The sound of a car door and footsteps outside her window pulled her from her thoughts. It was late. Her neighbor worked early mornings and was never out past nine o’clock. Curious, she peeled back her covers and padded into the hall, the wood floor cool against her bare feet.
Torie stood in the doorway to the living room, wearing a tank top and men’s boxer shorts. She was barefoot as well. Even with rumpled hair and a gun in her hand, she looked gorgeous. She looked at Aimee and placed a finger to her lips, signaling her to stay quiet. The hairs on the back of Aimee’s neck stood up.
Torie crept into the living room, staying close to the wall, gun drawn and ready. Aimee watched from the doorway, sure her heart might burst out of her chest. She strained to hear something, but her ears only managed to catch the thump of blood pumping through her veins at Mach speed.
The quiet broke with the shatter of glass as a brick flew through the front window. The screech of tires filled the night air as Aimee screamed and dropped to the floor. Torie took off out the front door and into the yard. Aimee curled up in a ball, her hands over her ears.
Breathing like she’d just run a marathon, she waited for the snap of the gun, but none came. Instead, Torie’s voice called to her.
“Aimee! Where are you?”
Uncurling herself, she looked up to see Torie standing over her. “Hey. It’s ok. They’re gone.”
Okay? Did she just say okay? Aimee tried to speak but her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.
“I’m gonna go call it in. You stay here.”
All Aimee could manage was a nod.
As Torie closed the front door and grabbed her phone from her purse, Aimee sat up and looked around. The living room floor was covered in glass. A lone brick lay dead center in the mess. A piece of paper was wrapped around it and held with a rubber band.
Torie followed Aimee’s eyes, the phone still up to her ear. “Don’t touch anything okay? I want it check out before we move anything.”
Again, another nod was all she could manage.
Torie spoke into her phone briefly then ended the call. “Someone’s on the way.” She came back over to Aimee and squatted next to her. “Why don’t you go change.”
Aimee looked down. She was in only her cami and underwear. “Yeah, okay.” Whew! Her voice still worked. She took a deep breath.
“Yeah. As much as my colleagues would love to see you in this outfit, I’m thinking you may want to make a different impression.”
She winked, and Aimee smiled. On shaky legs, she stood with Torie’s help. Torie was a rock. She hadn’t so much as flinched during the entire ordeal. Aimee was even more impressed by her friend than ever.
“Can you make it to your room?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.” She sure hoped so anyway. With one hand on the wall she made it to her room and found some denim shorts and a Bon Jovi T-shirt she liked to wear around the house. Her faculties were slowly returning, her heart rate coming down as well. At the thought of all the glass, she grabbed flip-flops and slipped them on.
She heard the front door open and Torie speaking to someone in a hushed tone. Making her way down the hall, she stopped again in the doorway, unable to step across the threshold to the living room. A uniformed police officer was holding the brick in one gloved hand, the note in the other.
Torie turned and looked at Aimee. Her face spoke volumes. This wasn’t a stupid random act. This meant something.
Chapter 12
For the second time that night, Dane drove toward Aimee’s house. He’d been trying to sleep in the lounge chair in his living room when his phone rang, Torie alerting him to what had happened. He’d tried to sleep in bed but his gut kept him awake. A feeling something was coming, only to be validated by Torie’s phone call.
He tapped the steering wheel of his truck. A friggin’ brick? It had to be some kind of joke. Marcus was a drug dealer, not some high school prankster. But it had to be him. Who else would want to scare Aimee twice in one night? And both times were personal attacks. First Dottie, then her house.
Dottie.
Sheesh. Now she had him calling the car by name. If he wasn’t careful, she’d have him picking out china patterns as well. However, the thought didn’t make him shiver, which only confused him. He turned onto her street, his stomach turning at the sight of the squad car out front.
He parked, and locked his truck. As he approached the front door he called out to Torie, not wanting to alarm her or Aimee. The front window had a hole the size of a basketball dead center. He stepped inside. Broken glass covered the floor.
“Hey Dane. Thanks for coming.”
He nodded in Torie’s direction, but his eyes latched onto the sight of Aimee in the doorway. She wore denim cutoffs and a Bon Jovi concert T-shirt. Her hair was bedhead messy and sexy as hell. She had her arms wrapped around herself in a protective stance.
“You okay?” He took a step towards her, his boot crunching glass beneath him.
She nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay. Just a little freaked.”
He looked into her eyes. She was telling the truth. Although rattled, she wasn’t in shock. He figured as much. With all that had happened to her in a short time, she’d shown how strong she could be. It was admirable to say the least.
“Torie is my resident Rambo, ya know. She had us covered.” She winked at her friend, who merely snorted and continued talking to the policeman.
Dane made his way to Aimee, his boots crunching glass with every step.
Aimee attempted a smile. “Torie told me not to touch anything until the cops could take a look. I figured it safe to stay back here.”
“Smart move.” He stood close enough to hug her now but refrained. He was here to help a friend. That’s all. Not comfort a damsel in distress. And if he kept telling his brain that, maybe his heart would agree.
Trying to lighten the mood, he eyeballed her T-shirt. “So, a Bon-Jovi fan, huh?”
She looked down and smiled. “Absolutely. ’80s music all the way, baby. Although my dad raised us mostly on ’70s tunes. But I’m more like my mom. She’s loved Bon-Jovi for as long as I can remember.”
Dane laughed. His mother would get along great with Aimee’s. They were cut from the same cloth. Free spirits, believing that fun could be found anywhere, if you just knew where to look.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Hmm?” Dane shook his head. She’d caught him staring. Rookie mistake. It was like middle school all over again. He cleared his throat and turned his attention to Torie making her way across the room towards them. God bless her for perfect timing.
The uniformed officer said goodnight and headed out, closing the front door behind him.
“What’s the story?” Dane asked, fully focused now on the task instead of the beautiful redhead beside him. Well, sort of focused.
“There was a note wrapped around the brick that said, ‘I’m always watching.’” Torie shook her head. “It’s weird. Someone like Marcos doesn’t usually do this kind of juvenile crap.”
“Yeah, I thought the same thing.”
Dane took Aimee’s hand. She held a brave face, but her shivering told him another story entirely.
“So what does this mean?” Aimee asked.
“It means we need to protect you more than we thought until I can find out more about Marcos and the dead associate of his. You’re the one who saw him stab the guy. Based on the amount of blood outside the club that night, he was probably almost dead then. Marcos most likely finished him off and dumped him, thinking his problems were over.”
Dane felt another shiver go through Aimee.
Torie took Aimee’s other hand. “It’s okay. I’ll cover up the window and get this cleaned up, but I don’t want you staying here. We need to get you somewhere safe for tonight and decide in the morning what to do.”
“What about you?”
“The officer who was just here is going to watch the house. I’ll be fine here.”
/>
“Okay.”
Once again, Dane was grateful for Torie. Aimee trusted her completely. Quite frankly, Dane did too.
“Can you call your parents? Do they know about all of this?”
“No. They’re on a month-long cruise. Their phones don’t work overseas. They left right after Ben and Tess’s wedding.”
“Tess is gone too. What about Grace?” Torie was counting family members on her fingers.
“I don’t want to bother Grace with this. She has her hands full with the baby. And I certainly don’t want to draw any kind of danger near my nephew.”
Torie looked to Dane for help. Aimee could stay with him, but she’d never go for that, and having her that close would test his self-control beyond comprehension. He did want her close though.
“I have an idea.”
Torie nodded. “Why don’t you go pack, Aim, while Dane helps me cover the window. We have a tarp in the garage.”
Aimee nodded and headed to her room.
***
“Are you sure this is going to be okay?”
Dane guided his truck through back streets, watching closely for anyone following them. So far, the drive had been uneventful. Thank God. Aimee’s nerves were shot. All she wanted was to crawl in bed, throw covers over her head, and beg God to rewind time and keep her from going outside that night at the club.
“Yes. I think it will be fine.”
He grasped the steering wheel with one hand, the other resting on his jean-clad thigh. He was trying to look relaxed for her but it wasn’t working. The muscles in his jaw and neck twitched, tense. He wore the same clothes as when he’d left her house earlier. Had he not gone home? Or slept? Guilt washed over her in waves. She fought tears stinging her eyelids.
“I’m so sorry, Dane.”
He shook his head and looked at her. “There you go with that apologizing again. We’re gonna really have to work on that with you.” He smiled to make her feel better, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He looked exhausted.
“No. I mean it this time. Because of my mess, you’re now on babysitting duty beyond your normal job and stress. Do you ever sleep?”
He shrugged. “Sleep is highly overrated.”
They pulled up to the curb in front of his place and he helped her with her things. Before they even made it to the door, Gladys had it opened, welcoming her with open arms.
“I’m so glad you’re hear, dear. Please come in.”
Aimee walked happily into the kind woman’s embrace and soaked in her hug. Oh, how she missed her mom and sisters right now, but prayed having them far away would keep them from danger. Which heightened her concern for Dane’s neighbor.
“You didn’t have to do this, Gladys. You could be in danger.”
Dane went down the hall to put Aimee’s things in the guest room. The two women stood in the family room, still wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Pish posh. I’m not afraid. Dane is right next door and God watches over us. I have no fear.
Aimee hadn’t felt all that watched over earlier, but the older woman’s faith brought her peace. This was the right decision. She was where she needed to be for now.
Dane came back into the room and smiled. “I put all your things in the spare room. Gladys, I can’t thank you enough. Know that I’ll be watching. You both can rest safe tonight.”
Gladys patted his arm as she passed him. “Such a sweet boy. I’m going to go make sure Aimee has enough clean towels in her bathroom.”
With Gladys gone, an odd tension filled the air. Dane eyed the door like he wanted to leave but then looked at Aimee as if he might wrap her in his arms and never let go.
Please, please let it be choice number two.
She took a step in his direction. Maybe he needed a little encouragement. “Thank you for bringing me here. She’s amazing.”
He didn’t run to hold her but he didn’t bolt for the door either. That had to be a good sign, right?
He stared at his boots. “You’d be safest with me, but I figured you wouldn’t go for that.”
“You figured right.”
He looked at her then. His pained expression caused her to continue.
“Not because I don’t want to be near you. Because I don’t trust myself to stay away. You are way too much temptation, Dane Scott. And I don’t seem to think clearly when you’re nearby.”
He chuckled and put his hands in his pockets. To avoid touching her? Interesting.
“I understand exactly what you mean.” His smoldering gaze answered her question. He wanted her, but feared what that meant. Where that would take them. Fair enough.
“Look, Dane. There is definitely something between us. A connection we both feel but don’t know what to do with. But I’m a one-man woman. I’m not afraid to wait for the right man in my life.”
He nodded. “I understand completely. I do. That’s another reason I brought you here with Gladys. I want to honor how you live your life, Aimee. I admire it. I used to feel the same way myself.”
“Used to?”
He shook his head. “Sorry. Nothing. Just know I hear you. And you’re right. There’s something between us. But I’ve made bad decisions before. And I’m simply trying not to make them again.”
Aimee swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond. He saw her as a bad decision?
“We’re both exhausted. It’s been a long night. I’m gonna go.” He opened the front door and turned. “Lock this behind me. Call me if you hear anything or even get a weird feeling something is off. Always trust your gut. I’m also only a wall away. Bang on that if you have to, I’ll be here.”
Aimee nodded. She closed the door and locked it, the click loud in the quiet room. She leaned back against the door, her head thumping gently against it. He’d made bad decisions and didn’t want to make them again. Was she a bad decision? Is that what he meant? With more questions than answers rattling around in her head, she found the guest room and fell into bed, a Bon-T Jovi -shirt as her nightgown.
***
Dane paced his living room, too wired to sleep. He was way past exhaustion at this point and more in the zone where he could stay up for days if necessary. And that could very well be the case, seeing how the last twenty-four hours had gone.
The coffeepot gurgled in the kitchen, signaling his way to stay up all night had finished brewing. He grabbed a mug and added some sugar. As he poured from the carafe, steam wafted to his nose, the blessed scent of coffee overwhelming his senses. Everyone seemed to love those new one-cup coffee machines, but Dane was old school. He favored fresh-ground coffee beans and a full pot he could pull from at any point during the day.
He began pacing again, mug in hand. Thinking a bit clearer now with caffeine and sugar flowing through his system, he stopped in front of the picture of his family. The one Aimee had noticed the other day. His dad’s big grin and his mom’s twinkling eyes brought memories of nights by the fire and days running horses through the fields on the ranch.
He chuckled at his brother. The man really was huge. And had been through more than Dane could fathom. A bear of a man, his eyes told of war and devastation, things no one should have to see or experience in a lifetime. And yet he stayed the steady, strong son like always.
Unlike Dane in every way.
Dane had fought with his dad the day he’d left home. He’d never once fought with his parents up until that day. Sure, they had their disagreements, like any family, but he’d never forget the look of disappointment on his mom’s face or his dad’s frustration. They didn’t dislike Beth, but worried she wasn’t right for him. They were concerned he was basing too many of his life decisions on what she wanted. But he was young and stupid and thought he knew everything and his parents knew nothing. Said he’d prove it to them. Show them they were wrong.
His parents never brought it up again. He and his mother talked some, but it was surface stuff, checking in. From that point on, their relationship changed. And he lived in San Diego now. Ther
e was no reason to go back.
He took another sip of coffee, now bitter on his tongue. Striding to the kitchen, he dumped it out. Ceramic clanked against tile as he set down his mug. Leaning against the counter, he looked out the window over the sink. All was quiet at Gladys’s. He prayed they were sleeping. Aimee had looked dead on her feet even before tonight’s little brick incident.
He left the kitchen and plopped down in his lounge chair. He rubbed his jaw, his dark beard now way beyond a five o’clock shadow. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced at the coffee table next to him. A small shelf underneath held a few old gun magazines and a dusty Bible. It hadn’t always been dusty. Years ago he’d opened it every day.
But that was a long time ago.
His gut told him now might be a good time to open it again, but the thought left as quickly as it had come. Aimee said God would forgive him. Dane wasn’t sure he was ready to ask.
What he was sure of was where he needed to take Aimee to keep her safe. Somewhere he hadn’t been in years. A place he knew she’d be welcome and protected. He just wasn’t sure how welcomed he would be.
Chapter 13
Dane jerked awake, his cell phone ring piercing the air. Having fallen asleep in his recliner, he tried to ignore the kink in his neck as he placed the phone to his ear and answered.
“Scott.”
“Hey buddy. Did I wake you?”
His mind said, Not Aimee, it’s okay, but his heart rate wasn’t getting the message.
“Dane? You there?” Ben’s baritone voice boomed through the phone.
“Yeah, yeah. I’m here.” He sat up and rubbed his eyes.
“You fell asleep in that ugly chair of yours again, didn’t you?”
“It’s not ugly. It’s comfortable.”
Ben chuckled. “It’s both.”
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