“Me too. But, I’m glad of where everythingended up.” She curled into his side.
“Whatever his deal is, he’s fixated on you.Maybe this town and his success, but I still think it’s all aboutyou. Revenge or obsession or who the hell knows.” Chase shook hishead in frustration. “I’m sorry. I just can’t seem to get my headinto a psychopath stalker’s head.”
“I just hope we figure this out before hedoes anything. Did you find anything in your research?” Maddy feltnear to the point of actually pouting.
“A bit. There are a number of cruise linesthat pass along our lovely little coast, but no stops around here.I suspect a new cruise company would love to move in, as many ofthose already in the state are pretty popular and have a good thinggoing. Our little town, with its growing tourism, would be aperfect spot. So, I don’t doubt he has at least one big fish on theline.”
Maddy agreed. “No doubt. Not that they’rewelcome here.”
“I’ll keep digging on that. It took a whileto find the law firm. Not much online for them either. I knowAndrea’s working this angle, so I’d like to compare what she’s beenable to find, if she lets us.”
“I’m wondering about looking into hisparents. Sounds like he’s starting a business pretty similar to hisdad’s. Maybe we can look into his dad’s business, see if any of hisventures account for Dylan’s activities over the last decade. I’llgive Andrea a call in the morning. In the meantime, I’ll email herwhat we have so she can find any connections on her end.
“For now… want to watch a movie and snuggleup in bed?” She looked up at him with a smile, changing thesubject. It had been a long day. Some shallow tv time soundedperfect.
He smiled back, as ready to change thesubject as she was. He pulled her up from the couch and they walkedhand in hand to bed.
***
Dylan punched the steering wheel again andagain until his knuckles bled through his bandages from the lasttime he lost control. Bitch. Things were getting out of hand.
She had a police car stationed outside of herhouse now. That asshole was inside with her, locked up behind herabsurdly fancy alarm system. He had a call in to a tech, butfinding someone to disable the system would be costly and wastaking too damn long anyway.
The deal for the business was solid and wouldgo through without a hitch. He had the cruise line owner eatingfrom his hand with the deal he’d negotiated; he could easilytransfer the deal to another town if needed. But, more than ever,he needed buy-in from his crew. They knew Madelyn was a crucialpart of his plan. However, they’d been immediately attracted to thelucrative deal despite his dual motives.
Biggest damn deal he’d negotiated; would setthem up for years. His father had built an empire buying andselling businesses, but he wouldn’t have been nearly so successfulif he’d had to pay full price. Dylan had learned well and taken itto the next level. He’d made good connections in jail and hadquickly built his own kingdom.
His father was constantly under a microscopeas his deals typically involved international trade. Dylan wassmarter than his father. Smaller, local businesses didn’t have theoversight. Nor the resources to investigate when things wentawry.
Dylan gave a satisfied smile as he pulledpast her house, returning to his motel room. He’d started small,modifying deliveries of alcohol to some of the local bars aroundGeorgetown. He gradually expanded his operations. Some businessowners gave in with some roughing up, others with small steps tode-value their properties, and others when competition moved in –or at least when they thought competition was moving in.
He couldn’t understand why Chase wasn’tfalling in line. Most recently, he’d sent in a crew to adjust thetemperatures on the coolers and called in the health department toperform an “unscheduled” inspection before the change was detected,but by the time they arrived all had been set aright. They had eventried to compromise some of the fishing gear and boat engines, butthey’d made repairs before anyone was hurt.
He should have started laying the groundworkbefore arriving in town, but Frank was a damn hawk. Didn’t miss athing. Would have smelled something fishy right off the bat. Heknew Chase suspected, but he didn’t know the business well enoughyet, nor did he have the support from the employees. No, it wasn’this timing that was off.
The orange glow of the motel sign came intoview, and Dylan pulled the sedan into a vacant spot. As he steppedfrom the car, he knew what he had to do. He could use Madelyn tohis advantage after all. Chase always seemed to be a step ahead ofhim in business, but if Madelyn were out of the picture, hewouldn’t have a choice but to sell out in order to get herback.
Not that Chase would actually get her back.Dylan faced the facts. He began to realize that he wouldn’t be ableto stick around to finalize the deal. But, he could earn a nicebonus on the business transaction to add to the nice nest egg he’dbuilt for he and Maddy.
The bed squeaked in protest as he laid downin his motel room. What a dump. In trying to keep a low profile,he’d made do with the only motel near Seaview that took cash anddidn’t ask for ID. Painful, when nicer digs were so close, but itwas a necessary precaution. It wouldn’t be long now; she was almostback in his life.
30
Morning came bright and early, the sun’s raysfiltering in through the curtain. Maddy rolled to her side to findthe rest of the bed empty. Rumpled sheets, no Chase beside her. Shesat up, clutching the sheet to her chest.
She wasn’t going to panic. She was a strong,independent woman. It was ok to be alone. She’s been alone foryears. Intentionally. She preferred it that way. She heard a crashin the kitchen. Pushing the growing panic aside, she sat andlistened.
“Dammit,” she heard a shout from across thehouse. Chase. She felt like an idiot. She’d have to control thejumpiness.
A moment later, coffee delivery arrived inthe form of a very sexy, tousled man with sleepy eyes in jeanshanging low over his hips, chest bare. “You’re up. I hope it wasn’tthe crash that woke you. Sorry, but your favorite Captain Marvelcoffee cup shattered. Never make coffee while sleepy. That’s my newrule.” Chase handed her a not-broken, not-favorite mug and sat onthe corner of the bed with his own steaming cup of joe.
“No, I’d just woken. You owe me a new mug,that’s my power mug I use when I’m feeling like I need the extraboost.” She grinned at him across the cup.
He studied her frazzled appearance, a pallorthat was slowly diminishing. “Hope you didn’t worry, waking upalone.”
“Of course not. I wake up alone all thetime.” She didn’t mean to, but the snap just came out.
“Wow, ok. What’s up?”
