Perfect Stranger: Mason Creek #17 Read online

  My temples ached at the idea of it. I massaged them, trying to ease it. “It was to me too, until that first time. I was gobsmacked. I couldn’t believe he’d struck me, especially with me being pregnant.”

  “Too bad you didn’t report it to the police.”

  A deep gasp escaped me. “Oh, god no. He surely would’ve killed me and my body never would’ve been found.”

  “You really believe that?”

  “Yes, I know it. He threatened it so many times. That’s why I had to plan out my escape the way I did.”

  “You’re safe now. With the law enforcement notified around here, if he shows his face, we’ll know.”

  “Will we? I’m not so sure.”

  Chapter Nine

  MILLER

  Mariah was serious about her fear of Michael. She wasn’t kidding around about him. He must be a real piece of work, but for her to say he would’ve killed her. I took that statement seriously and would have a talk with Aiden about it. If they could identify him, maybe they could put out a bulletin for his arrest or something. But she would have to press charges, and I wondered if she’d ever do that.

  The following day at work, I decided to give Aiden a call during my lunch break to let him know what she’d said.

  “That’s a serious statement, much worse than domestic abuse. It’s shown that domestic abuse can result in the death of a partner or spouse, but a threat like that should always be taken seriously, especially with someone like him. I’m glad you called,” Aiden said.

  “Any luck in identifying him?”

  “Actually, I was going to call Mariah this afternoon. We have and his real name is Mikhail Petrov.”

  “He’s Russian?”

  I heard Aiden sigh into the phone. “Not only that, he’s an ex-con. He served a five-year sentence for robbery and assault with a deadly weapon.”

  “Jesus. She was with this guy for several years too.”

  “She’s lucky nothing worse happened to her.”

  “Aiden, can you put a bulletin out for his arrest?”

  “Unfortunately not. Until we have something to arrest him for, there’s nothing we can do. However, I can post his picture all over town for people to be on the lookout.”

  “That’s almost worse than a bulletin in Mason Creek.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” He chuckled a bit. “There are a few people around here that would take him down a notch or two knowing what he did.”

  “He’s dangerous though. I wouldn’t want anything to happen.”

  “You’re exactly right which is why we’re only going to put on the picture, ‘Have you seen this man? If so, call the sheriff’s office.’”

  “Great idea.”

  “Then we’ll be notified if he’s hanging around anywhere. And Miller, be careful. If he finds her living in your house, no telling what might happen.”

  “Thanks for the heads-up.”

  I went and shared this information with Miles.

  “This guy is bad news, Miller. I’m worried about Jessie and her mom, not to mention Mariah.”

  “I am too. Jessie’s dad needs to be told as well. We don’t want to take any chances with this guy. I wonder if he’s in the mob.”

  “It’s anyone’s guess, but from the sounds of things, he’s definitely a thug.”

  We both returned to work, but Mikhail Petrov wasn’t far off my mind. When I got home from work that evening, Mariah was in the main room of the house playing with Claire.

  “Hey, did you have a good day?” she asked.

  “It was fair. Things are getting better as far as the flu goes. Did Aiden call you?”

  She set Claire down and nodded. “He did. I wasn’t surprised.”

  “Do you think Mikhail is in the mob?”

  She shrugged, but then said, “His boss was someone he never spoke about and he wouldn’t talk about his work much, so it wouldn’t shock me if he was.”

  Her phone rang and she jumped. Then she said, “It’s Aiden again.” I nodded as she answered, “Hello.”

  I listened, but it was mostly her listening to whatever Aiden was saying. When she hung up, her expression was grave.

  “He found more information. Apparently Mikhail has another alias. It’s Jonathon Hawthorne. He was charged with auto theft with a deadly weapon in California, but he fled the state and they could never find him. That case never went to court.”

  “I wonder how many other crimes he’s committed.”

  “Aiden said he was suspected of being involved in a human trafficking ring for prostitution too.”

  Oof. “If they can catch him now, they can ship him back to California for trial.”

  “Aiden thinks because of his past, he won’t come looking for me. He’d be too afraid of getting caught. But Miller, I don’t think so. He’s not afraid of anything.”

  Her words echoed in my head. Then she explained how she had tried to find information on him when they were together, but he’d kept no files or had no tax records.

  “A man like that doesn’t file taxes. That’s probably why he wanted you to quit your job when you moved in with him, so you wouldn’t file either using the same address he had.”

  “That never occurred to me.” Her eyes were huge as she stared at me. “I wonder why he wanted me to get pregnant.”

  “Maybe he didn’t, and you just had a pill failure. You may have forgotten to take it or maybe you were on antibiotics at that time.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t remember. It was too long ago.”

  “Did he ever ask you to marry him?”

  “Never. Why?”

  “I read somewhere that marriage and family is discouraged by the Russian mob. That’s why I think your pregnancy was accidental.”

  She looked at Claire and smiled. “Then that would explain why the beatings started afterward.”

  I didn’t say this, but maybe he was hoping she’d lose the baby that way. “He was taking his anger out on you.”

  “Yeah. I should’ve left then.”

  “Mariah, do you have a family?”

  She stiffened at the question. “Not any that I’d claim. They disowned me and we never got along.”

  That was surprising. Mariah didn’t seem the type to rock the boat or be rebellious. I didn’t want to press her for more information. If she wanted to tell me, she would.

  “My parents are very uppity and I never fit in,” she blurted out.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not. The best thing was the day they kicked me out. That’s when I moved to Spokane and began dancing. I honestly loved it there.”

  It was obvious. It still was a mystery to me as to why she never went back there after Mikhail started abusing her, but that was her decision. To put myself in her shoes was impossible. I have no idea what I would’ve done.

  “Not to change the subject, but how was physical therapy today?”

  A scowl made an appearance on her face. “Awful. That man is trying to disable me for life.”

  My brows raised. “That bad, huh?”

  “Worse. It’s nothing like I imagined. Sometimes I think it’s hurting more than helping.”

  “I’ve heard that before, but I’ve never been through it myself.”

  “Consider yourself lucky.” And then she asked, “Do you mind if I use your phone? I’d like to call my best friend, but don’t want to do it with my phone, in case Michael or whatever his name is is tracking me.”

  “Sure.” I handed it to her and she made the call.

  “Lilly? It’s Mariah.”

  I heard her friend shouting, even though it wasn’t on speaker.

  “Calm down and tell me what’s going on.”

  They spoke for about five minutes and at the end of the conversation, Mariah said, “Get the hell out of there now. I don’t trust him and he’s going to do something to you. Pack a bag and leave as soon as you can. I mean it, Lilly. Once you’re on the road, call this number and I’ll tell you where to go.”

  Chapter Ten

  MARIAN

  It came as no surprise that Michael threatened Lilly if she didn’t give up my location. My gut ached because I hadn’t thought to call her until now.

  “Mariah, you’ve been in a traumatic accident, added to the worries you’ve had regarding him.”

  His voice was soft when he spoke and our eyes met. That was the first time I felt it … the connection between us. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and tell me everything was okay. Only he wasn’t a mind reader.

  “I know, but Lilly has always been there for me. She was the only one I told about him, what he did to me.”

  “Then what you told her was the right thing to do. She needs to get out and come here.”

  Then a crazy thought hit me and I burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked with a grin.

  “It’s a good thing I cut ties with all the girls at the club or else an entire gaggle of them would be headed here. Mason Creek would never be the same.”

  “Hey, I’m sure they could set up a business near the interstate and make a go of it.”

  “Yeah, no. I wouldn’t want to be the one who created that town mess. I’m sure the people here wouldn’t appreciate it.” I had this vision of these sweet people tangling with my friends. While one part of me thought it would be amusing, I’d left that life behind and that was that.

  About an hour later, Lilly called. Miller answered and handed the phone to me.

  “I’m on the road. Where to?”

  “Head east to Montana.”

  “Montana?”

  “Yeah. Call me when you get closer. And try to make sure he’s not following you.”

  “Oh, no. You don’t think…?”

  “Don’t
put anything past him.”

  “Then I have an idea. I’m going to the police station first. That should get him off my tail.”

  “Good thinking. Call me later.”

  Miller handed me a cup of tea and Claire tried to grab it from me.

  “Want it!”

  “No, Claire, this is hot.” I held it high so she couldn’t reach it.

  “Hot!” she hollered. The kid had a set of lungs on her. Then she let out a giggle, jumped up, and ran around the room. This child had one speed and that was running. Everywhere.

  The nanny, Elise, came into the room and asked, “Let me grab her and feed her.”

  “I can do it,” I offered.

  Miller gave me the stink eye.

  “What?” I asked him. “I can move to the kitchen table and sit there with her in the high chair.” Jessie had located one for me, which was amazing. She had been an angel in my time of desperation. Claire had more baby things here than she’d had at her home. Then again, I’d had to rely on Michael for everything and it was like squeezing blood out of a rock for him to spend a nickel on her.

  “Fine. I’ll give you a hand.” He moved the wheelchair close and helped me into it then pushed me to the table. The nanny made Claire’s dinner, which consisted of spaghetti, meatballs, and green beans. She also had some blueberries on hand.

  “Booblerries!” Claire yelled when she saw the round fruit in a bowl.

  “Yes, honey, but you have to eat your noodles and meatball first.”

  When everything was all set, Claire went after her food like a starved animal. By the time she was done, she looked like she’d been through a spaghetti car wash.

  “Good thing she needs a bath.” I chuckled. “You’re a mess.”

  “I’m a mess, Mommy.” Then she grinned and still had a blueberry in her mouth. What a character she was.

  “Want a special treat.”

  I said, “Excuse me. That’s not how you ask for one.”

  “Please?”

  Elise came over with a miniature cupcake.

  “Cupcake!” She clapped her hands.

  “That’s right and now my eardrums are shattered.”

  “Mommy’s funny.” She bit into her cupcake and grinned. We were treated to a mouthful of chocolate-covered teeth. Then she laughed and there was nothing better than the sound of a small child’s laughter. It was truly contagious. I tickled her belly, which added to her bubbly giggles.

  “She sure is a happy child,” Elise said.

  “Thank God for that.” I glanced at Miller and he nodded, understanding what I meant.

  When Claire finished her cupcake, Elise went to give her a bath. I missed not being able to do that chore. She loved baths and splashing in the water. It would be a while before I’d be able to do it again.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Miller said.

  “You do?”

  “That sad look tells me a lot. The good news is you will be able to bathe her again. While it won’t be tomorrow, it will be sooner than you think.”

  His eyes softened as he spoke and they warmed my aching heart. “Thank you. You’ve been so kind to us.”

  “I happen to think it’s time you’re treated to some kindness.”

  He cleaned up the high chair tray, which was a mess. As he worked, I watched him intently. The man was a showstopper. At about six feet tall, he wore his dirty blond hair on the longer side and slightly messy. My fingers ached to dive into it. And then there was his mouth. His lips were full but not too full, and when he smiled, my heart skipped a beat every time. I’d bet all my worldly possessions that his patients swooned when he walked into the exam room.

  “What’s that little grin about?” he asked.

  Darn. He’d caught me ogling him like a prized stallion. “Nothing.”

  “Come on. I know a little secretive grin when I see one.”

  “Really, it was nothing.”

  “All right. I guess there will be no dessert for you after the amazing dinner I’m going to serve tonight.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “Yup. I picked dinner up from Wren’s and it’s their specialty chicken casserole and I even grabbed some ice cream from the Twisted Sisters Ice Cream Shack.”

  “That’s not fair. You’re blackmailing me.”

  He waggled his brows. “Maybe. But it’s really a tiny blackmail.”

  I guffawed. “There’s no such thing as a tiny blackmail. That’s like being a little bit pregnant.”

  “True, but this doesn’t require anything other than sharing your thoughts.” He wheeled me back to the living area as he spoke. The chair was positioned next to the couch, so he sat down and surprised me by taking my hand in his. “I’m just curious about you.”

  My fingers clenched his hand. “You know more about me than I know about you.”

  He frowned and I wasn’t sure why until he said, “Wow, you’re right. With everything that happened, I didn’t stop to think about that. Let me rectify that. What you have here is a Georgia boy. I was born and raised there, in a small town north of Atlanta. Then I went to Georgia Tech for my undergrad and to Emory for medical school. I ended up doing my residency within the Emory system, which was where I met Miles. We’ve been very close ever since. When Jessie was close to delivering, I came out to help and never went back. I was working as a physician in a large clinic and handed in my resignation. I did go back to finish out a two-week commitment. Then, of course, I had to move. But now I’m a Mason Creeker!”

  “Any brothers or sisters?”

  “Actually, one of each. They were as shocked as I was when I decided on the move here. Once they visit, they’ll understand why.”

  “What makes you love this place so much?”

  We were still holding hands and he turned mine over and circled his thumb on the tender side of my wrist. Goose bumps broke out all over me, making me wonder what it would feel like to kiss him.

  “You’ve already experienced some of it. The people. They’re like I have never seen anywhere else. There’s something else too. I’m only thirty minutes away from the ski slopes and I love to ski and snowboard, so those are two reasons. Then Miles approached me about becoming partners. He’d bought out the practice from a doctor who’d retired and had only been working part-time. When Miles got there, things started booming and he soon realized he’d need a partner. That’s where I came into the picture. I accepted and here I am. Jessie helped me find the house and the rest, as they say, is history. I just moved in here, so I’m not that far ahead of you as being a resident here. As soon as you’re able to be up and about, you’ll understand what I mean.”

  It had been hard to focus on his words because of that dang circle he was making on my wrist. I was leaning into him, wanting him to kiss me more than anything, when Claire burst into the room with pounding feet and a lungful of loud chatter.

  “Mommy, I had a bath!”

  “Oooh, you smell so good and your face is so clean again.”

  “Yeah. We go home now?”

  “No, we’re staying here. Remember how I told you that Elise was going to help take care of you until Mommy’s leg was all better.”

  “Yeah. Is it better now?”

  “No, darling. See the big cast? It won’t be better for a while.”

  “Watch guppy TV?”

  She loved this cartoon about a group of guppies. “Okay, but only for a little bit and then Mommy will read you a story.”

  “Mermaid story?”

  “I can read that one.”

  Elise took her into the other room with a TV to watch the show.

  “Thanks for putting up with her. I can’t imagine you’re used to being around a toddler.”

  “No, but she’s adorable, and I don’t mind.” He pushed to his feet and explained he would get dinner ready. When he returned, he carried a tray laden with a plateful of chicken casserole, a bowl of salad, another of fruit, and a glass of ice water with lemon.

  “Would you care for anything else to drink besides the water?”

  “No, this is great and thank you. It smells delicious.”

  “Wait until you taste it. I love to cook, but this is outrageous.”

  He was right. This stuff was like crack. I barely paused to take a breath between bites. “My god, what’s in this stuff?”

  “No idea. I’ve tried to replicate it but I can’t do it. It’s so good. Have you ever had homemade chicken and dumplings?”