Wild as Her (Beckett Family #2)

Chapter 30

Indie

T he final note hums in the air as a soft applause begins. A night performing at The Cozy Cup again is just what I needed to clear my head. I love playing music for others. It’s one of the few things that relaxes me—that and painting, which I haven’t had time to do a lot of lately.

When my eyes scan the crowded room, I spot him. There’s a smirk on his lips that I want to run over and kiss. His dusty blonde hair is a tousled mess—a hot mess that I want to run my hands through some more, even though it seems like that’s all I’ve done for the last few days.

Stepping up to him, I notice he has one hand behind his back.

“Whatcha got?” I ask, motioning to his hidden arm.

The smile on his face grows as he pulls his arm out from behind him.

“For you, darlin’,” he says, about making me melt on the spot when I see the beautiful assortment of wildflowers in his hands.

“Where do you always find these?” I ask, taking them and holding them up to my nose for a quick smell.

“No can tell,” he says, watching my reaction.

“They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

Without thought, I lean up on tiptoes to kiss him, but someone bumps into me from behind, sending me right into Wild’s arms.

“Hey! Watch what you’re doin’,” Wild bites out over my shoulder. “Fuckin’ inconsiderate people,” he huffs under his breath.

For once, I don’t even mind what just happened. It resulted in me being wrapped in his warm, protective arms and surrounded by his familiar, signature Wilder Beckett scent.

“You ready to get outta here?” He peeks down at me while I’m still pulled in snug to his chest with one arm.

“Yeah, just let me run to the bathroom real quick, and we can go.”

Wild nods and takes the flowers from my hands. “I’ll wait right here.”

Walking back to the restrooms, I feel overwhelming relief that there is no line. When I turn the handle, the door doesn’t budge, and I let out a slur of curses as I set my guitar case down at my feet in the dimly lit hallway.

While standing next to the door, waiting for my turn, I feel someone poke me in the shoulder. Turning around, I come face to face with a man I don’t recognize. He’s holding a single red rose as he lifts his hand up toward me.

“For you,” he says, waiting for me to take it.

“Oh, umm… thanks.” I take the flower hesitantly.

“You’re welcome. I know how much you like when I get you roses,” he adds, his words causing my gaze to jump up from the flower to his face.

“Do I…” I trail off, recognition dawning on me. “Wait… you’re the guy that tried to buy me a coffee.” I let his words really sink in. “Y… You’re the one that has been sendin’ me flowers?”

He grins, tucking his hands into his pockets and running his tongue across his teeth.

“You always look so beautiful up there. A beautiful girl deserves flowers.” He leans in toward me, causing me to take a step back.

This whole time, I’ve thought it was Wilder sending me those roses at work.

Why did I ever think that?

Roses are not something Wild would ever get for me. They are completely out of character for him. But I was too wrapped up in my head to really think it through every time they showed up unexpectedly.

I want to tell this guy to get lost and put him in his place— the crazy stalker . But I’ve watched enough TV to know what kind of psycho I’m dealing with. I need to remain calm and as polite as I possibly can, at least until I’m no longer alone with him.

“Thank you… uhh… Have a good night.” I start to turn away from him, but he shoots his arm out, stopping me with his hand on my shoulder.

“Hold on, we need to talk,” he says, his expression growing serious. “I’ve seen this fella hangin’ around you… Livin’ with you… I can’t say it makes me happy seein’ you with someone else.” He pauses, the faint yellow light from the hallway we are standing in eerily illuminating his face.

“I thought we had a good thing goin’,” he motions between us. “Thought we were startin’ to make some real progress.” His eyes roam over my body, making me shift uncomfortably.

How the hell is there no one else that needs to use the bathroom in this place? And since when has the music been so loud in here?

“I’ve seen the way your face lights up when my flowers are delivered to you. I know they make you happy—that I make you happy.” A twisted grin grows on his old face, making me sick to my stomach.

Before I can fully process his words or spit out any of my own, he goes on. “I’m sorry that I drove off that night when you were comin’ to talk to me in my car. I guess I just got too nervous. And then I saw… him step out of your house,” he says with disgust.

When I look at him confused, he waits.

What the hell is he talking about? I’ve never gone to talk to— oh my God. That night, when the car followed me home and I had the vase of flowers in my hand. That wasn’t some kid… That was him .

This is the same man who bought me a coffee, followed me into the parking lot that night when I saw Wild again for the first time in years, and then followed me when I was walking home that night from the coffee shop. This man has been stalking me for years . The thought makes the nausea intensify in my gut, and my limbs go numb.

How many times have I not noticed him over all the years since that first night when Wild had to step in and send the guy packing?

The thought that he even knows where the hell I live sends another chill up my spine. He’s watched me walk home to every apartment I’ve lived in over the years and now follows me to my house with Wilder.

“ But ,” he continues when he sees I recall what he’s referring to. “I think we are both ready for this. It’s time to stop playin’ these cat and mouse games.” He steps up closer, reaching his hand toward my cheek.

I catch said hand in mine and grip it tightly. His eyes widen when I begin to twist it back.

“Don’t you dare fuckin’ touch me,” I bite out, about ready to break the hand off his wrist.

I know I need to proceed with caution around people like this, but hell if I’ll let someone touch me without consequences.

“See, that’s another thing I’ve always liked about you—that fire,” he says through pained breaths as I continue to bend his wrist back. “I can’t wait to taste it,” he adds, forcefully pulling his hand out of my grip and stepping into my space.

Before I can react, his large, clammy hand comes up to my neck, forcing me against the wall. His hand quickly slides away, lifting to the sides of my head, caging me against the wall.

For the first time in my life, I freeze—images of Wild flashing through my mind, wishing he was here.

I want to scream. I want to kick this guy in the balls or bash my head into his. But I have no idea what he’ll do next, and I’m too afraid of what he’s capable of doing if I do any of those things.

Stalker’s eyes creepily coast over me, the intense stare mixed with his cheap aftershave making the uneasy feeling in my gut intensify.

When I open my mouth to speak, the words come out just above a whisper.

“You better back the?—”

“Ind, did you fall in—” Wild’s words cut off when he sees the man boxing me in. His voice causes a flood of relief to wash over me. I don’t need a man to save me, but damn, I’m glad he is.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doin’?” Wild quickly takes large steps toward us, shoving the stalker away from me.

He stumbles back, catching himself on the woman exiting the restroom.

“Hey! Watch where—” she pauses. “Daddy?” Her brows pinch close in confusion. “What are you doin’ here? What’s goin’ on?” The woman spins, her narrowed eyes finding mine.

A lead ball drops in my stomach.

Whitney… My high school arch nemesis. And this crazy asshole is her dad.

Stalker runs his hand through his thinning gray hair. “Honey, just go on. I’ll talk to you about all this later,” he says in a flustered tone.

Her confused gaze darts back and forth between the three of us.

“Oh my God… Is this the person you’ve been talkin’ about?” She puts zero effort into masking the disgust in her voice as she stares me down from a few feet away.

All I can focus on now is the fact that he’s been talking about me. What the hell kind of twilight zone am I in right now?

All the dots are connecting, and everything is starting to make sense. If my dad were a crazy psycho stalker, I’d probably be a raging bitch too. And on the flip side, if my daughter were Whitney, I’d be a crazy psychopath.

I guess it takes a psycho to make a psycho.

“Whitney, go home ,” he bites out in his daughter’s direction, leaving no room for questioning.

With a loud huff and a shake of her head, Whitney storms out of the hallway, muttering under her breath. Wild hasn’t moved from his place between my stalker and me, his stance still wide.

“I’m gonna assume you didn’t put your hands on my girl.” I can hear the anger pouring out of Wild’s words, his fists clenched tight at his sides.

“I’m fine, Wild. You don’t have to do anything,” I state, though really I couldn’t be happier to have some backup—muscular, 6’3 backup.

“The hell I won’t,” he scoffs, never looking back at me.

Wild steps up into the man’s face, crushing the rose I dropped to the ground. Towering over him, he uses one hand to shove at the man’s chest, the movement causing him to stumble back again.

“If you plan to get out of here on your own two feet, I highly suggest you leave… right now.” Wild’s words cause a shiver to run down my spine—I love seeing this protective side of him.

An older woman appears in the hallway just then, freezing in place when she witnesses the mess unfolding in front of her. She quickly turns around, deciding this restroom isn’t going to be worth the wait.

Stalker speaks next, pulling my attention forward again. “Indie and I were talkin’. She doesn’t need?—”

“I’m gonna stop you right there.” Wild holds a hand up. “My girl clearly has nothin’ to say to you. You might think I’m mean, but you ain’t even gotten close to knowin’ that woman right there,” he points to me over his shoulder. “I highly suggest you leave before she kicks your ass. Which, trust me, she was fixin’ to do.”

He scoffs. “She wouldn’t?—”

“Oh, I guaran-fuckin-tee you, she would.” Wild doesn’t budge, standing firmly between us, waiting for the man to make his choice.

Stalker’s eyes jump back and forth between Wilder and me, deciding what his next move is.

When my eyes catch the entrance to the hallway, I see that we have an audience now—a few of the locals are watching on in confusion and curiosity.

“Watch out, comin’ through,” a deep voice says from the crowd.

A tall, heavy-set man comes forward, his uniform signifying he’s with the sheriff’s office.

“What seems to be the problem here, folks?” The officer steps closer, his partner close behind him.

“Nothin’. Everything’s fine. I was just leavin’,” Whitney’s dad says, ducking his head and trying to push past the officers.

The first officer reaches out, stopping him with a firm grip on his lower arm. “Oh, no, no. We got a call—Wait a second… Teddy ?” Using his other hand, he gathers both of the stalker’s hands behind his back. “I can’t believe my luck today.” He shakes his head and chuckles.

Pulling the cuffs from his side, he quickly clicks them into place before turning to face Wild and me again.

“You folks wait right here. My partner here will have some questions for you.”

With that, he walks off, leaving us in a cloud of confusion.

What in the actual hell just happened?

“I’m Officer Daniels. First off?—”

“ First off , what was that?” I interrupt. “Who’s Teddy?”

The officer shrugs, not deterred by a southern woman with an attitude. “He’s got some warrants. Wanted in three counties, actually. Harassment mostly.”

The officer’s words sink in, and things are becoming more clear as the final pieces of the puzzle come together. If this guy was wanted all over the state, it would make sense that he’d keep a low profile.

After we give our statements and answer some questions, the officer let’s us leave.

“Let’s get you home,” Wild says, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. Releasing me, he grabs the guitar case from my hand.

Without any protest, I follow him out and climb into the vehicle. I’m glad I decided to have him drop me off here earlier so I don’t have to worry about my car. Because right now, I just want to be near him.

Earlier, when I was caged in by that psychopath, I was terrified. I’ve always been a woman who can take care of herself, and typically I’d have kneed that asshole in the balls in the drop of a hat.

Instead, I was worried—unsure what he’d do next, which sent my mind into overdrive thinking about Wilder— which is definitely new for me .

I know I can take care of myself, but in that moment, I just wanted him .

“You know, I don’t think my vision has ever actually gone red before.” Wild eyes me from the driver’s seat. “But when I stepped around the corner and saw that…” he shakes his head, grinding his molars together. “I saw red, Ind. Nothin’ but bright, burning red.”

I nod in understanding as I glance over to see him running his hand over his head, clearly deep in thought.

“I know you can take care of yourself, and I don’t doubt you would have put that guy in his place had I not shown up, but there was no way in hell I was steppin’ away to let you deal with that on your own.”

“That’s okay. I appreciate what you did,” I state truthfully.

With another head shake, Wild laughs. “I can not believe Whitney is his daughter.”

I snort a laugh. “Yeah… Small world.”

“That it is. And you know, it all makes sense now. I always thought of Whitney as my own personal stalker—not as severe as her dad is, apparently,” he laughs again. “But still, the woman never left me alone in high school, and I’ve constantly had to bat her away every time I’ve seen her out in public since then.”

I laugh to myself, realizing that Wild and I now have another thing connecting us—another thing in common. But where he knew about his stalker, I have been clueless this entire time.

“I’m just glad it’s all over now.” I watch out the window as we come to a stop at the yellow light.

“Yellow doesn’t mean stop, Wild.”

“Is that right?” His hand resting on the top of the steering wheel comes down to his lap, and he turns slightly to face me. “And what is it that you think it means?”

“It means hurry the hell up. It’s about to be red .”

He lets out a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head. “I have a lot to teach you, little lead foot .”