Shelby's Secret (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 4) Read online

  Mike had yet to really unthaw with her, but it didn’t stop her body from turning to an inferno every time he was near. “Normally, I’d say that I didn’t mean to pry—but I do. I want to know about your life.”

  “I haven’t been a monk, but no, there’s no one current. What about you? Have you hidden a relationship from the press?”

  Shelby shook her head. She didn’t have time for one, much less want one. “I’m single, much to the distress of the paparazzi.”

  “Another reason I wanted you to hide out as we left your place. The last thing we need is this guy knowing where you are from some damn photographer out to get an exclusive.”

  “They are the bane of my life.”

  “I will keep you safe, Shelby. Nothing is going to happen to either of you while I am around.”

  But how long will you be around? “I know you will. I imagine you are trained in ways that I’ll never understand, and you take it seriously. I couldn’t feel safer.”

  “I appreciate the cooperation. I didn’t want to use my trump card.”

  “And what was that?”

  He gave her a quick glance. “You won’t like it.”

  “I haven’t liked anything about this situation, so you might as well tell me.”

  “We could have forced the Mayor to cancel your concerts, due to the risk to the public.”

  Shelby sucked in a little breath. That would ruin everything. “Well, I hope this little hiatus will help your people catch this guy.”

  “It might not, Shelby, so don’t get up your hopes.”

  “I can’t let you cancel those shows. I will fight you on it.”

  “Use your head for once. The money is not worth the danger involved. And what if someone gets killed there? We already have two dead girls and one that’s missing.”

  “I have a duty to the fans—”

  “Bullshit,” he cut her off. “You have a duty to that little girl in the backseat. She’s lost one mother already. She doesn’t need to lose two.”

  Shelby didn’t have a comeback for that statement, and they both knew it. Performing was a risk, but one she was willing to make for the life she had mapped out for herself and Rebecca. Besides, she would be perfectly safe. There would be tons of security, plus Phoenix police officers for crowd control.

  She faced the window and watched the scenery. Mike wasn’t overly talkative, so another hour passed before anything other than music interrupted the silence. Not that atmosphere was uncomfortable exactly, but it wasn’t the kind of quiet that felt natural.

  As comfortable as his truck was, Shelby couldn’t wait to be outside stretching her legs. The higher in elevation they got, the cooler the air was outside. She could feel it on the window. The saguaro cacti and scrubby little acacia trees melted away as they drove, replaced by tall pine trees, slender birches, and the occasional oak tree. Not anything like the immense oak trees in Nashville, but a hardier version that could live with little precipitation. “I’d forgotten how much I missed Arizona.”

  “Scorching heat, no rain, Snow Birds every winter, and the never-ending shades of brown—what’s not to love?”

  Shelby smiled. “Mild winters, no snow to shovel, the Grand Canyon—I missed it.”

  “Arizona does have its finer points.”

  “You came back,” she said. “You could have gone anywhere after the Marines, but you came back here. Why?”

  He shrugged. “It’s home.”

  Shelby felt the same way, but she took a bit longer to realize the restlessness that wouldn’t go away was really a longing for home. A place that she missed, even while surrounded by the opulence of her lifestyle and the high energy of Nashville.

  “You’ll be meeting some friends of mine. They’ll be extra eyes to make sure you and Rebecca are safe. Their wives and kids are excited to meet you.”

  She turned slightly to look at him. “Are you sure we should expose them to this danger?”

  Mike threw back his head and laughed.

  It was a wonderful sight and tugged at the corners of her mouth. She couldn’t stop the silly smile.

  “Just wait until you meet them, you’ll see. It’s going to be fine and Rebecca will have some kids to play with.”

  “They won’t be mean to her because she doesn’t talk, will they?”

  Mike grinned, looking relaxed as he drove on. “Don’t worry, it’s better that she doesn’t. The twins wouldn’t let her get a word in edgewise, and Xavier will just drag her along with whatever he has planned. That kid is a natural leader, like his father.”

  “Well, then, I can’t wait to meet your friends.” Shelby couldn’t help the nervousness she felt. She, who could sing in front of thousands of screaming fans, was nervous to meet Mike’s friends. Mike was never the kind of guy to have a lot of friends. He much preferred being a lone wolf. That he could laugh and talk about these people with such affection was a wonder. They must be great people, and she didn’t meet too many of those in her business.

  She just hoped she lived up to their expectations. Most people only wanted to meet the superstar, never realizing she was just a “person” too. With her own insecurities, hopes, and dreams. Being an internationally acclaimed country singer was only one of those dreams, and recently the role had become more of a burden.

  They turned off the main road and onto a dirt track where the trees were thicker. The sun was sinking into the horizon, and Shelby heard yawning from the backseat. She looked back and saw Rebecca was awake and sitting up.

  She looked around and rubbed her eyes.

  “We’re almost there, honey,” Shelby said.

  And sitting there, next to Mike and with Rebecca in the backseat, was like they were a regular family. Maybe getting away from the bustle of the city at their weekend cabin. It was nice.

  It was normal.

  But nothing about her life was normal. So maybe she could just pretend for a couple of days.

  Chapter 9

  Where is she?

  There was some extra security around her rental, but that big manager of hers had picked a bad spot. Oh, the house was nice enough if you were into big monstrosities of luxury. What interested him, though, was the mountain at its back. The other side of which was accessible to the public as a hiking trail. It was easy enough to walk along and then disappear around the other side.

  From his vantage point, he could see the back of the house and into the room Shelby claimed. She liked the balcony, and he enjoyed watching her. When the time was right, it wouldn’t be hard to take her from there.

  He was getting anxious.

  He wanted to reveal himself to the woman of his fantasies.

  Time for her later. You have other things to do first, the voice said.

  It was so loud in his mind that he actually turned, expecting to see someone there. But, of course, there was no one. So he ignored it. Not that doing so ever helped. The voice didn’t like to be ignored. Re-focusing on the house, he wondered again where she was. He hadn’t even seen the little girl. The god-daughter. The one that looked so much like her mother.

  You pathetic little monster. Leave this, and get back to the woman you have. She’s probably waking up by now.

  “I know, but I wanted to see her.”

  Stop being weak. You have work to do. And she’s almost perfect.

  “She’s not Shelby,” he said, making her name a caress. “She’s not the one.”

  One bitch is as good as another, the voice hissed. They’re only good for two things.

  “That’s not true,” he whined. He smacked his head, willing the voice to stop. Because he knew what was coming. The mantra. He’d avoided it for so long, but in the end, the voice was always right. He was weak. But not anymore. Now he was strong and in charge.

  Say it, maggot. Say what the bitches are good for.

  “No,” he said. Then the pain started. He almost yelped as a sharp pinch started behind his eyes. “I don’t want to say it. Just because you make me do thin
gs . . .”

  I’m stronger than you are, and we both need it. The rush—the power—the satisfaction. So say it.

  The pain increased until he was panting and sweating. He held out as long as he could, but in the end, he gave in. Like he always did. “Bitches are only good for fucking and killing.”

  And the new bitch is waiting.

  “But I want to know where Shelby is.”

  You can come back after.

  After, he thought. When the voice was quiet again. When he could control himself. Then he could watch Shelby for as long as he wanted without the voice being there. Without the pain and the cravings.

  Without the shadow man.

  ***

  “Wolfe,” Daniel said as he answered the phone.

  “Hey, it’s Casey. We have the autopsy done for the second vic. You want to come down and talk it out, or you just want me to email you the report?”

  “Just send it over.”

  “We found something interesting,” she said.

  Daniel was going blind reading the last autopsy report and wasn’t thrilled about the new one, but it was part of the job and Casey had made it a priority due to the missing woman. But the lilt in her voice sounded interesting, so he leaned back and smiled. He liked the sassy little medical examiner.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. And if you ask me nicely, I’ll tell you what I found instead of just calling Mike directly.”

  “Your choice.” Daniel made sure to sound as bored as he felt. He didn’t play games and while he liked to imagine the smile on her face, he still wasn’t that guy. The information was in the report and he’d find it. As soon as she sent it to him.

  “You always have a stick up your ass?”

  “You always insult the cops you work with?” He’d heard about her reputation. Casey Henderson was a ball-buster and her focus was cops. Maybe she’d dated one and it went bad, or maybe she just didn’t like the general species. Whatever it was, about the only person she tolerated was Mike.

  “Not always. But you certainly make it fun.”

  “Just sent the damn report.”

  She chuckled, “I was going to tell you anyway. I found a hair.”

  Daniel sat forward and put his elbows on his desk. “Tell me it was human and male?”

  “Male,” she confirmed. “But not human.”

  “Damn. Probably a dog, right?” And they had no way to track it. Not unless the animal was some crazy rare breed that was purebred and had papers. Then they—might—get lucky and be able to trace it.

  “Not a dog. I wouldn’t have bothered to call if it was a lousy dog hair.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “So are these little guys. The hair comes from a chinchilla.”

  Daniel sat upright in his chair. “What the fuck is a chinchilla?” Her laughter at his total confusion didn’t bother him as much as it should have. But he still didn’t know what one was. He started pulling up a search engine on his computer and waited for her answer.

  “It’s basically a chubby South American ground squirrel. They’re raised for their fur because it’s reportedly extremely soft.”

  “So this critter is something rare?”

  “Not rare exactly, but not a common pet for sure. I don’t imagine there are that many stores that specialize in chinchillas or their habitat.”

  Daniel grinned, feeling a small ray of hope. This was something he could actually work on. The bastard had made a mistake, and that’s all he needed to go with. “Thanks, Casey. This is great news.”

  “I thought you might like it. I just emailed you the file.”

  Then the line went dead, but Daniel didn’t care. He started searching for pet stores that specialized in exotic rodents. Then he started making lists.

  Finally, something to do other than stare at the same report.

  ***

  The cabin was an A-frame in the front that stretched out into a ranch-style home. Its exterior was rough, with plenty of real wood logs completing the A. There was a barn in the back that went against the traditional red and white. Instead, the walls were green camouflage as if daring someone to say something.

  It was a beautiful area and a lovely house.

  Rebecca was up and looking around as the truck rolled to a stop.

  The front door opened, and two of the biggest men Shelby had ever seen came strolling out. She glanced at Mike, but he was still completely relaxed. “Are they staying with us?” she asked. Neither had a smile on his face, and the dark-haired man was downright scary. The blond man was actually larger than the other, and they were both quite handsome. But something about the serious face on the brunette worried her. Possible bodyguards, but Shelby hoped not.

  “No, but they live close by.” Then Mike exited the truck and came around to open her door.

  “The mean one scares me,” she whispered low enough that Rebecca wouldn’t hear.

  Mike’s eyebrow shot up, and he glanced over at the two men who had moved out into the yard but stood there like sentries, arms crossed and waiting. “The one with the dark hair?” he whispered back.

  “I’m worried he’ll scare Rebecca.”

  Mike just shook his head and held out his hand.

  Shelby trusted Mike, but she was feeling very unsure at this moment.

  He helped her out of the truck then he opened the back door and let out Rebecca. Taking her hand, he led them both over toward the cabin.

  Jesus, Shelby thought, these guys were even bigger up close. And that was saying a lot, because Mike was huge. He wasn’t as tall, but he had muscles to spare.

  “Shelby, these are my friends and Marine brothers, Zach Steele and Jesse Calhoun.”

  She contemplated if she should shake hands when there was suddenly some screaming.

  Two of the most adorable twin girls ran out of the cabin and squeezed between the two men.

  “You’re Shelby Lynn,” one of them said. They were dressed in jeans and matching blue shirts that made their blue eyes even bluer.

  The only difference Shelby could see was that their blond hair was braided on different sides of their heads.

  “Hi,” the other one said. “You’re our favorite.” And then she hid behind the one Mike said was Jesse.

  Then a mini-version of the scary one named Zach come bounding out of the house.

  His chest was puffed out, and he was scowling like his father. “Dad,” he called, “Mom says stop frowning, you’re probably scaring the lady.”

  And the big man put his hands on his hips and stared down at his son. “Go tell your mother to come out here and tell me herself.” Then he rolled his eyes and shook his head at Mike as his son ran back inside. “Women.”

  “The wives are inside stocking the fridge and the pantry,” Zach said. “We weren’t sure what you’d like so they bought out the damn store.”

  “Plus, they got a ton of girly stuff for you and little Rebecca here,” Jesse said. He squatted down, and both of his girls crammed themselves up against his sides.

  Shelby noticed Rebecca had done the same thing to her. The three girls were all looking at each other with big eyes and shy smiles, at least from the twins.

  Jesse smiled and nodded at his girls. “Do you like horses?” he asked Rebecca.

  Rebecca nodded, her little face solemn.

  “This is Jennifer and Jessica, and they want to show you their favorite pony. Don’t you girls?”

  The twins giggled, and each held out a hand toward Rebecca.

  The little girl looked up and when she saw Shelby nod, she reached out a hand slowly toward the grinning twins.

  And that was all the invitation they needed. They grabbed Rebecca and started talking a mile a minute, starting and completing each other’s sentences in that universal twin way that had Rebecca’s head turning constantly to the one speaking.

  “Are you sure it’s safe.”

  “Three Ex-Marines against whatever trouble you have is more than enough,” said one
of the women coming out of the cabin. She was petite with lively green eyes, and she stepped up and held out her hand. “I’m Lily. Welcome to the Compound.”

  “And please don’t let these two, or the name of this place, scare you.”

  The woman attached to that statement had pale blond straight hair that caused Shelby instant envy. She approached the still-scowling Zach, and Shelby noticed his face soften and the hard stare turn into something soft and full of love for the curvy little woman that tried to pass with her hand held out.

  He didn’t let her.

  “Zacharias Steele,” she scolded with a twinkle in her eye. “You let me greet Mike’s guest properly.”

  “No.” He kissed her nose as she stood looking up at him from the circle of his arms.

  Shelby watched in wonder as the smile that spread across his face transformed Zach from downright terrifying to loving husband with a mischievous side. And just like that, she relaxed. She should have trusted Mike would never take her somewhere that wasn’t completely safe.

  “Get a room,” Mike said to his friend as he tugged Shelby’s hand, pulling her toward the cabin. “Let me show you my home.”

  Her eyes widened. “I thought you lived in Phoenix.”

  “I have a house there for work. But this is where I escape when city life is too much.”

  The interior could have been in a magazine. Not that the space was opulent like the place she was staying at, but because the design was simply beautiful. Large windows let in the light and showed off the woods in the back and front. The furniture was big and comfortable with a fireplace for cold nights. The kitchen was a gourmet dream. She’d forgotten Mike liked to cook. “I can see why you love it here.” She looked at Mike and waved her free hand around. “This feels like a home.”

  “I hope you’re hungry,” he said. “The guys have been cooking most of the day, and the food is probably ready by now.”

  Shelby was shocked and amused. “Those two huge men did all the cooking?”