Chapter 6 – Kenzie
Chapter Six
Kenzie
This apartment was about to drive me crazy. Chief Garcia had called me again this morning to reassure me multiple people were working on my case and that despite the other night’s message, I was still safe here.
I agreed with what he said about the wording of the message. The stalker thought I was still in Colorado, even if not in Denver.
So, safe? Yes.
Bored out of my mind? Definitely yes.
I had no work, no friends, no car. I could only read, watch TV, or do yoga for so many hours in one day. My phone dinged, and I rushed over to grab it. Hell, even a message from the stalker would be something.
But even better, it was a text from my friend Leah.
Missing you something fierce today. I wanna talk shop. Got some properties I could use your opinion on. Can’t talk now, but text me your thoughts.
Send me the links.
I was desperate for some connection to my friends. Leah and Zoe were also both in real estate, and we all loved chatting properties and talking shop when we had the chance. I had met both women through my seminars early on in my career, and they were like the sisters I’d never had.
We’d been there for one another through tons of stuff. Zoe’s divorce. Leah’s parents’ deaths. My ex-boyfriend Alan losing his shit when my career picked up and his didn’t. He’d even gotten violent.
Alan had been the first person I suspected when this stalker situation started, but he was still in jail from when I’d had him arrested.
Seeing Leah’s pics and specs online wouldn’t be the same as seeing the real property and talking it out with her, but at least it was something to do. I pulled out my laptop and looked at what Leah sent.
Doing this just made me miss my life and my friends more. I wanted to see Leah in person, to hear her laugh, to tell her about what a hottie Jensen Chambers was. Chatting through text or online just wasn’t the same as getting a drink with her and Zoe.
As an only child, I had always wished for siblings, and they were the closest I’d ever found.
Trying to shake off my melancholy, I scrolled through the information on my laptop. I could see why she was excited about the property, but I also saw some potential pitfalls too. I texted my thoughts back to her on my burner phone since I wasn’t supposed to send any emails in case they could be tracked by the stalker.
Even once that was done, I still wasn’t feeling brave enough to check into my social media accounts after last night’s message. I wouldn’t avoid social media forever, but Charlie had advised that avoiding it altogether might be best for my mental health right now.
A little step back , he’d called it, and it was sweet how considerate he was of my stability, not just concerned for my safety in his town.
I got a daily check-in message on the temporary phone from my dad and smiled. He taught mathematics at a community college, and he and my mom couldn’t have been more opposite. She was outdoorsy and athletic, and he was the palest, computer-nerd man, almost like a vampire staying behind his screens and always indoors.
I read through his latest “jokes” and even chuckled at them. Dad jokes were one thing, but coupled with his math nerd humor, it was puns galore.
I missed him too, and my mom, but they both supported my decision to lay low out of town. Even if they didn’t like it.
My phone buzzed again, but this time, it was a call.
Unknown number .
I couldn’t help it—my breathing came in quicker pants, and my heartbeat pounded hard against my chest. Detective Watters had cautioned me not to pick up a call from anyone I didn’t know, but that had been on my regular phone. I didn’t know if that applied to this one too.
Although a phone call couldn’t be worse than the stalker nearly running me down in a parking lot or trashing my house and painting the walls with animal blood, right?
But yet, it somehow felt more personal. I flinched as the ringtone stopped, and I stared at the phone where it sat on the couch cushion.
Would they call again?
Leave a nasty voice mail?
How’d they get my number?
Could they use it to track down where I was?
Was I safe here?
What if?—
I sucked in a harsh breath when the phone chirped, signaling a text. I blinked, trying to breathe steadily through my climbing anxiety as I picked it up.
Hey, it’s Jensen, from the garage. I just tried to call, but maybe texting is better. I’d like to update you about your car.
I closed my eyes, sagging down into the couch. Jensen. Not the stalker.
Another text popped up.
The problem is more complicated than I first thought. I’d like to know if I could pick you up and bring you to the garage to explain.
Pick me up? I wished the circumstances were different. Like he was coming to get me for a date. Even a booty call.
Laughing out loud, I chided myself. A date? A booty call ? I was obviously struggling to keep it together more than I’d thought.
But still. Jensen Chambers was no hardship on the eyes. That sexy voice of his was no problem either.
It was still surreal to even be attracted to him, but there was no denying the fact that I was. I forced an image of him shirtless with a tool belt right out of my mind.
Okay. That’s acceptable.
I hit send then immediately regretted it. “Ugh. That’s too formal. What’s wrong with me?”
I quickly added,
Thank you!
Shit . The smiley emoji was probably too much in the other direction. But to send anything else would just make it worse. I set the phone down on the table before I got any other bright ideas.
He responded back with a time, and I went to get ready. It was still so chilly outside that I didn’t want to switch out of my jeans and furry boots, but I changed tops to a soft sweater and spent a little extra time on fixing my makeup. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to notice how tired my eyes looked now.
As if that’s what I should be worrying about.
I fought back a groan when I met Jensen downstairs and got in his truck with him. He smelled so damn good, it was almost overwhelming. Like the fresh outdoors and just a hint of diesel. Both were manly, rugged scents that weren’t part of my daily life, but that only added to the appeal. I had to fight the urge to inhale.
No sniffing.
Don’t sniff.
Do. Not. Sniff!
I squirmed slightly in the seat and cleared my throat, unnerved by how much his presence affected me. It had to be the stress of this whole situation.
“So.” The word was out before I could stop it.
God, that was worse than silence since I didn’t have anything to add to it.
“So,” he repeated.
“It’s been pretty cold lately, huh?”
The weather? It was like I’d never had a conversation before. Me, who spent day in and day out with people and literally taught classes on how to make other people feel comfortable as a real estate agent.
“Uh, yeah. Cold. Montana gets pretty cold.”
“Denver does too.” I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to think of something else to say. “Um. Looking forward to the spring? ”
He glanced over at me like he was trying to figure out if I was having a breakdown. Not too far off.
Finally, he replied. “Sure.”
“Yeah, I am too. It’s always nice to see everything green and blooming again.”
He grunted.
Damn it. This was getting worse by the minute. Thank God we didn’t have far to go.
“Have you always wanted to be a mechanic?”
As soon as the question was out, I mentally cringed. That was the equivalent of asking what someone’s major was in college.
“Not really.”
Hmm. Okay, that was interesting. But he didn’t elaborate.
Now what?
“I wasn’t sure I’d like real estate, but it’s definitely my calling.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“I love seeing people discover what they need. It feels so good to help someone find their place.”
Another grunt.
Oh hell. I was done. He obviously didn’t want to talk. Clearly, the only attraction at play here was one-sided. I turned my head to look out the window instead.
Once I scanned the scenery, I frowned. Wait. I didn’t recognize any of it. Not at all. I’d only been in Garnet Bend for a couple of days, but this didn’t look like the reverse of the route Susanna took when she brought me to the apartment from the garage.
Where was he taking me? My adrenaline suddenly skyrocketed, and I casually reached my hand toward the door handle. Open fields spread as far as I could see, not small-town streets. The garage was at the end of town, but this looked too rural. I should have been paying attention instead of trying to make conversation .
“See that house up over there?” Jensen asked in his deep voice. It jarred me from my panic.
“What about it?” I licked my lips, proud that my anxiety didn’t reflect in my voice.
“There’s a cabin beyond it. I’ve been fixing it up in my spare time. Aside from the garage, I also do woodcarvings and have been getting into light carpentry, thanks to my friends at Resting Warrior. Hopefully someday in the near future, I’ll have it fixed up.”
I exhaled a long breath. “That sounds nice.”
“I took the long way around town so I could show it to you. I don’t want you to think I’m about to kidnap you or something.”
I laughed, trying my best to make it light, but I had no clue if I succeeded. He could have no idea how close to the truth his statement was. I hated that I was paranoid all the time, that I automatically distrusted.
“I’d love to see some of your woodcarvings sometime,” I finally said.
He nodded. “I’d like to show them to you.”
I glanced at him with a small smile. “So, Resting Warrior. Both Susanna and Chief Garcia mentioned it to me. The owners are friends of yours?”
“Lucas and I go way back—he’s like a brother to me. After high school, he went into the Navy and worked his ass off to become a SEAL, and I went into private security.”
Private security. Interesting. “How’d you end up as a mechanic?”
“The right opportunity came around about a year ago. I’d always been good with engines. Good with anything with my hands.”
I glanced at his big hands on the steering wheel. Manly hands—strong and callused from hard work .
They were sexy. I had no doubt he was good with them in all ways.
If I said that out loud, I was going to shoot myself.
“And you like being a mechanic?”
“Yeah. Although the woodworking keeps me busier these days. But mostly, I like being here near Resting Warrior. Supporting something important.”
I wanted to ask more questions, but we pulled up at the garage. Jensen led me straight to my car.
“You said it’s complicated,” I reminded him, feeling the need to brace myself. But for what, I wasn’t yet sure.
He nodded. The troubled look on his face bothered me, like maybe I wasn’t ever getting my car back again.
“So, what are we talking about? A longer wait for parts or a longer time to fix everything?” Nervousness made my words come out too rapidly. “I’ll be here for a little while, so I can be patient.”
He shook his head. “I wish that was it. I am, in fact, waiting on a couple things, but that’s not the real problem.”
“Okay, hit me with it.”
He let out a sigh. “Look, I want you to know that I talked to Charlie yesterday. Actually, he came out and talked to the whole Resting Warrior team. He told us about your stalker.”
Damn it. I really hadn’t wanted Charlie to do that. “Why? Because of the social media message a few nights ago? It wasn’t necessary for him to go running to you guys.”
“He didn’t come running to us. I called him.”
I didn’t understand. “Why?”
“Because when I was fixing your car, I found significant evidence that someone had tampered with your vehicle.”
My anger disappeared, and ice started to form in my belly. I rubbed at it with my fist to try to ease the ache there. “Tampered?”
“Watered down your fuel, messed with the fuel gauge so it wouldn’t register when your tank was low, loosened lug nuts on your tires—you would’ve eventually lost one, probably mid-drive. If that happened on a highway, it could be incredibly dangerous. Messed with your brakes.”
“The stalker.”
He nodded. “Definitely someone who was trying to hurt you. Probably more, to be honest.”
I kept staring at my car. I couldn’t even seem to make sense of his words. “What are you saying?”
“What was done to that vehicle was meant to cause serious damage. Run you off the road, maybe even kill you.”
I rubbed my eyes. I’d known the stalker wanted to hurt me, had scars on my knees to prove it. But this felt so much more immediate.
“The stalker is getting more dangerous,” I finally whispered.
“It seems that way.” Jensen nodded solemnly. “I’m sorry. Honestly, you’re lucky you made it here in one piece. I can think of half a dozen ways this combination of tampering could’ve been deadly.”
I shook my head, panic starting to hum along my skin. I’d been close to possibly dying and hadn’t even known it. Thought I was escaping toward safety, when really, I’d been heading into more danger.
“If it hadn’t been for your spark plugs going bad and causing your car not to start—a completely unrelated issue, by the way—nobody would’ve ever caught this. You would’ve just been driving one day soon, and catastrophe would’ve hit.”
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to tamp down the panic.
“Hey.” He stepped closer.
I didn’t know what to do or say. I was probably overreacting, but I couldn’t help it.
The stalker had taken yet another piece of my life when I’d thought I was safe. First my house, and now my car. He was with me everywhere. I couldn’t escape him. No matter what I did.
My vision blurred, and my chest tightened to the point where I couldn’t breathe.
“Kenzie?”
I heard Jensen’s voice almost at a distance through the roar of panic in my head. I wanted to respond, but I couldn’t seem to force myself to do so. I felt like I was going to shake apart.
Jensen ran his hand up my arm. “Hey, City. Stay with me, okay? It’s going to be all right.”
The smell of him got through to me in a way his words couldn’t. That spicy, clean scent I’d already come to recognize as his. It was a tiny thread of something familiar, and my mind latched on.
I couldn’t stop myself; I stepped closer. He gently pulled me into his arms. Almost immediately, I felt calmer. Safer. Maybe I didn’t quite relax, but the panic receded.
“You’re not in this alone,” he whispered. “We’re going to help you figure this out.”
I nodded at his words, rubbing my cheek against his shirt. I gripped the cotton tighter in my fist, reveling in the soothing timbre of his voice and the strength of his touch.
I could only pray what he was saying was the truth.