“Cami, please, if you love me at all, stay in the car until I tell you it’s clear.” Dylan glanced over and I nodded, knowing he wanted to keep me safe.
“Please be careful.”
“I won’t leave you behind. I promise. I’ll be where you can see me the whole time.” He parked next to Chris’s Jeep Wrangler and hopped out immediately. “What’s the word?” he asked and I rolled down the window so I could hear them. Chris waved at me and I waved back.
“There’s four officers who just went inside. If the house is open anywhere, they’ll go in to clear it. If not, they may need you to let them in.”
“The yard is clear,” a voice crackled over the radio. “The house doesn’t appear to be open anywhere that we can see.”
“Officer Wilcock is on the premises, now. He can let you in.” I smiled internally at Chris’s use of Dylan’s old moniker. It was no secret that Chris had never wanted Dylan to leave the force. Apparently he still thought of him that way. It made me a little sad because I was sure Dylan missed it a lot, too. I knew he’d only given it up for me.
Dylan produced his keys and went to the front door, unlocking it. Two officers appeared, weapons drawn, and he backed away as they entered the house, staying true to his word and keeping where I could see him. I knew he was just as capable of clearing the house, but he wasn’t wearing a bulletproof vest and he didn’t have either of his weapons on him. I didn’t want him anywhere that he could get shot. We’d already been down that road and the scar, just below his collarbone, attested to how close he’d come to losing his life. Chills ran through me at the memory, causing goose bumps to pop up on my skin. I had to refrain from the urge to jump out of the car and run to hug him. I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
Chris approached my window. “How you doing, Cami?” Reaching in, he patted me on the shoulder.
“Good, if we can catch whoever is doing this. It’s a bit unnerving.”
“I agree. We definitely need to figure out what’s going on. Piss anyone off lately?” He chuckled.
“Not that I’m aware of. Unless you count the Lamaze instructor we ran out on the other night.”
He laughed harder. “Yeah. Dylan told me about her. She sounds crazy.”
“She kind of was,” I agreed. “But all this started before our Lamaze class.”
He sighed, staring over at Dylan. “I know he is more worried than he lets on.”
I stared at him, too. “I’m aware of that. I think it’s pretty obvious now that he’s turned our house into Fort Knox. He also sticks to me like glue, lately. I can hardly leave the room for a glass of water without him following me.”
“I don’t blame him. I’d do the same for Sheridan and Chrissy if I felt they were in danger.”
“How’s Chrissy feeling, by the way? Sheridan told me she had the flu.”
“She’s been better since yesterday. Sheridan took her to the doctor and they prescribed something to help settle her stomach so she can keep food down.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I know you both were worried. I can’t wait for our kids to play together.”
Chris smiled. “The family is growing bigger. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Dylan’s mom happier.”
“Connie sure loves getting grandkids,” I agreed. I knew exactly what he was doing. He was trying to keep me calm with normal talk. Dylan had done it to me enough for me to recognize the strategy. It was working though, and I appreciated it.
The radio crackled. “The house is clear.”
“You can go in. It’s all clear,” Chris called to Dylan, opening the door for me, and extending a hand to help me out.
Dylan disappeared inside the front door and I heard the alarm turn off as we approached. He was speaking with an operator through the keypad as we entered, verifying his identity and confirming the arrival of the police and that everything was okay. Two more officers came in the door behind us, immediately going over to the two who had cleared the house. I could hear Oreo yapping wildly from his kennel in the other room. He must be terrified.
“What’s the verdict?” Dylan asked.
“We didn’t find anyone, but there are some scratches around a handle on one of the patio doors, suggesting someone, perhaps, tried to get in that way,” one of the officers said.
Dylan nodded. “The patio doors were open last time, too, so that makes sense.”
“We’ll call someone to dust the door for prints. Maybe we can pick up something that way,” Chris said, and Dylan nodded, again.
“I’m going to get the dog,” I said. “He sounds terrified.” Hurrying from the room, I rushed to Oreo’s kennel in the kitchen. His barking grew louder when he saw me. “Hey, boy, hey.” I opened the door and he waggled up to me. “Oh, poor baby. I bet that loud noise was horrible to your sweet doggy ears, wasn’t it?” I sat on the floor, letting him crawl into my lap, he jumped up, licking my face as I scratched under his chin and petted him. “Oh, yes, poor, poor baby. It’s going to be okay now, I promise. Mommy and daddy are home, now. I’m sorry you were scared.”
“I wish I had a video camera.” I glanced over to where Dylan was leaning in the doorway staring at me, his eyes shuttered.
I laughed. “How come?”
“I think this is the first time I’ve heard you do so much puppy talk. I think it’s cute.”
“Then why are you scowling at me?”
Pushing away from the wall he came toward me and Oreo ran over to him, wagging his tail. He lifted Oreo, stroking him. “Because someone tried to break in here, again. And alarm system or not, I can’t leave you alone in this house knowing someone is trying to get in.”
“Well, you’re going to have to. You have a life and a job. You can’t put everything on hold to babysit me every second of the day. Plus, I wouldn’t want you to.”
He put the dog on the floor and came closer, pulling me up and into his arms. “I can’t risk you, Goody. I can’t risk our baby. What if someone made it in the house and harmed you before help could get here? Yes, the alarm will notify the police, but precious minutes would be lost, first.”
“What makes you so sure this person is after me? As you pointed out before, they were in the house before and didn’t harm me. Plus, it was your pillow that was shredded.”
“True, but the attacks also seem to come during the times when you’re most likely to be home alone.”
“And what better way to get to you, than to mess with me?” I added. Despite being in his warm embrace, I shivered, feeling like ice was creeping through my veins.
“Anyone who knows me at all, knows my family is the best way to get to me. And they’d also know my wife would be number one on that list.”
“That’s why I’m going to have the department run your past collars,” Chris said from behind us. “Maybe we can find something there.”
“I don’t think Cami should stay here anymore until we figure it out.” Dylan squeezed me tighter, as if he was afraid he might lose me.
“So where should we go? Back to your parents’ house?”
“No.” Chris shook his head. “If this person is targeting Dylan, Connie and Weston’s house won’t be safe, either.”
“You need to go home,” Dylan said. “Stay with your parents in Copper City. That’ll get you out of the area and I can rest easier knowing that you’re taken care of.”
“And what about you? I don’t want you left here in the middle of danger. How is that fair?”
“If I’m here, I can still be bait. And I know how to take care of an intruder. It’ll be easier for me if you aren’t here to get hurt in the crossfire.”
“I can stay with him, too, if that would make you rest easier,” Chris suggested.
“No.” Dylan looked at him sharply. “You need to stay with Sheridan. If someone is targeting my family, she and Chrissy could be a target, too. It could be any of us.”
Chris sighed heavily. “You’re right.”
“And what if this intruder has been
scared off?” I asked. “How do you know they’ll come back, again? I can’t live with my parents indefinitely.”
“What would you have me do, Cami?” The frustration ran heavily through his voice.
“Let me stay here with you.”
“It would kill me when I had to go to work. I can’t do that.”
I stared aimlessly at the microwave, wondering what to do. I wanted to make Dylan happy and feel safe, too; but I didn’t want to leave him, either. “The microwave isn’t working,” I said suddenly, noticing the digital clock wasn’t on.
“What?” Dylan asked, obviously confused by the change in subject.
“The microwave. The clock isn’t on.”
Releasing me he went and opened the door, closing it again before trying to push some of the buttons. Chris stepped to the light switch and flipped it, staring at the ceiling. Nothing happened. Lifting his radio, he spoke. “Hey, check and see if the neighbors have any power.”
“Copy,” a voice came back.
“Where’s your fuse box?”
“Outside,” Dylan replied. “Let’s go look.”
I followed the two of them and watched as they checked the box. “The main breaker is on and nothing has flipped,” Dylan said, checking everything.
“Detective, the neighbors have power,” the voice over the radio came again.
“Copy,” Chris replied.
“Let’s call the power company and see of there’s another way the power could’ve been cut,” I suggested.
“Okay,” Dylan agreed. I quickly looked up the number for the service provider on one of our bills and Dylan dialed it. After waiting on hold for a few moments, an operator answered his call. He quickly gave our account number and asked if there was any reason we didn’t have power. A perplexed look crossed his face. “That can’t be right.” He stared at me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“They said the service was scheduled for termination today, that the account had been cancelled . . .by my wife, Cami Wilcock.”
I felt the color drain from my face. “I never called them.”
“What if someone thought cutting the power would disable the alarm, not knowing there’s a back up battery?” Chris asked.
“I’ll call you back,” Dylan said, ending the call immediately. “Cami, get packing. You’re going to your parents’ right now.”
This time I didn’t argue.
Chapter Eight
Dylan-
The sound of the garage door opening immediately caught my attention. Grabbing my gun from the end table where I’d laid it, I made my way toward the kitchen. The sound of a car pulling in made me set it back down. I knew exactly who it was. Sighing, I opened the door, watching as she climbed out of her car. “What are you doing home?” I tried to sound upset, but truth be told, she was a sight for sore eyes.
The dog ran happily toward me as she turned, tossing her gorgeous red hair behind her shoulder. She folded her arms across her chest, clearly prepared for an argument. “It’s been a week, Dylan; and while I did enjoy the visit with my parents, I can’t stay there forever. You said yourself, not one thing has happened while I’ve been gone, yet you keep refusing to let me come home. I decided to take matters into my own hands. I think whoever was here before was probably scared away by the alarm system. They know they can’t get in now. Besides, I missed you. I hate sleeping without you, and the baby has been moving so much this week and you’re missing out on all of it. There’s only so much a girl can share with her parents before she needs to be with her husband, again.” She was rambling and I loved it. Clearly, she’d been having this argument with me in her head for the last two hours while she drove home. “Besides, every time I go into Copper City I have to pass Clay’s old street. I’m always afraid I’m going to run into his parents. He’s dead because of me, and facing them was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. It’s just so awkward now and I can’t do all this alone anymore. I miss being—.”
“Cami.” I cut her off as tears started dripping over the rims of her eyes. “I’m happy you’re here. Welcome home.” Stepping from the doorway, I hit the button to close the garage and moved toward her, grabbing her around the waist and pressing her against the side of the car. Glancing down, I chuckled. “You’re belly’s gotten bigger since you’ve been gone. This doesn’t work quite as well as it used to.”
“No, it really doesn’t.” A corner of her mouth perked up in a half smile and she sighed heavily. “Promise you aren’t mad?”
Slipping to the side of her stomach, I leaned in close, staring at her lips. “I promise. While I love video chatting with you on the phone, it’s got nothing on holding you in my arms.” Pressing my lips against hers, I slid my hands over her shoulders and down her arms until my fingers linked with hers. “I missed you. A lot.”
“I missed you, too.”
“I kind of got that already.” Grinning, I kissed her again. “How are you feeling?” She looked so tired and suddenly I felt bad for sending her away. It appeared to have taken a toll on her. I knew it had on me.
“Honestly? Like a beached whale. Nothing fits right, I’m exhausted all the time, and it seems like the more I try to do, the deeper I bury myself in the sand.”
Squealing as I swept her off her feet, she threw her arms around my neck. “What are you doing?”
“Taking care of my wife. Let’s get you all comfy in bed, okay?” Moving to go back inside, I paused at the door. “Turn that knob, will you?” She did and I pushed it open, allowing Oreo to come inside before letting it close. “You’ll feel better if you can rest in your own bed. We’ll get you in your favorite robe and I’ll prop you up with pillows, rent you some movies, order in dinner, and maybe massage your feet for you, if you’d like. We can snuggle together for the rest of the night. How does that sound?”
“As long as I get to be with you, it sounds like heaven. The dog has been cooped up most of the week, too. He might enjoy running around out in the backyard. My parents’ yard had a space between the gate and the wall, so I had to keep him inside except for taking him out on the leash to go potty. Plus, I only walked him once a day. I was too tired to take him more often.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll let him outside and set some food and water on the patio. He can play out there for the rest of the day.”
She snickered. “Yeah, you sound all noble, but I know you just want to keep him from lying between us on the bed.”
I laughed. “Okay, you caught me; but is wanting you all to myself really a bad thing?”
“Not at all. I want that, too.”
Setting her back on her feet in our bedroom, she moved to sit on the bed while I went to the closet and removed her robe, taking it to her. “Here you go. Get changed. I’ll go put the dog out and order some food. Anything in particular that you would like?”
“Pizza. A thin crust veggie pizza sounds divine. I’ve been craving one all week, but my mom was so happy we could cook meals together, again, I couldn’t bear to ask if we could order one. I didn’t want to offend her.” She slipped her blouse over her head, tossing it in the nearby chair before unhooking her bra. I couldn’t help but watch, my eyes drifting over her beautiful figure. She still looked the same as the day I first saw her, except for the perfectly rounded belly that jutted out in front of her, and her breasts were a little heavier and fuller, a perk of pregnancy I happened to greatly enjoy, especially when she wore lower cut shirts. Immediately, my body reacted to the sight of hers and I felt like a jerk for wanting to forget everything else and spend the night making love to her over and over again. To say we had a healthy physical relationship was a bit of an understatement. The two of us enjoyed our alone time together and frequently spent hours relishing in the pleasure we found in each other’s arms. Having her gone for a week hadn’t been an ideal situation at all, for either of us, but she seemed too tired for any of that at the moment.
She slipped her arms into her robe, sighing heavily. “Than
ks for your help. I’m sorry to be a burden,” she said, snapping me out of my lustful musings.
“No problem. I got it taken care of. You get comfortable. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.” Herding Oreo from the room, I shut the door. “Come on, boy. Let’s let you go play.” He happily ran outside when I opened the patio door and I grabbed his food and water from inside and placed them outside, watching for a moment as he happily ran alongside the pool, sniffing the ground. Hopefully, he would enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening out there. I’d let him in after Cami went to sleep. Checking to make sure the doggie entrance was closed, I went into the kitchen to order pizza and reset the alarm system.
I hadn’t told Cami, but I’d purposely kept the alarm system off while I was at home, hoping to catch whoever had been terrorizing us in the act. But there hadn’t even been so much as a nibble. That, of course, made me rest a little easier at having her back. Maybe she was right. Maybe the intruder had been scared off already. I could only hope that was the case.
***
Shrill screams shattered the air, making me jump straight out of bed. “Cami?” I hollered, instantly worried when I noticed she wasn’t in the room.
“Dylan!” her terrified voiced echoed through the halls. “Help me!”
Reaching in the drawer, I grabbed my gun and ran down the hall, not even caring that I was naked. “Where are you?” I called out.
“On the patio!” Her loud sobs were audible as I rounded the corner and saw blood everywhere. A second jolt of fear bolted through me as my eyes raced over her, seeking an explanation. “Holy shit! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she replied, her voice trembling heavily. Moving she pointed. “It . . . it’s Oreo.”
My gaze drifted to where our little puppy lay mutilated in a puddle of blood and I noticed right away there were words written in sticky liquid on the sidewalk.
Love Page 6
