Blackout

by Dani Matthews

  I wipe a tear and shake my head again. “I just want to go straight home.”

  “You’ve gone through quite an ordeal, are you certain you’re capable of driving?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  I arrive home without recalling the actual drive. Once my car is parked in the driveway, I go inside, feeling numb. I don’t know what to do, and everything I’m feeling is such a jumbled mess.

  With no destination in mind, I walk through the living room and pause by the stairs in the small foyer. Ordinarily, I’d go in search of a late lunch or see who else is home.

  Today…is different.

  The crushing impact of what happened catches up with me, and I let out a sob as I lower myself to the first step of the staircase. Tears stream down my face as I draw my knees to my chest.

  It was supposed to be an ordinary day, and instead, someone had tried to hurt me. Why? What did I do?

  “Harper?”

  Sebastian’s voice has me peering up at him through blurred eyes. He’s standing there in swimming trunks, a beer in hand. The sight of him is such a normal occurrence around here, and yet it just brings home how much my life has been disrupted these past few weeks.

  He looks at me with bewilderment. “What’s wrong, luv?”

  I wipe at the tears, and new ones promptly take their place.

  He sets his beer down and sits on the step beside me. “Hey, talk to me,” he murmurs.

  I don’t know where to begin.

  Sebastian reaches for me and frames my tear-stained face with his hands. His blue-green eyes are filled with concern. “What’s going on?”

  “Someone was there at the clinic. He had a knife,” I say, my voice thick with tears.

  Sebastian’s eyes widen with alarm. “You were attacked?”

  “I got away, but Hulk’s dead and…” I begin to cry, unable to continue as I lean into him.

  Fourteen

  Gabe

  If it weren’t for the fact that I work another shift tomorrow, I’d drop by a bar before coming home tonight. It’s been a while since I’ve wanted to drink away my problems, but tonight calls for it.

  We’d lost a patient today, and that’s always hard to accept. Add in my inability to persuade Harper into giving me a second chance, and my mood’s pretty bleak. Quinn had also let it slip this morning that Harper had an appointment this evening to check out an apartment and possible roommate.

  In a matter of days, she’ll be gone, and I’ll have no excuse to see her. It’s a bitter pill to swallow considering I’m the one who put myself in this position. The only thing that sits well with me is knowing that I did everything I could. I’d told her how I felt, I’d asked for a second chance, and I’d even made a physical play for her. I’d tried every angle, and I still got shot down. Rejection is never easy, but at least I can’t look back and wish I’d done more. It still doesn’t make letting her go any easier, but I won’t have any regrets about not trying hard enough.

  When I pull into the driveway, I take note of Harper’s car, and I sigh. Soon, that car will no longer be parked here. I could really use a beer. It’s not as good as the hard stuff, but it’s better than nothing.

  As soon as I enter the house, I blink with surprise as I close the door behind me. Colt, Channing, Ash, and Sebastian are sitting in the living room. The TV is off, and all their expressions are serious.

  “Lock those,” Colt says to me, referring to the double deadbolts on the door.

  After I turn both locks, I face them inquiringly. “What’s going on?”

  Ash rises to her feet and moves to sit on Channing’s lap, and his arm immediately slips around her.

  “Take a seat,” Channing suggests, his face somber.

  What the hell is going on? Knowing I’m not going to get an answer until I sit down, I walk to the end of the sofa that Ash had vacated and set my duffle bag at my feet. Colt’s sitting on the opposite end, and Ash and Channing are sitting in the middle corner of the L-shaped sofa. Sebastian is sprawled in the recliner.

  No one’s smiling.

  “What’s up with the cryptic greeting?” I ask.

  They all exchange a look.

  My heart sinks as I focus on Channing. “Harper moving out tomorrow?” It’s the only reason I can think of for the group to look so unhappy.

  Channing rubs his jaw. “I wish that were the reason we’re sitting here.”

  “Quit dragging this shit out and tell me already.”

  Sebastian drags himself to his feet, and as he walks past Channing, he squeezes his shoulder. “I’m going to let you do the unfortunate honor.” His eyes slide to me. “We’ll talk later,” he says before he leaves the living room.

  My eyes swing back to Channing. “What the fuck was that?”

  “Harper was attacked at the clinic,” Colt tells me, his tone grim.

  His announcement has my heart leaping in my chest. “Is she okay?” I demand, about ready to launch myself to my feet. Is she at the hospital? Why am I just now hearing about this?

  Channing gives Colt a look. “You could have broken the news with a little more finesse.”

  “You were taking too long.”

  “Is she okay?” I bark out, wanting an answer.

  “She’s fine,” Channing assures me. “She’s up in her room, sleeping.”

  I stand, wanting to see for myself that she’s okay.

  “You’re going to want to hear the rest of it,” Colt’s voice cuts in, drawing my attention back to him.

  Ash nods in agreement. “The last thing Harper needs is you overloading her with questions,” she quietly adds.

  They have a point, and I reluctantly reclaim my seat. “I don’t understand how this all happened.”

  Channing begins to explain the situation. “Someone was waiting for her to arrive—likely in the trees by the clinic. While she was walking one of the dogs, he snuck in and ambushed her once she was back inside. He went after her with a knife, and the dog she had with her attacked him. She managed to hide until she had a chance to sneak out a window and get to her car. From there, she drove down the block to the gas station and called the police.”

  “Did they catch him?” I ask tersely.

  “No,” Colt replies. “He was gone by the time the officers arrived at the clinic. It’s likely he parked in the residential neighborhood and had hidden in the trees until he had his chance to sneak in.”

  Channing nods in agreement. “She left the back door unlocked while she walked the dog so that she’d be able to get back inside.”

  It’s hard to contain my anger over the situation, but I draw in a deep breath and rein in my emotions. I hate that the bastard is out there somewhere, but I’m more concerned about Harper. “She wasn’t injured at all?” I ask, needing verification.

  Channing shakes his head. “She’s fine, at least physically.”

  I rub my hands over my face as I process what they’re telling me. I can’t imagine how terrified Harper must’ve been.

  “What we need to discuss are the how’s and why’s,” Colt says.

  My eyes lock on his. “This guy knows she goes to the clinic about every other Sunday.”

  “Exactly. I’m going to assume he just figured it out recently, because why lie in wait after a party with a witness to the crime when he could have cornered her when she was all alone. This started that night, and he somehow found out where and when she’d be the most vulnerable,” Colt say pointedly.

  “You think it’s someone she knows,” I state.

  “I’m leaning towards that,” he confirms. “The two attacks are clearly connected. We’re just lucky that whomever this bastard is, he can’t get his hands on a gun.”

  Shit. If he’d had a gun instead of a knife, we’d be planning a funeral right now. “The first attack happened while she was with her coworker, Brandie. Do you think she might be tied to this somehow?”

  “It’s an angle that I’ll suggest to Bryce. I’m certain he’ll be looking in
to this personally if he’s not assigned to the case.”

  “But you don’t think it’s an actual lead, do you?” I press.

  Colt shakes his head. “The attacker didn’t seem interested in Brandie the first time.”

  “Why the hell would anyone want to hurt Harper?” I ask darkly. This doesn’t make sense.

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” Colt says. “There’s a reason, we just need to figure out what it is.”

  “Until then, she isn’t safe,” I say quietly.

  “Things are going to have to change around here where security is concerned,” Colt confirms. “If this guy knew where she’d be today, he knows where she lives.”

  “I don’t think any of the girls should be left alone,” Channing adds.

  I nod in agreement and look at Ash. “Quinn crashing with her tonight?” I ask, referring to Harper.

  She shakes her head. “Quinn doesn’t know about any of this. She’s been gone, and Harper insisted no one call her.”

  This news has me frowning. “How do you think she’s handling what happened?” I ask her.

  Ash grimaces. “She’s hiding it, but she’s pretty upset. I offered to stay with her tonight, but she wouldn’t let me.”

  She’s alone right now.

  I know Harper well enough to know that she’s more traumatized than she’s let on, and I would bet that she’s wide awake instead of sleeping.

  I rise to my feet. “I’m going to bunk with Harper if she’ll allow it.” I still recall how she’d clung to me in the ER after the first attack. She’d been desperate to be with someone safe, and I don’t think she wants to admit it, but I’m that person.

  Colt nods in agreement. “I’ll wait up and fill Quinn in on what happened.”

  Fifteen

  Harper

  The lamp shines brightly in my face as I lie on my side, facing the nightstand. I can’t bring myself to turn my back to the light so I can try to sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I find myself back in that cubby, terrified that he’d find me. Sleeping isn’t going to come easy for me tonight, and it’s one of the reasons I’d turned down Ash’s offer to stay with me. Tomorrow’s Monday, and everyone has a job to get to in the morning. I don’t want to be responsible for keeping someone awake all night.

  Instead of focusing on what had happened, I try to concentrate on tomorrow. I’d already spoken with Lynn, the veterinarian that owns the clinic. She’d offered me the week off, but I’d declined. I can’t stay here at the house all day, it’d drive me crazy, and I’d likely grow paranoid. I have a job, and I’m not going to bail on it—no matter how uneasy I am about going back inside that building.

  I will never look at the interior the same way again.

  A quiet knock on my door startles me, and I abruptly sit up.

  The door opens, and Gabe looks in at me. When he sees that I’m awake, he slips further into the room, closing the door behind him. “I’m not sure you want to see me right now, but I wanted to check on you,” he says lightly.

  He’s not even finished speaking before I shove aside the sheets and stumble towards him. He quickly meets me halfway and hugs me tightly to his chest, his hand cupping the back of my head as my arms wrap around his waist.

  A sense of relief washes over me, and for the first time since the ordeal at the clinic, I feel safe and secure. I don’t know why he makes me feel this way when he’s hurt me so much in the past, but for some reason, he’s my sanctuary. My safe haven. When I’m with him, I know that nobody is going to hurt me.

  I close my eyes and press my face into his shoulder. I don’t know how long we stand there holding each other, and I don’t think either of us care as the seconds turn into minutes.

  “Want me to stay with you tonight?” he asks softly, his breath stirring my hair.

  I nod against his shoulder without hesitation.

  He gently eases back and peers into my eyes, his gaze searching mine. “I’m going to hold you tonight and keep you safe.”

  His vow has my eyes filling with tears.

  “Shh, I’ve got you,” he assures before he presses a tender kiss to my forehead. “Let’s get you back in bed.”

  I wipe at my tears and move to the bed, climbing in.

  Gabe slips off his jeans, socks, and shoes, but leaves on his tee and briefs.

  I shift to the other side of the bed, and he takes the spot closest to the nightstand. As he lies down, he turns off the lamp and my heart stutters.

  His hands reach for me, and my unease of the darkness fades as he draws me onto my side so that we’re facing each other, his arm resting over my hip. We do a little shifting to get more comfortable, and his arm slips beneath my pillow. I instinctively scoot closer, my face almost buried in the crook of his neck.

  For a long time, we lied there in silence, but for once, it isn’t strained. I’m thankful that he’s not asking what happened, and yet I’m wanting to talk about it with him.

  “I don’t understand why this is happening,” I say quietly.

  His hand begins to rub the small of my back. “I spoke with Colt, and he’s going to bring Bryce in on your case. I don’t know if he can get assigned to it in a professional compacity or not, but either way, his help would be beneficial.”

  My hand is resting along his ribcage, and I enjoy the warmth of his skin radiating through his shirt. “Quinn wanted to tag along with me today. I wonder what would have happened if she’d been there.”

  “He would have either bailed or gone after you both.”

  A lump develops in my throat, and my fingers instinctively tighten against his side. “The only reason I’m here is because Hulk, the dog I’d finished walking, drew the attacker’s attention away from me.”

  “He sounds like a brave dog.”

  “He didn’t make it,” I whisper sadly.

  Gabe’s lips brush my temple in the dark as he continues massaging my lower back. “He died protecting someone. It was in his blood, and I bet he would do it all over again, regardless of the consequences.”

  I nod, struggling not to cry. I’ve never been much of the crying type, but today’s been so difficult to accept. “I told Lynn that I’d like to meet his owners. I need to thank them and explain how brave he was,” I say thickly.

  “One thing at a time, Harper. Let yourself process what happened first,” he says gently.

  “I already know what happened. Someone wants to hurt me, and I have absolutely no idea why. All I can do is wait for the police to turn up something, and until then, go on with my life.”

  His hand stills on my back. “You can’t go anywhere alone,” Gabe warns.

  I release a sigh. “I figured as much.”

  “There has to be a reason for all this,” he says, and I can hear the frustration in his tone. We’re all confused, and only the attacker knows the real reason why he’s after me.

  “I can’t imagine a single thing I’ve done that would lead to this predicament.”

  “We’re not going to be able to figure it out tonight. Why don’t you close your eyes and try to sleep,” he coaxes.

  “I wasn’t very nice to you the last time we spoke,” I say guiltily.

  “None of that matters now.”

  “Gabe?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Thank you. For this.”

  “I’ll always be here if you need me.”

  His words cause my chest to tighten. How I wish things were different between us. Right now, I would love nothing more than to lose myself within him. To feel alive, to simply feel. Without realizing it, my body shifts closer so that our hips come into contact. My body’s aching for his, and I draw in a deep breath and try to control my hormones.

  “Sleep. I won’t go anywhere. Promise.”

  With our bodies pressed together so intimately, I can feel the reaction he’s having. His erection is growing, and it’s nestled against my lower stomach. As tingles begin to spread across my body, I recall how it’d felt when we were teenagers an
d in the backseat of his car. There’d been a lot of fumbling as we’d anxiously maneuvered in the back until I could sit on top of him and ride him. It had always been my favorite position, and I still remember how good he’d felt inside me. My hips shift restlessly, aching for his touch.

  “Sorry,” Gabe murmurs. “I can’t help how my body reacts when you’re near. We can shift position if you want,” he offers apologetically.

  My breathing turns shallow, and my heart begins to pound. Gabe is in my bed and ready for the taking. If I asked him to, I know he’d have sex with me. The sexual tension between us has been difficult to ignore lately, and I want him so badly…

  “Hey, you okay?” Gabe asks, moving his body away from mine so he can try to peer at me in the darkness. “I know what happened was scary—”

  “It’s not that,” I cut in, realizing that he’s thinking I’m having a reaction to what had happened at the clinic.

  His hand brushes my hair away from my face. “What is it?”

  “I almost died tonight. He went there with the sole intention of killing me,” I say softly.

  “I know. It’s all I can think about,” he says, his voice thick with emotion.

  “Gabe, I want to feel alive. I want…” my voice trails off, because I’m asking him to share his body with me, but not for it to mean anything. I don’t want to begin dating him, but I yearn for what his body can give me tonight.

  He’s silent for a long moment until he replies, “Whatever you want, it’s yours,” he says quietly.

  “Just for tonight?” I whisper.

  “If that’s what you want.”

  Liquid heat pools between my legs. “I want,” I confirm.

  “Then take it.” He shifts away and rolls onto his back, waiting. He knows that I enjoy riding him more than anything else.

  He doesn’t have to say it twice. I promptly sit up and climb onto him, straddling his hips as I lean down to find his lips with my own. His mouth is warm, and he tastes faintly of toothpaste. As the kiss deepens, I feel his hands settle on my hips, and he urges me to grind against his hard erection.