Dangerous Protector (Red Stone Security #14)(27)

Her fingers were numb as the call ended. Fumbling, she saved the message then disconnected.

She called Kimmy back, her heart pounding erratically in her chest. Pick up, pick up—

“Hey—”

“Where’s Brendan? Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. He’s here today, actually. What’s going on?” Kimmy’s voice went from calm to worried in a second.

“I just got a creepy message from someone saying they’re going to hurt you and Brendan. Their voice was disguised so I don’t know who it was, but it could have been the person who planted the bomb.” She hated even saying the words out loud. She almost felt as if once she did it would give credence to them, to put the reality out there in the universe.

Kimmy sucked in a sharp breath.

“Is Callan with you?”

“Yeah, he’s been helping out all week. He and Brendan are in the back making cookies.”

Some of the tension around Tegan’s chest eased, but not by much. She needed them to be safe, not out in public for some lunatic to attack. “Okay, good. I’m going to call the detective on the case and tell him about this. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you going to get Brendan out of there?”

“Yeah. Jeez, this is crazy.” She let out a shaky sigh. “I’m going to close the shop right now and get out of here.” Kimmy’s voice was trembling and Tegan couldn’t blame her.

The bomb was terrifying enough but this direct threat against people she cared for was worse. She kept playing those words over and over in her head. “Good. I’ll call you in an hour.” After she got out of there and to a safe house. She had to get away, for Aaron and Dillon’s sake. “I’ve got to call the cops and let them know about this.” For all she knew they’d be able to track where the call to her phone had come from. She also needed to call Porter Caldwell and see if he’d been serious about that safe house offer because she wasn’t staying there a moment longer.

She knew Aaron would try to convince her to stay but it wasn’t happening. Whoever had left that message had no problem threatening kids. So far very few people knew where she was staying or her link to Aaron. She planned to keep it that way.

Getting far away from him as soon as possible was her only option.

*

Tegan’s hands trembled as she pulled out a suitcase from her closet. “You don’t have to stay here while I pack.” If anything, the uniformed police officer’s presence made her even shakier. It was a reminder that she was in danger, that her house wasn’t safe right now. This was the place she’d made her own, where she’d added her personal touches, where she’d felt freaking safe when she put her head on her pillow at night. She wondered if she’d ever feel safe again.

After calling Detective Duarte, he’d sent over the uniformed officer who’d been watching her place to pick her up since he’d been the closest to Aaron’s home. She’d been ready to call a cab, anything to get away from Aaron’s place as fast as possible.

Being there had felt like she was contaminating his home, making him and Dillon targets. Aaron was going to be upset that she’d left, but she hadn’t been willing to wait. She wasn’t sure how long he’d be at the clinic anyway.

The officer nodded politely. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.” He was about six feet tall with dark hair and dark eyes, and his solid presence reminded her of Aaron. Which just made her feel crappier.

Before the man had taken two steps back toward her bedroom door, the doorbell rang. “Stay put,” he ordered. The officer tensed and placed his hand on the butt of his secured weapon. He didn’t draw it, but he hurried out the door and down the stairs.

She figured it was a neighbor or possibly a reporter but still tensed as she followed after him. She stayed at the top of the stairs, mostly following his orders. It wouldn’t be Carlito yet—he’d told her that he was in Coconut Grove following up on an anonymous tip about an Enzo De Fiore sighting. He said it sounded legit so she was hopeful he’d find the bastard.

Knock, knock, knock. “Tegan? I saw you drive up with the police. Is everything okay?” a muted female voice called.

Tension easing from her shoulders, Tegan hurried down the stairs as the officer turned to her, a question in his gaze.

“I know her. Name’s Gina. She’s a neighbor and a regular at my part-time job.” The woman came in every day to get donuts or crepes or some sort of high-carb snack—and never seemed to put on an ounce. She must live at the gym. Or maybe just had ridiculous genes.

The officer nodded after looking through the peephole again and then opened the door.

“Oh…” Gina stepped back, her smile faltering as she came face-to-face with the officer, even though she had to know there was a cop there. His vehicle was in the driveway. Kinda hard to miss.

He seemed speechless, too, but more likely because of her Jessica Rabbit curves.

Gina flicked a glance over at Tegan, who was a few feet behind him. “I just wanted to stop by and see you. I brought homemade cookies.” She held them up tentatively and gave a megawatt smile to the officer—who blinked, almost in a daze as he stared at her.

Right about now talking to people and making polite conversation where she pretended to be okay was the last thing Tegan wanted to do, but Gina had been up at the hospital after the bombing. They weren’t exactly friends, but she lived a few doors down and always came into Kimmy’s place. Tegan would feel like the biggest jerk if she turned her away. “Ah, I’m not going to be here for long, but come in for a few minutes. I appreciate you stopping by.”