CHAPTER TEN

 

Trey was dreaming of fighting a clown when the phone woke him up. He reached out and answered without opening his eyes. Taylor’s scared voice had him shooting out of bed and running out the door before he realized he was naked.

“I’ll be right there, honey. Are the police there? Are you safe?” Trey asked as he rushed back inside and stepped into some athletic clothes.

“I’m fine. Just scared. Hurry, Trey.”

In all his years by her side and on the football field, Trey had never felt so useless as he did now. He wasn’t there and she needed him.

“I’m just minutes away, sweetheart. I’m coming, I’m coming,” Trey spoke as calmly as he could as he started the car and peeled out of the driveway.

His heart pounded as he sped down the highway. He saw the flashing lights reflecting off the ocean first. Then he saw the tow truck as it hauled Taylor’s car from the ocean. He frantically slammed on his brakes and searched wildly for her. It was only when he’d raced onto the beach that he saw her looking so small in the back of the ambulance with an icepack on her face.

“Taylor!” Trey had her wrapped in his arms protecting her from the flashing cameras before he even knew it.

“I’m okay. Just bruised,” she mumbled against his chest.

Trey leaned back and looked down at her face. A bruise was forming around her eye from the airbag and one was starting to form on her sternum from her seatbelt. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. Taylor, I love you. My life just isn’t worth it without you in it.”

Trey clutched Taylor to her chest as he held on to her for dear life.

 

She watched from behind the news van as pain contorted Trey’s face. He held Taylor so close to him. She got the feeling he would fight dragons to protect her. At that moment she believed he would. And Taylor. She didn’t look like a woman settling. She looked like a woman completely in love. The way Taylor clung to Trey and looked at him–she didn’t like to admit it, but she’d been wrong. She had thought to separate them. She thought he didn’t deserve her. But in this moment, she realized she was wrong.

Cyndi Lu put one big red shoe in front of the other and left the beach.

 

* * *

 

Trey refused to let Taylor walk. He carried her from the car and into the house. They hadn’t said much over the past hour. Instead they just kept constant contact with each other. The only way he knew she was safe was to feel her in his arms.

“I can’t believe there are no leads. Do you think it was your stalker? You should have told the sheriff’s deputy about her.”

“Tell Junior? If you didn’t notice, he was too busy checking out my legs to pay attention.”

“He was?”

“He’s a sweet guy, but a bit of a horn dog. And there isn’t anything to tell him. Cyndi Lu is harmless. She would never hurt me.”

“I find it so strange that you’re on a first-name basis with your stalker.” Trey shook his head in disbelief. “But if you don’t think it’s her, then who would do this?” Trey asked as she set her down on the couch.

He walked into the kitchen to pour her a glass of Rose Sister ice tea and then hurried back to her side. “Here, this will make you feel better.”

“This will make me so drunk I won’t feel anything . . . which is just perfect.” Taylor took a drink and leaned back against him and shivered. “Do you think it could be my parents? I mentioned them to Junior. If I married, then they would have no right to any of my money. You would. Do you think this is because I’m not letting them back in my life? They may think it's easier to kill me and claim my estate than to get me to work with them again.”

“I know your parents hurt you, but do you really think they’d kill you?”

“Sadly, I don’t know. I hope not. I’ve always held out some small chance that they’d come back into my life as good people, but I think I can get rid of that fantasy. Mom was high on something last time I saw her,” she said, frustrated.

“Whoever it is won’t get to you so easily again. You need security.”

“If you hand me the phone, then I’ll give my old crew a call and see if they can fly out to help me.” Trey reached for her purse and dug around it until he felt her phone.

 

Taylor dialed her old security firm in Los Angeles. The emergency operator picked up and patched her through to the owner in less than five minutes. Taylor told him what was happening on Hung Island and asked if he had a full protection team available. She hated it—the feeling of being constantly surrounded. But even tonight was enough to freak her out.

“I’m sorry, Miss Jefferies. I can’t get a team out there, but I know someone in Georgia who would be perfect for you. I’ll call them and they will have a team sent to you by the morning.”

“Are they good?” Taylor asked. She was wary of having people around her she didn’t know.

“The best. I’d use them.”

Taylor hung up the phone and smiled softly at Trey. “A team will be here tomorrow. There’s someone in Georgia they’re contracting to protect me.”

“Are they any good? I want the best and only the best.”

“Supposedly they are. They’ll be here in the morning so you can feel secure in going to practice.”

“Go to practice? How can I…”

“Trey, it’s why we got the security. They’ll be with me and you can focus on your job. I need to focus on mine without you hovering,” Taylor said as she reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand.

She could tell Trey wasn’t happy about it, but he realized it was a losing argument. “Fine, but I’m going to tuck you into bed.” Trey scooped her up and carried her into the back of the house as she laughed.

“Thank you. That short hallway was so dangerous, my handsome knight.” Taylor kissed his cheek and after being put down she walked into the bathroom to take out her contacts. Knowing she was safe and knowing she had a man who loved her made her feel so much better.

 

What didn’t make her feel better was the pounding headache or her aching chest. Trey had her in a death grip as he slept. Taylor managed to pry herself out and get some medicine. She opened the door and stepped out into the night air. It always calmed her and helped chase the headache away.

She looked up to the full moon and out at the sparkling ocean as she walked into the coffee table on their porch. So, she’d walked out without her glasses. Oh well, she could still enjoy the warm breeze regardless if everything was fuzzy around her.

Taylor saw the vague outline of the porch swing and sat slowly down on it. She closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. The rhythmic crashing of the waves calmed her headache as she finally felt her body start to relax. It didn’t last long, though. Clicking noises and then a low rumble had her eyes shooting open. Taylor squinted and then saw the source of the noise.

“Oh, aren’t you a cute puppy?” Taylor cooed as she held out her hand for the dog to sniff. The large dog’s tail started to thump on the wood porch as he nuzzled her hand. Taylor stroked his massive head and scratched behind his ears.

The dog shoved his head between her legs and tried to goose her. “Whoa. That’s not for you,” Taylor laughed as she pushed the dog back. His big pink tongue licked her hand happily as his tail continued to wag.

Then with a quick hook of his paw, the overly excited dog grabbed a hold of her leg and starting humping.

“No! Bad dog!” Taylor tried to push the dog off, but his green eyes just glowed happily as his tongue hung out. Finally with a big push, she dislodged the dog. “Where are your manners?”

The dog gave a little whine in response and then rolled onto his back at her feet. “Much better.” Taylor leaned over and scratched his tummy as she thought about what would happen tomorrow.

Tomorrow her old life would come back. Her parents, the bodyguards, the cameras—she just hoped she could handle it all. Taylor drifted to sleep on the porch with the dog at her feet. Maybe she should get a dog. Discounting the crotch sniffing and humping, she felt safe with the big hairy boy. But as the sun began to rise, the dog got up and loped away. It was time to go back inside and prepare to face her fears.