Chapter 3 #2
Oliver flashes me a smile, though his expression is still pinched. More than anything, I want to grab his hand and give him a hug and let him know I’m here if he needs me, but I don’t know how he’d take that sort of openness. Straight guys tend to get weird when I get overly touchy-feely with them.
About that time, Mattie reappears at our table, paper in hand. “So, that was easy. Sort of. Couldn’t get an exact location, but that’s either because his phone is dead or turned off. But the last ping was in the Colorado Rockies.”
Oliver’s eyes light up with hope. But when Mattie goes quiet, nervously chewing on his lower lip, dread clouds over his face. “What?”
“The phone pinged in the middle of nowhere. Like, I was able to find only a single road through there. And that was from four days ago. I think. . . I think you might need to put in a missing person’s report or something.”
Oliver’s breath catches, and I throw caution to the wind and grab his hand, offering whatever comfort I can. His fingers curl around mine and squeeze tightly, and I can all but feel the panic vibrating through him.
“Yeah, okay. I’m going to go make some calls.” He licks his lips as he reaches for his phone with trembling hands.
“Here’s everything I got,” Mattie says softly as he hands Oliver the paper. “In case the cops need it.”
Oliver nods absently, stuffing the paper into his pocket as he starts dialing. “Hey, I’m just gonna—” I wave him off, and he heads outside. He needs to focus on this family emergency, not my med-induced sex craze.
“Man, hope everything is okay. I feel horrible telling him that.” Mattie plops down in Oliver’s vacated seat with a forlorn expression on his face.
“Yeah, same. I’ll call him tomorrow and see how he is.”
“Good. Now, what did I hear about cameras?” I blink at him, my cheeks going hot yet again. “And no, I’m not being unprofessional since I am now clocked out and on my own time.”
“Oh, that wasn’t what I was. . . It’s just. . .” I falter, trying to figure out the best thing to say that wouldn’t expose my bullshit all over again.
“No biggie. If you just want a basic security camera with a closed-loop recording function, I know a couple that would work.”
I blink at him in astonishment. My brain is still trying to make a U-turn from Oliver’s emergency and Mattie is already scribbling down a list of brands for me to check out.
He hands me the paper with a flourish, his neon bracelets bouncing around on his arm.
“Thanks. I really appreciate it, and I know Oliver does, too.”
Mattie lets out a sigh as he pulls his beanie off his head to run his hand through his hair. “I’m glad I could help. I like helping, and I found the best way to do that is with tech. It is the second-best thing I’m good at after all.”
I chuckle at his humble boast. “Yeah? What’s the first?”
“Dinosaurs! But unless there’s some faulty lab experiment gone crazy, I don’t think I can help many people with that topic.
” He grins at me, then stuffs his beanie back on his head, hiding his blonde curls.
“I’m going to head out.” He gestures to the paper in my hand, which I haven’t even looked at.
“You have my number if you need any help with anything.”
With another grin, he knocks his fist on the table before heading out, leaving me alone.
Ugh, there is way too much to do, and I have no idea where to even start. With a grimace, I toss my trash and head out.
And come to an abrupt stop on the sidewalk.
Across the street from me is my silver fox stalker. He’s leaning against a light post, attention on the phone in his hands, but I recognize him immediately. How can I not? His dark hair is neatly combed, and the black-on-black outfit makes him look like some storybook villain.
And holy hell does he fill out those clothes.
His jacket is stretched tight across his shoulders, the top buttons of his shirt undone so I can get a tempting glimpse of his chest. While the pants aren’t skin tight like the jeans I first saw him in, they are tight enough to show a hint of his thick thighs.
I stand there frozen, my brain blue screening. Do I go back inside or run away while his attention is focused on his phone?
As if he can sense me, he looks up, and my breath catches at how ruggedly handsome he is. I should not find him as attractive as I do. He’s stalking me, for crying out loud! At least, I think he is. What are the odds that this guy just happens to be everywhere I am?
Or worse, what if he’s one of those private investigators? Could he have been hired to find me? I mean, my ex is pretty nuts. Getting away from his influence is one of the reasons I moved to the Midwest.
The thought of Jake hiring someone to track me down and drag me back to his side sends a cold shudder down my back. My ex was abusive. If he somehow found me again? I don’t know what I will do.
He smirks at me as he brings his phone to his ear, those full lips giving him a deadly beauty, before turning to stroll casually down the street.
But we both knew he was there watching me.