The UN Series Complete Box Set (64 page)

I swallow nervously. The fact that he’s carrying a gun makes me even more uncomfortable. I’m not afraid of guns. Hell, I was raised around guns, but I don’t know if he knows how to use one. What if the burglar is still in the house and takes it from him?

He walks toward the door and turns to lock it before he looks up at me. “Don’t fucking leave this room!” he warns before he walks out and closes it.

I stand there staring at the door, praying he will be okay. I wait in the dark silence, listening for a gunshot or for someone to scream. My throat tightens and tears threaten my eyes. What would I do if something happened to him? It would be all my fault.

Making up my mind and not caring that he told me to wait, I unlock the door and walk out of the office in search of Slade. I once again try listening for any kind of sound, but hear nothing. I decide to head to the living room, since you can see into the kitchen and the hallway leading to the bedrooms from there.

I take my time trying to be as quiet as possible, and thanking God that he has carpet and not hardwood floors, which would clearly give me away. I tighten my hands on the bat as I come to the end of the hallway. Looking into the kitchen, I don’t see anyone and continue on to the living room. Once in the living room, I place my back against the fireplace so I can get a better view.

I stand there and the silence eats at me. Why can’t I even hear Slade walking around? Has the burglar already attacked him? Just because I haven’t heard a gunshot doesn’t mean that he can’t be hurt somewhere in the house.

“Slade?” I whisper, trying to ignore the tears that run down my cheek and my wobbly legs that are threatening to give out.

“Slade?” I whisper again.
Nothing!
I let out a shaky breath and shuffle my weight from foot to foot.

My head snaps over to the hallway leading to the bedrooms when I hear the faint noise of a door opening. As I start to walk in that direction, I hear Slade’s voice. “What the fuck?”

I don’t even think twice. I take off in a mad dash toward the hallway. As soon as I round the corner, I run straight into him, knocking us both to the ground.

I don’t even have time to react before he is up and on top of me. “Where the fuck were you?” he shouts looking down at me.

I stare at him wide-eyed, trying to catch my breath. “Uh, I was….”

He jumps up off of me and yanks me by my wrist to stand. I bite my lip to keep from crying out from the pain in my arm.

I rub my shoulder when he turns and walks away. I follow him into the main entryway to see the front door open. He slams it shut with his foot. “Where in the fuck are the police?”

I frown. They should have already arrived.

Then he turns to face me. “Why didn’t you stay in the office?” He takes a step toward me.

I chew on my bottom lip to keep it from quivering, and shrug. What can I say? I would just be repeating the same words that I had said when he got in that fight outside of Larry’s a couple of months ago.

That I wanted to help.

That I didn’t want to see him get hurt.

“Nothing? You have nothing?” he demands.

I shake my head, trying not to cry.

“That’s a first,” he hisses, turning away from me.

I know why he’s being so hateful, it’s because he was scared something happened to me. If there’s one thing I know about Slade, it’s that he gets angry when he’s worried.

“Finally,” he says making me jump when we hear the sirens. “Sit down on the couch and cover yourself with a blanket.” He doesn’t even bother to turn around and look at me.

I sit down, pulling the blanket off the back of the couch and cry quietly as he ushers the cops inside.

As soon as the cops enter the house, all of the lights come on. “That storm knocked out a couple of blocks,” an officer says, talking to Slade.

“Were there other houses hit as well while the power was out?”

“Not that we know of.”

Hmm, so that’s why there was no dial tone on the phone. A storm had knocked the power out.

I stay on the couch as Slade walks them through the house, straining to listen to everything they are saying.

From the broken glass in the laundry room, they are sure that is where they entered. Nothing seems to have been taken. What I heard was them knocking over a glass mug that was sitting on the kitchen counter.

“Did you see anyone?” the cops ask Slade.

“No. I woke up and found Angel in the hallway. Then I went into the office and grabbed my gun. By the time I made my way to the end of the hallway, I saw the front door was already open.”

I place my head in my hands and let out a long breath. Thank God whoever it was had already left by the time he went looking for them.

I jump off of the couch when I feel a hand on my back. “It’s okay, Miss,” an officer says, pulling his hand away from me.

“Is there anything you can add?” he asks nicely.

I shake my head no, as a tear runs down my face. “It’s late,” Slade says, coming up to me. “Why don’t you go to bed.” It wasn’t a request. He looks at the cops. “I can answer any additional questions you have.”

“Of course. If you think of anything else, please contact us.”

Before I can respond, Slade is pulling me toward our bedroom. He steers us inside, and I wipe the tears from my face as he turns to face me.

I expect him to start yelling at me and demand answers for why I didn’t listen to him. Instead, he wraps his arms around me. “Are you okay?” he asks, rubbing my back.

“Did I hurt you when we fell in the hallway?” He pulls back from me to look into my eyes.

“No.” He looks at me as if he doesn’t believe me.

“Lift your arms.” I release the blanket and do as he says and he pulls his shirt up over my head. Once he inspects my body, he nods his head as if satisfied that he didn’t find anything.

He pulls me over to the bed and kisses me on the forehead. “Try to get some sleep, okay? I’m going to do another walk-through of the house with the officers and then I will come to bed.”

“Okay,” I comply, trying to muster some courage and not ask the stupid questions in my head.

What if he or she comes back?

If nothing was taken, then what was he or she looking for?

Do you think it’s someone we know?

Why can’t I stay in the living room? Does you really think I want to be in the room alone?

Instead, I just nod my head.

He leans down and kisses my forehead again. I stand there and watch as he leaves the bedroom. I plop down on the bed with relief when he doesn’t close the door.

I take a deep breath. The police being here makes me feel much safer but not completely at ease.

*****

I see a light fill the room and then hear a loud noise. I sit straight up in bed trying to breathe.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Slade sits up grabbing my arm.

I whip my head to face him. “I heard… someone….” I try to talk, but my mind is in panic mode and my heart is beating out of my chest.

He stares at me for a few seconds before he wraps his arms around me and pulls me into him. “It’s just a storm, Angel. No one is here,” he says in a rush.

I try pushing away from him, but he holds me tight. “Are you sure?” I hate this feeling, the feeling that someone may be in our house. I know that it was just thunder because I continue to see the lightning strikes and can hear the loud booms following. But after tonight, I can’t seem to shake the thought of someone wanting something from us. If I knew who they were and what they wanted, I would gladly give it to them.

“I promise, Angel.” He rubs my back. “But if you want, I will go and check the house, if that will make you feel safer?”

“No.” I close my eyes. “Please don’t. Stay here, with me,” I whisper, hating that I’m being such a freaking baby about this.

“Okay,” he says softly as he lies down bringing my head to rest on his chest.

I lay there listening to his heartbeat. It’s beating just as fast as mine. “Are you okay?” I ask quietly.

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“Your heart is beating fast.”

“That’s because you scared the shit out of me,” he says seriously.

I swallow nervously, feeling like an idiot. “I didn’t mean to,” I mumble.

“I know.” He is quiet as I close my eyes and try to not jump every time I hear the thunder. I keep thinking it’s someone pounding on our bedroom door.

“What do you think they wanted?” I ask keeping my eyes closed.

He removes me from lying on top of him and places me beside him before he props himself up on one elbow. “I don’t know,” he contemplates, as if he’s been trying to figure that out himself. “But I promise you, they won’t get it.” He may look confused, but his words hold truth to them. “I promise, Angel, no one is going to hurt you.”

I nod and wrap my arms around him as I snuggle up to his body. It’s not me that I’m worried about. “You make me feel safe.”

“You
are
safe. I have the gun by the bed and I will stay up the rest of the night to make sure nothing happens.”

“You need sleep, Slade,” I say as I yawn. I don’t know what time it is, but it has to be almost morning. I’m sure the clouds and storm are keeping the skies dark, making it seem earlier than it really is.

He leans down and kisses my hair. “All I need is you safe, and if I have to stay up, I will.”

My heavy eyes close and I take in a deep breath. His scent makes me smile as I think about how lucky I am to have him.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

SLADE

There is no way I could sleep even if I tried. She was right when she said my heart was beating fast. The look on her face when she woke up had me scared shitless. She looked absolutely horrified. I know she is shaken up from the break-in. I had felt that same fear when I opened the office door to find her missing. I should have known she wouldn’t listen to me, but the first thought I had was that the intruder had somehow gotten into that room and taken her.

I yelled at her when we ran into each other in the hall, but I was able to mask my temper pretty quickly. She was clearly upset and scared, and me screaming at her, asking pointless questions, wasn’t going to change that.

If I had been home alone, I would not have been as scared. My greatest fear is to lose her. I always thought it would be because I fucked up somehow and she would no longer love me, but tonight taught me that someone’s hatred toward me could also take her from me.

I have plenty of enemies through my line of work. Anyone that knows she is important to me could try to use Angel against me. There is no limit to what I would do to keep her safe; any idiot could figure that out pretty easily.

I look down at her sleeping face and thank God that nothing happened to her. I searched this house up and down and did not find anything. I even went downstairs to the basement to check.

Nothing!

Then when I came back upstairs the front door was wide open. I didn’t know if it was a ploy to make me think the intruder had left, or that he had heard me looking for him and was scared off. Whatever the reason, I went straight to the office hoping they hadn’t grabbed Angel.

Once I walked her back to the bedroom, the cops and I did another walk through of the house. They didn’t found anything, which I had already told them was what would happen. I just wanted them out of my house and Angel in my arms.

As my mind continues to wonder who the hell it could have been and what exactly they wanted, the storm begins to die down and the clouds fade away, allowing the sunlight to filter into the room.

I decide it doesn’t matter what they were looking for, all that matters is they won’t be allowed a second chance.

*****

“I want an alarm system installed,” I say to the woman on the other end of the line.

“Okay, sir. We have an opening on Tuesday,” she informs me.

“No. I want it done today.”

“I’m sorry, sir, our installation team works Monday through Friday only.”

I don’t want to wait that long, but I guess I have no choice. “Okay,” I agree reluctantly. “If you have a cancellation tomorrow, please notify me.”

“Absolutely, sir.”

After I give her my information and we schedule an appointment, we hang up. I look at the time on my phone and it reads almost eleven in the morning. I get up from the kitchen table and walk into the bedroom to check on Angel. When satisfied that she is still sleeping, I turn and walk to the laundry room. I look at the glass that is scattered on the tiled floor and then to the broken window.

I pull out my phone again and make a call to my brother.

“Hello?”

“Hey, man. Are you doing anything today?”

“No. What’s up? Need something?”

“Yes. Actually.” I take a deep breath before I fill him in on all of the events that took place early this morning.

“Holy shit! Are you guys okay?” he asks in a rush, and I hear Holly’s worried voice in the background, asking him what is wrong.

“Yeah. I was worried about Angel and of course she was pretty shaken up, but we are fine.” I turn to walk back to the kitchen. “The alarm company is coming Tuesday. The glass company is coming to replace the window tomorrow. I was wondering if you could run to Lowe’s for me and pick up some plywood and help me cover this window until then.”

“Of course.”

“Thanks. I would go myself, but Angel is still sleeping and I don’t want to wake her. Or have her wake up and me not be here.”

“I understand. No worries. We’re already walking out the door on our way. Text me the size that you need and we will see you guys shortly.”

“Thanks, man.”

“No need to thank me.”

We hang up and I go to the bedroom and lie down next to Angel. As soon as I place my arm over her, she sits straight up in bed.

“It’s okay,” I reassure her quickly, “it’s just me.”

She falls back onto the bed and covers her face with her arm.

“Hey,” I prod gently. This has really shaken her up.

She removes her arm and rolls over to face me. “I think I’m going crazy.” She gives a little laugh.

“It’s understandable to be a little shaken up, Angel.” I pull her close to me.

She snuggles up to me and kisses my chest before releasing a sigh. “Let’s never leave this bed again.”

“Best idea ever,” I agree.

“What time is it?” she mumbles.

“I think around noon.”

She groans. “I have to be at work to open at five.”

“You’re not working today,” I state.

“Slade. I have to go into work.”

“Not today you don’t. I want to spend the day with you.”

She doesn’t respond, but I know that keeping her home from work today will not be easy. I need to know that she is safe right now. And I can’t keep an eye on her while she’s working at the bar.

The doorbell pulls me from my thoughts. “Who could that be?” she says moving away from me.

“It’s probably Micah. I asked him to pick up some wood so I can cover the broken window.”

“What?” she asks confused. “Why don’t you put a new window in?”

“They are coming tomorrow to replace it, but until then I want that hole covered.”

She agrees, getting out of bed. “I’m going to get dressed, then I’ll be out.”

I shut the door so she can get ready, and make it to the door just as the doorbell chimes again.

I open the door and Courtney doesn’t waste a second as she darts into the house. “Where is Sam?”

I point down the hallway. “Bedroom.” Then I turn back to Josh. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Micah called me and told me what happened. Are you guys okay?”

“Yeah.” I run a hand through my hair, wondering how many times I’m going to have to repeat myself.

“He said you don’t know who it was.”

“No. The cops said it was probably just someone who was hoping we weren’t home and took advantage of the power being out. And when they heard Angel in the hallway, she probably spooked them.” I don’t quite believe that though. Something tells me it was someone on a mission. I just don’t know what that mission was, or if they were able to fulfill it.

“Well, I’m glad everyone is okay.”

Just as he finishes saying that, my front door swings open. “Oh my God, hunny,” my mom says walking into the house, not stopping until her arms are wrapped around me. “Are you guys okay?”

“Yes, Mom.” I pat her back.

“What did the police do?” my dad asks, as he approaches us.

“There was not much they could do, nothing was taken.” I shrug.

“Who answered the call?”

“Officer Phillips showed up with a rookie who was working with him.”

“What did they say?”

“I walked them through the house a couple of times. I filed a report. They asked if I had any enemies.” I laugh, being an attorney has given me a long list of those. “They asked where we were when it happened. They—”

“Samantha, are you all right?” my mom interrupts me as Angel and Courtney walk down the hallway.

She nods her head and gives me a nervous smile. I know she’s scared, but that’s not something the entire family needs to know.

“I’m fine,” Angel assures her. “I could use some coffee, though.” She covers her mouth as she yawns. “Anyone else?”

The girls head off to the kitchen as my dad picks back up where we left off. “I think it’s someone who knows you guys.”

“Like an acquaintance?” Josh asks. “Maybe Samantha’s ex? Or some woman you have a past with,” he offers looking at me.

I bob my head in agreement. “Anything is a possibility,” I agree. It could be someone that I had an experience with before Samantha even came into my life.

The doorbell rings and I open it assuming its Micah. I frown when I see Tate standing there. “Did Angel call you?” I ask.

“No. Josh did,” he says stepping inside.

I turn to give Josh a dirty look when his eyes go big. “What if it was Matt? Has anyone heard anything from him?” he asks in a rush.

I run a hand through my hair, considering his question. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I thought they sent him to Louisiana?” Tate says.

I turn to look at him with narrowed eyes. “How do you know that?” I ask taking a step toward him.

Josh places a hand on my arm and Tate just smirks.

“Word gets around, Slade.” I look at Josh as he speaks.

What the fuck is going on?
Just how much does Tate really know about us? Has Josh told him everything? Or has Tate really been that close to us the entire time?

I turn my body to face Josh. “May I speak to you?” I urge, heading to the living room, not even waiting for his answer.

I move to stand in front of the fireplace since it is the farthest spot from the entryway so no one can hear us. “What the fuck are you doing?” I try to say quietly but fail.

“I’m trying to keep you out of trouble.”

“From who?”

“Sam.” He takes a step back, letting out a sigh. “You’re looking at the picture all wrong, Slade.”

“Well, then by all means, tell me how I should see it,” I say sarcastically.

Josh looks up at me. “You think Tate wants to take Sam away from you.”

“And you don’t think so?”

He shakes his head. “This is a chance for Sam to have a part of her past. She has no family.”

“We are her family,” I state, referring to everyone in this house besides Tate.

“Have you asked her why they used to be so close?”

I shake my head. “And she hasn’t offered that information.”

He stands there for a few silent seconds. “Listen, I’m going to try and explain this to you without pissing you off,” he offers slowly.

I raise an eyebrow and he releases a long breath. “Sam seems very happy to have Tate back in her life. To have someone besides Courtney that she has happy memories with. She does not look at him the same way she looks at you, but if you push Tate away, you may lose her. Are you willing to take that chance? Wouldn’t it be easier to let him into our group, where you can keep an eye on him while you also keep Sam happy?” He takes a step toward me and lowers his voice. “You want to marry this woman. Don’t fuck it up because you feel threatened by someone that may not be a threat at all.” Then he turns around and stalks out of the living room.

He’s right. I’ve had no other reason to be worried besides my own notions that Tate wants her. Maybe I will feel better if I just sit Tate down and talk this out, man to man.

“Slade.” Angel enters the living room with her green eyes wide.

“What?” I ask as my eyes quickly inspect her body to make sure she’s okay.

“Did you check the garage? All my mother’s stuff is out there.” She doesn’t even wait for me to answer before she takes off in a mad dash toward the garage door.

I enter behind her, and she starts looking over the boxes that are still stacked along the far wall of the garage.

She turns back with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. “I need to go through these next week.”

“Why?” Courtney asks, coming up behind me.

“Well, I just remembered that I didn’t see my parents’ wedding rings when I went through everything at her house. They have to be packed in here somewhere.”

I turn away from her before I give myself away.

Shit!

I never thought about her looking for those. What am I going to tell her to make her think they are back at her mother’s house safe and sound, so she doesn’t spend all her time looking for them or think they are lost? I look up to see Tate standing before me with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face.

I turn back to face Angel. “Come on inside. We will look for them later.”

Everyone turns to stare at me like I just told the biggest white lie in the world. Thankfully, Angel doesn’t notice the looks everyone is giving me and walks inside, that frown still on her face.

We all gather in the kitchen as Angel starts making lunch. We repeat the story of our night about twenty times while being asked a hundred more questions. I wish I could record it and just play it when someone asks.

*****

“I have to get ready for work,” Angel announces, heading out of the kitchen.