Smashing the button on my dash, I tell my car to text Aubrey that I’m on the way back with my estimated time. It’s almost an hour earlier than anticipated and Lily might still be barely awake for me to say goodnight to.
Me:I’m pulling into the driveway, unlock the door for me to sneak in.
Aubrey:Already unlocked. I’m in bed waiting. >
Me:We will address your safety right after I address whatever is on your body hidden by those covers.
Leaving everything in the car I race to the front door and slip in quietly. Tiptoeing down the hall. Silently, I turn the knob on the door to close it.
“Hi. I missed you.” Aubrey croons from the bed.
“Is this the welcome home I’m going to get when I’m gone?” I’m already stripping out of my clothes in a trail to the bed.
Before I can get to her, her phone pings repeatedly with messages.
“I’m sorry. I need to check that. No one ever messages me like that unless it’s an emergency.” She gives me a sad smile and I sit on the edge of the bed next to her.
She leans over to get her phone, and her face drops. All the color drains from her and her mouth falls open like she wants to say something but can’t.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s… I…” Instead of answering, she turns the phone toward me.
Photos of me in Boston, on the phone, driving home, and the most recent one of me getting out of my truck to go into the house.
“Shit.” Reaching down for my pants, I dig out my phone and dial Wyatt immediately.
“Yo.”
“Whoever it is, is here. I’m going out.” I’m already pulling on my pants and slipping my feet into my shoes. “I’m getting my gun out of the car. So whoever comes needs to know.”
“I’ll be there in under a minute. I’m at the inn.” I hear a car door shut and then an engine turning over.
My phone gets dropped somewhere on her floor. “Screenshot and text them to Wyatt. He needs to find out who’s sending them.”
“I know who it is.” She says meekly.
“Lock the door.” Only getting a nod in response, I rush out the front door.
Wyatt pulls in next to me as soon as I close my truck.
“It looks like they were in the woods over here.” Wyatt points to the tree line that has the same angle as the photo.
We both take off, guns drawn together. Wyatt in his uniform, me in just my jeans.
“Want to split up? I didn’t hear a vehicle, so they had to be close.” I ask.
“Not really. You’re half naked and not a cop. But honestly we don’t have much of an option.” He takes the right. “Backup is on the way, you go left.”
I do as I’m told, but I’m not seeing anyone, or hearing anything. Once I reach the road, I turn back.
Fuck. They were so damn close and I still couldn’t protect Aubrey from them. Turning back to the house, defeat seeps into my bones. And I can’t help but feel like I brought this on for her after my confrontation with Nolan.
When I get back, I find Aubrey and Wyatt with another officer on the front porch.
“Hey, what did you find?”
“Not much. Got a partial plate, it’s out of state but it was so dark we only got two numbers and not the state. It was a black SUV, probably an Escalade, or a Yukon.”
