Goddamn it. The last thing he meant to do was to put her more on edge, but right now he needed her to listen to him. He ran to her car, grabbed her bags, and tossed them into the back of the truck. If she’d passed him while he was dropping Morgan off, he might have never seen Sarah again. A vein in his forehead throbbed.
He opened the door and got in. Sarah sat twisted in her seat, her gaze on the road behind. “Do you have my purse?”
“Right here.” He tucked it under his seat, out of her reach. Last thing he needed was her wielding a weapon in her current state. “Put on your belt.”
She didn’t move, so he pressed her shoulder to make her face front and pulled the strap across, snapping it into place. He started the engine and drove in the direction of his condo. “Tell me what happened.”
She stared ahead.
“Sarah?” He shook her arm. “Talk to me, for Christ’s sake. What happened?”
She swallowed. “Anne called. The stalker sent a note to my parents.”
It took a while, but by the time they got to his condo, he’d managed to get most of the story. That bastard had been in her room. Digging through her drawers. Bruce ground his teeth. Give him one minute with the creep.
He parked in the garage and grabbed her bags as she climbed out. When they got inside, he pointed to the couch. “Sit down and don’t move.”
For once, she listened to him. He went to the kitchen and poured a glass of water for her. She drank a few sips.
“I have to leave,” she said in a determined voice.
“You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying with me. I have a security system and a gun.”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t want to lure him anywhere near your place.”
“You can’t keep running, and I’m not about to lose you. He’s on my turf now.” Bruce knelt in front of her and held her hands. “I’m not going to let this guy hurt you or scare you away. Trust me.”
She exhaled and looked to the ceiling. “Trust you?” She brought her gaze, filled with pain, back to his. “How can I? You never even told me you were married before.”
Chapter 38
“Why did you keep something this big from me?” The hollow ache inside her refused to relent. “My life’s an open book to you.”
Bruce sighed and covered his eyes with a hand. “I didn’t want you to feel like you had to compete with a ghost.” He shook his head. “And I wasn’t ready. I realized it on the hike.”
“What happened?”
He dropped his hand and met her gaze. “I saw the heart I had carved in a tree years ago with my wife’s initials and mine.”
That’s what he’d blurted out at the bar. The heart. Now it made sense. “God, I wish you’d just told me. I would have understood.”
“I couldn’t. It was too raw. Hell, I barely talked about it after she died. It’s not the kind of thing you walk up to people and announce.”
“I’m sure.” She fiddled with the stitching on her jeans. Of course, she knew he’d been with other women but married was a whole different story. “You must have loved her a lot.”
“I did.”
“What was her name?” She raised her head to face him.
“Emily.”
His eyes were sad but not tormented the way they were when Sarah had first met him.
“What made you decide to go out with me again after it didn’t work the first time?”
“I fell in love with you.” His voice cracked, and he placed a hand over hers.
A lump formed in her throat.
“I couldn’t fight it anymore. The night at the bar, when you were dancing with that guy, I lost it. The thought of anyone else touching you ate me alive. I knew then I was in deep.” He stroked her cheek. “I loved you before we ever went out in the boat, but that’s when I realized it. Your strength, the way you care about people, your kindness to the horses. Everything.”
She reached a hand to the side of his face. “I love you too. That’s why I can’t risk anything happening to you.”
He captured her wrist and pressed his lips to her palm. “Don’t you understand? If I were to lose you now, it would crush me. You can’t leave. You’d take my heart and soul with you.” He leaned over and kissed her tenderly. “For the last four years, I’ve been living, but not alive. You’ve brought me back. I’m happy once more, because of you.” He squeezed her hand. “Don’t ever scare me like this again.”
The raw pain in his eyes tugged at her aching chest. “But what kind of life—”
“Doesn’t matter. If we had to live like nomads, I wouldn’t care. You’re worth it.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. If he only knew how much those words meant. This gorgeous, courageous man, who could have any woman he wanted, chose her. Warmth spread through her. She could never leave now. Screw the stalker. Damned if she’d run away again. She had too much to lose.
“Don’t worry. We’re not going to hide and live in fear. Nobody dictates what happens in my life”—he wiped her tear away—“or yours.”
She hugged him, then sat back.
He drew his mouth into a rigid line. His blue eyes hardened to flint. “This guy’s in my territory now. I have means. I’ll find him.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“We just went through this. I won’t let him get to you.” He stood. “For starters, have your mother overnight that letter to this address, and we’ll go to the cops and file a report.”
“They won’t do anything.” If they could, the stalker would already be caught.
“It can’t hurt, but they’re limited by the laws. I’ll beef up the security. He’s not getting past me. You’ll stay here.”
She’d dreamed of what it might be like to wake up next to Bruce, but never under these conditions.
“This isn’t negotiable.” He frowned. “I see the hesitation on your face. We’re talking about your life. You aren’t safe at the farmhouse.”
His military training must have taken over. He was all business, making plans and barking orders, like she had no say. But he had a point. The safest place for her was with him.
She nodded. “All right, but what about work?”
“I’ll drive you. The farm is full of people during the day. Besides, I have my therapy clients, so I’ll be close at hand.”
“It’s going to be such a burden on you. Are you sure?”
“Positive. And you’re not going to stop dancing either. I won’t let him run your life.”
She bit her lip. The studio might not have a security system. “I don’t know.”
“I’ll drive you and stay.”
He pulled her up from the couch by her hand and wrapped his arms around her. “After seeing you dance, I’d move mountains to make sure you continued. You have a gift.”
Her throat constricted.
He kissed her forehead. “I won’t let him hurt you. And he’s sure as hell not taking what’s mine.”
Any other time, she’d go a round with him on the “what’s mine” macho comment. But with him being so full of testosterone at the moment, and so caring, she let it go. His heart thumped strong and steady against her face as she burrowed into his chest. She soaked in the warmth and protection of being in his arms.
“I’ll call Joe and ask him and Debbie to stop over for the keys, so they can drive your car back to the farm.”
“Okay, and I need to phone Anne. I’m sure she’s worried sick. I hung up on her when I ran off.”
Bruce pulled back. “So we have a plan of action now.” He held her at arm’s length. “When we were on the boat, you wriggled out of making that promise to me. I need to hear it now. Tell me you won’t ever try to leave like this again.”
He stared down at her, his eyes grave.
She nodded. “I promise.”
And this time, she meant it.
Chapter 39
Bruce led Sarah down the narrow hall to the studio and dropped her bag in the corner before going to th
e front to check the lock. Couldn’t be too careful.
“What’s that look for?” Bruce asked as he came back in the room.
“Just thinking about how lucky I am to have you.” She met him halfway, and he drew her into his arms.
“I’m the lucky one.”
She shook her head. “I’m not making your life easy.”
“Don’t say that. You’ve given it back to me.” He pressed his lips to her forehead and stood back. “The owner showed me how to work the digital recorder. I’ll set it up.”
“Thanks. It really helps when I can review my routine.” She glanced around the studio. “I can’t imagine what all this is costing you.”
“Not nearly what it’s worth.” He squeezed her arm. “Now do your thing.”
She started to stretch as he went into the observation room.
When he finished with the setup, he came back down. His breath caught at the sight of her beautiful body in motion. At least he’d been able to give her the chance to dance again.
She stopped and frowned.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I feel terrible you’re stuck here babysitting me.”
“Hey.” He framed her face in his hands. “I would have stayed every time, but I wanted to give you space. Trust me, watching you is not a hardship. Now what it might do to me, if you want to talk about hard—”
“Okay, okay. I get it.” She pecked his cheek with a kiss. “Thanks.”
“No problem. I brought my laptop. I’ll get some work done up there.” He jerked his head in the direction of the observation window.
“Sounds good. Take my phone. Anne and Maddie don’t call much, but if they do, I may not hear it over the music.” She handed him the cell from her bag.
From the observation booth, his gaze followed Sarah as she twirled around the floor to the classical music piped through the speakers. God, she was amazing. A warm sensation filled his chest. He checked the recorder. All good, still running.
Sarah’s phone dinged with a text. No name attached to the number. He clicked on the message.
It’s time for us to be together. Meet me at the Super 8 on Main Street. Room 216. Come alone. If you don’t show up, I will have no choice but to move on and find another love. Who better than Maddie? Which will it be? You or your sister?
Bruce’s stomach dove into a free fall. He gripped the phone. Now he had the bastard. Just the chance he’d been waiting for. He marched down the stairs.
Sarah glanced up at him and stopped dancing. “What’s wrong?”
“He finally fucked up.” Bruce crossed the room.
He held the phone out, and Sarah read the text message.
“Oh my God. Wh-what is this?” Her eyes widened, and she shook her head violently. “No. No. Not Maddie. I have to go.”
Bruce grabbed her arm. “No way. I don’t want you anywhere near that place. You’re staying right here, locked up safe and sound until I get the sorry sack of shit.”
“But he said—”
“I don’t care what he said. I’ll handle him.”
“What if he has a gun? He threatened to kill me. I can’t let him hurt you.”
“You have no idea what I’ve been trained to do. I’m not worried about disarming a computer geek.” He checked his watch. “The hotel is about fifteen minutes away. You stay here and wait to hear from me.”
“But shouldn’t we call the police or something?”
“No time. Please, just do what I say. I’ll be in touch.” He strode down the hall to the back entrance. “Lock this behind me.”
Sarah leaned against the metal door and squeezed her eyes shut. Her legs went weak. She had to do something.
She ran up the stairs into the observation room, turned off the music, and dialed 911. When the dispatcher answered, she headed back downstairs and paced as she talked. Between shaking and stuttering, she had to come across as unstable. The dispatcher told her to stay on the line, undoubtedly to send someone to check her out. That was the last thing she needed with nothing but a fake ID and a wild story.
She hung up, but no doubt they had enough time to trace her location. Hopefully, they would at least send a unit to the hotel. God, nothing could happen to Bruce.
Chapter 40
Bruce slammed on the brakes to stop for a red light. The roar of blood in his ears set off an internal warning. Because this was personal, he’d let his emotions get the better of him. Unacceptable. Enraged and running off half-cocked without a plan. This wasn’t the way to execute a mission.
The light turned green, and he went through and pulled into the parking lot of a convenience store. He blew out a breath. Shoved his feelings from the cockpit to the cargo hold. He had to forget about loving Sarah and focus on what to do. He closed his eyes for a second.
Just because the text said to meet at the hotel didn’t mean the stalker was in there. Maybe he couldn’t find Sarah and planned to watch where she went after she left the hotel. Most likely, he wouldn’t chance being caught by the police if she had called them. Something was off. Right now, Bruce needed to ensure Sarah’s safety and then go after the stalker.
He rubbed his forehead. The safest place for Sarah to be was with him, but damn if he would let her anywhere near that hotel. The second-best option would be to take her to his condo where she would be protected by the security system and locks he’d personally installed. That way he could get to his knife and other weapons. A much better plan.
Back in control, he swung the truck around and cursed as lights flashed next to the railroad tracks, and the crossing gate descended.
Sarah paced the studio.
The front door flew open, and a small man burst through wielding a gun with a shaky hand. Sweat gleamed off his balding scalp, and his glasses fogged.
He pointed the gun at her. “I’ve waited so long for this.”
Terror gripped her lungs, and a scream died in her throat. He had to be her stalker. But he should be at the hotel. And she’d locked up the studio, yet here he stood.
“You know it didn’t have to end like this.” His mouth twisted, and he shook his head. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. No point in yelling for help. This room is soundproof.”
Oh God. Her chest threatened to explode. She backed away on quaking legs and scanned the area for a weapon. Bruce had insisted she not carry her illegal gun around, so it sat useless in his apartment.
The 911 call. The police were probably on the way to check her out. Maybe she could stall until they got there. Forcing words through her dry, tight mouth, she asked, “What do you mean? Who are you?”
“Why, I’m your supposed-to-be-soul-mate, Leonard. Surely, you know that.”
“Of…course. How did you get in here?” She swallowed hard and moved farther back.
A smug grin formed on his shiny face. “The same as I always do. With perfect planning. I’ve been watching this place, so I know the routine.” He puffed his chest out. “I slipped into the front between classes and hid in the men’s room. No one checks there before they leave. It gave me plenty of time to practice my speech for you.”
Shit. He’d been in the building when that text came. Probably sent it to get Bruce out of the way. It had worked. Blood roared so loudly in her head, she could barely hear. She had to keep the guy talking. “That was smart. But you always are. Tell me more. When was the first time you saw me?”
His smile fell. “You don’t remember the beautiful flowers I gave you?”
She bit her cheek. Psycho maniac. The gun no longer shook in his hands, and the calm, serene look in his eyes freaked her out even more. Placate him. She had to try to keep him from doing anything rash.
Her tongue, thick in her mouth, made speaking difficult. “I…um…yes. I do. They were perfect.”
“So you do remember. That pleases me at the same time it saddens me.” He tipped his head back. “What was special about the bouquet?”
Sarah licked her lips. A fucking test. She had no idea. If she ans
wered wrong, the nutcase might shoot her. She had to get into his head and think like him to come up with the answer he’d want. As if she had any clue what that might be. Sweat poured down her back. “The colors.”
“What do you mean the colors?”
“They were so pretty.” Her gaze stayed on the gun. Maybe she could kick it out of his hands. Quick and strong, she’d have a chance.
“No. That’s not it. The arrangement was perfectly symmetrical. See? You failed. Just like when you chose to be with that other man.”
Her head throbbed. “What do you mean?”
“I saw you kiss him.” He scowled. “You made a fatal mistake, denying our true love. Just like Audrey.”
She lost feeling in her feet and hands as her blood rushed to her core, making her brain fuzzy. That word, fatal, again. He must plan to shoot her. Time was running out. She had to stall him.
“No, I understand now. You’re right. I made a mistake. It’s you I love. It’s always been you. I shouldn’t have listened to anyone else.”
He raised an eyebrow. “So you admit you let other people sway you?”
“Yes. I mean, look how stunning you are in that beautiful suit. How could I ever not choose you?” She took a small step forward, cringing inside, but she had to get closer to the gun.
“I wore this for you.” His squared his shoulders and raised his chin. “I knew you would appreciate it.”
Good. She was distracting him. “I do. I can tell you picked it out especially for me. That makes me so happy. Just being with you now, I see how great a couple we would make. Why don’t you put the gun away and we can talk more about it?”
His eyes steeled. “It’s too late. You’re soiled. Ruined. You let another man touch you, kiss you.”
The room swayed before her eyes. She shook her head and willed herself to think. “No, you don’t understand. I only want you.”
“Too bad. You made your choice. Now it’s time for you to hear my speech.”
She had no clue what speech he referred to, but if it took time, he could talk all night.
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