Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

As soon as they got home Dare led Ainsley inside the house, then settled her on the couch in the living room and handed her the remote. “I’ll get your prescription.”

She waved him away. “I’m fine.”

“Ainsley…”

“Fine.” She rolled her eyes.

He poured a glass of water in the kitchen and took two tablets to Ainsley. He waited until she’d swallowed them down and he set the water on the coffee table. “I’m going to go unload the car. Rest here for a few minutes and let the painkillers start to kick in.”

“I can help, it’s no big deal.”

She moved to get up, but Dare gently pushed her back on the couch. “Nope. You’re staying right here.”

That stubborn little chin of hers notched up as her lips turned down in a frown, and Dare bit back the urge to smile. She was such an enigma—so independent at times, yet borderline submissive other times.

He gave her his most exaggerated stern expression. “I’ll be back in a few to check on you. Don’t move.”

“Fine.” With a hugely exaggerated motion, Ainsley flopped into the corner of the couch.

He had no idea how she could be so damn calm about everything that had happened today. He felt like his pulse hadn’t slowed since the moment he’d seen the gun leveled her way. The memory caused the hairs on the backs of his arms to stand on end, and fury raced through him. He needed to touch base with his men and see if they’d found anything.

After retrieving the groceries from the truck, Dare carried them into the kitchen. He sorted all of the frozen and refrigerated items, tossing several that would no longer be edible.

One hip propped against the counter Dare stared out the window, a dozen scenarios running through his head. Who would shoot at Ainsley, and why? While it could have been random, he seriously doubted it. He knew she was running from someone. Was this the person who’d caused her to flee in the middle of the night?

Needing to check on Ainsley, he headed back into the living room and he stopped dead in his tracks as his gaze settled on her. She was curled up in a tiny ball on her side, sleeping soundly.

Blood thrummed through his body and his chest tightened at the sight of her. Soft evening light from the large bay window spilled over her slight form, bathing her in an ethereal glow.

Her cheeks were flushed and her head was turned to the side, partially hiding the bandages covering the abrasions from where she’d scraped the pavement. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing soft and even. His eyes strayed farther down her body. Her left hand rested on her stomach and the right extended over the edge of the couch, curled slightly in repose.

She normally would have been up and about, taking care of things. The fact that she could relax enough to fall asleep after this morning’s episode meant that she felt safe here. She trusted him to keep her safe. And he would. Whoever the hell was after her would have to come through Dare first, because there was no way in hell he would let this woman be hurt again.

A small movement from Ainsley drew his attention back to her face. Even in sleep she looked disturbed, eyebrows drawn slightly together. Her long eyelashes fluttered several times before finally resting against her cheeks. A shiver racked her body and she curled more tightly into herself, pillowing her hands under her chin.

Dare pulled a fleece blanket from where it was folded at the end of the couch and tucked the soft material around her. She looked so tiny and fragile lying there, and his anger flared anew. How could anyone hurt this woman? The urge to protect her swept through him, sharp and fierce. He wanted to pull her into his arms and promise to shield her forever, but she would never let him.

With one last look at Ainsley, Dare headed down the hall to the office. He settled behind the desk, his gaze scanning the surface. Ainsley had been busy, and it looked like she was settling in well. Paperwork was sorted into neat piles, everything organized and in its place.

He pulled out his phone and hit speed dial, hoping Cam was available. The lieutenant answered on the fourth ring. “Hey, Boss.”

His tone was laced with a combination of exhaustion and frustration that Dare recognized from having worked similar cases. “How’s everything coming along?”

“We requested footage from the supermarket but haven’t gotten approval yet. Hal Fromeyer is being a dick about it.” Cam let out a beleaguered sigh. “We questioned two dozen people, but none of them could remember seeing the driver.”

That didn’t surprise Dare in the least. Most people tended to ignore their surroundings unless the incident directly impacted them. “So we’ve got nothing on him yet.”

“Nothing conclusive. A few said they noticed he had on a hooded sweatshirt and hat, but with the sunglasses…”

The lieutenant trailed off, and Dare bit back a growl. Someone had to know who the hell it was. “Stay on Fromeyer. If he gives you any shit, let me know. I’ll get Judge McCallister to sign off on the warrant.”

Some people—men like Hal Fromeyer—would fight law enforcement just because they thought it was within their rights to do so. The asshole was either too stupid or full of himself to realize he was potentially jeopardizing an investigation.

One of the local judges was a good friend of Marley’s husband, Troy. Dare was sorely tempted to reach out to the woman tonight just to put Hal in his place.

“Will do. How’s Ainsley?”

“As good as can be expected.” Dare rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “She’s taking a nap right now.”

“Kinley is gonna be pissed when she finds out.”

Cam was friends with Ainsley’s younger sister, Kinley, and the two spent most of their time together. Dare suspected that, in her early-morning flight, Ainsley had neglected to tell her family and friends of her arrival in Brookhaven.

“Keep it quiet for a bit if you would. I’m sure Ainsley would like to tell them herself.”

Cam let out a disgruntled sound on the other end. “I’ll try, but you know how fast news travels in this town.”

Yeah, he did. That was both good and bad. Maybe word would get back to someone who knew the shooter and they would finally get a lead.

“Let me know if anything else comes through.”

Dare hung up and stared at the wall for several minutes, lost in thought. He grabbed his work laptop and pulled up the browser, then typed in Ainsley’s name and waited for the search results to populate. He needed to know more about her—where she’d lived, what she’d done for the past few years. Who she’d dated.

He ground his molars together as he skimmed through her information, scrolling back to several years ago. He knew she’d grown up here in Brookhaven, but they’d either never met or she’d left before he moved to town. Most of the documents listed her parents’ address here in town. A few showed an address in Minneapolis.

Curiosity piqued, he dug deeper. Dare discovered she attended college in Chicago but had never officially graduated. After she left campus, she seemed to just... disappear. Her name wasn’t listed on any official documents, and there was no address listed for the past several years. The puzzle that was Ainsley Layne grew more complex by the minute.

Dare sat back in his chair and contemplated the implications. More than likely she’d lived with someone—probably the person she was currently evading. But who was it?

He recalled the bruises that riddled her body, and he clenched his hand into a fist. Her driver’s license was expired, which solidified his theory that whoever the man was, he’d very obviously wanted to control her.

Fury rolled through him. He was going to get to the bottom of this, and soon. Because he’d be damned if he let the man near Ainsley ever again.