Cody seemed frozen for a moment before he slowly shifted sideways and let her see the smashed picture frame on her charred desk and the ashes of what remained of the picture of her and Cody kissing with her hand on his cheek, her diamond engagement ring sparkling.
Her mother had taken the picture the morning they’d come home from her creek-side retreat where he’d proposed.
There were a bunch of other wadded-up papers all over the desk and floor.
“This doesn’t make sense.” She looked at everything and still couldn’t come up with what Adam intended to do.
“He torched the picture of us and could have burned down the whole fucking place.” Cody seethed.
“And then he put the fire out before it really got started?” She gripped Cody’s arm. “That makes no sense. Even more strange…he was wearing the same clothes as when he pushed me into the street. Why do that, then put out this fire? What’s he trying to do?”
Cody pulled her into a hug. “I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out.” He took her hand and walked her out of the office and down the hall to gather with their friends as the fire department pulled up outside. “I’m taking you home. I can’t protect you here. Too many people. Too much going on.”
“We have to deal with all of this.”
“We’ll give our statements, then Susanne can lock up. I need to get you somewhere safe. Please, Brooke.”
She stepped in close and put her hand on his cheek, her thumb resting on his bottom lip. “I’m safe, right here with you. With all the firemen and cops right outside. Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“You don’t know that. He was here. In your store. That’s too fucking close.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I want to take you home. Now.”
She appreciated his protective streak. “Let’s deal with this first. I will stay right by your side the whole time. I promise.”
The firemen poured into her store.
She pointed them to the back.
Cody walked her out front and to the first police officer they found.
“Hi. I’m Brooke Banks. This is my store. I saw the person who I believe set the fire.”
It took forty-five minutes for her to tell the officer what happened, repeat it to the fireman for his report, and to hand over the surveillance video from the hidden camera in her office and by the cash register, along with the two very obvious cameras that overlooked the store. The police would see whatever Adam had been doing in her store.
She didn’t want to see his face again.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Brooke held Cody’s hand as they trudged up the stairs toward the bedroom. Susanne would be home soon. She’d stayed behind at the bookstore with a policeman protecting her to lock up once the police and fire department finished their investigation.
Exhausted yet amped on adrenaline, Brooke wasn’t looking forward to the crash. Or the nightmares of seeing Adam again, bringing up everything from the past.
“I’m going to draw us a bath, sweetheart.”
She stopped outside her bedroom door, not remembering closing it. She’d been anxious and in a rush to make it to the store on time. “Let me grab some fresh clothes.”
“You won’t need them.” His sexy smirk made her belly flutter. Cody’s plan to distract her from what happened tonight made her body hum with anticipation.
Maybe she’d slip into something sexy for him to peel off with his teeth. “I’ll need something to wear in the morning. I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, then headed down the hall to his bedroom and the amazing soaker tub she couldn’t wait to slip into with him, so she could climb on top of him and forget everything for a little while.
She didn’t know why, but she approached her closed door cautiously, reaching for the handle and turning it slowly. She sucked in a deep breath, mustered her courage, and slowly opened the door to the dark shadows in the room.
Adam Harris stepped into the open doorway and grabbed her with one hand at the back of her neck, the other over her mouth. “Don’t scream. I just want to talk to you.”
She didn’t believe that for a moment, but nodded.
Her insides went cold. Her bones turned to ice.
