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behind the wall of shrubs.
It had seemed like a peaceful spot, serene and quiet. Now she scanned the park and all she could see were places where people could hide. The trees and bushes were more than lovely pieces of nature. They were barriers she couldn’t see around. Anyone could be watching. Anyone could be waiting for her.
Then she felt someone’s stare fixed on her, felt malevolence.
Her cell phone trilled as a text came in. She thought about ignoring it, but then decided she needed anything to take her mind off what had just happened. The panic that had plagued much of her childhood seemed right on the edge of her consciousness. If Tom had sent her some crazy anecdote about his job, maybe the normalcy would pull her back from the edge.
The number of the originating text didn’t register as unknown until she’d already pulled it up. Already seen it.
I can get you anytime. Anywhere. He can’t protect you.
A picture accompanied the text. It was a picture of her from the previous night. In her own building. She was folding her favorite T-shirt and smiling at someone off camera. Connor.
He’d been in her building—when she’d been sure she was safe.
Despite the incident the day she’d met Connor, Lara hadn’t completely processed that someone was trying to hurt her. She’d wanted to buy into the cover story that the attack had been random and she’d simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The last few days had been so normal she’d convinced herself the shooting at the bus stop had been a fluke and met her dad in the park because she couldn’t stay cooped up a second longer.
But she couldn’t deny the truth any longer. Someone wanted to kill her.
By burying her head in the sand, she’d put her dad and Kiki in danger. For all she knew, the would-be assassin would shoot either of them to get to her. Or Connor, who was doing his best to hunt the gun-toting killer down right now.
What if the hunter became the hunted?
“Lara?” Kiki’s voice sounded far away.
Her hands started to shake and the world just began to fade in her peripheral vision.
“It’s a panic attack. She’s had them since she was a kid. They used to be so bad, she took medication.” Her father’s hands were on her, lifting Lincoln away.
She heard a man’s low curse and then she felt hands on her face, lifting her chin up.
“Hey, breathe for me, princess.” Suddenly Connor stared down at her, his handsome face seemingly the only real thing in the world. His hands moved, one reaching back to cup her neck and the other wrapping around her waist. “You’re fine. I told you I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you. I’m not going to. You’re fine and you’re here with me. So take a deep breath.”
What if the stranger had killed him? What if he’d died for her? She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling sick.
“Look at me.” He stared down at her. “Look at me and listen to my voice. Nothing else.”
She managed to nod and take a shaky breath. Then she pried her eyes open.
“He’s gone. He’s at least a mile away by now so he can’t hurt you. I’m going to find him, princess. Then he won’t be able to hurt anyone again, but I need you to stay with me.”
Don’t give in to panic.
He leaned forward, lowering his face to her forehead. “If you don’t calm down, I’m going to kiss you. I’ll do it right in front of your dad. I know how to calm you down.” He smoothed her hair back. “I’ll just keep kissing you until you believe me.”
He did know how to calm her down. Now she wasn’t thinking about anything else.
“I’m good. I’ll be okay.” She needed to tell him about the man in the bushes.
“Good.” He raised his head, but his hands stayed on her body.
“I think there were two of them.” She managed to say in gulpy breaths.
Connor turned slightly, looking to the guard to her right. “What is she talking about?”
The other guard was back. “She seemed to think someone was watching her from behind that bush. I did find tracks. They appear to be sneakers of some kind, but I’m not a tracker. They could be new, could be from hours ago. I don’t know. I don’t think anyone was there.”
He started to let her go and she wobbled without his strength. He cursed under his breath and leaned over. Before she knew it, she was in his arms, cradled to his chest. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t bow before your powers of observation. You didn’t even realize that fucking jogger was watching her.”
“I noticed him.”
“But didn’t do anything?” Connor shook his head. “Get your head in the game. This is your job.” He cuddled Lara close then turned to the other guard. “And you were apparently going to stand around and let her have a panic attack. You’re not watching my charge ever again. Senator, I’m sorry for the rudeness but I’m responsible for Lara right now and I won’t let her out of my sight again. If you want to see her, you’ll have to set it up through me.”
“Of course.” Her dad was watching them. “I think she got something on her cell phone. She was looking down at it when she went pale. I thought she was going to pass out.”
“He sent me a text,” she managed to say, forcing herself to calm down. Somehow being in Connor’s arms gave her the peace of mind to control the chaos.
“Kiki, hold it up for me.” Connor didn’t seem eager to let her go.
Kiki did and Lara turned her head away, burying herself in the softness of Connor’s shirt.
He cursed. “I need to get her home. Then I’m going to find where that bastard put it.”
“Put what?” she asked.
“The camera he has in the basement.”
“He was there,” she gasped, feeling the blood leave her head.
“No, princess. He wasn’t. I checked. But I’m thinking he’s got surveillance equipment set up. If that’s the case, I’ll find it and shut it down.”
Somehow knowing that Connor was on the case made her relax. “You can put me down now.”
“Not on your life. You’ll wobble and fall. Then I’ll have to take care of you. Kiki, could you walk Lincoln back to the building?”
She nodded. “And Lara, I’ll stop by the store. I’ll get you everything you need.”
“Thanks,” she murmured to Kiki with a grateful smile.
“Stay safe, baby girl,” her dad said just over Connor’s shoulder.
Lara would have loved to talk to her dad, to assure him that everything was fine, but Connor had made the decision to head for home—and was striding through the park as though he had no intention of stopping.
She noticed a man in a Navy T-shirt, sweats, and sneakers. He was tall and handsome and his lips quirked up as they strode by.
Lara clung to Connor, the panic starting to fade and a certain inevitability taking its place. Life was too short. She was going to give herself to him.
She just hoped it wasn’t too late.
SIX
Connor pushed the button to the elevator with a deep sense of unease. He’d found one of the building’s security cameras in the basement. Someone with great skill had hacked into the feed. Someone likely close to Lara.
He would really like to see what kind of setup Freddy had.
