by Cheryl Yeko
She shook her head emphatically. “I’m not going to be a prisoner in my own home—” Painful memories flashed across her mind. “—ever again.” She ended on a whisper.
His eyes narrowed. “Ever again?”
Angela pressed her lips tightly together, removed the jacket, and handed it to him. She turned away from him and opened the door. “Goodbye, Detective.”
There was a tense silence that seemed to last forever.
“Angel,” Jake murmured.
He took her arm and gently turned her around. His hand slid up her arm in a soft caress, placing his index finger under her chin and tilting her face toward him. “Please stay in the house tonight.” His voice pleaded with her, his gaze steady. “I’ll know more by tomorrow.”
Her pulse raced from his touch. But it was the ‘please’ that got her. He was trying to keep her safe, and she was being unreasonable. “Okay,” she said, captured by the warmth of his soft hazel eyes.
He smiled, his shoulders relaxed. “Okay. Good.” He brought his thumb up and swiped it slowly across her lower lip. His eyes flashed with desire. “Thank you.”
Her body tingled with a matching need, followed by a feeling of unease. She inhaled sharply and quickly took a step back.
His smile fell away as he studied her, then with a curt nod he opened the door and stepped outside. “Now, close and lock the door,” he ordered.
Without a word, she gave the door a hard shove and it slammed in his face. She heard his chuckle from the other side. “Now lock it.”
Smiling in spite of herself at his undeniable charm, Angela reached up to latch the chain before securing the deadbolt.
Jake mumbled, “Good girl.” Then footsteps sounded on the sidewalk as he left.
She turned and searched for her cat, who would have gone into hiding the minute Jake entered the house. And she wouldn’t be too happy about being left alone all night.
“Shelby,” Angela called. Glad to be home, she started down the hall. “Here, kitty, kitty.”
A bundle of fur came tearing down the hall to wrap around her legs with loud purrs of greeting. Angela bent, scooping her cat into her arms. She buried her face into Shelby’s soft fur.
“Hey, girl. Miss me?”
Scott never allowed her a pet. After his death, Angela had found Shelby at the animal shelter where she’d been abandoned as a kitten. She was a slender gray cat with lots of fluffy fur that gathered like dust-bunnies on the floor and had soon become her faithful companion.
She put Shelby down and gave her a quick pet as the cat arched her back against her hand. “Hungry? Let’s go see what we can find.”
Her tension drained away as she headed for the kitchen. She loved returning to the security of her home each evening. Her house was a roomy, four-bedroom on a cul-de-sac in a good neighborhood, left to her when her mother died. Scott had moved in with her after they’d married, while he’d commissioned a luxury home built for them in an upscale area near Lake Michigan. After his death, she moved back to the place she loved and put the lake house up for sale.
Angela used half the money from the sale to cover her grandmother’s retirement home expenses. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with the rest of the money. Maybe give it to charity, possibly a charity to help those with addictions. She smiled. Karma.
She took a relaxing, hot bath to ease her aching muscles, then searched through her dresser for her favorite nightgown, a satin gown in a deep shade of purple that swept to the floor. Angela loved the way the soft fabric caressed her body when she moved. She especially loved the purple satin slippers that matched it.
She made some popcorn and curled up in her big comfortable chair in the den to read a steamy romance novel. A secret indulgence she’d started in her early teens. She loved to lose herself in the fairytale of happy-ever-after and gallant knights. A fantasyland where men were honorable and women cherished. Something she’d learned was a myth and found only in books. But for a couple hours at least, she could dream. Her body relaxed and her eyelids grew heavy . . . as she slowly nodded off.
Angela woke with a start and found the book lying in her lap. She glanced at the clock. It was late. With a yawn, she tossed the novel on the coffee table and headed for bed.
Her thoughts drifted to Jake as she picked up the brush to run through her hair in long, slow strokes. The way his warm hazel eyes had watched her, as though he could see through the outward façade she wore to the damaged woman hidden beneath.
Shelby let out a loud hiss and darted from the room. Angela jumped up. “What is it girl?” She started to follow Shelby out.
Without warning, a hand clamped across her mouth and an arm snaked around her waist, jerking her back against a hard body. Her mind went blank with terror and her heart pounded like a jackhammer against her chest. A wave of dizziness washed over her as pain sliced through her ribs from the rough handling. She clawed at the arm that trapped her, but her attacker was too strong. She stomped on her attacker’s foot, trying to free herself as a scream welled in her throat.
The hand holding her waist shot up and grabbed her hair, painfully yanking her head back. “Don’t try that again, bitch,” a deep voice snarled in her ear. The stench of stale breath flowed over her face.
Her knees buckled as dizziness engulfed her. His cruel grip at her waist was the only thing that kept her from falling to the floor.
“Not a word.” The grip on her mouth loosened, allowing her to suck in needed gasps of air as he backed her toward the bed.
No! This couldn’t be real. How could she get out of there alive? She glanced around the room looking for a weapon. The sound of his low, cruel laugh turned her blood to ice.
With a sudden force, her attacker flung her to the bed. She landed on her back, the impact jarring her ribs and sending another wave of pain through her. With a strangled breath, she cried out. Then panic conquered her pain and she rolled off the bed to stand. The man jerked her by her hair and tossed her back down. Through her tears, she saw him towering over her dressed in black, his face covered by a ski mask. His smile was cruel and his eyes gleamed with lust.
Why did I send Jake away?
She reached up to claw him in the face when he climbed on top of her, straddling her hips. He raised his fist and hit her. Pain exploded across her cheek. She cried out and for a moment lost the ability to struggle. He grabbed her wrists and jerked her arms above her head, trapping her.
Through the slits of his facemask, his eyes gleamed with lust as he stared down at her.
“Time to play.” His mouth turned up into a leer.
After leaving Angela’s, Jake spent a few hours with his son, before talking with the local area businesses. The manager of the shopping center had been very cooperative, as had all the shop owners in the area. All appreciated having the police station nearby, keeping the crime rate low.
He got into his car and tucked the flash drive into his pocket, filled with satisfaction. He had enough evidence to prove Angela’s hit and run had been no accident, but rather attempted murder. The shopping center on the corner had captured footage of a car picking up speed and turning toward her with deadly intent. An image of the driver was visible, although a little grainy. But with some assistance from the tech department, he hoped to have an ID soon.
He glanced at his watch. J.D.’s shift at the Milwaukee Sheriff’s office was about over. It would take just a few minutes to drive by Angela’s to check on things before heading over to his brother’s to pick up Nick. He’d stay and visit with his nephews for a bit before heading home.
Nick and his cousins, Alex and Wesley, were more like brothers. They had become inseparable after their mothers’ deaths. He and J.D. did whatever necessary to keep the boys together.
As he turned off Capital toward Elm Grove, his cell vibrated in his pocket. “Jake here.”
“This is Rick. You need to get to Angela’s—”
Jake tensed. “Why?” He should have trusted his instinct
s, pushed harder until she relented and let him stay.
“We just got a report of a disturbance at her place. A neighbor called regarding a prowler. We tried to radio Officer Dowd, but he didn’t answer and neither did Angela. I’m on my way over there right now.”
Jake’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “I’m almost to her place. I’ll meet you there.”
Before Rick had a chance to say anything, Jake tossed the cell on the seat next to him and put his foot down on the accelerator. It took him less than five minutes to reach Angela’s house, five agonizing minutes as he tore through the subdivision at a far too reckless speed.
I should have never left her alone.
He came to a screeching halt in front of her home, leaping out of the car and grabbing his Glock from his side holster. When he neared her front door, the faint sound of a woman’s scream came from inside.
Rage and fear for her safety tore through him. Someone was hurting her. Every muscle in his body tensed at the sound of her distress. He kicked the wood door, but it didn’t budge. His heart hammered against his chest when another scream sounded in the air, followed by a loud crash.
“Sonofabitch!” Jake aimed his gun at the door handle and opened fire with a rapid series of shots. With a burst of adrenaline, he rammed his shoulder against the door until it finally broke free of its locks.
He ran inside and rushed toward the sound of more breaking glass from the kitchen, until Angela’s soft cries stopped him in his tracks and he turned back toward her bedroom. He needed to get to her.
An angry growl tore from his throat when he stepped into her room. She lay curled on the bed, her face buried into her crossed arms. Even from this distance, he could see her body trembling. Her slender back bare, her nightgown hanging in tatters.
He took three long strides across the room until he reached her, sirens sounding in the distance.
Jake knelt next to the bed, reaching out to stroke her hair. “Angel?”
She lifted her face from her arms and rage gutted him. Her cheek was split, bleeding, and swollen. The bastard had done a number on her.
“I’m okay,” she assured him on a rush of air, even though her frightened eyes and tear-stained face told a different story.
He wanted to stay with her, wanted to wrap his arms around her and offer comfort. But his cop instincts demanded he search the house. He brushed her hair off her face. “Don’t move,” he said gently.
She nodded, then turned her face back into her arms. Her body shook. The sound of her soft crying tore at him.
What else had the bastard done to her?
He gritted his teeth and stood, then searched the room with efficient thoroughness, before quickly checking the rest of the house. The sirens drew closer. Certain the intruder had fled, he made his way back to Angela’s side.
Taking her by the shoulders, he tugged her into his arms. The fact that she came freely into his embrace indicated the depth of her trauma. “You’re safe now.”
He cradled her against him like a child, then caressed her face with the back of his fingers, avoiding her injury. He gently straightened her nightgown. She clutched the torn material together as she burrowed against him, shaking like a leaf. Her bottom lip quivered and tears glistened on her lashes.
Jake’s blood pressure rose with his fury . . . fury at himself for leaving her and fury at the bastard who hurt her.
Cars stopped in front of the house, their headlights cutting through the dark night. Slamming doors echoed in the stillness.
The bark of Rick’s voice split the air and footsteps entered the house.
Angela’s trembling inflamed his protective instincts. The need to help her surged through him and settled deep into his bones.
“Jake.” Her voice was soft, no more than a whisper.
“Yeah, Angel.” He stroked her hair.
“I—I shouldn’t have sent you away.” She fisted a hand into his shirt and buried her face against his neck, while her other hand kept a tight grip on the torn material of her gown.
“It’s okay, I’m here now.” He brushed a kiss along the top of her head. “Did he hurt you?”
Jake gritted his teeth while he waited for her answer.
“No.” A shudder rolled over her.
“No?”
She shook her head. The feel of her soft lips feathered across his neck as she released a shaky breath.
His tension eased a little.
Rick came through the door, followed by two paramedics. Angela stiffened and buried herself closer. Jake tightened his arms around her and met Rick’s gaze over her shoulder.
“Is she okay?” Rick asked.
Jake gave a curt nod, and his lips tightened.
The paramedics, a short, redheaded woman, and a graying older man rushed to her. “Miss,” the older man said gently, “my partner and I need to examine you and transport you to the hospital.”
“No.” Another shudder shook her, and her arms wrapped around his waist, burying herself closer. “I’m okay. I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
“Yes. You do,” Jake insisted. He nudged her chin up until she met his gaze. “You’ve been hurt and you need to be seen by a doctor.”
He nodded to the paramedics, who placed the stretcher beside the bed. Jake pried her arms away from him, safeguarding her modesty as he stood. “I’ll stay with you.”
Jake kept his voice steady, although rage clawed at him. He wanted to find the guy who’d hurt her and tear him apart with his bare hands.
She held his gaze for a long moment, then the spark returned to her eyes and she gave a sigh, the tension seeming to drain from her body. She had spunk and he was relieved to see it return.
He made his way over to Rick, while the paramedics prepared her for transport to the hospital. “Did you get him?” His voice sounded harsh, even to his own ears.
“Yeah, we got him.” Rick scowled, not sounding too happy about it?
Jake tensed. “And?”
“He’s dead.”
“Fuck!” His hands curled into fists. He’d wanted to interrogate him. “What about Dowd?”
“We found him in his car unconscious with a knife wound to his chest. He lost a lot of blood.” He glanced at Angela, his eyes hardened. “Was she raped?”
“No. She says no.” He glanced back toward the bed and wanted to hit something at the sight of her injured face. “But the bastard roughed her up pretty good.”
“How bad?”
“Bad enough.”
The paramedics started across the room with Angela on the stretcher.
“Rick, I think this is more than just a random attack.”
“Yeah, I agree.” Rick glanced Angela’s way. “I’m sure I can get Stone to approve whatever is necessary to protect her until trial.”
Jake nodded, then turned to follow her to the ambulance. A sparkle on the floor by the bed caught his eye. He bent down and scooped it up.
CHAPTER 4
Angela found herself looking into the friendly eyes of Dr. Anderson. Again.
“Didn’t I just send you home this morning?” He smiled as he rechecked her ribs.
She returned his teasing smile. “I’m fine, really. I’d just like to go home.”
He moved to the sink and washed his hands. “Yes, I see no reason for you to stay. Besides a few new scrapes and bruises, you’re fine.” He came back over and handed her a small tube of ointment. “Here’s some salve for the cut on your cheek. A free sample, just apply it liberally to the area twice a day. It’s not deep and there won’t even be a scar.”
“Great.” She tentatively sat up, one hand on her tender ribs.
“Hang on.” He took a pad from his pocket and wrote on it, then tore off a sheet and handed it to her. “Here’s a prescription for something to reduce the discomfort and help you sleep. You can get it filled downstairs.”
She took the slip of paper. “Thank you.”
“Detective Bauman is waiting for you outsid
e. I’ll send him in.” Dr. Anderson turned toward the door.
“Okay,” she mumbled as the door clicked shut behind him. She rested against the hospital bed and sighed. Bone weary, she wanted to get some sleep. The last couple of days had been an emotional roller coaster and the latest attack had taken a heavy toll.
If only Stacey was in town, she could spend the next few days at her house to unwind. Her stomach churned at the thought of returning home.
The guy’s dead.
But that knowledge did little to relieve her anxiety. What if he wasn’t just some random rapist, and someone really did want to kill her? Angela’s throat ached as she fought against the sob trapped there.
A sharp knock at the door roused her from her contemplations as Jake strode in holding a paper bag. He stopped at the foot of her bed and studied her.
He quirked a brow. “I’ve brought you some clean clothes. Are you ready to get the hell out of here?”
Angela smiled. When had their relationship changed to one of affability? She reached for the bag. “Thank you. Now, if you would just step outside, I’ll change and you can take me home.”
“About that,” he hedged, raising a brow. “I think it would be best if you stayed at my place tonight.”
She snorted. “I don’t think so.”
His playfulness fell away. “It’s not safe for you to return to your house. Not until we figure out who’s trying to hurt you.”
Her thoughts drifted back to the threatening phone call she’d received.
Ever perceptive, Jake jumped on whatever expression had given her thoughts away. “What is it?”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder and studied him. “Nothing really.”
“I’ll decide if it’s really nothing.” His eyes narrowed.
“Well . . . there was this phone call just after Scott’s murder.”
“What kind of phone call?”
“Some guy called and told me to keep my mouth shut about any of Scott’s business . . . or else.”
“Or else what?” Steel entered his voice.
A shiver rolled over her. “Or else he’d kill me. “Her cheeks heated and she glanced away.
