Lakeside Peril

THREE

Chloe slid around so she could face the water, sweat beading on her upper lip in spite of the cool air. This was a peaceful, secluded spot, but she felt anything but peaceful.

“I told you—”

“You know I hate your father, right?” Hunter asked, his hands gripping the wide arms of his chair. “So...you can’t trust him, but you think maybe I’d be the perfect person to help you bring him down? Maybe because you think I need to seek revenge or retribution against your family? So you’ll use me to handle the unpleasant tasks, the same way your father uses people? Is that it? Am I right so far?”

He made it sound so sordid she wanted to bolt right out of here. But where would she go?

“That’s not my reason for finding you,” she said, fatigue warring with hope, regret merging with resentment. “I thought maybe if we worked together on this and if I could find out who did this to Laura, you might finally forgive my stepbrother for what he did.”

Anger clouded his eyes. “I doubt that’s gonna work, since getting justice for you will not absolve anyone—not even me. Besides, I don’t have to forgive Tray Conrad. He’s dead now and I’m thinking he’s not in a better place.”

“But—”

“But hiring me is one thing. Trying to redeem Tray is another. We do this my way and that means we aren’t going to speak of that lousy piece of humanity again, understand? And it also means I’m not anybody’s whipping boy or killer-for-hire.”

He stared out at the water for a moment and then gave her a look full of defiance. “I’ll help you find the truth about your sister’s death, but this doesn’t have anything to do with my feelings toward your family. Nothing will ever make me change my mind on that. Understand?”

She nodded again and stared at her boots. “I’m sorry, Hunter. For what he did to your sister.”

Hunter’s brooding expression turned black with anger. “Save it and get on with things.”

She told him more about the files she’d found, but she was still afraid to divulge everything. “I separated the files and kept some on my laptop and then hid part of them in a safe spot.”

“Nowhere is safe if someone is after damaging information.”

“I also took pictures of the papers and contracts that show the land sale. My father’s signature is nowhere on those papers, but somehow Laura found out he’s behind those buyouts.”

“He probably had someone strong-arm the landowners. You know how he lets other people do his dirty work.”

Hunter’s disgusted tone was undeniable. He’d never forgive Wayne Conrad for trying to cover up what her stepbrother, Tray, had done. Why had she come here?

She stood, needing to be away from him. “This was a bad idea. If you’ll take me back to the Millbrook Inn, I’ll call a cab and get a flight home.”

Hunter stood, too, and blocked her way, his broad chest shadowing the last of the sunset’s show-off rays. “Not gonna happen.”

“You said you hate my father.”

“I do. But if I let you go back and something happens to you, I’ll have to live with that, too.”

“I don’t want you to live with any more grief,” she said, hoping he’d see the sincerity in her eyes. “I came to you because you know Oklahoma. You grew up there. You know the oil fields and you know how things work.”

And because her sister had written his name with a question mark beside it in her notes. There were some other interesting revelations in her sister’s papers, but Chloe figured she’d have to dole out those details one at a time with this man. Had Laura planned on finding him?

“Yeah, I know it all,” he said in a taut whisper. “I watched my parents scrape and grovel just to keep a roof over our heads. My daddy worked himself to death and my mother’s health is so bad now she had to move in with her sister in another state. I blame their misery on Conrad Oil.”

“And you blame your own misery on my family, too,” she said, unafraid of him now. “You understand, Hunter. It might hurt and you might not like it, but you’re one of the few people who can find the truth on this.” She stopped, took in a breath and wished she could blurt out all her findings. “In the same way you fought against my father to find out the truth about your sister’s accident.”

He took her by the arm, his expression brooding and brittle with rage. “I’ll find the truth, all right. But you need to think long and hard on what’s about to happen. I won’t forgive and I won’t forget. If I have to, I’ll put them all in jail. So if you came here on some rich-girl mission to rebel against your daddy, you won’t be having any fun.”

Anger poured over Chloe in a heated rush. She glared up at him, matching the fire in his eyes. “Do I look like I’m having fun?”

He dropped her arm. “No.”

Chloe saw the trace of regret in his stormy eyes and played on it. “If you can’t find it in your heart to help me, then...I’ll go home and keep digging on my own. I’m used to doing things on my own.”

“And you’ll die trying.”

“Maybe. But at least I’ll know I did my best.”

He stared down at her, the battle raging inside him causing his body to shake. She could tell he wanted to say more, but before he could form the words, they heard tires hitting the shell-covered lane leading up to the house. Then headlights flashed briefly and went dark.

Hunter spun into action. Pushing her behind him, he pulled out his weapon and then hurried her around to the front of the house that faced the yard down to the beach.

“There’s a path along the bay,” he whispered. “I’m going to check this out, but if I’m not back in five minutes, take that path up to the road to the west. You’ll find a bait shop there. Keep your phone close and call 911 if you think anyone is following you.”

“I’m not going without you,” she said, her nerves twisting into painful knots.

“You might not have any other choice,” he said. “Wait here. I should be back soon enough.”

And then he was gone.

Chloe hid behind the storage room that was centered underneath the pilings and searched for anything she could use as a weapon. Determined not to leave without Hunter, she spotted a baseball bat. That could do some damage. She didn’t want to think about what she’d do if Hunter got hurt. Or killed.

* * *

Hunter crouched low and moved through the shadows. Since he knew every shrub and tree in these woods, he had an advantage over whoever had come for a visit.

The battered pickup truck had stopped about halfway up the drive. He couldn’t tell if anyone was inside or not and he didn’t recognize the dark-colored truck.

When he heard the click of a gun being loaded, he went behind the truck and listened. Then he saw a man moving near the line of mossy oaks on one side of the driveway toward the house.

Hunter stayed behind him, following at a close distance. If this was part of the same hit team that had tried twice now, he’d have to take matters into his own hands. Whoever had sent them obviously wanted Chloe dead, no matter what.

The man was about ten yards away from the house when Hunter heard a buzzing sound. He stopped behind a massive live oak and listened after the man pulled out a cell phone.

“I think this is the place, but I don’t see anyone around.”

Silence. Hunter held his breath. How had they found Chloe here?

“Yeah, whatever, man. I need to get in, get out and go. And I’m not feeling this. Something’s not right.” Another pause. “Well, maybe he took her somewhere else.” Then, “Yes, sir.”

The man hung up and turned to head back to his truck.

Hunter met him, stepping out from the tree so quickly he tripped the unsuspecting man with a booted foot and then placed that same foot over the man’s chest.

Aiming his Glock semiautomatic straight for the man’s chest, he said, “Drop the gun and start talking.”

* * *

Chloe checked her watch. Four minutes and counting. Now that the sun had gone down, it was hard to see past the palm trees and towering, moss-covered oaks. She didn’t want to walk the dark path to the bait shop.

She wasn’t going to, she decided. She would go and find Hunter. With the old wooden bat held in a defensive mode in front of her, she had just started around the storage room when she heard footsteps approaching. She jumped back and pressed against the wall, her breath stopping. The footsteps kept coming.

Afraid to peek or to call out, Chloe held the bat up and waited. She heard a thump and then someone coming her way.

Bracing herself, she took a deep breath and held a death grip on the bat. Then she rushed around the corner of the storage room and made ready for battle.

The man took the bat right out of her hands.

“Hunter!”

He held the bat in one hand and her in the other. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Chloe yanked away and straightened her clothes. “I was coming to look for you.”

“With this?” He threw the bat down on the concrete floor and sent it rolling into a corner. “I see you’re okay. That’s good, at least.”

“I’m fine. What happened?”

“He did,” Hunter said, pointing to a skinny man with long stringy hair sitting with his hands caught up in a tight plastic ring of some sort. “He was looking for you.”

Chloe walked over to the man and stared down at him. “Sonny?”

“You know this scumbag?” Hunter asked, his gaze swinging from her to the man.

“Yes,” she said, sick to her stomach. “His name is Sonny Bolton. He works for my father.”

Hunter walked over to where the man sat with downcast eyes. “Is that true?”

Sonny finally looked up, nodding to Chloe. “Hey, Miss Chloe.” Then he gave Hunter a look that bordered on fearful before he cast his gaze back on Chloe. “Mr. Conrad sent me to bring you home.”

“Bring me home?” Shock filled Chloe’s system. “Bring me home? What am I, a sack of potatoes?”

Sonny shrugged. “I don’t know. I just follow orders.”

Hunter leaned down eye-to-eye with Sonny. “Would those orders include trying to kill her? You were armed, remember?”

Sonny’s head came up. “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was told to find her, throw her in the truck and take off. Nobody said anything about killing anybody. I always travel with a weapon, and this place looked like I might need one.”

Hunter got down on one knee and grabbed Sonny by the collar of his frayed button-up shirt. “Are you sure you didn’t come here to hurt Miss Conrad?”

Sonny bobbed his head, his long neck stretching like a turkey’s. “I’m not a killer. And why would I want to hurt Miss Chloe? She’s always been good to me.”

Chloe put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder to rein him in. “Sonny, what are you doing here?”

“I told you, I came to get you. Your daddy don’t want you down here. He needs you to come home.”

“Why didn’t he just call and tell me that?” Chloe asked, thinking none of this made sense. Why would her father send Sonny down here when he could have sent a jet and any number of bodyguards?

Sonny shrugged again, his eyes downshifting. “I don’t know.”

“What do you know?” Hunter asked, lifting Sonny up and pushing him against the round wooden piling. “And don’t even think about lying to me.”

Sonny glanced at Chloe, appeal in his brown eyes. “Your daddy’s been mighty worried about you. He gave me a wad of cash and told me to drive down here and locate you.”

“And how did you find me?” Chloe asked.

Sonny’s gaze shifted down the left. “I saw you on a motorcycle with him.” He nodded toward Hunter. “Followed y’all to the Bay Road, saw where you turned in.” He shrugged. “Plus, your daddy has a GPS on your phone, Miss Chloe. Led me right to you.”

“Unbelievable,” Chloe said. “Does he think I’m five years old or something?”

“Or something,” Sonny mumbled, looking sheepish.

“What a stroke of luck,” Hunter said, running a hand over his hair. “I think I’ll just put you on a boat and take you out a few miles to sea. And dump you. Shark bait.”

Sonny swallowed and shook his head. “I’m just following orders.”

Chloe glared at both of them. “Hunter, you can’t hurt Sonny. He’s been living on our land all his life. His family works for my daddy.”

“What’s that got to do with me dumping him in the bay?” Hunter asked, anger flaring in his eyes.

Sonny stood up straight. “I ain’t never hurt nobody in my life and I’m not about to start now. I just want to get her home safe. Her daddy’s stewing about something big and he’s worried she’s gonna get herself hurt.”

Chloe pushed Hunter aside and put a hand on Sonny’s arm. “Tell me why my father is so worried, Sonny.”

Sonny gave her a beseeching look. “I can’t say—”

And then they heard a pop and Sonny’s eyes went wide. He slumped forward toward Chloe, one of his hands grabbing for her.

But Hunter caught him, realization registering on his face. He held his fingers to Sonny’s neck.

“Chloe, he’s dead.”

“What?” Chloe reached for Sonny, a silent scream forming in her throat. “No.” She tried to grab at the still man, but when she looked at his face she knew. As she looked down at Hunter’s hand, she saw the blood seeping through Sonny’s lightweight jacket and running over Hunter’s fingers.

Sonny had been shot in the chest.

FOUR

Blain Kent scribbled on his pocket pad while the medical examiner and several uniformed officers moved around him.

Hunter rubbed his eyes and wished he hadn’t brought Chloe here. This place was private and off-limits, but he’d been wrong to think it would be safe. He should have taken her somewhere way out from town. But where? He barely had a place to call his own. Just a small one-bedroom cottage near the marina. No way could he take her there.

Blain kept glancing up, questions hovering in his onyx eyes. The kind of questions he wouldn’t want to answer in his official report.

Hunter would never hear the end of this.

Blain finished his notes and gave Hunter a long, puzzled stare. “What’s next?”

Hunter didn’t have the answer yet on that one. Well, he knew the answer and he didn’t like it. “Miss Conrad has hired me as her bodyguard,” he said, his eyes clashing with Chloe’s.

They hadn’t discussed this, but he wasn’t leaving her side now. This went beyond dealing with the Conrads. Someone was out to get her, no matter what. If her father had sent the now very dead Sonny Bolton to save her, he’d made a grave mistake. Why would a man who had millions send a grunt worker in a battered truck that had obviously come straight off some used-car dealer’s lot to save his daughter? And how had the inept Sonny found this out-of-the-way hideaway?

None of this was adding up.

Neither was what Hunter had just offered. At the same time, he’d started this. Now he had to finish it.

She looked surprised at his words to Blain, but since she was still in shock over what had happened an hour ago, she didn’t flinch.

“That’s right,” she said, her voice low but clear. “Obviously, someone is trying to stop me from investigating my sister’s death. But I don’t intend to stop. So I need...not only a bodyguard but a private investigator, too. Mr. Lawson seems to know what he’s doing. He’s kept me from possibly getting killed three times today.”

She gave Hunter a grateful, shell-shocked glance.

“Of course.” Blain’s dark gaze flickered with enlightenment and a touch of amazement. “Well, we’ve got both your statements and we’ve got people combing the woods and beach to look for the shooter. But I’m thinking he’s long gone by now.”

“Yeah, me, too,” Hunter said. “Someone will be back, though. I need to get Miss Conrad to a safe place.”

“I have a room at the Millbrook Inn,” Chloe said. “I left a briefcase and a laptop there that I should pick up.”

Blain gave Hunter another inquisitive glance. “Okay, then. Don’t leave town for a couple of days, in case we need to question you again.” Then he looked at Chloe. “We’ll impound the victim’s truck and go over it for any evidence. I can put a patrol car outside the inn, just in case.”

Chloe nodded, her gaze holding Hunter’s. He could almost read her thoughts. She needed to get back to Oklahoma.

They’d have to worry about that later. “I’ll escort you to the inn and check your room,” he said. Then he made another snap decision. “And I’ll get a room there, too, if I have to. Nearby.”

Blain didn’t move a muscle and Hunter chafed under that dark detective gaze. He wanted to shout “It’s not what you think.” But he wasn’t sure what to think himself. So he ignored Blain’s steady, all-knowing scrutiny and focused on what needed to be done.

Then he turned back to Chloe. “Will that work for now?”

“Yes,” she said, a hint of relief and surprise in her voice.

“Hunter, a word please.” Blain’s quizzical expression had changed to one of concern.

“Sure.” Hunter didn’t want to have this conversation because Blain would want too many answers. And right now, Hunter would rather have his teeth pulled out than explain all of this to anyone. But he walked a few feet away with Blain, his gaze on Chloe. She turned to stare out at the moonlight over the bay.

“Uh, what’s going on?” Blain asked, his pen tapping his notepad. “Off the record.”

Hunter shrugged. “It’s a long story.” Blain had said that same thing to him once, regarding getting involved with Rikki Alvanetti, so Hunter hoped his friend would cut him some slack.

“I might need to hear it. You could be in with some real dangerous people, bro.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Hunter replied. “She showed up at the Hog Wash and then someone took a shot at us and it’s been one big adventure since then.” Had that only been a few hours ago?

Blain leaned close. “This was an execution. Probably by a professional. Why didn’t you call in the attack at the Hog Wash?”

Hunter knew better. “I should have, but the owner didn’t want the attention and I had to act fast. You know how that place operates. The Hog Wash is like a haven for misfits and people of questionable repute.”

“So that’s why you always hang out there,” Blain said with a tight smile. “Makes perfect sense.”

“Funny,” Hunter said, glad for the levity. “It was a judgment call. One I’m regretting now.”

Blain nodded. “Yes, because we could have tried to trace the shooter.”

Hunter wasn’t one to argue about the rules. “I agree. But there were no witnesses. It was her and me out on the deck, and since they used a silencer, we only heard a ping and then the car sped away. I didn’t get a good look and I didn’t see the license plate on the vehicle.”

He described the car and Blain said he’d make a note in what would be a long report on this shooting.

“Look, Blain, let me do what I need to do to get her back to Oklahoma safe and sound. She’s scared and she doesn’t trust her own father right now.”

Blain glanced over at Chloe and then gave Hunter a steady gaze. “I trust you. So you be careful and let me know if you need my help.”

“I will,” Hunter said, meaning it. He’d never trusted anyone easily, but Blain was one person he knew he could depend on. “I’m taking her to the inn and we’ll decide what our next move is.”

“You can’t take off to Oklahoma in the middle of the night,” Blain reminded him. “Not just yet, okay?”

“Got it,” Hunter said. He wasn’t used to getting so involved with the locals, but he knew the law. He didn’t want to get on Blain’s bad side. “I’ll keep her here for a few days and try to piece things together.”

After Blain and his men finished up, Hunter walked over to Chloe. “Let’s go.”

“Your friend doesn’t like me,” she commented as they walked to his bike.

“He doesn’t know you,” Hunter said. “Big difference.”

“I’ve brought danger to his town.”

“Yeah, but don’t be so melodramatic. He’s good at his job. And he can be an asset to us if we need him.”

“He doesn’t want me to leave, so that means he suspects me of something.”

“It’s a detective’s nature to suspect people.”

They got on the motorcycle and zoomed toward the dark road. Hunter checked the landscape and hoped they wouldn’t be attacked anymore tonight.

Chloe held tightly to him, giving him that odd sensation again. Something about this woman’s touch got to him.

That led to another revelation.

He truly wanted to protect her.

Blain was right about one thing at least. This had become dangerous. In more ways than just being shot at.

* * *

An hour later, Chloe sat in a secluded corner where Hunter had deposited her away from the many doors and windows in the Millbrook Lake Inn. After he’d made sure no strange cars were in the tiny parking lot or out on the street and explained to the surprised desk clerk what he was doing, he came back to stand over Chloe.

“Patrol car’s out front,” he said in his stern, no-nonsense voice. “And the officer is guarding the front door and patrolling the parking lot. Don’t move. I’ll be back in a few.”

The woman everyone called Miss Ida smiled as he headed up the wide staircase just past the check-in desk. “Even though Hunter explained he needed to check your room before you go inside, I’m not sure what’s going on but if you’re with him, you’re in good hands. That’s one tall drink of water.”

Chloe couldn’t think about that tall drink of water right then. She swallowed back her fear and prayed Hunter wouldn’t find anything wrong upstairs. “He’s...uh...helping me with a problem.”

Miss Ida pursed her thin lips. “Yes, ma’am. I don’t ask questions. That’s your business.”

“No, no, it’s not like that,” Chloe said, wishing she could get up and walk around. “I mean, he’s not a...friend. We just met.”

“Right.” Miss Ida shuffled some papers. “That’s Hunter Lawson, baby. We all know about him. He is a man of few words but big on action from what we hear around here. Served our country in some sort of elite, secretive capacity and now he’s decided to live here in Millbrook Lake.”

“Yes, ma’am, so I’ve heard.”