“Even better than—”
I silenced her with my mouth, knowing she was going to ask if it was better than the days my kids were born and whatever else was technically better. I didn’t care. This one was in the top ten for sure.
When I graduated college the first time, there were caps and gowns and flowers and speeches and tossing of said caps. That wasn’t what happened the last day of class. Instead, I simply got a signed certificate from my teacher saying I passed. Ethan made sure to make dinner plans at a nice steakhouse to celebrate, and I’d switched with the Monday night bartender so I could have the night off.
“Order whatever you want, Buttercup. You’ve earned it.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
“How does it feel being a crime scene investigator?”
“I have to get a job as one first.” I chuckled.
Ethan grinned. “We’re gonna work on that.”
“Yeah?”
He leaned back in his chair and set the menu down. “I told you that first night that I’d help you.”
“You also told me that you’d help me study,” I reminded him. We’d studied together, but not my coursework.
“You never wanted or needed my help.”
“I know, and this is going to sound weird, but I’m kinda glad you’ve been working long hours. I’ve been able to really focus.”
“I hope you still feel that way in five years.”
The waiter picked that moment to come and take our order. After we both let him know what we wanted to eat and drink, I replied, “Why do you think it will be any different five years from now?”
Ethan took a sip of water. “You know why I’m divorced.”
I nodded slightly. “Yeah, but I’m not her.”
He chuckled slightly. “No, baby, you’re not.”
“Plus,” I went on, “you’re nothing like my ex. He had a thing for his secretary.”
“I know that. I was merely referring to my job.”
“I know. And who knows, I might be working those long hours too.”
“Yep, but first, I need to catch this guy.”
I frowned. “Why?”
Ethan grabbed my hand and rubbed my knuckles softly. “Given that we don’t know who this guy is, I don’t want to chance that you’ll be put in a trap.”
“How?”
“There’s a lot of ways, but if you’re the tech on a crime scene, you’ll be out in the open.”
“So, you want me to stay a kept woman on a leash?”
“That’s not what you are—”
“But it is. For the past week and a half, I haven’t been alone. Haven’t been able to go shopping if I wanted to, or get my hair or nails done. I’ve only been able to go to school and go to Judy’s, and now I don’t have school. So what am I going to do while I’m not behind the bar? Cook? Clean? Be your housewife?”
I didn’t need to get my hair done, and I wasn’t one to have my nails done every two weeks either. My point was that I wasn’t able to leave the house and do whatever I wanted. I knew we were doing it to keep me safe, but I also wanted to be able to find a job in my new field and not have to tell them that a serial killer might be after me, or that I came with private security.
“You know that if—”
The waiter brought us our drinks, and Ethan paused. When the waiter left, Ethan took a deep breath before continuing.
“You know if there wasn’t a threat on your life that things would be different.”
I sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ve just always wanted this and now …” I swallowed. “Now, it feels as if there’s something else preventing it from happening. I made the decision after college to not pursue my dreams, and I don’t regret having Maddie, but now—”
“I want you to follow your dreams, but I also don’t want to be called to your murder scene.”
“What if you never catch this guy?”
“I will.”
“You don’t know that. It’s been almost two months since the first murder.” I only knew that because Ethan had walked into Judy’s the night before the first murder, and that was two weeks after I had started school. Given the program was only ten weeks, we were coming up on two months for the first unsolved murder. Would it take two more months to solve the second? Longer even?
Ethan took another deep breath. With the long hours, the lack of sleep, making sure he drove me home after my late shifts, I knew he was tired. I knew he was trying to solve the case—obviously—but there was still that chance it would never be solved. There were countless murders that took ten, twenty years to be solved—if at all. “You’re right.”
“I don’t mean that you’re not—”
“I know. There is that possibility we’ll never catch him, given the lack of evidence.”
“Ethan …” He was still rubbing my hand, so I placed my free one on top of his. “I believe in you. You’ll catch this guy.”
“Hope so, but you’re right: you need to live your life. We’ve taken measures to protect you, and we have to trust that they will. You’ll also be surrounded by cops as an investigator. We’ll make it work. I want you to follow your dreams and be happy.”
“I am happy,” I corrected. “I’m happy because I’m with you. I’m happy because of you.”
Ethan stood, leaned across the table, and in the middle of the packed restaurant, placed his lips against mine. “And I’ve never been happier,” he admitted, returning to his seat. “Now, let’s pretend we don’t have a care in the world. Tonight’s about you.”
“Want to go sing karaoke?” I joked.
He chuckled. “If you really want to go, yeah. If not, I’m okay taking you home and having a proper date night that ends with you and me naked.”
I pretended to think for a moment. “Yeah, that does sound better.”
Fiona Jones was number four on my watch list. Since I was already going out of order and had killed my number nine, I wasn’t too worried about it. Plus, Fiona was perfect. She hadn’t wronged me as Amy had, and she wasn’t too good to stick something up her ass like Daisy.
No, Fiona was the opposite.
She went to class, came home, did her homework, and lived a normal college student’s life. She also was attending school on a school visa because she was from England, meaning she didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving. That was why she was next. Everyone she knew would either be out of town or with their own family, so I could slip in and not worry about someone catching me.
And I had weeks to watch and learn her schedule and plans.
After Jack and I started our love affair—we were sneaking around the office and hadn’t told anyone we were seeing each other—I still caught myself logging in each night to watch the women on my list. I thought I was over pussy and just needed dick—Jack’s dick—but I still had the urge to be with a woman.
Jack hadn’t answered my text about our nightly rendezvous, so I took the time to scope out Fiona’s neighborhood. I needed to know how close the house next to hers was—find out if she had looky-loos who watched the street at all hours—and figure out my escape plan. I didn’t stay long because it had started to snow, but I got what I needed to know. Fiona had a back door that I could get in and out of without anyone seeing me. It led to an alley behind her house and would be the perfect getaway. The other two times, I had to go out the front door, and I was lucky I wasn’t seen.
I was just that good.
After getting into my car, I made the decision to visit my favorite bartender. I knew her shift was ending soon, and I was hoping Sergeant Valor would be there too. I hadn’t crossed her off my watch list even though I was no longer watching her through her webcam or watching her at school. I missed watching them fuck, and I missed seeing Reagan on campus now that her class was over.
I swung the door to Judy’s open after I’d parked down the street and hurried to get out of the snow and cold. The moment I stepped foot in the warm bar, I saw Jack. He was at the bar laughing with Rea
gan. Even though I knew he frequented Judy’s, I didn’t like him flirting with her. He hadn’t answered my text, and watching him flirt with Reagan as I stood not three feet away made me angry. I saw him looking at her the same way he looked at me the night he fucked me in the bathroom.
He wanted her.
And I couldn’t let that happen.
I turned and left, needing to come up with a new plan because Reagan was next.
It was early afternoon on the day before Thanksgiving, and I was pacing. Maddie was on her way from Michigan. I hadn’t seen my daughter in over three months, and that was the longest I’d ever been apart from her.
She was staying in the boys’ room for the four nights she was in town, and I was jumping for joy, to say the least. When I told her I’d moved in with Ethan, she was happy for me. We hadn’t had a chance to talk about her dating life, but that was going to change during her stay. I wanted to know everything. I wasn’t sure if I was going to tell her everything, though.
How do you tell your daughter that a serial killer broke into your condo? I didn’t want her to think she was in danger. It was going to be difficult, given I had security with me. Ethan hadn’t solved the murders, so I was always looking over my shoulder and making sure one of my private security guys—either Evan or Pablo, depending on whose day it was—wasn’t far behind. What if this was my new normal? What if Ethan never found the killer? I’d heard a lot about cold cases and unsolvable murders while in school and from the true crime documentaries and shows I was addicted to. I just wished life would go back to the way it was before that stupid plaque appeared in my home.
Finally, I received a text from Maddison: Parking in the garage :)
The excitement coursing through me increased tenfold. I wanted to go down and meet her, but then I’d have to explain to her about the big Latino man named Pablo and why he was following us. I was going to tell her, of course, because there was no way she wouldn’t see him or Evan shadowing me, but I didn’t want to have to tell her out in the open, and I didn’t want to freak her out.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I heard a knock on the door. I swung the door open without checking the peephole because I already knew Pablo wouldn’t allow anyone to knock on my door except the person I was expecting. And that person was my daughter.
She was standing on the other side, a huge grin on her face. Without a word, I rushed the last few steps and engulfed her in a tight hug.
“Hi,” she greeted, her chin on my shoulder.
“I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
After another squeeze, I let go and motioned for her to enter. “Come in. I only have a few hours before I need to be at work.”
Every bartender was working tonight. Thanksgiving Eve was known to be one of the busiest nights of the year, and therefore, each of us was working two hours extra. I wasn’t complaining. The tips would be worth it, and Christmas was coming.
Since the incident with the flower and Derrick, Judy kept the back door locked. The employees had keys, and the delivery guys had to call to be let in. The first few days, it was awkward working alongside Derrick, but we worked the busiest nights of the week and there wasn’t much time to talk about the situation. He also stopped flirting with me, and I assumed that whatever Ethan had said scared him or made him understand that nothing would happen between us.
Maddie hesitated. “You know there’s a guy standing next to us, right?”
I smiled at Pablo. “Yeah. There are some things I need to tell you.”
“Oh-kay.”
I waved her in. “Come in. Come in.”
“Where’s your boyfriend?” she asked as she finally crossed the threshold.
“He’s at work.”
“Right. Protecting the city.”
“Something like that.” I chuckled and motioned for her to follow. I showed her to her room, and while she used the bathroom, I made us a couple of sandwiches. “How was your drive?” I asked as she came into the room and slid onto a barstool.
“It was good. Listened to half an audiobook. I’ll finish it on my drive back on Sunday.”
“What is it about?” I placed her plate with the ham and cheese sandwich in front of her.
“You know, boy meets girl, they fall in love, they break-up for a stupid reason, and then eventually get back together. He’ll probably propose, and they’ll have ten kids and live off of welfare.”
A slow smile spread across my face at her joke. “I think I’ve read that one already.”
We both laughed. God, I’d missed her. Missed hearing her laugh—seeing her laugh. How was I going to make it four years with her only visiting for holidays and summer break? Where would she go after college? What if she moved even farther away?
“So, you gonna tell me about the guy outside?” Maddie took a bit of her sandwich.
“Right.” I took my sandwich, placed it in front of the other stool, and then grabbed chips and bottles of water before sitting. “I don’t know all the details, but there’s a serial killer after me.”
She choked on her food. “What?”
“Well”—I shrugged—“I was threatened by one?” I said it as a question because nothing had happened since that night. Even with the undercover cops as my details, nothing had happened. Maybe the guy had moved on.
“You’re not sure?”
I told her about the wood plaque and everything that had happened. I also told her that we were covering her webcam with black tape. “And that is why I have my own private security.”
Maddie stared at me. And stared. And stared. “Mom! You can’t just drop a bombshell on me like that over lunch.”
“When else was I supposed to tell you?”
She waved her hands around. “I don’t know. Over cheesecake or something.”
I cracked a smile at her reference to one of our favorite classic TV shows, The Golden Girls. I grabbed her hands and held them in my lap. “If I were in any danger, Ethan would take every precaution, but things have been quiet since that night, and I don’t go anywhere without either Pablo”—I motioned with my head toward the door—“or Evan.”
“That’s—that’s crazy.”
“I know, but Ethan is working the best he can to solve the murders. And like I said, it’s been quiet since the last murder. Plus, I don’t think he has any leads or evidence to arrest anyone.”
“If the person is never caught, will you always have a bodyguard?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
She slid off her stool and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I feel like we’re living in some sort of murder mystery novel.”
I grinned. “Yeah, does feel like that.”
“Or a second-chance romantic suspense,” Maddie went on.
I chuckled. “That sounds more like it.”
We hugged for a few moments and then she returned to her seat. “So …”
“Yes?” I prompted.
She took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m just going to tell you because I think you’re cool, and you won’t care, and you’ll be happy for me.”
“Okay …?”
“Just …”
“Just spit it out.” I gave her a warm smile. Whatever it was, I would deal with it. Maybe she was dropping out of school, or perhaps she wanted to go to Paris for the summer instead of living with me—and Ethan. We needed to figure out another living situation before then because Maddison needed her own room and couldn’t share with the boys over the summer.
“Okay.” She took another deep breath. “You know I’m dating someone.”
“Yes.” I smiled.
“It’s … I’m dating a girl.”
I blinked slightly. I wasn’t expecting that. She had gone with boys to her junior and senior proms. I’d known her to have boyfriends too. But I also knew that I didn’t care. I just wanted her to be happy, and if a young woman made her happy, then that was all that mattered. I smiled and pulled her in for a
nother hug. “There’s no need to be scared, honey. Who you want to date is your decision. As long as she makes you happy, then I’m happy.”
Maddison pulled her head back and looked into my green eyes—the same color as her own. “She does make me happy.”
“Good. Tell me everything. What’s her name? How did you meet? How long have you been dating? Is it serious?”
We sat in our seats. “It is serious, and her name is Sophie.”
“That’s a pretty name.” I wanted Maddie to know that I was okay with her dating whomever. As long as the person wasn’t a criminal and didn’t hurt her or cheated on her, then I would be supportive.
Maddie began to tell me that they met in one of her classes, and they were both scared at first, but the more time they spent together, the closer they got. She was still telling me her love story when Ethan walked in through the front door.
I smiled and slid off the barstool. “Maddie, this is my Ethan.”
He closed the door, set his keys on the table, and started to walk toward Maddie. She was walking to greet him too. “It’s good to finally meet you,” he said.
She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. He looked at me over her shoulder, and I shrugged. I wasn’t expecting her to greet him that way.
“Thank you for keeping my mom safe.”
They pulled apart, and I realized we were all smiling. “I’d never let anything happen to her,” he assured her.
“Good. Because if you did, you wouldn’t hear the end of it from me,” she warned.
He grinned wider. “Noted.” Ethan turned to me. “Are you almost ready to go?”
“Oh shit,” I gasped. “Time got away from me.”
He smiled. “I figured it would.”
I turned my attention to Maddie. “I need to get to work, but tomorrow we have all morning to talk. I’ll make smothered potatoes and bacon for breakfast.” I had a friend in college who would always talk about the southern food she missed while she was in California. She was originally from Texas and said that every Sunday, her mom would make smothered potatoes with fried pork chops. I got the recipe from her, and over the years I’d perfected the potatoes. One morning, we had them for breakfast, and it instantly became Maddie’s favorite. They were similar to country potatoes—or fried potatoes—but unlike some recipes, I didn’t add flour. I just let them do their thing in the oil while they steamed and then fried.
Watch Me (Dangerously Intertwined Book 2) Page 15