by K. L. Donn
“Look, there’s this girl we’re working a case for and I need info like yesterday. She’s got an unstable stalker and we’ve got no leads.” He explained.
“There’s more to it. What’s she to you guys?” He guessed.
Sighing at the inevitability of how perceptive Creed was, he reluctantly answered. “We only met her today so we don’t know yet, but there’s something there. In order to explore it, we need to remove this fuck from her life.”
“Alright. I need her name, where she was born, a birthday, and where she acquired this stalker,” he said.
Giving Creed the information he wanted, Coop hung up feeling slightly better that they had someone else helping out. The likelihood of getting it out in the open with Creed and Lincoln’s help was exponentially higher.
“Creed’s looking into it when he’s done in whatever hell-hole country he’s in.” He explained to Dane.
“What do we do about Emily? She’s shutting down. I thought talking about it, reporting it would help. But damn, did she look bad coming out of there.”
“I dunno. Give her time, I guess. We’ll just have to keep checking on her.”
Hearing the guys pull away was like a nail in her coffin. She was tired. She was alone. And she was damn sure ready. Sliding down the door and throwing her head back against it, Emily contemplated her life. Being stalked was exhausting, both mentally and physically. She was so tired and her brain just wanted to shut down. Hide her from the pain that was her life.
Hearing her phone chime, she got up off the floor and dug through her purse to find it. Pulling up the messages, she was immediately sickened. On the screen was a nude photo of her getting out of the shower this morning, only it had been photo-shopped to look like she had cuts all over her body with blood dripping from each one. The worst was where there was blood dripping from her breasts and between her legs.
With bile rising to her throat, she dropped the phone and ran to the bathroom, making it just in time to spill the contents of her stomach for the second time that day. Dry heaving for a good few minutes afterwards, she flopped backwards hitting the bathtub. Drained of all energy, Emily let herself drift off into the land of nothingness.
Being woken up to banging on her door and her phone ringing off in the distance, Emily ignored it all and got up to go to her bed. Stiff from sleeping against the tub, she slowly made her way to her room. Just as she was about to strip down, she remembered the photo and stopped. Looking around the room, she wondered if he’d somehow gotten cameras in there again.
Grabbing her blanket and pillow, she made her way to her closet, not wanting to know if there were any cameras, but also not wanting him to be able to see her while she was sleeping. When the banging started on her door again, she dropped her stuff in the closet and made her way to it. Looking out the peephole, she saw a woman standing there with a package in her hands.
“Can I help you?” She called through the door, leery of opening the door for anyone.
“Yes, I have a package for Emily Baxter. It was delivered to my house when no one answered here.” The woman called back.
Doing the inevitable and opening the door, she looked at the package, not trusting that it could be anything good considering no one had a fixed address for her. Everything went through a P.O. Box at the post office five miles away.
Not wanting to talk to anyone, she grabbed the box from the woman, thanked her, and closed the door. Carrying it to the kitchen table, she put it down and stared at it. Weary of its contents, she grabbed a knife and carefully cut through the tape across the top. Opening the flaps, she cautiously peeked inside.
“Shit,” she breathed out, realizing her worry was for nothing. She had forgotten about the printer ink she’d ordered express delivered to her house two days ago.
Feeling slightly foolish for her worry and guilty about her rudeness to her neighbor, Emily went to get a drink of water when she remembered that her phone had rung. Grabbing it she swiped across the screen and opened her text messages, only to stop short. Frozen in fear. It took her a few minutes to understand what she was seeing. It was another photo. This time, it was one from that morning when Dane and Coop had taken her to the police station after she’d tried running away and Coop had chased her. She’d run into Dane, and shortly after Coop had been pressed to her back. She had felt safe there. Like nothing could hurt her again. Now, she was terrified. It wasn’t the photo that scared her then, it was the message scrawled across in red that did.
Get rid of them or they’ll die, and you’ll suffer.
Staring at the photo again, she felt abject fear. Emily wanted to be free, but she certainly didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of it. Sitting down and dropping her head to the table, she was nearly in tears trying to figure out what to do.
She missed the old her; her old life. It wasn’t perfect, but she had been happy, healthy. Now she felt like a shell of the woman she once was. She missed her Mom, too. It had been just the two of them for so long that they weren’t just mother and daughter, they had been best friends. Now, she hadn’t spoken to her Mom in over a year, and she was missing her something fierce.
Her Dad had died when Emily was only four, leaving them with little money and even fewer resources. Until then, her Mom had been a homemaker since she’d been pregnant with her, so she had little to no experience; therefore, she had to work multiple low-paying jobs to keep them afloat. After years of online classes, she had finally gotten a degree in administration and went to work at a law firm when Emily was sixteen. They thought their troubles were over. That they would be ok. It wasn’t long after getting her own degree when she was eighteen that Emily landed her first job and consequently found herself being stalked.
Her mom supported her in everything, and she wished she were here now. She sure could use her advice on what to do about not only the stalker but her unwanted attraction to Dane and Coop. She’d never experienced desire before so she felt a little lost about the attraction, and to have it for the both of them was scary. How was she supposed to deal with that? She could never choose between them. Then again, maybe neither of them wanted her and that would be problem solved.
Sighing at the direction her thoughts were going in, Emily got up and grabbed some Excedrin, a glass of water, and an apple before calling it a night. Even though she had slept most of the day away, she still felt exhausted from the stress of it all.
Watching Emily through her kitchen window without her noticing was risky, but it was worth it to see her face when she received his text message. The picture was just a warning; she belonged to him and no one else.
He’d been watching her since she was seventeen. They first crossed paths when he noticed her studying in a library he frequented. Sitting there all innocent and unknowing, he was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She used to smile shyly at him over books when she would sense his stare. He had been transfixed by her beauty, her blonde angel-like hair, those succulent red lips, and he wanted to worship her. But then she got that boyfriend and ruined it all. She had led him on with her secret smiles and innocence. Which was why he’d destroyed her room nearly two years ago after he realized what a whore she was. The terror on her face gave him a high he’d never experienced before; it was a rush knowing she was afraid.
Every time she disappeared it had been a thrill to chase her at first, but now he was starting to get tired of running after her, having to find her each time. He was getting angry now, and while he wanted to watch her bleed, he didn’t want to kill her in anger. He wanted to savor her. Watch the life drain from her eyes, the blood drip from the cuts he planned to inflict all over her body. Slowly. Sweetly.
The day is coming where you’ll be mine, sweet, sweet Emily, he thought, giddy over the idea of finally owning her.
Being woken up by a buzzing phone was not something Coop looked forward to. Groping on the nightstand for it, he finally found it. Picking it up he grumbled out, “What?”
“Well, good mo
rning sunshine. This seem a little familiar?” Creed howled at him.
“Yeah, yeah, fucker, what do you have for me?” he asked waking up instantly, knowing that Creed wouldn’t be calling unless he had the information they needed to hopefully find Emily’s stalker.
“Ok, so here’s the skinny on your girl. Dad died when she was four leaving her and Mom alone with nothing. Mom worked any and every job she could get to make ends meet, meaning Emily spent a lot of time either alone or at the local library. She grew a knack for graphic design and started creating things for the town she grew up in. Now fast forward to when she’s sixteen, Mom gets a better job in the big city, Em graduates early and starts taking online classes. Has her degree by eighteen.”
When he took a breath Coop interrupted asking, “How’s this help, man? I need to know the things that aren’t on the surface.”
“Calm your ass down dude, I’m getting there. So she starts at this firm creating websites for small companies, but she’s good, man. Your girl’s got talent. Anyway, she’s there about ten months then poof! Gone. Disappeared without a word to anyone. I assume that’s when she ran from her stalker. But there was this one guy there, kinda sketchy, so I looked into him. Seems he had a crush on her. Em never said anything to the bosses, but one of the girls she worked with had been concerned about his infatuation for her, so I’m digging into him some more. My guess, she rejected him and he took offense. Only thing is he’s still there. Never taken any extended vacation. Can’t find anything to say he’s gone out of town for more than a night. No proof they’d even been in the same towns or cities after she left. That’s it for now, I’ll holler back once I’ve got more,” he said before hanging up.
Putting the phone back down, Coop flopped onto the bed and threw his arms over his eyes thinking about what Creed had just told him. He wondered if Emily had even thought about the guy she rejected as being the one to do this. Or if she even knew she had rejected him. Some stalkers were real head cases, making relationships with other people out of nothing more than a smile or simple greeting. Hearing his phone beep again, he grabbed it and saw Creed had sent him a text.
Creed: Fucker’s name is Henry Stubbs.
Coop: Thanks.
Getting out of bed he walked to his dresser, grabbing a pair of jersey cut-off sweats and put them on. Going to the kitchen of his apartment, he got himself a water and chugged it down. Picking up his keys and phone off the entry table and slipping on his runners, he headed out for his morning jog. Running down the stairs of his building, he bumped into one of the other tenants from his floor. Annoyed because he was sure she ran into him on purpose, he tried to sidestep when she ran her fingers down his bare chest.
“Hiya, handsome.” She purred out, but actually she sounded like her mouth was chalk full of something nasty.
Sighing because it was futile to try and thwart her. “What do you want, Cherise?”
“When are we going to stop this game, Coop? I’m tired of chasing you. We’d be so good together.”
Unable to stop the sour look on his face, he told her straight up, “It’s not a game, Cherise. You’re simply too aggressive for my tastes. I want a woman who not only understands the meaning of demure but can spell it, too. And you don’t have that in you.” At that parting shot, he walked away but not before he heard her stomp her feet and give a squeal of frustration as he walked out the building’s main door.
Shaking his head in frustration as he started his run, Coop couldn’t believe the audacity of some women. Cherise was beautiful, sure, but he wanted a woman who knew who she was without needing a man to validate her. Someone who was comfortable in her own skin, maybe not demure like he implied but who had values and respected herself.
He and Dane had shared a few women together to see if it was for them, but they’d never had anything serious with a woman before. After hearing Nate and Ty talk about how much they wanted what their parents had and witnessing them with their girl, Keeley, they both knew that it was something they wanted for themselves. It would be hard work, but in the end, with the right woman, it’d be worth it.
Immediately, an image of Emily, with her golden hair and deep green eyes came to mind. Her beauty knew no bounds. And her attitude didn’t stop. She amused him, drew him into her warmth that radiated off of her like a lighthouse beacon to a ship… showing him where to go, bringing him closer to her light.
Beginning his jog at a leisurely pace, Coop tried shaking off any thoughts of pursuing her. She was a client, and it wouldn’t be ethical to try to start anything with her; besides, they had to find out who was stalking her and why, first. He and Dane had pored over the files the previous night looking for any clues as to the who or why of it. He felt like with the lack of police involvement on her home town’s part that it could be connected to that, but then a couple other cities she’d lived in had thought she was delusional as well. If it hadn’t been for the fact she was nearly run down the evening before they met her or the pictures and text messages she was getting, he might have almost believed that as well. But there was tangible proof someone was after her.
Not paying as close attention as he should have been, Coop nearly collided with a woman walking out of a coffee shop about a mile from his apartment complex. Grabbing her shoulders so she didn’t fall, he held her until she was steady on her feet. Looking down, he let out a laugh at her shocked face. “How ya doin’ Ken?” he asked Nate and Ty’s younger sister, Kennedy. He loved the withering look she tried to give him every time he called her Ken.
Giving him what he assumed was a dirty look, she huffed. “Why must you call me that?”
Smirking, he scanned the area around them before answering. Noticing a man paying a little too close attention to Kenny, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and started walking. “Because of the way it bugs you, kid.” He looked at her as the kid sister he never had. She was sweet and had a heart of gold, not to mention was a total knockout, but he didn’t have feelings for her in that way. At one time when she was younger, she had a crush on Dane but thankfully, that fizzled out and died. The last thing they wanted to do was break her heart. She deserved a man, or men that would treat her like the princess she was.
“So what’s happening today, kid?” he asked as they walked down the street.
“Just shopping for girls’ night this weekend with Keeley. I know she’s lonely with Nate and Ty gone, so I thought it would be a great way for us to bond. I really like her; she’s so sweet,” she said with a small smile on her face.
They both paused as they heard her purse, or what he assumed was her purse, ringing. Handing him her bags, she started to dig through it to find the offending device. “Aha!” She chirped looking at the caller ID with a scowl before muting it and putting it back. When she noticed his quizzical look, she explained. “I went on a date with this douche-nozzle of a twirp. He couldn’t eat with his mouth closed, lacked the common sense to open a frigging door for me, annnddd he farted!” She vented.
Nodding his head like he completely agreed with her issues of this douche-nozzle? He asked, “How old was he, Ken?”
Giving him a puzzled look, she hesitantly answered. “19, why?”
Laughing at her was probably not a good idea but he couldn’t seem to help himself. “That’s not a man Ken, that’s a boy. You should expect twerpiness from boys.” He wheezed out.
“Whatever, Coop. Man or boy, he shouldn’t have farted! That’s just gross, and on a first date no less!”
“Fair enough kid, fair enough. Look, I gotta finish my run then get to the office. Girls’ night is tonight?” he asked while jogging in place.
“Yes, I’m meeting Keeley at their house.” She smiled with excitement.
“Holler if you girls need anything, alright?” He told her, jogging away at her nod.
Not hearing from Emily in a couple of days had disturbed them. They knew she was ok because they had men watching her house around the clock while they investigated who was stalking h
er. But not having his own eyes on her was slowly driving Dane insane. He had a need to protect her. His possessiveness reared its head whenever they received updates on her. He and Coop had reminded their men, several times, to keep their distance and eyes away from her, which was counterproductive because they needed to have them on her. But they couldn’t seem to help the warnings from coming out. Every single time.
Putting his beer back on the table he looked at Coop, feeling as though their thoughts might be on the same page right now. Knowing she was with the girls didn’t really help because Kenny liked to get into shit. A lot. She had a knack for causing trouble wherever she went. Keels was more laid back, reserved; she thought things through. But over the last few weeks she’d really blossomed under Nate and Ty’s care and attention. He was envious of what they had. The love. The companionship. It was a sight to behold.
“Do you think they’re ok?” Coop interrupted his melancholy thoughts.
“They’re locked up in that house, I’m sure they’re having a nice time,” he said distractedly as their waitress arrived with their food, putting it on the table with a little more tit wiggling than was necessary. “Em will be fine with them, Coop. Keeley ain’t gonna let nothing touch that girl.” He tried reassuring him. They’d been a bundle of nerves since Keeley had texted her that afternoon and demanded she go.
They fell into a companionable silence while eating dinner. He had a big juicy steak and a loaded baked potato that should have been delicious, but he couldn’t taste anything. His thoughts were stuck on Emily, just like they had been the last few days. After their first meeting he thought it was just a one off, but Dane couldn’t shake her from his mind.
Startled out of his reverie by his cell vibrating in his pocket, he dug it out and seeing Keeley’s name on the screen, he didn’t hesitate to answer.
