Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 612(@200wpm)___ 490(@250wpm)___ 408(@300wpm)
“It was so dark,” Guadalupe said. “But yes, I’ll make certain you get it. It would be a relief to know why he was in my yard. It isn’t as if I have really close neighbors. I don’t share a fence with anyone. My house sits in the middle of an acre, so to actually get to my home, you have to come up a private drive. He was there deliberately.”
“Did he put anything in your mailbox?” Stella asked. “Letters? Threats?”
Guadalupe shook her head. “I honestly was a little afraid to look after viewing the video from the surveillance cameras.”
“I should be able to figure out his height and weight,” Raine assured her. She sounded totally confident. “If you don’t want to stay alone, you’re welcome to come to my home. I have a spare bedroom. Just know that grumpy Rush is there, and he’s very bossy.”
“I have cabins,” Stella told her. “I’m an hour away, but it might do you good to have a little vacation.”
“Stella has a luxury spa,” Zahra added.
Before Harlow could volunteer her home, Guadalupe was already shaking her head. She squared her shoulders. “I’ve never allowed myself to back down from a fight. If this person is threatening me, he’s got a surprise coming. In my life I’ve dealt with far worse than an intruder.”
“Guadalupe.” Harlow was as gentle as possible. She cared about her friend, even if Guadalupe didn’t reciprocate her feelings. “Do you know how many people have actually died in Knightly in the past couple of months? We suspect someone is behind the deaths. It’s just us thinking that, but if some stranger is creeping around your home, trying to open your windows and trampling through your flower beds, you have to take it seriously.”
“I own a gun,” Guadalupe confessed.
“So did Paul Rafferty,” Raine pointed out. “You can’t count on that. You probably know this man. He acts like a friend. It wouldn’t be the first time we were all deceived.”
“I have spare rooms,” Harlow said. “You know my house inside and out. We could make you comfortable there.”
“Or mine,” Shabina chimed in. “You’ve been there; you know how large it is. Plenty of room. You could have your own private entrance.”
Harlow flashed Shabina a warning look. Rainier was not going to give access to their home to anyone, especially someone under suspicion for making death threats. Truthfully, she wasn’t just under suspicion; they knew for a fact that she was the person putting the threats into Harlow’s mailbox. They’d caught her on camera.
Harlow didn’t want Guadalupe staying in Shabina’s home. Or Raine’s. This was her mess, or at least the fallout from her parents’ devious lifestyle. She had become certain Guadalupe was that young, frightened girl the senator had taken advantage of and then dumped over the border right into cartel country, alone, with no money and pregnant. If that was so, it meant she was the mother of Harlow’s sibling. Never once had she talked about having a child. In her real estate office, she didn’t have a single photograph of any member of her family.
“You’re all so generous,” Guadalupe whispered. “I can’t thank you enough, but I’ve lived alone for so many years, I wouldn’t know how to share a house even for a few days.”
Raine nodded. “I understand completely. I’ve done the same, lived alone since I was eighteen, and you get used to doing everything exactly the way you want it. No one is messing with your things, touching your devices, listening to phone calls. I get it. But in the end, Guadalupe, despite my objections, I knew Rush was right when he said I couldn’t go home alone. I hated that he was right, but the risk of losing my leg was too great to ignore him. In this case, your safety is a huge concern. If we all ignore the warning signs and something were to happen to you, we would be as guilty as the killer.”
Harlow knew Raine had deliberately used the word killer to emphasize they believed a person was behind the deaths. They wanted Guadalupe to take the intruder very seriously.
Guadalupe stroked her throat, the first nervous gesture Harlow had ever observed her make. “It’s just that…” She broke off abruptly and then shook her head. “I really, really appreciate all of you being so kind and concerned, but I believe I can handle things by myself.”
Harlow realized it would be futile to continue. They weren’t going to get anywhere.
Raine leaned toward Guadalupe. “May I make one suggestion?”
“Of course,” Guadalupe said.
“Let me contact Rainier and have him go to your yard and look to see if he can track this man. He might find what he was doing.”
Harlow thought Raine was brilliant. Well…she was, but right then, even more so. She waited, holding her breath.