by Nicole Fox
“I see. I want my daughter safe, so take as much time as you need. I want this done right.”
“Of course,” Hunter said. “That’s the only way I do it.”
Hunter hung up and stared at the wall for a long while. Then he picked up the photos and flipped through them again. He paused on a shot of Vanessa, Jeremy, and Opal. Why had he never noticed before how Vanessa held herself in this photo? She stood slightly between Jeremy and Opal, her body angled away from him as if she didn’t want to be near him. And as if she was trying to keep Opal from him.
Something about this situation was not adding up. The description of Vanessa Powers that he’d been given by Jeremy did not fit the woman he met today. He’d seen enough abuse to know what to look for. Opal didn’t shy away from her mother. She didn’t hesitate to take her hand, she didn’t look afraid or nervous to be around her. The child had no visible bruises, which didn’t mean anything alone, but since the weather was no nice, she’d had on short sleeves and there were no marks on her arms.
Hunter thought back to his own childhood. It wasn’t a place he liked to visit often in his mind or in conversation. But for this, he needed to. He pictured the family photos, not that there were many of them. He thought of how he always wanted to get away from his parents. How he never wanted them to touch him in any way. In photos, he stood a little apart from them. When they went somewhere, he walked a few steps away from them. Any touch at all, even the most innocent pat on the shoulder, would cause him to flinch and retreat. Because when you were a kid being abused by a parent, no touch seemed okay and being far away from them was always the best option.
But when he was with Opal and Vanessa, or Katrin and Joanna as they claimed, the child was in no way hesitant or shying away from her mother. He’d looked for any little flinch or pulling back and had seen none. By all accounts, they seemed like a very loving mother and child combination. So, it came to two options. Either Vanessa was a fabulous actress and somehow won her daughter again and again between abuse cycles. It wasn’t unheard of, but was unlikely. Or, and in his opinion what made much more sense, was that she was not the one abusing Opal.
But he needed to know for sure. He couldn’t kill Vanessa if she wasn’t the monster Jeremy made her out to be. And if she wasn’t the one hurting Opal, then Jeremy was the most likely candidate. And in that case, maybe he’d kill Jeremy instead. But before he made any move, he had to know more.
He could watch them. He could spend days and weeks watching them and trying to see how things really were. Maybe even hide some cameras in their apartment. But cameras only showed what happened inside their house, at the present time. It wouldn’t show him the past. It wouldn’t show him what had happened while Vanessa and Jeremy were married.
On the other hand, if he used a more involved method, he could not only get insight to their present, but also their past and future. That would mean doing something like dating Vanessa. Getting her full trust and the full trust of the child. Then, he could get them to open up and find out the truth. In the meantime, he’d have plenty of chances to observe them on a more intimate basis. From what he knew, abusers couldn’t hide forever. Eventually, Vanessa would get mad and lash out at Opal. Even if she controlled herself in front of new people, that façade only held so long. He’d see through it.
That was the best plan. To date her, be her romantic interest, get to know her on a deeper level. It would be just for the job. Had nothing at all to do with his attraction to her. Though maybe it would help make it seem more authentic. And if he got some action out of it, then so be it. It was all in the name of the job in the end. So long as he kept that in mind, he could work well and get what he needed.
# # #
“Come on, Opal, get into bed.” Vanessa stood by her daughter’s bed, waiting for her to come in from the bathroom.
She came bouncing in a few minutes later. “What a fun day!”
“It sure was.” Though she could live without the part where Opal almost died and without the strange man showing up. Hunter, she reminded herself. He had a name.
Opal slid under the covers and snuggled her bear close to her.
“You’re sleeping with your new bear?” Vanessa asked.
“Of course! I love her!”
“Did you name her yet?”
“No. Maybe Pinky?”
“That sounds like a good name to me.” She sat on the edge of the bed to lean down and kiss her goodnight.
“Or maybe Pinker, like Hunter. Since he won her for me.”
“I like that idea.”
“Was it weird?” Opal asked. “Since we didn’t know him and he saved me, then won me this bear?”
“A little. Don’t you think?”
Opal nodded. “A little. But he seems okay to me. Does he seem okay to you?”
“I think so.” Vanessa hugged her and kissed her forehead. “You let me know if you see him again, okay? Like at school or anywhere else.”
“Okay.”
Vanessa turned out the light and stood in her doorway. “Night night, Livy. I love you.”
“Love you,” she mumbled.
Vanessa sat in the living room with a cup of tea and reflected on the day. So much had happened and so many different emotions ran through her. Here was this man who had saved her daughter’s life while taking the risk of being hurt himself. Then he shows up at the fair—a huge public event—and she’s suspicious of him. He wins Opal a huge bear that she loves and still, she’s going to distrust him? He was probably just a nice guy. And she was thinking the worst of him.
Tears filled her eyes and spilled over to run down her cheeks. She hated to feel this way. To look at everyone with a skeptical eye, assuming they were out to harm her or Opal. She longed for the normalcy they used to have. Even though the rest of it was awful, she missed not looking at everyone like they were a threat, not having to watch over her shoulder, not making her daughter lie and use a fake name. This was necessary for now, but would they ever have a normal life again? Or would they forever be on the run, hiding out from her ex?
She wished meeting Hunter was like meeting anyone else. Like he was just some nice man, helping them out. Like she didn’t have to watch him and question him and think he was out to hurt them. She’d been distrusting everyone she came across these days. It didn’t feel right.
There was one thing more important than normalcy, though. She needed Opal to be safe. As many times as she told Opal to wait for her or that she’d protect her, she was losing confidence in her ability. Hadn’t Hunter come from out of nowhere and snatched Opal away? Sure, it was to save her life, but if someone came along and tried to take Opal, how would she stop them? Hunter had moved so fast, she hadn’t had time to react. That, more than anything, had her shaken and worried. It was one thing to know Opal was almost hit by a car, but another to realize that she would have no chance if someone came to take her.
But if she had someone like Hunter around, maybe Opal would be safer. Another person there to protect her. And he was someone who looked like he could do a lot of protecting if it came down to it. His body was so toned and strong. She finished the last sip of her tea and thought about Hunter’s wavy caramel blonde hair, his sparkling blue eyes, and those lips… She imagined what they would feel like pressed against hers.
It was strange to think of any man like that. She’d been married for the last eight years, and had been just starting college when she met Jeremy. She didn’t have a ton of experience with men, and the experience she’d had while being married had not been good. She’d been so focused on Opal and keeping her safe for so many years, that she never stopped to think of things like a romantic relationship.
She climbed into bed, thinking again about what life might be like if things were closer to normal. Could she date someone like Hunter? What would it be like to date anyone at all? And what if it turned out just as bad as her marriage had?
As Vanessa drifted off to sleep, she fell into a dream. She stood i
n the dining room of her old house—the one she’d shared with Jeremy. Only this time, the room was painted a bright yellow instead of the tan it was in the real house. She happily set the table and called for Opal.
“Go get Daddy,” Vanessa told her when she bounced into the room.
Opal danced away and came back tugging a man by the hand.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he said, laughing.
When they entered the room, Vanessa put her arms around her husband and kissed him deeply. She pulled back to look at him, and she was staring into the eyes of Hunter Perrin. The dream shifted and they were standing on a beach, alone, still wrapped in a tight hug.
“I’ve waited so long to make you mine,” he breathed into her ear.
Even in her dream, chills ran through her at his touch.
“Now that we’re alone, nothing is going to stop me.”
Before she knew what was happening, Hunter had her lying down in the sand. The soft grains caressed her skin, more like a bed of satin than sand. He kissed along her neck and chest. His hand slid down her body and lifted her skirt. Then he was inside her, making love to her on the beach. She cried out in pleasure and sat up in bed.
Heart racing, she clutched her sheets and looked around to orient herself. The beach was gone. Her home was gone. Hunter was gone. She was alone in her bed in her apartment, as she should be. But her body still thrummed with the sensation of his touch. It had felt far too real, and as she lay back down to get back to sleep, a small pang of desire settled in her chest. She wanted the feel of strong arms around her as she slept, to protect her and keep her safe. She wanted Hunter.
Chapter Five
Vanessa
Vanessa cleaned up the breakfast plates as Opal sat at the table, coloring. Every Saturday, they made pancakes, and today was no exception. She rinsed the sticky syrup from the dishes and dropped them in the dishwasher.
“Can I go play outside?” Opal asked, setting her crayons down.
Vanessa glanced out the window to the playground in the center of the apartment complex. There were several kids down there and a few parents. It was a beautiful day, and kids should be outdoors playing in weather like this. She hated to keep Opal inside so much, but it was just safer. She almost said no, but maybe going out for a little while wouldn’t hurt. She’d keep her eye on her and take her gun.
“Let me finish up these dishes, then we’ll go out, okay?”
Opal nodded and returned to coloring while she waited.
A few minutes later, Vanessa and Opal went to the playground. Vanessa took a seat on a nearby bench, holding Opal’s ball while she ran to the slide. In her past life, she would have brought a book and sat and read while Opal played. Not anymore. She couldn’t take her eyes off her for even a second, for fear she might be taken.
Opal slid a few times, then came to get her ball and started bouncing it off things. The wooden beams, the climbing bars, the pole of the swing set. Anything but the ground. She bounced the ball and caught it, then repeated.
“She’s pretty good at that.”
Vanessa managed to keep herself from crying out in shock as she jumped at the sudden sound. A man sat down beside her on the bench, watching Opal bounce the ball. Of course, it was Hunter. Where had he come from? What was he doing here?
“She is,” Vanessa agreed, refusing to look at him. She kept her eyes trained on Opal.
“Has she ever talked about playing basketball?”
“Nope.” Vanessa wondered if he would take the hint and leave. If she kept ignoring him and giving him short answers, how long would it take him to go?
She didn’t like how he just kept showing up. And he showed up at places with kids, when he came alone. That seemed far too creepy. He could be a child molester. One of these men who hung out at playgrounds and watched kids. Until he decided to take one.
“You just here to watch the kids play?” she asked. Maybe if she hinted at what he appeared to be, he’d get it. Or maybe he’d give her some information that could be helpful someone to her. Something about why he was hanging around.
He scratched his head. “Uhh, no. Not exactly.”
“Then why are you here?”
“It’s a nice park, nice day. Why not?”
Vanessa spared a moment to glance at him. Mistake. He was even more gorgeous than she had recalled in her dreams. “It seems a little strange, is all. You show up at the fair, now the playground. Places where kids are, but you never have a kid with you.”
He pressed his lips together and returned to watching Opal. “I can see why that might worry you. I don’t know if the real reason is any better.”
“Try me.” This should be good. What excuse could he possible give that would make him seem like less of a pervert?
“Yesterday, after I met you two for the first time, I just thought you were so beautiful. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. The fair was a complete coincidence. I told you I work around the corner from here. I’m the manager at a restaurant supply store, and one of the vendors placed a last minute emergency order for cups. I dropped off the order and was shocked to see you in the crowd. I guess I couldn’t help myself. I wanted to be closer to you to get to know you. Then today… I was hoping you’d come outside to play, and I have a view of the playground from my office window. So, I decided to come in to work on a few things, and sure enough, you came out to play, and I came down to make my move.”
Vanessa slid her eyes to him. He gave her a half smile in return.
“What’s your move?” she asked.
“Well. I was hoping to take you out. To get to know you instead of acting like a stalker.”
“I would prefer if you stopped acting like a stalker.” She returned her gaze to Opal. He wanted to take her out? Like a date? Her heart raced at the thought. Of both going out on a date, which she hadn’t done for years, and the thought of being so close to Hunter. But could she really trust him? Was his story the truth? Probably no one would pretend to do something so creepy as watch for her to show up in the park, so maybe he was telling the truth. Either way, was it a good idea to be dating?
Dating would cause her to be distracted. To have to leave Opal with a babysitter somewhere for at least a few hours. It was hard enough leaving her in her school classroom for hours, out of sight. Knowing she was just down the hall, and having the opportunity to look in on her throughout the day was all that got Vanessa through it. But being out with a man for several hours was a different story.
And of course, her biggest problem was trust. How could she be alone with him like that when she didn’t know him? Anything could happen. The whole dating process suddenly seemed like a very scary thing. How did women do it? Be alone with a strange man for hours? Get in his car and drive away? It was a wonder more women weren’t attacked in that situation. It seemed to her like the perfect recipe for disaster.
“What do you say? Can I take you to dinner some night?” he asked.
Vanessa met his eyes, ready to turn him down. But one glance in his sparkling blues and she couldn’t look away. “I… haven’t dated in a long time.”
“Then now’s the time to start.”
“Maybe it is.”
# # #
Hunter didn’t miss the fact that Vanessa had neither turned him down, nor agreed to go out with him. He would take this as a good sign. She was clearly reserved about dating, and he had managed to make himself look like a stalker. He hoped his cover up came off as genuine and maybe even endearing. The lonely bachelor watching out his window for the beautiful woman who lived down the street to appear. She seemed to buy it, and it wasn’t so far from the truth anyway.
He decided to let the date thing hang for now. He’d give it some time, then act like she’d said yes and pick a date and time. Right now, he grew quiet and observed her. She watched Opal like a hawk. If she did look away from her daughter, it wasn’t more than a moment or two, then she was right back. It seemed like more than the typical watchful mother w
ould do. The other parents in the park held conversations and chatted, looking away plenty from their children, though they certainly kept looking back to make sure they were okay.
Hunter decided to take things up a notch, and Opal provided the perfect opportunity. Her ball bounced over toward him and he grabbed it up.
“Wanna play a little catch?” he asked, throwing the ball to her.
“Okay.”
He got up and moved to be several feet from her, what he thought was a good throwing distance for a child. He gestured for her to throw the ball back to him. As they tossed it back and forth, he moved them slowly farther away from Vanessa. Each time he moved to catch the ball, he strategically positioned himself farther away, making it look like just part of the game. When they were far enough away, he started talking to her.