by Morgan James
Con was right—he did need to talk to her. He flicked his gaze toward his best friend. “Wanna grab a drink?”
“Why not?” Con shrugged one shoulder. “Not like I’ve got anything else to do.”
Blake flipped off the lamp at the corner of his desk and stepped into the hallway behind Con. Together they made their way to the lobby where the lights still glowed. Blake’s attention was drawn toward the reception area, now cluttered with a handful of knick-knacks, pictures, and a small potted plant. He hadn’t even noticed it on the way in.
“I forgot all about Abby. Looks like she’s settling in okay.”
Con rolled his eyes. “I can’t wait to get her into her own place. My house is stacked full of her shit.”
Blake chuckled. “Women tend to do that. It’s not so bad.”
“Yeah, not if you’re getting laid. This is my sister, though. Some things I just can’t un-see.” He shuddered theatrically and Blake let out a laugh.
“Baby sister bring home any guys yet?”
“Hell no,” Con growled. “I’ll kill anyone who gets close to her.”
“She’s what, twenty-two? It’s bound to happen. Remember what we were like at that age?”
Con glared at him. “Twenty-three. And don’t fucking remind me. She’ll bring a man home over my dead body.”
Blake shook his head, but he understood the other man’s reservations. If anyone hurt his own sisters, there’d be hell to pay. He knew they dated, but he couldn’t imagine having to watch Amy or Lisa bring a guy back to the house.
A shudder rippled down his spine and Con nodded. “See what I mean?”
Con pulled a keyring from his back pocket and locked the door behind them as they stepped into the humid night. Blake took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He’d give anything to be in bed next to Victoria right now instead of heading to a bar. The thought alone was distasteful. How he’d endured years of the bar scene, each night with a different woman, he had no idea. Granted, he’d had a lot of great sex, but it had never meant anything. Not until he’d met Victoria.
Con fell into step beside him, but they remained silent as they walked toward the corner bar. Aptly named, The Shield was a popular hangout for local law enforcement, and QSG had been welcomed in with open arms. It helped that they’d made it very clear to the locals that they wouldn’t step on any toes—they’d assist with investigations if needed and offer training operations but otherwise keep to themselves. Con had spoken with the Chief of Police a few weeks ago in regards to sharing information about Victoria’s case, and the man was onboard. They would take first shot at it, but if resources ran low, QSG was more than welcome to help. Blake nodded to a couple patrolmen he’d met after Monique Henderson’s murder, and he took a seat two tables over. Con slid into a chair across from him and lifted one hand at the waitress.
One of the patrolmen stood up and ambled toward their table. Blake held out a hand for the man to shake. “Phelps. How’s it goin’?”
The officer gestured to the empty chair. “Not bad. Mind if I have a seat?”
“Not at all.” Blake used his foot to push the chair out in invitation.
Phelps sank into the wooden seat and glanced at Con. “I know you’ll both want to know, so I’ll send the information your way tomorrow.”
“What’s that?” Blake raised a brow at the younger man, who shook his head.
“We interviewed Greg Andrews, but he has a solid alibi for the time of the murder, as well as the night that Dr. Winfield was attacked in her office.”
Blake swore under his breath. The man had been their only good lead with any motive. Jason had found that Andrews’s sister lived just three streets over from Victoria, which allowed him access to the subdivision.
Blake let out a harsh sigh. This bit of news brought them right back to square one. Who the hell had any kind of motive to stalk Victoria? Andrews had been associated, if only briefly, with both women. But now he was beginning to doubt that the two instances were even related. Maybe someone had been in Kate’s office looking for drugs or other paraphernalia to sell.
So, who had it out for Victoria? Another patient, maybe? They needed to dig deeper into her past, see who might have ties to her hometown. It obviously wasn’t someone she knew—otherwise she’d have recognized the man when he’d abducted her and Leah. They’d need to pull her list of patients, both former and current, and run checks on each of them.
Blake rolled his eyes. Victoria would throw a fit about that. She was incredibly stringent about doctor-patient confidentiality, even at the risk of putting herself in danger. He glanced across his shoulder at Phelps. “I think we need to look at the people she interacts with on a regular basis. What about her patients? Can you get a warrant to run background checks on them, see if anything stands out?”
Phelps grimaced. “I don’t know if the judge will sign off, but we can try.”
“Why now?” The question had plagued him since he’d first found out about her past. Unease skittered down his spine. Thank God she’d been at his house that night. He couldn’t bear to think of what might have happened to her if she’d been home alone. Blake just couldn’t quite figure out the guy’s end game. He’d originally suspected that the person—he was assuming it was a guy—had begun to follow her again with the intent to finish her off since she’d gotten away years ago. But if he’d wanted her gone, he could’ve easily killed her by now. “We need to figure out if she’s acquired any new patients, or if any existing or ex-patients had a thing for her. Whoever it is, is obviously infatuated with her.”
“The phone call was a cry for attention.” Con nodded and stroked his chin as he followed Blake’s train of thought. “The vandalism may have been the same thing. Guy broke in to make her feel vulnerable so she’d turn to him. He must not have known she and Blake were dating.”
“What about an ex-lover?” Phelps asked with a hopeful expression.
Blake shook his head. “Uh... no. She hasn’t dated anyone since college.” At the men’s dubious looks, he elaborated. “Trust me. You’re barking up the wrong tree there.”
He traded a glance with Con, who spoke up. “So he’d been in her house at least once that we know of, right? And no one out of place showed up on the cameras the night of the B&E?”
Phelps shook his head. “Everyone coming and going that night was on the approved list.”
“Maybe it’s someone who lives in the allotment,” Blake mused. “Can we get a list of the current residents?”
“I can forward it to you, but so far everyone has checked out.”
That was all well and good, but it didn’t mean the person wasn’t there and meaning to do Victoria harm. It would make sense that it would be someone who belonged there, who fit in. He would go unnoticed by the other homeowners because he lived there. The sooner they got that list, the sooner Jason could start digging into it.
“Can we get a copy of the footage from that night, too? I’d like to double check all the cars that showed up on the camera from the gatehouse, ingoing and outgoing.” Maybe they’d get lucky and something would jump out at them.
“You got it. I’ll send it over first thing in the morning.” Phelps hesitated. “Not gonna lie. Without a solid lead...”
He shrugged, and Blake knew exactly what the man was implying. They couldn’t continue to waste time and resources on a simple breaking and entering. It sucked, but they had more important things to focus on.
Blake nodded at the patrolman. “I gotcha.”
Phelps tipped his empty bottle in appreciation. “I’m outta here. See you guys later.”
Con glanced across the table as the officer said his farewells and headed toward the door. “We’re missing something.”
Blake was silent for a moment. “I know, I just can’t tell what it is.”
His friend shrugged. “Maybe Jason can pull something from the footage that they can’t.” Blake nodded noncommittally, and Con continued. “You seem pretty certain
that it’s not an ex.”
His gaze slowly lifted to his friend’s. “I am.”
Con raised a brow. “You’re that certain?”
“Yep.”
“Did you check into them?”
“Didn’t have to.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Con growled.
“It’s a short list.”
“Still, there could be—”
“There’s not.”
“Look, I know you like this girl,” Con pressed, “but is it possible that she could be omitting the truth? Maybe she’s been with more guys than she wants to admit and—”
“She hasn’t.”
Con tossed his hands in the air and glared at him. “How the hell do you know? You’ve only been with her for a couple weeks.”
“When I say it’s a short list, I mean it’s got one person on it. And that’s me.” Blake shot his friend a meaningful look.
“But how...” Understanding dawned in his friend’s eyes and Con leaned back in his seat. “Shit. Seriously?”
“Yup.” Blake regarded him for a moment. “After she was attacked in high school, she said she wasn’t ready.”
Con grimaced. “Damn.”
Yep, Blake thought with a nod, those were his thoughts exactly. It was a bittersweet sentiment. He wished there was another angle to pursue, but he was damn glad he didn’t have to deal with some crazy ex-boyfriend of hers. Thinking of her with another man made him want to rip something apart with his bare hands. He wondered what she was doing now. Blake scrubbed a hand over his face. Damn, he really needed to talk to her and clear the air.
“Let’s start with the homeowners and the camera footage, and I’ll talk with Chief tomorrow to see if we have any chance of getting Victoria’s patient list released. She should already have run background checks on each of them, so we can see if any have ties to Ohio that would have put them there at the time of the attack when she was young.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Con rolled the empty beer bottle between his hands, looking pensive. “Is she safe?”
Blake sighed. “As much as she can be with the new security system. I just hate that she’s there all alone.”
“Don’t wait too long,” Con reminded him. “Get everything out in the open before it’s too late.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Blake rolled his eyes. He only had two days left on this contract. When it was all over, he was damn well going to make Victoria listen to him. And he would show her how much she meant to him, no matter what it took.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Victoria regarded the two women seated across from her. “I completely blew it out of proportion, didn’t I?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Kate and Phyllis spoke at the same time, then traded a glance.
“I was trying to be nice.” Phyllis huffed before turning her attention back to Victoria. “You did what you felt was right at the time, dear.”
Victoria’s heart fell. “I screwed up.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Again, the two women spoke in unison and contradicted one another. Kate shot Phyllis a quelling look before turning her gaze to Victoria.
“I think you may have overreacted a bit.” Kate held up a hand, halting Victoria’s protest. “Don’t get me wrong—it might be a little too soon to be talking about moving in together, but tell me this: were you happy with Blake?”
“Yes, but—”
“Just hear me out,” Kate cut over her. “You were happy with him. Happier than I’ve ever seen you. Right?”
Kate directed the last part of her question to the older woman, and Phyllis reluctantly nodded her head. “It’s true.”
Kate smiled in satisfaction and turned her attention back to Victoria. “So what changed your mind?”
“Well...” Victoria twisted the tissue between her fingers. “Johnathan brought up a couple good points.” She lifted her gaze in time to see both women roll their eyes. “What?” Her friends shared another look and Victoria’s eyes jumped back and forth between the two. She sighed. “Go ahead, just tell me.”
Kate settled back in her chair, arms crossed, allowing Phyllis to take the lead. “Johnathan has been a good friend to you, Victoria, I know he has. But he’s a little, well... condescending.”
“Maybe,” Victoria admitted, “but he is a doctor, and he’s very good at what he does. He assessed the situation pretty accurately,” she felt compelled to point out.
“Did he really?” Kate pressed. “Or did he tell you what he wants you to believe?”
“I don’t—”
“Did you tell him how much you care about Blake? Did you tell him all the wonderful things he’s done and how he made you feel?”
“Well, no.” Victoria’s shoulders stiffened defensively. “I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.”
“Why?”
“You know why.” She glared at Kate. “He’s been dropping hints about us dating for the last several months. I didn’t want to hurt him by talking about another guy.”
“So he doesn’t know how you feel about Blake?”
“Not exactly.”
“Do you see a future with Blake?”
“Maybe, but—”
“Yes or no?”
Victoria huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She shot a look at Phyllis, hoping for support, but the woman studiously avoided her gaze. Apparently she’d be getting no help there. She flicked her irritated glare back to Kate. “Fine, yes.”
“Johnathan’s jealous,” Kate clarified. “He doesn’t want to be your friend—he wants to be your lover.”
Victoria pondered her friend’s words. Kate did have a point.
“I think you let Johnathan sway your opinion more than you should have. Think about how you felt when you were with Blake. Wasn’t that worth keeping?”
Victoria bit her lip. “Yes.”
“Listen,” Kate stretched out a hand and rested it over Victoria’s. “If there’s anything I’ve learned from my marriage to Steve, it’s that your first instinct is always right. I think you should take some time to figure out what your heart wants—not what someone else tells you that you should feel.”
Victoria bit her lip, and her eyes clouded once more with hot tears. Her heart felt as if it was breaking all over again, and it was all her fault. She’d done this to them—she’d second-guessed herself and Blake when she should have trusted her instincts. Blake had sat here with her just weeks ago, offering her comfort though he’d barely known her at the time. It was more heartfelt than anything Johnathan had ever done. Blake truly cared for her; she knew that. Shame welled within her and settled heavily in her stomach.
“Look, Vic, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That man”—Kate pointed in the general vicinity of the lobby—“would do anything for you. Hell, he didn’t even know me, and he saved my life. Would Johnathan ever do something like that? Would he sacrifice himself for you?”
The moisture in her eyes spilled over as Victoria buried her head in her hands. Sobs wracked her body and she vaguely heard the door open and close as Phyllis quietly exited the room. A weight settled onto the couch cushion next to her, and Kate’s arms closed around her.
“I’m sorry, honey, I know this has to be hard for you. Johnathan has been your friend for a long time, but... sometimes the idea of a person is better than the reality.”
“I... I think I love him.” Victoria’s lifted her head and met her best friend’s gaze. Another tear slid down her cheek and Kate brushed it away with a smile.
“I know you do. And he loves you. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”
She threw her arms around Kate and held on tight. “What if he won’t take me back?”
“Of course he will.”
Victoria pulled back and met Kate’s eyes. “But—”
“No buts.” Kate shook her head. “He loves you. And I promise he’s just waiting for you to come to your senses and throw yourse
lf at him for some amazing makeup sex.”
A startled laugh left Victoria’s throat, and, once she started, she couldn’t stop. She doubled over with laughter, knowing she was half hysterical, but she couldn’t control her emotions. Desperately trying to rein it in, she met Kate’s bemused gaze. She wiped the tears from her eyes, unsure now whether they were tears of sadness or glee.
She’d made a mistake. She shouldn’t have let Blake walk away from her—she should have talked about it instead of shutting down. But maybe they could still make this work. She’d talk to Blake before she left today, see if he would make time to talk with her.
Despite Kate’s unwavering opinion, she still wasn’t positive he would welcome her back with open arms. She’d hurt him by pushing him away. She hadn’t trusted him, hadn’t trusted herself, and he deserved better than that. Now it was her turn to make it up to him and convince him that the future would be better.
She swiped the remainder of her tears away and looked at Kate. “Thank you.”
Her friend studied her for a second. “You okay?”
“I think so, yeah. I’ll try to talk to him before I leave tonight.”
“Good.”
It was silent for a moment before Victoria spoke up. “I’m sorry to drag you into this. You’ve got enough going on already.”
Kate waved her statement away. “I’ll always be here for you if you need me. Besides, Steve doesn’t warrant any more tears than I’ve already given him.”
Victoria studied her friend—really looked at her—for the first time since she’d shown up and dragged her back here for an intervention with Phyllis. Kate’s eyes were baggy and rimmed with red as if she’d been on a week-long crying jag. Stitches cut across her forehead, and her flesh was bruised a deep purple around the wound. Her normally put-together appearance was disheveled almost to the point of sloppiness, and Victoria knew the impending divorce was weighing more heavily on her than she’d ever admit.