Vengeful Shadows (26 page)

Tessa arrived home to find Zander in her apartment, pushing buttons on a box with a digital readout mounted to the wall near the door.

He drew her into his arms. Holding her close, he buried his face in her hair and stroked her head as if reassuring himself that she was really there. He pulled back, his lips drawn in a tight line. “Why are you taking chances like this? You were supposed to wait for me to pick you up.”

She swallowed hard. “I had to. Emily—”

“What happened?” he demanded.

Haltingly, she told him what had transpired. His hands tightened almost painfully on her shoulders, terror clear in his eyes. As if realizing how hard he held her, he loosened his grip, murmuring apologies.

“I can’t help but think of you in her place.”

Tessa didn’t know if the “her” in question was Emily or his sister-in-law.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.” He pulled her into his arms again. Warmth at his concern spread through her chest, but she reminded herself where it came from and the heat chilled.

She caught sight of the box on the wall. “What’s that?”

“Just some security measures.”

Backing from his embrace, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her checkbook. “How much do I owe you?”

Anger and what might have been hurt flitted across his features before he composed himself. He closed his hand over hers, swallowing it in his much larger grip. “The money isn’t important. You are.”

Her fragile hold on her emotions threatened to shatter. She wanted so badly for his words to be true. She knew he meant them in the heat of the moment. Later, he’d realize what had prompted the strong declarations and back away, leaving her heart a battered, broken mess.

The silence between them grew until she spoke, splintering it like a stone against glass. “What sort of security measures?”

He cleared his throat as if he were uncomfortable and pressed a shiny brass key into her hand. “So far, I’ve changed your locks, attached a recording device to your phone and had an alarm system installed.”

“I see.”

He glanced at her, his brows furrowed. “You’re angry.” His tone radiated confusion.

She shook her head. “It’s not that I’m angry. It’s just that I’m not used to…” Not used to a man caring enough to worry about her. A cold dose of reality washed over her. This was more about Julia than her. “I’m not used to being taken care of like this.”

He traced her jaw, his eyes the color of a pine forest at dusk. “Get used to it.”

Zander didn’t miss the look of disbelief on Tessa’s face. She still didn’t trust him enough to believe he was telling her the truth about wanting to be with her. He steeled himself with patience. He’d give her as much time as she needed to realize he wasn’t going anywhere.

Doubt whispered in his ear. Maybe the truth of the matter was that she simply didn’t have feelings for him. Ruthlessly, he pushed the thought aside and focused on demonstrating the recording device and the alarm system.

“This is the temporary code. You’ll need to enter it on the keypad to get in and out. If you want to change it, we can contact the company later.”

She studied the control box. “What happens if the alarm goes off? What if I forget about it and open the door?”

“You’ll have a minute to enter the proper code. If it’s not entered, the police will be dispatched.”

She met his gaze before closing her eyes. “I’m sorry. I haven’t even thanked you for going to all this trouble.”

He rubbed her back. “It’s as much for me as it is for you.”

She raised her head and regarded him. “Right.” The ghost of a smile played around her lips.

He shrugged. “It’s true. I’m not going to get any rest if I’m worrying about you.”

He wouldn’t get any rest until this bastard was dead or behind bars, but he wasn’t about to reveal that to Tessa. He knew she already felt guilty about accepting his help. He’d bet if she had the chance to do it again, she never would have involved him in the first place. Resentment threatened. He didn’t need protection; she did.

“You don’t need to worry.” She met his gaze. The circles under her eyes tugged at his heart.

“It’s not an option, angel.”

She sighed. “Thank you. For everything.” She laid her hand on his chest.

The touch of her fingers was enough to make him want her again. Possession and protection swirled through him.

“Go ahead and set the alarm. I’m going to my place to grab some clothes. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Okay.”

Misgivings immediately assailed him. “Will you be all right here by yourself?”

She nodded. Her huge eyes dominated her drawn face. Everything within him screamed not to leave her alone.

“Why don’t you come with me?”

Laughter brightened her tired eyes. “Unless you’re planning to be gone long enough to grow a crop of cotton, shear some sheep and weave your own clothes, I’m sure I’ll be fine while you pack. You worry too much.”

Zander entered his darkened apartment, unable to shake the feeling that she was wrong. Greeted only by the quiet bubbling of the fish tank and the angry, red blinking of the answering machine, he locked his door.

He pushed play. Monique reported that the department head had granted his emergency family leave. Not that it mattered. He wouldn’t have left Tessa even if it had been denied. His job paled in comparison to her safety.

The second, third and fourth messages were from Aidan, demanding an update. By the fifth message, his friend had become increasingly worried. Zander took pity on him and returned his call.

“About time you rang me! What the bloody hell is going on? Is everything all right?” Aidan sounded like a harried fishwife.

Zander grinned at the first, real amusement he’d had all day. “Yeah. I got the recording device like you suggested, changed the locks and there’s a state-of-the-art security system installed at Tessa’s place.” His stomach churned. Why didn’t it feel like enough?

His friend exhaled a sigh of relief. Zander wished he could do the same. But something ate at him. The feeling that he’d left important details undone.

“I’m glad everything is okay,” Aidan said, drawing him back to the conversation. “You had me worried.”

“Me, too.”

“Do you have time to answer a couple of questions on your lesson plan for Abnormal Psych?”

“Sure.” Zander figured he could pack as he talked. He wouldn’t ask her until the stalker was caught but if everything went as well as he hoped, this would be the first night of the rest of his and Tessa’s life together.

* * * *

No more than thirty seconds after Zander left the apartment, Tessa’s cell phone rang. She studied the screen. It listed the number as unknown. A solicitor. Or worse. She decided to let the call go to her voicemail.

No sooner had the ringing of the cell stopped, then the apartment phone started. The “unknown” listing came up on the caller ID screen. Tessa’s stomach fluttered as her hand hovered over the receiver. Without knowing exactly how, she realized that everything was about to change.

The whir of her answering machine sounded in the otherwise quiet room. Her greeting followed, seeming far too cheerful. “Hi. This is Tessa—”

She snatched the phone from the cradle. “Hello?”

“I thought he’d never leave.” The voice had a mechanical quality as if it was altered somehow.

“Who is this?” she demanded. Anger sluiced over her and washed away the days of fear and uncertainty.

“Turn off the recording device your boyfriend installed, and we’ll talk.”

“Okay,” she said. “It’s off.”

“Tessa, Tessa, Tessa. How stupid do you think I am?”

“What do you mean?”

His tone went from conversational to aggressive in a heartbeat. “I’m watching you, bitch. Turn it off. Now.”

She tried to swallow past the fear lodging itself in her throat as she peered through the living room window.

“Either do it, or I take out my frustration on the dyke.”

“Don’t do it, Tessa!” Cat yelled in the background. A thud and a cry of pain followed.

Dear God, he has Cat.
Tessa’s stomach plummeted to her feet and through the floor. She switched off the device. “It’s off. I turned it off. Just leave her alone. Don’t hurt her!”

“That’s better,” the mechanical voice practically cooed.

Uncontrollable shivers coursed through her body. She still didn’t recognize the voice, but the cadence seemed familiar.

“Let me tell you what’s going to happen,” he continued. “In two-and-a-half hours you’re going to 605 Prospect. Enter through the side door and follow the stairs to the third door on the right.

“If you tell anyone, the dyke dies. If you don’t show up, she dies.”

Cold rage enveloped her. “Don’t you touch her!”

“Now, before you get any cute ideas about telling your boyfriend about me,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “You should know that your phone is tapped. I’ve got access to satellite monitoring of your cell. Your apartment is bugged with audio and video.”

She couldn’t suppress her outrage but then calmed. He was trying to manipulate her. What were the chances he’d actually done what he’d said?

“By the way, I don’t care for the term ‘whack-job.’ I’m not mentally disturbed. I’m simply angry. Very, very angry.”

Oh God. He had been listening. Had this pervert been privy to everything? Had he watched her undress and shower? Watched her make love with Zander? Her stomach lurched, and she thought she might be sick.

“I don’t think you realize how serious this situation is. I will kill your friend. Don’t think you can go next door to your boyfriend’s and use his phone to alert the authorities. I’ve hired a man to watch your every move and report to me if you deviate from the plan.”

“Just don’t hurt her. Please.”

“That’s nice. I like it when you beg. Plan to do a lot more of that in the near future.”

She pressed her lips together, rejecting his bait.

“If you try to find the equipment, she dies. If you don’t leave through your front door, alone, at eight-fifteen p.m., she dies. If you do not drive directly here, she—”

Tessa snapped. “She dies! I get it. I get it.” Her world spun madly out of control. She dug her fingernails into her palm.

The roar of a gunshot followed by Cat’s scream filled her ear.
Oh my God! Cat!

“That was a warning shot,” the stalker grated. “Next time you piss me off, the bullet goes right into her pretty little face.”

Tessa’s heartbeat still thundered, but she tried to calm herself. He had to be close. She’d heard the gunshot in stereo. Over the phone and a muffled version through the closed window.

She forced composure she didn’t feel. “Why two-and-a-half hours? Why not now?”

“Are you so eager to see me again? I’m touched.”

She refused to let him intimidate her. “Why?”

“Patience is a virtue.”

She paced the floor, stifling a strangled growl.

He laughed, clearly delighted to have the upper hand. “I need time to prepare for you. I’ve been waiting a long time to give you the payback you deserve. For the last eight years, I’ve thought about you every single day.”

“Edward,” she whispered. It had to be him. The time frame was right, and before he’d gone to prison, he’d been a brilliant computer programmer—some said hacker. If anyone could manage satellite monitoring of her cell phone and covert video surveillance, it would be him.

“Very good. I’d hoped you’d be clever enough to figure it out. By the way, after I’m done with you, I’m going to go visit Jennifer. She’s coming up on her sweet sixteen, you know.”

Tessa squeezed the phone until her fingers ached. The man was beyond sick.

“Now, I want to be sure you’ve got everything. Repeat the instructions to me like a good girl.”

She took a deep breath. “If I show up, you’ll release Cat?”

“Only if you follow the rules.”

“Let me talk to her.”

“Of course.”

Tessa heard the sound of ragged breathing in her ear. “Cat?” she asked, unable to keep the trepidation from her voice.

“Hey, sweetie.” Cat sounded so frightened, but Tessa could tell she was trying not to show it.

“Are you okay? Has he hurt you?” she blurted. She’d kill him, if he had.

“Don’t come,” Cat whispered. “He’s going to kill you.”

A slap halted her words. The sound was so sharp, Tessa winced and raised her fingers to her cheek. In the background, she heard Cat whimper.

“She’s not stupid. She knows what I’m going to do to her. Don’t you, angel.”

Tessa nearly cried out at his use of Zander’s endearment.

“I’ve been practicing on the others,” he volunteered.

Ice coated Tessa’s skin. “What others?”

“A couple of your boyfriend’s students. I really enjoyed Kayla, but we were interrupted before I could finish her.” Regret shadowed his words.

“Emily got away before we could even get started. But I’ll take care of them later. I hate leaving things unfinished, don’t you?”

This was because of her. Innocent people tortured and the only one she could save was Cat. No. She’d helped save Jennifer, but to what end? He’d go back for her.

“Why?” she asked. “Why not just come after me? Why hurt them?”

He laughed, and the sound scraped her nerved endings. “I wanted to be sure I had just the right technique for you.”

“So,” he continued, in a chipper tone. “Let’s call it a date.”

She straightened her shoulders as grim determination filled her. “I’ll be there.” She’d do whatever was necessary to save Cat.

“Remember, I’ve got nine more bullets. Don’t make me kill your friend. See you soon. Angel.”

Chapter Sixteen

The telltale click of a disconnected line assaulted Tessa’s ear, and the front door opened. She whirled around as Zander stepped inside with a duffle bag and briefcase. From the corner of her eye, she could see the blinking message light on the answering machine.

Damn it! Her stupid machine had recorded the conversation. She couldn’t let Zander hear it. The stalker would kill Cat for sure.

“Phone call?” he asked.