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“Over money?”
Olivia nodded. “When Aaron died, Justin found out about the money his brother gave me to start Blessed Events. He snuck up on me after the funeral in the parking lot, high and out of control, and shoved me against the car in front of dozens of people. The cops arrived and arrested him. Turns out, he had a large amount of drugs on him at the time. Enough for a felony charge. He went to prison. He’s serving fifteen years.”
Jackson whistled. “That’s enough to make someone want revenge. If Justin is behind these attacks, he may have hired someone to make it look like Olivia was being stalked. That way no one would ever connect the attacks to him.”
Cole agreed. It was the perfect cover-up. He kept his attention locked on Olivia and did his best to keep the recrimination out of his voice. “Why didn’t you mention Justin before?”
“Because he’s in prison!” The outburst seemed to surprise Olivia because her eyes widened and then her cheeks heated. “I’m sorry. I filed with the Victims Services to be notified when he was released. Since Justin is locked up, it never occurred to me that he could be responsible for all of this.”
Her explanation made sense. Olivia didn’t work in law enforcement. Cole couldn’t be angry with her for not connecting the dots. He hadn’t even considered an alternative motive until the second break-in at Olivia’s house.
She searched his face. “Do you really think Justin is behind these attacks?”
“It’s possible.”
“If so, he’s hired someone to do his dirty work.” Eli tapped his phone screen and then turned it to show Cole. “Justin Perry is currently in state prison serving out his sentence. Does he have any family members or friends who might help him, Olivia?”
“No. His parents are dead and so is Aaron. They didn’t have any cousins they were close to.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “He did have a girlfriend, but I don’t know what happened to her after he was arrested. She didn’t come to the trial, so I assume they broke up before then.”
“He could’ve hired a fellow inmate from prison,” Cole suggested.
“How would he pay him?” Eli asked.
“Justin inherited some money when his mom died.” Olivia straightened. “She passed away right after Aaron. Justin may have used some of the money for his court case, but his mom’s house wasn’t sold until after he went to prison. It’s my understanding the estate lawyer put the proceeds from the sale into Justin’s bank account. Can he access it from prison?”
“Cell phones with internet access are smuggled in and sold on the black market in prison, so yes.” Cole met Eli’s gaze. “We need a warrant for Justin’s bank account and a list of all his visitors. If he hired someone to hurt Olivia, chances are he’s communicating with that person somehow. I also want to interview him.”
“Why?” Olivia asked.
“Because men like Justin aren’t loyal. If we find enough evidence to show he’s behind this, and threaten to charge him with attempted murder, he may tell us who his accomplice is.” Cole gently squeezed her hand. “My priority is keeping you safe. The best way to do that is by capturing your attacker?—”
Cole’s cell phone sounded an alarm. He stood and yanked the device from his pocket quickly, accessing the security app for Olivia’s house across the street. After the last break-in, he’d installed it on his own phone.
A man in a dark hoodie approached her front door. “Never mind. Maybe we won’t have to ask Justin who his accomplice is.” He showed the image to Eli and Jackson. “Someone is sneaking up to Olivia’s house.”
NINETEEN
Olivia paced the length of the living room and then checked her watch. Three minutes. It’d been three minutes since Cole, Eli, and Felicity left to intercept the man nearing her house. She desperately wanted to peek out the front windows to see what was happening, but Jackson had asked her to stay back. He’d stationed himself next to the curtains. From time to time, he parted the blinds to look across the street.
“What’s happening?” Olivia’s nerves were strung tight. Jackson’s attitude only made matters worse. The man was infuriatingly calm. His stance was casual, his long limbs loose. Anyone observing Jackson would think he was watching a friendly football game between neighborhood children, not a potentially deadly interaction with a would-be killer.
“It’s too dark and they’re in the shadows. I can’t tell.”
Fresh worry spiked through Olivia. Any more of this stress and her heart would give out.
Jackson released the blinds. They settled back in place as he turned to face her. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“How can you know that?” Olivia’s hands balled into fists, her nails biting into the tender flesh of her palms. “In the span of twenty-four hours, Cole has been shot at and nearly had a chandelier dropped on his head. He’s not a cat with nine lives.”
Jackson snorted. “No, but he’s not going after the guy alone. He’s got Eli and Felicity as backup. All of them are excellent at their jobs.” He leveled a knowing gaze in her direction. “You care about Cole, huh?”
This was the second time tonight someone had picked up on her feelings for the handsome Texas Ranger. Granny was forgivable. She knew Olivia well, having raised her since she was fifteen. But Jackson? He’d only met her a few days ago. Under normal circumstances, Olivia would be mortified. Right now, however, all she could think about was Cole’s safety.
Her thoughts must’ve been written on her face, because Jackson nodded as if she’d said the words out loud. “Good. He needs someone like you.”
That stopped Olivia in her tracks. “What do you mean?”
“He needs someone who sees that life is more than just the bad things that happen. Someone who operates in joy, but is also fiercely loyal.” Jackson turned to peek out the window again. “Cole didn’t have the best upbringing, and it messes with his head sometimes. He hasn’t had a lot of happiness and he doesn’t trust easily.”
