Chapter Seventeen
S adie stood in the kitchen, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she watched everyone but Dale move toward her garage. He’d stayed in the house to protect her. She was grateful and in shock.
Her mind raced as the reality of the situation settled over her like one of her crocheted blankets. The thought that someone had been in her garage—her sanctuary—left her feeling exposed and violated. It was as if every ounce of safety she’d felt in her home had been stripped away in an instant. The anxiety bubbling in her chest threatened to spill over, and she found herself trembling despite her best efforts to remain calm.
Damsel in distress, victim—those words weren’t part of her character or her existence, until now.
She prided herself on her calm nature, her backbone, her strength, but those traits were quickly slipping from her grasp.
Dale must have sensed her unraveling because, without a word, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a solid, reassuring embrace. The warmth of his body and the steady beat of his heart against her cheek grounded her, providing a much-needed anchor in the storm of her thoughts.
“Hey,” he murmured softly, his voice a low rumble that she felt more than heard. “I know this is a lot, but I’m here. You’re not alone, Sadie.”
Closing her eyes, she let herself sink into the comfort of his embrace, her hands clutching the fabric of his shirt as if he were the only thing keeping her tethered to reality.
“It’s terrifying to think someone was here, in my space, planning who knows what,” she said, holding him tightly. “What if they come back? What if—” Her voice broke off, unable to finish the thought of Dale getting hurt trying to protect her.
Dammit. Get a grip.
Dale’s hold on her tightened, his hands rubbing soothing circles on her back. “I’m not going to let that happen. Plus, you have a whole team of people looking out for you now, and we’re going to do everything we can to keep you safe. Whoever did this, they messed with the wrong people.”
Sadie nodded against his chest, the strength in his touch and in his words giving her a flicker of hope. “I just feel so helpless. This is my home. My safe place. And now—”
“And now it feels like that safety’s been taken from you,” Dale finished for her, his voice gentle. “But we’re going to get that back, I promise. We’ll figure out who’s behind this, and we’ll make sure they never come near you again.”
She pulled back just enough to look up at him. The intensity in his gaze and unwavering determination made her believe that maybe, just maybe, things would be okay. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you here.”
“You won’t have to find out,” he replied, softly trailing a finger down her cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, Sadie. I’ve got your back.”
She let out a shaky breath, feeling the tension in her shoulders start to ease just a little. “I’ve got yours,” she told him softly, finding comfort in the words, in the thought that she wasn’t facing this nightmare alone, and neither would he.
For several quiet, calming moments they stood there, wrapped in each other’s presence, while outside, the men continued their investigation. No matter what they found—or didn’t find—Sadie knew she had someone she could rely on. And in that, there was strength.
But she also knew she could rely on every single person at ESI.
As if on cue, the back door opened, and the guys stepped into her kitchen. The expressions on their faces told Sadie everything she needed to know before they even spoke.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
“What did you find?” Dale asked, his voice tense, his hand sliding down across her back to grip her hip as they faced the others.
Cooper blew out a breath, and the others wore matching frowns as Mac spoke.
“We found a machete,” the guy replied. “Just lying there in the middle of the garage floor, out in plain sight.”
RJ’s gaze met hers. “Do you happen to own one, Sadie?”
She shook her head, and her breath caught in her throat as a cold wave of fear washed over her.
A machete?
Whomever did this wasn’t playing. This was a threat—an unmistakable, terrifying warning that someone intended to hurt her—or worse.
Dale’s grip on her hip tightened, along with his jaw. Fury flashed through his eyes as he used his free hand to pull out his phone. “I’m calling Gabe. He needs to get over here. Now .”
“I already did,” Mac said. “He’s on his way.”
Dale nodded, shoving his phone back in his pocket as his gaze returned to hers, his expression softening. “I know it may not seem like it, but we’re going to get to the bottom of this. I promise. I’m going to need you to stay close to me, okay?”
She nodded, liking that part, digging deep to bring a smile to her lips. “Okay. If I must.”
“Yes,” he said, a smile now twitching his lips. “You must.”
Dean, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up, “We need to check the security feed from your dad’s backyard, Dale. See if we can catch a glimpse of our suspect.”
Dale nodded, releasing her to quickly pull up the footage on his phone. The loss of his warmth and strength sent a chill through Sadie. Lifting her chin, she set her shoulders back and ignored it.
I’m not a damsel, dammit.
Everyone crowded around Dale’s phone, watching the screen intently as the video played. Not really wanting to see it, because that would make this more real, Sadie thought about putting more coffee on, but she still had her arm around Dale’s waist, and his hand was still gripping her hip.
Movement in the shaded area in the back of his father’s yard caught her attention on the screen. Someone was using the shadows and foliage of the trees and bushes in front of the chain-link fence separating his yard and the yard behind his as natural camouflage.
A figure in a black hoodie.
The same one they’d seen before. He moved with deliberate, practiced ease, never once turning his face toward the camera.
Sadie’s blood ran cold as she watched the intruder enter her yard by using the gate Sam had recently put in.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” Dale muttered.
“He’s brazen,” Mac observed. “I don’t like it.”
Neither did she.
She didn’t like any of this. It was clear this intruder knew exactly what he was doing and where he was going. This wasn’t a random act—it was calculated, premeditated.
“He came from the yard behind my dad’s,” Dale muttered, his eyes glued to the screen. “Mac, get Carter on the line. We need to see if there are any other cameras in the area that picked up where he went.”
Mac was already dialing, his voice clipped and efficient as he relayed the information to Carter. Sadie could hear the urgency in his tone, could feel the collective anxiety of the group as they waited for any scrap of information that might lead them to whomever was behind this.
It was becoming a nightmare of pranks that kept escalating with each act.
She worried about Sam and the horses, herself and Dale, as well as Telsa and Ranger.
Ranger…
The memory of her and Dale breaking their kiss when the dog barked because he was alerting them of the team’s arrival had her thinking about the reason he’d barked the second time.
Sadie released Dale to walk over to Ranger, who was laying on the rug in front of her sink. “You are a good boy,” she said, kneeling in front of him to scratch under his collar. “You were barking before because of that bad man outside, weren’t you?”
The pup made a groaning noise as he yawned and surged up to lick her face.
The room grew quiet as everyone’s attention shifted to the dog.
“I think you’re right,” Dale said. “He probably was barking at someone outside, not because he got excited about our ruckus in here. Good boy, Ranger.” He bent over to pat the dog’s head.
Cooper walked over to add his praise.
“So that was…what? About an hour ago?” Mac asked.
RJ nodded. “Give or take.”
“Wait a second.” Dale straightened and his brow furrowed. “Why didn’t the alarm on my phone go off when the perp entered my father’s yard? The system should’ve alerted us the moment he stepped foot on the property.”
Dean’s gaze narrowed. “You’re right. It should have. RJ and I ran a test after we installed it.”
“Let me check,” Mac said, quickly pulling up the system’s app on his own phone, scrolling through the settings and logs. “It’s all set up properly. The motion sensors were active. There’s no reason it shouldn’t have alerted us.”
A heavy silence fell over the room as they all realized the implications of what Mac had just said. Whoever this person was, he’d somehow managed to bypass the alarm system—or worse, knew how to disable it.
Now Sadie’s fear was back full force. She glanced at Dale, searching for reassurance. He met her gaze with one of protection and steely resolve.
“We’re going to find out who did this, Sadie,” he reassured firmly. “And when we do, they’re going to regret ever coming near you.”
The determination in Dale’s voice gave her a flicker of hope. She wasn’t alone in this—she had Dale, and she had a team of professionals who wouldn’t rest until they ensured her safety. But as she stood there, surrounded by the people she trusted most, the reality of the threat they were facing settled heavily in her chest.
She didn’t want anyone to get hurt because of her.
It was in that moment that Sadie realized exactly what Harper had gone through. What Harper had felt. It was horrible, and her poor cousin had only been seventeen.
***
Later that afternoon, Sadie sat in the breakroom at ESI headquarters, nursing a pumpkin spice latte and trying to calm her nerves. The events of the morning still weighed heavily on her mind, but being here, surrounded by the people who had become like a second family to her, brought a sense of comfort.
Dale had insisted on picking his father up from the hospital with Mac, leaving her in the capable hands of the team at ESI. She knew it was the right thing to do, especially with the added security updates being installed at her house, but she couldn’t help but feel a bit on edge.
Rylee sat across from her, sipping a coffee as they waited for Loni and Lori to arrive. “You doing okay, Sadie?” she asked, glancing up with a concerned look. “I know it’s been a crazy few days, with today being the worst.”
Unhappy about stressing her friend out, Sadie managed a small smile. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just processing everything, I guess. It helps being here, though. You guys make me feel normal.”
Before Rylee could respond, the door to the breakroom swung open, and Lori and Loni burst in, each carrying bags of takeout. The smell of burgers and fries instantly filled the room, causing Sadie’s stomach to growl.
She hadn’t eaten anything in hours. Hadn’t been hungry.
Until now.
“Guess who brought lunch?” Lori sang out, grinning as she set the bags down on the table.
Loni followed suit, winking at Sadie. “We figured you could use some comfort food after the day you’ve had. And we come bearing all the calories.”
She laughed, feeling some of the tension in her shoulders melt away. “You two are lifesavers. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled that.”
“Food has a way of making everything better,” Rylee said, grabbing a burger and unwrapping it with enthusiasm.
So did Dale.
The girls stilled and turned their attention to her before grinning.
“Aw, crap,” she muttered. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
Lori settled down next to Sadie and handed her a burger. “Yeah, you did. So, we’ve got questions.”
Already knowing the subject—Dale—Sadie took a big bite of her burger and mumbled that she couldn’t talk at the moment.
Loni grinned mischievously. “That’s okay. We’ll do the talking.”
“Yeah.” Lori nodded. “Let’s start with the blush creeping into your face when you say Dale’s name.”
“Or we say it,” Rylee added, shoving a fry in her mouth.
“It’s like you’re about to burst with happiness.” Loni grinned. “I think it’s wonderful.”
Sadie swallowed her mouthful and smiled. “So do I.”
“Good, I’m glad,” Rylee said. “You showed up here, hand in hand with the man, and despite the events of the morning, you’ve got this glow about you. It’s like you’re walking on air or something.”
Lori dropped her fry and gasped. “Then that means you had a great night of sex.”
“You are kind of glowing.” Loni smiled. “Like you’ve just had the best night of your life.”
Lori winked. “Care to share with the class?”
Sadie nearly choked on her bite, coughing as the girls burst into laughter. She could feel her cheeks heating up again as she tried to compose herself. “What? That’s not true.”
“Liar,” Rylee teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
She laughed, shaking her head. “What I mean is it wasn’t just great sex, it was great hot sex.”
Rylee let out a woot that startled Ranger, who was dozing off in the doorway.
“Yes!” Lori held up a hand, and Sadie met it for a high-five. “You guys are cute.”
“I’m glad he finally got a clue,” Loni said, dipping a fry in ranch dressing. “You’ve waited a long time.”
She nodded. “I’m glad, too. Dale’s…he’s something special.”
Loni sighed, placing a hand over her heart. “Isn’t it just the best? When you find someone who makes you feel like that?”
Sadie nodded again. “It’s even better than I’d imagined.”
“And don’t worry, Sadie,” Rylee said, her expression turning more serious but still warm. “The guys are going to keep you safe, no matter what. We’ve all been through our share of ordeals, and they saw us through them. They’ll do the same for you.”
A wave a gratitude washed over her as she gazed at the women who were some of her closest friends. “Thanks, ladies. I really needed this. You’re the best.”
Loni reached across Lori to squeeze Sadie’s hand. “You’ve always been like a sister from another mister to us.”
She inhaled and blinked back an unexpected round of tears. “I feel the same.”
It’d always been her and Harper and Loni and Lori, making the most of their youthful summers.
“Oh, and Sadie,” Lori said, another teasing gleam in her eyes. “If you thought sex was hot with Dale last night, just wait until tonight.”
Rylee nodded. “Yeah, being in danger makes the guys almost primal.”
A flash of heat shot through Sadie’s body as she tried to imagine Dale even more thorough and demanding than last night. It’d been earth-rocking fantastic. But she was definitely game to reach beyond that.
She cleared her suddenly dry throat. “Primal sounds good.”
All the girls laughed, and the conversation lightened to the women telling her about their husbands and some of the sweet things they did when they were in trouble.
As they dug into their food, the playful banter and teasing continued while the burgers disappeared.
For the first time since coffee with Dale that morning, Sadie felt herself truly relaxing. Being with these women who understood what she was going through made all the difference. She wasn’t alone in this, and with the support of her friends—and Dale—she felt ready to face whatever came next.
Again, a single thought kept flittering through her mind.
She hoped no one got hurt.