Blake
I turned into the driveway and pulled alongside Victoria’s silver sedan, heart in my throat. This was not at all how I’d imagined our next meeting. I’d driven like a bat out of hell the whole way here, breaking every law imaginable in my need to see her. I still wasn’t entirely sure why she’d called me of all people, but I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She’d sounded terrified on the phone, her voice vibrating with fear even as she’d tried to remain calm. Throwing the truck in park, I hopped out and was already jogging toward the front porch before the door fully closed behind me.
Victoria popped up from where she sat on the bottom step and I froze. My eyes raked over her from head to toe, taking in the tension in her body, the way her arms were wrapped protectively around her waist. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” I ached with the need to pull her into my arms but stopped myself just in time. I flexed my hands at my sides. “Want to tell me what happened?”
She glanced off to the side. “It sounds silly, but I got home and things just felt… wrong.”
I ambled closer, keeping my steps slow and measured as I closed the distance between us. “Is anything missing or out of place?”
“I… I’m not sure. I mean, I don’t think anything is missing, but it feels like someone went through my stuff, like it’s not exactly the way I left it.”
I examined her for a moment before responding, watching as she rubbed her hands briskly over her arms as if to dispel a chill. Considering it was almost eighty-five degrees outside, I seriously doubted it was the weather. She’d been through a lot lately, and I understood her discomfort. “I’m going to clear the house. Do you have your keys?” She automatically extended her hand toward me to pass them over, but I wrapped my hand around hers and curled her fingers closed over the keyring. “I want you to get in the car and lock the doors. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come in.”
Her eyes flared wide. “I’m not leaving you in there alone.”
“I can handle myself.”
“I’m going with you.”
I studied her for a second. “If you’re sure.”
I held out my hand and she slipped her palm into mine. A sense of déjà vu swept over me, reminding me of the events that had transpired just twenty-four hours ago. With Victoria on my heels, I cautiously made my way up the porch to the small house. Ears and eyes alert, I stepped inside.
Parallel to the hallway leading to the back of the house, a set of stairs lay directly in front of us, and I glanced up to the second level. Seeing nothing amiss, I turned to the right and passed through the large archway to the living room. I canvassed the room and moved on to the kitchen, dining room, and downstairs office. Although everyday clutter dotted the surfaces, nothing appeared to be out of place. Moving upstairs, I checked each bedroom and bathroom, every closet and possible hiding place.
I paused at the top of the stairs and gave Victoria’s hand a reassuring squeeze. In the fading light of the evening, her face looked drawn and haunted. “Everything looks good to me. How about you?”
Her mouth twisted, and her cheeks were tinted red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry I wasted your time. It was silly and—”
I slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “If it means making sure you feel safe, it’s not a waste of time.”
She resisted for a moment before relaxing against me, then tucking her head against my chest. I breathed her in, loving the way she felt in my arms. I’d lied to Con. I wouldn’t—couldn’t—stay away from her. There was some indefinable quality that connected us, and though I’d only known her for a week-and-a-half, I wanted more—more of her sweet kisses, more of her shy little looks. I wanted to know everything about her.
I pushed her gently in the direction of her room. “Why don’t you go change and I’ll start some dinner?”
She threw a bemused look my way but went willingly. I jogged back downstairs, checking to make sure the front door was locked as I passed before heading toward the kitchen. I rooted through the pantry and fridge for ingredients and had just added everything to the skillet when a soft sound drew my attention.
I met Victoria’s eyes across the room and gestured to the small table situated in the corner breakfast nook. “Have a seat, it’ll be ready in just a few minutes.”
I served up the food and grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, then placed everything on the table in front of Victoria. Expression bewildered and a bit disturbed, she picked up her fork and began to eat. After several moments, she finally broke the uncomfortable silence.
“This is nice, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ve never eaten here before.”
I glanced at her. “At home?”
She shook her head. “At this table.” Her words were soft, like she was afraid of revealing too much. “I don’t cook much. Even when I do, I usually just eat in the living room on the couch.”
She traced a finger over a dark woodgrain running through the table. “It’s just me, so… there’s not usually much reason to cook.”
I studied her for a moment before scooping up another forkful of food. “Your boyfriend hasn’t stayed for dinner?”
Her cheeks pinkened. “I don’t have… I’ve never…”
She couldn’t have shocked me more if she’d tried. “Really? You’ve never invited a man over for dinner?”
She didn’t answer, just dropped her embarrassed gaze to her plate, and a strange surge of pleasure washed over me. “Well, this is a first for me, too, then. I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed dinner this much. I was in the field so long that I haven’t had much chance to spend time with a beautiful woman.”
A delicate red flush made its way up her neck and across her cheeks, and the sight brought a smile to my face. I loved it when she blushed like that. “I mean, I go home to see my mom when I have a chance. I love her and all, but it’s just not the same.”
I winked at her and Victoria chuckled, a soft, sultry sound that sent sparks of awareness straight to my groin.
“Now I know you’re lying. A guy like you would have no problem getting any woman you want.”
I tipped my head. “Just one.”
Victoria’s brows drew together and I almost laughed. After the kiss in her office last week, I was certain she knew where I stood. She, however, was a mystery. I’d seen her exit a car this morning that clearly wasn’t hers, and the driver had looked suspiciously male. Was it the same guy from last night? And was he just a friend, or was he… more? She’d just admitted that she didn’t have a boyfriend and that a man had never stayed over.
Deciding not to press for the moment, I changed the subject. “How are you feeling?”
She shrugged. “A little sore from my tumble down the stairs, but I’ll be fine.”
“Did you get to see Dr. Winfield?”
“I stopped by the hospital today.” Victoria forked up some chicken. “Everything’s good, but the cut required a ton of stitches.”
I grimaced at the memory of the injury. “I’m sure. It looked awful.”
I could sense the change in her as we spoke of the incident, and I didn’t want her to draw away again. I needed to keep her here in this moment, with me. “Tell me about yourself, Doc.”
Her posture stiffened and her eyes dropped to her plate. “Not much to tell. What about you? How long were you in the military?”
I took another bite of food to cover my surprise at her abrupt deflection. Swallowing, I cleared my throat. “Sixteen years.”
Her eyes flared with surprise. “That’s a long time. Couldn’t you have retired soon?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, but I’m getting old and I decided it was time to get out. My body can’t handle that kind of shit anymore.”
“So you moved home?”
“Nah.” I shook my head. “My parents are back in Wisconsin. A buddy of mine from the Marines had this idea to start a private security firm, so I jumped on board. I didn’t know what I was going to do once I was discharged, so his offer came at the perfect time.”
She tipped her head, studying me with those perceptive gray eyes. “Have you been adjusting well?”
Was that her only interest—to see me as a patient rather than a prospective lover? I lifted a shoulder. “Yes and no. We all have our demons, it’s just a matter of not allowing them to control us.”
She tensed, fork suspended in midair, an array of emotions passing over her face. Curious about her reaction but not wanting to pry, I leaned back in my seat and studied her. “Did you grow up here?”
She met my eyes and shook her head. “I’m originally from Ohio.”
“So, what brought you to Texas?”
She shifted uncomfortably. “I needed a change. My grandparents live near Snyder, so I moved down here about ten years ago, went to school at UT, and I’ve stayed ever since.”
Her story was succinct, and I instinctively knew she’d left out a lot of very important details. Determined to win her trust, I teased, “Couldn’t have picked somewhere a little cooler?”
At that, she smiled. “It can get really cold in Ohio in the wintertime, so it’s kind of a welcome change to have warm weather all year round. On the other hand, I do miss having a white Christmas.”
“I can imagine. Winter in Wisconsin lasts about six months, or so it seems. I’ve only been here for a few weeks, so we’ll see how I feel a year from now.”
She smiled. “I had no idea you’d just moved here.”
“Yep. Just over a month now. Con—my buddy—and I met down here to check out a building he’d bought in the Industrial District. It pretty much had to be gutted, but he hired a construction company to come in and renovate the place. It’s almost ready to go.”
“Are you finding your way around okay?”
“So far. Although I really don’t have much reason to go out. Maybe once I settle in more.” I smiled at her. “Are you offering to show me around?”
She blushed. “Well, I just thought… Never mind, it was silly.” She stood and picked up her plate, then rounded the table.
Shit. I hadn’t meant to embarrass her. “Victoria.”
Snaking a hand out, I grasped her wrist, freezing her in her tracks. The plate slipped from her fingers as she recoiled, and it shattered with a crash. I immediately released her, shocked at her response. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Her entire body was rigid with tension, and I could hear the difference in her breathing. I couldn’t begin to comprehend what had just happened, but I decided not to push at the moment. I slowly rose from the chair. “I’ll get this cleaned up if you tell me where the broom is.”
“No, I—” Her voice broke and I cut her off.
“Doc, look at me.” She reluctantly met my gaze. “It was my fault. Let me take care of it.”
She swallowed hard. “I have a broom and dustpan in the pantry.”
I nodded. “Why don’t you head up to bed? I’ll crash down here on the couch.”
“You’re staying?” Victoria’s voice shook.
“I was planning to. Unless you prefer I leave?” I leaned a hip against the table and studied her.
After a moment, she shook her head. “You can stay if you want.”
I nodded. “I’m going to clean up then check the windows and doors. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
Victoria silently faded from the room, and I pondered her reaction. What the hell had set her off? Even earlier this evening when I hugged her, she seemed perfectly fine. But the moment I’d grabbed her wrist, everything had changed. Her anxiety stemmed from more than just a recent scare—it was a deeply ingrained response. She refused to talk about her past, glossing over the details and jerking away from my abrupt touch. What had happened to her?
I made quick work of cleaning up the kitchen then made my way through the house, checking each door and window to make sure they were locked up tight. Satisfied that everything was good, I headed into the living room. Sinking onto the couch, I dropped my head back and stared at the ceiling. Was I reading her totally wrong? Was she not interested in me or was it something else, something that ran deeper, tied into a past she didn’t want to talk about? I listened to her move around upstairs. The water turned on, presumably for her shower, and I stifled a groan.
Propping my feet on the coffee table, I turned on the TV then flipped through channels until I came to a crime show. The lamp on the end table kicked off at eleven o’clock, triggered by an automatic timer, and I turned off the TV with a sigh then settled in for a night of restless sleep.
Although the couch was large and comfortable, I tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Sometime around midnight, I heard a soft creak on the stairs. Seconds later, Victoria’s wraith-like figure appeared in the doorway of the living room. She stood there, shifting from foot to foot for several moments before she finally spoke, her voice soft and timid.
“Blake?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry I freaked out on you earlier.”
I pushed to a sitting position. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Silence descended heavily over the room and I held my breath, afraid that she would flee to the sanctuary of her room if I made one wrong move.
She hesitated for a moment before drifting toward the couch and propping a hip on the armrest. I turned to face her, examining her silhouette in the darkness, highlighted by the moonlight coming through the window.
“You know Monique Henderson’s killer contacted me from the murder scene?” I nodded at the rhetorical question and she took a deep breath before continuing. “He didn’t ask for me, exactly.”
I froze. Why the hell would she lie about that? QSG had been called in specifically because of the murder. We’d been under the impression that she was at risk because the killer had contacted her. If she was playing some kind of twisted game…
Anger burned through my gut but before I could speak, Victoria continued. “I had a bad experience back in high school. I didn’t want to finish out the year up there, and I moved down here my senior year. I just had to get away.”
She stared at the floor, unwilling to look at me, lost in some memory ten years old. “My real name is Bekah Baker. He asked for me—for Bekah. He knows who I am.”
I sucked in a breath as a red haze filled my vision. Christ. She should have said something sooner. If I’d known some asshole was stalking her, had been after her for God knows how long, I could’ve been better prepared. This changed things completely.
“Jesus, Doc, why the hell—” I abruptly cut off when she flinched. I dragged in a deep breath before continuing, this time more calmly than before. “Do you know who it is?”
She shook her head. “No. The police never found out back then”—she waved her hand as if to emulate the past—“and Detective Sanchez told me earlier they don’t have any suspects yet for Monique’s murder.”
Goddamn it. I wanted to push for the truth, demand she tell me every detail of what had happened, but I forced it down. “Doc, look at me.”
Reluctantly, she lifted her gaze to mine. Even in the dim light, I could see the haunted look was back in her eyes, and protectiveness welled up. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I will always keep you safe.”
She hesitated for a minute before finally nodding. “Would you mind if I… sat with you for a bit? I can’t sleep.”
“Of course.”
She slinked closer, taking a seat next to me and curling her feet beneath her. I forced myself to relax, though anger still thrummed forcefully through my body. I was upset that she hadn’t told me, but I couldn’t really blame her. She was scared, and she obviously didn’t trust anyone, not even me. But I would change that. “Not tired?”
She shook her head. “Still too worked up. I’m sorry you came all the way over here for nothing.”
I stretched one arm over the back of the couch. “I told you before—it’s worth it to me if it made you feel better.”
“Thank you.” She shot a sweet smile my way, turning my insides to fire.
“Any time. And, Doc?” I studied her for a moment. “I meant what I said.”
She averted her gaze, and I imagined the pink flush tinting her cheeks. Deciding not to push her any further this evening, I gestured toward the TV. “Do you want to watch something?”
“Sure. Whatever you want is fine.”
I flipped the TV on and settled into the corner of the couch. Victoria sank back into the cushions, her shoulder just inches from my hand. Needing to touch her, I stroked my thumb over the flesh of her upper arm. From the corner of my eye, I watched her body stiffen at the initial contact. I kept my touch light and soothing, and her muscles gradually loosened as she eased into me. After a few minutes, I felt her body start to relax, and I shifted her closer. Her breathing slowed, turning deep and even, and I knew she was asleep. Trying to jostle her as little as possible, I turned off the TV then scooped her into my arms. She nestled against my chest with a soft, sweet exhalation, and she curved one arm around my neck as I headed upstairs.
Her bedroom lay at the end of the hall, the subtle vanilla scent pulling me closer. I propped a knee on the edge of the mattress and reluctantly deposited her in the middle before pulling the covers over her.
“Blake?” Her voice was raspy, and she groggily reached for me.
I grasped her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “I’m right here.”
“Don’t go.”
A war raged within me. “Are you sure?”
Her head bobbed in a disoriented nod, her voice heartbreakingly soft and vulnerable. “Stay. Please.”
“I’ll be right here.” I stretched out on top of the covers, folding my hands behind my head.
I stared at the ceiling for a long time, wondering about the woman beside me and the past she kept hidden before finally falling into a fitful sleep.