by K. L. Donn
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the pictures he’d sent her with the flowers this morning. “These were on my steps this morning, along with a vase of blood red roses,” she said handing them over.
“Where’s the flowers?”
Blushing at her spout of anger earlier she mumbled out, “I might have trashed them and then burned the bag.” Looking up at their silence, they all had looks of shock on their faces. Huh, guess they didn’t expect ‘lil ol’ me to be scrappy, she thought sardonically.
“Well, ok, then, we’ll try and see if we can’t get prints from these photos. They’re all recent I assume?” At her nod Nathaniel continued on. “We’ll have a team meeting tomorrow to see who will be assigned to your case and try to get the police files from your previous reports. Can you make a list of police stations that you reported to?” When she nodded, they got up and shook her hand before leaving her alone with Keeley to start working on the list.
“It’ll be ok you know, my men are the best at what they do.” Keeley told her proudly. Simultaneously shocking her after they got that list made up.
“Men?” Emily squeaked out.
Smiling brightly, Keeley said to her, simply, “Yes, Nathaniel and Tyler are mine.”
Not knowing what to say to that, Emily nodded her head and smiled like she wasn’t still reeling from that admission. However, she returned the shocked feeling to Keeley after they finished working on her list of police stations. Yes, there were that many.
She thanked her for taking the time with her and walked out of the building feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, like she was finally going to get help and have this entire ordeal over with soon.
Waiting for the bus a block away, the hairs on the back her neck stood up on end and goose bumps ran along her flesh. Knowing what it was didn’t make her feel any better.
She was being watched.
By him.
Arriving at Maxwell Secures earlier than anticipated after a high-stress job, Dane Johnston felt a sense of accomplishment that everything went well. No injuries or deaths were always a bonus in his book. Followed by his best friend of nearly ten years, they did everything together since meeting in basic training for the Marines. Cooper Sheppard was as solid as they come. Dane knew he could depend on him for anything and to always have his back.
Walking into the building and being greeted by a smiling Keeley was one of the best things about his job nowadays. She brightened things up and was always happy to see them. She was like a little sister to them both, “Hey, little girl, what’s shaking?” he asked her with a smile.
“Hi, guys, there’s a new job. Nathaniel and Tyler are waiting for you in their office,” she said looking up briefly from the file she was putting together; he assumed for this new job, and gave him a smile.
“Seriously? We just got back from one?” Coop grouched.
Finally giving them her full attention, she gave them her best rendition of puppy dog eyes and pouted at them. “Shit, alright girl, we’re on it.” Coop relented making Dane chuckle and Keeley smile brilliantly. They made their way to their bosses’ office, with Coop grumbling the whole time about demanding bosses and manipulating girls. Giving a quick rap on the door, they walked in to see Nate and Ty looking very grim about something.
Concerned, Dane asked, “Everything alright? Lil bit said we’ve got a new case?”
“Have a seat,” Nate said solemnly while putting a folder down. Sitting, they waited. “A young woman came in yesterday about a stalker. From all indications, it’s been going on longer than she thinks, which is two years, but we think it’s been closer to four,” Nate said shocking him and handing them each a folder. Not looking just yet, Dane and Coop waited for him to continue. “She’s been on the run for nearly two years since he broke into her house, ripped her underwear to shreds and left pig’s blood everywhere,” Nate said disgustedly. Dane could tell he’d left something out.
“What are you not telling us, Nate?” Coop asked, echoing Dane’s thoughts.
Chuckling at their perception, he told them probably the most horrifying thing of all. “When she walked into her room, she hyperventilated from the shock of it all and passed out, but before she did, she saw him.” Pausing with a dark look on his face, Nate said, “He fucking jacked off to it and came all over her face and chest. That was her last memory of what happened before she woke up in the hospital. Her mom had come over late that evening because Emily was supposed to have gone over to her house for dinner but got held up in a meeting for work. The police think she brought this shit on herself. She’s never been in any kind of trouble before, though. Never had any boyfriends, hardly any friends. The girl is an introvert.” Still shocked at what the sick bastard did to her, it took Dane’s mind a moment to catch up on all the details Nate was giving them. Finally blurting out, “This job’s ours.” Looking to Coop to make sure he was on board, they locked eyes and Dane could see the rage simmering in Coop’s that matched his own.
Looking back to Nate and Ty to see them smiling at his response, Dane shook his head before getting up and walking out, stopping in the doorway when Ty spoke. “We’ve been called away for a job, so you guys are in charge, too.” Nodding their heads, Dane and Coop walked out and to their own office to read everything.
Cooper Sheppard couldn’t believe the things he’d read in Emily Baxter’s stalking case. From the police reports, it sounded like this guy was off his hinges psycho and the police, they believed it was all in her head. Pulling up to Emily’s house with Dane in the passenger’s seat, he shut the truck off and took a look around before getting out. She didn’t live in the worst neighborhood in Austin, but also not the best either. “What do you think? Think he’s watching her now?” he asked Dane, feeling rage course through him at just the thought of it.
Stopping half way up the sidewalk leading to her front door they both took another look around, making note of cars parked in driveways, people walking up and down the streets, dogs barking in yards. Satisfied with their perusal they continued the walk to Emily’s front door. Knocking on it loudly, they waited a minute before hearing noise coming from inside. “She’s not trying to hide herself it seems.” Coop mused. Hearing a clatter and a muted “motherfucker” come from inside had them both chuckling.
Waiting another minute without her answering, Dane knocked this time, harder, rattling the door and the porch light. “Hold your damn horses, geez.” was yelled from somewhere inside. A moment later, “Who are you and what do you want?” was said from the other side of the door.
“Open the door, Emily,” Dane replied exasperated. “It’s Dane Johnston and Cooper Sheppard from Maxwell Secures.”
“Not a chance, buster. For all I know you’re here to steal my designs,” she said followed by a muttered, “Or murder me.”
“Woman, open the fucking door. You hired us, not the other way around,” Coop said losing his patience. Hearing her unlock the locks, he thought they were finally going to meet her, only for the door to be opened about an inch from the frame, being stopped by the chain and for her to stick her hand out demanding their ID.
Shaking his head and mumbling about a stubborn woman, they handed their Maxwell Secures passes over to her, just to have the door slam shut again. A minute later she opened it with a warning. “If you’re here to murder or defile me, know that I’ve got both your IDs stashed somewhere you’ll never find and the police will come looking for you.” As an afterthought, she added, “If they even fucking investigate.”
“Watch your mouth, baby girl,” Dane said to her seriously.
Finally looking up at them, Coop watched in fascination as her startling green eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped opened. “Sweet baby, Jesus,” she whispered taking Dane in first. He was not a small man, standing nearly seven feet tall. He loomed over almost everyone he encountered. Coop knew it sometimes made him self-conscious and leery around new people. He watched as Dane’s lips twitched in amusement at he
r stunned expression.
Looking at her again, Coop noted how gorgeous she really was. Soft and curvy in all the right places and no more than five feet tall. Hourglass figure; he could see them worshipping her repeatedly. Long, wavy blonde hair and if he had to guess, it was natural and not bought from a bottle. Full, pouty lips made to take a man’s cock deep. Eyes so green they looked like the rolling Irish hills.
Clearing his throat, she swung her gaze to him and slowly moved her eyes up his body. He was nothing to scoff at either, standing at six feet four inches, he was in no way small. Watching her pupils dilate while slowly crawling up his body had Coop happy he wasn’t the only one caught in this lust haze. When she finally met his eyes, she shivered before turning around and walking back into her house. Standing there stunned at this spitfire of a woman, Coop looked to Dane to see the same expression on his face. “Well then, I think that’s an invitation to go in, no?” He mused.
At Dane’s shrug, they walked into her house, closing and locking the door behind them. Standing there looking around, Coop took everything in, in a quick glance. Her house was modest, impersonal, and empty. It made him kind of sad that this was what she had probably become used to. “Emily!” He called out, hoping she hadn’t just ditched them, which if he thought about it made no sense since she hired them.
“I’m coming.” She called from the direction of what he assumed was the kitchen. Following her voice, they watched as she bustled about, almost stiffly, pulling something out of the oven. Really paying attention to her now, he noticed she had a slight limp and her left ankle was a little swollen and bruised. She favored her left side with her arm, and there was more bruising showing from under the sleeves of her long sleeved shirt and collar. His normally laid back attitude took a nose dive seeing her like that. “What the fuck happened to you?” Startled by his outburst, she spun around landing on her swollen ankle and nearly dropped to the floor if it wasn’t for his and Dane’s lightning fast reflex’s and catching her arms. “Shit, shit, shit.” She wailed out in pain. Dane scooped down to pick her up and carried her to the couch in the living room while he dug around in the freezer for ice or peas. Seeing a bag of frozen corn, he grabbed that and made his way into the living room. Sitting down on the table in front of them, he gently placed the frozen corn on her ankle before grabbing her chin and repeating Dane’s question. “What happened to you, baby girl?”
Shrugging, she explained. “I was hit by a car last night after getting off the bus, coming home.” At her nonchalant answer, Coop was furious again.
“Why didn’t you call us?” He nearly exploded.
“Why would I call you? I didn’t know you existed until you started pounding on my door like an ape ten minutes ago, let alone your name or number,” she said it so logically that he was even more pissed now.
“You could have called the company; someone would have helped you for Christ sake.” He fumed. Looking to Dane he saw he was just as angry as Coop.
Shaking his head at the futile argument that was about to happen, he moved on to the real problem. “Did the police come? What happened?”
“Sure, they came. But I was, umm, maybe slightly less than cooperative so I don’t think they cared much,” she said nervously, avoiding eye contact.
“Why were you less than cooperative? And where is the asshat that hit you?” Dane asked harshly.
Fidgeting with her hands, Emily looked down. “Experience has taught me that they really don’t want to help, so what was the point? I would have only gotten blamed for it. I don’t know where the person that hit me is; he drove up on the sidewalk and clipped me from behind. I hit a steel fence, which is why I have bruises everywhere. Those suckers hurt by the way.” She tried to joke.
Seeing the worry in her eyes set Coop on edge. “You think it was him, don’t you?” he asked her softly. At her nod, he grabbed her hand pulling it to his lips and kissing her knuckles softly, vowing to her, “We will keep you safe, baby girl, never doubt that.”
Still reeling from the fact that the huge, gorgeous dark-haired Adonis was holding her, Emily felt off kilter. Like the world was about to crumble and she was helpless to stop it. She knew her day of reckoning was upon her. It was confirmed last night when that car hit her. She had been so scared. Scared he would kill her then. Scared the police would ignore her pleas for help. Scared that her will to fight was finally over. She had been ready to give in, then and there, as long as she didn’t have this overwhelming fear anymore. Emily’s fight was over. Sighing, she got up off Dane’s lap, hobbled to the door and told them, “Please leave. I’ve reconsidered. I don’t need to hire Maxwell Secures anymore.”
Seeing them stand up together, side by side, she wasn’t sure if she was intimidated or turned on. They were stunning. Dane was huge, standing nearly six feet eight inches tall with dark hair and eyes so deep blue she could get lost in them. His shoulders were wide, and he was packed with muscles. Toes to neck was nothing but drool-worthy perfection.
Cooper was just as yummy with his short dark locks, light, almost gray eyes, and he was only a few inches shorter than Dane. Built like a body builder, his shirt was barely holding him in. It was like a second skin.
Shaking off her lustful thoughts, Emily concentrated on trying to get them to leave. As they walked closer, their legs ate up the space between them and her quickly. Stopping in front of her, they both studied her face closely. She was careful to make sure they didn’t see anything she didn’t want them to. Holding her breath, she looked away from their intense gazes whispering “please” in the hopes they would just go.
Hearing a growl, she looked up into Dane’s very pissed off face before her world turned upside down and she was being tossed into a truck a few short strides later. Before she had a chance to protest, she was squished between a chuckling Cooper and a pissed off Dane, who sped off and away from her house.
Sitting tensely between them, Emily was unsure of what to do next. She didn’t want someone to get hurt because of her, and surely, that’s what was likely to happen now. She hadn’t thought it through properly before calling and requesting help.
Feeling two very large hands on each of her thighs, their warmth bleeding through the denim of her jeans, Emily startled out of her depressing thoughts and looked between the two of them. “Listen up, baby girl, ‘cause I’m only going to say this one time.” At her scowl, Dane continued with a smirk on his lush lips. “We’re not going anywhere. You’re going to get protection and we’re going to help you, understood?” He barked out.
“Yes, sir.” She mock saluted. Shock at seeing lust pool in his dark depths had her shutting up. No way. He couldn’t possibly be attracted to her. Could he? Not wanting to dwell on that thought, she kept her eyes forward and her trap shut. Hearing Coop laugh softly beside her made her slightly grouchy. “Oh, shut it, you.” She muttered to him.
Sitting there thinking about her life, and her less than ideal upbringing with not having a father and having a mother who worked three jobs to keep them afloat meant Emily spent most of her time alone. Usually at the local library, which is where she learned of her love for graphic design. In a way, it was a blessing because she was able to learn all she could about designing websites and creating flyers for local mom and pop shops in her small town of Olds, Nebraska. Population less than she could count on her hands, she thought sardonically. It was the smallest place she had ever been, having only one of everything: grocery store, library, gas station, liquor store, motel, and diner. There were a few fledgling businesses that would pop up here and there, but they didn’t last long. When she was sixteen, her mom got a great job with a law firm in Lincoln, the state’s capital.
In a way her life was good. It allowed Emily to graduate high school early since she pretty much only did school work in her spare time, when she wasn’t making new designs. But she was also able to take a few online courses to get her degree, and at eighteen, she was officially done with school. Her mom was happy at the law firm
and Emily was happy with her designs.
Until that fateful day. Everything was ruined then.
Her life. Her chance at finding her own happily ever after.
It was all gone.
Having not seen her mom in the nearly two years she had been gone, Emily tried to keep tabs on her through the website the firm had that her mom worked at. She at least knew that her mom was now a Legal Secretary. It made her happy to know that even though she wasn’t there, her mom was doing well.
Pulled from her thoughts when Dane shut the truck off, she saw that they were at the police station. Getting out and looking around Emily blurted out, “Oh, I don’t fucking think so.” before trying to make a run for it.
“Fuck sakes, this girl’s going over my knee the first damn chance I get, Dane!” Coop yelled as he took off after Emily. Dane stood and watched her trying to evade his partner. For such a tiny thing, she was quick, and with a sprained ankle, she sure didn’t let it slow her down. She would fake left and go right, duck under Coop’s hands when he’d make a grab for her.
Chuckling when he caught onto Coop’s plan of having her turned around and corralling her towards Dane, he started walking in her direction. Stopping a few feet from Emily and bracing his feet apart, he prepared to catch her as she collided with him when she turned to see where Coop was. Grabbing her arms, she finally looked at him. She was breath-taking; tan, creamy skin with a slight blush made her look youthful. Seeing Coop charging full-speed for them out of the corner of his eye, Dane braced for impact. When he slammed into her from behind, she yelped as he grabbed her hair and tilted her head back before growling in her ear. “Your ass has a date with my hand real soon, baby girl.”
She opened her mouth to probably blast him, but nothing came out. Dane watched her eyes process Coop’s words. She let everything show there without even knowing it. Shock, outrage, but most importantly desire was reflected in her gorgeous green eyes. Fuck, she’s gonna be the death of me, Dane thought, feeling his cock harden at seeing her desire.
