machine.
He came at her.
She lifted one foot and slammed it into his stomach.
He gave a cry and stumbled back, going to his knees, clasping his head.
Jillian gunned the motor and backed out of the garage with a screech of tires.
Her intruder managed to move fast, get his gun, and lift it to take aim.
Colton hung up the phone and slapped a hand against the wheel. Why wouldn’t she answer?
Had she gone outside? The lure of the water might have been too tempting to her. She’d always been a swimmer.
But he’d told her to stay inside. The Jillian he’d known as a teenager would have done as he’d said. This ten-years-later Jillian?
A bad feeling started to grow in his gut and he pressed the gas pedal a little harder as he hit the number one more time.
She still didn’t pick up.
His jaw hardened. This day just was not going the way he’d planned. Just a minute more and he’d be at the drive. He pressed the gas and started to pray.
13
The motorcycle came out of nowhere. Colton jerked the wheel to the right and the truck bounced along the edge of the drive, gravel sputtering as his tires spun. Gaining control and getting back onto the drive, fear settled in his stomach as he realized the crazy driver was Jillian.
What was she doing?
He braked and did a three-point turn, gunning the gas to catch up to her. As he came to the end of the drive, he saw her parked at the end, standing there waiting for him. Colton slammed on the brakes once again and the truck jerked to a stop.
Jillian reached for the passenger door even as he leaned over to throw it open for her. “What are you doing? Are you crazy?”
“No! You are!”
“What?”
“Coming back to make sure he finished the job?” She swung a fist at him.
He ducked and grabbed it as it missed him by millimeters. “Jillian! Stop it! What’s gotten into you?”
“He’s there!”
“Who?”
“The guy who’s trying to kill me. And he knew the code to thealarm!” Her breaths came in pants and the fear in her eyes hadn’t lessened. “He let himself in as easy as if I’d just left the door open.”
Colton tried to piece together what she was saying. “You think I had something to do with that?”
“Who else? After all, this lake house idea was your Plan B, remember? Well, I’m going back to Plan A!”
“Stop it!”
But she continued. “I’m better off taking care of myself rather than relying on a traitor.”
Fury spurted. He snagged her arm. “Calm down. I didn’t have anything to do with that. Where’s Jonah?”
She jerked away from him. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.” She bit her lip. “I’m worried about him.”
Concern filled him. “All right. Stay here and let me take care of this.”
She gripped his arm, her face softening a fraction. “I need to warn you, I think he killed the dogs.”
He blanched. “Killed the—” Sorrow lanced through him and he swallowed hard.
Colton grabbed his cell phone and punched speed-dial number two as he whipped the truck back toward the house. When Hunter answered, Colton spit out their location. “I need backup at the lake house now! Someone attacked Jillian and she said he’s still there.”
“I’ll have Columbia PD get out there. I’m on the way.”
Colton felt conflicted. He wanted to get to the house and see if he could catch the guy, but he didn’t want to take Jillian back into the danger she’d just escaped from. Danger she thought he’d brought down on her. More sorrow hit him as he realized it would take time for her to trust him when she thought his uncle was a killer. He’d have to prove himself to her.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked.
“Backup.”
Before he could make his way toward the house, movement infront of the truck grasped his attention. Colton braked again, reached for his weapon, and blinked when he saw Ernie appear from the tree line. The dog walked a few steps, then sat down, rolled onto his side, tongue lolling, panting
He came at her.
She lifted one foot and slammed it into his stomach.
He gave a cry and stumbled back, going to his knees, clasping his head.
Jillian gunned the motor and backed out of the garage with a screech of tires.
Her intruder managed to move fast, get his gun, and lift it to take aim.
Colton hung up the phone and slapped a hand against the wheel. Why wouldn’t she answer?
Had she gone outside? The lure of the water might have been too tempting to her. She’d always been a swimmer.
But he’d told her to stay inside. The Jillian he’d known as a teenager would have done as he’d said. This ten-years-later Jillian?
A bad feeling started to grow in his gut and he pressed the gas pedal a little harder as he hit the number one more time.
She still didn’t pick up.
His jaw hardened. This day just was not going the way he’d planned. Just a minute more and he’d be at the drive. He pressed the gas and started to pray.
13
The motorcycle came out of nowhere. Colton jerked the wheel to the right and the truck bounced along the edge of the drive, gravel sputtering as his tires spun. Gaining control and getting back onto the drive, fear settled in his stomach as he realized the crazy driver was Jillian.
What was she doing?
He braked and did a three-point turn, gunning the gas to catch up to her. As he came to the end of the drive, he saw her parked at the end, standing there waiting for him. Colton slammed on the brakes once again and the truck jerked to a stop.
Jillian reached for the passenger door even as he leaned over to throw it open for her. “What are you doing? Are you crazy?”
“No! You are!”
“What?”
“Coming back to make sure he finished the job?” She swung a fist at him.
He ducked and grabbed it as it missed him by millimeters. “Jillian! Stop it! What’s gotten into you?”
“He’s there!”
“Who?”
“The guy who’s trying to kill me. And he knew the code to thealarm!” Her breaths came in pants and the fear in her eyes hadn’t lessened. “He let himself in as easy as if I’d just left the door open.”
Colton tried to piece together what she was saying. “You think I had something to do with that?”
“Who else? After all, this lake house idea was your Plan B, remember? Well, I’m going back to Plan A!”
“Stop it!”
But she continued. “I’m better off taking care of myself rather than relying on a traitor.”
Fury spurted. He snagged her arm. “Calm down. I didn’t have anything to do with that. Where’s Jonah?”
She jerked away from him. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.” She bit her lip. “I’m worried about him.”
Concern filled him. “All right. Stay here and let me take care of this.”
She gripped his arm, her face softening a fraction. “I need to warn you, I think he killed the dogs.”
He blanched. “Killed the—” Sorrow lanced through him and he swallowed hard.
Colton grabbed his cell phone and punched speed-dial number two as he whipped the truck back toward the house. When Hunter answered, Colton spit out their location. “I need backup at the lake house now! Someone attacked Jillian and she said he’s still there.”
“I’ll have Columbia PD get out there. I’m on the way.”
Colton felt conflicted. He wanted to get to the house and see if he could catch the guy, but he didn’t want to take Jillian back into the danger she’d just escaped from. Danger she thought he’d brought down on her. More sorrow hit him as he realized it would take time for her to trust him when she thought his uncle was a killer. He’d have to prove himself to her.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked.
“Backup.”
Before he could make his way toward the house, movement infront of the truck grasped his attention. Colton braked again, reached for his weapon, and blinked when he saw Ernie appear from the tree line. The dog walked a few steps, then sat down, rolled onto his side, tongue lolling, panting
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