Chapter Nine

He tore his mouth from hers when a floorboard in front of the house creaked. He pressed a finger to her lips and shook his head when her eyes widened.

“You’re going into the corner and staying there until I get back.” He stood and lifted her to her feet, trying to be as quiet as possible. He had her sit with her back against the wall and then placed the dark blanket over her. “Stay there.” She nodded.

He moved to the basket, pulled out the gun he always had with him, and started stalking toward the front of the house, stopping several times to listen. He heard a few more sounds, but they moved off when he got close. He hadn’t turned the flashlight on yet because he was able to see pretty well with his night vision.

At one point, he heard someone running, and then a motor started down the road a bit, and he rushed to the front window to see the taillights of a car speed off.

He carefully moved around to ensure no one was still there before heading back to the bedroom where Kayla was hiding. His heart stopped when he saw the corner was empty. His gaze flew around the room until he saw her peeking out the side of one window.

“What the hell are you doing?”

She screamed and whirled around. “I heard something out the back, and I wanted to see if I could see anything.”

“What about staying in the corner, didn’t you understand?” He knew he was in full dom mode, but his heart was still galloping in his chest when he thought he’d lost her or she’d been taken.

“I grabbed the knife from the basket, so I wasn’t totally helpless.”

“If you had stayed where I put you, you would have been fine.”

Her chin went up. “Or I would have been a sitting duck. It depends on how you look at it.”

He stared at her. The situation was turning dangerous. He’d had a few things vandalized at the house he was staying in, and he thought it was kids. Now, he knew something was going on, and until he knew who was stalking him, he needed to keep her away from him.

Goddammit. His body ached with the need to fuck her and make her his. But it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. “This was a bad idea,” he said, starting to gather everything together and put it in the basket.

“What was?” she asked.

“This. Being together.”

He wanted to kick himself at the pain he caused but knew, for now, it was for the best. He wasn’t giving up on her, but he wanted to know who the threat was before it went any further and they started to involve her.

He pushed her out of the house and threw everything in the back of the truck. By the time he got around to her side to help, she was in with the seat belt on. He gritted his teeth together and let it go.

They had just turned onto the road when she talked.

“So, let me get this straight. You don’t want us to be together because I disobeyed you?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what?” she asked.

“It’s just the wrong time for us.”

“Why?”

He felt his stomach tighten. “It’s the way it has to be, at least for now.”

****

She tried to laugh.

“Well, Sheriff, let me tell you, there will never be another time.”

“You wanna bet?” he growled.

“Oh, yeah. I’ll bet you my job…”

“Don’t even say that.”

“Fine. I don’t like to play games. I never have, and I usually don’t associate with people that do. I’ll work with you, but don’t expect anything more from me.”

She saw the muscle in his jaw throb. She would never have guessed he’d be like this. Hot and then cold. Or the type of dom who played with women and their emotions.

She looked out her window.

“We’ll talk about this later,” he warned her.

Kayla just snorted. She wasn’t going to think about the pain this was causing. At least not until she was home and he was gone.

They pulled up to her dark house, and she jumped from the truck and headed for her door.

“Wait a goddamn minute.”

“Just go home, Sheriff.” He got to her as she was putting the key in the lock. She unlocked the door and opened it. “Thank you for the dinner and a view of your house. I think you’ll be very happy there. Goodbye.”

He put his foot into the door to stop it and stared at her.

When he didn’t say anything, she said. “What?”

“We’ll talk about this later.”

“No, we won’t. We’ll work together but nothing else.”

“There are things I need to tell you.”

“How about this, Sheriff? I don’t fucking care. Now please leave.”

She could tell he did not like her cursing at all and wanted to say something but was smart enough to keep quiet, at least for the time being.

“Later, Baby.”

She stared at him until he moved his foot and then closed the door. She pressed her forehead to it and took several deep breaths before she heard him drive away.

“It’s better this way,” a voice said from behind her.

She screamed and whirled around to find Fletcher’s dad sitting calmly in one of her living room chairs. “What the hell are you doing in my home?”

“Dear, don’t be vulgar.”

“Mr. Mason, I’m calling the deputies if you don’t start talking. I’m sure the Town Council will not approve of you breaking the law.”

“Sit down, dear.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ll stand, thank you. Now talk.”

“I really don’t see what my son sees in you. I haven’t been able to find a way to change his mind yet, but we’ll deal with that later. I want you to stay away from the sheriff.”

Her eyes widened. Was the world going crazy? “You have no say in who I talk to.”

“Let me tell you a hypothetical story. Once, there was a sheriff no one wanted in their town. They did everything they could to make him leave, but nothing worked, so one day, there was an accident, and he was unfortunately killed in the line of duty.”

She gasped. “Oh, my God. Are you threatening to kill the sheriff?”

“Well, let’s see. That’s up to you.”

“How?” It felt like she was going to hyperventilate, her heart was racing so fast.

“You stay away from him…”

“I work for him.”

“You know what I mean. You stay away from him, and he’ll be fine.”

“What do I have to do with this? I’m not a threat to you.”

“Well, let me tell you. You’re both making me and my son very unhappy. If I see you both unhappy, it will help cheer me up enough to leave you two alone.”

“You’re fucking crazy.”

The light of fury that lit his eyes scared her to death. This man wasn’t all there. She knew enough to realize that a person couldn’t reason with people like this.

“I’ll just turn you in,” she said.

“That would be a mistake you would regret. This conversation is between you and me, and it will stay that way.”

God, she hated the pompous bastard. “I want you out of my house.”

“Not until I give you a warning. If you don’t do what I say or make the mistake of going to him, he’ll die, and you’ll be responsible.”

She bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out in anger and to keep the words she wanted to say in. She just wanted him out, now.

“Do you understand, dear?”

She nodded.

She flinched and moved out of the way when he stood and walked to the door. He calmly let himself out, and then everything was silent except for the refrigerator, the clock she heard in the kitchen, and her heartbeat. When she heard the car drive away, she raced to the door and locked and bolted it before running through her house, ensuring every door and window was locked up tight.

From there, she went into her bedroom closet, opened her safe, and pulled out three guns. They all used to be her father’s, and Darrell had taught her how to use them. She was damn good and could still beat her brother at targets. She’d put one in her bedroom, one in her car, and the other she’d keep in her purse.

After she showered, she lay in bed and knew without a doubt she wouldn’t get a wink of sleep. A few times, she’d look at her nightstand to make sure the gun was still there and ready. Only when the light of the sun could be seen did she relax enough to doze.