Trusting Taylor (Silverstone)

by Susan Stoker

  Taylor snuggled into him and was rewarded by his arm tightening around her. “You know what I like?” she asked.

  “What?”

  “This. Being able to talk to you in person right before I go to sleep, instead of on the phone.” It was a risk, letting herself be vulnerable by admitting that, but it was too late to take it back.

  “Me too,” he agreed.

  “I’m going to want to see your arm in the morning. You never did let me look at it.”

  A chuckle rumbled through Eagle’s chest. “Okay, Flower. I’ll let you examine me and kiss it all better.”

  “Wow, that sounded dirty,” she told him with a small shake of her head.

  “Well, your man’s got a dirty mind,” he retorted.

  Her man. Taylor liked that.

  “But he’s also exhausted,” Eagle told her. “My plan was to talk for a while, then take you again, but I’m not sure I can keep my eyes open that long.”

  “It’s okay. I’m kinda sore,” Taylor admitted.

  “Shoulda run you a bath,” Eagle said sleepily.

  Just the fact that he’d even thought about it made Taylor melt. “It’s okay.”

  “Missed you, Flower,” he slurred. It was obvious he was almost out.

  “Missed you too,” Taylor replied.

  Then all she heard was his deep breaths as he fell into a restful sleep.

  Inhaling his scent into her lungs, Taylor closed her eyes as well. The night hadn’t turned out like she’d thought it would . . . it was so much better.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The last few days had been idyllic. Eagle was the boyfriend Taylor had always dreamed about. He was incredibly attentive, and she’d had no idea what she’d been missing in the bedroom. He always made sure she got off several times.

  But even outside the bedroom, he was amazing. He didn’t hover. He left her to do her proofreading work while he went off to do his own thing and never made her feel bad if she needed to get some work done instead of hanging out with him.

  He’d spent the entire day after returning from his mission at Silverstone Towing, debriefing with his friends. And after examining his arm, Taylor saw that it really had only been a graze. But that didn’t mean she stopped worrying about him and whether he was in pain.

  Taylor had also gone to dinner with Skylar one evening, and the other woman had taken one look at her and somehow known that Taylor and Eagle had taken their relationship to the next level. It still felt weird to talk about her love life with another woman, but it was reassuring that Skylar had most of the same fears when it came to the safety of the guys when they were gone on a mission.

  There hadn’t been any more creepy men trying to make conversation with her, and even the trip to the Dementia Senior Care Center with Eagle had been a success. He was amazing with the residents, staying back when it was obvious someone was uncomfortable with his presence, and engaging in a thirty-minute conversation with one of the veterans.

  All in all, Taylor couldn’t remember being happier—which scared her to death. Because it seemed as if every time she let down her guard, life threw her a curveball.

  Today, she was sitting at her kitchen table proofreading a new book she’d been sent. It was a thriller by a New York Times bestselling author, and she was actually having a hard time concentrating on her job and not getting lost in the story, when there was a knock on her front door.

  Surprised, Taylor looked down at her phone. Eagle usually sent her a text when he was on his way over, but she hadn’t heard from him in a few hours. Feeling the butterflies in her stomach take flight at the thought of having to deal with someone she might or might not know, she walked to her door. Looking through the peephole, she saw a man standing there. He had on a gray T-shirt and a pair of blue overalls. He was also wearing a baseball cap.

  “Who is it?” she called out, not willing to open the door to a stranger.

  “Maintenance, ma’am,” the man told her, looking up at the door.

  She could see he had brown eyes, and he was smiling. He held up the large flat item he was carrying in his right hand and a flyer in his left. “I’m here to change your air filter.”

  Sighing in relief, Taylor remembered seeing the same notices posted around the complex. The managers always let the residents know when there would be someone coming around to do routine maintenance on the units or to spray for bugs. She’d forgotten about it until right this second. She undid the chain and dead bolt and opened the door.

  “Hi, sorry about that,” she told him.

  The man shrugged. “You can’t be too careful these days. A pretty woman like you could find herself in a bad situation if she wasn’t paying attention.” With that, the man pushed past her and entered her apartment.

  The relief she’d felt instantly disappeared, and Taylor regretted opening the door. But it was too late now.

  Then something else struck her. As the maintenance man had passed, his strong scent had wafted up to her nostrils.

  Bleach, antiseptic, and urine.

  He smelled exactly like the dementia care home . . . and the man she’d met there.

  Taylor racked her brain, trying to remember anything about the man who’d creeped her out the other week while she’d been volunteering, but of course nothing stuck out. She remembered what he’d been wearing, but that didn’t help her right now.

  Realizing she was still frozen in place, Taylor moved a little farther into her apartment but didn’t close the door. She might need a quick escape, and if she had to take the time to open her door, he might be able to prevent her from leaving. Because it was the middle of the day, most of her neighbors were gone, out working their day jobs. There likely wasn’t anyone around who might hear her yelling for help.

  She hated being so suspicious of someone, but she had no idea why the maintenance man would smell like the residents from the care center. It didn’t make sense, and maybe dating Eagle had made her more paranoid . . . but something wasn’t right here.

  For the first time, Taylor realized that she was still holding her phone. Thank God.

  Glancing up to see where the man was, she saw he was kneeling in the hallway, tinkering with the grate that covered the filter for her air conditioner. As if he could feel her eyes on him, he looked up.

  “So . . . most of the residents aren’t home this time of day. You work from home?”

  Not wanting to make small talk, and with her intuition screaming at her to get the hell away from the man, she clicked on Eagle’s name and brought her phone up to her ear.

  “Hey, Tay, what’s up?”

  “Hi, Kellan. I got your text. You’re on your way over now?” She hoped that by using his given name, she could make Eagle understand immediately that something was wrong. That, and the fact that he hadn’t texted her and certainly wasn’t on his way to her apartment.

  “What’s wrong?” Eagle growled.

  “Great. The maintenance guy is here changing out my filter, but we can head out as soon as he’s done.”

  “Someone’s there? In your apartment? Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, he just got here. But I’m sure it won’t take long, right?” Taylor asked the man still kneeling in her hallway. She couldn’t decide if it was her imagination that he looked irritated now or if she was simply panicking.

  “Right,” he mumbled, and turned his attention back to the filter.

  “I’m on my way,” Eagle told her, and Taylor could hear the engine of his car start up. “Stay by the door.”

  “I am,” she told him.

  “And if he does anything that makes you nervous, just leave. I don’t care that you’re leaving him inside your apartment—nothing is more important than your safety.”

  “Okay,” she said. “I’m thinking I’m in the mood for pasta for lunch.”

  “You’re doing great,” Eagle told her. “Keep talking. I’m not going to hang up until he’s gone or I’m there.”

  “Good,” Taylor
said in relief. She kept up a one-sided conversation about nothing in particular while keeping an eye on the maintenance man. Eagle kept encouraging her and giving her updates on where he was and when he would get there.

  “That’s it,” the man said as he stood. “Good as new.”

  “Thanks,” Taylor told him, not taking the phone away from her mouth. She was aware that it was rude, and if this really was a maintenance man, she’d feel guilty as hell later for doubting him . . . but she couldn’t get that smell out of her nose.

  He walked toward her, and it was all Taylor could do not to back away as he approached.

  “He’s leaving?” Eagle asked in her ear.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “It was nice seeing you,” the man said. “Have a nice day.” Then he nodded at her and headed for her open door.

  After he disappeared through it, Taylor gave him an extra ten seconds to make sure he was far enough down the hall. Of course, he could be lying in wait just outside the door, but she hoped the fact she was on the phone with someone would prevent him from doing anything crazy . . . if that was even his intent.

  It wasn’t until the door was shut and she’d thrown the dead bolt that she dared to breathe.

  “He gone?” Eagle asked.

  “Yeah,” Taylor said in a shaky voice.

  “It was nice seeing you? What the fuck was that?” Eagle growled.

  Taylor hadn’t even caught that part. Wouldn’t most people say it was nice to meet someone? Shit, now she was really freaked.

  “What was he wearing?” Eagle barked. “I’m almost there. I’ll see if I can find him in the parking lot and have a chat with him.”

  “Gray shirt, overalls, baseball cap,” Taylor told him. She was relieved he hadn’t asked her what the man looked like. Most people wouldn’t have thought twice about their question, but it was obvious Eagle knew better.

  “I think he had brown hair,” she offered. “I couldn’t see much of it because of the hat. And he had on white tennis shoes.”

  “Okay, baby. I’m about to turn into the parking lot.”

  “He smelled,” she whispered.

  “What?”

  “Smelled. I recognized it. Like the care center. I immediately thought about the creepy guy who sat next to me in the courtyard . . . but it can’t be him, can it?”

  But instead of reassuring her, Eagle said, “I’m going to hang up now. I’m here, and I’m going to look around before coming up. I’ll text you right before I knock so you’ll know it’s me. Okay?”

  “Okay. Be careful.”

  “Always,” he said, as she’d known he would, then hung up.

  Taylor backed away from the door and held her phone to her chest. Her heart was beating a million miles an hour.

  Why would the man from the care center come here? How did he know where she lived? Was there even a connection? Maybe the man really did work for the apartment complex . . .

  Nothing made sense—and that scared the shit out of Taylor.

  She stared at the door from inside her apartment and prayed Eagle would hurry up.

  Eagle wasn’t happy that Taylor was freaked. When he’d left her that morning, she’d been sleepy and sated. She had no problem with her memory, but he was more than willing to remind her each day that he was the man in her bed. Every morning, as soon as they were both awake, he immediately said, “Good morning, Flower,” and the relief and love in her eyes almost did him in.

  He knew it was love. Because he felt the exact same way. Neither had spoken the words, but he couldn’t deny the feeling was there.

  Hearing her call him by his given name had jolted him out of the mellow mood he’d been in all morning. She never called him Kellan, and he’d known immediately something was wrong. He hated the way her voice had quivered; he’d been moving before he’d even thought about it.

  The rest of the guys were out working, so he didn’t have them for backup. His only thought was to get to Taylor. But now that she was once again locked behind her door, relatively safe for the moment, he took the time to call Gramps as he slowly drove around the parking lot, looking for anyone matching the description Taylor had given him.

  “Hey, Eagle. What’s up?” Gramps said as he answered the phone.

  “I need your help. And the other guys too.”

  “Why? What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe nothing, but I’m not willing to risk Taylor’s life.” He explained about Taylor calling him, and how she had a feeling the man who’d claimed to be maintenance was the same man who had creeped her out when she’d visited the dementia center.

  “I’m in the parking lot,” Eagle told his teammate. “I’m going to look around, but I could use some help.”

  “You got it. I’ll call Bull and Smoke,” Gramps promised without hesitation. “I’m finishing up a call, but I’ll be there as soon as I can. You going to be all right until then?”

  “Yeah. Taylor is in her apartment, so she’s safe enough for the moment. Thanks, Gramps.”

  “You don’t have to thank me,” Gramps told him. “See you soon.” Then he hung up.

  Eagle hadn’t seen anyone who remotely resembled the maintenance man, which was a clue in itself. If he really had been an employee of the apartment complex, he’d be around somewhere. Knocking on someone else’s door, getting more supplies from a vehicle or a storage room, something. But the only people he’d seen walking around were obviously residents.

  Though, Eagle also knew the man could’ve changed clothes to blend right in. Because Taylor couldn’t identify him by his features, Eagle was at a definite disadvantage. It wasn’t a situation he found himself in very often, and he didn’t like it. Not at all.

  He sent a quick text to Taylor.

  Eagle: Everything’s okay. I’m waiting for my team to help me scope things out. You all right?

  She responded immediately.

  Taylor: Yes. I’m okay. I feel kind of stupid, actually. I’m sure he was probably just the maintenance man. I’m sorry for bringing you out here on a wild goose chase.

  Eagle’s plan had been to wait for the guys and search every nook and cranny of the apartment complex and the surrounding area, but he needed to take a second and talk to Taylor face to face.

  Eagle: I’m coming up. I’ll be there in a minute or so.

  Then he headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and he was in front of Taylor’s apartment within forty-five seconds. He took a deep breath before he knocked, trying to get himself under control. Her panicked call had shaken him more than he cared to admit.

  He’d faced down terrorists, murderers, and people whose only goal in life was to kill others . . . but Eagle didn’t think he’d ever been as scared as when he’d realized Taylor was alone in her apartment with someone who may or may not want to hurt her. He had no idea who might want to harm his Taylor—if that was the case—but he was going to do everything in his power to keep her safe.

  He was Delta. Special Forces. He and his team had the training and the ability to do what it took to make sure no one touched her, but . . . how did you fight a ghost? Taylor couldn’t describe the man, and being able to identify him by the way he smelled wasn’t exactly going to work in a manhunt.

  Eagle rapped three times on Taylor’s apartment door. “Tay? It’s me, Eagle. Open the door, Flower.”

  The second he said their code word, he heard the locks disengage. Then she was in his arms. Eagle walked her backward, not letting go, and kicked her door shut. He looked around and didn’t see anything that seemed out of the ordinary. He breathed out a sigh of relief and buried his face in her hair for a moment.

  As usual, her curls were in disarray, and for a second, Eagle pictured her lying hurt and unmoving on her floor, those beautiful curls surrounding her head like some sort of macabre death halo.

  Shaking his head, Eagle refused to think about Taylor’s life being snuffed out. No, he’d just found her. He wasn’t losing her now.

  He
pulled back and put his hands on either side of her head. She looked up at him, holding his wrists in a tight grip. “You’re okay?” he asked, needing it to be true.

  She nodded.

  “Tell me what happened. From the beginning.”

  “There was a knock on the door. I knew it wouldn’t be you because you always tell me when you’re coming over, and I couldn’t imagine who else it might be. I looked through the peephole and asked who it was. He said he was with maintenance and was here to change my air filter. So I let him in. He looked the part, Eagle. And he had one of the flyers that have been posted everywhere around here for the last few days, letting us know someone would be by. I wouldn’t have opened the door if I didn’t believe he was who he said he was.”

  “I know, keep going,” Eagle said.

  “Right, so he had an air filter in his hand, and when he passed me after I opened the door, I smelled him. I’m not crazy,” Taylor said firmly. “There’s no way a maintenance man should smell like he did. Bleach, disinfectant, and urine. I’ve been to the care center enough to know that smell.”

  “I believe you,” Eagle reassured.

  Those three words seemed to calm her.

  “The smell freaked me out. I remember the guy from the care center who sat too close to me—he smelled like that too. So I kept the door open in case I needed to run out of here and then called you. I didn’t really want to let him know that I was uneasy, although I think he knew anyway. As I was talking to you, he finished changing out the filter and left. He didn’t say much, really.”

  “You did good,” Eagle reassured her.

  “What’s going on, Eagle?” Taylor asked.

  He leaned down and kissed her forehead reverently. “I don’t know. But I’m going to do my best to figure it out.”

  “Okay.”

  One word had never meant so much. Taylor trusted him to keep her safe. To figure out if this guy was the same one from the care center. To find out what the fuck his issue was. He wasn’t going to let her down.

  “I called the guys. They’re on their way over. We’re going to take a look around. Will you be all right up here by yourself for a while?”