CHAPTER 12
Having recovered from the twenty-four hour flu, Cole was back at work the following day. He’d spent the week working on a new case, but had hit a lull. He stretched at his desk, his neck cracking with the movement and decided to check into the cult case to see if there was anything new. He also wanted to learn more about Dillon.
He typed a search into the database and hit enter. He learned that all fourteen children had been reunited with their mothers —none of whom were charged in the case. He knew that would make Savannah happy. He thought about going home mid-day to check on her, but talked himself out of it.
There was surprising little about Dillon. He’d been tracked to Amarillo where he was working manual labor. He’s been given the news of his father’s death and was also questioned at that time, but the interview didn’t reveal much.
Cole continued perusing the file and stumbled across a photo of Dillon. It was a candid shot from his time at the compound, and Savannah was in the photo too, sitting on his knee in front of a rustic fire pit — a wide smile on her face. The picture ate away at him. Maybe she really was happy living there. Sure, she seemed to be adjusting well to staying with him, but seeing the pure bliss on her face — under a darkened, star filled sky, seated with friends and family next to her — he began to realize there was more to her life at the compound than crazy Jacob.
He studied the picture closer. Dillon’s hands rested on Savannah’s hip and his face was covered in a stupid ass grin. If this bastard so much as laid one finger on Savannah, he’d personally castrate the son of bitch. He considered how to bring up Dillon to Savannah to get more information about their relationship, but decided to proceed with caution. She was doing so well, he didn’t want to upset her. Savannah had seemed somewhat worried and hesitant to discuss Dillon, so at least for now, he’d let it drop. Savannah was safe. That’s all that mattered.
He knew he couldn’t just keep her holed up in his condo, even if he wanted to. He realized that in the weeks Savannah had been staying with him, she’d yet to leave the house, aside from her therapy appointments and walking the dog. It was Friday night, and he decided that tonight that would change. If Savannah really was going to be staying with him, he wanted to do all he could to help re-acclimate her to her new life. Step one to her gaining some confidence and independence was to get out of his condo on a regular basis. Her three times a day trips to take Cuddles outside didn’t count, though he supposed that was a start.
He would take her out to dinner — give her a break from cooking. Of course she would need something to wear, other than his oversized sweats and T-shirts she seemed comfortable in.
Looking up from his computer screen at a rustling noise next to him, he spotted agent Amanda Larson shuffling through her desk drawer. He’d never really paid her much attention before. They rarely worked together, though he knew she was good at her job.
“Colby Fletcher,” she scolded. “Were you just checking out my backside?” She turned to face him, placing her hands on her hips. His eyes darted up to hers. He had been, but not for the reason she seemed to think.
She appeared to be about the same size as Savannah. “What size are you?”
Her playful grin instantly evaporated. “You never ask a girl her size. God, no wonder you’re still single.”
He wasn’t sure how she knew that fact about him, or what exactly she meant by the statement — well actually he did — that he was insensitive. And he couldn’t argue with that. But the thing was, he knew that Savannah was changing him little by little. “I need to buy a gift, and you look about the right size. Can you just help me out here?”
“Fine.” She frowned. “Size four petite pants. A small or medium on the top.”
Cole scribbled down the information on a piece of paper and stuffed it in his pocket.
When Cole got home from work, his house was strangely silent. He set the shopping bags down on the island and searched for Savannah. Not finding either her or Cuddles, he ventured outside, not bothering to change from his work clothes. He found Savannah, but not at all like he had expected. Though he guessed he knew better than to expect anything normal from her.
She was sitting cross-legged in the grass next to the guy from unit 4D, Levi something or other. Her head was thrown back and the sweet sound of her laughter tumbled from her lips.
What the f*ck?
Levi was casually leaning back on his elbow, plucking at a blade of grass. Cole couldn’t hear what Levi was saying, but whatever it was, he was sure he had never seen Savannah so carefree or laughing with such abandon. Something inside him clenched with jealousy. Savannah was his. He didn’t know where that thought had come from, but there it was, insistent and possessive.
Levi’s head snapped up once Cole got closer, and Savannah’s laugh died on her lips when she saw his expression. He was sure he looked ready to kill someone. Well not just someone — the a*shole from 4D, specifically.
“Whoa there FBI man,” Levi chuckled, straightening his spine at the implied threat in Cole’s posture.
“Savannah?” His voice was low, rougher than he intended.
Savannah scrambled to her feet. “Cole?”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Savannah approached him carefully and placed a hand on his forearm, which worked to relax him.
“You weren’t inside,” he bit out in a clipped tone.
“Cuddles needed to go potty.” She lifted the dog onto her hip, her eyes full of worry.
He nodded. “Everything’s fine.” He patted the top of Cuddles’ head, and rubbed his thumb across Savannah’s cheek. Watching her laughing and looking at Levi had set something off inside him. “Go on inside. I got a surprise for you tonight. The bags on the counter are for you. Get changed. We’re going out.”
“Out?” she choked on the word.
He nodded. “Go on. I’ll be up in a sec.” He couldn’t ease her mind about going out just yet, he needed to deal with Levi first. He was sniffing around Savannah like a damn dog and he was about to learn that was not okay.
The only things Cole knew about Levi were that he was twenty years old, went to the local community college and lived with his mother, a forty-something divorcee who had come on to Cole on more than one occasion.
Once Savannah had disappeared inside, Cole turned to face Levi, stepping in closer until they were chest to chest.
Cole’s intense gaze penetrated Levi’s and he shook his head slowly. “She’s off-limits.”
Levi didn’t falter. “She’s a little young for you, isn’t she?”
“That’s none of your f*cking business. I’m only going to say this once. Stay away from her.”
Levi scrubbed a hand over his stubble-covered jaw. “Whatever you say man, chill out. We were just talking.”
Cole let out a huff and stalked back inside. Shit. Maybe he shouldn’t have freaked out on Levi. Savannah was allowed to have friends, after all. But there was just something that didn’t sit well with the thought of her having male friends. Still he knew he had no right to be mad at Savannah. He’d have to work on that.