by Kaylea Cross
It wasn’t until that moment that she realized how much of herself she’d held back with every other man she’d been with. Or how afraid she’d been that the rape had damaged her subconsciously.
Tate didn’t look alarmed by her tears. Didn’t say anything. He gently wiped her tears away before they could fall, and bent to cover her face with warm, tender kisses that made her heart clench.
She closed her eyes and absorbed it, feeling the broken parts she’d buried deep inside her slowly knitting back together again. Her heart felt swollen, ready to burst with everything she felt for him. Holding it inside was painful, but she didn’t want to ruin this by blurting out something he wasn’t ready to hear.
When she’d calmed completely, a sense of peace filled her like a warm tide rising inside her. Tate rolled off her and immediately got up to deal with the condom. He came back a minute later and pulled her into his arms, holding her close, his chin resting on the top of her head.
“It’s never been like that for me,” he said a minute later.
Joy and hope expanded her heart even more, until her whole chest hurt from the pressure. “For me either.”
But he didn’t say anything else, didn’t give her the words she was dying to hear, so she closed her eyes and said them to him in her head.
I think I’m falling in love with you.
She pushed everything from her mind and focused on the here and now. Of being warm and sated and tucked into Tate’s embrace, safe in her bed, and even safer in his arms. He cared about her. A lot. Maybe in time he would allow it to be more.
His big hands smoothed up and down her back, over her hips and bottom, his touch at once soothing and proprietary. “You tired?”
“Yes.”
He drew the covers over them both and tucked the edges around her with care, just as he’d done that night in the bed of his pickup. “What time are you getting up in the morning?”
“Five-thirty.”
“I’ll get up with you.” He stroked her hair. “You sure you don’t want me to drive you and Rylee to campus?”
“I’m sure. But thanks.”
“I know you’ve both got to get back to normal, but I still hate knowing I won’t be there tomorrow.”
Nina smiled softly. Always the protector. “We’ll be just fine,” Nina murmured sleepily, totally relaxed as she basked in the closeness they shared. “But I love that you want to watch over me.”
When she was with him, she felt like nothing bad could ever happen to her again.
****
Vince kept the hood of his jacket pulled down low over his forehead to help obscure his face as he walked through campus. The scratches and bruising were still visible, even with the makeup he’d tried to cover them with.
Luckily it was dark now, and there was hardly anyone else out here at this time of night. Mostly maintenance and janitorial staff, and students who lived in residence. Nobody that would pay any attention to him as he carried out his mission.
This time he wasn’t here to scope out a new target. He was here about an old one.
The building he’d come to see stood in front of him, only a few lights on in the windows. Someone was just coming out one of the doors in the side entrance when he came up the sidewalk. He moved aside to let them by, using the time to check above the doors.
It was easy to spot the cameras, and there weren’t that many of them. He went inside, keeping his hands in his pockets and his face averted slightly downward while he studied the layout. He counted only two cameras along the length of the first-floor hallway. None in the stairwell.
But there was one place in particular he needed to know inside and out.
He made his way down another hallway, noting the positions of the only two cameras on the floor. Offices lined the exterior wall of the building, their doors facing a solid wall across the hallway where the classrooms were located.
His pulse accelerated with each step as he scanned the doors he passed. Until finally…
Dr. Nina Benitez.
He paused in front of it for only a moment, glancing through the window in the door. There might be a camera in there, but it wouldn’t matter. He’d studied the campus emergency procedures and now had seen what he was dealing with up close.
He continued down the hall and exited the far door, anticipation stirring in his gut. Based on everything he’d just seen, his plan would work. All he had to do now was put it into action.
Chapter Eighteen
“You want to maybe grab lunch together later?” Rylee asked Nina as they entered her office the next morning. They’d just arrived at campus after the drive in from Rifle Creek.
Nina smiled at Rylee. “I’d love that. We could go over some of the things you missed last lecture if you want.”
“Or we could, you know, just eat and talk.”
Nina laughed. “I know, I know, I get carried away with my enthusiasm for the subject matter. I’m determined to make an astronomy nerd out of you yet.”
“I love learning about space. But I hate the math.” She made a face and shuddered.
Nina’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and grinned. “And there’s your uncle, wanting to know we’re still okay. Gotta love him.”
She sent off a quick text. Here safe and sound. Trying to force more astronomy down Rylee’s throat before she heads to class.
Good. Get our money’s worth out of the tuition.
She showed Rylee his reply, and his niece rolled her eyes. “Uncle Tater. What a guy.”
“He really is.”
Rylee’s eyes gleamed. “You guys seem really into each other.”
Nina’s cheeks flushed. “He’s a wonderful man.”
Rylee raised her eyebrows. “And?”
“And it’s still new, because we just started seeing each other.”
She scoffed. “Whatever, you’re the first person he’s dated since he broke up with what’s-her-face. And from what I’ve seen, he’s pretty damn into you, even if you guys are new.”
“Well.” Nina cleared her throat, not knowing what to say. “I should really go over some notes before I go to my first lecture.”
Rylee chuckled. “All right, all right, I’ll stop. But I’m just gonna say, I think you’re exactly what he needs and I hope he realizes it.”
Me too. “Thank you. I mean, I’m pretty awesome.” They shared a grin.
“Meet you back here at twelve-forty-five?” Rylee asked.
“Perfect.” And if they left campus by five, that would get them back to Rifle Creek by six at the latest, depending on traffic. Rylee wasn’t going back to her dorm until the serial rapist/killer had been caught. “Have a good day.”
“You too.” Rylee walked out the door into the hallway.
Nina pulled out her tablet and booted it up to go over some lecture notes she’d prepared for her first lesson, but her mind was still on Tate. What if he never got over his baggage? What if he never fell in love with her?
She shook the thoughts away and focused on work. A minute later she was halfway through the first page of notes she’d compiled on dark matter and dark energy when her phone buzzed on the desk.
She ignored it, wanting to finish up the current section until she checked the message. Somewhere outside an announcement came over the outdoor speakers posted near the building entrance.
The sound of hurried footsteps a moment later made her look up. People were rushing past her office door, looking concerned. Several doors began closing farther down the hall.
Nina grabbed for her phone just as Rylee darted through the door, eyes wide and face pale. “The building’s on lockdown,” she blurted, and immediately shut the door.
Shock burst inside Nina. When she checked her phone, the message was there from the school’s emergency notification system.
Lockdown in place. Seek shelter immediately.
Holy shit. She shot out of her chair and rounded the desk to grab Rylee’s arm and push her toward the
back of the room. “Get under my desk,” she whispered, rushing for the door. There was no further information about what kind of threat it was, but Nina wasn’t taking any chances.
The hallway was filled with a throng of fearful-looking students. Nina looked left and right, didn’t see any imminent threat and started herding people into her office. Seven of them quickly scrambled past her, whispering amongst themselves, while others veered into the doorway closest to them.
Once the hall was empty, Nina shut and locked her door, fingers clumsy and her heart thudding in her ears. This didn’t feel real. It felt like a bad dream. What was it? A bomb threat?
No, they would have evacuated the building for that. It must be an armed person or persons.
Cold prickled down her spine as she flicked the light switch to off, going through her mental list of what to do. There was no blind or shade to pull down over the square-shaped window in the top of her door. “Phones on silent,” she snapped in a low voice.
She whipped around to lunge toward her desk. Rylee and the seven others were all huddled either under or behind her desk, all crowded together. Nina held a finger to her lips to signal for absolute silence, then grabbed the full-size notebook on her desk and ripped both covers off. She ripped open a drawer and fumbled around for the roll of tape she kept there, then hurried back and taped the covers together over the window, obscuring them from view.
Eight pairs of eyes fastened on her as she turned to grab the fire extinguisher off the wall and then positioned herself in front of the others, lowering herself to the floor. There was nowhere else to hide, and this was as far away from the door as she could get. If someone shot through the door or hallway wall, she would be one of the first ones hit.
Don’t think about it. Just be ready to react.
She detached the extinguisher nozzle end and held it at the ready with one hand, her fingers clamped around the trigger. If whoever was out there tried to come in, she would blast them straight in the face.
She wasn’t sure how much time passed as she sat poised there. At least ten minutes.
No one said anything. Nothing moved out in the hall.
Nina finally pulled out her phone to start checking social media. Someone shoved their phone at her. She turned to see Rylee crouched behind her right shoulder, her face pinched with worry.
“We’re okay,” Nina whispered as quietly as she could, and forced a reassuring smile before checking the site Rylee had pulled up. Students were all commenting about the situation unfolding in Nina’s building. Speculating whether it was an active shooter or a group of them.
Nina’s blood chilled even more. She scrolled through the feed, trying to see if there was anything of use, but it was all fear and wild speculation.
She handed it back to Rylee and shook her head, aware of everyone else watching her. “It’s all speculation,” she whispered, giving Rylee’s hand a squeeze. “We’ll be fine.” She turned right and left to look at the others, gave them a nod.
A door opened and closed somewhere down the hall.
Nina snapped around to face forward as the tension in the room went up a thousand percent. She gripped the extinguisher and waited, straining to make out any more sounds down the hall over the roar of the blood whooshing in her ears.
The distant door opened and closed again. Nina swallowed, waiting.
Footsteps. Sounded like more than one person. Slowly moving toward her office.
Heart pounding, she laid on her side to get as close to the ground as possible in case someone started shooting through the door, and aimed the extinguisher at it.
The footsteps came closer. Closer still.
Nina held her breath, her fingers curled around the trigger, her attention riveted to the door.
They slowed.
Someone behind her sucked in a breath and started to scuttle away. Nina pulled in a deep breath and braced herself, gearing up for the possible moment when the door was kicked in. She’d have only a split second to hit the shooter in the face with the retardant. She had to be fast.
Then the footsteps continued past the door.
Nina stayed rigid on the floor, still ready to hit the trigger. But the steps kept going down the hallway.
She relaxed a fraction, became aware of the thudding of her heart against her chest wall and how cold and clammy her hands were. She’d never been this scared, wondering if whoever was on the other side was about to unleash a barrage of automatic gunfire through the walls.
“Clear,” a male voice said from down the hall.
“Confirm, clear,” said another.
Nina’s heart leapt. Security? Were they checking the halls one at a time, clearing the building floor by floor?
The men came back, passing by the door. The far door opened and shut, then silence.
A collective sigh of relief filled the room, mixed with a couple of low groans.
“Shh,” Nina said sharply, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “Stay still, stay quiet.” Just because security had cleared this hall now didn’t mean it would stay that way. Everyone had to stay put until the all clear was given via text, or if the police came to escort them out.
She was vaguely aware of Rylee typing into her phone a couple feet away. Nina hoped she was contacting Tate.
That hall door opened and closed once more. Nina tensed, her body going back into sentry mode.
The clear sound of a knock came. “Professor Cottrell, this is the Missoula PD,” said a man’s voice. “The building is secure, and you’re free to come out now.”
Nina stayed on the floor, refusing to relax her guard. Was it really the police? Or was it a trick to try and get Cottrell to open his door to the shooter?
Another door opened. Cottrell’s? Voices swelled in a rush of sound, then the movement of dozens of feet on the hall floor.
More knocking. More voices. Working their way toward her door.
When the office beside her emptied and she still hadn’t heard any shots, Nina waved the others back and got to her feet. She crept to the side of the door and waited there, ready to fire if it opened.
She almost jumped when someone knocked sharply on it. “Professor Benitez, this is the Missoula PD. The building is secure.”
There still hadn’t been any shots, so she slowly, quietly turned the lock on the door. Waited another few seconds in case anyone tried to barge in, then tentatively turned the latch. As soon as daylight showed between the door and the jamb, she whipped the extinguisher up, prepared to fire.
The door swung open to reveal a police officer in full tactical gear, his face covered by a black balaclava, presumably a precaution to protect the officers’ identities. His gaze settled on her for an instant, then swept past her to scan the room. “You’re all free to leave,” he said to them. “An officer will escort you out of the building. Put your hands on top of your head, come into the hallway, and wait for further instructions.”
Nina should have been relieved, but a strange sense of foreboding swept her instead. The idea of coming out into the hall and putting her hands on her head seemed worse, not reassuring.
“Hurry,” the officer snapped. “We need to clear this building immediately.”
Since he hadn’t done anything threatening and others were streaming past in the hallway, she lowered the extinguisher and stepped out of the way, then faced her students, who were all crouched around her desk now. “Go ahead,” she said, her voice a bit rough.
She waited until they had all filed past her into the hall, then grabbed Rylee in a tight hug. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Rylee breathed, squeezing hard. “See you outside.”
“Yes.” She let Rylee go, started to turn back for her laptop.
“Leave it,” the cop commanded, “and come out now.”
Annoyed at his tone but understanding his urgency, Nina faced him and hurried out into the hallway, putting her hands on her head. The hallway was mass confusion. A torrent of people flowed past her, all rushi
ng for the exit to the left.
“Nina!” Rylee was calling to her from near the door. A tactical cop was herding her and the rest of the group she was with through the exit.
“Doctor Benitez?”
Startled, Nina looked up into the masked face of another cop. Only his bright blue eyes were visible through the black balaclava, and he carried a rifle. “Yes.”
“Come with me. I’m to escort you to a staff waiting area.” He gripped her right upper arm and began walking her toward the exit at a rapid pace, pushing his way through the crowd.
Nina went along with him, hands still on her head and unable to answer her phone as it kept buzzing insistently in her pocket. “Was there a shooter?”
“I can’t comment. Our team is still clearing the building. Hurry.”
They reached the doorway. It was too narrow for the two of them to go through side-by-side.
The cop went first, towing Nina behind him. His scent trailed back to her. A subtle but distinctive mix of evergreen and spice.
An image exploded into her brain. A dark-haired man’s face above her as he pinned her naked body down on the seat of a truck. Bright blue eyes revealed in the faint moonlight coming through the windows.
And that scent. All over her. All around her.
Her muscles froze. She stopped dead, only feet from the doorway
He looked back at her, his eyebrows drawn together in a fierce frown.
The bottom of her stomach fell out, fear and revulsion crashing over her.
Oh my God, it’s him.
FUCK, SHE’D RECOGNIZED him. Vince knew it the second her gaze connected with his.
“You.” She tried to wrench her arm free, opened her mouth to scream when he wouldn’t let go.
Vince had only a split-second to react. He hauled her closer with the hand on her arm, while reaching into his vest with the other. The cloth was hidden by his glove as he tugged her away from the door into the shadows of the building and quickly put his hand over her mouth and nose.
There were so many people around, the panic so thick he could almost smell it. No one was paying them any notice, and even if they had, the way he was holding her made it look like he was trying to keep her upright.
