Wham! Wham! Wham! “Open the door, Holly! I know you’re in there.”
Sirius added his frantic barks to the beating noise at my door and in my chest. It was a few minutes past five in the evening on Thursday. I’d returned home from Ian’s about an hour ago and had just hung up with him after a lengthy debate over my returning there to spend the night, when the banging began. With trembling fingers, I fished the phone out of my purse and told it to call Gary Sumner. Thank God for modern technology, because I’m not sure I could have actually dialed the phone.
“Detective Sumner.”
“Gary? It’s Sophie Hartland.”
Bing-bong. Bing-bong. Wham! I jumped. Jesus. He’d break the glass on the storm door if he kept up like that. Sirius’ barking subsided to a low, eerie growl. His hackles rose, and goose bumps slithered down my backbone.
“What’s going on, Sophie?”
“My sister’s husband is here. And he sounds pissed.”
“I’m sending a cruiser over now. Stay away from the windows and keep the door locked.”
We’d hired a process server in Las Vegas to deliver the temporary restraining order to Omar upon his return from the conference. The process server was supposed to contact us when he delivered the package. Apparently, he forgot that part. Omar must have returned home and immediately set out for LA.
“Holly! You can’t hide from me!” Bing-bong. “It was very foolish of you to run. You know I can find you.”
He paused for a moment. “Holly? Come on, baby. Come out and talk to me.” His voice wheedled. Silence.
Wham! “Holly, get out here now!” No more wheedling. “You’re mine! Remember our wedding vows. I own you!”
I own you? Rage short-circuited my brain. Ignoring Detective Sumner’s advice, I snatched the Louisville Slugger from beneath my bed and stomped down the hall. In a red haze of fury, I whipped open the front door.
My face must have reflected the anger coursing through my body, or perhaps it was the sight of my large, black Lab baring his fangs. Whatever the case, Omar stepped back.
“This isn’t the seventeenth century, you cretin. You don’t own my sister. Get the fuck off my porch, you piece of shit,” I snarled through gritted teeth and snapped the storm door lock.
“Holly’s my wife. It’s not your place to interfere.” He puffed up his chest and shook his fist at me.
“You like to hit women? C’mon, pal, why don’t you try taking a swing at me? I’ve got a friend here who’d like to tap dance on your face.” I bounced the Slugger in my left hand. The wrath pumped adrenaline through my body, and my fingers no longer shook.
“I don’t know what sort of tales she’s been telling you, but she fell down. That’s how she hurt herself.”
“I don’t know what prehistoric cave you crawled out of, but you need to go back there. You lying turd.” I hissed and slit my eyes at him.
“Holly!” he hollered, looking in the front window of my office. “I know you’re here. You can’t keep Eva from me. She’s my daughter too.”
“They’re not here.”
“Where else would they be? Arizona, perhaps?”
I couldn’t risk him going to my mother’s. “Neither. She’s in a safe house. Where you can’t get to her.”
“Then let me come in and see for myself.”
“Piss off.”
He balled his fists and his nostrils flared.
“You do understand what the restraining order means? You may not get within a hundred yards, and if Holly was here, you’d be in violation.”
“I suppose you helped her get that useless piece of paper.”
“Her lawyer helped her get that useful piece of paper.”
“Lawyers.” He spit out.
“You need to leave. Now.”
“I’m not leaving until I’ve seen my wife!”
Behind Omar, a black and white police cruiser pulled up. A brunette officer climbed out of the car. “Is there a problem?”
She approached Omar with a hand, resting on the service weapon attached at her hip. He glanced over his shoulder at the cop, and then his narrowed black eyes swooped back to me.
“This man is trespassing on my property. He needs to leave,” I spoke up.
“Sir, do you live here?”
He didn’t answer; he stood, seething. I gave back, glare for glare.
“Is this your home?”
“No,” he ground out.
“I’ve told him to leave. He needs to get off my property.” I stared him down.
“Sir, it would be best if you leave now.”
“I’ll kill you! Bitch!” He punched his fist against the storm door so hard a crack in the glass formed and split from top to bottom.
I jumped back, pulling a teeth-baring, frantically barking Sirius with me.
“Put your hands on your head and get down on the ground. Now!” The police officer had her gun pointed dead center of Omar’s back.
Slowly, he laced his hands behind his head and dropped down to his knees. If looks could kill, I’d have exploded where I stood. Evil hatred spewed forth from his obsidian hard eyes. I had no doubt, if there hadn’t been a police officer pointing a gun at him, we would’ve gone head to head. Shame really. I’d been looking forward to trying out the bat.
“Put your face to the ground,” she ordered.
Omar’s forehead touched the porch. A black, unmarked police vehicle careened into my driveway and squealed to a stop. The female officer snapped her gaze away for a second to see what was coming from behind. Gary jumped out of the vehicle with his gun drawn.
“Detective Sumner. I called in the drive-by.” He flashed his badge. “What happened?”
The cop holstered her gun and cuffed Omar. “Officer Kettlewell. This man is trespassing, and he just broke the lady’s plate glass window.”
Gary looked up. “You okay, Sophie?”
Sirius emitted a low growl. “Yes, I’m fine.”
Gary helped Officer Kettlewell get Omar to his feet. She reeled off his Miranda Rights as they escorted him to the black and white’s backseat. Then Kettlewell sat in the front with the door open, tapping on the cruiser’s computer. The two had a brief conversation before Gary returned, shaking his head.
“I want to press charges for destruction of private property and trespassing.” I tapped the split glass.
“May I come in?”
“Just a minute. Let me put Sirius away. He’s in a bit of a mood.” I led Sirius to the office. “Go to your bed.”
His brown doggie eyes stared at me. “Go on.” I stepped over to his bed and patted it. “Come to bed.”
He trotted over and stood on his bed but didn’t lie down. A reedy, pathetic whine stopped me short. I knelt and hugged him, scratching behind his ears.
“Who’s a good boy? Hm? You want to stay with Mommy, don’t you?”
His wet tongue slurped my face and Sirius gave a halfhearted tail wag.
“Okay. You can come with me, but you have to be nice to Detective Sumner. He’s a friend.” I waggled a finger at him.
Sirius didn’t growl but stuck close to me, whuffling quietly as I led Gary into the kitchen. He eyed the bat I laid across the table.
“Can I get you something to drink?”
“No.” Gary stood in the middle of the kitchen, hands on hips, his brow furrowed. “I thought we talked about not answering the door.”
“We did. He pissed me off.” I busied myself, opening the refrigerator, pretending to look for something.
“He’s dangerous, Sophie.”
The door closed with a thump and I sighed. “I know. I know. I’m sorry.” I scuffled to the pantry and pulled out a Milk-Bone for Sirius. His tail gave a full-on waggle in appreciation. The treat flipped through the air, and he caught it with a snap of his jaw. “He was yelling about owning Holly. Like she was his slave. I guess I just lost it.”
Sirius plopped down on the floor to crunch his treat, and I brushed a stray hair out of my eyes.
Gary’s grim whiskey brown eyes regarded me. “You can’t play with a man like that. He’s not kidding. The officer said he threatened you. Is that true?”
I sighed. “Yes.”
“You can get a temporary restraining order, too.”
“I’ll think about it. If I press charges, how long do you think he’ll spend in the pokey?”
“I can probably have him held overnight, but if he can post bail, he’ll be out tomorrow.”
“I figured. He’ll be able to post bail.” I scrubbed my eyes. “I’ll need to talk to my sister. She hasn’t told Mom yet, but I want her to do it today. Omar knows the restraining order was issued in California, so I’m pretty sure he’ll stay here. However, I want my mom to be warned in case he decides to check for Holly in Arizona.” The calendar on the refrigerator caught my eye. “Ah jeez. Mom’s supposed to fly in on Wednesday for Thanksgiving.” My fingers threaded through my messy mane.
The cell sang, Let’s Get this Party Started. Poppy. I sent her to voice mail.
She’d spent the morning at Ian’s, where she and my sister grilled me about my relationship with him. I confessed our intimate relationship, but none of their coaxing persuaded me to dish about all the bedroom antics. “Let’s just say the sex is fiery hot,” I’d hedged. However, I did tell them how Ian had romantically carried me up the stairs after Poppy’s party, a move that won him approval from both the ladies. As much as I’d groused about them ganging up on me, Poppy’s presence brought levity to our little group. Something Holly and I greatly needed.
“Do I have to come down to the station to press charges, or what?”
“No, I can take the report here. I’ll need to take pictures of the glass and get a statement from Officer Kettlewell.”
“Okay. Do you mind if I sit. I’m suddenly feeling a little shaky.” I held out a wobbly hand.
“It’s the adrenaline wearing off. By the way, what were you planning to do with the bat?”
“I thought I’d start with his man parts, and, while he writhed on the ground, I’d move to his thick skull.” I sank into the wooden kitchen chair.
“Be careful, Sophie. Self-defense is one thing. Murder is entirely different. Taking a man’s life in either regard will change your own life forever.” Gary’s voice held a warning.
I mashed my lips together and considered his words. It was strange how bloodthirsty I felt toward this belly crawling serpent. I’d never thought of myself as a violent person, but an image of my sister’s sunken eyes and bruised body brought out a protective Mama Bear reaction. I could never commit cold-blooded murder, but in the heat of rage ...
Gary wrote down my statement. Afterward, he spoke with Kettlewell and took photos while I returned Poppy’s call.
“Hey, girl, I’m free tonight. How about a drink? Smoke City Market?”
“I’d love to, but I don’t think I can.”
“Why not? You got a date with Mr. Hottie McHotpants?”
“Not exactly.” I explained Omar’s attempt to break down my door.
“Dear Lord! You poor thing. Are you freaking out?”
“A little.”
“Are you going to stay at Ian’s tonight?”
“I’m not sure. I have Sirius to consider. I’ve just finished his place. It’s not really pet friendly.”
“You’re both welcome to stay with me.”
Poppy lived in a swanky two-bedroom townhome in North Hollywood. The thought of Sirius’s dark hair attaching itself to her white on white furniture made me cringe.
“Thanks, doll, but your fancy house is no place for a big lug like Sirius either.”
“Are you kidding? He’s a good boy. Really, it’s no trouble.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. It will probably be fine if I stay here tonight. Gary thinks Omar will be in jail until tomorrow.”
Gary came back into the kitchen.
“Do you want me to come over? Strength in numbers and all that.”
“No. Maybe. I don’t know. Let me get back to you. ’K?”
“’K.”
I hung up. “What’s the four-one-one, Detective?”
“I’ve got everything I need. Are you staying here alone tonight?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I don’t want to leave Sirius alone.”
He stroked the dog’s head. “Do me a favor and text me when you decide.”
“I’ll let you know.”
Gary let himself out, and I dialed Ian.
“Ian’s phone.”
“Brittany?”
“Hi, Sophie. Ian wanted me to man his phone in case you called.”
“Is he available?”
“He’s on set right now. Is it important?”
“Sort of. If they take a break, can you have him call me?”
“Sure thing. Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Just have him call me as soon as he can. Thanks.”
My next call was to Holly. She answered on the third ring, and I gave her a run-down on the situation.
“Soph, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. But, listen, you and Eva need to be on lockdown. Don’t go for walks around the neighborhood like you did yesterday. Stay inside Ian’s property. I can’t take you out. If you need something, call me and I’ll bring it over.”
“You should come stay the night. I don’t think it’s safe for you to stay there.”
“I agree. I need to make arrangements for Sirius.” The call waiting beeped. “That’s Ian, I’ll call you back.”
• • •
Ian walked off set to find Brittany waving his phone in the air. “Sophie called you a few minutes ago,” she whispered.
A thrill flashed through him as he strode into his trailer and pressed the call back button on the mobile. Maybe she’d finally decided to spend the night at his place. So far they’d not seen hide nor hair of Holly’s husband, but Ian would still feel more comfortable if Sophie moved in until things got cleared up. Besides the safety benefit, having Sophie in his bed would allow Ian to help her release some of the tension Holly’s situation had produced. He could tell Sophie was wound tight as a drum over all this shite, and, after all, it was a medical fact that sex was an excellent stress reliever. As a matter of fact, now that he thought about it, having Sophie move in permanently might not be a bad idea; between his work schedule, her work schedule, and Holly’s ex-husband, they’d hardly had a moment alone. “Hello, luv. Did you finally come to your senses and decide to stay at my place?”
“Well, there’s been a development.” Her voice sounded shaky.
Fear gripped his gut. “What’s going on?”
“Omar stopped by a few minutes ago.”
The statement met dead air as Ian fought to get a handle on his temper.
“Ian?”
“What happened? Exactly.” He carefully enunciated each syllable.
Sophie briefly explained the altercation.
White hot anger flashed through his whole body and made him want to explode. Instead, he punched the wall leaving a hole. “Fuckin’ ’ell! I had a feeling that bloody wanker was going to show his rat-arsed face.”
His explosion met silence.
“Sophie Hartland, if you don’t get your cute bottom directly over to my house, I’ll come and physically stuff you into the car myself.” He said through gritted teeth.
“Whoa, whoa, Tarzan. Relax. I plan to come over. I just need to figure out what to do with Sirius. I don’t want him staying here without me, and it’s not safe to have my teenager looking after him. He and Omar took a dislike to each other. I need to see if I can find a place to board him tonight.”
“I told you, pack up the dog food and bring him over. It’s no problem.” He continued through his teeth.
“Are you sure? He sheds and sometimes slobbers and I just finished decorating with nice things that aren’t exactly pet friendly.”
Ian ran a hand down his face. Unbelievable, a psycho practically breaks down her door, threatens to kill her, and she’s worried about furniture. He counted to ten and forced himself to temper his tone. He knew if he yelled at her, that stubborn pride would come out, and she wouldn’t do what they both knew was best for her. “Who cares about furniture? If he ruins it, we’ll buy something new. Look, I’m a dog lover. When I grew up, we always had one or two mutts scuttlin’ ’round the house. The only reason I don’t have one now is because of my insane work schedule.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Pack a bag and get over to the house. I should be home in an hour. I expect to see you there.”
“On my way.”
After Ian hung up, he scrolled through his contacts and dialed a number he should have dialed the moment Holly moved into his house. “Ziggy? It’s Ian. Listen man, I’ve got a job for you.”