by Dana Mason
She wept, her relief overshadowing the embarrassment as her entire body convulsed into uncontrollable trembles. She lay back down, pulled the thick blanket over her head, and curled her knees to her chest.
“What can I do?” he asked.
Sarah couldn’t stop crying long enough to give a coherent answer.
“Not all men are like him, Sarah.”
The emotional weight pressed down on her chest as she sobbed, stealing her breath. This time, she didn’t care if Mark watched her fall apart.
She woke up a while later wrapped tightly in her blanket, sweating through her clothes. She poked her head out of the blanket and blinked at the lamp. Then she rolled over and saw Mark sleeping on the floor next to her bed. He was clutching the blanket from the sofa and fully dressed.
She gave his shoulder a little shake.
His eyes blinked open and met hers. He rubbed his face. “Do you need something?”
She nodded and her eyes filled with tears. “Will you lie down with me?”
“You don’t want to be alone?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. Mark stood and clicked the lamp off, before lying down next to her, leaving the thick blanket between them.
Sarah tried to catch her breath and stop crying, but couldn’t.
“This is hard for you, isn’t it?” Mark whispered.
Sarah nodded and wiped her face under the blanket.
“It’s okay to ask for help. You don’t have to handle everything on your own. You’ve been through hell. Nobody will think you’re weak for needing a shoulder to cry on.”
She nodded again and realized he might be right, no matter how hard it was to admit.
Chapter Twelve
The smell of coffee brought Mark out of his exhaustion-induced coma. He lifted his head and looked around the sunlit bedroom. This was not his bedroom. That was obvious by the sweet scent of vanilla and lavender. He stifled a moan and inhaled deeply while stuffing his nose into her pillow.
Lying next to her, inhaling her sweet scent all night had nearly sent him over the edge. He wanted to be here for her, but being here came with a price.
Anyone would have trouble dealing with what she’d been through. He knew firsthand how hard it was to point a gun at another human being and pull the trigger, no matter who the human was.
Now that he knew for sure she was being targeted, he wasn’t leaving her alone at all.
The omission about the rape at the college weighed heavy on his mind, but at this point, he didn’t think she could take much more.
Where were her loved ones? She had family...why wouldn’t she share this with them? He glanced at the photo on her bedside table of Sarah with Ava, proof that she had someone in her life. There were other pictures around the room, too. Sarah’s big, bright smile stood out amongst the others. It reminded him of how she looked on the beach, happy and lighthearted. She deserved to feel like that all the time, but it was obvious something had darkened her life, something besides the attack at Oakbrook on Friday.
He got up, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and lumbered into the living room. “Good morning.”
Sarah jumped, spilling coffee down her front. “Oh—hi,” she said, wiping at the coffee spill.
He grimaced. “Sorry, didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
“It’s okay, I’m a little jumpy. Not used to having people here with me.”
“How did you sleep?” he said over his shoulder, as he walked through the living room into the kitchen.
“Good, how about you? I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“No, I didn’t hear a thing.” He pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“You didn’t have to get up. I don’t mind if you use the bed. It’s the least I could offer after all the trouble I’ve caused you.”
Mark sipped the rich brew and closed his eyes, silently thanking her for having fresh ground coffee instead of grocery store crap.
He waved her off as he walked back into the living room. “I got plenty of sleep.”
Mark would much rather stay here and take care of her than sit home alone. He hated his house, hated being there. And with that vanilla and lavender scent burned into his brain, he’d never sleep as comfortably again without it. Sarah’s house on the other hand was charming, inviting, and well...full of spirit.
He sat down across from her. “We need to talk about some full-time protection, Sarah.” He sipped his coffee. “Last night should be enough to convince you that you’re not safe here alone.”
Sarah stared at him, not speaking for a long time. Shifting her weight, she set her mug on the table.
“Mark...I don’t want you feeling obligated to protect me. You have a busy life and a son to take care of.”
He leaned forward. “You think I’m here because I feel obligated?”
Sarah looked down, chewing on her lip. “I don’t know what to think.”
Mark ran his hand through his hair, wishing he could make her understand. “I don’t do things because I have to. I do them because I want to.”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I just don’t understand...”
“Look, Sarah, this is new territory for me. I’ve never dealt with this sort of thing before.” He took a few sips of his coffee again, not sure how to explain his motivation to her, especially since he didn’t completely understand it himself. “I’m not sure how to help...but I want to be here for you.”
“You were a cop, surely you’ve seen this before, probably worse.”
“You’re right.” He nodded. “Working as a police officer I had to deal with crime like this, but when you’re on the job it’s different. It’s not personal, it’s work. I was trained to distance myself from what I had to face.” He closed his eyes for a split second and then trained his gaze on her again. “When I saw that terrified look in your eyes, it caught me off guard. It became personal to me.” He stared at her unblinking for a moment. “And all of that was intensified ten-fold last night when I walked into this house and found you hiding in the corner with a gun. You cannot expect me to walk away after that.”
Before Sarah could respond, there was a knock at the door. She bolted upright, the color draining from her face.
Mark walked to the window and looked out. A shiny red convertible with the top down sat haphazardly behind his truck. He turned and looked at Sarah’s pale face. “I guess you’re not expecting anyone.”
She shook her head and got to her feet.
“Stay put, I’ll get it.” He peered through the peephole at a petite woman wearing huge sunglasses, carrying a white bag and a tray of coffee.
He opened the door and had to squint at the bright sun as it blasted through the door.
“Get up, you bum.” The little woman nearly ran him over as she stepped into the house. “Whose big-ass truck is blocking the driveway?”
When she finally looked up, she yelped and ripped the sunglasses off her face. “Who the hell are you?”
Mark smiled. “Hello, Ava.”
She was barely five feet tall with pin straight, blond hair and eyes that got stonier as they stared at him.
Her gaze went from his messy hair, to his bare feet, then to the mass of blankets on the sofa. An amusing smile jerked at the side of her mouth. “I know you,” she said. “You’re Angela Summors’ brother, aren’t you?”
“And that’s my big-ass truck,” Mark said as he closed the door behind her.
Ava turned and got a good look at Sarah. The grin dropped from her face. “Holy shit, Sarah! Look at you.”
Sarah rubbed her face and brushed the hair from her forehead. “I’m fine, Ava. What are you doing here?”
“What am I—you fucking told me you were mugged. This doesn’t look like a mugging.”
“Mugged?” Mark crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at Sarah.
She rested her face in her hands. “I. Am. Fine. I didn’t want you to rush home for nothing.”
&n
bsp; “You look like you’ve gone ten rounds with Mike Tyson.” She walked over and set the drinks and bag of pastries down on the table next to the couch.
“If only,” Mark said.
Sarah shot him a dirty look, and he felt bad for ganging up on her. “She’s had a rough week.”
“Why on earth wouldn’t you tell me the truth?”
“Ava...don’t, okay?”
“She was attacked Friday night leaving work. It was late, dark, and...”
Sarah glared at him again.
He waved a hand at Sarah. “You shouldn’t lie to her. How would you feel if the roles were reversed—”
“Attacked. How?” Ava said, ignoring their sidebar. “Tell me everything.”
“She got away from him, but he beat the hell out of her first.”
When he saw the question in Ava’s eyes, he answered before she could ask. “She wasn’t raped.”
Relief flashed in her dark eyes. “She told me her purse was stolen.”
Mark walked over and sat back down on the couch across from them. “Technically, her purse was stolen. He got her house keys and all her identification.”
“Why are you here?”
“I was at the school picking up my mom. When Sarah got away from him, she ran into us. I’ve been helping her out.”
“Sleeping here?” Ava said, looking at the pile of blankets next to him.
“Someone broke in last night. I stayed so Sarah wouldn’t have to be alone.”
Ava’s eyes grew wide. “Last night?”
Mark nodded. “Sarah shot him, tagged his arm. Lucky bastard, another few inches and he’d have a hole in his chest.”
“I can’t freaking believe all this happened last night and you didn’t call me. You knew damn well I got home last night.”
“I was here with her,” Mark said. “There wasn’t any need to call you in the middle of the night.”
Sarah gave him a look of thanks when Ava backed down. “Is that Mocha for me?”
Ava chuckled. “Yeah, but I didn’t know you had a hot guy spending the night or I would’ve brought him one too.”
Mark fought to keep the color out of his face. It was definitely time to retreat. He reached for the bag, pulled out a blueberry scone, and stood. “If you two don’t mind, I’m going to take a shower.”
Sarah began to stand. “Do you need—“
“No, stay put, I’ll find my way.” He stopped short and turned toward Ava. “Maybe you can talk your friend into full-time protection. She’s not safe staying here alone, and she won’t listen to me.”
“Nice.” Ava gave an appreciative nod as she watched Mark leave the room. “He certainly grew into his good looks.”
“Shut up.” Sarah shook her head, her eyes trailing Mark as he disappeared. She couldn’t help but agree with Ava’s perception.
Ava snickered. “He’s like a real-life superhero.”
Sarah leaned over to embrace Ava. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Why didn’t you call me sooner? You look like hell.”
“I’m fine...but I shot someone last night, can you believe it?” It still didn’t seem real to her. She’d owned that gun a long time, but she’d never imagined ever pointing it at another person and shooting them.
“Yeah,” Ava scoffed. “I can.” She pulled back and gave Sarah a good look. “I wouldn’t want to meet you down a dark alley.”
When Sarah didn’t respond, Ava said, “So, you shot an intruder. You protected yourself, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Well I can no longer protect myself. The police took my gun.”
“They took the Colt that Charlie gave you?”
“Yeah...needed it for evidence.”
“I’m sorry, hon. I know that was important to you.”
“God...I’ll never forget the day Charlie gave me that gun.”
“Wasn’t that right before your mom divorced him?”
Sarah closed her eyes, wishing like hell she could forget that day. “Charlie took me and Devon to the shooting range...when we got home Mama was ‘entertaining’ some friends.”
“What?” Ava raised her eyebrows in question.
“She had two men in our house and they were all drinking...two weeks later we moved to Flagstaff with one of them.”
“Is that why she left Nashville?”
“Some guy, just like always. Charlie was heartbroken. I can still see the look on his face when we walked into that house.” She dropped her head on her shoulders. “What is wrong with her?”
“You could waste your whole life trying to figure her out. Anyway, it doesn’t matter, Sarah. She is who she is and nothing you do or say will change that.”
“I guess you’re right, but still...”
Ava rolled her eyes. “Oh, whatever. You try so hard to prove you’re nothing like her, but who are you trying to prove it to?”
Sarah jerked her head up to look at Ava. “Ah! I do not.” She shifted in her seat. “I don’t have anything to prove, and I’m nothing like her.”
Ava reached over for her coffee and then leaned back against the sofa cushions. “Yeah...so how many times have you starting packing since you were attacked?”
“That’s not a fair question. You don’t know what it feels like knowing some madman is stalking me.”
Ava blew out a breath. “I’m sorry, you’re right, I have no idea what you’re going through right now.” She leaned forward and placed her hand on Sarah’s. “Why don’t you stay with me? I’ll take the week off. We’ll hang out and come up with some cool revenge.”
“You can’t take a week off.” Sarah considered the idea, but Ava was notorious for using every hour of sick leave and vacation as she earned it. “You don’t have any vacation time.”
“I’ll work it out. I’m more concerned for you than that stupid airline.”
It wouldn’t hurt...maybe for a few days. At least that was better than calling Devon again. “Where do you go next week?”
“Guam.”
“No,” she shook her head, “that’s good money for you. I can’t ask you to give that up. Besides, what if it ends up being longer than a week?”
“Why don’t you call Lily or Devon? I’m sure either would be here in a minute to help you.”
“Are you mad at me? Geez. Forget that. I’m not calling Mama.”
“What about Devon?”
“No, I feel bad asking him to rescue me again.”
“That’s what big brothers are for.”
“No, it’s not.” Sarah dropped her head back in exasperation. “Do you know that it has taken every ounce of strength I have to keep from packing my bags and leaving the country? This is my home. I love it here. What kind of message am I sending if I leave? God! Why does everything in my life have to be so hard? I just want to live without the drama.”
“If you don’t want to leave, then ask Mark to stay.”
“Ava! You know I can’t ask him to do that.” Sarah thought about what Mark had said before Ava interrupted the conversation and realized he might not take no for an answer.
“Not everything has to be hard. Maybe if you let people into your life once in a while, things might be easier. I think you should stop trying to prove something and be smart about this.”
“I’m not trying to make a statement here. Do you really think I would put myself in danger to prove I’m not like Mama?”
Ava’s eyes widened. “Ah...yes I do.” She shrugged and said, “He seems to really care about you and you can use a man like that around.”
“Having a man around isn’t the solution to everything.” And with her luck, having a man around was likely to cause her more trouble than solve anything, especially a man like Mark. He was just too perfect, too...soft. She thought about lying in bed with him last night. Yeah, he provided a little too much security.
“Sarah,” Ava said in a low voice. “I’ve known his family for a long time. They’re good people. He is a nice guy. Gawd, and the
way he looks at you.”
Sarah dropped her head to her hands. There was no use in asking her to stop—she didn’t listen. “This isn’t helping.”
“What are you going to do? Stay here like a sitting duck? Wait for this fucker to come after you again?”
“That’s a good question,” Mark said.
They both jumped when they heard Mark’s voice behind them.
“Excuse me?” Sarah said, trying to steady her racing heart. “Didn’t your mother teach you not to eavesdrop?”
“I wasn’t listening. I just walked in on the conversation. Although, I’m curious to see how you answer that question.”
Sarah threw her hands in the air, wishing like hell she had an answer. “I don’t freaking know what to do now.”
She almost shouted it, but when the phone rang, she started at the sound. Then she sighed, feeling stupid for being so damned jumpy. She stood and walked over to answer, relieved to get away from the prying eyes and questions. “Hello.”
“Hello, sweet Sarah. Did you think a bullet in the arm would stop me?”
Her blood went ice cold.
“Who is this?” she whispered as the room tilted. She braced herself against the table to regain her balance as the phone was ripped from her hand.
“Who is this?” Mark’s face went red as he listened with a white-knuckled grip. “Ah! The coward hung up.”
Sarah clutched her throat, rapidly breathing in and out.
Mark sat her down. “Take a deep breath, Sarah, before you hyperventilate.”
She leaned back against the sofa and closed her eyes. What kind of sick person is this?
“Dammit!” she said after a few minutes of silence.
Now it was her turn to be the coward. She didn’t want to let that monster chase her away, but he left her with little choice. She would not be his sitting duck.
She got up and went into her bedroom, pulling a large suitcase out of the closet. She started grabbing clothes from the hangers. He’d won, and that was okay with her. She’d happily admit defeat if it meant never having to look at that man ever again. If she’d learned anything in her life, it was how to retreat.
“Sarah?” Ava called softly.