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EVERLY WRUNG HER HANDS later that evening, pacing back and forth in Tyler’s apartment. Two more of her brother’s friends had shown up in addition to Mark, both looking irritated about the fact that someone was stalking her. The men had searched the apartment complex and now were huddled in the corner, clearly not wanting her to overhear them. Tyler had called the police, and although they’d shown up and taken a report, there wasn’t much they could do at this point.
Her gut churned. None of the guys were happy. It didn’t surprise her that Tyler and his friends wanted to investigate the situation and find out who was threatening her, but she didn’t like feeling sidelined. This was her life and career at stake. Not that she had any of the training or experience they did, but she also didn’t want them getting into trouble because of her.
Guilt coursed through Everly. She probably should’ve told Tyler as soon as she started getting the creepy texts. He’d want to help her, and now it felt like everything had escalated. What if she’d dealt with this right away, before the situation had gotten worse? Would someone still have followed her all the way out here to San Diego?
She took a deep breath, her pulse pounding. Everly swore she could already feel herself spiraling. She needed to calm down, not work herself into some sort of anxiety attack. She was fine. She was safe. Her brother and his friends were here. They’d figure this out, and if Tyler was annoyed at her for not saying anything sooner, well, so be it. She couldn’t change anything now.
Ace, her brother’s team leader, stood talking to the other three men. He was a huge guy but also some sort of computer whiz in addition to being a SEAL. Everly knew they hoped he could help track the man electronically. Whether they’d look at any suspicious comments on her social media accounts as a starting point or somehow trace his phone number, she wasn’t sure. She’d already blocked a few numbers, so this guy either had multiple phones or was able to spoof phone numbers. Mark had seemed confident Ace could find out who was behind the messages, and Everly wanted to believe him.
She’d gotten no additional messages this evening, but the person sending them had probably realized they were looking for him. He’d have to be an idiot for making remarks about who she was with and not take any precautions to hide.
The group grew even quieter, discussing the situation as she watched them. The other man, Rob, was dark-haired and intense. He’d been angry about the nasty texts she was getting, saying no man should threaten a woman. Although he’d asked her a few questions when they’d been introduced, he certainly hadn’t looked at her the possessive way that Mark did.
As if her thoughts alone had gotten his attention, Mark looked up and crossed toward her, leaving the other men deep in discussion. “How are you holding up?” he asked in a low voice, his gaze intent on her.
“I’m kind of freaking out. Tyler is mad at me.”
“He’s not mad at you,” Mark assured her. “He’s upset some asshole is bothering you and you didn’t tell him.”
Everly blew out a sigh. “Yeah. I hoped blocking the number would get the person to leave me alone, but apparently not. Did you guys find anything in the parking lot?”
“Negative. We searched the area thoroughly, but he could’ve been long gone before he even sent the texts.”
“You think he got scared off when you showed up?” she asked.
“Maybe. He obviously knew I was here, which concerns me. What if I hadn’t come over tonight, Ev? Would he have knocked on the front door? Stayed in the parking lot for hours waiting and watching you? What if he’d tried to get you to come outside?”
She shuddered, causing Mark to frown. “We have to be on base at oh-six-hundred tomorrow for training, but Ace plans to start looking into things tonight. Trigger will talk with you later, but they’re going to want all the social media channels you’re on. Did you save the names of any of the accounts who were making inappropriate comments on your photos?”
“No, but I can see the names of who I blocked. I have a lot of follows, so getting obnoxious or crude comments isn’t uncommon. It’ll take a while to look through them all.”
“That sucks. You shouldn’t have to deal with bullshit like that.”
She let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, well, I’m not the only one. There are always anonymous people behind the keyboard thinking they can type whatever they want. I’m not the only woman who posts photos online and deals with creepy men.”
“Yeah, but how many women are also being stalked?” Tyler muttered as the other men walked over, surrounding her. Everly probably should’ve felt intimidated by the large, muscular guys, but these were her brother’s friends. Tyler looked stressed, and she didn’t blame him. He’d just dealt with an awful situation a few weeks ago when Rachel’s daughter had been kidnapped by her ex. Keira was safe now, but that had to be part of the reason they were already so close. They’d faced the worst together and fortunately had a happy ending. No doubt his SEAL team’s missions involved all sorts of dangerous scenarios as well. She couldn’t even imagine the half of it. Her visit to San Diego should’ve been the least of his concerns, and here she was already causing problems.
“The guys and I thoroughly searched the apartment complex, Ev,” Tyler said. “I don’t see a reason for you to leave tonight when I’m sure you’re exhausted, but tomorrow we’ll get you settled elsewhere.”
“I can check back into the hotel. They have cameras and security there.”
“Absolutely not,” Tyler said, shaking his head.
“I’ve got the photoshoot in a few days, Ty. I can’t exactly avoid the place.”
He blew out a frustrated sigh. “I don’t suppose you can convince them to reschedule your photoshoot until we figure this out?”
“No, and I won’t even ask them. Other bloggers are flying in, too. It’s a whole big thing. We’re each showcasing different parts of the new clothing line. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I get lewd comments on my pictures all the time. I delete them, block the account, and move on. This guy is taking it to another level, but—”
“There’s no ‘but’ about it. He’s threatening you,” Tyler argued.
“These situations tend to escalate,” Rob said in a low tone. “He might start off with comments on your photos, inappropriate texts, and whatnot, but what if he tries to make contact with you in person? Or approaches you when no one else is around?”
“Shit, don’t scare her,” Tyler chastised.
“Sorry. I just want your sister to be safe, Trigger. We all do.”
“I know,” Tyler said, looking frustrated. “This whole thing is messed up. Look, it’s late. Everly will be safe here with me tonight. Tomorrow we’ll get things set up.”
“What things?” she asked, looking confused.
“I offered for you to stay at my place,” Ace said. “I’ve got a decent sized house and plenty of room. My girlfriend Addison lives there, too, so you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable having to be alone with me or anything. I’ve got a security system and a big yard. It would be harder for anyone to watch you there without your knowledge than at an apartment complex like this with people always coming and going.”
“Wow,” she said, flabbergasted. “That’s nice of you, but I couldn’t impose like that. I don’t even know you.”
“It’s no imposition,” he said, exchanging a glance with Tyler.
“These guys are like brothers to me, Ev. We watch out for one another,” Tyler explained. Mark was standing there, lips pressed together, not commenting. She couldn’t tell if he was happy or mad about the new arrangements.
Her phone buzzed with a text, and she was relieved to see it was from her friend, not the man who’d been harassing her. “It’s Chloe,” she told Tyler as she quickly scanned over the message.
I saw you posted the selfies from the pier. Get it, girl! That red bikini was hot.
Everly resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She thumbed a text back.
Yeah, well, some creep was watching me there and has been following me ever since. I might have to go dark for a while.
At least until the photoshoot.
Her phone began buzzing with a call and she answered, noticing all four pairs of male eyes landed on her. “Hey Chloe,” she said pointedly.
Her brother and his friends went back to their conversation, and she moved to the other side of Tyler’s living room. She knew she’d have zero privacy talking on the phone while they were all standing there, but she needed a little breathing room. Tyler was unhappy about everything that had gone down tonight, but the other men looked concerned, too. She barely knew them but knew their team was close-knit. The other men had helped when Keira was kidnapped, and it was clear they were stepping in now, too.
“Hey Ev. Tell me what you meant in your texts. Someone is following you?”
“Apparently. Someone was watching me on the beach yesterday and sent me texts about it before I even posted the photos.”
“The guy who saved you, am I right? Oh my God. This keeps getting bigger and bigger.”
“No. Not him. The man who saved me is friends with Tyler. It’s a long story. Someone else was there watching me. He texted me, making gross comments, and they’re even worse than the ones I was getting back home,” she confided.
“Shit. You think it’s the same person? Those were pretty innocent right? Just saying how gorgeous you are.”
“These weren’t like that. They were just—creepy. I assume it’s the same person since they’re texting me directly, not commenting on public photos. I still don’t know how this guy even got my cell number. He’s been following me though,” she added with a shudder.
“Damn, girl. You have a stalker?”
“Apparently,” Everly said dryly.
“That’s crazy. Oh my God. You should totally post about that, too. Think of the attention you’d get! We could ask your followers to help us figure out who it is. Oh—you should offer a reward! It could be a big mystery that we get everyone to help solve.”
“No! I’m not posting about it. He followed me to my brother’s apartment. It’s creepy as hell. We even made a police report tonight, not that they can do much.”
“Damn.”
“I really can’t figure out how he knew my cell number anyway. I don’t share it with many people outside my friends and family. I use it for work sometimes, but most people don’t have it.”
“Are you changing your number?”
“Maybe. Not right now, but when I get home, I might have to.”
She sighed, brushing back a stray piece of hair. The sleeve of her wispy kimono shifted with the movement, and she caught Mark’s gaze on her again. The intense way he’d been watching her tonight probably should’ve made her nervous, but oddly enough, she just felt safe.
He was athletic and strong. No doubt he was brave. He had to be in order to rush off on all those missions Tyler’s team was involved with. She’d never given much thought to the military or what that type of life involved. She was proud of Tyler, but in many ways, his life was incredibly far removed from her own. He was older than her, lived clear across the country, and had been enlisted for years. The Navy was her brother’s thing—not hers.
Mark did the same dangerous ops that Tyler did, and Everly had panic attacks over nothing. She couldn’t help it when she suddenly became overwhelmed, her anxiety getting the best of her. He seemed so confident and strong in comparison—her total opposite.
Mark was still watching her, and she realized Chloe was going on and on about cell phone providers and the problem with changing her number. “I don’t know what I’ll do,” Everly admitted. “I’ll have to think about it and see what happens with finding the guy who’s been harassing me. So, what’s new with you?” she asked, wanting to change the subject. “Did you go to that bridal shower this afternoon?”
Chloe launched into an in-depth discussion of her cousin’s bridal shower, and after a few minutes, Everly couldn’t suppress her yawn. It had been a long couple of days, and combined with the time change, she was wiped. She said goodbye to her friend and could see that Tyler and his buddies were wrapping up their conversation as well.
“I’ll touch base with you tomorrow,” Ace said. “Your sister is tired, and I’m sure you don’t want us all hanging around your apartment all night. I’ll start digging into things when I get home though. Shoot me the list of sites she’s on.”
“Will do. I appreciate it,” Tyler said with a nod.
Tyler walked his friends to the door, but Mark hung back a moment, clearly wanting a word with Everly. She hesitated a moment before crossing the room toward Mark. He had a slight five o’clock shadow, the dark stubble on his jaw making him look slightly rough yet sexy. Her heart thudded.
Her gaze briefly drifted to his lips, and she remembered him kissing her earlier. No doubt her face was probably turning red now. What had he been thinking, ducking down and kissing her like that at Rachel’s apartment? They weren’t dating. They barely knew one another. Everly didn’t go around kissing men she’d just met. Her skin heated just remembering it though—his hand on the back of her head. His lips moving over hers. He was gentle but had still somehow taken control of the moment. There was an edge to him she couldn’t explain. It scared her a little but excited her, too. She loved his confidence and strength. They’d barely had time to discuss the kiss though, because the next several hours had been a whirlwind.
“Will you be okay?” he asked quietly, those dark eyes boring into hers.
The voices of the others drifted across the room, her gaze shifting to them, but then she met his gaze once more.
She’d noticed the way he’d been carefully watching her tonight. He was intense, but she didn’t mind the idea of him looking after her. Not that Everly needed looking after. He just calmed her. It was a strange thought to suddenly want something you didn’t even realize you needed. She’d been fine on her own. She’d found success. Yes, she’d started having some anxiety attacks again, but that was mostly from stress.
And Mark?
He had his own life and dangerous job. He didn’t need to worry about her problems. Besides, she’d be okay here with her own brother tonight. Her pulse thudded as he shifted slightly closer to her. “Yeah. I’ll be fine. Thanks for coming over tonight to keep me company. I guess it was a little more eventful than I expected.”
His jaw tightened. “That’s an understatement.”
She let out a breath. “I know. I just don’t want to think about it too much.”
“Text me if you need anything. I’ll talk to you soon.” Mark turned around and strode to the door, leaving Everly wondering what he was thinking. Was he annoyed he’d bothered coming over here tonight? Mad about the man stalking her? The memory of their kiss was seared into her brain, but maybe he was realizing it had been a mistake and wanted to put some distance between them.
He had stuck around a moment to say goodbye though. What did she expect? It’s not like they’d have a heart-to-heart with her brother mere feet away.
It didn’t matter. She’d be leaving in a week anyway. That didn’t stop her from watching Mark cross the room, his broad shoulders moving through the doorway. She heard him talking to Tyler out in the breezeway. Mark flashed one last glance her way, his expression unreadable, and then the door closed behind him.
