Finding a Hero, page 25
She nodded slowly. “I hadn’t thought about it that way. I just want to make sure they have time for them.”
“Rachel, you and Shiloh are super close,” Cindy interjected. “Think of it this way… at some point, you and she were probably going to be moving into his house anyway. I mean, if they stay together, it’s not like all three of you would be living on the third floor of the Sea Glass Inn. Maybe this just moves the timeframe up a little bit, but the three of you would have to figure out how to be a family sometime.”
Nodding, she felt lighter than she had and smiled. The bell rang, and the quartet quickly stood and dumped their trash before heading out of the cafeteria. Cindy and Brian waved as they walked in the opposite direction.
Outside her classroom, Jack and she stepped to the side, letting the other teens rush by. He moved closer, talking just to her. “Joseph wants you safe. But you have to know, Rachel, that I want you safe, too. Promise me that you won’t go anywhere without people around you. Me, if at all possible.”
She looked into his eyes, butterflies swarming in her stomach. He was one of the most popular boys in ninth grade yet had chosen to hang out with her. She didn’t have enough life experience to know what that meant, but she was glad he did.
He reached out and took her hand, squeezing gently as he stepped to the side, making sure the others walking in the hall didn’t bump her. She stared up at his face, noticing that his attention was riveted on her and not the other girls walking past.
He jiggled her hand. “Promise me.”
She nodded. “Okay, I promise. I’ll wait on you at the end of the day.”
He leaned closer, and her breath caught in her lungs, wondering if he was going to kiss her right next to her algebra classroom. Instead, he veered to the side, his breath puffing against her skin as his lips brushed against her cheek. Then winking, he watched as she scurried into the classroom, a wide smile on her lips.
31
Joseph was out with Callan and Jared on routine sweeps up and down the coast around Baytown, including the inlets. Glancing at the time, he was glad to see that Jared was heading them back toward the station. It had been a quiet morning for which he was glad, considering his mind was filled with Isaiah, keeping Shiloh and Rachel safe and wanting to end the threat while being thrilled that they were in his house. Moving to the wheel, he and Callan stood near Jared, their eyes sweeping over the area but seeing nothing untoward.
“Anything new going on?” Callan asked.
Shaking his head, he replied, “No. It’s been three days since Shiloh got the letter, and I’ve dropped Rachel off at school each morning, Shiloh off at the inn, and made sure they were both with others until I could get them at the end of the day and would go home.”
“How’s it working out having them with you?” Jared asked.
“It’s good.” Those two words hardly describe what he felt, which would have been more accurately described as fuckin’ fantastic.
Jared lifted his brow. “It doesn’t feel too crowded?”
“Well, I know my house is kind of small, but it’s fine. Shiloh and Rachel had been sharing the attic bedroom at the Sea Glass Inn. Granted, it’s a big room, but it was never going to be permanent. And with the kitchen on the first floor, there was only so long before they would start needing to look for their own place, anyway.”
“Yeah, but you two haven’t been dating that long. Usually, people date for a while before they move in together,” Jared continued.
Before he or Callan had a chance to comment, Jared shook his head and added, “Although, for around here, I don’t suppose it’s that odd. Seems like just about everybody we know has ended up moving in with people when shit happened.” He shook his head and laughed. “I’d better hope I don’t meet anyone who needs help. The last thing I want to do is share my space with someone until I’m ready to put a ring on it. Even then, it might feel too soon.”
Callan barked out a laugh and clapped Jared on the shoulder. “It’ll hit you, man.” He glanced over toward Joseph. “We gotta take bets at the station on how fast it happens to him.”
Jared jerked slightly. “Bets? On what?”
Feeling lighter than he had in several days, Joseph laughed. “We can take bets to see how long it is from the time Jared meets someone to the time they're living with him. My guess? Less than a week!”
“Fuck that!” Jared said.
As he pulled into the station, Ryan called over the radio. “Joseph? As soon as you secure the vessel, meet me in my office.”
The smile fled his face, the weight of worry about Shiloh hanging on his shoulders.
“Go on,” Jared said. “Callan and I will take care of everything here.”
Thanking them, he stepped onto the pier and jogged into the building, heading straight to Ryan’s office. Stepping in, he spied Mitch and Colt, and his heart dropped. Before he could ask, Ryan hurried to say, “Shiloh and Rachel are fine. This is about the investigation.”
Glad there was a chair nearby, he plopped into it, uncertain his legs would hold him up. “Thank God.” Turning to Mitch, he asked, “What did you find out?”
“I took the information you had given me and ran with it. Thanks to you, the first leg of the investigation was already done.” Mitch flipped open the folder and continued, “I tracked down the original deputy who came across the van accident. The five occupants, Shiloh’s parents, her sister and brother-in-law, and the community pastor, were all pronounced deceased by the medical examiner who came out. Their injuries were consistent with severe trauma from an automobile accident. Without any question of foul play, their bodies were released to Isaiah Tolson and Shiloh Wallen. The sheriff faxed the report to me. I also contacted the local hospital that received the bodies from the accident. Shiloh signed a release form for Isaiah to identify the bodies and have a funeral home bring the five bodies back to Plineyville.”
“So the body identification was done by Isaiah?” Joseph asked, leaning forward.
“I know what you’re thinking, but Edward was the one who signed for the identification of Shiloh’s family. Now, when the van was hauled out of the ravine, it ended up with Edward’s father after the sheriff talked to him. That was where he looked at it, getting the idea that the brake line had been tampered with. I also followed up on questions about the community. The deputy told me that they were a peace-loving group. Never filed reports and never called the police. I asked him if he didn’t think that was unusual, considering nobody is that peaceful. He agreed but said there was never a reason to check into them. He knew some people moved away after Isaiah took over as community leader, but again, no one ever filed a complaint.”
“So someone can just do what they want, bully, threaten, coerce, and get away with it?” Joseph growled, leaning back in his chair with a huff. Grimacing, he shook his head. “I know that’s how cults work, but that’s why they’re hard to shut down.”
“I sent the deputy a copy of the letter from Isaiah, and he was interested. He noticed how more and more land was being acquired under Isaiah’s name. Again, without anyone complaining, there was no reason to think that Isaiah wasn’t doing anything more than what a lot of other people do, and that's to buy up real estate. And with a copy of the note he’d sent Shiloh, the sheriff said that it made a little bit more sense.”
Leaning forward, he placed his forearms on the table and held Mitch’s gaze with intensity. “What makes sense?”
“The county this sheriff is in has been growing because land developers have put in a small ski resort and lodge. He says they are looking to buy up more and more of the surrounding lands, wanting to expand.”
Joseph gasped, a sharp pain hitting his chest as the air rushed out. “Isaiah’s getting everyone to sign their land over to him so he can turn around and sell it. Christ, he’d make millions!”
“I’ve got an old military bud in that area,” Colt added. “After Mitch talked to me, I gave them a call. He said that land is starting to go for a premium, and the price will only go up. Isaiah’s edicts have been taking effect where the women have to turn their land over to him. If anyone can’t farm it, such as the elderly, they have to turn it over to him. If anyone wants to sell and leave the area, it appears they are convinced to sign it over to him. He hasn’t been able to gather it all. The land that Shiloh and Edward had from their parents bordered the area between Plineyville and the county where the development has already occurred.”
“And she sold it to someone outside the community. Someone Isaiah had no power or control over.”
Suddenly jolting, he rushed, “That older couple she sold it to. They could be in danger!” Shiloh had spoken of the couple helping her, giving her a new lease on life. If anything happened to them because of her, she’d be distraught.
Mitch lifted his hand and nodded. “I thought of that. The sheriff made a trip out, and it seems the couple wanted to make sure nothing could happen, so their land is already in a trust. If anything happens to them, it’s split among their children and grandchildren, who are spread out all over the country. In other words, Isaiah would not be able to get his hands on it.”
Colt added, “Based on the letter he sent Shiloh, the sheriff will consider that as cause to go in and start an investigation in the finances. I talked to him again this morning, and the wheels are already in motion. As it turns out, Isaiah had already garnered the attention of the IRS, and they’ve been looking into him for the past six months. His funds have been frozen.”
The four men remained quiet for a moment, and Joseph turned all the information over in his head. “Okay, so we understand Isaiah’s motivation. We know that he needs to turn his attention away from Shiloh and focus on what’s happening to him. But do you think he’s left the area? Do you think he’s realized he’s got nothing to gain by coming after her?”
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t let my guard down yet,” Ryan said, shaking his head. “With what happened to Judith and my kids, I can tell you, don’t assume anything.”
Joseph looked at his boss, knowing he’d almost lost his whole family to an assassin. Christ, if anything happened to Shiloh or Rachel…
“Stay focused and make sure they still travel with others,” Mitch agreed. “As soon as the sheriff in Pennsylvania has Isaiah under their thumb, he’ll call.”
The men all pushed themselves to stand, and as Joseph walked to the door, he stopped and clasped hands with the other three. His shift was over, and he wanted to get to the library to pick up Shiloh and Rachel, knowing he wouldn’t rest easy until he had them with him.
It only took a few minutes to drive, and when he walked through the library doors, it didn’t take any effort to find them. Rachel and Shiloh were sitting at a table to the side. Pastor Parton and George MacElvey were sitting across from them, listening with rapt attention as Rachel described their situation. As he walked closer, Shiloh caught sight of him first and grinned. Breathing easier to see that they were safe and in good company, he walked straight over to her and bent, taking her lips in a quick kiss.
“So that’s the way the wind blows, is it?” George said, his eyes twinkling.
“I told you that,” Pastor Parton said, his head twisted toward George. “They’ve been dating for a while now.”
“Well, I might not know the first gossip,” George huffed, “but I will say I’m pleased. I think the three of you make a mighty fine-looking family.”
Joseph jerked slightly, his gaze shooting down toward Shiloh and Rachel, finding the teenager grinning from ear to ear. Shiloh’s gentle smile curved her lips, and her cheeks tinged pink.
“I hate to break up the gathering, but I need to get these two home,” he said. George and the pastor hugged both women and shook his hand before he managed to get them into his SUV. It didn’t take long before they pulled into the driveway.
Glad that dinner wouldn’t take long, considering they just had to reheat one of the casseroles his mom had made, he filled them in on the information he’d gotten from Mitch and Colt. He skimmed over the discussion about the accident, focusing on why Isaiah wanted the land. Nothing seemed to surprise Shiloh other than Isaiah’s apparent interest in selling the land for a profit after having been under his thumb for years as he preached the evils of money.
Tears welled in both women’s eyes at the idea that Isaiah might have had a hand in their parents’ deaths. If he could have spared them more heartache, he would have, but he needed them to understand what the man was capable of.
Shiloh clutched Rachel’s hand as they continued to listen, seeming to accept the new information with a mixture of sadness at what had occurred and hope that Isaiah would soon be taken down.
As soon as they’d eaten, Rachel hopped up to wash the dishes, having grown quiet. Joseph knew something was up but wasn’t sure how Shiloh wanted to play this. Leaning closer, he whispered, “What’s going on with Rachel?”
She nibbled on her bottom lip and shook her head. “I’m not sure, but I’ll talk to her.”
“Let’s talk to her together,” he said.
She stopped nibbling, but her teeth still pressed against her bottom lip as though uncertain. He reached up and gently slid his thumb over the abraded flesh. “We’re together, right?”
Her eyes shone as she nodded. “Yes, we are.”
“Okay, look, Shiloh. All of this is new to us, but even if Isaiah pushed our timeline up, you and I wanted to get to this place in our relationship. We love each other. So we’re a family.”
Her shoulders lifted as she sucked in a deep breath and nodded again. “I know what you’re going to say. Whatever we face, we need to do it together.”
“I’m not gonna pretend I know everything about helping raise a teenage girl, but Betsy was two years younger than me, so I’m not completely without experience.”
Rachel walked back into the room with a wet cloth to wipe off the table. Joseph reached out and stilled her hand. “Have a seat, Rachel. Shiloh and I would like to talk to you.”
Rachel sat, her gaze darting back and forth between the two adults. He looked toward Shiloh, who suddenly appeared very unsure. Jumping in, praying he was using the right words, he said, “I know that I dumped a lot of information on you, and I want to make sure that you feel you can ask questions. I might not know the answer, but I’ll find out.”
Her face scrunched for a few seconds before blurting, “Will Isaiah go to jail?”
“Well, I don’t know. And if he does, I don’t know what the charges will be. It would be up to the county sheriff in Pennsylvania to decide if he wants to try to open a case for the brake tampering, but as someone in law enforcement, I’d have to say that might be hard to prove.”
Rachel’s face fell, and he shot a look toward Shiloh. “But as far as what he’s doing with the money, tax evasion, coercion… all of those things, then I’d say yes, he has a good chance of being arrested.”
Her eyes widened as she nodded. “Is it wrong of me to hope he does go to jail?”
“I hope he rots in there!” Shiloh growled, causing Rachel and Joseph to swing their gazes toward her in surprise. Rachel bit back a grin, but he pulled Shiloh closer to him with his arm around her waist.
After a moment, Rachel hesitantly asked, “So what happens when the threat is over?”
“Well, um… I…” Shiloh looked toward Joseph, her gaze searching his.
“What do you want to happen, Rachel?” he asked, his heart in his throat, afraid that she wanted to leave.
Rachel’s brow lowered, and she blinked several times, a tear escaping down her cheek. “I like it here.”
Joseph and Shiloh sat up straighter at the same time, their gazes moving from each other back to her. The air fled his chest, and he dipped his chin. “Well, good. I like you here, too.”
Rachel rushed, “I’m not a child. I know you two need privacy. You need to grow as a couple and have time… you know… just for you. I don’t want to be the burden that makes you think it’s too hard for this to work.”
Shiloh sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Rachel,” she said softly. “You’ve been through a lot of changes in the last months as well as years. Joseph and I want to ensure you’re taken care of because we love you.”
“Don’t you remember what I told you before?” he asked. “You’re our bonus, not a burden. So get that idea out of your head.”
She jumped up and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Oh, Joseph, thank you.”
He patted her back and grinned at Shiloh over Rachel’s shoulder. As she shifted away, he stood and said, “I’m gonna let you two have some time to talk while I catch a game on TV.” With that, he leaned over and kissed Shiloh, chucked Rachel under the chin, and walked into the living room.
Hours later, he was surprised when Shiloh came into his room right after saying good night to Rachel. Brow lifted, he grinned as he watched her approach the bed. “Hey.”
She climbed under the covers with him and cuddled close. “Hey, yourself.”
“So… um… you’re coming in kind of early. Not that I’m complaining, but… um…”
She giggled softly. “Well, Rachel told me tonight that she knew we were intimate and didn’t want us to feel like we had to sneak around.”
He shifted on his side so that he could see her face. “Seriously?”
“She said Cindy talked about Judith moving into their house. Jack talked about how he and Carrie moved in with Colt. She said it wasn’t right for us to feel like we couldn’t be who we were around her.”
“What do you think?”
She smiled up at him, and warmth moved through his veins as he cupped her face.
“I think she’s right. What we have feels solid, Joseph. And real. And I don’t want her to think that what we’re building is wrong or something to be ashamed of. My parents were affectionate with each other. So were Rebecca and Thomas. And while what Edward and I had wasn’t great passion, we were affectionate. So she told me I should stay here with you.” She pressed her lips together and hastily added, “Not that I’m moving my things in—”
