Jacked (Trent Brothers #1)(163)

I hopped up and gave him a pat on the arm. “Any lawyer tries to f*ck me, I’m capping his ass.”

“Damn straight. Trick is not letting it get there by picking the right one.”

I stopped. “You don’t think she’s the right one?”

“Didn’t say that. She’s as right for you as they come. Shit between you and Nikki was toxic. I think Erin keeps you balanced. Just don’t let yourself get off course.”

I adjusted my utility belt, forcing myself to focus. Someone out there was threatening to ruin everything I held sacred.

Someone had fired twelve shots into Erin’s house.

She didn’t know about the two rounds I’d found embedded in her bedroom wall yesterday, but thankfully she didn’t argue when I said I was driving her to work tonight.

Somebody had been watching her house, watching her, and there was no telling how long it had been going on.

The anger seethed inside me, begging for an outlet; someone was stalking the woman I love.

Worry also compounded on top of that, knowing the f*cker was still at large.

I climbed into the passenger seat of our rig, fighting the remorse. Nikki was psychotic to a certain degree and extremely vindictive, but I’d never thought she’d go this far.





IT WAS ALMOST two in the morning when dispatch relayed the call that alarms were going off at another dealership.

When Marcus heard the name and location, one look between us made him punch the gas pedal. Control gave me the callback number as I’d been requested by name by the caller.

We were about a mile away from Novak Ford when I turned on the two jackasses in our back seat. “You cannot film any of this. I see you even touch your equipment and I will arrest you both for obstruction of justice.”

Ritchie held up his hands. Scott was too busy f*cking with his phone to acknowledge me.

“Scott, you copy?”

Fucker twitched when I yelled. “Yeah, yeah.”

I didn’t have time to figure out what his problem was. Other units were already on scene when we rolled up. After checking in with them I assumed tactical command. This was my show now. Erin’s dad, Steve, was standing near his car with an officer while others cleared the scene.

“Steve.” I shook his hand and gave him a manly hug though it was clear he was stressed. I’d seen him just yesterday when he moved his daughter into my house, and was getting familiar with seeing his scowl.

At least he was cool about it, though Erin’s house getting shot at was not making me his favorite person at the moment.

“Thanks for coming, Adam. Guess it was just a matter of time, huh?”

I pat his shoulder, hating we were meeting like this, and completely pissed this bullshit was now touching those I’d consider family. This shit had to stop, like yesterday. “Hang tight a sec.”

As I’d suspected, the maintenance area of the dealership had been breached. The door locks had been snapped with what looked like a crowbar wedge.

It was going to be a long night.





ERIN’S FATHER RUBBED his forehead. “Well, it looks like they just got the five new deliveries that were in for premaintenance inspection.”

It was eating me alive that I hadn’t been able to stop them before they struck again. Saying I was sorry didn’t alleviate my guilt.

“This isn’t your fault, Adam,” Steve said.

Yeah, it kinda was. “I’ll check in with you later. I have to go pick up Erin.”

I could sense Marcus was ready to roll. He’d taken Dumb and Dumber back to Headquarters hours ago, dumping them off of our watch. Both of them had been squirrely—Scott especially. Guess if they weren’t busy making my life f*cking miserable, they were bored.

Steve glanced at Marcus and then back at me. “Adam? A word?”

“I’ll be waiting outside,” Marcus mumbled, eyeing me.

Steven closed his office door. I knew what was coming next.

“I love her,” I preempted.

“I know you do. But one day you’ll be a father too, then you’ll know where I’m coming from. Cars, inventory—that can be replaced. My girls…,” he drilled me with his most serious look, “can’t. I need to know what happened here, what happened at her house, that it’s going to stop.”

“I can’t make any guarantees, but I’m trying my best.”

He put his hands on his hips. “She came home to her mother and me in tears, didn’t hear from you for weeks, and then overnight she’s moving in with you? I know she’s a grown woman, but I’m still her father.”

I raised a hand. “I called her—every day. I left messages—every day. Apologized every time. I never quit trying.”

“I can see how you are with her.” He looked me up and down. “I haven’t seen anything yet to make me think you aren’t a good man.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I just need to know she’s safe.”

I rested my hand on my weapon, knowing I would not hesitate using it to protect her. “No offense, but she’s safer with me than she is with you and your wife.”

His gaze fell to my gun. “I don’t like that she’s in danger in the first place.”

And you think I do? I held my tongue. “Believe me; I’m using all my resources to find out who did it. And this here, tonight, is second to keeping Erin safe and breathing easy. I have security at the hospital keeping extra eyes on things. I’m going to escort her to and from work as much as possible. Beyond sleeping with a loaded gun, I’m doing my best. We have a lot of good people working on both cases.”