As soon as he said that, the line beeped. I glanced at it long enough to see the strange number and press the button to end the current call and answer the new. “Hey,” I said shakily.
“I’m on my way to you,” he said. “The cavalry is coming, just hang tight.”
“So far nothing,” I said. My eyes kept darting between my bedroom and the front door, watching, waiting for Tye to come barreling out at me.
Minutes later, Rico came rushing through the door with no warning. By that time, my nerves were shot, and I gasped in shock, startling so hard I almost dropped my phone. “How did you get here so fast?”
He inhaled deeply, gaze sweeping the area and locking onto my bedroom. “There’s nobody here.” He growled. “But he was.”
“Okay. I’m hanging up now, but I’ll be there soon.” Axel disconnected the line. At least he was on his way.
I hung up and set the phone and the stun gun on the counter. My adrenaline dissipated now that Rico was here. I knew that with him here, nobody could hurt me.
But then, all the same questions plagued me, and my previous anxiety ramped back up. I needed answers from him so bad it hurt. “Why do you care so much?” I asked as Rico pulled me into his arms.
He still seemed pissed about Tye but looked down at me in concern. “How can you ask that? Because you’re my mate. I love you.”
I couldn’t help the words that slipped from my mouth as the tears fell down my cheeks. “If you’re just going to leave me anyway, I wish you wouldn’t say things like that.”
20
Rico
As soon as she asked me about leaving her, everybody in my family showed up, including half the women. Perfect timing. I hadn’t realized that we hadn’t had this discussion yet. I assumed that by making plans for school and starting my own business, she would come to the conclusion that I wasn’t going anywhere.
“We’ll talk when everyone is gone,” I growled. I tried to impress upon her my sincerity, but she wouldn’t look up at me. She was still freaked out about Tye. I understood.
Maverick came over and took Kara’s hand while his wife, Ava, busied herself with Kara’s groceries. While their timing could’ve been better, I was grateful that they’d dropped everything to rush over and help her.
Jury had come in with them and used his extraordinary nose to roam through the house, smelling and making notes.
Kara looked at him like he was crazy, but I knew what he was doing. He was a tracker, meaning he smelled things at a deeper level, much like a bloodhound. I wasn’t sure, but Jury probably could outsniff the best hunting dog. Judging by his expression as he passed through again, though, there was as little physical evidence of Tye’s presence as there had been at the shop.
Maverick kept Kara preoccupied by asking questions about Tye, and if there was anything else that had happened between them that would possibly spur him to get this personal. From what I knew of him, though, it wouldn’t have taken much more than looking at him the wrong way, especially after the incident at the bar.
Kara shook her head. She looked wild behind her eyes. Shock, probably. I tried to send her soothing thoughts and emotions, but we weren’t bonded.
Bond her. Soon.
I wasn’t arguing with Valor on this one. She needed me as much as I needed her. I decided that when my family left and we sat down for that talk, I would bring it up.
Kara sniffed. “I told you guys what happened in high school. You know what happened at the bar. The only other time I’ve seen him was at the gym when I was with Rico.”
I shrugged and looked at Maverick. “I just told him to stay away from her, but this... this is crossing a line into stalking and is a serious violation. This is the kind of behavior that leads to violence.”
Maverick nodded as Jury walked back into the living room. He knew that these things usually escalated into kidnappings, violence, often rape and murder. We had to nip it in the bud, and better now than later. I was afraid of what might happen if we sat on this much longer.
Jury sat on the edge of Kara’s coffee table. “From the smell of things, he didn’t take anything, but I can’t be sure in your bedroom. Your drawers have been rifled through.”
My stomach churned thinking about what he might’ve been looking for in her dresser drawers. As if invading her home wasn’t enough, he had to lower himself to shit like that?
Kara jumped up and ran into her bedroom. “Gross!” she yelled.
I followed quickly with Maverick and Jury on my heels, Axel having just walked in the door. He and Ava crowded in behind us, peering over and between us at the mess.
“What?” I looked around to see if Tye had left some gross calling card or something. Bodily fluid was the first thought that came to mind, and I was both infuriated by the idea and anxious for the evidence to pin him legally.
Kara pointed at her lingerie drawer. “Half of it is gone.”
My blood boiled even harder. Valor moved impatiently, and I got a sense like he was pacing. He felt useless in this situation, and I couldn’t blame him. My anger would only help so much if I didn’t have an outlet, and though Tye was a good target, I’d have to find him first.
Have Jury track him.
I would. Jury would find him for me. My chest rumbled with Valor’s enthusiasm.
We piled back out into the living room. “Kara, it would be best if you stayed somewhere else tonight,” Maverick said.
“You’re welcome to stay with us,” Ava chimed in. “We’ve got Maddox’s old room.”
I shook my head. “No, she can come to stay at the manor.”
