“Any chance we can get Acker’s DNA?” Kaleb asked Grimes.
“Don’t have enough evidence for a warrant,” Grimes pointed out. “I can ask, see if he’ll cooperate.”
“Maybe he will, just to clear his name.” A vain hope, really, as Kaleb knew anyone who would abuse a woman and child wasn’t likely to cooperate with law enforcement.
“Don’t hold your breath,” Grimes muttered. “Let me know if your perp shows up in Agoura Hills.”
“Yeah, I will.” After he contacted the locals, Kaleb added silently, “Thanks, Detective.”
Charlotte whirled away and stumbled toward the sofa. She collapsed onto it, burying her face in her hands.
“Hey, don’t be upset.” Kaleb sat and wrapped his arms around her. “Think of it this way, we can assure Willow and Tommy that they’re safe.”
“Are they?” Charlotte lifted her head, her aquamarine eyes swimming with tears. “If the dark-haired guy returns, I don’t think he’ll care how many of the women and children get hurt.”
“Yes, that is a possibility,” he agreed. “But you must know I’m not going to let that happen.”
“For how long?” Charlotte shook her head. “You’ve put your life on hold for days, Kaleb. Now that this guy is injured, he could lay low. Hide out for a while. Maybe regroup and come back after us in a few days or a few weeks.” She pulled out of his arms and jumped to her feet. “I need to call my donor. She’ll help us get relocated. That may be our only way to stay safe.”
“Hold on.” Kaleb reached out and tugged her back down. “Let’s talk this through. We still have five days here. The security alarm has been working pretty well, especially with my additional security measures. Give me a few more days before you set up a new place. I’m sure that money could be saved for a problem down the road.”
She swiped at her eyes and sighed. “It feels like the police are never going to find this guy.”
Privately, Kaleb agreed. He’d had more interaction with this guy than any of the officers had. Yet he’d failed in his mission to grab him. Kaleb wished he’d followed his gut and had called Senior Chief, Nico, or any of the others to help. He’d really hoped Hudson would respond to his call for help, especially since he’d asked for backup rather than just checking in on the guy.
But so far there had been no response. Either Hudson was so far off-grid his phone wasn’t working. Or the guy wasn’t in a position to call him back.
He prayed Hudson, who’d suffered a devastating injury after the underwater bomb had exploded, would be okay. Not just physically, as the blindness in his left eye was permanent, but emotionally.
Spiritually.
“I’ll wait until tomorrow to decide next steps,” Charlotte said, drawing him from his thoughts. “It’s not like they’ll start renovations at this hour.”
“What kind of renovations?”
“She found a warehouse, much like the previous safe house, that is available for rent, but the interior needs work.” She shrugged. “At a minimum, we need a small kitchen and a few bedrooms, with numerous beds for our residents.”
He nodded, humbled by the fact that they were asking for so little. It shouldn’t be this difficult to keep them safe. Yet he knew more than most how terribly evil people could be. He stroked Sierra’s fur. “Thanks for putting your faith in me, Charlotte.”
She managed a smile. “If you would have asked me four days ago to trust a man with the lives of these women and children, I’d have flat-out refused. But you proved to be the exception to the rule, Kaleb.”
“I’m not, there are plenty of decent men in the world.” At least, that’s what he wanted to believe. “You and I have had the misfortune of seeing the worst in people. We shouldn’t let our personal experiences cloud our judgment of the general population.”
“You’re right.” She drew in a deep breath. “Thanks for the reminder.”
He drew her in for a quick hug, then forced himself to move away. Charlotte was a distraction he couldn’t afford. Not now. There was a distinct possibility that he’d angered the gunman enough to make him return to exact his revenge. And deep in his gut, Kaleb hoped he would.
This time, he’d be ready.
“I need to take Sierra outside.” He called the dog over. “We’ll walk the perimeter again, so it may take a while.”
“Okay. In the meantime, I’ll let Willow know that her husband isn’t the one coming after us.”
He hoped Willow would find some comfort in that. Although he doubted the woman would relax until they had the dark-haired guy in custody and they were back in their original safe house.
After disarming the alarm, he took Sierra outside. After reactivating the alarm, he stood near the front door, listening intently.
This neighborhood was unusually quiet. There was no sign of the occupants of the house to the right, the one the dark-haired guy used to access their backyard.
Were all of these houses used primarily as vacation rentals? It would explain why very little traffic came down this street. Other than the two women who’d argued about their plans, he hadn’t seen anyone milling about. Yet it seemed like a waste of expensive real estate.
Sierra waited patiently for him to move away from the doorway. He went to the pool side of the property first, sweeping his gaze over the area. There wasn’t enough foliage for him to set up additional trip wires there. He lifted his gaze, noting the windows of the master suite were dark. Then he turned to check the sight line from the master suite to the adjacent property.
That home looked dark, too, but there were two large windows facing the master suite.
He continued moving along the perimeter, identifying a couple of spots he could add trip wires. Keeping Sierra close so she didn’t trigger any of them, he continued making his way around the house.
The net was still suspended up in the leaves of the trio of palm trees. If the dark-haired guy returned, he hoped the net would hold him long enough for Kaleb to grab him.
If the guy managed to trigger the net trap at all.
The evening was quiet, the sun setting low on the horizon. Kaleb went back inside the house, grabbed more fishing line, then returned to set up the additional wires.
His phone rang as he was finishing up. He nearly dropped it when he recognized Hudson’s name on the screen. “Hudd? Hey, man, are you okay?”
“You need help?” The curt tone did not invite further questions related to his health status.
“I could use some backup,” Kaleb agreed, still shocked his teammate had called. “I’m protecting a group of abused women and children from a gunman who has tried several times to break in.”
“Where?”
“We’re in a suburb of Los Angeles called Agoura Hills. Where are you?”
“Boise.”
Kaleb frowned, wondering why on earth Hudd was in Idaho. The guy had lived in the San Diego area for years, as they all had while in the navy. Easier that way, especially when they were called up at a moment’s notice. “That’s pretty far away.”
“Thirteen to fourteen hours by car, possibly more depending on traffic.” Hudd’s voice was terse. “I’ll aim to be there in the morning.”
“Ah, okay, if you’re sure.” He didn’t want to refuse Hudd’s help, especially since the guy had been off-grid for so long. “I would appreciate having backup. We’re staying in a rental property with a security system, and I’ve added additional traps to prevent anyone from getting too close. Call me when you’re thirty minutes out.”
“Okay.” The call ended as abruptly as it had begun.
Kaleb stared at his phone, then dialed Mason’s number. “Chief? I heard from Hudd, he’s on his way to help me out.”
“Where has he been?” Mason Gray demanded.
“Boise, Idaho. Don’t ask me why, Hudd wasn’t exactly chatty.”
“Is he going to be able to get to you in time?” Mason asked. “If you needed backup, you should have called me.”
“I was going to, but I’ve had things under control.” Mostly under control. “If you want to know the truth, I called Hudd hoping a request for backup would be enough to draw him out of hiding.”
“Hmm. I guess that part worked.” Mason paused, then added, “I can help too.”
It was tempting, but even if Mason left now, it would be four to five hours before he’d get there. “Nah, I’ll be fine tonight. I managed to wound the perp earlier today. I’m hoping he’ll get picked up at a local hospital sooner than later.”
“Sounds like things have been dicey,” Mason drawled.
“I haven’t been bored, that’s for sure,” he replied wryly. “How are you?”
“Living the dream,” Mason said without hesitation. “And I mean that with all my heart. I couldn’t be happier with my beautiful wife, Aubrey, and our son, Lucas.”
Another reason Kaleb hadn’t asked their former team leader for help. And for the first time, he felt a twinge of envy. Not that he begrudged Senior Chief anything, but thinking about Charlotte made him realize he wanted something similar.
But that was impossible. Not just because he’d promised to help Nico find Ava but because Charlotte didn’t want that kind of relationship with him.
“I’m happy for you, Chief.”
“Thanks, Kaleb. Maybe I should head up tomorrow? I’d like to check in on Hudson.”
He wouldn’t have minded more hands, but he wasn’t sure how the women and children inside might feel about that. “Hang tight for now, Chief. If we need more hands, I’ll let you know. I’d rather not scare the women and children seeking refuge from physical abuse by bringing in a whole team of men.”
“Roger that. But next time, don’t hesitate to call,” Mason chided.
“I won’t, Chief. Thanks.” He ended the call, feeling optimistic. Hudd was alive and willing to help. Mason had settled down into his new life.
He lifted his gaze to the sky. Several stars were visible now that the sun had faded away.
“Dear Lord, please keep Hudson and our other teammates safely in Your care. Amen.”
After making one more sweep of the perimeter, he headed inside. He wanted to make sure everyone was settled in for the night before he returned to find a place to sit and wait for their perp to show up.
With God’s grace, he’d prefer to have the gunman caught and turned over to the police before Hudson arrived. If so, he’d strong-arm Hudd into traveling with him to San Diego to meet up with Mason. Maybe even convince Hudd to help him pick up Ava Rampart’s trail.
Whether Hudd like it or not. Because reconnecting with friends, with guys that were closer than most brothers, was the best way to get through troubling times.
Something he’d need too. Leaving Charlotte wouldn’t be easy. There wasn’t a doubt in Kaleb’s mind that he’d leave a large part of his heart behind once he was forced to move on.
Willow had been relieved to hear Thomas Acker wasn’t the guy who’d been outside their safe house. Charlotte had reminded her, though, that they still needed to be on guard until the gunman had been caught. Willow solemnly agreed.
The house felt empty without Kaleb. Her fault for growing dependent on him. For allowing herself to become accustomed to having him around.
She’d promised to wait until tomorrow to call Abby, but she knew moving to another location was the right thing to do. Yes, the money Abby had raised would have gone to better use in providing clothing and other relocation services to her residents, but those were secondary issues.
The primary goal was to keep them alive.
Over the next hour, many of the women retired to their rooms. Tommy had practically fallen asleep next to Willow, so she’d urged them to go upstairs too. Milly joined her in the kitchen, stifling a yawn.
“I’m ready for bed,” she announced.
Charlotte forced a smile. “Go ahead, get some rest. I’m going to make some tea before I head up.”
Milly frowned. “I’ve noticed you haven’t been sleeping much.”
True that, she thought ruefully. “It’s been stressful with this guy constantly coming after us.”
“Charlotte, you should learn to give your worries over to God.” Milly patted her arm. “And Kaleb is here to protect us.”
“I know.” She knew Kaleb would do whatever was necessary to keep them safe. “It’s just—I have a lot on my mind.”
“Hand your troubles over to God,” Milly repeated. “He will carry those burdens for you.”
She tipped her head, regarding the older woman thoughtfully. “You’ve never mentioned God and prayer before.”
Milly flushed. “I should have. I was raised to believe in God but somehow let go of my faith. Then Kaleb arrived, bringing his faith and prayers to our table. That handsome young man made me realize I shouldn’t have strayed.”
Charlotte knew Milly had suffered abuse too. Maybe not as detrimental as some of them, her husband had been an alcoholic, ragging at her when he was drunk. His swings at her had rarely connected, but Milly had admitted to staying with him longer than she should have.
“Didn’t James attend church too?” Charlotte asked.
Milly waved a hand. “Going to church doesn’t mean anything. God isn’t in church, He is here, in our hearts.” She rested her palm on her chest. “Trust me, James didn’t have God in his heart.”
Charlotte nodded, knowing Jerry hadn’t had God in his heart either. Not that Jerry had ever crossed the threshold of a church. “I guess you’re right.”
“Now Kaleb? That man has God in his heart.” Milly wagged a finger. “I’ve seen the way you look at him, Char. Don’t let that man go without a fight.”
“Milly, he’s not my man to fight over,” she protested.
“He could be,” Milly insisted. “I’ve noticed the way he looks at you too.”
She felt her cheeks flush and quickly moved to the cabinet for her Sleepytime tea. “Enough, Milly. Get some sleep. I’ll be up shortly.”
Milly’s gaze bored into her back for a long moment before the woman moved away. Charlotte heated up a mug of water in the microwave, grateful for something to do.
Kaleb hadn’t come back inside. Sierra was stretched out near the front door, patiently waiting for him to return. Charlotte dunked her Sleepytime tea bag into the hot water, wondering if she was using the tea as an excuse to do the same.
The day had been mentally exhausting. Yet thoughts continued to whirl in her mind. Between her growing feelings for Kaleb, worry over the gunman, and Abby’s offer to renovate another warehouse to use as their future safe house, she highly doubted she’d be able to sleep.
Sierra abruptly lifted her head and scrambled to her feet. Charlotte frowned, then relaxed when she saw the alarm had been deactivated. Seconds later, Kaleb appeared, quickly keying in the code.
“Good girl,” he said, greeting Sierra who was wiggling with excitement as if Kaleb had been gone for months rather than ninety minutes.
“Everything quiet outside?”
His gaze caught hers. “Yeah, so far. But I’m thinking of staying outside most of the night in case this guy shows up again.”
She frowned. “But I thought that was why you set up the trip wires? So that you didn’t have to stay outside.”
“I want to get this guy, Charlotte.” He shrugged, his expression grim. “The best way to do that is to be ready and waiting for him.”
As much as she hated the idea of him being out in the cold, she knew he was right. Except for the fact that this guy was injured, which made it less likely he’d return so quickly. “You really think he’ll show up?”
“It’s always better to be prepared.”
She sipped her tea. “I can give you a pillow and blanket.”
He grinned. “Thanks, but that won’t work. I need to stay hidden from view.”
“Oh, sure. Of course.” She felt like an idiot.
“I wouldn’t mind coffee, though,” he said. In a flash, she was transported back to the first night they’d met. When he’d calmly agreed to stay outside all night to keep them safe. Asking for nothing more than a cup of coffee in return.
Going with her instincts, she’d trusted him. A gesture that had provided the best possible outcome. He’d saved them more than once.
She moved away from the kitchen counter so fast she spilled her tea. “I’ll get a pot brewing right away.”
“No rush.” Kaleb came to join her. “I’m sure he’ll wait until much later, when he thinks we’re at our most vulnerable.”
She raised a brow, filling the carafe with water. “No one who knows you would think you’re vulnerable.”
“Maybe not after the way I wounded him, but some people’s actions defy logic,” Kaleb responded.
“True.” Certainly, the way this guy kept coming after them defied logic. Why he couldn’t just give up and move on was a mystery. Didn’t the gunman realize his own life was on the line? What was the point of revenge if doing so landed you in jail?
Then again, most abusers acted as if they were above the law. And some of them, like Abby’s congressman husband, had been untouchable.
Jerry, too, had his cop brother on his side. He believed the picture Jerry had painted of Charlotte as a crazy woman who had attacked him, forcing him to defend himself.
Yeah, right.
She shook off the depressing thoughts, focusing her gaze on the coffee maker. “This should be ready in ten minutes.”
Kaleb nodded, watching her intently for a long moment before turning away. “I’ll be back soon.”
Charlotte sipped her lukewarm tea, listening to the drip, drip, drip of the coffee. If Kaleb was going to spend the night outside, maybe she’d sleep on the sofa. That way, she wouldn’t have to listen to Milly’s snoring.
And she’d be close at hand if Kaleb needed her.
The last thought made her grimace. Kaleb wouldn’t need her other than maybe to call 911, the way she had when Tommy had been out on the roof.
Still, her meager presence had to be better than no one backing him up.
She decided to head back upstairs to grab her .38. Tiptoeing into the room, she silently opened the drawer next to her side of the bed and withdrew the gun. Milly mumbled something in her sleep as Charlotte removed the trigger lock.
She grabbed her pillow from the bed and carried both items back downstairs. In the living room, she tossed her pillow onto one end of the sofa, bringing her gun into the kitchen with her.
Having the weapon was a necessity, but that didn’t mean she’d gotten comfortable in carrying it around. Thankfully, her sweater had deep pockets.
“You look ready to take on anyone who dares to enter,” Kaleb drawled as he joined her.
She tried not to show her discomfort in having the weapon weighing her down. “I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight, in case you need me.”
He frowned. “No reason to do that.”
“There’s every reason,” she countered. The coffeepot finished brewing, so she rummaged in the cupboards until she found the same insulated mug she’d used that first night. Milly must have brought it with them in the box of kitchen goods. “I plan to call the police if I hear anything unusual.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Okay, but I still think you should sleep in a regular bed.”
“Says the man who has spent two nights on a short sofa and is now planning to stay outside all night,” she retorted. After filling the mug, she handed it to him. “Are you taking Sierra with you?”
“Not this time.” A tingle of awareness shot up her arm when their fingers brushed. He took the mug and smiled gratefully. “The trip wires may prove a problem for her. Besides, I’d rather she stay inside to guard you.”
She didn’t like that idea, but there was no point in arguing. She suspected the real reason Kaleb wanted his dog to stay inside was to keep Sierra out of the line of fire.
He turned to head for the door.
“Kaleb? Wait.” She hurried around the edge of the counter. Resting her hand on his arm, she went up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Please be careful.”
“This is nothing for you to worry about.” His voice was low and husky, his dark eyes reassuring. “I’ve been in far more dangerous situations than this.”
“I know. I just—want you to be safe.” She caught herself before she could blurt out the truth.
That she was falling in love with him.
“You too, Charlotte.” He surprised her by pressing a heated kiss on her upturned mouth. The embrace was over before it started. And when he released her, she had to fight off the urge to cling to him.
He deactivated the alarm and stepped outside. She quickly crossed the room to activate it again.
Sierra gazed up at her with a questioning look.
“It’s just you and me, girl,” she whispered, smoothing a hand over the dog’s silky fur. “We have to trust that God will watch over him.”
Sierra licked her wrist as if in agreement.
Charlotte downed the last of her cold tea, washed the mug, and returned it to the cupboard. Sierra followed like a dark shadow as she moved from the kitchen to the living room. And when Charlotte stretched out on the sofa, Sierra assumed a similar position on the floor right in front of her.
She tucked the .38 beneath her pillow and tried to sleep. After several moments, she turned to prayer.
Lord, I know I’m not worthy to ask anything of You, but please keep Kaleb safe in Your care this night. Amen.
Somehow, she must have drifted off because a strange noise brought her bolt upright. She pulled the gun from beneath the pillow, aiming the barrel at the front door.
Was someone out there?