by Katie Reus
It was still too soon to decide, but Sawyer was going with his gut that this was the best damn move he could have ever made career-wise. He’d been offered jobs by multiple government agencies, but the political bullshit he’d have had to deal with had held him back from accepting. When Porter Caldwell, one of the owners of Red Stone had contacted him, he’d internally jumped at the offer. He’d made Porter wait for his answer because he’d wanted to negotiate his hiring terms, but taking this job had been a no-brainer.
Mina pursed her lips together. “Well, I don’t need all the details.” She started to say something else when a soft bell dinged.
He knew from being invited over here on multiple occasions that was the timer for the oven. They had a chef who came by four or five days a week and prepared dinner for them. Since he hadn’t seen or heard their chef, he assumed she’d gone home for the evening. Sawyer automatically stood. “I’ll get it… What did Marcelle make tonight?”
Smiling, Mina stood. “Herb-roasted lamb with a side of potatoes, butternut squash soup and a spinach salad. And you don’t have to get anything.”
He just grunted. “You shouldn’t be doing anything anyway.” A week ago Alex and Mina had told Sawyer that Mina was fourteen weeks pregnant. He didn’t know anything about pregnant women but she probably shouldn’t be lifting stuff.
“Seriously, don’t even start with me,” she muttered, nudging him out of the way with her hip. “I only get nauseous in the mornings and I think I can handle pulling a glass pan out of the oven.”
Ignoring her, Sawyer headed into the kitchen and took the oven mitts left on the counter before opening up one of the ovens. Their kitchen was one of those state-of-the-art types with commercial grade appliances that probably rivaled the best restaurants in the city. Especially the stainless steel double oven with a sixty inch range and a built-in broiler with a raised griddle. He’d learned to cook at a young age—thanks to his mom, he and all his brothers had—and found it was something he enjoyed immensely. Good thing too, since he’d been single most of his life. He’d love a spread like this.
“You always look at that oven like you want to marry it,” Mina said lightly.
Snorting, he pulled out the giant pan and set it on the stove top before turning it off. “I don’t know if I’d go that far,” he said, lifting the lid to the soup. The rich scent was perfect. “I can leave this simmering or turn it off, depending on how long Zoe and Alex will be?” He phrased it as a question because, yeah, he was digging for information. He hadn’t liked the sight of Zoe crying at all and he wanted to know what was going on. And he wasn’t above fishing.
Crossing her arms around her middle, Mina leaned against one of the counters next to a covered tray of assorted cheeses Marcelle must have left out. “I don’t know how long they’re going to be.”
“Something going on with your friend?” Screw the subtle art of fishing.
Mina bit her bottom lip. She glanced at the entryway, then back at Sawyer, her dark green eyes filled with worry. “Yes. I don’t think it’s a secret either.” She fidgeted with the hem of her sweater before sighing and continuing. “She has a stalker. The guy’s been out of the country for the last six months but he’s back a week early and stopped by her work tonight to harass her. It really rattled her.”
That hadn’t been what he’d been expecting at all. “She has a stalker and Vincent hasn’t…taken care of the problem?” At one time Sawyer and Vincent had had some issues but no matter what Sawyer thought of him, Vincent was the type of guy to take care of his family, by legal means or otherwise. No way he’d let some asshole harass his sister without doing something about it.
“She only recently told Vincent. As in, earlier tonight.” Sighing, Mina headed for the stainless steel refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of sparkling water. “Alex has been monitoring the guy as best he could, but obviously he got back into the country without him knowing. I’m sure he’s trying to figure out what happened as we speak.”
“What’s the stalker’s name?” Sawyer asked before he could stop himself. This wasn’t his deal, had nothing to do with him, but…fuck. If Zoe had a stalker and hadn’t even told her brother about it until today, someone needed to look into this guy further. It might as well be him.
Mina paused and for a long moment he thought she wasn’t going to tell him. Finally she sighed and sat down at the center island, exhaustion he was pretty sure was from her pregnancy, on her face. “Braddock Klein.”
Braddock Klein. Sawyer filed that name away and vowed to put a stop to Zoe’s stalker situation.
Chapter 3
Zoe stepped into Blue’s office. Instead of the giant, masculine furniture she’d expected it was all wood, glass and sleek looking décor. And of course paintings by Mina graced two of the walls. The third ‘wall’ was all windows, overlooking the city, and the last was lined with built-in bookshelves.
“So, how far along is Mina?”
Blue shot her a surprised glance over his shoulder as he made his way to his glass-topped desk. He picked up a remote control and pressed a couple buttons. A soft humming sound filled the room as blinds descended from the top of the windows, covering the floor-to-ceiling length expanse. “How’d you know?”
Zoe shrugged, glad she’d guessed right. They’d make great parents. “She didn’t drink her wine tonight and I’ve been around enough pregnant women to know one when I see one. She kept holding her stomach almost protectively.”
Blue’s face split into a wide, unexpected grin. Zoe had known him for a long time thanks to his friendship with Vincent and the man was always so damn serious. Until Mina. She’d definitely been the best thing to ever happen to her friend. “It’s unexpected and we haven’t told many people, but fourteen weeks.”
“How’s she doing? Any morning sickness?” It was an outdated term since pregnancy related nausea could happen at any time of the day.
“She’s good but gets a little nauseated in the mornings. Her doctor said that’s normal though?” He phrased the last part as a question, a thread of panic invading his voice.
Smiling, she nodded. “Totally normal. Who’s her OB?”
When Blue named the best obstetrics doctor in not only the city, but probably the East Coast, she nodded her approval. “Good.”
Blue motioned toward a sleek, but comfortable-looking leather couch near the now covered window. It was angled in between the window and one of the bookshelves and had a throw blanket and Mina’s ereader on it. Zoe guessed her friend relaxed in here while Blue worked sometimes. The thought made her smile, despite the turmoil surging through her. He slid the stuff to the side as they sat.
“Tell me what happened,” Blue said quietly, all business.
Zoe launched into another recap of the evening, feeling stronger the second time she recounted what had happened. When she was done, Blue’s jaw tightened as he stood and snagged his laptop from his desk.
Wordlessly he turned it on and clicked away until finally he stopped, frowning. He shook his head then shot her a concerned look. “I’ve had Lizzy tracking Klein—I didn’t tell her the reason—and I’ve received no alerts that he’s used his credit card or other accounts at any foreign airports or back here in Miami. The use of any of his accounts would have alerted us he was on the move. Not even his cell phone pinged…” Sighing, he cursed under his breath. “Never mind. Lizzy’s system just sent an alert that his phone reactivated in Miami an hour ago.”
Zoe didn’t care how he’d returned undetected, she just cared that he was here and a big problem. “He could have paid all in cash and he probably flew in on a medical flight. I’m pretty sure he came straight from the airport to see me. God, it was so creepy seeing him again. I was just starting to feel normal.” And she wasn’t going to let that psycho take that away from her.
“We’re going to stop this guy.” His voice was serious, making her feel a little better.
“I’ve got a good alarm system and I took your advice. I’ve
been going to the gun range every week without fail.”
“If he violates his restraining order the police will actually have something against him, but…he has no priors and he’s got a lot of powerful friends.” Blue’s expression was grim.
Zoe knew how broken the system was, especially after working in the ER for so many years. It was how she’d developed friendships with a lot of Miami PD officers. It would have been impossible not to with her job. She knew more than most how things worked. If Klein violated the restraining order, he’d get in trouble, but he wouldn’t end up doing any jail time. Not with his lawyers. Not unless he actually hurt her. And he was too smart to overtly violate it. Last time he’d sent so many disgusting texts, but they’d all been from burner phones and there had been no way to track them back to Klein as the purchaser.
She wrapped her arms around herself, fighting off a chill. After six months of peace she’d almost forgotten how tense and stressed she’d become before Klein had left the country. Now the ugliness was all rushing back.
“I’d like it if you’d sleep here tonight. We’ve got a big guest room and—”
“Okay.”
Blue blinked in surprise. “Thought I’d have to convince you more.”
“Seriously?”
He lifted one big shoulder. “You can be stubborn sometimes.”
She knew he was referring to her not telling Vincent, but that wasn’t really stubbornness so much as watching out for her brother. But okay, she could be stubborn. “Not about my safety. If that psycho came to see me immediately after getting back into town, I’m not risking anything. And thank you, I really appreciate the offer. I’ll have to go home in the morning before work, but the thought of going there right now alone is a little terrifying.” She hated Klein for making her so scared. Soon she wanted to take all that power back from him. She just needed to figure out how.
“I’m going to have one of my guys follow you home tomorrow and make sure you get to work safely. I’d do it myself but I’ve got a big meeting in the morning. A potential new Red Stone client.” His expression was apologetic.
“I should probably say you don’t have to do that but… I’m taking you up on your offer.” Because she wasn’t gambling with her life. “Thank you, again. I—”
He shook his head. “I don’t want your thanks. I just want you safe.”
“I know.” Her eyes started to well up again, but she quickly blinked away the tears.
Blue stared at her like a deer caught in headlights. Probably because he’d never seen her cry. She normally took everything in stride, had been doing it since she was a kid. Her dad had been like that and she was glad she’d gotten that personality trait. It was one of the things that made her a good doctor. She cared for her patients but she was able to compartmentalize her emotions. Until now.
Now she was like a leaky faucet and she didn’t like it. Soon enough she was going to take back the power from that psycho Klein. She just had to figure out how.
* * *
Zoe finished zipping up her black slacks and smoothed a hand down the front of her sweater. Mina had given her something to sleep in last night, but she was wearing the same clothes she’d left work in yesterday. Not that she cared. After a steaming hot shower this morning and a peaceful night’s sleep, she felt more focused about everything.
And her hair looked amazing, which she knew was a stupidly small thing in all this, but for some reason, it gave her confidence a huge boost. She had a lot of hair, but it was incredibly fine. Luckily Mina had pretty much every beauty product imaginable, including what Zoe needed to tame her mass of curls. When Zoe had been younger she’d hated her curly hair. It had taken a lot of trial and error to figure out what worked for her, but now she loved it.
Today, it was part of her armor as she faced the world again. The world which her crazy stalker had waltzed back into.
Shaking her head at herself, she picked up her coat from the bed and headed out. Her feet were silent against the hardwood floors as she made her way down the hallway to the kitchen. She was surprised to hear a male voice since she knew that Blue had said he was leaving early this morning, but then remembered their security. For the most part Mina’s daily security wasn’t inside her condo with her until she started working in her art studio. Then they took up residence in the condo. But Mina was so sweet she probably invited them in for coffee every morning.
As Zoe entered the kitchen, all the breath left her lungs in a whoosh. Sawyer McCabe. Damn that sexy man, what was he doing here?
“Zoe,” Mina said, smiling warmly at her. “How’d you sleep?”
She stepped farther into the room, a smile pulling at her lips. “Surprisingly good. I was going to strip the sheets, but then just made the bed since I wasn’t sure what you wanted me to do, and…” She shrugged nervously. Oh my God, stop rambling, she ordered her frazzled brain. She always did that when she was feeling out of sorts and being around Sawyer put her on edge. She wasn’t exactly sure why, but it probably had to do with the way her body heated up just being around him—even though he’d once punched her brother in the face. The reaction was so visceral and so unlike her and she didn’t like wanting someone whom her brother didn’t like. She was thankful her bra covered her hardening nipples.
“It’s fine. You remember Sawyer from last night.” Mina nodded at Sawyer, who was intently watching Zoe now.
Forcing her mouth to work, she found a polite smile and nodded. “Yes, nice to see you again.”
Instead of a suit, today he wore dark gray pants and a black sweater that couldn’t hide his strong physique. Even though he leaned casually against one of the counters in Mina’s gorgeous kitchen, holding a cup of coffee, he looked anything but relaxed. His body was pulled taut, alert, as if he was ready for danger at any moment. Her brother was the same way. Definitely a SEAL thing, though she’d learned from Blue last night that Sawyer wasn’t in the Navy anymore, but now worked for Red Stone Security in a management position. She knew it was pretty rare for someone to be hired on directly to management with them so this guy had to have a seriously impressive résumé.
“You too. There’s coffee if you want to grab some before you leave or we can stop somewhere.” That warm, honeyed voice rolled over her, making her fight off a shiver.
Until it registered what he’d said. Frowning, she looked between him and Mina, then back to him. “You’re coming with me?” she asked.
Nodding, he headed toward the sink where he started rinsing out his mug. “I thought Blue told you that you’d have an escort today.”
“He did, but…” She cleared her throat, not sure how to continue. Blue had told her that he was sending one of his guys with her to her house, but she’d assumed it would be one of his normal guys who stayed with Mina.
“Oh, Sawyer is highly trained. He was a SEAL, just like Vincent,” Mina said, clearly misinterpreting Zoe’s hesitation.
“Thank you,” she said, because really, that was all she could come up with at the moment. There was no way she could explain her hesitation. “And I don’t need coffee. I’ll just grab some at work.” Right about now she was really thankful it was Friday and that she wasn’t one of the on-call doctors this weekend.
Sawyer turned from the sink and looked at her with an unreadable expression and nodded. “Do you need to get anything else?”
She shook her head before focusing on Mina. After hugging her and saying goodbye, she found herself alone in the custom-made, wood-lined elevator with Sawyer. “Thank you for coming with me.” Normally she didn’t need to fill silences, but she desperately felt the urge right now.
He nodded once, his posture alert and perfect as he stared ahead at the closed doors. “You’re welcome. We’ve met before, by the way.” His voice was tight, controlled.
“I know,” she blurted before she could stop herself.
He glanced down at her, real surprise in his green eyes. “You remembered?”
She nodded and felt a blush
heating up her cheeks. “I was embarrassed yesterday and just…reacted poorly I think. I didn’t want anyone else to see me like that. Blue and Mina are fine, but you’re virtually a stranger and I just… I’m sorry.” Because what else was there to say?
His expression softened and he turned toward the doors as they opened up. “Well, I’m sorry the last time we saw each other that I punched your brother.”
Despite the tenseness humming through her, she snorted and stepped out into the lobby with him. “Somehow I doubt you’re actually sorry about punching Vincent.” While she wasn’t sure what had gone down between the two of them, Sawyer didn’t seem like the type of man to regret things or to attack someone lightly.
“I’m sorry I did it in front of you,” he amended, not looking at her as he scanned the lobby and sitting area. Bright sunlight streamed in through the glass windows and doors, illuminating the crystal and chrome chandeliers overhead, making the entire space sparkle beautifully.
His response lightened her mood even more. Not completely, because nothing could do that. Not when she was in the position that she needed an escort simply to go home and to work. She did feel incredibly safe with Sawyer though.
Vincent was still out of town but was going to try to come home early. Even though she didn’t want to affect her brother’s job, she was truly glad he’d be returning to Miami soon. He might be the baby of the family but he’d always been a rock for her and her sisters after their father had died.
“I would deny this under torture because I love my brother, but… I’m betting it wasn’t completely unprovoked.”
Sawyer looked down at her as they reached one set of glass doors, his eyebrows drawing together. “He didn’t tell you what it was about?”
She shook her head. Vincent had seemed almost embarrassed by it and she hadn’t wanted to push. Not when he’d been dealing with so much back then.
