Ginny had not been on a date since her experience with Robert. Not that this was a real date, but she had to pretend.
Nerves tightened her shoulder blades as she surveyed the interior of the bar. The country music and relaxed decor didn’t fit with Robert. Typically, he preferred more upscale places although Whistler wasn’t exactly big-city living so the choices were limited. And it was possible he was trying to keep a low profile to avoid detection.
She headed toward the right to the adjoining dining area where the music volume was lower as were the lights, creating a more intimate atmosphere. White tablecloths, each adorned with a vase of a single rose, added a hint of romance.
Her stomach churned. Robert would choose the more intimate side.
The hostess for the restaurant side was a tall blonde who wore a simple black dress with glittery jewelry. Robert’s type. Although he had told her he had a thing for redheads.
She requested a table facing the door, and the hostess escorted her to a small table in a dimly lit section.
Clutching her purse, which held her .22, in her lap, she seated herself so she could see anyone who entered or left.
Karl Cross said he’d be wearing a navy sport coat and khakis, a little underdressed for Robert, but it might be his attempt to fit into the town and not draw suspicion to himself.
She ordered water and a glass of white wine although she left the wine untouched. Didn’t want alcohol interfering with her reflexes if she needed to defend herself. She sipped her water and waited, surprised at the number of single women crowding into the bar area.
She had never been a fan of the bar scene, had always thought it dangerous. The online dating site had been just as bad. The attractive profiles could easily sway a woman into believing she’d met her Prince Charming, yet in reality the person behind the face on-screen might be an amphibian beneath the facade.
A man with silver-tipped dark hair entered, then a cowboy in a Stetson. The cowboy headed toward the bar while the other man paused and looked around, then turned to the dining area. He was wearing a dark sport coat. She tensed as he scanned the room.
Not Robert. Was he Karl Cross?
She took another sip of water as he started to cross the room, but he bypassed her table and joined a middle-aged woman at the table near her. She was so busy watching the couple kiss that she didn’t notice another man approaching until she felt his presence beside her table. A shadow moved into her vision, and she looked up, her chest clenching.
He was tall, dark haired, medium build, nice looking.
But he wasn’t Robert.
He offered her a cocky smile. “June?”
“That’s me,” she said, itching to leave already. Although if Robert hadn’t killed Joy, she could have met another predator online. This could be him.
He slid into the chair and raked his gaze over her. Her first instinct was to jut her chin up in challenge, but she was supposed to be quiet, shy, bookish June so refrained.
“A pleasure to meet you,” he said. “You have an interesting profile.”
She gave him a shy smile. “So do you. Do you live in Whistler?”
He shook his head. “I have a cabin in the mountains nearby, so I come here for relaxation between business trips.”
“Do you travel a lot?”
The waitress appeared and he ordered a whiskey. “Just in the States, wherever the deals are to be made,” he said as the waitress left.
“What kinds of deals?”
“Oh, a little of this and that.”
Her distrust rose. He was being evasive. “Where’s your home base?” Ginny asked.
“Charlotte. What about you?” he asked.
“I’m here visiting family, my grandmother,” she said ad-libbing. Better he think she had someone who would miss her if she disappeared unexpectedly.
They made small talk for another few minutes, then she decided to broach the real reason she’d met him. “You don’t look like you’d have trouble meeting women,” she said. “Do you engage in a lot of online dating?”
He chuckled. “I don’t have trouble,” he said. “But I’m looking for a specific type.”
Her skin prickled. “And what type is that?”
A flicker of interest sparked in his eyes. “Someone quiet. Humble. Women these days are flashy and forward. They don’t appreciate a man taking care of them.”
She barely resisted slugging him. He sounded like Robert. “Have you dated anyone else from Whistler?”
His smile disappeared. “What does that matter?”
“Just wondering if there’s an old flame around who’d get jealous if she saw us together?”
“No one at the moment.” His eyes darkened. “It pains me to say the last woman I was seeing died suddenly.”
Ginny bit her lip to stifle a reaction. “Oh, my goodness. You weren’t seeing that pretty woman named Joy, were you? I arrived in town the day after she died in that horrible fire.”
The ice in his drink clinked as he lifted it for a sip. “Did you know her?”
She shook her head. “No, I just saw the news. I heard she liked to play around.”
His hands tightened into fists on the table. “That’s what I’m talking about. Women who aren’t faithful. I can’t tolerate that.”
If the woman he’d dated was Joy, he’d just confirmed a motive for murder.
He reached for her hand and stroked her fingers. “But you wouldn’t be like that, would you, June? You wouldn’t lie to a man?”
She had had enough. He wasn’t Robert, but he was despicable anyway. She pushed away from the table and stood. “You know, Karl, I don’t think this is going to work.”
He tightened his fingers around her wrist so hard she winced. “What? Aren’t you going to give me a chance?”
She gritted her teeth. “I just don’t feel like we’re right for each other.” She yanked at her hand to pull free, but his grip grew more intense.
“That’s not fair, June. Sit back down—”
“Let the woman go.”
Ginny gritted her teeth as she looked up and found Griff staring down at her and Karl with a lethal expression on his chiseled face.
* * *
NOTHING RILED GRIFF more than a bully manhandling a woman. And this creep looked as if he’d gone from friendly to psycho possessive in seconds.
The man released Ginny’s wrist then angled his head and shot Griff a venomous look. “Who the hell are you?”
Griff fisted his hands by his sides. Resorting to physical force wasn’t his style, but if it meant protecting Ginny and he was provoked, he wouldn’t back down either. This jerk was decent-size, but he could take him in a skinny minute.
“A friend of the lady’s,” Griff said coldly.
Ginny shot him an irritated look and absentmindedly rubbed at her wrist, which was red from the man’s tight grip.
“I can handle this, Griff,” she said stiffly.
He arched a brow in challenge. Did she know this jerk? Was she actually going to defend him?
Karl shoved his chair back. “What is this? Some kind of hustle?” He narrowed his eyes at Ginny. “You plan a date, then your boyfriend jumps in for fun?”
Shock flashed across Ginny’s face at the implication. “No. But this date is over.”
She snatched her purse, threw it over her shoulder and brushed past Karl and Griff.
Karl stood as if to go after her, but Griff blocked his path. “You heard her. It’s over. Touch her again and you’ll answer to me, someone more your size.”
Karl squared his shoulders, anger radiating from him. “Don’t worry. She’s not my type anyway.”
Griff barely resisted the urge to punch the jerk. Instead, he stepped back and went after Ginny himself. The music blared louder from the bar area, and a line dance had kicked up, boots pounding the scarred wooden floor.
He hurried out the door and searched the parking lot. Ginny was climbing in her car, so he jogged over and caught the door just before she could close it. Her eyes widened, a sliver of fear darkening the depths that made him feel like a heel. He threw his hands up to indicate he meant no harm.
“Are you okay?” he asked gruffly.
Her breathing rasped out. “Yes. And by the way, I had the situation under control.” Stubborn pride laced her voice.
“Of course, you did,” he said. “But when I see a man roughhousing a woman, I can’t help but step in. My father taught me to respect women.”
His comment seemed to soften the defensive expression on her face. “Then thank you. But I really was fine.”
He leaned closer to her in the open doorway of the car. “What was that about anyway? I thought you were just visiting town. Did you know that man?”
She cut her eyes away, avoiding him, then flexed her fingers around the steering wheel as if debating on how to respond. Finally, she sighed and looked back at him. “I don’t want to talk about it here. Meet me back at the inn.”
She bit her bottom lip, then started the engine. But she scanned the parking lot as she pulled away. Was she afraid the man inside would follow her?
Or was she was running from someone else?
* * *
GINNY DROVE TO the inn, relieved to see that Karl Cross didn’t follow her. As stern as she might have been, Griff was much more intimidating.
Although why had he come to her rescue? She didn’t think he liked her or wanted to talk to her. Had he followed her to the bar?
She parked and climbed out, her nerves on edge. Had Robert snuck back inside the room?
Griff parked behind her and walked over to her car. “Let’s meet in the parlor,” Ginny said. “There’s wine and coffee at the buffet in the evenings.”
Griff walked beside her as they made their way up the path to the porch. The earlier rain was dissipating, yet the wind had picked up again, blowing leaves across the lawn and sending the wind chimes on the porch into motion. The tinkling reminded her of the holidays when she and Tess had been children and had enjoyed their mother’s endless litany of jingle bells that she strung everywhere. Her mother bought them silly Christmas socks every year to wear for their annual Christmas pajama photo by the tree. When she was six and Tess was four, they’d separated to choose each other’s presents and ended up buying each other the same book of paper dolls.
Tears burned the backs of her eyelids. Each memory of her sister refueled her rage and anger.
Griff opened the door, and they entered the lobby, then made their way to the parlor. Thankfully it was deserted so they had the room to themselves.
She poured a glass of wine for herself, then offered Griff one from the buffet. He shook his head and chose coffee, then joined her in the seating area. The wine helped soothe her jangled nerves as she warmed herself by the fire.
Griff seated himself across from her in the big club chair. “Come on, Ginny. Who was that man?”
“I had a date,” she admitted.
He raised a brow. “You came for a story and now you’re dating? I don’t understand.”
He didn’t have to, but he obviously wasn’t going to let it go. Her plan to use him hadn’t worked at all. He was too damn smart.
“I told you that I received a tip from an abuse victim,” Ginny said. “She met the man online through one of those dating sites.”
Griff’s jaw tightened. “Let me guess. You joined that site hoping to meet that creep?”
Ginny ran her finger along the rim of her glass. “Like I said earlier, he disappeared. She’s terrified he’s looking for her.”
Griff cleared his throat. “Did you get a description of the man?”
Ginny shifted. “Medium build, sandy-blondish hair, dressed well. He likes nice restaurants and wine.”
Griff tensed. “The bartender gave a similar description of a man Joy was in there with once. He thought his name was Winston or William.”
Ginny paused with her glass halfway to her lips. “He said his name was Karl Cross. He became defensive when I asked about Joy, and he said the last woman he dated died suddenly.”
“I’ll ask Jacob and Liam to investigate him.”
Ginny traced a finger around the rim of her glass. “I told you I don’t want to talk to the cops. Whatever I share with you is confidential.”
Griff made a low sound of frustration in his throat. “For God’s sake, Ginny, I’m just trying to help. You have to get over this paranoia about the police.”
“That’s impossible when this woman’s attacker bought off a cop to find out where she was hiding, and he nearly killed her.”
Tension charged the air between them. “I’m sorry that happened, but I assure you my brothers are decent. They’ll do everything they can to track down this bastard and make him pay.”
Ginny leaned forward, desperate to believe him.
But his brothers would only get in her way.
* * *
GRIFF STUDIED GINNY for a moment. Although he sensed she’d told him multiple lies, if what she’d said about the cop accepting a bribe was true, he understood her distrust of the law. Arguing with her would only push her further away. He’d learn more by keeping her close and agreeing to work with her. “All right, I’ll keep your confidence,” he replied. “But trust works both ways. You aren’t allowed to print anything I tell you unless I clear it with Jacob first.”
Ginny pasted on her game face. “Of course.”
“Do you think the man you met tonight was the same one who attacked your source?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. But have your brother check him out. If he dated Joy, he might be the man you’re hunting.”
“What online dating site did you use?”
Ginny stretched out her legs. “Meet Your Mate.”
Seeing that man put his hands on Ginny bothered Griff more than he wanted to admit. He told himself his reaction was simple protective instincts that he’d feel for any woman, but something about the pained note in Ginny’s voice tore at his heartstrings on a more personal level.
“You’re playing with fire by trying to lure this predator,” he said huskily.
Ginny finished her wine and stood. “You’re not going to change my mind. So, remember our deal.”
He clenched his jaw as she walked away, removed his phone from his belt and punched Liam’s number to ask him to dig up everything he could on Karl Cross and that dating site. He’d also ask him to look at other cases involving strangulation and arson.
Like it or not, he didn’t intend to let Ginny use herself as bait and get herself killed.