My skin crawls in outrage and anger when I read the words. When I think about how Dani must have felt when she saw this, my heart starts to beat wildly. Fuck. I should have been here for this. I should have been here to protect her from harm and I wasn’t. That is my burden to bear and one I’ll work every day for a lifetime and then some to make up for.
“Is this the last of it?” I ask through clenched teeth.
“Not even close.”
“Explain,” I spit, my mind going into survival mode, and the hunter I’ve been trained to be fights for control.
“After the note, she passed out.” He holds his hands up when I open my mouth to explode. “Stop and listen, Cohen. Don’t go off half-cocked until you know all the facts. Now that you’re home, you need to know what you’re up against.”
“Keep going,” I rush out.
“The flowers didn’t start up right away, but they didn’t stop. We were able to intercept enough of them that Dani doesn’t even know just how bad it continued to be. Axel was concerned about her being in the early stages of pregnancy and what the added stress could do to her and the baby. Understandable considering his and Izzy’s past. We’ve tried, but thus far, we have been unsuccessful in tracking down the origin of the purchases.”
I can feel myself becoming angrier and angrier. The need to protect what’s mine is starting to manifest into a craving to kill whoever is threatening her safety.
“I promise you, Cohen. She was never alone. Either there was someone at the girls’ house or she was at work. The few times she went out with everyone, there was always Liam, Nate, or Chance with her. As much as Axel hated it to begin with, her wanting to stay at your place so that she could be near you, whatever that means, gave us a little peace of mind because we all know that Chance is more than capable of protecting her. They’ve formed a friendship since you left and that’s all it is—a friendship.”
“I get that now. What else is there?”
“Today, she was at work and ordered some lunch. I think she had been there for about five hours before she placed the order. According to the surveillance cameras we have placed in the doorway and on the salon floor, there wasn’t anyone alarming. Clients that Sway has confirmed are regulars and no new ones. The stylist and staff. The camera and production crew for that Sway All the Way show. That’s it. Dani ordered Chinese, and when the order came, the delivery person brought in the food, had her sign, and left. We lost her when she went into the breakroom to eat, but I’ve seen what she found when she opened the bag . . . and what it did to her. You aren’t going to like this,” he warned.
“Just fucking tell me so I can get to her, Dad.” My anger becomes a palpable thing.
“What you need to do is calm down, because as pissed as this is going to make you, you need to be there for her. I have no doubt that what you saw was a terrified woman being comforted. Sway sent someone over for help, but with Axel and Beck out of town and Maddox up to his elbows in case backlog, Chance and I were the ones who showed up. Chance took her out of there while I waited for the police and secured the scene.”
“What. Did. She. Find?” I grind out forcefully.
He sighs and returns his attention to his computer. Within seconds, the monitor is turned my way and I have to fight the urge to throw up.
My God! What in the fuck?
“Someone has their sights on her, Cohen. This is one of the first times that she’s actually dressed to show off her stomach. Normally, she wears baggy clothing, and honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to tell until today. She dressed up—according to Megan, who rushed over to help Chance earlier—to show off her pregnancy because she knew the cameras would be back after a two-month break. Whoever this is, they honestly didn’t know about the baby until today. That I’m almost positive about.”
“They’ve been watching my woman, Dad. Watching her close enough that this was a clear threat. You read that first letter. We’re dealing with a fucking lunatic. Someone who views her as theirs. What do you think is going to happen now that I’m home? Just by being with her, I’m placing her and my unborn child in danger.”
He studies my face for a beat. “But your being gone is killing her. Plain and simple, Cohen. It’s not been easy, despite the brave face she’s kept. You can protect her. You will protect her. Don’t let some stupid thought that she’s better off without you even enter your brain, son. I raised you better than that shit.”
I shouldn’t be surprised that he so clearly read me.
“I need to go to her.” I state.
“You need to go to her,” he agrees.
I give him a quick hug and all but rush out the door.
With a renewed sense of confidence and the feelings of overwhelming fear for her and our child, I speed through the streets and make my way to the woman who I, just hours before, wronged.
I have a lot to make up for, but my parents are right. When you feel something as powerful as what Dani and I share, you don’t ever stop fighting for that. I’ll be damned if I let some crazy fuck threaten the future I will have with Danielle Reid.