. I mean, you did put your hands on me. You’d feel the same if it was another one of us.”
“We didn’t pull Cade off when he was dick-deep in a case. Sorry, Cade, I’m only saying,” Gray said.
Cade shrugged. “I hear you, man. I understand.”
Able tore a hand through his hair. “Face it, Carlisle. Phantom has gotten one over on you, one after another. That’s not like you to be careless.”
Gray lifted his chin. “Sure, I missed some things, but that’s because this is part of Phantom’s plans. Do you all feel the same way?”
“Hell, I think you’re still one of our best, but I think what Abel is trying to say is that your priorities are a bit skewed right now.” Cowboy took a seat at the large table that fit the entire crew.
“What was I supposed to do? Stormy needed my protection.”
“No one is telling you that you were wrong. What we’re saying is maybe you should go be with her, protect her, and let us catch Phantom. We don’t want any more mistakes or someone getting hurt.” Abel sat down on the edge of the table.
Gray didn’t think but acted. He grabbed Abel by the collar and pulled him close until they were face-to-face. Abel was a few inches taller than Gray, but he had the other man by at least thirty muscular pounds.
“How dare you make out like I’d intentionally fuck up,” he pushed through tight lips.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Jamison stomped into the room. “Not you two again!”
With a second’s hesitation, Gray dropped his hands and stepped back.
“This is exactly what the hell we’re talking about. Your head isn’t in the game.” Abel shook his head.
“Fuck you, asshole. Since Carson has retired you think you can say whatever the hell you like and get by with it.”
“That’s enough! Outside, Gray. Now!” Jamison barked.
Gray sighed and stepped outside with the other man. “Look, I lost my temper.”
“That was not a loss of temper, my friend. That was a pissing contest and I won’t have it here. Got it?”
Angry, Gray stepped across the grass, getting some space. “Got it. But just so we’re clear, I didn’t do anything that any of us wouldn’t do,” he snapped.
“Hey, relax.” Jamison held up his hands. “No one is accusing you of fucking up. Well, maybe Abel is. I get that he doesn’t always have a filter, but we’re all up to our eyeballs fed up with this case.”
“You don’t think I am?”
“I’ve known you for over fifteen years, buddy, and I’ve never known you to screw up. Abel just felt you might be thinking with your heart and not your head. Is he wrong?”
“I listed the priorities before and Stormy was at the top. I won’t lie.”
“Then Abel has a good point.”
He wrapped his head around the man’s words. He couldn’t deny how he felt. “Truth is, yeah, I’ve fallen for her and we’re in an intimate relationship.” Once the words were out he felt a sense of relief, although he knew it would probably be his downfall with the team. They each knew there were lines they weren’t supposed to cross.
Jamison raised his eyebrows and said quietly, “I think you’re in trouble.”
“I’m dedicated to the team.”
“I’m not talking team. Let’s put that aside for a minute and talk friend-to-friend. You’ve fallen for a woman who has been in a whirling abyss for a while. Do you have any clue how she feels about you?”
He shrugged and swallowed against the constriction in his throat. “We haven’t talked about feelings, but I know how I feel.”
“Listen, bro, you know my history. You knew Isabella too. After she was—” he couldn’t finish the words. “After what happened I wanted to kill the bastard who took her from me and I went out, like a crazy maniac and searched every dark alley and in back of every ransacked building looking for the scumbag who murdered her. During that time, I forgot the most important thing. My daughter. She’d lost her mother.”
“I’m confused. What’s the moral of the story here?”
“I’m saying, look at what’s important. If you love this woman, then go be with her. Let us solve this case and then you’ll come back when it’s over. That’s not too much to ask. After all, Phantom will use every technique he can to destroy what’s in his way. You’re a hurdle right now. He’s tracked you…”
“Oh shit!” Gray’s gut tightened. “Oh fuck!”
“What is it?”
Gray rubbed his forehead. “I just realized something. I got to go. If I’m right, I’ll let you know.” He was already across the grass toward his truck when he heard Jamison…
“Don’t get into any trouble, you hear?”
The instant he was in his truck and pulling out, he was calling Stormy’s phone. It was answered, but not by who he expected.
“It’s about time you caught on. You did catch on, right?”
“Phantom? Is that you?” Gray squeezed the phone until he thought it would break.
“Very good, Special Agent. I was starting to think you weren’t as smart as I had given you credit for.”
“The dog belonged to you. Didn’t she?”
“No, not me. She was Natasha’s. She really hated that she had to use her pet as a ploy, but look how well it turned out. Too bad she’s not here to see how well the mutt did. I’m sure you know her true identity by now. It’s sad if you think about it. She never had a chance.”
Gray concentrated on the road ahead as every cell in his body turned to lava. “If you hurt Stormy I’ll shred you to pieces. You’ll suffer until I end your life,” he said gravely.
Phantom’s laugh vibrated the line. “I love it. Look at you. Is that the way a lawman is supposed to act? I’m not a fool. You have to take me in alive.”
“When it comes to Stormy, I’m not a lawman. I’m just a fucking pissed off man who is hungry to clean you off the face of the earth.”
“Tsk. Tsk. What anger issues you have. I mean, you shouldn’t be so angry with me. You fell right into this, my friend. If it wasn’t for me, you two would have never met. Looking back, how easy did I make it for you to catch me and each time you chose Stormy. I do admit, I realize how sweet she is. Like sweet cream on bread. Research proves that men can’t think while they’re getting a new piece of snatch.”
“Fuck you, son of a bitch. Tell me where she is and I’ll make your death quick and painless.”
“You can’t possibly think that’s how things will go down, do you?”
“You’re a lunatic. I don’t think you have a clue what the hell comes next. But I assure you that soon we’ll be face-to-face.”
“Yes…oh yes. I look forward to it. Now be a good policeman and do your job.” The phone clicked off.
“Fuck!” Gray threw his phone.
Turning the Jeep into a turn off, he fished for his cell, glad he didn’t it in his temper. For the first time he was grateful that his dad had a tracking device on all their vehicles. What Gray used to think was overkill was now the very thing that would help him find where Stormy was.