Seventeen

Vale

The lawn mower hummed in the distance while Brennan mowed my yard and I worked on the front flowerbed, humming to myself and trying to tell myself everything was fine. The positive thought was difficult since I'd felt a prickling on the back of my neck all day, as if I were being stared at, but whenever I looked around, I didn't see a thing out of the ordinary. The street was clear. None of my neighbors were out in their yards, no doubt enjoying their air-conditioning on this humid summer day.

It was only Brennan and me outside. Dayton had been called into work, though it was supposed to be his day off and we had planned to spend the day together.

"I'm so sorry," he'd said. "This case…"

I couldn't tell him I was used to it since he'd often gotten yanked into the station when situations cropped up. Apparently, things hadn't changed over the past five years.

Instead, I'd kissed him. Of course, he took over and devoured my mouth until my knees wobbled and my core throbbed with the need for much more. A need that wouldn't be filled anytime soon.

"Be safe. And I expect you to make it up to me," I'd teased.

"I will," he'd promised so earnestly I felt bad for joking. "Tonight, hopefully. I'll text you when I can."

Now, I scrubbed a hand over my nape, wishing more than ever that Dayton was just across the street—though I had a feeling he'd be helping with yardwork if he weren't working. Even if he were sitting on the porch drinking a beer it would be better. I just…felt uneasy.

Of course, I'd been feeling creeped out since returning home after my first date with Dayton and finding things out of place. Biter swore it wasn't him, and it didn't seem like something any of the other guys would do.

When I'd mentioned it to Kale, he'd about lost his shit. So yeah… My creeped out sensation seemed justified, even with the beefed up security Kale had strong armed onto me. Not that it had taken much coercion. I didn't have another death wish.

Seeing Dutch twice in the past few weeks, along with the things moved around in my house, was enough to have me wanting a safe room installed—I hadn't gone that far, but I knew Kale would do it for me if I asked. Or if he knew about the porch furniture getting moved. Or the dead flowers left on my patio. Or the propane on my grill being turned on when I knew it was off. Little things that on their own could be nothing.

But together…

That was how it had started before. Only there had been letters then, too. Lurid, explicit, disturbing letters. I'd thought I'd had a stalker, and I was terrified, but I hadn't dared tell Dayton, not while he was deep in a dangerous case that had me worrying every time he left the house. I hadn't dared to say a word that would throw him off his game with worries about me.

In retrospect, knowing what I did now, I believed that was exactly the reason Dutch had come after me.

Now, once again, I couldn't tell Dayton. I sure couldn't tell Kale since he had no idea about my switch. I had to come up with a way to protect myself. Anything would be better than the nothing that Melonie had done.

No, I would tell Kale. I just had to figure out a way to tell him about the weird incidents and how they'd happened since Dutch had seen me the day I'd reported him to Dayton. I'd call him as soon as Brennan finished mowing, and I went back inside.

Damn it. I would not be too stupid to live by thinking I could handle everything by myself. I was strong but not strong enough to fight Dutch. And a gun. So that was the plan. I would call Kale. I just had to be strong enough to keep him from herding me back up to the club, where he'd never let me leave again.

Determined not to terrify myself by thinking of the past, I hacked at one of the weeds that had had the audacity to pop up in the flowerbed.

"Vale. It is Vale, right? Vale Corin?"

Icy dread slithered down my spine, more treacherous than the snake in Edan.

Dutch.

My hand curled around my spade, and I slowly stood and turned toward the devil himself, as if I'd summoned him with my thoughts.

"Who are you?" I asked, my fingers so tight on the garden tool an ache reached into my forearm.

Dutch smirked. "I think you know who I am."

My chin angled. "I'm sure I don't."

"Your boyfriend didn't tell you who you called the cops on? I'm surprised."

I wanted to bristle, but everything in me strove to stay calm—as calm as I could be with arctic-cold terror plunging deep to my soul. I prayed he couldn't see the trembles that only worsened the harder I tried to suppress them.

Rather than speak, I just shook my head.

"Just as well. I came by to tell you to mind your own business and not be a nosy neighbor." He took a step closer, and I forced myself to stay still. He wasn't armed that I could see, and he was still a good ten feet from me. "Look the other way, if you know what's good for you, and you and your brother and his little Schwinn club won't get hurt. You get me?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I replied through gritted teeth, the only way I could keep them from clattering.

His gaze raked over me. "Just stay out of it and don't give me an excuse to haul you in for questioning. Trust me, I'm a bit rougher than Dayton when it comes to interrogation."

Bile rolled up my throat, and I couldn't hide my flinch. Dutch leered, his lips twisted into a lecherous grin. "Think about what I said. And break up with your boyfriend. He's no good for you."

"Vale!" Brennan called, and I could hear that he was coming around the side of the house. Dutch spun away and strode down the sidewalk. I didn't look away from him, even when I head Brennan walking through the thick grass and coming to my side. I jumped when he touched my arms.

Had Dutch just threatened to assault me? To hurt Kale?

With wide eyes, I turned to look at Brennan.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah."

His eyes narrowed. "You don't look fucking okay. What just happened? Did that guy say something to you? I didn't get a good look at him but… His aura was fucked up."

"Just…forget about him."

"If he messed with you—"

"Drop it, Brennan. Please." The last thing I wanted was for him to get hurt.

His jaw worked, his stare burning into me and looking so much like his older brother's it shook me. Even more than I already was. "Are you at least going to tell Day?"

I shook my head. "He's worried about too much else right now."

"Vale—"

I held up my hand. "I'll talk to my brother. He and his friends deal with things like this."

At least, I thought they did.

"Good. Let's go inside and call him now."

"Brennan—"

"Now, Vale. Because if you won't tell Dayton, I sure as hell will. We lost you once. We're not losing you again."