Chapter 7 #2
Connor cringed, because yeah, he’d heard stuff like that too. There’d been a couple calls these last few weeks from women who hadn’t really needed saving. “We need to nip that in the bud because it just wastes time.”
Raven opened the door. “Good luck.”
“You doing much today?” He stepped outside and turned, not wanting to leave.
“Finalizing details for our paint-and-sip class.” She scrunched her nose. “Not that I’m expecting much of a turnout.”
“Why not? I thought those kinds of things were popular.”
“They usually are, and this one was…until I confronted Lottie about her behavior in front of half the town. Now everyone hates me, and my punishment is everyone boycotting the center.”
“The town doesn’t hate you.”
She lifted a brow. “Everyone’s been dropping out of every activity I run. Even Sunday yoga, which is usually popular, is down to less than six people. I swear Lottie’s organized some sort of crusade against me. At this rate, I might actually have to cancel the paint-and-sip.”
“I’ll come.”
Her brows shot up. “You will?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. That surprise you?”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to. I’ll drag the guys along too. Maybe even let our ‘fans’ know, so they can join.”
For a moment, she was silent. “You’d do that for me?”
“Yes.” No hesitation.
“Oh. Um. Thank you. I mean, only if you’re free and you want to.”
“I do.” For more time with her, he’d become Michel-fucking-angelo.
She nibbled her bottom lip. “Okay. Thanks again. I’ll send you the link for tickets. And thank you for helping me with the cut too.”
His gaze returned to her head, that familiar unease settling back at the memory of what he’d seen in her office. “You have my number, Raven. You need help with anything, you call.”
She nodded.
Raven was on his mind the entire way to the old firehouse. The entire damn drive. The blanket. The toothbrush. All of it.
Why was she sleeping at the community center? Had something happened to her apartment?
He wanted to help. Offer her a place to stay. Something.
But he’d learned the hard way that a person had to want to be saved.
He pulled into base, but before climbing from his truck, he hit Polly’s number on his screen.
She answered on the second ring. “Hey! This is a nice surprise. You don’t grace me with your calls very often.”
“I have a question about the apartment over your garage.”
“Sorry, big guy, that space is far too small for you. You’d barely fit your shoulders in there. Hell, Joel’s head barely scrapes through.”
His lips twitched. “Not for me.”
“Oh. Who?”
“Raven.”
“Raven needs a place to live?”
“Possibly. I’m not sure of her exact circumstances. I’m also not sure she can pay much.”
Polly scoffed. “That woman saved my life—she gets free rent for life.”
“Okay, thanks. Also, are you free tomorrow night?”
“Connor, you’re great and all, but you ask me on a date and Joel will have questions, a shovel, and likely a pre-dug hole.”
He laughed. “Not a date.”
When he was done telling her about the paint-and-sip session, he climbed from his truck and went into the old firehouse to find Ethan sitting at the tech desk.
“You’re here early,” Connor called.
Ethan turned. “You too.”
“I was going to go for a run before work, but when I drove past the community center, I saw Raven’s car out front. I went in to check on her.”
Ethan lifted a brow. “By the sound of your voice, that visit didn’t go well.”
“There was a toothbrush on the desk. And a blanket underneath it. She also had a cut on her head. She said she got it from falling. I think she fell off the couch, maybe while she was asleep.”
“She’s sleeping there?”
“Assume so. Just don’t know why.”
Ethan leaned back. “Polly has that apartment above her garage. I’m sure she’d let Raven use it.”
“I already called her. I’m not sure Raven’s ready to tell anyone about her situation though.” Not that he knew what that situation was. “I’m going to ask the team to do some drive-bys of the community center overnight, just to make sure she’s safe.”
“Good idea.” There was a slight pause before Ethan leaned forward. “Connor, I know you’ve got that same protective instinct we all have. You were raised with three sisters and a single mother. But you haven’t dated since Margaret and—”
“This has nothing to do with Margaret.” Jesus, why did his team keep bringing her up?
“I’m just saying…not being able to save Margaret from herself killed you.”
“It hurt like a bitch. But she made her choices, so I let her go. I had to.”
“Does Raven want to be saved?”
Connor’s jaw clenched, because hadn’t he just asked himself the same question? He rose. “I’m doing a perimeter check.”
Ethan sighed. “Okay.” He turned back to his computer.
Connor was about to step into the hall when he heard his friend curse.
He turned back. “What?”
“Watch this.” He hit a few keys, and exterior camera footage from the base popped up. Ethan hit play.
Connor’s eyes narrowed when he saw it. The fuck? “Who is that?”
A man stood in the shadows under the trees, just within view of one of their exterior cameras but not close enough to set off the alarm. He wore all black, his hood up and his head down. His face was too shadowed to see.
“I don’t know,” Ethan said, before scrubbing through the footage. “Looks like he stood there for close to an hour.”
Who the hell was it…and why was he standing there watching their base?