Page 33 of Ranger Bravery

“Who is this?” Piper’s tone was sharp and authoritative.

“Oh, that hurts. You don’t remember me? I find that hard to believe after the special moments we shared.” Even with the voice modulator, his pitch turned hard and mean. “I taught you a lesson about men, you stupid cow. You were so haughty. Thought you were better than the rest of us. I had to show you with my fists just how weak you actually were. Too bad I didn’t put a bullet through you like I did with Gerdie, but there’s always next time.”

With a sudden jolt, Jackson realized just what the killer was alluding to.

The attack. He was responsible for beating and nearly shooting Piper ten years ago.

Jackson balled his hands into fists as a rage unlike any he’d ever experienced coursed through his veins. It took all his self-control to resist ripping the phone away from Piper and telling the man on the other end just what he was going to do to him.

She gritted her teeth. “You’re lying, Wally.”

“This isn’t Wally. I’ve got you chasing your tail, don’t I, Piper?”

Jackson frowned. The caller could be lying, saying he wasn’t Wally when he actually was. Then again, there were so many layers to this case, nothing could be what it seemed. Wally could be stone-cold dead, just like Gerdie.

Piper gripped the phone. “The man who attacked me is dead.”

Laughter came from the speaker. “Lionel Islip was a weakling and a coward. He barely had the nerve to break into people’s houses. You think he was powerful enough to take you down? No, you needed a real man to teach you how the world works.”

Her complexion paled. She swayed. Jackson wrapped an arm around her waist to prevent her from collapsing. He would’ve also taken the phone from her hand, but Piper jerked it away from him. “Prove you’re telling the truth.”

“Your hair was in a braid, the kitchen floor was yellow with a green floral design, and when I approached, you were putting milk in the fridge.”

Jackson’s gaze shot to Derek. The sheriff’s eyes were wide, his teeth bared. Based on his reaction, those details were true.

“I ripped off your necklace,” the killer continued. “Gave that to Lionel. I wasn’t ready for anyone to know who I truly was.”

Bright red spots appeared on Piper’s cheeks. She shook. “I’m going to hunt you to the ends of the earth, and when I catch you, you’re going to wish you’d never met me.”

He laughed again. “Not if I catch you first. See you soon, Piper.”

EIGHTEEN

Weak morning sunshine streamed through the curtains in Piper’s bedroom, barely breaking through the overcast day. A steady beat thrummed against the window. The rain had lightened up since last night but was far from over. More storms were predicted for this afternoon.

Piper buried herself deeper in the covers. Several layers of thick blankets were piled on top of her comforter, but it didn’t erase the chill in her bones. Her eyes felt gritty and sore from not sleeping. After coming home from the crime scene, she’d lain awake in bed, her mind twisting and turning and unable to settle. Not even prayer had soothed her raw nerves. And every time she started drifting off to sleep, her thoughts would return to the phone call. The killer’s words replayed on a loop.

Your hair was in a braid, the kitchen floor was yellow with a green floral design, and when I approached, you were putting milk in the fridge.

All of that was true. The last detail wasn’t common knowledge. Piper had told Derek, but he hadn’t included it in the official report. Some things were held back so investigators could identify the right suspect through questioning when one was arrested. Lionel never confessed. He’d pulled a gun on the police when they arrived to arrest him and was killed in the subsequent shootout.

For the last ten years, Piper believed her attacker was dead. That she was safe. It was over.

Instead, he’d been out there. Free to brutalize other women.

Free to kill.

She tossed the covers off and swung her legs over the bed. It was tempting to hide out. Jackson and Derek could work the case. They were capable and smart investigators who wouldn’t stop until the perpetrator was caught. No one would blame her for removing herself from the case. She didn’t have to keep going.

She could leave.

Piper had done it before. In fact, her instincts were to run. Get in her car and drive until she ran out of gas or the wheels of her truck fell off. Either that or hide under these covers until the case was solved. The whispers of self-preservation and protection were strong. It took a lot of strength to push them aside.

Piper wasn’t a terrified eighteen-year-old. She was a law enforcement officer who’d taken an oath to protect and serve. Running away hadn’t solved anything, and hiding out would only reinforce the notion that she was weak. Piper refused to be broken. No one—not even the threats of a homicidal maniac—would stop her from finishing what she’d started. Elena and Gerdie deserved justice. So did she.

It was time to get it.

She rushed through her morning routine. The doors in the hallway were all closed. Her sister and the kids were still sleeping, not surprising since it was dawn on a Saturday morning. A patrol unit was stationed outside the house and Jackson had insisted on spending the night on the couch. One of the first things that needed to be addressed was her family’s safety. The killer seemed fixated on Piper, but she was smart enough to know, a desperate man might hurt those closest to her.

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