“I’m already turning onto Sunnyhill Drive.”
“If you spot anyone following you or see anything suspicious, call the police. They’ll escort you inside the station when you arrive.”
“Okay.” Her voice shuddered.
“When you get there, call me back. There’s a website I want you to log on to. It’ll give us the ability to track each other from our phones.”
“I will,” she squeaked. “See you soon.”
He couldn’t hang up the phone. Not yet. It was as if he’d sever their lifeline. And he needed to say more. A deep, internal ache urged him to speak up and tell her what’d been on his mind. Something she needed to hear in case— No! Christ, he couldn’t let his thoughts lead in that direction. And as trepidation crippled his heart, he pushed the horrific possibility aside, blinking back tears. “Annalee,” he whispered softly.
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
Chapter Twelve
Damn Ohio snow. Brent shoved in the clutch with his boot and slammed the rental car into third gear. The backend fishtailed, throwing the vehicle into a half spin. The seatbelt locked Sterns in place but his head jarred forward. He grabbed hold of the dashboard to brace himself.
“Damn it, Delaney, slow down before you kill us.”
“You survived that flight, you’ll survive anything.” It was the longest, worst, most turbulent ride of Brent’s life, and he’d been on many aircraft. It probably wasn’t quite as bad as he portrayed it, but his nerves were wound tight, so everything seemed exaggerated. And until he actually saw Annalee, there wouldn’t be any reprieve. “Sit back. You’re obstructing my view.”
“The station is right up the road. You’re going to pass it.” Sterns released the dash, leaned back and folded his arms.
“I’m not passing anything. I’ve waited over four hours to get here.” Four long hours that stretched on forever.
He slowed down, switching gears, and made a left turn into the Rocky River municipal complex. He parked in the lot, threw open his door and trotted toward the building, leaving Sterns to mosey at his own pace. And just because Brent spotted Annalee’s SUV parked in a spot close to the entrance, it didn’t reduce his anxiousness to get inside. After taking a quick glance over his shoulder, he entered the station.
“Can I help you?” a female officer asked through a slot in a bulletproof window.
“I’m Brent Delaney, here to pick up Annalee Parschen.”
“I need to see a photo ID.” She glanced past Brent when the door creaked open and Sterns entered the small lobby.
Brent nudged his head while removing his wallet from his back pocket. “He’s with me. Detective Sterns from the Miami Police Force,” he said, flipping through the plastic inlays. He pulled his driver’s license free and handed it to her through the slot.
“I need his as well,” she stated.
After Sterns handed her appropriate identification, she made a copy of both cards then buzzed the door open. “Come on back. Ms. Parschen is in the lounge. Last door on the right,” she said, returning their IDs. “She fell asleep about an hour ago.”
Brent hightailed his ass to the end of the hall and walked into the small room that was lightened only by a console TV. Annalee lay curled up in the corner of a couch with her hands tucked between her cheek and the armrest. Her coat was draped backward over her shoulders and chest.
Every drop of tension eased from his spine and he swiftly approached her, dropping to his knees. He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger on her soft skin while inhaling her refreshing scent. Christ, he’d missed her. And having lived through that episode of fear and panic, he couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms.
Rising from his knees into a squat, he sat back and watched her sleep before he removed a few strands of hair from her face and tucked them behind her ear. He could spend all day, every day, drinking in her delicate features while she slept.
Her lashes fluttered open and she smiled as she gazed into his eyes. For a moment she studied him then she placed her palm on his cheek. “Hi,” she said softly.
He leaned into her touch. And it felt so damn good, he exhaled a deep sigh. “Hi.”
“Did you mean what you said?”
“What’s that, baby? I’ve said a lot of things.”
“That you love me?”
It wasn’t obvious? “Do you have to ask?”
Slowly she sat up, removing her coat to set it on the cushion. “I wouldn’t if I didn’t need to.”
“Annalee,” he said, taking a stance and pulling her to her feet, “I’ve been in love with you from the moment you strolled into my office and spilled your smoothie all over Whiltby’s corporate tax return.”
Her cheeks flushed behind a slight smile. “That was the first time we met.”
“Exactly.” Just as he lowered his mouth to hers, Sterns cleared his throat from the doorway. Brent gave her lips a quick peck rather than the passionate kiss he wanted to. Damn law enforcers have the worst timing in urgent situations. “Annalee, meet Detective Sterns.”
She strode to the door, extending a hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Annalee Parschen.”
“It’s my pleasure, ma’am.”
After Sterns gently shook her hand, Brent tossed him the car keys. “Take the rental.”
Sterns caught them midair. “Are there any decent hotels around this area?”
“There are a few just up the road north of here,” Annalee replied. “They’re all pretty reputable.”
“Thank you. Delaney, I’ve got to make some calls tonight. Expect to hear from me later or first thing in the morning.”
“Don’t make it too early.” He had plans with his woman that’d keep him up most of the night.
As Brent assisted Annalee on with her coat, Sterns’ phone rang. Brent ignored him, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and headed down the hallway to the exit. Damn, it was good to hold her and smell the fruity scent of her hair. He’d only been gone since that morning, but today’s excursion worried the hell out of him. It’d been a long time, actually never, that he’d felt that much fear.
“Yo, Delaney,” Sterns shouted, his footsteps pounding the tiled floor. “Hold up a minute.”
Brent halted, snuggling Annalee protectively under his arm.
“According to José, Rashand is planning a disturbance downtown, and it’s going down tonight. The lieutenant just contacted the local forces and all units are being dispatched to the area.”
Shit. Brent glanced at him then at Annalee. A forlorn expression passed through her eyes, crushing his heart.
“Go with him if you need to,” she said. “I’ll stay here and wait.”
His spine stiffened as he glanced at Sterns. “Not this time,” he said, tightening his arm around her shoulder. He couldn’t leave her again. Perceiving what could have actually happened had his nerves teetering on the brink of insanity. Cops or not, he wouldn’t feel safe leaving her in anyone’s hands. “We discussed this earlier, Sterns. I don’t think it’s me he wants anymore.”
“He doesn’t?” Annalee chirped.
“No, baby, I don’t think so.” He ended it there. It was needless to scare her by giving any more detail. Hopefully the cops would capture Rashand tonight and put an end to this hell. “Causing a disturbance is a police matter. I’m not getting involved.”
Beads of sweat broke along Sterns’ bald spot. “I understand,” he said. He reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and dabbed his head. “I’ll contact you later. Stay close to your phone.”
Brent escorted Annalee from the building to her vehicle. After he closed her in the passenger’s seat he climbed behind the wheel, feeling her eyes on him as he fired the engine.
“It’s me, isn’t it?” she asked, reaching across the console and taking his hand.
Her tight grip prevented him from shifting into reverse. “What are you talking about?”
“It’s me Rashand wants.”
“G
od, Annalee.” He raised her fingers to his mouth and kissed their backside. “I don’t know.”
“Tell me the truth. It’s why you insisted I drive to the police station, right?”
Inhaling deeply, he gazed into her eyes. “Yes, I suspected he’s coming after you. Killing me would justify revenge, but it wouldn’t signify evening the score. I could be wrong, but I’m not taking any chances.”
“So what do we do now?”
He wanted to relax and hold her, and let the day’s revelations pass, in hopes the police took Rashand into custody. His arrest would alleviate all further worries inland and at sea. Brent felt confident they’d use extra precautions this time to prevent him from escaping again. It made him breathe a little easier. And having Rashand’s whereabouts narrowed to the downtown area eased his conscience. In a way, he wished he was present when they arrested the SOB. He’d love a piece of the jerk for having to uproot Annalee. She was an innocent outsider he’d engaged in his messy scheme. It wasn’t fair to involve her and disrupt her life.
Damn, Brent hoped to hell he’d been overreacting and worrying for no reason. No matter the circumstance, he’d always practiced caution and over-evaluated the situation. Sometimes to an extreme, but he’d rather be prepared for all scenarios rather than get caught with his guard down. And it’s exactly why he suspected Rashand made Annalee an intended victim. While oblivious to Rashand’s presence, Brent, a presumed target, had wandered around Cleveland relaxed and at ease for an entire week without incident. “Baby, let’s get out of here.”
Annalee relaxed her head against the headrest and stared at Brent’s profile, but despite the comfort his presence offered, her insides trembled nonstop. More so when she recalled the eerie feelings she’d experienced in Whiltby’s parking garage and the car she’d suspected followed her home this evening. Were both instances related to Rashand? The possibility rippled chills down her spine.
Is this what Brent experienced every day? Cold-blooded fear of an unknown strike?
“It’s been a long day, baby. Are you hungry?”
She’d bought a bag of chips from the vending machine at the police department earlier to take the edge off her hunger pains. And until five minutes ago, she’d still been starving. But putting anything in her stomach now would make her nauseous. Though, if she didn’t eat, he wouldn’t either. “Yeah. Let’s hit a drive-through for burgers. I’m not in the mood to sit inside a restaurant.”
“We’re going to avoid public places until that asshole is in police custody.”
That asshole still had her insides in a jittery mess. And she didn’t know what he looked like, or what to expect if she’d gotten caught. Would he kill her instantly? Rape her? Torture her? So far, she’d heard he was a ruthless murderer who’d killed three men and tortured Captain Kobby to such an extreme he wouldn’t even talk about it.
Good God, she wanted to throw up. She couldn’t bear the near-crippling thoughts. To grasp a semblance of security, she laid her hand on Brent’s thigh and squeezed.
He glanced at her briefly then returned his eyes to the road. “Are you okay, Annalee?”
No. “Yes.” She tried like hell not to sound scared or upset, but her voice squeaked despite the attempt. She covered her mouth and feigned a cough to hide the obvious.
“Aw, baby, don’t worry. You’re safer right now than you’ve been in days.”
“What!” Her gaze shot to the side of his face.
“Supposedly, Rashand’s been around the county for a week now.”
“And you’re just now telling me?”
He squeezed the gearshift. “Sterns and I just found out today. It’s why we flew back immediately.”
So it may have been him lurking in the parking garage? Maybe it held no significance to him because he hadn’t made a move, but maybe it had because he was scoping her tracks. Good God. It probably was him who’d followed her home earlier too. How could she ever go back there again? The skin on the base of her neck prickled like someone poked her with a million needles.
What the hell was she supposed to do? Pack her things and move out? It might be a good time to visit her parents. No! No, she wouldn’t dare lead him on a trail to their home. “We can’t stay at my house.”
“Relax, Annalee. We’re not. Let’s just hope this ends tonight.”
“And if not?”
“Who the hell knows.” He skimmed a hand through his hair. “Brody’s in flight from Seattle. You’ll be safer with us than on any city street.”
“If he’s coming to help, why didn’t he accompany you on the Miami assignment?”
“He wanted to.” He glanced at her quickly, his eyes flooded with reluctance, then he refocused on the road. “Hell, I’m just going to give it to you straight.”
“Please do.” She removed her hand from his thigh and crossed her arms.
“I didn’t think it was a good idea. From our parents’ standpoint, I figured losing one son was better than losing both.”
At least he’d thought that through before tossing them together into the alligator swamp.
As Brent pulled into Big & Bold Burgers drive-through she sat quietly, gawking out the window. A light snowfall began to sprinkle from the clouds and flutter to the ground. Its beauty intrigued her despite the sludge of dread toying with her emotions.
“What would you like, Annalee?”
“A cheeseburger and small fry.” And a semiautomatic rifle with an endless supply of ammunition, and a bulletproof environment, and a safe haven made of impenetrable steel, and his arms wrapped so tightly around her no one else could get in.
She stared outside while he rattled off their order.
“That’ll be twelve forty-five,” a female said through an abundance of loud static. “Drive to the next window please.”
After Brent retrieved the bags from the clerk he handed them to Annalee. She placed them on her lap, but heat bled through the bottom, so she set them on the floor. The food smelled good but the thought of eating made her stomach queasy. Maybe she’d feel differently once they’d found a place to stay. Oh no. Morton. “Brent, my cat needs fed.”
“I’ll give Brody your garage code and tell him to stop.”
“And I need clothes for work tomorrow.”
“He can grab something from your closet,” he said, making a left turn into a motel parking lot. Beneath a purple, flashing Vacancy sign, it read, kitchenettes.
“And all of my toiletries from the bathroom.” She glanced out the window when they parked near the office. Being scared away from home was total bullshit. “Oh, and tell him to grab clean panties and a bra too. They’re in my garment drawer next to my dildo,” she added sarcastically.
He shifted gears and shut off the engine. “You can wait until morning. If it isn’t safe to go home, you’re taking the day off.”
“Like I haven’t done enough of that already,” she mumbled.
“I’m sorry. I never expected you to get caught up in this mess.”
It wasn’t directly his fault—she knew that, and he was doing everything possible to protect her, but she’d drifted into a really bad mood.
She sighed, grabbed the door handle and opened the door. The dome light turned on, casting a dim hue inside the vehicle. “Come on, let’s get this over with. I’m really tired.”
“Annalee?”
She glanced over her shoulder. He’d leaned against the driver’s door, his huge shoulders blocking the window. His gaze displayed an enormous amount of regret, and his jaw twitched. He appeared just as scared as she felt. Every bit of obscurity fled from her body. “Yes?”
“Maybe if I would’ve listened—”
“Don’t.” She leaned over the console and placed an index finger over his mouth. “It’s not your fault.” She inched closer and took his face in her palms. “It was already too late. The only way you could’ve prevented it is if you hadn’t come back into my life at all.” She kissed his lips. “I’m glad you did. I’d rather live in
fear of Rashand than not have you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. Just that morning he’d said goodbye at the airport after having made love to her all night long. It should’ve been enough to last a lifetime, but she wanted him now. The way his warm breath fluttered through her hair, the manner in which he gently caressed her back and his groin pressing against her hip ignited sparks in her blood.
“Baby, you don’t understand,” he said, nuzzling his face in her hair, “how scared I was when Sterns told me Rashand’s in Ohio. God, I prayed I’d get to you before he did.”
“Shhh. No more Rashand talk.” She slid her hand between them and rubbed Brent’s penis through his jeans. It hardened instantly beneath her touch. “Let’s get our room, Brent. I desperately need you.”
She drifted back into the passenger seat and grabbed the food. When he appeared outside her door, she climbed out of the SUV. Tucking her beneath his arm, he led her inside the office.
“Good evening,” an elderly gentleman said from behind a long, beige counter.
“Hi. I need two rooms. Side by side if possible,” Brent replied. “My brother will be arriving shortly.”
Were side-by-side rooms a good idea with the amount of noise she’d planned on making? Hopefully a soundproof wall separated them.
The man looked over his shoulder at a rack of numbered keys. “Six and seven are available. That’ll be fifty-two dollars for both for one night.”
Annalee focused on Brent’s huge hand as he reached inside his pants pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. A thrill of excitement raced along her spine while watching his thick fingers flip through the money and lay a fifty-dollar bill and two singles on the counter.
The man slid a book toward Brent then removed the keys from their hooks and laid them down. “Please sign the corresponding numbers to the rooms.”
While he signed the registration, Annalee slipped her fingers inside his back pocket for a quick feel of his exquisite ass. His muscular butt cheeks flexed. Wow. She couldn’t wait to get him alone.
“Thanks.” Brent glanced at the clock, grabbed the keys then escorted her to the door. He stopped, removed his cell phone from inside his coat and dialed a number. “Hey, bro, we’re at the Center Motel on Hilliard. We’ll be in room six. I already have the key to your room.”
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