A dangerous man who’d keep his prey in his sights until he could go in for the kill.
“He may be as close as he can get, but I’m closer, and I won’t let him hurt you.”
She blew out a long, shaky breath. “I know.”
Her belief in him constricted his chest. He hated making promises he couldn’t keep, but there was one thing he knew with one hundred percent certainty—he’d keep Eve safe or die trying.
A constant chill had crept into Eve’s bones. The sun was out but the wind blew, announcing the coming of the changing seasons.
But that wasn’t the only reason for the goose bumps cascading up her arms. Fear had a way of making her look over her shoulder, even when riding in the passenger seat of Reid’s truck as he turned into the parking lot of his apartment complex.
Gliding into a spot near the front of the lot, Reid shut off the engine. “I’ll be quick. I want to toss a few things in a bag then we can head to Tilly’s. I know you’re anxious to get to work.”
The knots in her stomach had more to do with the dangerous man stalking her than the busy night ahead. Being outside heightened her anxiety, and she couldn’t wait to be safely inside the building. She forced a tight smile. He didn’t need to hear about her worries again. They both understood where things stood, and dissecting every little thing would only make her more paranoid.
“Take your time,” she said. “Becca can handle things until I get there. Heck, everything’s already handled. The control freak in me just needs to see the restaurant to believe there’s not something waiting for me to fix.”
He opened his door and had one booted foot out when he stared back at her with a smirk. “Control freak, huh? Go figure.”
She couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not, so she just rolled her eyes then met him at the hood of his truck. She stared at the building with its scalloped-edged windows and pitched roof. The dark brown siding mimicked a log cabin while vines of ivy snaked up the corner, bleeding into a massive oak tree. “I don’t know why, but I never imagined you living in an apartment. Ipictured you tucked away on a large plot of land and a generous view of the mountains.”
He dug his keys from his pocket. “You’ve thought about where I live a lot?”
This time his teasing was evident, and she grinned, enjoying the playfulness. “Mostly when I want to close down the bar and you won’t leave.”
The warmth of his booming chuckle chased away a bit of that lingering chill. Reid could always make her troubles melt away—even if only for a minute or two. A part of her wanted to skip work, hide out at his place and find some more creative ways for Reid to occupy her thoughts.
The memory of their almost kiss crashed back with the force of a hurricane, and heat slammed into her cheeks. He’d made it clear he wasn’t interested in pursuing her romantically or, hell, even physically. She had to shove all those feelings he evoked to the far corner of her mind and never let them see the light of day again.
“You okay?”
She blinked at the curiosity in his voice, surprised he’d made it to the entrance and held the door open, waiting for her to enter.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just anxious to get to work.” The lie tasted bitter on her tongue but was better than admitting where her mind had taken her for a few seconds.
She stepped into the small foyer that displayed a cluster of mailboxes on one wall, a door marked Maintenance and a stairwell. The area wasn’t flashy, but fresh paint and a lemony smell made it clean and well-kept. She followed him up two flights of stairs and down a wide, carpeted hallway.
Reid stopped in front of the last door on the right and lifted his keys to the dead-bolt lock. His hand wavered, the lines on his face tightening.
The shift of energy heightened her awareness. The buzzing of the overhead lights intensified, and she glanced up and down the hallway, searching for the source of Reid’s hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
“The door’s ajar.” His voice was clipped. “Stay in the hall. I’ll check it out.”
“No way I’m staying out here. What if it’s a trap? A ploy to get me alone while you’re inside. I stay with you. Always.”
Grim-faced, he nodded and grabbed a gun tucked in his waistband, hidden by his T-shirt. He pushed open the door and tiptoed inside.
She stayed close, her heart beating so loudly in her ears she had no doubt Reid could hear. Anxiety twisted her gut, and each step felt as though she moved through a minefield. No one waited to ambush them in the living room, which bled into the small kitchen, but that didn’t mean the rest of the place was empty.
“Down the hall is a bathroom and two bedrooms. We’ll move slowly, making sure they’re all clear before I call this in to the authorities.”
She swallowed past the ball of fear wedged at the base of her throat. “Could it just be a break-in?” She knew the answer before asking the question. The space was neat and tidy, everything seemingly in its place, down to the perfectly placed blue pillows on each end of the gray sofa.
“Hard to know for sure,” he whispered. He kept his gun in front of him, both hands around the handle and the barrel aimed at the ground. “But unlikely.”
A loud thump sounded from the hallway, and she jumped. Her muscles coiled and she gripped the back of Reid’s shirt like a lifeline. “Any chance you have a really fat cat?”
He snorted but shook his head. “I wish. I want you to go back out in the hallway. Someone is back there. I want to know you’re safe.”
