She licks her lips. “Oh?”
“You can either tell me to go to hell and slam the door in my face, or you can hear me out.” Before she can speak, I raise my hand. “Before you slam that door, let me elaborate. The only two people I care about in the world are giving to a fault. They’re the type who’d give the coat off their back and so on.”
She softens just a bit. “Yes, I’m aware.”
“Good, then you know that there are people in this world who take advantage of kindness like that.”
“And you think I’m one of them?”
“I’d like to think not, but in my line of work, it pays to be cautious. When it comes to them, I’m probably overly cautious.”
“If you think I’m going to object, you’re wrong. Look, I realize you don’t know me, and maybe we got off on the wrong foot, but I do understand the concept of protecting your family.”
“Then I hope you’ll understand when I ask outright if there’s anything I should be worried about when it comes to you.”
Her eyes flash, but she doesn’t slam the door in my face. “There are reasons why I like to maintain my privacy, but no, there’s nothing you need to worry about.”
“Bullshit,” I say without preamble.
She blinks. “I’m sorry?”
“I said, ‘bullshit’.”
“I think it’s time for you to go now.” All traces of understanding are gone from her face now, and she moves to swing the door closed. When I stop it with my foot, she sends me a fierce look. “You really need to stop.”
“I want to know what you’re hiding, and don’t give me any of that bullshit. There’s a reason why a woman carries a gun on her. If you’re in trouble, I can help you.”
“Am I doing something illegal?” she asks with forced calm.
“Are you running from something?”
“Isn’t everyone?” she counters smoothly. “Besides, you should know better than anyone that there’s evil in this world. I’m a single woman in a new place. Why wouldn’t I protect myself?” Before I can say anything else, she takes a deep breath and her shoulders slump just a tiny bit. I feel like the biggest dick ever, but I have to know. “I am no threat for your family, Logan. I just came here for peace and quiet, and I have a right to do so. Now, if there’s nothing else you need, I’d like for you to go now.”
“You’d tell me if you were in any trouble, right?” Even as I ask, I already know the answer.
She takes a step back, and I wonder if she’s distancing herself from me or from the question. “There’s no need for you to come and rescue me. I’m not a damsel in need of saving.”
Realizing I won’t get any further with her tonight, I move my foot, and she closes the screen door between us. “Well, we both know I’m hardly chivalrous.”
The cell on my belt interrupts her response and she closes her mouth.
“Blackwell,” I say to the caller.
Our dispatcher Eileen answers, her voice brusque and efficient. “261A at Lawson’s Park. Victim is responsive. Suspect left on foot and may still be in the area.”
“Be there in ten.”
I look to Sienna, whose face has gone white. “Go,” she says. “Hurry.”
I don’t ask how she knew it was a serious call, or why she looks like she has seen death. There isn’t any time. I make a mental reminder to check back in on her as I dive into my truck and spin out of the driveway.
On the way, I get additional details from Eileen. According to the victim, the suspect has already left the scene and emergency medical services are en route. All fatigue drains away as adrenaline spurts into my blood. Sirens flashing, I speed through what little traffic there is at this time of night and make it to the park in five minutes flat. My thumb drums against the wheel as I scan the nearby sidewalks for the victim, finally spotting her sitting on the curb half hidden in shadows.
I throw the gear into park and surge from the truck. The woman is pretty and can’t be older than twenty, but when she sees me, she seems to shrink into herself—the movement making her look younger. I pause and make sure to keep my hands loose by my side.
“I’m Officer Blackwell with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department. I’m going to reach for my badge.” When she doesn’t object, I move slowly to my back pocket and pull it out for her to see. “What’s your name?”
Her wide eyes don’t seem to take in anything I’m saying, but when I hazard a step forward, she doesn’t back away. I take another.
“Are you hurt?” I say softly. “Do you need medical attention?”
When I’m within touching distance, her eyes focus on me, and she whispers, “E-Elizabeth Gallagher,” in a broken voice.
“Elizabeth, I’m here to help you. You’re safe now.”
After a few moments she steps to me, and I wrap my arm around her to lead her to the tailgate of my truck. I lower it so she has a place to sit and then quickly grab a blanket I keep in the cab. She’s shivering when I wrap it around her, and I scan the surrounding streets for any sign of the ambulance. The girl is going into shock. I speak words of comfort as the adrenaline gives way to shock. I tell her everything is going to be okay.
What’s more important is what I don’t say.
I don’t tell her the nightmare is just beginning.
Piper
After Logan leaves, I can’t seem to find a comfortable position to sleep. I twist and turn until four a.m. before I finally give up on sleep and move to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. Might as well get the day started if my brain won’t shut off. Anything will be better than positing different scenarios with the one man I should be avoiding.
I fill up the water reservoir and select my single serving of chai latte. As it percolates, curiosity gets the better of me, and I peer through the window over my sink that looks into Logan’s kitchen, a mirror image of mine. The windows are dark and his driveway is still empty. I don’t want to admit it to myself, but I couldn’t go to sleep because he hadn’t come back. I wanted to hear the growl of his truck or the roar of his motorcycle coming down the drive to let me know he’s okay.
After he left, fear clenched my belly so tight that I had to sit under the scalding spray in the shower until the water ran cold to get myself to calm down. I shouldn’t have listened, but I couldn’t help but overhear the attempted rape call and be thrown back into my own living nightmares.
I distract myself by belting a robe and stepping out into the cool morning. I’d started a small vegetable garden off my back porch, something I’d always dreamed of doing. Tending it, according to one of the many therapists I was forced to talk to, encouraging the little sprouts to grow is supposed to help me process the losses I’d experienced. I thought he was full of shit, but nothing else has worked and a couple plants won’t take much time.
So one of the first things I did after I got settled and received my first paycheck was borrow Diane’s car to go to the local hardware store chain to pick up seeds. After consulting with a gardening associate, I settled on broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, and spinach for a nice fall garden. If I am still wracked with loss at the end of it, at least I’d have a salad to drown my sorrows.
When he still hasn’t returned by the time I’ve polished off my chai latte and weeded the garden, my worry is replaced by irritation—at myself. I have no interest in indulging Logan’s curiosity about me or my past. I have no interest in indulging Logan in any capacity whatsoever, so my concern about his well-being is useless.
I have no desire to become entangled with a man, emotionally or otherwise and something tells me Logan is all about the entanglements.
Brushing off the dirt from the hem of my robe as though I can brush thoughts of him off just as easily, I get to my feet and head back inside to change and get ready for work. I resolve to keep my routine. It’ll be the best way to keep from inciting his own natural curiosity. Once he realizes I’m no threat to his family, he’ll lose interest, and I’ll go back to being invisible
, which suits me just fine.
Unfortunately, Diane and Rose don’t agree with my plan, and they pounce the moment I step through the door.
Diane plies me with another desperately needed cup of coffee first. “You look like you could use this,” she says and hands me the steaming mug.
“Thank you.”
“Logan came over, didn’t he?” She asks, a little too innocently. “To fix the AC?”
I sip my coffee, considering my answer. I feel like I’m trapped in a sea of quicksand and taking the wrong step will mean a slow excruciating death. “Yes,” is all I offer.
“Good.” Diane pats my arm. “That’s real good. He’s a sweet boy, our Logan.” She makes a face. “Well, when he puts his mind to it. He didn’t say anything out of line, did he?”
It almost makes me smile. She knows her nephew very well and obviously cares for him a great deal. “No, he was very nice.”
That seems to give her pause. “Nice. Hmm. Yes, well. I hope you had a chance to talk with him. There seems to be some tension between you two.”
I sip my coffee again. Is it so obvious? “Everything is fine. We did talk for a bit before he had to go.”
Diane straightens. “Go?”
“He had to take a call. I gather it was urgent.” Coffee finished, I rinse the mug and set it in the dishwasher. Diane harrumphs behind me, and I hide a smile. Wanting to change the subject, I say, “I was thinking about getting a dog, and I wanted to check to see what your policy is on pets in the cabins.”
“A dog?” Diane slaps a rag on the counter.
Lifting my shoulders, I round the bar intending to head to the hall to grab my cleaning supplies. Over my shoulder, I say, “To protect me from your nephew.”
That surprises a laugh out of the two women. Diane grins. “Have one in mind?”
“Not yet, I haven’t really had the chance to look around yet. My new boss likes to keep me busy.”
Diane grabs a pen and paper from the organized area underneath a landline. “Here. This is the number for the pound. Next time you get a day off, you should go by. There’s always a good stray in need of a home.”
I pocket the paper and send her a grateful smile. “I take it I can have one in the house?”
She just laughs. “Honey, if you haven’t learned it of me yet, you soon will. I can’t say no to a soul in need. You haven’t said it yet, but you look like you could use some kindness.”
Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I say, “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
The bell at the front desk rings, and she rubs my arm as she moves around me. “No thanks needed, child. It was worth it to see the look on your face.”
“Do you need a pet deposit or something?” I call out to her almost as an afterthought.
She waves it away. “Just bring ’em by from time to time for me to love on. That’ll be enough.”
After work, I go back and forth with myself on the way to the shelter located just inside Nassau proper. I don’t need a dog, but it makes sense to have one at home for protection. Before I moved around too much for it to be practical, but now I can afford to lay down some roots. It’s a small step, but an important one.
“Afternoon!” a bright voice greets me. “How can I help you today?”
The voice belongs to a cheerful but disheveled-looking blonde woman in her late twenties who is hefting an oversized bag of dog chow onto a counter. Her dark blue shirt is covered with dog and cat hair of every imaginable color, and her tattered jeans are spattered with indistinguishable stains.
“Hey, yes actually. I’m looking to adopt a dog.” A quick glance around the room tells me it’s a neatly kept place, probably as clean as it can be considering the occupants. The scent of antiseptic, animals, and dirt is strong, but the place isn’t dirty.
“My favorite kind of customer.” She smiles at me and reaches a hand across the cluttered countertop for me to shake. “I’m Jillian.”
I take her hand in mine. “Sienna, nice to meet you.”
“Why don’t you follow me on back, and we’ll go meet your new best friend.”
She pushes through a door to a room behind the counter, and we are immediately assaulted by the excited barks and yips from its inhabitants.
Jillian moves to the closest kennel and puts her fingers to the wire mesh. “Yes, hi, precious boy. I know you missed me.” The large terrier mix jumps up and bathes her fingers in slobbery kisses. “Feel free to look around and meet them. If you spot one in particular you’d like to get acquainted with, just let me know. They’re all fixed and house trained.”
Nodding, I take another step inside and turn toward the closest kennel. Inside is a sweet-looking long-haired dachshund with warm chocolate eyes. Even though every cell inside me is screaming to drop to my knees and give it a cuddle, I have to move on. If I’m going to get a dog, I need something big enough to train and protect me. The next few kennels prove to be an excitable Chihuahua, a smash-nosed Boston Terrier, and a Pomeranian, all of which are incredibly adorable, but I keep moving.
Then my eyes fall to the last of the kennels on the row. It’s inhabitant, unlike the rest of the animals, doesn’t make a peep. Curious, I draw near with careful footsteps so I don’t spook it. When I peer through the front of the crate, a pair of soft, honey-colored eyes meet mine, and I fall ass over tea-kettle in love with the mangiest, most pungent ball of fur I’ve ever met.
Without thought, I straighten and turn back to Jillian, who is already crossing the room to join me. “We have some others out back in the exercise kennels—”
“I want this one.” I jerk my thumb back at the matted mass of brown fur.
The look on her face can only be described as abject horror. “O-oh,” she stutters, “I don’t know. Rocky there hasn’t been fully treated. His owner beat him up pretty bad, and he was found wandering the highway just yesterday.” Noting the determined look I send her, Jillian rocks back on her heels. “Since he’s new, he’ll still need to come back in a week or so for a checkup and to receive another round of shots and schedule an appointment to get him fixed.”
As she speaks, I crouch down again and scoot closer to his cage. “Hey, there,” I say in a soft voice. “Hey there, Rocky.”
He whimpers and beneath the tangled mess of his fur his whole frame shakes. He shrinks against the back wall of the crate.
“Are you sure you’re up for this? He’s going to be a lot of work. He’ll need to be supervised for a couple days at least, and he howls something terrible when he’s left alone.”
I nod. “I understand. I work right next to my house, and I have a very understanding employer. I’ll take good care of him.”
“Why don’t you two get acquainted while I round up the paperwork?”
I hunker back down next to his cage as she pushes back through the door to the receptionist area. Even though there are dozens of other dogs, I only have eyes for this one. I won’t know what breed he is for sure until I can give him a proper bath and probably a good cut as well, but he looks to be some sort of Lab / Shephard mix.
“Hey, Rocky,” I say again, cooing at him in the gentlest voice I can muster. “Hey, boy. Do you wanna come home with me?” His ears twitch at my voice, but he doesn’t move. “We’ll get you a bath and some treats. I’ll even let you sleep on the bed with me. I bet you’re a good cuddler, huh?”
Jillian enters, her hands full of papers. “I’ll just need you to fill out the adoption information and there’s a thirty-dollar application fee. Since he’s still looking a little rough, I can throw in a bath before you leave and a quick grooming. He’s not injured as far as the vet can tell, but he is a little skittish and malnourished, so you’ll need to be very patient with him.”
“Thank you, I appreciate your help.” I take the offered clipboard and application and settle on a nearby table to fill out the paperwork. After a year of signing my new name to things, I don’t even bat a lash anymore. I fill in the bungalow address, my place of work, a
nd the landlord information. Since I don’t have any other pets, I hand the clipboard back to Jillian.
She beams at me. “Let’s get you some treats and let the big guy out so you two can officially meet. Then we’ll give him that bath.” She heads to a line of cabinets and pulls out a handful of treats, which she then hands to me.
While she unlocks his cage, I get down to my knees so I’m on his level and hold out a hand. “Hey, Rocky,” I say again, but this time he lifts his head and sniffs. “C’mon, boy, do you want a treat?”
I place a treat near the entrance to his kennel, and he inches closer. Not wanting to spook him, I slowly ease back to give him some room. With a careful, guarded look at me, he lifts onto his haunches and delicately takes the treat between his teeth.
When he is done munching, he scoots a bit forward, and I hold out another treat on my palm. His body trembles, but he takes a step out of the cage in my direction, scenting the air for the treat I hold in my open palm.
“It’s okay. I’m not gonna hurt you, baby.” As much as I want to inch closer, I hold the same position until Rocky takes a tentative step forward. Then another and another until his wet nose sniffs at the treat in my hand. He glances up at me, then nips the treat with a swipe of his tongue. He doesn’t retreat back into his cage, so I offer him another. “Good boy, Rocky. Good boy.”
“That’s the closest he’s gotten to another person aside from me.” I grin up at Jillian and she crouches down to pet him. “Looks like you made a friend.”
When I offer him another treat, he abandons all traces of restraint and launches himself at me. I bury my face in his fur, ignoring the dirt and grime because he’s not the only one who needs a friend.
Logan
Sofie meets me at the department to interview the assault victim, Elizabeth Gallagher, the next day. She’d been put through the humiliating misery of the evidence collection and documentation and now she’d have to relive the worst night of her life in front of an audience. Sometimes my job sucked, and now is admittedly one of those times, but not as much as it sucks to see the vacant expression in Ms. Gallagher’s face as she walks in the station.
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