Page 83 of Strictly Forbidden

“Okay. But I don’t want that man following me back to the ranch.”

I was checking the cameras, ensuring there’d been no breach on the grounds. I had to give it to my grandfather. His security system was damn good, better than I’d had on my cabin. “Don’t worry. I do have my driving skills still.”

He burst into laughter. “I just bet you do. Call me with the time and place. I’ll see if I can grab a couple of the guys.”

“Will do and thank you.”

“So, you met anybody?” he asked, half laughing.

I glanced toward the open door. “Yeah, I did and I plan on keeping her safe.”

“What a shit business we got ourselves into.”

“I’m not going back to prison.”

“Good to hear. Call me.”

I’d spent way too much time in this small space, more than I’d thought I’d do while sequestering ourselves in the cabin. Noel was right. We needed food and other supplies. I’d be forced to risk going into the small town. At least it wasn’t too far away. Unfortunately, if I wanted to work on the plan I’d developed, including a whole lot of mind-fucking games, I’d need to drive further.

At least I had a few hours to think about it.

The call ended, I turned my attention to the internet, heading to the email I’d established, even if only a couple of people had been provided with the address. Junk. Junk. And more junk. It was ten times worse than when I’d gone into the joint.

Seeing one from my buddy Kyle shouldn’t have lifted a red flag but it did. There was an attachment to it. As soon as I pulled it up, I was forced to sit back in my seat.

What the fuck?

A copycat killer using the same MO as James Jones? Of course it happened, but why was he sending me this?

The information was limited at best, no pictures or sightings, merely new crimes occurring in Texas and Montana. At least they were far away. I studied them for maybe thirty minutes, his email not sharing anything useful other than saying he thought I’d like to see the photos and news articles.

When I heard a whine behind me, I swiveled in my chair with a smile on my face, immediately beckoning for Max. “Come on, boy. Just a few more minutes and we’ll go back to bed.” I wanted to hold her the rest of the night more than I’d wanted anything in a long time. He trotted toward me, placing his head on my leg.

Unfortunately, a huge knot had formed in my stomach.

Why was it that I had a bad feeling the world Noel had endured and my sordid one were preparing to collide?

Because karma had put us together. There was no denying that. While the reports were only so detailed, the police being very careful, I could tell from learning as much as I had about Mr. Jones that whoever this copycat was had studied the notorious man in depth. What the hell was the world coming to?

Noel

“Was your grandfather into anything… illegal?” I knew the question had come out of the blue but I’d been doing research for an hour or so, realizing that his grandfather had had a rather sordid reputation, both before and after Kage had gone to prison. He’d never been named a suspect in a crime but the speculation surrounding the older man had remained in the forefront of a couple of tenacious reporters out of Denver.

The stories also captured the fact Kage had been sent to prison, which likely had added fuel to their reporting. On the flipside, I’d learned about the Bronson legacy, the incredible fortune that had been amassed over the years. The article in Fortune Magazine had spelled out their billionaire status, although that was from years before.

What I’d yet to find much on was anything about Kage’s arrest.

But I wasn’t finished digging.

I had my resources, although some involved calling in favors. I wasn’t certain I was ready to do that just yet.

“What are you doing, bad girl?” Kage asked as he moved to the back of the couch behind me, peering over my shoulder.

“I’m certain things you wouldn’t approve of.”

He chuckled and planted his forearms on the sofa. “Grandpops was a man ahead of his time, a true adventurer. And yes, I’m certain he rode that morally gray line to get to the level of success he had before his death. He taught me early that honesty and integrity were vital in business, but I couldn’t be afraid of crossing the line every so often.”

“Because everyone else did.”

---