Chapter Twenty
K eira’s stamina was lagging by the end of the day. She was tired of the looks Vicki kept sending toward her, tired of feeling desolate and just plain tired. She knew she looked bad, but there was nothing she could do about it then. She was just thankful Vicki didn’t ask a bunch of questions, because she didn’t think she’d be able to hold her emotions back.
It was a minute before closing when the bell over the door dinged. Keira wanted to moan at the delay in closing, but she wasn’t going to complain about customers.
“I need to talk to you.”
Keira jumped and turned. The officer she had talked to the other day at the station was standing there. She would never take this man for a customer, so this must be an official call. A sprig of hope slid into her. Maybe they found the guy or had evidence he was doing this to another woman.
“I think we need to talk alone, Miss Walker.” Conner’s eyes moved between the women.
“Vicki, why don’t you head home, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Vicki stood frozen. “Is there anything I can do?”
“No, but thank you. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Keira made sure Vicki was gone and the front door locked before turning her attention to the officer. “What happened? Did you find out anything?”
She wondered why Connor looked so uncomfortable.
“The gun permit you applied for. My captain strongly advises you not to buy a gun at this time.”
Keira felt like she’d been hit in the stomach, and she couldn’t catch her breath for several moments. So many questions slammed into her, but she didn’t have the breath to ask. She leaned against the counter, letting it support her, afraid her legs were about ready to give out. “I don’t understand. How do you even know about it?”
“The background check. The shop owner has to give the sheriff in his county the application, and he checks your background. Part of that is checking with the officials in the county you’re living in.”
“I still don’t understand. Why don’t you feel I should get one? Is it because you think I’m emotionally unstable?”
Conner cringed and was quiet for a moment. “I never said that, ma’am.”
“But you definitely thought it, didn’t you?”
“My captain ordered me to inform you about the statistics of how dangerous it is for inexperienced people to use firearms.”
She paled, and tears burned her eyes. “Or you told him I was unstable, and I shouldn’t have a permit?” Keira gritted her teeth against the pain that ripped through her.
“No, that’s not the way it went.”
Keira moved shakily around the counter until she could sit down before she fell. An ugly laugh tore through her. The arms she had around her waist tightened as if to hold herself together. “So, you’re telling me, I have no way to defend myself? You’re taking away any chance I have to protect myself?”
“I’m sorry, Miss Walker. I want you to know we have people on your case.”
Keira shook her head before she lowered it. The breath left her in a slow release. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m going to get raped or worse, and no one is listening or cares.”
“That’s not true at all.” He flinched when she looked up at him. He’d never seen the face of someone who’d just given up. “Listen to me. We are not giving up on this case...”
Keira waved a hand at him. “You need to go.”
“Let’s tal—”
“No. Please leave.” She stopped him before he got to the door. “I do have one more question. Does Daniel know about this?”
Conner hesitated before he nodded. “Yes, I told him.”
“And what did he say?”
“He didn’t like the idea of you having a gun either.”
She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. “I see. Thank you.”
“We only want what’s best for y—”
Keira held a hand up. “Please go. There is no more damage the two of you can do to me.”
Conner flinched and opened his mouth.
“Go!” she shouted.
After he left, Keira walked to the door, locked it, and turned off the overhead lights. She started laughing when she thought, Why am I bothering to lock the door? The guy can get through locks. The laughing quickly turned to sobs. Her feelings of despair were so deep that she could do nothing. She slid down the wall next to the door and wrapped her arms around her knees as the sobs tore out of her.
It was the ringing of the phone that roused her. Keira looked around, confused for a second. She had cried herself to sleep sitting up against the wall in the shop, by the front door, for God’s sake.
The shadows were so deep a spike of terror ran through her, and her only thought was to get to her purse where she had the pepper spray—the only thing she had to defend herself with. She managed to pull herself up and move toward the back. Her steps were getting quicker the closer she got. She took a breath only when she had the spray in her hand.
Keira sat back in the office chair and rubbed her hands over her face. She didn’t want to go home, but she knew she had to. She could probably sleep on the couch in the office, but if he got in here and she screamed, there would be no chance of anyone hearing her since all the businesses were closed at night. At home, she had neighbors who might hear and call for help.
She had to somehow find the guts to meet the situation head-on. She knew she was on her own, at least until Layla got home, but she wasn’t giving up. It wasn’t in her to give up. She’d carry knives with her, maybe get more pepper spray and put it everywhere, so she always had some within her reach.
Keira jumped when her phone rang again. Daniel’s name popped up. She groaned, she didn’t want to talk to him right now, but knew if she didn’t answer, he’d come looking for her. She couldn’t look at him right now and knew he was setting her up to have to deal with the violence she knew was coming.
“Hello.”
“Where the hell are you?” he yelled.
She cringed at the anger in his voice. “Listen, Daniel. I don’t think we should see each other right now. I’ve got a lot on my plate...”
“Not going to happen, Sweetheart.”
“Daniel. I need to concentrate on my li-life right now. Besides, I don’t think this is good for you either.”
“We’re going to talk about this in person, not over the damn phone. You know, I know about the gun permit?”
“Yes. That’s one of the reasons we’re not good for each other. You’ve let your prejudice color the way you think about this relationship, and all it’s going to bring me is sadness. Sad that you don’t trust me, sad you don’t care enough, and sad that you’re taking away everything I’m trying to do to protect myself. I’m not even sure I can call the police now that you’ve made them believe I’m crazy...”
“That’s not fucking true, Keira. I’ve believed you the whole time, and I care more than you think, Honey.”
“No, you don’t. I saw your face when I first told you. Now, I can’t get a gun permit because of what you’ve said. I have never broken the law in my life, don’t even have a speeding ticket, but because of you, I can’t get one. I never expected you to protect me, I would never have asked, but for you to take away any chance I have ... I can’t do it. I can’t be with you right now.”
****
F ear of losing her was spiking through him. Should he tell her about the cameras? No, not yet, not until the rest of this is settled. “Listen, Honey, I don’t know what you mean about my expressions when you told me about the stalker, but I think you read something into them that wasn’t there. I have never not believed you, and I want very much for you to let me protect you. Yes, I don’t like the idea of you having a gun, but that’s because I’ve seen firsthand what happens when an inexperienced person tries to use one. Please, let’s talk about this...” his voice softened.
“Daniel, I’m begging you. Please give me time.”
He could hear the extreme anxiety in her voice and was afraid he was partially to blame. “I don’t want you to be alone.”
Keira laughed. “But why?” Her tone was full of heat and sarcasm with a touch of hysteria.
God, he wished he knew what was going through her mind, why she wouldn’t let him in or try to help. “Please let me be there for you. For God’s sake, I used to be a cop and now have a security company, and you can’t trust me to protect you?”
“I don’t believe you, and I’m too tired to deal with this right now.”
“Keira...”
A sob caught in her throat. “If you care about me at all, even a little bit, you’ll let this go for now.”
A cold knot of dread formed in his belly. Dammit. “I’ll do what you say now, but we will talk later.”
“All right. Good night, Daniel.”
Daniel hung up and stared at nothing. He had to figure out a way to protect his woman, and she wasn’t making it easy.