“Sure.”
They walked hand-in-hand to the food court. They both decided on Chinese food and carried their heavy plates to a nearby table.
Anastasia blinked at all of the food. “I can’t possibly eat all of this. There’s enough for two people on each of these plates.”
“Maybe next time we can just get one and share it.” Joel watched as her lips curled upwards.
“That sounds like a good idea.”
They mostly ate in silence as they watched groups of people file past. When they’d finished, he handed her a mint he’d grabbed off the counter and popped a second one into his mouth. He took their plates to the trash and then sat opposite her. Anna’s eyes skimmed the crowd and stopped at him.
Joel reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”
His comment seemed to catch her off guard. Her eyes widened and she dropped her gaze to her hands. “Thank you.” A small smile graced her lips.
Sensing she needed to be rescued, he stood. “Come on, let’s get back to shopping.”
He offered to carry the bag Anastasia held. Once ready, he weaved his fingers with hers and led her away from the fountain.
~
Every time the guy touched Anna, Liam’s blood boil. Who did he think he was, anyway? And there she was, soaking it all in. She’d never looked at Liam the way she was gawking at the guy right now.
Which only irked him more.
He imagined his thumb drive in her pocket or nestled in the bottom of the small bag she was carrying.
Liam called that morning to find out whether the insurance company was going to pay for the fire damage done to his agency.
Apparently the investigation had been completed and the fire was declared an accident. The claim would be processed.
Which ought to make Liam happy. He should cut his losses and go home, collect the money, and move forward.
But if Anna ever found a way to gain access to those files…
And the thought of her living happily here with him…
No. He needed to tie up these loose ends. And soon.
~
This shopping trip turned into a relaxing evening for Anna. Spending time with Joel was enough to do that. But she’d also found most of the things on her list. Combine that with dinner and now walking hand-in-hand? She wasn’t in a hurry to leave.
Joel tugged on her hand to stop their progress. “What’s left?”
“Just the storage store. Unless you’d like to look somewhere else.”
Joel shook his head. “I don’t think so. The storage store it is.” He smiled brightly.
He took her hand in his and placed a kiss to her wrist.
She liked it when he did that. It was sweet.
They were nearing the storage store when a chill raced through Anna. At first, she thought it’d gotten cold until she realized the hair on the back of her neck was standing up. The impression that someone was watching her was strong enough that her feet stopped moving of their own accord.
“What’s wrong?”
She heard Joel’s words but didn’t answer. Her eyes swept the area around them. Nothing unusual. And then…
Her breath rushed from her lungs as if someone had dropped a boulder on her chest.
There, several stores away, half-hidden by a pillar.
Liam.
He caught her eye and sneered.
She jumped, releasing Joel’s hand along with the bag she’d been carrying.
Joel put a hand on her back. “What’s going on?” His eyes darted from her to the pillar and he tensed.
When Anna checked again, there was no sign of the man that had plagued her nightmares since she’d left Utah.
Joel reached over and took her bag. “It was him, wasn’t it?”
She jogged towards the storage store. “Yes. Come on, we have to leave.”
“Anastasia…”
“Please, Joel. You don’t understand what he’s capable of. I’ll explain everything to you. But we need to get out of here.”
He took complete charge then. He grasped her hand and they ran to the container store, up and down several aisles, then out the door at the back that exited the building.
They were a block away from where Joel had parked the car. But she didn’t care. She was relieved Joel stuck close to the mall and turned several corners, cutting off any view someone might have of them. Several times, she surveyed behind them and didn’t see a sign of Liam.
How did he find her?
Did he know where she lived?
Joel led her through the maze of cars to his. He got her settled into the passenger seat, tossed the bags in the back, and climbed in. “Your house is closer. Let’s go there.”
She could only nod as she twisted in her seat to take in the parking lot. Still no sign. Hopefully Liam hadn’t been able to get out fast enough to follow them. Her heart raced painfully.
Joel got out of the parking lot as quickly as he could and soon they were on the road. She kept her eyes on the console in front of her, willing herself to keep it together.
She’d thought Quintin would be safe. She thought Texas was far enough away. But if he found her here…
Anna had friends. Joel. She didn’t want to leave again. But she couldn’t put anyone else in danger. She should have kept moving and never stopped here in the first place. Her eyes filled with tears and she tried to blink them away.
Joel’s hand touched her arm and she jolted. He shot her a worried glance. “You’re shaking. Hang on, we’re almost there.”
They pulled into the driveway. Anna was out and on her way to the front door before Joel even had a chance to help her. She fumbled with her keys and barely inserted one into the lock when it opened from the inside. Brooke greeted them with a smile that fell away the moment she saw their faces.
“What’s going on?”
Anna pushed her way inside and crossed her arms tightly across her chest. She was immediately met by Epic, who wriggled and whined at her feet. She absently fingered his ear and released a breath of relief as Joel closed and locked the door behind them.
She prayed they’d managed to escape before Liam had the chance to follow them.
Please, God. Please keep us hidden from him. I want this to be a bad dream and wake up again.
Joel stood in front her, a hand on each of her upper arms. “You’re worrying me, Anastasia. What on earth is going on?”
Anna shook her head. What was she supposed to do now? She had to tell them. They had the right to know.
Chapter Twenty
Joel watched Anastasia. His stomach rolled while his mind raced through the possibilities. She was staring straight ahead, trembling. He’d only caught a glimpse of a man at the mall. But there was no missing the hatred in the guy’s eyes. Joel took her hand and led her to the loveseat. “Sit down. I’m going to get you a glass of water.”
“I’ll get it,” Brooke announced on her way to the kitchen.
Joel sat down next to Anastasia. Brooke returned. She placed a glass on a side table and pulled it over in front of Anastasia before sitting on the futon. Brooke’s eyes were filled with questions.
Epic was lying across Anastasia’s feet, his dark eyes watching her every movement.
Joel reached over and covered her hand with his. “Should I call the police?”
Anastasia shook her head.
Brooke caught Joel’s eye and mouthed, “Text Chess?”
Joel nodded and turned his attention back to Anastasia. “We can’t help you if you don’t tell us what’s going on.”
For the first time since they’d reached the house, her gaze shifted to his face. The connection seemed to calm her and her breathing slowed. “I never wanted to get you all involved. I thought I’d gone far enough.”
“I care about you. That alone makes me involved.” He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to process what he’d said.
She sank into
the back of the futon and ran a hand over her face. “I saw a man named Liam Graff at the mall today. I left Utah because of him. I didn’t think there was any way he’d trace me here.” She shuddered.
Joel leaned into the corner of the loveseat where the arm met the back. He reached for her and brought her to him, her back resting against his chest. She let her head fall against his shoulder. He breathed in the scent of her hair and waited for her to continue.
After hesitating at first, she shared about her grandparents’ death and how Liam had been instrumental in getting her off the streets. She told them about her friend Callie and the job at the advertising agency that Liam owned.
At first, Liam seemed like a nice guy who was trying to give people — kids — a chance to make something of themselves.
But when she related about how charming he’d been until they started going out and about how she couldn’t go anywhere without Liam demanding a minute-by-minute account, Joel clenched his teeth together.
“I guess I knew I had to figure a way to get out of there when he cornered me in the supply room one day.” Anastasia paused. “I’d spilled a whole ream of copy paper and that’s when he came in. His face turned red and he yelled at me, telling me I was costing the company money when I was so careless.” She shivered. “He shoved me against the wall and told me that every last piece of paper had better be usable or I’d be sorry. It was just paper.”
Brooke gasped, a hand going to her mouth. Joel’s arms tightened around Anastasia.
Rage boiled and he’d punch the guy out right then if he had the opportunity. Anastasia must have sensed it because she turned her head to the side and up in order to view his face. He kissed her forehead. “I have no respect for a man who tries to take advantage of someone like that. He clearly considers women to be beneath him.”
If Joel thought he was upset now, it was nothing after he heard about how Liam had accused her of stealing money and that her friend, Callie, hadn’t even stood by her side. Much less when Liam tried to blackmail her with it.
No wonder Anastasia hesitated to trust other people.
“Is that why you left?”
Anastasia shook her head. “No, things got worse.” She snuggled further into his arms.
Worse? The muscles in Joel’s shoulders tightened. He rubbed the top of Anastasia’s arm.
A knock at the door sent Epic into a fit of barking. Brooke stood to answer it.
Joel spoke from his spot on the loveseat. “Make sure you know who’s there before you unlock that door.”
Brooke peeked through the hole in the door then opened it. The moment Epic recognized Chess, his tail wagged. He greeted the newcomer and then resumed his watch at Anastasia’s feet.
Chess’s eyes were on Brooke. “You said it was an emergency. What’s going on? Are you okay?”
Anastasia explained what happened to them. Chess watched Anastasia, concern shifting to protectiveness and anger. Joel knew he’d understand in a heartbeat. Chess turned around and secured the door before he joined Brooke on the futon.
Joel kissed Anastasia’s shoulder. “Tell us what happened next.”
~
Anna focused on the safety of Joel’s arms. She’d been afraid to tell him any of this and, to a degree, she still was. But finally sharing the burden of what she’d been carrying around for weeks was a relief.
Her mind drifted back to the catalyst. The final event that had led her to pack up her things and disappear. Anna took in a deep breath.
“I suspected Liam was taking money from the company. We lost our main account, but even then, the money was getting drained way too quickly. When he accused me of stealing some, I worried he was trying to blame me for all of it.
“One evening, Liam gave me a bunch of junk to do that kept me at the office late. I remember being angry about it, because it was all stuff that could be done the next day, but he’d insisted. Told me if I didn’t stay, he’d fire me.” She swallowed. Boy, she wished she’d simply told him no then. Everything else may not have happened. “I was sitting at my desk just outside of Liam’s office. I remember it was almost ten because I’d just checked the clock. I was exhausted. All of a sudden, I smelled smoke as it came in from under the door to the supply room. The sprinkler system came on, a fire alarm sounded, and the building filled with smoke.”
Joel drew her closer to him and Anna accepted the warmth and security his presence offered. She let her gaze roam over the faces of her friends. All of them were listening with rapt attention.
“I remember jumping up from my desk and looking over at the window. Something caught my eye. Outside, Liam was watching me…” Her voice caught. “It was like staring into the face of a monster. His eyes had no emotion in them but his mouth — no one smiles that wide naturally. I knew he set that fire. I have no idea if he was trying to kill me, or if he hoped I’d go down for setting it myself.”
Chess cursed. His voice startled her, but he didn’t say anything she hadn’t already thought.
“What’d you do next, Anna?” The question came from Brooke.
“I don’t know why I didn’t get out of the building. But the moment I realized Liam was behind the fire, it was clear my life might depend on having proof. I knew where he kept all of his backups. I ran into his office first…”
“…and grabbed the thumb drive,” Joel finished for her.
Anna’s gaze rested on Epic and the cylinder dangling from his collar. She put a hand on her other arm. “I grabbed it, knowing that if he was stealing money from his own company, the proof would be on there. Then I ran for the back of the building and got out. He never saw me leave. I don’t know if it was because of the fire department showing up or what, but I got the head start I needed.”
What was Joel thinking? Did he wonder whether she was telling the truth?
Uncomfortable with the silence, Anna kept talking. “I withdrew all my money from the bank and paid cash for the van. I got rid of my phone and picked up the one I have now. Epic and I drove. For hours. Days. Until we got here. I was hoping I could use the files to incriminate Liam but then I couldn’t decrypt them. I shouldn’t have stopped here — I should have kept going.”
And there it was. All out on the table for the others to judge. Did Joel regret giving her a job or introducing her to his family?
His voice rumbled near his ear. “I’m not sorry you stopped in Quintin.”
Those words did more to soothe her soul than she ever thought possible. When the others echoed his sentiment, tears filled her eyes.
“I didn’t think there was any way he’d find me here.” Anna sat up and shifted so she could see him. “What if he knows where I live? Where you all live? I don’t know what he’s capable of.” She shuddered. “I’m sorry for all of this. I need to pack up and move on before he finds me. I don’t want to put any of you in danger.”
“No.” Joel’s firm word drew her eyes to his. “If he followed you here, he won’t stop until he catches up with you. You didn’t set that fire and there has to be a way to prove it. Let us help you.”
Chess’s booming voice filled the room. “Someone like that won’t stop at hurting you. He’ll keep finding ways to do that until he’s put behind bars.”
Anna blinked at him. At the rest of the people in the room. “You believe me?”
“Why wouldn’t we?” Joel gently cradled her face with both of his hands. “I wish you’d told me about all of this before now. But I get that you were trying to protect us.” He brushed his thumbs against her cheeks. “Do you want to leave Quintin?”
She immediately shook her head. “No.”
“Good. You’re not alone now.”
Relief ran through her veins to every part of her body. “Thank you.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Joel moved to stand and drew her up with him. “Regardless of whether he knows where you live, I’m not comfortable with you and Brooke staying here alone.”
“I agree.” Chess stood.
“You two should come back to our place until this gets settled.” He was watching Brooke as if he expected her to argue. But when she agreed, he appeared relieved.
Brooke looked at Epic. “What about the thumb drive?”
Chess eyed the dog. “If Liam wants it this badly, I’m willing to bet he’s got the key needed to decrypt the files on him. The safest place for that drive is right where it’s at now.”
Epic raised his head as though he understood their every word.
Anna listened to the surrounding conversation. Joel believed her.
Thank you, God.
~
It felt like déjà vu as Anna took her clothing off their hangers and out of the drawers. She should’ve known these few days in paradise wouldn’t last forever.
She hadn’t realized how much force she was using to stuff the clothing into her rolling bag until Joel came up behind her. “Destroying your things isn’t going to stop Liam.” He put his arms around her and she stilled.
Sagging back against him, she welcomed the support of his sturdy chest and the warmth of his arms. “I hate him. And I hate myself for having been duped by him in the first place.” She frowned, frustrated by the prickling of tears. She was sick of wanting to cry.
Joel brushed a kiss against her ear. “Come on, let me help.” Together, they finished packing and met the others in the living room.
Anna spent the entire drive to Joel’s house watching the surrounding vehicles. It was dark and difficult to pick out details, but that didn’t stop her from holding her breath along the way. She half expected to find Liam waiting on the front porch.
Joel parked his car and they got out. Epic had ridden in the back seat, his ears bent and an annoyed expression on his face. But as soon as Joel let him into the house, he seemed to forgive them for banishing him from the passenger seat.
Safe In His Arms (Life Unexpected #1) Page 14