Griffin eased into the house, but locked the garage door behind him. If that opened, he’d hear it. No one in the kitchen. The counters still gleamed and Ethan’s tablet sat on the counter. He pulled out his phone and dialed John. He put his earpiece in, flicking on the Bluetooth device. He clipped the phone to his belt loop.
“Dark here.” John’s voice burst into his ear.
“Someone’s been in our house.” Griffin crept to the doorway. If the person was still in their home, Griffin would catch him.
“Are they still there?” John asked.
“I don’t know. I’m looking now.” Griffin peered into the living room. Fuck, he’d trashed that couch and the chairs. The TV lay on the floor.
“Is Penny with you?” John’s voice sharpened.
“She’s in the car. She’ll leave if it’s not me coming through that door.” Griffin slipped over to the hall to the bedrooms. “He’s done some damage and his scent isn’t getting any stronger here.”
“Griffin, I want you to go back to Penny. Get in your car and drive around the block. I don’t want you accidentally messing up any evidence,” John said. “You need to be close to Penny. She’s the one he’s after.”
Griffin stopped. Damn it. “I’ll go back. Call us when you get here. We’ll be driving around.”
“I will.” John cut the connection.
Griffin dialed Penny’s number, but didn’t hit send until he stood outside the garage door. “Penny, I’m coming in.”
“All right.” Her voice shook.
Griffin walked through the door and smiled at her. He strode over to the passenger side and got in.
“Drive us around, Penny. John wants to look at the place and he doesn’t want us here.” Griffin buckled in and pushed the remote for the garage. The door rose as Penny started the car.
“It will be great to actually have a chance to drive this wonderful piece of machinery.” Penny grinned at him. She glanced over her shoulder and slowly backed down the driveway.
“It was much easier to drive you around and you are still wearing a big piece of equipment on one of your legs. It was just easier to drive you from point A to B since one of us would be with you.” Griffin looked back and checked both sides of the street.
She pulled out into the street. “Just drive anywhere?”
“Yes, John wanted us out of the house in case the person is still in there.” He reached over and patted her thigh. “Why don’t you drive up a couple blocks and then turn left. We can go around the park. I’ll show you the trail Dawson sometimes runs at night.”
“He runs?” She frowned. “He hasn’t run lately.”
“Yes. Sometimes at night, he’d go for a run at night after you’d gone to sleep. He knew you were safe with us.” Griffin smiled.
“I ran before I broke my leg. But it was on a treadmill.” She tightened her fingers on the steering wheel.
“There wasn’t a treadmill among your things. I would have remembered that.” Griffin tapped his fingers on the armrest.
“No, it was destroyed when we went back for my belongings.” She lifted a shoulder.
“Why didn’t you say anything about it?” Griffin frowned. She’d listed everything else.
“None of the women were there when we came back so I figured they could say it was fine when they left. And I had a broken leg so a treadmill wasn’t at the top of my list. I figured I was lucky you three believed me about everything else.” She bit her lip.
“We would have known if you lied. We can smell it unless the person actually believes the lie. But that takes a lot of time to build up to.” He shook his head. Damn, they should have made more time with her. She wouldn’t have been so uncertain. After they stopped, he’d hold her.
“Okay, I didn’t think about that. Do you know what emotion a person is feeling when you meet them?” She glanced over, but quickly focused back on the road.
“Not precisely, no. Some of the stronger emotions are easy to identify. Like anger, joy, and fear. Lies, though, have a particular bite to the smell regardless of if the person’s nervous or anticipating the drama.” Griffin glanced over at the park. She’d learn about scents when she changed.
“That’s interesting, but it must make stuff like surprises hard to pull off.” She drove up the street.
“It depends on how secretive the person is. If the one the surprise is for doesn’t realize anything is going on, then it’s definitely possible, but if they discover something is going on, well, you could always say what Maggie does. ‘It’s a secret, so suck it.’” Griffin smiled. Maggie didn’t mince words. Their sister Candice was another matter.
“Maggie’s a great person.” She turned the corner.
“She is. There’s the entrance to the trail Dawson runs. See that flowering bush over on the right.” Griffin pointed to the trail. What was taking John so long?
“I see the trail. Does it go all the way around the—” She tensed as his phone buzzed.
Griffin picked it up.
“Come on back,” John said. “We’ve been through the house. There’s a lot of damage, but no one’s here.”
“All right, we’ll be there in a few minutes.” Griffin nodded. “I’ll give Dawson and Ethan a call so they don’t panic if they arrive to see the police cars in front of the house.”
“I figured you would at some point. We’ll expect you.” John cut the connection.
“We can go back now.” Griffin smiled at Penny.
She nodded and turned on the next street. Griffin called Ethan first, but it just rang. He left a message telling him everything and that Penny was safe. Dawson should have his with him since he was touring offices. He dialed Dawson.
“Hi, Griffin, how are things? Are you and Penny at the house yet?” Dawson asked.
“We were. Penny’s fine. Someone was in the house today. They did some damage and John’s there now. Penny and I are on the way back to meet him.” Griffin glanced down the street. Two police cars and a van sat in front of their home.
“Was he in there when you arrived?” Dawson’s voice tightened.
“No, he wasn’t there, but I only saw the living room. John told me to get out so I didn’t mess up any evidence.” Griffin reached over and rubbed Penny’s thigh.
“And John’s there now?” Dawson asked.
“Yes, he’s there and Penny’s right beside me.” Griffin drew his fingers up her scrubs. “I called Ethan, but he didn’t answer.”
“Good. Keep her with you. I think Ethan said he had some meetings. One of them could have gone long. I’ll try giving him a call.” Dawson sounded a little concerned. “I’ll see you soon. I’m on my way as soon as I get to my car.”
“Good. We’ll see you then.” Griffin slid his phone into his pocket.
Penny pulled into the driveway. John waved to her, stopping her before she reached the garage.
Griffin pushed his door wide. Penny opened her door and was out before him. He shook his head. Impatient woman. She knew she should wait until he was at least by her door. John waited nearby so she should be safe.
“So she’s doing the driving now?” John smiled.
“She was already in the driver’s seat.” Griffin shrugged. “What did you find?”
“Damage and it’s the same human we smelled in her home, but no fingerprints. He obviously came prepared, because there is nothing.” John shook his head.
“How did he get in? The alarm was still set when we came back home.” Griffin scowled. The alarm should have gone off.
“We traced his scent back to a small window in the laundry room. The alarm was connected to it, but it didn’t go off. Not even when we slammed it open or closed. I’d recommend you get your security company back out here and check the windows.” John scowled.
“Fuck. I’ll call them as soon as we’re cleared to go back into the house.” Griffin clenched his fist. That man could have come into their home while they were there. If the man stood in front of him now, he might n
ot be able to resist the urge to rip him apart. He took a deep breath. They had to make the house safe for her. She could have been hurt.
“It won’t be long.” John smiled.
“Could one of your officers bring Minnie out? She’s okay isn’t she?” Penny twisted her hands together.
“Yes, she’s okay. She was wandering around checking out my officers.” John waved one of his officers, ordering him to get the cat.
Penny’s phone rang. She looked at it before lowering it to her side.
“Who is it?” John asked.
“Don’t know the number.” She shook her head.
“Answer it. Maybe it’s Ethan or Dawson calling on another number.” Griffin tensed. If they didn’t talk to her, they’d come unglued.
“Put it on speakerphone. Her stalker just made a statement. He could want to send her a verbal warning.” John pulled out his phone and copied the number. “I’ll record it.”
Penny swiped her finger across the screen.
“I can get to you at any time, Penny. If you don’t want them hurt, leave them.” A male voice came over the line.
Griffin stepped forward. John put his hand on his arm and shook his head. Fucking hell, how was he supposed to remain quiet. Griffin clamped his jaw shut and fought the urge to speak.
The officer returned with Minnie in his arms. The cat glared up at the man. The officer held out the cat. Griffin took the cat. It squirmed and wriggled before clambering to his shoulder and sitting there.
“I’m not stupid. You want me away, because I would be an easier target.” Penny’s knuckles whitened on the phone.
“You’re not protected at all. I walked around in their home. I did anything I wanted. And I’ll do it again.” The male laughed.
She shivered. For that alone, the male would die. Claws pushed at Griffin’s nail beds.
“But you didn’t have the guts to try when they were there. Are you afraid they’ll eat you or leave you in teeny, tiny shreds?” She took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“They’re not even a threat.” He snorted. “Leave them or they will pay.”
The call ended. Griffin walked over and took her in his arms. She hugged him tight. Tremors shook her body. Minnie leaned down and butted Penny’s head.
“Well, he definitely knows what he wants,” John said.
“That wasn’t the same voice as the last call.” Penny reached up and petted the cat.
“A different voice. He could have gotten someone to make the first call and decided to talk to you himself this time. Did you recognize the voice?” John’s brow creased.
“No, I don’t know him.” She shook her head.
“All right, we’ll see what we can learn.” John patted her shoulder. “We’ll get you inside soon.”
It took a while. Griffin held her until Dawson came home and then Dawson took her in his arms. As soon as the police began wrapping up, he phoned to their security company. Their security system had to be improved. Next time, he could come after her.
Chapter Ten
Stupid stalker. Their first almost date night and they had to be cautious. Penny smoothed her hand over her skirt. Almost healed. At least with the walking cast, she could go without crutches for a short time.
She swirled from side to side. In the mirror, the flowing, blue fabric flared around her thighs. It might be a night at home, but she’d look good for it.
The doorbell chimed. Penny stiffened. Shouldn’t be delivery. Dawson was cooking. She ran a brush through her hair and touched up her lipstick and blush.
Soft murmurs filtered into the room. One of them was higher pitched. She frowned and sat down to put on her tennis shoe. The lovely strap-on cast made it impossible to wear pretty flats. A low throb pulsed through her leg. Tonight wasn’t the night to push her luck. She’d rather look a little weird
She strolled out of the room and toward the living room. More murmurs fluttered down the corridor. Definitely a female voice. Who is that? She entered the living room and gasped. Chloe and Leslie sat on the couch surrounded by their men.
“Well, hey, girl, it’s good to see you.” Chloe bounced up from the couch and hurried over to her.
“It’s great to see you, too.” Penny hugged her.
“Come sit down and put your foot up, peaches. You should have brought your crutches. Do you like the surprise?” Ethan guided her to the chair.
“We’re staying here. I thought we’d be sitting for most of the night. And yes, I love the surprise.” She shrugged, and sank down into the plush depths.
“We will be, but we want to keep your leg in good condition. You were limping earlier.” Ethan nudged the ottoman closer to her.
She put her leg up onto the stool. Overprotective man. He was sweet, even if it wasn’t necessary.
“Oh, that’s so cute.” Leslie leaned against John.
“Hey, we took care of you, didn’t we, angel?” John patted her thigh.
Penny grinned. When the big Chief of Police looked at Leslie, his entire face softened and the hardness fell away. For her, he was definitely a pussy cat.
“Yes, you did, but I hardly ever get to see our illustrious alpha as anything more than in charge and with full attitude.” Leslie laughed and clapped her hands. “Seeing him helping her and the caring in his eyes is so different.”
Ethan stroked his fingers through Penny’s hair. She glanced up at him. His lips widened and his face relaxed into an easy smile. His brown eyes gleamed. She leaned into his touch. Yeah, he did care.
“I don’t know if you’re good for my reputation.” Ethan cupped the back of her neck.
“You’ll survive.” She grazed her fingers over his stomach.
“I definitely will.” Ethan leaned down and kissed her. “Why don’t you talk to your friends a little? Shonna and Dixie will be here soon. Dawson is prepping everything. Once everyone gets here, we’ll all move into the game room so we can relax and talk without being on top of each other.”
“I like this arrangement.” Logan wrapped his arms around Chloe and hugged her.
Chloe laughed. “So how are you doing now that the big cast is off?”
“Actually pretty good. I still can’t stand for very long.” She rubbed at her thigh. And that big ass boot was driving her crazy.
“It will get better.” Judge came into the room from the kitchen. “Just don’t overdo it. You don’t want a setback with your leg.”
“No, I don’t. I’m enjoying being off of those crutches even if it is for short periods of time.” She relaxed back in the chair.
“So, your stalker. Do you think it’s any of the guys you’ve gone out with?” Leslie raised a brow.
Penny shook her head. “I haven’t gone out on more than one or two dates with any man in a while. None of them showed the kind of obsession that this stalker has. No four or five calls right after the date. That was something I would have noticed.”
“Why no more than one or two dates with any of the men?” Chloe leaned forward.
“There just wasn’t a connection and a couple of them spent most of the date on their damn phone, swiping away. I didn’t go out with them to look at the top of their head.” Penny clenched her fist. “I didn’t have all that much time to date anyway.”
“And it’s a good thing you didn’t find a connection. I’d hate to have to growl at and maul a human just because he had the misfortune to go out with you.” Ethan sat down on the arm of the chair. “I tell others not to do it and it would set such a bad example for them to see me do it.”
“I could do it for you if you’d like.” Griffin leaned in the doorway to the kitchen. “Dawson says why doesn’t everyone go on in. He got a text from Shonna and Dixie that they’re almost here. He’ll start cooking in a bit and let them in.”
“Any new information on the stalker?” Leslie asked. “Which you shouldn’t have kept hidden from us. So you’re still on the list.”
“Nothing new. He’s human and he wants to get
to me. I’m still upset about the destruction that he caused. That was a beautiful couch.” Penny clenched her hands. “At first, I wasn’t sure that he would be a problem. I tried to ignore him, not give him any response. I thought that he might go away.”
“Sometimes, they do that.” John nodded. “This one seems to be too focused. You might not have dated him. You might have barely even met him. We won’t know until we discover who he is.”
“And on that note, I’ll carry my lovely woman into the game room. If you will follow me in there, we can settle down and enjoy ourselves while the food cooks.” Ethan leaned down and slid his hand underneath her leg.
She grabbed at his shoulder. “I can walk.”
“I know you can. I’d like to carry you because you were limping a little earlier.” He dropped a kiss on her lips.
She slid her hand over his shoulder and let him pick her up. Not that he’d be swayed by an argument. Warmth poured through her. So caring. She couldn’t get enough of it.
“Are all three of them like that?” Chloe asked.
“Yes. They make me feel as if I’m their biggest priority.” Penny snuggled against him.
“That’s because you are.” Ethan tightened his arms around her.
“You definitely are.” Griffin came into the room, carrying a glass of tea. He handed it to her. He listed off what they had. “What would all of you like to drink?”
She lifted the glass and inhaled. Peach drifted to her. Her favorite. She reached out and squeezed his hand. Such a thoughtful man.
Everyone called out what they’d like. Ethan and Griffin left the room to get their drinks.
“Thanks for coming. I’ve missed seeing all of you.” Penny scooted back in her chair and eased her leg into a slightly different position.
“No problem. We missed you, too.” Chloe smiled. “Plus, it’s always a great day when there’s no cooking or clean up.”
Penny laughed. “That’s so true. Not that I’ve been doing much in the way of cooking or cleaning much. I kind of miss it. The cooking, that is. I do love to cook.”
Staking Their Claim Page 7
