Chapter One
Phoebe Blue’s cell buzzed. Being in a hurry, she didn’t take the time to look at the caller ID. “Hello?”
“Hey, baby.”
Though she’d heard the sickening voice a million times, she still didn’t recognize whose it was. The freak masked his identity with some kind of technology, causing his words to sound monstrous.
“Stop calling me,” she told the bastard. How many times would she have to change her number? At least one more.
“Phoebe, don’t be that way. You know how I feel about you.”
“Who are you?” Her heart was racing, and her palms were sweating. I hate this.
“The one who loves you with all his heart. I know you feel the same way about me, too. I’m sure you can’t wait to feel my dick in your pussy. I have it all planned.”
How could anyone be this sick? “I don’t fucking know who you are. Why can’t you leave me alone?”
“Because you mean too much to me. Have fun at the party, baby.”
The line went dead, and she threw the phone down. Should she even go tonight? The guy knew she was going to a party. What else did he know? Would he be there, watching from the shadows?
Shaking from head to toe, she stared at her old ballerina outfit on the bed. God, how long had it been since she tried it on? Before law school, at least. Would it even fit?
As usual, she was running late. The O’Learys’ Halloween party had to be in full swing already—the reason for the selection of her old dance clothes as a costume. She’d forgotten to get something else, being so tied up with the Steele case. She loved being an attorney most of the time, but the hours sometimes weren’t the best.
She glared at the phone, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves. “You will not dictate to me where I go, asshole.” Her words were strong but her insides were still a wreck.
What if he’s just outside my door?
“I am stronger than that.” She shook her head. The bastard had never shown up anywhere after all this time. He kept his stalking to the phone. “He’s a coward. I will not let him win.”
Him? If she just had a face, a name…anything, then she could confront the son of a bitch. But she didn’t.
She grabbed her brush and looked in the mirror. She’d thought about wearing her hair up like she normally did. It would be appropriate for a ballerina. But she decided to leave it down. In the courtroom, she kept her long brown l
ocks up. At parties, she wore it down. The O’Learys’ Halloween Gala was one of the biggest parties in Destiny. Hair down tonight, ballerina or not.
When her cell buzzed again, she jumped. This time she looked at the caller ID. Not the stalker. “Hey, Ashley.”
“Did he call again, Phoebe? I saw a blocked number show up.”
All her calls, e-mails, and texts were also routed to Ashley. They’d set it up long ago to make sure everything got logged in on the calendar and so that she could record all Phoebe’s hours for billing. After the stalker issue popped up, it gave Phoebe a little comfort to know Ashley was aware anytime the stalker contacted her.
“Yes. He’s nothing but a chickenshit, Ash. No worries.”
“But I am worried. You need to tell Jason about this.”
“He already knows. Remember he took my last cell phone.”
Jason Wolfe never left Phoebe’s thoughts for more than an hour. He made her crazy—Jason and his two brothers, Mitchell and Lucas, but especially him. She’d fallen hard for them. That’s just water under the bridge, Phoebe. There was no going back, no rekindling of old flames. Couldn’t be. Not after all that had happened with Shane.
“Jason doesn’t know about this latest call, Phoebe. He’s here at the party. You need to talk to him.”
Phoebe didn’t want to talk to him. Jason was the reason Shane, her brother, had gotten the book thrown at him for a minor drug possession charge. Mitchell and Lucas had told Jason about Shane’s slipup. She might’ve forgiven all of them if they had come to her first. But they hadn’t, probably because she was such an amazing defense attorney. She still didn’t understand why Shane had refused to let her defend him, choosing to represent himself instead. Likely he was ashamed of what he’d done, bringing a dark cloud on the Blue family name.
“Should I come over and get you?” Ashley asked.
“No. I don’t need a chaperone, Ash. I’m perfectly fine.” Even as she said the lie, she continued to tremble. She lifted the white garment up to her body. It would have to do if she was going. She could hear the band fire up through her cell. Mitchell’s band. Lucas would be there, too. God, it was hard seeing the three Wolfe brothers together anywhere—a rare occurrence since Mitchell and Lucas were still angry with Jason about the breakup with her. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. If I’m not, you can come looking for me,” she added with a false giggle. Her mind drifted to the happier times she’d had with the three handsome brothers.
“You look gorgeous, Phoebe,” Jason said.
She leaned into him. “We don’t match. I’m dressed as an angel and you’re a devil.”
“Kind of backward, if you ask me.” Lucas grinned and grabbed her hand.
“I can be quite the devil when need be, mister,” she teased. “Do I need to be one tonight?”
“You’re always a little devil, baby, and I love it.” He kissed her. “We should’ve coordinated our costumes. Look at me and Mitchell. I’m Michelangelo and he’s Elvis Presley. We don’t fit your outfit at all.”
“But you do fit me, Lucas. You and Mitchell fit me perfectly.” She loved these three with all her heart.
“I get why Mitchell picked Elvis. Everything is about music for him. But your costume choice confuses me. Why Michelangelo?” Jason put his arm around both his brothers. “He’s an inventor, painter, and sculptor. That’s a departure from what you usually wear to the O’Learys’ Halloween party.”
“Bro, he was an architect as well,” Lucas said. “He’s responsible for the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.”
Mitchell asked, “At the Vatican?”
“Makes sense to me now why Lucas chose to impersonate the man,” Jason said.
Lucas nodded and smiled. “This is our last year together before you go off to boot camp, Jason. You’re going to make a great Marine. I still wish we could’ve done something together for our costumes tonight.”
Phoebe took a deep breath, wondering how she would be able to survive without one of her three Wolfe brothers.
Jason’s gaze landed on her, and she knew he was seeing right into her like he always could. “You think I won’t be coming back for the O’Learys’ parties? You and my two brothers can’t get rid of me that easy. Costumes that match or not, everyone in town knows we are meant for each other. Yes, it will be hard to be away from you, but I will come back. Soon, the three of you will graduate and head off to college. Well, maybe you and Lucas. I expect Mitchell to take his band on the road.
“Damn right.”
“With your talent, I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Jason stepped right in front of her and touched her cheek. “I love you, Phoebe Blue. My brothers love you. Nothing will ever change that.”
“I love you, too. I love all of you.”
He, Lucas, and Mitchell kissed her, causing her toes to curl.
“Phoebe, are you still there?” Ashley asked, pulling her back into the here and now.
She took a deep breath, pushing the memories away. “I am. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”