Chapter Twenty-Four

 

Grant glanced at Juliet, but her eyes were closed, her hair grasped tightly in one hand as air through the open window of the Yukon rushed past, wind pulling several long, dark strands to whip in its wake.

“Are we going to the range today?” she asked, turning her face toward the sun.

“Yep. We’ll go every day that we can until you’re safe. Why?”

She looked at him, her expression thoughtful. “Could you do something for me?”

The reply was automatic and completely true. “Anything.”

“Could you teach me some self-defense moves?” she asked. “If another man puts their hands on me like Coulter did yesterday, I want them to regret it even if I don’t have a gun.”

Grant smiled and reached for her hand. He laced his fingers through hers and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “You bet. There are some training mats in the classroom at the range.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “And after I’m done teaching you a few moves, we could even use those mats for something else.”

Color rose in her cheeks and she gaped at him. “Grant!”

“What?” He gave her an innocent look. “We’ll have more condoms by then.”

Before she could reply his phone rang, or more appropriately, the song on the radio was interrupted by his Bluetooth equipped stereo. He hit the button and waited a second. “Hello?”

“Grant, it’s Daniel. Could you and Juliet come by the office?”

Juliet’s head snapped around and he glanced at her.

“Yeah, why?”

“I’ll tell you when you get here.” He paused. “There aren’t any new developments and it’s nothing bad, so don’t worry.”

“Okay, we’ll be there in about 20.”

“See you then.”

Grant pushed the button to disconnect the call.

“What do you think he wants?” Juliet asked.

“You heard him. He wants us to come by the office.”

A wariness entered her turquoise eyes. “I wonder why.”

Grant squeezed her fingers. “He said it’s nothing to worry about.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Guess we’ll find out when we get there.”

Daniel was leaning against Roberta’s desk when he and Juliet walked into the Sheriff’s Office. Sheridan was at her computer, Sheila, the weekend dispatcher, was in Roberta’s chair, and Jackson, thankfully, was nowhere to be seen.

“He’s on patrol,” Sheridan said when she glanced his way and saw his face. She gave him a jaunty grin and returned to whatever she was working on.

Grant scowled. “Maybe I should threaten to fire his ass more often,” he said with a growl. He gave Juliet a grim smile and faced the detective. “All right, we’re here. What do you need?” Daniel held a small box in his hands, the kind usually used for jewelry, and something in Grant’s gut twisted.

“Can we go into your office?” Daniel asked in a low voice.

He and Grant battled visually for a moment and then Grant gave a terse nod. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like this. When Daniel and Juliet were both in his office he met Sheila’s curious gaze and shut the door firmly. He took deep, even breaths as he walked around the desk and eased down into his chair. Leaning back, he tried to look unconcerned.

“What is it, Daniel?” Juliet finally asked.

Instead of replying Daniel opened the box. He pulled a long, gold chain from inside, and when the distinctive pointe shoe pendant was revealed Grant heard Juliet suck in a breath. He glanced at her. Her cheeks had gone pale and she clutched her own pendant in one hand, her eyes wide.

“Is that . . . ?” She blinked and stared at the glittering toe shoes.

“No,” was Daniel’s immediate reply.

Grant’s mind flew back through the case file and he remembered the only thing missing from the scene of Cassie’s murder was a necklace belonging to Cassie, a necklace that matched Juliet’s own. The serial killer’s trophy.

“She gave me mine when I graduated Juilliard,” Juliet whispered, “and I gave her hers when she joined the company. They’re exactly alike.” She turned disbelieving eyes to Daniel. “Where did you get that?”

Daniel sighed heavily and held the necklace toward her. “We made it.” Juliet reached out shaking fingers and he dropped it onto her palm. “Cassie let us borrow hers a few weeks before she was killed. My techs and a jeweler worked together to fashion an exact replica, but it took a little longer than we thought.” He glanced at Grant and then looked at her. “The jeweler had trouble configuring the pointe shoes around the GPS tracking chip we wanted installed.”

Her eyes widened and she stared at him.

“We didn’t finish it until after Cassie died,” Daniel continued in a low, sorrowful voice, “and you took off before I could give it to you.” He rubbed his brow. “If I’d given it to you as soon as we got it from the jeweler maybe you wouldn’t have been out here on your own all these months.”

“Yeah,” Grant began dryly, “which means Mayfield would’ve found her long before now. Or have you forgotten his subordinate followed you here?”

Daniel jumped to his feet and Grant also stood, but more slowly, his motions tightly controlled.

“Look, I know I’ve done a shitty job of protecting her,” Daniel bit out, teeth clenched, bright spots of color in his cheeks, “but I did everything I could. And I’m going to do everything I can now to make sure Juliet doesn’t end up like Cassie.”

“Take a number,” Grant growled.

“Please stop,” Juliet whispered.

Both men went quiet and turned to her. Tears shimmered in her eyes but her expression was resolute as she continued to stare at the pendant.

“We’re all on the same side here,” she said in a low voice. She blinked, the tears fell, and she wiped them away with her empty hand as her other hand closed around the necklace.

Grant’s stomach twisted and he looked at Daniel who was looking anywhere but at her. Grant saw her move and turned toward her as she took off her pendant and placed it on the edge of his desk. Then she put the necklace with the tracking chip on and folded her hands in her lap.

“There.” She met both of their eyes and smiled, but Grant sensed it was forced. “Now, if he manages to take me you can find us.”

Daniel turned anguished eyes to her. “Juliet—”

“It’s okay, Daniel,” she said. She shrugged. “I’m what he wants, I’m the bait. That’s just how it is.” She closed her eyes briefly and then straightened her spine. “Is there anything else?”

Bait. Grant’s gut heaved. Now you have an idea what Jack went through.

“Have you told her your theory?” Daniel asked.

It took Grant a second to realize the detective was speaking to him. He met Daniel’s eyes and shook his head.

“You should.” Daniel’s expression sobered. “She deserves to know what she may very well be up against.”

Grant eased back into his chair as she turned to him.

“Grant?”

He rubbed his eyes and pulled in a long, slow breath. “I think George Mayfield is a serial killer,” he said after a brief silence, “and I think Daddy is teaching him the ropes.”

Juliet looked at Daniel. “And what do you think of this theory?”

Daniel glanced at him and then turned to her. He sat in the chair next to her and took her hands. “I think, we think, he’s right. We’ve started digging and the evidence is leaning that way.” He sighed. “I talked to Steve earlier and he said he’d started looking into Mayfield senior’s background. Mayfield senior’s mother died when he was 18.” He looked at Grant. “She drowned . . . in the bathtub.”

Something icy, sinister, and jagged raked against the inside of Grant’s chest. “Just like his wife, George’s mother.”

“Yeah.” Daniel nodded and rose, walking to the window overlooking the square. “All of the evidence is circumstantial, but it’s starting to pile high, really high. Steve thinks we have enough to get search warrants and exhumation orders for both Mayfield wives.” He faced them and leaned against the heavy glass. “George may be a third generation killer. Hell, if we had better records, who knows how far back this particular family trait goes. I’ve heard rumors there was a Mayfield with the Donner Party who survived and then headed into the Oregon territory. Maybe that’s where it started.”

Grant laced his fingers over his abdomen and looked at Juliet. She was pale, her fingers clasped around the pendant, a muscle twitching in her cheek. He wanted to comfort her, take her in his arms and protect her from all this, but he couldn’t. And, he wouldn’t do that in front of Daniel. He knew the detective’s pain ran deep, and even if he and the Seattle cop weren’t the best of friends, he had no desire to add to the man’s sorrow.

“So, you think . . . .” Her voice trailed off and she took a deep breath. “You think if George comes after me, he won’t come alone.”

Grant didn’t bother to lie. “That’s exactly what I think.”

“And Cassie was . . . what?” She released the pendant and shoved her hands into her hair. “She was a . . . trial run, an experiment?”

Grant chose his words carefully. “I think she was a . . . a final exam, to see if he could pull it off without leaving any evidence behind, to see if he could handle the fact it wasn’t you.”

She stared at him. “You think George’s father taught him this.” When Grant nodded she rose and leaned on the edge of his desk. “How many?” He didn’t reply right away and he saw the flash of anger in her eyes. “How many women, Grant? How many before me?”

Grant glanced at Daniel and rubbed his eyes again. “I don’t know for sure, Juliet, but between the two of them . . . ? Possibly dozens.”

Juliet blinked at him and sank back onto her chair. She took several deep breaths. “Am I naïve to hope you two have a chance of stopping these maniacs without me having to die first?”

Grant left his chair, came around the desk, and crouched in front of her. “That will not happen.”

She looked shell-shocked, pale, her eyes wide and disbelieving. “How can you know that? Has anyone else ever escaped? If you’re right and George and his father have gotten away with this . . . dozens of times . . . how can you possibly know that?”

“Because we know where he’s headed,” Daniel said softly, “and we’ll be there to catch him.” He pushed away from the window. “Have a little faith, Juliet. I promise I won’t let you down again.”

Grant took her hands and laced his fingers through hers. Her skin was cold and he rubbed gently. “I’m sticking close to you until we catch him. So, I hope you weren’t lying this morning, because if you were you’ll be sick of my face by the time this is over.”

“It could be over tomorrow,” she pointed out.

“And I’m pretty much all you’re going to see . . . until it is over.”

Juliet took a deep breath, held it for a second, and then exhaled slowly. “Well then, I guess we’d better get to the range. We want to make sure I’m prepared if I run into George or his daddy, right?”

“Juliet,” Daniel began, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

She rose fluidly and faced him, a faint smile on her mouth. “Grant said he’d teach me some self-defense moves, so that’s what I’m going to do . . . learn to defend myself.” Grant saw the convulsive swallow, and she fisted her hands at her sides. “George Mayfield has already taken too much from me. I’m not letting him take anything else . . . not without a fight.”

Pride warmed Grant’s chest and he straightened. Juliet met his eyes as she picked up her pendant from the edge of his desk and held it out to him.

“Keep this for me,” she said softly. “You can give it back when this is all over.”

Grant only nodded. He opened his hand and Juliet dropped the pendant into his upturned palm. He glanced at Daniel, but the man was stone-faced. The detective caught his gaze and tossed him the empty jewelry box. “Thanks,” Grant said as he dropped the necklace inside.

“Don’t mention it,” Daniel replied in a level voice. “Keep it safe for her.”

He slipped the box into a pocket of his jacket. “I will.”

“Mind if I go with you to the range?” Daniel asked. His voice sounded flat, devoid of life, and Grant saw Juliet’s concerned expression. When she faced him the detective smiled, but it seemed forced. “You’re going to need someone other than your instructor to practice on. I can be your training dummy.”

Juliet took a step toward him. “You don’t have to—”

“I know,” Daniel interrupted her. “But I can’t do much more from here right now, and I could use the fresh air.” He gave Grant a look. “I’m sure you’d rather have her kicking my ass than yours.”

Grant didn’t really care one way or the other, but he gave the detective a shrug. “I don’t mind, as long as it’s okay with her.” They both looked at her. She simply nodded. Grant nodded in return and looked at Daniel. “Fine, we’ll meet you at the range in an hour. Sheila can give you directions. It’s just past the city limits and you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.”

“Alright.” Daniel stole a glance at Juliet and then dropped his chin. “I’ll see you there.”

Grant watched the detective as he turned and left the office without another word. What had started out as a beautiful day was veering sharply off course. Juliet sank back into a chair and sighed heavily.

“You alright?” he asked.

Instead of replying she rose and pressed herself against him. His arms immediately wrapped around her and he laid his cheek against her hair.

“Now I’m alright,” she whispered.

They stood like this, quiet and unmoving, the clock ticking loudly on the wall and muted conversation drifting in from the main office. He closed his eyes. Sheridan said something and Sheila burst into laughter, but none of it really registered. The scent of her hair drifted up to him, her heart beating a steady rhythm against his chest.

“I suppose we should go,” she said softly.

Grant glanced at the clock. Three minutes had passed. He pulled back and framed her face with his hands. “Probably. Groceries aren’t going to buy themselves, and if we don’t get moving we’ll be late meeting Daniel.”

Dark brows rose. “If we go shopping we’re going to be late anyway.”

He shook his head and pursed his lips. “Nope. Texted in my order while you were checking to see how many condoms I had left.” When he saw her surprised look he smiled. “Wes Greenaway owns the Evergreen Mercantile. I often call in orders and he bags everything up for me so all I have to do is pay and pick it up.”

She blinked at him. “And when he saw condoms on your list?”

His smile deepened. “He didn’t. Autumn is getting those for me.”

Pink surged into her cheeks. “What?” she squeaked.

He looked into those aquamarine eyes and toyed with a lock of her hair. “You were right about one thing. If I buy the crate of condoms it will be the top story on the six o’clock broadcast because Paulette’s husband owns the pharmacy.” He shrugged. “Condoms are Autumn and her husband’s preferred method of birth control, so no one will blink if she buys some.”

Her color deepened and she squeezed her eyes shut. “I would ask how you know that but I think I’d better not.”

Grant chuckled. “One day after the lunch crowd cleared out Shelby asked Autumn why she and Landon didn’t have any kids yet. Autumn popped off with ‘Because Trojans are 97% effective, and Landon and I don’t have sex on those other days.’” His fingers sifted through her hair, enjoying the cool silkiness against his skin. “You should’ve seen her expression when she realized I’d overheard. First time I’ve ever seen her flustered.”

A soft knock on the door separated them and Grant walked over to open it. Sheila stood there, a white take-out bag in her hand.

Sheila Gerard was a single woman, 35, with dark, graying hair and intelligent hazel eyes that were a mix of grey and blue. She stood just shy of six feet tall but probably barely hit 150, with a straight, boyish figure. Grant didn’t know her very well, she’d only been in town a few years, but she was good at her job and seemed to get on well with everybody, even Jackson. What he did know was that she worked part-time for him as a weekend dispatcher, part-time for Miss Nicole as a night auditor, and part-time for Paulette as a bookkeeper.

“Tom Cullen just dropped this off,” Sheila said, handing the bag to him, “two pieces of peach pie.” A smile warmed her otherwise austere features. “And he brought two more for Sheridan and me, said Autumn sent them over at your request. Thanks for thinking of us.”

Grant immediately understood Autumn’s ruse and hoped Tom, or Sheila, hadn’t mixed up the bags. He glanced inside the white paper container and gulped when he saw the Styrofoam boxes. He took one out, peeked inside, and handed it to Juliet. Two pieces of peach pie had been stuffed into that single container. A glance in the second box almost made him smile. No peach pie in that one.

“Thanks, Sheila. You know I’d never have food delivered without some for you and whoever else is on duty.” Grant made a mental note to send Autumn a thank-you. “Enjoy it.”

Sheila nodded pertly, spun on her heel, and closed the door behind her.

He turned to Juliet and grinned when he saw her crimson cheeks. She sat on the edge of his desk, the peach pie in her hands, her gaze focused on the wall.

“I’m never going to be able to look Autumn in the eye again,” she said with a slow shake of her head.

He chuckled. “Why not, darlin’?”

She put the pie aside and covered her face with her hands. “Between her request for written notes on your sexual prowess and this . . . ?” She peeked between her fingers. “Seriously?”

A laugh escaped him and he hooked an arm around her neck. “She won’t say anything.”

“Of course she won’t,” Juliet shot back, her brows drawing down. “Why talk when she already knows everything?”

He leaned in to nuzzle her ear. “She doesn’t know everything.”

Juliet made an annoyed sound. “Might as well.”

“Just be thankful it’s Autumn and not Paulette,” he teased. “Then everyone would know everything.”

She pulled away and glared at him. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re enjoying my embarrassment.”

“Would I do that?” He gave her a slow smile. “I like your cheeks to be pink for other reasons . . . both sets of them.” He saw the convulsive swallow and her eyes widened. She stared at him for several long, silent seconds, and then she chuckled.

“Again, only you could make me laugh in the middle of something like this.” Her gaze wandered over his face. “I love you, Grant Donovan.”

“I love you, too, darlin’.” He kissed her quickly. “Now, let’s get out of here. We have some groceries to take home and some ass to kick.”

***

Juliet struggled to breathe as the arm around her neck tightened.

“Daniel, that’s enough,” she heard Grant say in the background.

Daniel’s reply was harsh in her ear. “Mayfield isn’t going to treat her with kid gloves if he gets his hands on her. She needs to know how to fight back, against a real threat.”

Juliet’s vision started to gray around the edges and she knew if she didn’t do something she would lose consciousness. Instead of fighting harder she diminished her struggles, slowly, and after several seconds of waning activity allowed her body to go limp. Daniel held onto her.

“Let her go, damn you,” Grant growled, “or I’ll kick your ass.”

Juliet’s arms hung at her sides, flaccid, and she tried to inhale slowly against the pressure on her windpipe. Sparks of exultation glimmered to life when Daniel loosened his hold. She kept her body slack until he eased up some more, and then she struck.

She jerked out of his grip and dropped to a knee. Whirling, she drove her right fist into the center of his chest, hitting the solar plexus as Grant had shown her. Daniel’s eyes widened as air was forcefully expelled from his lungs. She brought her left fist up in an uppercut that had Grant saying, “Yikes,” and then kneed Daniel in the groin. A strangled cry caught in his throat and he dropped to his knees. Even though he wore protective padding and a cup, she had put everything she had behind the offensive. In all it took less than five seconds. Daniel fell onto his side, curled into a ball, and it wasn’t until her breathing slowed that the pain registered. She flexed her fingers several times then shook her aching hand and glared down at him.

“Guess I took off the kid gloves,” she said flatly.

Grant coughed loudly, grinning from ear to ear, and then he walked over to help Daniel to his feet. Juliet moved to grab her water bottle, took a long drink, and watched the detective, her insides vibrating with anger.

Daniel rested his hands on his knees, lines of pain bracketing his mouth, but he managed a smile. “Good.” He groaned and straightened. “That’s what I was going for.” He cast a wry glance at Grant. “I guess you told her cheating was okay.”

Grant crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a wink. “The only fair fight is the one you win.”

Juliet took another drink and turned away from the two men, her heart still throbbing and adrenaline still surging. She walked to a window in the portable building and looked over the range. Movement out of the corner of her eye drew her gaze and she straightened as a black Cadillac Escalade pulled into the gravel-covered lot. It parked next to Grant’s Yukon, clouds of dust swirling around it before the breeze finally dispersed them.

“Grant.”

He was at her side almost instantly. His eyes narrowed and he turned, walking toward the door with long strides. “Stay here.”

Juliet watched through the window as Grant stepped outside and strode down the ramp, his right hand resting on his gun. Her heart pattered uncomfortably in her chest, and she glanced at Daniel as he moved to her side, his brows drawn together. Her gaze was pulled back to the Escalade as the driver’s and passenger’s doors popped open.

She sucked in a breath as the driver stepped out, his blonde head towering over the top of the SUV when he straightened. Grant stood about 6’4” and this man was several inches taller, much broader, and more muscular. He looked like a human tank. “Holy cow, that’s a big boy.”

“That’s an understatement,” Daniel said under his breath.

The passenger came around the front of the SUV to stand at the blonde man’s side. The second man was just a hair shorter than Grant with dark hair and an athletic build. Her eyes widened when she saw both men were armed.

Panic glimmered to life in her chest and she ran for the door. She pushed through the panel and rushed to Grant’s side, her fingers wrapping around his bicep. Grant turned and she blinked when she saw his smile. He patted her hand.

“The FBI is here, darlin’,” he said. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

Grant started walking and she traipsed along behind, her vocal chords frozen. The two men moved toward them and the taller one extended a hand when they came together.

“Afternoon, Grant,” the blonde said as they shook hands briefly.

“Bear,” Grant said. He pulled Juliet forward. “Juliet, meet Special Agent Ted Bristol, FBI.”

Razor-sharp blue eyes rested on Grant briefly and then scanned her with laser-like intensity before a faint smile softened his harshly chiseled features.

“Miss Hall,” he drawled, extending his hand toward her. “My friends call me Bear, for obvious reasons, and that will include you now if you would do me the honor.”

She didn’t remember grasping his fingers and she blinked, surprised, when her hand disappeared in his much larger one.

“Nice to meet you,” she said when she found her voice. She cleared her throat as heat crept into her cheeks and she craned her neck to look up at him. “Call me Juliet.”

Grant’s hand was warm in the small of her back and he half-steered her toward the other man. “This is Special Agent Jack Vaughn,” he said.

Juliet glanced at Grant. His expression was neutral and she turned to Jack Vaughn. Laine’s Jack. Grant’s Laine’s Jack. Her heart thumped uncomfortably.

“Special Agent Vaughn,” she said in a hushed voice.

Silver eyes returned her stare directly, the corners crinkling attractively as he smiled.

“Call me Jack,” he said.

Someone cleared their throat and both she and Grant turned. Daniel stood there, hands clasped neatly in front of him. Grant stood to the side and the detective strode forward.

“Gentlemen,” Grant began, “this is the man y’all have been spending so much time on the phone with, Detective Daniel Riordan, Seattle PD.”

Juliet backed up, feeling oddly excluded as the circle of law enforcement officers greeted one another. And then they all turned and looked at her. She couldn’t help but smile. If the situation weren’t so serious, she’d think she was witness to an Abercrombie and Fitch cattle call.

Damn, Jules. Wish I was in your shoes right now. Talk about a veritable buffet of gorgeousness. There’s blonde, brunette, short hair, curly hair, blue eyes, brown eyes, grey eyes, hazel eyes, and muscles, muscles, and more muscles. I thought I was the one who was supposed to be in heaven.

She ignored her sister’s voice, but she had to agree. A veritable buffet, indeed. A tingle ran up her spine when she noticed Bear’s sharp gaze traveling between her and Daniel, and she realized the detective was still wearing his protective padding.

“Training?” Bear ventured.

“Yeah,” Daniel replied, a sheepish smile warming his features. “She was actually kicking my ass, but if you want to call it training I’m cool with that.”

Bear’s eyes narrowed on her and she gulped.

“Want to learn some top-secret FBI moves?” He glanced at the others. “Why don’t you all get caught up while I teach Juliet how to kill someone with their own thumb?”

Bear grinned and she was momentarily taken aback by the change. Straight-faced he was intimidating, his features sharply carved and stone-like with a gaze that was cutting and precise. However, when he smiled his features were transformed from menacing to a level of attractive that would make women sigh with adoration. Then there was the matter of his size. He towered over her by at least a foot and outweighed her by an easy hundred pounds, if not more. Daniel she had been able to get away from, but this guy? She doubted many escaped the FBI agent’s grasp once he got hold of them. Juliet blinked and nodded as he gestured toward the portable building. A flutter of uneasiness danced through her middle and she glanced at Grant.

He seemed to sense her anxiety and a smile curved his mouth. “Go on, Juliet. You’re in good hands.” He looked at Bear and his smile widened. “Don’t be fooled by her delicate looks, Bear. She had Daniel on his knees not two minutes ago.”

“She’s definitely a fighter,” Daniel agreed. He looked at her and the warmth in his gaze made her stomach cramp. “Underestimate her at your own peril, Special Agent Bristol.”

“It’s Bear,” Bear said with a growl and a grin. “And thanks for the warning, gentlemen, but if a beautiful woman has me on my knees it’s because I want to be there.”

“And you’d still be taller than me,” Juliet muttered. At 5’7” she wasn’t tall, but she’d never before felt like a dwarf. It bothered her down to the very bottom of her XX chromosome.

Bear laughed. “I’m taller than almost everyone, Juliet. But, I promise I shall not use my size to my advantage.” He cupped her elbow and nodded toward the building. “Shall we? I want to see what you’ve got.”

Juliet rolled her eyes and started walking toward the building. Bear fell into step beside her.

“So, I’m guessing they have things to talk about I shouldn’t hear?” she ventured as they walked up the ramp to the door.

“Not at all,” Bear said. He opened the door and held it for her. “I just want all of them on the same page, and since I’ve read all the pages, I don’t need the update.”

She let it go and paused at the edge of the mat. “Are you really going to teach me how to kill someone with their own thumb?”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “No. That’s a trade secret that would violate my non-disclosure agreement. However, I can teach you several other things that will help you put down an opponent should you have need to. And then, I’d like to talk.”

That flutter of uneasiness was back, and it had grown. “About what?”

He rubbed his chin. “Well, I’ve read all the case files and police reports, but what I’m more interested in is what isn’t in those reports.” He kicked out of his shoes, moved to the center of the mat, and gestured for her to come closer. “I want to hear about Mayfield from you, after I teach you how to put him down.”