Stitched Up Heart (Combat Hearts Book 1)

by Tarina Deaton

  “Did you call the cops?”

  “Yes, I called the cops. A sheriff is on the way.”

  His head came up off her shoulder. “Why are you still in your house?”

  “I was on my way out when you grabbed me.”

  “Well, let’s go,” he said as he carefully stood up.

  Bree rolled her eyes. Could he be any more bossy? She led the way out of the front of her house.

  A sheriff deputy’s car pulled into the drive as they went down the porch steps, a Haven Springs police car close behind. A uniformed officer got out of each car. She fell in county jurisdiction, so why did Haven Springs PD send a car?

  “What are you doing here?” Jase demanded.

  Bree looked askance at Jase, who stared at the Haven Springs officer rounding the hood of his car. Who talks to a cop that way?

  “The very address you asked me to look up not thirty minutes ago goes over the net for a B and E and you don’t think I’m going to show?” the Haven Springs officer asked as he joined them on the walkway.

  “It wasn’t me, jackass. I got here after she called the cops.”

  “Is that true, ma’am?” The Sheriff’s deputy joined them.

  “Yes,” Bree replied.

  “Why are you limping?” the cop asked.

  “I ran into something,” Jase said.

  “What was that?”

  “My fist, for scaring the crap out of me,” Bree said.

  The cop threw his head back and laughed. The deputy coughed into his hand.

  “Not funny, man,” Jase grumbled.

  Bree finally noticed the similarities between the cop and Jase – same height and build, similar facial features but with some slight differences. “Are you two related?”

  “Jason here is my baby brother. I’m Tim.”

  Bree took his outstretched hand. “Bree. Do you always give out women’s addresses to anyone who asks?”

  “Uh, no?”

  “Are you asking me if you do it all the time, or telling me you don’t?”

  “Telling you I don’t do it all the time?”

  “You’re still answering in the form of a question. Do I look like Alex Trebec?”

  “You gave out someone’s personal information?” the deputy asked.

  Jase looked down at Bree. “You know I could have found you on the internet, right?”

  “You know that’s not the point, right?”

  Jase winked at her. Her eyes rolled again. If she kept doing that, she was going to get a headache.

  The deputy stepped forward, hand outstretched. “Ma’am, I’m Deputy Grant. Is it alright if I take a look around your house?” Jeez, he was young looking. Was he even old enough to be a cop? He was probably fresh out of the academy. It was just a break-in; it wasn’t like he was investigating a murder.

  “Go for it. Door’s open,” she said. “Shit, I need to call a locksmith.” She pulled out her phone and opened her internet search app.

  “Do you want me to go with you?” Tim asked.

  Deputy Grant raised a hand. “No, I got it.”

  They watched the deputy enter the house. “Did you notice anything missing?” Tim asked Bree.

  “No, but I didn’t really take a good look around, and I never went beyond the living room.”

  “Why did you think the house had been broken into?”

  “The front door was open and there were some pictures that looked like they had been thrown on the floor,” she explained.

  “Only certain pictures were broken?” Tim asked.

  “Yes, just the ones of me and my ex.” She looked sideways at Jase to judge his reaction.

  “How long ago did you break up?” Tim asked.

  Bree cringed, stealing another glance at Jase. “A little more than a week ago.” One of his brows lifted, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Was it an amicable split?” Tim continued.

  “Uh, no. It was in no way shape or form amicable.”

  “Did he threaten you?” Jase asked, in a low, controlled voice.

  Bree let out a small laugh. “No, I did the threatening. I found him screwing a living Barbie doll in my bed and told him if he didn’t get out of my house, I was going to shoot him.”

  “You own a gun?” Tim inquired.

  “Yes, I own a gun. It’s in a gun safe, locked with a biometric lock and six-digit PIN. No one is getting in that safe except me.”

  Tim let out an impressed whistle. “I kind of want to see that gun safe.”

  Bree grinned. “It’s all sorts of awesome.”

  “Ma’am,” the deputy called out from the porch. “Your house is clear. You can come in and see if anything is missing.”

  Bree led the way back to her front door. They entered the foyer and walked through to the living room where the sheriff was standing.

  “Do you mind checking to make sure all your valuables - computers, laptops, jewelry - are accounted for?” Sheriff Grant asked.

  “Everything of value is in the spare bedroom I use as my office,” Bree said.

  “There’s also quite a mess in the master bedroom.”

  “What kind of a mess?” Bree asked.

  “It looks like someone ripped up the bedding.”

  Jase held Bree back by grabbing her hand. “Hold on. I’ll go with you.” All three men followed her to her bedroom.

  Feathers. Feathers everywhere. Her down comforter was shredded, as were her pillows and mattress.

  “I’m assuming from the lack of blood, no one sacrificed a chicken in here,” Jase said.

  “Down comforter.”

  “Don’t those get hot in the summer?”

  “Not as much as you would think.”

  “If you two are done playing Martha Stewart, you want to check your gun safe?” Tim asked.

  “It’s fine,” Bree said.

  “You can’t know that unless you check it,” Tim mansplained.

  “Considering I can see it from where I’m standing, I actually can know that.”

  “Your gun safe is in your bedroom?”

  “In plain sight.” Bree walked over to the full-length mirror attached against the far wall of her bedroom, next to the walk-in closet. She found the keypad on the top edge of the mirror and entered her PIN, then placed her hand on the upper right-hand corner of the mirror. With a soft whir of moving parts and a click, the mirror came away from the wall on a hinge, revealing her three rifles and two handguns.

  “All weapons accounted for.” She turned and faced three stunned men standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

  “That’s cool.” The deputy stared wide-eyed at her state-of-the-art safe before giving himself a small shake. “Uh, ma’am, I need to get some information from you to write up my report, if you don’t mind.”

  “Yeah, we can go into the kitchen, if that’s okay.”

  “I’ll meet you in there,” he said.

  “No problem.” Bree turned back to her gun safe and closed the mirrored door, locking it again by reentering her PIN. When she turned, she was alone with Jase.

  “You think it was your ex?” he asked.

  She walked toward him. She couldn’t get a read on him. Was he upset about the thought of her having a recent ex? Did he think he was just a rebound and that was why she took off? She wished he would give something away.

  “I don’t think so. This doesn’t seem like something he would do. Send me twelve dozen roses even though he knows I don’t like them, or some over-the-top gift, sure; but this is angry. Personal. And I think it’s a little weird that nothing else in the house was touched.” Bree crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself as she looked at the shredded bedding. “Whoever did this came into my personal space and attacked it. It’s creepy.”

  Jase closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. “You don’t like roses?”

  “Hate them. Too cliché.”

  “What’s your favorite flower?” he asked, rubbi
ng small circles on her back.

  “Calla lilies.” She turned her face into his neck. She liked this side of him. It reminded her of the guy she met in the bar. Sweet. Attentive. His hands on her back soothed her in much the same way petting her dogs helped her calm down when she was anxious.

  He bent his head and whispered in her ear. “I can’t tell you how hot it is that you have guns. And that safe is cool as hell.”

  And there was the guy she met this afternoon. Bree smiled against his neck, inhaling the hint of aftershave lingering on his skin. “Don’t get too excited. I haven’t been shooting since before my grandfather passed away – it was our thing to do together.”

  “Still hot.” His hand drifted down to the cheek of her ass. She titled her head and opened her mouth against his neck.

  “Y’all comin’ sometime today?” Tim yelled at them from the hall.

  “I would really like it if people would stop interrupting right when things are getting interesting,” Jase grumbled.

  Bree smiled. “Come on. I need to let my dogs in.”

  She pulled back and looked up at him. She rose up on her toes and kissed him briefly, his beard tickling her face. “Thank you.”

  Jase grabbed her face with both hands and deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth before raising his head. “You’re welcome.” Back to sweet.

  They made their way down the hall into the family room and open concept kitchen. Deputy Grant sat at the angled bar. Tim had made himself comfortable at her small kitchen table tucked into the breakfast nook.

  “Ms. Marks,” the deputy began.

  “Dr. Marks,” Jase said.

  The deputy looked at Jase, then looked back at Bree.

  “Bree is fine,” she said. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured herself some water from the pitcher on the counter.

  “Yes, ma’am. What time did you leave your house today?”

  “Seven o’clock. Give or take a few minutes.”

  “Is that what time you normally leave in the morning?”

  “Yes.”

  “There’s no sign of anyone tampering with your locks. Are you sure you locked the door on your way out?”

  “Yes. I always check the front door and leave through the door off the mudroom.”

  “Who else has a key to your house?” he asked.

  “My grandmother, my best friend, and my ex. I’m sorry, I’m being rude. Would anyone like something to drink?”

  The deputy shook his head. Tim and Jase copied the gesture when she looked at them.

  “No one else has a key? No cleaning service or pet-sitting service?”

  “No. I don’t use either. Is it okay if I go get my dogs’ beds and bring them in here? I don’t want them walking in the living room until I can clean up the glass.” she said.

  The sheriff nodded as he made notes in his note book. She retrieved the two beds from the living room and dropped them against the far wall in the family room.

  “Has your ex made any threats against you?” the sheriff asked.

  She opened the back door and let her dogs in. “Not that I’m aware of, but I’ve been deleting any messages without listening to them or reading them.” Sensing Bree’s heightened anxiety level, Polly sat down at Bree’s feet and whined up at her. Bree ruffled her ears and closed the door. Her pit bull’s butt wiggled in excitement as he made a beeline for Jase, now sitting with Tim at the kitchen table.

  “How’d he lose his leg?” Jase asked.

  Bree looked up from scooping dog food to find Jase petting Charlie.

  “He got hit by a car. I found him on the side of the road and took him to the vet. He wasn’t chipped and no one came forward to claim him, so I kept him.”

  “Ma’am, is there anyone who might hold a grudge against you or your ex?” the deputy asked, drawing Bree’s attention back to him.

  “My ex, maybe, against me. I caught him cheating on me. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the only time.” She shook her head and mumbled, “Jackass.”

  “Did you know the woman you caught him with?”

  Bree shook her head. “I’d never seen her before and didn’t bother with introductions.”

  “Did she say anything to you? Threaten you or your ex?”

  “Mostly she just called my ex an asshole. She seemed embarrassed more than anything. Told me she was sorry and left as quickly as she could.”

  After writing a few more notes, he flipped the notebook closed and placed it in the breast pocket of his shirt. “I think I’ve got everything I need. You can request a copy of the report in a week or so for insurance purposes.”

  “Thank you, Deputy Grant. I appreciate you coming out.”

  “No thanks necessary, ma’am. Just doing my duty.”

  Bree walked him to the door and shook hands with him as he left. When she came back into the kitchen, Tim smiled at her while Jase glared.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You’re not staying here. Pack a bag with a few days’ worth of clothes,” Jase ordered.

  “Why?”

  “You’re not staying here.”

  “You said that already. It’ll be fine. I’ll sleep in the guest room until I can get my room cleaned up.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair. “No. You won’t sleep in your guest room. Not until you get your locks changed and have an alarm installed.”

  “That’s ridiculous.” Bree put her hands on her hips. “The locks still work and an alarm system can take days to get installed. I’m not staying in a hotel that long, especially with my dogs, and Denise lives in a one-bedroom loft apartment above the kennel, so that’s out.”

  “You’re staying with me.”

  “No. I’m not.”

  “Yes. You are.”

  She threw her hands up. “Why are you insisting on this?” In her peripheral, she saw Tim try to hide his smile as he watched them argue.

  Jase leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. His eyes narrowed. “Because someone broke into your house, shredded your bedding and selectively shattered pictures of you and your ex. As you pointed out, this was personal. You’re not safe here by yourself.”

  Her breath caught when she remembered the sight of the ripped bedding. As creepy as it was, she could still take care of herself. “I have a gun, and the dogs will let me know if someone comes into the house.”

  “Not if they’re outside, they won’t.” Jase stood and took a few steps toward her. Bree crossed her arms and tilted her head back a little to keep her gaze with his.

  “I don’t leave my dogs outside; they’re always in the house unless they have to go out.” Bree was becoming annoyed with Jase for pushing the issue. This was her house, dammit. She wasn’t going to be scared out of it.

  “They weren’t today,” Jase pointed out.

  “They were when I left.”

  “Wait. What?” Tim interjected. He wasn’t trying to hide a smile now - he was frowning.

  Bree looked at Tim. “I left the dogs inside this morning, like I always do.”

  “Did you put them out when you called the police?”

  “No. They were outside when I got home. I figured Chad came by, let them out while he was here, and forgot about them. He’s not their biggest fan.”

  “But you don’t know that for sure,” Jase said.

  Bree looked between Jase and Tim’s matching serious expressions. “No,” she said in a soft voice.

  “They’re friendly dogs.” Tim scratched Charlie behind the ears. “Anyone could have let them out the back door to keep them out of the way while they were in your house.”

  Bree’s chest tightened as what Tim insinuated finally sank in.

  Jase drove the point home. “They could have done something else to them to get them out of the way.”

  It was the threat to her dogs that finally made Bree agree to go to Jase’s. She could have taken them to Denise’s and gone to a hotel, but she preferred to keep th
em near, and Jase was offering her a solution. Maybe not the best solution, but after what happened in his office, then later in her bedroom, a part of her wanted to learn more about this man who could be both demanding and sexy, sweet and attentive. She just wasn’t willing to examine that part of her too closely yet.

  Jase went through her house and made sure all the windows and doors were locked. He examined the lock on the front and kitchen doors. It didn’t look like someone had pried the doors open. He’d pick up a couple of deadbolts from the hardware store this weekend and change her locks for her, whether she liked it or not.

  Grabbing the broom and dust pan from between the washer and dryer in the laundry, he cleaned up the majority of the glass in her living room. He studied one of the pictures of Bree and her ex. The guy was clean-cut - white dress shirt, tan blazer, styled hair. He had an arm thrown around Bree like she was a prize. She looked stiff and uncomfortable, both her arms in front of her, elbows tucked into her sides, holding a drink in front of her like a shield. The dress she wore was black, sleeveless, and clung to her body. She was beautiful. He set the picture on the coffee table with the others.

  He walked over to the bookcases, checking out the other pictures scattered on the shelves. Her and an older woman. Her and Denise. Pictures of her in scrubs and different Air Force uniforms, including one of her and Denise in their battle rattle - helmet, body armor, loaded down with weapons and ammunition. It was like looking at a different person - open and friendly, smiling and laughing. He didn’t yet know what the deal was with her ex, but Jase was pretty sure he didn’t have anything to worry about.

  He turned as Bree came down the short hall with a duffle bag thrown over one shoulder.

  “Is that all you’re taking?” he asked.

  She glanced at the duffle bag. “I wear scrubs for work, so I only need a few changes of clothes for the week. I need to bring Charlie and Polly’s beds, their bowls, and their food.”

  “Why don’t you grab the food and bowls while I put their beds in my truck?” He took the strap of the duffle off Bree’s shoulder, then grabbed the two dog beds from the family room.

  He went out through the mudroom and put everything in the back of his pickup. By the time he went back in, Bree had dragged a small bin into the mudroom. He hefted it up and led the way out. He watched carefully as Bree locked the door, making sure he heard the bolt slide into place.