“Please. Whatever it is, however damaging, I can handle it, Kenny. Believe me. I don’t need Ron to hold my hand.”
A grin crossed his face. “I didn’t think you did. I found five RF transmitters—the phone upstairs, your dresser, the downstairs phone, the paint cabinet and the base of the Nefertiti bust.” He pointed at the bookshelf at the corner of the room. “There was a spyware on your computer to monitor and record internet activities. They used some pretty jazzed-up system, but it wasn’t hard to detect.” He flipped open the briefcase on the counter and pulled out a plastic bag from it. In it were six gadgets of different shapes and a disk, which he picked up. “I copied whatever I could. I’ll try to find out more about it once I get back to my office.”
Ashley closed her eyes and shuddered. She was an artist, not a techno wiz. Spyware, radio frequency transmitters, she was so out of her element it wasn’t funny.
“You okay?”
Ashley opened her eyes and attempted a casual smile. She knew she failed when Kenny paused in the process of drinking his coffee and his eyes narrowed.
“All this is just a little overwhelming, but I’ll be fine. Thanks for asking. Will you call me once you know more about it?” She pointed at the disk in his hand.
“Sure.” He dropped the disk back in the case. “But I’ll need to borrow your computer.”
She stared at the machine and fought revulsion.
He misunderstood her hesitation. “I’ll try and return it as soon as—”
“Take it and anything else you might need. And once you’re done with it, just…just get rid of it.” She couldn’t stand looking at it now, let alone using it. Besides, there wasn’t anything in it she hadn’t backed up. Next time she’d buy a laptop. No more leaving her system around for some psycho to bug. “Is it, uh, possible to know how long these bugs have been in my home?”
Kenny drained his coffee, then set the mug down. “Only the spyware. About three weeks.”
“What? I just bought it.”
“When?”
“Two months ago.” Her heart dropped to the bottom of her feet at the implication. Ron came to see her about a week and a half ago. If Dunn bugged her home, it happened way before Ron came to see her, right after her agent contacted Nina’s about Carlyle House, which only meant one thing. The scum-bag biker was after her, not Ron. “How do you know…I mean, how can you tell?”
“The program stores up all the keys you strike every time you use your keyboard and all your web activities in a text file, which is sent to an FTP site. Whoever planted it accesses that site from a remote location. I checked the dates the data was transmitted.”
She fought to stop conjuring ugly images of a stranger sneaking into her apartment. “Thanks, Kenny.” Her voice came out a little wobbly and she had to swallow before continuing. “How much do I owe—?”
He dismissed her question with a wave and scowl. “Don’t worry about it, Ashley. I’m happy I could help.”
“Thanks.” She walked him to the door, thanked him, again, and locked up. She wrapped her arms around herself and glanced furtively around her home, feeling unsafe even with the alarm on. Someone was out to get her. How the hell was she supposed to deal with that?
***
When the doorbell rang later, Ashley jerked nervously. Lord, she knew she was a mess, emotionally and mentally. She needed to get a grip quick and come up with a plan. She hurried to check the peek hole, confirming it was Ron and Lieutenant Sanchez.
She flung the door open and stepped back, her gaze locking on Ron. Having him around made her feel a whole lot safer, but in the back of her mind she knew she must let him go. Whoever was after her might hurt him to get to her. The thought of anything happening to him, like Kirkland or Hogan, left her lightheaded with fear.
He reached for her hand, cutting off her thoughts and making her wonder if her feelings were written on her face. She glanced at Sanchez. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Let’s sit down first,” Ron said, shutting the door with his foot and guiding them toward the counter. He had them seated around the counter in a matter of seconds.
“I talked to my captain about your situation, Ms. Fitzgerald,” the officer started.
“My situation?”
“Dunn is after you, Ms. Fitzgerald. That’s a fact. After seriously hurting that delivery man and your uncle and being the main suspect in the death of Mr. Hogan in Idaho, we’re taking that threat seriously.”
Ashley’s eyes widened, then her gaze shifted to Ron.
“Hogan’s dead?” Her voice came out in a screech.
Ron nodded, gripping her hand. “Officer Sanchez just got the news through her precinct.”
“They found his car in a lake,” the officer added. “The cops up there believe he lost control of his car, crashed through an embankment and into the lake, but after I talked with Mr. Noble, I believe this was no accident. Mr. Noble’s theory about the fire at Carlyle House is worth looking into. It’s the only incident connecting you, Hogan and Kirkland. We plan to reopen the case as soon as we nab Dunn.”
“Why after you catch him?” Ron asked just as Ashley said, “Why wait?”
“My captain needs more evidence,” Sanchez said. “Right now, everything appears circumstantial. Besides, we’re really backed up case-wise.”
Ron cursed under his breath, his eyes filling with rage. “Will another dead body be enough evidence?” He let go of Ashley’s hand and got to his feet. He paced the floor, scrubbing his face and occasionally stopping to glare at the officer. “This is bullshit, you hear?” he snarled.
The officer gave him a sympathetic look. “I understand how you feel, Mr. Noble. I promise you, we won’t let anything happen to Ms. Fitzgerald. We plan to keep her under surveillance.”
Ashley sat up. “Excuse me?”
“At least that’s something,” Ron said as though she hadn’t spoken. “When will you start?”
“Tonight. We have a stakeout team outside even as we speak.”
Ashley couldn’t believe what she was hearing, or that they were planning things without consulting her. “Hey.” The two turned to look at her. She ignored Ron and locked her gaze on Sanchez. “Surveillance? Me?”
“This is what I meant to discuss with you, Ms. Fitzgerald. As a possible target, we must do whatever it takes to keep you safe. First thing tomorrow, I plan to have our tech people install motion-activated visual and audio transmitters outside your door, the main floor of your loft, your windows…what is it?”
“No. No gismos or gadgets anywhere near me or my home.” Her voice rose toward the end of the sentence. Ashley shook her head so hard she felt a ringing in her ears. No way was she letting her privacy be invaded, again. “No unmarked cars tailing me, no—”
Ron reached for her arm. “Ashley.”
She cringed and got to her feet, moving away from him. She was hanging by a thread, barely functioning because of what Kenny had found. And now they want her to consent to more hidden cameras and whatnots?
“No, Ron. I can’t do it.”
“Damn it, Ashley.”
“Ms. Fitzgerald—”
“No.” She crossed her arms and stared defiantly at them. Obviously Ron had discussed this surveillance thing with Sanchez without consulting her. Such arrogance. Her anger shot up.
“I can’t allow it.” Her tone implied ‘won’t’ but she didn’t care. She wouldn’t be pushed into doing something while she felt so helpless and vulnerable. She needed time to think things through, strategize. Right now it hurt too much to breathe, let alone come up with a coherent thought.
As though she understood her misgivings, Officer Sanchez said, “At least allow an officer to stay with you. I promise she won’t be intrusive. You’ll hardly know she’s there.”
Yeah right. She’d stick out like a sore thumb. She could feel Ron’s heated gaze on her, but she ignored him. Sanchez’s frustration was apparent, too. She probably thought Ashley was an idiot. Bett
er a fool with some control of her life, than a nervous wreck jumping at every shadow.
“I need time to think about it,” Ashley said.
The policewoman sighed. “We can’t predict when he’ll strike again so—”
“I said I’ll think about it.” She felt bad for snapping at the officer who was only doing her job. “I’ll let you know in the morning. Not now.” Please, she begged with her eyes.
Again, the intuitive officer caught on fast. She nodded. “You do that, Ms. Fitzgerald. For now, I have a team outside should you need anything.”
“Thank you.” Ashley watched Ron escort the officer to the door, then bristled when he pushed the door shut softly and stayed there, his hard eyes on her. She wanted to say “what?”, but something in his eyes made her keep her mouth shut. He started toward her in measured steps.
“Are you okay?” His tone was mild, but he reminded her of a volcano about to erupt.
She shrugged and tried to match his tone. “I’ll live.”
“Not you won’t,” he snapped, causing her to flinch. Then as if he regretted it, he took a deep, calming breath. When he reached her side, his arms slipped around her waist and he hugged her tight. She leaned against him, drawing on his warmth, his steady and solid presence.
“Tell me why?” Ron turned her around and peered into her face. He rubbed her arms, his expression grim.
She wanted to physically retreat but was so tired. Truth be told, she wanted to crawl in bed and forget today ever happened. Not the lovemaking part. That she’d treasure. But the rest of it, she wanted to bury.
“I said I’ll think about it, Ron.”
“There’s no time for that,” he said dismissively. “Not when that bastard knows where you live.” He searched her face. “If you’re uneasy about having police protection, then you should consider staying with me.”
And put him in harm’s way? She shook her head.
“No.” She really didn’t want to think about police and protection, or why Dunn and the people he worked for had her home bugged. Right now she wanted to crawl under the blankets and just howl.
“Babe, please come to my place until this is over.”
She shook off the self-pity.
“I won’t let that man drive me from my home.” Or put Ron in harm’s way by moving in with him. She didn’t know how it happened, didn’t really care, to be honest, but she was in love with Ron. And she was not about to let Dunn anywhere near him. She lost way too many people she loved to add him to the list. “I’m not running away, not anymore.”
His eyes narrowed with confusion. “Who said anything about running away?”
“You came to see me a week and a half ago, the spy stuff was planted before that. Dunn is after me because of,” she tapped her head, “whatever I saw ten years ago. That’s why he had my home bugged. Sure, someone out there wants to expose what happened. But Dunn and whoever he works for want to bury it.” A horrified sound escaped her. Kirkland. What if her first conversation with Kirkland led Dunn to him? She was responsible for what happened to him.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions. I received the first letter about three weeks ago, too. Maybe the fact that I went around and talked to my father’s old fire buddies brought Dunn to your door.” Ron gripped her arms.
His assertion gave her a pause. How she wanted to believe him, but no, she couldn’t delude herself.
“Thanks, but I can’t rule anything out. If Dr. Reuben weren’t flying back east for a conference, I’d ask her to hypnotize me first thing tomorrow morning. I want to know everything now. Wednesday seems so far away.”
“If you insist on staying here, I’ll stay too. We can find a way to keep busy until the good doctor returns.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and started leading her toward the stairs.
“No.” Ashley dug in her heels and gently nudged his arm off her shoulder. “I have a mural to finish and—”
“What? You aren’t thinking of going to work with this hanging over our heads?” He crossed his arms and fixed his unflinching gaze on her.
“I’m not going to stop living—”
“Fine. I’ll take you wherever you need to go.”
A man gives you multiple orgasms and he thinks he owns you. Couldn’t he get it through his thick head that she was trying to protect his hide? If she was the target, she wanted him as far away from her as possible. In fact, she planned to call Officer Sanchez as soon as Ron left.
“You know what, Mr. Hotshot Firefighter? I don’t recall asking you to be my bodyguard. I can take care of myself,” she finished with a bite.
“Would you like a recap of what Dunn did to your delivery boy?” he asked in a deceptively soft voice. “A boy, I might add, who’s taller, bigger and stronger than you.”
Goosebumps spread across her skin. No, she didn’t need a review of Dunn’s latest deed. To locate Nguyen’s Ford Escort, the car he used to make deliveries, didn’t taken the cops long. They discovered it in an alley not far from Ashley’s apartment building, with the bleeding and duck-taped man in the trunk. Just thinking about how frightened the poor man had been made her light-headed.
“I’m not going to stop living because of that man, Ron.” She brushed past him and headed toward the kitchen, but he dodged her footsteps. “And I’m not moving in with you.”
“If the idea of staying at my place is so unappealing and you don’t want me here, then go to your cousins’ for awhile.”
Cold fingers crept up her spine at his words. The thought of anything happening to one of her cousins because she couldn’t take care of herself was downright frightening. For ten years, she had let fear of the unknown dictate how she dealt with the events in her past. Heck, she never once wanted to look into it, until the day Ron walked into her life. Even after she called Dr. Reuben and discussed hypnosis, she still had reservations. Now she knew that to beat Dunn at this cat-and-mouse game, she would have to unlock the gates and let out whatever dark demons were lurking in her subconscious. Her lost memories were the key to this whole nightmare. Bringing her cousins into it would be just plain stupid.
“I can’t, Ron,” Ashley whispered and stopped by the counter.
“Why not?” Ron turned her around so she faced him, his eyes glittering with frustration.
Anger slowly swelled inside Ashley. He was becoming annoyingly pushy. She had to make him leave right now or she would say something they’d both regret.
“Because I can’t paint anywhere but here. I plan to start as soon as I finish developing the films I took today or…,” her voice broke. Ashley took a deep breath and cleared her throat. “Or there won’t be a show. In fact, I won’t need you to sit for me for awhile.”
Ron muttered a curse under his breath and shoved his hands in his pockets, as if to stop himself from grabbing her and shaking some sense into her.
“Ashley, there won’t be a show if you’re lying in the hospital with a broken body.”
The images his words created were gruesome. To stop him from seeing how rattled she was, she turned, yanked the freezer door and removed a box of her favorite ice cream. She skirted around him, her face averted, opened a drawer and retrieved a spoon.
“Damn it, Ashley.” He pulled her arm and swung her around to face him. “Why are you acting like this?”
If only she could tell him the truth. The thought of Dunn hurting him turned her insides cold. “I know you think I’m being pig-headed but—”
“Pig-headed doesn’t begin cover it. You’re taking chances with your life, and I won’t allow it.”
“You?” She leaned back with rounded eyes. “When did this become about you?” Her tone was scathing.
“When you became my lover, babe, that’s when.” His words were deliberate, as though he were explaining himself to the village idiot. Eyes flaming, he leaned toward her. “It changed the dynamics of our relationship.”
On a different day, his words would have thrilled her. Right now she couldn’t afford to
be swayed by them. She tugged her arm free from his hand and put some distance between them.
“Don’t be so sure about that,” she mumbled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The smile she gave him was supposed to be casual, but it cracked when she saw his expression. He was intimidating when pissed, but she’d put up with his wrath to protect him. She was going out on a limb here with this. If he bought it, he would leave and she wouldn’t have to worry about him on top of everything else.
“My cousins told me about your reputation, Ron. That’s why I slept with you. I, uh, I just wanted to see if it was true.” She almost choked on the lie. Disbelief flashed in his eyes and pain at her deceit twisted her insides. Why do we always have to hurt the ones we love?
Her heart thumping hard, Ashley forced herself to hold his gaze when all she wanted to do was run in his arms, take back her words and love him madly. She swallowed and continued.
“You actually lived up to your reputation. Tonight may be just another notch on your bedpost, but it was the best sex I’d had in a long time. You’re very good, except…,” she paused, coward that she was, her gaze shifting to the pulse beating erratically at the base of his neck, “you forgot one thing. You were supposed to be gone before the sheets cooled down.”
She waited for him to curse her, grab his jacket and storm out of her loft. That was what she would do if the positions were reversed. No one liked to be used, then kicked out.
She blinked in confusion when she saw the corners of his mouth turn up. Her gaze dashed upward and connected with his amused one. Surprise followed by annoyance sliced through her when he started to laugh. Hard.
Ashley wanted to deck him, or throw the box of ice cream at him. Why couldn’t the man act normal? Why did he have to be so unpredictable? She was so annoyed she couldn’t even ask him what was so funny. Instead, she slammed the ice cream on the counter and glared at him.
“Sweetheart,” Ron said between laughter, “you are about the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. And you should have definitely stayed with acting. If we’d done it once, I would have bought your little act. Four times, babe, and that doesn’t include the bathroom—”
Slow Burn Page 18
