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Chapter Twenty-Eight

The next morning, AJ finished up her end-of-shift chores. The night had been fairly quiet. A small car accident had brought both Logan and AJ to the same scene, but thankfully, everyone involved was okay. Having Logan smile at her while they both worked was a delightful change from a few weeks ago. The rest of the night had seen a few calls, but nothing tragic, and she’d been able to sleep a sufficient amount.

She checked off the items she had taken care of and went to the kitchen to wait for the others to be ready to leave. The next shift had already arrived and was beginning their tasks.

Seth walked into the kitchen with his backpack over one shoulder. “I’ll walk out with you if you’re ready.”

“I’d appreciate that.” Maybe this guy wasn’t so bad. A little too altruistic at times—was that actually a thing?—but she appreciated his thoughtfulness. And she hadn’t forgotten that he’d run in to look for Logan. She’d be forever grateful for that.

They left the kitchen, and Emily and Brennan joined them to walk out. Laughter floated among them as Brennan made a few jokes, but at the sight of AJ’s car, they all stopped.

On the hood, a stuffed bear was duct taped down. They walked closer. It was actually hogtied with zip ties. And it wasn’t just any bear. It had pink and blue plaid lining in its ears and a matching skirt. It was the bear Logan had won for her at the county fair when they were sixteen. It had been in her apartment. Had this creep taken anything else that belonged to her?

Emily pointed. “There’s a paper underneath it.”

“Not that this guy has left a single fingerprint on anything, but I probably shouldn’t touch it until the cops get here.”

Brennan said, “You call Logan; I’ll call it in.”

“Reach out to Adam directly,” AJ said.

Brennan nodded and called Adam.

AJ dialed Logan’s number, and he answered right away. “Good morning.”

“If only.”

“AJ?” The concern in his voice comforted her a bit.

She told him what she had found.

“I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

Within ten minutes, Adam, Logan, and two CSU techs arrived. Adam held the note so AJ could read it too.

Don’t think you can hide from me or that I’m not closer than you think. You need to leave Logan and come be with me. I can help you get divorce papers, and you can make it legal if you must. He hasn’t treated you well, you need someone who will treat you like a princess. You will be my princess, even if I have to hogtie you like this stupid bear. You will be mine.

AJ’s entire body shook and made her queasy. This was a step farther than anything he had done so far. It was a direct threat. She wasn’t safe.

Logan massaged the back of her shoulder and directed her closer to him. He’d read the note too.

She leaned into him, praying this threat would at least hold a tiny bit of evidence and lead to exactly who this was before he could make good on his threats.

This guy saw Logan as an obstacle to making her his own. Was he going to hurt Logan? Was this stalker the one who set their house on fire?

Anger surged through her veins like molten lava. Threatening her was one thing, but if this stalker so much as threw a rock at Logan, she’d do worse than he could imagine.

She wrapped her arm around Logan’s waist and held him a little closer. They had a lot of wasted time to make up for, and no one man—especially a stalker—was going to stand in the way of their marriage.