No Good Deed: A Small-Town Romantic Suspense Novel

8. Up To No Good

Troy had finished his tenth restless lap through his house and was considering trying to sleep when his phone rang. Pretty much everyone texted rather than called, so the sound of a call this late at night meant bad news. “Troy here.”

“It’s Carl. Jim is calling Marcus. You should come over.”

Troy’s knees wobbled. “Is Piper okay?” But Carl had already hung up. Troy grabbed his keys and jumped into the car. He was closer than Marcus’s house, so it didn’t surprise him when he beat his friend there. He was climbing the porch stairs when headlights flashed over him, showing Marcus had arrived.

Instead of waiting, he banged on the door. “It’s Troy. Marcus is pulling in. Open up. Piper, are you okay?”

Marcus reached his side just as he was going to bang again. Jim opened the door and motioned them in. Troy didn’t even bother with his boots when he spotted Piper sitting on the couch. He crossed the room and sat beside her.

When she looked up, tears glimmered in her eyes, and Troy pulled her to him in a tight hug. Her arms immediately wrapped around him, and she snuggled in. His heart actually bumped against his ribs in relief. She was okay. “What happened? Are you okay? Tell me you’re okay.”

She nodded against his chest. “I’m okay.”

Jim spoke up. “She’s got a bump on her head, and I think she should get Lia or Mitch to check her over.”

Lia was the local doctor and Mitch was a paramedic. Both spent half their time in town and the other half at Midnight Lake with their partners. He wasn’t sure if either of them was in town tonight, but he knew they would come quickly if needed.

With their time in the Army, both Troy and Marcus had basic medical training. He leaned back and then ran his hands over Piper’s shoulders. He waited until she looked up at him. “Mind if I have a peek? I’ve had a bit of training.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a small bump. No blood. It’s not a concussion.”

“Can I check anyway?”

She rolled her eyes but nodded. “Fine.”

He ran his hands lightly over her hair, and it only took a second to find the bump. Large enough for him to believe she had to be in pain. “You need to put ice on this.”

At that moment, Carl walked into the room. “Right here. I’ve got ice right here. Along with some water and acetaminophen.”

Marcus sat on the chair opposite them. “I’m glad you’re mostly okay, Piper. I’ll get your statement in a moment, but do you mind if I take a picture of your injury? And any other injuries you haven’t mentioned. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

Troy nearly dropped the ice pack Carl had given him. He hadn’t thought of that.

Piper nodded. “Go ahead. And that’s the only injury. The creep yanked me by my hair and I banged my head on the sidewalk.”

Marcus took the photo, then moved back to sit in the chair. “Do you need anything before you tell us what happened?”

Piper’s hand reached for Troy’s, and he laced their fingers together. He wanted to protect her, although it felt more like a need than a want. If he could, he’d demand his former Army teammates haul ass to Vermont to set up around the clock monitoring.

Piper nodded at Marcus. “I’m fine.”

He nodded. “Okay. Talk us through what happened.”

One hand squeezed his while the other patted Oreo, curled up in a ball at her side. “Oreo barked at the door to tell me he needed to go outside, so I leashed him up. We went through the front door and I didn’t see anyone at first. We’d just reached the bottom of the porch stairs when a man came around the tree near the street.”

“Did you recognize him?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. He was wearing one of those hats that cover the face but have holes for the eyes and mouth.”

“A balaclava?”

“Yes. That’s it. It was dark as well. Then he asked me where it was.”

Troy shared a glance with Marcus. It was looking like they’d been right.

“Did he specify what he meant by it?”

She squeezed Troy’s hand. “No. And then he asked where I’d hidden it. I tried to move forward to get Oreo. I yelled for help, and he told me to shut up. I caught Oreo and we ran to the house. The man grabbed my hair and yanked me to the ground. I dropped Oreo’s leash when I fell. The man was looming over me when Jim and Carl opened the door to the BB. Other neighbors opened their doors as well. The guy disappeared into the trees.”

Troy wanted to find this guy, and rip him to shreds.

Marcus kept his eyes and voice steady. “Did he say anything else?”

Piper shook her head.

“I know it was dark, but could you tell skin tone? Think of what you could see in the holes of the mask.”

She closed her eyes and shuddered. “White.”

“Height?”

Eyes still closed, she frowned. “A lot taller than me. Maybe around six feet. Tall, but ordinary tall, if that makes sense.”

“Thin?”

Another frown. “No. But not heavy. Wide shoulders.”

Marcus kept up with the quiet questions until they had a decent picture of the man. Black sweater but no jacket. Strong build. Dark gloves. Big hands. No obvious accent. He’d whispered his questions and threats, probably to disguise his voice. Which meant Piper likely knew the bastard.

He squeezed her shoulders. “Anything familiar about him?”

“I don’t think so. It happened so quickly, I’m not sure. It’s more like a blur in my head.”

Marcus tapped his notebook. “You noticed a lot of detail for something that happened that quickly. Good job. You did everything right.”

Jim and Carl had been sitting together on another sofa throughout the conversation, concern practically emanating from them. Jim squeezed his partner’s hand. “I’m sorry this is happening to you, Piper. We’ll do anything we can to help.”

She smiled at them. “You chased him away, and kept me and Oreo safe. I can’t thank you enough. I’m sorry for bringing danger to your home.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s not your fault.” Carl smiled.

Troy knew the BB had no security measures beyond the deadbolts he’d helped them install the year before.

Jim nodded. “You’re welcome to stay here, but we might have a better plan.”

Piper’s eyebrows shot up, and he felt his own do the same. Jim’s twinkle had Troy worrying.

“We don’t have any security cameras or alarms in the house. If this man returns to hurt you, we won’t have advance warning. But we know someone who does have those protections. We think you should stay with Troy while you’re in town.”

Like Troy, Piper’s mouth dropped open. She was the first to speak. “But that doesn’t keep you safe. What if he comes back?”

Carl shook his head. “We’ll be fine. Troy’s going to order us in a security system, but for now, we’ll keep the lights on and check the property.”

Jim nodded. “We’ll make a show of checking the outside with Carl’s old shotgun. But you’re going to need more protection. Troy and Marcus are the perfect bodyguards.”

If it hadn’t been a smart plan, Troy might have protested. These two were putting Piper’s best interests first.

And they were definitely matchmaking.

* * *

Piper had thought she was flummoxed before. Now, she was Flummoxed with a capital F. Or would that be Phlummoxed with a capital Ph?

Her wonderful hosts had kindly, gently, and firmly given her the bum’s rush out of her lovely room at the BB and into her car. She knew they were concerned about her safety, but she was just as sure she’d seen more than a twinkle of matchmaking in action.

Not that the spark between her and Troy needed much to fan it into flames. She’d never experienced such an intense reaction to a man before. It was equal parts ridiculous and wonderful that a tingle shot right from her head to her toes whenever she saw him. The tingle deepened when they touched. And she imagined it would be incredible when they kissed.

If. Not when.

She didn’t know what was going through Troy’s head. Was he annoyed at being manipulated by Jim and Carl? Was he pissed at the thought of being coerced into sharing his home?

One of Carl’s arguments to get her to leave her room was that Troy had a two-car garage, hiding her car from view. Unless the man was watching and following them now, he wouldn’t know where she’d gone.

That had helped convince her. Piper didn’t want to put a target on Troy. Because as much as she hated the thought, it seemed that her string of bad luck hadn’t been simple bad luck. Someone wanted something he thought she had.

If she only had a clue what that was.

She sent a look at Oreo, who was curled up on the passenger seat. “Do you have any sniffer training, Oreo? Can you search through my belongings to see what they’re looking for? I don’t own anything valuable.”

Which made her think it wasn’t something she valued at least. She’d sold her furniture and most of her possessions when she’d moved out of her apartment. The only things she’d kept had been family memories, mostly photographs, and a couple of knickknacks. No one would want those.

Ahead of her, Troy slowed and turned into the driveway of a small bungalow. One garage door slid up and he motioned for her to drive in. By the time she’d driven in and parked, Troy stood inside the garage, and the door was closing behind him.

She looked at the garage as she climbed out. The other half of the space was filled with work benches and tools. “I’m taking up your space. I’m sorry you got pushed into this. It’s too late tonight, but tomorrow, I’ll find another place to stay in a nearby town. No one will know to look for me there.”

He shook his head. “Not a chance. This is fine.”

“Are you sure? I’m sorry chaos is leaking from my life into yours and I’m sorry they forced you into sharing your home with me.”

Troy moved closer until he stood directly in front of her. One hand reached up and ran lightly through her hair. “You being in my house is the exact opposite of a problem. I like the idea of having you in my space. In fact, I think I like it a little too much.”

His eyes were soft and warm. His fingers moved to trace along her jawline and cheekbone.

Tingles ran along her skin and deep into her body. “I think I like it a little too much as well.”

Troy’s grin lit up his face. “Good to know.” Then he lowered his head slowly. Slowly enough to let her break away without it being awkward.

She should break away. She should want to break away. Instead, she lifted up on her toes and closed the distance herself.

The first brush of their lips was soft and sweet. The second had her fingers trembling. And the third brush had her diving in for more.

Troy kissed like he had all the time in the world to explore. It was intoxicating and addictive. She figured she could spend the rest of her life doing exactly this.

She didn’t know how long they stood tasting and sipping and learning. It could have been minutes or hours. She wasn’t sure she needed anything more than his taste to survive.

Oreo’s bark finally penetrated the fog that had enveloped her. Troy slowed the kiss and eventually pulled back enough so they could stare at each other. His lopsided grin was lightning quick, and then they were kissing again.

And again.

This time, when they pulled back, he ran his hands up and down the sleeves of her jacket. They wore layers of clothes, and their hands hadn’t been involved, but her body revved at high gear. Her brain was floating. “Wow.”

He kissed her forehead and pulled her in for a hug. “Wow is exactly the right word. I’ve wanted to do that since you rushed into my store with your dog wrapped in your sweatshirt.”

She laughed. “Me too.”

Oreo barked again, and she turned to see him standing with his front paws on the door’s window ledge. “Sorry, buddy. We didn’t mean to ignore you. We just…” She broke off the sentence and looked up at Troy. His eyes gleamed with amusement and what she thought—hoped—was something more than desire.

Troy smiled and kissed her again, a light brush of the lips that fanned the flames. Then he blew out a breath. “Okay, let’s show Oreo his new digs.”

Some men would be angry about the interruption, but not Troy. He hadn’t pushed the kiss, hadn’t even touched anything other than her lips. He was a good man.

While she gathered Oreo and his supplies, Troy grabbed the two duffels she’d had at the BB. He opened the door to the house and ushered her through to a small mudroom. They slid off their jackets and boots then moved into the kitchen.

It was bright and homey. Greys, blacks, and whites blended nicely with pops of color to brighten it up. A blue kettle. Some red and orange bowls. “Very nice.”

“Thanks. This place belonged to my parents before they gave up on winter and moved to Arizona. I bought it from them and have been renovating for the last seven or eight years.”

That made her smile. “A long-term renovation, then?”

He grinned. “Yep. One thing at a time when I feel the need. The kitchen was a priority. I eat a lot at my cousin’s diner, but I figured if I want to eat, I need to know how to cook.”

“I mostly relied on takeout in Chicago. Lots of great places there.”

“Do you cook at all?”

She shrugged. “I can make some recipes my mom used to make. Mac and cheese, a few soups, and that’s about it. My schedule didn’t allow a lot of time for cooking. Which is exactly as pathetic as it sounds.”

Troy rolled his eyes. “Not pathetic at all. A strong work ethic is a good thing. As long as you love the work.”

That made her pause and think. “I do love the work. But I was burning out on the job. If that makes sense.”

He nodded. “Too much work, not enough play.”

That was entirely true and it brought to mind the kisses they’d just shared. Her gaze moved to his mouth then his eyes, where she saw desire mirrored back at her.

Troy shook his head with another grin. “I definitely like that kind of play. Okay, let’s get you and Oreo settled.”

While part of her wanted to settle herself right into Troy’s bed, she knew she wasn’t ready.

Not yet.

And certainly not when there was blood in her hair.