Duritz’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly.
“My parents invited him. We left shortly after he got there.”
“I see,” he said, jotting note in the growing file. “After that?”
“We talked until Tessa found the note.”
“And then you called the police?” Duritz asked.
“First, I checked the house to make sure we were alone. Then Tessa called 9-1-1.”
The other man scowled. “You’re a civilian. You should have waited for police assistance.”
“I’m not leaving Tessa in potential danger,” Zander growled.
“You could have put her in more danger by your carelessness.”
They stared at each other, their faces stony and grim. They reminded her of wild birds, puffing up, trying to intimidate one another.
“Are you two done threatening each other?” Tessa snapped. “I’ve got to get to work.”
Grudgingly, the men exchanged contact information, and Tessa walked from the office, unwilling to watch their continued posturing. Zander insisted on following her into the library. He hovered closer than her own shadow as she tugged open the heavy wooden doors and entered the building.
A gust of cold, autumn wind darted around her legs and up her skirt, chilling her further. The dread that had settled over her at the sight of the note on her mantel had intensified this morning at the police station. Now that she was at work, it felt as if it were a heavy weight on her chest.
Emily looked up from the front desk, her brow furrowed. “Hey, boss-lady, don’t you think you ought to take some time off?”
Tessa shook her head. “I’m not letting some whack-job keep me away from work.”
“Nice language.” Emily grinned. “Picking up those technical, psychological terms from the therapists? Maybe, you should cut back your volunteer hours a bit.”
Some of the tension melted from Tessa’s body, until she felt Zander stiffen at her side. He walked to her office and glanced through the window as if expecting to find the suspect.
Her assistant looked him over, as if contemplatively checking out his backside. “Frankly, I’d think you had better things to do with your time.”
He met the younger woman’s gaze, but Emily appeared unrepentant.
“How many people have come in here this morning?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Only you, mein herr.”
He nodded. Turning to Tessa, he drew her a short distance away. Her stomach fluttered with anxiety at the fierce expression in his eyes.
He cupped her cheek and skimmed her cheekbone with his thumb. “Promise me you won’t go anywhere alone.”
Tessa nodded. Her throat burned with threatening tears.
“I’m checking into a few things, but I’ll meet you back here tonight. Don’t leave without me,” he admonished.
Lowering his head, he brushed his mouth across hers, a tender caress that stopped her breath in her chest. Without waiting for a response, he headed outside.
Tessa watched his jeep pull away from the curb and blinked back tears before Emily could comment on them. Craving solitude, she headed for her office. Zander’s attentiveness should thrill her. Instead, it brought her to her knees. He was doing his nice-guy, good deed—trying to offer her acceptance when she didn’t deserve it. Trying to take care of her. To make everything better. Once he was assured she was out of danger, he’d realize he’d been wrong.
Now that she knew about Julia, it made even more sense. He was probably laden with guilt because he hadn’t been able to do anything to protect his sister-in-law. Tessa sighed. Maybe on some level, he was looking after her to make up for some perceived failing with Julia.
She shook her head ruefully. Great. Now, she was analyzing him. She was spending entirely too much time with the therapists at the shelter.
Suddenly, the bare branches of the tree outside her window clawed the glasses, startling her. She shivered wishing she were back in Zander’s arms, in the protective cocoon of security he’d woven around her last night. She ached to confess her love for him, but she refused to add to the guilt he’d probably feel when he eventually left.
Chapter Fifteen
“If you’re going to develop a nervous tick, could you at least have the courtesy to do it when I’m not around?”
Zander dragged his hand through his hair. He set down the ballpoint pen he’d absently clicked and glanced across the office at Aidan. “Sorry.”
Ever since he’d left Tessa at the library, he’d been trying to reach his brother. But with Niko deep undercover on an FBI assignment, it wasn’t possible.
“What’s your problem, anyway?” Aidan continued. “Not enough sleep? Too much sex? Tessa wearing you out?”
Zander sighed and scrubbed his hand across his face. He hadn’t remembered to shave. He shouldn’t be here. He needed to be with Tessa. Maybe, he could take a leave of absence until this freak was caught. He shut the phone books he’d been staring at. “What do you know about surveillance and alarm systems?” he blurted.
“I don’t follow. What does a security system have to do with getting laid?”
Revealing as little of Tessa’s personal information as possible, he outlined the problem.
“So you’re saying you don’t trust this Weston bloke. What’s his past history with her?”
“Ugly.” A fist twisted Zander’s gut, remembering the things she’d told him. “But she doesn’t think it’s him.”
“You met him, right? What do you think?”
“Other than the fact I’d like to kill him? Not much.” He tilted his head from side to side, trying to loosen his knotted neck muscles. “She thinks Weston has too much vested interest in her father’s business to pull something like this.”
“She can’t think of anyone else who’d want to scare her?” Aidan leaned back in his chair, balancing on the rear legs.
Zander shook his head.
“Has the guy been ringing her, too?”
“I don’t think so.” Unease prickled across his scalp.
“Just in case, you should get one of those devices that attaches to the phone to record conversations. You can probably find them at an electronics store.”
Zander glanced at the clock. Damn it. Fifteen minutes until his next class.
“Go.” The legs of Aidan’s chair scraped as they hit the floor. “I’m done for the day. I’ll cover your classes. You’ll be useless anyway.”
Zander tossed his lesson plans on his friend’s desk. “I owe you.”
“Don’t think I won’t collect.” Aidan jerked his head toward the door. “Just get out of here and take care of your woman.”
Dodging students, Zander left the office. He had a lot of work to do before he picked up Tessa. He had no idea how she’d respond to the changes he planned to make on her behalf. Not that it really mattered. He’d do whatever he needed to keep her safe.
Just the thought of losing her made his blood run cold. If anything happened to Tessa… A memory of Niko on his knees at Julia’s grave slipped into Zander’s mind. Hours had passed since her body had been lowered into the ground and still Niko had remained in silent vigil.
Their parents, the priest and Julia’s parents had all begged him to come home, but he’d stayed. Afraid his brother might be suicidal, Zander had stayed too. Through the freezing rain and bitter winds he remained with Niko, vowing that he would never allow love to have so much power over him that, if he lost it, he might as well be dead, too.
The next morning Niko had risen from the frozen ground and never spoken of his wife again. Any attempts by friends and family to get him to seek help were ignored. Instead, he’d pulled farther away from everyone, growing cold and distant.
For years, Zander had managed to shield his heart from the pain love brought. He’d thought it was because he had control over himself. It wasn’t that at all. It was simply that he hadn’t yet realized that Tessa was his heart.
With strength born of determination,
he vowed not to let history repeat itself. He would not let Tessa suffer Julia’s fate. After the creep who threatened Tessa was caught, he’d convince her that they belonged together. After everything in her past and the terror she faced now, he wouldn’t push her. If she felt more pressure, she’d put up so many walls he might never get past them. But when this was over, the walls were coming down.
* * * *
Tessa toyed with her pasta. She’d given up on Cat’s conversational leaps at least ten minutes ago.
Cat snapped her fingers in Tessa’s face. “What’s it like where you are?”
“What?”
“I’m telling you a tale of sex gone hilariously wrong, and you can’t even feign interest? What’s the matter with you?”
“I’m sorry. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
Her friend pushed her plate aside and leaned forward. “Love Doctor Cat is in and ready to dole out unsolicited advice. Spill it, girlfriend.”
Tessa sighed, thinking back to his response when she’d texted him to tell him Cat had picked her up for lunch. He hadn’t been happy she was leaving the library, but she’d promised not to go anywhere without her friend. “Zander wants to look out for me. Take care of me.”
Cat slapped her hand on the table. “The fiend! How dare he do something so foul!”
Tessa fought a smile.
“Here’s the thing,” her friend continued. “Where I come from, that’s a good thing.”
The smile died on Tessa’s lips. “It would be great. Except for the part where he doesn’t really mean it.”
“Back up the pity-mobile.”
“I’m not feeling sorry for myself. I’m being realistic.”
Cat crossed her arms over her chest, leveling a pointed stare of disbelief across the table.
“It’s just because of what’s going on.” Tessa’s need to defend herself grew. She hadn’t meant to let that slip. She could smack herself with an unabridged dictionary. Stress was making her sloppy. Cat pounced. “Why don’t you clue me in? What’s with the secrecy?”
Stifling a sigh, Tessa tried to figure out how much to tell. She didn’t want Cat worrying but she couldn’t bring herself to lie either. “For the last few weeks or so someone’s been stalking me,” she admitted.
“And you’re just telling me now?” Cat looked pissed. Tessa couldn’t blame her. She’d want to know if someone threatened Cat.
“At first, I didn’t really think it was all that serious, but whoever it is, managed to cancel my cell phone account, and last night…” She balled her hands into fists to keep them from shaking.
“Last night,” Cat prompted.
Tessa swallowed past that same rush of fear she’d experienced earlier. “He got into my apartment. I don’t know how. It was locked when we got home.”
Cat reached across the table and clasped Tessa’s hand. “You’ve called the police, right?”
“They dusted everything in sight. No fingerprints or anything else for that matter.”
“Who else has keys to your place besides me?”
“Annie and Zander.” She ignored Cat’s raised eyebrow at that revelation.
“What about your landlady—Mrs. Whosit?”
“Mrs. Bartz. I suppose, she has a key to all of the apartments.” What was her friend getting at?
Cat tucked her hair behind her ear. “No, I don’t think that sweet, little old lady has it in for you. I was thinking that maybe someone had gained access through her.”
A chill skated across Tessa’s skin as she remembered the sensation of knowing someone had been inside her home. “It’s possible. I guess he could have taken the keys from her…somehow. I can’t imagine her giving them to anyone, though. She would have had to have let the furnace repair guy in,” Tessa supposed. Maybe that was what they were missing. She’d need to mention it to Duritz.
Cat’s expression grew more somber. “What about Weston?” she asked quietly.
“And risk his six-figure salary at Daddy’s firm? Not likely.”
Her friend squirmed in her chair, appearing decidedly uncomfortable. “I hate to bring this up, but what about that other guy? Weston’s roommate.”
Tessa shook her head. “He was so drunk that morning, I doubt he even remembers what he did, let alone me.” She rubbed her hands over her eyes. “I feel like the answer is right in front of me, and I’m not seeing it.”
“Zander, maybe? Don’t be angry,” she hurried to say. “You’ve got to look at all the possibilities.”
“No way. Not a chance.” Even if she hadn’t known about Julia and the pain he and his family had suffered, she knew he would never do anything like this.
“You need to get your locks changed. Better yet, come stay with me for a while,” Cat offered. “Who knows what this guy is capable of?”
“And put you in danger? I don’t think so.” She took a swallow of her coffee. “Besides, there’s the chance that whoever is sending the messages is just trying to scare me.”
Tessa believed that as much as she believed Cat might wake up one day and decide she was straight.
Cat snorted. Apparently, she wasn’t buying it either.
* * * *
When Tessa got back to work, an ambulance pulled away from the curb and several police searched the area surrounding the library. Jessie, one of the other librarians watched nervously from the front door. Tessa’s stomach dropped to her feet. Had someone else been hurt because of her? This had to end.
She spotted detective Duritz speaking to a knot of people near the door and raced to his side. “What happened?” she demanded. She looked around frantically.
“Your assistant’s on her way to the hospital. Someone tried to grab her as she was bringing the recycling out back. Cracked her head open, but she got away from him.”
Fear roiled through Tessa’s middle. “Is…is she going to be okay?”
He nodded. “She didn’t get a description though, other than he’s male and a smoker.”
“Can you leave an officer here until close?” she asked?
“I planned on it.”
“Thank you.” Tessa raced toward her car that was still there since Zander had picked her up the night before.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
“To the hospital.”
Several hours later, Emily’s father let Tessa in to see Em. Bruises darkened her skin under the remnants of her makeup, and a thick bandage covered her temple.
Tears filled Tessa’s eyes and streamed down her cheeks. This should have been her—not Emily. The stalker had said that she’d taken his, and now, he’d take hers. Was he referring to Emily? Was he on a mission to hurt the people she loved?
“It’s okay, boss-lady. I got away.”
Tessa hugged her, unable to speak. Nothing she could say was adequate for what could have happened. This had to end.
She drove home on sleet-wet streets, listening to the rush of water under her wheels. Ice glazed the windows, refracting the glow of the streetlights and blurring her vision. Or it might have been her tears.
She wished she and Zander could leave town. Maybe, they could just drive. Drive until all of the problems disappeared. Drive until they reached a place where nothing mattered but the two of them. But who would her stalker hurt in the meanwhile?
Tessa arrived home to find Zander in her apartment, pushing buttons on a box with a digital readout mounted to the wall near the door.
He drew her into his arms. Holding her close, he buried his face in her hair and stroked her head as if reassuring himself that she was really there. He pulled back, his lips drawn in a tight line. “Why are you taking chances like this? You were supposed to wait for me to pick you up.”
She swallowed hard. “I had to. Emily—”
“What happened?” he demanded.
Haltingly, she told him what had transpired. His hands tightened almost painfully on her shoulders, terror clear in his eyes. As if realizing how hard he held her, he loos
ened his grip, murmuring apologies.
“I can’t help but think of you in her place.”
Tessa didn’t know if the “her” in question was Emily or his sister-in-law.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.” He pulled her into his arms again. Warmth at his concern spread through her chest, but she reminded herself where it came from and the heat chilled.
She caught sight of the box on the wall. “What’s that?”
“Just some security measures.”
Backing from his embrace, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her checkbook. “How much do I owe you?”
Anger and what might have been hurt flitted across his features before he composed himself. He closed his hand over hers, swallowing it in his much larger grip. “The money isn’t important. You are.”
Her fragile hold on her emotions threatened to shatter. She wanted so badly for his words to be true. She knew he meant them in the heat of the moment. Later, he’d realize what had prompted the strong declarations and back away, leaving her heart a battered, broken mess.
The silence between them grew until she spoke, splintering it like a stone against glass. “What sort of security measures?”
He cleared his throat as if he were uncomfortable and pressed a shiny brass key into her hand. “So far, I’ve changed your locks, attached a recording device to your phone and had an alarm system installed.”
“I see.”
He glanced at her, his brows furrowed. “You’re angry.” His tone radiated confusion.
She shook her head. “It’s not that I’m angry. It’s just that I’m not used to…” Not used to a man caring enough to worry about her. A cold dose of reality washed over her. This was more about Julia than her. “I’m not used to being taken care of like this.”
He traced her jaw, his eyes the color of a pine forest at dusk. “Get used to it.”
Zander didn’t miss the look of disbelief on Tessa’s face. She still didn’t trust him enough to believe he was telling her the truth about wanting to be with her. He steeled himself with patience. He’d give her as much time as she needed to realize he wasn’t going anywhere.
Doubt whispered in his ear. Maybe the truth of the matter was that she simply didn’t have feelings for him. Ruthlessly, he pushed the thought aside and focused on demonstrating the recording device and the alarm system.
Vengeful Shadows Page 20
