Page 108 of Guarding Over You
“I’ll stay at your place,” he said. “The couch is fine. I’m not leaving you.”
“I couldn’t ask you to?—”
“You’re not asking. I’m telling you.” His voice softened, but the steel in it stayed. “And you’re calling Billy. If you don’t, Ford will. Everyone close to you has to be checked. He knows where you live. So does Tina.”
Her eyes darkened. “I know. And that’s the worst part. This is going to blow everything up.”
“Do you think it’s him?”
“No.” She shook her head hard. “Billy wouldn’t touch Gracie’s things. Whatever this is, it’s about me. It has to be. I just don’t know why or who. But this time they crossed a line. He wouldn’t. No way. He’s doing what he can to make sure she’s not afraid of him anymore.”
“Are you sure? He just found out yesterday that you are dating me. Could he do this to cause more issues and say he has a right to Gracie? That there is more danger in your life right now?”
“I... I didn’t think of that. I just don’t know if he’s that devious.”
“Tina, then?”
“I don’t know. It doesn’t fit. She gave Gracie a gift once, remember? Why destroy something so cruelly now? Until we see that note, we can’t know.”
He cupped the back of her head, keeping her close. “Go back to your daughter. Let me and Ford deal with this. Then we’ll talk next steps.”
“This is my battle,” she said, shaking her head and stepping out of his arms.
“No,” he said, his voice rough. “It’s ours. They touch you... they touch me. Don’t argue that and don’t piss me off by pretending you’re on your own. I know you’re strong. I get it. But this isn’t something to shove your independence down my throat about.”
Her breath hitched. Her eyes shimmered, emotions tearing through the composure she was fighting to hold.
He dipped down and brushed a kiss to her forehead.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured. “What a shitty way to end a good day.”
He couldn’t agree more when she was walking back to her place and Ford came pulling into the development. His brother must have been driving faster than normal, but the lights weren’t on now. No sirens either.
The sheriff's SUV came to a stop.
“How is Arden holding up?”
“Not wonderful.”
“You know now I’m even more pissed off you kept this all from me.”
“What were you going to do? It’s out of your jurisdiction. PD doesn’t always cooperate with the Sheriff’s Department.”
“It’s not that way anymore,” Ford said. “I’ve bridged that gap. I called Tate on the way. He’s coming over when he can. I’m going to start the process now.” Ford took several pictures, put gloves on, then pulled the bike out and set it against the dumpster, took a few more.
“Looks like all they wanted to do was to prove a point with the tires again. As if saying they can get her anywhere. It’s obviously the same MO.”
“Not having seen the other evidence, I don’t know,” Ford said, his voice clipped.
Blaze pulled his phone out, grabbed the picture of Arden’s tire and sent it to his brother.
Ford zoomed in on it, then put it next to the bike’s puncture marks. “Looks close to me. Could be a pocketknife. It’s not big. Hard to say. Ready for the note?”
“As ready as I’m going to be,” he said. Though he wasn’t looking forward to it.
I DIDN’T WANT IT TO COME TO THIS. YOU LEFT ME NO CHOICE BY NOT WALKING AWAY. IT’S ON YOUR SHOULDERS. END IT BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE... FOR BOTH OF US.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” he asked.
