by Crespo, Nina
He parked in her driveway and turned off the engine.
The porch light beamed over the door, and light peeked out through the blinds from two of the three windows on the opposite end of the house.
Nothing appeared amiss, but she wouldn’t feel comfortable until Betsy was licking her face, happily welcoming her home.
She unbuckled her seat belt, leaned over, and gave Rome a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for the ride.”
…
Rome tamped down frustration about her being in such a hurry, but it proved that she was more than just a little concerned about what had happened with the pet cam. And frankly, he was too.
As she went to open the door, he laid his hand on her arm. “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to walk you to your door.” He smiled and lifted his hands in surrender. “I promise, I’m not up to anything. I just want to make sure everything’s fine before I leave.”
“I’m sure it is.” She glanced at the house as if mulling over his request. “But, okay.”
They got out of the SUV, and Rome walked with her up the stone path leading to the front door.
He wasn’t trying to play the hero or anything. Hero. Just letting the word run through his mind dropped an unwieldy weight on him that he hurriedly cast off. Those days were over. Not that he’d ever done anything admirable or courageous…far from it. He was just being overly cautious. Everyone in her neighborhood had signs on their lawn indicating they had an alarm system, and she probably had one, too. If something had happened, it would have gone off, and the police would have already been there, meeting them in her driveway. Once he got the all clear from her, he’d head out…after he kissed her one more time and got her number.
Yes, he’d said he wouldn’t get involved with any of the women attending the Breakup Bash, but he was way past that. He’d not only hooked up with her, but he’d also driven her home. Truthfully, he wouldn’t mind having sex with Natalie again in the near future, preferably with both of them naked in a bed.
As they walked, she smiled up at him. “I’m sure it’s nothing. The screws probably came loose in the bracket holding up the camera, and it fell off the wall. I should have followed my instincts and used plastic anchors. I hope I don’t end up having to do a major patch because there’s a big hole in the wall.”
It sounded like she knew her way around a toolbox and basic repairs. Impressive. It wasn’t that he didn’t expect her to because she was a woman. Hell, growing up, his mom had been the one who taught him the right way to use a hammer and a drill. Considering a lot of people opted to call in a handyman for repair work, it was just surprising to hear her say that, if needed, she’d patch the wall herself. Personally, he liked doing house repairs. Maybe she did, too.
“Sounds like you’ve got all the angles covered, but if you want an extra pair of hands, give me a call. I’ll help.”
Her smile widened a bit more. “Maybe I will.”
His heart thundered in his chest as his own grin took over his face. It sounded like he had a definite shot at getting her number.
They reached the front door. Light shone through the pane of the narrow, slightly frosted glass to the right.
When Natalie put her key into the deadbolt, she froze. “It’s unlocked.”
As she opened the door wider, he caught a glimpse of an alarm panel on the wall above a small table in the lighted entryway. Next to it was a row of coat hooks, and one of them had a pink leash hanging from it. His attention returned to the alarm panel. It wasn’t lit up like it was armed or even functional.
Natalie walked farther into her house. “Oh, no.”
He abandoned his original plan of staying outside and walked in. Rome followed her gaze to the living room on the right.
The cushions of an emerald-colored couch were scattered on a green-and-beige patterned rug. A tall lamp had been knocked to the floor, and the rest of the furniture was askew.
“Someone broke into my house.” She started to rush inside.
Rome caught her arm. “Wait.”
As Natalie stepped back, she stumbled over something that let out a toy-like squeak. She picked up a small, stuffed pink dog from the floor. Her expression morphed from shock to panic. “Betsy!”
Rome held on to her. “It’s not safe. Someone could still be inside.”
“You don’t understand. This was in Betsy’s room when I left.” She tried to escape his hold. “She’s not barking. Maybe she’s hurt.”
“Let me take a look first. If she’s inside, I’ll find her.”
“If?” The way Natalie leaned away from him telegraphed her intentions. She planned to run past him and look for Betsy herself.
He gripped her shoulders. “You need to call the police. I’ll look for Betsy.”
She lifted her chin and frowned as if preparing to argue with him.
“Listen.” Rome softened his tone, hoping to appeal to the rational side of her not ruled by fear. “After you contact the police, call around for Betsy. She may be outside hiding someplace. Just do me a favor and don’t go into the backyard alone. Okay?”
“All right.”
As she reluctantly backed outside, Rome let go of her, then shut the door.
Except for the hum of the air conditioner, all remained silent in the house.
Whoever had broken in was probably long gone. Adrenalin, along with muscle memory from his careers as a military police officer—and, once he got out of the army, an executive security specialist—kicked in. Rome slipped a tactical knife from a holder inside of his right boot. He fucking missed the Glock he used to carry on the job.
Moving cautiously, he went further into the house. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast…
He peeked through the archway into the dining room on the right. The wooden chairs remained undisturbed around the polished, rectangular table that sat on a dark wood floor.
No sign of Betsy.
Aided by light from the entryway, he went left and crept across the cream tiles in the living room. An empty bracket for a flat-screen television hung on the wall to his left with the bottom piece ripped from the wall.
Rome made a quick search for Betsy near the couch, beige side chairs, and large wood-topped ottoman, listening for whines, growls, or barks.
What type of dog was she, anyway? Was he potentially facing a cute purse-sized lapdog or a large angry one with territory issues?
Staying light on his feet, he sidled past the window facing the lawn and walked down the hallway in front of him. After flipping on the lights, he glanced into the first room on the right.
Two large silver frames shaped like paw prints hung on each side of the window. They held photos of a brown, black, and white beagle with a pink rhinestone collar. Betsy.
On the opposite wall, a black fabric container was filled with doggie toys, and more of them were strewn in the middle of the room over the camel rug covering the light colored tiles. A pink, bone-shaped doggie bed sat empty in the far corner at the end of the room, and pink food and water bowls were nearby on a black mat against the wall. Above it, another television bracket sat empty. Near the corner, the pet cam lay smashed on the floor.
Shit. That wasn’t good.
He went farther down the hall, performing a cursory search for Betsy in an office space on the left, the guest room and bathroom on the right, and the master bedroom at the end of the hallway. All of the rooms, except the guest room, had items strewn over the floor.
He walked back the way he’d came and went through the archway into the kitchen.
The thieves had rifled through the dark wooden drawers and cabinets, too. A grouping of potted plants in a glass-enclosed nook attached to the kitchen were knocked over. Soil, pieces from the broken ceramic pots, and shards of glass littered the tiles there and the floor at the entryway of the laundry room on the left. In the midst of the mess, treaded shoe prints tracked in and out of the kitchen through the shattered glass door that opened onto a back wooden deck.
&
nbsp; That’s how they’d gotten in.
Voices and the sounds of car doors closing filtered in from outside.
The police had probably arrived.
Rome sheathed his knife back into his boot, tamping down anger at whomever had invaded Natalie’s space. The police needed to find the bastards. And he had to help her search for Betsy…if Natalie hadn’t found her already.
As he stepped outside, lights shone from one of the windows in the house across the street. A section of the window blinds widened as if someone was peeking outside. Undoubtedly, the neighbors were curious about the two patrol cars parked at the curb in front of Natalie’s front lawn.
The thieves had broken in through the back, but at some point, they’d opened the front door. Hopefully her neighbors would come forward if they’d noticed anything.
Two dark-haired police officers, a man and a woman, spoke with Natalie on the sidewalk.
As Rome approached, the officers stared at him. From their lack of a defensive posture, Natalie had mentioned he was in the house.
Natalie ran over to him and grasped his arm. Hope filled her expression. “Is Betsy inside?”
Chapter Six
A helplessness Rome despised bored into his gut. “No, I didn’t see her.”
Natalie’s shoulders fell, and worry filled her eyes.
He grasped her hand. “I just checked the most visible places. She could still be hiding somewhere in the house.” Rome kept holding her hand as he addressed the officers. “The glass is broken in the back door in the kitchen, and I saw footprints on the floor. That’s probably where the thieves got in. I didn’t see anyone out back, but I didn’t go too far into the kitchen because I didn’t want to destroy evidence.”
The policewoman nodded. “We’ll take it from here.” She went inside the house while the other officer checked the perimeter and the backyard.
Natalie let go of him and paced the sidewalk, looking up and down the street. “Before the police showed up, I called for her and looked around the bushes, but she’s not here.” She hugged the stuffed toy to her chest, and it squeaked. Her eyes grew bright, and she blinked rapidly.
A lot of people would have been concerned about losing their possessions. But Natalie only cared about Betsy. The dog obviously meant everything to her.
“If the police don’t come across her, we’ll canvas the neighborhood.”
“Really? You don’t mind?”
He’d feel like a total dick if he didn’t, and from what he’d witnessed so far, she’d spend the rest of the night searching for Betsy alone, if necessary. “I’m not leaving.” Rome pulled Natalie into a loose hug.
She leaned her forehead against his chest and released an exhale. “Thank you.”
The officers came out and conferred with each other near the front door. The policewoman went to her patrol car while the policeman walked to Rome and Natalie.
“Whoever broke in is definitely gone, and we didn’t see the dog.” He removed a small notebook and a pen from the front pocket of his dark uniform shirt. “Can I see identification from both of you, please?”
Rome took his wallet from his back pocket, removed his driver’s license, and handed it to the officer. Natalie retrieved her license from her purse and did the same.
The officer pointed to the logo on Rome’s shirt. “Club Escapade. Do you work security at the club with Xander Matthews?”
“No, I’m a bartender,” Rome said. “But Xander is a friend.”
When he’d applied to work at the club a year ago, Xander had wanted him on the security team, but he was fresh out of rehab and hadn’t felt up to the task. Going off Rome’s experience of tending bar in his family’s restaurant in Maine before joining the army, Xander had supported him in landing a bartender position instead.
The officer nodded. “Xander’s a good man. What about when you two drove up to the house? Are you sure you didn’t notice anyone suspicious hanging around or any other vehicles you didn’t recognize parked on the street?”
“No, nothing.” Rome and Natalie’s answers came out simultaneously.
The officer turned to Natalie. “Anyone else live in the house besides you?”
“No, just me.”
“Who else has keys and the alarm code?”
“Maya, my dog sitter. But the alarm isn’t hooked up yet. I just moved here recently. The alarm company was supposed to transfer the service from my other home, but we got into a dispute over the contract.” Her head dropped for a moment. “I was going to install one myself. I just didn’t get around to it.”
The officer nodded. “You’ll definitely want to make time to do that. Nice neighborhoods are just as vulnerable to criminals. I’m sure you wouldn’t give keys to anyone you didn’t trust, but we’ll still need information on all of the people who have access to the house. Or anyone who may have a motive for breaking in.”
“I can’t think of anyone.”
Rome could. What about her ex-husband? Just because she’d attended the Bash to celebrate the ending of her marriage, that didn’t mean her ex was thrilled about the divorce. Rome almost mentioned him. Stay in your lane. He wasn’t a security expert hired to protect her. Hell, he wasn’t even her boyfriend.
While the officer conferred with his partner and ran their licenses, Natalie searched through the contacts on her phone for the dog sitter’s address and number. “I’m sure Maya had nothing to do with this.”
He couldn’t hold the question back any longer. “What about your ex?”
“Dorian? He’s not that bold…for the most part.”
“For the most part? Natalie, if you have any doubts about him, you have to tell the police.”
“He’s not dangerous, and he wouldn’t do this.” But conflicted emotions and inner questions shone in her eyes. She had doubts. “I have to find Betsy. I know I need to talk to the police about the break-in, but I need to start looking for her, too.”
The officer returned their IDs. “An investigator is on the way. They want to take photos of the shoe prints and talk to you. This robbery could be linked to some other robberies that have happened in other subdivisions in the area.”
Natalie gave him Maya’s contact information. As the officer walked away, Natalie worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she looked up and down the street.
He couldn’t convince her to tell the police about her ex, but he could help her find her dog. Rome pointed to the stuffed toy in Natalie’s hand. “Mind if I borrow that? I’m going to look around for Betsy. If I find her and she recognizes her toy, maybe she’ll come to me.”
As Natalie gave it to him, her eyes lit up. “And her leash. She loves almost anyone who’s willing to take her for a walk.” She hurried inside the house, snagged the pink leash, and brought it to him. “She’s a brown, white, and black beagle, and she ha—”
“I saw the pictures of her in the room. I got this.” Rome squeezed her hand. “Finish talking to the police.”
She gave him a quick nod. “You’ll need my phone number, just in case.”
He added the digits she recited to his contacts, then called her so she’d have his. Before he turned to walk to his SUV, he caught a glimpse of hope in her eyes. Rome grabbed a small, high-powered flashlight from the glove compartment of his car. She was looking at him like he was some kind of savior. What if he failed her? What if he couldn’t find Betsy? An invisible boulder settled on his shoulders. But he had to try.
Twenty minutes later, he’d gone up and down her side of the street and was almost at the end of the block on the other side with no luck finding Betsy. He glanced toward Natalie’s house. The police cruisers were gone, but an unmarked car still sat in front of the driveway.
Natalie was probably anxious to hear from him, but he had nothing new to tell her. Disappointment settled over him, but he breathed it away. He wouldn’t give up. He’d hunt for Betsy a while longer.
As Rome took his phone from his pocket so he could send Natalie a text, Betsy�
��s stuffed dog slipped from his grasp. When the toy hit the sidewalk, it squeaked.
A soft whine came from the shadows of the bushes lining the vacant driveway of the darkened two-story house he stood in front of.
He shined his flashlight into the shadows. “Betsy?”
A pair of eyes reflected in the light. A beagle with a pink collar poked its head farther out and stared at him.
“Hey girl, it’s okay.” Rome cautiously approached.
Hopefully the homeowners wouldn’t think he was a burglar, come outside, and scare her off. Rome sat on the sidewalk a few feet away from her and laid the toy between them. Doggie treats would have upped his chances, but he’d have to work with what he had.
“You ready to go home, Betsy?” He gently shook her leash, causing the metal piece at the end of it to jangle.
Betsy’s ears perked up, and she crept out of the bushes. As she sniffed her toy, her tail began to wag.
“Why don’t you let me take you home to your pretty mama? She’s worried about you.” Rome jangled the leash again.
Betsy barked and wagged her tail. Apparently deciding he wasn’t a threat, she came to him.
Rome let her circle him and become comfortable with him being there before offering her his hand to sniff. “Nice to meet you, Betsy.” From what he could see in the beam from his flashlight and from the way she moved around him, she wasn’t hurt. He clipped on the leash and gave her a head rub.
Tail thumping, she sat on the ground, patiently waiting for him to snag her toy and rise to his feet.
As they walked to the house, Betsy stayed at his side until they got closer to home.
Natalie stood just outside the front door as a man walked to the unmarked police car at the end of the driveway. She spotted Betsy, and, even from a distance, he saw Natalie’s face light up.
Rome let go of the leash, and Betsy ran across the front yard to Natalie, who crouched down and caught the beagle mid-leap.
Her joyful laugh as Betsy licked her face lifted an invisible weight from his chest.
When he got to the porch, Natalie let go of Betsy and stood. She threw her arm around his neck. “Thank you.”