When he got his hands on this motherfucker, he was a dead man. He rose slowly until he towered over her.
Vanessa’s gaze followed him up. “What are you going to do?” Her voice wavered.
“I’m going to find him.” He clenched his fists at his sides. “And when I do,” he promised darkly. “He’ll wish he never laid eyes on you.”
Vanessa leaped to her feet, holding Nigel against her breast. “Jordan–“
“You’re safe with me.” Despite the violence tearing through him, he managed to keep his voice calm. He cupped her cheek. “I swear it.”
She nodded, another tear dripping.
He swiped it away with his thumb. “Believe me?”
She nodded again. Even though the monster roared inside him, Jordan tugged her close for a gentle hug.
After settling her back on the couch and wrapping a blanket around her, he set the kettle to boil and dug the peppermint tea he’d bought the other day out of the cupboard.
Then he whipped out his phone and called Dex to make sure Vanessa’s parents were safe at her Zia’s house. Getting Dex to drive her family home instead of leaving it in Anderson’s capable hands was a choice he now regretted. But he’d thought Vanessa was safe with him. He never thought herstalker would be waiting this entire time in her fucking apartment.
How the fuck did that sonofabitch get into her place to begin with?
The knot in his stomach was so tight he was nauseated. How had he let things come to this? All that bloody security he’d put in place at The Link, locking it down like Fort Knox, had left her apartment vulnerable.
After brief calls with the police, Joel, and Gabe, he returned to Vanessa, who hadn’t moved from her spot on the couch. Her hair was mostly dry now, but she was still shivering in her robe and blanket.
Fuck, why hadn’t he noticed that earlier? He raced to his bedroom and dug through his drawers until he found a Thompson Kickboxing hoodie and sweatpants. They’d be huge on her, but they’d work better than a robe.
When he re-entered the living room, she hadn’t moved. The blanket had fallen down one of her shoulders, and she sat hunched over Nigel like her sanity could only be found in the softness of his fur.
“Here,” he said gently, laying the clothes beside her. “Not a perfect fit, but it’ll keep you warm.”
She glanced warily at the pile of clothes.
“You can use my room to change.” Her silence was unnerving. He wished she’d say something. “Unless you prefer the towel.”
When her eyes met his, his stomach dropped. Gone was the sparkle that had shone in them all evening. Dull and lifeless, they now reflected nothing. He had no idea where her head was at or what he could do about it.
“Vanessa—” All the breath left his lungs in a rush. “I’m so sor?—”
She stood abruptly, cutting him off. She set Nigel down, took the clothes, then headed toward his bedroom.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The next couple of hours were a flurry of activity. He hadn’t seen this many cops since the night he was arrested.
Most of them swarmed Vanessa’s apartment, dusting for fingerprints and searching for evidence. Two others were at his place, questioning Vanessa, while Hope sat beside her on the couch, gently rubbing her back. Nigel lay curled up in Vanessa’s lap.
Gabe was down in the bar with yet another officer retrieving the surveillance of the building’s bar and street entrances.
In the kitchen, Jordan disconnected his call with Joel and Lucy. For a moment he simply stared at his phone, while Lucy’s frantic voice echoed through his ears. She was beside herself, and he couldn’t fucking blame her.
He gripped the edge of the countertop, resisting the urge to rip it right off, and inhaled deeply through his nostrils, trying to keep the last threads of his control from snapping.
How had this fucker gotten inside her apartment? He’ddropped his guard for a second, one second, and put her in the most dangerous position she’d been in yet.
It was the last time he was making that mistake.
Taking one last measured breath, he went back to the living room.
