Her experience with relationships had been limited, and her encounters with sex, even more so. Certainly, she’d had opportunity, but the desire was never there. Bellamy needed more. More intellect. More charisma. More ingenuity. She wasn’t a virgin, but refused to count the bad experience with her high school boyfriend as her first time. At fifteen, neither one of them was ready and the onslaught of feelings had been overwhelming. They broke up soon after, and Bellamy promised herself she would wait until she was older and wiser. She’d dated around in college, but hadn’t found anyone worthy to spend her time on. Every guy she’d encountered seemed juvenile and self-absorbed. Perhaps her dad was right about the type of person she would attract. Not a guy, but a man.
“What’s wrong? He thinks you don’t like him,” Amy said from behind.
“Maybe I don’t.” She flipped a soda open and took a long drink.
Amy’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? Have you looked at him? He’s gorgeous.”
“He’s nice looking. But there’s no substance.”
“There doesn’t have to be substance for you to screw. Just a connection.”
Bellamy shrugged. “There’s not even that. I thought you said he was into studious girls? I tried to discuss whether or not Satan was the true hero in Paradise Lost and he didn’t even know what I was talking about.”
“Seriously?” Her eyes rolled. “Do you have to bring that book up in every single conversation with the opposite sex?”
“I told you, it’s my litmus test. If he can discuss Milton or other classic literature, then we can have a second date. If not, I’m done.”
“You may be the pickiest person I’ve ever met, but one thing’s for sure, you won’t be getting any action tonight.”
“And I’m totally fine with that.”
Amy’s boyfriend, Zane, waved from across the room and jogged over, planting a long, lingering kiss on her lips. “Hey, babe. How’s my sexy girl?”
“Better now that you’re here.” Paying no mind to Bellamy, she kissed him again, this time longer.
When they finished, Zane looked at Bellamy and wrinkled his forehead. “Bella, you didn’t like Lucas?”
“It’s Bellamy. And he’s nice. I’m just tired from my trip today and not very good company.”
“Yeah, I’m kinda tired myself,” Amy agreed. “Think we’re gonna head home. Maybe after the party, you could swing by?”
“And stay over?” he hinted.
“Of course.” She winked.
As they began another make-out session, Bellamy rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’ll be in the car, Ams.”
An hour later, Bellamy slid the key into the lock of their apartment to let them inside. The instant she opened the door she sensed danger, and Luci’s absence confirmed something was off. No matter the time of night, her sweet dog always greeted them with a bark and a sniff at their feet, curious about where they’d been. Tonight, Luci was nowhere to be found.
“Fucking A, I forgot my sweater.” Amy moved to turn on a lamp. “I’ll give Zane a call and—”
“Shh,” Bellamy hissed. “Get behind me.”
“What?”
Instead of answering, Bellamy stepped in front of the petite blonde and then slid a hand inside her oversized purse. With ease, she flipped the safety off the Glock 9mm. She’d had a conceal to carry permit since she was eighteen and she wasn’t afraid to use a gun to protect herself or her friend.
Fear pounded her heart as she thought about Luci. The canine was notoriously wary of strangers and wouldn’t hesitate to sound the alarm if something was awry. Common sense said to close the door and run away, but love for her dog compelled her to stay. No matter the consequences, Bellamy had to find her.
After a deep breath, she calmed herself and switched on a light. Their apartment was destroyed. Every drawer, emptied. Every closet, opened. Dishes broken, trash cans turned over. It looked like a tornado had torn their home apart.
“Go outside and call the police, Ams,” Bellamy muttered.
“And leave you by yourself? Hell, no, crazy!” Her voice elevated as loud as her whisper would allow.
“Go! I gotta find Luci.” As Amy relented and took a step back, Bellamy searched the other areas before moving down the hall to check her bedroom. Closet and bathroom, all clear. Then she peered under her bed, arms pointed and ready to fire if needed. Big brown eyes bounced up and down. Luci.
“Oh, Luce! You’re okay. Come here, baby. Good job hiding, girl.”
“Rrrrruffff!” The dog belly crawled from the head of the bed, next to Bellamy’s side. After a lick to her hand, Luci jumped up and spun around.
“Such a smart girl. I’m so glad you weren’t hurt. You can bet your ass you won’t be staying home alone again. No, ma’am.” In the distance, Bellamy heard sirens and for the first time since this ordeal began, she lowered the gun and greeted Luci with a hug.
Two hours later, after talking with police, Bellamy finally settled next to Luci in a hotel room. Though the hour was late, she knew if she waited to call her parents, they’d not only be devastated, but they’d charter a flight from New Orleans to Athens in an instant to make sure she wasn’t hurt. Though Bellamy would appreciate their love and support, she hated to give life to their fears about her living so far away.
She held her breath as she dialed their number. No surprise, Regina answered on the first ring.
“Bellamy, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt. My apartment complex had a break-in tonight and I wanted to call and tell you that I was okay.”
“Your apartment, as in your residence or someone else’s?” Bill said. Regina had placed the phone on speaker.
Bellamy nearly whispered the words. “As in my residence. But Amy and I called the police. They came. They’re looking at everything, and Luci and I are chilling at a hotel for tonight. It’s all good.”
“We’re on our way,” Regina announced. “We’ll be on the road in ten minutes.”
“No, no, no. Mom, it was just a tiny break-in. It’s no big deal. Please don’t worry about this. I’m fine. I promise you.”
“This is serious, Bellamy Amanda. We need to talk to the police oursel—”
“Darling,” Bill cut in. “It sounds like Bellamy has this under control.”
“Bill, she’s our baby. We have to take care of her.”
“I agree with you, but we can’t go running every single time she has a problem. She’s an adult now.”
Bellamy heard Regina sob. For a moment, she wavered and nearly told them to come, but Bill spoke first.
“Sweetheart, I’ll be on the phone with the landlord first thing about a home security system. Is Amy with you?” he asked.
“She’s in the shower.”
“Good. The two of you get some rest tonight and give us a call when you wake up in the morning, okay? We love you.”
“Okay, Dad. I love you too.” Bellamy paused. “Hey, Mom?”
“Yes, sweetheart?” Regina sniffed.
“Thanks for caring about me.”
“Always, baby.”
The next day, Bellamy and Amy sat in the Clarke Country police office. Amy seemed uncomfortable, almost irritated that she had to be here. Contrarily, Bellamy had been happy to come in. She wanted all the details of why her apartment had been vandalized. When she’d come with her grandparents to go apartment hunting in Athens, they specifically chose the Five Points area for its safety and close location to the University of Georgia campus. Sure, there were exceptions, but mostly, it was a nonviolent neighborhood. On the phone call with her parents this morning, they’d already spoken with the landlord and had two home security companies ready to bid on the job. Bill, of course, had researched them and emailed Bellamy their credentials.
“Oh, hey, I meant to tell you that my dad spoke with our landlord this morning and we may be getting an alarm system soon.”
“Seriously?”
Bellamy squinted. “Um, yea
h. Our apartment was broken into last night, Ams. Wouldn’t you feel safer if we had some type of warning system to let us know we had a problem?”
“Yeah, I guess, but they didn’t steal anything,” Amy countered.
“Which brings up even more questions about what the hell they were doing in our house.”
Amy’s head shook. “This is totally gonna cost out the ass.”
“Oh, my parents will pay for it. Don’t even worry about how expensive it is.”
Before Amy could respond, the door opened and an officer came in. “Ladies, I’m Agent Martin. Thank you both for coming in.”
“Sure,” both girls said simultaneously.
“As I’m sure you’ve been told, nothing was stolen from your home last night, but it was ransacked. Our investigators suggested the culprit was looking for something. Any ideas what it could be?”
Perplexed, Bellamy and Amy exchanged glances.
“No clue,” Amy said.
“We don’t have anything of real value there. No jewelry or cash.”
“That’s odd then. What about old boyfriends, anyone with a grudge against you? Maybe someone who wants you to be fearful?” Agent Martin scribbled on a notepad.
“Neither of us have had serious relationships since we’ve come to Athens. And my exes wouldn’t drive all the way from the coast to destroy my apartment. I doubt any of Bellamy’s would either.”
“No, never,” she agreed.
After opening a folder, Agent Martin passed a series of pictures in their direction. “Well, here’s the strange thing about this case: our investigators have found no sign of forced entry. None. We’ve spoken to your landlord and he reports that the locks are changed with each new tenant, so either our perp had access to one of your keys or he’s a damn genius at getting in undetected. My advice to you is change the locks again, give spare keys to only those you trust, and invest in a security system. We’ll increase our patrols of the area too.”
Bellamy smiled and extended her thanks politely, but her mind went to the gun in her purse. She would never choose violence over a better option, but she wouldn’t be backed into a corner and she damn sure wouldn’t be afraid to be in her own house.
Life was too short to live in fear.
Chapter 3
Even after a sleeping pill, Regina couldn’t rest. As always, her daughter remained at the forefront of her mind. It was no secret that Regina didn’t like Bellamy living eight hours away. To put it mildly, she hated it. If the decision had been Regina’s, Bellamy would have stayed in New Orleans for college and lived within walking distance of her house. They’d have dinner together every night and breakfast once a week. Perhaps that was a bit excessive, but Regina wasn’t too proud to admit she had a problem with letting go. She was a mother who’d lost her only son, her only child, and his daughter was all she had left.
After the accident, she’d latched onto Bellamy and the three-year-old became her world. Luckily, Bill had been the more rational between them and balanced Regina’s neurosis. No question, he’d give his life and everything good in it to see Bellamy smile, but he appreciated the young woman’s need to spread her own wings and fly. Still, his progressive attitude didn’t keep him from worrying or calling her landlord and arranging placement of a home security system, and thankfully, everything would be installed tomorrow afternoon.
As Regina reached to turn off the lamp and finally get some sleep, the home phone rang. Caller ID said Athens, but the number was unfamiliar.
“Bill.” Regina shook her husband’s shoulder. “Wake up, love. Someone’s calling from Athens.”
“Bellamy?” He rose to his shoulder and yawned.
“I don’t know,” she said before she answered. “This is Regina East.”
“Mom?”
“Bellamy? Are you okay? Where’s your phone?”
“I’m fine, but the apartment was broken into again. I’m at the hospital getting checked out and my phone’s still in my room.”
Bill bolted out of bed and threw the closet door open to search for clothes. “At the hospital? Are you hurt?”
“Not at all, Dad, but I shot him, the man. He tried to hurt me.”
“Oh, sweetheart.”
“I’m calling Aunt Atlee right now to reserve the hospital charter.”
“Mom,” Bellamy groaned. “Don’t worry Aunt Atlee with this. I’m really okay. I promise! Just drive to Athens.”
This time, Bill spoke up, his voice firm, unyielding. “We will be there in an hour.”
When they’d disconnected, Regina finally released the tears she’d held inside for Bellamy’s sake, and Bill immediately dropped the clothes he’d gathered and rushed to her side. “What’s going on? Why is this happening to our daughter?”
“I don’t know, Gina, but I promise you, we’re about to get to the bottom of it.”
Two hours later, Regina held Bellamy as tight as her arms allowed while Bill spoke with Agent Martin. Though a glass window separated them, Bellamy could tell from the look on her dad’s face that he wasn’t happy with the direction the investigation was going. Truthfully, Bellamy wasn’t either, not with so many unanswered questions. What was the man searching for? And why did he kill himself when he couldn’t find it?
“Sweetheart, there are times in our life when God gives us signs… clues, if you will, about the direction our path is taking. Could it be, maybe, your time in Athens is coming to an end?” Regina bit her bottom lip.
“I’m not leaving, Mom. I understand you’re scared for me, and I agree this is a huge deal, but you and Dad taught me to never walk away from a challenge. Athens is where I live right now and I’m not giving these assholes the satisfaction of knowing they bested me.”
“This isn’t a joke, Bellamy. This is your life we are talking about. I’m half a step away from demanding you move back to New Orleans.”
Though Bellamy wanted to argue, she held her tongue. Fear guided her mom’s words now and she had every reason to be afraid. Instead, she simply leaned in, accepting the love Regina offered.
“Regina, Bellamy…” Bill peered around the door. “Amy’s parents are here and the police want to talk to us all.”
Settled in a conference room provided by the hospital, the families watched as three officers followed by Agent Martin filed in. He placed two folders on the table. “Ladies, I’m sorry to see the two of you under these circumstances. How are you?”
Bellamy spoke first. “A little shaken, but otherwise—”
“Terrified out of our minds,” Amy cut in.
“I imagine so. This would be overwhelming for anyone.” He turned to Bellamy. “Ms. East, your quick thinking saved both your lives. You’ve had training, yes?”
She patted Bill’s forearm. “Yes, sir, I have. These two were determined to make sure I knew how to defend myself. Paid off, I guess.”
“I would say so,” Agent Martin agreed, then he pointed to the folders. “First things first, your apartment will be a crime scene for a while. When we get done here, we’ll escort you inside to get the essentials. As you mentioned yesterday, neither of you have anyone who’d want to hurt you, so I think it’s time we look at your families. Mr. Schroder…” He gestured to Amy’s father. “You’re a lawyer. Anyone threaten you lately?”
“I write legal documents for a management company. It’s a benign job. My wife’s a kindergarten teacher.”
He scribbled on his notepad. “Mr. and Mrs. East, you’re both physicians. Is there anything we need to be aware of? Disgruntled patients or family members?”
“Not at all.”
“I’m assuming the pictures inside the folder don’t look familiar to any of you?”
Bellamy studied the man who’d assaulted her, his face bloated and bloody. If she did recognize him, she wouldn’t have with his grotesque appearance.
When no one spoke up, Agent Martin continued, “Well, I hate to say this, but beyond extra patrols in the area, per our protocol we can’t offer any
other protection simply because the perpetrator is no longer a threat. Again, nothing has been stolen and beyond what Ms. East told us was said, we have nothing to go on. No evidence. The likely explanation is this was a stalker type situation.”
“A stalker type situation? Then why would the man ask Bellamy where is it? This is the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard, and I will have every single one of your jobs on a spike before the sun rises if you don’t amend your so-called protocol.”
“Regina…” Bill’s hand went to the small of her back.
“Mrs. East, I understand your frustration, believe me…”
“Clearly, you do not. These are twenty-one-year-old girls. Yes, Bellamy has a good head on her shoulders, and I’m sure Amy does too, but the point is, they are too young to worry themselves with their safety in their own home. If you can’t be safe at your house, where can you be safe?”
Bellamy had never seen or heard such vehemence in her mom’s voice. It made her smile. “Mom, let’s give him a chance to finish.”
“Sadly, Ms. East, your family has every right to be upset. I’ll be the first to admit, it’s not enough.”
“So what do you recommend, Agent Martin?” Mrs. Schroder asked.
“Stay with family and friends for a while. Two, three weeks?”
“Nope. I’m moving home.” Amy turned to Bellamy. “I’m sorry, girl. I know our lease isn’t up for several more months, but I’m too scared.”
“No, don’t be sorry. I understand, believe me.”
Mr. Schroder’s arm wrapped around Amy as they stood. “Bellamy, we’ll pay the rent until you can find another roommate.”
“Thank you, sir.” Bellamy looked over her shoulder at Regina and easily read her mind, but Amy’s decision to leave had no merit on Bellamy’s decision to stay. Bellamy wasn’t leaving Athens. Convincing Regina of this fact would be like reversing the pull of the earth.
Back in their hotel and while Bellamy walked Pongo and Luci, Bill pulled out the number Agent Martin had slipped him before they left the station.
Passion, Vows & Babies: Latch (Kindle Worlds Novella) (A Yeah, Baby & Counterplay Crossover Book 1) Page 2