Shatterproof

by Jo Chambliss

  “Oh, Chris. This is your house. I’ll get my stuff out of your room and sleep with Ari in the guest bedroom.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ve slept in much worse situations. Since my SEAL team is the only one that’s arctic-warfare capable, I’ve spent plenty of time sleeping on a slab of ice. This couch is nothing.”

  Her eyes go wide, trying to imagine what that’s like, causing me to chuckle. What I didn’t say was that I couldn’t handle sleeping in the bed where I would be surrounded by her scent all night. It would drive me crazy.

  “Ok. If you’re sure. Good night.”

  I wait till she’s made it into my bedroom before walking outside. After retrieving my bag from the truck, I use my flashlight and do a quick check around the perimeter of the house. Satisfied, I go back inside and make sure the place is locked up tight. When I return to my sleeping quarters for the night, I see that Willa has laid out a pillow and blanket for me while I was outside.

  My last thought before falling asleep is to wonder if the rest of her tastes the same as her lips, like vanilla.

  The next morning, I’m up at five. I need the physical exertion of SEAL PT, but I don’t want to leave Willa and Ari here alone for a run. A quick glance at the fireplace gives me just the thing. I quickly get dressed and disarm the security system before heading outside. Fortunately, there are lights on the back of the house so I can see what I’m doing.

  I retrieve an ax from the shed and march toward the stack of logs. A simple warm-up routine loosens my muscles. After a good stretch, I start chopping wood.

  Two hours later, I’m well on my way to a full cord of wood. After starting out in a t-shirt and fleece pullover, I first ditched the fleece; then soon after that, I lost the t-shirt. I go another half-hour and call it done. Well, done chopping anyway. Now I’ve got to stack it.

  Just as I’m reaching for my gloves, the back door eases open, and Ari’s little face pops out. “Mornin’ Fish.”

  “Good morning, Tadpole.”

  “Whatcha doin?”

  “I’m about to stack all this firewood I just cut.”

  “Can I help?”

  “Sure. You’ll need real shoes first.”

  While she’s in the house, I pull my shirt back on and grab another pair of gloves from the shed. In no time, Ari’s back outside ready to work.

  I half expect her to stack a few pieces, then lose interest and go back inside. Not Ari, though. She sticks it out until the job is done. As soon as she lays down the last piece, she dusts off her gloves and holds out her fist to me.

  Amused, I give her a fist bump. She puts her hands on her hips and says, “I don’t know about you, but I could use a tall, cold, glass of orange juice after that.”

  I can’t help but chuckle. “That sounds good, Tadpole.”

  Ari and I stow the ax and gloves and head back inside. As soon as the door opens, I’m greeted by the smell of coffee and bacon. I walk in the kitchen to see Willa standing at the stove cooking. “Breakfast is almost ready.”

  “Good. I’m starved,” Ari tells her.

  “I bet. You were working hard out there.”

  “I sure was.”

  Willa’s sparkling eyes lift to mine, and she says, “I didn’t know if you’re more of a bacon or sausage man, so I’m making a little of both.”

  “Sounds great. Do I have time for a shower? The food will taste better if you’re not having to smell me.”

  “Sure.”

  I turn to grab my bag and walk toward the master bedroom. Reaching for the doorknob, I stop myself. This room has become Willa’s space for now, and she might not be comfortable with me in it. Besides, standing in the shower where she’s lathered up her naked body, I might just… Shaking my head, I turn around ang go to the guest bathroom.

  After a Navy shower, I walk back into the kitchen and help set the table.

  All during the meal, I keep thinking about how much I’m enjoying the food and the company. It’s entertaining to see these two interacting in a home setting. Their silly and charming ways stir a deep longing in me to be a part of their world.

  Yes, I can finally admit it; I want them for my own. I want the love and happiness they share in my life every day.

  That means I’ve got work to do. We can’t build a life together until this shadow over us is eliminated.

  Ari and I clear the table once breakfast is finished. Next, I step out front to make a phone call.

  Sitting on the front steps, I pull in a deep breath and take out my phone and wallet. Finding the business card I’m looking for, I enter the number for Pantera Security.

  Pantera is made up of a group of former Army Rangers and one former CIA operative. The Rangers, I’ve gotten to know over the years through working a few missions with them. I met the spook when I was assigned a mission to work with one of the Rangers to find and protect her from her own boss.

  I touch send, and the phone is answered after the first ring. “McDaniels here.”

  “Omen, this is Fish. I need your help. Someone’s trying to kill my woman and her child.”

  There’s a short silence coming from his end before he says, “Fish, we’re all here. Tell the group what you just told me.”

  He’s onboard then. Starting at the beginning, I tell them everything. “Willa Castle and her daughter were abducted about a week ago. The man that took them dressed them up in fancy lace gowns and tied Willa up. His whole plan revolved around a sick offer to release Ari into the woods and allow her to run as long as Willa endured his torture. He described it as a game of hide and seek. As long as Willa kept counting, he’d keep going, and Ari could keep running. His torture was a blade. She took fifty-three slices all over her body. That’s when Willa blacked out, and he went hunting.

  “By some miracle, four-year-old Ari crossed almost half a mile of foothills, barefoot, and in the middle of the night. I happened to be on my way to my cabin at 0130 and found Ari in the middle of the road. The bastard got close enough to take a shot at us, but I grabbed her and took off on my bike. Since then, the sheriff has been able to determine that they were targeted, and yesterday, Willa’s house was broken into. The bastard left a message that he would find them.”

  “Fish, what can you tell me about the suspect?”

  Hearing Cle’s voice would’ve made me smile if I weren’t in this mess. She’s the former CIA operative that I helped sneak out of Europe just over a year ago. “Only that he wore a plain white mask, has brown hair, is about six feet tall, Caucasian, and was driving a white van. We don’t have plates, prints, fibers, or DNA.”

  The next voice I hear is Shark’s low growl. “Since she has a kid, what do you know about the father?”

  “The sheriff says that the father was in California. He found out about the kidnapping when the story was leaked to the press, and his assistant saw it on the news and called him. He hopped a flight and was brought here to see them late yesterday afternoon. He’s the prissy-rich type and hasn’t seen Willa or his daughter in two years.”

  “Considering your unpredictable schedule, do you need a security detail for them?” Omen asks.

  “Not at this point. Willa and Ari have been staying in my cabin, and I’m supposed to have a few days off.”

  “All right. We’ll start looking into this and let you know of anything we find. If you need manpower, we can be there in no time or less.”

  “Hey, Kermit?” Squid… I used to hate it when he called me that. Matter of fact, I think I still do.

  “What is it, Squid?”

  “This attack sounds awful meticulous in nature. Has your sheriff contacted the FBI?”

  “Yeah. It didn’t ping on anything they have a record of, so they’re treating it as an isolated crime. They’re not sending anyone.”

  “Keep us updated on any new developments, Fish.”

  “I will. Guys, Willa doesn’t know I’ve called and neither does the sheriff. Discretion doesn’t trump safety here, but keep this as quiet as
you can. And you’d better send me a bill for this. Thanks, guys.”

  My next call is to Mike. My request may not seem very important in light of things, but I need him to pick up something for me.

  Willa

  I wake up in the big bed alone and have to remind myself that Ari’s just across the hall in the guest room. For a while, I lie there staring at the ceiling, thinking about all that happened yesterday—Jonathan, Chris, that kiss.

  The roller coaster of emotions from the day on top of the bigger picture I’m dealing with is a little more than overwhelming.

  It’s been a week since the attack with no clues as to who was behind it. Most of my cuts have healed, but the biggest scars, the ones on the inside, remain. I knew my skin would heal, but what concerns me now is my life.

  Ari and I have been holed up in this cabin for a week with nothing to do. No paying clients, no real exercise, and only brief human interaction until yesterday afternoon.

  I realize that my daugter’s safety is the most important thing and that that’s why we’re in this quasi protective custody, but I’m also thinking about our futures, especially since the break-in.

  Being sequestered like this, I’m unable to communicate with clients to cancel bookings that I’ve made, resulting in no-shows on my part. Add in that all my equipment and other belongings have been destroyed, every day that I’m here, that hole that I’m in gets deeper.

  Sure, I’ve got a little money saved up, but not enough to pay for damages to Chris’s bike and my equipment and make up for all the work I’m missing.

  Stop it, Willa. There’s no use worrying about things over which you have no control.

  Sighing to myself, I get up, brush my teeth, and head toward the main area to see what Ari’s gotten herself into.

  In the living room, Chris’s pillow and blanket have been folded and are stacked neatly on the sofa, but he and Ari are nowhere to be found.

  Hearing voices outside, I move to look out a window and see them stacking firewood. It’s almost comical to see Ari struggling to carry one piece of wood to Chris’s armload, but it’s a heartwarming sight.

  Later, after breakfast is finished, I set out to find something to do with my hands. Chris is out front making a phone call, and Ari is playing with her toys. With nothing else to do, I begin gathering clothes to do some laundry.

  Chris is still outside when I sit down to fold the first load of clean clothes. I can hear sounds suggesting he’s inspecting and making small repairs around the cabin. This may be normal for him, but since he hasn’t come back in, I wonder if he’s rethinking what he said last night.

  Hearing a car pull in the driveway puts me on alert, but just as quickly as it arrived, it’s driving away. Seconds later, the front door opens. “Hey, anybody interested in getting out of this house for a while?”

  Ari perks up immediately, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t ready to escape these walls. “Yes, please.”

  “Ok. Ari, go get dressed for outside.” He then turns to me. “Since you’re dressed, I’ll need your help with something.”

  I follow Chris as he walks into the kitchen, holding a large bag. He places it on the table and starts removing its contents. My heart jumps when I see what he’s unloading. It’s brand-new camera equipment.

  “Chris, what have you done?” I slide down into one of the chairs and cover my face. This equipment would have cost thousands of dollars.

  “Hey, stop that.” He kneels down and puts a hand on my thigh. “You need this stuff, and it’ll be a while before you can even start to work with your insurance company to replace it.” Chris peels my hands off my face and forces me to look at him.

  As hard as I’m trying not to cry, I can feel the wetness sliding down my face. With a tender touch, he wipes away my tears, and I force my eyes open to look at him. What I see, the expression on his face is my undoing.

  Without thinking, I lean forward and press my lips to his. He’s quick to respond, taking my face in his hands. My lips part, welcoming him inside, but he stops and pulls back.

  I would have taken the move as rejection except for the desire clear on his face. Somewhat breathlessly, he says, “I hope that wasn’t payment for this equipment, but just that you wanted to.”

  In answer to his question, I kiss him again, leaving no room for doubt. Realizing this, Chris takes over and pulls me against his hard body. And this time, he accepts my open invitation. His tongue dips into my mouth to tangle with my own, melting more than just my resolve.

  As Chris angles my head to deepen the kiss, we hear Ari calling out from the living room. “Fish, I’m ready.” Soft lips are grudgingly pulled from mine, and I open my eyes to see him smiling. He releases me and stands, leaving me weak. “I guess we should get ready to go then too.”

  Staring at his lips, I answer, “Yeah.”

  I walk on liquid legs to retrieve my coat and rain boots. On returning to the kitchen, Chris tells me to go ahead and handle the camera equipment while he and Ari put together a picnic lunch. Ari hums while she works, and Chris says, “I thought I’d take you guys to the falls today. Sound good?”

  At this point, I think I’d be excited to visit a landfill, but I keep that to myself. While I’m unboxing, charging, and packing the camera parts, I begin to realize what he’s bought is exact replacements for my equipment. He must have gotten Mike or one of the deputies to inventory my damaged gear.

  While I finish packing everything into the camera bag, Chris and Ari finish up lunch and gather blankets to take with us.

  Chris leads us out the backdoor to begin our hike with Ari and I practically buzzing with excitement for getting out of the house. For the next several hours, we explore the mountain and visit the beautiful falls before stopping for a late lunch.

  After we eat, Ari snuggles up to Chris on the thick blanket and falls asleep, tired out by all the hiking and playing. I’m not too surprised. Being cooped up as long as we have we were both determined to wring every drop of fun to be had out of a day like today.

  While Ari sleeps, Chris and I have a whispered conversation.

  “I haven’t heard anything more from Mike about the kidnapper or the break-in at your house,” he says.

  “Yeah. I’m afraid that in this family town, a description of a white, Chrysler minivan isn’t much to go on.”

  “Sadly, you’re right. There have to be hundreds in this part of the state.”

  “Well, I’ve got to do something. I can’t stay hidden away forever.”

  “Give Mike a chance. He’s a good cop.”

  I keep the remainder of my thoughts to myself. Otherwise, I would mention missing work, but I’m afraid that he’d make an offer to help. It’s not that I would be ungrateful, but I don’t want to depend on anyone like that.

  So, for now, I pull out the camera and look over the shots that I’d taken during our trip.

  We let Ari nap for half an hour more, then pack up and head back to the cabin. The evening is pretty much a repeat of the one before. Ari and I get cleaned up of the bits of mud we managed to get on us today, and she helps make dinner.

  After Ari has been put to bed in the master bedroom, Chris and I spend another evening in front of the fire. As he holds me, we talk and share little kisses. My body is warming to the idea of chasing more, but it’s too soon for thoughts of that nature.

  The next morning, I wake up in bed next to Ari without remembering the walk back here. After all the energy spent yesterday, I must have fallen asleep in his lap, which meant he carried me to bed.

  Without waking Ari, I make my way to the kitchen and see Chris chopping wood… shirtless. I can’t help but stare.

  With practiced ease, he swings the big, heavy ax, making the work look easy. And making me uncomfortably warm in the process.

  Chapter 11

  Chris

  The temperature is a little friendlier this morning as I finish chopping the cord of wood I started yesterday. Just before I finish, little Ari
comes out and marches to the shed to retrieve her gloves.

  Just like yesterday, she helps me stack the freshly cut wood, and then we go inside. I grab a shower while the Tadpole helps Willa finish breakfast.

  Shortly after the dishes are cleared away, the cabin’s phone rings.

  “Hello.”

  Mike’s stunned voice asks, “What are you doing there this early?”

  “Well, Mike, after the break-in you didn’t tell me about, I thought it would be a good idea to stay close. You calling with an update?”

  “Let me talk to Willa.”

  “Come on, Mike.”

  “Willa.”

  Resisting the temptation to put the phone on speaker, I hand her the phone. As I’m watching, her face goes from hope to trepidation to anger. “Ok. We’ll be there.”

  She puts the phone down and drops her head into her hands.

  I go tense beside her. “What? What’s he saying?”

  “Nothing. They haven’t found anything on the van and didn’t get anything from my house. I mean, who could be that careful? Since no one has ever seen anything like it, you would think that we were his first victims and, therefore, expect that he would have made mistakes. Since that doesn’t seem to be the case, I’m left to believe that he’s been doing this for a long time and is so good that none of his other victims have ever been found.”

  The whole time she spoke, her voice escalated from distressed to pissed off. Willa’s had enough. I pull the troubled woman into my arms and press her head on my shoulder while she sobs.

  “That is until now. He didn’t count on you and little Ari winning at his sadistic game. Now that you have, his days are numbered. Now, what else did Mike say?”

  She snorts out a laugh, but there’s no humor in the sound. “He wants us to come to his house for a barbecue at four.”

  I laugh into her neck while stroking her hair. “We won’t go if you don’t want to, but I feel obligated to tell you that Michele makes the best yeast rolls on the planet.”