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If you do, he’ll pay the ultimate price.
THIRTEEN
Olivia wrapped the ends of her sweater tighter around her midsection to ward off the chill that’d settled in her bones. Her house was a crime scene. Police cars lined the street. Officers and forensic technicians traipsed in and out her front door. A steady rain kept most of the neighbors on their porches. Chief Sims stood under an umbrella, speaking with a news crew.
She watched it all unfold from the safety of her grandparents' living room. The fireplace was on, the heat spilling into the room, warming every inch. But it wasn’t enough. Goosebumps pebbled her skin and her fingers trembled. As horrible as the scene before her was, it could’ve been far worse. The intruder had shot at Cole. He could’ve been killed. A horrifying proposition.
“Okay, I’ve got the video cued up.” Eli’s voice cut through Olivia’s thoughts.
She turned. Eli stood next to the bookshelves with the television remote in his hand. He’d logged into the security system at her house to review the footage. Parked in her grandfather’s recliner was Texas Ranger Jackson Barker. He’d shed his sports coat and rolled up the sleeves of his white button-down. A five-o'clock shadow riding his jawline darkened at the cleft in his chin. His green eyes and chiseled features were striking paired with his curly hair and tawny skin, but Olivia hadn’t felt so much as a blip when they were introduced months ago during a tux fitting for Eli’s wedding.
Her gaze flitted to Cole. He lounged on the couch, long legs stretched out in front of him. Sheetrock dust coated sections of his dark hair. He also sported a five-o’clock shadow, the whiskers accenting the masculine curve of his lips. Looking at him now, no one would suspect he’d been involved in a firefight an hour ago with a gunman.
Her pulse picked up speed when Cole’s gaze lifted. He patted the cushion next to him in silent invitation. Olivia crossed the room. She claimed the seat, and Cole scooted closer until their shoulders were touching. The heat from his body seemed to sink right through the sleeve of her sweater. She stopped trembling.
“Everyone ready? Here we go.” Eli hit play on the remote. On the television screen, a man dressed in all black entered the front yard. “He approached from the neighbors. Probably parked a few streets over. He jumps Olivia’s fence and circles around to the backyard.”
Olivia watched the man remove the screen from her bedroom window. She shuddered. Normally, at that time, she’d be in bed sleeping. What would’ve happened if she’d been there?
Cole took her hand. His touch was gentle, but also strong. A silent reminder that she was okay and so was he. His words from earlier in the evening had touched her deeply. You aren’t alone. Even after being threatened and shot at, Cole was sticking by her side. Comforting her. It unleashed a longing inside her, a hidden desire to be loved and cherished and protected. To share her life with someone who stood by her. Olivia thought those feelings died with Aaron. Or at least, they’d been put on ice. But Cole’s steadfast presence had unlocked them, and she didn’t have the emotional wherewithal to fight against it.
She interlaced their fingers and focused on the surveillance footage. The intruder used the butt of his gun to break the window. Then he crawled into her bedroom.
Eli paused the video and turned to her. “I know it’s hard to tell because the intruder sticks to the shadows, but does anything about him seem familiar?”
She frowned. “Can you play the video again?” Eli did as she requested, and Olivia paid close attention to the intruder’s gait and movements. “Something about him is familiar, but… I can’t say for certain why.” Her gaze bounced to each of the Texas Rangers. “Do you think this is David?”
“David swears he was with his mother all evening.” Jackson leaned forward in the recliner, elbows resting on his knees. “The mother confirmed it when officers interviewed her. However, a neighbor said they observed David’s car driving up the street at nine o’clock. If the neighbor is telling the truth—and there’s no reason to think he’s lying—then David wasn’t at his mom’s house at the time of the break-in.”
Olivia blew out a breath. “That’s not good.”
She didn’t like believing her former assistant had anything to do with stalking her, but ignoring the facts in front of her would be foolish. “The intruder is about the right height and weight, but nothing about the way he moves reminds me of David.” She struggled to put into words the reason why. Eli kept the video playing on a loop. “It’s the gait. David is long-legged and bounces when he walks. This guy is more contained in his movements.”
“Could be nerves,” Eli observed. “Or we’re barking up the wrong tree. I don’t think it’s a good idea to narrow our suspect list to David. I spoke to his ex-girlfriend from college. The one he was accused of stalking. According to her, David showed up at her dorm begging for a second chance after they broke up. He did this for days until finally the campus police encouraged her to take out a restraining order. Once she did, David stopped bothering her. As far as I can tell, he’s stayed out of trouble since.”
“Have you spoken to his current girlfriend, Angie?” Olivia asked.
Jackson waved a finger. “I did. She said David is a great guy. He’s never been violent, although she admitted that he has a temper and is prone to jealousy. That’s a big issue they’re dealing with right now. He doesn’t like one of the guys at her job. Angie believes that’s a ridiculous complaint, especially since—and this is a direct quote—David is infatuated with you. It’s the reason Angie insisted he quit and move back to Houston.”
“Infatuated?” Olivia released Cole’s hand and rose from the couch to pace. The anxiety inside her was building, and she needed to release it somehow. “That’s extreme. A crush perhaps, but… I can’t believe I would miss an infatuation.”
“You’ve been grieving.” Cole’s voice was nonjudgmental. “Dating wasn’t even on your radar until recently. It’s possible you never noticed how David felt about you because your focus was somewhere else.”
She had to admit he had a point. She halted mid-step. “So what? The encounter with David in the cake shop was a setup? He came in under the guise of buying cupcakes so he could figure out who I was with.”
Cole shrugged. “It’s possible. He was giving off territorial vibes when you introduced us. Like I said, I think that’s what the hug was about. He was putting me on notice.”
“It would explain the stalker’s threat tonight,” Jackson added. “He doesn’t like seeing you with Olivia. He’s jealous.”
“There is one thing that bothers me about tonight’s break-in though.” Cole leaned forward. “If the goal was to threaten me and scare Olivia, why did he rifle through her things and steal her jewelry?”
“Opportunity.”
Cole shook his head. “This wasn’t the first time he’d broken into her house. He did it last night and didn’t steal anything. What changed?” He squinted at the television screen. “It makes me wonder if there’s more than one person involved. As though the person who broke in tonight and the one who broke in yesterday aren’t the same.”
Olivia’s stomach clenched. “That doesn’t make any sense. If the stalker is infatuated with me, then why would he have someone else break into my house?”
“To avoid getting caught.” Cole shrugged. “Whoever’s behind this has been incredibly careful. Today, he was sloppy. He tripped the alarm and didn’t notice, then took time to rifle through your belongings after leaving the note and knife in your bed. It’s possible he’s escalating and just getting careless, but this seemed out of character from his previous attacks.”
