“Sonnie. Didn’t get a last name. She has an agent, though. I didn’t recognize her, but maybe she’s famous.” Tucker shrugged. “I don’t watch TV much.”
Vince drained his beer and set it down. “She doesn’t want our help. She has our number. If she changes her mind, she’ll come to us.”
I didn’t love it, but there wasn’t anything we could do. We couldn’t force her to hire us.
“I’ll look into her.” Lauren’s word was usually final around the firm. She’d been with the team since the beginning. Her brother was our fallen teammate, our brother. Luke Dulaney. It was the way he would’ve loved it.
Mercer usually argued with her, but for some reason even he didn’t say anything to her that time. He just grabbed another hot dog and shoved half of it into his mouth, probably to stop the impulse.
The sound of a car coming up the driveway had us all turning to see who was coming. We were having a cookout, but we were still on the clock.
I cringed when I recognized the car as Lilah’s. I stood up and tossed my napkin on top of my plate. “Here we go.”
Lauren patted my arm. “I wish you’d let me hit her one good time, Coop. She’s awful.”
I watched as the passenger door opened and Shane Camper got out. He was an old buddy from the navy. He hadn’t made the cut into the SEALs, but he’d been from the same area as our captain, so we’d stayed in touch over the years when visiting.
It took me a second to process what I was seeing as Lilah strode around the car to him and planted a kiss on his mouth before leaning down to grab Macey from the back seat.
Shane nodded at me, his face not exactly reading friendly.
I tilted my head to the side, still trying to decipher what I was seeing. It didn’t make sense for the two worlds to be colliding, but there they were. My ex-wife with an old buddy. An old buddy who’d known Lilah when she was my wife.
Macey ran to me and leapt into my arms the way she always did. I hugged her tight and smelled cigarette smoke on her hair. I had to use all my self-control to keep my face neutral.
“This is a nice surprise. What are you doing here?”
She poked the tip of my nose and grinned. “I get to stay with you today because Mommy has a date.”
Lilah strode towards me with one of Macey’s overnight bags. She dropped it at my feet and smirked. “I’m going out with Shane again tonight. I don’t know what time we’ll be back, so I figured she could spend the night with you. I’ll pick her up first thing in the morning.”
I worked the muscle in my jaw to remain calm and nodded. “Sounds good to me.”
Shane nodded to my brothers behind me. “Good to see y’all.”
Vince, always ready for a brawl, snorted. “Uh-huh.”
Lauren appeared at my side and grinned at Macey. “Hey, sweetie. Maybe we can convince your daddy to let you hang out with me some today.”
Macey preened. She loved Lauren. “Please, Daddy!”
I nodded and scooped up her bag. I couldn’t say anything else, for fear of ripping into Lilah and the asshole, Shane. It turned out that I didn’t need to say anything, though. Lauren had my back. She had all of our backs, always.
“Funny seeing you out and about again, Shane. You know, I take yoga down at the college with Maggie. We talk, the way good girlfriends do. How are you doing, with the outbreak and all?”
Shane’s face reddened. Lilah looked furious. I just felt like smiling.
Lauren wasn’t finished, though. “Bless your heart, Lilah. I hope I didn’t spring that on you. I’m sure it’s fine. I don’t know how contagious it is if the outbreak is in control.”
And then, like she hadn’t just ripped two people down to their knees, she scooped Macey into her arms and off they went, giggling about something.
I nodded to both of them and backed away. “Have a good night.”
When I got back to the table, Macey was eating the rest of my hotdog and Lauren was looking about as proud as a peacock. I grinned at her and quietly met her fist bump behind Macey’s back.
Mercer shook his head. “One of these days, your mouth is going to get you in trouble.”
She just kept on grinning. “I didn’t know you thought about my mouth, Merce.”
And, like magic, Mercer’s cheeks turned pink.
The dark spell over the table broke and we all fell into an easier spirit. Laughter rang out and we enjoyed each other, appreciating the company of men who were just as damaged as each of us, and not having to pretend like we weren’t for a while.
At the back of my mind, the woman, Sonnie, still worried me, but there was nothing I could do.
Instead, I enjoyed time with my daughter and a cookout with my best friends. Black, the old dog that Luke had claimed when he was still alive and the namesake of our business, even came out from his house at the back of the property and enjoyed a few hotdogs.
Everything was easy for a while and I took advantage of it while it lasted.
Chapter 5
Sonnie
I parked in my driveway after a long day of meetings and grocery shopping and sat there for a few minutes. I was tired and was in no hurry to rush inside to my quiet house. It’d been feeling more and more like a haunted house since Jake had been inside. I hadn’t seen him since he’d shown his ass in the diner, but it still felt like he was lurking.
Instead of heading in, I listened to my voicemails and checked my emails. When, finally, I felt like I’d postponed going in long enough, I climbed out of my car and grabbed the handful of bags. I made myself think about the dinner I was going to make instead of how nervous I was to walk into my own house.
I’d gotten ingredients for homemade mac and cheese. It would do nothing to help me escape feeling like Mother Goose, but it was fall. If I wanted to plump up some for the winter, who cared? It wasn’t like I was coming home to someone I wanted to impress. It was just me, myself, and I, and we all wanted mac and cheese.
I thought to myself about adding extra cheese as I let myself in and locked the door behind me. I hurried to the kitchen and dropped the bags on the island, next to a vase of roses, before opening the cabinet next to the fridge to get a glass for water.
My brain finally caught up with me and I froze. Slowly turning, I focused on the roses and felt my stomach drop. They weren’t mine. I hadn’t brought them in.
I dropped the glass I was holding and rushed for the front door. I had my hand on the lock when arms wrapped around me from behind and pulled me away from it. I screamed and flailed, fighting to get away with everything I had.
“Jesus, Sonnie, knock it off. It’s me. I wanted to surprise you,” Jake’s voice grunted from next to my ear.
Instead of calming me, it ignited more fear. I yanked away from him and spun around to face him, almost expecting to find a knife in his hands. That they were empty didn’t alleviate the fear. “What are you doing here?”
“I told you. I wanted to surprise you. I know we didn’t end things last time we saw each other on the best foot. I wanted to fix that. I brought flowers. I made you dinner.”
“Get the hell out of my house, Jake. This has gone too far. You’re acting like a lunatic!”
He took a step towards me and I backed into the door. “Sonnie, you’re being ridiculous. I just want to talk to you.”
I grabbed the lock and turned it before shifting and yanking open the door. Jake lunged to grab me, but I was already out of the door and sprinting down my driveway. I felt like I didn’t have time to get into my car, like he’d be able to grab me, so I just kept running.
Even when I didn’t hear him behind me anymore, I ran. My lungs burned and I felt tears running down my cheeks, but I still ran. I’d left everything in the house, so I didn’t even have my phone. I didn’t need it, though. I knew where I was going.
Black Dog Security was just on the outskirts of town. Kellie had been sending me information about them since the diner incident. It wasn’t an easy run, especially in boots
and a loose sweater dress, but I was motivated.
I didn’t have a clue how long it’d taken me to reach the parking lot of their business, but I didn’t stop until I was yanking open their door, just as a pretty blonde was trying to lock it. I bent over with my hands on my knees and sucked in big gulps of air.
“Shit! You scared the hell out of me! Are you okay?”
I couldn’t speak yet. My breathing was erratic and my heart was pounding so hard that I was concerned I was having a heart attack. Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, I had to make a dash for the trashcan in the corner to vomit into it.
“Not okay. You’re definitely not okay. Do I need to call an ambulance?”
I shoved my hair out of my face and looked up at her. “Maybe.”
She grabbed for the phone and I realized it wasn’t the time for jokes.
“No, no. Sorry!” I panted out a few more breaths and stood up straight. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually run.”
She raised her eyebrows. “This is all because you exercised? Lady, I thought someone was trying to kill you. What the hell?”
“No, just the panting and throwing up are from exercise. Maybe. I don’t know. The throwing up could be from Jake, too. Shit.” I fanned myself and looked around. “Where are all the big, beefy protector guys?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “You’re nuts, aren’t you? It doesn’t even matter. I just want to see Merce’s face when he hears that you referred to them as big and beefy.”
I groaned. “I need help. Real help. Now. My ex-husband broke into my house and is probably still there, skinning a damn cat or something. He’s lost his mind!”
The woman froze and her eyes went wide. “You’re the rabbit! I’ve been trying to find you. Come on. I’ll take you to the guys.”
Rabbit? “Rabbit?”
She shrugged it off. “I heard Tucker said you looked like a rabbit in front of a tiger at the diner. It stuck.”
“Great.” I followed her down a hallway and waited while she opened a door that led into a large rec-styled room.
Five huge men turned to stare when the door opened and it was almost as intimidating as finding a crazy ex in your house. I crossed my arms over my chest and bit my lip. I was having second thoughts.
The guy who’d grabbed Jake at the diner, Tucker, stepped forward. “Sonnie, right? Is everything okay?”
All of them were looking at me with the same intense stare and I froze.
“Her ex broke into her house. She ran here.” The woman came to my rescue and I forgave her for referring to me as a rabbit.
“What’s your address?” Another man, whom I hadn’t met, stepped closer to me and held my gaze. “We need to try to catch him in the act, if we can.”
I blinked and rubbed my arms, suddenly freezing. I recited my address and watched as the men I’d been introduced to as Branson and Vince left out of a door at the back and Tucker made a phone call.
“They’re going to meet the cops at your house. If the police catch your ex in your house, it’ll be easier to press charges.”
Pressing charges. Shit. I ran my hands over my face and nodded. “Okay.”
“You’re safe now.” The man smiled at me and I felt something flutter to life in the pit of my stomach.
Shocked, I actually looked down at it. This was the moment my body decided to come back to life? In the middle of my ex going all American Psycho on me? With a stranger?
“Come on. Let’s get you somewhere comfortable and get you calmed down.” The woman took my arm and pulled me away from the man who was staring at me still.
I went willingly. I had no business looking at him and feeling anything.
“I’m Lauren, by the way. I run this place.”
“Sonnie.” I looked around as she led me to a couch at the back of the room and pushed me onto it. The springs poked me and squeaked under my weight.
“Sorry. That couch has seen better days. You probably don’t even want to know.”
I winced and shook my head. “You’re right. I don’t.”
She reached beside the couch and produced a bottle of water from a mini fridge. “Here. Drink this. You ran a long way.”
“I was motivated.”
She laughed and the sound eased some of the tension from me. “Do you need to call anyone? I noticed you don’t have a bag or anything. Probably no cell?”
I shook my head. The only person I’d need to call was Kellie, but she was at a conference in Dallas and could wait to hear about it. “No, I’m okay.”
“The guys said your ex was an asshole. Is this a new level for him?”
I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. “Yeah. A whole new level of awful.”
“The guys will keep you safe. They’re good at what they do. Don’t worry.”
Tucker, who’d been on the phone the whole time, hung up and walked over to us. “He was gone when they got there. Branson and Vince did a walk-through and the house is clear.”
I swallowed and nodded. “What do I do now?”
“You let us help you.” The guy I didn’t know knelt in front of the couch. “We’ll make sure you stay safe.”
My stomach fluttered again and I covered it with my hand, needing it to calm down. “What if he comes back?”
His eyes darkened and he stood back up. “We handle him.”
Well, hell. I nodded and closed my eyes for a second to regroup. Everything was happening so fast that I didn’t know what to say. My heart was still racing and I felt shaky. Maybe I was having a heart attack.
“Normally, we’d recommend you staying in a hotel for the night. Just to be safe.”
I looked up at Lauren and frowned. “I hate hotels.”
She made a confused face. “Who hates hotels?”
“I lived in one for almost two months after splitting with Jake. I’d be happy to never see one again.” I ran my fingers through my hair, encountering more knots than necessary. “Maybe I just need a security system or something. If I had the correct precautions in place, maybe he wouldn’t come back.”
“We can do a security system. We can also have one of the guys hang around to make sure everything’s okay. Do you think that’s something you’ll need?”
My pride kicked in as I looked around at the three of them and struggled with feeling like I was overreacting. Jake was off his rocker, but I didn’t need security guards. Another part of me worried that I couldn’t accept that I would need them because that made everything too real and too scary.
“I think it’ll be okay. Jake wouldn’t hurt me. Scare me, yes. Hurt me, I doubt it. I just got so freaked out today.” I shook my head and tried fruitlessly to push my hair out of my face. “Maybe I should’ve just stayed and talked to him. Tried to talk some sense into him.”
The stranger put his hands on his hips and, for a second, he looked a lot like Superman. “Trust your first instincts. Doubting those is what gets most people hurt in situations like this. Don’t second-guess instincts that could save your life.”
A chill ran down my spine and I wrapped my arms around my waist. “This is just… a lot.”
Lauren sat down beside me and put her hand on my knee. “Let us help. You don’t have to deal with this alone. How about we have someone stay with you tonight? We can have the system installed tomorrow, if that’s what you decide you want. Tonight, though, just for peace of mind, let us help out.”
I held her gaze and slowly nodded. “Okay.”
The stranger stepped forward. “I’ll stay with you.”
I stared at a spot just past his shoulder, unable to meet his eyes. I wasn’t sure he was the guy who should stay with me but I didn’t know how to voice that. And if they asked why, the reason—because he’s hot in a way that my body apparently likes—would be too embarrassing to say. So I just nodded again.
“Good. I’m Cooper Reeves, by the way.” He held out his hand for me to shake.
I slipped my hand into his and licked my lips
at their instant dryness. His hand engulfed mine. His skin was rough and warm against mine. His eyes were gentle as he looked down at me. It should’ve been comforting. It wasn’t, though. My body was reacting to the fear from Jake in a strange way. That had to be it.
“Sonnie Stovall.”
Chapter 6
Cooper
“I know.” I grinned down at Sonnie. “I have a six-year-old daughter who’s a huge fan of your books.”
Sonnie’s cheeks reddened and she looked down at her lap. “That’s really sweet.”
Nothing about me was sweet in those moments. I was feeling downright contrite. The woman in front of me was stunning. She seemed sweet, kind, and shy. The idea that her ex could bully her the way he was pissed me off. I hated assholes who pulled that shit.
Lauren stood up and clapped her hands once, her signature move to signal things were about to start happening. “Okay, I’ll have Branson and Vince stay there until you two get back to Sonnie’s house. Merce will follow you in his truck and make sure you get there safely. I’ll contact Liam and get him up to date on the system installment tomorrow.”
Sonnie stood up and shook her head. “This is a lot.”
“It’s just a precaution.” I gently cupped her elbow and led her towards the back door where we all parked. “Just try to ignore us if it makes you feel better about it all.”
Her eyes slid to me and then back straight ahead. “I doubt that’s ever been possible for anyone.”
I laughed and pulled her to a stop. Training said that I went out first and looked around. It was probably complete overkill for a punk like her ex, but it was important to follow protocol.
I looked down at her and couldn’t help taking note of how fucking beautiful she was. I was exaggerating when I’d told her that Macey loved her books. I’d stared at the back of her books more times than I could count and the picture on the back didn’t do her justice.
“Wait here for just a second.”
She looked up at me with her large green eyes and rolled her lips into her mouth. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she hesitated.
Black Dog Security- Complete 5-Part Series Page 4