Love you to Death Read online

  She was being followed.

  Trent attached the last sprinkler head and turned on the water to test the system he’d just finished installing.

  It worked perfectly.

  “Looks good,” shouted Sam from his truck. He’d just pulled up to the curb, so Trent turned off the water and went to see what he wanted.

  “I just finished,” he told his brother.

  “I can see. And look at you. Where’d all that shaggy hair go?”

  Trent ran a hand over his buzz cut, enjoying the familiar feel tickling his palm. “Got it cut over lunch.” He’d also picked up some condoms. Lots of condoms.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you look so respectable. Who’s the woman?”

  Trent felt a grin tug at his mouth. “Who says it’s a woman?”

  “I pull up here to find you’re finished early, looking like you give a damn. And, you were whistling. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out you got laid.”

  Sort of. He was looking forward to the real thing later tonight, praying Elise was still on board, too.

  Trent deflected the intrusion into his personal life with years of practice. “Why are you here? Checking my work?”

  Sam grunted in amusement. “Like I need to. No, I’m on a mission from Mom. She wants to know if you’re coming this weekend.”

  “What’s this weekend?”

  “The cookout. With Busty. Remember?”

  “Oh, right. Sorry. It’s been a long week.”

  Sam grinned and rubbed his hand over Trent’s trimmed hair. “I bet. Are you really not going to tell me who the girl is?”

  “Elise.”

  “Ashley’s sister?”

  “Yeah.”

  The grin fell from Sam’s face. “They still haven’t found her, have they?”

  “No, but we’re doing everything we can.”

  “We?”

  “The police.”

  “Ah. For a second there, I thought you might be including yourself in the investigation.”

  Trent shrugged. “I’ve been helping when I can, but there’s not much I can do but try to keep Elise out of trouble.”

  “I can see the method you’ve chosen to do that. Good choice.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “No? Should I tell Mom to give you Busty’s phone number?”

  “No. Not interested.”

  Sam’s blue eyes, so much like Trent’s own, stared at him as if trying to unravel some mystery.

  “What?” asked Trent.

  “I’m just trying to figure out if this flashback to the old you is due to the woman, or to the fact that you’re doing the only thing you’ve ever really loved.”

  Honestly, Trent wasn’t sure either. “I’m not working for Bob.”

  “Maybe not on the books, but I’d bet my truck that you’re getting involved in the investigation.”

  “I’m not doing anything illegal.”

  “Never said you were. But whatever you’re doing, whether it’s the investigation or the woman, it suits you. You should keep doing it. I like having my brother back.”

  “I never went anywhere,” growled Trent.

  “Sure you did. Your body was here, but your heart wasn’t. All the lights were out. Until now.” Trent opened his mouth to respond, but Sam cut him off. “I’ll tell Mom not to call Busty. I’ll tell her you’ll bring Elise to the cookout instead.”

  “I don’t even know if she’ll still be in town.”

  “Then keep her here. It’s Wednesday. The party is Saturday. I’m sure you can think of something fun to occupy her time for three or four days.”

  Yes, he could. He could think of a lot of things to do with that much time. In fact, the ideas roaming around in his head would likely take up a solid month. Or three.

  Trent’s phone trilled out its ring, vibrating against his hip. He fished it out of his pocket, saw it was Elise and his heart jumped in his chest, just like it had when he was a teenage boy and the girl he was crushing on had called.

  “Heya, Elise,” he said as he answered.

  “Trent, thank God.” Her voice was pitched high and thin with terror.

  Fear slid through him, kicking his adrenaline pump into high gear. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m being followed.” She shrieked, and he heard tires squeal. “They’re trying to run me off the road!”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Elise gripped the steering wheel tighter and took the next turn way too fast. Her car veered to the side of the road but stayed on it. Barely.

  Trent’s voice sounded calm and steady in her ear. “Listen to me carefully, Elise. I’m going to get you out of this.”

  Thank God for Bluetooth. There was no way she’d be able to hold the phone and drive right now. “I’m all ears.”

  “Tell me where you are.”

  Elise told him, giving him the name of the road she’d just crossed. “I think I’m about two miles from Highway 57.”

  “Okay. Keep moving, no matter what. They might have guns. Do you understand?”

  If she stopped, they might shoot her. Oh, yeah. She got the message loud and clear.

  “If you have to go through a light or stop sign, hit the horn to warn people as best you can, but keep moving. I’m going to guide you to the closest police station.”

  “It’s deserted out here right now. Just me, the cows, and the two guys behind me trying to kill me.”

  She heard Trent talking to someone else, asked him to pull up a map on his phone.

  Elise glanced in her rearview mirror. The car behind her was closing in. If they got close enough to her, they might ram into her again, and this time they might manage to knock her into a spin. Or a telephone pole.

  “About a mile ahead, you’re going to cross some railroad tracks. Right after that, take your first left.”

  “First left after the tracks. Got it.”

  Her hands were sweating so much it was hard to hold the wheel steady. She gunned the engine, hoping that whoever had done maintenance on this rental car had been a diligent, thorough person.

  “I’ve contacted the state police, and the highway patrol is on their way. Hang in there, sweetheart.”

  “I’m hanging.” Just barely. “I like the sweetheart thing, by the way.”

  She’d never run a stop sign in her life, but she blasted through that last one, leaning hard on her horn, even though she saw no one around.

  “That’s good to know. You’re doing great. Can you see a license plate?”

  Elise checked. “No front plate. Sorry.”

  “What about the men? Can you see them?”

  Her rearview mirror vibrated too much to make out any details. “No. Just two heads.”

  The railroad tracks loomed ahead of her. The sedan behind her was only a couple of feet away from the left side of her bumper.

  The gas pedal was already mashed to the floor. She couldn’t make this thing go any faster.

  “I’m at the tracks,” she told Trent, just as she hit them. She went airborne for half a terrifying second before landing with a thud. The street he’d mentioned was maybe a quarter mile ahead.

  Elise hit the brake so she could make the turn. The car behind her tapped her bumper, knocking her into a turn too early.

  Her rental car whipped around. She panicked and crammed her foot down on the brake as she tried to control the spin. She heard herself screaming, heard the tires doing the same.

  Trent’s deep voice barked something in her ear, but she didn’t have any spare attention left to understand what he was saying.

  The car slid sideways toward a deep ditch running alongside the road.

  Lights flashed in the distance, creating a blue arc in her field of vision.

  The car tilted to one side as it left the road. The seat belt burned her shoulder, crushing the air from her lungs. She slammed to a halt inside a mushroom cloud of air bags, and the engine went dead.

  Elise was too stunned to do anyth
ing for a few seconds. The side air bag had deflated enough so she could move it, and the only thing she could see out her side window was sky. That didn’t make sense, and it took her a minute to realize the car had landed nearly on its side. Gravity was doing a fine job of pulling her toward the passenger’s side of the car.

  “Elise!” shouted a voice in her ear. Trent.

  Her words came out weak from lack of air. “I’m okay.” But not for long if she didn’t get out of here. She wasn’t going to stay here where she’d be an easy target.

  Outside, she heard sirens but couldn’t see the road to tell where they were coming from. Nearby, an engine roared and tires squealed. “They’re getting away!”

  “Let them. As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.”

  She tried to undo her seat belt, but it wouldn’t budge. “I think I’m trapped.”

  “Stay put. Help is on the way. I’m on the way.”

  The sirens grew louder until it sounded like they were inside her head, then cut off suddenly. “I think the cavalry’s here,” she told Trent.

  An officer’s dark face peered into her car, past the deflated bag. “Ma’am, are you hurt?”

  “No. Just stuck.”

  “Okay. I’ll be right back. Don’t try to move.” The officer disappeared again.

  As if she had a choice. “Trent?”

  “I’m right here, sweetheart.” Beneath his voice was the sound of an engine being put to a speed test.

  “Slow down. I can hear you speeding. I’m fine. The bad guys ran away. The police are here.”

  “I need to be there, too.”

  “In once piece would be nice.”

  The sound of his engine tapered off. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  “I think I might have a bruise. Wanna kiss it?”

  “How can you joke at a time like this?”

  “Seemed like the thing to do, seeing as how I’m stuck here, practically hanging upside down with nothing better to do.”

  He let out a grunt she couldn’t interpret. “All that blood rushing to your head, huh?”

  “Gotta do something with it. Might as well entertain myself in the bargain.”

  He lowered his voice until it was a soft, comforting caress. “You’re scared to death, aren’t you, sweetheart?”

  “You have no idea,” she said, stifling a sob. “I really thought they were going to kill me.”

  “So did I.”

  “It’s not a coincidence, is it?”

  “No. It’s not.”

  “Guess it means I’m on the right track.”

  “Elise,” Trent said in a warning tone, “you’re not thinking what I think you are, are you?”

  “Depends. I’m thinking that if I’ve pissed people off enough to come after me, then I’m getting really close to finding my sister. I’m thinking they figure they’ve scared me away. I’m also thinking they’re wrong.”

  The officer’s dark face appeared in her window again. “I bet you’re ready to get out of there, huh?”

  “My ride’s here, Trent. Gotta go.”

  “Wait, Elise—” She pulled the earpiece out before he could finish pissing her off with some sort of macho demand that she back off from looking for her sister.

  She had enough to deal with right now without adding him to the list of people she had to fight. After today, that list was already two men too long.

  When Trent found Elise, she was sitting in the back of an ambulance. She looked like she’d been tossed around, but there was no blood. Thank God. He didn’t think his shredded nerves would have been able to take the strain of seeing her bleed on top of everything else.

  When she saw him striding toward her, her body sagged with relief. The walk across the hot pavement seemed to take forever, but when he got to her, she fell into his arms like she’d been made for just that spot.

  “Are you okay?” His words were muffled by her blond curls as he pressed his face into her hair, but he couldn’t pull away enough to make them any clearer. He wasn’t letting her go anywhere for a while.

  “Yeah. Just shaken up a bit.”

  The fist around his heart relaxed enough that he could breathe again. He pulled in the scent of her, filling himself with it.

  “I’m taking you home,” he declared. “As soon as they’re done with you here.”

  He was taking her home, and keeping her there—safe, where no one could hurt her again. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to convince her to let him do it, but he’d find a way and make it work.

  This was the very last time Elise McBride was going to step into harm’s way.

  Gary spent the whole day angry and restless. Ashley had stolen his fun last night, drugging Constance like that. She had been so groggy she hadn’t cared what happened to her. She hadn’t even screamed for him.

  Ashley had ruined everything, and Gary was going to see to it that she paid for this rebellion.

  When he took her hands, there would be no pills. No relief. She would pay back every one of the screams she’d stolen from him tenfold. And he would make sure she knew it was coming.

  He gunned the engine as he headed toward Gloria, desperate for some kind of relief from his anger. People at work were looking at him too much, noticing his fidgety restlessness.

  Gary had to do something about it before people started asking questions.

  He knew Gloria’s schedule well enough now that finding her would be no trouble. And when he did, he’d bring her home.

  It was Ashley’s turn to make Wendy whole.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Trent had been too quiet on the drive home. Elise had tried to talk to him—joke with him—but nothing worked.

  His brother, on the other hand, had no trouble keeping up his end of the conversation. Apparently, he’d come along with Trent to make sure he didn’t kill himself on the drive.

  Sam was hot. Not as hot as Trent, but definitely mouthwatering eye candy. The angles of his face were softer than Trent’s, and he smiled more, which was nice. He was just as tan as Trent, with muscular arms and shoulders he hadn’t created in a gym.

  Elise sat sandwiched between the two men in the front of Trent’s truck, stifling a naughty little fantasy.

  Maybe those air bags had hit her harder than she’d thought.

  “So,” said Sam, trying to fill the awkward silence in the truck, “looks like you’ve found a lead on Ashley’s disappearance the hard way.”

  “It found me, if that’s what you mean.”

  “What are you going to do now?”

  Elise shrugged, making her shoulder whine in pain. “Keep going. I’m on the right track looking into the disappearances of the other women.”

  “We are not going to talk about this right now,” growled Trent.

  “Why not?” asked Elise.

  “Because he doesn’t want me involved,” said Sam.

  Trent’s words were harsh and clipped. “None of us should be involved. It’s a police matter.”

  “Ah,” said Sam, as if he’d figured out a great mystery.

  Elise looked from one brother to the other. “From where I’m sitting, it’s a family matter.”

  “You’re going to get yourself killed,” said Trent.

  Elise could hear the amusement in Sam’s voice. “I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”

  Trent pulled up next to a white Ford and stopped. “Get out.”

  Sam shook his head and got out. “Take the rest of the day off, man. It’s going to take you that long to find a chill pill big enough to fix what’s wrong with you.” He unlocked the white truck and got in.

  “I like him,” said Elise.

  “That makes one of us—at least right now.”

  She started to scoot across the bench seat now that Sam was gone, but Trent put a hand on her thigh, stopping her. “Stay where I can feel you.”

  Given in such a rough tone, the order shouldn’t have made Elise’s toes curl, but it did. He ke
pt his wide hand on her thigh, like he was going to hold her in place.

  He had nice hands. Big, with long, strong fingers. They were scarred in places, rough in others, but she remembered how good they could make her feel.

  Her adrenaline had been running high from the chase and all the questions afterward from the police. Her body was on high alert, vibrating with a bundle of energy she could not dissipate.

  Maybe Trent would help.

  “I want you to leave my brother out of this,” said Trent.

  “I had no plans to involve him.”

  “He’ll try to charm you into telling him what he wants to know.”

  “I’m not easily charmed,” she said.

  “No? I didn’t seem to have any trouble, and I’m a jerk.”

  She snorted. “Hardly. Besides, you’re cuter than he is.”

  Trent shot her a look so full of disbelief it was comical.

  “Don’t worry,” she assured him. “I won’t get Sam into any trouble.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  It wasn’t the only thing she wanted him to hold her to. A bed. A wall. It all worked for her.

  They were near his house, and she guessed that as soon as he got her through the door, he’d start yelling at her about taking risks and how she wasn’t going to keep looking for Ashley now that those men had come after her.

  She wasn’t interested in deflecting that kind of garbage, so she decided to turn his mind to something more constructive—like helping her vent all this fidgety restlessness.

  Elise covered his hand with hers and slid it higher along her leg. “Did you remember to buy those condoms?”

  He snorted. “Like I’d forget something that important. I might forget to breathe, but I wasn’t going to forget those and be empty-handed again.”

  “Good,” was all she said. It was all she had to say. He understood what she meant.

  His fingers curled into her flesh, massaging her in a sultry caress. “If you think I’m going to toss you inside and go at you like some kind of animal, you’re wrong.”

  “What a shame. I think I’d enjoy that right now.”

  He let out a sharp breath, like someone had punched him in the gut. “You’re trying to distract me.”

  “Among other things. I don’t handle adrenaline well.”