Fractured Sky, page 10
Shiloh had only been ten when Howard Kemper took her, but whatever he’d said when he had her was likely permanently etched in her psyche.
She shifted on the step, and Kai moved in closer. “You can let go,” she said softly.
It took me a second. I didn’t want to lose the contact—that link between us. I forced my fingers to open, setting her hand free.
She stared down at it as if it held all the answers in the world. “He wrote me letters. I started getting them when I got my own mailbox. I have no idea if he tried to send them before or how he got my address. It’s a small town, and I can only guess that his son told him he’d seen me picking up mail at the post office.”
Blood roared in my ears. “There’s no way letters to a victim should’ve made it out of prison.”
Shiloh shrugged. “I’m guessing he had someone else send them.”
“And they were like this one?” The words and tone made me sick. Purity? “Shiloh, did he…?” I couldn’t even say the words.
She shook her head vigorously. “No. Nothing like that. He told me I was going to marry his son. That I had to stay pure and that my family would taint me. That they were evil.” She looked up. “But he’s dead. And this handwriting…it’s different. Plus, he never would’ve used words like carefully crafted.”
I snatched up the envelope from the porch step. “Mailed two days ago.” My pulse stuttered. “From Wolf Gap.”
Fear blazed brightly in Shiloh’s eyes. “Someone here sent it?”
“We need to call your brother. He’ll know who had the most contact with Howard while he was in prison.”
Her hand snaked out to grip mine. “No. Hayes is the last person I want to know about this.”
I was far from a fan of law enforcement, but this was one case where we needed it.
“Shiloh.”
“No. He finds out about this, and he’ll force me to move in with him and Everly. He’ll never let me out of his sight.”
“He has the resources—”
“He doesn’t know about the letters.”
I stilled. “You never told anyone about them.” It wasn’t a question. I knew it with a certainty I couldn’t entirely explain.
“What good would it do? Besides freak them out.”
“They could’ve talked to the prison to make it stop.”
Shiloh looked towards the horizon, tracing the mountains with her gaze. “I’ve had so few things that are mine. Even my loft at the ranch wasn’t really mine. It belonged to my parents. I had Sky and my mailbox, and that’s about it. When so little is yours, you’re not willing to lose any of it. Even if it would stop something that terrifies you.”
A jagged stab lit pain through my chest. “Someone wants to hurt you. And it’s someone seriously messed in the head if they’re sending fake letters from a dead man.”
I ran through the possibilities in my mind, trying to put together a list of names from the articles I’d read about the case. Howard had a son, but he was in jail for his part in a kidnapping. He’d had a brother, but Allen Kemper had been killed in a shootout with the police after kidnapping his daughter, Addie.
Shiloh pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly. “I don’t know who would do something like this. Who would hate me that much? But there were so many letters, Ramsey. Someone could easily copy that tone if they’d seen one.”
The vise returned at the forlorn bent to her voice.
“Sometimes, I’d get a packet full of them. Like he’d written every day for a month but hadn’t gotten the opportunity to send them.” Her knuckles bleached white as her fingers dug into her legs. “Who knows how many there were floating around or who might’ve seen one?”
That meant she could’ve been leveled with one at any time, like invisible landmines that could appear in her mailbox without warning. And if they were capable of putting her through what I’d just seen? It was too much.
“I think you need to talk to your brother.”
“My life will be over. Everything I’ve worked so hard for…gone.” More unshed tears shone in her eyes. “Howard Kemper doesn’t get to win. He stole so much of my life. I don’t want to let him keep taking from me after he’s gone.”
Emotions warred, a back-and-forth battle between keeping Shiloh safe and not clipping her wings. “Promise to tell me if you get another one?”
She swallowed but nodded.
“You need to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Someone who shows too much interest. Any cars that might be following you.”
“Ramsey, I’m always on alert. I have been since I was ten years old. Those days changed me. I haven’t trusted the same way since. I feel safe because I know how to handle myself and because I notice everything. If someone was tailing me, I’d know.”
My jaw worked back and forth. “It’s only ever been the letters?”
“That’s it. People in town are curious about me, but they mostly steer clear.” The corner of her mouth kicked up. “I think they’re worried my oddness might be catching.”
“You’re not odd.”
“I am. But I’m okay with it. People are overrated anyway.”
The chuckle that escaped me took me by surprise. I never would’ve thought I could move from threats to laughing so quickly. “I’ve never been much of a people fan either.”
Shiloh’s gaze locked with mine. “I know. That’s why it means everything that you let me stay here. I’ll never forget it. I know I can’t repay you—”
I took her hand in mine, weaving our fingers together. Her breath hitched, and I saw her pulse quicken.
“I like having you here. I think I needed it just as much as you did.”
The truth of those words hit somewhere deep in my chest, burning. But it was a beautiful kind of pain. One I welcomed. One that belonged only to Shiloh.
13
SHILOH
I studied the horse as she shifted, taking my measure. I sent silent messages that I would never hurt her and that I was on her side. But she didn’t approach.
Maybe she could still feel the anxiety of my earlier panic attack clinging to me. It sometimes took days for that frenetic energy to clear completely. I didn’t blame her for not wanting to approach. Yet, I couldn’t turn away.
Elliott scooted closer to the round pen’s fence as he looked up at the mare. “Is she gonna be okay?”
My heart clenched at the concern lining his little face. I rolled the words around in my mouth before speaking. I wanted to be cautious of the ones I chose, but I didn’t want to be dishonest with him either. Pretty lies only hurt more in the long run.
“She’s trying to figure out who she can trust. It’s going to take time.”
Elliott’s mouth thinned. “Dad was real mean to her. He never even let us name her.”
Nausea swept through me. “I know.”
“You guys will make her better. Aidan says Ramsey can do anything with horses.”
My insides warmed at the little boy’s certainty. “I’ve got a lot of faith in this beautiful girl. She’s got warrior spirit in her.”
The horse swished her tail as if relishing the compliment. I pulled a carrot out of my back pocket, slid my hand through the rails of the fence, and held it out to her.
The mare didn’t move. I simply kept my hand still and turned to Elliott. “You wanna go for a ride with me the next time you’re here?”
Elliott’s eyes brightened and then dimmed. He shuffled his feet. “I’ve only been once. I’m not that good.”
Anger lit in me that he’d never had the chance, despite growing up around the animals. Kenny Chambers’ horses had been too abused for Elliott to learn on, and I doubted Kenny would’ve taken the time to teach his son out of the goodness of his heart.
“We all start somewhere. One time, I didn’t check the girth and ended up under my horse. I bet you know enough not to do something silly like that.”
Elliott stifled a giggle. “What happened?”
“I had to put my hands on the ground and do a handstand to get down.” Thankfully, I’d been riding one of our oldest and calmest horses. He’d barely batted an eye at the ordeal.
Elliott toed a piece of gravel with his boot, and then his gaze traveled to where Ramsey and Aidan were bringing in some of the horses for the night. There was such longing in those eyes. A desire to be a part of it all. “I want to learn.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I began second-guessing them. I hadn’t ever taught anyone anything. My words didn’t always come out right. But when I looked down at Elliott, I knew I had to try.
He sucked in a breath. “She’s coming.”
His words were barely audible, but I couldn’t hold in my smile. “She just needed to do things in her own time.” I understood that. The sensation of being pushed would only make us lock up.
I slowly turned my focus back to the ring. The mare moved at a snail’s pace, her eyes alert. Her coat reminded me of Ramsey’s eyes—so dark brown it was almost black. A glimmering onyx in the fading sunlight.
I held my hand steady, waiting.
She eased a little closer. Then a little more. Her lips reached for the carrot, the hairs on her muzzle tickling my palm. This time, she didn’t bolt after grabbing the treat. She stayed still as she ate it.
Progress. Hope flickered to life down deep. I slowly pulled my hand back and reached for another carrot. Sliding it through the rails, I waited. I hadn’t stretched my arm out as far this time.
The mare took another couple of steps and gobbled up the second carrot. She didn’t move away. I held out my hand for her to sniff again. This time, I gave the underside of her chin a gentle scratch.
She jerked her head away as if startled but didn’t bolt. I froze. After a few moments, she lowered her head to my hand. I tried the motion again, lightly scratching. Her lips twitched, but she didn’t pull away.
“That’s it. See? A little massage can feel good.”
Elliott giggled. “Her lips are dancing.”
They were, indeed, twitching in a rapid movement as I stroked her.
I grinned. “That means we found one of her favorite spots.”
“She’s starting to see it’s good here. She’s safe.”
Something cracked in me at that—the fact that Elliott could recognize the need for safety at his age. I looked down at him. “I think you’re right. This has been my safe place for a long time. Now, it’s hers, too.”
Elliott looked around at the ranch, a look of longing coming back into his eyes. “You’re both really lucky.”
We were, and I’d give anything for Elliott and Aidan to have the same thing.
I tipped the rocker back and forth as the sun slipped below the horizon. The mare nestled into the shelter connected to the round pen, but I sensed she watched me, too. I hoped there was a little more understanding. That we were beginning to weave the barest strands of trust.
“You’ve gotten farther with her than I have.”
Kai climbed the porch steps and made a beeline for me as his owner spoke. I lifted my gaze to Ramsey’s dark depths as my hands sifted through Kai’s fur. “What do you think about the name Onyx?”
He turned to look at the mare, taking her in.
“It’s her coloring but more. I looked it up. It means nail or claw in ancient Greek.”
Ramsey nodded slightly. “She clawed her way out of Hell and straight to us.”
Us. As if we were a team. I liked the idea too much.
Ramsey stepped forward and into the glow of the porch lights. “Onyx, it is. I’ll get her name plaque ordered tomorrow.”
I took in the man in front of me, seeing how ladened he was with things for the first time. A duffel over one shoulder. Grocery totes over the other. A box in his arms.
I lifted a brow. “Going camping?”
He shook his head.
“Preparing for the apocalypse?”
He grunted.
“I might need more than non-existent charades to help me guess this one.”
There wasn’t even a flicker of the amusement I could usually drag out of Ramsey.
“I’d like to stay here for a while.”
Energy sparked through my nerve endings. “Here?”
The single word came out more high-pitched than I’d intended as if I were a middle school boy going through puberty and unable to control my voice.
Ramsey leaned against the railing, studying everything about my reaction. “I think it’s smart to be cautious. Someone knows you’re here. That means they’ve been watching.”
My skin itched as if it were too tight for my body, and my fingers picked up a rapid tapping against my thighs. “You have a gate. A security system—”
“One that needs some beefing up. I put a call in to the guy who helped me set it up, but he’s on vacation right now. Let me stay here until we get that sorted.”
A million different emotions warred inside me. I wanted the solitude and freedom I’d fought so hard for. But after today, my nervous system was shot. I was on edge, and the idea of having someone across the hall? It helped.
Just feeling that need for security in the form of another person made me feel weak. Annoyance flickered through me. “Your house is basically a hundred yards away.” There was some tree cover between, but Ramsey would be able to see anyone approaching the front of my cabin.
“More like two hundred.” Ramsey’s gaze met mine, and there were no walls in that moment. He let me see it all. The concern. The care. “I don’t like the idea of you staying alone when someone’s messing with you.”
A riot of emotions flew through me. Disappointment. Anger. Frustration. Relief.
Of course, Ramsey wasn’t here for any other reason than to make sure I was safe. I was so damn tired of only being seen as something to protect. But I was also exhausted. Tired to the bone. And, the truth was, I didn’t want to be alone tonight.
Ramsey moved in closer, dropping a box filled with food onto my porch. “Those wounded eyes kill me.”
I bristled at that. “They aren’t wounded.”
“Like I shoved a knife between your shoulder blades.”
I dug my fingernails into my palms to keep from saying something I shouldn’t. Instead, I kept all emotion from my tone. “I can take care of myself.”
“I don’t doubt it for a second. But there’s something to be said for someone watching your back.”
“And who watches yours?”
“Lor. Kai.”
The jealousy that hit me was swift and strong. I wanted him to include me in that tight circle. But wasn’t that what Ramsey was asking of me? For me to let him in? He was knocking. I just had to open the door.
I let out a huff of air. “You leave the toilet seat up one time, and you’re out.”
A laugh burst free from Ramsey. Everything about it was uninhibited. For the first time, he wasn’t holding himself back from me. I felt the vibrations of the sound skate over my skin, and nothing had ever felt better.
Except maybe Ramsey’s hand in mine. The warmth of his palm. Skin that didn’t make me want to crawl out of my own. Heat that comforted.
Ramsey held up a hand. “I solemnly swear never to leave the toilet seat up.”
I nodded and motioned to the box and bags. “Worried you won’t make it back to the main house?”
He looked at me, a bit of hesitancy bleeding into his expression for the first time. “I thought I could make you dinner.”
14
RAMSEY
I’d never felt more like an idiot. I didn’t offer to make women dinner. I hadn’t cooked for anyone but myself since the day I walked out the prison doors and no longer had kitchen duty. Sandwiches for the kids were one thing. This was something else entirely.
Surprise lit Shiloh’s expression, and it made the light blue of her eyes sparkle under the porch lights. “You cook?”
“I get by well enough not to poison us.”
It was more than that. Cooking had become an outlet—a way to unpack the day. To exercise my freedom. I hadn’t chosen what I ate since the age of seven when my mom married that asshole and I lost everything. He dictated every single meal—even what snacks were in the house. Then there was prison, where all I got was food barely fit for rodents.
When I finally got out, free of that man and those walls, food was my first expression of freedom. I ate all the things I’d never been allowed to have. My stepdad had seemed to have a radar for the things I liked and made sure I never had access.
When I got out of prison, I hadn’t wanted the feeling of having people’s eyes on me. So, I’d slowly learned to make meals for myself. I had that damned kitchen duty to thank for teaching me the basics. I’d built from there.
Shiloh’s cheeks pinked. “I’m really only good at lasagna.”
“That’s a good staple to start with. I could teach you more, if you want.”
“I’d like that.” She bent and picked up the box. “Tonight, I’ll be the sous chef. Because I’m freaking starving.”
I followed Shiloh inside, Kai darting in ahead of me. Always trying to steal my girl.
My steps faltered. My girl? Alarm bells went off in rapid succession.
I’d always been at peace with the knowledge that I wasn’t made for relationships. I couldn’t let down my walls enough for that. It wouldn’t be fair to the woman.
Yet, here I was, wanting that. Wanting her. And not just because of the healthy dose of lust that thrummed through me any time I caught sight of Shiloh. It was more than that. I wanted to be near her. To hear what she thought about things. To see her work with the horses on my ranch or tear across the field on Sky’s back as if she could touch the clouds.
“I’m just gonna put my bag in the guest room.”
