Cold Fear

by Susan Sleeman

  “You’re sure?” Riley asked.

  “Yes. It’s really him. You found him, Riley. Thank you.” She grabbed his hand and held it tight. If Alex wasn’t climbing back into the car from making a phone call she would kiss Riley’s hand. Maybe kiss him, because with finding the stalker’s information this could all be over soon, and she could go back to her regular life.

  Hah! Like that was an option. Her regular life could very well be gone. Her hope for providing for her son gone. What would she do if the promoter dropped her? She’d never held another job except waitressing and working at the college cafeteria. Not that there was anything wrong with doing either of those jobs. They just didn’t pay the kind of salary a single mother needed to be able to send her child off to college someday. And she didn’t have any skills that could gain her a better paying job.

  Is this it, God? You wanted me to come to the complete and total end of myself? Well, I have. Now what?

  Riley’s earlier conversation came to mind. God wouldn’t show her what was going to happen. She had to woman up and have faith that He would work things out. Trust Him. Totally trust Him.

  Problem was, her old insecurities were buzzing around her brain like angry wasps, and she didn’t want to get stung again.

  “Leah,” Riley said. “Did you hear me?”

  “Sorry, no. What did you say?”

  “Alex and I need to head to Milo’s apartment. I don’t like leaving you in the car alone. Alex has a buddy who’s a DEA agent. That’s who he was calling. His buddy’s on vacation this week. He’s home and has agreed to let you hang with him.”

  “Okay,” she said, but the last thing she wanted to do right now was go to some stranger’s place and make small talk.

  “Don’t worry,” Alex said. “You won’t likely even know Devon’s there. He’s not big on talking. You won’t have to worry about entertaining him or answering a bunch of questions.”

  “Let me just get Eryn started running a background check on Belcher.” Riley took out his phone and tapped the screen. “Eryn, good. I’m glad I got you. We have the stalker’s ID. A Milo Belcher.”

  He took a breath and gave her Belcher’s address. “Alex and I’ll pay him a visit after dropping Leah off at Devon’s house for safety. I need you to gather as much information as you can on Belcher in that time, and I’ll call back once we’re at Devon’s place.”

  Riley said goodbye and stowed his phone. “Okay, let’s do this. Can you put Belcher’s address in your phone’s GPS to give us directions?”

  Leah nodded and couldn’t miss the excitement in his eyes, likely fueled with adrenaline. She was excited that her stalker, maybe the killer, could be in custody in a few hours, but she had so much else going on in her life and brain that she couldn’t really embrace the excitement.

  On the drive, Leah listened with interest as Alex and Riley discussed their plans to handle Belcher and how they would protect the scene if they located evidence of his stalking.

  “We can’t do anything that will jeopardize a successful prosecution,” Riley said. “No way I’ll let this creep walk. That means hands off everything and wearing gloves and booties.”

  “That’s what’s in the tote bag you brought along?” she asked.

  “Among other things.”

  “Sam’s really drilled into our heads the importance of preserving crime scenes,” Alex added. “Riley here already knew what to do, but those of us with military backgrounds weren’t as cognizant of the procedures. Now we are.”

  “Cognizant?” Riley looked in the rearview mirror. “If you mean not rolling onto a scene like an armored tank as you did in the past, then yeah, you’ve been more cognizant.”

  Leah glanced at Alex who rolled his eyes good-naturedly but didn’t say anything.

  Leah loved the team comradery and witty sparring. She didn’t have that with her team. Probably because she was always on guard to keep from revealing anything about Owen. That was one good point about the public knowing about Owen. She could let that guard down with her team now. If she had a team to go back to. That was a big if.

  And if she lost the promoter, a group of wonderful and dedicated people would be out of a job. Her bus drivers, equipment truck drivers, stage crew, even her band and backup singers.

  Father, please, for them. Please let me at least finish this tour. Their families are counting on the income as much as I am.

  At a stoplight Riley looked over his shoulder at Alex. “We’ll call in PPB the minute we have any concrete evidence that Belcher’s our stalker. And when I want to beat the crud out of Belcher, I need you to be the voice of reason and stop me. You hear?”

  “Got it.”

  “I mean it, Alex. He’s stalked someone I care about very much, and I’m sure you can’t even begin to understand how I feel about the guy.”

  Alex leaned forward. “You want me to go as far as to physically restrain you?”

  “Do it if you have to, but don’t let me hurt this guy.”

  “Hey, man, trust me. I’ll be glad to put you in a hammerlock.” Alex grinned, revealing a mischievously handsome smile.

  Riley shook his head and when the light turned green, he got them moving again. His comments had given Leah a lot to think about. He said he cared about her. Very much. Cared as in present tense. Not once cared about. Not cared about in the past. But cared about. And then the rage burning in him over the stalking was a shock, too. He’d hidden it well. Staying calm most of this time when it had likely been simmering in his gut.

  She didn’t like that he was this upset, but she did love that his anger on her behalf was because he cared for her.

  She glanced at him. He looked at her and smiled. A sweet, I’m glad to be with you smile that he’d always greeted her with in the good old days. She didn’t think beyond the fact that she liked it and reached out to take his hand.

  Surprise flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t withdraw his hand until he pulled up in front of a small white bungalow in an established city neighborhood. He gave her fingers a squeeze, that sweet smile materializing again, and then all that tenderness vanished into a hard expression as he assessed the area through the windows.

  “Let me check things out, and I’ll come open your door.” Hand on his holster, he walked with Alex, and they surveyed the area.

  A moment ago he was her supporter. Now he was her defender. In both cases, he was fierce and just plain amazing.

  Thank you for bringing him back into my life. I couldn’t have survived this alone, and he’s the only man I trust to protect me.

  He opened her car door, stood back, and then walked her up to the tidy and manicured yard. The house was well-maintained, too. Leah trailed Alex up the steps to the small front porch.

  He pounded on the door. “Open up, Dunbar, or I’ll break it down.”

  Leah thought Alex was being overly dramatic, but it was likely some private joke between them.

  The door cracked open, and icy blue eyes stared at them from the face of a darkly dangerous man. He cocked an eyebrow and stared at Alex. “Oh, it’s you.”

  He started to close the door, and Alex pushed inside. “Seriously, this is getting old.”

  “Not for me.” Devon smiled.

  Leah stood for a moment under the power of his captivating smile. He was a handsome man with blackish-brown hair and a scruffy beard. She could see where the ladies would like him, but he wasn’t her type. She’d always fallen for blonds, but she noted he didn’t wear a wedding ring, and she suspected he’d broken a bunch of hearts over the years.

  He held out his hand to her. “Devon Dunbar. Friend of Alex, sometimes, and DEA agent when I’m not forced to use my vacation time.”

  “Leah Kent. New friend of Alex’s and singer, songwriter.”

  He released her hand and tapped his chin with his index finger. “Hmm, I think I might have heard your name somewhere.”

  He laughed and stood back giving her access to small living room filled with contemp
orary furniture, a wall with built-in shelves filled with records, and an expensive turntable nearby. She went straight to his records and perused the titles.

  She turned to look at him. “A jazz man I see.”

  “Totally.”

  She faced Riley. “Okay, this will work. We can talk music, so you can go now. Just make sure you apprehend my stalker.”

  “You can count on us.”

  Alex nodded. “Yeah, what he said.”

  “Man.” Devon grinned at Riley and Alex. “I envy the lack of red tape you guys can avoid in making a bust.”

  “It’s great, as I always tell you. Go and get yourself shot up and you can join the team, too.” Alex chuckled.

  “Yeah, sure, I’ll get right on that.”

  “Okay.” Riley squeezed her hand. “We’re out of here. Call me if you need anything, and I mean anything. If we’re apprehending Belcher, I’ll have my phone on silent and won’t answer right away, but I will call you back a soon as I can. You can count on that.”

  Riley was headed into potential danger, and she didn’t care if there were others in the room. She slid her arms around his waist and drew him close. He held her tightly.

  “Be careful, okay?” she whispered. “I can’t lose you.”

  “I promise we’ll be fine.”

  Yeah, fine like when he took a bullet and lost one of his kidneys. She couldn’t say that to him, so she gave him one last hug and stepped back. “You be careful, too, Alex.”

  “What’s the fun in that?” He grinned and stepped outside.

  Maybe that was a glimpse of why he was single. He was a daredevil, and it would be hard to be with someone like that unless you had an equally fearless personality. That wasn’t her. It hit her then. She was the exact opposite. She’d been living with fear and anxiety since she met with Riley’s father. Was on her own with a child to support. She’d lost every bit of her fun side. How she missed that. Could she get it back?

  “Wow, something’s got a hold of your mind,” Devon said.

  She’d forgotten he was in the room with her. “Yeah, I’m working through some things.”

  “When Alex asked if you could spend a few hours with me, I looked for you online. You know, to get an idea of who I was protecting.”

  “And?”

  “And you’ve got some real haters out there right now. Gotta be hard to handle.”

  “You have no idea,” she said, tears nearly breaking free, but she willed them away and vowed to use this time to find a way to save her career and figure out the rest of the life she’d once had all mapped out.

  Belcher’s apartment was within walking distance from Everlasting Tattoos. It was a second-story walk-up over a vintage clothing store. Access was up worn wooden stairs in a grungy alley, and he and Alex cringed with each creak of the wood. But if Belcher truly was sleeping one off, surprising him would likely be successful.

  They reached the bright blue door with peeling paint, and Riley pounded on it, using the side of his fist to make a noise loud enough to wake the hungover guy. Riley didn’t want Belcher not to answer, so Riley didn’t announce himself. He stood to the side of the door and waited, tapping his foot with each second that passed. At the count of fifty, he pounded again and didn’t stop.

  Belcher didn’t answer.

  “You think he’s passed out?” Alex asked.

  “Could be.”

  “Or he might not be here.”

  “If he is, I’m not leaving without talking to him.” Riley grabbed the doorknob and gave it a twist. It turned in the palm of his hand. “It’s unlocked. I’m going in. Make sure you have my back.”

  He drew his weapon, his years of training as a police officer taking over. He kicked the door open, gun raised, and ran his gaze over the small kitchen with old metal cabinets and faded linoleum floor. A small green table and one chair sat near the wall. Dirty dishes and takeout containers covered every surface, and the smell of rotting food was enough to make Riley gag.

  He entered and quickly moved to the inner doorway that led to a short hallway with two doors before opening into a living area. Riley flung open the door on his right side and found a small bathroom with a clawfoot tub and old porcelain sink on rusty metal legs. It was empty. Figuring the other door was the bedroom and they’d find Belcher in there, Riley gave Alex a questioning look, asking if he was ready for this.

  Riley received a swift nod in response and couldn’t miss the excitement burning in Alex’s eyes. Riley figured if he wasn’t here, Alex would’ve already burst into the room. His swashbuckler personality didn’t fit his former job as a recon Marine where he had to be slow and meticulous. Riley never understood that contradiction.

  Riley kicked the door open. Belcher lay facedown on a bare mattress, his eyes closed and his mouth hanging open, but Riley couldn’t take his focus off Leah’s tattoo on his arm. Here he was. The living breathing creep who’d made Leah suffer. Given her sleepless nights and intense emotional pain.

  Riley could easily grab Belcher by his stained T-shirt and pummel him senseless. It would feel great to release all of his pent-up rage…but then what? He’d be in major trouble as well as have beaten a defenseless man. What long-term satisfaction would that bring? None, and it would have all kinds of negative consequences.

  He grit his teeth, indecision still clouding his judgment.

  Alex nudged Riley and pointed at the wall behind the door. Thankfully, Riley managed to shift his attention before he exploded and went for the guy’s neck.

  The wall was covered with pictures of Leah. At concerts. At the park with Owen. Shots through the front window of her house where she was playing with Owen. Personal photos. Her tattoo exposed. And emails and forum posts were tacked around the pictures. This was the proof they needed of his stalking, and Riley should back out of the room. Call PPB.

  But he spun. Saw Belcher. Saw red. He started for him.

  Alex rested his hand on Riley’s shoulder and whispered, “Don’t do it, man.”

  Riley shrugged Alex’s hand off and moved forward.

  “One more step, and I use the hammerlock,” Alex said, louder now, but Belcher didn’t stir.

  The urge to move ahead nearly blinded Riley. He had to defend Leah’s honor. Let this jerk know what he did wasn’t acceptable. He’d hurt the woman Riley loved, and he couldn’t stand that.

  Wait. Loved? He loved her? Not as in once loved her. He really did love her. It wasn’t in question at all.

  His anger vanished as swift as an ocean wave crashing into a dune. He loved her. He did, and it felt good to admit it. At least to himself. But what about telling her? How did she feel?

  Belcher stirred, and Riley dragged his attention back to the man as he rolled and belched then settled on his back.

  “Watch him,” Riley said. “While I call in a detective buddy of mine. This jerk is going down and not by my hands, but by the law.”

  20

  On the other side of his living room, Devon put a new record on the turntable and looked up. Leah had expected him to leave her, but he didn’t seem ready to do that.

  “You look like you want to be alone,” he said.

  “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude.” Leah smiled, but she had to admit it was forced. “I’ve got a lot on my mind. The stalker. The murders. Losing my career.”

  He leaned against the wall, his ankles crossed, acting like he might stay and talk when Alex said just the opposite. She didn’t know how she felt about that.

  “Sounds like maybe the first two issues will be solved in the next little while,” he said.

  “Yes, thanks to the Blackwell Tactical team. But there’s nothing they can do to counterbalance the social media outrage. I think time is the only thing that can fix that. And even then, I’ll be a has-been playing small venues for a pittance.”

  “Maybe you need to reinvent yourself.”

  “If only it was that easy.”

  “I didn’t say it was easy. But I’ve been where you
are. In a big mess, thinking my career was over. And it was. But I made the hard decision to leave the SEALs and became a DEA agent. It’s not as exciting, but it’s rewarding.”

  “Why’d you leave the SEALs?” she asked, as she knew nothing about the military. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

  “Actually, I do mind, but I’ll tell you anyway,” he said, surprising her even more. “I left for a woman. She couldn’t handle a relationship with me being deployed, and I chose her over the team.”

  She looked at his hand. “But you’re not wearing a ring, so I assume you didn’t marry this woman.”

  He pushed off the wall, looking uneasy. Had she pried too much?

  “Turns out she couldn’t handle a relationship with me even when I wasn’t deployed.” He snorted. “In hindsight it was good to learn before the I do’s. But, man, at the time it was awful.” He shook his head. “Don’t know how you got me started. I don’t ever talk about this.”

  “I appreciate you sharing. I wish I had another career I could do. I mean moving into law enforcement is sort of natural for former military, right?”

  He nodded.

  “But for me, there’s no real career path.”

  “What about changing genres?”

  “Like suddenly do jazz or something, you mean?”

  “I don’t know anything about the music business, but it’s just a thought.”

  “Thanks,” she said, but couldn’t imagine what genre she could move to.

  “I’m gonna give you some time to think about this. You want me to leave the music on?”

  She nodded.

  “Let me know if you need anything.” He left the room.

  She leaned her head back on the sofa. Tried to remain still and absorb the music’s sultry undertones, but she couldn’t. Not when Riley could be in danger.

  She got up and paced the living room. She watched her feet travel over the lacquered wood floor, each step of worry clarifying her feelings for him. She loved him, and it was time to admit it. But what she did with that knowledge, she didn’t know.

  Her phone chimed a text. She quickly dug it out. The message was from him.