The others arrived. Chess and Joel insisted on going inside first. They came out a few minutes later.
“Everything’s secure,” Chess said. “It’s possible he doesn’t know where we live.” He didn’t seem convinced.
“I only wish I knew how he’d found me in the first place. I did everything I could think of to disappear.”
“I don’t know.” Joel watched her carefully. “If his whole world was in that agency, he’s probably had nothing else to do but track you down since it burned. This isn’t simply about getting that disc from you. It’s personal to him.”
Liam had known the car she’d had before the van. He might’ve been able to locate it, find out that she paid cash for the van. But then what? Asked around at every gas station in existence to see if she’d stopped there? Obsession at its finest.
Surely there were times she’d been alone when Liam might have made a move. What was he waiting for?
Her stomach clenched. What would she have done if he had come after her? She shook off the thought, the consequences too terrifying to entertain.
Anna wasn’t alone now.
Chapter Twenty-One
Chess had gone online and located a picture of Liam Graff. It wasn’t difficult since the website for the advertising agency remained active.
Joel stared at the guy’s face. He may not have gotten a good view of him in the mall, but there was no doubt this was the same person. Liam looked like a greasy car salesman. That the man had ever laid a hand on Anastasia… He clenched his fist.
All reports on the fire that destroyed the building said it was determined to be an accident. If the guy was getting his money, why didn’t he just take it and run? Why was he so determined to come after her?
There were only two viable options, and both left his blood running cold.
Either Liam had found a way to frame Anastasia and intended on getting her back to Utah to pin it all on her. Or since she knew he started the fire, he wanted to make sure she didn’t talk. Either way, if Liam managed to get hold of the thumb drive and shut Anastasia up, he’d likely get away with the whole thing.
“We can’t sit around here waiting until the guy decides to move on or show his hand. But we shouldn’t leave either of the girls alone just in case.”
“Agreed.” Chess printed two copies of Liam’s photo. He handed one to Joel and kept the other for himself.
He was about to say something else when Brooke peeked her head out from the kitchen. “I’m pulling out sandwich fixings if anyone else is interested.”
It was a mutual, silent decision to put off the discussion until later.
By the time eleven in the evening had arrived, they had everything worked out. Chess would take Brooke to work and bring her home again. Anastasia would go to work with Joel. Since Chess carried a concealed handgun, he planned to swing by the girls’ house a couple times through the day to see if he could catch Liam watching it.
Chess and Joel worked together to get Brooke’s old room set up for the girls.
Given the lateness of the hour and that the decisions had been made, Joel should have been able to sleep. But every time he closed his eyes, he pictured Anastasia’s face when she’d first seen Liam at the mall. She’d been terrified. He wanted to protect her from experiencing anything like that again. At two in the morning, he gave up on sleep. He padded his way to the kitchen in search of a snack.
The house was quiet and everything seemed to be in order. He was surprised to find Anastasia sitting at the dining room table in the semi-darkness. She jumped slightly when she heard him and then smiled apologetically. “Sorry. I can’t sleep. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No, I woke up all on my own. You have nothing to apologize for.” He shrugged and noticed she had nothing in front of her. “Care for a cup of hot chocolate?”
“That would be great. Thank you.”
“Sure. You go sit on the couch and relax. I’ll be right back.”
A few minutes later, he placed their mugs along with a sleeve of cookies on the coffee table. “They aren’t nearly as good as yours, but they’ll work in a pinch.” He offered her a cookie.
She took it from him. “These are great.”
They ate their snacks and whispered when they spoke. Mostly, they sat in comfortable silence.
Anastasia finished her second cookie and set her half-empty cup on the table.
Joel drained the last of his hot chocolate. He didn’t miss the heaviness in her eyes. He settled against the back of the couch. “Come here, Anastasia.”
She didn’t hesitate to relax against him, her head resting on his shoulder. He put an arm around her to draw her closer. She snuggled into his side. Within moments, Anastasia’s breathing became even. Joel leaned forward. Her eyes were closed and she was in a deep sleep. He pressed a kiss to her hair and laid his cheek against her head.
He wouldn’t have had her move for the world.
The sun seeped through the curtains, waking Joel after what seemed like ten minutes of sleep. His arms stiff, he tried to stretch without disturbing Anastasia. She shifted slightly.
Joel checked his watch. It was shortly after six. The rest of the household would be up soon. “You awake?”
“Under protest.” Her voice was a whisper.
Joel chuckled and used his hand to move the hair off of her face. “I hear ya.”
She groaned as she sat up and stretched. “How much trouble would I be in if I admitted to my boss I don’t want to go to work today?”
“A lot.” He lifted an eyebrow at her. “I have to go in and you’re coming with me. I’m not letting you out of my sight today.”
~
Liam hadn’t anticipated the entire bunch of them to retreat to one house like they had. On one hand, he took great pride in the fact that he had four adults scared enough to do exactly that. On the other, having them together was going to make it a lot more difficult to draw Anna out.
He watched as Anna got into Joel’s car and they drove away. He grabbed a notepad from the seat next to him. Chicken scratches covered the top sheet of paper, along with coffee stains and dried beans from one of his burritos.
Liam had made notes about everything. What time each of the members of the little pack left for work and returned, the fact that it was usually Brooke who checked the mail, and how the mutt stayed outside during the day but inside at night.
No detail was lost on Liam. And each was going to be equally important when it came time for him to make his move.
He was tired of hotels and spending most of his day in the car.
No matter what it took, this was ending. Tonight.
The only question was how much misery he could put Anna through between now and then.
With a chortle, he revved the engine and took off in the direction of the diner.
~
Joel secured the safe and scanned the dining area in time to see Anastasia sink into one of the booth seats and rest her head on her folded arms.
It’d been a long day. Both of them had been at the diner from opening until it closed. It was finally time to head back home and he was more than ready. From the look of things, Anastasia was, too.
He approached her quietly in case she’d fallen asleep. “Anastasia? You awake?”
She groaned and rolled her head from side to side on her arm.
Joel chuckled and slid onto the bench beside her. “Come on, girl. Don’t make me carry you to the car.” When she glimpsed his face to see if he was joking, he waggled his eyebrows at her. He more than enjoyed the blush that crept into her cheeks. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it.”
“Right.” Anastasia rotated her shoulders and waited for him to move before standing herself. “I don’t know how you work this many hours regularly.”
Joel reached for her hand. “I admit it was a bit of a beating today. Let’s turn off the lights and get out of here.”
They’d barely done so when Anastasia paused. “Do you smell that?”<
br />
Instantly alert, Joel inhaled. The acrid smell was faint, but there was no mistaking it.
“Smoke,” they said together.
Anastasia scanned the restaurant. “Where’s it coming from?”
Joel let her into the back of the store where the smell was stronger. He grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall and went to the back door of the diner. Upon opening it, smoke billowed towards them.
Through watering eyes, he realized the fire seemed to be contained in the metal dumpster at the end of the building. He closed the diner door behind him to keep as much smoke out of the place as possible.
Anastasia coughed. Joel positioned her against the wall as far from the fire as he could, but close enough to still keep an eye on her. “Stay here.”
He pulled the pin from the fire extinguisher and battled the flames. The wooden fence that surrounded the dumpster on three sides was at risk of catching fire. If that happened, it was possible the flames could spread to the diner.
“Be careful, Joel!”
Joel squinted against the heat that tried to sear his skin. Sweat rolled down his back as he doused the last of the flames.
He turned to find Anastasia right where he’d left her. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, eyes wide. “Are you?”
“I’m fine.” He tossed the fire extinguisher to the ground at his feet. He checked the area on either side of the diner. A hose attached to a faucet nearby served as a way to clean off the sidewalk. He used the water to drench the contents of the dumpster to ensure they wouldn’t catch fire again.
The whole time, he kept his teeth clenched hard enough to make his jaw hurt. What kind of games was the guy playing at? What if the diner had caught fire? What if Anastasia had been hurt?
Joel coiled the hose up and then delivered a swift kick to the dumpster. He locked the diner. “Come on, let’s get you to the car.”
He put a protective arm around Anastasia’s shoulder. He’d spent many years holding himself responsible for what happened to his parents, wondering if they’d have lived if he had been in the car instead of at school.
The last thing he wanted to see was anything happen to Anastasia or the rest of his family.
He realized he was beginning to think of her as part of his family. And he liked that a lot.
Joel placed a kiss to her temple and escorted her to the driver’s side door.
She was the first to spot the piece of paper taped to the window.
You are delusional if you think these people are your friends, Anna. You’re like a lost puppy that they’ve taken in and fed because they can’t stand to see you sad and lonely. That’s all you are to them. Trust me, I know. That’s all you ever were to me, too. One day, they will kick you to the curb like you deserve. And you’ll wish you’d never crossed me in the first place.
Joel read the note over Anastasia’s shoulder. When he got to the bottom, he gently turned her around to face him.
“The very fact that he would write something this cruel and heartless tells you how untrue those words are. Don’t you believe a word of it. You hear me?”
“I hear you.” She handed the note to him. “He was never a good person, not even that first day I met him. I was too naïve to realize it at the time.” She shook her head. “I almost feel sorry for him.”
“I don’t.” Joel took the paper and resisted the urge to crumple the note or burn it. “Let’s call the police and report this. The more evidence we have showing how unstable Liam is, the stronger your case against him will be.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Anna was silent all the way back to the house. Joel didn’t speak, either. Which was fine. She doubted either of them could’ve come up with something to say right now.
She knew that the note Liam had left for her was nothing but lies. But it still hurt. Not because she doubted Joel and his family. But because, at one time, she’d thought she was part of Liam’s family.
The note only served as a reminder that she’d never belonged anywhere except with her grandparents. And, at least in the case with Liam, she’d been desperate to belong somewhere. She’d been blind to his true personality.
Joel reached over and took her hand in his. The gentle pressure of his palm against hers slowed the angry pounding of her heart.
This was different. Joel was different.
They pulled into the driveway. He lifted their hands to place a kiss against her wrist before letting go. He jogged around to open the door for her.
Anna smiled her thanks.
The front porch light was on and waiting to illuminate their way through the darkness. Epic was in the backyard and barked as soon as he heard their arrival.
The house — the light, her dog, the people waiting inside — all beckoned to Anna like a warm blanket on a cold day.
She followed Joel up the driveway.
Anna yelped in pain when someone grabbed her by the hair and jerked her head back.
Liam!
Laughter filled her ears.
She struggled when she saw Joel turn and approach them.
“Don’t come any closer.” Liam waved a gun. “I will shoot her and not think twice about it.”
Anna stomped hard on his foot, hoping he’d loosen his hold. Instead, Liam used the butt of his gun and slammed it into the side of her head.
White-hot pain flashed behind her eyes. For long moments, she couldn’t see a thing. Liam tightened his hold on her hair. When her eyesight cleared, all she saw was the black sky above her.
Cold metal touched her cheek.
Liam’s voice boomed in her ear, her head pounding with the noise. Something sticky flowed down her face near the corner of her mouth. “Get back!” He sidestepped further away from the door and towards the driveway. “I will kill her.”
“Please, don’t hurt them.” Anna’s voice was breathless even to her own ears. “They’ve done nothing to deserve your anger, Liam. Leave them alone.” Her scalp screamed in response to his continued pulling of her hair.
Liam loosened his hold on her hair long enough to snake an arm around and across her neck. It wasn’t hard enough to choke her, but panic rose higher in Anna’s chest. Through tear-filled eyes, she identified Chess and Brooke on the front porch. Brooke had a phone to her ear. The police.
Please, God. Please keep us safe. Send help.
Chess had his gun trained on Liam. But with Anna in front, she knew he wasn’t going to get a shot off.
Epic’s barking became frantic. Loyal dog that he was, she heard him scratching at the wood, trying to get through the fence.
Liam lowered his voice to a raspy whisper. “You’d risk your life to save these people who’ll only kick you to the curb in another week or two? Did you think you could run off to some hick town and get away with it?”
Goosebumps peppered her skin. Her mind raced as she struggled against his grasp. With his arm across her throat, she couldn’t have responded if she wanted to.
She managed to get an arm around and tried to grasp for anything within reach. Liam took that arm and twisted it hard behind her. Tears of pain stung her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She took in deep gasps of air now that her airway was no longer constricted.
“Tell me, love, where is my thumb drive?” He spat the words out with such anger that Anna wondered if there’d be any way out of this situation with her life.
She tried to focus on Joel’s face and calm her breathing.
Liam bellowed, “Where is it?!”
Anna’s breathing increased. “They don’t have it. It’s not even in the house. Let me go, and I’ll take you to it.”
“Do you think I’m stupid?” He shoved the gun into her cheek and she tasted blood. “You tell me where that drive is or I will end you and your friends right now.”
Epic continued to bark and tear at the fencing.
~
Joel took several steps towards Liam despite the objections from his family behind him. The situation was e
scalating. He could tell by the way Liam was holding Anastasia — the wild look in his eyes.
The combination of the porch light and the blood streaming from her temple appeared to distort Anastasia’s face. Her eyes slid shut and her knees buckled.
Without mercy, Liam twisted her arm behind her, bringing her back to her feet. The movement shot an arrow of fear right into Joel’s heart.
Joel took another two steps towards them. Liam moved the gun from Anastasia and pointed it at him. Good, that’s exactly what he wanted.
“Back up. Or I’ll shoot her right now.” Liam’s powerful voice reached Joel from across the driveway. Liam laughed. “Not that it’s any loss. I’d do it anyway if I didn’t need that drive. She owes me.”
“She owes you nothing, Liam. Let her go.” Joel pointed a finger at him. “You kill her, and you go down for murder. Is that what you want?”
Liam only laughed harder. “Don’t pretend you’ve got any amount of control over this situation.” He moved the gun back to Anastasia’s head.
Dear God, protect her.
Chess approached, stopping when he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Joel. He kept his gun up and trained on Liam.
“Please.” Anastasia’s pleading broke Joel’s heart. “The drive’s on Epic’s collar. In a cylinder.”
Liam’s eyes widened and his gaze flitted to the gate right behind him. His face morphed. “I should have known. I’ll kill that mutt of yours.”
The anticipation of finally getting what he’d come all this way for took Liam’s attention off of Anastasia. His grip on her loosened. Joel saw the look in her eyes at the same time she lifted her feet and dropped out of Liam’s grasp.
Joel was already running full speed. He was in the air when the deafening sound of the gun collided with a pain in his shoulder.
Before Chess had a chance to return fire, a flurry of white leaped over the fence, slamming into Liam. The gun clattered to the pavement as Liam screamed and the dog snarled.
Epic was moving so quickly it was difficult to tell what was going on. The blood-curdling screams coming from Liam along with the dog’s snarls left little to the imagination. All Joel knew was that he needed to get Anastasia out of there.
Safe In His Arms (Life Unexpected #1) Page 15
