She turned, yanked open the cupboard closest to her and grabbed the plates. She started whipping them at his covered face like frisbees.
He bellowed again, struggling to get to his feet. She grabbed the glasses next, pitching them fast, aiming for his face.
“Get out!”
“You’re coming with me, bitch!”
She grabbed the old toaster off the counter, yanked the cord free from the outlet and screeched, throwing it at him as hard as she could.
The man jerked back, tripped on the broken table, and fell onto her couch again.
Mel ran full speed toward the hallway and made it to her bedroom. She slammed the door, locking it as she threw her body against the surface.
He hit the door hard. Wood cracked.
“Get out! The neighbors heard me screaming,” she yelled. “The police are on their way.”
“You’re going to answer my fucking questions,” he snarled, hitting the door again.
The lock broke and the door pushed in a few inches. She shoved back, desperate enough to find the strength to close it. His heavy weight left suddenly, and Mel sprang back, out of the way.
He hit the door again, expecting resistance—but there was none.
He’d hit hard enough to come barreling in, smashed into the small table she had by her bed before crashing to the floor.
She darted out of her bedroom, down the hall, flinched as she stepped on part of the broken coffee table, but she didn’t trip or slow down. She made it to the front door, grabbed her purse, and yanked the door open.
Mel was panting hard as she ran toward her car. Her neighbors weren’t out there. It was possible they weren’t home, since no one had come rushing to see what was wrong while she’d been screaming and yelling.
She made it to her car and fumbled with her purse for the keys she’d tossed in there earlier.
Noise had her turning her head as her attacker came bursting out of her apartment. He spotted her, and she whimpered, her fingers finding the keys at last. He sped toward her, one hand holding part of his masked face near his cheek.
He was hurt.
That didn’t help ease her terror.
Her car key was the biggest on the ring and, despite her hands shaking, she managed to shove it into the door and heard the lock click. She yanked it open, dove in, and hit the lock after she slammed it closed.
The man reached her car and tried to open the door. She threw her free hand on the steering wheel, pressing on the horn, and didn’t let up as she tried to get the key into the ignition.
She flinched when he punched the window next to her head, but the glass held.
He cursed. “You’re going to answer my fucking questions!” he yelled over the blaring horn, punching the glass again.
She got the key in and twisted. The engine started, and she threw it in reverse, slamming her bare foot on the gas. She was thrown forward from the force of the movement. She backed away from him a good fifty feet and hit the brakes. Incredibly, he stumbled toward her.
She threw it in drive and punched the gas again, gripping the wheel tight.
Her attacker realized she was going to hit him, and he threw his big body out of the way.
She wasn’t even sure if her car hit him or not. She was too flipped out and panicked. She didn’t even stop to leave the parking lot but instead kept her foot down, twisting the wheel hard as she hit the street.
One glance sideways as she drove away showed him picking himself up off the pavement. He was alive.
She wasn’t sticking around. Big fat tears slid down her face, her heart raced, and she was shaking all over. Her foot and hands hurt. Her arm throbbed from where she’d had stitches. It made her wonder if she’d popped them but she wasn’t going to take time to look or check to see if she was bleeding anywhere. Not until she got to the sheriff’s station.
* * * * *
Snow shifted his stance as he stood on the wall, ignoring the sweat that tickled down his back. He didn’t mind wall duty but it bored him. He’d been assigned to overlook a section that revealed miles of woods. Only the wind in the trees and an occasional animal moved. He glanced at the watch on his wrist, checking the time. Fifteen more minutes and he’d call in to Security again.
His radio crackled. “Snow? Do you hear me?”
He unclipped it from his belt and lifted it to his mouth. “I’m here, Tiger.”
“You’re being relieved. Come to Security.”
He frowned. “Why? I’m on duty for three more hours. What’s wrong?”
“We couldn’t reach you on your phone. Sherriff Cooper called. Don’t be alarmed, but your female is with him. She’s unharmed.”
Snow tensed. “Mel? What happened? Is she hurt?”
“I said she’s unharmed. Just come to Security and I’ll fill you in. The female is safe. Your replacement should be there soon. There’s no need to wait.”
He clipped his radio back to his belt, ran to where the rope hung, and quickly climbed down. He sprinted to the Jeep as soon as he reached the ground. Worry had him driving faster than he usually did.
What had happened to Mel? Why would she be with Sherriff Cooper? Had she been in a car accident? Was the diner targeted again by humans? The worst scenarios played through his head.
He parked at Security, barely remembering to turn off the engine before jumping out of the vehicle.
Tiger exited the building before he reached the door, meeting him halfway. “Your female is fine.”
“What happened?” He tore off his helmet, gripping it to his chest with both hands.
“A masked male broke into her apartment. She got away from him and isn’t hurt.”
A snarl tore from him. “I’m going to Mel.”
Tiger lifted his hands, palms out. “Easy, Snow. I understand. I have a mate. A team should be here soon to escort you. I need to ask you a few questions first while we wait. They will be here fast. I promise.”
He had a few questions of his own. “Are you certain she’s unharmed? Absolutely sure?”
“I don’t want to panic you.”
“Tell me,” Snow snarled.
Tiger took a deep breath and blew it out. “Sheriff Cooper said she fought the male off when he tried to grab her, but she wasn’t severely injured. She used her fists to punch the male, so they are a little tender, and so are her feet. She was barefoot when the attack took place. At most, she’s going to have bruising. She refused medical attention when offered to be taken to a hospital, swearing she didn’t need to go. Sheriff Cooper said she’s mostly shaken up but fine.”
Snow shook with fury.
A male had attacked Mel? She’d had to fight a male? He wanted to kill someone. She was a little thing. No male should ever try to harm her.
“I thought the task force said those two males weren’t working with others?”
“That’s what the task force was told by the captured males. They will be questioned again. Did you leave anything at her home?”
“No.”
“You visited her there a few times, correct?”
“Yes. I have been to her apartment three times. I took her food once, then picked her up and dropped her off after she visited me here. Why does it matter?”
Tiger hesitated. “Someone must have seen you there. It may have made her a target because it links her to the NSO. The attack may have nothing to do with the shooting. But…a man assumed to be a reporter was also in town, asking questions. It seems someone leaked what happened at the diner.”
“I don’t care about the attacker’s motives unless he’s found. Then I want him.” He’d kill the male for touching his female. “I am bringing Mel home with me.”
Tiger blinked a few times but then nodded. “Just get her permission, please. Don’t pull a Valiant. We need to keep the local humans on our side. It would look bad if you tossed her over your shoulder and carried her away while she protested.”
He didn’t care. Mel was in danger. A human had brok
en into her apartment. The scenarios of what horrible things could have happened to her played through his mind. She could have been killed! Humans were dangerous. “Where is the team to take me to her?” It was tempting to go on his own. The Jeep was close. “I need to see her.”
Tiger seemed to guess his intentions and moved between him and the Jeep. “Calm, Snow. I’m aware of how much your instincts will demand you reach her quickly, but you need an escort. Sheriff Cooper would have been honest if she were seriously injured. He swore she was fine. We’re not sure of what kind of threat we’re dealing with yet. It could have been as harmless as a robbery, or something far worse, like a hater targeting her because you went to her home.”
Snow needed to get to Mel. Before he could tear away from Tiger to get to the Jeep, he heard an SUV engine. Torrent and Brass sat in the front, and he could see the shape of another male in the back. He stepped around Tiger and rushed to the side door of the SUV when it stopped, opening it. Timber waited in the backseat.
They took off fast, Torrent driving. Brass turned his head, meeting his gaze. “Remain calm, Snow. I’m aware that the female Melinda is very important to you. We will go to the town, find out all the details, and take it from there.”
He saw another SUV waiting for them just beyond the gates. Three SUVs in all left Reservation. The NSO wasn’t taking any chances after the attack on the diner. He wondered if a task force team from Homeland would be joining them soon. He glanced at Brass. He would know.
“Did you contact Homeland?”
“Yes.”
“Are they sending a team of humans to us?”
“Not currently until we have more information.”
That soothed him somewhat. He liked the task force but he didn’t want them involved when it came to Mel. They’d already talked to her once before promptly returning her to her apartment, the day of the shooting. He’d been furious when he’d realized she was gone. That wasn’t going to happen again.
He was bringing his mate home and keeping her there.
Chapter Nine
Mel held the ice packs wrapped around her hands and shook her head at Deputy Dud as he offered her coffee. It proved he was a bonehead. She couldn’t exactly hold a hot mug. It once again reminded her of why she’d dumped him. A smart guy would have brought her coffee with a straw, setting it on the desk near her so she could drink it.
Her luck sucked. Dan had to be on duty when she’d rushed into the sheriff’s office. Things had been tense between them ever since she’d dumped him. Deputy Dud liked to ask her to give them another chance, regardless of how many times she’d turned him down.
Sherriff Cooper came out of his private office in the back and took a seat at the desk across from her. “Dan, I have this.” He waved the deputy off.
Mel felt gratitude as Dan walked away. “Did your other deputy get to my place yet?”
“Yes. I was just talking to him. Your apartment has been trashed. I’m sorry, young lady.” Sheriff Cooper had a kind expression and tone at the moment. “Whoever attacked you was gone. It looks like he got in through the bedroom window. The lock on it was broken and the screen was on the ground. Was it like that before?”
“No.”
“Tell me about this reporter again.”
“It wasn’t him.”
The sheriff frowned. “You can’t know that for certain. You said your intruder wore a mask that covered his head completely, even his eyes and mouth.”
“That’s true. But the reporter had a bad limp and was about seventy years old. He was thin and kind of frail. The masked guy was bigger and beefier. The size difference alone was very noticeable.”
Sheriff Cooper straightened in the chair. “Are you certain? You had to be scared, it all happened fast, and you were fighting to get away. It’s normal to be confused after something like this. You go into shock and it makes your mind fuzzy, remember things wrong.”
“I’m one hundred percent sure that it wasn’t the same guy. The old man did say someone gave him a tip. Maybe that was the person who broke into my place. Someone who knew about the shooting sent that guy to the diner.”
“Do you think the reporter believed you when you lied to him?”
She bit her lip and shrugged. “I hope so. I tried hard to sell the story about the fridge breaking down, and that’s why we were closed. I was glad I wore this baggy long-sleeve shirt, since he also approached Mitzy. Maybe he was looking at anyone who might have been hurt during the shooting to prove it happened.”
Sheriff Cooper glanced at her arm. “Is it still aching? Just because the stitches look fine and it didn’t start bleeding, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have it looked at.”
“I’m fine.” She unwrapped her hands from the long ice packs and checked out her knuckles. They were red but she hadn’t broken the skin. She moved her fingers, making fists. They were sore but nothing felt broken.
“How’s your foot?”
She leaned forward, staring at her feet. There were a few small cuts on the bottom of her left foot, probably from the glass she’d run through to reach the front door after throwing plates and glasses at the jerk who’d attacked her. None of them were deep. Sheriff Cooper had cleaned and bandaged them before getting her a clean pair of socks to wear from somewhere in the station. “It’s good. Thank you for giving me first aid.”
“It’s part of the job when a young lady refuses to let me drive her to the hospital.”
She almost smiled. The old sheriff really could be gruff, but he also had a tender side. She’s seen it when she’d come running into the station. He’d immediately gotten her into a seat, yelled for a first-aid kit from Dan, and calmly got the details from her. He’d played nurse while firmly issuing orders to his deputies to go after the man she’d described as best she could. He’d only left her side after she was calmer and patched up to his satisfaction.
He held her gaze. “I’ll talk to Mitzy about what that old man said to her, and also the few customers who were there during the shooting. They swore to keep quiet about what happened. Nobody in this town enjoys it when something goes down with the NSO, and then we get inundated by those stupid news people and all their damn vans. This reporter never gave his name or who he worked for? How about a hint of who gave him that tip?”
She shook her head. “No. He wasn’t a friendly, talkative sort.”
Sheriff Cooper sighed. “Damn vultures. Nobody has called the station nosing around. That’s good. We kept everything tightly under wraps. I still want to find this reporter. Maybe he has someone working with him, and that someone took it upon themselves to scare you into talking. You said the suspect wanted to ask you questions?”
She replayed in her head what had happened, trying to remember his exact words. It was a little muddled. She’d been panicked and afraid. “He wanted me to answer questions, and I got the impression he planned to grab me. Like, take me somewhere else.”
That caused Sheriff Cooper to reach out and gently pat her leg. “You’re safe. It’s over. Do you want me to hand you your purse so you can call someone to come be with you?”
“I don’t own a cell phone.”
Sheriff Cooper looked surprised. “Everyone has one these days.”
“Not me. I barely cover my living expenses on what I make. Besides, then my mama would bug me. Joel lets me use the phone at the diner to call my parents every other week, and they have that number if they need to reach me in case of an emergency. Someone would drive over to my place to let me know if that happened.”
“You should have a phone, Mel.”
She wasn’t going to argue with him. “I should call Mary.” Then a horrible thought hit. “Mary! What if that bad guy breaks into her place, too? She was working the day of the shooting, if that’s what this is about. She said she was having dinner with her folks but she should be going home in a couple of hours.”
Sherriff Cooper stood. “Shit. I’ll go over there right now. You stay put. The NSO is sending some
people to assist us. They’re good trackers, and some blood was found at scene. You hurt the bastard. Deputy Dan will wait here with you. Answer any questions the NSO have. They frequently help us out with these kinds of situations.”
She hid her grimace. It wasn’t because of the NSO being involved but the thought of being alone with her ex-boyfriend. “Shouldn’t I come with you? I know Mary’s place as well as my own, and could tell you if anything is missing if it was broken into. We have keys to each other’s places.”
“Stay.” Sheriff Cooper yelled for his deputy and told him where he was going, then shoved on his hat and exited the small station.
Dan approached her. “You’re more than welcome to move into my house if you’re afraid to return to your apartment.”
“No way.”
He frowned. “You really didn’t give us much of a chance before, Mel. Some dickhead broke into your apartment, and we haven’t caught him. It’s just smart if you stay with me until we catch this criminal.” He puffed out his chest in a macho display of strength. “I’ll keep you safe.”
“Let me be clear, and I’ll speak in small words so you’ll understand.” She held his gaze. “We broke up for good reasons. I’m not interested.”
Embarrassment flashed across his face. “This is about your safety.”
She rolled her eyes. “No, it’s not. You see another opportunity. I’m not going to date you again. It’s over. And this is low, even for you. Can you say bad timing, Dan? Using my crappy day to your advantage?”
He opened his mouth to argue more—it wasn’t their first time—but the doors opened and Snow rushed inside.
Mel was stunned but thrilled to see him. She stood to go to him, but he came at her fast. Before she could get a word out, he lifted her right off her feet, and she was smashed against his body in a bear hug.
“I’m here.” Snow loudly sniffed at her, nudging her head with his until he could bury his nose against her throat.
She had automatically wrapped her arms around him. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t smell blood.” He lifted his head and locked gazes with her.
Best Friends (New Species Book 15) Page 11