Freedom

by Mary Crawford

Tristan chuckles. “I suppose this might be a good time to remind you that there is a potential promotion waiting for you in Oregon.”

  I clear my throat before I respond, “I haven’t forgotten. I’m just stuck here for the moment.”

  “Stuck? Did your bike break down?”

  I sigh. “I wish it was that simple. If it was, I would know what to do. Unfortunately, in this situation I’m lost.”

  “What do you mean?” Tristan asks, confusion clear in his voice.

  “I’m not sure how much I can share. But, Zoe has a messed-up situation here. Somehow, she has started to count on me to help her. I don’t know what to do. I can’t be in two places at once.”

  “Oh, I remember the feeling well. When Rogue and I first started dating, I had a business down in Tampa and she was working at Ink’d Deep in Gainesville.”

  “How did you figure out how to be in two places at once?”

  “I didn’t. I decided Rogue was my number one priority. I sold my business to my assistant manager and opened another branch of Identity Bank in Gainesville so I could be close to her.”

  “Well, I’m not like you. I don’t have the luxury of buying a whole new business so I can hang out with Zoe.”

  “True enough. I would like to see you oversee the IT department at Identity Bank West. However, I can understand why you might want to stay around here.”

  My heart skips a beat at his suggestion. I’m not sure if it’s anticipation or outright fear. I give a startled bark of laughter. “I’m not sure I’m quite at that point yet, but I’ll let you know.”

  “Okay, just keep me informed. I can’t postpone the opening of Identity Bank West for long. I am going to have to put the staff in place. Ideally, I’d like it to be you. You know the ins and outs of computer programming almost as well as I do. I need someone like you on the West Coast because I can’t be in two places at once — as you so aptly pointed out.”

  “At this point, I still plan to travel to Oregon; I’m just a few days behind schedule. I don’t know if I’m going to hit the road for a couple more days. Zoe needs me.”

  “I understand. Sometimes, you just have to follow your heart. So, let me know what you decide.”

  “I’m not sure this has anything to do with my heart, but I will give you a call when I determine what I’m planning to do.”

  Just then, Hope and Bruiser begin to bark wildly. “I’ve gotta go!” I reply quickly as I stuff my phone in my pocket and run toward the sound. I have no idea why the dogs are so worked up. Zoe is at a private training session with a client. I am the only one here.

  As I round the corner and open the gate to the dog run, Hope immediately runs to me. Bruiser has been attached to me like Velcro, so I am shocked when he doesn’t greet me at the gate.

  I enter the dog run and search for Bruiser. Hope noses me in the leg and takes off running. I follow her to a shaded part of the dog run. Bruiser is trying to lick something off his fur. He is so intent, he doesn’t even acknowledge my presence. Hope barks at him. When she does, he stands up and turns around. Much to my dismay, there are trails of red dripping down his fur. When I look closer, I discover the red marks on Bruiser’s fur resemble a target.

  I curse under my breath as I run toward Bruiser. When I touch his fur, I realize that I’m not looking at blood. I can barely catch my breath when I realize someone spray-painted a target on my dog while I was just a few feet away in the training room.

  Bruiser tries to reach the paint and lick it off. I attach the leash I have hanging around my neck and escort Bruiser and Hope into the utility room. I quickly scan Hope to see if she has also been painted. Fortunately, she appears to have escaped unscathed.

  Bruiser looks up at me and whimpers. “I know. It probably itches, but I can’t wash you yet.”

  I pull my phone out of my pocket and call Officer Erickson.

  After we exchange small talk, I take a deep breath and announce. “Cody, I don’t know if you’re in the middle of something, but I need you to come out to Hope’s Haven. It’s urgent.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Cody answers. He must be able to hear the sheer panic in my voice.

  I grab a plastic ‘cone-of-shame’ collar off the hook in the utility room and place it around Bruiser’s neck to prevent him from eating any more paint. I sink into the ground and Bruiser awkwardly lies down beside me as we wait.

  Cody has his cell phone out and he’s taking pictures as he whistles softly through his teeth. “So, do I understand this correctly? You didn’t hear anything?”

  Embarrassed, I shake my head and frown.

  “No, Bruiser was really clingy today. I put him in the dog run so I could get some work done. Zoe is really tired because she hasn’t been sleeping well since the threat from her brother. I thought I’d surprise her and get some of her routine chores done so she wouldn’t have to mess with it when she finishes her class.”

  “You were inside?” Cody clarifies.

  I nod. “I was on the phone with my boss. I was just about to hang up when the dogs went ballistic. They were barking more ferociously than I’ve ever heard. It surprised me because I don’t usually hear Hope bark. In fact, most of the time I forget she’s around because she’s so mellow.”

  “Yeah, I’m a little surprised Mitch and Jessica left her behind. She usually travels with them.”

  “Zoe told me they have Hope in retirement mode. I guess her hip has been bothering her a little.” I shrug. “Anyway, Zoe says they are traveling with one of the service dogs in training.”

  Cody grimaces. “Boy, I sure wish Mitch and Jessica were here. On the other hand, maybe it’s better that their little family is somewhere else.”

  “I suppose so,” I concede.

  “Whoever this is seems to be escalating. Although this round wasn’t particularly detrimental to the dogs, there’s nothing to say the next round may not be.”

  “That’s a horrifying thought. They got close enough to paint the dog with an identifiable pattern. I’d hate to think what they could do. I guess I should’ve done a better job watching out for the dogs.”

  Cody shakes his head. “Don’t be silly. Mitch and Jessica let the dogs run in the exercise yard all the time. You didn’t have any reason to think something would happen to them right under your nose.”

  I roll my shoulder as I respond, “I don’t know. I guess maybe I should have figured that things would get worse before they got better. The threat with the matches was pretty explicit.”

  “True enough. I am glad you are here to watch out for Zoe. Have you checked in with her during the last few minutes?”

  I look down at the ground and shuffle my feet. “No. I totally suck at this protector gig.”

  Cody claps his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. You did lots of stuff right. You got me here right away and you didn’t mess with the evidence. So, that’s something.”

  I feel my face heat up as I blush. “I don’t know if it’s enough.”

  “To be honest, I don’t know if it’s enough either. I know Zoe doesn’t want to leave town because she doesn’t want her tormentor to win. But in this case, the threats are getting awfully close. I think maybe you should talk to her about that and see if you can encourage her to change her mind.”

  I slump down on one of the step stools in the training room. “I wish it was that easy. If it was, I would pull out my extra helmet and plop her on the back of my bike in a heartbeat. Oregon is a good place to go on vacation. But, she still has to deal with whatever garbage is coming up with her brother.”

  Cody frowns. “I forgot about her subpoena. That certainly complicates things.”

  I swallow hard. “Yeah, I suppose it does. But, if this idiot is capable of getting so close to something that Zoe loves, who’s to say he won't try to harm her too?”

  Cody wrings his hands. “I wish I had an answer for you, I really do. Unfortunately, I don’t. This case is just going to have to run its course.”

 
; “What am I going to do?” I ask. “I wasn’t even planning to stay this long. But, I can’t leave her alone.”

  “I think the bigger question will be what Zoe allows you to. She is independent and wants to make her own decisions.”

  “I think that choice was taken out of our hands the first night we received a threat.” I comment as I stroke Bruiser’s head for comfort.

  I groan in frustration when my hair escapes from the leather band at the base of my neck and falls into my face. Bruiser takes advantage of my distraction and tries to get out of the tub. “Hold still. Wait! Don’t cram yourself up against the side of the tub. I still have to wash that side.”

  Bruiser whimpers and lies down in the water. I try to blow my hair out of my eyes. “Well, I suppose that’s better than smashing your side up against the wall of the tub.”

  He wags his tail and splashes me with water. He looks quite smug even though he is soaking wet and shaking.

  “What are you doing?” Zoe asks. “Why are you giving Bruiser a bath in Jessica’s whirlpool tub?”

  When Bruiser hears Zoe’s voice, he tries to climb out of the tub again. Zoe comes in and stands beside me as she commands, “Stay!” Bruiser freezes in place and looks up at Zoe with sad, pathetic eyes.

  “Oh my gosh! What is that red stuff in the water? Is he bleeding again?”

  “He’s fine. Somebody tagged him with spray paint.” I help Bruiser turn around so Zoe can see the side with the paint remnants.

  Disregarding the water, Zoe throws her arms around Bruiser’s neck as she cries, “Who would do that to you? What happened?”

  “I put the dogs in the exercise yard while I did some work. I was on the phone with Tristan when the dogs went crazy. When I went out to the yard, someone had painted a bull’s-eye target on Bruiser.”

  “Who was out there with him? Did they hurt that dog too?”

  I shake my head. “No, fortunately they left Hope alone.”

  “I can imagine. Hope looks a little more formidable than this friendly guy. Still, I can’t figure out why someone would paint on him. That’s just cruel.”

  “I agree. I don’t know if it was just teenagers causing mischief or if it’s related to the other threats you’ve received. It’s odd that kids would target one dog and not the other. To me, this feels a little more personal.”

  Zoe blanches. “I can’t tell you how much I want you to be wrong. But, I suppose we should call Cody and let him know. It’s too bad you washed away the evidence.” Zoe wipes away tears with the back of her hand.

  “Already did. It was the first thing I did after I got the dogs inside. Cody had an evidence person come out and take pictures in case it’s related to the other case.”

  Zoe examines the tub area. “I wish you would’ve done this in the grooming tub we have in the red shed.”

  “I haven’t been in the red shed — only the blue one. I didn’t know you had a special dog tub. I apologize.” I grab a towel off the counter. “I’m pretty sure we have bigger concerns than that,” I reply, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice.

  “I know. Focusing on the small stuff helps me not freak out over what happened. I don’t even understand what all of this means,” she says as she wraps her arms around herself. “Come to think of it, I’m not even sure I want to know what it means. I don’t know if I should hope that it’s the same person stalking me or if I hope it’s someone else. Both prospects are terrifying.”

  “Terrifying is an understatement. You know, Cody suggested that maybe you should leave and keep a low profile for a while.”

  Zoe’s spine straightens as she asks, “Do you really think that’s necessary? I feel like it’ll send the wrong message if I leave. I don’t want my brother to think I am turning my tail and running away because I’m scared of him.”

  As I am washing Bruiser for the fourth time, I admit, “I understand why you feel that way, but I don’t think I could handle it if something happened to you.”

  Zoe’s eyes tear up. “For a guy who says he doesn’t communicate well, you say the sweetest things.”

  I don’t know what to say to something like that, so I just turn around and continue washing Bruiser.

  CHAPTER TEN

  ZOE

  I TRY NOT TO THROW up as I sit in front of Tori Clarksfield, the attorney prosecuting the case against my brother.

  She is examining a file and shaking her head. “I’m sorry Zoe, the trial is due to start in a matter of days. I don’t think it would be a good time for you to leave town. I understand things are scary — but if we don’t get your brother off the street, they’re not likely to get any better. I know you don’t know the full extent of it, but your brother is a dangerous man.”

  I swallow hard. “You don’t have to tell me. I’ve kind of figured it out on my own. But I don’t know if my voice will be enough to stop him. There were lots of people at that wedding. Do I have to be the one to testify?”

  Phoenix squeezes my hand. “Zoe has a point. Is her testimony really necessary?”

  The prosecutor nods. “I’m afraid it is.”

  Phoenix glares at her. “I haven’t known Zoe for long but I know she was absolutely petrified when the first threat came in. I was there. It was disturbing. I’m worried this crazy person is going to hurt her.”

  Tori leans back in her chair as she studies me. “I understand your concerns. I’ll do what I can. Still, I can’t make any promises this close to trial.”

  She stands up and reaches out to shake my hand. When she tries to shake Phoenix’s hand, he stuffs them in his pocket. I know this move isn’t personal — I’ve seen him do it a hundred times. From the frown on her face, I can tell the prosecutor doesn’t understand Phoenix’s issues.

  She scowls at Phoenix. “Is there a problem here? I told you I would do my best to protect your girlfriend, but I am not the miracle worker. I’m sorry if that upsets you.”

  His shoulders slump dejectedly. “I’m not upset. Wait, that’s not true I’m angry, but I’m not upset at you. I’m totally ticked off at the person who thinks he can disrupt Zoe’s life. Nothing personal against you, I just don’t shake hands very often.

  Tori retracts her hand and wipes it on her skirt. “Alrighty then. I’ll just call you if I have news. In the meantime, sit tight.”

  It’s a good thing Phoenix is driving us home. My nerves are too frazzled to even think about concentrating on traffic. I’m in full-on rant mode and I refuse to apologize. “Sit tight? Is she serious? What the heck does she expect me to do? I guess if I’m burned to death in my sleep, it’ll be on her.”

  Phoenix’s jaw tightens and his knuckles turn white as he grips the steering wheel. “Hopefully, it won’t come anywhere close to that. The good news is the trial is soon, so this should all be over quickly.”

  I slump back against the seat with a quiet moan. “But what if it’s not? What then? How do I go on with my life if my brother gets away with this? Am I going to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life?”

  We pull to a stop at a light. Phoenix reaches out and grabs my hand. “Zoe, you need to stop torturing yourself like that. It won’t solve anything and it makes you feel bad.”

  “Don’t you think I have the right to feel bad? My brother is threatening me — at work! Not only that, he made threats against the animals. What kind of monster has Vinnie become?”

  Phoenix clears his throat. “I don’t know. However, you have the right to feel whatever you feel.”

  “Thank God that Mitch and Jessica are back now. Maybe they can figure something out to keep the animals safe.”

  “I didn’t realize they were back. Have you talked to them?”

  I nod. “Yeah, they were so nice about it too. If I were in their shoes, I’d be ticked off if one of my employees had a relative who made threats. I’m lucky I still have a job, although maybe not for long. Even Jess told me my stress level is off the charts and I need to take ‘a mental health break’. I don’t ev
en know what to say to that. She’s not wrong.”

  Phoenix pulls the work truck up into the driveway. After he turns it off, he turns to me. “Ms. Clarksfield said you couldn’t leave town for an extended period because of the trial. She didn’t say you couldn’t be gone for a few hours. What do you say we put all this stress behind us for a little while?”

  “How in the world are we going to do that? I’m stuck here. My car doesn’t even work all that well.”

  Phoenix shrugs. “Not a problem. I’ve got a perfectly good bike. I haven’t ridden tandem on it yet. Now, would be a great time to break it in.”

  I struggle not to bite my nails as I consider his proposal. “I don’t know. Mitch might need me at Hope’s Haven.”

  “…and he may not. Devon is working, right?” Phoenix challenges.

  A slow grin teases my lips as I admit, “He is. Between you and Devon, most of my routine tasks are finished.”

  “Great! Why don’t you call Mitch and ask him if you can have the rest of the afternoon off?”

  “I think I will. It’s been a rough morning.”

  I stuff my hands in the pockets of my jean jacket as I watch Phoenix check out his bike. He opens a compartment behind the seat and pulls out an extra helmet.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t want to be rude — but why do you have an extra helmet lying around?” I ask as Phoenix places the helmet on my head and adjusts the strap.

  After he moves my head around to determine if it’s on tight enough, he answers, “I meant to take this out before my trip. I have an extra helmet because my mom likes to ride. She hasn’t ridden this bike because I recently traded my old one in for it.”

  I laugh out loud. “Your mom seriously rides motorcycles? I can’t imagine my mom doing anything like that.”

  “My mom used to have a bike when she was in college. But she sold it so she’d have money for my therapy when I was little. I think when my mom and dad retire, they’ll probably buy an RV and tow bikes behind them. They like to travel a lot.”