by Denise Agnew
He put himself in her place, imaging a stalker coming after him more than once, someone determined to make life miserable. No, he couldn’t imagine it. At least not as thoroughly as he’d need to feel fear and intimidation. As a man, he understood the power other men could have over women. While he knew it was possible for him to lose a fight with another man, he had the advantage of his training and physical strength. It bothered him on a fundamental level that any guy would harm her. Protective instincts ramped up, and his vigilance rose even higher.
Outside in the parking lot, he scanned the area and noted she did, too. They drove a different route to her apartment complex. No sign of Rivers. They parked in the spot next to her car, and that’s when he saw it.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, her undertone of anger and fear undeniable.
She left the car in a flash and he followed. Someone had keyed the hell out of her car.
Terra wanted to scream as she eyeballed the deep gashes along both sides of her car, made by a key or something equally capable of damage.
With a sinking feeling she said, “We know who did this.”
“Yeah.”
She didn’t hold back, spewing a few choice four letter words designed to singe the hair off an old sailor’s ears. She finished with a glare, staring at Dylan as if he might also be to blame. When she met his eyes, the slightest touch of humor touched his lips.
“I agree,” he said.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
She glanced at her apartment door. “Wait…there’s a note on my door.”
“You call the police, I’ll check the door.”
While he looked at the note, she rang the police. As she was giving details on her location to the police, she scanned the parking lot and surrounding are for any sign of Allan. She didn’t see him, but her skin crawled. He had keyed her car and she knew it. Dylan returned with the note. He held it in the very corner, as if trying to keep his prints off of it. A short time later, she finished the call to the police.
“They’re sending a car around now. They recommend we go in the apartment,” she said. “I told them about Allan. Quickly.”
The hesitation in Dylan’s expression puzzled her a little, but he said, “Good idea. I’ll go inside first.”
She took the note from him before he could say anything else. As she read the words, her heart started to hammer, anxiety edging through her control.
Hi sweetheart,
You know who this is. You knew I’d be coming for you, no matter how hard you try to ignore me, you know you can’t. I’m in your heart, you love me, and you know it. Why don’t you just give into it?
The note wasn’t signed.
She made a frustrated noise. “God, why didn’t he sign it? That gives the police more to go on.”
“It does. And it doesn’t. I have a feeling all they’re going to do is make a file and this will go in it and that’ll be it.”
“I know.”
“Come on, let’s get inside. Stay behind me. He leaned in close to her, his hand on her shoulder. He said quietly, “When we get inside the apartment, stay near the door. You hear anything weird or a fight and you get out. Run.” She shivered, and he must have felt it, because he rubbed her shoulder a moment. “I’ll be okay. I doubt he’s lurking in the apartment. I just want to be on the safe side.”
He walked with her to the apartment and checked the door. He unlocked it with her keys. They crept into the door slowly. She stayed near the door, angled so she could see if anyone approached from the rear. Tension made her heart beat faster, and anxiety made her stomach roll. The small apartment only took seconds to clear, and when he came back into the living room, she closed the door and shut it.
“Nothing looks like it’s been touched,” he said as he took his coat off.
She followed suit, and she hung their coats in the small closet near the door. “God, this is so frustrating. So…”
“Scary.”
She drew in a shuddering breath. “Yeah. And my insurance probably isn’t going to pay for the damage to my car.”
“I know a guy at a body shop in town that could take care of it. He’s honest. And besides that, he owes me a favor. He might repair it for free.”
That didn’t ease her thoughts. She was already reeling from what Dylan had said in the grocery store parking lot. She had no doubt at all that he wanted her, and that he wouldn’t play games with her. No, she didn’t fear that he’d push a physical relationship on short notice. His transparency and the way she felt about him…well, she worried she was the one who would jump him. Every hour that passed, her craving for him took another leap higher.
The doorbell rang, and she almost came out of her skin.
“Wait here.” Dylan walked to the window, peeked between the blinds. “It’s a cop.”
Still, he looked out of the peep hole, as if he didn’t quite believe his own eyes. Then he opened the door.
For the next half hour, the young police officer took their report. He seemed extremely professional and concerned. When Dylan had opened the door, the officer had looked particularly cautious, no doubt wondering what he’d walked into when he saw Dylan. The officer had continued to look cautious until Terra had explained who Dylan was, and the policeman had revealed he’d also been enlisted the Army eight years before becoming law enforcement. Suddenly Dylan and the man seemed more at ease with each other. All three of them went outside to look at her car, then retreated again to her apartment to finish the paperwork. Officer Chang wrote up the report as they all sat at the dining table. She signed her portion of the report.
“If I was you,” he said as he stood, “I’d consider a temporary move somewhere. Somewhere safer than this apartment.” Chang looked at Dylan. “No offense.”
Dylan smiled. “None taken. I think she should go to a friend’s house that is well guarded. High security.”
Chang glanced at her. “Excellent idea. If this was happening to my wife, that’s what I’d suggest. It’s better to ere on the side of caution.”
She bristled a little. Things threatened to spiral in a direction she couldn’t control. She looked at Dylan. “You mean Fletch’s place.”
“Fletch?” Chang asked.
“A military friend,” Dylan said.
The officer nodded. “Good idea.”
She held up one hand. “I need to think about that.”
Chang smiled. “Understood.” He started for the door. “Keep vigilant. Give us a call if you need us.”
After the officer left, she sat at the dining table and stared at the floor. What could she do next?
Dylan sat across the table from Terra, and she looked up at him, afraid of what he’d suggest.
“Don’t say it,” she said.
“What?”
“That we need to ask Emily to stay at their place. I don’t like it.” She didn’t know how else to put it. “I’m not trying to be stubborn about this but…”
When she couldn’t finish, he stayed quiet. After a few moments, he leaned forward a little. She kept her attention on the floor.
“What’s worrying you right now?” he asked.
“Everything.”
“You don’t want Emily or Annie hurt, and you’re worried about that. That something could happen to them if we stay at that apartment on their property.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You’re right.”
Surprised, she looked up at him. “You agree? But I thought you said—”
“I did. I was wrong. If Fletch was there right now I wouldn’t necessarily worry about it. When we were talking to the cop I hadn’t given it enough thought. And even though Fletch suggested you stay with them, I’m not going to do it with Emily and Annie there by themselves. We need to find somewhere else to stay. Just not here.”
She wracked her brain. “Okay. I’m up for any and all ideas. Within reason.”
“Not my apartment.” He stood slowly. “I know where we n
eed to go.”
Chapter Nine
Darkness approached as Dylan’s vehicle took them deep into the wooded area twenty miles from Fort Hood. Their headlights swept over each turn in the paved road, and she wondered what lurked around the next bend. Very few cars had come from the other direction. When they’d left the Fort Hood area, they’d stopped at friend of Dylan’s and borrowed an old car. Dylan had left his car at his friend’s, and when they drove out of the place, Terra had stayed down below the dashboard on the way out of the city. If Rivers had staked out the friend’s place somehow, it would appear that Terra had stayed at the friend’s house and Dylan had left. They carefully selected a longer and less common route to reach their destination. Dylan assured her he didn’t see a sign of the Toyota Forerunner tailing them.
Since they’d decided to venture to the old cabin, she’d wondered if they’d made a big mistake. She replayed in her mind why he thought escaping to the cabin was a good idea. He described it as well secured and isolated. Emily, Fletch, Aimee, Tony and Dylan’s parents knew they’d be at the cabin. Before they left, they called Emily and Aimee and explained their plan. Aimee said she’d contact Terra’s supervisor at the school in case Terra was stuck at the cabin into next week.
“You’re quiet. Everything okay?” Dylan asked.
She sighed. “Yeah. I think so. This is just all so…I dunno. Everything that’s happened. Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming. And I’m angry.”
“At Rivers?”
“Yes. He is the most infuriating human being I can think of. The arrogance. The narcissistic behavior. It’s maddening.”
“I know. But we’ll get through it. We aren’t going to let him beat us.”
She went silent for a while as she tried to digest and believe what Dylan had said. If anyone could help her with this problem, it was Dylan. She had no doubt of that.
“Your friend Bryson…I can’t believe he went for our plan. What if Allan tries to attack his house thinking I’m there?” she asked.
A smile touched Dylan’s mouth. “It’s possible, but Bryson is a police officer. He can handle himself.”
“That doesn’t mean I like the idea of pulling him into this danger.”
“I get it. And I understand you’re nervous. That’s natural. Don’t beat yourself up. Allan Rivers is the asshole in this equation.”
She laughed softly, totally agreeing with Dylan.
He slowed as they approached a turn off to the left. “Here we are,” he said and took the turn into the driveway. “That house is almost another mile.” As he maneuvered the old brown sedan over bumps and ruts in the dirt road, he continued with, “I need to get someone out here to smooth this out. The last flooding they had out here really screwed up the road.”
It took awhile to traverse the road, but they came up a rise through the thick forest. She gasped when she saw the cabin. House was really a better description for it. Two stories, it sprawled out. Made of dark wood and rock, it almost looked hodgepodge. A sort of toy that a man might put together who had no sense of design. Dylan pulled the car to a halt around the side, parking near a back door.
She was blown away. “It’s big.”
He grinned as he shut off the car. “That’s a good euphemism. It’s a bit weird. Built in 1976. It belongs to a friend of my Dad’s. When my Dad’s friend heard I was coming back from the war, he told me I could use the cabin any time I wanted. Rent free.”
“That’s amazing and generous.”
“Yep. He said I should use it when the war dominated my mind. He was a Vietnam vet. So he knows how it is. When I first came back to the states, I didn’t visit my parents first. I came here to vent. To chill out. To think. I was here two weeks before I felt like I could venture out.” He shrugged. “Fletch came here more than once to check on me. Make sure I hadn’t offed myself.”
Tears rose in her eyes. “You never considered it…did you?”
“No. I never did. After that, some of the other guys from the team came by. I lived here a month total before I found the apartment and decided I had to get my act together.”
She touched his arm. “I’m so glad you had somewhere to go and think. Somewhere safe like this.”
“It helped a lot. I needed the peace and the time.” The smile he gave her eased her soul a little. “I knew that I had to do something. Get some help and start a new life.”
“And now here we are.”
“Yep.”
They unloaded the car, bringing their bags into the cabin through the back door and the utility room. Dylan set the security system. When they emerged in the kitchen area, her mouth dropped open.
“Oh,” she said as she scanned the big, dark wood kitchen with its upgraded appliances and gorgeous countertops. “This is beautiful.”
“I know. Take a look at the living room.”
They walked into the living room, and she gaped at the beautiful, large room with a high ceiling. The room featured dark leather couches, furniture, beautiful rugs scattered over a wood floor, and tasteful decoration throughout. A wide staircase acted as a centerpiece.
She smiled. “Well, if I have to be in isolation for awhile, this is certainly a fantastic place to do it.”
“I agree one hundred percent. I’ll show you upstairs.” He took them upstairs and showed her the four bedrooms.
All of them were about the same size, except for the largest one that served as a master bedroom with it’s attached bathroom.
“Take the master if you like,” he said.
“But this is your place.”
“I’m just a visitor like you are.”
She placed her bag on a chair near the king-sized bed. “Okay. Thanks.”
She yawned.
“Why don’t you kick back and relax. I’ll bring in the groceries and make sure everything is secure.”
She nodded, feeling a weight lifting away. “I think I’ll take nap.”
He left and closed the door. She hunt up her clothes in the closet next to a few male clothing items and wondered if they belonged to the cabin owner or Dylan. The room had a masculine scent to it—it smelled deliciously like Dylan. She drew in a deep breath and tried to relax. She turned her mind away from worry and went into the bathroom. The large whirlpool garden tub looked way too tempting. A huge separate shower and double vanity and separate commode room made up the rest of the bathroom. Another yawn cracked her jaw. She wandered to the bed, sat down and removed her shoes. She lay down and let sleep take over.
“Adversity can either can break you or make you stronger. I thought that maybe I’d given up a few months ago, when I saw my best friend die. When I couldn’t save that other woman. Maybe I have a chance to change all that. I can save Terra.”
Journal of Dylan Westcott
After putting away the groceries, Dylan checked the outside of the house and looked for weaknesses in their defense. Darkness cloaked the area, and the tall trees nearby loomed like sentinels over the cabin. His flashlight gave away his position, and the military man still left within him didn’t like that. He didn’t have a choice, though, if he wanted to see what the hell he was doing.
He didn’t locate any points of entry he couldn’t defend, but he needed to show Terra the one thing he’d forgotten when they’d arrived. Something that could mean her safety above all else. He took his time circling the house, even going so far as to walk down the drive and make sure he didn’t see any sign Rivers had located them and staked out the house. He also needed to clear his head, and being near Terra had started to scramble any sense he had. He didn’t know which way to turn with the extreme protectiveness rising inside him. After Rivers was out of the picture, he didn’t know what might happen between them.
Keep your mind clear and a steady head.
He entered the house and went around to double check the doors and windows. He started upstairs and came to the master bedroom. He knocked on the door softly and when he got no answer, he eased open the door.
&n
bsp; “Terra?”
She lay on the bed. She stirred and opened her eyes. “Dylan?”
He walked into the room. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you…looks like I did, though.”
She sat up and smiled, her hair a tousled mess. She combed her fingers through the strands, her eyes filled with half sleep. “I’ve slept long enough. I’m starving, though.”
“Good thing we brought some groceries, eh?”
She slid off the bed and stood. “Sorry I’ve been loafing.”
“Don’t sweat it. You needed the rest. You’ve been through a lot. There’s something I need to show you before we eat,” he said and headed to the big walk in closet. “It’s important.”
She followed him. “Sounds mysterious.”
“It’s imperative for you to know about it.”
He shoved aside clothes at the back of the closet. He knew she couldn’t have seen the big door if he hadn’t moved aside the clothes. Before she could speak, he pushed a latch concealed by molding and and the pocket door slid into the wall.
“Holy cow,” she whispered. She followed him inside the room. “This is a safe room.”
He pointed at the arrangement of objects inside the room. “Yeah. You’ve got food supplies, fresh air ventilation, a phone to the outside, a walkie talkie with frequencies listed on a card right here. A cot—”
“You think we’ll need this?”
“I hope not.”
He walked to a lockbox and opened it. When he pulled out a pistol, she made a sound between a denial and a gasp.
“A gun?” she asked.
“The bullets are in this box as well. You know how to use one?”
“Barely. Enough not to shoot my foot off. That’s it.”
He nodded. “That’ll do. I just wanted you to know where it was in case we run into a worse case scenario.”
She rubbed her face. “God, I hope it never comes to that. I hate guns.”
They didn’t speak for a few moments.
“I don’t like guns either,” he said into the quiet. When she looked at him strangely, he smiled. “Not every military person likes guns. I see them as a weapon of war not as an extension of my dick.” She snorted a laugh, and he continued with, “So if the war comes to us…”