Unforeseen Danger

by Michelle Perry

  “Yes, Mr. Stephens.” she said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m sure that Jake is looking for me.”

  Instead, he pulled her closer. “I’m sure he is. You’re such a pretty little thing.”

  “Let me go,” she said. She turned away from his hot, boozy breath on her face. “Let me go or I’ll scream,” she repeated, and winced as he squeezed her arm a little tighter.

  “No one will hear you back here,” he said conversationally. “Music’s too loud.”

  He glared at her for a moment, his lips pursed in disapproval. “You’re no fun anymore, Nikki. You used to be a lot friendlier.”

  He wagged his eyebrows and leaned toward her. Nikki realized he was going to try to kiss her. In her panic, she jerked backward and nearly fell before he grabbed her by the waist.

  “Get your hands off my wife.”

  Jake’s voice startled Evan Stephens, who nearly dropped her.

  Nikki’s relief at seeing Jake standing in that doorway vanished when she saw the fury on his face. He took a menacing step forward, and she had no doubt he meant to tear Evan Stephens limb from limb.

  “Jake, thank goodness!” Stephens sounded abruptly sober. “Nikki isn’t feeling well. In fact, she nearly passed out before I grabbed her.”

  Jake looked at him suspiciously, then he glanced at Nikki’s ashen face.

  “Honey, are you okay?”

  Nikki broke away from Stephens and flung herself into Jake’s arms.

  “I am now.” She sagged against him.

  “Hey!” he said, alarmed. “Are you sick?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, and it was true. She was thinking of what Stephens had said, and it made her stomach churn.

  Had she ever allowed that man to touch her?

  The thought of his hands on her made her nauseous.

  Could this man be her lover? Could he be one of many? He had implied as much.

  What kind of woman was I? she wondered helplessly.

  Jake gave Stephens a hard look. His dislike of Stephens was tangible; Nikki could feel it rolling off Jake in waves. She got the sense that Jake would like any excuse to tear into the man and she held his arm a little tighter.

  “I know what it must’ve looked like. No hard feelings.” Evan Stephens gave Jake a nervous smile and made a hasty retreat.

  “I’m sorry, Nikki. I thought for a moment…maybe he was the one,” Jake said as he cradled her in his arms.

  Anxiety tightened Nikki’s chest, stealing her breath. “And if he had been, would it matter so much, now?”

  Jake was silent for a moment, then he replied, “Now more than ever.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Not because of the affair. I want to rip his heart out for ever hurting you.”

  His words shook her. There was not a doubt in her mind that, if she had revealed Evan Stephens’ true intentions, Jake would have killed him.

  “I’ll call a cab, and we can go home,” he said.

  “No, I’ll be okay,” she reassured him. “Let’s just get a breath of fresh air, okay? I’m feeling better already. I just got a little dizzy in there.”

  “Too much excitement.” Jake frowned. “I was afraid you weren’t ready for this.”

  “Up until a minute ago, I was having a wonderful time.” Nikki mustered a weak smile. “Let’s not let this spoil the evening.”

  Jake led her outside to the garden, which was beautiful, even in the winter time. Pale marble statues shone in the moonlight. Jake took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. He sat on a marble bench and pulled Nikki into his lap. She laid her head against his chest and breathed in the comfortable, familiar scent of his cologne.

  She loved him fiercely, and she wanted to keep him safe. Nikki had wanted to find out who her lover was, to protect them, but now she wondered if finding out might be the most dangerous thing of all.

  “I love you, Jake,” she said quietly. He held her a little tighter.

  “I know.”

  Although she tried to maintain a happy front for Jake’s sake, Nikki was relieved when it was time to leave the Marshall’s. In the darkness of the limo, she felt shame burn her face at the thought of the episode in the library. Although she hadn’t seen Evan Stephens for the rest of the night, she tortured herself by replaying his words over and over in her head.

  You’re no fun anymore, Nikki. You used to be a lot friendlier.

  Her relief at being home vanished as they pulled into the drive. The blue lights from the police cruisers played against the white exterior of the house.

  “Dear God,” Catherine said. “What now?”

  The limo slowed to a stop and Jake bounded out of it.

  ***

  Jake grabbed the arm of a passing police officer. “What’s happened here?”

  “Jake.”

  He turned at the sound of his name to see a grim-faced Matt Garrettson jump off the porch and head toward him.

  “What’s going on, Matt?” Jake asked, as a breathless Nikki caught up with him.

  “You’ve had an intruder.” Matt’s eyes flashed with anger. “Something set the alarm off over an hour ago, and one of my men responded to it. He checked around all the entryways and nothing seemed to be tampered with, so he figured an animal set off the motion detector by the garage or something. Said he saw a cat near there. He talked to the alarm people and they got it shut off. I was out on a call and headed out here to check it out myself when the alarm went off again. I found the front door standing wide open.”

  Jake rushed up the steps with Nikki and Matt on his heels and stared blankly at the destruction of his living room.

  White stuffing spilled from the slashed sofa. Pictures had been yanked off the wall and crushed. Jake picked up an 8 x 10 photo of him and Nikki that had been destroyed and threw it against the wall. As he stepped in the kitchen, his shoes crunched over the broken china Nikki had received at her bridal shower.

  Upstairs, Nikki’s room was the only one that had been touched, due to lack of time, most likely. Most of her clothes were strewn around the room, shredded beyond repair in a madman’s rage.

  “Jake, I’m so sorry,” Matt said. “The guy was probably in the house when my man was here, but damned if I know how he got in. There’s no sign of forced entry.”

  “Why her things, Matt?” Jake asked in frustration. “Why has he destroyed her things?”

  Matt hesitated a long moment before answering. “You’re not going to like what I’ve got to say.”

  “Just say it,” Jake snapped.

  “Maybe this guy’s been watching you and Nikki and doesn’t like what he sees. Maybe he’s mad at her because she’s forgotten all about him and is still with you. I hate to say it, Jake, but she could be his target now.”

  Jake turned to see Nikki standing in the doorway, her face bleached as white as snow. He swore under his breath and strode over to her, taking her in his arms.

  “I won’t let him hurt you again,” he promised, feeling a helpless rage bubble inside him as she sobbed against his chest. “I’m going to find him, and when I do, I’m going to kill him.”

  Finally, the last of the policemen left, collecting what scant evidence there was to find, and Catherine tried to make Jake and Nikki come home with her. Jake politely refused.

  When she persisted, he snapped, “Mom, I’m not going to let him run me out of my own damn house.”

  He looked at Nikki, whose face was ringed with exhaustion and said gently, “You go home with Mom, hon, and I’ll come get you in the morning.”

  “I’m not leaving you.” She set her jaw in that stubborn way of hers Jake had seen on many occasions.

  He sighed.

  “I guess we’re both staying.”

  Frustrated and unable to sleep, Jake and Nikki changed clothes and worked together to clean up the mess. The sun peeked over the kitchen window when they finally finished and made their way upstairs.

  Jake flipped the slashed mattress over and retrieved a
new set of sheets and blankets from the guestroom. Together, they made the bed and Nikki crawled in. Jake stripped off his shirt and slipped in beside her. He hugged her tightly to him and prayed he would always be able to protect her.

  ***

  November 15

  They slept until noon. Nikki woke before Jake, but lay still, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. One of his legs was thrown protectively over hers. When he finally began to stir, she rolled over and kissed him good morning.

  “Mmmm!” he yawned, then stretched and rubbed his eyes. He propped up on one elbow and said with a sigh, “Well, Nik, looks like we’ve got a day of shopping ahead of us.”

  She looked at him glumly.

  “I think shopping is overrated,” she said.

  “Now that’s a statement I never thought I’d hear coming from your lovely mouth,” Jake teased.

  The streets were packed with shoppers, despite the cold, gray sheets of rain that fell outside. After stopping at a Waffle House to grab something to eat, they went to the furniture store first. Laughing, they ran hand-in-hand across the street, ducking their faces from the driving rain. Nikki was thankful her raincoat had been spared. She found it hanging untouched in the hall closet.

  After a short deliberation, Jake insisted on buying her a new china cabinet and they selected a new living room suite.

  “I always hated that couch anyway.”

  He left her briefly to go pay for the things and arrange for delivery. Nikki wandered around, checking out the bedroom suites. As she shoved her hands in her pockets, her fingers closed on a folded piece of paper.

  Curious, she pulled it out and sat on one of the mattresses to read it. It looked computer generated.

  Hey,

  Just wanted to say thanks for coming over last night. I know it must’ve been hard for you to get away from you-know-who and I know you hate to lie about where you’re going. You’ll never know how much you mean to me. I promise to do better. I’m going to make a clean break, just like you told me to. Thanks to you, I’ve finally realized what a loveless mess I’ve been stuck in.

  Love,

  E.S.

  The words filled Nikki with revulsion, tangible evidence of her betrayal. She had lied to Jake and had convinced this man to leave his wife, the man who was now stalking them.

  The initials weren’t lost on her either.

  Chapter 13

  E.S.

  It had to be Evan Stephens. That’s why he acted so proprietary.

  He had plenty of time to leave the party and break into their house, since they only lived ten minutes away.

  Nikki shoved the note back into her pocket when she saw Jake emerging from the manager’s office. She’d already decided not to tell him about it yet, too afraid of how he’d react, and she wasn’t going to tell Matt about it, either. Not until she had a chance to confront Evan Stephens herself.

  ***

  They gathered at Catherine’s the next day to celebrate Zeke’s birthday and discuss plans for a Thanksgiving dinner.

  “There’s only one thing that could make this Thanksgiving better.” Catherine smiled at Nikki . “If we could only hear the pitter-patter of little feet running around…”

  Nikki happened to be looking at Eliot as Catherine spoke and she saw him blanch. He excused himself from the table to get a drink.

  “Real subtle, Mom.” Jake shook his head and grinned, oblivious to Eliot’s reaction, but Nikki wondered.

  November 17

  Jake waited until Catherine arrived before he left for work. As he kissed Nikki goodbye, he said, “Oh, by the way, if you need me, dial my cell phone. I’ve got to go onsite today, so I won’t be in the office after nine.”

  Nikki set the alarm, a plan forming in her mind. Jake wouldn’t be around today, so this might be the perfect opportunity to confront Evan Stephens.

  Her plan dismayed Catherine. Nikki didn’t tell her about the note, only relayed what Stephens had said the night of the party.

  “Nikki, dear, call Matt and let him handle it.”

  “Catherine, I don’t know for sure that Stephens is the one,” Nikki protested. “What if I’m wrong, and he’s just a jerk? It could cost Jake a job if I bring the police into this.”

  Her mother-in-law still didn’t look convinced, so Nikki tried another tactic. “What if Jake finds out what I think, and goes after Stephens? You should’ve seen his face that night in the library. He was ready to kill him.”

  Her lips pursed, Catherine acknowledged the truth in her statement, but added, “Nikki, I’m just not comfortable with it. Even if you meet him in a public place, he could have a gun in his pocket and force you to leave with him.”

  “I think you’re being a little melodramatic, Catherine,” Nikki said with a gentle smile.

  “If he’s crazy enough to do all these other things, you can’t predict what he’ll do if cornered,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “The only way I’ll go along with this is if you let me bring Matt along. We’ll stay out of the way, but be close enough to help if you need us. Matt won’t say anything if I ask him not to.”

  “Yeah, he’s kinda got the hots for you, doesn’t he?” Nikki teased.

  “Nicole!”

  Nikki managed to get through to Evan Stephens without giving her name, and he seemed pleasantly surprised by her lunch invitation.

  “Jake’s meeting a new client today, and I hate to eat alone,” she said. “Meet me at the Fiesta Cantina at 11:30.”

  “I don’t really like Mex—”

  “Don’t be late,” Nikki commanded and hung up in his ear.

  Matt managed to commandeer a back booth that gave him an open view to Nikki without revealing himself to Stephens. Nikki guessed he chose this restaurant because it was so dark. Catherine sat with him, wearing a large brimmed hat he could duck behind.

  “Remember, Nikki,” he told her for the third time, “if you need me, all you have to do is reach up and push your hair behind your ear. You do that, and I’ll be right beside you.”

  Nikki nodded and smoothed her hands over the red tablecloth. Matt had also equipped her with a mini-recorder, to have proof if Stephens admitted anything.

  “Jake would kill us if he knew this was going down,” Matt grumbled.

  Stephens arrived promptly at 11:30. His chubby face was flushed, and he preened like a peacock, patting his brown hair as he spoke.

  “Nikki, I must say, I was a little surprised when you called. I was afraid I upset you at the party…”

  “Sit down,” Nikki said in a cool voice she barely recognized.

  He hurriedly plopped down across from her. The waiter brought their water and chips. Nikki thanked him, but her eyes never left Stephens’ face.

  “Evan—” she paused. “I can call you Evan, right?” He nodded, looking eager to please. “You know I’ve been having trouble with my memory?”

  “Jake told me,” he said.

  She leaned forward. Although much of this was rehearsed to throw him off-balance, the ice in her voice was real. “I don’t like games. I want to know what you meant by mauling me, and acting like you had the right.”

  “About that…” Evan shifted. “I had a little too much to drink, and you are a truly beautiful—”

  “You said I was no fun anymore, that I used to be a lot friendlier,” she interrupted, and could tell he was thrown by her demeanor. “What did you mean?”

  “Nothing, Nikki, honest!” he said.

  She merely stared at him, watching him squirm until he said, “Okay. I knew you couldn’t remember things, so I thought I’d insinuate that maybe we had something going, just to see if you were open to the idea.”

  “Do you make a habit of trying to take advantage of women young enough to be your daughter?” Nikki snapped, and then took a sip of her water.

  “No, I – wait a minute!” he exclaimed. “I know what this is about! I heard you’re having problems with some guy. Surely you don’t think it’s me?�
�

  He stared at her incredulously, and she shrugged. “I swear, Nikki, it wasn’t me. I don’t know what’s been going on with you two, but I just got back in town the day of the party. My wife and I flew to Paris for her niece’s wedding on the ninth. If anything happened during that time, I have an alibi. I’ll show you the stamps on my passport if you’ll follow me back to the office.”

  “Maybe I should just ask your wife,” she suggested.

  Evan Stephens grew pale.

  “That’s not necessary, is it? The only thing I’m guilty of is hitting on a pretty woman at a party. I’m no stalker.” His beady eyes darted frantically around the room, seeking escape.

  Regretfully, Nikki believed him.

  How she had hoped to wrap this up today!

  If Stephens was telling the truth, which could be easily verified, he couldn’t have broken into Catherine’s car and he couldn’t have returned the globe. Somehow she couldn’t picture this fat, balding man breaking into anything easily.

  “You could’ve hired someone to do it,” she said, but she didn’t really believe it as the words left her mouth. He was too nervous, too scared. The man who was stalking them was cold and calculating.

  Nikki looked at Stephens with unbridled contempt. He was pathetic. She would’ve imagined it would take more to intimidate such a high profile businessman, but he was quaking in his five hundred dollar shoes.

  “If you leave now, I won’t tell Jake, or your wife, what happened at the party,” she said.

  Evan nodded and threw a twenty on the table before making a hasty retreat.

  “He’s not the one,” Nikki announced glumly, as Catherine and Matt joined her. She played the tape for them. Matt leaned back with a sigh, lacing his hands behind his head.

  “I think you’re right, but I’ll check out the Paris thing anyhow.” He gave them a conspiratorial wink and said, “The chimichanga’s great here. What do you ladies say to lunch, especially since Mr. Stephens has so generously contributed to the bill?” He waved the twenty like a flag.

  Jake came home that evening with bad news.