Carter's Treasure (27 page)

Her attention was torn away from the fashion disaster when out of the corner of her eye she saw her brother place a hand on Mike’s shoulder. Molly turned to the two men, watching their silent conversation for several seconds. Turning back to Carter, she could tell instantly by his expression—they’d found another letter. Her heart sank as the ripple of fear worked its way across her skin.

“I don’t get it. We just walked up there not more than fifteen minutes ago. Brody and Erin were parking their motorhome, right beside Carter’s. When would someone have had time to tape the note to the door, and right in front of Brody? He could have come out and caught them at any second.” Molly could hear the terror in her own voice, but she was too scared to try and cover it up any more. At least now she was back in more familiar surroundings, sitting beside Carter, at his table, she brought her knees up to her chest and dropped her head down.

“Whoever the hell this is has some fucking balls.” James rubbed his hands over his face.

Molly’s heart sank for a second time and for an entirely different reason. This was tearing James and Karen up. She knew they were beside themselves, not to mention what it was doing to Carter, Erin, and Brody. She’d had some crazy stalker notes in the past. She wasn’t a celebrity by any means, but her face was out there. People knew who she was. This time, though, it was a whole new ball game. They knew where she lived and they knew her current schedule. Whoever it was, it was obvious they were following her. Now…she was terrified.

Molly jumped and grabbed the table when the door opened. Mike and George stepped into the motorhome to join their impromptu meeting, along with Eli and Jesse. Molly searched their faces for information, but could only see the worry in their tensed expressions.

“Here’s the deal, for now.” George pulled up a chair next to James. “It’ll be a pain in the ass, but the first thing we’re going to do is have Carter and Brody move these motorhomes up by the bike trailers. If we rearrange things and sandwich them between the two bike semis, we’ll have one area to keep secure instead of four.” George tipped his head to Mike for him to continue.

“There’s an area big enough on the south side of the pits for all four trailers to sit side-by-side. We’ve already got the area being roped off now.” Mike shifted eye contact between James, Brody, and Carter as he spoke.

Molly didn’t care that they were talking about her or that she was sitting right in front of them while they did, she just wanted them do something. No, she wanted them to do everything they could so she didn’t have to live like this another minute.

Leaning against Carter, Molly let her eyes close, willing herself to keep the tears welling up at bay. She had been successful up to this point, but now the dam was about to break. The warm hand that covered hers was soft as silk. She didn’t even open her eyes. Instead, she squeezed the hand that had held hers so many times over the years, absentmindedly running her finger over the four carat rock on Karen’s left hand.

Mike continued on with his directions. He was almost positive it wasn’t a random fan, since the threat came only when people directly related to the race were in the building. Molly just couldn’t believe that someone Carter raced with would do all of this. The only other option was that it could be someone who followed the circuit, either on George’s staff or with the track building crew or possibly someone with one of the vendors or sponsors.

That made the list a mile long.

“So guys, if you’ll get things moved now, we’ll meet up again in…say…thirty minutes. I want to check on something and make a couple of calls. The local police are surveying the entire scene and I want to see if they’ve turned up any leads. Then I’ll meet you all at Carter and Molly’s motorhome.” Mike reached down and rubbed Molly’s shoulder.

She looked up to thank him, but no words came from her mouth. Instead, when her eyes opened and she had both Carter and Mike’s worried faces looking back at her, tears broke loose and poured down her cheeks.

“Oh, Gorgeous, we’re going to figure this out…I promise. I promise, it will be all right. Nothing’s going to happen to you…we won’t let it.”

Carter pulled her on to his lap and Mike took her chair. Pinching her eyes shut again, she fought to get the tears under control, but wasn’t having any luck. The big palm squeezing her knee was Mike’s, she could tell. Molly slid her hand over his. She really hoped he knew how thankful she was that he was there.

“Sweetie, we’re going to get this resolved. We’re close. Hang in there for me just a little longer, okay?”

“Thank you, Mike.” The choked whisper barely made it out.

~

“Did you get her to sleep?” Karen asked as Carter came out of the bedroom.

It wasn’t awkward at all to have his girlfriend’s parents looming over him, in his motorhome, in his space. Since the last letter was found earlier in the evening, his motorhome had become a sort of ground zero for the secret meetings and discussions. Carter just wished Molly didn’t have to hear it all.

When they’d traveled during the week, none of their conversations were about the letters or threats. Joey, Brody, and Erin had clued in early on as well. No one brought it up. The result had given Molly a breather and she’d been able to relax. During the week, she’d been the girl he’d fallen for, the sparkle back in her deep blue eyes.

The minute the last note had been found, she’d slipped into survival mode, quiet, distant, and almost child-like. He wasn’t even sure she heard the conversations swimming around her. Most of the time, she had her head down or lying against something or someone with her eyes closed. It was breaking his heart to watch. Seeing her push her food around her plate, never taking more than a couple of bites, the way she jerked awake every few hours—all of it made Carter sick because the stress was making her sick.

When Mike quietly told him the police were coming by to update them, Carter stood and ushered her toward the bedroom, hoping she would drift off for the night and not have to hear any more for a little while. He exchanged her tighter fitting t-shirt for one of his and left her cotton leggings on. Carter hoped she’d be comfortable sleeping. He treasured those nights when she curled her naked body up next to him after he’d made love to her. Tonight wouldn’t be one of those nights. Pulling the t-shirt over her head, he cringed at the expression on her face. Changing her clothes to help make her more comfortable was one thing, but it seemed there was nothing he could do to wipe that look of hopelessness from her face. Carter pulled her into his arms and held her. All through this last week on those nights when they’d been alone on the road, she’d felt strong, muscular, and warm. Tonight, she was a shell. Her skin was cold to the touch and she felt frail in his arms.

He wished like hell he could lay down beside her, cradle her to him, and make her personal hell go away. Carter knew better. He had to hear what the cops and Mike had found. So he tucked her in the bed alone for the first time. Pulling the covers up to her chin, he ran his palm over her long, golden hair, brushing the wisps from her face and waited. When her face relaxed and the grip on his other hand loosened, he knew she’d finally found sleep. Carter bent to kiss her cheek, and then he whispered into the dark his promise to keep her safe and to love her forever. The déjà vu moment hit him hard and stole his breath.

~

“Sir…” The uniformed officer looked at James. “I can assure you, we’re doing everything we can.”

Carter watched her father nod, turn and walk back to the table to sit by Karen and comfort her. This was taking its toll on all of them. Brody finally had to take Erin next door to their motorhome. Between the stress and the pregnancy, she couldn’t keep food down and was starting to look ill. Carter knew she was much more than just Brody’s girlfriend to the family and his heart went out to her.

Neither Eli nor Jessie had left to hang out in the pits or gone to the meetings they were normally required to attend with their respective teams. So far, nobody was giving them or Carter any grief over it. It seemed the magnitude of the problem was on everyone’s radar. Everyone wanted this all to end safely.

The rap at the door broke Carter’s attention. Mike’s posture stiffened as he spoke with the security guard standing just outside the door. When Mike held out his hand toward the guard, Carter knew. Another one. He couldn’t find his breath as he waited for Mike to shut the door and come to the table.

“A stadium worker found this on a table they had set up by the East concessions. It was just lying on the table. The difference is it was addressed to Molly.” Mike tossed the unfolded piece of paper on the table. “They’re resorting to other ways to get the messages to her.”

At Karen’s gasp, Carter tore his eyes from his brother’s and looked down at the letter. That first word never failed to spear his heart.

Bitch—

You’re being watched

and no one even suspects me

The words chilled his blood, but not as much as it did seeing the letters taped on the envelope that spelled out Molly’s name.

The terrified scream from the bedroom made him forget the newest threat altogether. Knocking over his chair as he jumped up, he went running. Molly was talking and mumbling in her sleep. As he took her in his arms, she screamed again and fought his hold.

“Molly, shh, Molly. Gorgeous, it’s me. Wake up…Molly.”

Carter continued to speak softly for several long minutes as her sobs turned into whimpers, holding her while she came out of the nightmare. Jesse flipped on the lamp and knelt beside the bed. Carter saw the panic in his face.

“Carter!” Molly’s high pitched cry of relief grabbed him almost as hard as she did, as if she was hanging onto him for dear life.

“It’s okay, Gorgeous, I’ve got you. No one’s going to hurt you, I promise. Shh…shh…” He kept his words soothing, praying he could calm her and make her feel safe. He brushed the tear and sweat soaked hair from her face. Smiling a small acknowledgement at Karen, he took the cold, wet cloth from her hand and ran it over Molly’s face. Her eyes never opened.

When she finally calmed and was almost back to sleep, he picked her up and grabbed the blanket, then walked out into the living room. With her curled up in his lap, he tucked the blanket around her and let her fall back asleep. For now, Molly was safe in his arms, surrounded by friends and family.

Chapter Fifteen

Molly sat on Carter’s bed the next morning in her short spandex shorts and a black sports bra, lacing her running shoes. As she walked around the bed, she glanced back over her shoulder. At some point his bed had quit feeling like his and had begun to feel more like theirs. Molly smiled to herself. She’d have to remember to point that out to Carter. It wasn’t even eight-thirty, but she had lain in bed as long as she could and this doing nothing was making things worse. She wanted nothing more than to go on a run. It always swept her thoughts away, concentrating on the pounding her body was taking, focusing on keeping her breathing regulated. It left her no room to think about anything else. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be happening. She hadn’t been able run in days. She hadn’t seen the inside of her home gym in more days than that, and with the season lasting another three months, it would be a long while before she did again. The Noland gym was one of her happy places and she missed it terribly, so she’d do the next best thing. Molly would just visit another of her happy places.

Carter had told her he needed to go check in with his manager this morning. James and Karen were going to stay with her until he got back and then they all planned to grab lunch at the bar and grill around the corner. Molly knew Carter’s weekends were busy from Friday morning until the last lap of the main on Saturday night. Taking her away from the stadium to eat wasn’t in his schedule, but he was doing it because he knew she needed the break. If Molly hadn’t been convinced of Carter’s devotion to her before, she sure was now. Their relationship was still so new, and a lesser man would have given up by now, but not Carter. Sometimes Molly still couldn’t believe he was hers.

Molly was trying to pull herself together after the way she had fallen apart last night. It was something she wasn’t proud of and didn’t want to repeat, and today she just wanted to do something normal.

Molly pulled her cell off the charger on the nightstand. She dialed and waited for George to answer.

“I’m okay,” she blurted out, knowing he’d be worried at the sight of her number on caller ID. Molly smiled to herself at the older man’s worry and mock anger coming across as he yelled at her for scaring the crap out of him.

“Ah, George, you know I’m your favorite.”

She almost worked up to a laugh as he continued to tease her. His voice had always calmed her in the past and it still worked now.

“Hey, George? Can I beg a favor? I know you’ve already done so much for me already this weekend, but will you let me do something?”

She listened with pride as he told her she could have whatever she wanted. Molly knew George would let her have the moon if she asked, but she tried to never take advantage.

“I just need to ride. I know they’re not quite done with the track, but can I just have ten minutes, maybe fifteen? This is killing me. I’ve got to do something.”