Road to Danger Page 12

  With one last thrust Carter reached his own peak, a growl of pure male satisfaction ripped from his lips. His head dipped down and he captured her mouth with his own, the kiss ravaging her already overwrought senses. The kiss was a claiming but a promise, too. This wouldn’t be their last time together.

  Collapsing on top of her, his weight pushed the air from her lungs and she playfully pushed at his shoulders, pretending to cough with oxygen deprivation. He rolled off of her and onto his back, pulling her into his side. To her delight, he couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself. He had to be touching her all the time. He stroked her hair, running his fingers through the strands. He softly caressed every inch of skin he could reach. Every so often, he even pressed his lips to her forehead or her cheek or nibbled at the curve of her shoulder.

  I could get used to this.

  She could, but should she? So far, Carter Anderson was far more than she’d ever dreamed.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

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  With her life in turmoil, Mallory shouldn’t have been in such a great mood but she couldn’t keep the smile off of her face the next day. She even caught herself humming a few times, which was a huge sign that something was going on. Normally she made fun of people who hummed all of the time but here she was doing it herself as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

  Carter had followed her to work this morning and walked her to her room, not taking no for an answer when she’d protested that she’d be fine if he saw her to the front entrance. He was delightfully protective and not in an overbearing male way. Just a sweet and solicitous way that she could get used to.

  And the sex was over the moon fantastic. Mallory was gosh darn glad she’d woken him up in the middle of the night and he didn’t seem all that upset about it either. They’d both been smiling like idiots over their scrambled eggs and toast this morning.

  Even her students seem to have caught on that she was really happy today because she hadn’t had one discipline issue all morning. Everyone had their homework, and everyone – okay, most of them – paid attention. If they weren’t paying attention at least they weren’t disrupting the class. It was more than she could hope for, frankly.

  She holed up in her classroom during lunch, munching on some cheese and crackers and reading. It was her one quiet point during the day and she relished it. She should probably start working on grading those exams from her algebra honors class but she was far too jumpy. She’d start in on them tonight.

  She was so engrossed in her book she jumped at the sound of knocking at her door. Before she could say “come in,” a fellow teacher named Jane stuck her head in.

  “I told Lisa at the front desk that I’d bring this to you. I knew you’d be in here eating lunch.”

  The door swung open and Jane stepped inside carrying a box, all wrapped in red paper with a big gold bow. Mallory’s stomach tightened painfully and the food in her mouth turned to sawdust. In any other context a surprise gift would be wonderful but there was no way Carter would have sent her anything with all that was happening. That box was from one person only and she was beginning to get really super pissed about it. He’d forced her from her home and now he’d infiltrated her workplace. A place with kids. Not good.

  The only good thing about him dropping off a gift for her at school was that the place had cameras. Hopefully he had been captured on video. They might be one step closer to uncovering his identity.

  “You lucky girl,” Jane gushed, placing the box on Mallory’s desk. “You didn’t tell us you had a new boyfriend.”

  She hadn’t, but even if she had this gift didn’t have anything to do with him.

  “We just started dating,” Mallory replied, studying the box as if it was a snake. “I didn’t want to jinx it.”

  “He’s a keeper, that’s for sure. Don never sends me surprise gifts to work. It’s so romantic. What’s his name? Is he handsome?”

  No, it was creepy. Very creepy.

  “Carter, and yes, I think he’s handsome.”

  Jane clasped her hands together and grinned. “So? Are you going to open it?”

  “Of course. Let’s see what it is.”

  Reluctantly – oh so reluctantly – Mallory nodded and tugged at the bow. It pulled away easily so she could open the box to reveal a silk scarf in deep scarlet.

  Blood red, you mean.

  Nestled on top of the silk was a card and Mallory was loath to pick it up and read it. Her heart pounded and sweat pooled at the back of her neck as she lifted it from the box.

  This will look beautiful on you.

  There was no way in hell she was ever going to wear this scarf. If Carter let her, she would burn it in the gas grill on the patio as soon as she returned home from school today. It was probably evidence though, if this ever went to court or she had to swear out a protective order.

  “That’s gorgeous,” Jane exclaimed, running her fingertips over the smooth silk. “Your man has good taste. Are you going to put it on?”

  Oh hell no. Mallory could barely keep her lunch down as it was. If she had to touch it, then all bets were off.

  “Not right now. I’ll put it on for him later.”

  Jane gave her an exaggerated wink. “I got it. A private show with…just the scarf. Good for you, Mal. Go get him.”

  Bile rose in her throat but Mallory managed to swallow it down and somehow not reveal to her friend how creeped out she was.

  She shoved the lid back on the box. Out of sight, hopefully out of mind. “I will. Go get him, I mean. Looks like it’s almost time for the bell.”

  Thankfully lunch was over, although Mallory wouldn’t have minded the time to have a small nervous breakdown in the girls’ room before her next class. Just a little one.

  Jane glanced up at the clock on the wall and sighed. “Duty calls. I have twenty-four kids who are going to be conjugating French verbs today. They’ll hate me for it. See you later, and congrats on the new boyfriend. I can’t wait to meet him. He sounds fabulous.”

  As quickly as she’d come in Jane breezed out, leaving a cloud of her perfume to mix with the smell of dry erase markers and textbooks. Mallory fell back down into her chair and swung open her large desk drawer. She didn’t even want to look at this box for the rest of the day. Not until she had to.

  Work first, think about it later. Stowing it in the drawer she closed it firmly, the metal barrier between her and the box making her feel somewhat calmer. If only she could close her brain off from all the thoughts whirling around in it. Compartmentalize her life into neat little boxes. Trauma? Over there. Happiness? Right up front. Creepy stalkers? Way in the back.

  If she ignored it would it go away?

  * * *

  Carter gathered up the rolls of blueprints and set them on the conference table in his office. He’d need these in about thirty minutes as West was stopping by to discuss an expansion of Tremont’s community center. It had become so popular that they needed more space. Carter had several options for his cousin, one of which included an entirely new location. It was more work but it had the land to accommodate the future growth that West insisted they needed.

  “Knock, knock. Can I come in?” Jason stood in the doorway of Carter’s office. “Are you busy?”

  “I’m always busy but you can come in. I’ve been waiting to hear from you all damn day. Want some coffee or a soda?”

  Jason eased his large frame into one of the high-backed leather conference chairs. “I could go for a soda. It’s been a long night and day.”

  Carter’s assistant was super efficient and within a few minutes she’d returned with two ice cold cans. He slid one to Jason, and then sat down at the table. His whole body was on pins and needles waiting to hear from his cousin. So many strange things had happened in the last few days and this new murder might be one more.

  “So?”

  Jason gulped down half of the can before replying. “Green Pine only has one park, so yes, the body was found behind Mallor
y’s home. I could see the townhouses from the dump site.”

  That snagged Carter’s attention. “Dump site? The murder was committed elsewhere?”

  Jason nodded. “We think so. There wasn’t enough blood for the fatal wounds. She was stabbed several times in a frenzy. This dude has anger issues.”

  “The guy at the rest stop was stabbed.”

  Rubbing his chin, Jason gave him a grim smile. “Remember how we talked about not going off and making assumptions? We don’t know that those two murders are connected. The victimology is quite different on its face. The rest stop appears to be a crime of opportunity but the girl looks like it might have been planned to a certain extent. He had time with his victim.”

  “How much time?”

  “Time enough to strip her of her clothes and then redress her in just her bra and panties. We know that because there wasn’t much blood on them, nor were they cut or torn. They would have been if she had been wearing them during the attack.”

  Carter shuddered at what that poor girl might have gone through before she was killed.

  “Torture? Assault?”

  Jason drank down the last of the soda. “No sign of torture, which is a blessing for her. She appeared to be in good shape. I don’t think he held her too long. There were no extraneous cuts or bruises that we can’t explain with struggling against her captor. She fought back so there was skin under her nails. We’ve sent that to the state lab along with some hairs we found. As for assault, the medical examiner will check for that during the post-mortem. I’m hoping that will come up negative as well.”

  The psychology of crime had always fascinated Carter. When Jason would tell stories from his days working at the FBI and then the DEA, he would listen with rapt attention. What made a criminal tick? Why did they do it?

  “He redressed her?” Carter asked. “Does that mean something?”

  “If a killer covers the body it can indicate remorse. I’m not sure a bra and panties can be considered covering the body but he might feel regret afterward. I’ve seen some crazy shit over the years. We’re going to talk to the girl’s family and friends. I have reason to believe she was on a date and it might not have been their first one. If we can find out who she went out with then perhaps we can find who did this.”

  “Why do you think she was on a date?”

  “Her lingerie was fancy. I always know when Brinley is planning a romantic evening. She puts away the cotton panties and bras and breaks out the silk and lace. That’s what this young woman was wearing so I can only conclude that she had a date as she’s not married.”

  That made sense. It might also make finding the killer a hell of a lot easier, and they could use the break.

  “It sounds like you have leads to follow up. That’s good, right?”

  Jason nodded and levered to his feet, tossing his empty can in the trash. “It is and I better get back to it. I’ll keep you in the loop. We’re going to run a comparison between the woman’s stab wounds and the man at the rest stop. I’m not expecting them to match but with all that’s been going on we need to look at every angle. Have you heard from Mallory’s stalker since you took her to the ranch?”

  “We haven’t. He might not even know where she is and frankly that was the whole point.”

  Brows raised, Jason chuckled. “That’s not how stalkers work, at least not usually. They don’t give up too easily. If he doesn’t know where she is right now, he’ll try to find out, so be on the lookout. He might try and follow her home from work so watch your tail. Be aware of the cars around you and make a mental note of their make, model, and color, especially if you see them more than once.”

  This super-spy cop stuff was far different than Carter’s normal day to day activities but he wouldn’t let Mallory down. She was counting on him to keep her safe.

  “I will,” Carter promised his cousin. “Just let me know when you learn anything.”

  “Will do. Just keep an eye on your woman. Let us worry about the rest.”

  Carter wouldn’t stop worrying until this asshole was identified and stopped. With Mallory at the ranch, would the man get desperate and show his hand? Eventually he had to slip up, and Carter would be waiting when he did.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

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  A cold rush of air blew through the kitchen raising goosebumps on Mallory’s arm. Despite the chilly temperatures Carter was grilling steaks outside, and he’d just brought them in all covered with aluminum foil and smelling delicious. Her stomach rumbled in approval, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten much lunch today thanks to her creepy stalker.

  Apparently, Carter grilled almost year-round, which sounded completely batshit nuts but he loved his charred animal flesh. Mallory had delicately questioned whether this was a good idea and then let the subject drop. As long as he didn’t expect her to go out there and flip the steaks in the freezing cold she was fine. She was keeping busy making au gratin potatoes and a spinach salad in the warm kitchen.

  Like a sane person.

  Or rather she was trying to prepare potatoes and salad. God bless Carter, he was trying to teach her to cook. He’d patiently explained what she needed to do in easy to understand instructions. So far she hadn’t set the kitchen on fire. It was progress.

  “Are they done?”

  Carter wore a triumphant smile and it was really cute. Man-adorable cute. He looked like a little boy who had won a trophy the way he was holding that platter of meat. Wow, she was truly smitten. Everything he did was adorable in her eyes. He was even getting her to cook.

  “They are juicy, succulent, and just a hair under medium. They’re going to be delicious. Wait until you taste my secret blend of herbs and spices. The potatoes should be done as well.”

  It was a good thing he was keeping track because she didn’t have a clue how long they would take to bake. Giggling, she pulled the potatoes from the oven, more cheesy goodness wafting around her nose. She’d done it. With a whole lot of help. They might even be edible.

  “Alright Colonel, I can’t wait. But I do think that I saw you sprinkling those herbs and spices on the steaks. I may already know what your secret is.”

  “I brought out a few spices just to throw you off. This blend is proprietary. If you like it and want more, you’ll have to stick around so I can make it again.”

  Was that an invitation? A sly way of asking her to…be his girlfriend?

  Luckily, he didn’t pause for her reply, instead slapping those aromatic steaks on their plates while she fetched the salad and potatoes. Setting the table was her specialty.

  They chatted during the meal about their day, Tiger sitting at Carter’s feet hoping for a handout. He had told her all about his day but she’d been decidedly closed-mouthed about her gift. The box was stuffed in her school bag full of papers to be graded. She was going to tell him but there hadn’t been a good time to do it. She hadn’t wanted to ruin dinner.

  Dinner’s over now.

  Any excuse she had was gone and she reluctantly excused herself from the table and retrieved the box with the scarf in it. Carter was going to be furious. Head spinning around on his shoulders kind of pissed off.

  Sitting back down, she slid the box toward him. “This was delivered to the school today. And no, before you ask, I didn’t see who dropped it off. It went to the office and another teacher brought it to me during lunch. The good news is that there are cameras at the school. If he delivered it himself, he was probably caught on film.”

  For a man so smart that would be the silliest of errors. He’d been very careful up to this point. But everyone makes mistakes eventually.

  Eyeing the box, Carter growled with unhappiness and took off the lid. She’d placed the card back on top of the scarf and he lifted it out, read it, and then tossed it back in.

  “I really hate this guy. If he and I ever meet, I’m going to knock out his teeth and break a few ribs. This has gone on long fucking enough.”

  In reality it had only be
en a few days but she had to admit it felt like much longer. She, too, was tired of it all and simply wanted her life back. It was weird to walk around and wonder who was watching. A little like being under a microscope, involuntarily. Her sense of privacy and security had been shaken to its core.

  Like most people in a modern world she knew deep in the recesses of her mind that privacy in the technical age was hard to come by. Strangers could easily get information about her for a small fee on the internet or, if they had the skills, they could get it themselves. True privacy was a delusion that kept her putting her credit card number into websites when she was shopping. She paid her bills online, shopped online, kept in touch with her family and friends online. Heck, she’d even filed her taxes online for the last few years. And she did it all pretending that nothing bad could ever happen. That she was safe. But the fact was that a determined person could get all of that data and more.

  Because how could she function in society if she didn’t believe that? Every day human beings put their faith in the system and for the most part the system didn’t bite back. It was only in extreme situations like this that technology sucked.

  “What are you thinking about?” Carter asked, his brows pulled down. “You’re frowning.”

  So was he but not about the same thing.

  “I was just thinking about modern technology. I love it but it hasn’t done me any favors here. Pretty much anyone can find out all sorts of personal shit about me all for the low fee of twenty bucks. I was contemplating getting a rotary phone and paying with cash.”

  From the way Carter was chuckling she’d said something very funny.

  “It wouldn’t work,” he dismissed with a pat to her hand. “I’ve had multiple conversations with a few of the guys that work with Jason. Real computer guys that can dig into places you wouldn’t think anyone can go. I asked about what it would take to live off the information grid so to speak and they explained how to do it, but damn, it’s almost impossible. Every waking moment would be taken up with avoiding technology. It sounded exhausting and frankly, a futile effort for the most part.”