Casual Sext: A Bad Boy Contemporary Romance

by Lisa Lace

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I think maybe Sam and I living together might become a permanent thing.”

  I smiled. “Really? That’s great.”

  Carla grinned from ear to ear. “I’d wanted to move in with him for a while, but I didn’t want him to feel like I was moving too fast, so I held off. But he’s been so happy to have me there. We’re getting along amazingly. It feels like home. You know, I never thought I was the type to settle down, but I adore Sam, and we’re happy together.”

  “If you’re happy, then I’m happy. I’m just relieved this hasn’t ruined your life.”

  “Don’t be silly. Yes, it’s not ideal, but it’s nothing that can’t be sorted with time. Sam’s taking really good care of me.” She smiled at me kindly. “Is Nate taking good care of you?”

  “Of course he is. I mean, we’re keeping our distance a little, for obvious reasons, but he’s doing the best he can. In fact, I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

  “I told you he was a good one.”

  “Your sister came to visit, didn’t she? How did that go?”

  I smiled. “It was so good to see her.” Then, I sighed, and looked out the window across at the station. “She wants me to go back to Pennsylvania. She was begging me to come home.”

  I remembered the conversation we’d had in the motel.

  “Please, Jenna,” Charlotte had pleaded, “come with me when I go. You can stay with Dave and I. We’ll get you back on your feet again.”

  I’d squeezed her hand in gratitude but shook my head. “I’ve found my feet. I’m happy here.”

  “You should be with family. Especially at a time like this.”

  I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been torn at that moment. Charlotte had been there for me through all the years of Victor’s violence and mind games. She’d helped me get away, and picked me up time and time again after he knocked me down. She’d been a rock for me, and it felt like a betrayal to reject her help now.

  “I’m so tired of starting again, Charlotte. You know how much it took for me to tear myself away from you and mom and dad, and Becky and Dylan, to come this far away from you all. But, until Victor found me, I was doing really well. I was happy.”

  Charlotte’s expression had faltered then. I knew that she missed me and wanted me home. I knew that she worried about me when I was so far away, and Victor was prowling. I knew that this situation was hard for her too; she was powerless to help me when I was in Indiana, and she was in Pennsylvania.

  “Is it because of Nate?”

  Charlotte knew about him. I’d told her everything as soon as I’d had the chance. She’d listened, and she’d worried. The only man she’d ever seen me date was Victor, and that had been chaos from day one.

  I’d nodded. “I love him.”

  Her face had creased with concern and mixed emotions. “Does he treat you well?”

  “He’s wonderful, Charlotte. Honestly. He’s nothing like Victor. He’s just a good, honest man.”

  “I’d just hate to see you cut yourself off from everyone who loves you to be with a man you’ve just met.”

  I understood why she was worried; I’d had the same fears myself. It was why I’d first pushed Nate away; why it had taken us so long to build something between us. But, I’d overcome those fears, and I’d felt real happiness for the first time in years.

  “I think this will pass, Charlotte. A lot of people are on my side here. I have some really good friends. I just have to stand my ground until he gets caught.”

  Charlotte’s eyes had filled with tears. “But anything could happen before then.”

  I don’t think anything I’d said during her visit had really made her feel better, and she’d hugged me long and hard before she set off again at the end of her stay, tears glistening in her eyes. It had broken my heart not to jump in with her and drive back to everything I had left behind all those weeks ago. But it would also break my heart to leave Nate, and Harriet, and Carla, and Kacey, and the preschool, and everyone else who meant something to me here.

  Carla was waiting for me to answer her. I snapped back to the present.

  “Your sister wants you to go back?”

  “We were always really close. I moved to get away from Victor, not my family. As far as she’s concerned, if he’s found me anyway, then I might as well be at home with my family. She says they’ll look after me.”

  “And what do you think?”

  I sat back, and let out a long sigh. “I think that time in my life is over. I love my sister, and I love my niece and nephew. I love my parents. But I was always the third wheel there. After I left Victor, it was even worse than that. I felt like a burden. I came here for a fresh start and to stand on my own two feet, and while it was good, here is really good. Pennsylvania just doesn’t feel like home anymore. Brayford does.”

  “So, you’ll stay?”

  “For as long as I can. I’m just trying to be smart like Nate says. I’m trying to stay vigilant, hoping that one day Victor will slip up and give us what we need to get him put away. I love my life here. If I can just get Victor out the picture again, everything will be perfect.”

  “Hmm,” Carla mused. “It’s a tough one. I trust the police here though. Sam knows a few of them down at the police station. He says they’re genuine people with good hearts. I don’t think they’ll let you down.”

  “I thought they would, but they’ve surprised me. A police car has driven by Kacey’s house at least once every couple of hours for the last week.”

  “Does that put your mind at ease a little?”

  “I’m still on edge, but it helps. It’s good to know that someone is looking out for us.”

  “And is everything okay with Kacey?” Carla looked around, and lowered her voice, heeding my earlier warning.

  I nodded. “She’s just like her brother. So noble. Her and Nate, they do things because they’re right. They’ll do anything for anyone.”

  “Yes, they would, but it’s more than that. You’re important to them.”

  The conversation fell quiet for a moment, and then Carla remembered something, and she gasped. Her hands flew to her purse, and she drew out some mail. I immediately felt my stomach drop.

  “This was the last lot in your PO box,” she told me. “I haven’t looked through it. Do you want it?”

  No, I don’t want it. I didn’t want to take hold of that envelope, knowing that there was a chance that there was another letter from Victor. I was sleeping so uneasily these days. I was so strung out and on edge. I didn’t need any other reminder that Victor was stalking me. Then again, I needed all the clues I could get to finally bring him to justice. I held out my hand.

  Carla handed me the mail, and I slowly began to flip through the letters. I couldn’t say I was surprised when I recognized the writing.

  The moment I saw Victor’s handwriting, I was filled with a sense of dread and despair. Why wouldn’t he leave me alone? I held it up to show Carla the envelope. “That’s Victor’s writing.”

  Carla looked worried. “Are you going to open it?”

  “I guess I should.”

  The letter stayed unopened in my hand for another long moment, until I could find the strength to tear it open. A little note fell out.

  You can’t run. You can’t hide.

  This time, I didn’t break down in tears or flee from the coffee shop. I’d been expecting another note from Victor. There was no shock, only a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and the sensation of my blood running cold. I handed the note to Carla.

  She read it and shook her head in disbelief. “The bastard…”

  “I knew he’d never stop. He’s never going to leave me alone. This has to end. The police have to catch him. Otherwise, this is what the rest of my life looks like.”

  “There would have to come a day when he gave up.”

  “I don’t think that day would come. He’s too obsessed. He’ll kill me or die trying.”r />
  Carla was quiet for a moment and then gave me some advice. “I’d take that note straight to the police. It’s fresh evidence.”

  “You’re right. Maybe it’ll be enough to get them to issue an arrest warrant at last.” I felt disgusted by Victor’s games, and his complete determination to destroy me, but I would not be defeated. I wasn’t the same woman I was when I left Pennsylvania. I wasn’t going to run away; I wasn’t going to back down.

  I tucked the note away into my purse silently, gritting my teeth. I wondered if Victor had watched me read it. I wondered if he was furious that I hadn’t cried, or gasped, or showed any type of fear. I wouldn’t.

  I kept telling myself that he was sending those notes to try and scare me, but they were just words on paper. I already knew he was out there, and I already knew what he was willing to do to make me pay—so what difference did another scribbled threat make? One day, those notes would get him sent down. One day, all these tactics he played to have me trembling and afraid would come back to bite him. I would hold onto those notes until I needed them. One day, Victor’s own games would end him.

  Nate

  I agreed to take Jenna to the police as soon as she showed me the note. We’d been cautious ever since the fire, but this was important enough to take my car down to the station. I took her as soon as I finished my shift.

  The police station was quiet. Not much happened in this small town. So little, in fact, that when we entered, the officer behind the desk knew exactly who we were.

  I recognized her, too. Her name was Rachel. We’d been on the same call-out more than once in the line of duty. I gave her a nod when I entered.

  “Hi Rachel, how’s it going?”

  “Nate. Are you here about the fire?”

  “We’ve got new evidence.”

  “I’m not in charge of the investigation, but I’ll get you the man who is.”

  “Thanks.”

  Rachel disappeared into the lobby of the station to find the lead detective on the case.

  I turned to Jenna and smiled at her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m doing fine.”

  “Still got the note?”

  “Right here.”

  She pulled it out her purse and showed it to me. Even the sight of that little scrap of paper made my hands curl into fists. When I’d read Victor’s latest note, I’d been furious. His other notes had been taunting, but this one was an obvious threat. I didn’t take kindly to men making threats against Jenna.

  “You did the right thing telling me about the note, Jenna. I know it’s hard standing your ground and having to deal with things like this, but something like this might end up being the key to bringing him down.”

  “I hope so.”

  An investigator appeared. He was a tall, serious-looking man in his late forties, with silver sideburns and thin lips set expressionlessly in his face. He wore a pressed gray suit and was carrying the case file in his hands. “Miss Dawson, is it? I’m Detective Billings, and I am the lead on the Walton Apartments case. I’ve been told you may have some new information for us?”

  Jenna looked over at me with fear in her expression, as if she were losing her nerve. The note was clenched tightly in her hands.

  I answered for her, reaching over to shake the detective’s hand. “Yes, Detective. We believe we do.”

  “It is your ex-boyfriend—Victor Malone, isn’t it?—that is one of the prime suspects for this crime. Is that right, Miss Dawson?”

  “It’s Jenna, and yes. That’s correct. He’s been stalking me.”

  “Do you have the police records of any of his past behaviors?”

  “All I have is the restraining order against him.”

  “I see. And has he been harassing you for a long time?”

  “Ever since I left him, about eighteen months ago.”

  Detective Billings leafed through his file, leaning against the counter at the reception of the station. He reminded himself of some of the key details of the case and nodded slowly.

  “You had some notes from him several weeks ago, didn’t you? Ones you found in your PO box that you believed to be from him.”

  “They’re definitely from him. I know his handwriting,” Jenna answered.

  “And what’s the new evidence you have for us?”

  Jenna handed over the note.

  Detective Billings scanned it and nodded again. His expression had hardly changed from the moment we stepped in the door. He just slowly made another note.

  “I agree that these notes are cause for concern. And you received this today?”

  “My friend collected my mail for me. I don’t know when this was posted.”

  “You already have some officers checking in on you, correct?”

  “They drive by every couple of hours.”

  “I’m going to make that more frequent for you, and I’m going to keep this note as evidence. We’re doing all we can, Jenna.”

  Jenna was nodding, looking downcast. Maybe she had expected more from the police. After all, she was being terrorized. A whole building had been set on fire, and she’d been the target. She was terrified and needed help.

  I stepped in front of her and addressed the detective. “And what exactly is that, Detective Billings? We’ve heard nothing about this case since the investigation began. There’s a maniac out there on the loose, and he’s after Jenna. I appreciate your officers driving by, but considering the danger Jenna is in, it’s not enough. We need to know what is being done to catch this man.”

  Detective Billings nodded again, still without a change in his expression. He beckoned for us to follow him, and began to lead us towards his private office in the building. Once inside, he invited us to sit in front of his desk. He sat down on the other side and began typing into his computer.

  “We haven’t been resting on our laurels. We’ve been looking for the culprit of this crime. We have recovered some traffic camera footage of a vehicle speeding away just after the time it is believed the fire was started.” He turned the screen to face us. “Do you recognize this vehicle?”

  Jenna and I both leaned forward and squinted at the image. It was grainy, and black and white, and hard to make out much. I could tell that the vehicle was a truck.

  “We’ve run the plates, and we have identified the vehicle as a red Chevrolet Colorado truck.”

  I turned towards Jenna and tried to read her face. She looked confused and frustrated. She shook her head. “That’s not the truck he used to have, but I guess he might be driving something new.”

  “It’s registered to a James Norton.”

  “Do you know who that is, Jenna?” I asked her.

  Jenna shook her head again. I could see the tears of frustration beginning to well in her eyes. “I don’t know who that is, but I know it was Victor who set that fire. It has to be.”

  “It could be borrowed,” the detective offered, “or stolen.”

  “I just don’t know,” Jenna said. “It seems like a lot to change his truck and hide the registration when he’s happy to leave notes that point right to him.”

  “He thinks he’s untouchable, that’s why,” I said. “Or maybe he thought you wouldn’t share the notes.”

  “Well, if he’s still watching, he knows now.”

  I shook Detective Billings’ hand again. “Thank you for your time.”

  “If you notice anything suspicious, or receive any more notes, we’ll be right here.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card, which he handed to Jenna. “That’s my number if you need to reach me.”

  We left the building and returned to my car. Jenna seemed deflated. She hung her head and walked slowly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She sighed. “I just don’t understand Victor, that’s all. Whose truck is it?”

  “Maybe it was one that was impounded by the police.”

  Jenna’s eyes lit up, and she nodded quickly. “I bet you’re right. I bet it’s stolen evid
ence. Easy enough for him to get his hands on.”

  “At least we know that they’re doing something. They found that footage, after all. It’s good to know they’re not just sitting on their hands.”

  “And at least we know what we’re looking out for. A red Chevrolet Colorado truck.”

  Jenna fell silent for a while as I drove back to mine. She was quiet and contemplative, with her arms folded over her chest and her gaze distant. She looked better, but she still wasn’t quite herself.

  When she spoke next, it was with stony determination. “I’m going to call Mrs. Gatsby and tell her I’m coming back to work.”

  I frowned and cast Jenna a sideways glance. She had her jaw set and her eyes forward on the road. She looked about as determined as anyone I’d ever seen. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “It’s been a week. I left Victor eighteen months ago. Eighteen months, Nate. I should know that Victor’s not going to give up and go away, so I’ve got to make a choice: stay in hiding forever, or get back out there, knowing that he’s out there too.”

  “I think you should lie low a while longer.”

  The thought of Jenna returning to work filled me with unease. Victor was still out there, and he was probably watching all the places he knew that Jenna frequented. He probably had eyes on the apartment, eyes on my house, and definitely eyes on where Jenna worked. If she went back there, it was too easy for him to follow her.

  “If I stay hidden, he wins. That’s what he wants—for my whole life to stop.”

  “I know what you’re saying, Jenna, but it’s too much of a risk.”

  “Mrs. Gatsby is a lovely woman, but she won’t hold my job open forever. I’ve already lost my peace of mind and my apartment. I refuse to lose my job, too.”

  I admired Jenna’s grit, but I feared for her. For Kacey, too. Yet I knew that Jenna had a point. We had no idea how long Victor would continue to stalk her, or just how long it might be before he got caught by the authorities. Jenna’s life could just slip away while she was waiting for Victor to appear.