Hunted Love (A Dangerous Kind of Love Book 2) (21 page)

Hogan feigned innocence. “I have no idea. I was miles away.” He glanced behind Jamie’s shoulder. “Isn’t that right, Larry?”

“That’s right,” a guttural voice said from behind Jamie. “Miles away.”

“Yeah,” Hogan said, “such a shame. It was good that Grandpa went quickly though. He was so sick. It hurt me to see him suffer.”

“I’m sure.”

“So, what else did Nathan tell you?”

“He said that you’re after the pub.”

“I am. At this rate, it’s the only way for him to pay me back what he owes. That area is a very valuable piece of real estate, and frankly, it kind of amuses me to take back my grandpa’s place from him.”

“I don’t get it. Nathan should be able to pay you. I figure he and Kristen have got to be worth five times that amount.”

Hogan snorted. “They’re on the verge of bankruptcy. Nathan has been dipping into Kristen’s accounts for years. All she has now of any value is Bellemeade, the pub, and some investment property she bought on her own a few years ago. When Nathan finally bled her bank account dry, he turned to gambling to cover the loss. That’s when he came crawling to me begging for a loan.”

“And you naturally said yes.”

“Why not? Business is business.” He tapped on the desk with his finger again. “Now it’s time for him to pay me back.” He scowled. “Let me guess at what’s going on here, Murphy. Nathan can’t come up with the money so he thought he’d get you to kill me by convincing you that I’m the one that put the hit out on your girl.”

Jamie made a point of looking at the men gathered around. “If I was here to kill you, would I have announced myself? I’m here to talk. That’s all.”

Hogan leaned back against his leather chair, studying Jamie. “So, talk.”

“The last I heard, Fletcher was working on the east coast. Do you know why he’s here?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. I only found out he was back in town when Kristen called me this morning.”

“Her new security force wouldn’t happen to answer to you, would they?” Jamie asked dryly.

“I’m just lending a helping hand. You can relax about Fletcher. I have my people out looking for him as we speak. They’ve tracked him to a little town in Ohio.” He glanced at his watch. “I expect them to be calling me very soon with good news.”

“Good, that’ll be one less problem to worry about, but we still need to find out who hired him. Stopping Fletcher won’t stop his client.”

“Don’t worry, Fletcher will talk,” Hogan said confidently. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt Kristen.”

“I didn’t realize you and Kristen were so close.”

Hogan frowned thoughtfully as he studied Jamie. “I figured your girl would have told you all about us a long time ago.”

Jamie’s brow furrowed. “Sarah?”

“No, Robin. She knew about us. Threatened to tell her old man about us once when she and Kristen weren’t getting along.”

“I can’t believe you two were able to keep it a secret,” Jamie said. “How long did this go on?”

“About six or seven years. Since we were sixteen. We were very careful. Very discreet. The way our old men were together, we knew better than to flaunt our relationship while they were alive. I had hoped that when my grandfather died, we could come out into the open, but then Robin died and then Patrick right after her. Then I was brought up on money laundering and racketeering charges a few days later. Unfortunately, Kristen ended it between us when I went to jail.”

“I would have thought she would have ended it when you murdered her father.”

A cold look crept into Hogan’s eyes. “I didn’t touch Patrick O’Malley. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t cry any tears when I heard he had died, but I wasn’t the one that killed him and it sure wasn’t any of our people. If you ask me, it was an inside job.”

“I don’t suppose you have an idea as to who could have killed him?”

“Nathan moved in on Kristen and her inheritance pretty quickly after the old man died, didn’t he?”

“That makes him an opportunist, not a murderer.”

“I think he’s capable of being both. He took advantage of Kristen but fortunately, she’s starting to wake up and see what kind of man she married. It won’t be long now. She’ll be back with me where she belongs soon enough.”

Jamie lifted an eyebrow. “Nathan may have something to say about that. Tell me, does he know about you and Kristen?”

“He doesn’t know about our past history but he knows that I want her.” Hogan fell silent as he glanced toward the window. He turned back to Jamie with a frown. “You think he’s the one behind Fletcher?”

“It crossed my mind. If Kristen were out of the way, he’d inherit quite a bit of money if he sold her property. Assuming she left everything to him.”

Hogan shook his head. “The only thing he’d get is that investment property I told you about. He wouldn’t get Bellemeade or the pub. Her old man set it up that when he died both Kristen and Phoebe would split everything down the middle. When one dies, the other inherits their share. If Kristen dies, Phoebe inherits both pieces of property.” His frown deepened. “Nathan would only inherit, if—”

“Phoebe dies before Kristen,” Jamie finished for him.

A smile started to spread across Hogan’s face. “That’s it then. Nathan hired Fletcher to kill the girls because he wants their inheritance and since he doesn’t want to pay me what he owes me, he had Fletcher threaten Sarah. He then gives you some cock and bull story about how I’m behind everything so you’ll take me out. Then he walks away with everything.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m glad you stopped by, Murphy. Tell you what, I’ll give you a call when we have Fletcher,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Jamie stood up and walked to the door. “There is another way to look at this.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, now that Kristen is in danger, she has to rely on you for protection.” He paused and waited until Hogan gave the man at the door the okay to let him out. When the door opened, Jamie stepped out into the hallway. He paused at the doorway. “Just think; if this goes on much longer, the odds are pretty high she’ll dump Nathan, run to you, and then you’ll have everything.”

Wade grinned. “Every cloud has a silver lining. Don’t worry about your girl. Fletcher’s days are numbered and if Nathan’s the one behind him, then trust me,” he lowered his voice menacingly, “so are his.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Sarah stood in front of Nathan and Kristen’s door and rang the bell. When that failed to bring anyone to the door, she reached for the horseshoe knocker and waited.
Someone had to be home
, she thought looking through the glass inserts along the door before glancing back at the driveway where half a dozen vehicles sat, lined up along the circular drive and four or five dangerous looking men stood, watching her.

She started to turn around and ask one of the men where the family was when the door opened and Phoebe greeted her with a smile. “Sarah!” She doubled over to catch her breath. “Sorry, I was out back. I didn’t know you were coming by.”

Sarah held up the boots. “I wanted to return your boots. I’m sorry it’s taken me so long.”

Phoebe waved her hand. “No problem. I wasn’t worried. Kristen and I were just about to go out for a ride. Do you want to come with us?”

Sarah blinked. “Today? I don’t know…” She started to say, glancing back at the men behind her.

“Please,” Phoebe pleaded, “you’re dressed for it,” she said glancing down at Sarah’s worn plaid shirt and jeans. When she noticed Sarah’s ballet flats, she added, “You can wear my boots again.”

“Is it really a good idea to go out now? What, with Fletcher around?”

Phoebe ushered Sarah inside. “Kristen said not to worry.”

Sarah stepped into the foyer and stopped short, surprised to see another set of dangerous looking men standing right behind the door.

“Oh, don’t be frightened,” Phoebe said before introducing Sarah to her new bodyguards. “This is George and Sam. It’s kind of nice having them here. I swear, I didn’t sleep a wink last night, but I feel so much better now. Kristen says that it’ll all be over soon.”

“Really?”

“Yep. I’ll be so glad when everything gets back to normal.”

“Me too. Is Jamie here?”

“Not yet, but we’re expecting him any moment.”

They jumped as a door slammed somewhere at the back of the house and Nathan yelled out, “Come back here!”

Kristen came around the corner, her face flaming red. She glanced back over her shoulder as she strode forward. “They’re staying, and if you don’t like it you can leave.”

Nathan appeared behind her. “This is my house too and I don’t want Wade Hogan’s men here.”

Kristen looked startled when she noticed Sarah standing by the door. She recovered quickly, greeting Sarah warmly. “Sarah, I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve been meaning to call you.” She gave Sarah a quick hug. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

Kristen rubbed her hands together, nervously twisting her fingers. “I’m so sorry about what happened last night and for my behavior the other day at work. I’m not going to make excuses for the way I acted, so I just hope you’ll forgive me.”

“Believe me, I understand,” Sarah said. “I think everyone’s nerves are on edge.”

“Yes, but,” Kristen said, “everything’s going to be fine now. I have good news.”

Nathan rolled his eyes.

“I’ve been told Fletcher is as good as caught,” Kristen continued.

Sarah smiled in relief. “Where is he?”

“In Ohio holed up in some motel in some little town in the middle of nowhere.” Kristen touched Sarah’s arm. “Until he’s actually caught though, I think it would be best if you stay here with us. Let’s face it, we’re all in this together. And as you see,” she said gesturing to the two men standing nearby, “you’d be perfectly safe here. Jamie will be here soon—”

“What?” came a horrified shriek from the top of the stairs.

Sarah looked up. Holly was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at them. “You aren’t seriously going to let that man stay here, are you? Is nothing sacred?”

Kristen clenched her hands at her sides. “I’ve made my decision, Holly. If you don’t like it, you can go stay in the guest house.” Her face hardened. “I’m sure Nathan wouldn’t object,” she said between clenched teeth.

“I’m family,” Holly said tapping her chest. “I belong here. Jamie doesn’t.”

“I want him here,” Kristen snapped. “Phoebe wants him here and if Sarah stays here, I’m sure she will want him here too.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Holly started down the staircase. “Hank Fletcher isn’t the one terrorizing you all. It’s Jamie.”

“Jamie?” Phoebe asked in surprise. “Don’t be silly. Why would Jamie try to hurt us?”

“He wouldn’t,” Kristen said sharply.

“Well, luckily,” Holly said breezily, “we won’t have to worry about Jamie much longer.”

Sarah’s heartbeat sped up. “What do you mean?”

Holly tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “Jamie Murphy is going to be spending the rest of his life in jail very soon.”

Phoebe pressed a hand to her mouth. “What? But the judge dismissed all the charges.”

Kristen opened the coat closet. “Holly called the police a few minutes ago.”

Holly’s foot slipped on the staircase. She gripped the bannister tightly as she swung her gaze to Nathan who visibly paled. She glanced over at Kristen to see if the other woman noticed, but relaxed when she saw that Kristen was behind the closet door and couldn’t see her.

The coat hangers scraped against the pole as Kristen rummaged in the closet. “She told his probation officer that Jamie threatened to kill her last night at the pub.”

Sarah felt sick as a wave of worry flooded her. She looked over at Holly who was silently mouthing something at Nathan while Kristen’s back was turned. Suddenly, Danny’s hints about Nathan and Holly having an affair came back to her and she wondered if perhaps he was telling the truth.

Nathan strode to the front door.

“Where are you going?” Kristen asked, stepping away from the closet with a bright red jacket in her hand.

“Out!” Nathan said slamming the door behind him.

Kristen’s face darkened as she stared at the door.

Holly, now recovered from her shock, continued down the stairs at a slower pace, an amused expression on her face. “How do you know what I said, Kristen? Were you eavesdropping again? Robin used to hate it when you did that.”

“I needed to make a call and heard you talking to the officer on the other end,” Kristen snapped as she laid the jacket over one arm. “I called him after you hung up. I know this will come as a great shock to you, but he didn’t believe a word you said. If I were you, I’d get my money back from all those acting classes you took. They don’t seem to have helped you at all.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Holly said. “I should have studied with the master.”

“Meaning?” Kristen asked.

Holly’s eyes flashed. “Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“I am sick of this, Holly,” Kristen said. “I want you out of my house.”

Phoebe clamped her hands over her ears. “Stop! Stop! Stop!”

Kristen placed a hand on her sister’s back, shushing her quietly as Holly rolled her eyes.

“Just stop fighting,” Phoebe said slowly bringing her hands down from her ears.

“It’s all right,” Kristen said soothingly to her sister. “Why don’t you get the horses ready? I’ll be out there soon.”

Phoebe, tears brimming in her eyes, nodded. Taking a shaky breath, she said, “Sarah’s going to go riding with us.”

Kristen’s face brightened. “That’s wonderful,” she said. “I’ll join you two in a few minutes.”

“Don’t take too long. Come on, Sarah,” she called out as she hurried down the hall towards the back of the house. “I’ll let you pick out your own horse.”

When Phoebe disappeared from view, Kristen whispered, “Don’t take Joker. He’s a bit hard to handle.”

Sarah bit her lip, still not sure how safe going out for a ride in the woods would be. Her hesitation must have shown on her face, because Kristen said, “I’d really appreciate if you could go with us. Phoebe is really upset right now. She could use some company to take her mind off all this.” She sighed. “We both could. Besides, I’m sure that you agree that we shouldn’t let fear rule our lives.”

“No, but I don’t think being cautious is necessarily letting fear rule.”

“It’ll be alright, because Sam and George here,” Kristen said gesturing to the two men standing nearby, “are going to come with us. Please.”

Sarah looked the two men over. Both stood at six feet or over with broad shoulders and thick chests and both exuded an air of competency and danger. They looked quite capable of keeping them safe and she had to admit, a part of her was dying to ask Kristen and Phoebe questions about Jamie and Robin. “Okay, it sounds like fun.”

Holly began slowly clapping. “Brava!” When Kristen turned to glare at her, she said, “What’s the real reason you want Sarah here?” She turned toward the side hallway leading to the kitchen. “It wouldn’t be because Jamie won’t stay here without her, would it?” She threw over her shoulder, adding a snide, “Obsessed much?” as she disappeared around the corner.

*  *  *

“It’s a good thing we’re going out now,” Phoebe said leading Queen Bess out of her stall. “I don’t know when we’ll be able to do it again. It’s supposed to storm tonight and tomorrow. The horses will go stir crazy if they can’t get out. Won’t you, baby?” she asked, making cooing sounds to the horse. She turned to a small basket on a workbench near the door. She lifted the basket up and tied it to the back of Bess’ saddle. “I made sandwiches. I thought we could have a picnic too.”

“That sounds nice.” Sarah sat down on the bench next to the door and pulled on Phoebe’s boots. She glanced over as George and Sam climbed on top of Buck and Blondie. A feeling of unease came over her as the two men spoke to one another in low tones. Neither of them seemed very friendly, and the more time she spent in their company, the more nervous she became. She was so nervous that she was contemplating making an excuse and running back to the house. The only thing that stopped her from doing just that was the thought of sitting in that house with only Nathan, Holly, and a dozen strangers just like George and Sam keeping her company.

It won’t be so bad once Jamie gets here,
Sarah thought pulling her hair up into a ponytail.
Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to undo some of the damage Holly did last night
.
That is if Jamie will let me get close again.
She glanced up as Kristen stepped out of Joker’s stall.

“Come on, Joker,” Kristen said with a grunt as she struggled to lead Joker out.

Phoebe glanced at her sister. “Do you think you can handle him?”

“No problem,” Kristen said, finally succeeding in bringing Joker out of his stall. She stopped short when she noticed Phoebe climbing on top of Queen Bess. She walked over to the stall door where she had laid her red jacket. “I knew you’d forget to dress properly.”

Phoebe blinked in confusion. “What?” She glanced down at her thin pink tank top, ankle length floral skirt and cowboy boots. “Oh, well, it’s not cold outside. It’s about what? Seventy? Seventy-five, maybe?”

Kristen thrust the jacket into Phoebe’s hands. “I don’t want you to get sick.”

Phoebe slipped her arms into the lightweight material. “Thank you,
Mother
.”

“You’re welcome,” Kristen said before climbing on top of Joker. She glanced at Sarah who was standing next to her horse. “Ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Sarah said as she placed her foot in the stirrup and swung her leg over Jack’s back.

A few minutes later, they were on their way with George in the front and Sam at the back.

They set off at an easy pace down a dirt trail leading from the stable into the woods, chatting aimlessly about the weather and the breathtaking scenery.

“You’ve ridden before,” Kristen said about ten minutes later when she noticed Sarah maneuver Jack around a particularly thorny bush.

“Years ago.” Sarah smiled in pleasure, enjoying the ride and the companionship. While Kristen was a bit more reserved than Phoebe, both were pleasant to be around. “I didn’t realize how much I missed it until now.”

“You should come by more often,” Phoebe said.

“Hey,” George called out, “there’s a fork in the trail. Which direction should I go?”

“Go right,” Phoebe said.

“No, let’s take the short cut,” Kristen said.

“Oh, but it’s so nice out, Kristen,” Phoebe complained.

Kristen pointed to the south where dark clouds were gathering. “Not for much longer.”

“It’s not going to rain until tonight,” Phoebe said. “I promise we’ll be back long before it does. Please, the horses need exercise.”

Kristen reluctantly relented with a nod. “Oh, okay.”

“Where are we going?” Sarah asked.

“This trail connects to the Sheltowee Trail,” Kristen said urging Joker forward, “and from there, it’s not that far from the Natural Bridge.”

Phoebe sighed dreamily. “I prefer to call it Lover’s Leap. Sounds more romantic.”

“You would.” Kristen turned to Sarah. “Have you ever been there?”