CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The next afternoon, Eddie and Lucia pulled into her driveway and parked next to Caleb’s rental vehicle. He’d chosen a pickup to make it easier to haul the things he would need for her new security system.
Caleb’s systems went way beyond simple doorbell cameras and floodlights.
Viking, Hawk, Lucas, and Calliope all took Isabella to a kids’ museum.
She’d been asking to go ever since they brought her to the rental house.
Eddie would love to see people’s reactions at the sight of that intimidating foursome taking strategic defensive positions around the bubble-blowing exhibit while she played inside.
He cut the engine, climbed out, and went around the front of the SUV to open Lucia’s door. He held out his hand, and Lucia slid hers into it and stepped out.
Instead of walking toward the front door, she stood still and stared at her house. The window had been replaced, but that didn’t remove the memory of shattered glass and her daughter’s screams. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if chilled, even though it was in the mid-eighties.
“Are you okay?” He moved to stand in front of her and rubbed his hands up and down her upper arms.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She visibly gathered herself. “It’s just—”
He bent his knees to bring himself eye level with her. “What is it?”
“I scrimped and saved for two years to make a down payment on this house.” Her gaze traveled over the front of the house.
“I remember the first time I brought Isabella here. She was so excited and couldn’t wait to see her room.
” Her eyes were sad, and there was no joy in her words.
“It’s not big or anything fancy, but we loved it because it was ours.
We’ve been so happy here. But now … it just feels … different.”
Eddie pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. God, being able to hold her whenever he wanted felt incredible.
“It’s understandable that you would feel that way.” It wasn’t every day someone tossed a rock through your child’s window and made you afraid to be in your own home.
The one place you should feel the safest.
The front door opened, and Caleb O’Halleran sauntered out in that relaxed way of his, wearing a tool belt.
He was a big dude with shoulder-length, shaggy dark-blond hair.
He had on his usual tank top and board shorts.
Most of the time, he wore flip-flops. Today, he was wearing laced-up work boots.
The guy was so chill and laid-back and looked like he belonged on a surfboard.
But anyone who underestimated him did so at their own peril. Caleb was deadly as hell.
“Hey there, you must be Lucia.” He flashed his killer smile and held out his hand. “I’m Caleb.”
The guy was also way too fucking charming and good-looking. Fortunately for the rest of the men on the planet, he was also crazy in love with his wife.
“Nice to meet you.” She shook his hand, released it, and leaned into Eddie’s side.
Ha, take that, Caleb!
“I’m sorry we’re meeting under these circumstances.” He shook Eddie’s hand. “Good to see you again, man.”
“You, too,” he said.
Coming toward them was the familiar clinking sound Eddie recognized as tags on a dog collar just before Caleb’s Czech shepherd partner, Jake, bounded out the door.
He rarely saw one without the other.
“Hey, buddy. Sedni.” Sit. The dog sat next to him, and Caleb casually stroked his hand down the top of Jake’s head. “Did you come to say hi, too?”
“Who’s this cutie-patootie?” Lucia squatted.
“Ugh.” Caleb’s head dropped back on a groan, and he looked down at his dog. “Dude, she called you a cutie-patootie.” Jake tilted his head to one side. “What is it with women always treating my highly trained, very dangerous tactical K9 like a mushy puppy? My wife and her sister do the same thing.”
“Because he’s adorable, that’s why.” She chuckled and glanced up at him.
Eddie was glad to see the sadness fade from her eyes. He looked up at Caleb and mouthed the word, “Thanks.”
Caleb nodded.
“This is Jake. He’s my partner and my buddy.” He rubbed Jake’s ear. “Lehne.” Down.
The dog lowered himself to the pavement.
“Jake takes all of his commands in Czech.” Over time, Eddie had come to understand pretty much all of them. But Caleb was the only one who ever really used them.
“Is it okay if I pet him?” she asked.
“You’d better, or his feelings will be hurt,” Caleb teased. “He’s very fragile, ya know.”
“Hi, Jake.” She scratched beneath each of his ears.
He closed his eyes, and his tongue lolled out the side of his mouth. Eddie would’ve sworn the dog was smiling.
“Isabella will be so disappointed she didn’t get to meet you. Yes, she will.” She gave him a last good scratch and stood.
“We’ll be staying at the rental tonight, so your daughter will get to meet him.” Caleb gave Jake a couple of good solid thumps on his side. “Lucia, how about I show you your new security system?”
“Sure.” She laced her fingers with Eddie’s, and they followed him inside.
“I’ve ordered a few things that are being shipped here, so it’ll take a couple of days before it’s fully functional.” He spoke over his shoulder as he led them down the hall and into her bedroom. He stepped over to the closet and opened the bifold doors.
A metal box about two feet square, with buttons and flashing lights, sat on a shelf that had been installed on one side of the closet. On the shelf above it were four small monitors.
Caleb set his hand on top of the box. “Each of these four screens will provide different views of the area around your house.” He pointed to one screen at a time.
“This will show the east side of the house, this one shows the west side, these two provide different angles of the backyard, and this one will give you a wide-angle view of the street in front of the house.”
“It looks complicated.” Her brows drew together as she looked at it.
“I’ve designed it to be easy to use, even during a stressful situation,” he said. “When it’s up and running, I’ll walk you through everything.”
“Good.” She took in a deep breath and blew it out.
“What’s the red button?” Eddie asked.
“Essentially, it’s a panic button.” Caleb pointed at it. “When you press it, a very loud alarm will sound inside and outside the house. At the same time, a call will automatically be placed to 9-1-1, and our ops center will receive an alert also.”
“Let’s hope I never need to use that one.” She grinned. “I’m not sure my neighbors would appreciate it.”
Frankly, Eddie could give a shit what her neighbors thought. He was on board with whatever it took to keep them safe.
“Come on, I want to show you a couple of other things.” Caleb stepped past them and walked across the hall into Isabella’s room. “Instead of a regular glass for Isabella's room, we’ve installed bulletproof glass. With your permission, I’d like to do the same with all of the windows.”
She hesitated and chewed her lip.
“Yeah, let’s do it.” Eddie wanted her home to be as safe as they could make it.
“Eddie.” Lucia speared him with a look.
“It’s happening, Lucia,” he said. “We already talked about this.”
She sighed. “Fine, go ahead.”
“Excellent.” Caleb rubbed his hands together. “The glass guy will be here in about an hour.”
“Oh, I see.” Lucia crossed her arms and cocked her hip. “So basically, you’d already decided to do it and were just asking me as a courtesy. Is that about right?”
“Yeah, pretty much.” Caleb was unapologetic.
He’d been around this business long enough to know how dangerous the world could be.
He leaned close, put his hand in front of his mouth, as if sharing a secret with her.
“Besides, this guy loves you and your daughter and would lose it if something happened to either of you. So you should probably just let him spend his money to keep the two of you safe.”
“It’s that obvious?” Eddie looked from him to Lucia.
“You’re kidding, right?” He rolled his eyes, then walked through the small eating area and stopped at the sliding glass door leading to the small backyard.
He tapped his knuckle against the glass.
“This will be replaced, too. Unfortunately, it’s a special order and will take three weeks to get here. ”
“Three weeks?” Eddie didn’t like the sound of that. “We can’t get it any sooner?”
“I already harassed them to get it here in three weeks. Originally, they told me six.” He walked past them to the front room.
“Let’s go outside, and I’ll show you where the cameras will be mounted.
” A mischievous grin lit his face as he opened the sliding door and stepped out onto the small patio.
“After that, I’ve got another fun surprise I want to show you. ”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of that.” Lucia hurried to keep up with his long strides.
Caleb chuckled and moved away from the house with Jake jogging alongside him and stood in the center of the backyard.
Bart appeared on his back steps with a giant mug in one hand and lifted the other in a subtle wave.
She waved back. “He’s probably been worried about us.”
“I’ve actually been in communication with him and reassured him that you’re okay,” Eddie said.
Bart took a sip from his mug and headed back inside.
“Eddie.” She gave him a look of disbelief. “That is another one of those things I should know about.”
“You’re right.” He lifted their joined hands and kissed her knuckles. “I should’ve let you call him.”
“Bart’s a great guy.” Caleb tugged a toy hedgehog from his tool belt and tossed it across the yard. “He was watching me like a hawk when I first got here, so I walked over and introduced myself.”
Jake became hyperfocused on the toy, and his entire body quivered with excitement, but he didn’t chase after it. He just looked back and forth from the toy to Caleb.
Caleb finally said, “Aport.” Retrieve.