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I whisper back, “No. We ran into Mark Jenkins. He’s staying in the last cabin at the edge of the resort property, not far from where you found us. Carter kissed me because we needed to put on a show. You never know who’s watching, like you guys, for example. What if Joe or Melissa were out here searching for us like you were? They would have stumbled onto the same scene, making all of this more believable.”
I must not have been talking as quietly as I had hoped because I hear Carter speak from behind me. He’s much closer than I thought he was. “Yep. All for show.” His tone is blunt, and the amusement from earlier is gone, now replaced by a look of disappointment. The rest of the walk is in silence; this time, it’s uncomfortable.
I want to say that the evening got better once we returned, but it didn’t. When the guys got back from their “male bonding” session, as Brody liked to put it, the adults sat around the table and discussed the fact that Mark Jenkins was staying less than a quarter of a mile away.
“With him staying so close, do you think the children will be in any danger?” my mom asked.
“I can’t promise you anything, Elena. But I can tell you that there are plenty of cameras around the house, and if anything should happen, we should catch it on tape. The children aren’t the target, so I don’t think they are in any danger. With so many people in the house, there’s safety in numbers.”
My mother frowned, not content with his answer.
“Every predator likes to separate their prey from the pack. So far, the attacks have been relatively benign, perpetrated when nobody is around. Should whoever is going after Leanna decide to escalate their tactics, they will try to do it when she is most vulnerable and alone. It’s imperative that it never happens. I wish I had a different answer for you,” Carter said.
“Me, too,” my mom replied.
“Maybe I should leave so that no one gets hurt by association? It might be the best thing for everyone. This way, you can enjoy your vacation without all the stress.” I didn’t want to go, but I would have done it in a heartbeat if it was the most viable solution and would keep everyone safe.
Sebastian leaned forward and glared at me. “Did you not just hear what Carter said? There’s safety in numbers, and you shouldn’t be alone. This is as much your vacation as ours, so you let us worry about the kids and ourselves and let Carter take care of you. If it means a little less time on the slopes, then so be it. What’s the Arbaroa family motto?”
“Family first,” I mumbled.
“That’s right! We protect our own. No one is coming near you, and we certainly aren’t going to run from this, Leanna. Otherwise, whoever is behind this will win. There’s not a single one of us sitting at this table who likes to lose. You aren’t leaving!”
“Yeah! What he said!” exclaimed Daphne.
After that, I went to bed feeling loved and cherished by my family, just not by the one person from whom I needed comfort the most. Carter was aloof and borderline cold for most of the evening, and I had no idea why. If his attitude didn’t change by the morning, I planned to have a serious heart-to-heart with him. I’m up early so I can attempt to make breakfast for him.
I creep down the stairs so as not to wake anyone, only to find I’m not the first one up. Carter is sitting at the table with his laptop in front of him, wearing nothing but black jogging pants and a scowl. I can’t help but take a few extra seconds to appreciate his beautiful form. Not wanting to get caught staring, I go and join him.
“Oh, that’s not a look a woman wants to wake up to in the morning. What happened to turn your smile on its axis?” I tease. Despite my light-hearted banter, I’m not sure I want to hear the answer under the current circumstances. I pour two mugs of coffee from the pot that had been set on a timer and slide a cup across the table to him after I sit down. He takes it gratefully and inhales the aroma before taking his first sip. Although his frown doesn’t disappear as I had hoped, the tension in his shoulders does.
“I contacted Patrick this morning to let him know I was going on a morning hike to set up the trail cameras near Mark Jenkins’s cabin. Savannah monitored the surveillance feed while we coordinated our efforts. Patrick went for a morning run up and down the road so he could keep an eye on the place while I was away. Savannah alerted us while I was five minutes out, but thankfully, Patrick was close enough to give chase to the person who tripped a sensor.”
“What? Did someone try to break in? Who?”
“They didn’t try to break in, but they entered the perimeter and dumped a bucket of red paint all over my truck. Then, they used their fingers to etch the word ‘SOON’ in the paint.”
A shiver runs through my body that someone got so close. “Did Patrick catch the guy? Is he on camera?”
“No. And yes. No, Patrick didn’t catch the guy. He took off as soon as he heard someone coming and he was fast. Patrick is quick, but the guy had too much of a head start. Yes, we have him on camera. Unfortunately, it’s just like before. He was wearing black clothing, gloves, and a ski mask, using the cover of darkness to hide in the shadows. I still don’t know who it is, but based on the size and build of the person, it’s a man.”
“At least it rules out Melissa. I can’t imagine it was easy to believe that someone you had known growing up might be vindictive enough to come after me.”
“Maybe,” is all he says. I’d feel a whole lot better if he sounded convinced.
Chapter twenty-one
Carter
IwishIcouldtell Leanna with certainty that Melissa isn’t the one behind this. I have no doubt that it was a man I saw on the video, but Melissa has a way of wrapping men around her finger to get what she wants. I can speak from experience. She had me hook, line, and sinker the first time she flirted with me in high school.
“It’s possible that Melissa convinced Joe to come down here and vandalize my truck or paid someone else to do it. The same goes for back home. Everything that has happened—slashed tires and flowers included—could have been done by someone trying to get in her good graces or in need of a payout.”
Leanna rubs her temples as if a headache is coming on. “This is information overload, and I haven’t even finished my first cup of coffee. We’ve been here less than 24 hours, and bad things are already happening.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think it was Mark.”
“What makes you think that?” she asks with the cutest little head tilt.
