Violet shrugged out of her grasp and sunk into a nearby chair. “Why do you make it sound like I’ve committed some heinous crime?”
“So you have.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Have what?” Violet played dumb, unsuccessfully.
“Fallen in love.”
“Yes,” she announced and threw up her hands. “I have fallen in love with Jace McQuaid.” Wow, that felt exhilarating to say out loud.
“What about Phillip?”
“I don’t know, Pats. And to be honest, I don’t really care. You seem to care more about him lately than I do, that’s for sure.”
“I thought you were going to break things off with Jace.”
“No. I couldn’t.” And she hadn’t wanted to either. How was she supposed to put an end to the best thing that had ever happened to her? “Enough about me and my mess of a life. How are things going with you and John?”
“He’s been talking about moving back in with Carter and me.”
“That’s great, Pats. The sooner the better,” Violet said. “It sure would help get Dennie off your back.”
“No, Violet.” Patricia sighed. “When John finally moves back in, it needs to be for the right reasons. Not because I’d like to have a man around the house to keep my weirdo stalker at bay.”
“I know, I know. I’m just glad the two of you are working things out. Never in a million years did I think John would come to his senses. Someone must have bopped him upside the head with a plunger.”
Patricia smiled. “I guess it goes to show you that people are capable of changing.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“He has his priorities straight now. It just took him a couple of years to sow his wild oats. He wasn’t ready to be a dad back then, but now he wants to make things right. He’s got his own place and he has a good job.” Patricia put her hand up to stave off Violet’s comments. “He’s a plumber. I know, I know, it’s not the most glamorous job, but he’s making good money and staying out of trouble. Would you mind doing me a favor? I hate to bother you, but are you available to watch Carter for me?”
“Sure. I don’t have any plans. Carter owes me a Mario Kart rematch from last time anyway. Where are you going?”
“I have a date tonight,” Patricia announced.
“Oooh, who’s the lucky guy?” Violet asked.
Patricia shot her a look. “John, of course. We’re going to dinner and a movie. Just the two of us. I think we’ve got the family thing down with Carter, so we’re going to see if there’s anything left between the two of us.”
“Is this an overnight date?” Violet asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
“No. I’m not sure I’m quite ready for that yet.”
* * *
After an evening of pizza, video games and an animated move that made Violet laugh more than she thought she would, Carter finally drifted off to sleep.
When he was tucked in his bed, the phone rang. Violet lunged for the phone and answered on the first ring so as not to wake Carter. She loved the little guy, but he was a handful and when he finally drifted off to Neverland, she didn’t want anything disturbing him. “Hello?”
“Oh, Violet, it’s you,” an eerie voice answered. “Violet James.”
The hair on Violet’s neck prickled at the sound of Dennie’s raspy voice. She’d only heard it one other time at the office, but she’d never forget it.
“What a disappointment,” he hissed. “Where’s Patricia?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she retorted, gripping the phone tight. The piece of paper saying Dennie wasn’t allowed within fifty feet of Patricia, Carter or her house had given them all a false sense of security.
“She’d better not be out with someone else,” he threatened.
“She has a new boyfriend,” Violet lied. “He’s a cop.”
“You’re lying,” he said tightly.
“No, I’m not. He carries a gun and everything.”
His voice grew impatient. “She’s there, isn’t she? Let me talk to her.”
“No, Dennie. She’s not here.”
“I’ll just have to find out myself if she’s home or not.”
Violet’s breath hitched in her throat. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants. “You come anywhere near her or her house and I’ll call the cops, Dennie.”
“You’ll be too late,” he spat, then the line went dead.
Violet sucked in a few deep breaths, but it didn’t help. Her hands were shaking and her heart rate had picked up speed.
Brrriiinnnggg!
Violet nearly jumped out of her own skin when her cell phone rang from her purse. She dug out the phone and tried to swallow the cotton in her mouth. “Hello?”
“Hey, Vi.”
“Oh, Jace, thank God it’s you.” She was too shaken to notice the caller ID before answering. Dennie didn’t even have the number to her cell phone so it wouldn’t have been him anyway.
“What’s wrong?” Jace asked. “Are you okay?”
She could hear the concern in his voice and it comforted her somehow.
Little did she know, Jace was actually calling to see if she was interested in having some phone sex later, but he wasn’t about to tell her that now. Now, he needed to play hero and find out what the hell was going on.
“I thought you were him,” Violet panted. Nearly dropping the phone, she tucked her elbow in and tightened her grip.
“Him who?” Only one name came to mind.
Phillip.
Great. Couldn’t they go at least one night without his name coming up in a conversation?
“Pats’ stalker just called. He sounded like he was going to come over—”
“Where are you?”
“I’m over here at her house babysitting Carter while she’s out with John.”
“Give me the address,” he demanded. The thought of Violet in danger twisted his insides into a carnival-sized pretzel. But Violet wasn’t his to protect, he reminded himself to no avail. It didn’t matter. She needed him and he wouldn’t let her down. No matter who she belonged to.
“It’s okay, Jace,” Violet reassured him. “You don’t have to drive all the way out here from August Lake.”
“I’m nearby. I was just leaving Seb’s. Now tell me where you are.”
“Stay on the line with me, will you, Jace?”
“Yeah, sure.”
He programmed the address Violet gave him into his GPS. “Why don’t you tell me how to get there,” he told her. “I’m on the corner of Danna Street by Target.” He didn’t need directions, but she sounded so spooked, he figured if he kept her talking it would help ease her panic.
Within minutes, Jace pulled into Patricia’s driveway. Violet answered the door and flew into his arms, nearly knocking the air out of his lungs. She buried her face in the hard plane of his chest and inhaled his familiar scent.
“Are you okay?” he asked, stroking her hair.
“I am now,” she said into his shirt.
“Is the kid all right?”
“Yeah, he’s asleep in his room.”
“I’m going to walk around the house and check things out, okay?”
“Okay.” She pulled back and looked up at his face.
Her own reaction surprised her. How nice it had been to have a big strong man to run to in a crisis. Besides her brothers and father, Jace was the first man she could say that about. He was dependable and she wouldn’t trust her life in just anyone’s hands.
“Lock the door behind me.”
Violet did as she was told and Jace made a sweep around the house. He didn’t see anyone or anything suspicious. He didn’t quite know what he was looking for, but Violet’s safety was at risk so Jace switched into protector mode nonetheless.
Inside the house, Violet paced the living room and decided against calling Patricia. Pats had been so excited about tonight, she’d gotten all dressed up and everything. John was taking her to a fancy restaurant on the river
and Violet couldn’t bring herself to call and ruin their special evening together. Especially now that she was getting things back on track with Carter’s dad. If John had changed like Patricia said he had then things could be great for them. Carter needed his father and Patricia could use a stable man in her life.
Dennie was probably just bluffing anyway.
When Jace finished patrolling the yard, Violet let him inside the house and deadbolted the door behind him. They sat on the couch watching TV with the volume turned down. Jace put his arm around her and she snuggled against him, glad he was there.
“You never told me Patricia had a stalker.”
“Yeah. He bothered her a lot more last year. Things died down after she filed a restraining order, but he’s at it again. The whole situation is strange because Pats is the most peaceful person I know. It’s silly, really,” she downplayed the situation. “He always makes empty threats. It just spooked me tonight, that’s all.”
“It’s understandable.”
Violet heard a small sound and when she looked up, she saw Carter huddled in the doorway, hair disheveled and G.I. Joe action figure in hand. The little boy’s lips trembled and his eyes were as big as hockey pucks.
Violet got up, crossed the room to him and embraced his thin shoulders. “Carter, honey, what’s wrong? Did you have a bad dream?”
He shook his head. “The Bad Man is at my window.”
Terror skidded up Violet’s spine.
Jace jumped to his feet and Violet’s heart hiccupped into her throat. Silently, Jace wished he had a gun in his hand or at the very least a flashlight. But he didn’t and there wasn’t time to look for one.
“I’ll call the police,” Violet said, reaching for the phone.
Jace turned his attention to the little boy. “Hey, buddy,” he said calmly so as not to frighten him any more than he already was. “Tell me exactly what you saw.”
“Who are you?” Carter asked suspiciously.
It was a reasonable question and Jace gave him a friendly smile. “My name’s Jace. I’m Violet’s friend.”
“Oh.” The explanation was good enough for the boy. “Well, I heard a scratching noise on the window and I looked out and he was out there. Is he the boogie man?”
Jace ignored the question and went to the door.
Violet panicked. “You’re not going out there alone, are you?” she squeaked. “The police are on their way.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m just going to see if he’s still out there. I’m not waiting around for the cops to show up.”
“Do you want me to find Carter’s baseball bat for you?”
“I’ll be fine, Vi,” Jace said again, irritation lining his words. He’d been using his body as a weapon for years and he certainly didn’t need to defend himself with a little kid’s Wiffleball bat.
“Be careful,” she hissed.
“I will.” Jace slipped outside before she could inflate a plastic bubble around him. He crept around the perimeter of the house and immediately noticed a scrawny looking guy crouching next to the back door, fiddling with the lock.
So, this was the little twit that was making all the fuss.
“Can I help you?” Jace’s deep voice boomed into the darkness.
Dennie turned around, eyes wide and slack jawed. He made a break for it, but Jace moved to cut him off. Dennie whipped around and ran for the front of the house. In a few long strides, Jace caught up to him and grabbed him by the shirt. The movement yanked his sore shoulder and Jace gritted his teeth. Showing weakness was not an option.
Dennie spun around, his arm jabbing towards Jace’s stomach. Jace saw that the man was holding something, but it happened so fast he didn’t see what.
Then he felt it. The piercing pain of something sharp plunging into his skin. “What the…?”
Jace pushed the pain aside, lunged toward Dennie and tackled him to the ground.
“Let me go!” Dennie hollered. “This is my chance!”
Jace made a fist and smacked Dennie square in the jaw. He would have gone for the nose, but he didn’t want the little shit bleeding all over him. A pipsqueak like Dennie was bound to be a bleeder.
“Ow!” Dennie howled. “That really hurt. What are you? A friggin’ boxer?”
“No,” Jace growled. “I’m a hockey player.”
Jace pinned Dennie’s wiry arms behind him and pushed the guy’s face down into the grass. He could have broken him in two like raw spaghetti, but he mercifully showed restraint.
Sharp threads of pain stabbed in Jace’s gut. He pressed his free hand to his stomach and frowned when he lifted it back up and saw it.
Blood on his fingers. And it was his own.
“Ah, shit. What’d you stab me with, huh? Where’s the knife, tough guy?”
“You’ve gotta let me get to that kid!” Dennie yelled frantically, oblivious to Jace’s injury.
Jace held fast and looked around on the ground for the weapon and saw a glint of metal in the grass. He picked up the ice pick and shoved it in front of Dennie’s face. “You stabbed me with an ice pick?! Who the hell carries a freakin’ ice pick around?”
Dennie squeezed his eyes shut. It was finally dawning on him that he was being held down by a guy twice his size who was now in the possession of an ice pick. “I…I couldn’t afford a gun. Can you let me go now?” he whined.
“No,” Jace said gruffly and looked around for something to tie him up with until the cops came. He scanned the yard for rope or something and all he saw was a garden hose. It would have to do.
“She was telling the truth,” Dennie mumbled to himself. “You’re not a cop, though,” he told Jace.
Jace hog-tied Dennie with the hose and yanked on the knot until it dug into the twerp’s skin. “If I were a cop, don’t you think I’d have something better to restrain you with than a garden hose?”
Dennie struggled, but the hose held fast. “You have to let me see her. You have to.”
“Don’t make me sit on you,” Jace threatened.
“If I could just get the kid out of the way, she’d be all mine.”
“Nobody’s getting anybody out of the way.”
“It’s the only way,” Dennie protested. “With the kid out of the picture, everything would be different. She wouldn’t have that reminder of some other guys’ mistake, you know? I have to get to the kid.”
“Listen, bucko. I’m not interested in your crazy talk, okay?”
“But, I love her! We’re meant to be together!”
“Look, dirtbag. You open your pie-hole again and I’m aiming my next punch for your temple. If and when you finally wake up, you’ll be seeing stars until Christmas. Got it?”
Dennie grunted and sagged in defeat. “Got it.”
“And don’t come near Patricia or her kid again. You come anywhere near her and you won’t just have to deal with me. I’ll bring my whole team over to kick your ass. Then, we’ll have some fun and use your face for a puck. Do you understand me?”
Fear settled into Dennie’s eyes for the first time that night. “Yeah, I get it. Just don’t hit me again.”
“Okay Donnie. Or whatever the hell your name is.”
“It’s Dennie. And Patricia loves me!”
“Yeah, whatever. I’ll just call you Dummy. That suits you a whole helluva lot better. So, Dummy, what do ya say? Are you going to leave Patricia alone?”
Dennie shook his head. “I can’t, man. You don’t understand. I can’t stay away. I just can’t. She’s wonderful in every way and I have to convince her that we’re meant to be together.”
“Listen, Dummy. If you have half a brain cell in that thick skull of yours, you’ll take my advice and leave the lady alone.”
Dennie mumbled something into the grass and Jace gave him a jarring shake. “The cops are on their way and they’re gonna slap you with all kinds of charges. Breaking and entering, assault with a deadly weapon… Imagine how pissed her husband’s going to be. When he finds out you were lu
rking outside his kid’s house…” Jace deliberately let Dennie fill in the blanks. “No woman is worth that kind of pain, man.”
Just then, Violet came outside onto the porch. “Jace?” she called into the darkness.
“Yeah, Vi, I’m here,” Jace answered.
She turned to Carter inside the house. “Carter, honey, stay here and watch out the window for the police, okay? Jace?” She pointed a flashlight in his direction. “The police are on their way and I called Pats, too.”
He nodded, but it was dark and he knew she couldn’t see him. “Sounds good,” he called out.
Violet came down the steps and walked toward Jace. She recoiled when the flashlight illuminated the scene in front of her. Dennie was confined on the lawn with what looked to be a green garden hose and Jace was crouched over him, scowling.
“It’s okay, Vi,” Jace reassured her.
She looked at Jace funny when she noticed him pressing his hand to his gut like he was holding his intestines inside. Her eyes grew wide when she saw red seeping through his shirt. She clamped a hand over her mouth. “Is that blood? Jace? Jace, there’s blood!” she panicked. “Is that your blood?”
“Yeah, honey, it is. Now, can you go back in the house and get me some paper towels or something?”
Violet rushed towards him instead. “Oh my God! What happened to you? Are you okay?”
Dennie struggled against the hose again. “She knows! She knows where Patricia is!” he screamed.
Jace rested his shoe on Dennie’s cheek, pressing him into the ground, effectively silencing him.
“Vi, honey, go back inside and get me a towel.” He glared at Dennie. “And some duct tape.”
“Yeah, okay,” she murmured. “I’ll be right back.”
“Thanks.”
Dennie mumbled something unintelligible and Jace nudged him with his shoe. “You’d better not be looking at her like that, scumbag. She doesn’t want to be with you either.”
A siren wailed in the distance and one by one the dogs in the neighborhood began to howl.
* * *
After Jace spoke with the police and pressed assault charges against Dennie—the little bastard—he went to the hospital. Sure, he had a feeling he was going to need stitches, but that wasn’t the only thing wrong. His shoulder hurt like hell and he wasn’t happy about it. This was not how he’d pictured his night ending.
Razors Ice 04 - Hot Ice Page 19
