“Hey, yourself,” she said, locking the front door before joining him at his truck.
Leaned against the door with his hands in his coat pockets, the man looked like a model with a killer smile that gave her goosebumps.
“What brings you out this way?” she asked, wanting the answer to be her and knowing it wasn’t.
“I just wanted to check on you. See how you were doing.”
That warmed her all the way to the pit of her stomach. She was the reason for his visit. “Oh. Well, thanks. How are you?”
A small shrug. “I’m okay.” He lowered his gaze to the ground. “Uh, Duke paid me a visit yesterday. I just want to make sure you aren’t putting yourself in danger.”
“He visited you? Monica came by last Wednesday, but that’s it.” She blinked as her thoughts went in a million directions. “She said she had to come by without him knowing.”
“Apparently, he knew.”
Her shoulders sagged. “That poor woman. Do you think she’s in danger? Lucy?”
He took a moment before answering, “Honestly, I don’t know, but if he’s keeping tabs on his wife, then that makes me nervous for you.”
Ashton didn’t want to do anything to get herself hurt, but she also couldn’t stand by if she thought either Monica or Lucy were in danger. If Duke was following Monica…what if she did something he didn’t like? What then? What about Lucy?
Lifting her gaze to his, Ashton could see the concern in his eyes. If she even hinted that she’d do anything, it would worry Carlos, and she didn’t want that. “All that’s happened so far is Monica stopping by. I haven’t done anything.”
“Please don’t. I know you care, and…” He paused, stepping closer and cupping her cheek. “And that’s one of the things that makes you so beautiful. You have a huge heart. I physically run into burning buildings, but you do it emotionally.” He cut a glance to the building. “There are other kids who need you.”
Beautiful? She was sure he’d said a lot more, but that’s where the needle stuck on the vinyl in her mind. “You think I’m beautiful?”
A smile slowly lifted his lips, and he took another step closer. “I have since I met you.” His gaze dipped to her lips for a fraction of a second.
Warning bells rang, telling her she should step back, but she couldn’t. Her feet were rooted, and so were her lips.
His hand slid behind her neck, and he lowered his lips to hers, holding them there for a moment like he was trying to decide if he should really kiss her. Her heart hummed in a rhythm, and her heart danced to it. They’d found the same page, and delight tickled her stomach.
When his lips started to move against hers, his free hand palmed the small of her back, erasing what little space was left between them.
She circled her arms around his neck as the kiss deepened. The tingles grew, forming a ribbon around her heart, sealing hers to his. This man had her heart, and this kiss was sweeter than any treat she’d ever eaten.
By the time he set his forehead against hers, breathing hard, her lips were bruised. If this was how he kissed someone he didn’t like, she was more than a little curious to experience his like kisses.
“Please promise me you won’t make any more contact with Lucy’s family. I think it would break my heart if something happened to you.” He pulled back. “You have to understand. If things escalate with Duke or any of his guys, I have to think of Polly’s safety first. I would never turn my back on you, ever, for any reason. But I’d have to make sure—”
Lifting on her toes, Ashton cut him off with a kiss. “And I wouldn’t want you to be any other way. Your heart is the biggest and best thing about you. If you were any different…”
She touched her lips to his again, soft and slow, putting every feeling she had for him into it. She had fallen for this man in a blink, and she could picture kissing him for as long as she lived…because of who he was. The man who’d stepped up to take on a difficult role, ran into burning buildings, and still had enough heart to make her feel more wanted than she ever had.
With a soft moan, Carlos turned her around, pressing her back into the door as the kisses turned hungry. It gave Ashton hope that maybe she wasn’t the only one falling.
Tangling his fingers in her hair, his lips left hers and trailed feathery kisses along her jaw and down her neck, making her heart race and her legs tremble like gelatin.
Breaking the kiss, she held on to the collar of his coat and locked eyes with him. “Polly should be your first priority.” Ashton would rather have second place than no place at all. “I would never, ever, ask you to do anything different.”
Holding her gaze, he slowly nodded and then pressed his lips to her forehead. “I should probably go. Just promise me you’ll stay safe.”
“I promise.”
He took her hand in his as he stepped back and kissed her palm. “Text me when you get home and let me know you got there safely. Okay?”
Nodding, she pulled free, balling her hand and holding it to her chest. “I will.”
As she walked to her car, she could feel his eyes on her, and the feeling didn’t stop until she couldn’t see him in her rearview mirror.
She’d never experienced a kiss like his before, not even in her wildest dreams. But things were complicated now. Her relationship with Polly meant a great deal to her, and Carlos just as much. His choice was easy, but Ashton’s?
The noble side of her automatically put Polly first. She was a little girl needing guidance, and Ashton wanted to be there for her. Her heart, though, without her even realizing, had been searching for a man like Carlos. The idea that she couldn’t—or shouldn’t—explore where it might go tore her to pieces.
Pulling into her driveway, she cut the engine to her car and put her forehead to the wheel. Maybe there was a way to balance things. To have both. She certainly hoped so.
Chapter 21
It wouldn’t be bad if she drove past Lucy’s house again, would it? The same question Ashton had repeatedly asked herself over the last week as she drove toward Lucy’s street. If she was smart, she’d make a left and go home to a hot bath and a bucket of ice cream.
Carlos had told her to make no contact. To be safe. And she’d promised she would. Just driving by was okay. She was keeping her promise to him and making sure Lucy and Monica were okay.
Between his kisses and what they might mean and the thought that Duke was following Monica, she’d spent the last couple of nights mostly sleepless. The idea that she had zero power angered her. One more cruise down the street wouldn’t hurt, right? The street didn’t belong to that man.
Ashton knew she should move on, that there were dozens of other children who needed guidance. She wasn’t ignoring them. Nothing had changed about her devotion to the other kids. They still received every ounce of her energy and dedication.
In her mind, it wasn’t okay to let even one child slip away. Lucy had so much potential. She was such a sweet kid, and she’d had a bright future ahead of her.
Her hands tightened around the steering wheel at the thought of Carlos’s plea to be safe. Slowly, as she reached Lucy’s street, she debated again. Well, it was less of a debate and more like the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Just one more pass wouldn’t hurt.
She turned onto Lucy’s block, again dismayed at the state of the other homes. Everything was in general disarray and uncared for. Who had the time or the energy to paint the house and weed the front yard after working a double shift or keeping watch over the kids all day? That was what so many people didn’t understand. It wasn’t a lack of caring. It was a lack of energy to do anything other than collapse.
Lucy’s house was dark. Not a single light burned in any window. Ashton slowed down, staring up at the place. They could’ve gone out, of course. Just because nobody was home didn’t mean there was anything strange going on. If anything, the lack of bikes and cars on the street probably meant things had calmed down.
She pulled up a few spaces and parked acros
s the street, looking back at the house in her mirror. Why did she have such a bad feeling about Lucy’s situation? It wasn’t like she knew the entire story. Just little bits from Lucy, and then her conversation with Monica.
Which was why Ashton couldn’t help but ask herself why she couldn’t let this one go. Why she couldn’t shake the memory of Lucy’s wide-eyed fear. Why she couldn’t help but remember how nice it was to see the little girl relax when she knew she wasn’t being taken home.
Duke didn’t know Ashton from Adam, but he hadn’t cared about Lucy spending the night. Maybe that was it. The way he didn’t care. They hadn’t even met, and he probably didn’t blink an eye at the thought of his little girl sleeping in a stranger’s apartment. Too busy partying or whatever else he was doing.
Maybe that’s what it was. The lack of care on his part. There was no way Ashton would let her child go to a stranger’s house, no matter how nice they might seem.
Just then, large bangs came from the trunk lid, startling her. Her heart nearly stopped as she jumped. Then a dark figure rose from behind the car, and fear like none she’d ever experienced before gripped her. Fumbling with the keys, she struggled to get the engine started as the instinct to bolt filled her.
Biting back a scream, she fought with the keys. In the next panic-filled moment, she managed to dislodge them from the ignition, and the entire ring fell to the floor. She should have listened to Carlos and let it go.
“No, no, no,” she whispered, reaching down, feeling around with her fingertips.
He was coming! She knew it was Duke; it had to be. And he wouldn’t let her go. Countless horrible images flashed across her mind all at once while tears spilled down her cheeks as she searched for the keyring. She’d been so stupid.
As she strained, her fingernail hit against the metal of the ring, and her fingers curled around it. Straightening up, she thrust the key into the ignition and turned it, shaking with relief when the engine roared to life.
Pounding against the passenger window began. She didn’t want to look, didn’t want to do anything but peel away from the curb and never, ever come back again.
“Ashton. Ashton! It’s me.”
Carlos? She just about collapsed against the wheel when she heard his voice, all that pent-up panic coming to a head. Sure enough, a pair of familiar concerned eyes peered inside the car.
“Thank goodness,” she managed to whisper before bursting into tears.
* * *
Once Ashton unlocked the door, he let himself in and slid into the passenger seat. Her entire body trembled. He’d only meant to scare her a little. To show her how dangerous it was to stake out a house of a known convict. One who had threatened to hurt her.
At least he knew why Duke had shown up at the station. If Carlos had to guess, Ashton had been not-so-subtly driving down his street for days. And by the looks of the tears, she had no idea he knew.
“I’m sorry. I only meant to startle you.”
“You scared me half to death,” she said between sobs.
While he felt justified, he also felt terrible for scaring her so badly. “I’m really sorry.”
“Why?” She threw a dirty look his way, one which he guessed he deserved. “Why would you do that?”
“Why would you come here?” he asked. “This man threatened to hurt you, and you have nothing to show that he’s done anything wrong. I won’t deny that he’s a jerk, but that isn’t a reason to stalk him.”
“I’m not stalking him. I’m just wanted to make sure Lucy was okay.”
“Ashton, you need to let it go.”
“I can’t.” She wiped her eyes. “Besides, he has no idea I’ve been coming by. I’ve been really careful.”
Carlos pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. “You don’t know that. You need to leave them alone. Just avoid this area completely.”
Narrowing her eyes, she said, “Wait. How did you know I was here?”
Man, he felt just as mouse-like when Polly caught him doing something she didn’t think he should be doing. “Well—”
“Have you been following me?”
He jerked his gaze to hers. “Absolutely not.”
Her eyebrows knitted together. “Then how?”
Clearing his throat, he grimaced. “I wanted to check on Lucy. After you told me about Monica, the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me.”
“And that’s exactly why I was here.”
He had a feeling she’d been down this street more than a couple of times. “Yeah, but this was my first time driving by the house. Was it yours too?”
Rolling her lips in, she shrugged. “A couple?”
Leveling his eyes at her, he lifted an eyebrow. “A couple?”
She groaned. “Okay, a couple of times…for the past few nights, but I didn’t talk to anyone, and this was the first time I parked on the street.”
“Ashton…” He took her hand and sandwiched it between his. “You can’t stalk this family. One drive by, okay. I get it. But multiple for several nights in a row? Duke is a lot of things, but he’s not stupid.”
“I’ve been really careful.”
“No more driving by for a while, okay?” Before she could protest, Carlos added, “We’ll take turns when we’ve given it some time. I’m with you on wanting to make sure Monica and Lucy are safe, but until something bad happens, we need to watch what we’re doing.”
Ashton’s shoulders relaxed. “You really are a great man. So many would have told me to stop or tried to stop me.”
Chuckling, he rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. “Believe me, that’s my first instinct, but it’s not my job to police you. Partners walk side by side, not in line.”
Partners? Like the forever kind? Because the longer she spent time with him, the more she liked that idea. “Thank you.”
He leaned across the console and touched his lips to her cheek. “You deserve to be respected, Ashton. I don’t want you to ever think I don’t.” He sighed. “Okay, I need to get home. Polly will wonder where I am if I don’t get there soon, and since there are no fires…”
“It’s okay. I get it.”
“You go first, and I’ll follow you for a little bit to make sure no one else is, okay?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Carlos placed his hand on the door handle and hesitated a second. In the next second, he was kissing her. Just as quickly as it started, it was over, and he was out the door.
A moment later, her rearview mirror lit up with two headlights, and she put the car in drive, nearly floating as she drove home. Carlos respected her. He didn’t want to boss her around or tell her what to do. His concern came from caring about her safety, not wanting to control her. And that kiss before he got out of her car had set her veins on fire.
She was falling before, and now she’d reached the bottom of the ravine. Fallen. She’d fallen for him.
Chapter 22
After Carlos’s little talk, Ashton had decided that he was right. If Duke was as dangerous as she thought, there was a chance she could provoke him into hurting Monica or Lucy. Ashton didn’t want to be the cause of that. Plus, she cared about Carlos. He’d said partners walk next to each other, and it had been a long time since she’d had a partner. The idea that he might be that for her tickled her pink, and she wanted him to feel the same way about her, which meant she couldn’t disregard his feelings.
Those thoughts filled her head on the drive to the center, and she was still light as a feather from the way he’d kissed her the night before as she cut the engine. Her heart felt lighter and happier than it had in years…until she was a few feet from the door and noticed the busted locks.
Then she realized the windows were shattered across the entire front of the building, four in total. Bile rose in her throat as she stared down at that lock. “No.”
Tentatively, she opened the door and paused. She should call the police. What if whoever did this was still there? But even as she t
hought it, her feet propelled her forward, taking in the ugly words spray-painted on the walls and floor. They’d torn the kids’ artwork down. Flipped over the chairs, cut them, and pulled the stuffing out. Passing her office, she put her hand to mouth as her vision blurred.
Glass crunched under her feet as she took everything in. The flooded kitchen, the overflowing toilets, the library…destroyed. With each step, her heart broke into more and more pieces. All the work, the sweat. So many dreams and hopes all destroyed.
Footsteps rang out behind her, making her jump with a scream.
“It’s okay; it’s okay.” A uniformed officer stood there, having just walked in, looking around in horror. “I’m so sorry. I was patrolling the area and saw the broken windows and wanted to make sure everyone was okay.” His gaze swept the gym. “I’m calling this in.”
And she was calling Carlos.
* * *
Ashton nearly fell into Carlos’s arms. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know who else to call.”
Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her flush against him, and buried his face in her neck. “I’m glad you called.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I can’t stay long.”
“Your shift.” She pulled back. “Oh, Carlos, I didn’t even think of that. I’m so, so sorry.”
A smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “I told the captain what was happening. If we get a call, I’ll just go straight to the fire and dress in my gear there. I’m not saying I can stay very long, just…”
She set her head against his chest. “That’s okay. I’ll take what I can get.”
The officer who had taken her statement stopped behind her, and she turned to him as Carlos shook his hand. “Hey, Maddox.”
Ashton looked from the officer to Carlos. “You know each other?”
“Yeah, he’s Harris’s little brother.”
Little? The guy was at least six feet, broad shoulders with a narrow waist and a chest worthy of a Tarzan pounding. Just how big was his brother? But he wasn’t Carlos. “Uh, it’s nice to meet you.”
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