Until Ashlyn

  “The request was to be stalked and raped,” he says quietly, and Ashlyn’s body bucks against mine as I hear her mom’s muffled scream. Fighting myself from going ballistic, I hold Ashlyn tighter against me and attempt to soothe her.

  “Please tell me you know who the fuck you’re looking for?”

  “We don’t at this time. Right now, we are working the case backward, trying to find out who he is.”

  “Jesus fucking Christ!” I close my eyes. How the fuck can this be happening, and who the fuck would do this to Ashlyn? “Does this have anything to do with someone trying to run my wife down?” I ask, opening my eyes to look at them.

  “We’re not aware of that situation.” He frowns, looking at Agent Kace then me. “We haven’t had a chance to be fully briefed by the investigators working the case. Our priority this morning was getting to your wife, making sure she was okay, and letting you know you need to take precautions until we apprehended the assailant.”

  “What do you suggest we do? Do we need to leave town until you find this guy?”

  “We don’t know at this point if he’s after your wife, but—”

  “But he could be,” I fill in the blank, and he nods.

  “Yes, he could be, which is why we’re here.”

  “Who is he?” I question, feeling fire course through my veins. “What does he look like? Where is he from? What the hell do you know about him?”

  “We promise you that as soon as we have a suspect, we will contact you. Until then, we ask that you stay vigilant.”

  “So basically, you know not one goddamn thing besides the fact he’s already murdered four women and could be after my wife?”

  “We understand this situation is a difficult one—”

  “Do you understand that?” I cut him off, seeing Cash stand and Jax come into the room with Nico. “Fuck me. I’m so fucking thrilled you understand how difficult it is having you tell me women have been murdered after being on a website, where a person pretending to be my wife set up a fake profile asking that she be raped. And now you are telling me you have no fucking suspects and are working the case backward.”

  “Dillon.” Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I look up and see my brother standing over me with worry in his eyes. “Calm, man,” he says quietly, looking at Ashlyn, who has curled herself into a tight ball against me. “You need to take care of your wife and trust these men do their job.”

  Fuck, he’s right. Me raging isn’t going to help Ashlyn, who is freaking the fuck out and crying so hard my shirt is now soaked through, but the panic sweeping over me is making it hard to think rationally. Swallowing, I nod once at him then look at the agents sitting in front of me.

  “If I were you, I’d be reacting the same way you are right now,” Agent Kace assures, speaking for the first time then stands, and Agent Torres does the same. “Get a gun if you have to. Put in extra security if you think you need it, but trust me when I tell you that we will find this guy and bury him so deep he won’t breathe for years.” Lifting my chin at him, he pulls out a card from his pocket and hands it to me. “If you see anything out of the ordinary, get weird vibes from someone, or just have a question, call. My cell is on there.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Save the thanks for when I find this guy,” he mutters, walking out of the room with Nico following behind him.

  “Like he said, get a gun,” Agent Torres inserts, lifting his chin before leaving the library. Meeting Cash’s gaze, I hold his stare then watch his eyes close as he tucks Lilly against his chest. Seeing the look of devastation on both their faces, my stomach tightens and anger sweeps through me once more.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” I vow against Ashlyn’s ear, feeling her nod against my chest, making me more determined than ever to keep her safe.

  Chapter 13

  Ashlyn

  “I really wish you guys could stay longer,” I murmur with my arms wrapped around Cara, and my face tucked into her neck.

  “Me too.” She leans back smiling, and then pulls me close once more to rock me from side to side. “Christmas will be here before we know it.” She hugs me tighter, reminding me of the plans we made yesterday evening.

  “I’ll be counting down the days.” I pull away from her and look at Parker as he holds his arms out to me. Walking straight to him, his arms envelop me and I tuck my face into his chest. “Thank you for everything,” I whisper as tears sting my nose, and his hold on me tightens. Without him the last few days, I have no doubt Dillon would still be in a rage. And without the distraction of Cara, him, and the boys, I don’t know what I would have done. “I love you guys,” I blubber against his shirt, then step back and wipe my face and eyes.

  “Ah, shit, stop crying. I can’t handle tears. Ask my wife,” he grumbles, pulling me back against him as Cara laughs.

  “It’s true. Tears are his kryptonite.” She smiles at me as he lets me go with an awkward pat on my back. “Anytime he doesn’t want to give me my way, I let a few tears fall then boom—he’s putty in my hands.”

  “I’m going to ignore everything you just said.” He glares at her, and I press my lips together to keep from laughing at them. They bicker as much as my grandparents, but also love each other with the same ferocity.

  “Aunt Ashlyn.” Turning, I watch the boys run toward me, followed by Dillon.

  “When we come back, can we make monkey melt?” Jordan asks, wrapping his small arms around my waist, and I rest my hand on the top of his head and look down at him.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Can Hope come over for a sleepover when we make monkey melt?” Kenyon asks, and I laugh, pulling him against me.

  “I’m sure she would love that,” I agree, and he grins.

  “Give your uncle a hug, boys. We need to hit the road if we want to make our flight,” Parker urges, and both boys turn to Dillon and attack him at the same time. Watching him swing Jordan and Kenyon up into his arms, new tears fill my eyes. I’m going to miss this over the next few months. I’m going to miss the sound of kids in the house, and miss seeing Dillon looking so content from having his family around.

  “We’ll see you guys soon.” He hugs them both before setting them on the ground then turns to Cara, giving her a hug that lifts her off her feet and makes her laugh. “Take care of my brother.”

  “You know I will,” she says as he sets her on her feet and looks at Parker.

  “If you need anything, call me and I’ll be here,” Parker assures as he and Dillon embrace, pounding each other’s backs so hard the sound bounces off the walls in the foyer.

  “I’ll call,” he agrees, letting him go.

  Opening the door, he takes my hand in his and leads me to the edge of the porch, tucking me under his arm as we watch the boys climb into the back seat and Parker and Cara into the front. Giving them a wave as the car starts up, I watch Cara blow me a kiss then the boys wave frantically out the back window as the car drives away.

  “I’m going to miss them,” I whisper, dropping my head to Dillon’s shoulder, hearing him sigh as his arm tightens around my shoulders.

  “Me too, baby.”

  “Maybe we should go to Chicago for Thanksgiving,” I suggest hopefully, looking up at him.

  “That’s definitely something to think about,” he agrees, kissing my forehead before leading me back into the house, which suddenly feels cold and unwelcoming without other people around to fill the massive space.

  “Can we go stay at the townhouse?” I ask once we’re in the kitchen, and his eyes come to me and fill with worry. We haven’t stayed at my old place once since we’ve moved in here, and the only time we’ve talked about it is when I mentioned putting it on the market in a few months, so I know my request has caught him off guard.

  Coming to stand before me, he rests his hands on my hips then lifts me to the island, settling himself between my thighs. “Is that what you want?”

  “Yes… I don’t know.” I look around, wondering why I
feel so out of place all of a sudden. Nothing has changed since I was sitting here an hour ago with Cara and the boys, but looking around, it feels different.

  “What’s going on?” he asks, gently touching my chin, and my eyes go back to his.

  “The house just feels too big again,” I admit, and he nods, chewing the inside of his cheek and studying me for a moment. “Ignore me. I’m being crazy.”

  “Find Leo and pack a few things.”

  “Are you sure?” I question, and his hands rest against my thighs as his face drops closer to mine.

  “I want you to feel safe, so if staying at your old place makes you feel that way, then yes, I’m sure.”

  “Thank you,” I whisper, and he nods, holding his lips to my forehead.

  “Go find Leo. I’ll get our bags and take them up to the room.” He tilts my head back with his fingers under my chin, touches his lips to mine softly, and then helps me down off the island. Heading upstairs, I go to the linen closet Leo has been hiding out in and search it from top to bottom, coming up empty-handed, then move to his other favorite places to hide. I don’t find him anywhere, but then again, the boys have made a game out of finding him the last few days, so he may have found a new place to hole-up away from them.

  “Are you looking for this?” Pulling my head out from underneath the bed, I smile as Dillon holds Leo out to me.

  “Where was he? I’ve been searching everywhere for him.”

  “In the kitchen, on top of the fridge.” He grins as Leo hisses and attempts to jump out of his arms.

  “It must be warm up there.” I laugh, tucking him against my chest so he can’t take a swipe at me as he hisses. “You’re getting grumpier by the day, sir,” I tell him, and he hisses in response.

  “That cat’s the devil,” he mutters, watching Leo try to escape my hold.

  “He just doesn’t love everyone.”

  “Baby, he doesn’t like anyone, not even you.”

  “He loves me.” I laugh as he gets his leg free and paws my chin.

  “Sure he does.” He shakes his head, resting his hand against my lower back. “His kennel’s in our room. Come on before you lose an eye.”

  “So dramatic,” I mutter, letting him lead me toward the bedroom where I spend twenty minutes getting a hissing and spitting Leo into his kennel, and then another thirty minutes packing enough clothes to last a week. As soon as we’re done and our bags are zipped, I take one last look around and make sure we didn’t miss anything we may need.

  “Get Leo, baby. I’ll get our bags,” Dillon says as I start to pull my suitcase across the wood floors. Knowing it’s pointless to tell him I can get my own bag, I pick up Leo’s kennel and carry it downstairs to the garage behind him.

  “Should I follow you in my car?” I ask as he puts our stuff in the trunk of the Mercedes and slams it closed.

  “No,” he practically barks, and I feel my spine tingle and goose bumps break out across my skin from the intensity of that one word. “Sorry,” he softens his voice and steps toward me, reaching out, touching my cheek gently with the tips of his fingers. “I don’t want you out of my sight.”

  “It’s okay,” I assure him, breathing through the overwhelming fear in the pit of my stomach. I know the worry I’m carrying around like a weight won’t go away until the person responsible for the murders is caught, but I hate feeling like I do. I hate feeling on edge and jumpy. I hate not knowing if I’m in danger, and I hate that Dillon is so stressed out about it, too.

  “I’ll watch your alien show if you get that look off your face.” His words bring me out of my head, and I feel a smile touch my mouth as I hold out my hand toward him.

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  “The things I do for you,” he grumbles, making me laugh as he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “Come on.” He opens my door, helping me into the car. Once he’s sure I’m buckled in, he slams the door and heads around to the driver’s side, getting in behind the wheel he presses the button for the garage door and starts up the engine. The drive to my old place takes less than fifteen minutes, and as soon as Dillon pulls into my driveway and shuts the car down, I suddenly feel like Goldilocks when she was trying to find a comfortable bed to sleep in. My house looks exactly as it did everyday I lived in it for the last two years, only now it doesn’t look like home anymore.

  “Are you okay?” he questions, and I turn my head to look at him, pulling in a breath as I do.

  “Yep,” I lie, and he searches my face, squeezing the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turn white.

  “I don’t think you’ll feel safe anywhere until this is done.” He’s right, I wont feel safe anywhere until this is done or until I know the police have a suspect. Not knowing who I need to be cautious of is what is making me crazy.

  “I’m sorry.” I rest my hand over his on the steering wheel and pry his fingers loose, twining them with mine. “I’m fine.”

  “You don’t have to apologize for anything, baby. If I have to drive back and forth between houses all night, that’s what I’ll do. Hell, we can go stay at your parents’ if that’s what you want, or even leave town.”

  “We can stay here. I’ll be fine,” I reassure him with a smile, reaching to open my door.

  “If you change your mind, just say the word and we’ll go wherever you want.” He lifts my hand to his mouth, placing a kiss on my knuckles.

  “Thank you.”

  “Anytime, babe, you know that.” His free hand comes up and wraps around the back of my neck. Forcing me to lean across the console, he lowers his voice as his eyes lock on mine and fill with possessiveness. “You know I love you, right?”

  Even though it sounds like a question, I know it isn’t. I know it’s a statement and a claim. I am his and he will take care of me. “I love you too,” I say without the normal, ‘I know,’ and his fingers still linked with mine tighten. Closing the slight distance between us, I brush my lips softly against his then lean back and smile. “You’re not getting out of watching Ancient Aliens,” I inform him, needing to take the intensity out of the situation, and he laughs letting me go.

  “I didn’t think I would be able to.” He grins, opening his door and sliding out from behind the wheel. Opening my own door, I grab Leo’s kennel from the back seat while he gets our bags from the trunk and then wait for him on the sidewalk, since I’m too lazy to search through the contents of my oversized purse for my house keys. “Once we’re settled, you need to tell your mom and dad that we’re staying here. I know they have a tendency to show up at the house and I don’t want them freaked when they find we’re not there,” he says, putting the key in the lock before opening the door, and I nod.

  “I’ll call after I release Leo,” I murmur, heading down the hall to the living room while he takes our bags to the bedroom. Setting Leo’s kennel on the couch, I open the door and wait. “Come on,” I coax as he sticks his head out to look around. Realizing where he is after a moment, his eyes come to me and I swear he glares before taking off to hide.

  Listening to my stomach remind me I haven’t eaten much today, I walk across the living room to the kitchen and open the fridge door, shaking my head when I see we only have a can of Coke and a box of baking soda. “We have no food. Should we order pizza, or Chinese?” I shout toward the mouth of the kitchen. “Dillon?” I prompt after a long moment, feeling my hairs stand on end and my breath suddenly become choppy.

  Concentrating closely and hearing nothing, I silently move across the tile floors and open the drawer with the knives, feeling my heart skip a beat as the metal clangs together. Listening for any sound at all, I carefully pull out one of the knives on top, wrap my fist firmly around the handle, and pray.

  “Bab—” Spinning, my arm shoots out holding the knife as a horrified scream leaves the back of my throat. “Jesus fucking Christ.” Dillon stumbles back wide-eyed, looking at the knife in my hand.

  “Oh, God.” The knife clatters to the floor as I stare at him in horro
r, feeling my knees give out.

  “Fuck.” He scoops me up into his arms before I can crumple to the ground and tucks me against him.

  “Did I…”

  “No.” He carries me toward the bedroom without another word and lays me gently on the bed, hovering over me. “What the hell happened?”

  “I… you… I…”

  I close my eyes as he whispers, “Breathe,” then open them back up on the third full breath I’m able to take.

  “You didn’t answer me,” I finally get out, and his jaw tics.

  “Baby, I did answer you.”

  “You didn’t,” I deny, and he drops his forehead to my chest.

  “Swear to God, baby, I wouldn’t play like that. I answered you.” He wouldn’t play like that; he would never do that to me. He would never purposely scare me, which means I’m really losing my mind.

  “I thought… Oh, God, I could have killed you.” I cover my face as realization and panic set in.

  “I’m fine. You’re fine. We are both fine.” He tucks me against him, and I sob into his chest.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” He shushes me, palming the back of my head and keeping my face pressed into his neck. Lying there, I cling to him until the tears dry up and my stomach reminds me that we need to eat.

  *

  “No!”

  My eyes fly open as my heart thunders against my ribs and nausea turns in my stomach.

  “No, please no,” a woman screams off in the distance. Blinking, I try get my eyes to focus, but my vision is distorted and my head is pounding, making the task almost impossible. Closing my eyes, I shake my head realizing I’m drunk, even though I don’t remember drinking.

  “Dillon,” I call, reaching out to wake him, and my blood runs cold when my hands don’t move. “Dillon?” I jerk my hands again, feeling a rope bite into my wrist. “This is just a dream,” I whisper, swallowing down the bile burning the back of my throat. This has to be a dream. I fell asleep in bed with Dillon after eating Chinese food and watching the news. I know I did.