Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

brADEN

TEN DAYS LATER

"I'm so sorry we don't have better news for you," Kerry, one of the two detectives who was assigned to my case, told me over the phone.

"I know you're trying your best," I said with a sigh as I pulled into my driveway after a long day of performing my court-ordered community service at the local hospital. "And I really appreciate the work you're doing. It's just pissing me off that we're still no closer to catching this woman than we were last week."

It wasn't this poor overworked detective's fault that my cyberstalker was basically a ghost. She was just that good. In fact, everyone who was working on this case – Bobbi, Kerry, and Kerry's partner, Susan – had told me that given how good she was, we'd probably find that this wasn't this woman's first offense.

Unsurprisingly, every single email that had been sent to me and Dani had come from a burner phone. And all of the geotags and IP addresses just led them to very public places like grocery stores or malls, so all they'd been able to tell was that the woman probably lived in Orlando.

"We'll get her, Braden," Kerry tried to assure me. "She'll make a mistake eventually, and when she does, we'll catch her."

I could tell he was trying to sound encouraging, but he wasn't succeeding. Then again, I was pretty sure nothing other than finding out who was doing this and bringing her to justice would encourage me right now. I just needed this to be over.

I didn't know how much longer I could handle jumping every time my phone went off. How much longer I could deal with the knot in the pit of my stomach every time I left my house, wondering if every single woman I passed on the street was the one who was terrorizing me. How much more sleep I could lose praying that this freak didn't do anything to physically harm me – or worse, Dani or Isaac.

"And what if that mistake is showing up at my house with a gun or a knife?" I choked out. "Or worse, my girlfriend's house, where she lives with a six-week-old baby?"

Yes, I knew Dani wasn't really my girlfriend. But it wasn't like I could tell Kerry that. And frankly, where her safety was concerned, she might as well have been. I knew all the guards on her security detail were licensed to carry, but still. What if this woman showed up at her apartment and fired a shot before they could stop her?

"I know this is hard, Braden." His calm, even tone was starting to piss me off. "Have you called that number I gave you? For victims' services?"

My blood started to simmer in my veins and my hand clenched into a fist as I used every ounce of self-control I possessed not to unleash my anger on him. Yelling at him wouldn't solve anything. It wouldn't bring us any closer to catching the woman who seemed to have endless amounts of free time to harass me and Dani.

I took a slow, deep inhale before speaking. "I appreciate that you're trying to help, but I already have a court-appointed therapist, Detective. What I need is for you to find this maniac."

"We will," he repeated. "And please make sure you call me if you can think of anything that might help. No matter how small or insignificant it seems. Even if you just feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and can't figure out why."

"That happens every time I leave the house," I said with a humorless, sarcastic chuckle. "But I'll call if I think of anything useful. I'll talk to you later."

I ended the call before he had a chance to respond and shoved my car door open harder than I needed to, then slammed it shut and stormed up the driveway toward my front door. As I got closer, I noticed a cardboard box on my front porch.

That was weird. I hadn't ordered anything. But it wouldn't have been the first time my friends or family in Kansas had sent me a random care package – which usually contained a bottle or two of barbecue sauce from my absolute favorite barbecue joint, Joe's KC.

Stepping onto the doormat, I picked up the box and unlocked my door, shutting and locking it behind me before using my key to cut the packing tape. And the moment I unfolded the lid, I dropped the parcel on the floor as I doubled over, clutching my stomach and swallowing down the bile that rose in my throat.

Inside was a set of lacy black lingerie that looked new, but didn't have any tags on it. And sitting on top of that was a plain white envelope.

I knew I shouldn't look. There was no reason for me to torture myself. Yet I found myself reaching for that damn envelope, driven by morbid curiosity. Clutching the single piece of white cardstock between trembling fingers, I used my free hand to steady the quivers as I read the typewritten message.

I bought this just for you, baby. I can't wait until I finally get you alone so you can rip it off me and fuck me raw like the animal I know you are.

Xoxo,

Me

My head spun, my vision started to blur at the edges, and it felt like a three-ton weight had been dropped on my chest, making it almost impossible to breathe.

This lunatic already had me wound up as tight as a drum. Because of her, I was now in a constant state of panic every time I stepped foot outside my house. I'd spent night after sleepless night lying in bed in fear for my safety and the safety of the two innocent people I'd inadvertently dragged into this mess.

And apparently it wasn't enough for her. No, she had to do one more thing to terrorize me. She had to take one more thing from me: my sense of security in my own home. The one place where I had the right to feel safe.

But none of that was what had me an inch away from having a coronary right now.

There were certain perks to being a celebrity, and one of those perks was that it was more difficult than normal to locate personal information like my phone number and address. So if this woman had been able to get my physical address rather than the publicly available fan mail address or my manager's office address…well, there was no way on earth she hadn't also been able to find Dani's.

Snatching my phone off the side table by the door, I pulled up her contact profile and hit call before I even registered that I'd done it.

"Braden?" came her sweet, angelic voice, snapping me out of my terrified daze.

Just the sound of her voice made my hands stop shaking and the room stop spinning, though I still felt like there was a hippo sitting on my chest.

"Da-Dani," I choked out. "Are…are you home?"

"Yeah…" she trailed off. "What's going on, Braden?"

"Are you okay? And Isaac?"

"We're both fine," she said slowly.

"Thank fuck," I said on a trembling breath as my knees buckled from the relief.

She was okay. Her baby was okay.

"Braden, you're starting to scare me." There was a panicked edge to her voice now. Panic I'd put there. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Something happened," I managed to tell her, then took a shaky breath in an attempt to slow my racing heart. "The stalker. I need to see you. Can I come?"

Yes, I knew I had no business driving right now. But I didn't care. All I cared about was getting to her. Seeing that she and Isaac were okay with my own two eyes.

Dani took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I can't let you drive like this, B. How about I come to you?"

B.

She'd just called me B. She'd never done that before. She'd always used my full name.

She probably didn't even realize she'd done it. And she definitely didn't realize that something so simple would be all it took to ease the weight on my chest. But it did. Because it gave me something else to focus on: the hope that maybe, just maybe, she was starting to care about me the way I cared about her, even just a little bit.

"I'm okay," I said, blowing out the first full breath I had been able to take since I'd opened that fucking box. "I can drive. I'll see you in half an hour."

She sighed. "Okay. I'm trusting you. But if you're not here in one hour, I'm sending out a search party."

Despite still feeling like every cell in my body was buzzing on a different frequency than my brain, I smiled. "You won't have to. I promise. I'll see you soon, beautiful."

After ending the call, I took another shaky inhale as I grabbed the godforsaken package off the floor and opened the door. Because I damn sure wasn't going to leave it here, where my stalker could break in and make it disappear, along with whatever evidence Bobbi or the police might have been able to find.

But the moment I stepped outside, the panic seized me again, stronger than it ever had before. I double and triple-checked my doorknob to make sure it was locked before forcing my feet forward toward my Escalade, which now looked too small. Too vulnerable. The same way I felt right now.

My eyes kept darting all around me, glancing at the hedges on the edge of the property and the flowerbeds full of azaleas on either side of the front door. Checking behind the huge old southern magnolia tree in the front yard. Looking for any possible place this unhinged woman could be hiding, just waiting for the right time to catch me off-guard. I even checked the backseat and back hatch of my vehicle before finally getting into the driver's seat.

After I locked the car door and knew I was safe and alone, I was finally able to take a breath. Inhaling deep through my nose, I held it for a count of four before trying to let out a slow, controlled exhale for a count of four, just like my anger management therapist had taught me. I only made it to two, so I did it again. And again. And again. Until my breathing was even and controlled and I felt like I could think clearly enough not to be a hazard on the road. Only then did I start the ignition and back out of my driveway.

But even as I made my way through the side streets of Orlando, grateful that I didn't have to get onto any of the main roads or highways that were always crawling with tourists who had no idea where they were going, that spine-tingling fear never quite left me. I kept checking the rearview mirror, looking to see if anyone was following a little too close. If anyone was staying on my tail for a little too long. I even made a couple of wrong turns along the way and took the longest route possible just to make sure I wasn't leading anyone straight to Dani's apartment.

I pulled into the parking lot of her complex at the forty-five-minute mark, but waited for a couple of extra minutes and watched as the driver of a beat-up old Corolla parked and entered an apartment on the ground floor of Dani's building. Nowhere near her unit.

Then I clocked the Hummer that was sitting in the second row of the lot. With two of the security guards I'd specifically requested for Dani's detail sitting inside, watching every vehicle that pulled in. And I immediately felt like a prized idiot.

I let out a loud groan as I banged my head against the steering wheel. How hadn't I remembered that I'd set up 24/7 security for her at the beginning of last week precisely because I'd been worried about this exact situation?

Get a fucking hold of yourself, Hicks.

Taking a deep breath, I exited the car and hit the lock button on my key fob twice before heading up the stairs and knocking on her door. When the door opened to reveal the beautiful girl I wished like hell I could call mine in picture-perfect condition, holding a cooing baby in her arms, I nearly collapsed from the instant relief that flooded over me.

"Dani," I breathed as I stepped over the threshold and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her as close as I dared with the precious cargo she was carrying. "You're okay. Both of you."

"I told you we were," she murmured as she awkwardly leaned against me for an all-too-brief moment before pulling out of my embrace to shut and lock the door.

The whistling of a kettle pierced through the air, making Isaac start crying at the shrill noise, and she tried to shush him as she headed into the kitchen. I followed her and watched as she shifted him to one arm while quickly moving the kettle to a silicone mat on the counter and turning the burner off.

"Do you want me to take him while you finish there?" I asked.

She turned to look at me with the same stunned expression she'd worn when she had walked out of her bedroom and found me holding Isaac the night we'd gone to La Terrasse.

"Are…are you sure?" she stammered.

"I'm not completely useless," I chuckled weakly. "My cousin, Jay, has two kids. I spent plenty of nights at his house watching those babies when I was in high school. And during my summer breaks in college."

A flash of something that looked almost like pain flickered across her face before she schooled her features and walked over to me, hoisting a still-crying Isaac up so I could take him. I easily lifted him from her arms and cradled him in mine.

In that instant, two things happened at once. First, the wails quieted, like what he'd wanted was to be held by me . And second, the last of the nerves and anxiety from the stress of the past hour just melted away as I looked down at his angelic little face and big brown eyes.

Once again, this overwhelming sense of rightness came over me, and for the life of me, I couldn't explain it. But I didn't need explanations. What I needed was to figure out a way to keep this sweet little boy and his mom – because Dani was his mother in all the ways that mattered – in my life. Forever.

"Shh," I whispered as I leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead and slowly swayed back and forth, rhythmically bouncing from my knees. "It's okay, little man. The scary loud noise is gone."

Then I looked up at Dani. I knew I needed to tell her about the unwelcome delivery I'd gotten today, but I couldn't bring myself to just launch into that. Especially not while I was holding her baby. I couldn't explain why, but it just felt wrong.

"So, you had your last final today, right?" I asked.

She nodded as she grabbed two mugs from a cupboard, then took a box of hot chocolate mix and a couple of other items out of the small pantry. "Yep. I am officially at your disposal until I start med school."

I snorted. "That wasn't why I was asking. How does it feel?"

"Weird," she chuckled. "Like, I've been working so hard for the past four years, and I swear I barely even remember these past six weeks. And now I'm about to walk across the stage and get a diploma. Assuming I passed all my exams."

"How do you think you did?"

"Pretty good. The only one I'm really nervous about is biochem, but Morgan and I spent hours studying for it last night, and she crashed here. Lina actually ended up staying too because she wanted me to get a good night's sleep before I took the test. She even got up early and made sure Morgan and I ate a good breakfast before we left."

That made me smile. I hadn't gotten to spend a whole lot of time with Lina, mainly since Dani and I had only been on the one official date, but I could already tell she'd been a godsend. I couldn't stand the thought of Dani having to let her go when our agreed-upon year-long period was over. It would barely make a dent in my bank account to pay Lina's salary at least until Dani could start her paid residency. And then Isaac would be old enough for preschool.

This wasn't the time for that conversation because we had way more pressing matters to discuss tonight, but I decided I would broach the subject with Dani at some point soon. Because I just didn't feel right about cutting off the lifeline I'd thrown her and leaving her drowning again once this was over.

I probably should have thought this whole plan through a little better before I'd decided to go through with this cockamamie scheme. But it was way too late to back out now. I was in too deep. I had been from the day we'd met.

"That's awesome," I told her as I watched Isaac wrap his tiny hand around my outstretched finger. "I'm really glad she's such a good fit for you."

"She's been amazing," Dani sighed, walking past me with two mugs in her hands. "The second I met her, it was like I could finally breathe again, you know? Like I just knew she was meant to end up with us. And she's so good with him."

Yeah, I was going to make sure they stayed together. No matter what.

"Here, let me put him in his swing. He'll be out like a light in two minutes," she said as she set the mugs on the coffee table and turned to me.

"I've got him." I walked over to the baby swing that was set up on the floor across from the couch, carefully placed Isaac in the seat, and strapped him in before switching the motor on. "Sleep tight, little man."

Going back to the couch, I took a seat next to Dani and let out a long sigh. With a small, anxious smile, she slid one of the mugs in my direction. I gratefully picked it up and took a sip, and my eyes went wide when I discovered that she'd added some kind of spice to the hot cocoa mix.

"Holy shit. What did you put in this? It's amazing."

Now her smile was more genuine. "It's a cheap version of Mexican hot chocolate. Cinnamon and chili powder. My papá always used to make it for me and Amara when we had bad days. It was one of his favorite treats, even though he was Cuban, not Mexican. It's way better if you make it from scratch or at least use milk with the mix, but grocery shopping hasn't exactly been a priority this week. Anyway, you were so upset when you called. I wanted to do something, and this was the first thing I thought of."

"It's perfect," I assured her as I took another sip. "Just what the doctor ordered."

"I've got a long way to go before you can call me a doctor." She let out a soft chortle. "So, are you feeling okay enough to talk about what happened now? Or do you still need a minute?"

A weak chuckle escaped my lips. "You sure you don't want to be a psychiatrist instead of a rheumatologist?"

She laughed quietly. "The funny thing is, I actually considered psych as a specialty for a while. I even took some psychology courses for my undergrad degree. But I don't know if I'm cut out for it. Mental health is so much more complex. There's not always an easy answer."

"For what it's worth, I think you'd be good at it. You just have that calming presence, and you genuinely want to help people. But it's your decision."

"I'll take that under advisement," she teased.

I took another drink of my hot chocolate, then sighed. I needed to just rip off the Band-Aid. Putting this off would only prolong the torture. So I started at the beginning and told her everything.

She turned to look at me when I was done talking, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. "Wait a second. Are you telling me that you came here before you called even one of the people who are working on this case? Who could, I don't know, actually do something to help?"

"Well…yeah," I admitted sheepishly.

"Why the hell would you do that?" She shook her head. "I mean, I get that you were worried about me, but even if I had been in trouble, what exactly were you going to do about it?"

Because ever since I met you, you're the only thing I can think about. Because for some reason I don't understand, when I look at you and that little boy, I see forever. And because I can't breathe when I think about anything happening to you.

"I wasn't exactly thinking clearly. I never can when it comes to you." The last sentence came out in a whisper, like I was confessing my darkest secret, before I could stop it. "I have the box with me, though. In the car."

Shaking her hands out to relieve the nervous tension, Dani took a deep breath. "Okay, reset. Here's what's going to happen. You're going to pull out your cellphone – you know, the one you used to call me, who can't do a damn thing about any of this – and call Bobbi. Right now. Then, once you calm down enough to drive safely, you are going to get in that fancy Escalade that probably cost more than my med school tuition and drive that creepy package straight to the police station. Do not pass ‘Go.' Do not collect two hundred dollars. Got it?"

I couldn't help it. I snickered. This feistiness was a side of her I hadn't seen before, and it surprised me a little. In a good way. In a way that made me even more determined to get her comfortable enough around me to let her guard down like this all the time.

But the way she'd quickly assessed the situation and managed to remain calm enough to remind me that I still had to deliver the evidence to someone who could actually do something to help, despite her own fears? That didn't surprise me one bit. She'd been forced to do exactly that for the past couple of months. Ever since she'd lost her sister in the blink of an eye and had to make snap decision after snap decision so she could keep her and Isaac's heads above water. She'd had to put her fear, anger, and grief on the back burner so she could be a mother.

And that was why I knew I'd chosen the perfect activity for tomorrow night's celebratory outing. If she even wanted anything to do with me anymore after this bullshit. She needed an outlet for all those feelings she'd been keeping bottled up. Probably even more than I did. And fuck me, did I need it.

"Sí, se?orita," I said as I stood up. "I'll do you one better. I'll call Bobbi on my way to the police station."

She gave me a small smile before rising to her feet too. "You sure you're okay to drive right now? You can stay as long as you need to."

"I'm good, sweetheart." I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on the top of her head, wishing like hell that I could kiss her lips instead. "Are you still up for going out tomorrow night to celebrate finishing your finals? I understand if you're not."

She nodded. "Yeah. I need the night out. And since you clearly think you're Mr. Invincible, going all Taken and jumping in your car to rush over here instead of going to the cops like a normal person, I'm gonna trust that you'll keep me safe."

"I'll protect you with my life," I promised with a laugh.

If she only knew how serious I really was.