Page 93 of Steel

Maybe the asshole hadn’t anticipated I’d be so fast. I flew through the trees, jumping over fallen limbs and scrubby bushes. Soon, it seemed as if I was gaining on the culprit, but the beam of light was capturing nothing. The asshole was zigging and zagging in his effort to keep me from hunting him down.

I was positive it was a guy from the heaviness of his footsteps, but he was fast. I’d give him that. I’d thought I had the jump on him, but a few seconds later, I could tell he had the jump on me. Whatever the hell he’d been doing wasn’t about finding himself lost.

Powering on, I stopped and listened again, swinging the flashlight from one side of the forest to the other.

Another noise captured my attention. It sounded like a vehicle door. I rushed forward toward the road that backed up to the property. By the time I burst through the trees, a getaway car had already taken off.

I chased them, pumping my legs as hard as I could, but the driver had hit the gas pedal hard. While the back lights were working, the license plate had been covered with something.

That didn’t stop me. I continued powering on until the vehicle vanished from view. With a snarl, I stopped, leaning over to catch my breath.

Someone was playing a little game and I had every intention of finding out who.

I continued walking down the road, scanning the area. There was nothing to find. But what about the house? Shit. And Zorro.

Backing away, I tried to catch my bearings as I headed back into the woods. Thankfully, she’d left a light on in the kitchen, which faced the back of the property. When I was in the backyard, I took some time searching for anything out of place.

How in the hell could I see anything in the dark? And how would I know since Jasper was such a terrible landlord? What bothered me was that the back door was unlocked. Now I wished I’d brought my weapon with me.

As soon as I walked inside, Zorro went crazy in his cage. If someone else had walked in, I would have heard him. Unless…

He might be a puppy, but it appeared he’d bounced the cage away from where she’d put it.

“Alright, buddy.” I turned on the light, immediately crouching down so I could unlock the door. He bounded out, eager and happy someone had freed him. However, he barely acknowledged me before taking off toward the front of the house.

The door.

I found him sitting on his haunches by the front door.

Growling.

Not the kind of growl anticipating someone he knew, but one indicating that he was angry someone had dared come into his space.

“Take it easy, buddy. Let me see if there’s an issue.” I moved through the house, taking my time turning on every light. It was impossible to decipher if someone had been inside. I had a choice to call the police, which would put the fear of God into her, or ensure that the house was more secure in the morning.

Before I left her bedroom, I noticed one drawer was open. Just a crack, but what I’d been able to tell about the woman was that she was particularly organized. I felt like a voyeur when I opened the drawer to find her underwear placed neatly inside. Every thong she owned was folded neatly, every bra as well.

Except for a single pair. Either she’d decided on wearing a different one at the last moment or someone had touched her things.

With every muscle in my body tensing, I moved into her bathroom. Everything had a place.

I’d mention it to her later. Whether she liked it or not, she was staying the night. I headed back to the kitchen to take a sweeping look, again finding nothing. But I sensed someone had been inside. There was a feeling that her space had been disturbed.

Someone was out to disturb her life. If I was right, that someone would need to go through me.

And he wouldn’t appreciate how I dealt with the situation.

CHAPTER 20

Steel

By the time I made it back to the house, a solid twenty minutes had passed.

The walk had taken me longer, Zorro pulling at the leash the entire time. His growls became comforting after only a couple of minutes. The sounds were an indication I wasn’t falling prey to my instinct of protection.

I’d decided a lie was better than the truth, explaining that my extended absence was based on a sound, but instead of possible intruders, that I’d been worried about a thumping noise. I could easily explain the plumbing situation, which in turn would allow me to make changes inside her house.

A little contracting here and there, including beefing up the locks to ensure her safety.