Darkness Lurks by J.L. Drake
Chapter Four
Emily
I heard the lawn mower going. “Ah, my head,” I muttered and reached blindly for the coffee pot. I tossed on a pair of sunglasses, went out on the porch, and sat on the swing, careful not to move it too much. Stupid Jell-O shots.
I still had my clothes on from last night, and my hair smelled like salt water. Yeah, I was a hot mess. I sipped my coffee and watched a shirtless Seth mow. His skin was shiny from sweat¸ his hair messy. There was no hope for my lust for him. It was like he was dangling a piece of meat in front of a hungry tiger. When I’d bolt for it, he snatched it away.
My phone vibrated next to me. It was a text message. I squinted at the screen and saw a video from an unknown number. I pulled my sunglasses off and opened it. It was a fifteen-second clip of Pete and me singing the night before.What the hell?It had clearly been taken from far away. A second text came through.
Unknown Number: Will you sing for me?
I looked at the number again. Oh shit, it was the one from last night! My fingers trembled as I typed.
Emily: Who is this?
I waited.
Unknown Number: I still smell you on me.
Oh gross!I tossed the phone next to me. Who the hell was that? It buzzed again. I thought about ignoring it, but something told me to read it.
Unknown Number: I didn’t hurt your ribs too badly, did I, darlin’?
As my eyes read the last word, I felt as if someone had hit me in the stomach with a shovel. Everything started to spin. I tried to stand, but my legs weren’t working.
My brain screamed at me to do something, but there was no response. Seth looked over and saw me sitting there not moving, undoubtedly turning paler with each second. He was at my side in a flash.
“Emily? Are you all right?” I could hardly hear him with the loud ringing in my ears. He bent down to my level. I met his gaze. He saw my tears, and then I handed him my phone. He slid it gently out of my grip and read the texts. He jumped up and looked around. It buzzed again.
Unknown Number: Morning, Officer Connors.
“How does he know my name? Where the hell is he?” Seth hissed to himself. He looked all around, then quickly pulled me up and walked me inside. He locked all the windows and doors, setting the alarm. He called Garrett. “He texted her phone. He’s watching us. How fast can you get here?”
Garrett arrived in record time, and Seth filled him in. By then, I had managed to pull myself together a bit. Garrett texted someone. “Okay, Johnnie is going to stay with her until we get off work.”
I looked at Seth. I wanted him to stay, but I knew he couldn’t. “Who’s Johnnie?”
Garrett put his arm around me. “He’s a good friend of ours. We trust him. He’s been on the force for a long time.”
I ran my hands through my hair. “Great, a babysitter,” I muttered under my breath.
After I got showered, I started picking up my laundry from yesterday. I couldn’t find my neon pink panties anywhere. I knew I had kicked them off in the same spot as always.
Then it hit me. What if whoever was in my room took them?No, don’t be ridiculous, Emily! They’ll show up.I shook my head, grabbed my bag, and headed down to my dad’s office to study. I turned off my phone and tried to focus. An hour later I heard a knock at the door. It was Seth, all dressed for work.
“Johnnie’s here.” I followed him out to the living room. There stood a tanned, tall, medium-built guy with a shaved head. He was deep in conversation with Garrett.
Seth put his hand on my waist. “Johnnie, this is Emily.” The man came over and shook my hand.
He nodded. “Hey, Emily, I’ve heard a lot about you.” His smile made him seem softer than his appearance. He winked at Seth. “Sheispretty,” he said and whistled softly.
Seth smirked. “Thanks, man.” I fought back a smile.
Garrett grinned at me, knowing I enjoyed where that came from. Seth must have been talking about me at work, and that made me feel good. “Okay, Em, we’ll be off at 6:30.” He showed Johnnie around the house.
Seth moved in front of me. “You’ll be fine,” he said softly. “Johnnie’s good.” I looked down at my hands, wishing he didn’t have to go. He lifted my chin to make me look at him. “We’ll catch this guy, I promise. We need to talk later, though.”
“About?”Oh, please say about us.
“About this guy, Em. I really need you to—”
Garrett came in. “We gotta go.”
“I’ll call later,” Seth said, staring at me for a moment. Then he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, and before I knew it, he was gone.
I studied for the rest of the morning, though not much sunk in. I was constantly looking out from behind the curtains, wondering ifhewas still out there. I had Garrett’s phone so they could get hold of me. They had insisted on taking my phone with them. I came into the kitchen, where I found Johnnie on a laptop. “Hey, you hungry?” I asked.
“Yes.” He stretched out his long arms. “I am.”
I pulled out some burgers, but when I unlocked the door to go outside, I hesitated. What ifhewas out there? “I think I’ll fry these instead.” Johnnie nodded, agreeing with me. We ate our lunch, and we chatted a bit about the force.
I found out he was close to his brother who visited him often from the east coast. He had twin sisters who drove him crazy, but you could tell he loved it, and he saw his mother every Sunday for lunch. I slowly relaxed, letting my guard down. Johnnie was funny and could carry on a conversation easily.
I cleaned up and went upstairs to prepare for school the next day. Seth texted me.
Seth: You doin’ all right?
Emily: Always.
Seth: How’s Johnnie?
Emily: Great, other than when he fell asleep on the couch.
I waited for a few moments, grinning at my last text. It was kinda fun messing with Seth sometimes.
Seth: You better be joking, or he’s dead. I’ll personally take him out.
I swallowed hard. He was even scary over texting.
Emily: Of course I am. Like I’d tell you if he was!
Seth: I have ways of making you talk, baby.
I tried desperately to control my stupid smile. I felt like an ass, grinning.
Emily: Now that I’d like to see.
Seth: I bet. Now if you don’t mind, I need to get back to ‘serving and protecting your ass’ as you so nicely put it the other day. Be good and listen to Johnnie. I’ll be home soon.
Nowthatmade me laugh. I flopped down on my pillow.Home.I loved the way that sounded coming from him.
***
Seth
I tucked my phone back into my pocket. I loved hearing Emily’s playful side. I loved thatIeven had a playful side with her. My life had been serious for so long that sometimes it seemed I’d forgotten how to have a little fun.
Detective Michaels sat across from me and Garrett. He was wrapping up a phone call.
“Okay,” Michaels said, rubbing his head and dropping his phone with a thud. “Her clothes came back with nothing, not even a print. Because of the weave of the material, nothing stuck.”
My stomach sank. I had been banking on them finding something. It was pretty much our only hope.
“Not even a print on the envelope from the note, and his calls are coming from a burner phone. I’m sorry, guys, but now this all falls on McPhee and what she can tell us.”
I raised my head, trying to gather my thoughts. Why her? What did this prick want with my Emily?
***
Emily
I watched some TV and called Erin to meet up at school the next day. Johnnie checked in on me often. He even checked the locks on my window.
At 6:00 p.m., I started dinner. Johnnie hung out, offering to help, but I noticed he didn’t even know how to chop an onion. I laughed, took back the knife I had given him, and shooed him to the table. I wondered if he lived off frozen dinners and canned goods, poor guy. I pulled out a beer and handed it to him. “Here, you deserve this.”
He smiled. “Thanks, but I’m still on duty.”
“The guys will be home any minute.”
He smiled, unscrewing the cap.
I poured myself a glass of wine to calm my nerves. The entire day, I had found myself glancing out the windows wondering if he was watching me at that very moment. Knowing he could be watching me all the time changed things.
I didn’t enjoy the darkness anymore. Monsters lurked in the dark. He lurked in the dark. Ugh…I shuddered when I saw his face in front of me, staring at me from the tree outside. The bottom of my glass rattled against the counter. I knew it was my mind playing tricks on me, but it was still scary as hell.
“Emily?” Johnnie asked softly. “You see something?” I heard him get out of his chair. I slowly shook my head, not looking at him. I closed my eyes, taking a moment.
“Where was I?” I looked over at the stove.
“Something smells good!” Garrett called out, coming into the kitchen.
Johnnie laughed. “Try smelling it for the last forty-five minutes.”
Seth came in. He looked tired, but his eyes lit up when he saw me. “How was your day?”
I grabbed for some plates, “All right. Yours?”
He pulled a chair out. “It went.”
I set a large meat lasagna in the center of the table along with three hot French loaves.
“I can see why you like it here,” Johnnie said, as he inhaled deeply. I enjoyed having new company, and I was thankful for Johnnie taking a day to watch over me. Maybe having a babysitter wasn’tallbad.
Seth rubbed his head, looking troubled. “So, we got the results back on your clothes, and there wasn’t a hit on anything.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means we still don’t know the identity of your attacker.”
“Oh.” My stomach sank and a rush of nerves hit me.
Seth shook his head slowly. “Babe, we need to know what was said that night, and we need you to come in and look at some head shots.” He leaned forward, resting his arm on the table. “I know you thought you could move on and get past this, but he’s not going away. For some sick reason he’s following you, watching you, watchingus. We need to nab this guy before he tries something else. Who knows what kind of sick, delusional ass we’re up against?”
I cleared my throat, taking a moment, then reached for my water glass and took sip. Was I ready to open this box? I swallowed my lump past the sandpaper feeling in my throat. I knew it was time to tell them. I was nervous as hell, though. Oh shit, I felt sick.
I took two deep breaths and looked up, while the three of them stared and waited. “O-Okay.” I fought to find my voice. Seth reached out and clasped my hand, giving it a quick squeeze before he returned to the water glass he was twirling anxiously.
I tried to think back without opening the whole Pandora’s Box in my head. “I had to stop for gas. He came out of nowhere.” As I told them what had happened, I began to see it all in my head like a play. “He knew my name and told me not to anger him. He knew about the guy at the beach, Jacob. He didn’t like that I was flirting with him.” I looked down. “But I wasn’t…flirting with him, that is.”
I closed my eyes, seeing him in front of my face and feeling his hand on my leg. My fingers wrapped around my glass as I took another unsteady sip, trying to dampen my cotton mouth. “He said if I…um…told my cop buddies that he’d...” I looked at Seth.Oh God, just say it.“He said he’d chop me up into bits and pieces and do the same to my cop friends.”
Silence filled the room. I had no idea what they thought.
Finally, Garrett broke the silence. “Can you describe him, Em? Anything you might have seen that would help?”
“He was wearing a wool ski mask. I think he had a scar on his neck. I’m not sure, but I think. He smelled bad. His breath smelled funny, sort of sweet. It was terrible. He, he…” I began to shake.
“Okay, a scar. That’s really helpful. Thank you for telling us, Emily. If anything else comes to you, you have to tell us, okay?” Garrett whispered.
Seth still looked stuck in a parallel space. Garrett cleared his throat, bringing Seth back to us. He ran a hand through his hair, glancing at me as I stood up and placed my dishes in the dishwasher.
The dishes rattled in my unsteady hands as I tried to act normal, but I couldn’t contain my fear. What would this guy do when he found out I’d told them everything?
I excused myself and went into the living room. I figured they’d want to chat about stuff I didn’t want to hear.
I felt exhausted and stretched out on the couch. I could hear them talking every once in a while, but I was thankful I couldn’t make out what they were saying. As soon as the darkness took over…he was there waiting for me.
“I like this,” he said, touching my shoulder. I was in a red room, arms and legs bound to a bed, my body quivering in so much fear that I could barely catch my next breath. I could hear cars go by. I knew I was close to people. All I needed to do was get through that brown door.
“Now, Emily, what are we going to do with you? I told you not to say a word, but you didn’t listen, did you?” I looked at him, but I couldn’t see his face. There was a shadow over it.
“Please, I’m sorry,” I sobbed. “Please don’t hurt me, I’ll do anything!”
He stopped at the foot of the bed and rubbed his chin “Oh, I know you will, you’ll be mine forever.” The last word, ‘forever,’ was dragged out. As it danced over his tongue, he slowly pulled a pair of pliers off the table and came over to me. “Now let me hear you beg!”
I started to scream…
“Hey, hey.” I heard Seth’s soothing voice. I looked at him, then all around, trying to come back to reality. “You were dreaming, baby, it’s all right,” Seth said.
I was breathing hard. My chest felt heavy as I put my hands over my face.
“Was it him?” he asked.
I nodded. He moved to lie down alongside me, rolling me on my side, my back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and tucked me into him. I felt so safe in his arms. Being held there gradually slowed my heart back to its normal beat. I spent the night like that, wrapped in the hope that I would make it through this.
The guys drove me to school in the morning in their squad car. I was quieter than normal. I hated that I still couldn’t find my damn panties. My imagination filled my head with all kinds of sick thoughts. The idea of someone being in my room, touching my stuff with the perverted, twisted intent to harm me scared the life out of me.
“You all right, Em?” Garrett asked, peering at me through the rearview mirror. I nodded and stared out the window, lost in my thoughts.
“Baby,” Seth said, grabbing my attention. I turned slowly to look at him. “We’re here.”
“Oh.” I fumbled with my seatbelt buckle. I hadn’t even noticed we had stopped. Seth opened my door, offering me a hand out. “Thanks,” I whispered, but he didn’t let go right away.
“Hey.” He ran his fingers down my cheek. “You’re so quiet.”
I nodded and looked down. I didn’t want to be separated from him. I wanted to be back on the couch in his arms, away from this crazy guy.
Seth cupped my face. “Erin will stay with you today, and I’ll be back to pick you up after your classes, okay?”
I nodded, trying to clear my head. I was being a child, and I needed to grow a pair. Where was my braver side when I wanted her? “I’ll be fine.” I plastered on a fake smile. I waved at Garrett, who smiled. “I’ll see you later.”
Seth caught my arm as I started to walk away. “Call me if you need me. I’ll come right over.”
“Thanks, I’ll be fine. I’m okay now,” my braver side reassured him.
Oh, there you are…
He let me go.
***
Lasko
I paced the room as I listened, and my blood raced under my skin. “Did he, now? What fucking right does he have, touching what’s mine?”
“He dropped her off this morning, but nothing happened. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about,” the voice said calmly.
“Yeah, well, you better be right. I swear to God if—”
“Jimmy, stop talking.” I ran a shaky hand through my thin hair. “I need you to be clear-headed. You’re goddamn lucky they didn’t find any DNA on her clothes, or you’d be sittin’ in a six-by-six right now. As for him, right now we need him. He’s kept every hard-cocked male away from her. So right now he stays put. Don’t touch him!” There was silence. “Do. You. Understand. Me?”
“Yes!” I shouted into the phone. I hated being told what to do. “I just don’t know how much longer I can last.”
“Shhhhh, Jimmy, I know, and we will. Give me some time. I’ll call you later when I can.” The line went dead.
I tossed the phone at the couch while my frustration grew…I knew what I needed to do. I opened my duffle bag and pulled out a small white envelope. I angrily dumped the small stack of old pictures on the stained brown comforter. I rifled through them until I came across the one I was looking for. I tilted my head to stretch my neck—these damn headaches.
Then I undid my belt and pulled it through the loops, freeing it. I wrapped one end around my fist and propped the picture up so that it was looking directly at me. Breathing hard, I flexed my stomach muscles and whipped the belt across myself. A long pink trail that quickly turned red ran across my torso.Fuck that felt good.
“Again,” I shouted, sending saliva spraying over my chin. I cracked it across my chest this time, and the tail end caught my neck. My chest heaved as the sweat broke out across my forehead. I tightened the belt around my fingers and struck myself hard three more times.Yes!
Crying out in pleasure, I dropped to my knees. My pants quickly grew wet as I leaned my forehead against the bed. I rubbed the damp spot, letting my mind finish for me. Finally, my breathing went back to normal. When I looked up, my eyes met the picture. My eyes met hers.
***
Emily
I didn’t say much as Scott and I walked to the library. Erin had made me promise I wouldn’t leave his side until we met up later. She had been asked to stay after class by her professor because she had some questions about a paper she was writing. She told me she’d skip it, but I insisted she go. I wasn’t about to let her get a bad grade because of my situation.
Scott and I sat down together, going over our notes, comparing to see if we’d missed anything so far. Seth texted me. I noticed Scott glanced at it.
He tossed his pen down. “Emily?”
“Mmm?” I said, flipping the phone over.
“Emily,” he said in a different tone that made me look up. “I really like you, and I think you may like me, so what’s holding you back?”
I felt my cheeks flush. “I-I do like you, but things are a bit complicated right now.”
“With Seth?” He was so bold with his comments.
I nodded. “Him and other things.”
“Things,” Scott repeated.
Yes, like the fact that a crazy psychopath is stalking me, but, yeah, we’ll go with the word ‘things’ for now.
He took my hand. “It doesn’t have to be complicated with me.”
I smiled slightly, knowing he had a point. But my heart wasn’t having it.
“Well, I’m not going to give up on something I want. It’s not in my nature.” He looked at his watch. “We should get to The Goose.”
Okay…
We packed up our stuff and headed over. Erin, Alex, Lauren, and Brad were already at The Goose. We sat down and ordered. Erin had a huge smile when she saw me. I laughed a little at her expression. “What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
We had a few drinks and shared stories about our summers and which classes we liked and hated.
Erin didn’t enjoy her ancient history professor because his toupee kept flopping over to one side. “I swear we are all taking bets on when that nasty creature is going to slide right off his head.” She made a face as she shook from head to toe. “It freaks me out!”
Everyone at the table was roaring. The MC came up on the stage and started talking. Erin reached for her drink, a sad attempt to hide her smile. She handed me a martini. “You may need this.”
“Okay.” I took a huge sip. I loved martinis. When Ross, the bartender, made them, he added an extra splash of vodka and an extra olive for me. “What’s going on?” I looked at Scott. He had a stupid grin on his face too.
“All right, folks, it’s open mic night tonight, so come on and sign up,” the MC announced.
“Am I late?” I heard a familiar voice say. I turned to see Pete standing behind me.
“Oh my God, what are you doing here?” I was so excited to see him that I literally jumped into his arms.
“Hey, love, I thought I’d come by and see where you’ve been spending most of your time.” He sat and had a drink with us. I was so happy to see him. I introduced him to everyone, even Ross, who gave me a random thumbs up, which I returned with a smile and then pointed at my glass. That had to be what he was referring to, right?
“This place is really packed,” Scott said as he looked around. I nodded as I sipped my drink.
I saw Erin text someone. “Everything okay?” She nodded with a grin. I reached in my purse. Shoot! I had forgotten to text Seth back.
3:10 p.m. Seth: Everything good?
3:54 p.m. Seth: Hello?
5:03 p.m. Seth: You’re making me worry. Please check in.
I wrote back.
Emily: Sorry, got caught up in something. At The Goose with everyone.
“Emily, could you please join me?” I heard Pete’s voice coming from all directions and saw everyone was staring at me. Scott pulled me up and pointed at Pete on stage with his guitar.
I looked down at Erin in horror. “Oh, hell no! There are too many people.”
Pete raised his hand to shield the lights that were blazing down on him. “Come on, love, you’re not gonna leave me up here by myself are you?”
Oh crap! Everyone watched me. My table started to cheer me on, which made the rest of the pub follow suit. Even Ross shouted for me to get up on stage.
“You’re all gonna pay for this!” I hissed as I slowly walked over to the stage. This only made my table cheer louder.
Pete leaned over and offered me a hand. “They thought you wouldn’t sing with anyone but me.”
I shook my head in disbelief that I was up there. “They were right.”
***
Seth
I pulled out my buzzing cell.
Erin: Come to The Goose and see your girlfriend :) Be here by 6:20!
“Erin is saying we should stop over at The Goose and see Emily.”
“Is everything all right?”
I checked Emily’s text again. “Yeah, she just said she was good, now that she finally texted me back. I swear that girl will be the death of me.”
Garrett laughed as he turned down the street to the pub. I opened the doors and was hit with the smells of burgers and liquor. The place was packed. Erin spotted us, waved, and pointed toward the stage.
“Oh, wow,” I said as my eyes found her. Emily stood in her red dress that fell to just above her knees. Her black heels made her look even taller, and her hair was fanning her face. She looked…beautiful.
“She looks good up there,” Garrett shouted at me.
I nodded, not knowing if I could answer him just yet. She looked comfortable in front of a crowd.
Pete leaned into the mic. “Hello, my name is Pete Jones, and this is the lovely Emily McPhee.” The crowd started cheering and hooting. “We’re gonna play you one of our favorites, “If I Didn’t Know Better.” Hope y’all enjoy.”
Pete starting strumming as he winked at Emily. She repaid him with one of her coy smiles. Which made my stomach twist with excitement.
She licked her lips and closed her eyes briefly, then opened them as she sang the first words. The noise died down as her smooth voice rang out over the eager crowd.
“Jesus, that girl’s got talent. Her raspy voice…wow,” a guy in front of me said.
The guy’s buddy leaned into him. “Sexy, too. I gotta talk to her later.”
I shifted. I hated when men spoke about her that way. I needed to tattoo the wordtakenon her forehead.
Garrett chuckled; he was reading my thoughts again. “You may not be dating her, but you’re awfully jealous of anyone who comes near her.”
Fucking right.“Yup, always will be.”
***
Emily
I kept looking over at Pete. He was enjoying himself, and people seemed to be paying attention to us. I let myself have some fun, moving closer to Pete and swaying my hips from side to side at the appropriate times. When we finished, everyone cheered. Pete came over, took my hand, and kissed it lightly, always the charmer, and we thanked the crowd with a small bow. Both of us laughed from the high we were on as we went back to the table. Scott pulled my chair out for me, then shouted in my ear that we’d done a great job.
Erin leaned in. “Look behind you.” I turned to see Seth and Garrett walking toward me. Both were dressed in plainclothes. I hopped up and went over to them.
Garrett, who was in front, gave me a huge hug. “You were wonderful!”
I smiled. “Thanks, it was actually fun.”
Seth leaned in. “You were amazing. You should have heard what people were saying about you.” He kissed my cheek.
I leaned back. “Oh, really?” I said, as a joke. “Do tell.”
A guy came up and touched my arm. “Damn, girl, you were good. Not to mention those legs! Have mercy!”
I let out a small laugh. “Uh…well, thanks.”
Seth stepped forward. I put my hand on his chest to stop him. “It’s okay.”
The guy put his arm around me and pulled me in. “Yeah!” he said smugly.
Seth grabbed his arm and twisted it. “Move on,” he hissed.
The guy was pissed but walked away, rubbing his arm as he cursed under his breath.
Seth turned to me. “You should go home. This place is crawling with creeps like that.”
“Yeah, it’s called a bar,” I joked again. He shot me a look as I turned to Garrett. “So, you’re both off duty, right?”
He grinned. “Yup.”
“Come and join us then.”
He looked at Seth and shrugged. “All right.”
I went to the bar to get a drink. “Hey,” said a guy standing next to me. “You were really good up there.”
“Thank you.” I nodded, trying to get Ross the bartender’s attention.
***
Seth
I looked down at Erin, who had a large grin plastered on her face. I knew that look.Shit.“She was hot up there, hey?”
“Yeah, she was. I can’t believe you got her to do it.”
She laughed. “Yes, but only with Pete’s help.”
I watched Emily at the bar. She was in conversation with a guy who was probably in his late thirties. His ball hat shielded his face from view.
Scott turned to Garrett. “Aren’t you guys working tonight?”
“Just got off.” Garrett gave him a small smirk.
Scott sat back in his chair; he saw who I was watching. He took a drink of his beer and watched too, not realizing that I was watching him as well.
***
Emily
I pulled out my card and leaned against the steel bar top. “Red’s a good color on you.” The guy was way too old to be sitting at a campus pub and commenting on my dress. I smiled, trying to be polite, as I finally got Ross’s attention.
“One dry martini please, and two Stellas on tap.”
The guy moved his hand forward. I noticed there was a snake tattoo wrapped around his wrist like a bracelet. It made me shudder. I had aserioussnake phobia.
The guy waved his hand. “Put it on my tab.”
“No, that’s okay.”
The guy leaned in. “I insist.” Ross handed me the drinks and gave me a ‘Do you need help?’ look.
I shook my head but mouthed, “thank you,” to him. I turned to the guy. “Well, thank you.”
He put his arm out to block my way. “Wait. What’s your name?”
I looked back at him and decided to be kind. “Emily.”
“I like the name Emily.”
I nodded, not sure what to say next.
He reached over, took out a piece of paper, and slid it into my hand. “Call me sometime.”
I forced another nod and headed back to the table. Now that it was over, I laughed slightly. Likethatwas ever going to happen, buddy. Seth’s hawk-like gaze was on me. I sat across from him and Scott, which I’m sure pissed Scott off. I handed the guys their beers.
Pete clinked my glass. “You kicked ass tonight, love.”
Everyone raised their glasses. “Are you freaking kidding me?” Pete shouted suddenly as he stole everyone’s attention. He snatched the paper out of my hands. “You got a number before I did.” It was a joke, but he was kind of ticked off too.
Seth looked at me, his jaw tense. I turned away and pretended to people watch.
As soon as decently possible, I started to yawn. “All right, all, I should get going.” Everyone agreed and we left together.
“You need a ride home?” Scott asked as soon as we were away from the noise of the pub.
Seth came up behind us. “I got it, man.”
I smiled at Scott. “Thanks, though.”
He moved in toward my ear. “Not giving up yet.” He winked and walked back to his car, twirling his keys around his fingers.
Garrett drove us home. I felt my eyes getting heavy and curled up into the door.
Seth stared out the passenger window.
“That was an interesting night,” Garrett muttered quietly, but it pulled me from the sleep that was at my door.
Seth laughed slightly. “Yeah. I don’t trust that Scott guy, though. There’s something about him that rubs me the wrong way.”
Garrett laughed. “You don’t like that you can’t scare him away from her.”
Seth smirked. “We’ll see.” I fell back into blissful sleep.
I felt the car stop, squinting at the time. Seth opened my door and helped me out. I turned to Garrett. “Thanks for being there tonight.”
“Wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Night, beautiful.” He waved as he drove away.
We walked in the house, and Seth did a quick sweep as I went up to my room. He wasn’t happy that I didn’t stay in place, but I was too tired to care. I got changed and crawled into my bed, and before I knew it I was out.
***
“These smell divine.” He stepped into the light holding something to his nose, making my heart leap in my throat. “Just as I imagined.”
“Ah!” I yelped. My head shot up from the table. “Oh my God,” I panted as I realized where I was.
A few people at the table next to me tried to hide their giggles, but it was the stern look I got from the librarian that made me sink lower in my seat.Shit…
“Welcome back,” Scott said next to me. “You must have been having quite the dream. Did you know you talk in your sleep?”
I tucked my hair behind my ear, as I needed a moment to calm my nerves. I didn’t even realize I had dozed off…and in the middle of the library, at that.
“Everything all right?” he asked as he closed his book and gave me a puzzled look.
“Yeah. I need to go.” I started to shove my books into my bag. I needed to do something. I couldn’t just sit around waiting anymore.
“Wait, where are you going?”
I didn’t answer him. I didn’t even really hear him. I rushed down the stairs, just wanting to feel the fresh air on my face. I stuck my hand up in the air and waited.
As soon as I got into the cab, I immediately regretted the decision. I felt trapped. Every possible scenario about what the driver could do to me ran through my head. I eyed him carefully the whole drive, my hands clenched into fists on my lap. Damn this asshole for making me fear everything and everyone.
Finally, we pulled up in front of the OPD Station. I quickly swiped my card, paying him and giving him a hefty tip for not murdering me, and bolted for the door. I sucked in a deep breath when I was close to the front door. I pulled it open and felt a rush of relief when I stepped inside. I took a moment, and then made my way to the front clerk to sign in.
“Emily?” Johnnie grinned as he came closer. I went over to him and gave him a hug.
“Hi, how are you?”
He shook his head as he noticed my nervous expression. “I’m good. Are you here to see the guys?”
I nodded and hoped it was all right that I was there. I’d never come to the station, and I’d never met any of Seth’s co-workers until this whole shit storm hit the ground.
“Well, come on back. I’ll give you a tour.” Johnnie waved to the clerk. “It’s all right, Lou, I got her.”
Lou, who was a middle-aged Hispanic man, tossed him an ID badge and gave me a sweet smile.
“Great, thanks,” I said and pinned it to my shirt. I followed Johnnie into a huge room where there were a bunch of officers doing a hundred and one things. It made me shake my head that I still hadn’t seen where the guys worked. I mean, they were street cops, but this was their ‘office.’ I gripped my purse a little tighter, nervous that I might upset Seth by showing up unannounced.
One guy with a cute smile stood up. “Hi, I’m Davis.” He put his hand out. I shook it, but before I could respond, Johnnie cut me off.
“Back off, Davis, she’s not here for you,” Johnnie said with a deep laugh. “This is my partner, Officer Davis.”
“Oh, hi!” My voice was a little too high, but I was excited to meet him. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Hello,” a voice said off to my left.
“Hi, Campbell, nice to see you again.” I nodded as he walked by. I felt a little embarrassed about how I had acted the last time I saw him. I had been quite rude when he and his partner came by to take the report when I first got attacked. I hoped they understood I wasn’t quite myself then.
Two other officers approached me curiously. “Um, hi.” I took note that there were a lot of very large men working for the Orange Police Department.
Johnnie laughed and threw his hands up. “Not here for you either, guys.”
They both grinned. “How’d you get such a pretty girl to follow you in here, Johnnie?” one of the officers asked.
I linked my arm with Johnnie’s. “He has charm,” I said, playing along. Johnnie gave me a happy expression. Davis came over and joined the show.
“So, what’s the pretty lady’s name?” Davis asked smoothly.
“Oh God!” Johnnie put his hand on his forehead. “Connors!” he shouted. “Get over here before you lose this girl.”
“I’m Emily,” I murmured. Davis smiled, taking my hand gently in his as if I might break. He kissed it softy. “Mmmm, such a romantic,” I said with a wink.
“It’s one of my many talents.”
I felt a familiar arm wrap around my waist. Davis dropped my hand. Fast.
“Hey, baby, what are you doing here? Are you all right?” Seth asked, checking me over.
I felt my stomach flutter. “I came here to meet with Officer Davis. He’s quite the charmer, you know.” This made everyone laugh. I turned to him slightly, about to ask for the detective on my case, when I saw Garrett coming toward us.
“I thought I heard a sweet voice.” Garrett swooped me up in a big hug. “You all right?”
Davis pulled at his tie. “She came to see me.”
Seth wrapped his arms around my waist again. I looked up, knowing he was claiming his ground. I let him have it. It felt good.Claim away.
Everyone soon went back to work. Seth turned me around to face him as he sat on the edge of a desk. We were at eye level now. “Emily, how did you get here?”
I looked away as I ignored his question. “This place is bigger than I thought it would be.” I glanced around at the hustle of the station. It was pretty neat to see where Seth and Garrett came every day.
“Connors, can I see you?” an officer asked off to our right.
“Be right back.”
I nodded as he dropped his bag next to me. I saw Garrett and some other man check over a file he was holding. He glanced my way and gave me a friendly wink.
Johnnie waved me over to an open desk. As I approached, he pulled out the chair and offered me a seat. “Can I get you anything?”
“Water would be nice, thank you.” I dragged Seth’s bag over and placed it on the desk along with mine. Good lord, what did he keep in that thing? It weighed a ton. I took a seat in the black padded chair, which was quite comfy. I went to reach for my phone when I noticed one of the pockets on Seth’s duffle bag was open slightly. I slipped my finger in and pulled apart the zipper. It opened easily. The tip of my finger felt something smooth. I leaned over and peered in. A picture. I looked around. I couldn’t see Seth anywhere, so I pulled it out to get a better look.
It was a picture of the three of us, taken a few months ago. My heart skipped a beat. It was right after Valentine’s Day, and we had decided to take a spur of the moment trip to Big Bear for the day. A random tourist took our picture. Right after that, Garrett nearly lost it when he thought he saw a bear. I could still hear his girlish scream as he bolted for the truck. Seth and I were in fits in laugher, but Garrett didn’t find it so funny. It was sweet that Seth kept the picture.
“He talks about you a lot,” Riggs said as he came up behind me. He was in a blue OPD ball hat with white lettering.
“Oh! Hi.” I looked back down at the picture. “I wish he’d talktome more.”
Riggs sat on the corner of the desk. He looked around to make sure that there weren’t any close ears. “It’s hard to fully protect someone when you’re emotionally involved. You start to feel like you won’t be ready to fight if you’re in bed with that person. Put yourself in his shoes. Wouldn’t you do anything you could for the one you lo—?” He stopped himself and then shrugged. “Well, you’d be blind not to see how much he cares about you.”
I nodded, happy that he’d let me in on how Seth might be feeling. However, I wasn’t fully convinced. I wanted Seth to be with me more than anything, but I thought I might have stronger feelings for him than he did for me.
“It was nice seeing you again, McPhee.” Riggs walked away and left me with his words to mull over.
“Are you all right?” Johnnie asked, seeing my face. “They get off soon, shouldn’t be much longer. I’ll be right over here if you need anything.”
I opened the water and dropped the cap on my lap. “Thanks, Johnnie.” I watched everyone work until an officer with a friendly demeanor came into the room.
His short brown hair matched his brown eyes, eyes that held my attention as he moved confidently toward me. His walk bordered on cocky, but he managed to pull it off. His broad shoulders, narrow waist, and height reminded me of half the men here at OPD. His lips turned up into a mischievous smile that made me rise out of my seat even before I realized what I was doing.
“What a lovely treat this is. It’s not often we see a beautiful woman like you in here.”
“Well, I don’t know if that’s entirely true. Officer Davis has quite the figure.” He chuckled at my joke. “I’m Emily.” I offered my hand.
“Avery.” He returned the handshake. He seemed like one of the older officers here, perhaps in his mid-thirties. “What brings you here? Something tells me you didn’t get yourself into any trouble.”
“Hey,” I made a face. “I’ve been known to walk on the edge of danger.”
He burst out in a load roar and held his side. “Sorry, butedge of danger?Now I really know you are a good girl.” I rolled my eyes and tried not to laugh. “Okay, okay, I shouldn’t make fun. I just wish there were more of you out there.”
“Mmmm.” I giggled, but I couldn’t have agreed more.
“You’re Emily McPhee, right?” He shrugged, giving me an apologetic smile. “We’ve all been briefed on your case. Pretty scary situation. Sorry this is happening to you.”
“Yeah, me too,” I said with a sigh. The gas station attack flickered in front of me, and I felt the color draining from my face. I wished I could control my reactions better.
Avery put his hand on my shoulder, “You okay? You want to sit?”
***
Seth
I felt sick over this conversation. “Bits and pieces?” Michaels’ expression spoke volumes. He rubbed his hand over his face. “All right, so he knows that you two are officers. He must be following her more than we thought.” He leaned back in his chair. “We need more to go on.”
“Excuse me, guys, but Seth, you may want to…” Johnnie nodded his head toward Emily, who looked less than good. I looked at Michaels. “Can we go over this Monday?”
***
Emily
“I’m all right, really.”
“Are you waiting for someone? Or do you need a ride home?”
“No, I’m waiting for—”
“Hey, baby,” Seth said, coming to my side. “What’s wrong?”
I took a few deep breaths, letting the dizziness subside. “I’m fine.” Feeling better by the second.
“Hey, Avery, how are ya?” Seth asked, once he saw I was okay.
“Good, man, just got to meet your girl. Nice catch.” Avery smiled.
Seth slipped his fingers through mine, holding my hand. “I think so.” I glanced up at him, wondering how long this was going to last. “See ya at the Triangle?”
“For sure, Seth. Bye, Emily.”
I waved, glad to be feeling fine again. I hated it when those flashbacks happened. I raised my eyebrows at Seth, trying to hold back a smile. “Sooo.” I wiggled my hand.
“Hey, Connors, your sister’s hot!” some guy from behind a computer shouted out. He laughed and high-fived his buddy.
Seth closed his eyes and shook his head. I started to laugh, and his eyes flickered open when I gently pushed my body into his. I slid my hands over his shoulders and up his neck and pulled him down to me. I placed my lips on his and slipped my tongue into his mouth, as the guys got a good show.
Seth gladly kissed me back as he pulled me in tighter and ran his hands down my back. My muscles gave in, and I surrendered myself to him. I almost lost myself in the kiss, but I heard a few guys cheering, and that kept me grounded. I pulled away and saw the lust in Seth’s eyes.Oh, what that look does to me…!He looked hungry for me. I laughed softly and stepped back. Seth stared at me, wide-eyed, and shook his head slightly. I looked over at the guy who had called out. His jaw was wide open.Ha! Chew on that, asshole!
Seth was still staring at me when I looked back. “Yup, not your sister,” I whispered.
“Definitely not.”
“Come on, we’re all getting a drink at the Triangle,” Johnnie said as his arm hooked around my shoulders. “I’m sure Emily could use a drink, right?”
“Yes, Emily could.” I winked and decided this was not the time to talk to the detective about wanting to help. There was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to get to know Seth’s friends better. I decided to go along and see how the night played out with Seth and me.
A fifteen minute cab ride had us in the parking lot. The pub was small but had character. Coasters from all over the world were nailed to the beams in the ceiling. Irish music filled the air as I looked around and saw about thirteen officers at a long wooden table by a window. Seth sat me between him and Garrett. Of course, I had my shields on either side of me.
“Emily, what are you drinking tonight?” Johnnie asked.
“Dirty martini, please.”
“I like her!” Davis yelled to Seth.
“I bet you do,” Seth said and wrapped his arm around my chair. Avery set down two pitchers of beer and a bunch of glasses and started to pass them out. Then, letting out a loud sigh, he took a seat across from me.
“Bad day?” I asked, taking my drink from Johnnie. “Thanks.”
Johnnie nodded. “No problem.”
Avery looked at Seth. “Connors, that dick you arrested at the liquor mart earlier this week? I got wind they’re going to drop the charges.”
“What?” I felt Seth stiffen. “That jackass had a machete! He nearly took my fucking head off!”
“Wait? What?” I quickly turned in my seat to face him. “You almost got—?” My mouth went dry, and I felt my stomach plummet. “When was this?”
I heard Davis smack his lips together. “Way to get him in trouble with the missus, Avery. Smooth.”
Seth leaned into me. “It was nothing. Just some junkie strung out on drugs.”
It suddenly hit me how dangerous his job really was. I mean, I had always worried about him, but things were different now. At least they were for me. I shook my head, not wanting to get into it any further. I didn’t think I could handle it right then.
“So, Emily,” Davis said, trying to change the topic. “I hear you can sing.”
“Hardly. I just play around a little.”
“That’s not what we heard.” Davis chuckled into his beer.
Garrett bumped my arm playfully. I plucked the long stick that held the two olives on it, thinking. “So, Davis, tell me, what else have these guys been saying about me?” I glanced at Seth as I slid the olive stick between my teeth.
He raised an eyebrow at me with a wicked, playful smile.
“Ummm…” Davis laughed and pulled at his collar. “I may get in trouble if I answer that one.”
Seth chucked a sugar packet at him. I leaned back in my chair, crossing my legs into Seth. I twirled the stem of my martini glass between my fingers and listened to the music.
Seth leaned in. “Everyone seems to like you.”
“Did you think they wouldn’t?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
“Then why haven’t I met them before?” I felt a little hurt. “It’s been two years. I thought maybe I’d have met some of your friends by now.”
“Because.” He studied my face. I leaned in closer, showing him I’d wait for an answer. “Because I’m a private, protective, jealous guy.” His bluntness threw me for a loop. “I don’t need to see my co-workers drooling all over you.”
“But you’ve made it clear that you don’t want to be any more than just friends. So why should it matter what they think?” I held my breath, waiting for his answer. I would have preferred to have had this conversation alone at home, but I wasn’t about to miss out on this moment.
“You know I want you.” His fingertips ran down my cheek and stopped at my lips. “That kiss at the station, I can’t get it out of my mind.”
That had been the plan. I smiled wickedly inside.
“I need a drink,” he said as he stood. Once again I got tossed by his change of subject, but at least now I had an answer as to why I had never met his buddies. He wasn’t ashamed of me. No, Seth actually wanted me but was still holding himself back. Why? Was Riggs right about what he’d said earlier? Christ, I’d thought women were supposed to be the confusing ones!Men!
***
Lasko
I stepped back into the shadows as I saw Emily and Seth leave the bar. That fucker had his hand around her waist.No, no, no,I thought as I rubbed my aching head. I reached in my pocket, pulling out three Vicodin. I popped them in my dry mouth and took a swig from my Jack that was covered by a brown bag. My leg started to vibrate and I pulled out my cell phone.
“What?” I hissed.
“Where are you?” The voice was pissed.Fuck!
“Where areyou? You were supposed to call me.”
“I’m handling things.”
“Bullshit. She’s with him again!”
“I told you to leave him be. You’re going to fuck this up. Look, you’ll soon get the green light, but it has to be the right time.”
I watched as her skirt rose up her thighs as she crossed her arms. She was cold. Her nipples poked through her silk blouse like they were on high alert. I felt the familiar twitch in my pants. God, I was so close. If only…
“What the hell were you thinking, getting Hank involved again?” the voice asked.
“He gets me things.”
“He’s dirty. If they catch him, you don’t think he’ll roll over on you?”
“Never, I’ve known him forever.”
“Jimmy, go back to the motel!” the voice shouted into the phone.
“Yeah,” I whispered, hanging up. I knew I should listen, but I just wanted to watch her a moment longer. Suddenly the asshole cop shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, blocking my view of her chest. It took everything in me to not break the Jack bottle on the side of the trash can and jam it into the cop’s throat.
***
Emily
I pulled the sides of the jacket around me, seeking its warmth.
“Where to?” the cabby asked.
“561 Jenna Shore Lane,” Seth answered as he ran his hand over my leg. “You were a hit tonight.”
I put my hand on his. “And you were affectionate to me tonight. Guess you have a jealous side.”
He squeezed my leg a little as he shook his head and tried to hide his smile.
“That Davis is a nice looking guy,” I teased him.
He looked out the window. “Mmm…hmm.”
I kept going. It was fun, getting a rise out of him. “Johnnie’s cool, too, and that Riggs…!” I fought back a grin.
He looked down at me. “You’re not allowed to come by anymore.” I laughed hard.
Once home, we walked inside. I flipped the lamp on and dropped my bags by the stairs. Seth sat down in the big chair, not taking his eyes off me. I took off my shoes and slowly turned, and grinned as I walked over to him. I decided to go with my gut.
I unbuttoned my shirt. While I drank him in, his eyes raked over me too. I stopped and stood in front of him, waiting, and my heart beating wildly. He reached up, sliding both his hands along my legs and pulling me down on his lap. I hovered over him and bent my knees on either side of his thighs. He put his hand on my neck and roughly tugged me down to kiss him. I responded, matching his intensity, just as he had matched mine earlier at the station.
He pulled away as if he were struggling with something. I pulled his face back softy and tried to read his eyes. He squinted at me and then moved his lips closer to mine. I threw myself into the kiss again. This time he didn’t stop.
I let out a moan that vibrated from my lips to his, making him pull me in closer. I untangled my hand from his hair and unbuttoned his shirt. I started to kiss his neck and stopped at his collarbone, and then moved on to his chest.
His hands traveled up my behind and unzipped my skirt. I pulled back, my chest heaving as the lust burned through my veins. Then I smiled slightly as I stood and let my skirt drop to the floor, pooling at my ankles. His hands ran up the backs of my legs as he stood slowly; he towered over me. His nails raked up my back, up my neck, until his hands cupped my cheeks. He stared into my eyes a moment and then leaned in and gave me a closed-lip kiss.
One of his hands found mine, and he suddenly pulled away. He tugged on our entwined fingers and led me up the stairs to my room. My heart raced to keep up.
He kicked the door shut, one hand on the back of my head and the other hooked around my back, locking me to him as his kiss became intense. My fingers fumbled at his belt buckle and finally managed to undo it. He pulled off my shirt and tossed it on a chair. He turned the covers back and pushed me on the bed, then crawled over me as I shifted. His lean arm muscles flexed as he prowled toward me, his eyes locked with mine and held me in his gaze. “I’ve tried so hard not to touch you, but I can’t…”
“Good,” I whispered. I wanted this just as badly as he did. My body arched upward, to feel him. I ached with the need for contact. He bent down and kissed my stomach and up between my breasts to my bra strap. He pulled it down as his lips found my neck. Then he pulled the other strap down too. I sat up and undid the bra from the back, letting it spring forward.
Seth let out a small whimper as he tossed it out of his way. He gently palmed my breasts as if he had been waiting a lifetime to do this. His hands were hot, which made me that much more aroused. He shifted his weight onto one arm and removed my thong. Then he moved back up and nipped at my chin playfully.
I reached down for him, and my heart leapt. He was just as ready as I was. His eyes closed as my fingers wrapped around him, and a gasp left his lips. I knew this was going to be a tight squeeze.Christ,he might not be able to fit.
It was a good thing I was ready, because with one quick, shifting motion, he was inside me. I moaned as he filled me, my eyes growing wider as he pushed even further.
“You okay?” he asked softly. His voice was tense. I nodded, enjoying the sensations that were taking me over. I pushed against him. “Jesus, baby,” he moaned. He reached down, rubbing my breasts gently, and then stilled when he was all the way in. “I wanted to do this at the station the moment I saw you there today.”
“That can be arranged,” I smirked. He thrust a little, and my breathing hitched. The feeling was incredible. “I’m sure the guys would enjoy the show,” I teased when I found my voice again.
He glared down at me. “Never.” His voice was hard, but I could still hear a smile in it. “This…” his eyes ran down me, “this is for me, and I don’t share.” I loved his jealous side.
He shoved into me, back and forth, harder and harder. He leaned back, lifting my hips and changing the angle slightly. My fingers clawed at the sheets. He pushed on until I couldn’t take it anymore. My body gave in to one of the most mind-blowing orgasms I’d ever had. He joined me a few moments later, and called out my name as he filled me.
He leaned his forehead to mine and gave me a breathless smile. He kissed the tip of my nose before he rolled off to one side and broke our contact. We both panted hard. He leaned over and pulled the sheet over us with one hand, and my sensitive skin welcomed the cool cotton. He kissed my neck with a satisfied sigh. “You don’t understand how long I’ve wanted you,” he murmured.
My eyes met his. “Yes, I think I do.”
