Part 12 (1/2)

Mac rolled her eyes. ”You actually thought they were from him?” she said, closing the door and then taking the chair next to the one Peyton occupied. ”According to Luke, Blade never gives women flowers,” she added.

Sam decided not to say anything about the fact that he had given her a beautiful arrangement last night. Instead she opened the small envelope and pulled out the card and read it.

I've been sending you flowers to enjoy while you can, because starting today your days are numbered. An old friend.

Sam reread the card, certain that what she'd read was meant to be a joke. But she couldn't stop the uneasy feeling that was running through her mind and the sweaty palms of her hands. She dropped the card on her desk and glanced over at Peyton and Mac in shock.

”Sam, are you all right?” Peyton asked, getting out of her chair. ”What did the card say?”

Sam opened her mouth to speak but couldn't. Instead she shoved it toward them. Mac picked up the card. Mac and Peyton read it together and she could hear the expletives coming from Peyton's mouth.

”What the f-is going on? Who the h.e.l.l is making a threat like this? Is this some kind of sick joke?”

”Peyton, calm down,” Mac said, as her eyes remained glued to Sam. ”Sam, do you have any idea who could have been sending you these flowers?”

Sam, still unable to speak, only shook her head. She didn't have a clue. She watched as Mac then picked up the phone on her desk and began dialing. ”Yes, Detective Adams, this is Mackenzie Standfield Madaris, and you're needed over to my office immediately.”

Luke handed the bottles of beer to Reese and Blade. ”Thanks, guys, you deserve these. I didn't know Mac had so much stuff to move from the attic.”

The phone rang and Luke reached over, checked the caller ID, smiled and picked it up. ”h.e.l.lo, sweetheart.”

Blade and Reese watched as the smile on his face turned to anger. ”When?” Then moments later he asked, ”Did you call the police?”

Luke pulled in a deep breath as he stood up, already grabbing his car keys from his jeans pocket. ”That's fine, I'm on my way.” He hung up the phone.

”What's going on, Luke?” Reese asked, with concern in his voice.

”That was Mac. The person who's been sending Sam flowers for the past six weeks finally sent a card with them today, with a death threat.”

”What!” Blade was out of the chair, almost knocking it over. ”Are these the same flowers Sam thought I was sending her?”

Luke raised a brow as he grabbed his Stetson off the hat rack. ”I wasn't aware she thought you you were the one sending those flowers.” were the one sending those flowers.”

”She mentioned it last night and I a.s.sured her they weren't from me,” Blade said, hot on Luke's heels as he headed for the door. Reese quickly followed Blade.

”Well, according to Mac, the card Sam got with the delivery today wasn't pretty, and said something about her days being numbered,” Luke said over his shoulder as he headed for the truck. ”And the two of you don't have to go with me. Hopefully, I won't be long.”

”I'm going,” Reese said, already opening the door and climbing inside the backseat of Luke's truck.

”And don't think for one minute I'm not going, too,” Blade all but snarled, feeling more protective of a woman than he'd ever felt before. The same woman he'd convinced himself just last night that he didn't want to cross paths with ever again. ”If it involves Sam, then I'm going.”

Luke glanced over at him and nodded. ”Fine.”

Blade took in a deep breath as he opened the door and got in the front seat. Why he felt the need to see for himself that Sam was okay, he wasn't sure. He would figure out the reason why later.

Chapter 14.

During the last thirty minutes, Sam's att.i.tude had gone from shock to anger and then fury, evident from her use of some of Peyton's colorful expletives, which at one point had begun flowing from her mouth as if they were an everyday part of her vocabulary.

Now she had calmed down-somewhat. She had managed to prove that her temper at its best would put even her father to shame. How dare someone send her flowers for six weeks, only to inform her that now her days were numbered? The man had to be a lowlife, a scoundrel, an a.s.shole.

”And you're sure you have no idea who could have sent you these flowers or why they want to threaten your life, Ms. Di Meglio?”

Sam glanced across the room. For a while she'd forgotten the detective had been sitting in the extra chair Priscilla had brought into her office. She'd also forgotten that Mac and Peyton were still in her office, as well. Everyone was sitting there and staring at her.

She drew in a deep breath and returned the detective's intense gaze. She had met him a year and a half ago, when he had been investigating the trouble involving Mac. ”No, Detective Adams, I have no idea who's behind those flowers and-”

At that moment her office door flew open and Sam saw Blade standing in front of her, bigger than life. Over his shoulder, she could see Luke and Reese standing behind him. The look on Blade's face was fierce, almost lethal. Detective Adams had been quick, and was already on his feet with his gun drawn.

”Wait!” three female voices said at once, although Sam's was the loudest.

It was only when Luke pushed pa.s.sed Blade that Detective Adams recognized him and put his gun back in his holster and straightened his jacket. ”I would suggest you knock the next time,” Adams said, offering Luke his hand.

Luke grinned as he shook hands with the man. ”It wasn't my idea to burst in like that. That's my cousin Blade. He's sort of a hothead at times. And this is my brother Reese.”

Sam sat back down in her chair, trying to get her heart rate back to normal, as she stared across the room at Blade. She'd known he was with Luke when Mac had called, because Mac had mentioned it. But considering everything, she hadn't expected him to come.

Her gaze moved past him to Reese. She'd only seen him a few times since the wedding, and she thought there was no mistaking him and Luke for brothers, since they favored each other quite a bit. Like Luke, Reese was a very handsome man.

But no one, she thought, letting her gaze s.h.i.+ft back to Blade, was more handsome than the man staring back at her, even when he was mad. And yes, he was mad, but she couldn't tell if he was angry at her or the situation that she found herself in.

”I was just asking Ms. Di Meglio a few questions so I can decide how to proceed, since she prefers that I not alert the police yet. So for now, I'm working this case privately.”

”Why don't you want the police involved?” Blade asked her, as if he had every right to know.

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him it was none of his business what she did, but for some reason she couldn't do that. ”I prefer that my parents not know about this,” she said. ”And for now, until we find out if there is a legitimate threat, I want as few people to know about it as possible.”

He nodded and then leaned against a wall. There was a knock on the door and Priscilla brought in more chairs and left, closing the door behind her.

Everyone sat except for Blade. It seemed he preferred standing, bracing himself against the wall, directly in her line of vision. She tried focusing her eyes on Detective Adams instead of on him.

”Now then, we can continue,” Detective Adams said. ”And before we do I need to make sure you're comfortable with everyone here.”

She drew in a deep breath. Although Blade was probably the last person she should have felt comfortable with, considering their history, she said, ”Yes, I'm fine.”

”All right then. I was asking if you have any idea who could have sent you those flowers with the card.”

She shook her head. ”I have no idea.”

”And just how long have you been getting the flowers?” he then asked.