She had a worried expression. “I have to go back to Atlanta this morning.”
The prospect made his chest hurt. But he couldn’t keep her here. He and this place would feel like another prison to her. “I remember how excited you were about living out loud. You looked so happy at the thought of it. Pretty soon you’ll be free.”
She placed her hand against his chest. “I wish you could come with me.”
He took her hand and pressed it against his mouth. “The thought of going to a city, walking around in public…” He shook his head. “I can’t.”
She slowly nodded, her mouth stretching into a frown. “I understand. But if you change your mind, I have this little deck off the back of my apartment. It’s a ledge really. I sometimes sit out there at night and listen to the wind chimes. When this is all over, you could come around the back of the building, use the ground floor table behind my neighbors’ apartment and climb up to the ledge by my bedroom window.” She gave him a hopeful smile. “Throw pebbles. Except that might freak me out, so call first. But the point is, no one would see you.”
“Isn’t that a security problem, having a deck by your window?”
“Chase thought so, too. First of all, it’s on the third floor, and you have to be in really good shape to climb up, like you are. Eye isn’t. I could tell that much about him. Chase installed a security system, with the windows wired, and bars as well. If the window opens, the alarm beeps.” She gave him a small smile. “It’d be kind of romantic, like that Melissa Etheridge song, ‘Come to My Window.’”
And pathetic. He planted a kiss on her palm and set her hand down. “Once this bastard is behind bars, you have to get on with your life. You don’t need someone like me keeping you in the dark.”
She placed her hands on his face, leaning close, looking like she was about to implore him. Then she tilted her head. “You don’t think you deserve to be happy, do you? Because you think you let your comrades down?”
The truth of that speared him right in the chest. “I don’t know what I deserve. I’m too messed up to even consider it. And you don’t need to be involved in the mess that’s me.” He gently disengaged, kissing her on the forehead before going into the bathroom.
She was dressed in her long T-shirt when he came out a couple minutes later, brushing her hair with her fingers. He picked up his pants and pulled them on. “I’ll walk you to your room.”
“I got here all right; I can get back on my own.” She paused at the door, her hand on his over the doorknob. “I wouldn’t mind waking up to your ugly mug every morning, by the way. Just sayin’.” She went to her room.
He leaned against the closed door, gripping his temples. Those words tightened and pulled and twisted inside him. The selfish part of him wanted to explore this connection between them. And the amazing physical aspect, too. But it wasn’t fair to her.
He quickly dressed and headed to the Mud Room, where Chase and a man in his mid- to late-twenties were talking about surveillance cameras.
Chase introduced him to Detective Adam Burns. “Burns has looked over everything and says we should have an iron-clad case when we catch Eye.”
Griff asked, “You’re that sure he’s going to come here?”
Burns nodded. “The guy’s obsessed with her, and he’s mad as hell that he can’t find her. He threatened her friend, for God’s sake. What a coward.”
Griff had nothing but respect for what Kristy was doing. But he didn’t much like putting her on display to get the sicko’s attention.
“And you’re sure she’ll be safe?” Griff asked. “Maybe I should go—”
“I don’t want any more civilians involved in this than there already are,” Burns cut in. “I assure you, she’ll be fine. I’m going to clear her apartment when she gets home. We’ll have a patrol car keeping an eye on her place, and I’ll be checking in on her. But the less commotion and strangers hanging around to pique attention the better.”
“I don’t like involving civvies either,” Chase said. “But I have to admit, we’ve had a few cases where they’ve proven invaluable. Kristy’s cooperation along with Griff’s property were perfect. And they aren’t going to be here when the show is publicized, so they’re perfectly safe. So, what made the police cut through the red tape and mobilize so fast?”
Burns gave him a sheepish smile. “If this blows wide open, there’s going to be a lot of publicity. The captain didn’t want a private firm getting all the credit while the Atlanta police were sitting on their thumbs waiting for approval.”
Griff swore he felt Kristy before he even heard her footsteps coming down the hall. He turned to see her carrying her duffel bag, her gaze on him. Damn, she looked sad. Didn’t she realize he was doing her a favor? She’d get tired of seeing his face every day, and then there were his nightmares, having to sleep with a night-light on…
“Good morning,” Kristy said as she joined the men. “Detective Burns,” she greeted with a nod. “Guess you’re here to take me home.”
“Yep. As soon as you’re safe and sound, Chase’s crew is going to release the first clips.”
She set down her bag and walked over to Griff. “Thank you for everything.” She placed her hands on either side of his face, her palms cool against his skin. “Remember what I said. I meant it.” She gave him a soft, sweet kiss, then stepped back and pressed a folded piece of paper in his hand.
Burns was watching, but he shifted his gaze when he saw Griff’s eyes on him. “Ready?”
She nodded, gave Griff one last bittersweet smile, and walked out. He felt a piece of his heart leave with her.
Chase clapped him softly on the arm. “Time for you to head out, too. Here’s a DVD of some of the footage.” He gave him a knowing smile as he handed him an envelope. “Trent wanted me to make sure you got it.”
Within ten minutes, Griff was in his truck heading to his cousin’s house in Tennessee. No sign of Burns’s unmarked car anywhere. Why was he even looking? They were headed in opposite directions. Which was true in more ways than one.
He glanced at the DVD in its soft plastic sleeve, and the note lying on top of it. She’d given him her phone number and address, and drawn a diagram of how he could go around to the back and sneak in like a thief. Because he was a coward, too.
CHAPTER 6
Kristy kept checking her phone, hoping he’d call. Every hour, holed up in her apartment, felt like a day. She tortured herself even further by watching the DVD Trent had given her as she’d walked to the car with Burns, whispering, “Chemistry,” in his singsong voice.
As she watched the footage, she could see what Trent saw. Yes, she and Griff had tons of it. She hadn’t smiled so much in two years, maybe longer than that. But mostly she loved seeing Griff’s smile. And the way he watched her when she hadn’t realized it. The way he hovered protectively as he guided her toward a hole in the muddy water.
As it turned out, she hadn’t needed the DVD. Chase had flooded the Internet with promos of the phony show, even getting it to trend on Twitter.
The sun had long ago set, which meant several hours had passed since she’d given Griff that note. She turned off the television with a sigh and headed into the kitchen to fix something for dinner, even though she wasn’t hungry. As she’d been doing all day, she glanced out the front window to see the patrol car parked across the street. Every now and then the officer inside would walk around the building.
When her phone rang, her heart shot into her throat. Griff! But the screen read Detective Burns’s number. True to his word, he’d checked in on her earlier in the day. And was apparently doing so again, though this time in a soft, low voice.
“Hello, Detective Burns,” she answered. “Everything’s fine.”
Though Burns wasn’t the detective originally assigned to her stalking case, he had requested to work with her and Chase because, as he’d admitted, he
felt bad that the police hadn’t been able to help her.
“I’m glad to hear that, but I have a concern. I was just by to check in with my officer and saw a shadow around back. I don’t think it’s Eye, but I want to be sure. And while I’m at it, you know I had issues with that ledge outside your window. Even if it is wired. I’m going to try to climb up and make sure it’s secure.”
“Chase already did that.”
“Look, I’m sure you paid him a lot of money to set you up here, but to be honest, I don’t know much about him or his company. Please let me put my concerns to rest. I want to test the security cameras, too, so go to your computer and see if you can spot me on the video feeds. If I make it to your window, I’ll tap.”
Chase had installed three discreet cameras to cover the back of the building and side. She’d gone over everything with Burns when he’d expressed his concerns. She suspected it had more to do with his dislike of Chase butting in on police territory.
“And turn off your lights,” Burns went on. “If someone is skulking around, I don’t want him to see you or me.”
Now her heart was beating for a different reason. “I’ll do that now.” After thrusting her apartment into the dark, she sat at her computer and pulled up the security software. Three views filled the screen. She searched among the shadows, trying to discern whether they were shifting because of the wind or not. The view of the ledge was wide open, as she’d removed the potted plants per Chase’s instructions.
Suddenly, it flickered off. She reached for the phone to call Burns but halted. What if Eye was out there? If Burns’s phone went off, it would alert him.
No, he can’t have found me. He’s supposed to be at Griff’s property.
So she waited in the silent darkness and listened. A few seconds later, she heard a tapping. Thank God.
Except, not really. It meant that Burns had been able to climb up on the deck. Maybe Eye couldn’t break in, with the additional security measures, but he could crouch there and watch her. The thought shuddered through her.
She made her way through the bedroom, glad for Burns’s directive to turn off the lights. She could see him, though she made absolutely sure it was him before disarming the window alarm, opening the bars, and then the window.
He climbed inside and closed the window. “Sorry, but you see that it was entirely possible for someone my size and strength to get up here.”
She nodded. “I’m glad you checked.”
“Maybe I should look the rest of the place over.” He headed toward the living area. “Could you see me on the video?”
“No, but the one on the deck stopped working.”
“That’s odd. Let me take a look.” He sat down at her computer and studied the images. “It shut off right about the time I was up there. I wonder if I accidently broke a wire.” He clicked on some of the software settings, then stood. “I’ll go back out and take a look. Got a flashlight?”
She went to the kitchen. When she turned, flashlight in hand, he was standing right behind her with an odd expression.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” he asked. “You really don’t.”
There was a tiny line of anger at his mouth and in his dark blue eyes. She studied him, thinking that he was older by a couple of years. “No, I’m sorry. We’ve met?”
His laugh held no humor. “We went to Jonas Middle School together. I was in your seventh-grade homeroom. Mrs. Skull, as we used to call her.”
“Oh.” She studied his face but still couldn’t place him. He looked so very ordinary, with brown hair, brown eyes, medium build. “Well, that was a long time ago. I’m sure you’ve changed a lot since then.”
“I had a crush on you. All it took was one smile, when we were standing in the lunch line together. My parents, they thought I was gay, and my father was always harassing me about being more athletic and getting a girlfriend. The thought must have terrified him, homophobic bastard that he is. So I told him you were my girl and that you were going to the dance with me. They were thrilled. Relieved more than anything, I imagine. I worked on the yearbook committee and took some pictures of you to show my parents. They bought me a suit for the dance and a corsage to give you. And I did ask you, but you turned me down.”
Why was he telling her this? She awkwardly held the flashlight, rubbing her thumb across the ridges of the handle. “I wasn’t really into boys much then.” She’d been insecure, too tall and gawky. “It was nothing personal.”
“My father beat the living daylights out of me when he found out I lied. Maybe you remember the kid who winced for a week every time he sat down.”
She grimaced at the thought of such a beating but held back another apology. That wasn’t her fault. Then a vague memory surfaced, a boy who was shorter than her telling her that she was going to the dance with him. He’d been angry when she turned him down, and he’d given her creepy stares for the next several weeks. Then the school session had ended, and she couldn’t remember seeing him the next year.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to make you feel awkward,” he said, waving it away. “Give me the flashlight, and I’ll check the camera.”
When she reached out, he grabbed her arm instead. In a flash, he’d spun her against his chest and slapped his hand over her mouth. When she tried to scream, he pressed a finger to the front of her throat, nearly making her choke.
“I didn’t ask another girl out for years,” he went on, as though he wasn’t holding her against her will. He walked them to the counter where he pulled a knife from the butcher block. He fiddled with something in his pocket and produced a cloth that smelled like ether.
Chloroform! He was going to knock her out. She fought him, uttering as much of a scream as she could manage with his hand smashed over her mouth. He brought the cloth over her nose, and the acrid smell filled her nostrils.
No! I can’t let him do this!
“My father called me faggot and other vile names until he died when I was seventeen.” She struggled, but he continued talking in an eerily calm voice. “I watched you over the next couple of years. You filled in, became more beautiful. And you didn’t see me at all. Then you moved away, and I tried to forget you. Until I saw the ads. You in skimpy bathing suits showing off your flesh. An article in the Atlanta Constitution about the hometown girl who’d become a successful New York model and then, aw, moved back because her parents were worried about her. And everything I’d done to better myself, achieving detective at an early age, the cases I’d solved, all melted away to leave me as that invisible kid again. It’s your fault, Kristy. It’s your fault that deep inside I feel like a nothing. I wanted to make you feel bad, too.”
She was struggling, holding him off enough to grab a breath of fresh air and keep darkness from falling. “You’re… Eye?” she managed.
He shoved the cloth hard against her face, clamping down over her nose. “Yes, Kristy. And while the cops and your security expert are waiting for me to take the bait, you and I are finally going to get some quality time together.”
Darkness pulsed in and out. She knew his name. He was a cop. No way was he going to let her live to tell. And then she fell into the abyss.
CHAPTER 7
Griff had spent the afternoon watching the DVD. He’d hardly recognized the man helping Kristy drive through the bog or catch fish. That man laughed. Smiled. Forgot he was a beast. And she never looked at him with anything but acceptance. Trent had included footage of their kiss, too, right at the end. Griff had caved at the sight, bodies pressed together, his hands at her waist.
And he’d heard her voice as clear as a bell: “Griff, I don’t want a guy who looks good. I want a guy who is good.”
Was he a good man? Good enough for her? He had to take the opportunity to find out. He’d been given the gift of life, of surviving. She’d given him the gift of her heart. And when he’d made love to her, he’d felt l
ike a man for the first time in years. He’d felt alive.
So he’d been driving to Atlanta all evening. He even decided that he was going to come in the normal way, right through the foyer she’d described. It was after ten when he drove into the area of the city where she lived. He imagined that people in the cars next to his stared over at him. He didn’t have to imagine the piteous stares of the man pumping gas across from him, or the kids who gawked.
What am I doing here? I need to be in my comfort zone, in a couple hundred acres of woods.
He dropped into the seat of his truck, hidden again by tinted windows. Maybe her affection was all about the fact that he was helping her. He rested his head against the seat with a loud sigh. He’d grown so insecure. Afraid. Not of physical pain—he’d endured plenty of that—but the kind that took even longer to heal.
All right, so he’d call her. If she sounded happy to hear from him, he’d see her. If she sounded hesitant or unpleasantly surprised, he’d go back to Tennessee.
He called the number she’d written on the note. It rang several times before someone picked up, and then another three seconds passed before he heard her tentative, “Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Griff.”
Damn, another second of silence. Then, “Oh, hey.”
“I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Yeah, he was digging for a reason she didn’t sound enthusiastic.
“No, I…I’m awake.”
“You okay? You sound kinda funny.”
“I’m…fine. I just woke up from…a nap.” There was another sound, though he couldn’t place it. “Griff, I have to go. It’s not a good time to talk.”
She was blowing him off. He gripped the phone, the edges biting into his palm. But he wouldn’t slink away in silence. No, he was going to put himself out there. “Did you change your mind? About us?”
The silence said it all. He was about to say good-bye, wish her well, when she whispered, “I meant what I said when you were showing me how to shoot the rifle. Please remember that, Griff. I have to go.”
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