by Leslie North
Lily looked around the empty kitchen before squeezing her eyes shut to control the tears that threatened, but it didn’t help. She was tempted to go to her basement apartment, to be alone, but she couldn’t. It wasn’t smart with a possible stalker on the loose. She gripped the edge of the counter, trying to steady herself and think.
She could hear Colin moving around in the living room and the click of the display cabinet’s glass door closing. He was reaching for what brought him solace, his beloved cards. She wanted to tell him that she’d never meant to hurt him, but the words served no purpose.
She climbed the stairs and went to the third bedroom, where she’d kept her things during her stay in the main house. Long after she’d crawled into the bed, Colin’s light footsteps sounded on the stairs. She held her breath, wondering if he’d come for her as he had other nights.
He passed her door, and she had her answer. Everything between them had changed. She rolled over and pressed her face into the pillow, letting it muffle her sobs.
14
Colin dropped Sofia off at his brother’s house on his way to meet Steve, thankful that the toddler remained her usual happy self despite the tension in the house. He replayed the breakfast scene from that morning in his head. He’d been making pancakes for Sofia, listening to her chatter excitedly about her sleepover with her cousin. Even though he’d hauled around a heavy heart for the past few days, he found himself smiling and encouraging Sofia to talk as he flipped pancakes.
“Oh, sorry,” Lily said when she’d entered the kitchen. “I wanted to grab a granola bar. I just have a minute before I need to leave for my art class.”
Not true. Her class wasn’t for over an hour. Lily had plenty of time to sit and eat with them, but she was pulling back from him. Their exchanges had been similar ever since she’d told him she might be leaving. They were polite but distant, and only a child could miss the tension between them.
“Eat pancakes with me,” Sofia commanded. “Dada make them.”
“I can’t, sweetie.” Lily pressed a kiss to the girl’s forehead, keeping her eyes averted from Colin. “I don’t want to be late. You have fun at your sleepover tonight. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Bye-bye,” Sofia called, smile undimmed, when Lily left the room. It had been all Colin could do to smile back at her.
Driving through downtown Sheridan Falls by himself, he had no reason to fake happiness. He’d considered telling Lily how he felt about her, but professing his love was pointless if she made up her mind to go. He would only end up looking the pathetic fool, so he’d stifled his emotions and dedicated himself to figuring out what was going on with the DEA agent and Stout.
Hopefully, this appointment with Steve would shed some light on the issue. He parked on the street and went up to Steve’s second-floor office. The hum of electronic equipment filled the large space. Monitors showing footage from countless surveillance cameras lined the walls. Colin’s world involved technology, but on nothing like this scale.
Colin made his way to the small office in the corner. The room was amazingly clear of equipment, with only a laptop on the oak desk that Steve sat behind.
“Colin. Good to see you. Coffee?” Steve shook his hand and gestured to the coffeepot.
“Thanks.” Colin helped himself to a cup before sitting. “Find out anything interesting?” He’d entrusted his friend to do a little snooping about the DEA agent, knowing that Steve had enough high-level connections to do that.
“Yep.” Steve tapped buttons on his laptop and angled the screen so Colin could see an image of the agent. He was dressed in a baseball jersey and hat. “His name’s Greg Newhart, and he’s DEA, as you said. He played in a baseball game a couple evenings ago. It was a fundraiser for a group that helps the families of fallen officers. Local cops versus feds.”
“So he’s an active agent?” Colin had never known the man’s name when he encountered him in South America.
“I confirmed it in the database. No suggestion that he’s working undercover.” Steve flipped to another picture, one of the images Colin had taken outside the diner. “This guy is a low-to medium-level dealer.” Steve pointed to the man Colin knew as John Stout. “Not usually someone the feds would bother with. He might be an informant, though, depending on what case Newhart is working.”
“But you don’t think so?” Colin had picked up on a doubtful tone in Steve’s voice.
“DEA guys are too savvy to meet informants alone. It smells fishy to me, especially when you told me how anxious Newhart was about the meeting. DEA guys are usually cool cucumbers. Something’s got this one on edge.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. I hate when good guys turn dirty.” Colin’s gut had told him the truth about Newhart days ago, but he was glad to have Steve’s input. The question was what to do with the suspicion. “I’m going to have to plan my next move carefully.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. The tricky part is figuring out who else is compromised. Maybe nobody, maybe the cancer spreads several levels above Newhart. I was thinking we might call James Rich.” Steve named a federal agent they both knew, one Colin had worked with and felt sure he could trust.
“Good idea,” Colin said. “I’ll contact him later today.” Since it was Saturday, he shouldn’t bother Rich until Monday, but he didn’t feel comfortable with a delay.
“This could get dicey,” Steve pointed out. “You need to protect the people you care about.” One of Steve’s techs came to the office door and gestured for him. “I’ll be right back.”
Left alone, Colin considered what Steve had said. It was nothing he hadn’t already thought of himself. Sofia was safely with his brother’s family for now. Zach wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Lily was at her art class. And after that, who knew? She no longer shared her plans with him, leaving him no good way to watch over her unless they were both at his house.
He needed her to be someplace safe. New York would be safe. He doubted Stout would pursue her there or that he would be able to locate her in the huge city if he did. Maybe the best thing for Lily was to take the position and leave him. It seemed that she wanted to. She’d used the words “opportunity” and “dream” during their conversation. She wanted this internship, and he should want her to have it, even be happy for her.
He gripped the coffee mug tighter. Wasn’t that what love meant? Hoping the one you loved got what she wanted in life? Which would be great if what she wanted didn’t take her away. Colin wished he’d listened to her news with a modicum of enthusiasm, but he’d been too stunned, too knocked back by how the thought of her leaving slammed into him.
But this wasn’t about him. It was about her finding her passion, and he had no choice but to let her go. All he could do for her was keep her safe until she left. He contemplated how he was going to do that, realizing that there was only one answer. He had to keep Lily close to him, even if it made his heart ache to be with her and not be able to have her. Stout’s connection to Newhart had him worried. The DEA agent might have a long reach locally, and Stout was scum. You could never trust scum.
What the hell was he doing sitting there? He got to his feet and strode through the room, calling to Steve that he’d talk with him later. Outside, he yanked out his phone and dialed Lily’s number, wanting to know where she was. No answer. Not a big deal, he told himself. She was in class or having coffee afterward with a friend.
He needed to know she was safe, so he jogged to his truck and drove the few blocks to the art studio. No cars in the lot, no sign of her yellow subcompact. He went to the door: locked. He scanned the street, searching for any sign of her. Some instinct in him screamed that he had to find her, and now. Since he’d learned to trust that internal voice, he forced himself to analyze the situation and remove his emotions from it. The most likely scenario was that she was already at home.
Wasting no time, he took the shortest route to his house. Relief washed over him when he saw her sun-colored car pa
rked on the street near the butterfly markers. As he swung into his driveway, he spotted a gray Camry parked two houses down and his worry instantly returned. A second look confirmed it was the car that had been haunting them, the car driven by John Stout.
Colin swore as he got out of his truck, knowing the sound of his engine had already blown any sneaking up on Stout. He slammed the vehicle door, making it more obvious that someone was home. Let the creep know he was around, let Lily know, too. Since he didn’t see any sign of Stout out front, he circled the garage and approached her apartment, immediately spotting movement inside the open basement door.
“Lily, are you home?” he called, wanting to hear her voice, to know she was unhurt.
No answer came. As he advanced, Stout emerged from the basement and another guy, a man with greasy long hair tied in a ponytail, stepped from behind the storage shed. Both men had guns trained on him. They had him trapped between them, which didn’t bother him even though Colin had no weapon other than his hands and his skills. If this were just about him, he’d go into action, using his SEAL training. But caution stopped him. If they shot and incapacitated him, it wouldn’t do Lily any good. He hoped she was in the main part of the house, but he needed to know that before he tried to neutralize these guys.
Against all his instincts, Colin raised his hands in the air and put on a meek expression to de-escalate the situation. When they gestured for him to enter the basement door, he willingly did.
15
Colin kept his head bent down, simulating a weak stance as he let the two men lead him into the basement apartment. In the small space, he quickly ascertained that Lily wasn’t there. Good. That meant she was someplace safe for the moment.
“Sit on the chair,” Stout commanded with a gesture of his gun to a dinette chair.
Colin plodded over and slumped onto the chair, almost amused at how clueless these guys were. Colin’s size alone should make them nervous. He was taller than both of them, and in the time since he’d left the service, he’d lost none of his muscle mass. But they were choosing to underestimate him, and that was fine with him. Their mistake.
So was the assumption that their guns would protect them from him. He didn’t need a gun to subdue them; his training had taught him plenty of ways to incapacitate an enemy without a weapon. It would be helpful to know a little more about who he was up against. Opening a conversation might do that.
“If you just let me go,” Colin pleaded as he kept his eyes on the floor, “you can walk away, and I won’t tell anyone about this.”
“Shut up,” Stout snapped, “or I’ll put a bullet in you that’ll shut you up for good.”
Colin gave a nod of understanding. He’d gained the knowledge he needed. They wouldn’t hesitate to shoot, but that’s all they had in their arsenal. And they were witless. They hadn’t even taken the precaution of securing his hands with duct tape.
“Keep an eye on him while I look for Lily,” Stout barked at ponytail guy.
Colin slouched in the chair, watching Stout from under the brim of his baseball cap, as he opened the bathroom and closet doors.
“You here, Lily? It’s John. I’ve come for you,” Stout called, making Colin cringe. His muscles went rigid with the effort of holding himself in place. When he got his hands on Stout…
Stout swung the bedroom door open and stepped in. Colin was fully aware that she might be concealed in there, but he bided his time, readying himself to move at the slightest sound.
“Lily?” Stout said. “You shouldn’t be hiding yourself from me. I don’t like that, and you want to please me.”
A gasp and grunt came from the bedroom, rocketing Colin to his feet. His guard had half-turned toward the sound. Seeing his opportunity, Colin lunged at him. The man spun and squeezed off one shot before Colin took him to the floor, knocking the gun clear. With brutal efficiency, Colin subdued his opponent. In seconds, ponytail guy lay unconscious on the floor. Colin did a quick search of his body, seeking other weapons. He tossed aside a second gun and a hunting knife before rising and heading for the bedroom.
A white-faced Lily stepped over the threshold, clutching a clay sculpture in her hands. She leaned against the wall.
“Stout?” he asked.
“On the floor.” She lifted a shaking hand and pointed into the room.
Colin went through the door and grinned when he saw Stout stretched out facedown on the white carpet. He was starting to revive and push himself off the floor. Colin smashed his fist into Stout’s jaw, ensuring that he wouldn’t get up. Colin was tempted to pound on the guy, give him the punishment he deserved for harassing Lily for months, but he held back. He’d let the legal system sort this mess out.
Colin grabbed Stout by the shirt collar and dragged him into the living room, putting his body next to his accomplice. Since he was no amateur, Colin stepped into the utility closet and grabbed a roll of duct tape to bind the men’s hands and feet together.
When he straightened from his task, Lily was watching him, her hazel eyes huge, her lips trembling. Colin went to her and drew her in for a hug. After no contact between them for days, it felt right to have her against him. He closed his eyes and held her, loving the way she melted into him.
“I was so scared when I realized Stout and his buddy were prowling around,” she whispered. “They must have followed me home after my class. I should have realized…”
“Shush,” he said into her hair. “You took him down. He can’t bother you anymore.”
She laughed weakly and quipped, “Art saves the day, I guess.” She tilted her face up to his, and he wanted to kiss her in the worst way. He almost thought she was asking for his kiss, but he hesitated and the moment passed. “When I heard your voice, I knew it would be okay. That gave me the courage to fight him.”
“I better call the police to come get these guys.” He loosened his hold on her and stepped back.
“Wait, you’re hurt.” She gripped his left wrist, her eyes on a bleeding gash on his forearm. “Was that the shot I heard?”
“Must have been.”
“Don’t you feel it?” she asked, keeping her hold on him.
He shrugged. With the adrenaline pumping through him, he hadn’t noticed the wound until she brought his attention to it. He took stock of it. The traces of gunpowder told him that it was definitely from a bullet, but he’d had far worse in his time in the Navy.
“It’s fine,” he said, dismissing the injury. It was starting to throb, but not enough to bother him.
“No, it’s not,” she insisted. “You’ve got to get treatment.”
He wanted to think her words were driven by love for him, but he rationalized that she would say the same to anyone. She cared about others. That was in her makeup as a person.
“All right, but police first,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket and dialing 9-1-1. While he was speaking with the dispatcher, he caught her hand and held it, not wanting their re-established connection to disappear.
16
Lily paced through the house, checking the windows and doors to make sure they were secure. From the kitchen, she peeked out into the backyard. It was empty now. The only sign of trouble remaining was the yellow crime scene tape flapping in the breeze. She shivered. She didn’t want to return to her apartment or be alone until Colin returned home.
“We’re safe,” Carolyn said as she made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the counter. “There’s a police car parked at the end of the driveway. Nothing’s going to happen. You should sit.”
Lily appreciated that Carolyn had come over and brought Austin and Sofia with her. It cut short the sleepover, but Lily was glad to have company, and she knew Colin would want his daughter under his roof when he got home from getting his injury treated.
“How long do you think they’ll be?” Lily asked. Colin had refused the responding officers’ offer to take him to the hospital in the squad car despite her arguments. Zach had volunteered to drive him and stay w
ith him there.
“You know hospitals. They take time,” Carolyn said. “He’s going to be fine.”
Lily’s rational brain knew that. His injury wasn’t serious, but thinking of it made her queasy. She wasn’t squeamish, but if the bullet had hit him in the chest or head… An image of him lying in a pool of blood made her shudder. She could have lost him that day, and all because some creep had become obsessed with her.
“Sit down,” Carolyn said gently. “You’re pale as a ghost. I’ll get the kids settled, and we’ll talk.” She carried the tray of sandwiches into the dining room, calling for Sofia and Austin.
Lily watched as Carolyn got the kids interested in coloring-book pages. The cousins were so cute together, sitting at the kids’ table that Lily had convinced Colin to put in the corner of the dining room a few weeks earlier. One more way he’d bent and changed in the time she’d known him. The brightly colored plastic table and chairs wouldn’t have fit in the house he’d once maintained.
“I think they’re good for now.” Carolyn came back toward her. “Wine or coffee?”
“Wine,” Lily said, hoping it would calm her. Caffeine would be a mistake, since her heart beat faster each time she thought of what could have happened in her apartment.
“Good choice.” Carolyn pulled a bottle of white from the refrigerator and poured them each a generous glass. Together, they sat at the kitchen island, where they could see the kids at their table. The children were happily coloring and eating, their heads bent close together and giggles sounding every few seconds. They’d get jelly on the coloring-book pages, but that didn’t matter.
“Thanks again for coming over,” Lily repeated for the third time. “I wanted Sofia here, and I didn’t want to be alone.”
“The Vales take care of their own,” Carolyn said with a smile.