Red Light: A Dark Stalker Romance (Book One) (Dangerous Games Series)

Chapter Twenty-Four - Alanna

I walked slowly down the driveway to retrieve my paper. The paperboy had stopped delivering to the house after the mob incident. His family likely didn't want him caught up if we were attacked again. I couldn't blame them. Flick had gone back to work a couple days ago. I tried to get him to stay home today, I knew the story was posting in the paper. But he said he'd be fine and left at the usual time this morning.

The gravel crunched beneath my boots as I trekked down the long driveway. Flick seemed to be okay with moving now. Well...that was a lie. He would move, but I had a feeling that was because I was taking our baby out of this town whether he liked it or not. We had a few tours lined up for his day off in a couple days. All places in the city. I thought about finding another small town, so he'd feel more comfortable, but I just didn't trust them after what happened here.

I wish I could see Doc's face when he reads his morning paper. Part of me wanted to drive to the diner just to camp out in case I needed to rescue Flick again. But Flick maintains that they were only that aggressive because I showed up. I didn't want to be present on the off chance he was right. But it took everything in me not to follow him to work and be his bodyguard all day. He was still hurting from before. If people started laying into him again, they could puncture a lung or worse.

Reaching the end of the driveway I pick up the paper laying on the ground at the mouth. My story was front page news in a town like this. Name dropping Timothy didn't hurt at all. I unfurl the paper and start reading the story as I absently walk back toward the house. Smiling as I get to the parts I know Doc will hate, I think of what Betty would say if she knew I was using her help to shame her brother. The thought makes me feel bad.

I liked Betty. She had been nice, and apparently the only real friend Flick had ever had. Maybe I should have thought about the fact that Doc was her brother before I got vindictive. But nothing I said in the story was overly mean or not factual. I just hit hard on the scandal of it all and made certain that no one would be confused about the fact that Doc Winters was actually Doc Foster.

With any luck, the fact that I tracked down the real Winters in the city, and sent them a copy of the story, would result in Doc being stripped of all the power he has in this town. Betty was gone and married. She should be safe from the backlash. But Doc was walking around town swinging his dick every fucking day. No, I wanted Doc to pay for what he did. And the best way to do that, was to strip him of everything he has.

He was nothing but the descendant of a third son of a Foster. He wasn't entitled to a single piece of the Winters estate. I would strip him of everything he had and smile as he's run out of town by the people he thought were family. Then I would move somewhere less toxic. And hopefully I will be able to take my baby daddy with me.

I read the paper twice before I get back to the porch. As I'm climbing the steps I hear the crunch of gravel behind me and turn to see the town's news crew driving down my driveway. What the hell? I turn and watch as they pull up and jump out of the van, rushing over to me. I recognized Shauna from the book club, I hadn't realized she was the town's newscaster. She rushes up to me and turns to smile in front of the camera.

"This is Shauna Turner here with Alanna Carver, the woman who broke the story we're all buzzing about this morning. Alanna," she says and turns to me, "how did you come across the story posted in this morning's paper?" Her microphone is shoved into my face, and I stare at her in shock for a moment before my head catches up with the situation and I open my mouth to speak. "Well, it wasn't easy. There's a ghost story connected to the Carver Estate, and being a lover of the supernatural, I wanted to get to the bottom of the story from the minute I moved in."

Shauna pulls the mic away and brings it back to her as she turns toward the camera. "Oooh! A ghost story! No wonder it was so compelling. Can you walk us through the evidence you found?" I smile as the microphone is shoved back in my face. "I'd love to Shauna, follow me." I say before leading her inside. My office was covered in the evidence still. And it would make a great room for an interview. I couldn't wait for Doc to see me guaranteeing this story gets spread far outside this little town. My hate for that man knew no bounds.