Private Conversation

by Jen Talty

  “They don’t help you out?”

  She narrowed her eyes and shifted to the side, knocking his hand from her body. “Once I graduated from college, I was on my own. That’s the way it’s been for everyone in my house. My parents paid for our four-year degree. Anything after that, we had to take out loans and pay off with our own money. We are all fully self-sufficient. The only difference between me and my siblings is that I chose a career that doesn’t pay as much.”

  “Well, good for you. But you always have all this to fall back on.”

  “What is wrong with you? None of this bothered you when you climbed into bed with me tonight. Why is it suddenly an issue?”

  Before he had the chance to answer, his father returned, followed by her mother carrying a tray of coffee mugs and a large thermos.

  “Your mother said we could use her computer to log into the dating site,” Eric said, motioning for her to come over toward the desk.

  She tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat, but her muscles didn’t work properly.

  “Gavin,” her mother said, handing him a large mug. “The tow truck is here.”

  “Thanks. I’ll go talk to them now.”

  The last thing Charlotte wanted was to be left alone with Gavin’s father while he looked over her dating profile. She caught Gavin’s gaze and pleaded with him to stay, though she could certainly understand why he wanted to leave and not just because of his truck.

  “I’ll be back shortly.” Gavin squeezed her arm before he waltzed out of the room, leaving her with her mother’s questioning glare and his father’s all-knowing glance.

  Wonderful.

  “Mom, why don’t you go put your feet up.”

  “I have to go start breakfast.” Thankfully, her mother took the hint and left. Not that this would be any less awkward.

  “Let’s get this over with,” she said, taking the seat behind her mother’s desk. As a kid, she used to love to play under it while her mother worked. Then, when her mother finished whatever it was she needed to do, she’d climb under the desk with Charlotte where’d she tell Charlotte a story and they’d pretend to sip tea.

  “It’s not going to be a one and done. If the guy who trashed Gavin’s truck is indeed this person you talked to and subsequently blocked, we’ll need all this information.”

  “I understand,” she said with as strong a voice as she could muster. Her mother had warned her about online dating, but Charlotte didn’t listen, believing she understood the net better than her mom.

  Next time, she’d listen to her.

  Mother does always know best.

  Charlotte pulled up the site and logged into her account. Fifteen private messages pinged. Four were from Sexyfirefighter.

  She tapped the screen. “Those can’t be from Gavin.”

  “That’s his screen name?” Eric shook his head. “I can’t wait to tell his mother this one. She’ll be thrilled.”

  “Um, I don’t think he’d want that and why would she be happy?”

  Eric raised his hand and palmed his cheek, drawing his fingers down his jaw line. “I have no idea what he’s told you about his accident or the woman he’d been dating before, but for a long time, Gavin couldn’t even look at himself in the mirror. Even after all the surgeries, he thought he looked hideous and figured no woman would want him. It’s only been in the last six months or so that he’s started to become himself again. So, if he’s viewing himself as sexy, his mother will be doing the happy dance for weeks to come.”

  “His scars aren’t very bad looking at all. I barely notice them.”

  “It’s still the first thing people see, especially women.”

  Charlotte blinked a few times, trying to recall the first time she’d met Gavin. She smiled. It had been a few weeks after she’d moved in and he’d just gotten home from a twenty-four-hour shift. He’d practically walked into her as he walked up the steps, not paying attention to where he was going. He certainly hadn’t expected to run into her considering he had no idea she’d even moved in. Her car had been in the shop, and she’d been knee deep in writing a new systems program, so she barely left the house.

  “The first thing I noticed were his eyes. I don’t remember when I saw the scars, but it wasn’t the first couple times that I talked to him.”

  “You’re a special girl, Charlotte.” Eric patted her shoulder much like a father would do to a daughter he’d been proud of. “I hate to do this, but I need you to open those messages.”

  “Not a problem. None of these names are familiar, except the one Gavin used, but I know that’s not him based on the time-stamps. We were in be…” She chose to not finish the statement and clicked on the first message from Gavin’s screen name.

  Sexyfirefighter: Are you there? We need to talk.

  The next one read: I’d really like to meet.

  The other two were more of the same. Every other message had been identical: Hi Angela. It’s me. Please don’t block me. I just want to talk.

  An instant message popped up from Friends4Ever.

  “The last time I thought this guy Charlie pinged me, he used Afriend.”

  “The other names have either friend in the screen name, or reference being friends with BFF.” Eric took one of the high back chairs her mother had on the side of the desk and pulled it up next to Charlotte. “I need to call cyber and see if they can trace any of this, if that is okay with you.”

  “I can help them with that,” she said, pulling the keyboard closer. “I should have done this sooner, but I can check an IP address and they can actually use that to ping the location.”

  “Do it.” Eric set his phone on the desk, tapping at the number pad.

  She quickly found the IP address, wrote it on a piece of paper while Eric rattled it off to someone on the phone. Three minutes later, she was told to answer the instant message.

  Friends4Ever: Hi Angela. It’s me. Please don’t block me. I just want to talk.

  “What should I say?”

  “Ask him what he wants to talk about.”

  The door squeaked open and she looked over her shoulder to see Gavin standing in the center of the room.

  “What’s going on?” Gavin asked.

  “I think our asshole has come out to play and we’re going to bait him,” Eric said.

  “I don’t like that idea.” Gavin inched closer, leaning against the desk directly behind her. “It puts her at risk.”

  “We’ve got the video with this guy’s face. His car. Both of you as witnesses as to what happened earlier today. If we can draw him out now, we’ll all sleep better tonight.” Eric tapped the desk. “Our cyber team has hacked in, so they are watching and tracking everything. Answer him.”

  Charlotte’s fingers shook as they hovered over the keyboard.

  Gavin’s strong hands came down on her shoulders, gently massaging. “It’s okay,” he whispered.

  AngelaBennett: Talk about what? Charlie.

  Friends4Ever: You do remember me. I didn’t mean to frighten you away. I’m a nice guy. Probably nicer and better for you than that other guy.”

  “Does he know about our chats? Chat’s you’ve had with other men?” Gavin asked, his voice strained.

  “No.” Charlotte wanted to turn around and give Gavin a piece of her mind about his tone, but she refrained.

  “Then ask him what other man,” Eric said.

  AngelaBennett: what other guy?

  Friends4Ever: the one you’re dating.

  AngelaBennett: I’ve never said I was dating anyone.

  Friends4Ever: I’ve seen you with him, Charlotte. Do you think I’m stupid?

  “Mother fucker,” Gavin muttered, slamming his fist on the desk, sending a paper weight crashing to the floor. “How does he know your name?”

  “I have no idea,” she said so softly she could barely hear herself. Her body trembled from the inside out. Staring at the screen, her fingers froze on the keyboard.

  “He just logged off,” Eric
said.

  “And look.” Gavin pointed to the screen. “He deleted his profile.”

  “Let’s hope cyber got something.” Eric stood, stepping to the side of the desk.

  Charlotte heaved in a huge breath, but her legs never fully extended. She tried again, only to have her chest burn from lack of oxygen.

  “Breath slowly,” Gavin whispered in her ear. “Look at me.”

  She turned her head, locking gazes with him.

  “Breath with me.”

  She mimicked his facial movements, breathing in through her nose, slowly releasing the air through her mouth. Voices echoed in the background, but she couldn’t make them out. Her mind spun and the room swayed.

  Gavin’s hands ran up and down her thighs, squeezing gently. “That’s it,” he whispered.

  Slowly, the fog lifted and her pulse slowed to something that might be considered normal. She blinked, focusing on Gavin’s dark bourbon eyes. “I have no idea what just happened.” The words slowly tumbled out of her mouth one syllable at a time.”

  “You’ve never had a panic attack before?” Gavin asked.

  She shook her head, which turned out to be a mistake as her stomach flipped and flopped, nausea spreading through her body. She did her best to shove that aside. “Can I see the pictures of the person who tried to break in tonight?”

  “I was going to ask you to do that.” Gavin took the keyboard from her hands and brought up the footage, zooming in on the man as he climbed over the fence. “Hey, Dad, is this the best angle?”

  Eric tucked his phone to his ear as he continued to talk with someone about the chat room. He quickly tapped a few keys, bringing up three different angles.

  “How does your father know how to use our system?”

  “It’s a pretty standard security set up and our family has a side business where we install them.”

  “Impressive.” She leaned forward, studying the grainy face partially hidden behind a baseball cap. A faint memory tickled her mind, but she couldn’t pull it up.

  “Bingo! We’ve got him,” Eric said. “Cyber traced him to a coffee shop not far from here. There is a car in the parking lot that fits the description. They ran the plates and it’s registered to a Richard Charles Lemaster.

  “Lemaster plumbing?” she asked, staring up at Gavin, then back to the screen. “About a month ago I had a leaky faucet. I called them and I think that’s the guy that came out and fixed it.”

  “How would he know you’re AngelaBennett?” Gavin asked, taking a step back.

  “I must have had the site open and he saw my screen name or something.”

  “Son, they are picking him up now. Want to ride along with me?” Eric said.

  “I need a ride home anyway.” Gavin glared down at her. “I’m sure your family can give you a ride home, right?” But he didn’t wait for an answer.

  Chapter Ten

  Gavin leaned against his father’s unmarked police car after walking through his and Charlotte’s apartments, making sure they were clear.

  “Did you get ahold of her?” his father asked.

  “She’s going to stay at her parents tonight, which I think is best until this Lemaster asshole is caught.” He stared at the duplex. So much had happened in the last two days and he hadn’t been able to reconcile the negative feelings swirling in his gut.

  “Do you want a ride over there?”

  Gavin shook his head. “Renee and Devon are going to drop off a car for me to use while my truck is in the shop.”

  “I’m shocked she’s still dating Devon,” his father said, rubbing the side of his face. “Mom and I are afraid to get too attached, but it’s getting harder and harder.”

  “She’ll get him to break up with her within the month.”

  “And you know this how?”

  Gavin shrugged. “She’s complaining about him being needy, which is bullshit. I tried to warn him.”

  “What’s wrong with your sister?”

  “She’s just afraid of commitment. Hopefully, she’ll get over it soon before she breaks the heart of another one of my friends.”

  His father’s hand gripped his shoulder. “And what about your heart? You seem torn right now.”

  Gavin really had no right to be angry with Charlette over chatting with anyone prior to talking with him. Hell, until they had slept together, he had no right to feel as though they were exclusive. Even then, without actually saying, hey, let’s only date each other, he still had no right to be pissed off.

  But he was.

  “Things got muddled before they even started.”

  “Why? Because of the online dating thing?”

  Gavin let out a short laugh, folding his arms across his chest. “Gee, Dad, someone might think you’re a detective with those deduction skills.”

  “Sarcasm won’t change anything and really, you’re being childish. It’s not like you didn’t go on that site looking for a date either. She seems like a nice girl.”

  “She is a nice girl. I’m just not sure where this is going. I mean, what could I possibly give her that she doesn’t already have?”

  “You seriously didn’t just ask me that, did you?” His father pointed to the house and her mid-size nondescript car under the carport. “Does it look like any of that matters to her? Besides, her family is so down to earth. The only issue is her mother being a criminal lawyer, but she’s mostly white collar, which is why she makes the big bucks.”

  “I wish it were that easy for me, but I kept looking around that house, and even if she doesn’t live off her parent’s money, it would always be there if she needed it.”

  “Just like your mother and I are always there if you need us. It’s no different.” His father slapped him on the back, pulling him in for a manly hug. “I’ve got to get going. Watch you back and call me if Lemaster shows up.”

  “Will do.”

  He waited for his father to drive down the street before strolling up onto the porch. He inserted his key and pushed open the door. He stared at the computer he’d left on the coffee table. His sister had been afraid of not being able to love someone forever, where Gavin was afraid someone wouldn’t love him forever.

  But if he didn’t give her a chance, he’d never know.

  He pulled his phone from his back pocket. “Hey, Siri, call Charlotte Harper.”

  Crack!

  Thud!

  Gavin dropped to his knees, clutching the back of his head, blood oozing through his fingers. The phone slipped out of his hand. “What the?”

  Lemaster stood over him with a gun pointed at his face.

  “This isn’t a smart move.” Gavin swallowed, the taste of metal filling his throat. “My father is a police officer.”

  “I don’t give a shit,” Lemaster said, waving the gun around, his finger on the trigger. “You ruined everything. Had it not been for you, Charlotte and I would be together.”

  “In your dreams.” Being condescending wasn’t too bright either, but his tolerance had been pushed over the edge. “Charlotte wants nothing to do with you.”

  “We were getting along just fine until you decided to trick her.”

  “How did I trick her?” Gavin asked.

  “You pretended to be something you’re not.”

  Gavin wanted to remind him that was exactly what he’d done, but figured that would just piss him off. Not a good idea while he waved a gun at him.

  “If you hadn’t brainwashed her into liking you, she would have seen that I’m the perfect man for her.”

  Talk about delusional.

  Gavin shifted, trying to stand.

  Lemaster thrusted the gun in his face. “Don’t move, asshole.”

  “This won’t end well for you.” He kept his eye on Lemaster’s hand, hoping he’d get the opportunity to disarm him.

  “It’s going to be wonderful for me because Charlotte is going to need a shoulder to cry on after you kill yourself.”

  Gavin couldn’t help it, he laughed. “And w
hy would I do that?”

  Lemaster’s nose flared like a wild bull as he waved his free hand over his face and neck. “You’ve never really gotten over those, have you?”

  “If you think that’s going to work, you haven’t done your research about me.”

  “Doesn’t matter. PTSD is common in firemen and burn victims.”

  “In some cases, but not mine, and that is well documented after a few surgeries and many months in therapy.”

  “But you’ve been burying your feelings for so long. The depression has slowly been building inside you and eating you alive.” Lemaster’s eyes widened like a rabid animal. “It will all be explained in your suicide note.”

  “You’ll have to kill me before I write that crap.” Gavin heard a faint click coming from the back of the house. He shifted his gaze to his phone, which was still connected to Charlotte’s number, so either she was listening, or this had gone to voicemail. Either way, this asshole was as good as caught.

  Now he just had to make sure he got out alive.

  “I will kill you, don’t worry about that.”

  “Up until you broke into my house and whacked me over the head, all they had you on was a weak case of stalking. Now assault with intent to injure and—” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father creep forward, weapon in hand.

  “Shut the fuck up,” Lemaster said.

  His father jerked his chin toward the front of the house.

  Gavin took that to mean backup was already closing in.

  “Get up. Time to write the note.” Lemaster inched forward, pushing the weapon out in front of him, taking better aim, as he steadied his arm.

  Slowly, Gavin pushed himself to a standing position. A wave of dizziness rolling through his body forced him to pause. He blinked a few times, keeping Lemaster in his sights. His father had dipped behind the wall in the kitchen.

  “I keep my pen and paper in the desk over there.” Gavin pointed to a hideaway desk on the back wall in the family room, which would put Lemaster’s back to the kitchen, giving his father the right angle to nail the asshole, or at least that’s what Gavin hoped for, because he was tired of staring down the wrong end of a gun.