Page 35

E than moved through his backyard, his head down, and his hands shoved in his pockets.

The warm metal from the switchblade he’d brought to the bar grazed his fingers.

The baseball cap he’d grabbed from his house hugged his brow.

No one had followed him from the bar, of that he was certain. But it paid to be cautious.

He’d parked his truck in his driveway and had gone inside for a bit, and then snuck out the back.

He wouldn’t be able to simply skip across the lawn and go to Riley’s.

He’d have to enter the alley and then let himself into her backyard.

If the perpetrator was watching them, they had to cover their bases.

This way if he went by Ethan’s house, he’d see his truck in the driveway and assume Ethan was in for the night.

Getting out of Riley’s unseen would be tricky in the morning, but there was no help for it.

His phone buzzed against his thigh. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen.

Cal.

His finger hovered over the ignore button. But Lana was pregnant, and he’d be a shitty friend if he wasn’t on call.

“Yeah,” he answered. “Hey dude, how’s things?”

“Good, I’m heading to Riley’s place now.

She’s on her way so I need to check things out before she gets there.

How’s Lana doing?” Cal had been good at checking in and staying abreast of the plan, always offering a way to help.

Though he wouldn’t leave Lana’s side, it was evident expecting the baby had him on eggshells and more than a little stir-crazy.

“She’s great. She started having contractions this morning but it was a false alarm. Still have seven weeks to go.”

A smile tugged at his lips. “Were you shitting?”

“Bricks. I called the midwife, thinking it was go-time. I guess this shit is normal. Sure enough, the contractions stopped once she rested.”

“Pretty soon you’ll be welcoming a new person into the world. I’m excited for you, man.”

“Don’t be too excited yet, I still don’t know if I’ll survive.”

Ethan stifled the laugh that rumbled in his throat. “You? I think Lana has more at stake here.”

“Frick, she’s cool as a cucumber. You should have seen her. First thing she said was ‘I need to shave and wash my hair.’”

Ethan closed his eyes and shook his head on a chuckle. “Women. I tell you, the wrong species was born with balls.”

A beat passed. “That’s an image I didn’t need, dude.”

“Sorry,” he chortled. The toe of his shoe caught a pebble and it danced across the gravel alley as he groomed over the backs of the houses.

“I’ll call you back, bro. I’m here now.” He disconnected.

It was after ten p.m. and only a few windows glowed from the inside. All he had to do was skirt through her backyard and he’d be at Riley’s back door. Music bumped from the street over, the bass from a cheap subwoofer rattled the old windows of the houses that lined the dark alley.

His hand tightened on the knife. “Damn kids,” he breathed.

He glanced over his shoulder and swept his gaze down the alley—all clear.

A short gate met him at Riley’s yard. He lifted the latch and entered, staying close to the shadows from the trees.

Her house was still and dark, the back door would be locked.

A warm glow shone in the window from the second level.

Michael.

He still hadn’t gotten to talk to the guy. Now that the whole town believed he and Riley were on the outs, he couldn’t do much investigative work. But Joe and Nate could. Michael’s proximity couldn’t be overlooked.

The soles of his shoes sunk into the soft earth below. He edged his way through the yard, his eyes trained on the house, there was no movement from the second floor.

He dug the key out of his pocket, climbed the porch, and entered.

The flowery scent of fabric softener greeted him as he came in the laundry room. He slid off his shoes and shut the door behind him. He exchanged the key for a flashlight and clicked it on, its warm beam illuminated his path. Turning on a light was too damn risky.

Before Riley came home, he needed to search the house. Aside from possible critters left for her to find, he needed to be damn sure it was safe and secure.

He moved silently through the house, coating his path with the flashlight’s beam. The house was still, and nothing seemed out of place. Not that that meant a damn thing. The guy had managed to get a snake in her bed without tripping the alarm.

He’d work his way from the back of the house to the front, starting in Riley’s bedroom.

He crossed the slick, linoleum kitchen floor and entered the hallway.

Her bedroom floor creaked beneath his weight and he cringed at the giveaway.

Keeping his feet rooted to the spot, just a few feet shy of the end of her bed, he swept the flashlight around the room.

Dropping to his knees, he scanned under the bed.

He exhaled, stirring a few dust bunnies from their slumber and lifted his gaze.

He brought the glow from the flashlight to scan over the top of her still rumpled comforter.

The light caught a small nub tucked under the lampshade.

He frowned, got to his feet, and shuffled across the room.

He leaned next to the nightstand and peered under the lamp.

A tiny device stood out near the bottom of the shade.

A bug. The bastard was listening to her. His fingernails sliced into his palms as he stepped away. He gripped the back of his neck with his hand and his blood roared through his ears. If he was listening, he could be watching too.

If the asshole was doing that shit, chances were he’d focus on her bedroom.

The sick sonofabitch… If he’d planted a camera, he’d have hidden it up high or at eye level.

His gaze lifted to the pale popcorn ceiling.

His eyes zeroed on a spot over her bed. It was too damn dark to see.

Not wanting to shine a light directly on it, he crossed the room and picked up the chair from against the wall.

He positioned it a couple of feet away from the bed, and out of view.

It appeared a piece of the old, ratty white popcorn ceiling was missing. Had the ceiling been a smooth surface, it would have stuck out like a sore thumb. But the microscopic indent was too clean-cut and positioned perfectly over the head of her bed.

He stepped down, and moved the chair back. White noise roared through his mind. He crushed his teeth together until his jaw throbbed. Someone had been spying on her. Why? Because she was a threat? Or because she was a target?

He kept his footsteps light despite the rage that vibrated through him. He couldn’t lose it. If someone was listening on the other end there was a chance they had heard him. However, with Riley out for the night, he’d either be watching her in person, or not listening if she wasn’t home.

He searched the rest of the house with the precision of a fine-tooth comb.

The only other bug had been an audio, stuck beneath the kitchen table.

Two audios in total and one camera. At least he hadn’t bugged the entire house and they could carry out their plan tonight.

They’d have to lay low and be careful, but with any luck, the watcher would be clueless.

He couldn’t touch the bugs. If he moved them, the douchebag would know. That could further endanger Riley, not to mention Hanna. As much as it pissed him off, they had to keep everything in place and let him watch and listen. Maybe they could work this in their favor, a way to trap him.

He typed a quick message, warning Riley about the bugs.

***

His fingers grazed over the volume button on the car’s radio.

He turned the music down and the air conditioning up.

It was as hot as hell. Sweat clung beneath the hat he wore, but he didn’t dare remove it.

It had been a while since he’d gone to Drew’s for a beer.

After he’d overheard Jenny talking to Riley at the restaurant earlier, he couldn’t resist the chance at catching Riley.

Since the night he’d run her off the road, he’d only caught a glimpse of her leaving her house the day he’d left the snake. Not seeing her, even in passing or at the diner, had rattled him. He couldn’t make a damn move with that ape always hovering over her. That loser had to go.

Now that she wasn’t with him anymore, he could move in on Riley.

But he couldn’t let Ethan walk away. He knew too much, and if something happened to Riley, the FBI hounds would be on him.

Not a big deal, all he had to do was make Ethan’s death look like an accident.

Maybe his furnace could catch on fire or the brakes could go in his truck. He’d get creative with that one.

The entrance to the bar opened and he saw Riley step out, her long, slim legs in view.

His body tightened in response. He clenched his hands over the steering wheel to still the tremor that shook over him.

He’d have so much fun with Riley. Her hair glowed in the moonlight, and the black dress she wore hugged her slim curves.

A man’s arm circled her shoulders as they stepped to the curb.

Her ex-boyfriend. Or so he’d overheard people say inside the bar before he’d left.

Who was this guy and how long was he planning on staying?

He couldn’t get rid of him too. Though he doubted the ex would be missed among locals, the last thing he needed to do was draw attention to Beaufort and himself.

His car was parked a couple of aisles away at the end of the row, giving him a clear view of them but shielding him from theirs. They stood under the streetlamp, his body cozy to hers despite the sticky humidity.

Rage shot through him, igniting his skin.

The fucking slut. He took a deep breath through his nose, but it didn’t still the fury inside him.

Warning bells sounded in his head. He was getting too emotional, too attached.

That’s when people made mistakes. One slipup could ruin everything he’d worked for.

He was lucky. He lived a happy, double life.

The residents of Beaufort respected him, hell, he was even a member of the chamber of commerce.

But locked quietly in his house, chained securely to the wall, was Hanna.

He couldn’t jeopardize that, no matter how close Riley got.

When the right opportunity presented itself, Riley would be his.

A cab pulled up a few minutes later and the man with the obnoxious grin opened the rear passenger door. Riley climbed in and the car sped away. Her ex-boyfriend shoved his hands in his pockets and dug out his keys.

A deep calm settled over him. He shifted into reverse and backed out of his parking spot. His foot tingled with the urge to stomp on the gas and run the moron over. Instead, he nodded at him as he passed, and her ex gave a friendly wave.

Dumb shit. This was how he did it. How he stayed invisible…

by being in plain sight. He pulled onto the road and kept a far distance from the cab.

A couple minutes later, it turned down the road leading to her house.

If he hurried, he could catch her on the audio devices he’d planted.

Desire built in him. And he’d be able to watch her in bed.

He hadn’t been able to watch her since before she’d started staying with her G.I.

Joe boyfriend. He’d checked the tapes periodically, but it had been nothing but dead air.

Now she would be home though.

A shiver raced over him. If only he’d been able to plant more cameras, he could have watched her as she dressed and bathed. Maybe tonight he’d let Hanna watch Riley with him. The look on her face would be priceless.