Chapter 36
I strappedBobbi-June into her car seat as we headed out of the house. We needed to pick up Christmas presents, a new carburetor synchronization tool, and to pick up the mail from the old house.
We’d left Norton behind, and he’d looked thoroughly pitiful as we walked out the door. However, I was fairly sure the housekeeper who came every day, Elva, was sneaking him dog treats. She was wonderful, but I swear to god, she’d just appeared one day and we’d scared the shit out of each other. She was sixty, at least, and she fussed over Bobbi-June like she was the most beautiful baby in the world. Which she was, but I was a tad biased.
“Mail first, sweetheart, and then we’ll hit up Target—what do you think?”
Junie gurgled in the back seat, and I knew by the time we left the gated community, she would be asleep. I tried to imagine what my dad would’ve said about me being a glorified househusband, but I couldn’t imagine it would’ve been particularly positive. He and my mom had been very big into traditional relationship roles. My mom had given up her career as soon as she married, to become a housewife and care for me. It was why she’d been so lost after his death.
I didn’t care, though. I might not say it to the rest of them, but I was loving this life.
Turning on the stereo, I played Bobbi-June The Beatles, specifically Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, because you were never too young to start your musical education. Hayes only liked dubstep, and I thought she might be a little young for Tally’s favorite band, The Daymakers, just yet.
I was singing about a yellow submarine as we pulled up in front of my house across town. The baby was sound asleep in her car seat, as predicted, which was fine. She’d get her nap done early today.
Everything looked fine, and there was a For Sale sign in front of the house next door. We’d paid a company to stage the whole house to add to its appeal, and the agent felt positive that we’d get a little more than our asking price.
A car was parked across the road, a black sedan, and I wondered if the Hendersons had gotten a new car. “Come on, sweets. We’ll check the mail slot and make sure the place is okay.” It was getting cold, and you never knew when a pipe might burst.
As I walked, I felt eyes on me, and turned. There was someone sitting in the dark sedan, and I was fairly sure I saw light glinting off a camera lens. Paparazzi?
Torn about what to do, I huffed out a frustrated breath. I hated the idea of being watched, but with Bobbi-June right there, I couldn’t go and confront the guy. If he did something insane like pulled a gun or whatever, she’d be left unprotected. This helpless feeling was a new one.
I stepped into the house, scooping the mail off the floor and tossing it on the hall table. Placing the car seat in the living room, I peeked out the window. The sedan was still there. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I called Hayes.
“Hey, what’s up?”
The guy was still snapping pictures. “There’s a guy sitting in front of my house, and I want to go see what he wants. I’ve got Bobbi-June, and I’ll lock her in the house, but wanted someone to know she was here, just in case. I’ll call you right back.”
“It’s probably just the media. Leave it, man,” Hayes said, but it sat wrong with me. Why would they be here and not at Rocco’s mansion?
“If I don’t call back in a few minutes, call the cops.” I hung up, checked Junie one more time, and turned the deadbolt on the door. “Don’t open this for anyone, okay?” I sing-songed at her, then locked it behind me.
Striding across the road, I rapped my knuckles on the car window. The guy inside only rolled it down a couple of inches. “Yeah?” He was probably in his late thirties. A nondescript-looking guy with pasty skin and dirty brown hair.
“What the hell are you doing outside my house, taking photos of me and my baby?”
The guy gave me a blank look. “I was taking photos of the houses. I like mid-century modern architecture.”
“Bullshit,” I spat. “Get the fuck out of here, before I call the cops.”
The guy scowled at me. “This is a public street. I’m nowhere near your property line.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Sure, fine. I’ll tell the Hendersons—whose house you’re parked outside right now—that you’re a predator, trying to take photos of Lila through the windows, then? Lila Henderson is known to swing her Louisville first and ask questions later. I’ll definitely support her statement that I saw you looking through her windows. Maybe she’ll call the cops or maybe she’ll call Hank, her husband, who once beat a guy until his jaw was in pieces for groping his wife.”
Technically, that was completely untrue. Hank was a giant, but he was soft and sweet. I wasn’t kidding about Lila, though. She was fiery as fuck.
My phone started to vibrate in my pocket, and I knew that if this fucker didn’t move on soon, Hayes was probably going to call the cops himself.
The guy sighed. “Whatever, asshole.” He wound up the window and started the car, peeling off down the street. I snapped a picture of his plates, then redialed Hayes.
“Thank fuck. I was about to call the cops.” His relieved voice poured down the line. “Was it a tabloid photog?”
I made a noncommittal noise. “I don’t know. I don’t think so, though. His camera was kinda crappy, and he had an attitude.” I raced back up the stairs and unlocked the door. Junie was still safely asleep.
We were both silent for a moment as we chewed over who the guy could be. Finally, Hayes sighed. “Just head home. Keep an eye out, in case he’s some psycho stalker. Maybe he’s a Rocco fanboy?”
I didn’t think so. Still, I grabbed Bobbi-June up and carried her out, locking the house back up tightly. “Maybe. I’ll see you back at home.”
Hanging up, I looked up and down the road for that black sedan or the guy inside it. It seemed all clear, but I was spooked. As I climbed into the car and started it, I checked in the rearview mirror. “How do you feel about online shopping, Junie?”
I hated the idea that some guy was going to chase us home, so I drove around for a while, going through the Starbucks drive-thru, down the highway along the coast, back around through the city. If I was being followed, they must’ve been pretty freaking impressive.
We ended up at a strip mall, and I was hungry enough to eat, despite the turmoil of the morning. Finding a little cafe, I grabbed the bottle from the warmer in the diaper bag and began to feed Bobbi-June. She’d definitely need changing after this.
“Jesse?”
Looking up, I saw Cat, who hosted the street races in the area. Smiling at her, I waved her over. “Hey, Cat. How’s it going?”
Cat looked down at the baby, then back at me. “I guess this explains why you haven’t been to the last couple of races, huh?”
She reached me, and I stood up, hugging her close. We’d been friends for a long time; she’d been there when Hayes was still on the NASCAR circuit. We hadn’t been close, but if I crashed out on a race, I was fairly sure she would have called an ambulance for me.
I’d been a regular on the street-racing scene for a while there, chasing something that was missing from my life, momentarily forgetting my loneliness by replacing it with the adrenaline of being reckless. I didn’t need it anymore; I had Tally, and I had a purpose.
I shrugged. “I guess so.”
Cat pulled a pretty, brown-haired girl with almond-shaped eyes closer. “This is Talia, my girlfriend.”
I lifted the baby a little in my arms. “This is Bobbi-June.”
“She’s yours?”
This time, I didn’t even hesitate. Her mama was mine. Which meant as far as I was concerned, this little piece of her was mine to love also. “Yep. Isn’t she the cutest?”
Talia began babbling baby talk at Bobbi-June, and Cat rolled her eyes. “You’re going to give her baby fever, and then who’ll provide an outlet for the reckless adrenaline junkies of the city, hmm?”
I laughed. “I’m sure they’d be fine.” I looked past Cat, but froze as I saw what looked like the same guy from the front of my house.
How the fuck did he find us here?
Anger bubbled up in my chest, and I passed the baby to Cat. I trusted Cat more than I trusted most people. “Watch her for a minute.”
“Jesse, what the?—”
I missed the rest of her protest as I sprinted from the cafe, and the dude spotted me. He turned, running back to the parking lot, but I wasn’t above chasing him down. “Stop!” I shouted, but the guy obviously didn’t stop. If anything, he ran faster. But I’d run track back in high school, plus I had about ten years and half a foot of height on the guy.
I caught him easily by the cart return. Grabbing him, I thrust him against the bar. I spotted the gun at his waist and pulled it out, throwing it under a car. “Who the fuck are you, and why are you following me?”
The guy raised both hands. “Easy, man. Easy. I’m just doing my job.”
“You’re following me and my daughter while carrying a gun. I don’t give a shit what your job is,” I growled. “I don’t give a shit how big of a story you think this is—if I catch you again, I’m going to kick your ass.”
The guy frowned at me. “I think you’ve got the wrong idea. I’m a private investigator. I’ve been hired to get DNA from the baby. Apparently, the mother hasn’t been responding to requests for DNA testing.”
My blood froze. “Willtot hired you?” Rage washed over me, and I shook him a little harder. “How exactly were you going to get her DNA, huh? You fucking weasel.”
“Stop, man. I was just going to lift a bottle or something from the diaper bag if you walked away. I wouldn’t hurt the kid.”
I pushed the guy away from me. “If I ever see you again, it’s your DNA that’s going to be all over the sidewalk, do you hear me?”
I strode away, back to the cafe. Talia was holding a gently crying Bobbi-June, rocking her softly. I muttered an apology, gently taking the baby back and bouncing her in my arms the way she liked until she finally calmed. “Sorry about that. I have to go.”
Cat looked at me, frowning. “Everything okay?”
I nodded, even if it was a lie. “Yeah, my girlfriend has a stalker.” Small fib, but it went to show Brick Willtot would stoop to the lowest levels. “We’ll catch up soon, Cat. It was nice to meet you, Talia.”
I hightailed it out of the mall, and back home.