Reid picked up her hands and kissed her knuckles. “You don’t have to stay anywhere you don’t want. I’ll take you as far away as you want to go. But honey, don’t let him win. Don’t let him ruin all the things you’ve spent a lifetime building. He’s not worth it. And when he gets caught and thrown in jail where he belongs, you’ll take back what’s yours. However that looks for you.”
She wanted to believe him. Wanted to truly believe that this nightmare would end and she could go back to her life the way it had always been.
But was that really what she wanted? Yes, she wanted to live without fear and stop constantly looking over her shoulder. What she didn’t want to do was return to a world where she didn’t see Reid every single day. She didn’t want to go back to being friends who relied on flirty banter and surface-level conversation.
That was a discussion for another time. There was no need to think about what a future together could look like when she didn’t know what the next couple of hours would bring. Besides, he’d given her a nice little speech in the truck about how she was one of his best friends. Maybe that was as far as he wanted things to go.
“Eve,” Reid said softly, breaking into her spiraling thoughts. “Are you okay? The look on your face tells me you’re thinking of either sprinting out of here or passing out.”
“Sorry. My mind is spinning a million miles a minute. I’m not sure what the next right thing is. All I know is I can’t stay here tonight.”
He squeezed her hands. “We’ll stay at my place. I’ll call Tara and let her know we’ll head that way after we speak with the deputies.”
As if summoning the authorities with his words, the doorbell rang.
Reid stood. “I’m sure that’s them now. Give me a second.”
She stayed glued to her seat. Her legs probably couldn’t carry her too far now even if she’d wanted to walk with him. Low murmurs reached her ears seconds before Deputies Silver and Hill entered the kitchen with matching frowns.
Deputy Hill held his hat in his hands. “Sorry for your troubles, Eve. We just need to take your statement then we’ll look at the house. Figure out how this guy got in and out without being detected.”
Nodding, she crossed her arms over her chest. “The window in my bedroom is broken. He must have gotten in that way.”
Deputy Silver arched a thin brow and glanced at Reid, who stood at Eve’s side. “No alarms on the windows?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “The alarms go off if the glass is smashed. Looks like he cut the window, making a cleaner break. My guess, he knew Eve wasn’t here, or that would have been loud enough to alert her to his presence. He got in, then tampered with the alarm from the inside. I checked the panel by the door, and the power is cut and backup batteries disabled.”
She gaped. “Can nothing keep me safe from this man?”
Reid rested a hand on her shoulder. “I can, and I will.”
His firm conviction chased away a bit of her apprehension.
“The more chances he takes, the more likely he’ll slip up,” Deputy Hill said. “And when he does, we’ll catch him. Just stay close to Reid until this is all over.”
She almost laughed at the advice, because with or without a madman after her, there was nowhere else she’d rather be.
Chapter 17
His sister’s worried eyes were the last thing Reid had thought he’d see tonight. Hell, he’d planned to spend the night in Eve’s bed, losing sleep and exploring every inch of her beautiful body. Instead, after a tough conversation with the deputies in charge of finding Eve’s stalker, he could barely stay awake as exhaustion ate away at his muscles.
“Oh my God, are you two okay?” Tara let them inside, then quickly closed and locked the door. A blue robe hid her slight frame and her dark hair fell down her back in messy waves.
“We’re fine,” Eve said. “Sorry if we woke you. I know it’s late.”
Tara threw her arms around Eve and hugged her tight. “Don’t be silly. I’m just glad no one was hurt.”
His sister’s empathy warmed the cold pit in Reid’s stomach a fraction, but nothing could make it disappear. At least not when Tyson Brown was still on the loose.
“Do you need anything? Tea? Warm milk? Chocolate?” Tara kept one arm hooked around Eve and faced him. “You have that stuff, right?”
He couldn’t help but grin at her need to do something to help. So like Tara to jump in and worry about how to make others feel better in their time of need. It was one of her best attributes, even if it was the same personality trait that kept her chained to toxic relationships.
“Yes, I have those things, but I think we both want some sleep. It’s been a long day.” Eve’s pale face and the circles under hereyes told him he’d made the right call, but just in case he asked, “Is that all right with you, or did you need anything before bed?”
“I’d like to sleep for a hundred years if that’s an option,” Eve said.
“I understand that feeling,” Tara said. “I already put linens on the sofa for me. You take the guest room.”
