WindSwept Narrows: #11 Mariah Peyton Read online

  Mariah Peyton

  WindSwept Narrows

  Book Eleven

  Karen A. Nichols

  Copyright 2011 by Karen A. Nichols

  Smashwords Edition

  Published by Karen Nichols. Copyright, Karen Nichols. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Chapter One

  Thick, long dark brown hair tumbled from the solid black helmet, leather gloved hands hooking it on the back bar on the large motorcycle. Something was definitely off. Mariah Peyton moved toward the gas pump, one finger raised to her lips as she met the wide blue eyes watching her from the back seat of the car on the other side of the filling island.

  She sighed thickly. Her hand went to the heavy zipper down the front of the black jacket, lowering it slowly and reaching inside as she approached the driver of the car. She tapped lightly on the window, a brightly deceptive smile on her face.

  Wide brown eyes surrounded by a cloud of dark brown, a little exposed cleavage and they fall all over themselves. Men were such gullible creatures. She leaned over a little, a view of the low front of her top momentarily distracting him as he wound the window down.

  He froze in place when the familiar sound clicked in his ear.

  “You know what that sound is?” She asked quietly, accepting his slow, resigned nod. “Hands on the wheel…does he have a gun, elf?” She saw the redhead nod rapidly. “Lift it out…very slowly…it’s cold and we wouldn’t want my finger to slip on this trigger…cheap gun…empty it onto the seat….is there another one?”

  “He went inside to pay,” Eloise said softly.

  “Unlock her door,” Mariah ordered, the click barely heard in the bustle around the gas pumps. “Wrap up in the blanket, elf, we need to hide all that red. Stand over by my bike,” she said with a nod at the blanket the woman lifted from inside when she climbed from the back seat. “You…turn the car off…hand me the keys, nice and slow…” leather clad fingers wrapped around the jangling keys. “Good boy…now…pop the trunk…”

  Mariah stepped back from the door, opening it and watching the main entrance to the quickie mart.

  “No…don’t even open your mouth…I’m not interested,” she said simply, nudging him carefully with the gun in her palm. “I have a license for this…I bet you don’t have one for yours…now…get into the trunk…please…no noise…”

  She closed the trunk and let it latch, dropping to her heels and using her finger nail to release the air from the tire near her. She stood up and moved to Eloise.

  “Are you okay? Can you see inside the window? Which one is his partner?” Mariah followed her gaze.

  “I’m much better now, thank you. He’s wearing the grey sweatshirt thing…they thought they would get money if…if they took me,” she only had one of the red gloves, both hands holding the heavy blanket tightly closed.

  “There’s another helmet inside the case on the back of my bike…get it out and put it on…hide that hair,” Mariah suggested, leaning casually against the gas pump, her gaze never leaving the partner. “Do you know if he has a gun?” She sighed when the redhead nodded.

  Mariah stepped up when the other man approached the car, her smile bright and voice light. “He said he had to go to the restroom…” she took a step toward him, letting him see the gun. “Now…no moves…” her hand patted his sides and back, the gun pulled free and dropped into the car after flicking the safety in place. “Let’s join your friend…”

  “This isn’t your…” He swore when she brought her free hand up and grabbed his ear.

  “No noise. I’ve had a long, long day…and I’m tired and I’m cranky…and I’m not a real happy camper when I’m cranky.” She opened the trunk of the car, gesturing once and offering one arched eyebrow when he hesitated for only a moment. She slammed it down, replacing her gun in the holster and latching it in place. She moved efficiently, emptying the two guns onto the seat, raising the window and locking the car doors.

  Mariah moved to her bike, straddling it and helping the redhead get on behind her. She had her phone out, tapping in 9-1-1 and handing it to the woman behind her who removed the helmet and accepted the phone.

  “I’ll take you back…tell them we left the keys to the car on the gas pump and we’ll be…where ever you need to be returned to,” Mariah said tiredly.

  “Yes…this is Eloise Paddington…I know…the men who took me are locked in their trunk at the gas station,” she gave them the address quickly. “No…I’m going home…I have a ride…yes, I’ll speak with the police there…” she closed the phone and handed it back with a sigh. “Questions…always questions…”

  “I know the feeling,” Mariah said quietly. “Mariah Peyton.”

  “Eloise Paddington…thank you very much for your help.”

  “No problem…” she slid her helmet over her head and tapped the one Eloise held, waiting until it was in place. “Hold on and guide me to where you want to go…I’m not familiar with the area…it’s changed a great deal since I was last here.”

  “It’s not far….are you just visiting? Do you have a place to stay?”

  “After I filled up, that was my next destination. Lots of motels along the highway,” Mariah answered easily.

  “My family has a very large house…we have some quarters we can offer you, Mariah,” Eloise said firmly. “Please…it’s safe and warm…”

  “That’s kind of you,” Mariah answered without accepting, quietly following the directions and riding for several quiet minutes before pulling below the overhang. People began swarming from inside the lowest level of the huge pavilion. “You live here?”

  “Oh, no…this is the family business,” she said, lifting the helmet and sliding her booted foot to the ground. She had just dropped the helmet into the case when she saw him, tall, angular features pulled into a glare of grim fear and anger. “Morgan!” She took off at a run, crossing the concrete and launching herself into the open arms.

  Mariah kicked the stand into place and stepped onto the concrete, hooking the helmet on the back of the bike. A smile touched her lips as she watched the reunion. She didn’t know the full story yet, but the ending was obviously happy and that’s all that mattered to her.

  “Mariah, come inside, please,” Eloise broke from the tall man holding her and took Mariah’s hand with a tug. “The police will be here soon and I want you to meet everyone.”

  Mariah walked a little slower at Eloise’s side, carefully pulling off her gloves and stuffing them into the pocket of her short leather jacket. She felt all the eyes upon her as she gave up the cold and moved into the building.

  “The conference room is empty,” Gwen said firmly. “We’ll wa
it there for the police.”

  “They won’t be far behind,” Mariah said quietly. “There was a patrol car right next to the quickie mart when we pulled out. I’m honestly surprised they didn’t follow us.”

  Eloise shivered and tossed the blanket to the chair, stepping onto the small platform and clapping her hands.

  “I want you to meet Mariah Peyton…” She looked over at the woman striding in with Gwen. “I’ll tell you all the names, but don’t let it worry you. You’ll get used to them,” she ran lightly to Mariah and dragged her reluctantly into the center of the room, pointing as she introduced. “Morgan Kelley…Gwen and Ethan Collier…my parents…”

  Mariah was positive she was suffering brain over load by the time she was finished, the smile on her face wearing thin. It had been a long two day ride and she wanted nothing more than an hour beneath a stinging spray and tons of hot water. But she knew the drill, dragging two sets of slim fingers through the long dark hair when she caught sight of the police entering the room.

  “Now the fun begins,” she said wearily, striding to a chair and sinking down, letting the chipper redhead handle things until it was her turn.

  In jeans and a heavy coat, the detective was flanked by two officers when he pulled a chair to the table where Mariah sat waiting, watching.

  Eli Baker watched the slender hands on the woman across from him. He’d seen her stride across the room to the table, three inch heels on a pair of black leather boots that went to her knees; snug, black jeans that disappeared into the tops. She wore a waist length black leather jacket with buckles open, the simple and plain white girl T-shirt she wore had a scooped neckline that fit her curves to perfection. He guessed she wasn’t more than thirty, but he was often wrong about those guesses. Her eyes were wide and dark, thick curling brown hair hung down over her shoulders and she had high cheeks that seemed a little hollow.

  “Gentlemen…” Mariah began slowly, reaching into the inner pocket of her jacket and bringing out her wallet, a bright cherry red leather with a snap holding things neatly in place. She laid out her license to drive and her license to carry.

  “Dr. Mariah Peyton?” The detective looked up from the pieces of plastic. “How about you start at the beginning and tell me how you got involved?”

  “There I was…or is it once upon a time…” she began dramatically, kicking back and putting a pair of knee high boots on another chair. “I finished putting gas in the bike and saw the elf in the backseat of the car…she didn’t look happy…in fact, she was crying and she has a bruise on the side of her face. Regardless of the why involved…I knew it wasn’t a good situation.”

  “So you just…jumped in the middle?” Came the flat disbelief and genuine admiration.

  “Yeah…I got impulse issues,” she said ruefully. “I disarmed them, put them in the trunk, emptied the guns, locked the car and left you guys the keys. Nothing real complex…I brought the elf here…the end. You want I should write it all down for you?”

  “You knew nothing of the situation?”

  “I have a behind that will testify to the fact that it has been on the seat of my bike for the last forty-eight hours,” Mariah said tonelessly, ignoring the chuckles from around the room. “I left the middle of Vegas…Tuesday?”

  “Your licenses are from here.”

  “That they are. I was born here…and kept my residence.”

  “Are you working in the area?”

  “I have aspirations,” she answered vaguely, watching him closely. “I’m not the villain here. I’m what you might call a concerned citizen. I use intuition and common sense.”

  “You carry a concealed weapon,” he countered.

  “With a license and permit,” she threw back flatly. “I’m a woman on a bike alone. I don’t care much for surprises or idiots and sadly, they generally come in pairs.”

  Eloise took a chair next to Mariah, Morgan standing behind her.

  “I went to the storeroom for candy canes for the children’s party we were having,” her hands went out. “Hence, the elf costume. We have a children’s party each evening until Christmas Eve, it’s tradition. Gwen and I assist Santa, my father, Kris Paddington.”

  “Are they locked up, Eli?” Morgan asked bluntly.

  “Yeah…given their illegal weapons and previous attempt…they won’t get bail,” he dragged one hand through the longish dusty blond hair. “They were babbling about some crazy bitc…sorry…woman…threatening them with a gun…and they were just minding their own business…” blue eyes rolled in disbelief. “Oh and they had no idea anyone was looking for them.”

  “I will pull the video for you,” Eloise told him flatly. “We have security cameras back there and they are very good, very clear.”

  “The prosecuting attorney will appreciate it, Miss Paddington. I just need to get the sequence clear so I can write it up,” Eli Baker met the dark eyes of the woman across from him.

  “They threw a blanket over my head…I lost my glove,” Eloise said with a frown. “And they kid-locked the doors so I couldn’t get out. I kicked the seats…a lot…and that’s when they hit me…”

  “Get a photo of the bruise, Jacobs,” Eli ordered the officer with a small camera.

  “Mariah was very professional,” Eloise said after she had turned to the side for the photos. “She was calm and…I think she scared them…”

  “I have that effect on people,” Mariah said tiredly. “Pointing a Beretta at them inspires focus.”

  “The point is…she never hit them. She just spoke to them in a very…low…menacing voice that got their attention,” Eloise said with a bright smile. “It was most satisfying.”

  Mariah pushed her feet to the floor. “I’m beat. If you don’t have any more questions, I’d really appreciate being cut loose, detective.”

  “You’ll be in the area, Dr. Peyton?” Eli stood up and extended his palm. “Eli Baker.” He was surprised at how small her hand was in his, the aura that surrounded her and the one she allowed into the public strong and in control.

  Mariah stood up and pulled her palm back, reaching into the inner pocket of her jacket and handing him a small card.

  “My cell number, Mr. Baker,” she collected her ID and slid it safely into her wallet before replacing it in her pocket.

  “I’ve offered Mariah the empty quarters,” Eloise looked at her father who nodded. “Will you stay? It has a private entrance and a place you can park your bike under cover.”

  “It really is kind of you, Eloise,” Mariah tried not looking or hearing the hopeful tone but knew she was losing.

  “I’ll be in touch, Dr. Peyton,” Eli Baker nodded at her and walked with Morgan to the door. “They won’t be out any time soon, I’m pretty sure of that. Between the prosecutor and Kate…I think you and Eloise can relax now.”

  “Thanks for handling it personally, Eli,” Morgan looked over at Eloise, his head shaking. “We thought she was safe here…”

  “Hey, thanks to the doc there, Eloise is back and safe,” Eli clapped his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’ll get this all written up and talk to the DA and keep you up on details. Take care of her…I’ll see you.”

  “You turned in your notice?”

  “You and Covington made me a good offer. Yeah, the notice is turned in. I’m working on some plans because something needs to be done now,” Eli looked back over his shoulder at Mariah Peyton. “I’ll be in touch, Morgan.”

  Morgan turned back to the cluster of family around Eloise and breathed a long sigh of relief. He couldn’t remember ever feeling the exploding emotions he’d gone through when they found her glove on the concrete. He reached into his pocket and felt the soft satin, his fingers tight around it as he pulled it free and held it up for Eloise to see.

  Then she smiled at him and all seemed right with the world.

  “Is she accepting your offer?” Morgan wrapped her close when she walked to stand in front of him, taking the glove before putting her arms around his nec
k.

  “You really believe my family is about to give her a choice?” Eloise asked with a soft chuckle, laying her head against his chest. “I’m going with Mariah and Gwen to the empty quarters. I’ll be home in a few minutes, okay?”

  “I’ll drive…I’m not letting you out of my sight for a few days, Eloise…” Morgan gripped her fingers and led her toward the corridor where Gwen stood talking to Mariah.

  Chapter Two

  Mariah Peyton felt overwhelmed. She looked from the older couples to the younger ones to the twins.

  “I’ll follow you,” she said with a long sigh. “I’m really beat.”

  “It’s a little sparse,” Eloise told her as they walked to the parking lot. “But one of us can take you to the store room and you can furnish it anyway you like. And we’ll do our best to leave you alone, I promise.”

  Mariah fastened her helmet and started the bike, watching the large SUV come from behind to begin the procession. There was a brief, fleeting moment where she thought about heading for the highway. But she wasn’t sure how much further she could ride without looking back.

  Eloise gave Morgan a little push in the opposite direction.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes…please…”

  “He was worried about you,” Mariah said softly, watching Eloise tap in the numbered code and committing it to memory.

  “Yes…I was having so much fun with the little kids, I didn’t think about those men still being on the loose,” Eloise tapped light switches and removed the sheets as she walked. “This one hasn’t been used since it was renovated. It’s two bedrooms and pretty big…I hate being cramped and I did the redesigns,” she told Mariah with a big smile.

  “It’s beautiful,” Mariah looked around, the soft gold walls, large fireplace and huge kitchen only part of the comfort. “It’s really nice of your family to offer me this, Eloise, but…”

  “Mariah…it might take a bit of time for you to understand…but to them, now…to me…you’re one of the family,” Eloise perched on one of the kitchen brunch stools, her boots caught in the lower rung. “Just like the twins or Aunt Zora and Thomas. Gwen and I are here if you need someone to talk to…”