Cruel Grace: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 5) Read online

  Cruel Grace

  Cowboy Justice Association: Serials and Stalkers

  Olivia Jaymes

  Blonde Ambition Press

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  About the Author

  Chapter One

  Eli Hammond removed the piping hot homemade pizza from the oven, inhaling the delicious aroma of tomato, garlic, and sausage. He could have simply ordered one from the restaurant down the block, but when he had the time he liked to make his own, right down to the yeasty dough. He enjoyed cooking and had become used to dining alone. He would just wrap up the leftovers and eat them later. It would make a great lunch tomorrow.

  He had efficiently cut the pizza into eight slices and was reaching for a plate in the kitchen cabinet when the lights in the condo flickered a few times and then went out completely, leaving the room dark except for the light coming through the large windows.

  “Shit,” he mumbled, fumbling in the junk drawer for a flashlight. “At least it waited until the pizza was done.”

  He’d been planning to put his feet up and binge watch some television but curling up with a good book would be fine, too. It was just nice to be home. He spent more than half of his time traveling for work.

  Is the whole building out?

  Stepping over to the windows and pushing aside the drapes, he could now easily see that a good part of the city had lost power. The sun had already set and the skyline should have been dotted with lights from the windows but all the buildings near his were dark.

  A blackout several blocks wide.

  He probably didn’t need to call the power company to report it. He had a feeling they were already hearing from a few irate customers, if not the cops who would have to deal with the car accidents from the traffic lights being out. Why couldn’t people understand that if a light was out it turned into a four-way stop? It wasn’t that complicated.

  He was lighting a few candles when he heard a racket out in the hall. Rushing to the door, he opened it and found his neighbor from across the hall on her hands and knees. Cursing.

  “Are you okay?”

  She looked up at Eli, her eyes squinting against the bright beam of the flashlight which he quickly averted to the side. “No. Yes. Well, probably. It’s mostly my pride that’s damaged. And maybe a few bruised knees. I tripped on that piece of loose carpet because I didn’t see it even though I’ve walked in this hallway every single day for over a year.”

  He held out his arm so he could help her up. “Can I give you a hand?”

  He helped her to her feet, getting a whiff of her perfume while doing it. Something citrusy and spicy. Highly unusual. He’d never smelled anything quite like it but then he usually didn’t shove his nose near other people. When helping her up, however, they were quite close to each other.

  “Thank you. I don’t suppose there’s any way you could forget you saw me on my hands and knees in the hallway?”

  “I can try.”

  Probably wouldn’t happen. She was far too attractive, and certainly memorable. Tall and leggy, she had long dark hair and huge blue eyes. He was no shrimp either, and she almost could look him right in the eye. There was an air of class and sophistication about her, something that told him she knew what fork to use and was always dressed correctly for any occasion.

  Eli had seen her many times since she’d moved in. They’d smiled and nodded at one another, more recently moving on to waving, but he didn’t know a thing about her other than she was an early riser. They’d meet in the elevator as he was heading to work, and she was coming back from what looked like the gym or an exercise class. Other than that, she was the perfect neighbor - quiet and unobtrusive.

  He couldn’t say the same about the guy in 8G. The only reason that asshole hadn’t been thrown out was because his aunt was on the condo board.

  “I’m Eli Hammond, by the way.”

  She hesitated for a moment, an expression of caution crossing her features before she answered.

  “Charlotte. Charlotte Baker. But everyone calls me Charlie.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Charlie.” He glanced down the hall at the closed elevator doors. “Did you walk up nine flights?”

  She looked down at her mile-long legs and then back at him, this time smiling. She had a dimple in her left cheek. “I did. I was really grateful for all the cardio I do. It looked like the power is out for several blocks. I was walking back when it went dark. I had to use my phone as a flashlight.”

  “The stairwell must have been pitch black.”

  “It was.”

  They stood awkwardly for a moment. Eli wasn’t sure what to say. They might be neighbors but they were really strangers in actuality.

  She held up her phone. “Well, thank you. I guess I’ll just order dinner in and light some candles. I need to catch up on my reading anyway.”

  That sounded like a good plan, except…

  “The power is out for several blocks. Any place close by that you order from isn’t going to have electricity. And you might find that the delivery person doesn’t want to walk up nine flights.”

  Wrinkling her nose, she groaned. “You’re right. I think I have some potato chips on top of the refrigerator.”

  That sounded like a horrible dinner. And he had plenty of hot food, although it was rapidly cooling inside of his apartment.

  Maybe he could… It was the neighborly thing to do. Right?

  “I just pulled a large pizza out of my oven and I’ll never eat the whole thing by myself. Why don’t you join me? You’d be doing me a favor.”

  Not really, but she didn’t need to know that. He just hated the idea of sending her into a dark apartment with an empty stomach.

  “Oh, it’s fine. I’m really not all that hungry.”

  Eli would have happily accepted her word for it but then a loud growl came from her stomach, calling her a big liar. Her eyes widened and she pressed a palm to her belly.

  “I mean…It’s fine. I have plenty of snack food. It’s okay.”

  Eli loved to cook, and he loved to feed people. At one point in his life he could barely boil water. Now that he could cook, he loved to share it with others.

  Even with people he didn’t truly know. He just knew it would seem wrong not to share his meal.

  “Seriously, I have more food than I can eat. I’d be happy to share with you. If you’re worried, I’ll leave my apartment door open. I swear I’m a nice person.”

  She glanced at the already open door. “I’m sure that you are. Really. I just don’t want to impose.”

  He could tell that she was tempted. She sniffed the air appreciatively as the scent of pizza had drifted into the hallway.

  “You’re not imposing. I’d really like you to join me. I have plenty of food.”

  For a long moment, she didn’t say anything, her gaze darting between his apartment and hers. Finally, she chuckled and threw up her hands in surrender. “I give in. I’m starving and your food smells delicious.”

 
“Then come on in and I’ll dish it up,” Eli offered, stepping back so she could cross the threshold. “I have some iced tea or juice to drink.”

  He’d thought briefly about opening a bottle of wine but he didn’t want her to think that he was trying to seduce her or anything. She was damn gorgeous but he wasn’t that type of guy. Maybe in his horn dog youth he might have tried to put the moves on her, but he was far older and hopefully a little wiser now. He rarely dated anyway since he was working so much.

  And how would I ever find a woman as wonderful as Debra? I doubt many exist.

  Hadn’t Debra told him once - playfully, of course - that he was no day at the beach to live with? She’d been right, too.

  “Actually, I’d like to drop my things in my apartment. I’ll be right over.”

  He wasn’t going to argue. It would give him a chance to tidy up the kitchen a bit. He could be messy when he cooked, and he hadn’t thought he would have anyone to impress.

  Wait, I’m not trying to impress her. She’s just a neighbor.

  Tomorrow they would probably go back to simply waving at one another when they passed in the hall. But for tonight, he had company.

  It wouldn’t be a good idea to get too used to sharing a meal with someone, though.

  Charlie had been embarrassed a time or two in her thirty-four years on this earth, but tonight had to be in the top five. Maybe the top three. On her hands and knees after tripping over a bit of loose carpet and then looking up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

  Of course, she’d noticed her neighbor across the hall. It would have been hard not to. It wasn’t just that he was easy to look at - and he was - but it was also the sure way he carried himself. He had a self-assurance that she couldn’t help but admire. She’d been working on her self-confidence for years and he looked like he was born that way. Not in an arrogant, haughty manner. He was usually smiling and he always waved at her when they would pass each other in the elevator.

  So…she’d noticed him. In that way that a woman notices a handsome man. She hadn’t, however, tried to start a conversation or anything with him. She wasn’t really looking for any sort of relationship. And even if she was, dating the man across the hall didn’t sound like a good idea. What if they broke up? Then she’d see her ex all the time and she certainly didn’t need that.

  Yet somehow she’d allowed herself to agree to sharing a candlelit meal with her good-looking neighbor. She was going to blame it on her growling stomach - the food had smelled amazing - but inside she was aware that she was rather charmed by his chivalry and smile.

  “We can eat here at the coffee table. Is that okay?”

  “Sure. That’s fine.”

  “Go ahead and have a seat,” he said, opening the refrigerator. Of course, no light turned on and he was using the flashlight to look inside of it. “What would you like to drink? I have water, ginger ale, and iced tea. Sorry, I don’t have more choices.”

  “Ginger ale is fine. Thank you.”

  Charlie settled onto the overstuffed leather couch, leaning back against the cushions. She couldn’t see much of the apartment, it was so dimly lit, but she could make out the sofa, two chairs, the coffee table, two end tables, and a large television on the wall over the fireplace. A little bit of moonlight streamed in from the large windows throwing a beam of light across the kitchen countertop. His apartment appeared to be pretty much a mirror image of her own, albeit a little more tidy. Right now, she had her coffee table covered in work papers and a pair of discarded socks were sitting next to her sofa.

  Eli brought her the ginger ale plus two plates and napkins before returning to the kitchen for the pizza. Her stomach gurgled again at the delicious aroma as he placed the pie on the coffee table, then dishing up two slices on her plate.

  Damn, it was fantastic. One bite and her taste buds were dancing and singing. She’d assumed that the pizza was of the frozen variety from the grocery store or maybe he’d ordered out before the power loss. But no. This was something else altogether.

  “This is fantastic,” Charlie blurted after swallowing her third bite. “Did you make it?”

  Eli smiled widely. “I did, right down to the homemade dough. I’ve been getting into making pizza lately. I even bought a pizza stone for my oven.”

  “I’m more of a microwave sort of person,” she admitted. “I’m not a great cook. I can make a few things but I’m sort of kitchen challenged, to be honest. I just don’t have the patience. I see a recipe and all the steps and I just sort of freeze. If there’s anything more than two or three ingredients I get intimidated.”

  “There was a time I couldn’t cook anything, but I like to eat. A hell of a lot. So I learned to cook. Some of the things I made in the beginning were barely edible. Some of them ended up in the trash can. Hell, I wouldn’t even feed my dog what I’d fixed.”

  Her gaze ran over the dark, quiet apartment. “You have a dog?”

  She liked dogs. She kept saying that she wanted to get one but somehow she never found the time.

  “I used to. Not now. But I’m open to the idea. My last dog was a German shepherd. Best dog ever. He was almost human but a hell of a lot more loyal. It wrecked me when he passed on.”

  She nodded in understanding. “I know what you mean. I had a dog in my teens. A cockapoo. Daisy. She was the sweetest. I cried for months when we had to let her go.”

  And just like that they were off to the races. The conversation flowed so easily. He wasn’t the type to interrupt every few seconds either. He really listened to what she was saying before responding.

  They talked about everything under the sun it seemed, although she deliberately tried to keep it casual and not too personal. She didn’t like talking about her life so if she asked him about his, she would have to reciprocate when he asked about hers. Instead they talked about what they liked and didn’t like. Dogs. Cats. Movies. Books. Music and food. Yes, lots of food. He really was into cooking and he even brought out a few recipe books he was using lately. Before she knew it, the pizza was completely gone, along with a bag of Milano cookies he had tucked in the corner of a cabinet.

  I like this guy. Maybe I’m being too strict about not dating a neighbor.

  He leaned back against the sofa cushion and patted his stomach. “I shouldn’t have eaten those cookies. I’ll be paying for that tomorrow in the gym.”

  He didn’t look like a few cookies were going to ruin his physique. With his flat abdomen and wide shoulders, he appeared to be in excellent shape. She’d been trying to figure out how old he was all evening but she was terrible at guessing ages. Somewhere close to her own, perhaps? Or maybe a little older? He had a few lines around his eyes when he smiled but if anything they only made him more attractive. Like he’d lived a little bit and maybe had some wisdom for it.

  “I try to work out every day but I work so much I sometimes don’t have time,” she admitted. “I need to be better about it.”

  For health. Not because she wanted to be skinny in a bathing suit or lingerie. Those days were long gone and she wouldn’t go back for anything.

  “Wait, what do you do?” he asked. “I don’t think we talked about that.”

  I know.

  He wasn’t asking what she used to do so it was okay. She didn’t mind talking about what she did now.

  “I’m a graphic designer. T-shirts, logos, brochures, posters. I have my own business. What about you?”

  Eli opened his mouth to answer but whatever he was going to say was drowned out by the entire apartment coming to life. Lamps on. Television. Even the previously dark skyline outside the window lit up instantly. Charlie almost had to squint against the harsh and sudden glare.

  “I guess the blackout is over,” she said, standing and walking over to the window. Sure enough, everyone else appeared to have power as well. “The whole city is back online.”

  He came to stand next to her. She hadn’t realized just how tall he was. She was pretty statuesque but he probably top
ped her by a couple of inches.

  “I guess it is. Although I have to admit that I kind of like it dark. It was quieter.” He shrugged and laughed. “I’m from the country if you can’t tell. I’m used to a hell of a lot more elbow room. The town I lived in before here rolled up the streets by eight. We only had one cafe in the town and two bars.”

  Charlie couldn’t even imagine that. She’d been brought up in what she considered a small town, but even then it had about fifty thousand people in it. It had been small though - compared to New York City, or London, or Los Angeles. Even Seattle didn’t seem that big.

  But one restaurant and two bars? That redefined tiny.

  “That’s…small. I couldn’t even imagine that. Did you grow up there?”

  “No, my late wife was from there. I met her at a high school football game when she was visiting her cousin who lived in my town. But it was a decent little hamlet. Mostly nice folks.”

  Late wife. He was a widower. Charlie never knew what to say in situations like these. She was terrible with the subject of death.

  “I’m sorry for your loss. Is that when you left…?”

  She was being nosy. It wasn’t any of her business except that she found him interesting and wanted to know more about him. Mere seconds ago, she’d been interested in perhaps a romantic way but now that she knew that he might be recently widowed changed things. He probably wasn’t even looking for someone to date.

  “I actually stayed for quite awhile. It was familiar and quiet, just what I needed at the time. But eventually I got tired of being a small-town sheriff. It’s a thankless job with lousy pay and worse hours. I came here to Seattle to take a new job.”

  Her entire body stiffened at his statement, completely bypassing his answer about his late wife. A sheriff. Her evening companion was a cop. Or at least had been at one time.