Chapter Twelve

Kayla peeked out her back door window, anxious for Darrell to get there. She ensured the front of the house had a light and TV on, but all the shades and curtains were closed tight.

Her heart jumped in her chest when she saw a dark figure striding her way. The breath left her lungs when she recognized it was Darrell by how he walked. She unlocked the door.

“I’m here, girl.”

“Thank you so much for coming.”

He hugged her against his chest. “Everything will be all right. Let’s go into the kitchen.”

“All right. Do you want coffee or something to eat?”

“Just coffee. I shouldn’t because it’s so late, but I think it will help.”

“You’re staying here, right?”

“Hell, yes. Until I know you’re safe, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m not sure it’s me in danger.”

“Who else?”

“Zeke.”

Darrell’s eyebrows rose. “Okay, start from the beginning.”

She set down a cup of coffee and then sat across from him. “Let’s see. Well, Zeke and I hit it off.”

“I was hoping you would. He’s a damn good man.”

“I think so, too, but it didn’t work out for us. We went on one date, if you can even call it that. At one point, we heard something that spooked him and went to investigate. When he returned, he was angry that I hadn’t stayed where he put me.”

“I should have warned him you didn’t listen or take orders well outside the office,” Darrell said.

She gasped. “That’s mean.”

He laughed. “Go on with the story.”

“He told me it was the wrong time for us, which was bullshit, but he brought me home. He said something along the lines that we’d try later, that I didn’t know some things.”

“And you didn’t take that well?”

“I don’t like games, Darrell. You know that.”

“Let’s put that off to the side for now because I know there’s more you had me run home in secret for, not just a fight with your boyfriend.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Tease me again, and no more lasagna, ever.”

He chuckled and held up his hands. “Fine. Please go on.”

“After he dropped me off, I came into the house and found Mr. Mason sitting in the dark in one of my chairs. It scared the hell out of me.”

Darrell’s eyes widened. “What in the world?”

“He said I had to stay away from Zeke. I told him he had no say in what I did, and then he gave this hypothetical story. He talked about Zeke having an accident and dying.”

“What the hell?”

“I was totally shocked. I asked him if he was going to kill Zeke, and he said it was up to me. He said I had to stay away from him except at work. I asked him why, and he said we were making his son, Fletcher, unhappy, and if he saw us both unhappy, it would make him feel better. I asked him if he was crazy and to get out of my house.”

Darrell snorted. “That’s not shocking.”

She ignored that. “He gave me one final warning. If I didn’t do what he said, Zeke would die, and it would be my fault.”

“Is that it?”

Her mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding? Isn’t that enough?”

“Yes.” Darrell looked over her shoulder. “You can come out now.”

She whirled around to see Zeke standing there in black clothes. She turned back to Darrell. “Why is he here?”

“It’s my life on the line, Little Sub. Don’t you think I should know about it?”

“Don’t call me that.”

Darrell snorted.

Zeke rolled his eyes, took the last seat in the dark kitchen, and then looked at Darrell. “Is this guy crazy?”

Darrell sat back and was quiet for a moment. “I would have said no before now, but there were times I saw something in his expression that shocked me. It reminded me of a rabid dog, but I always discounted it as maybe the light was just right. Hell, I don’t know.”

“Something’s definitely off with the guy. It showed in his eyes. What are we going to do?” she asked.

“You’re not going to do anything,” Zeke said.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking to you. You can know what’s happening but have no say in what I do.”

“You want to bet?”

“Hell, yeah,” she said.

Darrell snorted when they just stared at each other. “Hell, you’re both so stubborn. But let’s talk about what we are going to do with Mason.”

“We have to trap him,” she said.

Zeke narrowed his eyes at her, and she could already see him vetoing the idea, but hopefully, Darrell had enough sense to hear her out.

“What if I got him on tape saying he’d kill Zeke?”

“I don’t like it,” Zeke said.

“I don’t care…”

Zeke leaned forward in his chair. “Listen up, Little Sub…”

She heard Darrell groan.

Zeke scowled and finished what he was saying. “You will not put yourself in danger.”

“Are you saying that as Zeke or my boss?”

“What’s the difference?” Zeke asked.

Her chin went up, and her eyes narrowed. “Well, if you were talking as Zeke, I’d say go take a flying leap.”

“That’s it,” Zeke said. He stood up, picked her up out of the chair, and threw her over his shoulder.

“You are not really doing this right now?” she hissed, hitting his back.

“We’ll be back in a bit.”

Darrell chuckled. “Go on, you two, and get it out. I’ll just make myself a sandwich and crash on the sofa and watch some TV.”

She pushed herself away from Zeke’s back to glare at the older man. “Darrell, you’re really going to let him do this?”

“Well, yeah. Who am I to get in the way of love?”

She growled. “You’re an asshole, and I’m telling Mom.”

Darrell threw back his head and laughed.