Clark gripped the arms of the chair tighter. Fighting with Sheriff McGruder for the past hour and a half had worn him down. To top off his bad mood, the office reeked of burned coffee and stale air.

“I see where you’re coming from, Mr. McKay, but I can’t just bring Eric in for questioning. Being adopted isn’t a crime.” The small-town sheriff had long ago moved past Southern hospitality to just wanting Clark to leave. He’d asked flat out twice.

Too bad. Clark wasn’t leaving until he got the man to agree to at least look into the evidence. “But Sheriff, just look at how it all links together. There has to be something missing, and isn’t it your job to figure it out?”

“Look, I don’t know how they did things from where you’re from, Mr. McKay, but down here in Mississippi, we don’t run around questioning innocent people.” He leaned forward and rested his palms on his desk.

“But you’ll lie in wait to lock up an innocent man, right, Sheriff McGruder?” a familiar throaty voice interjected.

Clark’s heart rate increased as he jumped to his feet and turned. There she was—his vision of loveliness.

“Gabby, we’ve been through this all before.” Sheriff McGruder rose to his feet, too much of a Southern gentleman to not stand when a lady entered the room.

But it wasn’t just one lady who rounded the corner and filed into the sheriff’s office. All of Gabby’s friends marched in right behind her.

“Not this, we haven’t.” Gabby moved to stand beside Clark, and she took a second to give him a slow wink.

His heart quivered.

“What is it now?” The little lines around Sheriff McGruder’s eyes etched deeper into his tanned face.

“We know who the real murderer is, as well as a blackmailer.” Gabby threw a triumphant glare at the young lawman.

“Who would that be?”

“Eric Masters.”

Clark didn’t try to stop the smile from sliding across his face. They’d been right.

“All y’all got it in for Eric, huh?” The sheriff scratched the stubble on his chin. “I’m sure you’re here to give me the same song and dance as Mr. McKay. But I’ll tell you the same thing I keep telling him, it’s not against the law to be adopted or work for your stepdaddy’s rival business.”

“How about blackmail and murder so you can get control of a radio station? Do those constitute crimes?” Sheldon moved from the back.

The sheriff rested his hands on his work belt. “What’re you talking about, Sheldon?” His voice, unlike his earlier words, was softer, gentler.

Sheldon laid out facts like the librarian she was.

“Sheldon, you really do read too many of them mystery novels.” But the sheriff wasn’t laughing.

Neither were Gabby and her friends.

Sheriff McGruder scratched his chin. “How would Eric blackmail Amber Ellison? They hardly know each other.”

“Maybe because he’s the son she had right after graduation and gave up for adoption.” Gabby smiled.

Sheriff McGruder fell back into his chair. “So Mr. McKay keeps claiming, but I just can’t believe it.”

Sheldon glared across the desk and wagged her finger at the sheriff. “It’s true. We just got the whole truth from Amber Ellison. She’s at home right now, worried about having to tell you all her painful secrets.”

The heavy frown of the sheriff’s face said it all. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m sure Amber will explain it all to you.” Gabby crossed her arms over her chest.

She was really a little fireball when excited. Clark eased his hand around hers. She glanced down at him and squeezed. He couldn’t wait to put this mess behind them and move into the future with Gabby at his side.

Thank You, Lord.

What would happen now that the sheriff knew the truth?

Gabby turned onto Sea Swept, her mind racing. McGruder had left the station in a hurry—to talk to Amber and then, if he felt it warranted it, to pay a visit to Eric. It would be. Finally, all the pieces fit together and soon Mystique could move beyond the secrets and tragedies.

After parking, Gabby headed toward the stairs of her apartment building. A silhouette stepped from the shadows, blocking her path. In the reflecting light from the parking lot, Eric stood before her, his face twisted into a menacing scowl.

Her heartbeat raced. Amber’s evaluation that he was desperate echoed in Gabby’s mind. She licked her lips with a dry tongue. “Eric, you startled me. What are you doing here?” She fought to keep her voice normal.

“You ruined my plans.”

Play dumb. “What plans? What are you talking about?” She gripped her keys harder and made a move.

He stepped in her path. “Don’t act stupid, Gabby. I know you know. I saw the sheriff going to visit my mother.”

Every instinct told her to run…shout…anything, but she couldn’t move. She had to think. Fast. “Eric, your mother’s dead, remember?” Maybe she could confuse him.

He withdrew a gun from his jacket pocket and aimed it at her. “I had everything plotted out. Planned down to the T. McGruder bought it all. Everybody would’ve believed what I wanted them, had you just cooperated. But you couldn’t do that. You had to keep digging, keep asking questions. Even the calls I made and slashing your tires wouldn’t stop you.” He took a step toward her. “You should’ve stopped.”

She stumbled backward. “Eric, stop this. Let’s talk about it.”

“You and that uppity Mr. McKay. Y’all ruined everything. He’ll get what’s coming to him. As soon as I’m done with you.”

Gabby’s heart froze at the threat to Clark. In that moment, she knew two things for certain. One, she was well on her way to falling in love with Clark McKay. And two, she’d never get the chance to tell him.

God, please help me.

“Now I’ve got to leave town. Drop everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve.” He moved closer. “All because of you.”

Words failed her. It didn’t matter—they wouldn’t have been able to squeeze past the lump in her throat even if they’d formed.

No way could she make it up the stairs and into her apartment. He’d either tackle her or shoot her. Same scenario if she tried to run to her vehicle.

God, I need a miracle. Please, send me help.

Maybe the best defense was a strong offense. “Look, you could’ve told me what was going on. I could’ve helped you.”

That stopped him. The gun wavered in his grip. “What? You? Miss Goody Two-shoes?” He made a sound that was half snort and half laugh. “Not hardly.”

He’d called her bluff. Now, panic threatened to send her bolting, even though it’d surely bring a bullet to the back of her head.

Eric raised the gun again. “Where’s your hospitality, Gabby? Aren’t you going to ask me in?”

Bile seared the back of her throat. What would he do to her once he got her isolated in her apartment? The keys felt like cold steel against her palm.

She caught a flicker of movement on the steps behind him.

Clark eased his weight down to the last stair. His descent had been painstakingly slow, but he’d had to be silent. Seeing the fear on Gabby’s face and hearing the desperation in her voice had nearly made him act too soon.

As soon as he’d seen Eric train the gun on her, he’d realized he loved her. With all his heart.

One more inch. Two. Silent. Careful.

From a crouching position, Clark rose in a flash, then pounced. His shoulder made contact with Eric’s back as he lifted his arms under Eric’s and slapped the gun out of the man’s hands.

Eric turned on Clark. His eyes widened only a millimeter before he swung.

Clark dodged the blow, sidestepping. He countered with a left-right, making contact with Eric’s chin and temple, then added a stiff kick to Eric’s inner thigh.

Eric dropped to the ground.

Without hesitation, Clark jumped on top of him, using fists to bring Eric under control. Every punch he delivered resonated inside him. This man could’ve taken Gabby from him forever.

Clark wouldn’t have survived.

A siren wailed.

“I called the police while y’all were fighting.” Gabby’s voice crept through his fit of anger.

He pinned Eric’s hands to the ground, straddling him. He fixed his gaze on Gabby.

She stared at him, trembling, but smiled. “The sheriff will be here any second.”

He never wanted to hold anyone more.

The flashing lights atop the cruiser blinded him as it skidded to a stop. All he wanted to do was get to Gabby, hold her and tell her how much she meant to him.

Forever.