Bad Karma

by J. D. Faver

  Cassie bit her lower lip for a moment. “Nope. I came to talk about the man who’s been trying to kill my sister. I think he’s here.”

  A look of alarm spread over his face.

  She leaned back against the deck railing and told him about returning from her date to find the door unlocked. “I don’t want to leave her alone, but I need to go to work now. Do you think you could keep an eye on her?”

  He nodded. “Let me get my laptop. While she’s sleeping, I’ll do some work on the article I’m writing.”

  “When Sky wakes up, could you talk her into letting the sheriff know about the stalker? She acts like it’s all her fault, but it’s not.”

  He readily agreed.

  Cassie waited until Zach had gone inside their house before driving away. She felt much better knowing that her sister wasn’t alone, that Sky had someone to watch over her the same way she had been protected by Javi.

  Cassie smiled when she thought of him. Not quite the same.

  ~*~

  Javi was waiting for her when she drove up in the delivery car. Thanks to Dave and his big mouth, they had an audience. All the guys wanted to see Javi’s hot little girlfriend.

  On the one hand, he’d wanted some alone time with Cassie, but on the other hand, he was proud to show her off.

  She walked into the station wearing shorts and carrying a white paper bag with handles.

  She looked at him, straight-faced. “I have a delivery for a Mister Javier Rios. Do you happen to know where I might find him?”

  He stared into the depths of her clear blue eyes. “Why do you want that guy?” he growled.

  “He owes me money.” She held up the bag.

  Javi grinned and held out a handful of cash. “I collected your loot.”

  “Thanks.” She gave him the bag which he handed off to Dave, in hopes that the crew would be more interested in the food than his love life. He grazed the side of her face with his fingertips. “How are you doing? Is everything okay with your sister?”

  “We’re fine. She’s asleep now, but I asked Zach to take her to talk to the sheriff when she wakes up.”

  “And you? Are you still in love with me?” He felt a tightness in his chest as he asked the question.

  An irrepressible grin spread across Cassie’s face. “Yes.”

  Javi pulled her into his arms. “Good, because I’m crazy in love with you.” He inhaled the scent of her shampoo, smiling amidst the sound of whistles and catcalls. He picked Cassie up in both arms and swung her around in a circle. He turned to his buddies with a grin. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

  Cassie giggled as he carried her to the small delivery vehicle.

  Her hated to put her down, hated to have her arms slide away from his neck, hated that she would drive away from him.

  For the moment, she stood trapped within the confines of the open car door and his body which provided a shield, of sorts, between her and the rowdy onlookers.

  He stroked his hand over her hair. “I’m glad I got to see you, if only for a few minutes.”

  “Seventy-two hours on duty, huh?” She wrinkled her nose, looking up at him.

  “That’s the drill.”

  “But we have a date for Friday, right?”

  “I’m glad you remembered.”

  She grinned up at him. “I should be rested up by then.”

  Javi chuckled. “Did I wear my baby girl out?”

  “Shut up!” She looked down, a hint or color appearing on her cheeks.

  He lowered his voice. “Did I please you? Did you like it?”

  She didn’t answer, but pressed her face against his chest.

  He wrapped both arms around her and laid his cheek against the top of her head. “When I make love to you, I want everything to be right, for both of us.”

  She raised her face to his and he kissed her lips, long and slow, then released her and closed her inside the car. He watched her drive away, then turned to find his co-workers staring at him. They burst into a round of applause.

  “Javier’s made another conquest. One more love-struck girl on the streets.” Dave gave a war-whoop as the group yelled and stomped.

  “Not this girl,” Javi said. “She’s on a different planet from anyone I’ve ever known before.”

  “Javi’s in love!” Dave shouted amid a chorus of shouts and whistles.

  He sighed and dug into the bag for his sandwich. It was going to be a long three days.

  ~*~

  Sky sucked in a breath as Zach opened the door to the sheriff’s office. Fear knotted in her stomach and prevented her from moving forward. She wasn’t sure that she was ready to go public with her problems, but everyone seemed to have endless faith in this man’s abilities. A gentle hand at the back of her waist encouraged her to step over the threshold and into the bright office interior. A woman in an electric wheelchair sat behind the front desk.

  “Hi Ida,” Zach said. “We have an appointment with Rafael.”

  She greeted Zach and looked Sky over with interest. “He’s expecting you.” She pointed them into a large glassed-in office to one side of the main reception area. Zach thanked the woman and ushered Sky into the sheriff’s private office.

  The sheriff, the same man she had met at the hospital emergency room, put down the sheaf of papers he had been reading and gazed at her intently. He pushed back from his desk and came around to offer his hand.

  Although she’d never thought of herself as being short, she found herself standing between the two men who towered over her and felt suddenly dwarfed.

  Zach closed the door and the sheriff motioned them to take a seat.

  A grinding sensation in her stomach confirmed that this was a bad idea. She swallowed and wrapped her arms tight around herself. She felt ridiculous even being here.

  Dark eyes penetrated her wall of defenses as Rafael Solis leaned toward her. “I remember you from the hospital the other day. Zach tells me that you’ve been having some trouble with a stalker?”

  Sky nodded.

  “When did the first incident occur?” He began making notes on a legal pad and looked up at her encouragingly.

  Sky glanced at Zach and found the strength in his eyes to pour out the story. She skimmed over the details of the accident, but told him about the two attempts on her life and how her dog had been killed in a hit-and-run meant for her.

  Rafael’s brow furrowed. “So, you moved here right after the last incident.”

  Sky nodded. “My younger sister has accepted a teaching contract at the high school and so I’m living with her. All the utilities are in her name. I’m hoping maybe the stalker won’t find me.”

  Rafael and Zach exchanged a glance.

  “I wouldn’t count on that, Miss Danforth,” Rafael said. “It sounds like this man is obsessed with killing you.”

  An icy shiver visibly shook her. Sky bit her lip and looked down, not wanting them to know how scared she was.

  “Tell him about the open door,” Zach urged.

  “I was working the graveyard shift last night, but when my sister came in from a date, she found the sliding glass door unlocked. We’re always very careful to lock the doors.”

  Rafael ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “I’ll have someone patrol regularly and if you even think you might be in danger call here immediately.”

  Zach and Rafael shook hands and Rafael held his hand out to shake with Sky. “Would the two of you like to come to the condo and have dinner with my family tomorrow night? I’m sure my wife, Chloe, would love to meet you.”

  Zach grinned and accepted for the two of them.

  “Dinner with the sheriff?” Sky asked when they were in his car.

  “You’ll love Chloe and her daughter.” Zach gave her a squeeze on the shoulder.

  Sky nodded. “I’m sure I will.” Something about the way Zach said her name gave Sky a strange feeling.

  ~*~

  Zach thought about Rafael’s invitation. It wasn’t unus
ual for him to receive an invitation to dinner with the Solis family, but the request was typically made by Chloe. Perhaps, seeing him with Skyler had given Rafael confidence that Zach wasn’t still in love with his wife.

  Not that there had been anything to it on her part. Chloe had always been in love with Rafael. She’d told Zach, right up front, when he’d first started mooning around after her. He’d never stood a chance.

  And yet, she’d always befriended him. It could have to do with the summers he’d spent shrimping on her father’s boat after she’d left town. Or it could have to do with the fact that he’d saved her life. He suspected that act alone kept him in the sheriff’s good graces.

  He wondered how it would feel to go to Chloe’s place with his new girlfriend. He smiled at Sky. She looked worried after their talk with Rafael. He reached across to stroke her arm. “Don’t worry. Rafael will catch this guy.”

  She managed a feeble smile. “I hope you’re right. I don’t want to endanger you or Cassie. I’m so afraid.”

  “The stalker won’t get to you, Sky. He’ll have to go through me first. Keep your chin up.”

  Sky interlaced her fingers with his and gave a little sigh. “I’m trying.”

  ~*~

  Sky answered the phone when Javier called the house that evening. His voice sounded deep and masculine. An involuntary shiver teased her spine when she thought of her little sister with this man. “You’re Javier aren’t you?” she asked.

  “Yes, you’re her sister?”

  She swallowed the things she wanted to say. “I’m Skyler. Call me Sky.”

  When Cassie came to the phone, Sky noted that her face took on a different look. She fairly glowed from within. Her tone of voice was low, yet bubbly and she carried the phone into her bedroom.

  Sky felt a little twinge of remorse for butting into Cassie’s life. If she’d stayed in Springhill or returned to her parent’s home in Austin as they had wanted, she wouldn’t be dampening Cassie’s fun now. She wouldn’t be here to pass judgment on her sister’s first real boyfriend.

  Sky chuckled when she thought of the string of nerds who had come to the house to take Cassie on study dates to the library or to work on science projects in the garage.

  And now there was Javier. He was the polar opposite of Cassie’s previous admirers. He was tall and muscular, with handsome chiseled features. In the game room, he’d stared at Cassie with a longing that was almost palpable.

  He didn’t know how innocent she was. He couldn’t ever comprehend that she wasn’t ready to get involved with an experienced man, one who might break her heart.

  Sky pressed her lips together. Cassie had blown up at her when she’d suggested that Javier might be too old for her. But she couldn’t stand by and watch this local Lothario take advantage of her little sister.

  ~*~

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Conflagration

  Zach selected a nice bottle of wine and a carton of sodas from the store. He didn’t know what Sky would like to drink, but he didn’t want to take the chance that she’d feel uncomfortable.

  When he picked her up, she looked gorgeous, her hair curling softly around her face, a light gloss on her lips and wearing a pale blue cotton dress with tiny straps. The color made her eyes looked even bigger and bluer than usual.

  He greeted her with a kiss, inhaling her perfume and stroking his hand over her hair.

  “You take my breath away,” he said.

  She grinned at him, seemed to be pleased by the compliment. “I’m a little worried about leaving Cassie by herself.”

  “Can she call Javier to come over?”

  “He’s on duty at the fire station.”

  “We can ask Rafael to have some extra patrols cruise by, just in case.”

  She nodded, obviously relieved.

  When they arrived at the Palacio Del Mar Condominiums, the sun was just starting to set, casting long fingers of scarlet across the magenta sky. They took a moment to appreciate it and to share a kiss before stepping inside the lobby with its marble fountain and gleaming surfaces.

  Sky turned around, staring at all the luxurious appointments. “Wow! Being a sheriff must pay more than I thought.”

  Zach shook his head. “Rafael comes from a very wealthy family. His parents moved here from Mexico with their kids when he was in grade school. That’s where he and Chloe first met.”

  “He has no trace of an accent.”

  Zach snorted. “Rafael has a better vocabulary than I do and he’s fluent in French as well as Spanish.”

  And his wife was born here?”

  “Long story. They were childhood sweethearts.”

  They went up in the elevator to the top floor. When he rang the doorbell, Chloe opened the door, slightly flushed and grinning.

  “Come in. Come in.” She leaned close to give him a hug.

  Zach glanced at Rafael before he embraced Chloe. A sharp stabbing glance from Rafael assured Zach that he was aware that his wife was being hugged by another man. Zach handed her the bottle of wine and carton of sodas.

  “How thoughtful, Zach. You knew that I’m not drinking anything alcoholic.” Chloe set the sodas down and then held out her hand to Sky. “I’m Chloe.”

  “And I’m Sky. When are you due?” She gestured to Chloe’s burgeoning middle.

  “We still have a few weeks to go.” She glanced at her husband who stood in the kitchen behind an indoor built-in grill.

  Rafael gave her a look that could only be described as adoring. “Come on in, folks. I’m just about to throw the steaks on.”

  Zach had a conversation with Rafael concerning Sky’s anxiety over leaving Cassie at the house alone.

  Rafael called for patrols every thirty minutes outside their house.

  Zach nodded at Sky and she smiled, looking somewhat relieved.

  Chloe leaned over the table and lit candles. The table was set for four.

  “Where’s my favorite little rug rat?” Zach asked.

  Chloe laughed. “My mom took Lacy for a sleepover. She thought we could use a night of grown-up talk.”

  “And Sybil gets Lacy all to herself,” Zach said,

  Chloe ushered Zach and Sky to a seat on the long leather sofa. “Let me get this wine opened so it can breathe.” When she carried the bottle to the kitchen, Rafael took it from her and embraced her with one arm, brushing a kiss against her lips. He reached for a corkscrew and opened the wine for her.

  Chloe returned to seat herself comfortably on the sofa. “I’m so glad that you moved here, Sky. We sure do need some more nurses.”

  “Do you go to the prenatal clinic in the hospital?” Sky asked.

  “No, Raffy takes me into Harlingen to a great female obstetrician.”

  “Nothing but the best for my wife,” Rafael called.

  Chloe giggled conspiratorially. “And he thinks that Doctor Fischer is a little flirtatious.”

  “He’s a letch.” Rafael grinned at her. “I’d hate to have to shoot him.”

  Within a short time their meal was on the table and Rafael was pouring wine.

  “None for me, thanks,” Sky said. “I’ll have a soda.”

  “Sodas for the ladies and wine for the men.”

  The conversation was pleasant. Zach could see that Sky and Chloe would become friends...if she stayed long enough.

  They took their desserts to the balcony and ate peach cobbler with ice cream as they enjoyed the cool breeze off the bay and the view of South Padre Island at night from the tenth floor.

  He reached for Sky’s hand and felt gratified when she leaned close to him.

  The sound of a siren far below attracted their attention. They looked over the balcony to see, first one and then the other, fire truck come screaming around the corner and head down the beach.

  “Oh, my God!” Sky whispered. “Look!” She pointed in the direction of Zach’s house. As he peered over the balcony, he saw plumes of smoke rising in the distance and a red glow of flames.
<
br />   ~*~

  Javi was in the first unit on the scene. Clad in his turnout coat and bunker pants he hefted the Scott pack onto his back. He pulled the mask into place before reaching around and cracking the valve to release the cool oxygen into his mask. Jamming his helmet on over his nomex hood, he didn’t bother to fasten the chin strap.