Chapter 28
Izzy paced as she waited for Mitch. Something was happening today.
She'd felt it when Mitch left this morning, a heavy dread in her stomach.
After his call, that dread turned into a hot rock in her stomach.
She wanted to call Sadie and make sure she was okay, but if Travis was there, she didn't want to make things worse for Sadie.
She'd chided herself all morning for not demanding that Sadie come and stay with them last night.
The locks began turning in the door, and she held her breath for a moment before realizing, no one had the key but Mitch.
Still, she stood frozen in place near the kitchen counter.
The instant she saw Mitch step through the door, her breath rushed from her lungs.
He turned and saw the concern on her face, and his lips turned down slightly as he neared.
"It's okay, Izzy. Things are finally coming to a head. This is simply a precaution for your safety."
"Sadie..."
"Is on her way to my office, where Jayson will take her to the safe house we have in town."
"You have a safe house?"
"Yes. It's loaded with security and just out of town a bit. It has a large garage on the property where I keep extra security vehicles."
Her brows bunched together, and she tilted her head to the right. "Why didn't you put me in the safe house?"
His brows rose into the lock of hair that fell over his forehead. His smile was genuine. Sexy. And a bit of a tell. "I wanted you closer."
"Is that so?"
She smiled as she stared at him. His cheeks tinted slightly pink, and she stepped closer to him, enjoying the aroma of his scent as it filled her.
He cleared his throat. "You're different."
"Oh. Different how?"
"Different."
"How?"
His lips brushed hers lightly. "Different."
He pressed his lips firmly to hers as his arms swept around her and pulled her close.
She enjoyed the feel of his tongue as he explored her mouth. She explored his in return. Warm, sensual, sexy.
When he pulled back, she stared into his eyes for a long moment. She smiled slowly before saying, "Mitch DeMario, did you have a bit of a crush on me?"
"Maybe."
She chuckled.
His hands slid down to her ass and pulled her tightly to his body. "I really have a crush on you now."
She giggled as her arms wrapped around his shoulders. She rested her cheek against his cheek as she closed her eyes and soaked up all the feelings happening in her body right now. Too many to name. So many new feelings she'd never felt before. It made her head spin.
He squeezed her once more, then stepped back. "It's Noah. He's dangerous and fixated on you."
Her eyes rounded. "Noah?"
"Yes. As we drive to the shop, I'll fill you in."
She swallowed to moisten her dry throat, as she woodenly reached for her purse lying on the table near the armchair. Slipping it over her head to rest on one shoulder, she turned to Mitch with a smile on her face. "Shall we?"
He moved toward her, his hand at the small of her back as they exited. After leaving the building, she couldn't help but turn her head from right to left, back to right again. She felt nervous, afraid, and highly exposed.
As he drove to Petal Pushers, he told her what his investigation had turned up.
The bell above the shop door jingled gently as Izzy stepped into Petal Pushers. The air inside still carried the familiar chill and faint scent of eucalyptus and roses, but something about it felt…off. She stood just inside the doorway, heart thudding, as Mitch followed behind her.
Everything appeared untouched, thanks to Ms. Jillie’s help and Mitch’s constant watch. But the sense of violation still lingered, like a shadow in the corners.
She swallowed hard. “It feels smaller somehow.”
“It’s not,” Mitch said softly, standing behind her. “You’ve just been through a lot. It’s normal for things to feel differently.”
Izzy nodded and walked slowly toward the design table, running her fingers along the edge. She paused at the cooler, eyeing it warily, remembering the shears Noah had mysteriously returned. Her skin prickled.
Mitch came up beside her, his expression watchful. “You sure you want to be here today?”
“No.” She looked up at him. “But I need to reclaim this place. It’s mine, and I’m not giving it up to fear.”
Pride flickered in Mitch’s eyes. “That’s my girl.”
A smile tugged at her lips, and she leaned in to kiss him. It started slow, warm, and full of gratitude, but deepened quickly, her fingers curling into the front of his shirt as he pulled her closer. She hadn’t realized how much she needed this. Him. Just one moment where nothing else existed.
A sound behind them made her freeze.
The bell on the front door jangled again.
Izzy turned just as Mitch shifted his stance in front of her, placing himself like a shield.
Noah Grady stood in the entryway, holding a clipboard and a single cardboard box. His face registered mild surprise, but his eyes, those eyes, were darker than usual. Sharp. Fixed on her.
“You're open early,” he said, his tone neutral but thinly stretched. “I brought an order. Said it was urgent.”
Izzy took a step around Mitch, keeping her voice steady. “I didn’t place an order.”
Noah’s gaze slid from her to Mitch and back again, lingering just a little too long on where her fingers still touched Mitch’s arm.
“It was added late,” Noah said, smiling thinly. “Maybe your assistant?”
“No,” she said. “She’s off today.”
Noah’s expression didn’t change, but the tension in his posture coiled tighter. “Well, I’m here now. Want me to just leave it on the counter?”
“Sure,” Mitch said, voice cool. “Right there is fine.”
Noah walked slowly across the room and placed the box down with deliberate care. He didn’t speak. He didn’t even look at the box. His eyes stayed locked on Izzy, like he was memorizing her. Marking her.
Izzy felt the unease crawl across her skin like static.
Mitch stepped forward. “Thanks, Noah. We’ll take it from here.”
Noah didn’t move. “You two were cozy.”
Izzy blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You know,” he said, voice brittle. “Romantically, are you two together?”
Mitch’s stance shifted. “That’s not your business.”
Something flickered across Noah’s face, hurt? Anger? Possession? Then his mouth twitched into a forced smile. “Just asking. I saw you kissing.”
He turned slowly, walking back toward the front door, but paused with his hand on the handle. “People don’t always stay who they were, you know,” he said without looking back. “Sometimes they change. Fast.”
Then he left.
The bell jingled behind him, cheerful and wrong.
Izzy stood frozen in place, her pulse hammering. Her throat was parched.
Mitch turned to her. “That wasn’t a delivery. That was a warning.”
She nodded slowly, the edges of her vision fuzzing with anxiety. “He saw us. And he didn’t like it.”
“No,” Mitch said, walking quickly to the counter and opening the box. Inside were two items, a note…and a long-stemmed red rose.
A chill swept down Izzy’s spine.
Mitch’s jaw clenched as he picked up the rose and turned it in his fingers. The small note was tucked into the petals.
It read: “Will you have dinner with me? Call me...”
Izzy backed away from the counter. “Mitch…”
“We’re done here.” His voice was low and tight. “Get your keys. We’re going back to the condo. I’m calling Jayson, and Chief Fielding needs to know about this. It’s time to stop playing defense.”
Izzy nodded, her throat tight. But as she stepped toward the door, she glanced over her shoulder once more. Her shop, her sanctuary, felt less like home and more like a trap.
Noah wasn’t just watching anymore.
He’d stepped into the game.