Dabbing her eyes with a tissue, she walked around the sofa and sat at the far end. Like a zombie, she stared into space. A muscle under his jaw twitched. He might as well not be in the room for all she noticed him.
He picked up the mug and slid closer, holding it out to her. “Drink some of this. It’ll warm you.”
“What?” She turned to him, brows drawn together. “All I want is to be left alone.”
“Please, tell me what’s upsetting you so much. I’m worried.” But really, he was more confused about why she wasn’t appreciating all he’d done for her. He’d brought her inside, made her tea, and acted like he cared. She should be fawning all over him. He placed the untouched cup on the table.
She let out a huge sigh and covered her face with her hands. “God, I can’t get it out of my head. How could he have done this?”
“Who? Done what?” Devon placed a hand on her shoulder. “Talk to me.”
Anne shrugged his hand off and stood. She paced the room, talking more to herself than him. “Ch-cheated on me. With…this…this horrible woman. It’s over. We aren’t getting married, and I can’t stop thinking about her dressed in—”
“Hold on. Are you saying you walked in on Wyatt Pearson and another woman?” Devon feigned indignation as his gut leaped. The engagement was off.
She swiped hard at the tears on her cheeks and faced the window, apparently lost in her world.
Ugh. Enough with the waterworks. Time to move on. “He’s a fool who doesn’t deserve you.”
Anne turned and yanked a tissue from a box on the side table. After blowing her nose, which was red as a clown’s, she swallowed. “I’m sorry, but you need to leave now.”
“Nothing to apologize for. I think it’s time you saw the truth.”
“Oh, I saw it all right.”
Stupid bitch was ruining his moment. She should be focused on him. Pearson was history. “I meant the truth that’s in front of you, now.”
“So blind. How could I have not known?” She pressed her lips together and shook her head again.
Talk about blind. She was in such a fog she wasn’t even paying attention to Devon. He clamped his jaw tight as tiny pricks of annoyance stabbed his abdomen. Somehow, he needed to make her see him. He stood and gazed down at her. “I think I know what will help.”
“Huh?” She glanced up.
Finally, he had her attention. She’d see what should have been obvious all along. Pearson was a loser. Devon had cleared the table, and now he held the winning hand.
“I told you I’d wait for you.” He touched the side of her face. “I’m here right now and have proven I’m the better man. The one you deserve. I can give you everything.”
Anne blinked, and her eyes widened. “What?”
“You know it’s true. There’s only one question to answer.”
Chapter 41
Wyatt’s heartrate raced right along with his car as he sped to his apartment. His brain was a total jumble. Emily had been furious with him. Over what?
She’d made a strange comment about Anne going to his place, where all the women went. Made no sense at all. He switched on the wipers as rain pelted the windshield, forcing him to slow down. Damn it, he didn’t have time for this shit.
Whoever hired Moe Dog and Charlie could have paid someone else to harass Wyatt at his apartment, and Anne could be hurt again if she showed up there. Especially alone. He cursed under his breath and pressed the gas pedal. Screw the slick road, he’d take his chances.
When he reached his complex, he parked and ran up the stairwell. He twisted his key in the deadbolt, which turned freely. A zap of adrenaline heightened his senses. The door was unlocked.
Maybe Anne had gone in and not bothered to latch it behind her. Didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to call the cops and wait for them to show up. She could be in danger. Bracing himself, he swung the door open and charged into the room.
Whoa. He grabbed the back of a chair to stop his momentum and skidded to a halt in front of Victoria, who looked up at him from her seat on the sofa.
“Hi, Wyatt.” Her lips curved into an evil smile.
Shock caved his lungs, spiking through his body like caffeine from a triple espresso.
What the hell?
“You don’t look happy to see me.” She stood and fluffed her hair.
Christ, she was wearing his shirt with some sort of lingerie beneath. Stunned, he stood stock still, struggling to form words. He’d figured out on their second date that she was bat-shit crazy, which she’d proved with all the social media bullshit, but this went beyond.
“What are you doing here and how did you get in?” He gripped the back of the chair until his knuckles turned white.
“Oh, so simple, honey.” She shrugged. “I told them at the office that I forgot my key. The super was more than happy to let me in after I showed her pictures of us together.”
Wyatt forced a breath. She was fucking insane. Having lunatic, stalking fans went hand in hand with being a celebrity, though. His own fault that he’d dated her. He should have known she wouldn’t go away. Probably got jealous over the engagement picture of him and Anne. Victoria had major issues.
Despite the insanity of the situation, his gut-wrenching fear that Anne was in danger dissolved. No one held her at gunpoint in his apartment or had kidnapped her. He just had to deal with this wack job, who had managed to find a shirt of his to wear over not much else.
He shook his head to knock out the image of her sorting through his clothes. “If you leave now and never bother me again, I won’t call the police. Do you understand?”
She pouted. “Yeah, I guess. My work here is done. I got what I wanted.”
“What does that mean?” He hated to ask, but the smug expression on her face begged the question.
“I met your fiancée tonight.” Victoria brought a hand to her mouth and giggled. “Oops. I mean, former fiancée.”
Wyatt’s heart froze along with every muscle in his frame.
No. Fuck no.
Victoria stroked her chin. “She stopped by and seemed…hmm…what’s the word I’m looking for? Surprised?” She frowned. “No, that’s not it. Distraught?” She shook her head. “Oh, I know.” Moving a step closer, she whispered, “Devastated.”
The blood drained from every vessel of Wyatt’s body. Anne had to think he’d cheated on her. Devastated didn’t begin to cover it.
Before he could respond, Victoria plucked out a ring from the pocket of his shirt. “By the way, she left this for you by the trashcan where it landed.” Victoria smirked. “Apparently, you’re all mine now. Wanna take me up on it?”
Wyatt bit back his response as his world hurled out of orbit. He had to get to Anne. Explain to her that Victoria was a certified nut case. He closed his hand over the ring and took in a deep, burning breath.
“You have five seconds to get out of here before I call the police.” He faced Victoria. “Four…three…”
She snatched her purse, a bag of clothes, and a raincoat from next to the couch. After throwing on the slicker, she trotted out the door on spiked heels. “See ya, baby. This was fun.”
Wyatt opened his fist and gazed at the ring. A symbol of his promise for a life together. One Anne thought didn’t exist anymore, or she wouldn’t have thrown the diamond away.
He had to tell her nothing happened. But would she believe him? She’d seen his ex-girlfriend half naked in his apartment when he was supposed to be out of town, and he’d called for a fill in at the event. Easily documented with news photos. He didn’t have a leg to stand on. Except he loved Anne. And none of this was real. Convincing her of that was another story, but one step at a time.
Focus.
He pressed a hand to his aching head. She’d either go home or to Emily’s. Neither of them would answer his calls.
Knowing Anne, she’d bear the pain on her own.
He got in his car and gunned his way toward her apartment.
Chapter 42
Anne jerked her head away from Devon. She didn’t want him touching her. For that matter, she didn’t want any man touching her ever again. And what the hell was he talking about with giving her everything? She must have misunderstood him. “I’ve asked you several times to leave. You really need to go right now.”
“Actually, I think that’s the last thing you need.” He inched closer. “What you need is someone who can take care of you. Give you the good things in life. Someone with a solid reputation in the community who doesn’t embarrass you and cause your picture to be constantly blasted on social media.”
The strong scent of his cologne gagged her, and she took a step back. Where was he going with this? She didn’t have the energy to deal with him. Her mind was still reeling from the shock of betrayal, and nothing Devon could say or do would help. She pointed to the door. “Last time I’m asking.”
“I don’t think you understand. Pearson isn’t good enough for you. I can offer you so much more. I’ve waited for you to see the light, and I think you finally have.” Devon slowly pulled a ring box out of his suitcoat pocket and flipped the lid open, revealing a diamond twice the size of the one Wyatt had given her. “What do you say? Will you marry me?”
Her chest seized, and her overtaxed brain snapped to awareness.
Holy shit.
He had to be kidding, but that ring wasn’t from a bubble gum machine, and not a hint of a smile lit his face. Nothing but hard lines and an intense focus on her. For God’s sake, they hadn’t even dated. He had to be crazy if he thought she’d accept a proposal right after finding out Wyatt had cheated on her.
She held her hands up. “This is nuts. Put that away and go. I’m not kidding.”
“I didn’t come this far to lose,” he gritted out, then smiled and softened his voice. “There’s no logical reason for you to refuse me. We’d be perfect together. What’s your answer?”
She broke out in a cold sweat. No logical reason? He must be a certifiable lunatic. She headed to door and yanked it open. “Go now.”
He crossed the room to her and took the ring out of the box. “Not without an answer. Last chance.”
The ominous tone in his voice sent a shiver down her backbone. She needed to be blunt and get him the hell out of her apartment. “No. I’ve never been interested in you that way and never will be.”
His eyes blazed, and heat came off him in waves. For a long moment, he stared at her. His nostrils flared, and his mouth twisted into a sinister, evil snarl. He grabbed her hand and tried to force the ring onto her finger. “Wrong answer.”
She curled her fingers into her palm and knocked the diamond to the floor, her breath coming in short bursts. The man had lost his ever-freaking mind.
Devon’s pupils dilated as his face turned red.
Her heart short circuited, and her flight-or-fight response kicked in. “I said no. What are you doing? You’re scaring me.”
“Scaring you?” He slammed the door shut, grabbed her chin, and pinched the flesh, forcing her to look up at him. “You should be scared. You should be very scared. I didn’t come this far for you to reject me. No one fucking rejects me. You think it was easy setting all this up? The flat tire? The attack in the alley?”
Backed against the door, she couldn’t yank free from his grip. Her mind scrambled to keep up, every muscle in her body tense. Devon had saved them in the alley. He wasn’t making any sense. “Wh-What do you mean?”
“Planning and more planning. You were so gullible.” He scoffed. “That chance meeting we had on the road? I put a nail in your tire so it would go flat. I obtained the leadership role on the stupid walk-a-thon so I could get close to you. I hired guys to jump you and your pitiful excuse for a boyfriend.”
Anne’s pulse beat wildly in her throat, and fear seeped out of her pores. Devon’s words rattled around in her head, but she couldn’t understand any of it. Why would he have sabotaged her car, and what did he have against Wyatt?
Panic closed her throat. She’d left her phone and purse in the car. With no way to call anyone, she’d have to deal with this Ted Bundy on her own.
Devon’s mouth contorted. “I spent a month eating crappy food at that cockroach-infested restaurant to make an impression on you. It wasn’t even my birthday the night we went to dinner. I just told them that. And do you think I actually give a damn about the brats in the hospital? Nothing but a show for you.”
Anne gripped the door knob, her heart beating faster than whirring helicopter blades. He’d been lying to her from the moment they’d met. Trying to impress her with crazy, conjured-up scenarios. Why? It’s not like she was a celebrity or anybody special. She had to get away from the psycho.
His gaze dropped to her hand, and he growled, a sick, guttural sound.
“Too late, bitch. You had your chance.”
He hauled back and slapped her face.
A million lights exploded in her brain as her head smashed against the door.
Chapter 43
The candelabra shook in Paul’s hand as footsteps sounded from the store above. His heart pounded, and his shirt stuck to his drenched body.
He whispered answers to the nine-one-one operator and prayed the cops got there before Devon could kill him. Maybe Devon wouldn’t want to be caught committing another murder, knowing the police were on the way. That was Paul’s only hope. He had no delusions about his inability to win in a fight.
“Hello? Is anyone here?” an elderly female voice rang out from upstairs.
Paul’s shoulders sagged, and he brought a hand to his chest, letting out the breath he’d been holding. Thank God. He’d forgotten to lock the door behind him. The store hours weren’t posted because they varied based on appointments.
“Just a second, I’ll be right up.” He set down the candlestick holder and climbed the stairs.
A silver-haired woman peered down as he emerged. “Is the shop open? I’m looking for a hand-made lace tablecloth.”
He needed to shut the trap door and get her out of the place in case Devon did show up before the police. The psycho might kill them both and leave them to rot down there. Probably best if they both left. He could wait in his car for the cops, and if Devon did come back, he’d have no reason to suspect Paul had found his secret room. “I’m sorry, we’re closed, and we don’t have any of those right now. Maybe try back another time.”
She frowned. “Phooey. My sister, Mable, is having hernia surgery and she was supposed to find one, but now—”
“You really need to leave. There’s…rats in here. That’s why I was downstairs.”
“Rats?” The woman’s eyes widened and she held her purse up higher, her gaze darting around the floor.
Christ, where had that come from? Didn’t matter. She seemed freaked.
“I don’t think those sandals are the best choice in here right now.” He hurried to the door and opened it.
She gasped and glanced down at her feet, curling her toes. “Oh, my. No.”
Moving with a speed that belied her age, she whisked out the exit, casting a worried look over her shoulder as if the vermin might be hot on her trail.
Paul rushed to close the trap door and roll the armoire back on top of the carpet. If Devon saw that open, Paul’s wedding ring might end up as the next trophy in the wooden box. He shuddered and headed to the entrance as a cruiser pulled into the lot.
His rigid muscles eased. Safe from the psycho.
He opened the door and raised his hands in the air, his heart beating triple time. Two policemen got out of the car and approached, hands on their gun holsters. Paul stepped outside, gave his name, and told them he was the person who’d called nine-one-one.
The policeman with grey hair told him to stay where he was and keep his hands in sight. A much younger cop frisked Paul and waited with him outside while the other officer went into the store. Paul hadn’t expected the pat down, but he couldn’t blame them for it. They had no idea who to trust walking blind into dangerous situ
ations.
When the “all clear” came, the young cop motioned for Paul to enter the shop and followed him inside. He tugged on his collar, picturing Lynn with her innocent love and sweet smile. He had to do this. His stomach hardened as he committed himself.
Letting out a tense breath, he faced the policeman. “I have financial records to turn over that will incriminate myself and the owner of this store, Devon Blackwood, with tax fraud.”
The cop raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Okay, but that doesn’t merit an emergency. The nine-one-one dispatcher said you called in fear for your life.”
“I was in the basement when I heard someone enter the store above. I thought Devon had come back while I was downstairs. I never knew this place had a lower level until I found it tonight.” A shiver ran up Paul’s back. “It turned out to be a customer who’d entered the store, but if it had been Devon, I know he would have killed me.”
“Why?”
Paul straightened. Devon had killed Lynn, his family, and who knew how many others? Time to put away the son of a bitch. “Because I found physical evidence down there that should link him to one, if not more, murders.”
Chapter 44
Wyatt kept a heavy foot on the accelerator. He had to find Anne and explain they’d both been deceived by crazy Victoria. He’d known she was a few cards short of a full deck, but never expected in his wildest dreams she would do something so insane.
John’s ringtone sounded, and Wyatt answered through the blue tooth. “What’s up?”
“Do you know where Anne is?”
Wyatt snapped to attention at the abrupt question and the urgency in John’s voice. “No. I’m headed to her place. You won’t believe what—”
“I gotta make this short because things are happening in real time. Blackwood’s the one behind all this. I have a warrant out for his arrest.”
Wyatt’s stomach rocketed to his throat, and he blinked. “What? Blackwood? I’ve never even met the guy.”
Love on the Line (Love Beyond Danger Book 3) Page 24
