by Vella Day
“Good morning sunshine.” Mandy smelled all powdery and clean. “You hungry?” She tried to sound upbeat, but her voice caught. Hopefully, the six-month old wouldn’t notice. Of course, Tessa knew she couldn’t answer, but it helped calm her to hear her own voice.
As Tessa started back to the kitchen with Mandy clinging to her chest, she felt a rush of cool air coming from the window. She turned and strode across the room.
“What the...”
A large, neatly cut hole in the glass marred the window. Clasping Mandy close to her chest, Tessa whipped around half expecting the intruder to be pointing a gun at her.
In a shaky voice she called out, “Anyone there?”
It was a stupid thing to do, but if someone were in the house, he’d already know where to find her. Mandy kicked her feet, and Tessa let up on her death grip.
Where could someone hide in her two-bedroom house? Her mind flipped through the possibilities. The bathroom was the only space she hadn’t checked, but she didn’t dare test her theory and put Mandy in jeopardy. She needed help.
Trying not to act too nervous around her niece, Tessa jogged to the kitchen and picked up her cell phone. She dialed Dominic’s number. Calling 9-1-1 wouldn’t do. She didn’t want any stranger coming to her house. For all she knew, her phone was tapped, and the intruder would show up as the policeman.
Dominic’s cell rang and rang. “Answer, dammit,” Tessa pleaded with the phone.
Mandy pulled on Tessa’s hair. “Not now, sweetheart.”
“Yeah?” he answered.
Finally. She sagged with relief. “It’s Tessa. I’m sorry to wake you,” she said in a whisper. “Someone broke into my house. I think he may still be here, but I don’t want search for him.”
“I’ll be right there. Lock yourself in a room if you can,” he responded. “I’ll call for backup.” Then he hung up.
Lock herself where? Mandy’s room was easy to get into from the outside, and the lock on Mandy’s side of the adjoining bath was broken.
She’d leave. Yes, that’s it. She’d get in her car and wait at the end of the street for Dominic to arrive. Together they could search her place. Tessa refused to be a sitting duck.
Even though she was still in her nightgown, a rather see-through nightgown no less, modesty was the least of her worries. This early in the morning, the temperature often dipped to the low sixties, but she’d gladly suffer a little chill to keep Mandy from harm.
Tessa raced into Mandy’s room and grabbed the crib’s baby blanket. As she wrapped the cover around the baby, a piece of paper floated to the ground, and Tessa bent down to picked it up.
THE BABY’S NEXT.
Tessa’s knees collapsed, and she sank to the ground. “You won’t get away with this you bastard,” she shouted to the empty room. Blood pounded in her ears, preventing her from hearing a thing.
She had to get away from this maniac. Tessa scrambled to her feet and dashed once more to the kitchen, looking for her car keys. Where were they? “Damn.”
She remembered now. Her keys were in her purse next to her bed. In her bedroom, where he might be hiding. So much for that plan. She thought about sneaking a peak in her bedroom from the bathroom, but if he knew she knew he was still there, he might attack. Damn. Her fuzzy thinking stamped out all logic.
She’d have to wait outside for Dominic. If Glenda was up, Tessa could seek haven there.
Tessa unlocked the door and pulled it open, only to shut it quickly. The intruder might be lurking outside. She couldn’t chance making a stupid mistake with Mandy’s life at stake.
Her heart rattled her ribcage so hard, she couldn’t think straight. There were too many unknowns.
What to do? What to do? Tessa peered out the living room window, looking for any kind of unfamiliar car the intruder might have used, but no strange vehicles were parked on the street. Good. Across the street, Glenda’s house remained dark. Not good.
“Damn, damn, double damn.” Glenda said she’d be gone a few days to visit her daughter.
Tessa glanced at Mandy. “Sorry, sweetheart. Aunt Tessa has a potty mouth.” Her brother would never let her visit again if Mandy’s first words were cuss words.
Tessa glanced at the clock on the TV stand. It was only ten after six. How much longer would Dominic take? She paced the small living room wearing a path in the rug, planning her escape, all the while listening for any strange noises.
Decision time.
Given the boogieman hadn’t jumped out since her phone call to Dominic, he probably wasn’t in her nine hundred square foot house. Okay. She’d stay by the front door with Mandy and await Dominic’s arrival. Her pulse slowed.
She patted Mandy on the back to keep her from fussing. Too bad Tessa had no idea where the detective lived or how long it would take him to get here. Dominic claimed he’d call for backup.
Her shoulders slumped. How could she be so stupid? Ralph had to be the intruder. Who else would pull a stunt like this? Was his goal to scare her to death? If so, he’d succeeded, but why threaten an innocent baby?
Oh, Jeez. Maybe he thought Mandy was hers. He’d always wanted a family, but Tessa wanted to wait until after she finished school to have a child. Her ex was the jealous type. He must think she’d remarried and gotten pregnant right away.
Now she understood. Her ex-husband planned to take away everything dear to her. He’d already killed her father and murdered her clients. That left Mandy.
How could she have married a man like that? Boy, had he fooled her.
Tessa glanced at her watch: 6:13 a.m. Pacing didn’t expend enough energy. She needed to cook or clean, two acts that usually helped calm her. Her stomach grumbled, and only then did she realize she hadn’t eaten since yesterday lunch. As if to join in, Mandy kicked and let out a wail.
“Oh, Mandy. I promised you something to eat. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
Tessa placed Mandy in her bouncy chair.
As she entered the kitchen, her gaze caught sight of a stack of photos on the counter. The top one was of her opening her car door. “What the...”
She picked them up, and as she leafed through them, a rumbling of fear traveled up her arms to her heart. Ralph must have followed her from work. He’d invaded her privacy—and now her home.
Mandy began to whimper. “Oh, I’m coming, sweetheart.”
With trembling hands Tessa warmed some milk for her niece and fixed a cup of hot tea for herself, and then grabbed a protein bar from the cabinet for nourishment. Her stomach couldn’t handle a full-blown meal.
Fifteen minutes later, a sharp rap sounded at the door, and Tessa jumped, despite expecting the detective.
“It’s me, Dominic,” he called in a raspy voice.
Tessa peeked out the kitchen window and craned her neck to make sure the person standing at her front door wasn’t Ralph. The tension poured from her body when she saw it was Dominic.
She raced to the door and whipped it open. He ran his gaze from her head to her toes.
Tessa crossed her arms at the gush of cold. “I’m fine. Come in.”
His shirt was buttoned wrong and his face looked like he’d sprinkled black lava bits on his face, but his mad dash to save her buoyed her spirits.
The stern set of Dominic’s jaw and his strong shoulders spoke to her. The recent devastating events of the past few days had came crashing down on her, and she flung her arms around his neck and pressed against him. Her breasts molded against the hard planes of his chest and his warmth speared through her. She never wanted to let go.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she half panted, half whispered.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” The soft, tender voice melted her to the spot.
“Hmm-mm.”
“And Mandy?”
“Yes, she’s fine.” A little sob escaped. If anything had happened to her niece, she’d never recover.
Dominic ran his long, strong fingers up and down her back, massaging away the tension, an
d the fear that had laced every nerve slowly dissipated. His arms brought such relief she never wanted to move.
What was she doing? Tessa stepped back and wiped the brimming tears from her eyes.
“Did you check out the rest of the house yet?” he asked, acting as if she hadn't just thrown herself at him.
“No, but the only place to look is my bedroom and the bath. I was too afraid to chance it.”
“Smart thinking.” Dom grabbed her hand and walked her over to the sofa, his strong clasp bringing her comfort. “Stay here. I want to check out the house.”
She nodded, and his gaze shot to her chest. Tess dropped down onto the seat and grabbed a pillow to cover herself.
Dominic winked, then disappeared into her bedroom. Oh my. He’d looked at her as if she were a meal to a starving man. Why hadn’t she thought to change? Because the intruder could have been in my bedroom, dummy.
Mandy banged her bottle against the bouncy chair, and Tessa rushed to the kitchen and lifted the baby out. “You finished?”
Tessa tried to concentrate on Mandy instead of what Dominic was doing, but she couldn’t. First the closet door slammed, and then he tore back the shower curtain. She held her breath, waiting for a struggle. None came.
Relieved, Tessa carried Mandy back to the sofa and sat down to burp her. Dominic stalked out of her bedroom a moment later. Not saying a word, he ripped opened the hall closet and poked his hand behind the clothes. Next, he marched into the kitchen. More doors opened and closed. Did he really think someone could hide in her crammed cabinets?
He strode back into the living room. “The intruder’s not in the house. I’ll check out back, but with the small yard, I don’t know where he could hide.”
“Me neither, but if it’s Ralph, he’s very resourceful.”
Dominic halted. “You think it’s Ralph?”
“Who else would it be? Taking a photo of me while I was sleeping is personal. It’s not something your ordinary thief would do.”
“He did what?” His body stiffened as he advanced toward her.
“He took a photo of me while I was asleep.” She leaned over to the coffee table and handed him the Polaroid.
Dominic studied the picture, his brows creasing his forehead. “When was this taken?”
“Last night.” She explained about changing the sheets.
His lips pressed hard together. “This changes everything. Stay put. I’ll be right back.” He withdrew his gun from his holster and headed out the front door.
She dreaded what he’d do when he saw the other photos.
The moment Dominic left, Tessa placed Mandy in her playpen and raced to her bedroom, confident her niece would be safe for the next few minutes.
Dear Lord. Two pairs of underpants, a bra, a dirty sweatshirt and a pair of socks lay scattered on the floor. Embarrassed, she gathered the dirty clothes and tossed them in her closet.
Tessa pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater, not bothering with underwear. As she stepped from the bedroom, Dominic pushed open the front door. Now that was what she called good timing.
“Clear,” he announced in an authoritative tone. “I’ll call CSU and ask them to dust for prints. Beneath your window are some good tracks. If we find the guy, we might get a match.”
Tessa’s hand shook and her stomach suddenly threatened to revolt again. She didn’t know how much more turmoil she could handle.
Dominic turned his back to her and punched in a phone number. He spoke for a few minutes, and then hung up.
“I called off the backup,” he said. “I saw the hole in the glass. Did the intruder take anything?”
Dominic moved toward her and stopped inches from her. He must have splashed on aftershave for he smelled wonderful. She was surprised she hadn’t noticed before.
“Not that I know of. In fact he left something.”
“Besides the photo?”
“Yes. I’ll get them.”
Tessa hurried to the kitchen and grabbed the photos. She waited in silence as he perused them.
“The bastard is sick.”
“He also left a note.”
Dominic’s gaze bored through her. “What else aren’t you telling me?”
“That’s it, I swear.”
“What did the note say?”
“That Mandy was next.”
“Jesus Christ.” He raked a hand over his head. “Why is he doing this?”
Dominic didn’t get it. “To scare me, of course. To let me know he could kill me at any moment. Don’t you realize he could have kidnapped Mandy when he was in here?” Tessa knotted her hair behind her head. “I’m betting he thinks she’s mine. That would really piss him off. Now that he knows where I live, he'll continue to mess with my head.” Her breath came out faster and faster.
“He's doing a good job of it.”
The sympathy in his eyes stirred a deep yearning. None of the men she’d encountered ever tried to understand her. They expected her to understand their motivations. Where was the give and take in that? Dominic, a cop no less, listened.
“I’ll handle it in my own way.” Tessa wouldn’t burden him with her fears. Instead, she studied his face, needing to focus on something other than her problem. “You look tired.”
“Why don’t you sit down?”
She’d rather stand. Actually, she’d rather pace to help get rid of her nervous energy, but the seriousness with which he asked prompted her to step over to the sofa.
Dominic sat next to her and took her hand in his, and the tender act caught her off guard. Her mind told her to pull back, but her need for human contact let him hold on.
He rubbed her palm with his calloused thumb in slow, sensual circles, and the little pulses jumped between her legs. She squeezed her thighs tight. Tessa didn’t need a reminder of what she didn’t have in her life. Right now she needed to find Ralph before he came back, not have some hot affair with the sexy detective.
She shut her eyes to clear her head.
“If I look tired it’s because I didn’t sleep at all last night,” he answered a full minute after she’d asked the question. “Do you remember I got a call from Trace around midnight?”
She clasped her free hand over her mouth. “I completely forgot about him.” Sadness swept his features. “Did something happen?”
Dominic pressed his lips together and nodded. He took a deep breath. “Trace was murdered.”
Her body quivered. “Ohmigod, no. How?”
Dominic’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “When I got to the scene, Trace was dead and Chelsea had been taken to the hospital. Someone shot both of them.”
Tessa’s world spun out of control, and her heart raced so hard it almost burst. She pressed a hand to her chest. “Shot? Is she okay?”
“She took two bullets to the chest.”
Tessa collapsed back onto the seat and withdrew her free hand from his clasp. The tears she’d expected to gush out had dried up.
She needed to see her friend, but when Tessa started to stand, her legs wouldn’t hold her. Her hands trembled, and she collapsed back on the sofa unable to take a full breath. “I have to be there for her.”
“I called the hospital on the way over. The surgeons were able to remove the bullets, but she hasn’t regained consciousness.”
“What are her chances?” Oh, God, please tell me she’ll live. Deep in her heart, Tessa knew all of this tragedy was her fault somehow.
He looked away. “They aren’t good.”
First her father, then her friend—not to mention her two patrons. “Poor Chelsea. She didn’t deserve this.”
“I don’t think Trace deserved it either.”
She’d been insensitive. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply—”
Dominic looked down at her. “I know. And I’m afraid there’s more.”
“What do you mean, more? Don’t tell me someone else is dead.”
“Remember the man at the bar who was drunk and stalked off right b
efore Chelsea left?”
Tessa had to refocus on last night. Was it only seven short hours ago? “Doug. Doug Walsh. Yes. What about him?”
“He was murdered too. Someone put a bullet in his head.”
Tessa’s world went black.
“Tessa, Tessa, can you hear me?”
When she opened her eyes, Dominic was leaning over her, her head cradled in his hands. She jerked up but dropped back down into his caress. The rush of pain threatened to overwhelm her again. “What happened?”
“You fainted.”
“I never faint. Fainting is for wimps.” Tessa wanted to be strong.
Dominic helped her to a sitting position. “Let me get you a glass of water.”
Her mouth seemed to be filled with dried glue. “Okay.” Tessa watched Mandy play with her mobile in the playpen. At least one of them was oblivious to the tragedy.
“Here ya go.” Dominic handed her a glass of cold water.
“Thanks.” She shook her head. “My life is so out of control I don’t know what to do. It’s obvious someone wants to destroy me by destroying the business.”
Dominic sat still and stared ahead as if he hadn’t heard her. His face paled, and his lips pressed firmly together.
“You can’t stay here any longer.” His tone came out monotone as if he were talking to himself. His gaze darted to the ceiling and then down to the floor.
Adrenaline shot through her heart. “I’m not going to let Ralph dictate what I can and can’t do. I’ll buy a dog or put in the alarm system. To hell with the landlord. No one’s going to make me do anything I don’t want to do.”
He whipped back to her. “You don’t understand. If Ralph was the intruder, or even if he wasn’t, he’ll come again. I’ve been a detective for ten years. I know how these sickos think. If you don’t care about yourself then think of Mandy.”
Guilt swamped her. Mandy. Precious, innocent Mandy. “You’re right.”
“Okay. Good.” Dominic let out a long breath. “You’ll have to move.”
Was he talking to himself again? “Excuse me?”
He stood and surveyed the room before locking his gaze on her. “Everything that has happened in the last few weeks has been connected to the Blue Moon and its people, whether they work there or are patrons. I don’t know what his game is, or what their game is, but you’re smack dab in the middle.”