Chapter Thirteen
S am followed behind Julian, taking deep, controlled breaths to calm her racing heart. She’d be relieved if she thought she might’ve left her front door open. That hadn’t happened, though. Maybe she was na?ve about some things, like walking home from downtown after a gig, but she wholeheartedly believed in locking her doors whenever she was in the house or on an errand. Julian had his weapon drawn and raised as they ascended the steps to the ajar front door. The weapon was always holstered at his hip, but it had been no more than a fleeting thought. He was a SEAL who experienced what those intent on harming others were truly capable of, so it made sense that he’d want a concealed handgun permit.
“Stay here,” he whispered before slipping around the corner and into the kitchen.
She nodded, even though Julian was gone. Even as the silence blanketing the house had adrenaline firing through her system, making her stomach lurch. Angel always greeted her at the door with a series of delighted yips, a wiggling butt, and a three-legged dance. Only now, there wasn’t a sound, not the jingle of her collar, the tips of tiny nails against the floor. She swallowed hard, panic threatening to choke her. Julian was a ghost, so nimble on his feet that it was as though she was alone in the house.
She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath until Julian came around the corner. “Whoever was here is gone, but, baby, brace. They did a number on your house. Be careful not to touch anything. I didn’t see Angel, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t escape when the intruder came in or isn’t hiding somewhere.” His weapon was tucked back into his holster, and he rubbed her arms up and down with his hands. She’d never get sick of the little gestures he made to comfort her.
“The first few weeks I had Angel, she was either glued to my side or trembling under my bed. I think I know where she is.”
“Let’s go look.” The gentleness in his tone made her throat tighten. Julian followed her as she ran to her bedroom and went down on her hands and knees next to the bed.
“She’s here! Angel, come on, baby. You’re safe now.”
Julian exhaled, the relief audible. “Glad she’s okay.”
The dog crawled toward her, and once her head poked out from under the bed, Sam immediately scooped her up and held her to her chest. Having Angel in her arms, seemingly unharmed, eased some of her tension. She brought Angel closer to her face and planted a kiss on her head.
Julian moved in closer. “You okay, girl?” He scratched the dog under the chin. Some women might swoon when they saw a hot man holding a baby, but one who was kind to an animal? In her book, that shot him straight to off-the-charts irresistible.
She looked around her bedroom for the first time, and her breath caught. Drawers were yanked out of the dresser, and articles of clothing were strewn across the floor. Shirts and dresses were torn from her closet, and some appeared to be in tatters. Her guitar was gone from the spot where the case usually leaned against the wall. The few knickknacks on her bureau were shattered, but Angel was safe. Her muscles loosened. Things could be replaced—even her guitar. She’d get a rental until she could afford another. The one she had wasn’t an expensive instrument, but it held a lot of sentimental value. The children she’d soothed with its song. Julian’s large hand wrapping around the handle to carry it down the street for her that first night.
“Your guitar’s gone.” Julian’s jaw was clenched as he surveyed the room again. She wasn’t surprised he’d noticed. He seemed to have a heightened awareness when it came to her and her environment. She couldn’t deny that his protectiveness, his care, was the reason she was suddenly warm all over, even in this chaotic situation.
“Yes. Whoever took it might try to sell it. Wouldn’t be worth too much.”
“Not to them, but it meant something to you. I hate that it was taken away.”
“Let’s get out of here. I’m ready,” she said to Julian.
He studied her, face soft, eyes gentle. When he surveyed the room one last time, though, his jaw tight, the look in his eyes was downright homicidal. She didn’t spare the living room or kitchen a glance, focusing instead on the weight of Julian’s arm around her shoulders. They had just stepped outside when a pair of headlights swung into the driveway.
The sound of the SUV’s engine abruptly stopped, and the driver’s-side door opened and shut. “How bad is it?” Ransom called as he stalked toward them. Gone was the man who had joyfully spent the afternoon decorating his home and worked without complaint to make sure guests had enough spooky spinach dip and coffin cake. He’d easily slid into the role of protector. The eyes of both men were flat and cold, deadly intent visible as they discussed what had transpired.
“Someone was looking for something, and I don’t think they were happy when they didn’t find it.”
The men exchanged a look before Ransom turned to her. “Sorry this happened, Sam. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Another SUV came into view and parked on the street along the sidewalk. Though it was dark, she could make out the large frames of Silver and Branch exiting the vehicle. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to grasp control of the burn behind her lids. She wasn’t on the verge of tears because someone had broken into her house and trashed her things, though that definitely sucked and made her feel unsafe. The show of support from Julian’s team, the way they’d dropped everything to be here, drove a wedge into her throat. Even after learning that her father made sure their fellow service members didn’t come home, they still went out of their way to help. Support of any kind was something new. Something she couldn’t put into words how much she appreciated.
Julian tucked her closer into his side as a gust blew up the dried leaves on the pavement. They skittered over the hard ground like cockroaches when the lights got turned on. Her childhood home had become infested with them. She’d slept with her lamp blazing through the night when she was a girl because she hated the idea that they could crawl over her body while she slept.
“Are you all right?” Silver asked as the two men approached.
“Yes. Angel’s okay. Everything else is secondary.”
“Is that a dog or a cat?” Branch came closer, hand raised, and a low warning growl shook through Angel.
“Well, I guess that answers that.” Silver pushed Branch’s hand down. “Do you want to lose a finger?”
“We’re going to take care of this for you, Sam.” Branch’s voice was just as sympathetic as those of his teammates. “I’m sure the police will have some questions you’ll need to answer, but after that, Julian can take you back home to get settled, and we’ll work on boarding up the windows.”
“Th-the windows?” she stuttered.
Julian tightened his grip around her. “You were so focused on getting to Angel I don’t think you noticed the extent of the damage. Some windows were broken along with the slider leading to the backyard.”
“Okay.” She held on to Angel a little more tightly. Breathe. This was nothing compared to everything else that had gone on in her life, and she could handle a few broken windows.
“It’s all right to be mad, scared, upset. We would never judge you, and besides, Joker would kick our asses.”
“There’s a reason I have homeowners’ insurance. Of course I’m angry that someone violated my personal space and made a mess, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now. And do you think any robber will circle back around with all this testosterone peppering the air? Not a chance. I’ll probably never have a break-in again. At least, I hope I won’t.”
“So brave.” Julian’s breath caressed the side of her head right before the slight pressure of his lips fell there.
The repetitive whir of sirens was audible moments before flashing blue lights came into view. Two police cars parked in front of her home. A radio crackled as one of the officers relayed something to dispatch. The next hour was a blur of questions and activities. The officers took her statement, and there was a sickly sensation in her stomach when asked if someone would want to scare her. Julian relayed the event of a few days prior when her mother had been removed from her property.
The officers asked about valuables she might’ve noticed were missing, but she didn’t have much in the way of belongings. The whole time, Angel sat shivering in her arms, and when Julian retrieved a blanket from his truck, swaddled the little dog, and handed her back, Sam felt her heart slipping.
“You’re dead on your feet. Let’s get you into the truck, and I’ll let the officers know to reach out if they find anything or have questions.” He hugged her, encasing her in his warmth, his strength. She’d been alone for a long time. At first, she’d been sheltering herself from pain. Then she’d convinced herself that if she let someone in, they’d just leave when they discovered who she was. She didn’t have to fear those things any longer, not with Julian. She’d bared her soul, expecting rejection, but he’d given her hope. He’d lent her some of his strength, his steadfast belief in her while she was developing her own.
He helped her into the truck’s cab, holding Angel while she climbed up. Julian already had the heat running, the temperature dropping as the night progressed. As he walked up to Silver and one of the officers, his frame illuminated by the headlights, she realized her heart hadn’t been slipping but soaring. With Julian’s acceptance of her, the trust he showed had allowed her to see a side of him no one else did—the tender, playful nature he hid from the world—and her heart had climbed with affection. He hadn’t pressured her for more than her time, and had showed more of his capacity to care with the caricatures he’d drawn and how he’d shared her pain the day her patient Kiley had died.
After witnessing her parents’ relationship and the dramas that played on the television screen, she expected love to be a pull. This spiral that could drown you if you weren’t careful. That was not the weightless effervescence that was soaking through her. This was light and color against the fathomless unknown, like the nebula paintings that hung in Julian’s living room. A mystical exchange of color against scattered stars. Awe-inspiring and dream-inducing.
Her heart beat faster as Julian walked back toward the truck. There was no need to panic. What she held inside her heart, just like the drawings she kept in the pocket of her purse at all times, were precious. Nothing to fear. She’d give him those feelings when the time was right, but now she was going to bask in the beauty of loving someone deserving of that emotion.
“I’d feel much better if you planned to stay with me until this is sorted.” His hands were tight on the wheel as he backed out of her driveway. Her home was a crime scene, so she couldn’t grab any of her clothes. Plus, wearing something that an intruder had just riffled through wasn’t an option.
“I have no objections. Having someone in my home was unsettling. I’m more than okay spending the night or several nights at your house, so long as you promise to let me know when you’re sick of me.”
“Not going to happen, Starburst. If I had my way, you’d be moving in tonight.”
She didn’t question the speed at which their relationship was progressing. She’d tasted the heaven he offered and spent two long months pining for what could’ve been. Then he’d burst back into her life and showed her how much more their relationship could be.
Julian drove them back to his apartment and gave her a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt to put on once inside. It was nearly midnight, and now that adrenaline wasn’t pumping through her veins, her limbs felt heavy. Her mind was fuzzy. Julian drew back the covers for her, and she slipped between the soft sheets. With Angel curled against her front and the hard lines of Julian’s body against her back, she was encased in warmth. With love flowing through her, she closed her eyes and slept.