“You wanted to surprise me? How?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong.”
Tears fell anyway. She had been so determined to show him how much she wanted to be with him that she didn’t realize she could have been taken right under his nose and lost to him forever.
“So why did you leave the house? What were you trying to surprise me with?”
She looked so forlorn that it took him by surprise how vulnerable she still was.
“I wanted to get boxes from the store down the street so I could pack.”
“Pack?”
“Yes, pack. I wanted to surprise you with…”
“With what, honey?”
“With me.”
“With you? I’m confused.”
“I wanted to surprise you with some of my things that could go into the box to make it easier for me to stay with you longer.”
“Just longer, or for a long time?”
As gorgeous as she was, the moment when she was shy was when she was at her most beautiful.
“For a long time.”
She said so softly he nearly missed it as walked into the condo leading her towards the bedroom, but he was paying such close attention to her that he knew he would never miss anything. It was always this way between the two of them. Her shy nature often had her mumbling her true feelings, but he wouldn’t let that bother him.
“Katie, those things could have been taken care of by the security people. You could have been… Well, you know what could have happened.”
He didn’t want to scare her any more than she already was given what had just happened. She knew the consequences firsthand.
“I’m sorry.”
“You need to stop saying that. Why don’t you rest? When you’re up to it, we’ll pack up your place and bring the boxes over here. We could even call your family to help with the move. I’m sure they’d be happy to help us and see that you’re okay at the same time.”
Panic filled her at the mention of her family.
“Don’t tell them.”
“What?”
“Don’t tell them what could have happened—or did happen—today.”
“Why not? They need to know that they’re in danger, too.”
Katie hadn’t thought of that as a possibility. The thought of shattering their lives just when they had settled into them was something that broke her heart. She had cost her family enough; she didn’t want to burden them further.
“I know you don’t want them to be bothered with this, but they are part of the situation whether you want them to be or not. He knows where you are, and where they are.”
“How do we know it was even him? It could have been a pervert, or someone else for that matter.”
Stroking his chin with his finger and thumb, he contemplated her words. Truth be told, he would have moved to her place if he’d thought she was safer there, but no place was safe as long as there was a threat.
“No,” he blurted out without explanation.
“No, what? What are you thinking?”
Katie sat on the bed with her knees under her as she watched him process whatever he was thinking.
“I was just thinking that this place may not be safe for us to stay here anymore.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Katie, be reasonable.”
“I won’t let him, or anyone else for that matter, chase us from our home.”
Moving to get off the bed, she pulled out of his hold.
“Katie, please.”
“No, Zack! This is our house, unless you changed your mind and decided you don’t want me to live with you anymore.”
“You know that’s not the case. I want you here. With me.”
His eyes pleaded with her to consider her safety, but once she made up her mind, there was no stopping her. He knew this from experience.
“Alright, then we need to step up security.”
“No.”
She shook her head as he patted the space next to him.
“Oh no, I won’t take no for an answer this time, baby. We will step up security, even if I have to purchase an army to do so.”
“Zack, be reasonable.”
“Reason has nothing to do with this. I want you safe, and I want your family safe. In order to do that, we need to make sure he can’t hurt any of you.”
“I won’t be a prisoner. I was one for almost two years when I was married to the bastard.”
“We’ll figure it out, I promise you.”
Taking a moment to just hold her, he let out a shaky breath. She could have been lost to him, and he never would have known what had happened to her. The thought sent shivers down his spine he couldn’t hide, and she squeezed him tighter to herself for comfort.
“Call your family. We need to figure out how to get you moved in as soon as possible.”
***
Justin usually met Zack at the café for breakfast on Saturdays, but since his sister had started dating him, Zack had been too preoccupied for the past few weeks to get together, so it came as a surprise to hear from him this morning that he wanted to restart their tradition.
“So, you finally got away from the ball and chain to meet me for breakfast.”
Snickering, Justin threw the menu in Zack’s direction just as he sat down in his chair across from him.
“You do realize that ball and chain is your sister, right? Because if she heard you call her that, I’m sure you’d be apologizing on your hands and knees before you knew it.”
Picking the menu up off the table where it fell, Zack never made eye contact as he perused his options.
“Oh, crap.”
The look of sheer terror on Justin’s face was priceless. It almost had him thinking of not telling Katie what he’d said. Almost.
“You won’t tell her I said that, will you?”
Justin’s hand pulled the menu down, so Zack had no other choice but to look directly at him when he pleaded his case.
“Ha! You should see your face! Priceless. I don’t think in the three years we’ve been friends that I’ve ever seen you look so terrified.”
“Laugh it up, buddy. Just wait until you’re in the doghouse, and I don’t come to your aide.”
Trying to suppress his grin by covering his mouth with his hand, Zack put on his diplomatic façade before this conversation got out of hand any more than it already had.
“Seriously, though, you won’t tell Katie, will you?”
“No, Justin, I won’t tell Katie.”
“Asshole. I can’t tell if you’re just placating me, or if you’re serious. Stop doing that before you give me a heart attack.”
Zack busted out laughing. He just couldn’t keep up appearances in front of Justin.
“Sorry, it was just too good to pass up. I had to let it play out.”
“Shut up and order so we can eat. I’m starving.”
“Long night?”
The hospital was lucky to have a trained emergency room doctor that wanted to be in this town for the long term. Zack knew Justin wasn’t going anywhere after he’d finished his first year. He was just too involved in all the community affairs to get up and go. It made him more comfortable around him, and from there a friendship had developed into a full-fledged bromance.
“Yeah, but I love every minute of it, even if I’m so tired, I will probably pass out on my pancakes.”
Zack could picture it. It had almost happened after a seventy-two-hour shift once. Justin had met Zack at the café, and while Zack had taken a call from the town commissioner, Justin’s head had bobbed down into his pancakes, leaving a piece on his chin as the syrup stuck to his face.
“Oh, my God, you have to do that again. I missed the photo op the last time.”
“Wow, you’re a real charmer this morning. I can’t imagine what my sister sees in you.”
Flipping him the bird so the nearby children didn’t hear him swear, Justin narr
owed his eyes when Zack flipped him right back without skipping a beat.
“You two done playing around so I can take your order?”
Mrs. Turner owned and operated the café. With her long hair tied into a bun and a pencil sticking out of it, she looked more like a principal than a waitress as she scolded the two of them.
“Sorry, Mrs. Turner,” they both said in unison.
Laughing and shaking her head, she just pulled out her pencil and retrieved her notepad. “You boys sure you’re old enough to go out alone?”
“I can’t say for that one, but I certainly am, even though I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“Let’s not have another pancake incident, please, Justin.”
Now Zack couldn’t contain it any longer. Unfortunately, he had tried to swallow down some water when she had said this, which was now spewed across the table, completely covering Justin.
“Boys!”
Mrs. Turner pulled at the towel attached to her apron and started cleaning up the mess.
“Oh, my God! Water just went through my nose! That was most certainly your fault this time, Mrs. Turner.”
“I swear, Zackary Collins, there are times I cannot believe you are our mayor.”
“Isn’t it cool, ma’am?”
“How about you two order so I can get on with my day already?”
“Yes, ma’am,” they both said with their heads down.
After ordering, Zack began to tell Justin about the incident that had occurred just the day before. He still couldn’t believe it himself. He had been so sure that Katie would be safe with his security personnel all around, but when she was almost taken in broad daylight, he suddenly knew the extent of what they were up against.
“That brazen son of a…”
“Justin!” Mrs. Turner yelled from the other side of the room.
“Is she okay?”
“Yes, just shaken up.”
“What happened to your security people? Why weren’t they watching her?”
“They were supposed to be. I think they didn’t realized how severe the situation was. They sure as hell get it now, though.”
“But it could have been too late! Do you think it was Randall that tried to snatch her?”
“Who else could it have been? You said it yourself it was weird that we had that isolated encounter a few months back. I can’t believe it took him this long to do something, though.”
“If just he’s trying to get her now, something must have happened to cause him to snap.”
“I was wondering the same thing. Something must have caused him to come after her all of a sudden after so long, but what?”
“You realize we may never know the answer to that question, right? It’s pointless to think about it. We have enough to worry about without figuring out the reason behind his actions now.”
“I don’t think that’s the case. If we know why he is coming for her now, then we can figure out how to stop him before he gets her.”
Justin stopped with his fork midair to consider what Zack had said.
“Shit. How in the hell do we figure that out?”
“I thought about this last night while Katie slept. My men have been keeping tabs on Randall since I found out he was Katie’s ex-husband.”
“What’s the plan then? I assume you called me here for some sort of plan you came up with.”
Knowing Zack as well as he did, he knew he couldn’t let anything rest, especially anything that would result in the people he loved getting hurt. He would have to find a way to fix it. That’s what Justin admired most about the man. He threw himself into his life with everything he had. There was no denying Zack’s passion for those he loved and those he helped. It was all-consuming, and right now Randall was on the opposite side, which meant he would soon realize that the person he poked as he was trying to snatch Katie was the wrong person to cross.
“Oh, I have a plan. I have a big plan. Hopefully your family wouldn’t mind being part of it, though.”
He looked so determined that Justin couldn’t wait to hear all about it.
Chapter Ten
Everything was set for the big day. All the family that could make it to help Katie move showed, as well as several friends that just happened to have the large trucks she needed to transfer all of her things.
“Why don’t we just put the items inside the garage for now, so I can take them out and place them where I want as I go? There’s really no rush for me to get them unpacked right away, is there Zack?”
“No, Katie, there is no rush. Take as long as you’d like to unpack. Just getting you here was a big enough hurdle.”
He chuckled as she threw her empty overnight bag at his head, catching it in midair. Then he lunged for her. This had been the best day so far, and he couldn’t wait to have many more with her.
“You think he’s watching somewhere?”
Nestled under him, she couldn’t help but be nervous as their plan hinged on Randall making a move, one way or another.
“I know he’s out there somewhere, I just wish I knew exactly where, so I wouldn’t have to worry about you so much.”
His eyes searched hers for the connection they shared. Once he found what he was looking for, he let out a sigh of contentment that she echoed with her own.
“I just wish this was over with, so we could get on with our life together.”
Zack nodded his head in agreement. Having seen the horrors she still lived through, putting her though this was just not something he wanted to do, but having Randall gone was the only way to not only ensure her safety and his peace of mind.
“I love you so much.”
He had surprised her over the last few days with showing and telling her how he felt, making it easier for them on moving day.
“I love you, too.”
“Hey!” Matt called from the hall, carrying what looked like a box of the entire living room. “You two gonna help, or are we to be your servants for the day?”
“We had an option?” Katie smirked as she pushed herself free from under Zack. “I choose servant over big brother any day.”
“Hardy har har, little Kat’ten”
“I hate that nickname, Mattzie.”
“Oh Christ, don’t start with that shit!”
“Then don’t start with the Kat’ten shit!”
“Mom!” they both said in unison, their voices echoing throughout the condo.
“What?”
“Matt’s being mean to me!”
“Katie’s using my old nickname!”
“You two knock it off! Don’t make me come over there.”
Zack was dying he was laughing so hard, nearly falling off the bed in the process.
Then Justin made his way into the room.
“What? What’d I miss?”
“Mom!” Matt yelled again, in order to get someone on his side. “Make her stop.”
Then Katie poked Matt on the side of the ribs, nearly causing the box to slip from his hands.
“It’s your shit, princess, unless you’d rather I dropped it on my foot, too.”
“Hey! As eldest…”
Justin stepped into the middle of the two siblings, trying to sort out the matter before their mom had a chance.
“Crap, now you’ve done it.”
Placing the box down on the floor, Matt pushed at Katie, shoving her into the wall without hurting her, just enough to nudge her out of the way.
“Knock it off.”
Katie repeated Matt’s earlier statement in a similar tone.
“If I may continue? As eldest, I can solve this matter easily.”
Pointedly looking between the two siblings, Justin shot a glance at Zack, who was in tears watching the interaction.
“You’re not helping matters much.”
“Nope, wouldn’t think I would be.”
“You plan on helping with this?”
“Nope. I’d much rather watch the scene unfold.”
> “Stare at the carnage and whatnot?”
“Something like that.”
Zack leaned against the headboard, watching as Katie pushed Matt back.
“Knock it off!”
“You knock it off!”
“Mom!”
“How old are you two, anyway?”
“I’d say about…”
Holding up three fingers, firmly separated as far apart as possible, Matt shoved his hand in Justin’s face.
“This many!”
“Cute. Real Cute.”
Pushing his hand down with a flap of his own, Justin turned to Katie.
“What’s your excuse?” Narrowing his eyes at her, he watched as she just chewed on her bottom lip. “Don’t know? Super. You’re both idiots. Problem solved.”
With that, Justin turned to leave, but then decided to flip Zack the bird on the way out, which caused Zack to fall off the bed in hysterics.
“Mom!”
“Good lord! What is the problem now?” Annie screamed from the kitchen, where she was packing dishes as she rolled them into bubble wrap.
“Justin flipped my boyfriend the bird.”
“Justin! Mind your manners! Katie, stop making out with Zack and pack your room up. Matt, get that box from the hall and put it in the truck already. Oh! And the two of you, stop being a pain in the ass!”
“Ha-ha. By the way, Mom was talking to you guys on the whole pain in the ass thing.”
“Justin! Knock it off.”
“Shit.”
“The woman has bat ears. You should know that by now.”
“Katelyn!”
“Now you’re in trouble.”
Laughing so hard he could barely carry the box, Matt just leaned against the wall as he tried to breathe through the pain of laughing so hard it hurt.
“You alright there, Matt?”
Zack decided it was time to keep moving, since he wasn’t sure the siblings would be able to finish if he didn’t at least put in some effort into keeping things on track.
“Yep, bud, I’m grand.”
Leaving without a glance, Matt took the box to the truck, where he made piles of what went where at the new place. Organizing it so they wouldn’t have to dig in several areas for the same room’s items, Matt made his life’s work out of organizing whatever he came across.
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