“Jake—” Savannah’s heart started to pound.Something was wrong.She could tell just from the tone of Josh’s voice before he even said another word.
Jake looked as worried as she felt.“Yeah, I’m here, bud.What’s wrong?What’s going on?Talk to me.”
“It’s okay.I’m fine.But you need to get your ass over to Savannah’s apartment right now.”
Savannah gripped Jake’s hand tight.“Why?What’s wrong?Is Tiffany okay?”
Her heart leaped into her mouth when he said, “She will be.But you guys need to get over here.”
“We’re on the way,” said Jake, sounding amazingly calm.“Tell us what’s going on, Josh.Talk us through what’s happened.”
“Someone broke in,” said Josh.
“Oh my God.Is she okay?”Savannah asked.
“Like I said, she’s going to be fine.She’s a bit shaken up, that’s all.”
They heard Tiffany speak behind him.“Is that Savannah?Put it on speaker, Josh.”
“I’m here, Tiff, are you okay?”Savannah asked.
“I’m fine, but your friend isn’t.I keep telling this deputy he’d be better off out there searching for a guy with gouges down his face than sitting here asking me a million questions.”
Savannah’s hands were shaking.“What do you mean,my friend?”
“Some guy talking about you owing him money.”
Savannah clung tighter to Jake’s hand.“What happened?Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Savvie – honestly.I’m a bit shook up if you want to know the truth.But I got that sucker.I couldn’t believe that he got in here somehow.”
“Not just any old how,” Josh interrupted.“It looks like he somehow picked the lock on the downstairs door.Then up here – the door into the apartment, he kicked it in.”
“And I didn’t hear a damn thing because I was in my bedroom with my hair dryer going,” Tiffany grumbled.“I just wish I’d been in the kitchen.I could have grabbed a knife then.”
Savannah’s hand came up to cover her mouth.
“It’s probably best that you didn’t have a knife, Tiff,” said Josh.“If the blood under your nails is anything to go by, you got him good enough with those things.”
Savannah was relieved to hear Tiffany laugh.It was harsh and a little shaky, but it was still a laugh.
“Who’s there with you now?”Jake asked.His voice didn’t sound like him.There was an edge to it—hard and cold—that Savannah didn’t recognize.
“A couple of the deputies are here,” said Josh.“Colt isn’t working tonight, so not him.”
“No, just the ones who won’t listen to me,” Tiffany grumbled.“They should be out there searching for him.”
“I’m so sorry,” said Savannah.“This is all my fault.He broke in and attacked you because he was looking for me.”
Tiffany laughed again, and it sounded a little more genuine this time.“Oh, babe.He didn’t attack me.I attacked him.I came out of my bedroom and there’s this slimy old guy going through my purse.So I picked up my shoe and whacked him on the back of the head.And that’s when he started ranting about you—saying that you owed him money and he’s only here to collect, all this weird shit.I told him you didn’t even live here, but he didn’t believe me.Said he was waiting because your car’s outside.”
Savannah’s heart sank.If she hadn’t left her car there.If she hadn’t taken the Camaro this afternoon…
Jake squeezed her hand.They were almost to the apartment now.
“We’ll be there in a few minutes.”His voice still had that hard edge to it.“And thanks, Tiffany.”
“Not a problem.I can honestly say it was my pleasure.”
