I charged inside, gun drawn, ready to end whatever problem Sonnie had. What I saw sent pure rage pulsing through my body.
She was sitting with her back against the front wall, her face buried in her hands, sitting in something close to a fetal position. She flinched at the sound of steps approaching her and went silent.
“Sonnie, it’s me. It’s Cooper.” I knelt in front of her and gently touched her knees. “Are you okay?”
She lifted her head and huge tears rolled down her cheeks. Her red cheeks. Her lip was split, blood trickling down. Her eyes were wide and terrified. Still, she nodded.
I gently touched her lip and growled. “He came back?”
She nodded and more tears fell. “I forgot to lock the door. The alarm was on, though. He just came in.”
I heard someone come in and looked up to see Vince staring down at me. “Ex came back. He couldn’t have gotten far. Spread out and look for him. Ask the local PD for help, but we can do it without them if we need to.”
He nodded, not offended at being given directions. It was how we worked at the office. We all took charge at different times.
I looked down at Sonnie. “Do you have a picture of him?”
She shook her head. “I got rid of them all before moving here.”
“Describe him for me.”
“A few inches shorter than you. Dark hair. He was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt.”
“That’s good. You’re safe now, okay?” I cupped her face and smiled encouragingly before nodding to Vince. “Got that?”
He nodded and then vanished, shutting the door firmly behind him.
I looked back at Sonnie. “Why don’t we get you off the floor?”
She nodded and unfolded. Her arms held blooming bruises in the shape of hands. Her sweater was more stretched out than it’d been that morning. “I didn’t think he’d come back.”
I was afraid I’d say something violent towards her ex if I opened my mouth, so I kept it shut. I helped her up by wrapping my arm around her waist and hugging her to my side. I walked with her to the living room and eased her onto the couch.
“Something changed. He’s desperate. He’s never been like that.” Sonnie wrapped her arms around herself and bit her lip. “He wants me to take him back. Or else. He said or else. What the hell is wrong with him?”
“He said or else?”
She looked up at me and her eyes were brimming with tears. “Yes. I don’t want this. I just want to go on with my life. Why is he doing this, Cooper?”
I knelt in front of her and held on to her knees. “I don’t know. We’re going to keep you safe, though. You don’t have to worry about it. Okay?”
“The alarm just made him angrier. It was terrifying. I thought he’d hear it and run off, but he just charged at me. He yelled at me to cut it off, but I couldn’t remember how to.”
“Hey. Look at me.” When she met my eyes, I stroked my thumb over her cheek. “He’s not going to get to you again.”
“Cooper.”
I looked up at Mercer and stood. I didn’t need them all thinking that I had a thing for Sonnie. “I’ll be right back, Sonnie.”
Mercer nodded to me and inclined his head to the hallway. Once we were out of Sonnie’s earshot, he scowled. “Fucker got away. We followed his tracks back to where he must’ve parked his car. Not on this street. Tell me, Cooper; why would he bother parking out of sight if he just wanted to stop in for a chat?”
My stomach twisted. “He wouldn’t. He’s planning something.”
“Yeah.” He grunted. “And it isn’t good, whatever it is. One of us stays tonight, no matter what. She’s in danger.”
“I’ll do it.”
He scowled deeper, stretching the pale lines of scars on his face. “I’m sure you will.”
“Don’t start.”
“No—you don’t start.” He looked back towards the office and shook his head. “She needs protection from her ex, not to be fucked.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but Sonnie was suddenly in our space, her cheeks redder than they’d been. She sent a withering look at Mercer. “I’m going upstairs to shower and change. I need a few minutes to calm down.”
Mercer stepped out of her way, but didn’t wilt under her glare. He was used to it. His attitude brought him more than a few dirty looks from people.
“We’ll be down here. Take your time.”
I watched her ass go up the stairs again, unable to stop myself, despite Mercer standing beside me. I was impressed with her. She’d gone from fragile and tearful to controlled and composed in just a few minutes. She was upset, but she was strong.
“Dammit, Coop.”
I sucked in a big breath and met Mercer’s eyes. “It’s not a problem.”
“It’s always a fucking problem.”
I stood there and watched him stalk out of the house, feeling like he was probably right. An asshole most of the time, but usually right in matters like that one. I looked back up at where Sonnie had been and sighed. Everything in me wanted to get closer to the woman, in whatever way she’d allow.
Mercer was right, though. It was a bad fucking idea.
Chapter 10
Sonnie
I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror after a quick shower. My face was bruised and my mouth was swollen. There were also hand-shaped bruises on my arms that seemed to grow darker by the minute. Looking at myself eased the panic, surprisingly. I looked rough, but I was okay. There was no damage that wouldn’t fade with a little time.
Frustration built in me, replacing the fear. I wanted to scream. I was angry at the man, Mercer, for speaking about me like he did. I was angry at Jake for daring to touch me. I was even angry at myself for being stupid enough to forget to lock the door.
I went into my room, unable to look at myself for any longer. I dressed without care in a pair of cotton shorts and a T-shirt and then sat on the side of my bed and stared off into space.
It was barely six months earlier when I’d made the decision to save my marriage. I’d known Jake as someone who could get angry, but there’d always been a reason and never had it ever turned physical. At that point, I could still see the sweet boy I’d fallen in love with. That’s why it was so confusing to me to see him as a monster, just six short months later. That’s exactly what he was, though.
Staring into his eyes as he’d glared down at me was haunting. I was sure that I’d never forget the look on his face, no matter how old I lived. He hated me. I couldn’t understand it. We’d been best friends when we were younger. I got that people changed, but it was such a drastic difference.
I shivered as I thought about the way he’d screamed at me and shaken me while gripping my arms with so much force that I’d thought he’d snap my bones. The alarm had been blaring and, yet, it still felt hopeless. For the first time in my life, I wondered if I was going to die. It would’ve been so easy for him to pull out a knife and kill me. Would he go to that length? And why? I got that he was pissed about the divorce, but he should’ve seen it coming. He’d ruined the marriage. I didn’t owe him anything.
None of it made sense. My life didn’t make sense.
I didn’t want to be around anyone, but the idea of being alone in my room was too much at that moment, so I went downstairs to my office. I didn’t see anyone, but I assumed they were there. I sat at my desk and turned my computer on to see if I could work. Maybe I could surround myself with characters who didn’t demand anything from me. Then I wouldn’t feel so alone and freaked out.
After fifteen minutes of staring at the blank screen, I felt anxiety crawl back into the space at the back of my skull and tingle its way down my spine. After writing for so many years, I’d heard people warn me about writer’s block more than a few times. When I was in my teens, I’d written for other people. First, short stories for friends. Then I’d freelanced as a ghostwriter for a little while. People had warned me over and over again about writer’s block, but it’d never hit.
<
br /> Staring at my computer screen, though, with panic already building in me, I thought the worst. What if I was stuck? What if being so terrified had frozen my ability to think creatively?
My heart raced in my chest and I pushed away from the computer, just to keep staring at it. Logically, I knew I was overreacting. I’d obviously had bouts of trouble before where I sat and couldn’t write for longer than fifteen minutes. In the moment, though, it felt more serious. It felt overwhelming.
“Hey.”
I jumped and spun around to find Lauren standing in the doorway. I frowned. “You’re just as silent as the rest of them.”
She smiled at me, her eyes full of concern. “Sorry. They rub off on you after a while. Do you mind if I sit with you for a bit?”
I nodded and gestured towards the couch. “Go ahead. Do we need to take care of billing or something?”
“No! Nothing like that. The guys just thought it might be nice if you weren’t surrounded by men right now.” She looked around my office and her smile moved to include her eyes as well. “This is adorable. Are those prints from your books?”
I nodded. “Lauren, you didn’t have to come. It’s late. It was thoughtful of them, but I’m okay.”
“Sonnie, no offense, but you look like every bit of the rabbit they called you. Your pupils are huge. It’s obvious that you’re having some anxiety. Rightfully so. You don’t have to be tough right now. Some asshole came in here and tried to hurt you. You can be sad or fucking mad. You don’t have to be okay.”
I blinked back tears. “I have to be okay right now.”
“Why?”
“Because if I’m anything else, I don’t think I’ll ever make it back.” I shook my head and groaned. “That sounded so dramatic. I’m so over this. I just want to wake up and have everything be normal.”
“Let’s do something normal now. What would feel mundane and boring enough to calm your nerves?”
I thought about it and rolled my eyes. “Can we go over billing for all of this? I’ve been worried about you thinking I’m not going to pay you.”
Lauren threw back her head and laughed, the sound filling the room with warmth. She had a good laugh and it made me want to join her. “Okay. Let’s go over the bills. I swear, you’re the only person that this would ever calm down.”
She humored me and we went over the bill together, coming to an agreement that I would hire the men on to act as my security on a week-to-week basis. It was something I needed to do to convince myself that it would be over sooner rather than later. I wrote her a check and she tucked it into her pocket.
“What now? Want to work on your taxes? I worked at an accountant’s office for a few weeks when I was younger. I could help.”
I laughed and shook my head. “Thanks, Lauren.”
“Don’t mention it. We’ve all had bad days. We all need other people to help every so often.” She stood up and held her hand out to me. “I refuse to be here on an empty stomach, though. Do you have any junk food in your fridge?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those health-fanatic types. I believe in the power of yoga, but I also believe in the power of pizza.”
“I’m one of those forget-to-grocery-shop types. Usually, anyway.” I shrugged. “There could be a boxed cake mix in the pantry.”
She groaned. “No. That won’t work. I’ll send Mercer out for it.”
I considered saying that she shouldn’t bother him, but then I remembered his comment about Cooper fucking me. “Sounds good to me.”
I followed her to the kitchen and found Cooper sitting at the island with Mercer. Being in the presence of both men made me feel awkward and more than a little shy, but Lauren was a battering ram.
She rounded the island and moved next to Mercer, her eyes burning into him. Her cheeks flushed a bit, but Mercer seemed oblivious to it. “Hey, we need snacks. Want to run out for them?”
“No.”
She pouted. “Mercer. It’s an emergency. You know—that kind of emergency.”
He made a face and backed away. “What do you need?”
She listed a few junk foods that I was okay with and then looked at me. “Am I missing anything?”
“A gas station hot chocolate.”
“I’ll be back.” The moody man strode away like getting junk food was the biggest mission he’d ever been on. I had a feeling he didn’t do anything lightly.
Cooper grinned at Lauren. “The man has seen and done things that would make a sailor blush and he still gets weird about periods. Even the mention of maybe mentioning them sends him running.”
Lauren rolled her eyes and then hurried after Mercer. “I forgot something I want.”
Alone with Cooper, I looked up at him and then looked down at my toes. I’d painted them the week before. Robin’s Egg Blue. Against the hardwood floor, my feet looked pale.
“How are you holding up?”
I shrugged. “Lauren’s helping.”
“She’s great at the art of distraction, that way.” He pulled out a stool for me and nodded to it. “I won’t bite.”
A flash of heat flooded me and I shuffled towards the chair. The thought crossed my mind that he’d be a master at distraction if he just touched me again. That was wrong, though. I was a job to him. Not to mention I was in the middle of a divorce that had just taken a violent turn.
Cooper grinned, his dimple showing, and winked. “Unless you’re into that sort of thing.”
And, oh yeah, he was so out of my league. That wink alone would’ve sent my knees wobbling away from me if he hadn’t gently taken my arm and pulled me onto the stool. As it was, I found myself boxed in between his thighs again, in his sights.
“I know this is probably all the wrong time, but I just have to tell you that you are killer in leggings, but in these shorts you are out of this fucking world.” He looked down at my legs and shook his head. “You make it hard on a man.”
I laughed because it caught me off guard. Not just a small laugh, either, but a belly laugh that brought tears to my eyes and ended with me making a gasping sound as I struggled to breathe through it. With a final wheeze, I straightened up and wiped my eyes. My stomach ached from laughing and I felt loads lighter.
“I think I should be offended.”
I bit my lip and grinned through it. “I’m sorry. No one’s ever talked to me like that and it’s hard to take seriously. Especially when I skipped shaving and am bruised all to hell and back.”
He leaned in and the heat on his face was so startling that my mouth popped open in a little gasp. He flicked his gaze down to my lips and back to my eyes. “You are sexy, Sonnie. So sexy that my hands itch to touch you. So sexy that I plan to show up at your doorstep with flowers and an invitation to dinner as soon as all of this bullshit is over. And if you accept, I will spend that entire date trying my best to stay a gentleman because you make it hard. So hard, Sonnie.”
I blinked at him a few times and then reminded myself to close my mouth. My body reacted like he’d thrown a match onto gasoline. Liquid heat pooled at my core and I edged closer to him. “You—”
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Lauren strolled back into the kitchen, her eyes on the lack of distance between us.
I scooted back so fast that I nearly toppled off the stool. Cooper caught me with a gentle arm around the waist. I looked up at him and felt my stomach flutter. Butterflies. The man had managed to give me butterflies in the middle of the worst time of my life.
“I’ll give you ladies your alone time.” He stroked his fingers over my side before letting me go and moving away.
I held my breath, trying to center myself again. It wasn’t easy.
Lauren slapped the counter next to me and laughed. “Shit. Did your panties just ignite?”
I let my head fall back and grunted. Yes. Yes, they pretty much had.
Chapter 11
Cooper
“Lilah, I’ve got work
tonight.” I reminded myself to remain calm and counted to twenty. My fuse was shorter than it’d been a few days ago. It seemed that dealing with Sonnie’s ex had that effect on people.
“Look, Cooper. I’ve got a work thing. Do you want to see Macey or not?”
I gritted my teeth and pressed my fist into my kitchen countertop. “Of course I want to see her. You have to start giving me forewarning. I’m working a case and I’m not free anytime you need.”
“Well, excuse me for thinking it’d be a nice surprise for you to see your daughter.” She sounded so supercilious that I could practically see her nose pointed to the ceiling. “I’ll just drop her off at my sister’s from now on.”
Lilah’s sister made Lilah look like a saint. “No, don’t do that. Bring her over. I’ll change shifts with one of the guys. Just let me know ahead of time from now on, Lilah.”
“Whatever.” She hung up and left me seething at the dial tone.
I immediately dialed Mercer and swore to myself. Lilah was pushing my buttons and what was worse was knowing that she was doing it on purpose.
“Yeah?” Mercer answered, sounding out of breath. A look at the clock would show it was time for his daily workout.
“Lilah just let me know she’s dropping Macey off. I need to switch the shift tonight with someone.”
“Huh. How will your new girlfriend take it?”
I growled. “Not right now, asshole.”
“You’re the asshole.”
“Fuck off.”
“See you tomorrow.”
I hung up and stretched out. My muscles were tense and I needed a workout. Lilah hadn’t clarified what time she was dropping Macey off though, of course, so I didn’t know if I had time for anything.
I thought about calling Sonnie and letting her know I wouldn’t be there that night. When I played out the conversation in my head, though, I worried that I’d sound like a fucking idiot. Who’s to say that she would even care? She had enough on her plate without me pushing my feelings on her.
Black Dog Security- Complete 5-Part Series Page 7