Six #2
His lips pressed together as his gaze ran over the crowd again. “He broke into your house.”
“Yes. He was the first…well, besides Zach Fridley. But Zach was there to steal Molly’s car, not looking for the necklace—the first time at least. The second time, he was Mom’s backup when he hit Fifi over the head and knocked her out.” Anger filled her at the reminder. “I really don’t like Zach Fridley.”
Ever so slowly, Dash turned his head until his flat black gaze met Norah’s again. “Fridley goes on the list too.”
Even though she’d had no intention of giving Dash her enemies list, she still found herself nodding, hypnotized by the way he stared at her. He was so deadly yet so matter-of-fact at the same time. It was both frightening and reassuring, and Norah had to look away, unnerved by the tumult he caused in her usually well-ordered emotions.
“That’s Leifsen’s friend?”
At his question, Norah met his eyes again. Although he was still much too close for comfort, being able to focus on details helped settle her pulse to a more normal rhythm. He tipped his head toward where Chloe, who was wearing a glittery tank top that showed off her two full-sleeve tattoos, was tuning her guitar. Her colorful skin paired oddly with her long, milkmaid-like blond braids. Even though she wasn’t playing or singing yet, she exuded self-assurance, drawing the crowd’s full attention before she’d even started performing.
“Yes.” Norah studied the musician, wondering how the confident woman on the stage and the hacker so chicken he had to stalk Norah from behind a computer screen managed to become friends. “I’m not sure why. Unless she’s faking it, Chloe seems awesome, and Leifsen is definitely not . It was three years ago, so maybe she was going through a rough patch.”
Dash’s raspy chuckle made her turn and look at him. He was still watching Chloe, so Norah had his profile again. Realizing she was staring, smiling like an idiot just because she’d managed to make him laugh, Norah quickly directed her thoughts back to their mission. This wasn’t a date— probably wasn’t a date. If it were a date, she hoped he would’ve brought her somewhere other than Dutch’s.
“Do you see Leifsen?” she asked, determined to stay on task.
“Not yet.” His usual grim expression returned as he looked around the bar. “You need to get me that list. I’m sure some of those…people are here tonight.”
Even as she looked around for any unpleasantly familiar faces, she let out an amused huff. “That was an almost swear, wasn’t it?”
He shrugged affirmatively.
Chloe spoke into the mic before Norah could respond. It was a ridiculous discussion anyway, but their silly back-and-forth made her heart thump harder. To her surprise, Norah was actually having fun. If someone had told her a few weeks earlier she’d be staking out a skip at Dutch’s and enjoying herself, she never would’ve believed them.
“How’s everyone doing tonight?” The crowd gave a more enthusiastic roar than Norah had expected, and Chloe grinned. “We’re the Lost Marbles.” The band immediately jumped into an upbeat song.
Norah cocked her head, surprised. She hadn’t expected to actually like Chloe’s band’s music, but the bouncing beat was irresistible, as was her husky—almost raspy—voice. Norah glanced at Dash to see his fingers tapping the beat onto the tabletop. His obvious enjoyment freed her to move her shoulders and bounce a little as she danced in place, weirdly happy despite being in Dutch’s, normally her least-favorite place to be.
“C’mon.” Dash slid out of the booth and then offered her a hand.
A little confused by what he was planning, she still accepted his hand and allowed him to help her out of the seat. Once she was standing, he didn’t let her go. Instead, he used that firm yet careful grip to tow her through the crowd closer to the stage. Still puzzled, she eyed his back. Was he thinking they’d have a better chance of spotting Leifsen in the crowd? At the thought, she snorted. Maybe Mr. Ginormous had a view over the crowd, but all her short self managed to see were upshots into the nostrils of the people right next to her.
Dash stopped once he reached a spot close to the band. As he turned toward her, she opened her mouth to ask what the plan was but closed it before she bothered. The music was much too loud for him to hear anything, even if she shouted, and yelling about their plans at the top of her lungs didn’t seem very strategic. Instead, she raised her eyebrows in a silent question.
Bending so his lips were next to her ear, he said loudly, “We’re dancing.”
Although his words were clear, she was pretty sure she’d misunderstood. “Dancing?”
He must’ve read her lips, because he tipped his head in a nod as the corner of his mouth twitched up.
“ Nooooo .” Norah drew out the word as the horror of his proposal hit her. Dance? Her? In public? Uh…nope. No way. Not happening.
His small smile just grew in response, which was not boding well for her escaping. He gripped her hips as he started moving to the beat. Yes , he mouthed, still grinning at her.
“I can’t dance,” she said. She wished she could. Dancing with Dash would be incredible.
Dash must’ve managed to read her lips—and her wistful thoughts—because he gave her an encouraging smile before he bent to speak directly into her ear. “Yeah, you can. If you can fight, you can dance.”
“But I don’t really know how to fight yet,” she protested, but he’d already straightened again. From his teasing expression, he wasn’t about to let her wiggle out of it. The song ended, and she hoped for a moment she’d get a reprieve, but then the band immediately dove into the next one, which was sultrier with a slower bass beat. Somehow, the thought of dancing to this song was more intimidating than the previous one.
Without releasing her hips, Dash stepped closer. His clean, spicy scent surrounded her, muting the usual stink of beer and body odor that filled the bar. She met his gaze and then couldn’t look away, the gleam of heat and humor so different from his normal expression…yet much too intriguing. She couldn’t remember any other man ever looking at her with such interest, and she couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea that beautiful, fascinating, talented Dash was the one to finally do so.
“See…easy.” His loud words somehow managed to sound intimate. She realized that without thinking about it, she’d automatically started moving with his hands’ suggestions, swaying her hips back and forth in rhythm with the heavy beat. As soon as she noticed, her muscles locked up, and she went stiff. Dash just gave her that tiny, private smile and kept moving.
Overwhelmed by his intensity, she dropped her gaze from his face, but looking at his body didn’t settle her nerves at all. He moved with an unselfconscious grace despite his heavy muscles, shoulders and hips rolling even as his hands urged her to follow his movement. Letting out a shaky breath, she forced herself to unlock her frozen body. Her side-to-side swaying started out stiffer and less fluid now that she was thinking about what she was doing and how she looked. She closed her eyes, pretending the crowd was gone and she was at home with her sisters, having a dance party to the music on someone’s phone. Her movements smoothed out, became easier, more natural, but something still wasn’t quite right.
Although she could block out the sight of all the strangers surrounding her, the heat and flex of hands on her hips made it impossible to mentally erase Dash. In her mind, her innocent family dance party shifted to something a little more wicked—just the two of them alone in the darkness, music filling the room as they swayed closer and closer together…
The music ended abruptly with a final thump of the bass, and Norah’s eyes flew open as she realized she’d lost track of time. She immediately looked at him, her face heating. Her imaginings had been so vivid, she felt as though he should’ve been able to see what she’d been thinking. The urge to put some space between them—possibly miles—rose up inside her, and she started to take a step back. She needed to think about what had just happened, to repeat the events of this night in her mind until they made sense.
Before she could pull away, Chloe introduced the next song, and the band jumped into one even bouncier than the first. Norah, a little disoriented by the dramatic mood change, looked at Dash. He raised a shoulder in a half shrug and then grabbed her hands and started dancing again. The sight of him bouncing to the perky beat made her stare at him for a long moment before a laugh burst out.
His willingness to look absolutely ridiculous broke down a barrier inside her, and she joined in, bouncing along with him. It was so freeing not to think about how she appeared as she moved, whether she looked sexy or just awkward. Either way, there was no chance she could look sillier than Dash as he bopped to the beat. Raising their clasped hands, she danced right along with him, smiling the entire time.
Even when the next song slowed and Dash gathered her against him, her nerves didn’t return. She just melted into him and swayed, closing her eyes—not to imagine being somewhere else but just to enjoy the feel of him.
They danced until Norah’s throat was dry from exertion and laughter, and she shifted away from Dash. He immediately reeled her back in, frowning.
“Water,” she shouted, gesturing toward the bar. Instead of releasing her, he headed that way, keeping hold of her hand so she followed behind in his wake. It woke her up, reminding her that they were at Dutch’s, not a friendly, safe bar where she could wander through the crowd on her own. No matter how much fun she was having, they were there to find Leifsen.
Not a date, not a date, not a date , she repeated in her mind, pressing down all the feelings that dancing with Dash had awoken in her. This is work, this is work, this is work .
Dash wedged his shoulder between two people at the crowded bar, and the redheaded bartender immediately made her way over to him. Watching, Norah was glad she hadn’t tried to get water on her own. It would’ve taken her ages just to get noticed, and she didn’t have Dash’s bulk to be able to push her way through oblivious people like that. The couple to Dash’s right left, and Norah claimed one of the stools while keeping hold of Dash’s hand. Enjoying her slightly elevated position, she looked around the bar. It was even busier than when they’d first arrived, but she still didn’t see any sign of Leifsen. The bouncer was standing inside the entrance now, and he saw her glancing over. He pointed at his eyes and then her in the I’m watching you gesture. Norah ducked her head to hide her smile.
“What?” Dash asked in her ear, leaning in as he handed her a bottle of water. Instead of taking the other open stool, he stood next to her, close enough to brush against her every time he shifted positions.
“The bouncer.” She’d never seen anyone in real life actually use that gesture in a non-joking way. Instead of having to yell the whole explanation, she just waved it off. “I’ll tell you later.”
He gave a nod as she opened her water and took a drink. It tasted amazing, so cold it almost hurt her throat, but she still sucked it down as fast as she could. She’d been having so much fun she hadn’t realized how thirsty she’d gotten. She offered the half-full bottle to Dash, but he shook his head, holding up his own.
Sipping more slowly, she turned back to her appraisal of the crowd. The dim lighting made it difficult to make out people’s features, and she wondered if she’d looked right at Leifsen without realizing it. Coming to the bar while Chloe’s band was playing had seemed like a good idea, but maybe it would be more effective to stake out her apartment building to see if he showed up.
Norah finished her water as she mentally ran over some options. This field trip to Dutch’s was actually good in another way, besides just getting to dance with Dash. It would help her determine the best ways for her sisters to run down skips. There were some things she couldn’t learn by researching rather than going out into the field. She felt a rush of gratitude for Dash. It was only because he was with her that she felt comfortable enough to go to Dutch’s. Last time she’d been here was with Cara, and her sister had almost been killed because Norah had frozen.
Dash took her empty water bottle, distracting her from the painful memory, and placed it with his on the bar. “Dance?” he asked, his small smirk a challenge that something inside her immediately rose up to meet.
At her nod, he towed her back to their spot close to the small stage. He rested his hands on her hips, but she didn’t need his urging this time to start moving to the music. Still, she didn’t object to his hold. She was surprised by how much she liked the pressure and heat of his broad palms and the firm grip of his fingers. It felt like he was a protective wall, keeping her safe from the crowd surrounding them.
Even as the image crossed her mind, someone bumped against her back, fully groping her butt before shoving her against Dash’s chest. His arms closed around her as he twisted, turning her so that his back was to the threat, protecting her. She peered around him, catching a glimpse of a slim man in a bulky jacket and baseball cap disappearing into the crowd. At the last moment before he ducked around a leather-clad biker, he turned his head, showing his profile.
Devon Leifsen.
Norah sucked in a breath as she recognized him. She moved to dive into the crowd after him, but Dash caught her back.
“Let me go after him!” she yelled. “He’s going to get away.”
“Let me go first,” he ordered, tucking her behind him before plunging into the crowd. Norah grabbed the back of his belt, grateful once again for the way people—even drunk ones—stepped out of Dash’s way. All she could see was his back as they wove through the throng, and Norah resisted the urge to push him to go faster. Leifsen had been right within grabbing reach, and startled by the grope and shove, she’d let him get away.
When Dash stopped abruptly, Norah almost crashed into his back. “I can’t see him,” he said loudly enough for her to hear. Her stomach sank as Dash craned his neck to see deeper into the crowd, but then she had an idea.
Moving around in front of him, she turned so her back was against his front. “Lift me up,” she shouted. He immediately complied, grasping her waist and hoisting her up. Her small squeak as he lifted her higher than she expected was thankfully drowned out by the music and noise of the bar. She scanned the crowd, but Leifsen’s baseball hat was nowhere to be seen.
Realizing that he could easily have removed the hat, she looked around again, trying to hurry before Dash’s arms gave out. As steady as they seemed, he couldn’t hold her above him forever. Scanning the crowd, trying to examine each person as quickly as possible, she finally saw a bare blond head of someone determinedly working their way toward the exit. The person glanced back, meeting Norah’s gaze for only a brief moment, but it was enough for her to identify him as Leifsen.
Tapping Dash’s forearm, she pointed. “Blond, no hat, ten feet from the door!”
His head snapped in the direction she indicated. “I see him.” He carefully lowered her and tucked her behind him again before charging toward Leifsen. Grabbing his belt again, Norah kept pace with him, her heart thrumming from the chase. If she could always have Dash with her, she wouldn’t mind doing fieldwork. A big part of her was completely terrified, but there was also that small bit that was…having fun? She was starting to understand the thrill her sisters got from chasing skips.
The crowd thinned as they got closer to the exit, and the remaining people jumped out of Dash’s way. Peering around him, Norah saw Leifsen at the door. The skip looked over his shoulder and blanched, staring at Dash barreling down on him for a beat before shoving open the door.
An excited buzz ran through her. They were so close. She was starting to believe they’d actually catch Leifsen. Dash shot toward the door but stopped abruptly. This time, Norah couldn’t halt in time and bashed her face against his back.
Reaching back, Dash wrapped his hand around her arm as if reassuring himself that she was okay. “Move,” he growled.
Rubbing her throbbing nose that had taken the brunt of the crash, Norah looked around Dash’s wide chest to see the bouncer blocking the exit, his arms crossed over his chest.
“I said no causing trouble.”
“No trouble.” Dash’s voice was emotionless, but Norah could feel how tightly he held himself, most likely resisting the urge to physically move the bouncer in a violent way. She understood that desire, since she would’ve tackled the man if he hadn’t been three times her weight. “Just leaving.”
The bouncer stared at Dash for what felt like an eternity before shifting to the side.
Dash didn’t waste time charging outside with her in tow, but it was too late. Leifsen was gone.
“We were so close,” she said, her voice sounding too loud in the sudden silence.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Dash pulled her against him in a side hug. “Don’t worry. That… weasel thinks he’s smarter than us, but he’s wrong. We’ll get him.”
With a sigh, she relaxed into his side, disappointed yet reassured that Dash wasn’t abandoning the hunt. “More almost swearing?” Her tone surprised her. She hadn’t realized she could sound quite so…flirty.
“Yep.”
Despite the abruptness of his answer, she still smiled, safe under the comforting weight of his arm as he steered her toward his SUV. They might’ve failed to bring in Leifsen, but somehow the night had still managed to be amazing.
***
Even as Norah was standing in her bedroom a half hour later, emptying her pockets of pepper spray, Tasers, and knives, she couldn’t stop smiling. She kept replaying how it felt to dance with Dash and how incredible he had looked as he’d moved, even when he was bouncing around like an idiot.
Sliding her hands into her back pockets in an automatic check, even though they were too tight to hold much, her fingertips hit a folded piece of paper.
What is that? She knew she hadn’t put it there. Her besotted grin faded in confusion as she pinched the paper between two fingers and fished it out of her pocket. It was indeed a folded sheet of paper, one torn from a notebook, judging by the rough edge. For some reason, her fingers shook as she unfolded it. Paper couldn’t hurt her, but having it slid into her pocket without her knowing felt like a violation.
There were just a few short sentences scrawled in a scribbly hand.
Naughty, naughty, Norah. Who’s the meathead? Lose him, or you’ll be sorry.
The menacing happy face confirmed what she already knew: Devon Leifsen was responsible for the note. Her mind flashed back to the moment right before he’d shoved her, when he’d groped her butt. That was when he must’ve shoved the note into her pocket.
Placing the note on her bed, she took a picture with her phone and texted it to Dash. It was only after her message was sent that she wondered why her immediate reaction hadn’t been to wake up one of her sisters to show them the note.
The buzz of an incoming text from Dash brought her out of her thoughts.
Where’d you find that?
She hesitated for a brief moment before typing Pants pocket .
The dots indicating that Dash was replying flashed on her screen for several seconds before his next text appeared.
Free tomorrow for some stalker hunting?
Yes. It was Sunday, but she’d just planned on doing more research on Leifsen. If Dash was with her, she could take that research into the field. She was surprised he could get away from the gym though. It seemed he spent most of his time working. Don’t you have to be at the gym?
Davies works Sundays. Any leads on where to start looking for Leifsen?
She smiled. Meet you at Green Valley Apartments at 9am? That’s where Chloe lives.
I’ll pick you up.
Okay. She hesitated, figuring she should leave it like that, keeping things professional. Then her fingers took over, typing before the cautious part of her brain could stop them. Good night, Dash.
During the pause that followed, Norah’s heart pounded as hard as if she’d just downed three espressos. She’d overstepped, gotten too personal. Dash was just her trainer, with a casual interest in helping her bring in Leifsen. Everything else—the dancing and intense eye contact and the careful touches to her lower back—hadn’t really meant anything. Her love-hungry brain had taken his friendliness and made it something more, and he was probably trying to think of the best way to let her down gently. She squeezed her eyes closed with embarrassment, jumping when her phone buzzed. She tried not to look, but she was unable to bear the suspense. Cracking one eye open, she peeked at the screen.
Sweet dreams, Norah.
She opened both eyes and read it again. Even as inexperienced as she was, she was pretty sure that wasn’t something he’d say to let her down gently. Those were the words of someone who was interested in her.
Realizing she was grinning at her phone like a fool, she forced herself to put it down on the bed. The note rustled, and the reminder of Leifsen erased her smile. She wondered if he was outside right now, looking up at her tiny bedroom window. She had to resist the urge to peer outside. Even if he was out there, watching her, she wouldn’t be able to see him in the shadows. She shuddered, her eyes glued to the piece of notebook paper. It should’ve been innocuous, but it was menacing instead. Just like when he hacked into whatever laptop she was using, he was shoving his words in front of her without her permission. Both the note and his text boxes on the screen were invasions, violating her space.
Picking up the note with two fingers as if it were covered in slime, she tucked it into Leifsen’s file that she’d placed on the small strip of floor next to her bed. She wished she could burn it or at least shred it, but it was evidence. The memory of Dash promising they’d bring Leifsen in eased the tight ball of tension in her stomach. She wasn’t alone in this. Whether Dash was her trainer or a friend or even something more, he was there, cutting a clear path for her and lifting her high above the crowd.
Despite her dread that Leifsen lurked somewhere outside her dark window, Norah’s smile returned. She might have a stalker, but she also had Dash.