Page 113 of Until Joy

I slung her backpack over my shoulder then picked up my rucksack and her suitcase. I glanced around the room, looking to see if she missed anything.

“Don’t bother. I already swept the room three times. We’re not leaving anything behind,” she assured me.

I opened the room door and Randy was nowhere to be seen. I shrugged and walked toward the elevator.

“The stairs would be faster, wouldn’t they?” Joy asked.

I sent her a relieved grin and changed course. We were soon at my truck.

“How are you feeling? Really?”

Joy stopped beside the passenger door and looked up at me with those blue eyes that had seen too much in the past few days.

“Like I'm done being a victim.”

The words sent both ice and fire through my veins. Before I could respond, she was climbing into the truck. I went around and got into the driver’s side and started up my truck. Joy touched my arm before I put my truck into reverse.

“Yeah baby?” I asked.

“Last night proved something to me.”

“What's that?”

“He can bring the whole world down on us, and we'll still be standing. We're stronger than he is.”

She was right. We were still here. Still fighting. Still together.

And that had to scare the hell out of our stalker.

Chapter 29

The gravel driveway to the Wylie's property crunched under my tires as I pulled up behind their modest farmhouse. Seven-fifteen in the morning, same as every day for the past week. Miss Laverne would already be up, probably helping Delilah with breakfast despite the woman’s insistence that Miss Laverne was the guest.

The routine gave me something to focus on besides the constant worry gnawing at my gut. First, I checked in on Miss Laverne, made sure she felt safe and cared for, then I headed back to coordinate security measures with the team.

Asher and November’s house was isolated enough to provide Joy with a semblance of security but close enough to civilization that help could reach her quickly if need be. Also, Asher had installed quite the kick-ass security system at some point. Wes said it had something to do with raising five daughters. Sounded reasonable to me.

While I was making my morning rounds, Z was there with Joy so everything was good.

I parked beside the house where the wooded area provided natural cover from the road. The Wylies lived on twenty acres of rolling Tennessee countryside, their nearest neighbor a quarter mile through the trees.

Peaceful.

Safe.

The kind of place where an old woman could recover from hip surgery without worrying about the outside world.

I grabbed the bag of groceries from the passenger seat and headed for the front door. Miss Laverne had texted last night that they were running low on coffee, and I'd picked up her favorite brand along with some licorice.

“Graham, sweetie!” Miss Laverne's voice carried through the screen door before I could knock. “Right on time.”

I stepped inside, immediately hit by the smell of bacon and fresh biscuits. Delilah Wylie was at the stove despite her recent surgery, moving carefully but determinedly around her kitchen.

“Mrs. Wylie, you shouldn't be cooking. I’m here every morning to be Miss Laverne’s helper.”

“Pish posh.” Delilah waved a spatula at me. “A hip replacement doesn't mean I've forgotten how to make breakfast. Besides, Laverne's been waiting on me hand and foot. Least I can do is feed everyone.”

Miss Laverne appeared from the hallway, fully dressed with her silver hair perfectly styled despite the early hour. “Don't argue with her, Graham. I learned that lesson forty years ago. When Delilah is in this kind of mood, there’s no stopping her.”