Love Inspired Suspense June 2014 Bundle 1 of 2: Undercover Marriage\Collateral Damage\Forgotten Past (44 page)

JT tried not to show his concern. “You can't, Faith. I need you to wait here. Why don't you put on some coffee and when I get back we'll talk.”

After a second, she gave in. “Okay.”

The churning ball in the pit of his stomach assured him he wasn't overreacting.

JT followed Faith to the kitchen and closed all the shades. “I'll be right back. Make sure you lock up behind me.”

Once outside, JT took his time, combing every square inch of the property around the house, searching for footprints or any indication someone had tried to break into the house. There was nothing.

He went to the SUV to retrieve the bag he kept in the back. It held some tools of the trade. He dug out his binoculars and panned the wooded space in front of the house. There was no sign of movement. The sooner they were on the road and off the island, the better he'd feel. Hopefully, they could be on their way to Mark's place as soon as dawn broke.

He knocked once on the back door. “It's me, Faith.”

She quickly unlocked it. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes, I think so.” Ollie came into the kitchen and watched them before digging into his kibble. If Ollie wasn't worried, why was he?

Pull it together, Wyatt.

JT glanced up and caught Faith watching him. She knew he was hiding something, which meant he was definitely losing his touch. He smiled and decided to change the subject onto safer ground. “I'll take that coffee now.”

She grabbed a couple of cups from the cabinet and poured the coffee and they sat at the table together.

As he sipped his coffee, he couldn't shake his uneasiness.

“I've been thinking we shouldn't wait until morning to leave. The faster we get on the road the better chance we have at beating the traffic leaving the island before the storm. I'll just shower and pack some things and we can be on our way.”

She set down her cup. “JT, what aren't you telling me? Did you see something out there?”

He decided to tell her the truth. “That's just it. There's no sign of anyone trying to get in. As far as I could tell, no one followed us from town, but my gut tells me we need to keep moving. Are you up for starting the trip tonight?”

She studied his expression for a long moment before agreeing. She trusted him completely and that freaked him out. “Yes. That's a good idea, and I could use a shower, too. I smell like smoke. I'll be right back.” She scooped up her purchases from where she'd dropped them and headed for the guest bathroom upstairs with Ollie at her heels.

JT flipped off the coffeemaker, grabbed his overnight bag from the downstairs closet and went up to his room. In the bathroom attached to his room, he took a quick shower then threw a handful of things he'd need for the trip into the bag. He took the Glock from his dresser where he'd laid it and stuffed it inside his jacket pocket. Then he carried the bag downstairs and dropped it by his office door.

He'd need his laptop for work and as a means of communication in case cell service was disrupted. He unplugged the computer and opened his desk drawer to grab a thumb drive. The photo of his wife was the first thing he saw. He'd placed it there shortly after Emily's death when he couldn't bear to see it every day and remember what he'd lost. He picked up the photo and touched Emily's blond hair. “I love you, babe. I'll always love you, but I think it's time I moved on with my life. I've been stuck in the past until now. Blaming myself for what happened. I know you wouldn't want that.”

Emily's smiling face looked back at him. It was as if she were telling him it was okay to let go.

* * *

Faith noticed the light on in JT's office. She stuck her head in the door and saw him standing next to his desk holding a photo. She stopped dead in her tracks. Something in his expression made it seem like a personal moment. She turned to leave when he glanced up. Their eyes met. The hurt in his eyes tore at her heart. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude.”

“No, it's all right. Come in.”

She went over to where he stood. He held a photo of a woman. She smiled at the person behind the camera, her silver-blond hair blowing in the breeze. She was dressed in a sage-green sweater, which matched her eyes perfectly. In the background were trees colored in an array of reds and golds.

“Is that Emily?” Faith asked.

“Yes.” There was a catch in his voice.

“She's beautiful, JT.”

He nodded. “She was beautiful. Inside and out. You'd never guess she was a cop, but she could hold her own against any criminal around, and yet Emily had a gentle presence about her that I always found comforting. It didn't matter how crazy our jobs got, I could count on her to be a calming influence.” He exhaled sharply. “In her spare time, she worked with battered women and runaway kids. She had the biggest heart. She was always willing to help someone, whether it was a troubled child or a stray cat.”

Faith couldn't begin to imagine the depth of his grief. She touched his face gently and he leaned in to her touch.

“What happened to her?” She regretted the question when she saw the pain flit across his face again.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked.” She held her breath. JT had told her Emily was murdered, but the details of it must be something horrible. It had left an indelible brand of sadness in his eyes.

“No, it's okay. It doesn't hurt so much anymore. Emily and I practically grew up on Hope Island. When we were kids it was always Emily, Liz and me hanging out together. Emily and I became high school sweethearts and got married right after graduation,” he said with a brittle smile.

JT focused on the photo for the moment, completely lost in the past and unaware of her.

“One night we were on our way home from work. We needed something—I think it was something ridiculous like milk. I stopped at the corner store. It was raining. Neither one of us wanted to get out. We did rock, paper, scissors to decide who had to go out in the rain, mostly because Emily refused to let me do the ‘manly thing,' as she called it. I won. She lost.” A muscle worked in his cheek and his voice dropped to a ragged whisper. “Emily walked into the store and right into a holdup. It was just a couple of kids. They freaked. Took the clerk hostage. Emily drew her weapon. It all happened so fast...I didn't even know what was going on until I heard the shots. By the time I reached her side, it was too late. I held my wife and watched her die.”

Unexpected tears filled her eyes. It was easy to see he blamed himself for his wife's death. “Oh, JT, I'm so sorry. But it wasn't your fault. It could just as easily have been you who died. It was just a terrible tragedy.”

His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. “I know. At least in my head I do, but for a long time I couldn't accept it. I blamed God. Myself. Everyone except for the people responsible for Emily's death. I almost lost it.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I know how destructive blame can be, and if it weren't for my family and friends, well, I'm not so sure where I'd be today.”

“I'm sure they were a salvation,” she said softly.

“Absolutely. They stood beside me during my darkest hours, and on top of that, my sister kept me in church when I wanted to write it off along with God. Liz wouldn't let me do either of those things. I'm glad she didn't.”

She squeezed his hand. “Me, too.” She glanced at the photo again. “I wish I'd known Emily. She sounds like a wonderful person.”

“She was and a good judge of character. She would have admired your strength.”

Strength was the last thing Faith associated with herself.

“You're very strong. You may not realize it, but you have more strength than many people I know. It's one of the first things that drew me to you, along with your overwhelming desire to survive. Faced with what you've been through, most people would have given up long ago. You didn't. You have no idea how special you are, Faith.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close. She wanted to be the woman he believed she was.

She closed her eyes and listened to the steady beat of his heart against her ear. “I'm so glad I met you, JT. You have no idea how long I've prayed God would send someone like you into my life. You're God's answer. He sent me you.
You're
His gift.” She raised her head. There were tears in her eyes but she didn't care if he saw them. She wanted him to know how important he was to her.

He face twisted in pain. “No one's ever called me a gift before, but you've got it wrong. I've been floundering for a while, since Emily's death. Tonight, I realized I never really made peace with her passing. I just buried it deep in my heart and threw myself into my work. I figured if I could save enough people then maybe I could make up for losing Emily.”

She of all people understood the power of guilt. “Your wife would be so proud of you. You help people who can't help themselves. You're giving me back my life. Until now...
you
...well, I thought I would spend the rest of my life running away from someone I couldn't remember. I don't think I can ever thank you enough for what you've done.”

She caught her breath at the smoldering attraction she saw in his eyes. JT hesitated a moment longer then leaned in and touched his lips to hers. Her eyes closed. The embrace was sweet and tender—JT was obviously holding back—but his kiss held so many promises she couldn't let herself believe in just yet.

They each had secrets in their lives. He'd shared his. She couldn't do the same, because the biggest secret of all remained locked away in her lost memories. With all her heart, she hoped she wouldn't learn the monster they'd been chasing all along was the one peering back at her in the mirror each day.

EIGHT

“I
'm going to make sure everything's turned off before we leave. Why don't you fix some sandwiches for the road? I'll be right back.” JT hated letting her go, yet ever since they had gotten back to the house, he couldn't escape his uneasiness. It had been his constant companion.

While Faith made sandwiches, he checked the rooms upstairs first. Nothing appeared out of place. Maybe it was just the numerous unanswered questions revolving around the case that were getting to him. No matter what the reason, he needed to get a grip. He couldn't afford to keep second-guessing himself.

Halfway down the stairs he heard it. A noise coming from outside. It sounded like footsteps on the front porch.

JT covered the remaining steps as quietly as he could. He found Faith in the kitchen and put his finger to his lips before she could speak.

He came close and whispered against her ear. “I think someone's outside. I'm going to check it out. Call Will. Tell him we need help right away. Try to keep Ollie quiet.”

JT moved away but she grabbed his arm. “No, JT, you can't go out there. That's what he wants. He'll kill you. Please, wait for backup.”

“I'll be fine. Hurry, Faith. There's not much time.”

JT drew his weapon and slipped out the back door as stealthily as possible. He took a second to absorb his surroundings. With the recent rain, a thick white fog had descended on the beach and an eerie silence enveloped him.

He barely cleared the bottom step when out of the corner of his eye he detected movement. Before he had time to react, something hard smashed against his arm—the one holding the Glock. Pain shot up the arm like a lightning bolt. The gun flew from his hand and out of sight.

JT staggered backwards but kept from losing his balance. His injured arm hung at his side; even the slightest movement hurt like crazy. It wasn't broken but he couldn't be sure how bad the damage was.

His heartbeat echoed in his ears as he searched the darkness for his attacker. It was next to impossible to see more than a handful of feet in any direction and the fog distorted every sound. Then he heard a footstep.

JT whipped around just as the figure of a man dressed entirely in dark clothing with a ski mask covering his face emerged from the fog next to him. The man held something in his hand. When he raised it, JT caught the glint of a knife's blade in the light from the kitchen.

The man charged toward him. JT scarcely had time to brace himself as the assailant's body slammed against his injured arm. JT shrieked in pain and his knees buckled beneath him. He dropped to the ground, the impact of the blow driving air from his body.

Before JT had time to get to his feet, the man was on top of him, the weapon poised above his head. JT grabbed the arm holding the knife. His attacker seemed to possess superhuman strength, like someone high on drugs. JT felt himself losing the advantage. The knife inched closer to his chest. The man leaned in and JT could see the rage in his eyes.

JT realized if he wanted to live, he'd have to use his damaged arm.

Lord, please give me strength.

He gritted his teeth as burning pain ripped up his arm and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. JT braced his injured arm against the man's shoulder, and pushed with all his strength. The pain was excruciating but the guy fell backwards. JT scrambled after him, his breath labored. The man recovered his balance just as quickly and jumped to his knees. He let out a low growl like a cornered animal.

JT dove for the knife, but the man pulled it back. JT fell forward and flipped over on his back before the assailant pounced on him once more, wielding the knife wildly, and further confirming JT's belief the man was either high on drugs or mentally unstable. JT dodged to his left before the knife could strike him dead-on, but he wasn't quick enough to miss the blade entirely. It slashed across his right side.

It felt as if a razor blade had sliced through his body. Immediately, blood oozed from the wound. Although he had no idea how deep the gash was, JT sucked in a breath and shoved the man's chest with all his strength. The assailant fell away and JT scrambled across the ground, putting space between them.

In the distance, JT heard sirens blaring.
Thank You, God.

The man seemed oblivious to the noise and determined to finish JT off. He let out another low growl and charged JT again, hitting him with the full brunt of his weight. JT fell backwards into the sand and the assailant landed on JT's injured side.

JT grabbed the man's arm—the one holding the knife—and the knife slipped a little, but that didn't seem to slow him down any.

He shoved the knife closer to JT's face. It was inches away. JT wouldn't be able to fight him off much longer.

“What do you want? Why are you stalking her?” JT managed to get the words out. The man stopped and stared right at him. As the sirens drew closer, the attacker finally became aware of them. He jumped to his feet and tossed the knife toward the water, then he took off running in the opposite direction from the squad cars descending on the house.

JT staggered to his feet. He'd survived the ambush, but one thing was apparent. This man was extremely dangerous and he had nothing to lose. JT touched his injured side as proof and blood covered his hand. He found the Glock where it had landed and kept his eyes focused on the door, leaning heavily against the railing. Each step drained his remaining strength. Blood trickled from the wound. Two more steps. Just two more steps.

* * *

Sirens sounded along the coastal road, shattering the eerie silence surrounding the house.

“Faith, open the door. It's me.”

The moment she heard JT's voice she ran to the door and yanked it open. JT all but fell into her arms. “What happened?” When she flipped on the light, blood covered most of the right side of his shirt. She clamped a hand over her mouth. “JT, you're hurt!”

The Glock fell from his hand to the floor. “It looks worse than it is. He had a knife. He came out of nowhere. Caught me off guard. He hit me with something—maybe a piece of driftwood.” His voice sounded faint and she noticed his right arm hung close to his body.

“You need to sit down.” Faith half dragged, half carried JT over to the kitchen table. His face was distorted in pain as he lowered his tall frame into the chair.

He could have killed JT. The killer might still be out there somewhere watching for his next opportunity.

Faith carefully removed JT's jacket. The knife had shredded the right side of his shirt.

JT turned white as a sheet and sweat beaded along his forehead.

“We need to get you to a hospital right away.”

“No, it's not bad. Just a flesh wound.”

She wasn't nearly as convinced. The wound appeared serious. JT fumbled with the buttons on his shirt then gave up.

“Here, let me do it.” She undid the buttons and gently pulled off the shirt. An ugly, three-inch-long gash ran down his side. “JT, you need stitches.”

“There's no time. We need to get off the island as soon as possible. There will be EMTs dispatched to the call. I'll have one of them examine it.”

Before he finished speaking, four armed officers burst through the door, followed by Will. The officers lowered their weapons when they spotted JT.

“Get Ed in here right away,” Will ordered when he got a good look at his friend. He came and knelt in front of JT. “How bad is it?”

JT's jaw clenched in pain. “Not bad, just a surface wound, I think. It just needs to be cleaned and bandaged.” JT tried to sit up, winced and fell back in his seat. “And maybe something for the pain.”

The EMT dropped his gear next to JT and began examining the wound. “It's right on the border of needing stitches. We should probably get you to the hospital. The good news is, your arm isn't broken, just severely bruised. It's going to hurt like crazy for a few days, though. I can give you a sling to help keep it immobile.”

“No hospital, Ed. There's no time. We have to get on the road.

Ed glanced up at Will. “I don't recommend traveling in your condition.”

JT shook his head. “It's not an option.”

“Okay,” Ed said at last. “I'll do what I can to close the wound. You'll need to keep a careful eye on it. If it gets any worse in the next twenty-four hours, you'll need to go to the hospital right away.”

“Thanks, Ed,” JT said in a strained voice.

“What happened out there?” Will asked.

“He came out of nowhere. He took me by surprise and smashed something against my arm. That's how I got this.” JT jerked his head toward his bum arm. “When he charged at me, I realized he had a knife. We struggled and he got in a good lick, but I think the knife may have slipped in his hand. He could be injured, Will.”

He gritted his teeth as Ed applied antiseptic to the wound. “And there is something else. He tossed the knife toward the ocean. I don't think it hit the water. Maybe he left some DNA behind.”

Will motioned to the officer by the door. “Get some men to search the area by the water for the knife.” The man nodded, then left to obey the order.

“Did you see his face?” Will asked.

JT shook his head. “No, he wore a mask that covered his face, and with the fog, well, it was hard to see much. I'd say he was about six-two to six-four and stocky build. Not much to go on, I know.”

“That's different from the description Faith gave us. Are you sure, JT?”

JT's gaze collided with Faith and he nodded. “I'm positive. It stands to reason Faith's memory of that occasion might be a little fuzzy. It's been two years and she was scared to death.”

Both men looked at her expectantly. She'd been so certain before. Had she been wrong? “I'm not sure. I'm sorry.” She bit her lip. She couldn't believe how close to death JT had come once more. “Do you think he followed us here?”

JT sucked in breath as the EMT finished bandaging the wound. “It makes sense. He may have been watching us when we left your house. He could have tracked us here easily enough.”

Someone from the forensics team came in, followed by the officer stationed by the door.

“We have the knife.” The forensics team member held up a bloody knife in an evidence bag. “There's something else I think you should see, Chief Kelly.”

Will headed after the officer and JT struggled to his feet.

“Where do you think you're going?” Will demanded.

“With you, of course.”

The chief of police shook his head but didn't argue.

“JT...” Faith could see he was ready to collapse. Pain deepened the grooves around his mouth, even though he was trying not to show how badly it hurt.

He turned back and tried to appear strong for her. “Don't worry. I'm okay, and I'll be right back.”

* * *

JT followed the men outside to his SUV. The forensics officer took out his flashlight and positioned the light on the hood of the vehicle. The man who attacked him had placed a bloody handprint right in the center of the hood.

“I think he may have made his first mistake. Let's hope he's in the system because we really need a break,” Will said with a hint of excitement in his voice.

JT couldn't share his friend's enthusiasm. The handprint seemed staged to him. As if the man had deliberately placed it there. He doubted if they'd find a match for the prints. He glanced up at the sky above, filled with millions of glittering stars. The calm before the storm. He wished he could capture just a piece of the tranquility surrounding them now.

“You'd never guess a category 3 is expected to strike Hatton at any moment.”

JT glanced over at Will in surprise. “Unbelievable. Things have been so crazy I haven't even listened to the weather. When did they upgrade it? Did everyone get off Hatton okay?”

“A couple of hours ago, and, yes, from the reports I'm hearing everyone is safely off the island so that's something. The governor issued the order of evacuation for Hope Island starting in the morning. I told Cynthia to take the kids tonight and go to her mother's in New York for a few days.”

“Good thinking. I'm sure it'll be a relief for you to know they'll be safe.”

“Yup, one less thing to worry about.” Will rubbed a hand across his jaw.

JT held his injured side. Even though Ed had wrapped the wound tight, it still hurt like crazy.

“Are you sure you're going to be up to leaving tonight? You were hurt pretty bad in spite of what you want Faith to believe.”

JT shook his head. “I don't think we have a choice. I need to get her off the island and away from this creep as soon as possible.”

Will fished in his pocket and handed JT a set of keys. “Here, use my truck. I came straight from my house when Faith called. I'll get a ride to the precinct with one of my officers. It'll be hours before the CSI team is done processing your vehicle. You need to get on the road.”

His friend's generosity humbled him at times. “Thanks, Will.”

“I'll have my officers stay with you until you're ready to leave, then we'll escort you off the island. I've arranged to have two patrol cars stationed outside of Mark's place as long as I can. The chief of police at Whaler's Point is an old friend. Since we don't know for sure how he's keeping track of her, I spoke to these men personally and advised them not to tell anyone, not even their families, what they were doing. There's no way he'll find her through them, but keep your eyes open anyway. We haven't heard the last of this guy.”

“Got it. And thanks, Will. We couldn't do any of this without you.”

JT went back inside and found Faith anxiously pacing around his kitchen. When she spotted him, she stopped. “Anything?”

He came over to where she stood. “Will's team found a handprint on the SUV, and he thinks it could lead to the break we've been looking for, but we don't have anything concrete yet.” He glanced at his watch. “If you're ready, we should be on our way. It's a long drive.”