She Can Scream (She Can Series)

by Melinda Leigh

  “She fought hard,” Brooke said.

  “She did.” The cop sounded impressed. “Is there anything else you can tell me about last night?”

  Brooke’s eyes unfocused as she searched her memories. She blinked and shook her head. “No. If I remember anything, I’ll call you.”

  “How much danger do you think Brooke is in?” Luke asked.

  “Hard to say.” The cop tucked his notebook back in his pocket. “She didn’t see his face, so she isn’t an eyewitness or anything like that. But you never know with these violent types.”

  “Chances are he knows Maddie from somewhere.” Brooke tapped a forefinger on her lip.

  “Maddie didn’t recognize him.” The cop yawned.

  “He was wearing a mask. This doesn’t seem like a random attack.” Brooke leveled the cop with a hard stare. “I’ve lived in this area most of my life. Hardly anyone uses that trail. A rapist lying in wait for a hapless female jogger might have had to wait for days. It’s much more likely he knew Maddie would be coming along.”

  “Maybe,” Kent admitted. “We’ll consider all the evidence and then come up with some theories. Don’t worry. We’ll be looking at every scenario.”

  But Brooke’s eyes were plenty worried.

  The cop handed Brooke a business card. “Call me if you think of anything else.” Kent stood and stretched his back. “Maddie asked if you would visit her. She wants to thank you in person.”

  “I’ll go over there today.” Brooke struggled to her feet.

  “Please, don’t get up. I can see myself out.”

  “I don’t want to get too comfortable if I have to go out again.” She followed Luke and the cop to the foyer. Kent went out.

  Luke hesitated at the open door. “I’ll be outside for a few minutes.”

  “OK. If we’re going to see Maddie tonight, I need coffee.” She headed for the kitchen. “Do you want some?”

  “Yes, please. I’ll be right back.” Luke went out front, cleaned out the mailbox, and buried the flat squirrel behind the garage before joining her in the kitchen. Brooke, already halfway through a mug of coffee, poured him a cup.

  “Thank you.” Relief softened her voice. “I don’t think I could’ve handled that.”

  “You’re welcome.” Their fingers brushed as he took the cup from her hand. The slight contact made Luke want to perform more manly chores for her if it led to additional touching.

  The doorbell rang again, and irritation buzzed through Luke as he went to answer it. The buzz went ballistic when he saw Tony the teacher on the porch, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. Instead of letting the teacher in, Luke went out onto the porch and barged into the guy’s personal space. Wide-eyed, Tony backed up. He dropped the flowers. The glass vase hit the porch with a thunk. Water spilled out and spread across the boards.

  Ignoring the mess, Luke pressed closer. “Did you pay Brooke a visit this afternoon?”

  “N-no.” Tony’s butt hit the railing. His Adam’s apple quivered.

  Luke glanced at the driveway. Tony drove a navy-blue Volvo. Anger batted reason aside. Tony could’ve borrowed a truck. “Can you prove you didn’t leave the school today?”

  The front door opened. “What’s going on?” Brooke limped out.

  But Luke didn’t move. Tony sidled out from behind him. He stooped, picked up the vase, and thrust it at Brooke. “These will need fresh water.”

  Brooke didn’t accept the flowers. She hugged her arms in a defensive gesture that tempted Luke to pick Tony up by his scrawny, pompous neck and toss him onto the lawn.

  “Why are you here?” Luke loomed. He had a few inches of height on the teacher.

  “I just wanted to make sure you knew my offer was sincere.” Tony jerked the flowers back to his body.

  “I said no this afternoon, and I meant it. As you can see, I’m not alone.” Brooke gestured to Luke, and her tone iced over. “Tony, we had dinner as friends and colleagues. There will never be anything more between us than that.”

  “Well then. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” Tony’s head bowed, but under his apologetic façade, Luke sensed the undercurrent of anger still ran strong. With a final glare at Luke, the teacher backed off the porch and walked back to his sedan.

  Shivering, Brooke limped back into the house. Luke closed the door behind them. In the foyer, she spun to face him. The circles under her eyes deepened in the overhead light, highlighting her vulnerability and exhaustion. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Done what?” Luke shot back. “Let that creep know I won’t stand for him stalking you?”

  “You’re leaving next week.” Brooke pointed at his chest. “I need to handle men like Tony on my own. Besides, he’s a coworker. I have to see him almost every day.”

  “I can’t let anything happen to you.”

  Brooke softened. “I know you promised Wade to look out for me, but you can’t just take over. After you go, I still have to live my life. Otherwise, once you’re in another country, what’s to stop Tony from harassing me again? Facts are facts. This time next week I will be on my own. It’s far better if Tony respects me rather than you.”

  She was right, but facts had no effect on the storm brewing inside Luke.

  “You don’t understand.” Luke paced the foyer, nerves seething from the mailbox find and the encounter with Tony. He hit the wall with both palms. Pausing for a deep breath, he pulled his shit together by sheer force of will. His promise to Wade was stretching his tenuous thread of recovery to the breaking point. Shame flooded him. Brooke was in danger because she’d risked her life to save another. Her courage humbled him. How could Luke resent his best friend’s request to protect her? Oh, who was he kidding? Luke wasn’t here because of Wade. He was here because of Brooke.

  More worry spun in Luke’s gut. Wade wouldn’t be here tonight. Someone had played a nasty prank on Brooke today, she had a creepy coworker to worry about, and Maddie’s assailant was still on the loose.

  What had Brooke said to her brother the night before? Sexual predators reoffended. It was the way they were wired. So, whether the attacker went after Maddie or another woman, this guy wouldn’t stop until someone made him.

  He crossed the hardwood and crowded her against the closed door. Her brown eyes darkened. Surprise or desire? His body hardened as he hoped for the latter. He leaned close to her ear. Her hair smelled soft and fresh, like the meadow that fronted her house. “I won’t let anything happen to you this week. You’re just going to have to deal with it.”

  Brooke froze. Her nerves, already tested by the week’s events, locked in indecision. Her brain was screaming that she wasn’t a let-the-man-take-charge kind of girl, but her body was shamelessly reveling in the whole alpha-male display. Primed from confrontation, Luke’s body was hard as stone and just inches away from hers. Tension radiated from his skin like an electrical field, and she wanted to absorb his energy.

  Too cultured for jealousy or possessiveness, intellectual Ian wasn’t prone to emotional outbursts. He hadn’t even lost his cool when he’d left her.

  She’d never had a man act this primitive and protective over her. My God, what would it be like to have Luke exercise that dominance over her naked body? A warm shiver slid through her belly. Cripes. Why the hell was she even thinking about sex?

  Must be some physiological response to stress. Whatever the cause, it was powerful and primal, calling every female molecule in her body to sit up and take notice.

  His gaze dropped to her mouth. Was he going to kiss her? Did she want him to? The scent of warm male and soap flooded her nose and drew her closer. Oh, yes. She did.

  “Mom?” Haley called from upstairs.

  Luke backed away, regret thinning his mouth.

  “Yes?” Brooke answered, thankful for her daughter’s interruption. Luke might fan her hormones into a frenzy, but her heart couldn’t take being left behind one more time. Her ex-husband had left Westbury for the excitement of the city. She and the kids
hadn’t been enough for Ian. He’d had zero interest in soccer or Scouts or any of the small activities that were part of raising kids, a sad fact that left jagged holes in all of them.

  Haley jogged down the stairs. Chris was right behind her. “We’re hungry.”

  Thanks to the wonders of blaring pop music, the kids had missed all the drama.

  “How about a snack?” Brooke walked into the kitchen, opened the pantry, and pulled out a bag of pretzels. The kids took it to the table, and the dog took up a hopeful position on the floor.

  Seeking the strength to finish the day, Brooke gulped tepid coffee.

  Haley’s phone buzzed, and when she looked at it, her mouth curved into a small smile that suggested she was communicating with the new boy on her radar.

  Ugh. At fifteen, Haley hadn’t gone boy-crazy yet, but her sixteenth birthday was approaching fast, and her hyper-focus on this particular boy gave Brooke an instant headache. She was not ready for the older-boy-with-car situation.

  She addressed the kids. “I need to go to the hospital and visit the woman from last night.”

  “OK,” said Chris.

  Engrossed with her messaging, Haley gave her an absent nod.

  “I am not leaving you two here alone.” The caffeine wasn’t giving Brooke the boost she needed.

  “You promised we’d work on my costume tonight for the Halloween dance this Friday.” Haley bit into a pretzel. Crumbs dropped to her lap. “And I have tons of history homework.”

  “Pack your stuff up and do it in the hospital waiting room,” Brooke said in her do-not-challenge-me voice. “We’ll work on your costume when we get back.”

  Haley crinkled her nose. “Hospitals are gross.”

  Brooke didn’t dispute the statement. “Do you have homework, Chris?”

  “Done.” He shoved a whole cookie into his mouth.

  “Why don’t we drop the kids with my grandmother?” Luke said. “She’d love the company.”

  Brooke turned to Haley. “Luke’s grandmother is Mrs. Holloway.”

  “Mrs. Holloway?” Haley brightened. “She was one of my favorite teachers.”

  Brooke considered. “Are you sure she wouldn’t mind?”

  “Positive,” Luke said. “But I’ll call her and make sure if it makes you feel better.”

  One quick call and fifteen minutes later they were in Luke’s car parked in front of a trim two-story. Luke’s cell buzzed on the console. An incoming call notification popped onto the screen. He picked it up and looked at the screen. His mouth tightened. The phone vibrated again, but Luke just stared at it.

  “Not going to get that?” she asked, leaning forward to peer at the display.

  “No.” He turned the phone off and reached for the door handle.

  Oookaaay. Disappointment prodded her. But Luke had every right to keep a phone call private. As they got out, the front door opened. Mrs. Holloway stood at the threshold. The petite gray-haired woman wiped her hands on the front of her apron. “You’re in luck. I just took a batch of cookies out of the oven. Go on back to the kitchen if you’d like some.”

  Chris led the charge. Haley trailed behind him.

  “We won’t be long.” Brooke sniffed. The scent of melted chocolate lingered. Her stomach rumbled. “And thank you so much for the casserole. It’ll be appreciated tonight.”

  “You’re welcome. It was nothing.” Mrs. Holloway waved her off with a blue-veined hand. “Take your time. The kids will be fine.”

  “I know, and thanks again.” Satisfied the kids were safe, Brooke followed Luke outside. The sun was falling toward the treetops and taking its warmth with it. Chilled air rushed across Brooke’s skin. She zipped her jacket to her chin.

  Westbury Community Hospital sat on the outskirts of town. Fifteen minutes later, Luke dropped her off at the concrete apron in front and went to park the car. In the shade of the covered entrance, Brooke shivered. Discomfort crept along her nape, an instinctive tingle that signaled danger. A nurse pushed a wheelchair out of the revolving door and waited with her bundled patient. A large sedan pulled up to the curb in front of them.

  Brooke pivoted and surveyed the parking lot, three-quarters full. A few people walked to and from their vehicles. Nothing seemed abnormal there either. She rubbed the back of her neck and went inside, very glad to see Luke parking in the fourth row. At the sight of him getting out of the car, a rush of security swept through her. She turned away from it and went into the hospital lobby. As much as she appreciated his presence this week, there was no point in getting attached. Luke wasn’t sticking around. The needs he stirred up inside of her would have to go unmet. She couldn’t deal with one more failure.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The smart move would be to start his car, turn around, and drive home.

  But he couldn’t.

  Maddie was inside, waiting. The need inside him was swirling, growing, strengthening like a tropical storm over warm ocean waters. If he didn’t discharge the force constructively, it could overwhelm him. He’d learned that early in life. His darkest desires couldn’t be stopped, but they could be channeled.

  If he proceeded, he would need to use caution.

  Leaning over, he opened the glove box. Keeping his head down and pretending to look for something, he peered over the dashboard and watched Brooke Davenport enter the hospital doors. A fresh burst of excitement rushed through his veins. What would she say to Maddie? Would they talk about him?

  He should wait until Brooke left, but curiosity gnawed at his discipline. The need to see them together grew to a feverish intensity.

  He recognized the risk, the departure from the rules and self-control that had kept him safe from discovery so far. But it didn’t matter. Desire paced his bloodstream like a caged panther.

  He stared at the brick façade of the hospital. They were inside. Together. And he had a present for Maddie.

  What to do?

  There was a time in his life when he’d had no control, when someone else had been in charge, when his smaller size had rendered him powerless.

  “Stop it!”

  He looked up from his play. The hand caught him on the cheek, the sting resounding through his skull.

  His older sister, Ellie, stooped down in front of him, her face contorted in fury. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  He put a hand to his face.

  “I asked you a question.” Ellie raised her hand. He tried to back away, but there wasn’t much room for evasion in a trailer. He waited for the blow. Her fist clenched over his head for a long second. She dropped her hand and grabbed him by the back of the collar. “What am I going to do with you? Why can’t you just behave?”

  She opened the closet and shoved him inside. “Maybe a time-out will teach you a lesson.”

  In a single-wide trailer, the coat closet wasn’t much wider than a skinny five-year-old. He barely fit. The door closed. He pushed a couple of pairs of shoes aside, squatted down, and huddled on the floor. The shoes smelled like sour feet. The hems of jackets brushed the top of his head. Might as well get as comfortable as possible. Who knew how long his “time-out” would be? It might be morning before she let him out.

  Good thing he wasn’t afraid of the dark. In fact, he liked it. Shadows were great places for a little boy to hide.

  He closed his eyes and tried to picture the house he’d lived in until just a few months ago. He imagined the quiet creek that meandered through the patch of woods behind the tiny property. They hadn’t been rich, but he’d had a lot more freedom there. With busy working parents, he’d been mostly left alone to roam in the hours between school and dinner. He’d gotten good at catching frogs. How long had it been since Mom and Dad had died and his sister had brought him here to live?

  Probably longer than it seemed.

  Someday, he’d be big. He would be the one in control. No one would tell him what he could and couldn’t do. No one would hit him or lock him in closets either.

  He hunkered down in
the dark and waited.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Brooke went into the building and approached the front desk. The elderly guard on duty could’ve stunt-doubled for Don Knotts. Brooke gave him Maddie’s name. He typed it into his keyboard, squinted at the monitor, and wrote out a guest pass for Brooke.

  “I’ll need two passes,” Brooke said. Luke walked into the lobby and joined her.

  The guard shook his head. “I’m sorry. Only three visitors per guest. There are already two out for that patient.”

  Luke shrugged. “I’ll wait here.”

  Brooke headed for the elevator. Inside, she glanced at the handwritten number on the pass. Maddie was in room 310. Brooke pushed the number three on the panel. The elevator groaned its way up to the third floor. She followed the wall signs to the right hallway.

  Brooke tapped on the doorframe. “Maddie?” she called in a soft voice in case the girl was sleeping. “It’s Brooke.”

  “Come in.” The voice was stronger than Brooke expected. Still, she braced herself for Maddie’s appearance and strode into the room. In the bed closest to the door, Maddie reclined on two pillows, the white sheet folded neatly over a thermal blanket at her waist. The bed in front of the window was empty, the center curtain pulled open to expose the black glass. The lights were dimmed, but Brooke could see more than enough.

  The battered right side of Maddie’s face looked worse than the night before. The bruises had purpled, her eye was nearly swollen shut, and a row of tiny black stitches closed a cut on her cheekbone. A few more sutures closed the slices in her earlobes where her assailant had torn her earrings free. An obscene necklace of bruises circled her throat like fat black pearls. Though her body lay quiet, Maddie’s hands fingered the edge of the sheet in an unconscious, repetitive motion.

  In a vinyl recliner angled between the beds, Maddie’s father sat with a folded newspaper on his lap. He stood and ran a hand through his thinning hair. Mr. Thorpe clearly hadn’t slept since Brooke saw him in the ER the night before. His eyes were watery, his clothing rumpled. Could a man age overnight?