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Genevieve closed her eyes and drew in a shallow breath. “Another cold call. Gosh, it would be nice if we could block telemarketers. Every time, I fear it’s him.” She flopped down and rested her head against another one of her mom’s cushions—this one knitted with a pattern of a robin in the snow.
Thirty seconds later… Ring. Ring. Ring.
“It’s him.” Genevieve pierced her bottom lip with her teeth until she drew blood as the phone rings vibrated off the white apartment walls. “We’ve never had two consecutive calls. It’s definitely him.”
“You don’t know that, Gen.”
Genevieve nodded as more tears slipped out from the corners of her eyes. “Yes, I do. It was only a matter of time.” She glanced at their standard black cordless phone rattling on its charging station with determination and brushed her tears aside. “You’re right. I need to cut off the head of the snake. I can’t keep living like this.” One last desperate glance at her mom, and she added, “Do whatever they tell you to do. It’ll take me time to end this.”
“That’s the way, Gen. End it. End him if you have to.”
“Momma!” Genevieve gasped.
“I mean it.” Her mom brushed some brown and red strands off Genevieve’s face and cupped her cheek, looking at her fiercely. “And don’t go it alone. Find an ally. No one in this world is worse off if they rely on the right people.”
Genevieve squeezed her mom in a tight embrace, hoping the next time she saw her, it wouldn’t be while giving in to Marshal’s demands. “You’re so full of good advice.”
“I’ve been around the block. Losing your dad was like losing myself. I had to push through, get up, and live on. Live for me, sweetheart. Live for me.” Her mom clutched Genevieve’s hands. “If Marshal thinks he’s the law, then take the law into your own hands.”
Genevieve huffed out an impassioned laugh at her mom’s clever words. “Okay, Momma, I’ll live for you. I won’t die under Marshal’s thumb.”
“That’s right, you won’t.” Her mom grasped her arm before she pivoted toward the kitchen. “Find an ally, Gen. Right away! And don’t feel guilty about it.”
With a quick nod, Genevieve walked to the phone and picked up the rattling receiver. She gulped through her dry throat. “Yes?”
“Hi, Genevieve.” His possessive, commanding tone crept up her spine, bringing back a flood of heated moments. “I’ve missed you. More than I thought I would. Just to hear your sweet voice. Say something else for me.”
Genevieve’s hand shook as she tightened her grip on the receiver, but she held her voice firm. “Marshal, how can I help you?”
“Knew I’d find you, did you?” He let out a clever-sounding chuckle like he’d won the jackpot at every casino in Reno. “Marshal? To you, I’m Jed and only Jed. A man’s woman should use his first name, don’t you think? Even when no one else is allowed. I’m yours, and you are mine.”
Play the game…for now. “Jed, how can I help you?”
“Aah…there it is. My name coming off your sweet lips in that sultry voice. So intimate. Good girl.” After a deliberate pause, he drawled out, “I’m not happy with your impulsive decision to run off, my little dove.”
Her knees went weak, and she braced her shoulder against the wall. Would she be trapped in Jed’s web forever now that he’d found her? “Sorry about that. I just got cold feet.”
“How are your feet now?”
She raised her chin, if only for the confidence to not back down. “You tell me.” Was she playing the game yet? Even she didn’t know.
“They better be warming up. In the interest of saving time and getting you into my arms, I’ll lay out my terms.” He paused long enough that her stomach dropped. “Listening, little dove?”
“Loud and clear.”
“That’s my girl.” Another pause. “Two of my best security guards will be watching over your mom noon to night. There is no moving her out from under my nose, so don’t try. Momma Dear is to stay in Aspen until you utter the words ‘I do,’ sign a legal document that says you’re my wife, and promise you’ll stay by my side. Your mom will then be free to do as she wishes. She can move to Reno into a mother-in-law suite, stay in Aspen, or whatever she wants. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“However, if you so much as move a toe out of line, I’ll move Momma Dear to The Outlaw, and she’ll remain under my watchful eye until you agree to my terms. Is this necessary?”
“No.” Genevieve swallowed and slammed her lids shut, bracing the side of her cheek against the splatter-textured paint. “But just out of curiosity, Jed?—”
Jed groaned. “I know you’re playing with me, dove, but damn, I love it all the same. You want to speak my name in jest, go ahead.”
“Speaking of playing…” Genevieve glanced toward her apartment window. Could they run now? “What if I refuse? You know, I decide to be disobedient regardless of whether you have my mom?”
“Then on to plan B. I’ll call in your warrants and have the police take you to the slammer until you beg me to come get you. Then I’ll stand outside the metal bars until our marriage contract is official and you’ve stated your vows to me”—he darkened his tone—“vows that will be much more intense than what I’m asking of you now, so don’t make me go there.”
