CHAPTER FOUR

Shelby was emotionally exhausted by the time she got home. Mr. Houston was already in bed, so she couldn't tell him how her visit with Gray Wolf went. Instead, she made herself a cup of tea, took a quick shower, and decided to binge a series that she'd been saving.

Opening her app on the television, she clicked on the only show she'd been saving and was horrified at what popped up. Her every move. Every motion, every walk from one room to the next, every action was captured by someone on video.

"Oh, my God," she whispered to herself.

She looked around the room as if to see the culprit. One clip showed her on the phone with her bank, asking for replacement cards. Another showed her washing dishes. When it showed her undressing, she'd seen enough. Stepping into her closet, she did what she'd seen in a movie once. Turned her music full blast, dialing the number.

"Gray Wolf."

"Y-yes, this is Shelby. I was there earlier today," she whispered.

"Shelby, this is Code. Is everything okay?"

"N-no. Someone filmed me. Is filming me! I turned on my recorded television program, and it's me. It's all of me!"

"Don't move. Don't leave the apartment. Don't turn anything on or off. Sit right there, but pack a bag. Listen carefully."

Shelby did everything that the man told her to do, packing a bag for at least a week. She left the television running as well as the music blaring. Hopefully, Mr. Houston wouldn't hear the music through the walls. About an hour later, she heard a pounding on her front door and nearly had a heart attack. Looking through the peephole, she held her breath.

"Shelby? Shelby, it's me, Dan."

Shelby opened the door, shaking like a leaf. Another man stepped forward, pulling her in for a hug.

"It's okay, ma'am. It's all going to be okay," said Red.

"I-I can't believe this. I can't believe they've been watching me. What else have they seen? How did they get in here?" she sniffed.

"Shelby, I'm going to check out everything right now. You know that my family owns this complex, so believe me, we've got cameras everywhere. We'll check the footage and see what we can find," said Dan. "For now, let's get you out of here."

The two men led her to the SUV, turning off her lights and power in her apartment. Tomorrow, their team would send someone to find the cameras. For now, she would be safe at Belle Fleur.

They must have driven twenty miles before Shelby spoke up from the backseat.

"I was planning to go back to work tomorrow, but I just can't. I can't when I know that someone is watching me. What if they're watching me at work? What if they're watching me in my car?"

"Shelby, we're going to check all of that, I promise," said Dan. "We're going to put you in a cottage near Red."

"Red?" she frowned.

"Sorry," said the man. "In all the excitement, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Stanislaus Jablonski, but everyone just calls me Red."

"Why? I mean, you don't have red hair," she frowned.

"No, I don't," he laughed. "I tend to turn red very easily. Your cottage will be near mine and my daughter, Brittany."

"Your wife doesn't live there?" she asked.

"No," he smiled. "My wife passed after we were divorced."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "My divorce was painful. I haven't dated since then, which is why I tried this stupid online dating. I can't believe I fell for this crap."

"You didn't fall for anything," said Red. "Listen, Shelby, these people make their living off stealing and cheating others. They've gotten very good at it, but I can guarantee you that they're not as good as we are. Gray Wolf will find them."

"Are you with Gray Wolf?"

"No. Dan and I are part of a different team, but we're always happy to help when we can."

"Where are you from?" she asked. "You don't sound like you're from Louisiana."

"You've got a good ear," he grinned. "I'm from Canada. I met the group during an adventure involving a friend of mine. It resulted in their marriage and me following them down here. But all of that led me to finding my daughter again. It's been the best decision of my life."

"That's wonderful," she whispered softly, staring at the passing cars.

"Shelby, I know this feels horrible, but we're going to make it right," said Dan.

"What if they saw me? What if they saw me naked? They filmed me, Dan. Do you have any idea how horrible this makes me feel? My husband left me because he didn't like the way I looked any longer. It feels as though these people played right into that like someone was going to film me and put it out there for the whole world to laugh at me."

Dan looked at Red, both men frowning, sensing something was very, very wrong with this situation beyond the obvious. Shelby lay her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes as they continued to drive through New Orleans and then south to Belle Fleur.

It made it easier for Dan and Red. She was sound asleep when they went through the gates, bypassing the security system. When they pulled up to Shelby's cottage, Dan jumped out with her bags, opening the front door. Brittany was sitting on the porch with Tyler. She walked down the steps and toward the car.

"Let me, Dad," she smiled. Brittany touched the woman's arm, gently nudging her. "Ma'am? Shelby? Hi. I'm Brittany. Red's daughter."

"Oh. I must have fallen asleep. I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. Red stared at the woman, recognizing for the first time how very pretty she was. She had light brown hair that fell just below her shoulders and the prettiest hazel-green eyes he'd ever seen. She was curvy but not plump.

"Dad?"

"What? Sorry. What?"

"Do you want me to get her settled?" asked Brittany.

"No. No, it's fine. I'll get her settled into the cottage." He held out his hand for Shelby, and she carefully slid her fingers into his palm. When she had her footing, she walked up the steps and into the cottage, turning to wave at Brittany.

"I'm just over there if you need me," she smiled. "I'll come and see you in the morning."

"Thank you." Red nodded at his daughter, but she pulled his arm.

"She's a nice lady, Dad. But she's scared. Don't scare her more."

He frowned at his daughter, watching as she and Tyler left the front porch. He took a deep breath and walked inside the cottage. Shelby was sitting stiffly in one of the chairs.

"This is your place for as long as you need it," he said, setting her bags down on the floor. He nervously rubbed his hands on his trousers.

"Your daughter is lovely," she said quietly.

"Thank you. We missed out on a lot of years because of her mother, but we've reconnected, and we're doing alright now. She's going to university, and Tyler, the young man that was out there, is her boyfriend. He works here as well." Shelby just nodded, and Red realized he was babbling.

"I'm very tired," she said with tears in her eyes. Standing, she started to move, then realized she didn't know where she was going.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay," he said, gripping her shoulders, hugging her once again. "It's all going to be okay. Let me show you around."

Shelby nodded, walking arm-in-arm with Red as he showed her around the three-bedroom cottage. It was absolutely beautiful, and she immediately felt a warmth and security she didn't know she'd been missing.

"The refrigerator is full of food, so help yourself. We all meet at the cafeteria for meals. I can come and get you in the morning if that's okay." She nodded. "Okay. Well, I'll leave you to get some rest. I'm just across the path if you need anything." He started to leave, and Shelby called out to him.

"Red? Thank you. Thank you for being so kind to me. Please thank Dan as well. I didn't get to thank him before he left."

"No problem. I'll knock for breakfast in the morning." She nodded, giving a small smile. "It's all going to work out, Shelby. You'll see."

She watched as he walked across the path, entering his own home. Using the multiple locks on the door, she secured them, although knew she didn't have to on this property.

"It will all work out," she whispered, repeating the statement to herself. "I sure hope so."