“What happened, Tom?” Theo demanded as he and Declan stalked over to the porch.
“Heard rustling around on the porch—woke up and found this,” my dad grumbled, handing over a parcel to Theo.
“Is Owen okay?” Charlotte’s worried tone had my heart lurching with guilt.
My dad looked over at her and nodded. “Your mother checked on him right away. He’s fine. No one got inside the house.”
I watched with building dread as Theo pulled several items out of a manila envelope. The first was a photograph of Theo and me at the hardware store when he’d first come into town, the second one of us laughing in his pickup when we’d gone to pick up Honey. The last was paperwork I couldn’t make out.
“What’s that?” I asked hoarsely, unsure if I really wanted to know.
“Looks like job applications you’ve submitted here in town,” Theo muttered.
“There’s no message?” Declan demanded.
“There doesn’t have to be,” I answered sullenly. “It’s all right there. The job applications that he knows I was turned down for because of him, the photos—they say the same thing. That he’s watching. That I don’t get to be happy.”
“My ass,” Theo growled, his expression feral as he gripped the items in his fist.
“Don’t tear them up, man. We need them,” Declan warned. “We also have security installed all over this property. Let’s get back to the cabin and see what we’ve got,” he suggested.
Declan had rigged up a mini security headquarters in the cabin Theo had rented.
Theo nodded, his jaw clenched. “I don’t want to leave the Scotts unattended. You go, report back.”
Declan nodded, and with a final look at Charlotte that I couldn’t decipher, headed for his SUV.
“Let’s get inside,” Theo ordered, ushering us all in the house. “Tom, sorry as hell this happened tonight. One of us should have stayed.” His tone was full of regret as he addressed my father.
“Nothing to worry about. I can protect my own home,” my father replied.
“I have no doubt,” Theo was quick to assure him. “I apologize all the same.”
“I’m going to go check on Owen and head for bed,” Char murmured, offering me a quick squeeze before heading up the stairs.
Theo turned to me. “Sweetheart, why don’t you head on up, too? I want to talk to your dad for a minute.”
I thought about protesting, but I felt too discouraged to argue. Instead I nodded and trudged up the stairs, my body heavy with the weight of Evan’s threat.
I got ready for bed, unsure if I wanted to scream or cry as I slipped my nightshirt on. I didn’t get to be happy? It was me who should be terrorizing that bastard’s life, not the other way around.
When a quiet knock sounded on my door as I was crawling into bed, I was surprised to look up and find Theo opening my door.
“What are you doing?” I asked in confusion.
“I want you to come downstairs and sleep with me,” he shocked me by saying. “I don’t feel comfortable with you all the way up here.”
“I can’t.” I shook my head. “My dad would flip.”
“We talked. He’s okay with it.”
So that’s what they’d been talking about. I thought I’d been shocked before, but now I was positively floored.
“You told my dad that you want to share a bed with me under his roof, and he said okay?” I demanded incredulously.
He eyed me steadily. “He wants you safe as much as I do. Come on, it’s late. I’m bushed.”
“Bushed isn’t something people say,” I muttered, pulling the sheets off and standing up to follow him. “At least not people under sixty.”
“Damn, I must look good for sixty,” he countered as he eyed my outfit. “Can you put some more clothes on? I’m going to force myself to be a gentleman, and that much skin is going to push me over the edge.”
I grinned, pleased that I tempted him. “Too bad,” I pouted. “But fine.” I relented, and he turned his back while I slid on some sleep shorts under the long tank top I’d been wearing with panties.
Truth be told, I would have never paraded around my parents’ house like that, but it was fun to torture him.
I followed him quietly down the stairs, feeling like a teenager sneaking around.
The guest room was situated in the back corner on the first floor. Outfitted with a queen-sized bed and a few embarrassing odds and ends from Char’s and my childhood, it was a cozy room, if a bit overly floral.
“Oh my God, we are not sleeping next to my senior portrait,” I hissed, immediately putting the frame face down on the side table. “I thought she got rid of it.” I groaned.
He chuckled. “A masterpiece like that? How could she?”
I glared, my cheeks heated with embarrassment.
His gaze softened. “Babe, you were cute. Seriously. My mom has plenty of embarrassing photos of me I’d be happy to share when you meet her, if that makes you feel better.”
“I’d like that,” I replied softly. We both knew I meant meeting his mom. Though the photos would definitely be an added bonus. “Did you hear anything from Declan?” I asked as I pulled the covers back. If anything, I was trying to distract myself from the realization that I was about to sleep next to Theo.
He pulled his T-shirt off, revealing his gorgeous torso as he nodded. “It doesn’t appear to be Evan that dropped that shit off. He must have paid someone. We’ll head over to the cabin first thing and have you look at the images, see if you recognize him.” He unzipped his pants, leaving him dressed in only boxer briefs. Briefs that provided a very distracting outline. His body was like a statue. Solid muscle and gorgeous tapered lines flexed as he moved.
“You can’t sleep in that,” I squeaked.
He offered a lazy smile in return, climbing into bed. “It’s either this or nothing.”
Fantastic.
He hit the light as I lay on my back, my heart hammering with nerves. I’d never shared a bed with a man before.
Sensing my distress, his tone was gentle when he spoke. “Come here, sweetheart,” he coaxed, pulling me into his side.
I lay with my cheek pressed to his firm chest, and hesitantly draped my arm across his stomach.
“There you go,” he praised, dropping a kiss to the top of my head.
I let out a breath, trying to rid myself of some of the fear and tension clinging to me.
“That asshole is going down, Sarah. Mark my words.”
“Will he?” I demanded quietly. “He’s been making my life miserable for years. I don’t get how to make it stop. How to make him stop.”
He pulled me closer. “Baby, you got to remember—in this scenario, you’re not the lamb. You’re the motherfucking lion. And you and me? We’re gonna enjoy going hunting.
Chapter 9
I woke up in the same position I’d fallen asleep in, still burrowed into Theo’s side except now my leg was thrown over his thighs. I wondered if I’d moved all night.
I lay there waking up slowly, taking in the gentle rise and fall of his chest. I felt far stronger than I had the night before. Theo’s words had really resonated with me. I was damn tired of being the victim. I was ready to turn the tables, and with Theo’s help, I would.
I rolled to my back, reluctant to lose his warmth but feeling too stiff not to stretch. He immediately moved with me, pulling me back toward his body.
His obvious erection against my thigh had me suppressing a gasp. He was huge. Or at least in my very limited experience, I was fairly sure he was.
I looked up at him, confirming he was still sleeping, and reached a hand down to touch him. I couldn’t seem to stop myself and was surprised and relieved that I wanted to so badly.
His answering groan had me pulling my hand back as though it had caught fire.
To my great annoyance, he grinned, his eyes still shut.
“You shit,” I swore, my face flaming. “How long have you been awake?”
He rolled us over, looming up over me, pressing between my thighs with such delicious pressure I lost my breath. He leaned down and kissed my neck, sending sparks straight to my core. “I couldn’t resist,” he murmured, his voice raspy from sleep and sexy as hell. “Not gonna stop you if you want to touch me, babe.”
Unfortunately for us, the telltale clatter of dishes sounded from the kitchen, indicating that at least one of my parents was awake.
He dropped his face into my neck, barely suppressing a groan as I squirmed beneath him. I was as sorry as he was that we weren’t alone.
He pulled back to gaze down at me. “How about that dinner tonight? Just you and me?”
I smiled. “That sounds good.”
He leaned down, his intent clear, but I turned my head. “I haven’t brushed my teeth!” I protested.
“Don’t care. Give me your mouth.”
At his guttural command, I turned my head so his lips met mine. He took my mouth in a passionate kiss, his tongue coaxing my lips to open as he pressed more firmly between my legs.
It was delicious torture, knowing we couldn’t go further and yet wanting nothing more.
My fingers glided over his muscular back, skating lower to his tight backside and pulling him deeper into me.
“Fuck,” he bit out, pulling away, his gaze darker than I’d ever seen. “Have to stop.”
I knew he was right, but was disappointed all the same.
“Why don’t you head on out? I’ll meet you in few.”
A glance down at the bulge in his boxers made it clear why he needed a bit of time.
I nodded, forcing myself out of bed. “When are we headed over to look at the footage?”
“As soon as you’re ready,” he replied, pushing up to sit against the headboard.
I knew I was ogling him but I couldn’t seem to help it. All that glorious muscle on display combined with that morning kiss had my brain scrambled.
He shot me a devilish smile, knowing perfectly well how gorgeous he was to look at.
“I need some coffee, then I’ll throw on some clothes and we can head over. I’ll just, um, go do that now,” I blathered, nearly running out of the room.
His chuckle followed me down the hall.
****
My mother wouldn’t hear of us leaving the house without bellies full of breakfast, so it took us a little while longer to get going than I’d hoped. I was anxious to take a look at the footage.
When we arrived at the unassuming cabin, Declan was engrossed in something on his laptop.
“Wow, this place really hasn’t changed,” I marveled, looking around the small living room with wood paneling and shag carpeting.
“I would hope not. If it had, they did a shit job remodeling,” Declan muttered without looking up. “Come on over and take a look.”
I leaned over his shoulder, staring at the figure displayed on the screen. The image was remarkably clear, but the person was largely concealed under a black hoodie and large sunglasses as they crept onto the front porch with the offending parcel in their hand.
“Are there more images?” I asked.
He nodded, beginning to scan through various stages of the parcel being dropped to the ground and the person turning to run back toward the driveway.
“They parked beyond the footage,” Declan shared. “Must have known or suspected that we have some sort of camera installed.”
“Can I sit?” I asked.
He nodded, relinquishing his seat so I could have a closer look. I clicked through again and again, at first discouraged that the person was nearly impossible to identify.
Then something caught my eye.
“Wait,” I breathed. “Can I zoom in?”
“Yes, to where?”
“That hand.” I pointed to the person’s left hand.
Declan leaned over me, zooming in.
“Holy shit,” I murmured in shock. “That’s Jessica Hastings.”
“How do you know?” Theo asked, leaning over my shoulder.
“The ring,” I explained. “It’s from her cheer squad in high school. She always wears it.”
“Girl needs to get a life,” Declan muttered.
“What’s her connection to Weston?” Theo asked.
“No idea.” I shook my head, confused and shocked that Jess would do something like this. We may not have kept in touch over the years, but I thought of her as a friend.
“Well.” Theo rose to his full height. “We’re about to find out.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Show her the footage, threaten her with arrest.”
“But you can’t arrest her—can you?” I asked, confused.
“No,” he admitted. “And I have no interest in bringing the locals in on this. But she doesn’t have to know that.”
He and Declan shared a knowing nod, and I had a feeling this wasn’t the first time they’d had to get creative to get information they needed.
Nor would it be the last.
****
Despite my protests, Theo and Declan took off for Jessica’s house just before lunch without me. Clad in their security gear with black camo pants, utility belts and boots, they looked every bit the badasses I knew they were.
“Back in a few hours, sweetheart,” Theo said in parting, dropping a swift kiss to my lips. “Looking forward to our dinner.”
“Me too,” I murmured, watching as they climbed into Theo’s truck and took off.
“I can’t believe that little bitch,” Charlotte seethed as we sat at the kitchen table while Owen napped. “I was so nice to her the last time I saw her, too.”
“I really don’t get it,” I mumbled, picking at the sandwich my mom had put in front of me.
“I made her mother a pie.” My mom huffed as she sat down with us. “She probably got to eat some!”
I fought a smile at her outrage.
“How’s it going with Theo?” Char asked. “I couldn’t help but notice your cohabitation situation,” she added with a lifted brow.
“That was just a safety precaution,” I retorted. Her shrewd expression told me she didn’t buy that for a second. “And things are good. We’re going out to dinner tonight. Just the two of us,” I added quickly, before my mom got any more double date ideas in her head.
“That’s good, sweetie. We like him.” My mom smiled.
“Yes, I know.” I laughed at all the times she’d made that perfectly clear.
“How is the intimacy part of things going for you?” she asked cautiously.
“Mom!” I groaned.
“What? We’re all adults here.” Her gaze was worried as her tone softened. “I just know it must be hard for you after everything. And I know it’s not something you want to discuss with your mother, but I’m here if you need me and I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m okay,” I assured her softly. “Things haven’t gotten that far yet, but I trust him. He makes me feel safe, and he’s not pushing.”
“Good.” She nodded with satisfaction. “Now, who wants some pie?”
Chapter 10
I was feeding the goats with Owen when the rumble of a motor heralded Dec and Theo’s return.
“Teo?” Owen asked, looking up at me with his big blue eyes.
“Teo,” I confirmed as I watched Theo’s eyes scan the premises before landing on me.
My heart picked up several notches as his long legs ate the space between us. He kissed me softly before swooping down to grab Owen, hanging him upside down.
Owen shrieked and giggled in delight as Theo made monster noises and swung him around.
He strode back toward the house with Owen still swung over his shoulder, and I took that as my cue to follow.
We found my mother slicing Declan and my dad slices of pie when we walked in, with Char watching from a careful distance. Her face lit up when she saw Owen.
“Don’t break my baby,” she scolded with a smile, taking Owen from Theo’s arms.<
br />
“Pie, Theo?” my mom offered.
“No, thank you.” He shook his head. “Gotta save my appetite,” he replied with a grin toward me.
Was I imagining the double entendre in his words?
“So, what happened?” I demanded, unable to hold in my question a second longer.
“Sang like a freaking canary.” Declan snorted as he shoved another piece of pie in his mouth.
Theo shot him a look before turning to me. “I honestly don’t think she had any idea what she’d agreed to do. Doesn’t say much for her intelligence, but I don’t think she meant you real harm. Sounds like Evan probably targeted her—she thinks they’re dating. I doubt he sees it that way. I’m sure he’s using her, but she seemed pretty gone over him. Or she did until we gave her the history she hadn’t had before.”
My thoughts sprang back to that night when she’d mentioned dating someone long-distance. She’d meant Evan. My stomach churned at the thought. How could she date him when she knew what he’d done to me?
“She had to know about the charges against him. He was convicted! Everyone in the state knew about it,” I muttered.
“She did.” He nodded. “She was believing his claim of innocence,” he muttered dryly. “But we helped fill in some pieces for her. The other women that came forward, what he’s been doing to you since. She looked shaken.”
“Good,” my dad grumbled. “That girl never had much going on between those ears of hers.”
“She told us that they’ve had a long-distance relationship for a few months now. He told her the parcel was documents from his lawyer, that he couldn’t get into town to do it himself. He said they were highly sensitive and she wasn’t allowed to open them. So, she didn’t.”
“If she’s so innocent, why was she covering up?” Char demanded.
“He told her the documents were sensitive and he wanted to shield her from it,” Declan snorted. “He told her there might be cameras.”
“What an asshole,” my dad grumbled.
“Daddy!” Char admonished, covering Owen’s ears.
“I know it may not sound like it. But this is good,” Theo replied. “Her sworn statement plus those we’ve been able to gather from employers you sought out will be enough for a restraining order.”
Collide (Talon Security Series Book 3) Page 7
