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Chapter Two

Harper watched Trina’s anxiety grow as they discussed and eventually submitted the answer to the final question. They pulled off the win and Trina was giddy as they celebrated with one last round of drinks and a new cookie-charcuterie board dessert Lila had created with the Pelican team.

Was it any wonder she enjoyed visiting out here so much?

She loved the resort, but now that she was the manager it was impossible to shake the sense of responsibility. The buck stopped with her—for better or worse—from all sides. Moving out was the obvious choice and she’d looked at several properties, but she’d felt so lonely on the tours that she gave up the idea.

And that was before the threatening messages started showing up on her phone. Before her car had been keyed at the grocery store. Before a vague uneasiness had become her constant companion.

Here in Brookwell, the people were pleasant and she was just one of the group when she was out with her friends. It was heady stuff. When she visited Trina at the Inn or strolled down Central, it was almost like being a carefree kid again.

Around the Ellington, people tended to defer to her no matter how down to earth she was. In part, it was expected simply because she was the operating manager. In general, all her life she struggled with relationships. People rarely looked at her without judging or launching into some harmful comparison. The family money and privilege got in the way of healthy friendships nearly every time.

She walked to her car thinking of Sonya and Hannah. Neither of her sisters by choice would be in her life if she hadn’t insisted on going the basic dorm route at college. It hadn’t been an easy win. Her father had worried it was too risky, too public, for his only daughter.

Sheltered much?

The dorm had been a gift, one of those rare times when the playing field was even. Her background wasn’t obvious and couldn’t get in the way of budding friendships. Then she’d followed her dad’s lifelong example of generosity and brought her roommates home with her on that first winter break. Women the entire family now counted as their own.

When Hannah and Sonya had joined her family for Christmas—and gotten an up-close look at her home life—she worried it would unravel.

Every day she was grateful it hadn’t changed anything. The three of them adored each other, were bonded through camaraderie and friendship, inside jokes, silly secrets, and soul-deep dreams. Her monied background had never been a factor.

She drove across the bridge, leaving Brookwell behind once more. The pinch around her heart was familiar now, and though uncomfortable, it was definitely worth it. Maybe it was time to invest in her own place here on Brookwell. Affording it wasn’t the problem, but explaining it would be.

Her family had property all over the Lowcountry as well as up and down the Eastern seaboard. Brookwell, a mere half hour away from their primary residence in Charleston, wasn’t far enough removed to be considered vacation space.

She was driving through damp Charleston streets, taking the most direct route from one island to the next, when a car whipped around her aggressively and squealed away into the night.

“Good luck to you,” she muttered at the tail lights.

Some drivers were too impatient and foolhardy. These streets were old and narrow, the lanes far from predictable. Night made navigating trickier and rain required even more caution and common sense.

Reaching the bridge without further incident, she was thinking about how wonderful it would be to fall into bed when another driver roared up behind her, riding too close to her bumper. Was this the next incident? Would this be the point when the person harassing her caused real harm? She struggled not to fall down the rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios. She had to be smart. And calm.

Traffic in the next lane made it impossible to move over. She tapped the brakes, hoping it would be enough. To her relief, the driver backed off.

She convinced herself the aggression was a simple matter of a distracted driver when the car surged forward again. The vehicle was following so closely she couldn’t even see the headlights in her mirrors this time.

She didn’t dare tap the brakes now, it would nearly guarantee a collision. She jerked into the next lane, making an opportunity to merge, even though it meant missing her exit. Better a longer drive to the resort than a car wreck on the bridge. The defensive move gave her a fast glimpse of the vehicle driving erratically. She recited the descriptive features out loud to help her recall as she put as much distance as possible between her and the vehicle that frightened her.

Dark gray, BMW crossover model. Tinted windows and missing the hubcap on the left rear wheel.

Surely, she wouldn’t need the details. She must be overreacting. It had to be a coincidence. Bad drivers were part of life everywhere. Everyone dealt with distractions or bad moods in their own way. This couldn’t be specific to her.

Could not.

The recent unpleasant messages hadn’t been loaded with outright threats, just creepy vibes.

If there had been anything tangible, she would have gone straight to her Uncle Bruce. He had the security expertise and the law enforcement connections to handle any real concerns.

No one could take any action against random, angry messages from an unknown number or a random reckless driver. Without any idea of who would be bothering her, it seemed like a futile pursuit and a waste of manpower.

“Should’ve stayed overnight in Charleston.”

If she’d stopped at the Ellington Hotel downtown, she could have zipped across to the bridge and over to the resort in the morning before anyone else was on the road. Instead of dealing with sweaty palms on the steering wheel and shaky nerves cramping her shoulders, she’d be on her way to bed by now in the room they reserved for family use.

No use in that line of thinking. She was in it now and had to keep going. “Suck it up, Harper.” The unexpected detour only added another fifteen minutes to her drive. She’d be at the resort and the suite she called home soon enough. Still, each minute, every red light, felt like its own eternity as she anticipated trouble from every other car on the roadway.

Finally pulling into the resort, she parked in her designated spot. Instead of relief, she battled another wave of vulnerability. Neither the location nor her car had ever been protected information. What if the person behind the messages, potentially behind the near-miss on the bridge, was already here?

Every shrub in the lush landscaping suddenly took on a sinister air. At this late hour, she might as well be alone. This was the perfect place to catch her off guard. She gathered her phone and purse with shaking hands and reached for the door handle.

But she couldn’t make herself open it.

She swore. This was not normal for her. This was not her . Scared and weak weren’t in her vocabulary—not when it came to her behavior. Being cautious and alert were important, she was fit and yet well-aware of her limitations in a physical conflict. Awareness did not require her to sit and cower over a few shadows in the azaleas. She was strong. Iron-willed. Brave. It would take more than creepy messages and a reckless driver to change how she lived her life.

Her phone vibrated in her purse and the screen lit up with an image of her uncle’s face. “Hey Uncle Bruce,” she answered, hoping she sounded normal instead of choked up with nerves.

“Hey, yourself. You coming inside or what?”

She glanced at the employee entrance and smiled to see him standing there under the wash of the security lighting. He was about the same height as her dad, only a few years older and one of the best men in her world. “On my way.” She hustled out of the car to the building. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

“All’s quiet in here.” He held the door open wide for her. “You look pale.”

“It’s nothing. I’m great.” She relaxed as the door locked automatically behind them.

“How was trivia?”

Her fear and worry had dimmed the happy fizz of the win and she was grateful to focus on it once more. “We won!” she gushed. “Trina was over the moon. The prize included some special access with an author visiting the Lowcountry soon.”

Bruce stopped in his tracks. “Not Gentry Carver?”

“That’s the one.”

“I’d be over the moon too.” He shook his head. “I have all his books.”

“You want my ticket?” Harper offered, gladly. Bruce did so much for her, much of it she took for granted. It was rare to have the chance to do something special for him.

Bruce gaped at her. “Don’t tease me, young lady.”

“Never.” She laughed, pausing to pull the winner’s packet out of her purse. Her uncle’s eyes went round as she revealed the ticket and handed it over. “Here you go.” Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she turned down the hall toward her suite.

He was still staring at the ticket. “Thanks, Harper.”

She waved and ducked into her apartment, locking the door right away. Feeling completely secure and protected again, she made a mental note to have Trina take pictures of Bruce at the event. The family would want to see hard evidence of an awestruck Bruce. As far as she could recall, he was consistently unflappable. Working at the family properties, he’d met plenty of famous folks through the years from celebrities to military heroes to politicians, and not once lost his cool.

If this was the moment that turned him giddy, she wanted it on record.

* * *

Knox sat in his car on the far side of the Ellington Resort parking lot, his heart still hammering in his chest. Harper was safely inside. Protected by layers of security. Technically, he could drive away with confidence.

But “technically” wasn’t good enough for him tonight. He’d sit here a while and monitor the lot for anyone who didn’t belong.

Watching that car ride up on Harper’s bumper had him seeing red. He’d maneuvered to intervene and odds were good that it was his aggressive move on the bridge paired with her evasive lane change that prevented disaster.

They’d won the skirmish, but it was too close for comfort.

He tried to put himself in the harasser’s mindset. As tactics went, going after her on the bridge was an effective way to scare her. The limited escape options would’ve amped up her tension and stress.

It sure had made him redline, and he’d been relegated to the role of observer. Mostly. He never would’ve let that driver hit Harper.

Knox wanted to find the driver and shake him until his teeth rattled right out of his head. The bastard could’ve killed her. Or prompted her to make a dangerous mistake. Knox’s heel drummed against the floorboard. He was itching for a fight. Itching to storm into the resort and either invade her space or haul her off where he could keep her out of harm’s way.

Both of those options would fail spectacularly. She didn’t even know she was under protection.

Yet.

Tonight proved—to Knox at least—that whoever sent the creepy messages was escalating.

He’d already briefed Jenna. Once he regained his composure, he’d call Jess and link up with the bosses if she deemed it necessary. Assuming they didn’t call him first. Gamble and Swann didn’t mess around when it came to caring for their clients. Considering their ongoing partnerships and ventures with the Ellingtons, they wouldn’t take any chances with this case. Jenna or someone else would soon have a lead on the plates he’d reported when the incident went down.

Antsy, he stepped out of his truck. The security team here knew him well and he wanted to make sure whoever was on duty stayed alert. His gut was telling him trouble was closing in. Someone had decided to target Harper—which made zero sense to him. Any con man looking to blindside a wealthy woman had to see she was a bad target. She was savvy, careful, and seriously connected to her sprawling family. Not the kind of person easily swayed or isolated.

Of course, a con man looking for an heiress to steal from likely wouldn’t apply the creep factor, unless he planned on rescuing her from the perceived danger.

As Knox considered that ploy, the idea took root and he reassessed that short list of names they’d come up with.

“Knox?”

He jerked around at the sound of his name, relieved to see Bruce jogging his way. “Hey, Bruce! Everything good?”

Bruce nodded. “She’s settled. Got time to take a walk with me?”

“Definitely.” Knox fell into step beside the man who was both friend and mentor. As simply as possible, he explained what he’d seen on the bridge.

Bruce swore. “I knew something was up, but she didn’t say a word.”

That worried Knox too. “I called in the plates, then followed her rather than the reckless driver,” he continued. “I don’t see the car here. Or anyone hanging around who doesn’t belong.”

“And you won’t,” Bruce said, his voice stern. “I’ve increased security on the property. There’s a guard posted at the head of the drive now. Guests are verified before they’re allowed to get close. Out here for employees, I’ve got someone on the cameras at all times and someone else does a walkthrough every twenty minutes.”

“No wonder I’m breathing easier,” Knox said. But it didn’t lift the burden. Not entirely. He still felt pressured to keep Harper safe from the source of those messages. “She hasn’t mentioned anything to you?”

“Still nothing,” Bruce grumbled. “She did give me her ticket to the author event on Brookwell this summer.”

“Yeah, they won big tonight.” He smiled to himself. She was remarkably beautiful all the time, but when Harper was happy, she was breathtaking. And nothing made her happier than when her friends were having fun.

“You haven’t heard anything about a rift in any of her relationships lately?”

“What relationships?” Bruce shook his head. “The girl should get out more, but she doesn’t seem to trust anyone but family these days.” He sighed. “I’ve come up dry, even after going back through her appointments for the last three months. I’m not seeing any red flags.”

Knox slid a look at him. “How’d you manage to review her schedule without tipping her off?”

Bruce huffed. “I convinced her assistant it was a standard security protocol.”

According to the file, her assistant had been around for several years. “She didn’t get suspicious?”

“Audrey? No way.” Bruce tucked his hands into the pockets of his windbreaker. “She’s clean. Practically family.” He winked. “And she likes me.”

Knox ignored that last bit. Audrey was at least a decade older than Harper, widowed, with a teenage daughter. Of course, Harper had folded them both into the Ellington family.

He couldn’t see one of her adoptees turning on her. She somehow cultivated loyalty without even trying.

He was a prime example.

“Harper does have a tendency to expand the clan,” he said, thinking out loud.

“True enough,” Bruce murmured. “She isn’t as close to Audrey as she is with Hannah and Sonya. It’s a different dynamic, boss to employee. Audrey doesn’t hesitate to speak her mind and I’ve never seen them at odds. Harper treats everyone on the staff well, on good days and bad.”

Knox couldn’t argue. Harper was a sincerely kind and conscientious person. Those traits were only magnified in her business dealings. Whenever the going got tough, she led the way, whatever the struggle required. He credited her parents for setting the example and making integrity the core of her personal foundation.

Unlike his parents, who believed any method was valid if it kept them at the top of the heap. In business, on the golf course, or at the garden club. Laser-focused on besting everyone, they didn’t let ethics get in the way. The line between right and wrong had been blurry during his childhood. Although he’d gleefully and willfully acted out and found plenty of trouble on his own, he was forever grateful that those incidents allowed him to forge a new path separate from his family notoriety.

“Tomorrow’s schedule has changed,” Bruce said. “She’s got someone special coming in. Friends of the family. Big real estate developers. I’m not sure what kind of deal is in the works, but it sounds like they’ll be handling the early discussions during a deep-sea fishing charter.”

Weird. Harper wasn’t typically involved with acquisitions of land or property. He immediately wondered if she was being groomed for a new position. “Are you going along?” Harper did like to fish, something he’d always found both surprising and delightful.

“Wasn’t invited this time.” Bruce smiled. “She’ll be fine.”

Despite Bruce’s confidence, Knox wasn’t as convinced. Not after the stunt on the bridge. The way things stood—with Harper having no idea he was assigned to protect her—he had zero chance of joining the party.

“She’ll be fine,” Bruce repeated.

“You know the folks coming in?”

Bruce nodded without volunteering any names. He had to know Knox needed the information. His reluctance worried Knox. “It’s not my family is it?”

Bruce laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. “Hell, no, kid. Your daddy screwed over my brother one time. That’s all it took to burn the bridge.”

“Good.”

Knox meant it. The Ellingtons were good people and the fewer entanglements they had with his parents and their associates, the better. He wondered if Harper knew anything about that story. He told himself it didn’t matter. The seedy business history and the lack of ethics were the primary reasons Knox preferred avoiding Harper.

He didn’t want to give his parents any opportunity to get their hooks into her. Then again, he never went home anymore…and they rarely reached out. Maybe they’d accepted his exit from their lives.

Or maybe they hadn’t noticed at all. That was way more believable.

Bruce gave him a hard look. “Don’t you know you’re the only Moore who’ll ever be invited to Christmas?”

Knox veered away from the kind sentiment, far more comfortable sticking with business. “You don’t think we have any cause for concern tomorrow?”

“No, you can relax,” Bruce insisted. “No one will bother her out on the water. I’ve vetted everyone who will be on board. The crew is solid. If something goes wrong, they’ll handle it. They adore her.”

Of course they did. But would they know what to watch for? Knox swallowed the question.

He wanted to relax and trust Bruce. The man had an uncanny talent for assessing people. This unshakable anxiety was only an unfortunate byproduct of his insecurity about protecting a woman who meant the world to so many people.

Including him.

Protesting wouldn’t get him any closer to that fishing boat tomorrow. He said good night and went to make a backup plan. Then he could get a few hours of rest before morning.

He watched the parking lot for another hour, and just as Bruce promised, security did a regular walkthrough. In between their rounds he went over to Harper’s car and did a quick sweep for any GPS trackers, coming up empty.

Counting that as a win, he headed out to his hotel room a few blocks away.

Staying at the resort was out of the question. Everyone had agreed it was better for Harper if he could resolve this without being noticed.