by T. M. Cromer
“Erica!” He was up and gripping her shoulders. “What the hell is going on?”
“I think our stalker is outside.”
“Jesus H—!”
When he made to turn on the light, she stilled his hand. “No! We can’t alert her we’re up.”
The intensity in his eyes scared her. Pure fury radiated off him. Even when he’d been angry enough to break the door down during their argument, he’d never reached this level of rage.
“When last I looked, she was in a car across the street, flicking a lighter.”
Zack had paused in the middle of putting on his jeans, one leg on, one leg out. An emotion akin to confusion clouded his features. “Flicking a lighter?” He made a gesture with his hand, “Like this.”
“Exactly like that! How did you know?”
“She’s still alive. I don’t know how, but she’s still alive.” The thought propelled him into action. He dressed in record time, cramming his feet into sneakers without socks, barely stopping long enough to tie the laces.
“Who?” Erica struggled to keep up with the conversation.
“Christie.”
Shock had her mouth dropping open like a landed fish. “Jacob’s mother?”
A brisk nod answered her.
“This is what I want you to do… call nine-one-one and get an officer out here, stat! Then I want you to get a weapon and close yourself in the master bathroom. There’s a lock on the door. Make sure you use it.”
“Why? Where are you going? Not out there!”
“She won’t hurt me,” he assured her.
Erica grabbed his arm in a death grip. “No. You don’t know that. Hell, you can’t even be sure it’s her.”
“It is. This all makes sense now.”
“Please don’t. She’s unstable,” she cried softly. There was an element of hysteria in her voice that made her cringe internally. However, the thought of Zack being injured or killed by that nutjob made Erica panic.
“Babe, listen to me,” he said, wrapping a gentle hand around her neck and pulling her close. “She’s obsessed with being my wife. The chances of her hurting me and destroying her goal are slim. You, however, are a different story.”
“Don’t go. Please.”
“Call the police and then lock yourself in the bathroom. Stay on the line with them. No matter what you hear, you don’t come out until I come for you or they are knocking on the door. You got it?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Good.” He gave her a hard kiss, and strode to the alarm keypad by the back door. “Reactivate this after I go out.”
“Shouldn’t you take your phone or a weapon?” Anxiety and adrenaline had Erica trembling.
“Don’t forget, lock the door, set the alarm, and call the police. I’ll wait one minute before I head across the street. That should give you enough time to hide.”
Her head jerked up and down in agreement. She scarcely had any control of her body.
“Erica.” Zack’s deep, calm voice caught and held her attention. “Give me your phone, babe.” When she complied, he typed in her code and dialed 911. “This is Zack Sharp, 116 Eastside Lane. I need an officer for a suspicious person in front of my house. We think it could be the stalker who has attacked my girlfriend on more than one occasion. Officer Bucky Whitmore knows this case. Here’s my girlfriend, Erica.”
He handed her the phone and ran out the door. Tapping the glass once, he pointed to the alarm with a hard look. She rushed to do his bidding.
Once the door was locked and the alarm set, instead of locking herself in the master bath, she grabbed a large knife and crept to the front window, careful to not be seen. Sure enough, Christie was still in the vehicle across the road.
“Ma’am? Ma’am, are you there? Where did Mr. Sharp go?”
“Yes, I’m here. He went to confront her.”
“Who is she? Do you know the woman he’s going to see?”
“No, I don’t. But he thinks it’s his ex-girlfriend. Is someone on the way? I’m not comfortable with him being out there. She’s crazy.”
“I thought you didn’t know who she was.”
“That’s right, but we think she was the one responsible for setting my house on fire and stabbing me a few weeks ago. Can you make the officer hurry please?”
Erica listened as the operator dispatched a second officer to their location. She thought maybe it was Bucky when she heard his voice elevate. “Tell Zack not to confront anyone!”
As she sat crouched in front of the bay window, she saw a shadow start to cross to the opposite side of the road. The car roared to life and tires squealed as the driver pulled out. Zack, forced to jump out of the way or be struck, dove onto the sidewalk.
“She’s getting away! Hurry!” she screamed into the phone. “Light-colored four-door car. I can’t see the plate, but she’s heading north.”
“Ma’am, please stay calm, we have an officer in the vicinity.”
“Hurry!”
Erica punched in the alarm code on the keypad next to the front door and jerked it open as Zack was tearing through the front yard.
He’d almost made it to the door just as two law enforcement officers pulled up, lights and sirens blaring. One jumped out of his squad car and pointed a gun in Zack’s direction.
“Don’t move! Hands where I can see them!”
“No! Tell the officer he lives here,” Erica yelled into the phone. “They’ve got guns pointed at Zack!”
“Goddamn Barney Fife motherfuckers!” Zack swore. “She’s getting away!”
“I said, don’t move!”
The command froze Zack to the spot, hands in the air. Helplessness and frustration raced across his face, followed closely by disgust.
“Ma’am get back in the house and shut the door,” one of the cops ordered.
“No, you don’t understand. He lives here,” she argued. Her surge forward had the officer who’d holstered his gun reaching in that direction again.
“Do not take another step,” he commanded.
“Listen…”
“Erica!” Zack said, urgency in his low tone. “Stop moving!”
She halted mid-step, eyes locked with Zack’s. His nod was barely discernible, but he was reassuring her everything would be straightened out in due time.
“Both of you, down on your knees, hands behind your head.”
“I think you are being extreme,” Erica snarled. “Where did you get your badge? A cracker jack box?”
“Lady, are looking to get tased?” the officer snapped the question in return.
Zack snorted his amusement.
“Really?” she hissed in his direction.
“I’m not telling you again. If you don’t get down on the ground, I will tase you.”
“You dare and I’l—”
She had been close enough for Zack to reach up and jerk her down beside him. “She’s kneeling. Don’t be hasty, Officer.”
“I swear to God when Bucky gets here, I’m going to punch him in the ballsack,” Erica promised, enraged.
“Ma’am, you realize it’s against the law to strike an officer. It’s called—”
“She’s knows,” Zack answered with a glare in her direction and a mouthed “Be quiet!”
“You could man up, ya know,” she spat at Zack.
“Seriously? You want me to get shot? For what? Because you can’t shut up?” he asked incredulously.
“I should’ve told them you were the perp. Maybe they’d have shot you in the ass.”
Bucky’s laughter came from behind them. “This is priceless. When you two aren’t sucking face, you’re fighting like cats and dogs.”
Erica surged to her feet and charged at him, only to be restrained by Zack. The other officer had reached for his gun again, but Bucky put his hand up, still laughing. “She’s fine. Zack won’t let her hurt me. You fellas can go write your report.”
“How about they look for the crazy bitch stalking us? Huh? Think
they can actually do their job instead of frightening law abiding citizens?” Erica ranted.
Another snort found its way out of Zack. “I think you frightened them worse.”
“Shut it,” she snapped, poking him in the abs and making him wince.
“Officer Tidwell here is still a rookie. He’s quick to react,” Bucky said by way of an apology.
“Well, he should have reacted and gone after Christie,” Erica said, pissed off.
“Christie?” Bucky’s surprise and concern was apparent in the way he spoke the one single name. That she supposedly died in the fire at the hospital was well known. “What’s this about Christie? We are talking about Christie Bauer, right?”
Erica searched for the cell phone she’d dropped during the commotion. Surprisingly, the dispatcher was still at the other end of the line. As the operator started to lecture her on how not to greet a law enforcement officer, she disconnected and stormed into the house. Her novel wasn’t going to write itself, and this clusterfuck had put her in the mood to write a murder scene.
* * *
Three thousand words into her current chapter, Erica decided it was the perfect stopping point. She found Zack in the living room with Bucky and the officer who threatened to tase her. Standing in the doorway, she watched as they laughed and drank their beer. The policemen had changed into civilian clothing sometime in the last few hours.
A quick check of her watch told her it was still early morning. To coffee or not to coffee, that was the question. She could get another few hours of writing in, but then she’d be shot for the day. If she went to bed now, she could be up by noon to check flights to Florida.
Erica wasn’t exactly sure when she’d decided, but it was time to go. The last month had been non-stop stress. She needed a break, and she was sure Zack did, as well. They couldn’t keep this pace.
“Babe!” Zack’s beloved voice hailed her. That he was buzzed became obvious from his sloppy grin. The man was adorable. Even now she wanted to crawl into his skin and eat him up. He did that to her. Made her want him in a way which didn’t seem humanly possible. If she couldn’t shut off these constant thoughts of desire, she should take up writing erotica. At least that way, she could be constructive with her new obsession. Shit, she couldn’t blame Christie. One taste of the man, and she was ruined for all others.
She’d waited too long to respond, if the frown on Zack’s face was any indication. He lurched up and weaved his way to her. Hmm, maybe they’d been drinking longer than she suspected. The cynical part of her brain told her there would be two cops crashing here and yet she wouldn’t feel any safer.
“Whasswrong?”
Humor got the better of her. She couldn’t recall seeing Zack in an inebriated state before. “Nothing. I didn’t realize you had company. I’ll let you get back to entertaining. I’m going to bed.”
“Wait, I’ll join you.” The leer told her Zack’s mind was in sync with her own on the sexual level.
Unbidden laughter bubbled up. “No. I think you should stay with your friends here. Goodnight.” The slap to her behind was unexpected and startled her. “Did you really just slap my ass?”
“Yep.” He seemed proud of this fact.
“Before I physically remove your arm from your body, do you want to tell me what the hell possessed you to do that?”
“Uh oh,” Bucky muttered.
Zack ignored him and grinned down into her face. “She’sh just hangry.”
He wasn’t wrong, but Erica would go to her grave before she admitted it to this drunken crew. With a sigh of disgust and a small shove to his rock-hard chest, she whirled to leave. It added to her annoyance he hadn’t worked out in weeks, and still he was in top physical form. Men!
“Ya know, Erica, had I known you were going to turn out so hot, I would have asked you out back in high school.”
Bucky’s comment had both her and Zack spinning back in his direction. Though, Zack was less graceful in his execution. Their twin looks of stunned amazement had the rookie busting out in guffaws.
“Oh, no you dinnit!” exclaimed Zack.
“Oh, yes he did,” laughed Marty Tidwell.
The night became all too much for Erica. Laughter bubbled up, impossible to contain. There Zack was ready to do battle, whether over her honor due to her not being hot in school, or the fact Bucky had crossed the line with his comment about asking her out while she was sleeping with Zack, she had no idea. However, the scene was hilarious.
Confusion clouded Bucky’s expression while Zack radiated rage.
“I can see it’s time for us to go,” the younger officer said, setting down his beer with an attempt to haul Bucky to his feet. “Man, you really need to get to the gym.”
And just like that, Bucky had joined the ranks of the pissed off. This, too, tickled Erica.
“He’ll have ta go elshwhere. He’sh not allowed to hit on my girlfriend and s’pect a free m’mbership,” Zack said.
How he managed to come off as intimidating and cold as he slurred his words had Erica shaking her head in wonder. Another, deeper part of her warmed to the word girlfriend and that he’d gotten territorial. What woman didn’t feel a thrill about provoking a bit of jealousy in her man? That this was the first time it had ever happened, and with Zack, made her giddy.
Maybe she would rethink her Florida trip.
Chapter Thirteen
The manhunt for Christie went into full swing. Zack had to wonder how one person in such a small town as theirs could escape detection. If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear she had an in at the PD.
A few more threatening texts had come across his phone over the last day and a half. He toyed with the idea of blocking the number, but Erica talked him out of it. Her reasoning was such that at least when Christie was texting, she wasn’t attacking. This was twisted logic as far as he was concerned. Regardless, they’d all breathe better when she was in custody.
Today was Valentine’s Day, and they were determined to no longer sit around playing victims. They’d decided to do dinner and dancing. It was their first official date of sorts. Zack couldn’t believe how nervous he was about the whole affair. He’d come back into their room to grab a pair of socks and stumbled upon her in lacy panties and a matching bra. Mouth dry and dick hard, he backed out of the room.
What he really wanted to do was throw her down on the bed and screw her brains out until sunrise. But he wouldn’t because he intended to make this evening special for her. If that meant keeping it in his pants a while longer, he could. Wiping his damp hands on his slacks, he paced the living room and tried to think generic non-sex thoughts. However, she needed to finish getting dressed soon or his control might snap.
The air in his lungs whooshed out as Erica stepped out of the bedroom. Her shy smile scrambled his insides. The way she peered at him from under her lashes was reminiscent of the days in the library when she tutored him. She would peek at him when she’d thought he wasn’t paying attention. The funny part being he had always been paying attention. She drew him in. The way she tilted her head in question, the bashful half-grin, and her rocking hot body all spoke to him. Her inability to see how lovely she was amazed him.
“Okay, screw going out, let’s just have incredible monkey sex all over the house,” he said.
Her happy laugh pleased him.
“Is that a yes?”
“No. I’m starving. Where are you taking me? You haven’t said.”
“It’s a surprise. All I can say is we are going to the big city,” he teased, taking her hand and pulling her close. He dropped a light kiss on her nose. “All set?”
“Absolutely, but did you call Jacob to wish him a goodnight? Should we stop there first?”
Forced to clear his throat to dispel the emotion building, Zack said, “Thank you for being so considerate toward my son. It means the world to me to know you care enough to think of him first.”
“I adore your kid. I only wish he wasn’t being kicked out
of his own home because of…”
Zack knew why she trailed off. Neither wanted to address Christie today. “Yeah, I called him. He told me he wants to come home. I’ve talked to Charlie and Judith. They both agree he should. We can’t continue to live in limbo. God knows when Christie will step up her game.”
“How did they take the news you think she’s still alive?”
“They were rightfully upset. I mean, can you imagine believing your daughter died in a fire only to learn she faked such a horrific death?”
“No.” Sadness flashed across Erica’s face. As fast as it had appeared it was gone. Now she wore a resolute expression. “Zack—”
“No,” he said firmly.
“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
“I do, and the answer is no.”
“You don’t, and I’d like to get a word in edgewise.”
“So talk,” he invited, challenge in every line of his body.
“Before you so rudely interrupted me, I’d planned to say, I think I should go stay with my parents in Florida.”
“We’ve been through this before. It’s a tired record, Erica. I have no intention of letting you out of my sight until this threat is neutralized. After that, if you are so hell bent on leaving me, we’ll re-address the issue.”
Erica huffed out a breath. He trailed after her as she stormed into the kitchen and flung her purse on the counter. Her stance, when she spun toward him, was full-on combative. Hands on hips, she stared him down.
To be honest, seeing her in a lather made him hard, too. He’d go for angry sex. Giving an internal eye roll, he wondered what type of sex he wouldn’t go for with this woman.
“Let’s not do this tonight, babe,” he wheedled. “Why can’t the argument wait until morning?”
“Why does it have to be a fight? How about you understand I’m an adult, capable of making my own decisions?” she asked.
That she wasn’t screaming at him, that she remained semi-calm and presented the questions in a reasonable manner, worried him. Obviously, she’d given this serious thought.
Searching for any excuse, he pounced upon, “We have reservations.”