Page 58 of Hero's Prize

Colton gave a wry chuckle. “True. But honestly, the first letters I got from this woman, and even when she started including pictures, I didn’t really feel like it was a threat. Did I want to be trapped in an elevator with this woman? No. But I truly felt like we were in thefantasyrealm, not thedangerrealm.”

“But that changed when you got here?”

Colton shrugged. “Yeah. I can’t pinpoint exactly why, but it definitely put me more on edge.”

He looked down and read his copy of the letter again.

My dearest Colton,

I dream of you nearly every night now. And thank God every day that you are alive. I know that’s true because we are supposed to meet and because we will be together forever.

It won’t be long now. I can feel it, can’t you? I wonder if you dream of me also. You do, don’t you? That’s the way it’s meant to be.

I can’t wait till we hold each other forever. One lifetime isn’t enough with you. But it’s a start.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m paranoid. Can you see a difference in the earlier letters and these last two?”

Colton chuckled as Callum patted around his desk before he finally found the reading glasses he was searching for. He flipped Colton off as he placed them on his nose.

“I’m not really sure,” he said after reading the letter. “There is nothing overt that makes it more of a threat, but I can understand why it feels more…immediate. Almost more calculating.”

Colton nodded. “Yes. Calculating is a good word for it.” And he didn’t like it at all.

“Your team is most familiar with all of this and, realistically, has the most to gain by getting this taken care of as quickly as possible. Maybe it’s time to call them back to Oak Creek.”

Colton’s jaw tightened at just the thought. He appreciated everything Tony and his team did for him, but he didn’t want them around.

“Yeah, maybe.”

Callum wasn’t fooled. “I get it, they’re a lot. But they seem to have your best interests at heart. Although Nick is a pain in the ass and a little too obnoxious for my taste.”

“Rick. But yeah.”

Colton felt a slight tremor take over his hand, and he gripped it into a fist to stop it, before standing up and walking over to the window. He needed to keep it together. He wasn’t going to let the thought of his stalker cause him to lose it right here in the sheriff’s office.

But Callum wasn’t fooled. “You okay?”

Damn him for being so observant.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Colton lied, jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I just want to be able to do something, you know? I’m fucking tired of twiddling my thumbs and waiting for the stalker to strike again.”

“Well, I actually have an idea, so I’m glad to hear you say that.”

The trembling in his hand stopped immediately. He pulled them out of his pockets. “I’m all ears.”

“Your stalker is here in Oak Creek, but she may not have taken into consideration that everyone in Oak Creek knows everyone else.”

“You’re thinking of setting a trap.” He walked back over and sat down, anxious to hear what the man had to say.

Callum gave a low chuckle. “It probably won’t end up being quite that cloak-and-dagger, but yeah. What if you were at the Eagle’s Nest having a drink at the bar by yourself? It might be catnip for your stalker, the perfect time to initiate contact or at least snap a picture.”

“You think she would just expose herself like that?”

Callum crossed his arms over his chest. “I wish we could get that lucky, but no, probably not. But what I do think is that we can use Oak Creek to our advantage. Have people we know and trust set up around you with eyes for anybody unfamiliar.”

Colton sat up more fully in his chair. “That might actually work. She’d be comfortable enough in a crowded place that she wouldn’t know that almost everyone else knew each other and that she’s an odd man out.”

Callum grinned. “Exactly. We can get your Linear Tactical buddies out here. They aren’t law enforcement, but they can handle this sort of sting operation, for sure.”

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