Alaskan Mountain Pursuit Elizabeth Goddard (best short novels .TXT) 📖

someone who can help you realize that.” Masters stood and reached for his cell.

What was happening here? Their plans were crumbling before Will’s eyes. Did he even have a clue what he’d walked into with Sylvie? He took a step forward, dark thoughts pushing him into dangerous territory. Did her stepfather have the power to whisk Sylvie away and have her institutionalized? He’d heard stories about how people were locked up by their families and never got out.

Sylvie grabbed the cell away from him. “You’re not listening. Someone’s trying to kill me.”

Masters glanced at Will for confirmation. He was in it now. No going back. He nodded. “It’s true. She didn’t dream this up. I intervened when I saw someone attacking her. One of my friends was killed in the crossfire.” Will left out that Sylvie had been shot, too. He’d let Sylvie tell the man if she wanted him to know.

“Then you need protection.” Frowning at Will, Masters took his cell back. “Real protection.”

Cell to his ear, he spoke to Sylvie. “And the police should be involved.”

“They already are,” she said. “The Alaskan State Troopers are handling the case.”

“You’ll need a bodyguard. I’ll hire an investigator if the police can’t get to the bottom of this.” He turned his back on them to speak into his cell.

Sylvie stood and rushed to Will. Things were taking a completely different turn than they’d expected. By the expression on Sylvie’s face, she didn’t like it, either.

“What’s happening?” Will whispered. The question was stupid, but he didn’t know how to react. Was this a good thing or a bad thing? Did she believe her stepfather was innocent now?

Sylvie leaned in as though she would give Will a peck on the cheek and whispered, “Just go with it, Will.”

Masters ended his call and turned his attention to them. “I’ve got people on it. Stay at the house, Sylvie. There’s no reason for you to leave until your life is no longer at risk. You’re more than welcome to stay as well, Mr. Pierson, though I imagine you have a job you need to return to.”

Will grinned. He was self-employed, which meant he had to work harder, but it also meant that he decided when he worked. And right now he wouldn’t let Masters get rid of him so easily. “I’m with Sylvie until I know she’s safe.”

The man ignored Will and gave Sylvie a hug, then grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “I don’t want you hurt, do you hear me? I need you to promise you won’t leave the house until I’ve resolved this.”

“I have a job, too.”

“In a roundabout way, you work for me, remember?”

“I don’t want you to intervene. I don’t want your favors there. Officially, I’m on vacation right now. This will be over before I have to go back.”

“You’ll stay?”

“Yes, I’ll stay.”

“Good. I’ll take care of things. I know you don’t like to hear that. You’ve always been so independent, but we’re talking about your life.” He stepped back, tucked his chin. “Please tell me that you don’t think I murdered your mother. That you don’t think I would try to kill you.”

The man appeared genuinely crestfallen.

“I know you didn’t. You’re right. I’ve been upset about her death. I’ve not been thinking clearly these past couple of months. And now I’m scared for my life.” Sylvie pressed her hand over her mouth a moment then dropped it. “Thank you for your help.”

“I hope you’ll never hesitate to come to me in the future. And... Sylvie—” he stood taller, like a man who’d taken control back “—don’t bother looking for your mother’s things. That would only upset you more. Fortunately, they’ve been packed away and I doubt you could easily find them. Don’t bother enlisting Marguerite’s help. I’m leaving her with strict instructions about that. I suggest waiting until you feel better. I’ll make them available to you then. Please, try to get some rest while you’re here.” His gaze found Will. “I’m trusting you to keep her occupied if you stay. There’s plenty to do here. A heated pool. Trails to hike. Just stay close to the house and take the bodyguard even if you’re staying on the grounds. I’ve already made the arrangements. Protection is on the way.”

He headed for the door then turned back to them. “If I didn’t have this mess on my hands, I’d stay here with you.”

“What mess?” Sylvie asked.

“I’ll explain everything when it’s over. There’s too much at stake and I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

And with that, the man was gone, leaving Will alone with Sylvie, his head spinning with the power the man wielded. Too much at stake. Something bigger than Sylvie’s life? “Why did you agree to stay?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. What was I supposed to do?”

“You manipulated him.”

“Same as he worked me. If he thinks I’m tucked away safely here and that I believe he’s innocent, then we’ll have more opportunity to search for my mother’s things.”

“What do you believe, Sylvie? Is he involved or not? He could be trying to hold us prisoner here while he cleans up this mess. For all we know, we’re part of the mess he wants to clean up, and that’s why he’s pushing for us to stay where he can get to us.”

“You could be right. Or we could wait here where we’ll be protected by the bodyguard he called and a private investigator searches for the truth for us.”

“You’re talking weeks. Months. And that’s only if we actually trust the investigator and bodyguard to do their jobs.”

“I’m talking tonight. We’re not waiting around for anybody. We’re going through my mother’s things tonight, after my stepfather is gone, and then we’ll get out.”

In her old room she sank onto the bed. Seeing Damon had shaken her, but his preoccupation with business troubles would give her the chance she needed to search. She and Will enjoyed a quick and simple