Nowhere Safe

CHAPTER 24



Fear for Zane fingered through every nerve in Trish’s body. She stared at the stalker’s note in Heidi’s hand. “Why were you looking through my pockets?”

Heidi stormed over to the sofa. “I’m doing laundry. I found it when I checked the pockets of your jacket. What’s this note all about?” she demanded.

“Give it to me.” Trish reached for the paper, gritting her teeth against the pain behind her eyes. “That’s mine.”

Josh leapt up from his chair. “No, let me see it and you stay still, Trish.”

Heidi handed the slip to Josh then glared at Trish.

Under his breath, he read aloud, “Roses are yellow for a little hello. I’ve done something nice for you. Now you will do something for me, little pawn. Keep your phone handy.” Josh seared her with a ferocious glare. “What the hell is this?”

“Nothing. Give it to me.” Trish pushed up again, head spinning, and almost fell off the sofa.

Josh moved fast. He had her by the shoulders, gently pushing her back down. “Whoa. Easy. Don’t panic. We’re going to talk about this, but I want you to stay calm.”

Calm? This was a disaster.

“Trish, fess up.” Heidi had never sounded more serious. “Don’t give me that ‘not now’ look or I’m calling Zane.”

“You can’t!” she yelled, and the sledgehammer in her head paid her back, big time.

“Okay, okay, take it easy, like Josh said. I’m not calling anybody...yet. But you have to tell me what’s going on.”

Trish closed her eyes and tried to will the day away. Unfortunately, her genie powers were as nonexistent as her luck. She had no choice. Josh would tell Zane even if Heidi didn’t. She had to make them realize they couldn’t do that.

Opening her eyes, Trish took in an anxious set of gray eyes with an eyebrow ring and a troubled pair of stormy blue ones waiting patiently on her.

She had no choice but to trust him. “Okay, I’ll tell you about the notes, but you have to both promise not to tell Zane.”

“Notes? As in plural?” Josh tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling, frustration clear in his every move. He dropped his chin forward and nailed her with an accusatory stare. “You’ve taken independence to an unbelievable level.”

“Zane should be the first person you tell,” Heidi agreed.

“Would you both please sit down? Hurts to bend my neck back to look up.”

Heidi dropped on the floor, cross-legged, next to her.

Josh pulled up an ottoman and settled on the edge.

The house phone rang again. Trish had lost count and hoped it was the same person. Not every news outlet. “I’ve been getting notes and I got a text from someone.”

“Text.” Josh uttered a sound of disgust. “All right. First, what’s in the other notes?” His monotone words didn’t fool Trish. He was furious, but to his credit she could tell he was working extremely hard not to yell or upset her further. She said, “Heidi, if you’ll go look in the lower drawer of my nightstand you’ll find the other notes.”

Without another word, Heidi sprinted to the back of the house.

Josh leaned close. “Why haven’t you told anyone?”

“I couldn’t.”

“You wouldn’t. There’s a difference.”

“No, I couldn’t.” She’d wanted to share this with someone, but the stalker had convinced her that anyone she brought into the mix would be in danger.

“Here they are,” Heidi announced on her return, handing the pile to Josh as though there’d been an unspoken agreement that he was in charge. He flipped through each one, his jaw working from side-to-side as he read. He placed them on the floor and turned to Trish. “Now the text.”

As Trish related the message from the night at the banquet, then told them about the voice in her room, and the knife in the cutting board, Josh’s visage darkened more with each recitation.

No one uttered a sound when she finished.

“That’s all of it,” Trish prompted, glancing from Heidi to Josh. She waited on a response, any response. Come on, guys, say something. Anything was better than the silent treatment.

Josh stood. “I’m going to check your bedroom to see if I can find the speakers that fed in that robotic voice.” He walked down the hallway.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Heidi said. The disappointment in her friend’s words pained Trish more than her throbbing head. “I live here, too, you know. He was in your house, Trish, and I didn’t even know.”

Shit. What had she been thinking? In her effort to protect the ones she loved, the last thing Trish had meant to do was hurt them.

“I’m sorry, Heidi. It wasn’t because I didn’t trust you, but I didn’t want you or Zane harmed.”

Heidi gave a nod. “I heard the washer stop. Let me throw the clothes in the dryer and I’ll be back.”

Trish leaned back, letting her eyes close...just needed a moment.

“Wake up, hon.”

Trish’s eyes flew open at Heidi’s soft order. “Sorry, I didn’t think I’d nod off.”

Josh came back down the hall. “Do you realize what kind of danger you’ve been in?” He started in on her as soon as he rounded the corner. “I found a remote camera in your fancy curtain rod, and a speaker hidden inside your lampshade. That’s with a five-minute sweep. I’m going to do a more thorough check later, and sweep the rest of the house.”

Chills raced up Trish’s arms. The stalker had a camera in her bedroom. He’d seen her naked. She really wanted to use one of Arnie’s best moves on that miserable creep.

Josh continued, “This is not an amateur job, so I doubt we’ll find any fingerprints. And Big Charlie’s murder could be tied to this stalker.” He began pacing. “There’s no telling how many times you’ve been in the stalker’s sights.” His voice began to rise.

Oh, boy. Josh was revved up. From the look on his face, Zane’s short fuse temper had nothing on Josh in a fury.

She was pissed, too. She’d been dealing with the damn stalker nonstop for weeks with no way to stop the insanity without putting Zane at risk.

He stopped short. “What was your plan, Trish? Just sit around and wait until this maniac came after you?” He leveled a gaze harboring reprimand at her, then shook his head. “Of course, it was. You don’t accept help from anyone.”

“That’s not true,” Trish protested. She’d been wrong. The silent treatment was better than this humiliation.

“Yes, it is. But that’s changing right now,” he warned.

“What do you mean?” Trish eased up against the sofa arm, desperate to be on a more level playing field.

“We have to bring the police in on this.”

“No! Didn’t you read the note that threatened Zane?”

Josh disagreed. “Don’t underestimate your brother. He’s capable of taking care of himself.”

“Yeah, Trish,” Heidi concurred. “And Zane will be crazy when he finds out what’s been going on with you.”

“That’s just my point. He’s got Angel and the baby to worry about. He won’t watch out for himself. He’s always had to fix my problems. Not anymore.” Trish folded her arms across her chest to send a clear message that she wasn’t budging. She would not give them a chance to speak until she got her piece said.

“And now this, this...person has threatened Zane’s life, and Angel’s. I don’t even know what the stalker wants. I can’t risk something happening to Zane and I won’t bring any police into this until I find out who is behind the notes and what they want.”

“You don’t have any idea who the stalker is?” Josh asked.

Trish let out a small breath of relief when his focus moved to the stalker. “No. That’s why I went to Big Charlie’s tonight. I thought he was.”

“Why?” Heidi wanted to know.

“He had motivation. He’s been after me to sell ReSolution. Then he called today and said he was over at Gunter’s place. I think Gunter might want to sell out, but Charlie had me convinced that Gunter’s deal depended on me selling. I didn’t want that responsibility.”

“Was Charlie a chess player?” Josh asked.

Trish should’ve known he’d remember the chess piece she’d found on her desk. “Not that I know of, but that’s part of what got me thinking it was Charlie after he called from Gunter’s place. Anyone with Charlie’s background in our business would recognize that piece as being part of an infamous set a serial killer had used as a calling card. I thought Charlie might’ve had it planted in my shop just to rattle me.”

“When did all this start happening?”

She understood where Josh was going with his questioning and gave him what she’d put together. “Right after I made it into the final round of the competition. That’s why I thought it might be business related, but Charlie had always been an in-your-face kind of threat, so I didn’t seriously consider him as the stalker until today.”

Heidi scrunched up her face. “Did you really think he was capable of getting a note inside your locked car?”

“Not him, but he could have hired someone with his money.”

“Guess you’re right,” Heidi conceded.

“That timing can be attributed to coincidences,” Josh interjected. “As of tonight, Big Charlie’s off the list.”

Trish perked up at a thought. “Using my letter opener as the murder weapon isn’t coincidental.”

“True,” Josh agreed. “Which means that someone had a grudge against you and Big Charlie.” He rubbed his forehead with a palm. “We need a plan.”

Trish shifted the position of her arm supporting the half-thawed bag of peas. She was all for figuring something out and really liked the “we” part if Josh’s plan didn’t include telling Zane. “But what I’ve told you stays in this room.”

“Give me one good reason not to tell Zane about this,” Josh challenged with everything from his tone to his stance.

“Because I can’t...” She paused to hold her composure, but she had to make him understand. “I can’t live with the guilt...if anything happened to Zane.” Her voice dropped to a whisper as her throat closed off. “He’s the one person who wanted me when no one else did.”

Lines creased Josh’s forehead. He glanced at Heidi who said nothing then back at Trish who explained, “My parents planned for Zane, but not me. I was an unwanted oops. They provided for me, but our relationship was polite at best. Zane was the one who made me believe I counted. He made it clear that he wanted me as his sister and gave me all the love he could to make up for my parents. Then Angel came along and put her life on the line for me and Zane. That’s what you do for family. I would sacrifice everything for the ones I love.” She glanced over at Heidi. “For everyone I love.”

Heidi gave her a sad smile. “Back at ya.”

Trish’s blunt words must have gotten through.

Josh’s face eased from fury into a frown of concentration.

Heidi moved over close to Trish, placing her hand on Trish’s knee. Trish covered it with hers, glad to know her friend understood. The last thing she’d ever do was hurt Heidi, but protecting Zane at all costs came first.

Of all people, Heidi would understand that.

Josh stared out the front window.

Trish didn’t believe anything beyond that room had captured his attention. He was weighing his decision. She waited anxiously until he shared it. No man before, except Zane, had ever been there for her. But Josh had been her anchor more than once in the last two days. A harrowing two days that made her feel as though they’d known each other longer. She’d never considered a man other than her brother trustworthy enough to accept his help, especially after allowing one to lead her into danger.

But Josh could have let her go alone last night when she left the banquet, and he didn’t have to intervene with the detective tonight. Now he was listening and giving consideration to her words.

When he turned to her, his face gave away nothing. “Trish, if we don’t bring in the authorities there could be consequences beyond anything happening to Zane.”

She understood he meant that she would be in danger. “I’m willing to take that risk.”

“That’s what I was afraid you’d say. Okay, here’s the plan. For now, I won’t tell Zane or the authorities–”

“Thank you, Josh.” Her heart was in her voice.

“Hear me out before you thank me. You’re not to be alone at any time while we figure out who is behind this.”

Being dictated to by anyone grated on her after all she’d gone through to finally be responsible for herself. “I can be careful, but I can’t have someone with me every minute. I have to travel to a convention Saturday.”

“That’s off the table.”

“No, it’s not.” Now Trish was pissed. “Leaving town isn’t going to make any difference. If anything, it might get me away from the stalker for a while.”

Josh thought on something a moment before telling her, “You don’t understand. Detective Vickers released you into my custody tonight.”

“Custody?” Trish thought back over the killing. “He really thinks I’m a suspect? I told him the truth about the letter opener.”

“And he’s running fingerprints right now from the ones you gave him before you left. I’m betting there’ll be a match.”

She covered her stomach with her hand, feeling sick. This was going to destroy any hope she had for even staying in the competition. Why work so hard only to watch everything she wanted disintegrate before her eyes? She whispered more to herself than anyone, “I have to go to this conference. I’m one of the speakers. ”

“They’ll get over it,” Josh tossed back casually.

“That’s easy for you to just sit there and say. You’ve never been the underdog trying to build a business and your reputation at the same time.” She hadn’t meant to sound so bitter, but she was tired of life beating her down every time she tried to take a step up. Control of her life was slipping through her fingers and she had no idea why. As an FBI agent, Josh had the authority to lock her up if he thought she might flee his custody.

But more than that, her fear for Zane’s life had armed Josh with the power to manipulate her into doing whatever he wanted.

He said nothing in response.

No wonder. She sounded like a bitch after all he’d done for her. “I’m sorry to sound unappreciative. I’m not myself right now. But if I back out at the last minute, they’ll blacklist me and won’t ask again. It’ll do serious damage to me professionally and I can’t afford that.”

Understanding filled his eyes when he took her in with a long look. “No apology needed. You’re right. I wasn’t putting myself in your shoes. This convention is that important?”

Was he considering letting her go? “Very important, especially now that I’m probably out of the competition.” The outlook for ReSolution would still be dismal, but she was not giving up her dream without fighting every step of the way.

“We don’t know that about the television show,” Heidi pointed out then looked over at Josh expectantly. “You should be okay to travel in another day.”

He rubbed his neck and shifted his shoulders as if the muscles were knotted and tight. “You can go–”

“Thank you,” rushed out of Trish on the breath she’d been holding.

“–but not alone,” he finished.

She could live with that and knew when to stop fighting. Detective Vickers would never have allowed her to leave. If Josh had not pressed to have her released into his custody, she might be sitting in a jail cell. His willingness to help her and not tell Zane reached a part of her other men had never cared about.

Trust couldn’t be freely given–it had to be earned.

Josh had just earned a fair share of hers.

“Another thing,” Josh continued. “You are to tell me when you get a note, text, phone call, dream, passing comment on the street...anything that is out of the ordinary. Got it?”

“Got it, but I think you’re going overboard.”

“I’m not even going to acknowledge that in the face of what happened tonight. If you want Zane kept out of the loop, then I want you protected at all times.”

Just what she did not need. Another overprotective man in her life. But his concern for her safety sent a wave of comfort through her. She’d fought off Zane’s smothering attention and had avoided men for so long that she hadn’t expected Josh’s strength to feel welcome, but it did.

Josh swung his attention to Heidi. “What’s your schedule tonight and tomorrow?”

“I leave for the shop at 8:30 in the morning. Trish can stay home tomorrow.”

“Wait a minute. I didn’t agree not to work,” Trish complained.

“Yeah, and I didn’t agree not to tell Zane,” Heidi deadpanned.

“You wouldn’t.” No one understood better than Trish the rock-hard will Heidi possessed.

“Oh, yes I would, because I think Zane can handle himself. So if you want my cooperation as well, you stay here tomorrow and rest.”

“Dammit.”

For that she got a Heidi victory grin.

“Fine,” Josh answered then gave Heidi his cell phone number. “I’ll trade with you in the morning, Heidi.”

Trish couldn’t believe it. Her world had been taken over by a short she-devil and a sexy FBI agent. She’d play their game tonight and rest–in fact that sounded pretty good–but tomorrow she was calling the shots again.

“I’m going up to make a pot of spaghetti at my place and bring it down,” Heidi said, rising from her perch on the floor. “You staying for dinner, Josh?”

“No, thanks. I have an appointment tonight.”

Heidi nodded and was out the door.

Well, damn. Trish had wanted them both gone a minute ago. Now she wished he’d stay. Josh had an appointment? What kind of appointment this late at night?

She asked, “Business?”

When he didn’t answer right away, she started to backtrack, but he said, “Yes.”

She might have believed him if he hadn’t taken so long to answer. A date? Not likely, based on his reasoning for following her to the warehouse, but, bottom line, either way was none of her concern. She’d been the one to reject his offer over and over again. But even though she didn’t think there was someone else, the thought of him spending time with another woman struck a nerve that felt dangerously like jealousy.

She’d never suffered that around any man.

Or this thumping ache in her heart because he was leaving.

After recent days spent stressed out over the stalker and now having walked into a murder scene, she began to question why she’d denied herself a few pleasures in life–like the company of a man who didn’t try to ply her with alcohol.

She’d accepted loneliness as a trade-off for sobriety to the point she’d convinced herself she was better off alone. But that was a lie. Avoiding men had been safer than risking a decision. Living that way had been easy until she’d met Josh.

She wanted to be in his arms. To feel him.

Dangerous ground.

He worked for the FBI. He was leaving in two weeks. Had a no-strings lifestyle he clearly liked. She could not keep letting him deeper inside her heart.

But she still wanted him to hold her.

As if reading her mind, he got up and moved over to the sofa where he sat on the edge facing her. He studied her with a lost look in his eyes. He skimmed his knuckles along the side of her cheek.

A tear escaped before she could save it with a blink.

Josh lowered his head and kissed the tiny drop away. His lips moved to hers and he covered her mouth in a sweet kiss. Trish dropped the frozen pea ice pack and ran her hands up his chest, around his neck, ignoring the throb in her head in favor of the momentary escape. Hungry for his touch, she returned the kiss with the depth of her appreciation.

His hands soothed over her back then pulled her closer until he had her in his lap. She molded to his body. His mouth kissed her with care, teasing with his tongue. He gave her what she needed right now more than anything.

To feel cared for and cocooned in a safe place.

Josh’s kiss heated. His lips moved over her cheek and down her neck. She shuddered against the warm rush of arousal.

Forget comfort. She ran her fingers over his chest again. Muscles tightened. He made a sound, something low and hungry that woke a matching need inside her.

When the kiss ended, she dropped her face against his chest, feeling the thump of his heart against her cheek.

Cradling her head, he kissed her hair. “You have no idea what I thought when I found you on the floor and saw all that blood.” He rubbed her back, soothing her as no man had before.

“I’m glad you were there,” she whispered back.

“You’re sure you have no idea who the stalker might be?”

“No.”

His cell phone buzzed. He moved a hand, checking it then moved his hand back to her shoulder, rubbing gently as if distracted. “Why would he target Zane?”

Hair lifted along her neck at that question that sounded more like business than curiosity. “I don’t know.”

He held her quietly for a little longer, his chest rising and falling with slow breaths until he finally said, “I want you safe. Promise me you won’t take any chances.”

“I promise.”

“I have to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Call me if you need anything.” He moved Trish back to the sofa and rose, then leaned down and kissed her one more time.

Trish hugged him, thankful to have a man who honestly cared about her. A man who would act only in her best interest for once.

Josh was a man she could trust.