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I just prayed that, when Sam and Piper finally did arrive home, that they paid attention to the signs.
“Who are you?” I found myself asking.
“I’m your worst nightmare,” she hissed, shaking the gun at me.
She was inexperienced with the gun. I could tell that she was based on how she was holding it.
It was also shaking in her hand, as if it was too heavy for her to hold up.
“I’m sorry,” I admitted, trying to not to let the derision that I felt toward this unknown woman leech into my voice. “I don’t know who that would be. But it’s definitely not you.”
She bared her teeth at me, and I turned fully to face her.
Obviously, I’d failed at hiding my emotions.
Fancy that.
“You just don’t know who I am then,” she sneered.
“Please,” I said, tensing slightly when a vehicle made its way down the street heading toward my second driveway. “Enlighten me.”
“I used to own this land with my husband,” she said.
“Okay.” I waited for more.
There was none.
I crossed my arms over my chest and contemplated how long it would take me to get to the gun that was at the small of my back.
Too long, I thought.
I’d have to reach for it. I’d also have to pull my t-shirt up, and in that time, with how close we were standing, there was no doubt in my mind that the crazy woman standing in front of me would get a shot off—and actually hit me.
I strained my ears to listen for Piper and Sam as they drove up the back side of the house, but heard nothing. I was also hoping that the headlights wouldn’t shine through the trees and tip her off.
Then again, maybe the distraction of them pulling up would give me enough of a chance to reach for my weapon.
On the other hand, maybe she’d just shoot me, then she’d go for my wife.
My pregnant wife.
“Ma’am,” I said. “I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about.”
And I really, really didn’t like having that gun pointed at my chest.
“I used to own this land,” she repeated.
I highly doubted that seeing as the man that I’d bought the land from was a man in his mid-sixties, early seventies, and this woman wasn’t a day over forty.
“I purchased this land from an old man,” I said, sounding just as confused as I felt.
“Yes, my husband,” she hissed. “Without my permission, might I add.”
I vaguely remembered hearing that the man was going through a divorce, but this woman looked too young—even by my standards—to be dating, let alone be married, to that man. I mean, Piper and I had a decade in between us, yet this woman and that man? There wasn’t a decade. There had to be at least twenty-five years, if not more.
Also, I was fairly certain, about a month after closing, the old man had died of a heart attack.
“I’m sorry,” I admitted. “But I’m not sure why that should matter to me.”
She shook the gun in my direction, then switched it to her other hand when it got too heavy for her.
Fuck.
It would be just my luck that she shot me because she was too tired to hold the weapon correctly.
“Obviously it was just dumb luck that saved you from dying that day.” She shook her head. “You and that old man, refusing to stay down when it’s in everyone’s best interest.”
I really was confused about what she was talking about. It was as if she was having half of the conversation in her head, and the other half aloud with me.
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head. “I really don’t…”
“You really don’t know what I’m talking about,” she mocked. “Let me put it into simple terms for you to understand. I tried to take you out a couple of weeks ago. But that put me in some hot water, and I had to do way more work than I wanted to, so the next time I did it, I made sure to remain anonymous.”
I would’ve said something more, but then she continued as if she was telling me a funny story, not the recounting of my almost-murder.
“I tried to get some information on what you were talking about with the guy that owns a motorcycle shop, and at first I wasn’t sure that you’d spoken with him, but the day that I sent a letter offering you twice what this place was worth, you drove straight to that man’s house. And I know that he gets information for people.”
I blinked.
But she continued to talk, and the more I learned, the more I was sure of a few things.
“Then you go to freakin’ Germany, where his daughter is, and I know that you’ve found something.” She tapped her lip with her fingernail. “So I tried to take the old biker out, and that failed spectacularly.” She shook her head. “To make matters worse, you come home with his daughter of all people. Then you married her!”
