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“For not letting him win. For making me feel safe even when I’m scared.”

I reached across the table, stroking her cheek gently. “I will always make you feel safe. That’s a promise.”

Chapter 12

Jo

* * *

Lane left me at my door that night with a scorching kiss. Before he left, he told me to take the weekend to think about getting a protection order against Blake. It was kind of an easy decision, though. I had a feeling Blake wouldn’t stop unless we stopped him.

I called Lane on Saturday and asked him what I needed to do. He walked me through the steps and promised me I had plenty of evidence to get the order. He also promised to go to court with me.

Monday we went to the courthouse and filed the paperwork. I talked to a very kind judge who walked me through everything that had happened, and he granted the protection order immediately.

We walked out of the courthouse, and I took a deep breath. “I know it’s just a piece of paper, but I kind of feel better already.”

Lane smiled and pressed a kiss to my temple, then we both headed back to work.

Blake had been quiet for almost a week—no sightings, no notes, no uncomfortable encounters. No one had seen him after the incident at the restaurant. Lane had increased patrols, documented everything, and we’d all started to believe that maybe, just maybe, Blake had finally gotten the message and moved on.

We were wrong.

It was Wednesday evening, and I’d stayed late at the elementary to catch up on notes from the day’s sessions. The sun had fallen behind the mountains, casting the parking lot in that odd twilight that made shadows look deeper than they were.

I kept my head on a swivel as I headed toward my car, keys in hand, phone in my pocket. Following all of Lane’s safety protocols.

But he still surprised me.

Blake stepped out from behind a parked minivan, and my heart seized in my chest.

“Hey, Jo.” His voice was too casual, too friendly, like we were old friends running into each other. “Been a while.”

I took an immediate step back, my hand going to my phone. “Blake. You need to leave. Right now.”

“I just want to talk.”

“We have nothing to talk about.” I started backing toward the building, keeping him in my line of sight. There were parents filing into the soccer fields across the street. Maybe I could scream at them. “I’m calling the police.”

“Your boyfriend, you mean.” Something ugly twisted across Blake’s face. “Always running to him. Like you can’t handle your own shit.”

Should I tell him I’d filed a restraining order against him? I had no idea if he knew, or not. No, I’d better not. It might infuriate him even more.

“Stay away from me.” I pulled out my phone, but Blake moved faster than I expected.

He grabbed my wrist, and the phone clattered to the pavement.

“I said I just want to talk!” His grip was bruising, his face too close to mine. “Why do you have to be such a bitch about everything?”

“Let go of me!” I tried to wrench free, but his fingers dug in harder.

He leaned in, his breath reeking of peppermint, like he’d prepared for this. “Not until you listen. I’ve been nothing but nice to you. I left you alone like your cop boyfriend asked. And this is how you thank me? By ignoring me? By treating me like I’m some kind of criminal?”

My arm throbbed, and I tried to jerk it away, but he held on. “You are a criminal! You have warrants⁠—”

His other hand shot out, grabbing my throat.

Not squeezing, not yet. Just holding. A threat.