Part 4 (1/2)

It still would.

She tilted her head back and offered up an uncaring shrug. aDo what you want. Iam going home.a She got into her car and pulled out of the parking lot, refusing to check and see if he followed.

She already knew he would.

What would happen when they got to her house?

Shead turn him away. Or maybe head just drive right past when he saw she was fine, which of course she would be.

Just f.u.c.king fine.

Yeah, she was fine, all right. So fine she buried herself in her work to avoid alone time. Because alone time meant thinking about her life.

Or lack of one.

Wasnat that why she worked her a.s.s off, agreeing to pull extra s.h.i.+fts all the time? So many of the guys had families and commitments. She didnat, so why not work?

Things might have been different for her if Dante hadnat left.

Then again, maybe they wouldnat have been different at all. Maybe their teen romance would have run its course and she would be right where she was now.

But she couldnat change the attack, couldnat change what had happened to her that night. And hadnat she always wondered what it might have been like if Dante had stayed? If shead had him to hold on to, would she still feel so lost, so empty inside?

Ugh. Could she be more dramatic?

Lost and empty. Please. Her life was just fine.

And there was that fine word again, that word that seemed soainadequate and unfulfilling.

She pulled into the driveway and opened her car door, so deep in thought she startled when Dante appeared right next to her.

aJesus. How did you sneak up on me?a He smiled. aI guess you are tired.a He took the keys from her hand and headed toward her front door, making her run to catch up to him.

aHey, I can do that,a she said, fighting him for the keys.

aIam sure you can.a He stepped up to the front door, twirling her keys.

And stopped so fast she tumbled into his back.

aDammit. Why donat you look where youarea” What are those?a aI donat know. Got a boyfriend?a aI already told you I didnat.a She crouched down to pick up the flowers that had been left lying in front of the door.

aDonat touch them.a aWhat?a She tilted her head back to stare up at him. aWhat are you talking about? Theyare just roses.a Dante bent down to examine them. aThereas a card. You see what it says?a She hadnat noticed the card tucked in with the flowers. It was typed, not handwritten.

Did you like the gift I left you in the alley?

Her skin broke out in goose b.u.mps, nausea bubbling up inside. She leaped up and backed away from the porch.

aOh, s.h.i.+t. G.o.dd.a.m.nsonofab.i.t.c.h. Who did this?a She whirled around, her hand on the b.u.t.t of her pistol.

aWhoever it is might still be here, hiding, watching to see your reaction.a She saw Dante reach behind him, lift his s.h.i.+rt, saw him pull out a Glock. A few minutes ago shead have asked him if he had a permit, would have used it as an excuse to find out more about him.

Right now she was glad for the backup.

aCall it in,a he said. aAnd donat go inside. Iall look around.a aDonat get in the gra.s.s. There might be footprints.a He turned to her. aIam not an idiot.a She c.o.c.ked her head to the side as she lifted her phone. aI donat know who the h.e.l.l you are, Dante.a aYeah, well, weall talk about that later.a Yes, they would.

She made the call, then started walking around the porch, looking for any evidence like footprints or discarded cigarette b.u.t.tsa”any lucky clue.

Usually there werenat such things, but sometimes one got lucky.

aI donat see anyone lurking around the bushes or around your neighborsa houses. I checked your backyard and the alley. Thereas no one.a Anna looked down the street, then up. This wasnat going to happen to her again. Shead suffered the most incredible fear shead ever known. Nothing would ever scare her like that again.

aI donat know what kind of game heas playing, but Iam not joining in.a Crime scene techs showed up. Anna directed them to the flowers and card. They photographed and bagged the evidence. Anna had them wait outside and directed them to check for footprints and fingerprints while she unlocked her front door.

Dante put on a pair of gloves and nestled in right by her side.

aYou arenat coming in with me.a aYouall have to arrest me to stop me, because for all we know he could be inside waiting for you, and youave got n.o.body backing you up.a aAnd you arenat a cop.a His deep blue gaze bored into hers as he lifted the Glock and pointed it inside the house. aTrust me when I tell you I know how to use this gun. Either call for backup or let me go in with you.a Her teeth hurt from grinding them. She nodded. aFine. Stay behind me and do exactly what I say.a She caught the slight lift of his lips. aYes, Detective.a She waited for the techs to dust and lift prints from the doork.n.o.b, then turned the k.n.o.b and nudged the door open with her foot. Light streamed in from the gauzy curtains in her dining room, making it easy to see inside the living room.

aNothing looks out of place,a she whispered to Dante. aIam moving inside.a She felt Dante on her left flank as she stepped in, her gun pointed slightly down, her finger poised on the trigger. She made a sweep left, then right, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. While she moved to the right, Dante swept to the left, opening the closet door while Anna headed into the kitchen.

Once they cleared those areas they went together down the hall and checked the two bedrooms and bathrooms.

Everything was clear.

aNothingas been touched. Nothing even looks like itas been moved even an inch. He wasnat inside.a aOr heas good at putting things back in place.a She sighed. aIall let the techs in and have them dust for prints, but I donat think he was in here. Iad know.a aYeah? How would you know?a aInstinct.a He nodded. aThat I understand.a aIam going to have to give my captain an update on all this. This sucks.a aFirst you need to get some sleep. There are dark circles under your eyes.a He reached out, swept his thumb across her cheekbone.

His touch sent shock waves through her body. Unprepared, she took a hasty step back and stumbled. Dante caught her with his arm wrapped around her, tugging her against him, which only made things worse. He was warma”solid, and not at all what she wanted.

This was all too much.

aYou okay?a aYeah. Fine.a She jerked away from him and turned around, headed outside to the techs and led them into the house.

While they worked making a dust bowl out of her entire house, she contacted her captain and left him a message, letting him know about the flowers and card, then told him shead give him a full report when she came on duty again.

Dante kept his distance, but she felt his gaze on her, as warm as his touch.

She didnat like the familiarity, the sense of closeness he wanted when she knew so little about him.

She had too many questions. Like why he had a gun and head swept through her house like a cop who knew what he was doing. Those were answers she was going to get from him.

He moved in next to her. aI know youare tired. And the tech guys are done now, so you can get some sleep.a She looked up and realized the CSU team had packed up and were leaving, shutting the door behind them. She hadnat even noticed.

aOkay, good.a She walked to the door and waited. He came toward her and stopped in front of her.

aIf youad like, I can stay.a aStay and do what?a His lips curled, and warning bells rang. Shead walked right into that one. She really was tired. aI donat need you to stay.a aHe could come back.a aIf he does, I can handle it.a Dante surveyed the double dead-bolt lock on her door. aI guess youare secure.a Anna felt anything but secure at the moment, especially since she was leaning against the door and Dante was about a quarter of an inch away from her, all that testosterone sending her libido firing in a way it hadnat sincea Since the last time theyad been alone together. Shead been full of raging teen hormones back then, which she sure wasnat now.

Now she was a competent adult capable of taking care of herself, yet here he was, trying to act as if she was in need of saving.