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“I don’t want you to come back.” The lie burned his throat.
She blinked, those dark eyes flinching. If he told her why, she’d only try to stick by him. He couldn’t have her hurt because of him, or worse.
“I trusted you. Guess I should have followed my first instincts after all.” She turned and ran out the door through the sprinkles of rain. Heartbreak and grief weighed heavily on the wet air.
As soon as she was behind the wheel, he grabbed his gun and keys and slipped from the house. He tailed her from a distance, following her home. She had to be safe. Her car pulled into the drive. He texted TJ from a few houses down the street.
Bently: Make sure your doors and windows stay locked.
TJ: Why?
Bently: Keep her safe.
Because I can’t.
He sat in his police truck as the rain dripped over the window. His personal vehicle was still being searched for any traces of the stalker. They’d gotten lucky with a fingerprint, but it wasn’t in the system. Unknown. So now, he’d wait here in the shadows until morning.
He picked up his phone to call Vargas. Maybe she could trail Belle to work. But then what? He couldn’t find someone to watch her at every moment of every day. All it would take was one lapse in concentration, one opportunity, and she could be hurt. Or worse.
His chest squeezed. His lungs constricted. He gasped. Oxygen, damn it! Where had it gone? Each damaged beat of his ragged heart shot vicious pain spiraling through him. He slapped his hand across his chest and bowed over.
I’m having a heart attack.
He sucked in air, squeezing his eyes closed as everything came crashing down on him. The weight of pain and guilt he’d carried for so long became more than he could bear.
No, this is a panic attack.
He forced himself back to sitting and started to count, slowing his breaths. Each shaky inhale was like filling his lungs with shards of glass. In and out. Over and over until the tightness in his chest relaxed. But his heart still ached like a herd of wild horses had just trampled over it. Or maybe, whatever was left of it had been ripped to shreds the moment he let her walk out that door for good.
But it was too late now. He’d have to live with this loss.
Chapter 35
Belle
Belle’s secret places no longer ached. His scent no longer invaded her bedroom. Two less reminders that Bently had been inside her less than two weeks ago. But her heart felt like someone had cut it into ribbons and left her to die from the internal bleeding. The hot water sloshed over her tired body. Her eyes felt like sandpaper. Why was she still crying over this man?
Because you fell in love with him and he ripped your heart out.
He’d made love to her, connected with her emotionally in a way she hadn’t known was possible. Bently had given her the best sexual experience of her life and then pushed her aside so cruelly. It felt as though he’d left her alone in an ocean, no longer helping her tread water. Nothing was left but the lead weights of her fears to drag her into the darkness. She’d given him everything, all that she had left, and he’d kicked her out as soon as it was over. Her stomach revolted at the memory. Bile rose up the back of her throat.
“I don’t want to brag, but I know a thing or two about how to woo a woman.” His words came back to haunt her.
Had this all just been a ploy to get her into his bed? No. It couldn’t have been. Could it? Was it all a lie?
After she’d dried and gotten dressed for the day, she headed downstairs.
TJ looked up from his book. “Hey, just made some coffee.”
“Thanks.” She forced a smile.
“Are you and Bently, uh . . . okay?” TJ asked cautiously.
Belle turned to pour herself a cup, afraid he’d see the pain in her eyes.
“I’m in this, Angel.” But he’d never clarified what “this” was. He’d always been vague. She was surprised TJ had waited this long to say something.
“Why do you ask?”
