Temptation, The Complete Serial Series 1-4 (The Temptation Serial Series) (21 page)

From a forgotten deer stand twenty feet up a tree in the wooded area across from Brooklyn’s townhouse, I waited all morning for that old man to go somewhere.

It was humid and hot. The binocular lenses kept fogging up and I repeatedly had to wipe them off with the fabric of my t-shirt. I had Morgan to thank for his departure, but wasn’t sure how long they would be gone.

Using the peg steps drilled into the tree trunk, I climbed down and rushed across the grassy field. Jogging up the steps to Brooklyn’s condo, I took a deep breath before knocking. Morgan told Brooklyn that Shane and Riley were on their way to Swift Rapids, and that they would be staying in Brooklyn’s condo. They would fill her head with more nonsense about her having a “stalker.”

I was no stalker. I loved her deeply.

Now, just to show her. And fast.

Colt’s old truck didn’t have air-conditioning, so it was au naturale with the windows down and the breeze in my hair. The vinyl seats were hot on my legs, but this would be so amazing! I just needed to make sure the paintings would arrive on time and unscathed. I reached down for my purse, hoping to text Geneva from the gallery to let her know they would be a part of the exhibit and were on their way. My hand came away empty. “Oh no! I forgot my purse. I hate to ask, but can we turn around, Willy?”

He smiled, the skin around his eyes wrinkling deeply. “Sure! Hold on tight.”

Willy did not drive like the stereotypical old man. In fact, I wondered if somehow he was Brooklyn’s long lost grandfather or something. He was hell on wheels. Waiting for traffic to pass, he slowed with his left blinker on and then gunned it. I think the old truck was on two wheels at one point. A quick glance into the truck bed and my heart calmed down. The paintings were secure.

The trip back home always seemed shorter than the trip leading away from it, and this was no exception, but I think Willy was nervous to leave Brooklyn on her own, even for a little while and I understood why. “Maybe we shouldn’t have left. I mean, do you think she’s okay?” A feeling of unease settled in my stomach. I couldn’t explain it and I couldn’t shake it.

As Willy pulled off the main two lane onto the freshly-paved road at the end of which the condos were situated, something dark streaked across the grass and hid in the bushes. “Was that a man?”

My hands shook. It was a man, dressed in dark clothes in the middle of a hot summer day. It was
him
—the bastard who was terrifying my best friend in the world. Willy eased the truck to a stop, careful not to let the brakes squeak. He put it in park and unbuckled his belt. “Listen to me,” he said sternly. “You slide over here, turn this truck around, and you go straight to the police station. I don’t have a phone and you don’t have yours either. Go find Colt. Don’t you dare come back unless he says it’s okay. I’ll take care of her. I promise.”

I nodded, a tear streaking down my face as I slid into the driver’s seat. Willy crept along the road, hiding among the landscaping, easing around each condo until he approached Brooklyn’s.

As quietly as possible, I turned the truck around and eased down the road. But when I hit the highway, I drove like Brooklyn and Willy combined. I flew.

The police station was a tiny building of painted white cinder block; non-descript. And thank the good Lord above, Colt’s cruiser was parked right in front of the door. I didn’t even bother to turn the truck off; I just put it in park and ran, leaving the door wide open.

When Colt saw me, he knew something was wrong. “What is it?”

“
He
’s at Brooklyn’s. Willy and I saw
him
sneaking around. We were going to the UPS store and I forgot my purse, and when we turned around we saw
him
running through the field and
he
’s there.
He
’s inside. Willy made me come get you!”

Grabbing my arms, he looked down at his radio. “You stay here, Morgan. Understand me?”

Colt released me and ran, radioing to Dalton as he rushed out the door.

When I heard the knock at the front door, I looked around. Morg’s purse was on the coffee table. I snatched it up, jogged down the stairs to the landing, and released the lock on the handle and the deadbolt. But it wasn’t Morgan standing outside, it was Archer. He looked…hot, but not in the yummy sort of way. Droplets of sweat clung to his hairline, occasionally dropping onto his neck and running down his skin.

“Archer?”

“You have to come with me, Brooklyn. There’s been a sighting. You’re in danger. He’s in town.”

My heart thundered. “Um, I have to get my shoes on.” Call it a gut feeling, the still, small voice, my conscience…but inside I was screaming. Archer looked frantic, his eyes darting around outside. Was he looking for
him
?

Was
he
out there?

I was in shorts and a Marilyn Monroe t-shirt. At break-neck speed, I pulled on a pair of socks and my tennis shoes. I brushed my hair back, tucked it beneath Colt’s SRPD ball cap, and grabbed my purse. With shaking fingers, I clipped my holster and Pinky onto my side, pulling the shirt down to cover her up.

Mentally, I tried to remember how to shoot.

Feet spread apart. Steady.

Safety off.

Arms raised.

Aim.

Breathe.

Fire.

Gun Down.

Safety On.

Feet spread apart. Steady.

Safety off.

Arms raised.

Aim.

Breathe.

Fire.

Gun Down.

Safety On.

Feet spread apart. Steady.

Safety off.

Arms raised.

Aim.

Breathe.

Fire.

“Are you ready?” Archer said from the doorway of my bedroom. I hadn’t heard him climb the steps. My skin hummed with nervous energy.

“Yeah. Where are we going? I don’t see a car out there.”

He smiled, again glancing behind him. “I came through the woods. I’m parked beneath some trees near the highway. We’ll have to run across. There’s a trail.”

I nodded, took a deep breath, and walked toward him.

When we reached the living room, Willy stood there with his fists balled like he was Muhammad Ali. “Jesus, Willy! You scared the crap out of me!”

He kept his eyes on Archer. “Sorry, Miss Brooklyn.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I saw someone skulking around outside and thought I’d make sure you were okay.”

“I am for now. Archer said that the stalker freak is in town. He’s going to get me out of here.”

Willy shook his head. “I think you should wait for Colt.”

“Is he on his way?”

Willy nodded, eyes trained on Archer.

“Fuck!” Archer roared from behind me, knocking me to the side. I tried to catch myself, but my left foot didn’t have anywhere to land. I was next to the staircase and the next thing I knew, I was falling, then landing, with a loud thud at the bottom of the steps. The cold tile floor broke my fall, but may also have broken my back, I decided.

Trying to sit up, a sharp pain came from my left shoulder and my head was splitting open. I was sure of it. It hurt so damn bad, radiating from the side of my head all the way around to the base of my skull.

Sounds of a struggle came from above. Willy and Archer were fighting. I needed to stop them. “Willy,” I tried to say, grabbing the left side of my forehead. That’s when I felt something hot and wet running down my arm. Blood.

“Stop fighting!” I struggled to my feet and tried to push myself up the carpeted steps, dripping blood all the way.

Then the fighting stopped with a blast. A gunshot. I looked up to see Archer, chest heaving, gun pointed at Willy, who clutched his right arm.

“You cowardly shit!” Willy yelled. “You can’t even beat an old man fair and square, you pansy ass!”

Archer narrowed his eyes and raised the gun a little higher. “Archer, help!”

He took his eyes off Willy for a second and spun around to face me. That was when I saw it: a gold medallion hanging from a gold chain around his neck, and on that medallion was the symbol; a sword with a single snake curling up around it, trying to swallow the hilt. “What is that?” My voice sounded strange.

Archer tucked the chain back into his shirt and looked between me and Willy—who had stood up and was easing toward him. “I’ll kill you if you take one more step.”

I eased Pinky from her holster. From the top step, I could see all of
him
.

Feet spread apart. Steady
.

Safety off
. I clicked it off.

Arms raised
. I raised them up, blood trickling down the side of my face, clouding my vision until I blinked it away.

Aim
. I aimed. I was less than fifteen feet away. I just prayed I wouldn’t miss.

Breathe
. I inhaled.

Squeezing the trigger, I felt the slight recoil and watched as Archer turned around, mouth agape, and then clutched his chest. “You shot me?” he asked incredulously.

“You shot Willy!”

“I love you, Brooklyn. Why did you do this?” Blood bubbled into his mouth and a red strand of drool eased down to the floor.

“I don’t know you! And I certainly don’t love you. You’ve been scaring me! Do you know how scared I was?”

My hands shook as I kept the gun aimed at him. From behind me, I heard a car door slam, footsteps climbing the steps, the storm door creaking open.

But I couldn’t take my eyes off
him
. He might still try something.

When Colt’s hand eased mine down, he whispered, “It’s okay. Safety On. Gun Down.”

“Safety on, gun down.”

He nodded. “Good girl.” I eased the safety switch on and put Pinky in his outstretched hand.

Archer dropped to the floor. Colt radioed for an ambulance and yelled for Dalton to hurry his ass up.

I sat down on the top step and waited. If Archer was dead, I’d probably be a felon now.