I’m in the middle of a hot shower to try and loosen up when the curtain slides back, and a very sleepy looking Zoey climbs in with me.
“Morning, sleepy head.”
Zoey flips me off and pushes me out of the way to steal the stream of hot water. “I think you destroyed me, D.”
I spin her body around so that I can massage her shoulders while the hot water cascades down her front. “I’m guessing I’m not the only one feeling a little tender after yesterday.” I chuckle, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck.
“I never thought I’d actually say that I need a break from sex,” she whines.
“Oh, come on, I’m sure you can handle a lot more,” I can’t help but tease. When she spins back around and looks at me like I’ve lost my mind I give her a sly smile.
“You can’t really be serious.” She sighs as I shake my head no. “Good. I at least need breakfast first before I can even think about any more wicked things with you, Mister.”
Breakfast it is after we finish this shower.
Zoey huffs at my suggestion of eggs, a slice of toast and fruit. While I scramble eggs, she pours herself a large bowl of Fruit Loops and curls up on the couch to eat. As soon as my eggs are finished, I pour us each a cup of coffee and join her.
“So, Fruit Loops. Really, Zoey?”
“Don’t judge me,” she mumbles between mouthfuls. “I need this sugary goodness to survive.”
“Isn’t that what coffee is for?” I nod towards the steaming mugs on the coffee table in front of us.
“First cereal, then coffee.”
I shake my head. “I’ll take your word for it.” I can’t remember the last time I ate a bowl of cereal. I’d probably go into shock from all the sugar.
We eat our food in comfortable silence with HGTV playing in the background.
I never pictured myself spending Sunday mornings with a woman like this. Oddly enough. I think I might actually be enjoying it. My enjoyment will be short lived though because I need to get my ass back in Tallahassee in time to possibly catch a nap and get to work. Now I know how Rhys must have felt all those weeks he did this back and forth with Kelsey.
“You sure you don’t want to go home with me?” I ask with a mouthful of eggs.
“Dylan,” she mumbles, wiping at the milk dripping down her chin. If she wasn’t sending me a death glare right now, I’d laugh, but I value my balls, so I fight the urge.
“Only asking. I won’t say another word.”
“Good. In return, I solemnly swear to be very aware of my surroundings. I’ll keep my gun on me at all times, and I’ll stay home with the alarm on when I can.”
I start to speak, but she holds up one hand.
“Resist the urge to be a smart ass, or I’ll reconsider being an angel.”
Chuckling at her, I take a minute to consider my words. “Honestly, I was going to say that the fact that you know how to handle a gun is sexy as hell.”
“Yeah, I know you have some hot cop fantasy, don’t you?”
“You know it.” I wink and take a sip of my coffee. “Actually, it’s more of a you fantasy.”
“No more sex, please.” She jumps up and heads to the kitchen before I can say or do anything else.
Following her, I set my plate in the sink and finish the last of my coffee before running water in the cup. “If I had more time, there would be more sex. I need to go though.”
Her shoulders sag briefly, but she recovers. “Four days. I’ll see you then, and we’ll figure everything else out later.”
I nod. “I love you,” I say as I put my hands on her shoulders and kiss her.
“I love you too. Let me know when you get back?”
“Of course.” Another kiss and I move away before I say fuck it and stay here.
With my backpack slung over my shoulder I give her one last look over my shoulder and send up a prayer that she’ll stay safe until we’re together again in a few days.
Cole calls me while I’m in the car, to laugh at me of course, for giving in to Zoey.
“You sure you don’t want me to head that way?” he jokes.
“Cole, don’t fucking ask me because it’s a tempting offer, my friend.”
“I’m honestly surprised you let her win this one.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“Well, I’m the neutral party here, but I have to say that I think she was right on this one. She’ll likely be fine.”
“Likely,” I huff. “I’d rather be certain.”
“Okay. I’m certain she’ll be fine,” Cole pushes back.
“Not convinced.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Zoey
Unable to wait another twelve hours, at lunchtime on day three, I jumped in my car and headed back to Tallahassee. Two and a half days inside my tiny apartment and I was about to crawl the walls.
That night, after Dylan left, the messages started again. As instructed by the officer working on my case, I forward each of them directly to her. And stayed cocooned in my bubble, comforted by the fact I was safe in the confines of the four walls surrounding me.
All the resisting I did with Dylan seemed pointless because I had self-imposed an imprisonment on myself out of fear.
Being truly alone for the first time since the attack, I was able to decompress and process, which only contributed to my fear. The fact that the situation could have been much worse left me raw.
Turning into Dylan’s neighborhood, I can feel the fear fade away. I’m so thankful for the reprieve that once my car is in park, I find myself nearly running to his front door. So, caught up in my own head, I barely notice the other truck in the driveway.
It dawns on me, as I knock on the door that after all this time, I still don’t have a key to Dylan’s place either. If I should be bothered by that fact, I’m not. It’s weird the things that run through a person’s head at the most random times though.
I’m only slightly surprised when the front door opens, and I’m greeted by Cole instead of Dylan.
“Hey lady,” he steps back and lets me in.
“Uhm, hi. I think. I mean...”
“He’s in the living room.” Cole laughs as I seek out Dylan.
When Dylan sees me, he grins and stands from the couch. “Couldn’t wait any longer to see me?” he teases.
“Something like that,” I answer as I wrap myself in his waiting arms.
His lips land on mine, and for the briefest of moments I forget that Cole’s in the room until he clears his throat. My eyes land on Cole for a split second as he smirks and shakes his head.
“Uhm.” I blush. “Did I interrupt something?”
“Actually,” Cole says at the same time that Dylan says, “No.”
“Dylan.” I eye him suspiciously.
He runs his hand through his hair before sitting back down and patting his lap.
Craving the close proximity, but wanting to keep things neutral, I sit next to him instead and lace his fingers with mine. “Alright you two, tell me what’s up.”
“Did you notice anything…out of the normal last night?” Cole asks bluntly.
“N-n-no?”
“The alarm didn’t go off? No one came by? No weird noises?”
I squeeze Dylan’s hand out of reflex, for comfort. “No. I went to bed around eight. My place was too quiet. I took half an over-the-counter sleeping pill, turned the tv on in my bedroom to drown out the silence and went to sleep. I never saw or heard anything out of the normal.” I look back and forth between the two men. “Why, what happened? What aren’t you both telling me?”
“Someone tried to hack Cole’s system about three a.m.,” Dylan speaks up.
“What’s that mean?” I ask nervously.
“I’m not sure yet. They were not able to do anything. The firewall stopped them. Whoever it was. What about phone calls or messages?”
“I…I got some messages, I sent them to Officer Harold like she instructed me to.”
Dyl
an gives me a hard glare, and I shrug back at him. “It was three messages, after the third one, I came here. I couldn’t take it anymore. You were right, okay? I know that’s what you want to hear. I didn’t feel safe there, so I came to you.”
“That’s not what I want to hear, Zoey. I’m worried. That’s all. This, it’s…it’s complicated. I feel caught in the middle and helpless.”
“I’d suggest giving Candice a call and letting her know that your security system was tampered with. See what she says. Since shit happened at your place too, she may have to get your local PD involved,” Cole offers.
“What if I stay here? For a while.”
“Will you let Cole stay with you while I’m at work? At least tonight. It’s one shift. I’ll feel better. I’ve got the same security system here. If he knows you’re here, he may try his luck. It would be pretty fucking stupid, but there’s no guarantee what this guy will do next. Cole’s right though, you do need to let Candice know.”
“Giving the information you’ve just given me? I think I’d welcome the extra company while you’re gone. If that’s okay with you?” Knowing that I won’t be alone while Dylan is at work is a relief.
Christ, how the mighty have fallen. Again, I’m kicking myself for being so stubborn and trying to handle things on my own.
“It would make me feel better about this whole thing,” Dylan gives me a pleading look. One that I can’t even bring myself to question or fight.
My mind flashes to my best friend and more guilt hits me. I haven’t even thought about her safety in all of this. After all, the asshole made threats against her too. “Uhm. What about Kelsey and Reid? Is Rhys doing something to make sure they’re safe?”
“Cody’s been keeping watch on their place while Rhys is at work. Kelsey is aware of what’s going on and staying low,” Cole answers.
“What if she came here tonight?”
“Safer if you’re separated. All of you together would be a prime target for this guy,” Dylan speaks up.
“You both good if I head out for a little bit, grab some things and then I’ll head back over before you leave for work?” Cole stands and asks.
“Yeah, we’re good. I need to catch some sleep before I go in anyway.”
Cole nods at Dylan and gathers his laptop and the papers that were once spread on the coffee table. “I’ll be back in a little bit.”
Dylan waits until the door clicks shut behind Cole then looks at me. “You really okay with him being here? As I recall, you’d prefer not to have a babysitter.”
I’m thankful for the amusement in his voice with the last sentence. I need something to break up the tension floating in the air. “You said yourself that you trust him. I realize it takes a lot to trust someone else with your heart, in more ways than one. If you can’t be here, then I’m glad it’s him.”
He plants a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Call in the information about your alarm system, tell her that the company notified you, give her Cole’s info that’s on the card laying on the table. Then, let’s go to bed.”
Following his instructions, I dial Candice’s number and leave a message on her voicemail letting her know about the alarm and that I’m back in Tallahassee for a few days at a minimum. Knowing I won’t sleep, Dylan follows me out to my car to bring in my things, especially my laptop bag that I carry with me to his bedroom.
If nothing else, I convince myself that I’ll try to get some writing done while he rests.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Zoey
Writing was useless. Knowing Dylan had his alarm clock set for six p.m., and that he needed to be to work by eight, I finally gave in and headed downstairs to make us a quick dinner with whatever he had in the house.
By six forty-five, we were enjoying a plate of spaghetti in relative silence.
Cole strolled back in ten minutes before Dylan had to walk out the door.
I cleaned up the dishes and tucked the leftovers away while the two of them talked about God knows what.
“Time for me to go. Hopefully, you’ll get some rest tonight,” Dylan says as he joins me in the kitchen. Pushing my hair over my shoulder, he gives me a gentle kiss on the cheek, his short beard scratching at my skin. “Cole’s got everything covered. I’ve got my cell phone on, and I’ll check in when I can.”
Turning to face him, I nod and try to give him a confident smile. “We’ll be fine. I’m going to try to get some more writing done, and then I’ll probably crash for the night.”
“I love you.” He kisses my lips.
“Love you too.” I kiss him back and swat him on the ass as he turns to walk away.
The rest of the night is relatively peaceful. With social media blocked on my laptop for several hours, I find that I’m actually able to make some progress on my current novel while Cole broods silently on his laptop. You know, doing whatever it is that Cole does.
A few times he lets out a curse or two and shakes his head, but for the most part, he doesn’t say much of anything.
Around midnight, I decide to take a break from the words and check my email and social media. The first message I see has me wanting to throw my laptop.
“Cole,” my voice trembles as I had over the device.
“What’s…son of a fucking bitch,” he hisses, pulling his phone from his back pocket. “Call Officer Harold and stay right here, don’t go anywhere. I need to make some phone calls.”
He walks into the kitchen, mostly out of earshot from me though occasionally I hear him mumble and can make out a word or two. Officer Harold’s number goes to voicemail, again, I leave another message with the latest, sickening update, and pray.
My whole body is trembling when Cole walks back in the room. His face is pale. I know in my gut that something has gone terribly wrong.
“Zoey. I need you to trust me right now. We need to go,” his voice is eerily calm.
“Oh, God, why?” My first thought is that something has happened to Dylan. I can feel the tears swelling up in my eyes as I try to calm my nerves.
“Trust, remember? I can’t tell you anything else right now, we need to get to the hospital. Kelsey’s on her way too.”
Time stands still on the drive to Tallahassee Memorial.
Cole pulls up to the emergency entrance and hands his keys to the valet, urging me on my way as I jump from his truck.
Swallowing back the tears, I take off – sprinting for the doors.
The automatic doors slide open with a whoosh sound.
All the air in my body evaporates when my gaze finds Dylan among a swarm of officers. They’ve taken over the place. Most are faces I don’t recognize.
Blood.
That’s the first thing that registers.
Dylan is covered in blood.
He’s slumped in a chair, his head in his hands. Blood covered hands.
I fight back the bile rising in my throat and run toward him. I’m inches away when he finally looks up.
His eyes are red and swollen. He doesn’t even try to hide the tears now that I’m here, instead, he pulls me into him. Wrapping his arms around my waist and laying his head on my stomach he lets out a quiet sob. I bite my lip to keep from falling apart, wanting to be strong for him.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’ll live.” his voice shakes. “Rhys may not.”
There it is. The reason we’re here.
My heart sinks, and I fall to my knees, cradling Dylan’s head against my shoulder like I would a small child. “No,” I croaked as my mask slips. “Kelsey?”
“Smith,” a stern male voice calls from behind me before Dylan has a chance to answer.
He jumps up, nearly knocking me down but grabs my arm just in time to tug me up with him, tucking me into his side.
“Sir,” Dylan stands tall and sucks back his tears.
“He’s in surgery, told us to wait in the ICU waiting room. I had one of the guys bring your gym bag from your locker,” he holds out the bag to Dyla
n. “Found a staff shower on the same floor that you can use to clean up.”
“I’m good, Lieutenant,” Dylan pushes back.
“You’re far from good. You’re covered in your partner’s blood. Get cleaned up, then meet us all in the waiting room,” his lieutenant barks back as we follow him to the elevator.
The awkward silence and tension in the elevator as it ascends has me fiddling nervously with the hem of my shirt and looking down at the floor. I reach for Dylan’s hand, but he shakes me off and stares straight ahead.
I wish one of them would say something, anything. Break the silence and somehow make everything okay.
The doors open and we all step off, Dylan following right behind the older gentleman until we reach a door labeled staff locker room. A nurse walks over and swipes her badge, opening the door for Dylan.
“There’s a little hygiene kit and towels and things on the table. Take your time. I’ve let everyone know it’s off limits for a bit,” she offers gently.
“Thanks, Andrea, we’ve got him from here.” The lieutenant nods for Dylan to step inside as the nurse disappears again, then he looks at me. “You got this from here?”
“Me?” I hesitate for a split second. “I mean, yes. Yes, sir, I’ve got him.” I duck under his arm and follow Dylan.
“Sir,” Dylan nearly whispers, looking his lieutenant in the eye. “I tried. Sir, I swear I tried,” he spits out.
Lieutenant moves quickly, slipping inside the room and shutting the door. “Goddammit, Smith. You listen to me and listen real good. There isn’t a damn thing you could have done differently. You and Mitchell are two of the best men I’ve got. Shit like this, it just fucking happens sometimes, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to stand by and let you think this is your fault.” He grabs Dylan by the shoulders and gives him a shake. “I’m stepping back out that door and going to check on Rhys. You’re going to get yourself together and meet us in the waiting room. None of this feeling sorry for yourself.”
Dylan gives a halfhearted nod, and his commanding officer walks out. As soon as the door clicks shut, his head falls, and his body shakes as the tears come again.
Cop Tease (Too Hot To Handle Series Book 2) Page 9
