Chapter 5
Chapter five
Gatling
After stopping by the police station to give her statement, Kelsie followed me out of town to my cabin.
Nestled in the forest, surrounded by a perimeter of dense pine trees, it was secluded up here near the mountains.
Private. If anyone tried to get to Kelsie again, they would have to go through me.
As soon as she parked, I was there, opening her door, scooping my hand around her elbow. Partly for support, since shock was still rattling her system. And partly to keep her close, just in case.
“How did you know?” Kelsie asked.
My gaze scanned the area. I knew these woods like the back of my hand. If anything was amiss, I would notice. Now that someone obviously wanted to hurt Kelsie, these same woods that were my sanctuary might become a battleground if that fucker refused to let her go.
“How did I know about what?” I replied.
“That someone was trying to run me down. You came out of nowhere. Were you following me all day?”
Well, technically, no, I wasn’t the one doing the following. That job was assigned to Crash. And for exactly this reason.
“Nope,” I said with a shrug. “Just a hunch, I guess.”
When Crash called, I had been in Kelsie’s apartment. Using my illegal copy of her key to let myself in again. This time, I wasn’t there to search the place.
I had tucked a tiny camera atop her kitchen cabinets, hidden behind a Santa Claus cookie jar that she wouldn’t be using for the holidays yet.
Since I didn’t put it in her bedroom, I reasoned it was a practical measure to catch this stalker on camera for video evidence. If he broke into her apartment again, maybe we could get a look at his face and identify him. Track him down. Break a few bones and run him out of town.
After that, Kelsie could finally rest easy.
I had a perfectly logical explanation for that video camera. But deep down, I knew it was an egregious breach of her privacy. Total creep behavior.
Especially since I had no intention of warning her about it.
Then Crash called, saying that some truck was following Kelsie after she got off work. I told him to stay close. And by the time I caught up to him, that damn truck was ramming her bumper.
The windows were tinted dark, so I couldn’t see the driver’s face. But Crash got the license plate number and passed it along to Credence.
That bastard wouldn’t be able to escape us forever.
I ushered Kelsie into my cabin and flicked on the lights. Compared to her sunny, colorful apartment, it must look drab and rustic. The furnishings were a sparse collection of odds and ends I’d gathered or crafted myself over the years.
The slab of a kitchen table had been carved from a fallen oak I encountered during a hike years ago.
The couch was scratchy and rough, looking like it had time-traveled from the 1960s to wind up in my living room.
The bedroom was plain, unadorned, with a mattress shoved into one corner, a closet, and a chest of drawers that I didn’t even use.
Unlike Kelsie’s apartment, where her personality and optimism were splashed everywhere, I didn’t personalize my living space. There were no pictures, no decor of any kind. A generic, grumpy old bachelor’s hideout, away from the world.
I didn’t like putting my life on display.
For one thing, people can glean too much information to be used against you.
For another thing, I made it a habit to never put down roots.
If I had to pack up and leave at a moment’s notice for any reason, I could fit my entire life in a duffel bag or a backpack easily.
A consequence of finding nowhere to belong in this world is that having a home is a foreign concept.
“It’s not cozy,” I said. “But the roof keeps you dry when it rains. And the fireplace keeps you warm when it snows.”
As Kelsie surveyed the cabin, I found myself…waiting. Wondering what she would think.
Usually, I didn’t give a shit what anyone thought of me. The Blackjacks had plenty of snarky remarks to say about my hermit lifestyle, but I didn’t pay much attention to it, even when a few of them pissed me off.
Where Kelsie was concerned though, I wanted her good opinion.
I wanted to hear what she had to say. Did she hate it?
Was she disgusted with the rough hewn floors, grimy from years of tracking mud in on my boots?
Would she take one look at my cabin and demand to be taken back to town, spending the night in a hotel instead?
Kelsie reached out and traced a knot in the wood, smoothing her hand over the wall.
“I was always jealous that you invited Noah out here, but not me. It suits you.”
I smothered the small spark of heat in my chest at her words.
“Didn’t think you would like it,” I replied. “It’s rough. And there’s no air conditioning.”
She shrugged, rubbing her arms. She was still shivering and frazzled.
“It’s your home though. It’s part of you.”
I huffed a dry laugh and closed the door behind us.
“It’s just a place I sleep for the night sometimes. I’d hardly call it a home. Why don’t you take a shower? Might help with the shock if you soak for a while.”
Kelsie nodded. I guided her through the bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom, turning on the water. Tested the temperature.
“Towels are under the sink,” I said. “The water heater is finicky, so if you take longer than twenty minutes, it gets colder than the arctic.”
Kelsie nodded again, turning her gray eyes up to me. Fuck, she looked so goddamn scared and confused, bewildered at how quickly everything had gone sideways.
It didn’t surprise me though. I’d seen what men were capable of doing to each other. The horrific pain they could inflict on another human being. The heartless acts they could commit against their own flesh and blood.
Kelsie had hoped her stalker was simply a nuisance who would go away if he was ignored.
But the bastard had escalated. Fast.
“I’ll be in the other room if you need me,” I said. “And when you’re done, call Noah.”
She lowered her lashes, shielding her gaze, and lightly curled her fingers around my forearm.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
A lump formed in my throat at her soft tone, and my skin burned where the pressure points of her fingertips touched my bare skin.
Fuck, I had to find a way to kill and bury this goddamn yearning for my best friend’s little sister.
Especially when we would be living under the same roof.
I couldn’t keep torturing myself like this.
Forcing myself to move away, I cleared my throat.
“Don’t mention it.”
An hour later, Noah’s Jeep careened up my driveway, spitting dirt and forest debris. As soon as he stepped onto the porch, I pulled the door open. He came striding inside without slowing down.
“Where is she?”
I gestured to the armchair where Kelsie was curled up, wearing one of my hoodies.
I tried not to think how good it looked on her.
She snuggled her nose into the collar as the fabric swamped her curves.
She cradled a cup of warm tea in her hands.
She’d scrubbed her makeup off, so she was fresh-faced and slightly pink.
“Fuck, Kels, you scared me half to death,” he said, crossing the room in a heartbeat.
“I told you six times on the phone that I’m fine—” Kelsie broke off with a grunt as Noah pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.
“Why didn’t you call me as soon as it happened?” he demanded. “Did you report it to the cops yet?”
Kelsie sighed, looking exhausting and overwhelmed.
“Because Ryker was just…there. He happened to be in the area. So I wasn’t alone. And yes, I already filed a report with the police."
Noah dipped his head at me with a nod of appreciation.
“I owe you one. Big time.”
I waved him off, saying nothing. If he knew what I was up to already, he wouldn’t be thanking me. He’d be kicking my ass instead.
Assigning our Prospect to tail Kelsie.
Running the license plate number of that truck.
Putting a video camera in her apartment.
Noah liked to follow the rules. Dotting his i’s and crossing his t’s. It worked in his favor—rising in the ranks of the military, going back to school to become a physical therapist who worked with veterans. He was a genuinely good guy.
But I wasn’t.
Playing by the book got me burned. There were too many loopholes, too many greased palms. Something about me and my sharp edges made people come after me with that damn rulebook, beating me over the head with it to push me out of the system.
So I left the rulebook to Noah.
And I lived in the morally gray area everywhere else. When some asshole slipped through the cracks, when the system failed to follow through, I was there in the dark. Waiting.
“It’s getting late,” Noah said to Kelsie. “I’m taking you to my house.”
I shook my head, leaning back against the kitchen table on the other side of the room.
“Not a good idea.”
“Why not?” he challenged.
I gestured between them.
“You’re brother and sister. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that if Kelsie doesn’t return to her apartment, she’s likely hiding with you.”
A muscle clenched in Noah’s jaw. He sighed with defeat, knowing I had a point.
“So, you’re saying she should stay here? It’s the middle of nowhere, Ryker. This stalker could waltz up to your front door and walk right in.”
I crossed my arms and arched an eyebrow with a look that said, give me more credit than that.
“I called my club. I’ve got two guys on watch. In five hours, they’re scheduled to swap shifts with two more brothers, so they stay fresh and sharp. This isn’t my first rodeo.”
Noah rose to his feet, rubbing Kelsie's shoulder. She fiddled with the handle of her mug, chewing her lower lip. God help the man who tried to get his hands on her after this. Two pissed off ex-soldiers would give him hell.
“I know, you're really good at getting off the radar,” Noah admitted. “I guess I’m just…”
“Uptight? Anal retentive?” I offered with dry amusement. “I figured that out a long time ago, buddy.”
He huffed a laugh.
“Smartass. When you’re done with the wise cracks, maybe you could work on your social skills and invite me to spend the night.”
I sighed, shaking my head.
“That would ramp up the level of risk we’re working with. It was bad enough letting you visit in the first place.”
Noah blew out a breath and glanced away. He scrubbed the back of his neck.
“Fuck, I hate it when you’re right.”
Turning my cabin into a safehouse only worked if there was minimal foot traffic to keep us hidden.
We had no idea who this stalker was, or the resources he had at his disposal.
If he had eyes on Kelsie, he could easily track Noah’s movements, too.
And if they were both seen taking the same route to a secluded cabin in the middle of nowhere, we might as well hang a neon flashing sign over our heads, announcing our location.
“Fine,” Noah said at last, squaring his shoulders. “I’ll leave Kelsie in your capable hands. But those bikers on watch better stay away from her.” He turned to Kelsie. “And in the morning, Kels, we’re going on a long road trip until all of this blows over.”
“What about my job?” she protested.
He shrugged.
“Tell them you had a family emergency. And if they fire you, I’ll get you a job at the clinic with me.”
Kelsie said nothing, biting the inside of her cheek. After finally gaining some independence, I couldn’t imagine she was thrilled at the idea of working with her brother on a daily basis.
After Noah and Kelsie said their good-byes, I followed Noah to the door. He clasped my hand in a firm grip.
“I can’t thank you enough for looking after my sister, being there for her when she needed someone.”
If he knew the lengths I took to keep her safe, he wouldn’t be happy with me. Hell, he’d probably punch my teeth down my throat. And I wouldn’t blame him.
Noah dropped his voice to a low whisper.
“If anything goes wrong—”
“I’ll call you,” I finished for him.
He nodded. Reluctantly, he forced himself to leave the cabin.
Then Kelsie and I were alone.
It was going to be a long night.