“No…” Dev breathed, eyes widening.
“I’m not touching it.” Sloan got down. He turned to her, his hand on her shoulder. “I’m calling Cade right now. They need to get a forensics team out here to go through your apartment, looking for fingerprints. Someone has been in here and—” his voice lowered to a growl “—they put that camera in here to see you naked while you took a shower or bath.”
Dev made a small, desperate sound, wrapping her hands around herself.
“Look,” Sloan told her quietly, guiding her out of the bathroom, “I want you and Bella to stay in my apartment until Cade can get out here with a forensics team. The less you move around in your apartment, the fewer things you touch, the better the chances of finding fingerprints that were left behind. Okay?”
“Y-yes, that sounds good.”
“Let me finish up checking the apartment?”
“I want to stay and watch.”
Nodding, Sloan picked up the leash. “Mouse. Seek.”
The dog instantly stood up and bolted out of the bathroom and down the wooden hall, his nails clacking noisily on the surface. Sloan watched him go into the kitchen. There, Mouse instantly stood up on his hind legs, whining and trying to get to the five cookbooks in the corner. Sloan praised him and told him to get down and continue his investigation. The dog went next to the refrigerator, which he started pawing at.
“Did you open the fridge?” Sloan asked.
“Yes, to get the pickle relish.”
“Okay, but the handle might have a print on it.”
“I just blew that, didn’t I?”
“You didn’t know. It’s all right.”
Mouse bounded out of the kitchen and went into the living room next. He sniffed the couch, around the coffee table and then went to the large flat-screen TV across the room, against the wall. The dog once more got up on his hind legs, whining, trying to get between the TV and the wall. Sloan told him to get down and peered behind the TV.
“Something’s back there,” he murmured, lifting his head and looking at Dev. “Did you touch this TV? Anywhere around it?”
“No.”
“Good.” Sloan let Mouse continue his hunt and the dog strained against his leash, heading to the door.
“Now,” Sloan said, picking up his cell phone from his pocket, “he’s going to follow the scent of the intruder outside your apartment. I’m calling Cade right now. Stick close to me?”
Dev nodded.
Mouse followed the scent down the carpeted hall to the emergency exit stairwell door. Sloan was careful to use the handkerchief to open it. He then pulled his pistol as he and the dog slowly started down the concrete stairs to the narrow exit area. Dev was behind him. Watching his combat dog, Sloan knew if Mouse heard anything, he’d go into full attack mode, and the bristling hairs on his shoulders and all the way down his back to his tail would instantly rise. As he slowly took the stairs, watching and listening, Sloan sensed the intruder was gone.
They reached the door to the entrance leading out into the parking lot. Sloan pushed it open with the handkerchief once again. The sunlight was bright and Sloan blinked, giving his eyes time to adjust from the dim light of the stairwell area to the outdoor light. He made sure that Dev remained close to him. She was almost paralyzed with terror. There was no mistaking the fright in her green eyes. Giving her a gentle look, he said, “Follow me. But don’t get in front of or beside us.”
“Right.”
Mouse went from the cars parked along the sidewalk of the second apartment building and scrambled, wanting to run, hauling Sloan along as he moved across the huge black asphalt parking lot to the corner of the first building of the complex. He went into thick brush and shrubs on the corner, sniffing loudly. Sloan saw footprints around the edge of one bush and called Mouse back. He took out his cell phone and took photos of the prints, sending them to Cade. He ordered Mouse to sit. Sloan thought it was a perfect hiding place for someone who wanted to observe Dev’s movements. Was it Gordon? He thought so, but he wasn’t going to tell Dev that.
Dev was so frightened right now and Sloan didn’t want to add to her stress. The haunted look in her expression ripped at his heart. A fierce sense of protection rose in him and he had to do everything not to grab her, hold her hard and tight against him, to let her know he’d never allow her to be harmed again. But he couldn’t. Sloan had to remain focused, find out all he could about her stalker, the man who had broken into her apartment. Worse, he realized the person knew how to jimmy open a door and could do it again. That meant her intruder could enter the apartment when Dev was asleep. While it was true she had Bella as a watchdog, the intruder could very easily kill the dog. And still get to Dev. Dammit!
Carefully searching the area and keeping it free of their own paw and footprints, Sloan had Mouse seek once more. The Belgian Malinois leaped ahead, straining mightily at the leash once more, on a scent. His dog got excited when the scent was powerful, or the enemy was nearby. Sloan kept an alert lookout as the dog lunged repeatedly toward the nearby forest. The area had been clear-cut around the apartments. In a crescent-shaped circle behind the complex, there was a mix of deciduous trees and pine trees. The area was thick with grass and weeds, untrodden by humans—a perfect place to hide. Sloan slowed his dog and Mouse tugged hard, wanting to follow the trail into the darkening woods.
“Is someone in there, you think?” Dev asked in a low, unsteady voice.
“I’m not sure,” Sloan said. “But I’m going to wait until Cade arrives with some deputy reinforcements. There’s no sense in us going in there alone right now. No Kevlar vests, no protective vest on Mouse, either. It’s not worth the risk if the intruder is still in there.” Sloan called Mouse back and the dog reluctantly obeyed the order, twisting his head toward the forest, not wanting to give up the scent.
Sloan positioned himself in front of Dev in case the intruder was still hidden in the forest and watching them. If he took a shot, he wouldn’t strike her. Sloan was in combat mode, just like his dog. Glancing up, he could see that the window of Dev’s apartment was in complete alignment with the forest behind the building. The intruder could have a Wi-Fi device that was looking through that small camera he’d tried to hide in the bathroom lamps, right now. A huge part of him wanted to send Dev back to his apartment, return to the forest with Mouse and hunt the bastard down. But that wouldn’t guarantee he would find the stalker, however. He could have gone back to her apartment and could be hiding in it right now. Waiting for Dev.
Every protective gene in Sloan was screaming for him to shield her. He cared deeply for Dev even though they’d never had a chance to fully explore their feelings with one another. God knew Sloan wanted to, but Dev was in free fall with this stalker situation exploding around her once again. What he could do was give her a sense of safety by being around her, supporting her the best he knew how, right now.
*
DEV GNAWED ON her lower lip as she watched the sheriff’s forensics team come down the hall. Two women in white one-piece suits carried their equipment, their expressions serious. Dev had the door open to her apartment. They said hello to her and went to work on the outside of the door. She remained in Sloan’s apartment, sitting on the couch, with Bella at her feet. Cade Garner had come in to take her statement. Then he took Sloan’s. Two more deputies showed up later in black Chevy Tahoes. Sloan left with Mouse in harness, returning to the wooded area with the deputies. Dev couldn’t even watch the activity from her apartment. Anxious and worried, she paced in Sloan’s large living room. Sloan and Cade would not allow her and Bella to go with them. What would the forensics team find in her apartment? A second forensics team focused on the corner of the first complex building, going over it thoroughly for fingerprints and making plaster casts of the boot prints discovered in the mud.
She was more anxious about Sloan, Mouse, Cade and his two deputies going into the woods. That was the great unknown. Some of her worry had been reduced when Cade handed Sloan
a Kevlar vest to wear—just in case. Only Mouse had no protection. The sheriff’s department didn’t have a K-9 unit, so there was no bulletproof vest that Mouse could borrow.
Pushing her fingers through her hair, Dev hated what was happening. Even now, she wore her holster on her hip, and the pistol had a bullet in the chamber with the safety on. Sloan didn’t want her helpless or unable to defend herself in case the intruder was still around. She felt it would be stupid for Gordon or whoever it was to try coming back into the apartment complex. There were four Teton Country deputies with SUV cruisers in the parking lot. Still, Dev didn’t fight Sloan on his request for her to remain armed until they returned from the forest investigation.
Bella slept for nearly an hour while Dev paced. When Sloan and Cade reentered the apartment, she stood tensely, waiting for one of them to say something. Mouse was panting heavily, his cinnamon eyes glinting with the look of the apex predator and hunter that he was.
“We found more boot prints,” Sloan told her, leaning down to remove the work harness from Mouse.
“There was also a couple of cans of soda and food wrappers,” Cade added, holding up the paper bag that held the contents. “We’ll take these back to our lab and run them for prints and DNA.”
“But you saw no one?”
Sloan shook his head, ordering Mouse over to his bed in the corner of the living room after he took a long drink of water. Straightening, he said, “No. But it looks like the guy was either watching you from the corner of apartment one or changed positions and watched you from the woods. Both were well-concealed areas and you probably would not have seen him.”
“But he could see you,” Cade said.
“What should I do?” Dev asked the deputy.
“If it’s not too uncomfortable for you, I’d prefer you stay with Sloan for now.”
“I’ll sleep out on the couch,” Sloan told her. “You get the bedroom.”
Cade gestured to the door. “My forensics team has removed the camera put into that lamp fixture in your bathroom. And another unit behind your flat-screen TV was removed, as well. They are both Wi-Fi gadgets with lithium batteries. All the suspect would have to do is have a receiver strong enough to pick up on the signal and he’d see you in the bathroom and living room.”
“I wonder how long they’ve been in there?” Dev asked them, her voice bleak.
“Mouse picked up on everything today,” Sloan soothed her. “He must have gotten into your apartment while we were gone.”
“I think the same thing,” Cade told her. “We’re going to set a trap for this suspect in your apartment. What I’d like you to do now is go get your clothes, any food or anything else you need, and bring it over here to Sloan’s apartment.”
“I’ll help you,” Sloan said, setting the harness on a small table near Mouse’s round bed.
“Because once we set the trap, Dev, you can’t go back in there,” Cade warned. “We’ve got motion-sensor cameras being mounted in there right now. They’ll record anyone coming into your apartment. And we have a silent alarm that will trip when someone opens that door to alert us of an intruder. We’ll send two cruisers over here immediately as well as alerting the two of you.”
“But so far, we don’t know if it’s Gordon?”
“No,” Cade said, “but I’m hoping these items will prove what we all think.” He held up the sack. “If I get any kind of confirmation it’s Gordon, you’ll be called immediately. I can’t afford you twenty-four-hour police protection, but Sloan is good backup. You’re both rangers and I’m calling your supervisor, Hastings, to let her know what’s going on. I’m going to ask her to keep you two paired because you need the protection right now, Dev, until we can capture the suspect.”
Dev felt comforted. “I really appreciate all you’re doing, Cade.” She gave Sloan a warm look. “Are you okay with a roommate for a while?”
Sloan nodded. “I’m okay with it, Dev. Anything that will make you feel safer, until Cade and his deputies can find this guy and put him behind bars, is fine with me.”
Never mind the attraction she felt for Sloan. Dev wasn’t sure she could keep herself together under Sloan’s roof. He was so masculine, the way he cosseted her, that one, galvanizing kiss that had melted her soul… Taking a ragged breath, Dev nodded and said nothing. Her whole world was crumbling around her once again.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“HOW ARE YOU DOING?” Sloan asked Dev later. The deputies were gone and it was nearly 5:00 p.m., dinnertime. They had brought Dev’s clothes, food and anything else she needed over to his apartment. Sloan had emptied the top two drawers of his dresser for her. Luckily, he had few hanging clothes and he placed hers on one of the two rungs in the closet, so she had plenty of room. The move had gone well but she had been quiet, which was unlike her.
Dev forced a slight, jagged smile. “Could be better. Just stressed-out,” she admitted, closing the upper drawer of the dresser.
“I’m going to fix us something to eat,” Sloan said. “You probably aren’t hungry, but you need to keep your strength up, Dev.” Sometimes, he’d see moisture come to her eyes and assumed she needed to cry. But then Sloan would see her battle them back, force them away and keep on folding or hanging her clothes in the bedroom.
“I can’t eat, Sloan.” Dev touched her stomach. “I’m tied in knots.”
He stepped aside as she move past him into the hall, heading for the living room. “Anyone would be,” he agreed, following her. “I’m a pretty good cook for a single guy,” he teased, hoping to ease some of her strain. “I was thinking of a chicken and vegetable stir-fry? Does that sound good to you? I put in a little ginger, a few other herbs for taste.”
Dev sat down on the couch and Bella came over, the Lab wriggling herself between her open legs. Petting her dog, Dev said, “Okay, I’ll give it a try. Do you want any help?”
“If you want, you can cut up the red and green peppers and red cabbage. I’ll cut up the chicken breasts and make the orange-hoisin sauce.”
Giving Bella a quick kiss on her head, Dev rose. “Thanks. I need something to do, Sloan. I feel like I’m going crazy. Doing normal things helps me settle down and focus.”
He smiled faintly, holding her dark green eyes that clearly showed how upset she was. “Good enough. Come on. I’ll get you a good cutting knife, give you a bread board and you can go to work.”
Sloan watched Dev relax as he put her to work in the roomy kitchen. They worked side by side and he enjoyed her closeness. She was quick with the red and green peppers, putting the slices in a bowl. Sloan gave her the shiitake mushrooms next. He cut up the chicken breasts into thin strips.
“What do you think they’ll find?” Dev asked him.
“I’m hoping there will be prints and DNA on those aluminum cans we found.”
“What if it’s Gordon?”
Sloan heard the closeted terror in her voice. “It probably is, but we can’t go there without proof,” he cautioned, glancing to his left, holding her large, shadowed gaze. “At least we’d know, one way or another.”
“Yes,” she whispered hollowly, cutting up the mushrooms.
“You’ll stay with me until it’s over, Dev. I think that will help you.”
“I feel bad you’ve got to sleep out on the couch.”
Sloan smiled a little, pulling the bok choy over to cut it up. “Listen, we’re both used to sleeping on the ground or on a piece of cardboard if we could find it over in Afghanistan. You, more than most, know it’s great to have a couch to sleep on.”
“True,” Dev murmured, giving him a concerned look. “But I’m kicking you out of your bedroom.”
“It’s temporary.” Sloan wanted to say, Sleep with me every night. I’ll hold you safe. I’ll make all that fear go away because I’ll love you. None of it could be said, as much as he wanted to broach the topic. But the timing couldn’t be worse.
Dev dropped the mushrooms into the bowl.
“Why don’t you get the r
ice started?” He pointed to a box on the counter. “The pots and pans are beneath where you’re standing.” He saw her rally. The act of cooking, doing something familiar, was helping Dev enormously. “And after you get that started, can you bring me that jar of honey on the lazy Susan on the corner of the counter? I use a quarter cup of honey, grate some ginger, mince some scallions and chop up a pair of lemongrass stalks. Does that all sound good to you so far?”
She laughed a little. “You’re actually making me hungry, Sloan. It will not only smell wonderful, but it will be yummy to eat.”
His heart swelled with a fierce need for Dev. Already, Sloan could see some pinkness creeping back into her wan cheeks. Her green eyes no longer looked as haunted and dark. He smiled over at her. “I like to cook. My ma taught me early and I was always in the kitchen with her if I wasn’t helping my pa after school on a chore or some project. She was fantastic with herbs and spices. Now I always feel like a chemist before I cook something, wanting to try new spices or herbs on chicken, which is pretty bland meat without them.”
“You’re actually a chef in disguise,” Dev said, giving him a proud look. “Who knew?”
“What?” Sloan teased, wanting to distract her from the stress. “That a backwoods boy could be a decent cook?” Her eyes shone and an ache built in his lower body. Dev was so easily touched. It didn’t take much to make her respond and right now, that was a good thing. Washing his hands, he started on making the orange-hoisin sauce.
After pouring the water into the pan, Dev placed it on his gas stove. “There’s just so much more to you than I first realized, Sloan,” she said.
He placed chicken broth and orange juice into a small pan. “Don’t you think it’s that way with everyone? We all have many facets. Sort of like a diamond. Maybe some folks have more facets than others, but we all have them.” Sloan added a bit of soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil to the mixture. Taking a whisk, he stirred it together and then added fresh orange zest and a bit of cornstarch.
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