Page 19 of Summer Ever After

Chapter Six

After almost a week of spending the majority of his workdays watching over Beth, they finally got a break. He watched on the security screen as the dark sedan pulled into the camp’s parking lot and parked next to her car.

The image was very clear, and he and Brett watched as a dark figure got out of the sedan and put something on Beth’s car before taking off.

Brett leaned back in the leather chair as the glow of multiple monitors reflected off his face.

Aaron rubbed at the back of his neck, trying to shake the tension that had built up over the past week. Every day since the first incident with the sedan, Beth had been a quiet magnet for his focus, and he hated feeling like a shadow in her life.

But now he had proof that this one thing wasn’t just paranoia on her part.

“Right there,” he said, tapping the screen over the license plate. Aaron’s stomach tightened. “We got him.”

Brett nodded and started typing on his computer while Aaron replayed the scene and paused.

“He put something on her car,” he confirmed.

“Damn,” Brett muttered. “Camera angle’s a little shitty, but that’s enough to prove that he put something on the wheel well. I’m having a connection run the plates.”

Aaron leaned forward, jaw tight. “I’ll bet you a week’s pay that it’s a tracking device.”

“No one would take that bet. It’s obvious.” Brett leaned back. “Why don’t you head out and remove whatever was put on her car while I wait for my buddy to get back to me. Whatever you find, bring it back here so we can see it for ourselves.”

Aaron stood and let out a long breath. As he thought about it, he realized something.

“Since we can’t confirm that it was Ian in the sedan, there’s no point in calling the police. Besides, he’s a cop. And if we clue him in to the fact that we know he placed a device on her car and is watching Beth, he’ll just cover his tracks or, worse, try something different when she’s not at the camp.”

Aaron felt like slamming his fist on the desk. Instead, he paced the small space and took several deep breaths. “I’m going to tell her, after I remove whatever it is and deal with it, I’m going to tell her. She should know.”

Brett leaned back, shaking his head. “I’m not sure we should tell her just yet. I don’t want her to have one more thing to freak out over. She’s already been on edge since the sedan followed her.”

“For the past four years, her entire life has been centered around caution. Not clueing her in that someone is tracking her isn’t protecting her. It’s lying to her. She has a right to know the full story, and we need to help her take the right steps to protect herself. I’m sure there’s a lot Ian kept from her when they were together. We don’t want to be grouped in with the likes of him.”

Brett was quiet for a moment and then nodded. “You’re right.” His eyes were sharp as he ran a hand over his face. “Go grab whatever it is. I’ll let you know when I hear from my contact. I’m going to call Zoey and the others.”

Aaron stopped pacing. “You should wait until after I tell Beth.”

Brett looked down, his jaw tight. “I can’t hold off for too long, just until I get confirmation on the plates and you find out if it’s a tracking device.”

“Fine,” he agreed. “I want to tell Beth myself.”

Brett’s eyebrows shot up. “It might be better if she had her friends⁠—”

“I’ll tell her,” he said again, knowing in his gut it was the right thing. She wouldn’t want Zoey and the rest of the Wildflowers to fuss over her. Besides, he understood now that she hated making a scene or being the center of attention. It would be best if it was just him and her in a room where she could react honestly without worry.

“Be careful. The sedan could come back,” Brett warned.

“Understood.” Aaron headed towards the door. Once outside, he moved quickly down the pathway towards the parking lot.

Since the first incident, they’d assigned Beth a parking spot closest to the cameras and the pathways.

The late-afternoon sun was low enough to cast long shadows over her car, but it was still bright enough that he could see every shadow.

He crouched carefully near the front bumper, his fingers working with precision. The small, nondescript device was tucked neatly under the wheel well, just enough to avoid her notice. How long would it have stayed there if they hadn’t added the extra cameras? Or if it had been put on her car in the middle of the night?

Within seconds, the device was in his hand. He studied it quickly, noting the AirTag case that held it secure to the vehicle.

As he stood, he pocketed the tracker before taking a deep breath. Before he left, he scanned the parking lot for any sign of the dark sedan or anyone watching.