“Don’t worry about the car,” I said. “I have a good friend who works in a body shop. I’ll have him pick it up today and give us a quote on the damage. We’ll get it taken care of.”
“Thank you,” Peyton said, getting to her feet to turn and face me. “But you don’t have to do that. This is my battle.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said with a laugh, which only made Peyton glare. “If this was Jake, I imagine my beating the shit out of him is what provoked this.”
“Maybe,” she said softly. “But it’s still not your problem.”
“Listen,” I said, pulling out my phone to text Hansen. “I’m going to get a ride to work, so you can have the truck today.”
“It’s okay, Korbin, I don’t need it.”
“But you promised us groceries,” I insisted, knowing that it was better for all of us if Peyton didn’t wallow alone in the house all day. “I put a couple hundred bucks in your purse this morning for them. Are you still willing to go?”
She hesitated, but only briefly. Then she nodded. “Yes, Butler, I will go grocery shopping,” she said with a chuckle, popping up on her toes to kiss me. “Did you make a list, too?”
“I trust you.” Pulling her into me, I kissed her again, relishing in the taste of her. The familiarity. I would do anything for this woman. Anything.
“I’ll see you tonight,” she said softly, slipping her hand into the pocket of my jeans for the truck keys, teasing me. I kissed her, then turned to leave, but turned back to look at her before I was out the door.
“Be careful today,” I said. “Keep the lock and chain on the door when you’re home, yeah?”
She nodded, agreeing, and blew me a kiss, waving at me until I’d shut the door and headed downstairs to where Hansen would be waiting with a ride to work.
Chapter28
Peyton
Still mildly rattled by the vandalism of my poor car, I made a second pot of coffee after double locking the door behind Korbin, going into the fridge for some half and half to make it taste better. I didn’t want to be frightened by this; I wanted to be angry. I wanted to curse the sky and find whoever had done this, whoever was messing with me, and punch them in the face. But I was still scared. I was afraid of Jake and what he was capable of. He’d gone from a sweet, charming, perfect guy to a potential rapist and now vandalizer? Why? Why did he care so much?
I finished off my coffee and slipped my jacket back on, checking my purse for my phone and cash before heading out of the house again and riding the elevator down. I kept my cell phone in one hand and Korbin’s truck keys in the other. I wasn’t sure what I intended to do with them in case of an attack, but they were certainly better than nothing, and right now I just needed something to make me feel better.
My shoes tapped against the concrete as I walked, echoing off the enclosure around me. I flinched inwardly when I passed my car, unable to look too long at the sorry damage it had endured. I loved my car, and I was sad to see it in such a sorry state.
As I pressed the unlock button on the truck’s key fob, the phone began to ring in my hand, startling me into a multiple foot jump as I stumbled over myself and fell into the truck door, almost hitting my face on the window. Cursing myself out loud, I straightened up and looked at the screen. Unknown number. Again.
Icy terror seemed to claw its way up my spine as a gasp bubbled in my throat. With one hand on the door handle, I looked around, wondering if my attacker was here right now, spying on me from behind someone’s vehicle, ready to kill me.
You are dead,I thought hysterically.Someone wants me dead.
Terror pumped through my veins like blood as I ignored the call and slid into the truck’s driver’s seat, slamming the door and locking myself inside. Holding my breath, I glanced over the middle to make sure no one was hiding in the back seat, ready to slit my throat, and then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, both hands on the wheel, trying to compose myself before I had a flat-out panic attack.
The cell phone that was now lying on the passenger’s seat rang again. I stared at it from where I was, hands shaking as they held the wheel, a healthy blend of fury and fear overtaking me. After a second, I answered it, placing the phone against my ear.
“Fuck you,” I said, and the breathing on the other end of the line was more prominent this time as if the person hadn’t been expecting that. “Fuck you and all you’ve done. The cops are on your ass. I hope you enjoy prison.”
It was wishful thinking and probably unlikely that whoever this was would really go to prison, but I had nothing else. I pressed the end button on the phone and tossed it aside, taking another deep breath before turning the engine on. The truck roared to life, and I clicked my seatbelt on before backing out of the parking spot, anxious to be in the open air and not in some parking garage horror scene.
It was a cool, misty day in Eagle River. Storm clouds loomed overhead, threatening a storm, but the air was still. I knew I could go grocery shopping and head back to the high rise, but something about being alone rattled me. Until we figured out who vandalized my car, I didn’t really want to be there by myself.
Paisleyfway across town, I remembered what I’d meant to do, so I stopped at the PT clinic in the hospital parking lot and went in to see if Maggie was working.
“Peyton Blake,” she said, standing up from behind the desk to greet me as I came in. She was smiling, which was definitely a good sign. “It’s been a pretty minute since I’ve seen your face. We’ve missed you around here.”
“Yeah?” I asked, and she nodded.
“I know it’s only been a few weeks, but the place feels empty without you.” She waved me over, and we went back to the staff lounge for her break. Someone had brought in a massive box of cookies, and she offered me one before we sat at the table to chat.
“Whatever happened to the pregnant lady?” I asked. “The therapist that went on maternity leave? Does she still intend to come back?”
