Chapter Ten

"I tried to call you yesterday. I even swung by your house after work," Arlo complained the following morning. "George said you called in sick. Why weren't you home?"

"Because I wasn't aware you'd become my nursemaid." Jonah set his things on his worktable. "Just because I didn't answer the door doesn't mean I wasn't home."

He'd foolishly hoped for a day without Arlo's annoyance. This was getting ridiculous, and Jonah needed to put a stop to the harassment.

"You could have at least answered when I called," Arlo argued. "I only wanted to check on you. And you never told me when you were going to stop by and see my mom."

Jonah's frustration boiled over. "I don't need you constantly checking on me," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm also under no obligation to answer your calls or my door. I never asked you to come by. This harassment has to stop!"

"You're labeling my concern as harassment?" Arlo's nostrils flared.

"Why?" Jonah demanded. "Why are you suddenly coming by my house and why are you all concerned about me? Is it because I'm no longer with Flint?"

"You should have never dated that piece of shit," Arlo ground out.

"Who I date is none of your goddamn business, Arlo." Jonah slammed the tray of unsorted mail on his worktable, nearly toppling the cup of coffee he'd grabbed from Bluebird Café on his way to work.

"So I'm supposed to just stand by and watch you date a string of losers?"

Jonah's days of dating were over now that he was mated to Kijani. "Can you identify the true issue with that question?"

"You dating losers," Arlo snapped.

"No," Jonah retorted with just as much anger. "You standing by and watching me. I didn't ask for, nor do I want, your concern. You're not my boyfriend or my wingman."

"I'm your friend," Arlo said, his tone more reasonable now. "Friends watch out for each other. I care about you, and I'm not going to see you hurt again."

It was as if Jonah was talking to a brick wall. Arlo stubbornly refused to get it through his thick skull that Jonah didn't want his excessive attention and concern.

"You shouldn't be dating that deputy," Arlo said. "I get it. That fiasco with Flint left you feeling vulnerable. A cop symbolizes protection to you. But it's too soon for you to start a new relationship."

Jonah's breath caught in his throat, a feeling of discomfort creeping through his body. The only time Arlo had seen Kijani was in the employee parking lot, but Jonah and Kijani's interaction had given no indication they were dating. "Have you been watching me?"

Arlo frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Moving swiftly past Arlo, Jonah made a beeline for George's office. In their smalltown post office, there was no designated human resources department. George, the postmaster, handled all aspects of employee management, including addressing any grievances.

Jonah cursed when he didn't see George in his office.

"He's gone for the day," Navy said from behind the counter in the lobby. "Had some family thing he had to take care of…again."

At least twice a week George took off from work during his shift, but why did it have to be today of all days?

"What's gotten into you?"

Jonah jerked at the sound of Arlo's voice right behind him. He spun to find the guy only a few inches away. "Why are you following me?"

"Because you shot past me like your ass was on fire," Arlo replied. "I thought maybe you were still sick from yesterday and were going to throw up."

Jesus. "What were you going to do, catch my vomit?"

"You obviously came back to work too soon." Arlo pulled out his phone. "I'm calling Brett to take over your route today."

He didn't stop Arlo. With Brett filling in for him, Jonah could get the hell out of there. He was completely freaked out that Arlo had been watching him.

"He's on his way in," Arlo said after he hung up. "I'll drive you home. You look a little pale."

No shit. He was standing right in front of his stalker, a stalker who'd just offered to drive him home. "I can manage driving myself."

"What if you get sick while you're behind the wheel?" Arlo shook his head. "It's not a big deal for me."

It was for Jonah. "I drove in this morning with no issue. I'm just going to go home and rest."

He hurried past Arlo, eager to gather his belongings and make it to his car before the guy… Before he did what? Strong-armed Jonah into his car?

As Jonah reached the back exit, he heard Arlo calling out his name. He ignored it and kept going. Once outside, Jonah sprinted to his car, jumped in, and took off, catching a glimpse of Arlo exiting the building as he pulled out of the parking lot.

What in the hell was going on? Arlo had a ton of issues, but he'd never displayed any signs of being a stalker. Yet now, out of nowhere, he was suddenly concerned and considerate—two qualities he had never shown during their relationship.

When Jonah made it home, instead of leaving his car in the driveway, he pulled into the attached garage and closed the overhead door.

"I'm not overreacting, right?" he asked himself.

Kijani's cruiser hadn't been in the driveway when Arlo had dropped by, when Kijani had been in his wolf form on Jonah's living room floor. Arlo must have driven by Jonah's house at some point and noticed the car parked there.

Or maybe every time the cruiser was parked there.

"Shit, he has been stalking me." Jonah got out and hurried inside the house, making sure his doors and all his windows were locked, wondering if he would ever feel safe inside his home again.

He paced, searching his memory in an attempt to recall anything that stood out in his relationship with Arlo, any unnerving moments he might have dismissed at the time.

Nothing came to mind.

Had Arlo's sudden focus on him only started recently, or had it been building since their breakup? Wait. What if Arlo had watched Jonah when he'd been dating Flint?

But there was a two-month gap between Arlo and Flint where Jonah hadn't been seeing anyone.

If Arlo had been stalking him, wouldn't he have tried to rekindle things with him during that time?

"How am I supposed to know?" he said to himself in exasperation. "It's not like I'm an expert on stalkers."

But maybe Kijani was. Jonah reached for his phone, only to find it wasn't in his pocket. It was probably still in the car. He headed past his front windows to retrieve it but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Arlo pull the mail truck into his driveway.

Jonah hit the floor, cursing himself for leaving the blinds open. When you lock your house up tight, close the blinds, moron.

A moment later, the doorbell rang. Jonah rolled to the wall under the windows and held his breath. His heart nearly gave out when he heard the doorknob being jiggled.

As much as Jonah loathed to admit it, Flint had been right when he'd said there was something off about Arlo. How fucked up were things when his abuser was right about his stalker?

"You just need to get to your phone to call your guard dog…guard wolf," he muttered softly.

Jonah was afraid to lift up a little to see if Arlo was gone, so he decided to inchworm his way to his garage. Thank goodness his front door lacked any kind of glass. But he would still have to be careful. If Arlo looked through the front windows, he would be able to see him once he was close to his garage door.

It was a chance Jonah had to take. There was no telling when Arlo would leave, and Jonah wasn't going to stay stuck under his windows.

He flipped to his stomach and inched forward like he was some soldier belly-crawling in the trenches. Now would be a good time for his nosy neighbors to call the police about a suspicious guy on Jonah's porch.

Unfortunately, they'd seen Arlo plenty of times while Jonah had been dating him. They wouldn't think anything of him being on the porch.

They'd probably even wave to him with a smile.

As he inched along, Jonah reminded himself to be very quiet so Arlo wouldn't know he was home.

Jonah's head shot up when he heard the faint sound of his phone ringing. He looked toward the windows, praying Arlo had already left.

The doorbell rang again. "I just called you and heard your phone ringing," Arlo said through the door. "Seriously, Jonah? You're that pissed about my concern for you?"

If Arlo hadn't said anything about Jonah dating Kijani, Jonah might have decided he was overreacting. To an outsider, it really would look like the guy was just being a good friend. So far, Arlo hadn't done anything overt that would rouse any suspicion.

Stopping by to visit Jonah. Hanging out with him at work. That all seemed innocent enough.

But no one else other than Flint had experienced Arlo's unnerving vibe. No one else was aware Arlo knew details he shouldn't. If Jonah went to the police right now, what would he say? "My ex-boyfriend, who I thought was now my friend, is obsessively concerned about me and keeps dropping by without an invitation. Please arrest him."

It would be Jonah's word against Arlo's, and with no proof…

But Kijani would believe him.

The doorbell rang three times in a row. Arlo wasn't going to leave until Jonah answered. With no other choice, Jonah stood. Then raced to his garage to retrieve his phone, only to find the car doors were locked. It was then that he remembered he had left his keys on the kitchen counter.

Jonah really should have gotten that guard dog the moment he'd thought about it. Although he had Kijani, his mate was at work, which did Jonah absolutely no good right now.

A dog would have been in the house with Jonah, defending him against the psycho on his porch.

Since his doors and windows were locked, Jonah reversed course for the kitchen to retrieve his keys but, once again, stopped dead in his tracks.

This time because he heard the sound of a key turning in his lock. That couldn't be possible. He'd never given anyone a key to his house. Unless… His blood ran cold as he realized Arlo must have known where he kept the spare.

Jonah couldn't remember the last time he'd checked to make sure the key was still there. Since everyone knew about fake rocks, he'd meant to find a new hiding spot, but had never gotten around to it.

Jonah was breathing too fast, his eyes wide, and his muscles locked up tight as the front door slowly opened. He took a step back and then another as Arlo walked in and shut the door behind him.

Locking it.

"Have a seat on the couch," Arlo said softly. "You look like you're going to faint." They began an awkward dance. With every step Jonah took backward, Arlo took one forward. "I only came by to check on you."

"With your own key?" Jonah was sick of hearing how all Arlo wanted to do was check on him. It had become his go-to statement every time Arlo saw him.

"Jesus, Jonah. You went home sick and wouldn't answer your door or phone." Arlo looked pained. "What if you were lying unconscious on the floor? Yes, I knew about the spare, but I never used it before today."

The air was charged with tension, like a taut wire about to snap.

"Get out of my house," Jonah said through gritted teeth.

"You don't mean that." Arlo scratched at the side of his jaw. "Flint just fucked your head up. He's got you thinking bad is good and everyone is as unbalanced as he is."

Bad is good? "He told me there was something off about you." Fear and bile mingle in his throat, making it difficult to swallow.

"Because he was trying to sabotage our reconciliation." Arlo's expression darkened. "Now that deputy is trying to do the same. Ever since you spread your legs for him, you've been treating me like shit." His voice rose in volume. "I don't deserve that!"

Jonah spun and bolted toward the kitchen. But before he could make it, Arlo lunged forward and caught his legs, sending them both crashing to the floor. In an instant, Arlo scrambled up Jonah's body and planted himself firmly on top of him.

"Get off me!" Jonah struggled against Arlo's hold, gasping for air as their bodies pressed together in a tangled mess.

"That's always been your problem," Arlo spat back. "You'd rather run than face your issues head-on."

How was Arlo so strong when he lacked muscles? Jonah fought to get the guy off of him, only for Arlo to pin him down harder, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"You broke up with me without ever giving us a chance," Arlo snarled, his words punctuated by the forceful shove of his forearm into the back of Jonah's neck. "For two months after that, I couldn't eat or sleep. I was a wreck. And when I finally pulled out of my funk, I find out you got Flint all up in your life."

"I did try with you, but even you admitted you weren't a great boyfriend and things didn't work out between us," Jonah shot back. "You have to let this go."

A strangled, animalistic sound tore from Arlo's throat as he grabbed a fistful of Jonah's hair and slammed his head into the floor. Pain burst inside Jonah's skull. "You just use guys then wreck them!"

"I've never used anyone! You and Flint were already wrecked in the head. You're a piece of shit, and so was he!" Jonah bucked and twisted but couldn't get Arlo off him. "You only thought of yourself while disregarding my feelings. I was always the one rearranging my schedule to accommodate your whims. It was always whatever you wanted or needed, without any consideration for me. And if I ever dared to spend time away from you, you threw a childish fit!"

Jonah howled when Arlo slammed his head against the hard floor with even more force. The impact sent a sharp pain through Jonah's skull, threatening to split it open. "Why couldn't you just cater to your man like my mom did for my dad?"

In a fit of rage, Jonah bellowed back, "Do I look like your fucking mother?"

"Don't you dare speak ill of her," Arlo snarled, pressing the tip of a blade against Jonah's throat.

Jonah screamed when the front door crashed open. At the same time, Arlo leapt to his feet, latched onto Jonah's hair, and yanked him upright. The sharp blade of the knife pressed against Jonah's throat as Arlo used him like a shield.

Just inside the doorway stood Kijani and Slater, their weapons trained on Jonah and Arlo.

"Get another call about a domestic dispute?" Jonah's voice quivered, his question directed at no one in particular.

"Gotta love nosy neighbors," Slater replied, his hands steady, his gaze fixed on Arlo. "I can shoot a tick off a dog, so why don't you set that knife down nice and slow."

"He's only going to use and wreck you," Arlo said smugly to Kijani. "I'm actually saving you from Jonah's poison."

"Maybe I like poison." Kijani's russet eyes were calm and stone-cold dangerous. "You might even say I'm mated to it."

Staring down the barrels of two guns was terrifying. Jonah would rather take his chances with the knife, because Arlo might decide he wasn't getting out of this alive and choose to take Jonah out with him.

Jonah went dead weight, causing Arlo to loosen his grip. As the man tried to regain control, Jonah sank his short, but sharp canines into the bastard's hand, the sharp odor of blood filling the air.

Howling in pain, Arlo released his hold. When he tried to grab Jonah again, a shot rang out, causing Jonah to cover his ears.

Arlo dropped to the floor behind him. Without looking back, Jonah scrambled to his feet and ran into Kijani's arms.

"I got you, honey bee." He cradled Jonah protectively.

"I needed shooting lessons for the wrong guy." Jonah buried his face against Kijani's chest, needing the comfort and safety his mate provided. He'd hidden his fear in front of Arlo, but now Jonah allowed himself to release it, trembling fiercely in Kijani's strong arms, where he found an anchor, a safe haven amidst the chaos.