Danger Under the Mistletoe

by Alexa Verde

  He was curious why Rachel Evans had moved to a small town where she didn’t know anybody. And why was she so spooked? But when he’d tried to talk to her, she’d brushed him off, politely but coldly.

  Might be for the better.

  After Tess’s death two years ago, he’d decided to forego romantic relationships.

  Now Rachel held his gaze, her head raised, her eyes defiant. She didn’t remind him of a gazelle anymore but more of a snow leopard, ready to hold her own. “Now, since we’ve established that I’m just a harmless neighbor, could you please let me go?” She squirmed, as if trying to get free.

  The jolt of awareness surprised Sebastian. He didn’t like his reaction to this woman.

  He didn’t like it at all.

  Besides, he was losing his focus. Concern for his grandmother should be his priority, not a mysterious neighbor with gorgeous eyes.

  He stepped back and glanced at the antique clock on the side table. Wasn’t thirty minutes after midnight a little late for social visits? “Why is my grandma at your house? And you still didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m picking up her pills. She needs them right now. I’ll explain the rest on the way.” Rachel shoved her hands into her pockets and looked away, giving him the impression that she was hiding something.

  Sebastian frowned.

  He was a martial arts teacher, not a cop, but maybe he needed to have someone look into her background. He wanted to keep his grandmother safe, and lately Grandma couldn’t stop talking about Rachel Evans, trusting her new neighbor wholeheartedly. But even his talkative and, yes, somewhat nosy grandma hadn’t gotten much information about Rachel. With his sister and his parents moving from Texas to Florida, it was Sebastian’s responsibility to take care of his grandmother.

  “Help!” A scream from somewhere outside made him take off in a run. The voice sounded like his grandma’s. Worry for her spurred him on.

  Judging by the footfalls behind him, Rachel wasn’t too far behind, either.

  Sebastian tried the door handle to enter Rachel’s place. The handle gave in easily. He barreled inside the house and stopped in his tracks. Grams was standing in the middle of the living room, her eyes wide, her right hand pointing at the front door behind him. A black blanket was thrown on the floor.

  “Grandma, are you okay?” He rushed to her.

  His grandmother’s features relaxed, and she sank into the armchair. “Oh. Sebastian. I dozed off, waiting for Rachel. Then I woke up and saw somebody enter that door. At seeing me, he turned around and ran.” She took a shaky breath. “It was probably part of a dream. I’m fine, dear.”

  His poor Grams.

  He glanced at Rachel, who closed the door behind her. “Ms. Evans, please call 911. I’ll check around the house and the yard.”

  Was it his imagination, or had Rachel flinched when he mentioned calling the police?

  Grandma waved him off. “Oh, no need to call the police, dear. Like I said, it was just a bad dream.”

  Sebastian didn’t want to invade Rachel’s privacy or leave his grandmother alone even for several seconds, but he had to make sure the place was secure. He looked at Rachel, intending to ask her to follow him.

  But she already leaned to his grandmother. “Mrs. Mora, here are your pills. Sorry it took me so long. Would you like me to bring you some water?” Her voice was gentle, coated with genuine concern.

  Huh.

  Apparently, the newcomer in town wasn’t as standoffish as he’d originally thought.

  “Please call me Grandma. Thank you for bringing my pills. Water would be great.” His grandmother didn’t sound scared anymore.

  The tension inside him after hearing her scream eased up a little.

  “Thank you, Grandma.” Rachel’s voice trembled slightly, as if the word held a special meaning for her.

  Sebastian checked the front yard and the fenced-in backyard but didn’t find anything or anybody suspicious. He searched carefully for footprints but of course found none in the grass.

  After he entered the house again, his grandmother was holding a half-full glass of water and telling Ms. Evans about embarrassing moments from his childhood, like breaking a window and getting a black eye. As much as he wished Grams wouldn’t overshare, he was glad she’d recovered from her scare rather well.

  Rachel Evans was sitting in a chair near his grandma and smiled, as if she enjoyed the conversation. She jumped as he entered, her expression inquisitive and a tad fearful.

  His protective instincts were working overtime tonight. He had to suppress the urge to embrace her and offer some comfort. “There’s nobody outside.”

  Rachel’s eyes narrowed. “Do you want to check inside the house?”

  “Yes.” He nodded. “I don’t think the intruder is here. But I still want to make sure you’re all safe.”

  “I’ll accompany you.”

  Hmmm.

  Rachel Evans wasn’t just attractive. She was smart and brave. Instead of hesitating or hiding out in his grandmother’s place, she’d rushed to the rescue.

  But judging by her hunched shoulders as she headed to the hall, she didn’t like the idea of somebody looking at her house. Yes, she seemed a private person, but could it be she had secrets she was reluctant to reveal?

  Not that it was any of his business, anyway.

  As they walked through her place, he took in everything. There were no traces of anything being touched or broken. He also tried to gauge Rachel’s character from her personal things.

  Apparently, there wasn’t much to gauge.

  Besides two comfortable-looking brown armchairs, the living room had a black, modern coffee table, and watercolor pictures of landscapes on the walls. But the dining room and the spare bedroom weren’t furnished at all. The master bedroom held a bed without a headboard and an oval mirror on the wall, and that was it.

  He frowned as he opened the door to the closet. It contained very few outfits, mostly jeans, slacks, T-shirts, shirts, a few sweaters and jackets, and two black dresses. The colors ranged from black to brown to dark gray.

  In contrast, after he and Tess had gotten married and searched for a starter home, Tess had insisted on a house with a large closet. She’d still taken a part of his closet with rows of clothes and shoes that reflected all colors of the rainbow.

  “Ms. Evans, are you sure you don’t want to call the police?” he asked as he entered the office.

  She shook her head vigorously. “Call me Rachel. It’s just your grandmother’s bad dream. And she told me it was a safe neighborhood.”

  The neighborhood had an almost nonexistent crime rate indeed, one of the reasons he’d been unsuccessful in persuading Grandma to move in with him. But there was a first time for everything. And if Rachel was so convinced it was just a bad dream, why was she checking the rooms with him for an imaginary intruder?

  Besides the living room, the only room that was furnished well was the office, which had a wooden desk with a computer with two monitors, speakers, and a laptop. Bookshelves contained books about locks, weapons, and security systems. That was an interesting choice in reading. Besides electronics, there were a vase with fresh flowers, a glass with pens, and a writing pad on the desk.

  Sebastian frowned as he stepped into the bathroom. There were just a few items on the counter, and everything seemed extremely organized. Again, so different from his experience with Tess, who’d had a huge assortment of toiletries scattered all over the bathroom.

  “All clear,” he announced as they returned to the living room.

  Granted, Rachel Evans had moved to Rios Azules only about a week ago. But wouldn’t there be pictures of friends and family? Or any knickknacks? Or at least a sofa, a nightstand, or a TV? From his grandmother, he knew that the owners had left the armchairs, the coffee table, and the desk, so the only furniture Rachel had brought with her or bought here was the bed.

  There were no Christmas decorations anywhere in the house o
r outside.

  Okay, probably nobody did it like his grandma, who had decorations in most rooms of the quaint house, a giant Christmas tree he’d brought her, lights around every tree in the yard, and a large herd of reindeer on her front lawn. Sebastian made a mental note to pay for his grandmother’s electric bill this month, whether she liked it or not.

  He didn’t expect that many Christmas decorations in Rachel’s house, but none at all?

  Maybe she wasn’t sure she’d stay in Rios Azules. That thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  Or…

  Was she on the run? Was this the reason for the guarded expression and half-empty house? Could she be escaping from an abusive ex-husband or boyfriend? Or something even worse?

  His protective instincts went on high alert again. If Rachel needed assistance, he’d gladly offer it. Just to help his grandmother’s neighbor, and not because he was interested in Rachel on a personal level.

  Not at all.

  After walking through her rental, Sebastian had more questions than answers. She seemed to be extremely well-organized, unpretentious, maybe had worked at some point for a security company, and could be… in mourning? How recent was her loss, and how deep the wound? Or was there another reason she favored black clothing? With almost no makeup on the counter and simple outfits in the closet, it seemed like she’d done her best to blend in instead of trying to be attractive. He stole a glance at her. Not that she really needed to try.

  Rachel gestured for him to take the armchair near his grandmother, but he shook his head, wanting her to sit down.

  She grimaced. “I don’t have a chair to offer you. Didn’t get much furniture yet.”

  “No problem.” He folded his hands on his chest and turned to his grandmother. “Grandma, what did the intruder look like?”

  Grandma wrinkled her forehead in thought. “Tall. About your height, dear. I believe he had a beard. But really, I didn’t see his face in the darkness or notice much of his appearance.”

  So much for that. Sebastian did his best not to show his disappointment in his voice. “What was he wearing?”

  “A dark hoodie.” Grandmother’s white brow furrowed. “Why all these questions? The guy was a product of my imagination.”

  He looked Rachel’s way. She seemed to be tense but not shocked, not even surprised, as if she… expected the intruder?

  His grandmother’s new neighbor had secrets, and he didn’t like it. His allegiance should be to his grandma and not her lovely neighbor. He didn’t want Rachel to bring danger into the neighborhood where his grandmother lived.

  “What exactly happened tonight?” Sebastian said.

  “Oh, dear.” Grandma fanned herself while she told her story.

  “Your grandmother thought she’d locked herself out of the house when in reality she hadn’t,” Rachel said as soon as his grandmother finished. “I was able to go inside and get the pills.”

  He met her gaze, but he had a gut feeling she wasn’t telling him everything. And her words didn’t explain why Rachel hadn’t turned on the light when she’d entered the house.

  “The lights in the house were out, so I figured Grandma was mistaken about the door being locked,” Sebastian gave his side of the story. “I thought she’d gone to sleep, so I opened the door with my key and moved carefully so as not to wake her up. When I saw a dark figure climbing out of the window, I took Rachel for an intruder. I hope I didn’t hurt you?”

  “Not at all.” A half smile illuminated Rachel’s face, making him want to bring her close again.

  Oh, no.

  He hadn’t had this kind of reaction to a woman since…

  Yes, since Tess.

  Grandma covered her mouth with her palm, as if suppressing a yawn. Poor Grams. She must be tired.

  Sebastian stepped to her. “I think that was enough excitement. Please let me help you get back.”

  Grandma nodded, and they stepped toward the front door, Sebastian supporting his fragile grandmother carefully.

  Near Rachel’s front door, he turned around. “I take it when you left your own house, you left the door unlocked?” The fact that Rachel had so many locks didn’t escape him.

  An inner struggle reflected on Rachel’s face. “I thought I locked it. But when you tried it, it was open, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Then I probably left it open.” She shrugged.

  Judging by the way she blinked rapidly, she didn’t believe her own words, and neither did he.

  After getting his grandmother situated, Sebastian stayed in his truck, parked on the curb near Grandma’s place. Unlike his grandma, he didn’t think the intruder was a product of her imagination.

  Hmmm.

  From what Sebastian had seen, except for electronics, there wasn’t much to steal in Rachel’s place. And Grams was right about it being a safe neighborhood.

  Despite that, somebody had broken into Evans’s rental.

  Why?

  As Sebastian rubbed the kinks out of his neck about two hours later, he tried to persuade himself he was staking out the house for his grandmother’s safety. Still, he couldn’t shake off what he’d felt when he’d held Rachel after taking her for a thief.

  For the first time since Tess’s death, he’d had a stirring in his heart that he’d considered long dead.

  The neighborhood looked peaceful again, but the silence didn’t fool him. He couldn’t explain how, but he knew that when Rachel Evans had moved to Rios Azules, danger had come here, too.

  CHAPTER THREE

  THE NEXT MORNING, RACHEL HAD a talk with her landlord about security measures she wanted to add to the house. Rachel didn’t care whether her suggestions were overkill, especially for a rental. Rachel had known all too well how easy it could be to break into a home. And even though many years had passed since the time she’d been kidnapped at fourteen, she hadn’t forgotten anything.

  The terrifying fear.

  The numbing helplessness.

  The sharp pain when her bone had cracked after an especially strong hit…

  But Rachel wasn’t fourteen anymore, and she was far from helpless.

  The landlord had hinted before that she’d like to sell the house eventually, and Rachel took advantage of that. In the end, the lady agreed to Rachel’s suggestions.

  Rachel disconnected and for several moments stared into space. Why had she been targeted? Was it a random burglary attempt, or was it connected to her job?

  Could it be one of her former, um, co-workers? Craig Marsden, for example? Rachel swallowed hard at the memory of the guy three years her senior, who’d blamed her for getting caught. She’d spent a large chunk of last night tossing and turning, wondering who could wish her harm. So far, Craig was on the top of the list.

  Rachel had asked her friend and January’s twin, Maya, last night to look into the whereabouts of people Rachel had used to steal with. For two years, Maya had worked at the center for troubled teens, but last year she’d joined the Austin Police Department. Having a friend who was a cop and whose husband was a PI came in handy in a time like this.

  But first, home security.

  Rachel looked up the nearest home improvement store online. Then she scanned the street before leaving the house and left for a quick trip to get supplies, watching carefully for a tail.

  The trip wasn’t quick.

  Several people she didn’t recognize waved at her and said hello in the store. The people she’d met at Mrs. Mora’s place, mostly old ladies from around the town, stopped her and asked her if she was okay. It looked like everybody knew about the possible intruder at Rachel’s rental. They were either curious, or cared about Rachel’s well-being, or both.

  Shaking her head in disbelief, Rachel returned to her rental, thankfully without anyone following her, and got to work. She reinforced the windows and put a padlock and a deadbolt on the patio door. One of her first jobs ever had been installing locks and cutting keys, followed by the job opening locks for
people who’d locked themselves out. Practice had sharpened her skills, and this part didn’t take long.

  Rachel made a quick tour of the house, looking at it from an intruder’s point of view, the way she’d done for her clients. Her third job had been as a private investigator with a specialty in thefts and burglaries, with a security consulting business on the side. Once she’d started making enough money from the consulting business, she’d stopped working as a PI.

  Okay.

  The front door was solid, metal, and appeared strong. But another deadbolt wouldn’t hurt, so she worked on putting it in place.

  Sebastian Mora kept appearing in her mind, the scent of his cologne, his strong hands while he’d held when he’d taken her for an intruder… She did a mental head shake.

  Get a grip, Rachel.

  Done with the deadbolt, she installed lights above the patio door and around the perimeter.

  Next came cameras. She had a small supply of her own, one of the perks of owning the type of business she had. She provided customized consultations regarding how to protect homes and businesses against thefts and sometimes provided equipment, too. Shame warmed her cheeks. She’d failed miserably to protect her one home—well, rental.

  Setting cameras up took much longer than dealing with the locks, and even when she was done, she wasn’t happy with the results. Well, it would have to do for now.

  Rachel walked around the house and eyed the windows skeptically. They could use burglar-resistant glass, like a polyester security film, and a sensor that activated if the glass was broken that she’d often recommended to her clients. The window in the back of the house, in her guest room, was of special concern.

  She headed to the home improvement store again. This time, she wasn’t surprised at strangers saying hello to her. She even said several hellos in return.

  She passed the aisle with paints. What color would she paint the walls inside her rental if she owned it? She and Ryan had been renting in Austin, saving money for a down payment on a house. And in her childhood she’d been dragged from one place to another. She’d never had a chance to choose paint or flooring or decorate… It would be nice to have a place where she could belong, put down some roots.