“Now, don’t hurt your hand.” He tries to touch me, but I jump out of the chair. “Oh, so now you’re scared of me?” He puts scared in air quotes. He comes closer. “Where was this fear when you started following me weeks ago? Or when you tried to get my dog picked up by the Humane Society.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The lie easily slips out of my mouth.
He shakes his head and makes a tsking sound. He drops his phone on the counter and plays a recording. It’s my voice.
“Hi. My name is Jane Doe.” The phone goes quiet, and then I clear my throat on the recording. “Uh, Jane Dobowkowski, and I’m calling to make a complaint about a big ass ugly dog. He was seen chasing children at—”
I close out of the app. “That’s not me. You can do anything with AI these days.” I cross my arms and look away. “I don’t give a shit about you or that beast. I just want out of here. You’re holding me against my will. Not that I did any of the things you’re accusing me of, but it’s not illegal to follow someone or to try and protect kids from a rabid and dangerous monster of a dog. The way I see it, if that voice on your phone isn’t AI, which I’m sure it is, that person is a hero.”
“It’s a crime to lie about a puppy who has hurt no one.”
“Puppy?” I ask, aghast. “That rabid bitch?”
“Don’t you dare call her that.” He takes a deep breath before continuing. “And, I do believe stalking is illegal. You might want to brush up on these things. It’s disappointing that you don’t know that, since you work for a lawyer.”
“You would know a lot about what’s illegal and what’s not, huh?”
“Oh, Bella,” he chides. “Don’t open that door, sweetheart, because once you do, it will be impossible to close.”
I refuse to engage further. I look away while I try to come up with another plan to get away from him. It’s obvious he’s deranged, and I should have thought better of this. My cousin Selene and my best friend, Eden, warned me to drop it. I didn’t listen.
The nutcase in the room doesn’t speak again, but I’m very aware of him. I hear things sizzling, and even I have to admit that whatever he’s cooking smells good. My stomach growls, and I wish I had grabbed my bag full of snacks.
His back is turned while he reaches for plates in an overhead cabinet. I slip off the chair and tiptoe to the door that leads tothe garage. I turn the knob, and it shifts, but when I pull, it’s locked, and I’m unable to move the lever to unlock it.
He turns and sees me at the door, but he’s holding two plates. Instead of putting them on the island, he puts them on the round table in the breakfast nook. He dims the lights and lights two candles as if this is some romantic rendezvous. I eye the plates of food. It’s black fettuccine with jumbo shrimp on top. It’s my absolute favorite meal, and I don’t know how he would know that. He snaps his fingers as if he just remembered something and returns to the kitchen to grab a block of Parmesan cheese. He shaves some on both plates and gestures for me to sit. I don’t make a move.
He sighs in either disappointment or annoyance before he lifts me off my feet and brings me to the table. I make my body go rigid when he tries to get me to sit.
“Dammit. Stubborn ass woman,” He mutters. “Lucky for you, I like a challenge.” Having decided that I’m done talking to him, I don’t answer. He tries to contort my body, but I remain rigid. He lets me go. He stands behind me and puts both hands on my hips. I try to move away, but he keeps me in place. His warm lips hit the side of my neck, and his tongue glides across my skin. I stomp on his foot, but my bare foot and his shoes hurt. “Don’t hurt yourself,” he whispers. “I want you to feel pleasure, not pain.” His lips land on my neck again, and I betray myself by moaning, so I elbow him in the ribs. “Fine.” He moves away and plops himself down on a chair, leaving me standing.
I don’t move. Not when he sips his wine. Not when he wraps his fork around his fettuccine and takes a bite. I reach for my plate, not to eat, but to toss it on the floor. However, he must have anticipated my move, because he picks it up and moves it away.
“One thing you should know about me is that I don’t like to waste food.” As if I give a single fuck about anything abouthim. “And you’re not eating because you think I put something in your dinner.” I remain stoic. “One, I would never do that to a guest.” I raise an eyebrow. “Two, I take pride in my cooking, and you should be grateful. I don’t cook for very many people. Most people I associate with don’t even know how skilled I am in the kitchen.” I turn my back on him and start pacing. “Whatever you’re planning won’t work. And here is the true test.” He doesn’t say anything anymore, so I face him. He takes a noodle from my plate, drops it on the floor, and whistles. That monster darts across the room and eats it. “I would never hurt my baby. If she can eat it, you can too.”
This man is equating me with that ugly beast. I flare my nostrils and walk away before I fly across the room and strangle him. My pacing resumes, but I don’t keep it in the kitchen. I walk away and enter into a massive and impressive living room, only I’m too annoyed to admire my surroundings. But I do notice a small picture frame on the coffee table and pick it up. It’s a family picture. He’s in it, but he looks like he’s about sixteen or seventeen. He looks the same, except he’s gaunt. There’s a woman who looks like him, but seems too young to be his mother, and she’s holding a cute baby girl dressed in a frilly pink dress. There’s also a man in a wheelchair. It’s different than the one my mom has. You can tell this one is more expensive and elaborate. The man appears to be paralyzed, whereas my mom uses hers because she has difficulty walking since the accident.
I lift the picture over my head, ready to smash the frame onto the marble floors, but it’s snatched from me. He shakes his head and gently puts the picture back down.
“Don’t do that. That’s the last picture we took together before Neal got really sick. He wasn’t my biological father, but he did more for me than any father could for their son.” He rubs his face with his big hands. “You know, you can do and say really mean things, but I’m a patient and forgiving man. Lucky foryou.” He extends a hand, but I don’t take it. “I’d like for you to come back in the kitchen and eat.”
Chapter 4
Dax
Months ago
“Cousin Hazel gets really angry when I bring you into her kitchen,” I say to Finch. She whimpers. “It’s not that she doesn’t love you, but she doesn’t think her restaurant is the place for a dog.” I rub behind her ears. “But you’re much more than that, aren’t you? You’re my baby.” I let her lick my hand, grateful that Hazel can’t see it. I love my cousin, but she’s a stickler and will tell me to get lost if she smells the dog on me. “How about a walk in the parking lot, and then you can sit here and wait for me for a bit? Don’t bark at people like you did last time I brought you here. When you do, you contribute to the stigma about Dobermans, but we know the truth, don’t we?” Finch barks and licks my hand. “You’re just a little sweetheart.”
I let her out of the car, but don’t put her on the leash. She hates the small Civic I drive when I’m in town. I do too. I much prefer one of my sports cars or a luxury SUV, but either would be too flashy when I’m tryingto blend in.
Shadow Cove is the perfect place for me to live in plain sight. Despite living in one of their neighboring towns, I’m here frequently. Moreso recently. I let Finch off the leash. She’s well-trained and won’t hurt anyone, despite the Doberman's looks and size.
The parking lot is full, but quiet. I spot my associate, Rip, holding the hand of his girlfriend, and I shake my head at the sight. I still don’t understand how that mean motherfucker went after the sheriff’s daughter. Not only did he get her, but he’s making it work, and they’re both happy. That mean asshole has never been happy before, but he is now, and I wish him well.
Hell, I wish I had some of that kind of happiness for myself.
Our line of business can be lonely, and part of the reason I picked him and let him into my inner circle was that he is comfortable and prefers being a loner. That, and he has no vices. He doesn't drink, do drugs, or chase women. He’s big, fearless, and can kick anyone’s ass. He doesn’t start trouble or look for it, but if you bring it to him, he handles it. All of those things are still true. All that’s changed is that he’s in a relationship now.
