by Lisa Lace
“You know I’d do anything to protect you.”
Jenna’s eyes softened. She smiled, and spoke softly, laying her hand on top of mine. “You need to protect Harriet. She’s your priority.”
As soon as Jenna said the words, I knew she was right. I felt torn. I wanted more than anything to protect her. I’d do anything to keep her safe. I wasn’t afraid of Victor, and I was more than willing to face up to him for Jenna’s sake. But...Jenna was right. Harriet needed to be protected, too, and right now, she was safest far away from Jenna and the ex who was always on her tail.
I clenched my jaw. “I want to be there for you.”
Jenna gave my hand a squeeze. “I know.”
For a moment, we said nothing more. We both knew that I had to balance my desire to protect Jenna against my duty as a father. We both knew that Harriet would always come first.
“I’m not letting you go anywhere alone.”
She forced a smile. “I know there’s a motel just outside of Brayford.”
“A motel? No way, Jenna. That’s the first place Victor would go looking for you after burning your apartment.”
Jenna winced at my words. I could see the fleeting pain in her expression as she was hit again with the reality that her home was gone. “The second place he’d look. I think the first place he’d look would be at your place.”
I felt the hair on the back of my arms prickle. It was a mixture of fury and dread. My hands instinctively curled into fists. I was seething at the idea of a stranger I’d never met daring to step foot anywhere near my home and my daughter; anywhere near the woman I loved. Dread came from the possibility that he might hurt Harriet.
“I’m going to send Harriet to my parents for a few days.”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“So, you’ll stay with me?”
“No, Nate. I think he knows where you live. I think my only chance at slipping past him is to go somewhere he doesn’t know.”
“How would he know where I live, Jenna?”
“How does he know where I live, Nate?” She paused a second before answering her own question. “He’s been following me. We already know that he was there the night we went to the bar. We went back to yours that night. Remember?”
“You’ll be safe with me, Jenna. Just for a few days.”
“We need to be apart for a while, Nate. Victor is pissed off, and after what just happened, I think it’s fair to say he’s come unhinged. Who’s to say he won’t target you next because you’re the guy I’ve been seeing? I already think that the fire was his idea of a sick joke.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I think Victor knows who you are and what you do, and I think he saw some kind of evil irony in setting a fire at my door, knowing that my boyfriend is a firefighter. It’s his idea of some kind of vile, poetic justice.”
My skin was burning with rage now. I hadn’t considered that the fire had anything to do with me, but maybe Jenna was right. Maybe Victor was playing games. Maybe he was making a point to Jenna about how he felt about her seeing someone new. Maybe he thought a fire would send the message best.
“I’m not afraid.”
Jenna leaned into me, her hands pressed against my chest. When she looked up at me, her eyes were full of despair. She grasped at my shirt. “I’m scared for you.”
I took her hands in both of mine and stroked her hair. “I can take care of myself.”
“I won’t let you get hurt.”
She said the words with such determination as if she had the power to protect me. We both knew that she couldn’t control Victor’s actions. He was unpredictable.
“I can handle myself in a crisis, Jenna. You don’t need to be scared for me.”
Her eyelids fluttered in quick blinks as she tried to hold back tears. I could hear the tremor in her voice when she spoke. “I’m scared for Harriet, too.”
Those words hit home.
I was a grown man, and I had faced danger a thousand times before. I’d been in emergency situations more times than I could count. I wasn’t afraid of Victor or what he might do to me. I would face him if I had to.
But Harriet…
Jenna continued, her voice grave and pleading. “What if he burns your place down, huh? What will Harriet do without her home? We’ve got to think about her in all of this, Nate. I adore that girl.”
Every time Jenna said Harriet’s name, she hit a nerve, and I knew I couldn’t protest anymore.
The house I lived in with Harriet had been mine and Marie’s first home together. It had been the house we’d brought Harriet home to the day she was born. It was where I’d cared for Marie when she’d gotten sick. It was the only real place that Harriet had left that held memories of her mother. Could I really risk letting some maniac burn it down? Even if it was a risk, I was willing to take because I loved Jenna, was it fair to my daughter?
“I want to help you through this more than anything. I want to protect you.”
Even through her fear and desperation, I could see Jenna’s love for me shining in her eyes, and she smiled. “You’re a good father, and Harriet comes first.”
“I know somewhere else you can stay. I won’t let you be alone in some motel.”
Jenna nodded. “I trust you.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Jenna
The doctor came to see me one last time before I left the hospital. “Do you have somewhere to go from here?”
“I do. I’m staying with a friend.”
“If you have any problems later tonight, come straight back to the hospital or dial 911. Respiratory problems, especially.”
“I will. Thank you, doctor.”
Nate gave the doctor a thankful nod and then took my arm to lead me outside. We’d been in the hospital so long that dawn was well into morning. It was a sunny, blue-skied day. To step out into the fresh breeze and bright sunshine, you’d never have guessed that just the night before I had been considering jumping out a fifth story window to escape a wall of flames. Everything seemed too calm. Too ordinary.
“I don’t think last night has sunk in yet,” I told Nate. “I think I’m still in shock.”
His fingers closed around mine. “You’ve been through a lot.”
I looked up at him and felt an overwhelming sense of love. Nate had been my hero from day one. From the moment I’d laid eyes on him, he’d made me feel things that I thought were long dead. He’d revived me. Over the last few months, he’d brought me back to life, and made me hope again. The night before, he’d arrived at my window like a white knight and rescued me from certain death with moments to spare. And even now, he was keeping me strong; convincing me to stand my ground when all I wanted to do was collapse in on myself and give up. He had a depth of strength so endless I could hardly comprehend it.
“I never said thank you for saving my life.”
Nate shot me a sideways glance and bowed his head graciously. He was effortlessly humble. A true and sincere hero. “It could just have easily have been Sam or Lewis.”
“But it was you.”
He gripped my hand tighter. I was still overwhelmed with everything that had happened. I kept having flashbacks of crawling towards the window, feeling the heat of the flames just behind me. My mind just couldn’t comprehend how close I’d been to dying, but then I’d remember the way it had felt to seriously consider jumping rather than dying by the fire, and it all felt too real. I wished I could just disappear into some state of numbness for a while so that I could process what I’d been through, but the danger still felt too close.
“Is Kacey sure about this?” I asked.
After I had refused to stay with Nate, he’d thought of another option. He didn’t want me staying at a motel. He thought that I would be too isolated there; an easy target. Plus, he thought it would be one of the first places that Victor would look. In the end, he’d convinced me that staying with Kacey was a good idea.
At first, I’d object
ed. Just like I didn’t want Nate or Harriet to come to harm, I couldn’t bear to think that I might put Kacey in danger too, but the pair of them had talked me around in the end.
Kacey had been insistent. “Jenna, if I’m not there for you in your hour of need, then I’m all talk. When I say I’m there to support women with abusive partners, I mean it. I’ll go to any length to protect my group.”
“But you could get hurt,” I’d argued.
Kacey’s voice had become steel when I said that. She’d replied, “Men like Victor use fear to control the women they abuse. I decided long ago that I was done being afraid. He doesn’t scare me.”
I’d admired her pep, but I was still very much afraid. For me, and now for her. I’d argued for maybe thirty minutes on Nate’s cell with her in the hospital, before she’d finished the call by saying, “It’s not up for discussion.” Then she hung up on me.
After the call, I’d continued to argue with Nate. “She’s your sister, Nate. Like I’m going to protect you and Harriet, and then put her in danger. It’s best if I just take myself away and—”
“—And what, Jenna? Let Victor corner you on your own, just like he wants? Let him get you right where he wants you so he can strike? No witnesses? No. You’re safer with someone else. We’ll deadbolt the doors. The police will be checking up on you both.”
“Deadbolts don’t work against fire, Nate.”
“I’m not letting you face him alone.”
“I don’t want to bring any of you into this!”
“Tough. We’re in it. I told you I love you, Jenna, and I mean it. I’m not just going to turn my back on you now. And Kacey cares about you, too. She cares about the principle, too. It really rubs her up the wrong way when some guy tries to get his way through intimidation.”
“It’s a bit more than intimidation.”
“Kacey’s got her wits about her. You’ll both be on high alert. The police will be around. What are the alternatives, Jenna? You go to some motel on your own, and he’s got you all to himself. You come to my place, and he knows right where to find you. I think your best chance is with Kacey. You’ve never been to her place before. Victor doesn’t know that address. There’s no reason to think he’ll find you there. Kacey’s going to pick you up from behind the hospital, so he’s not likely to see you leave. He’ll be looking for my car or yours. I’ll drive in a different direction. I think this is as safe as we can be, Jenna.”
I sighed, and bit down on my lip, putting my head in my hand. I just wanted to cry. I did not want to put anyone I cared about in danger, but I also knew that my own life was on the line. I was so frightened. My head was cloudy from fear and lingering shock from all that had happened the night before, and I felt like I couldn’t think straight.
Nate could see that I was battling with myself, and he put his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face him. “Understand this, Jenna: we want to help you. You’re not forcing us. You’re not asking us. We want to help you. Honestly, Jenna—we would never leave you to face this alone. That’s not what good people do.”
Nate and Kacey were good people. The best people. Nate was wearing down my resistance. Honestly, I was far too scared to go anywhere on my own. I didn’t think I’d even be able to steer the wheel of my car with my shaking hands right then.
I nodded. “But we check the fire detectors, and then we pick up an extinguisher.”
“Deal.”
“And if I catch even a glimpse of Victor, I’m out of there. I will not put Kacey, or anyone else, in danger.”
“We’ll think about that if it happens.”
I looked up at Nate and spoke with sincerity. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you and Kacey enough.”
“You don’t need to.”
We did as Nate had described, and when Kacey arrived, we implemented some evasive techniques. Kacey picked me up from the back of the hospital. Nate quickly kissed me and urged me into the back seat.
I looked mournfully out the back window, staring at him as Kacey drove away. We’d decided it was best that Nate take a separate car so that if Victor was following his vehicle, he wouldn’t see where I had gone.
Kacey looked at me in the mirror. “I’m so sorry for what’s happened, Jenna. You must be terrified.”
I nodded. I felt like all the life had been drained out of me. “I just can’t stop thinking about what he might do next, and who he might hurt.”
“Well, put it out of your mind. I know it’s hard, but we’ve done everything we can do, and the rest is just about staying sharp. We’ll take every precaution we can, Jenna, and if even the slightest thing seems off, we’ll get the police right over.”
“Everything just feels so wrong.”
“You’re still in shock from the fire. You’ve been up all night. Get back to my place, get a hot drink in you and a good night’s sleep, and you’ll have a clear head to figure out what to do about this whole thing.”
I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned into the car door, watching the building pass by through the window. I sank down in my chair to try and be less visible. I didn’t want Victor to spot me and start to follow us. I didn’t even know if Victor was here.
“Do you think Victor would have followed me to the hospital?”
I saw Kacey’s frown in the mirror. “I guess it’s possible.”
I shuddered. I’d underestimated Victor; underestimated how evil he could be. He’d always been violent and irrational, but I’d often been able to predict what was going to set him off and could tread carefully around him to avoid a confrontation. Now I didn’t know how to handle the situation. He’d become unpredictable, and Nate was right—he’d started crossing lines even I thought he’d never cross. He’d become unhinged. That made him extremely dangerous.
It didn’t take too long to arrive at Kacey’s house after traveling back from the hospital in Fort Wayne. She lived in Brayford too, but on the other side of town to Nate, nearer the real estate office. She had a sweet little townhouse that was quiet and understated.
Once we’d pulled up, she ushered me through her front door. I made sure to scan the street up and down on the journey between the passenger seat and front door, searching to see if I could see Victor or his vehicle.
I couldn’t see him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there. I’d been looking over my shoulder for him ever since I’d received the first note, and I’d yet to catch even the slightest glimpse of him. In this game of cat-and-mouse, he was definitely the better player.
We entered the house and shut and locked the front door. Even when every key was turned and lock bolted, I still didn’t feel safe. I imagined I could smell gasoline, but I knew it was all in my mind. I had a flashback to dashing for my cell to call 911.
I’d managed to keep hold of my cell ever since the fire, but it was down to one bar of battery. It didn’t matter. I didn’t feel like I could use it now anyway. I was becoming paranoid. I still didn’t know how Victor had found me in Brayford in the first place, and I felt like I was being watched. I wanted to just throw out everything I’d ever owned and get everything new. I felt like everything was full of hidden microphones. I physically itched with the sense of eyes on me. Victor had gotten under my skin.
Kacey rubbed my shoulder kindly. “You look a million miles away, Jenna. How you doing?”
“Just tired.”
“I bet you are. I’ll get you some pajamas and get you set up in the guest room. We’ll pull the drapes, and you can go straight to sleep. I’ve taken a personal day off work, so I’ll be right here. You get some rest, and I’ll keep my eyes open.”
I was filled with gratitude, but so exhausted that I wasn’t sure how much of it came across in my smile. “Thanks, Kacey.”
“You want a shower first? I can still see the soot on you.”
I wanted to say no and just drop into bed, soot and all, but even in my wearied, exhausted state, I was still thinking about how I didn’t want to get black marks on Kacey’
s bedsheets.
“Sure. Thanks.”
Kacey grabbed me a towel and some clean pajamas from her own closet, and I stepped into the shower. It did feel good to feel the soot wash away, and for that lingering smell of smoke to be gone from my hair. When I stepped out the shower, I felt more human.
After I was done in the bathroom, Kacey met me at the top of the stairs with a mug of hot chocolate. She smiled warmly. “I thought maybe you could do with this.”
“That’s really kind. Thanks, Kacey.”
“You drink that, and then get yourself into bed. Okay? I’ll be wide awake in my living room. You don’t have to worry about a thing.”
I nodded and gave her a thankful hug before I stepped into the guest room. I didn’t even drink my hot chocolate but climbed straight in between the fresh linen sheets. Sleep came surprisingly easy—I was exhausted—but I found that I was jolted awake often by every tiny noise in the house and on the street outside. It wasn’t an easy sleep, but at least my body could rest.
I thought of Nate, and how wonderful he’d been through all this. I felt physically and emotionally exhausted, but I tried to hold onto the hope that, after all this was done, maybe there was still a chance for Nate and I. After all, he’d stayed by my side this far.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nate
It had been two days since the fire, and it was the first time I’d seen Jenna since the hospital. We’d kept away from each other to do our best to throw Victor off if he was still watching. We didn’t know if he was stalking my vehicle, or hers, and the last thing I wanted to do was lead him to Jenna and my sister. Jenna’s car was still outside the apartment block, so she’d taken a cab here.
I ushered Jenna quickly in the door and looked up and down the street cautiously. My eyes scanned the window of every parked vehicle slowly, looking to see if I could pick out the face of the man I’d seen in Jenna’s photograph. I kept Jenna shielded behind my back as I scanned outside, and then finally stepped in and shut the door.