Chapter 8
Katherine’s heart pounded faster than the spinning tires of Cody’s cruiser speeding toward town. She ran her hands up and down the coarse denim that covered her thighs, gaze fixed out the window.
A soft touch on her hand jerked her attention over to Cody.
He rested his palm over the back of her hand and flicked her a quick glance before returning his focus in front of him. “No matter what we find, at least we know that nobody was injured. The house was empty. But if you don’t stop, you’re going to rub a hole in your jeans.”
Clinging to that thought, she squeezed his hand. Grateful didn’t even come close to describing the depth of her emotions for Cody and the gentle calm he carried with him.
“You’re right. As freaked out as I am that this guy knows where I live, I can at least be thankful he found an empty house.
” Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts, and she hurried to answer when she spied her brother’s name on the screen.
She activated speaker phone so Cody could hear the conversation. “Hey, Owen. You at my place?”
“Dad and I just got here. A window’s busted but that appears to be the extent of the damage. Once you arrive we’ll look at the footage. See if we can get any distinguishing features of the vandal. You close?”
“We’re about a minute away.”
“We?”
“Me and Cody.” Saying his name reminded her that she still held his hand. She should release it, but dammit, she didn’t want to.
“I thought you were getting Pappy’s truck,” Owen said.
“Pappy insisted it needed an oil change. Cody was in the middle of changing it when the alarm went off on my phone.”
Cody turned onto her street.
The sight of blue and red lights slashing through the sky turned her stomach. “We’re about to pull up the drive. I’ll talk to you in a second.”
“He didn’t sound thrilled to hear you were still with me,” Cody said.
“He’s just stressed and scared. He takes his duties as older brother seriously and this has him terrified for my safety. Leave it to Owen to think something bad happening to me makes him a failure.”
“He’s the sheriff. It’s his job to catch the bad guy. The fact that he hasn’t yet, and you’re the one paying the price, has to weigh heavy.” Cody maneuvered his cruiser behind Owen’s and shifted into park while keeping her hand tucked in his. “You ready?”
“Not really. This house has always been a safe space. A home. It’s never been the same since Theo died, and now it’s tainted. I don’t know if I can face it.”
“Then don’t.”
She blinked at the casualness of his suggestion. “What do you mean?”
“Give your brother the code to your security system. He doesn’t need you here to look at it. Let him and everyone else do their jobs.”
“And what do I do?”
He lifted a shoulder. “What do you want to do?”
She sighed and spied her dad heading her way. “Disappear.”
“All right. Then let’s go.”
She faced him with wide eyes. Her heart sped up, pulsing against the inside of her wrists. “What?”
“If you’d feel safer leaving town for a while, we’ll leave. We’ll grab some things, get Ollie, and find somewhere to lay low until this blows over.”
The side of her mouth inched up. As good as it sounded to leave town with Cody and Ollie, it wouldn’t be right. “My family would love that.”
He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t care what your family thinks.
All I care about is making sure you feel comfortable and protected.
I’m here for whatever you need.” He squeezed her hand before slipping his palm away from hers then stepping out of the car.
Before he shut the door, he leaned his forearm on the top of the vehicle. “I got you. Remember that.”
A knot formed at the base of her throat, stealing her words. She nodded and hurried out the passenger side of the door before his sincerity brought tears to her eyes.
Her dad marched over the concrete drive, a deep frown pulling down the sides of his face. “I hate that I keep seeing you like this. Something’s got to give.”
“Where’s Owen?” She understood her father’s stance and agreed. Standing in her driveway rehashing everything wouldn’t help. She just wanted to know the extent of the damage to her home and figure out the next best move.
Mike hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “Inside.”
“How bad is it?”
“Broken window. Something was thrown inside.” Mike rubbed the back of his neck and averted his eyes, casting his gaze to his feet.
She swallowed the bile rising up her throat.
“I can head in and check out the footage with him if you want,” Cody said.
As much as she liked the idea of not having to watch her house being vandalized, she needed to see the destruction for herself. “We’ll all watch.”
He nodded then waited for her to make her way up the sidewalk to the front porch.
Glass glimmered in the sunlight, the window looking into the living room smashed.
The bile hit the back of her palate. She struggled to keep it from spewing out of her mouth and onto the daisies on the other side of the railing.
Cody rested a hand on the small of her back. “You’re okay.”
She relaxed against his touch. His statement was exactly what she needed. Not a question of whether or not she could handle what came next, but a firm declaration that she could handle whatever was inside the house.
Her father darted his gaze between the two of them, the deep V between his eyebrows comically low. But he kept his opinions to himself as he led the way inside.
Owen stood with Tommy in the living room. Both men had their arms crossed over their chest, staring at something laying on the floor.
“She’s here,” Mike said.
Both men glanced up, each aiming a confused frown toward Cody.
Cody’s hand didn’t budge. It remained a steady rock on her back, gently encouraging her to keep moving.
“What are you both looking at?” she asked.
Tommy coughed and gestured toward the floor.
Owen scowled with his narrowed gaze fixed on Cody.
“Might as well tell her what we found inside the living room before looking at the footage.” Mike stood in the center of the small group.
Appreciation washed over her. If she didn’t understand her feelings for Cody right now, the last thing she wanted was her brothers interfering or needing to speak on why she wanted Cody right now.
The thought smashed against her like whatever the hell had burst through her window. The last thing she expected was a bone-deep need for anyone besides her son at this point in her life. How had her world shifted upside down so quickly?
Owen shoved a hand through his hair then pointed in the same direction Tommy had indicated. “Someone threw a clock through your window.”
“Excuse me?” If she’d had a million guesses for what she’d find, she’d never have guessed that.
“With a note. We’ll bag it and take it into evidence, but the message he left is loud and clear.”
Tearing herself away from Cody, she took two steps forward and crouched to get a better look at the red clock. The hands ticked away, even if she couldn’t see them behind the words that made her blood turn to ice.
Time’s up.
Cody stared down at the clock. The threat stared back at him, and he clenched his jaw so tight he feared his molars might crack.
Katherine straightened and swayed on her feet.
He was next to her in a heartbeat. He wrapped on arm around the small of her back and cupped his other palm around her elbow. “Let’s sit down. How about the kitchen?”
She nodded and let him guide her down the hall to the large eat-in kitchen.
The heat of three sets of eyes singed the back of his neck, but he didn’t care as he pulled out a chair and helped Katherine sit.
He was serious earlier. He liked her family, and if anything was ever destined to happen between them, he wanted them to accept him, but their opinions were not his priority.
Katherine and her safety were.
“I…I don’t understand. Time’s up? What the hell does that mean?
” She threw her hands in the air before dropping her head to rest in her palms. “I mean, I know what it means, but why? I’ve racked my brain, searching for anyone I could have wronged or upset.
Nobody comes to mind. How could I have pissed off someone so bad they’d try to kill me?
And now they’ve come to my private space, the home where my son rests his head, and threatened me. ”
Owen, Tommy, and Mike stood around the table, flanking her from all sides like a human shield.
“What about a pissed off patient?” Mike asked. “We had a case not too long ago where a disgruntled family member came back and took his anger out on a doctor.”
Cody recalled the case Mike spoke about. Dr. Jenna Simon had been caught in the middle of a widower who needed to blame his wife’s death on someone, and she’d been the unlucky target. It wasn’t far-fetched to believe something similar could happen again.
Katherine shook her head. “Nothing that comes to mind, but I can call my boss and have him pull up recent records.”
“You should do that now,” Owen said. “And while you’re on the phone, see if you can take some time off work. This guy knows your routine. Where you work and live. You can’t just go back to your job like nothing’s happened. I’m sure your boss will understand.”
She let out a long breath. “I don’t have much personal time. I took off a lot after Theo died.”
“It’s not like you’re asking to take a vacation for the hell of it,” Cody said, hating she found herself in this position. “The only other option is to have someone with you the entire time you work. Something tells me that wouldn’t fly at a hospital.”
That coaxed a bit of a smile from her. “Probably not.”
“Then it’s settled,” Mike said. “You take a few days off. You and Ollie will stay with me.”
A tiny bit of tension stiffened Katherine’s neck. She kept her head down, eyes on the table.
His blood pressure spiked. The idea of her being away from him, entrusted to a good man like her father, made his nerves go haywire.
Not to mention he could read her like a damn book.
She didn’t like the idea of staying with her dad.
She’d told him earlier she had to temper her own emotions to make sure her family was okay.
She shouldn’t have to worry about anyone else right now.
Katherine finally glanced up and aimed a tight smile at her dad. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Mike asked.
“Because if this guy has followed Katherine long enough to know her patterns, he’s probably aware of where her family lives,” Cody said.
If looks could kill, the expression on Mike’s face would have sent Cody to the morgue. “And if he does, then we’ll handle him. Hell, I’ll have Tommy and Owen stay and we’ll all keep guard twenty-four damn hours a day until this bastard is found.”
Katherine sighed. “You can’t do that. The sheriff’s department is small enough as it is. The sheriff and one deputy can’t both protect me. There will be no one around to catch the guy who wants me dead.”
Owen winced. “I’m the sheriff. I can decide what the department can handle. Besides, Cody wants to make himself useful. He can head up the investigation while we keep you safe.”
He might appreciate his boss’ confidence in him, but deep down he understood it had more to do with keeping him away from Katherine than wanting him to be the one who made the arrest.
A familiar feeling of being shoved aside, looked down on for reasons beyond his control, fisted his hands at his side. He wasn’t a kid anymore. Wasn’t afraid to stand up for himself and go after what he wanted—what he deserved.
“She should stay with me,” he said.
Mike’s stare hardened to stone. “Excuse me?”
Cody struggled not to squirm, but standing in front of Katherine’s overprotective family while claiming she should stay with him was tougher than staring down an armed robber.
“I live out of town and no way this guy knows where my house is. Why would he? I’ve never spent time with Katherine.
She’s never been to my home. I can stick close to her and Ollie, keeping them both safe, while the rest of the department nails this guy’s ass to the wall. ”
Tommy snorted. “You think my sister would just take her kid and stay with you?”
“Maybe you should direct that question at me,” Katherine snapped, raising to her feet. “Because, honestly, that sounds like a better idea then you all standing over me every day until this is over.”
Owen scuffed. “Seriously? What will you tell Ollie?”
“As much as we have to in order to let him know he needs to be careful, but not too much to scare him.” The words were out of Cody’s mouth before he could stop them.
Hell, Ollie wasn’t his kid. He had no right to say what Katherine should or shouldn’t tell her child.
But he’d spent a lifetime battling against lies and manipulation, and if he had any influence over how this played out, he opted to be as honest as possible.
And the curve of Katherine’s lips told him he’d said the right thing.
“I don’t know,” Mike said. “I’d feel better with you and Ollie under my roof.”
“And I’d feel better knowing you’re out there with Owen and Tommy helping to make this nightmare stop. This feels right. Trust me,” Katherine said.
“It’s not you I’m worried about.” Mike kept his focus directly fixed on Cody.
He stood his ground. This was Katherine’s call. He’d support whatever she decided.
Katherine huffed out an irritated breath. “Enough bullshit, Dad. I know you mean well, but Cody has been by my side from the moment this started. I don’t just trust him with my life, but with Ollie’s.”
Her words tightened his chest and caused his eyes to burn. Dammit, he needed to get a grip before he made an ass of himself and cried.
But even if tears slid from his eyes, he didn’t give a shit. All that mattered was the trust Katherine placed in him, and nothing short of a bullet in his chest would stop him from keeping her and her son alive.