by Cate Beauman
Morgan whispered, “Someone tried to deactivate the alarm at the front gate, and a sensor went off on the west wall. The cops are on their way. Austin and Hunter are in charge until they get here.”
Flashes of the police officer laying beaten and unconscious in her yard played through Sarah’s mind. “What if he hurts Austin?”
Morgan took her hand. “Austin’s going to be fine. Bear and Reece won’t let anything happen to him.”
“Austin? Austin?” Hunter pressed on his earpiece before speaking into his mike again. “Austin, do you copy?” Seconds passed, but Hunter didn’t speak. He pulled a gun from the waistband of his shorts, slid the rack.
Oh, God, not Austin. He hurt Austin. Sarah struggled to keep her breathing steady as nausea roiled in her stomach. She pulled Kylee closer, instinctively rocking, and exchanged a glance with Morgan.
Hailey slid up to Sarah’s side, gripping her arm with unsteady fingers.
“Austin, answer me, damn it.”
A shadow moved past the door and Hunter stood. He pressed his finger to his mouth as he leaned against the wall closest to the door, taking the position of gun against chest like Sarah had seen in so many cop shows.
Concentrating on bringing air in through her nose and out through her mouth, Sarah braced against her own trembling, fearful she would wake Kylee.
Footsteps and paws approached moments later, stopping. “Green light, Phillips.”
Hunter uncocked the gun, swearing, before he yanked the door open. “What the fuck, Austin? I radioed you several times.”
“I figured as much, but something jammed the signal. The cops are here combing the shit out of this place—inside too. I was hoping you weren’t going to get trigger happy and start shooting.”
Hunter’s brow rose as Austin smiled. “We’ll stay in here until we get the all clear.” He opened the door wider, letting Austin and the dogs in. Bear and Reece, still on full alert, paced the spacious room until Austin gave them a command: “Relax”. They lay down immediately, ears still perked, panting.
Several minutes later, Detective Tucker Campbell stepped into the bathroom. “There’s no one here. The house is tight and secure; so are the grounds. Ethan has a very impressive setup. He puts our SuperMax facilities to shame.”
Hunter grinned. “That’s Ethan. He doesn’t mess around.”
“Can I speak to you for a moment?”
Hunter and Austin followed him into the hall. After a whispered exchange, they returned.
“Morgan, we’re going to move to the bedroom across from Ethan’s room. Hailey, you’re going to sleep in the room Sarah’s in now. Sarah, we’re going to have you and Kylee stay in Ethan’s.”
Sarah stood with Kylee, looking at Hunter. “What about Austin? Why is everyone moving around?”
“Austin’s going to stay downstairs with the dogs. We’ll all sleep better if we’re close, and Austin can keep an eye on the monitors.”
“Do they think that man tried to get in?”
Austin and Hunter exchanged a glance before Hunter spoke. “They don’t believe his intention was to come over the wall, especially after he activated the flood lights by setting off the sensor.”
Sarah shifted Kylee in her arms and leaned against the counter. “Why then?”
“Mind games. He wants you to feel like he can get to you anywhere.”
Closing her eyes, she shuddered. Wasn’t it only a matter of time?
Austin moved to her side. “He can’t, Sarah; not here, and he knows it. You’re still safe here. Don’t give him the satisfaction of worrying about it for one second.”
“I’ll try.” But she would. Her stalker would never stop until he had what he wanted. The notes she had read said as much. The madness she’d seen staring back at her through the window left no doubt.
Kylee stirred and Sarah rocked, kissing her forehead. “Shh,” she whispered, “go back to sleep, honey.” Kylee settled and slept on.
Sarah glanced at her friends, concentrating on the fierce look in Hunter’s eyes, at the concern in Morgan and Hailey’s, the quiet encouragement in Austin’s. They were all here for her, because of her. There was nothing she could do to change the situation and she was ultimately as safe as anyone could make her. Struggling to shove her terrorizing thoughts away, she tried to ignore the clutch of fear in her stomach as she concentrated on keeping the tremors that wanted to rack her body at bay. The dull throb of a headache was slowly hammering at her temples. She suddenly craved her bed and the quiet, wanting the oblivion of sleep, hopeful that for even just a little while, she could pretend this wasn’t happening.
An hour later, after both Hailey and Morgan were settled in their new rooms, Sarah lay awake, listening to the sounds of the house. When the wood of the floor snapped, she jumped and her heart rate accelerated. Bear and Reece wandered in, laying down on the plush rug close to the side of the bed, and she took a deep breath. “Decided you would sleep upstairs after all, boys?”
They looked up, tails giving a halfhearted thump before they rested their heads.
She smiled, trying to relax, concentrating on the distant, rhythmic crash of waves. The sounds of water rushing over rocks and the scent of Ethan’s aftershave against the pillows soothed. It was as if he were there with her. Longing for his arms to wrap around her, to feel the comfort only he could bring, she snuggled into the covers and thought of Ethan’s gray eyes staring into hers as she drifted off.
Adrenaline still pumped through Hunter’s veins as he sat across from Austin in Ethan’s office. Sipping his coffee, he picked up the disk Detective Campbell slipped him. “Ethan should be on the ground by now. We’ll have to give him a call, let him know what happened.”
“He’s not going to like it.”
“No, he’s not, but at least it’s a controlled situation. I would’ve liked to have gotten a picture of the roses left at the gate and on top of the wall. Hopefully Campbell can hook us up with those too.” He slipped the DVD into the drive on his laptop. “Let’s see what’s on this bad boy.”
Austin walked around the desk, taking a seat, as the grocery store surveillance, dated four nights before, loaded on the screen. “What are we looking for, exactly?”
“Anything that seems off. Ethan thinks the bastard followed them. They were there around the time that girl was murdered behind the restaurant. She was only seventeen, for Christ’s sake. Campbell said the boys downtown saw a few interesting details, but they’re not sharing. We’ll have to find them for ourselves.”
“I bumped into them at the checkout counter—ran out of T.P.” Austin pointed to the screen as Sarah and Ethan entered the store. “There they are.”
Hunter watched Ethan and Sarah walk through the aisles, conversing as they added items to their cart. When they stopped in the cereal aisle, Ethan picked up a red box, paused. He and Sarah exchanged words before Sarah grabbed his ear. Hunter’s eyes narrowed when Ethan pulled her close, said something, nibbled her lip. She eased back, and they both smiled.
Hunter stopped the video, hit a few buttons and zoomed in, tightening up on the frame. He stared at Ethan and Sarah, grinning at each other, and knew he’d been wrong. In all the years he’d known Ethan, he couldn’t remember seeing that content look in his eyes before. He was in love with her. “Well, son of a bitch,” he muttered.
“What is it?”
He glanced up at Austin’s puzzled expression. “Did you know about this? About Ethan and Sarah?”
Austin stood, diverted his gaze. “No. I’d noticed undercurrents, but I’ve never seen them together like they are here. I mean, they’ve always been close, but…”
Hunter stared at their happy faces again before he zoomed out and started the video. As Sarah and Ethan walked down the aisle with Ethan’s finger in Sarah’s back pocket, Hunter and Austin both inched closer to the screen.
“Stop. Go back, go back. That guy there.” Austin pointed at the top left corner of the monitor.
Hunter had see
n it too. He rewound the footage and zoomed in on the man who kept his face hidden under a black cap. The bill of his hat followed Sarah and Ethan’s direction, as if he tracked their movements. They turned into the next aisle and he crushed the box he held in his hands. Hunter felt the skitter along his shoulder blades, the clutch in his gut. “That’s him, Austin, right there.”
They played with the video for an hour, zooming in from different angles. Even with Ethan’s state-of-the art equipment, they couldn’t get a make on the face. They followed his track through the rest of the store, where he paused at the sliding doors.
“There we are. When I saw Ethan and Sarah with their cart-full, I offered to help load the Rover.” Austin huffed out a breath and stood. “Damn. He was right there and we were completely oblivious.”
“We won’t be next time. Let’s call Ethan.”
CHAPTER 18
SARAH WOKE IN THE DIM light of dawn, exhausted. She’d met each day with dragging fatigue since Ethan left—it was as if he’d taken her energy with him. For two weeks, she’d struggled to keep up with Kylee and the demands of her job. Her work hours had been brutal with the swimsuit edition photo shoot only fourteen days away.
The six weeks leading up to the shoot were always hectic and tiring, but she couldn’t remember ever feeling like this.
Sarah sat up and closed her eyes, breathing through a wave of dizziness. When she opened them again, the room no longer spun. She looked down at Kylee and smiled. Angelic and peaceful in sleep, she snuggled with Mr. Ruff among the soft blankets.
Sarah kissed her finger, touched Kylee’s little nose before she stood to begin her battle with the day.
Sarah slipped off her robe, turned on the shower. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stopped, staring at her pale face in the reflection. She sighed. “I don’t have time for this. I really don’t.” She had a full day of test shots to contend with. Out of patience with her lack of energy, she stepped into the warm spray, letting the jets of water sluice over her body.
While she lathered shampoo through her hair, she thought of Ethan. What was he doing? Was he safe? Why hadn’t he called? She remembered their goodbye, the distance she’d felt from him, and worried. Had he changed his mind?
Sarah tipped her head back, rinsing the suds away, thinking of the way he’d stared into her eyes as he told her he loved her. She shook her head and smiled, scolding herself for being silly. He would call when he could. He was busy.
Shower finished and dressed in comfy jeans and a blue t-shirt, she wandered downstairs. She passed Ethan’s office on the way to the kitchen, stopped when she heard Austin’s voice.
“That’s awesome, boss. So it’s all wrapped up.”
“Great. You’ll be back soon, then.”
“Oh, well, yeah, that makes sense. I heard Sarah moving around upstairs. Do you want me to—“
“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”
Sarah struggled against tears as realization struck. Austin came out of Ethan’s office every morning at this time. She stepped into the room, gave him a small smile. “Good morning.”
His gaze darted to the phone before he met hers and stood. “Hey, Sarah.” Frowning, he walked to her, taking her arm. “Are you okay? Why don’t you sit down? You look like hell.”
“I’m fine; just tired. Was that Ethan?”
He dropped his hand from her arm. “Uh, yeah.”
“It sounds like he’s well.”
He walked back to the desk, rubbing his fingers over his chin. “Appears to be.”
“Does he call here every morning?” She hated putting Austin in this position, but she had to know.
He glanced down at his watch. “Hunter should be down any minute. We’re going to have to leave pretty soon.”
Heart pounding, her stomach clenched. “Austin?”
Blowing out a breath, he looked up. “He calls to check in.”
“Okay.” Sarah nodded as her heart broke. He’d called every day for two weeks and hadn’t spoken to her. “Well, I’m going to finish getting ready.”
“He’s been really busy, Sarah.”
She heard the apology in his voice. “Yeah, I know.” She turned, walked to the kitchen, and out the door.
On the lower balcony, she stared at the ocean lapping against the cliffs in the distance. The salty breeze rushed up to meet her, blowing damp hair dry. As the seagulls screeched and dove toward the waves, Sarah gripped the wooden rail. Why did he tell her he loved her? Why did he give her words he didn’t mean?
She’d been a fool to have given her heart so freely, to have let herself believe. A few nights of passion and easy feelings between longtime friends didn’t equate to the dreams she’d let herself weave.
Wasn’t she responsible for her own pain when she’d known all along Ethan had never been sure? He’d made his choice, and it wasn’t her. A single tear escaped as she rubbed at her chest, trying to stop the ache that settled there.
“Mama?”
Sarah dashed at her cheek and turned, smiling. Kylee, sleepy eyed and beautiful, stared up with open arms. Bending forward, Sarah scooped her up, breathing in the baby shampoo scent of her daughter. She nuzzled her soft, warm neck. “Hi, sweet girl. Did you have a good sleep?”
“Yes. Mr. Ruff did too.”
“I’m so glad.”
A strong gust blew off the water, twisting and tangling Kylee’s blonde hair with hers.
Kylee’s eyes widened as she laughed. “Windy!”
“Very.” Pushing despair away, she hugged her little girl close and stared out at the cliffs again. She had a child to raise and a business to run. If she learned anything after Jake died it was that life went on, and she’d had to go with it.
Ethan had been there to help her pick up the pieces, he’d been there all along, but he wouldn’t be here now.
Life had brought her full circle. She’d let herself love again—and had lost again. She ignored the swift kick of grief. It was time to keep going, time to open a new chapter.
Determined to begin, she smiled at Kylee. “Are you and Mr. Ruff ready for breakfast?”
“Yes. I very hungry.”
“We should go eat.”
Ethan replied to a thank-you e-mail from Niko Fabiano while he sat at his gate, waiting to board a flight for Germany. The job had gone smoother than expected. After poring through computerized records for a week and a half, he found the connection linking Niko’s brother, Giovanni, to the misappropriation of millions of dollars in funds. From that point, the authorities had become involved, and Giovanni’s plan to take over as CEO—by any means necessary—came crashing down.
Interviews with the police, meetings with his top men at the Italian branch, and frequent trips to visit his injured agent kept him occupied over the remainder of the second week. Through the chaos of his days and nights, he’d thought of Sarah—hadn’t been able to stop.
The conversation with his father played through Ethan’s mind, as it had each day, each hour, while he had been away. The Cookes weren’t marriage material; never had been, never would be. If that were true, what did he have to offer Sarah?
How did a marriage end up the way his parents’ had? Would he wake up one morning after starting a life with her and decide he couldn’t do it anymore? Would he look at Sarah across a room ten years down the road and suddenly feel nothing? He couldn’t stand the thought. He loved her too much for that. His desperate love for Sarah wasn’t the problem. The fear that he would ultimately let her down was.
Ethan tapped at his keyboard, bringing up the grocery store surveillance Austin sent over two weeks before. He watched himself and Sarah move through the aisles like any other couple. When he pulled her close and nibbled her lip, he froze the frame, zooming in. Gray eyes smiled into blue and he wanted that moment back, that moment when everything was perfectly right and he was sure.
He zoomed in again until Sarah’s stunning face filled the screen. His stomach clutched as need for her st
aggered him, consumed him. He slammed his laptop closed in defense and gathered his things as his flight was called.
He’d made the right choice to exchange his ticket for a one-way flight to Germany. He couldn’t go back to California, not yet. He couldn’t go home until his head was clear, until he could move past the want, the need, and make a decision that would be best for both of them.
Things were still under control at home. Sarah was safe in the care of his two best men. He would take the time he needed and check on his European branches while he did.
CHAPTER 19
“TURN TO YOUR LEFT A little, Gabriella. Perfect. Head up into the wind. Awesome.” Sarah pressed the shutter button continuously, catching the Brazilian stunner’s every move in the beach sand. Gabriella’s black hair swirled by her face as the sun caught her translucent brown eyes while she smiled. And there it was—Celebrity’s cover picture for the swimsuit edition.
Sarah let the Nikon strap rest around her neck as she took a deep breath. Lunch wasn’t agreeing with her. “Take twenty, everyone. When you come back, Gabriella, let’s try the white bikini. I think it’s going to be striking with your golden skin and the deep blue of the water.”
Gabriella stepped forward. “Sarah, are you okay? You are looking unwell.”
Heat coursed through her body, her mouth began to water, and knew she was going to be sick. “Yes, I’m fine.”
Bolting for the trailer, Sarah made it just in time. She flushed away her sickness and glanced up. Hunter stood in the door, holding out a bottle of water. “Feel better?”
No. She took the bottle, pressing the cool plastic against her forehead. “Yes. I think I got too hot. The sun’s blazing out there.”
“Maybe we should call it a day.”
