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Protected By the Mountain Man

Page 2

by Rhian Cahill

“Yes. I…” She straightens away from the car, lets out a deep breath. “Yes, I’m okay.”

Her voice is a little shaky but physically she looks okay. “Do you want me to call security?”

Her laughter bounces off the vehicles surrounding us. I don’t see the humor in the situation and open my mouth to ask what’s funny when she sighs. “No point. He just took off.”

My gaze darts to where I last saw the guy. “He’s security?”

“Yes.”

Shaking my head, I turn back to the woman in front of me. “We should call the police.”

“No.” Her eyes finally met mine for a second and it’s a sucker punch to the gut. Green. Greener than new grass in spring. Brighter than the sun reflecting off the snow in late winter. “It’s not necessary. He’s my ex. He disagrees with the ex part of our relationship.”

“Oh.” I scan the parking lot again, make sure he hasn’t circled back round. “How long have you been broken up?”

“Over a month.”

Her words have my gaze snapping back. “Has he been disagreeing the whole time?”

She hunches forward, gaze on her feet, arms wrapped around her waist. “Kind of.”

A frown pulls at my brow. “You should report him. That’s harassment.”

“I have reported him. Unfortunately unless he does something more harmful, they can’t do a thing.”

“Grabbing you and pinning you against a car is harmful.”

“You’d think, right?” She shakes her head, eyes still on her feet. “As I said, he works security here and you can bet everything you own he already has a buddy erasing video footage.”

I glance around and find a camera perched high on a light pole. Turning back I say, “You’ve got a witness now. He can’t erase me.”

“Thank you. But I’m sure getting caught by you is enough to scare him off for good.”

“Here.” I pull out my phone. “Give me your number and I’ll text you the details of what I heard and saw. You can take it to the police and give them my name and number. I’m happy to make a statement, or you can hold on to the info until you need it. Either way, I’m more than happy to help you get rid of this guy.”

Lifting her head, she keeps her striking green eyes downcast. “Really?”

Her disbelief should be shocking. It isn’t. All too often people don’t want to get involved. Especially when it might mean talking to the police. “Yes. In fact, the chief of police in Winter Lake is my⁠—”

“You’re from Winter Lake…?” Her eyes meet mine, then widen, the bright green like a beacon in the night, as she stares at me in what I assume is shock or surprise.

“Yes. Well, outside town, up the mountain. But I work for the Public Works department.”

“I’m from there. I lived here for a while. Moved home recently.” The way her gaze goes in the direction of her ex before returning to mine, I wonder if he’s the reason for her move.

“Are you heading home now?”

“Yes, I just finished my shift.”

“Why don’t I follow you? At least to Winter Lake. Make sure you get there okay.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. My ex is working tonight. He can’t follow me this time.”

“This time?”

Panic blooms in her eyes, making me think she didn’t mean to reveal that piece of information. For a moment I think she’s going to deflect but then her shoulders lower and her expression turns defeated. “Yes. I thought moving away would get him to leave me alone.”

“You moved to get away from him?”