Love Inspired Suspense June 2014 Bundle 1 of 2: Undercover Marriage\Collateral Damage\Forgotten Past (49 page)

THIRTEEN

F
aith rolled her shoulders to relax her cramped muscles. She'd been sitting at the kitchen table, her coffee untouched, trying to make sense of the memories. It seemed once the floodgates opened, all her locked-away memories were rushing back. The only problem was none of what she remembered added up to the precious few things she knew about
her
life. Were they truly her memories or was she losing her mind?

She remembered very clearly the ranch outside of Austin. Her bedroom. Her favorite horse, Cinnamon. Her father gave her the horse for her thirteenth birthday. The only problem was those were not her memories. They belonged to Rachel. Was it possible she'd taken on Rachel's memories as a way of dealing with her grief? Or worse?

Outside the wind's howl grew more threatening. Even the weather seemed aware of the impending showdown.

“Want some more coffee?” She hadn't realized JT was there until he spoke. He was so exhausted. She doubted he'd gotten more than a few hours' sleep in days.

“Yes.” She tried not to show him how worried she was, but those disturbing memories were still fresh in her mind.

He didn't move. “What is it?” he asked, watching her carefully.

She shook her head. “I don't know what to believe anymore, JT. Nothing makes sense.”

“You mean the memories. Have there been more?”

“Yes.” She could hear all the uncertainties in her voice. “I keep remembering things about the ranch and the time I spent with Carl. The vacations we took together and yet they have nothing to do with my past. Those are Rachel's memories. Why am I remembering my dead friend's past?”

“I don't know,” he said quietly. His response did nothing to settle her nerves. “But I do know we have some of the best people around searching for answers.”

He stepped closer and pulled her to her feet. She caught her breath at the tenderness in his eyes. She reached up and touched his cheek. He was working so hard to help her get her life back.

He drew her near, his arms circling her waist. They watched each other for moment. “I'm not going to let anything happen to you again.” JT cupped her face and kissed her softly. She kissed him back with all her heart and soul. She loved him, but how could she possibly hope to have a future when she couldn't remember her past?

Faith reluctantly pushed against his chest and he let her go. They faced each other across the tiniest of spaces, their emotions raw, and she couldn't hide her doubts.

“Give us a chance, Faith. Give me a chance. I care about you and I believe you have feelings for me as well. If you do, it doesn't matter what the past held or where the future takes us.”

She'd give just about anything for that to be true. “I want to believe you.”

“Then do.” She had never seen him so impassioned. “I know I'm saying this all wrong, and my timing couldn't be worse, but what I'm trying to say is, you've made me believe in things I thought were over for me after Emily's death. You made me believe in second chances. And when this nightmare ends, I don't want to walk away from you and I don't think you want to, either.”

She didn't. “You're right. I don't want that any more than you do, but I have to know what happened in my past before I can move on. Once and for all, no matter what the truth may be, I need to know what happened to Carl and Rachel. I need to know I wasn't responsible for their deaths.”

* * *

JT stared out the window in Mark's study. His emotions were all over the place. He wasn't sure when his feelings for Faith had turned to love, but they had. He loved her and he was scared to death he might lose her to the past.

He shook his head. He needed a distraction. He couldn't afford to let those feelings cloud his judgment.

He'd give the perimeter one last check just to make sure everything was battened down before the hurricane hit.

It was just a little past one in the afternoon and already the outer bands of the storm had reached them. Rain pelted the windows and the wind howled with renewed anger.

He'd left Faith sleeping in the great room earlier to check his laptop for any updates. There hadn't been any, which was in itself unsettling.

He cracked the door and peeked in on Faith. She lay curled up on the sofa. He slipped inside. The room was cold, so he grabbed a nearby blanket and covered her with it. She moaned softly but didn't awaken. She was exhausted both physically and emotionally.

After checking the windows to make sure they were secured, he left her alone once more.

JT unlocked the front door and struggled to keep it from flying from his hands as a gust of wind whipped through the house.

Outside, something tipped over onto the porch. JT stepped closer to examine it. A small, brown-paper-wrapped package had been propped against the door.

He bent over and picked it up. Out of the corner of his eye, JT saw the outline of something moving in the distance. A figure perhaps, but he couldn't tell for sure through the heavy fog. The hair on the back of his neck stood at attention. He didn't like it. Was it possible...

He went back inside and locked the door before opening the package.

As he removed the final pieces of paper, sheer horror at what he saw there threatened to buckle his knees. He'd been here. The killer had been here.

* * *

Faith couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that someone was watching her. She'd fallen asleep in the great room. The room was empty. Was it just a bad dream? She glanced around the room, but nothing seemed to be out of place. The clock next to the fireplace read just past one in the afternoon. It felt as if time had slowed to a crawl. Outside, the storm battered the house relentlessly and she didn't want to be alone any longer.

The minute she saw JT standing by the front door she knew something had happened. He held a small picture frame in his hand. When she got closer, she saw it was the one taken from her house.

“Oh, no...”

He turned when she spoke. Someone had put a red X over her face.
Rest in peace,
written in the same red pen above her head, and
I'll be seeing you,
at the bottom.

Her hand flew to her mouth.

No. Please, no.

He'd found her. After all their precautions to keep her safe, he'd found her again and it had nothing to do with her phone.

JT went to her and he drew her into the protective circle of his arms. “Hey, it's okay. I'd die before I'd let anything happen to you.” She could hear the steady beat of his heart. In his arms, she felt safe.

“I'm okay,” she said at last.

“Is it the same picture?” JT asked gently.

She swallowed hard. “Yes. Where'd you find it?”

JT held the frame carefully by the corner.

“By the door. I wanted to check the locks once more before the storm got worse. I stepped outside and it was propped against the front door.”

The bloodred X drawn over her face sent the urgency of the matter off the charts.

“I thought I saw someone running off in the distance but I couldn't be sure. I don't know how he managed to get close enough to the house in this storm to put it next to the front door.”

She recalled the feeling of someone watching her. “Do you think he came in the house?”

“I don't see how with the door locked. I'm going to call the local chief of police and let him know we need his help right away. JT dialed the number, listened for a second, then disconnected the call.

“What is it?” Faith asked apprehensively.

“The storm must have knocked the phone lines out in town. I'll see if I can reach Will. I want someone to know what's going on here. Until the storm passes, we're sitting ducks. The Whaler's Point police won't be able to help. We're on our own.”

* * *

Six-foot waves pounded the rocky coastline below, washing up debris from miles away. The wind screamed with a renewed fury.

It was almost as if Hurricane Tyler were determined to get in one last punch before it disappeared into the history books.

The fear churning inside Faith was just as unsettling.

It was as if the killer were conducting some macabre opera, directing their every move. Only he knew the ending.

“The storm's getting worse. Why don't you see if you can find some candles or maybe a flashlight in case the power goes off? I'm going to make sure everything's secured outside.”

While she searched through the cabinets and drawers, it was almost impossible to concentrate on what she was doing.

She'd put so many lives in danger thinking this was the right thing to do, but they were really no closer to finding out what happened and more people stood a chance of losing their lives.

“I think the hurricane has made landfall,” JT said as he struggled to close the door against the wind and rain. As if to accentuate the point, the lights flickered once. Even though it was barely three in the afternoon, outside it was almost as dark as night.

“How bad do you think it will get?” Faith's voice was less than steady. Her nerves frayed.

“I don't know. It could blow itself out with landfall, or it could get quite bad. This one's pretty unpredictable.”

She still couldn't believe this was happening on top of everything else. “The coffee's fresh if you'd like some. I thought I'd make us something to eat since we skipped lunch.”

“Thanks. I could use something to warm me up. The temperature is dropping like crazy. It's...eerie.” He came over to where she was, his gaze lingering on hers. “Can I do anything to help you?”

She handed him a steaming cup of coffee and cleared her throat. “No, I've got it. You're exhausted. You should take a break.”

JT grinned for the first time and her heart did a little flip. “I do want to check in with Derek and Teddy. Maybe something's turned up by now.”

Faith placed the Glock that JT insisted she carry with her on the countertop next to her while she went about gathering ingredients to make a quick beef stew. She knew there was a real chance the storm would take out the power and the meal might be ruined, but she needed to keep her hands busy.

She'd experimented with lots of recipes since taking her cooking class, but her favorite by far was homemade beef stew. There was something almost therapeutic about doing the simple tasks like chopping vegetables for a one-pot meal.

With the stew simmering on the stove, Faith went to the walk-in pantry to get the ingredients to make homemade rolls. Her entire body was on edge, reacting to every little noise as the wind continued to howl like a siren outside.

She grabbed the flour, baking powder and baking soda and started back to the kitchen when the lights went out without warning. Instantly, the pantry was plunged into complete darkness and she dropped everything. No flicker. Just a frightening darkness that made it impossible to see her hand in front of her. She'd left the Glock on the counter, along with the flashlight and candles.

Faith groped her way to the kitchen. She'd just reached the stove when she heard a crashing noise at the back door. The once-locked door now stood wide open. A gust of wind and rain covered everything close by, including her.

Then he stepped inside. She spotted something in his hand. A knife. Instinctively, she knew it was
him
. She felt her way to the Glock, her heart pounding in her ears, keeping perfect time with her movements.
Just a couple more inches. Almost there
. She had to reach the gun.

Her fingers barely touched the weapon's barrel when he grabbed her from behind and the Glock flew from her hand. Before she could scream, a hand clamped hard over her mouth. Just like before.

No. Please, Lord, no.

She clawed at the hand covering her mouth, her heart thundering in her chest. His arm tightened around her, cutting off her air. He held the knife against her side. She could feel its cold blade through her shirt. If she wanted to live, she'd have to find a way to escape. She drew air into her lungs and kicked him in the shin with everything she had. He let out a yelp and loosened his hold. The knife slipped from his hand and slid across the floor.

Faith scrambled free and out of his reach. Her foot collided with something hard. The Glock. Before she could reach it, he caught some of her hair and she went sprawling on the floor. Desperately, she crawled on her hands and knees. She could hear his heavy breathing close by. He was gaining on her.

With her hands stretched in front of her, she found the Glock, flipped on her back and pointed the weapon in the direction she believed him to be.

She wasn't going to die on his terms. She'd fight to the bitter end because she wanted to live. She had a reason to live. She had JT.

With the knife forgotten, he dropped to his knees, grabbed her legs and yanked her toward him. The weapon went off and he screamed in pain, but didn't let her go. He jerked her against his body and knocked the air out of her. His hand pressed hard over her mouth once more. She could feel his hot breath on her face. “Did you really think I'd let you go?”

She recognized his voice.
She recognized him.
This was the man of her nightmares. She even knew his name. Phillip Masters, Jr.

Faith fought with all her strength, but his grip tightened around her waist. He staggered to his feet and pulled her up with him. She could feel him smile against her cheek. Her terror pleased him.

“Hello, Rachel. You seem surprised to see me. Didn't you believe me when I told you you'd never leave me?” She pushed as hard as she could at the arm restraining her and he laughed. She frantically tried to make sense of what he'd said.
Rachel.
He called her Rachel.

She struggled to hold on to the faintest of memories. They'd been close at one time. She'd imagined herself in love until he revealed the monster within.