“Check it out,” Race ordered as he closed the door behind him, keeping Sadie close to his side.
With guns drawn, he and Dagger searched room by room, not finding anything.That was until they got to Sadie’s room.What they saw in the middle of her bed had them seeing red.What the fuck?Someone had definitely been in her apartment.But who?He had a guess, but he couldn’t prove it.His gut was telling him it was Tinker.
“Race!You need to see this!”Dagger called down the hall.
Two sets of footsteps grew closer until Race was standing in the doorway with Sadie behind him.His deep frown was instant.Lying on her bed was a pair of black satin panties printed with bright red cherries and something wet on them.It didn’t take a genius to see it was cum.There was no mistaking that someone had jacked off on her bed.
Race steered her by the shoulders, leading her back down the hall to the kitchen.“Did you notice anything else?"
"Yes.There was an empty beer bottle on the counter, and the toilet seat was up.”
"What's that about?The toilet seat?"Dagger scratched his scruffy jaw.
"I know that sounds stupid, but I remember having to put the seat down to use the bathroom before I left to drop Oliver off.When I got home just now, the seat was up again."She sifted a hand through her long blonde tresses.
"And the empty beer bottle?”Jed asked.
“I don't keep beer in the apartment.I stopped keeping it around when my brother died.Someone left it on the counter."She pointed toward the offending glass bottle.Glancing down the hallway, she chewed her bottom lip.“Is that what I think it is on my bed and panties?”
“Yeah, babe.It is,” Race responded.All three men shared a look before he asked, “Jed?What are you thinking?”
“I think we need to put a camera in here, pointing toward the door, and another outside, also pointing at the door.What if we put motion detectors on the windows?”
“Sounds good.Set it up,” Race agreed.
“I’ll call Jackson to take care of it.”
“Wait!How much is this going to cost?”Sadie rubbed her hands up and down her arms again.“I only have a little money that I was able to hide from Crockett.If it’s too expensive,” she didn’t need to finish the rest.She didn’t have a lot of money.Trick had been right.Jed might have fucked up.
“It’s not expensive, and we’re paying for it.This is our rental property, so it’s our responsibility to keep you safe,” Race tried to reassure her.
“Oh.Okay.”She rubbed her head like she was getting a headache.
“You want to come hang out at the club while Jackson gets everything set up?”Jed offered.
“No.”She was back to chewing her bottom lip and looking around her apartment.Her space had been violated, and she likely didn't feel safe right now.“I really need to clean my bedding, and I have to pick up Oliver after school.”
“Okay, darlin’.Let me make a call.”Jed stepped away and called Jackson.
“Hey,” Jackson greeted him.
“Hey.I’m here at Sadie’s apartment, and we’ve got a problem.Someone broke in, and we need to set up some security here.Do you have time to do it?”He watched her from across the room as Race said something that had her nodding.
“Damn.Really?Someone broke in?”
“Yeah.Someone’s messing with her.Left her toilet seat up when she knew she had left it down.Left an empty beer bottle on the counter, and she doesn’t keep beer in the apartment.And someone jacked off on her bed with her panties.”
“Son of a bitch.Who the hell would do that?”
“I know who my money's on, but I can’t prove it.”Jed rubbed the back of his neck.
“Tinker?”
“Who else?She had a run-in with him Friday night at Bottoms Up and now this.Can’t be a coincidence.”He was more likely to be hit by lightning than for someone other than Tinker to be responsible for breaking into Sadie’s place.
“Damn.I can’t come right now.Harper’s sick, and I’m going with Calliope to take her to the doctor.”The muffled sound of a baby crying sounded over the phone, quickly followed by a shushing sound from Jackson.“So, what are we thinking?A couple of cameras?Motion sensors?Some kind of alarm?”
“Yeah.That all sounds perfect.”Jed watched Sadie put away her groceries, politely offering Race and Dagger something to drink, which they declined.
