Dangerous Protector (Red Stone Security #14)(26)
Tegan stepped into Aaron’s house and immediately disarmed the security system as Kali raced for the kitchen to get to her food and water bowl. She knew Aaron and Dillon wouldn’t be there but a thread of disappointment still wound its way through her that they were gone. She’d thought last night would turn out very differently, that she would get to spend a lot of naked time with Aaron after the party.
But on the way there they’d gotten a call from Bree that Dillon had thrown up so they’d headed back and picked him up. The poor little guy had been puking all night so she’d slept in the living room on the opposite couch to Aaron and Dillon.
Aaron had told her that she hadn’t needed to stay with them, but she’d really wanted to. Seeing Dillon’s face so pale had scared her. Aaron had taken everything in stride, though, handling it like a boss. The man was amazing to her. She’d been internally panicking, but Aaron had dealt with it so steadily, like he seemed to do everything. Even though Dillon’s fever was down and he’d stopped throwing up, Aaron had taken him to a walk-in clinic this morning.
She’d wanted to go, especially since Dillon had asked her to, but it wasn’t a possibility. So far no one knew about her connection to Aaron and she wasn’t going to make them targets by potentially being seen with them in public. Last night they’d taken protective measures with a driver and an armored vehicle that no one could possibly see inside so she wouldn’t be caught on any CCTVs or traffic cameras. It wouldn’t be as easy today and it wasn’t worth risking. Nothing was worth risking Aaron or Dillon’s safety.
After hanging up her coat, scarf, and hat—all of which doubled as her camouflage while out walking her dog—she hooked Kali’s leash next to her stuff. Holding onto her gloves, she followed after Kali, who’d collapsed in a heap by her food and water bowls, apparently exhausted from their long walk.
Since Tegan wasn’t using her cell phone, she picked up Aaron’s landline. It was a little weird using an actual landline since she hadn’t in years.
“Hey, you,” Kimmy said, picking up on the second ring. She was one of the very few people who knew where Tegan was staying.
“Hey, yourself. How’s everything going?”
Kimmy gave a short laugh. “I think I should be asking you that.”
“Ah, well enough.” Her face heated up as she thought about what she and Aaron had done the night before, how he’d gone down on her right up against the wall—how she’d begged him. Her nipples pebbled just thinking about it. “It’s weird being disconnected from everything and not being able to go home. But it is what it is.” Eight months ago she would have been used to being disconnected. Now, after settling into a new life, she’d gotten used to being able to call friends when she wanted and do things when she wanted. Not look over her shoulder like a hunted fugitive. It infuriated her that someone had forced her to change all that again.
“I’m sure you’re going to have a ton of voice mails. Everyone’s been asking about you at the shop.”
She inwardly cringed. Crap. She’d been checking her e-mail and staying up to date with her design projects the last few days but she hadn’t checked her voice mail since everything happened. Crap, crap, crap. She’d been in contact with her insurance company about her car and had given them Aaron’s home phone number to contact instead of her cell. “How’s everyone else doing? Are all the shops open?”
“Things are kinda tense down here, but all the shops are open and, surprisingly, we’re all doing incredible business. I guess people are just morbid or something and want to see where the bomb went off because we’re getting a lot of new business. Cops have been down here, too, more than once, questioning and re-questioning everyone.”
“I just hope they find whoever did it.” A shiver racked through her, chills dotting her arms and the back of her neck. The longer it took for the police or FBI to find any leads, the harder it was for her to stay positive.
“No kidding. Let me know if you need anything. I haven’t told anyone where you are. Most people are just glad you’re okay but some of the shop owners are freaking nosy.” She snorted. “Old Mr. Pritchett was insistent he know where you are. It was ridiculous. I told him if the cops thought he should know, they’d tell him.”
Tegan laughed, not at all surprised. Mr. Pritchett ran the hardware store and was grumpy twenty-four-seven. It was his only setting. And not grumpy like Aaron used to be. Mr. Pritchett was a fussy old man who gossiped more than anyone she’d ever met. “I’m just glad everyone’s okay and that the businesses weren’t affected.”
“Me, too.”
They talked for a few minutes and once they disconnected she used Aaron’s phone to call her voice mail. Kali whined at the back door as she started listening. Twenty-two new messages. Not as bad as she’d expected but still, yikes.
She opened the back door, letting her dog out as she started listening to her voice mail. Leaning against the doorframe, she watched Kali race around the yard. When she got to the tenth message her blood iced over as a digital voice came across the line.
“If you make me hunt you down any longer I’m going to start killing your friends. I’ll start with your whore boss and her son. I’ll record their deaths so you can watch them both beg and scream. I’ll do the kid first.”