All of a sudden, she didn’t mind the orders. He was in protection mode, and it made her feel better knowing he had her back.
With a nod of agreement, she tossed the mail on the raised counter separating the kitchen and the living room. The envelopes slid, and a couple of them tumbled off onto the lower section by the sink. Backtracking, she leaned over to scoop them up into a neat stack and saw her name printed on one. She picked it up, assuming Gina had left her a note.
“I’ll just be a few minutes.”
She slid a finger beneath the flap to open it as she headed down the hall. In the guest room, she pulled out the sheet of white, tri-folded paper and opened it. Instead of her best friend’s handwriting, there was a single paragraph of plain text.
I’m very disappointed in you, Brittany. That’s what he calls you, isn’t it? I expected more from you—hoped for more. Why him, of all people? Maybe you’re still hurting after Daniel. Maybe you’re just confused. Either way, I’ll make it simple for you. Stay away from Morgan, and don’t call the police. I won’t hesitate to show you how serious I am by extracting a pound of horseflesh…and let me assure you, I’m very good with animals. Be a good girl and no one will get hurt.
Her body flashed hot, then cold as she sank down on the edge of the bed. She literally felt the blood drain from her face as her trembling hand rattled the paper in the silence.
He knows where I live.
He knows about Daniel.
He knows Joel uses my full name.
He knows about Paelo.
Of all the details, that one hit hardest.
He knows about Paelo.
The words pound of horseflesh seared into her brain, followed by a flash vision of the bloody elk carcass. A sob caught in her throat.
“You doing okay in there?”
Britt flinched at the sound of Joel’s voice and jerked her head up.
Stay away from Morgan. Don’t call the police. If Joel saw the letter, would he understand her need to make sure her horse was okay?
No. After the tires, he’d insist on the police first.
“Brittany?”
“I—” Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and forced the words out. “I’ll be right out.”
But she could hear him coming down the hall. Her hands shook as she quickly folded the paper and stuffed it in her pocket. Her gut clenched at the thought of keeping it from him, but what choice did she have? Joel was protecting her; she had to protect her horse.
She hurried to the closet for her duffle bag, then tossed it to the bed as he entered the room. At the dresser, she reached to open the top drawer. Her hands would not stop trembling. Oh, God, she was going to lose it.
“Hey.” His soft voice right behind her made her jump, then gentle hands urged her to turn around. Tears burned her eyes and she buried her face against his chest as they spilled over. His arms closed around her and held tight.
“Shh.” One hand rose to stroke her hair. “It’s going to be okay.”
With the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear, his embrace made her feel safe. Secure.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you, okay? We’re going to catch him.”
His calming tone held a note of confidence that quelled her panic. As the paralyzing emotion subsided, her thoughts cleared and focused on the fact that Joel would keep her safe. It wasn’t hard for her heart to convince her mind because he’d never given her any evidence not to trust him.
Which made lying to him that much harder. The lump in her throat swelled again, but she promised herself once she saw Paelo, she’d show the note to Joel and gladly call the cops. She took one more deep breath, then lifted her hands to wipe her face and push from his arms.
“I’m sorry. Things just kind of hit me all of a sudden. I feel like an idiot.”
“Don’t apologize.” He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “It’s been a rough night.”
She shrugged. “Thanks for understanding. I’ll get my stuff and we can go.”