Authors: Mary Hannah; Alford Terri; Alexander Reed
Tags: #Fluffer Nutter, #dpgroup.org
Love Inspired Suspense June 2014 Bundle 1 of 2: Undercover Marriage\Collateral Damage\Forgotten Past (35 page)
When he pulled into the Douglases' driveway, the garage door was up. The white Escort sat on the right, but the spot reserved for George's Silverado was vacant. Which meant Sharon was home alone.
He got out of the car, the knot in his stomach swelling to boulder size. He would stay with Sharon until George arrived. Then maybe he would go have dinner at Pappy's. Not that he would feel like eating. But the hometown pizzeria was always hopping.
In Harmony Grove, news traveled fast. And the more shocking the news, the faster it spread. Maybe Kayla said something. Or maybe someone saw something. He would look for any shred of evidence that might help them find whoever had done this to her.
Lord, help us catch this guy before anyone else gets hurt.
His thoughts turned to Lexi and a pang of tenderness shot through him. She was probably at that moment working on her investigation, doing her best to hold it together, the rain masking tears she would try so hard not to shed.
And, Lord, please give Lexi the strength to do what she feels she needs to do.
Copyright © 2014 by Carol J. Post
ISBN-13: 9781460333860
COLLATERAL DAMAGE
Copyright © 2014 by Hannah Alexander
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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LOST MEMORIES
Faith McKenzie was the only survivor of a brutal home invasion. Viciously attacked and left for dead, Faith can't remember anything about that nightâincluding the identity of the killer. All she knows is that he's stalking her from every place she flees and has tracked her to a small Maine island. Her neighbor, private investigator and security specialist JT Wyatt, rescues her twice. Now JT is insisting on the whole storyâa story that Faith can't remember. Desperate to feel safe, Faith puts her trust in the handsome P.I. Yet a killer is dead set on ensuring that Faith's memory never returns.
“I know you're scared of someone. Who's following you, Faith?”
JT had no idea the dark secrets her mind had locked away because they were just too dreadful for her to remember. “I can't. I'm sorry, you don't understand.”
A single muscle worked along his jaw line. Evidence enough he didn't like her answer. “Then help me understand. I take it this isn't the first time this has happened?”
She took her time answering. “No, it isn't. But it's my problem and I know what I'm doing.”
“Like you have before? By being scared of everyone you meet? Always one step away from running? That's no way to live your life.”
Faith squared her shoulders. “Maybe not, but I'll be okay. I appreciate your help tonight and for bringing my dog home, but this isn't your problem. I can handle it.”
That he didn't believe her was clear. She couldn't blame him.
She desperately needed his help.
MARY ALFORD
grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well, not much of anything, really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her brothers and sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seemed to come naturally to her.
As a preteen, Mary discovered writing and knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her overactive imagination.
She wrote her first novel as a teen (it's tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never really pursued her writing career seriously until a few years later, when she wrote her first inspirational romantic suspense and was hooked.
Today, Mary still lives in Texas with her husband and still writes about romance. In fact, she can't think of anything else she'd rather do.
You can visit Mary at her website,
www.maryalford.net
, or email her at
[email protected]
.
FORGOTTEN PAST
Mary Alford
He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak.
âIsaiah
40:29
To my father-in-law, MJ Alford, who went home to be with the Lord December 6, 2012. God's gain, our loss. MJ, you taught me what it means to be a true hero because you were one to the people who loved you. I miss you terribly but I know that one day I'll see you again in Heaven, thanks be to God.
ONE
S
he'd made a dreadful mistake. The minute the headlights of her car swept over the house, Faith realized it deep down in her heart.
Truth be told, she had made a whole string of mistakes, including the one she prayed wouldn't prove to be the most costly. When she'd left the house earlier, she had forgotten to turn any lights on. Now night had fallen and nothing but a dark silhouette loomed before her. Just the thought of what might be waiting outside the safety of the car made her heartbeat go ballistic.
Please, Lord...protect me.
Faith clutched the steering wheel tight in an attempt to steady her trembling hands as she peered out the windshield. Nothing seemed out of place, but then again, it was pitch-black out. There were no streetlights this far from town, and dense clouds obscured the moon and stars. While the car's headlights illuminated most of the side of the house and a portion of the front, it didn't quite reach the door.
Foolish, foolish, foolish. She couldn't believe she'd acted so foolishly.
At the time, she hadn't thought about anything but getting away for a little while. The walls had been closing in on her, and she knew if she didn't find a way to clear her head, she would end up throwing everything she owned into the back of her car and running for her life once again.
Driving along the breathtaking stretch of Maine coastline while the setting sun painted the waters a kaleidoscope of colors helped put things into perspective. There was something about the never-ending cycle of the tide as it rolled against the rocky shoreline and then out to sea again that gave her a sense of peace. It reminded her that it didn't matter what she went through in her life, or how scary or insurmountable her fears seemed, God was in control.
Most days, she could control the doubts. Today hadn't been one of them. All because of the call. The reason she'd moved to Hope Island, a small town of a little more than ten thousand in population located at the southernmost tip of the Maine coastline. She had been running from
him
.
This move was supposed to be different. Faith had banked all her future happiness on it working this time. The call had proved her wrong. She had lost track of the number of times she'd uprooted her life just to get away from him. It had become second nature whenever she felt threatened. Today, when the call came in and the tiniest bit of hope she still clung to evaporated, she had definitely felt threatened.
At twenty-eight, Faith had given up two years of her life to this thing. She'd changed her name, her looks, shut herself off from the world as much as humanly possible, and yet each time he found her again.
She glanced up at the house and shivered at the possible dangers lying in wait inside.
Funny how something could appear so different when you were seeing it through the eyes of fear. Just a little more than a month earlier, she'd fallen in love with the old, two-story Cape Cod and rented it on the spot. Now, she could imagine him hiding in the enormous country kitchen, or lurking in the shadowy hallway.
Faith cracked the car's window and listened. Above the surging ocean waves beyond the house, nothing sounded unusual.
Yet something
wasn't
right. By now, Ollie would have recognized the sound of her vehicle and started barking like crazy.
She blew out a sigh. She couldn't stay out here all night. Maybe the call had truly been a wrong number this time.
Faith killed the engine, got out and hurried up the steps. She barely had time to put the key into the door when she heard it. Footsteps coming quickly up the stairs behind her. A shaft of light from a flashlight bounced off the porch and up the side of the house. Utterly unnerved, the hand holding her keys jarred away from her and the keys flew from her fingers.
“No.” The word slipped from her tremulous lips.
She turned toward the light and the beam temporarily blinded her.
Faith had rehearsed this moment dozens of times in her head and yet the reality of it didn't feel anything like what she'd practiced.
Without the keys, the car would be useless, which left only one option. She'd need to make it to the back of the house. There were a handful of houses scattered along the stretch of beach behind her place. If she could reach one of them, hopefully someone would help her.
Faith raced toward the steps located off the side of the porch and away from the figure with the light.
There were threeâno, fourâsteps leading down to the grassy yard. The fence separating her small backyard from the beach would be some fifteen feet behind the house. She'd carefully counted off each step her first day here.
“Wait.”
She vaguely detected a deep male voice calling out to her when her right foot cleared the final step. She didn't dare look back. Her breath came in labored gasps as she rushed in the direction that she gauged the gate to be. Just a few more feet. Almost there.
His heavy footsteps echoed along the porch behind her. He was following her.
“Stop. I have your dog.”
At first, her mind didn't register what he said. Every single thought focused on escaping. She bolted toward the beach, but she could hear her pursuer steadily gaining on her.
Faith reached for the latch on the gate when a strong hand clamped down on her shoulder. The momentum of his body slamming into hers sent them both sprawling along the dew-covered grass. It took a few seconds to drag air into her lungs and then she was kicking and punching him, fighting with everything she had, but her strength was no match for his.
“No!” she screamed as loud as she could, hoping someone would hear and come to her aid.
The stranger moved to a kneeling position, caught her flailing hands together in one of his, and brought them up over her head. “Stop that. I'm not going to hurt you.” When she finally stopped struggling, he let her go and got to his feet.
“See? I mean you no harm,” he said. Faith opened her eyes and stared at him for the first time. From her position lying flat on her back, he seemed incredibly tall.
She ignored the hand he held out to her. “Who are you? What do you want?”
“I told you, I have your dog.”
“What are you talking about? My dog is inside my house. How can you have him?” She sat up slowly, rubbing her wrists where he'd held them. In the darkness, she couldn't tell much from his expression.
“Well, his name tag says he's Ollie and that he lives here.”
He knew her dog's name. While her brain struggled to make sense of it, barking coming from the front porch seemed to confirm his story. Yet Ollie was scared of his shadow. He would never willingly go to a stranger.
“Ollie, it's okay, boy. Come here.” The little Pug bounded around the corner of the house and into her arms.
“Satisfied?” The stranger sounded amused. Faith got to her feet and put some distance between them, an impossible habit to break no matter how hard she tried. Another gift from
him.
Although she couldn't remember a single thing about the actual attack that had taken place in Austin, she knew it had been brutal. When the EMTs brought her to the hospital, the doctor who treated her told her it had been so violent her mind had simply wiped away all traces of the incident as a coping mechanism. In spite of all her doctor's reassurances, her memory of the attack and what her life had been like before it remained locked away in her head.
She knew her attacker had murdered two people that night. Her friend Rachel Jennings and Rachel's father, Carl, had paid the ultimate price with their lives. Faith had given up a lot to this nightmare as well. She had nothing left to give except for her life and
he
seemed determined to take that from her as well.
She brushed off her jeans while Ollie wriggled in her arms and licked her nose. She could only imagine what this man must be thinking after their hot-pursuit chase. “Yes. I'm sorry. I thought...” She stopped, realizing she couldn't possibly tell him the truth. Most normal people would probably think
she
was the crazy one, and at this point, she was beginning to wonder if she was. She shook her head. “Never mind. Where did you find him?”
“Sitting on my back deck barking at the door and demanding to be let in. I guess he mistook my house for yours. He doesn't appear to see too well at night. I stopped by earlier, but no one was home. I took the dog for a walk on the beach and saw your car lights.”
She smiled at his description of Ollie. At almost fourteen years old, a lot of things didn't quite work the way they used to. Ollie's poor eyesight was one of his latest ailments.
“Well, thank you for bringing him back. I don't know how he got out.” Faith headed back toward her house with Ollie's rescuer falling into step beside her, careful to keep some space between them. He'd caught the way she reacted when he got too close.
“I'll help you find your keys. My name is JT Wyatt, by the way.” He held out his hand and she hesitated only a second before accepting it.
“Faith McKenzie.”
JT stepped up onto the porch and retrieved his flashlight from where he'd dropped it.
It took only a second to locate the keys beneath the porch swing. “Can you hold this for a second?” He handed her the light and got down on his knees to recover the keys. She caught a glimpse of faded jeans and a dark, long-sleeved turtleneck. The casual way he dressed didn't quite fit with her first impression of him. She hadn't pegged him as a local. More the corporate vacation type.
The light illuminated golden highlights scattered throughout his chestnut hair, which he wore swept back away from his face. A single strand fell across his forehead, dispelling the notion that he might have walked off the cover of some slick magazine.
“Here you go,” JT said as he got to his feet. She realized her first assessment of him had been correct. He was tallâwell over six feet. She had to tip her head back just to look him in the eyes. They were a magnificent shade of blue that reminded her of the sky on a summer day.
Faith tamped down her wayward thoughts. “Thank you.”
He grinned at her. “No problem. I'm just glad I was home when Ollie showed up. I'd hate to think of him roaming around the beach on his own. October nights here can get pretty cold.”
When JT handed her the keys, his fingers brushed against hers, sending an unwelcome jolt of awareness surging through her, and she instinctively took a step back. His gaze narrowed just a fraction as he watched her, no doubt witnessing all her anxiety. Faith turned away and unlocked the door while praying he wouldn't ask the questions she'd seen in his eyes.
“Looks like you have a secret admirer.”
Immediately her heart leaped to her throat and she turned back to him. “Excuse me?”
JT pointed the flashlight at something just beyond the door. “Someone left you flowers.”
A dozen red roses had been deliberately placed on the porch railing.
Faith struggled not to fall apart. In spite of what she'd hoped, she realized the call earlier
hadn't
been an accident. He wanted her to find the roses when she returned, but she had been too scared and intent on escaping her would-be attacker to see them right away.
This was
his
subtle little reminder he could find her wherever she went. He enjoyed toying with her. The way a cat toyed with a mouse before devouring it.
“I take it you weren't expecting those.” JT continued to watch her expression carefully.
“No.”
He took the flashlight and went over to examine the flowers. Nothing unusual about the dozen red roses in a cut-glass vase except for their purpose. They were part of his deadly game.
“They were purchased at the local florist here on the island. There's a card attached.” JT held it out to her.
She closed her eyes and tried to capture the faintest memory. There had once been a time when she'd loved red roses. Something had changed. The memory disappeared before she could grasp it. Had it been real?
When she opened her eyes, she realized JT still held the note. She couldn't bring herself to take it from him. Read the words aloud. Relive the terror again. When she shook her head, he placed the note back in its holder. “You should probably get them inside anyway. They'll be ruined by morning.”
She shook off her uneasiness with difficulty. “Yes, you're right. Thank you.” Faith took the roses from him even though she couldn't bear the sight of them. She'd throw them in the trash as soon as JT left.
“If you'd like, I could come inside and take a look around. Just to ease your mind.”
Her hand stilled on the door. She hesitated. She didn't know what to trust anymore, including her own judgment. She should refuse JT's offer outright. Thank him for his kindness and send him on his way.
“That's very kind of you, but I don't think so.”
When he stepped closer, her back hit the door and he stopped. “You're obviously frightened. I can check things out to make sure nothing's out of place and then I'll be on my way. If you want, you can wait out here until I'm finished. I promise I don't have any ulterior motives,” JT added with a hint of a smile.
She knew she was being ridiculous. He only wanted to help. After all, he'd taken the time to bring Ollie home when the dog had wandered onto his back deck. JT seemed genuinely concerned about her well-being, and at some point in her life she needed to learn to trust someone if she wanted to live long enough to discover her attacker's identity.
Through every single one of the moves, she'd prayed for God's help. At times, it seemed as if He wasn't in the answering mood when it came to her prayers. At one of the church services she'd attended once, she remembered the pastor saying that God didn't always choose to answer prayers in the way we would like Him to, but He always answered them in the best way for us. Had God sent a total stranger into her life as an answer to her prayer?