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CHAPTER SIX

Vera was thankful that this man had allowed her to move in with him, but the weird feeling that settled around her needed to go away. This was Frizz’s brother, not really a stranger, but he was a total stranger to her.

He showed her the room she would occupy, which wasn’t huge, but it would do. There was a full-sized bed, so she at least had a place to sleep.

“Um, so the computer thing. I bought a tablet, but now I’m afraid to turn it on.”

“Let me call Thario and see if he can meet with us tonight.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”

Ben chuckled and shook his head. “Thario likes helping people. Freshen up, and I’ll let you know what he says.”

“Thank you.”

She used the restroom down the hall. It wasn’t big, but there was a shower stall that didn’t look like it had been used recently, which meant Ben had his own bathroom. She was thankful she wouldn’t have to share a bathroom with him. He was too good looking and the awkwardness of being in the same space had hit her. If she had to see him in a towel, or just fresh out of a shower, it would make it even more awkward.

Five minutes later, Ben knocked on her door. She opened it, hoping they could take care of the tablet tonight.

“Thario said to come on over. Are you okay with going now?”

She nodded. “Let me grab my tablet.”

Ben stepped away, and she followed a moment later. The reality of moving here was hitting, and she felt weird, like maybe she’d made a mistake. She didn’t know these people, and she was living with a strange guy. But he was Frizz’s brother, and it seemed like he wanted to help.

They were in the car and she wasn’t sure she’d understood the man’s name who was going to help her. “So the guy helping, what is his name?”

“It’s Thario. That’s his nickname. He was a SEAL, and he was a horrible flirt. Well, more than a flirt. He liked picking up women. And Lothario was too long, so he got the name Thario. He’s different now.”

“Why now?”

“He was on a mission, and it didn’t go well. He lost his legs. I don’t know exactly how bad his injuries were, but he changed.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say. There were military bases around where she used to live, but she didn’t hang out in the same places they did. She’d known a few people who’d joined the military, but she had little knowledge of their lives.

“His dog is nice but big. He won’t hurt you, so just be cool with him.”

The car stopped in front of a one-story bungalow. A man was on the porch with a dog. Vera saw the wheelchair and swallowed. She hated bugging people, and she hoped she wasn’t disturbing him too much.

They were out of the car, and the dog came out to meet Ben. “Hop, good to see you,” Thario called from the porch.

“Hey, Thario, this is Vera. Vera, Thario, and the dog’s name is Frog.”

Frog was at her side, sniffing her knee and legs. The dog glanced up at her and she reached down, scratching his head. The dog pranced around excitedly before moving back to stand beside the man in the wheelchair.

Thario reached out to shake her hand. “It’s good to meet you, Vera. He likes you. You must be a good person.”

Heat filled her face. “Um, nice to meet you. And I don’t know. I’d like to think I am good, but I’ve had my issues.”

“Well, a guy stalking you isn’t your issue. I don’t know the whole situation, but I looked up the dude after Hop called. On paper, he looks good, but he was mentioned in a post on Reddit that was deleted.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Deleted?”

“Yes. I have special tools that get me access to interesting information. A woman made a post a few years ago about him stalking her. She isn’t alive now.”

Vera felt like her heart stopped. She hadn’t known about the stalking or that someone had died. “What?”

“The brakes on her car failed, and it plunged into a lake. Her car wasn’t discovered for a few years. Any evidence on her body was gone. They ruled it an accident. Just one more sad statistic of brake failure and a car rolling into deep water.”

“That sounds suspicious as fuck,” Ben said.

Thario nodded. “I know Hop has expressed his thoughts on social media, but if you can stay off the socials, it would be very helpful.”

She drew in a shaky breath. “I won’t log back in.”

They were inside now, and Thario held out his hand. “Okay, let me see your tablet. I just need a few minutes to take a look.”

“When I get my computer and phone, will you help me with that?”

“Absolutely. I love doing this. It keeps me busy. Gives me purpose.”

Vera wasn’t sure what to say. She hadn’t ever known someone who’d been injured like Thario, but she also didn’t want to treat him differently than she would anyone else. “I really appreciate your help. I didn’t know what to do after the fire. Frizz told me to ditch my phone, so I’ve been operating with this cheap thing I bought at the grocery store.”

“So you think he set the apartment fire?” Thario asked as he started typing away on her tablet.

“Yes. I know he did. It’s not worth arguing with the cops. When he tied me up out in the woods, the cops didn’t want to listen. I told them who it was, but they said they had no proof, and Logan was able to get an alibi for that time.”

Thario looked up from the tablet and met her gaze. “I found your police report. The notes from the police officers were disturbing. I’m glad you moved away from there. If you decide to move back to Texas, don’t live there.”

Again, his words shocked her. “What did they say?”

Thario shrugged. “That you were mentally disturbed. They weren’t kind.”

Ben put his hand on her shoulder. “We know it’s lies. You’ll be safe here.”

Thario nodded as he handed her the tablet. “Yes, you’ll be safe here. And you’re all set. There is no tracking software or applications on here. Be careful what you click on inside emails. I know you’re smart enough to know that but be extra careful. And yes, I’ll help you with your computer or anything else.”

“I really appreciate it.” Her emotions rose, and she swiped at her eyes and the tears that threatened to fall. “I don’t know why I’m so emotional.”

“It’s okay.” Ben squeezed her shoulder, and she glanced back, meeting his gaze. His brown eyes were similar to Frizz’s, but there was something else in his depths that held her attention. “What you went through was stressful.”

She nodded, wishing she wasn’t so close to crying. When she was back in Texas, she’d held it together, but now she felt like she was close to falling apart.

Laughter spilled out as she tried to cover the sadness and worry. She was a mess, and exhaustion hit her hard, making her feel worse.

“Sorry. I’m a mess. I promise the next time I come over here, I won’t be crying.”

Thario chuckled. “After the explosion, when reality hit, I cried so much. I hated it. Guys aren’t supposed to cry, but I learned that emotions are healthy. You should be upset, and it’s okay to express your emotions.”

Frog came over and licked her hand. She sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around the dog, giving him a hug. It felt good to have the dog close, loving on her. After a moment, she felt better. Before Frog left her side, he licked her cheek then headed back to Thario’s side.

“Your dog is great.”

Thario nodded. “Yeah. He’s a good one. I didn’t think it would make that much difference, but he does. He keeps me even.”

“I’m glad you have him.” She owed these guys so much. She didn’t know how she would ever repay them.

On the way back to Ben’s place, she was lost in thought. She’d known the police hadn’t believed her, but they’d disparaged her. She should have left town after that incident.

Ben cleared his throat before he spoke. “I have to be at the base early in the morning. I usually end up getting home a little after three, sometimes four. There is food in the refrigerator. Eat anything you like. Over the next week, we can work out food buying and how we’ll deal with storage and stuff.”

“I can’t thank you enough.”

“I’m happy to help.”

She glanced toward him, then away. Feelings rose, and she had to force them down. Ben was just helping her because of Frizz. There wasn’t a special connection between them, and there wouldn’t be.

In a few months, she would have to move out. Maybe she would stay somewhere close, or maybe she would move to Oregon or somewhere else. One thing for certain, she could never go back to Texas, at least not for a few decades. Hopefully, Logan would give up and stop looking for her. If he didn’t, she wasn’t sure what she would do.