Chapter 9
GRAE
My heart picked up speed as I tried to peek into my living room, but Caden pulled me back.
“No way.”
I scowled up at him. “It’s my house.”
“And you’re one hundred pounds soaking wet. If someone is inside, they could take you down in two seconds flat.”
My scowl only deepened at that. “I’ve taken several self-defense courses. I know how to use someone’s body weight against them.”
Caden let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine, you’re a badass. But will you let me go in first anyway?”
I shrugged. “I don’t mind using you as a human shield. Just don’t get blood on my carpet if someone shoots you.”
He glared at me.
“If you want to play all macho protector, you get the bullet holes.”
Caden shook his head but stepped inside.
The moment he did, my stomach twisted. Humor was my default armor, but the idea of someone actually hurting Caden made me physically ill. I’d call the police to check it out, but that would mean my brothers showing up in full force to bulldoze my life.
The seconds ticked by exceptionally slowly, each one twisting my insides tighter. When Caden reappeared, the tightness in my lungs finally released so I could breathe again.
“No one’s here, and it doesn’t look like anything was touched.”
My brows pulled together. “That’s bizarre.”
“Did you lock the door this morning?”
I rolled my eyes. “I did grow up with Lawson, Roan, Holt, and Nash. What do you think?”
Caden held up both hands. “Just asking. Most people around here don’t bother with it.”
But many had started the practice again after two twisted people had fixated on Wren and Holt, and Maddie’s ex had come after her and Nash. People were realizing a little community like this didn’t guarantee safety.
“Why don’t you come in and make sure nothing is missing? Do you keep cash or prescription meds anywhere?”
I shook my head as I stepped inside. “The only medicine I have is insulin. If someone stole that, I’m going to be pissed because it’s freaking expensive.”
Caden grunted.
I moved around the living room, taking in the space. I stopped at my bookshelf, frowning.
“What is it?” Caden asked.
I bit the inside of my cheek. “Nothing.”
“It’s something.”
I stared at the shelf littered with books, trinkets, and framed photos. “I thought that picture was on a different shelf.”
It was a photo of me, Maddie, and Wren on paddleboards in the lake. We wore bathing suits and held the paddles over our heads triumphantly.
“Maybe I’m wrong, though. I think I’m just paranoid since the door was open.”
Caden was quiet as he stared at the picture. “Let’s call Nash. He can dust it for prints.”
I whirled on Caden, shaking my head. “No police. No brothers. Just, no. Not unless something is missing.”
“Gigi, this could be Rance escalating. He didn’t seem thrilled to see us together earlier.”
Nausea swept through me at that. “I didn’t set the alarm this morning. I usually only do that at night when I’m home. I’ll set it from now on. I promise.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. “This isn’t playing things smart.”
“It’s my decision. Don’t take that from me. It’s not like someone’s boiling baby bunnies and leaving them in my kitchen. It’s one photo out of place that I might have just forgotten I moved.”
Caden sighed. “You swear you’ll set your alarm at all times now?”
“I promise.” And it was the truth. The idea that someone broke into my home gave me the creeps.
He scowled, clearly not liking the decision, but he didn’t argue further. “Let’s check out the rest of the house.”
I nodded. We surveyed the rest of the living room and then moved into the kitchen. “If this jerk stole my leftovers, I’m going to be really pissed.”
Caden’s scowl deepened. “It’s not funny.”
I widened my eyes at him. “I never joke about sausage risotto and roasted asparagus.”
“Gigi…” he growled.
“Sorry. I get punchy when I’m anxious. Someone possibly breaking into my house qualifies as anxiety-inducing.”
The annoyance on Caden’s face melted away, and for a second, I thought he might reach out and pull me into his arms. My traitorous heart wanted nothing more.
“We’re going to figure this out,” he promised. “But it would be a lot easier with police manpower.”
My annoyance was back. “No.”
Caden sighed. “Come on. It doesn’t look like anything is out of place here. Unless you keep cash in the freezer.”
“I keep ice cream in the freezer like a normal person.”
I peeked to make sure my insulin was still in the fridge, then headed out of the kitchen and down the hall. I looked in the bathroom—nothing out of sorts there. Then I made my way to my bedroom.
I fought the urge to squirm as Caden and I stepped into the space. Something about having the two of us in such a small place, one where I slept, did funny things to my insides.
He looked around the room, seeming to take in more than just possible burgled spots. His gaze landed on each photo and knickknack as if it gave him some invaluable piece of information about me.
He used to have a place among those things.
When I was growing up, photos of him with my brothers and me had littered my room.
The goldfish stuffed animal he’d won me at the fair one year.
The movie stub from when he and Nash had snuck me into a PG-13 movie when I was still eleven.
A million memories I’d shoved away in boxes in my closet.
I forced my gaze away from Caden and moved around my bedroom. As I approached my bed, my stomach tightened. The comforter was rumpled in a way that almost looked as if someone had lain on top of it.
I swallowed hard as I studied the bed. I’d sat on it to put on my socks that morning. Maybe that had caused it. I opened my bedside table drawers. Nothing was missing.
Moving to the closet, I opened the door and flicked on the light. All the clothes seemed to be in place. I glanced at the shelves above. All the boxes were there. My gaze caught on my hamper at the bottom of the closet, and my stomach bottomed out.
Something was missing. When I’d gotten up that morning, I’d tossed my pink silk pajamas on the top of the pile of dirty clothes. But they weren’t there now.
I crouched, pawing through the contents of the hamper. My heart hammered against my ribs. Nothing.
“What is it?” Caden asked, coming up behind me.
I pressed my thumbnail to the pad of my forefinger, almost hard enough to draw blood. If I told Caden my PJs were missing, he’d call Lawson and Nash for sure. I pushed to my feet and turned to face him. “Nothing. I can’t find anything out of place. Maybe it was kids doing something on a dare.”
That could very well be the case. We’d had a series of prank wars and vandalism this summer. Graffiti on the dock, bizarre items stolen from stores, houses egged. Someone even left a toilet on one of my neighbor’s front lawns.
Caden grabbed my hand and lifted it, gesturing to my thumb and forefinger. “You do that every time you’re freaked. What gives?”
A dozen mental curses flew as I tugged my hand free. “I’m just skeeved out that someone might have been in my house. I’m going to have to clean everything. Who knows what they got their cooties on?”
That much was true, at least. It was dumb to hide the rest of it from Caden.
I knew that much. But what good would it do to worry him and my brothers?
Everyone knew Nash and Lawson worked for the police department.
I was sure whoever had broken in had been smart enough to wear gloves.
But the fact that they’d left the door open made me wonder if they wanted me to know they had been here.
Caden studied me for a long moment and then pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a couple of times. “Hey, Jordan.”
My eyes flared.
“Yeah, we’re at Grae’s right now and a pipe leaked under her bathroom sink and made a mess. Any chance you could get someone else to cover that kayak trip while we clean it up?”
There was a pause for a moment. “Thanks, man.”
Another pause.
“No extra hands needed. I’ve already got it fixed. We just need to clean up, and she didn’t want to be late.”
I glared at the interfering bastard as he talked to my boss.
“Sounds good. Appreciate it.” Caden ended the call and then looked at me. “What?”
I arched a brow in his direction. “Did you get a plumbing license that I don’t know about?”
He chuckled. “I can fix a leaky pipe. I’m not totally helpless.”
“I don’t know. Those hands look pretty pampered to me.”
It was a lie. I’d felt the calluses when Caden took my hand as we walked to Dockside.
It made me wonder what they were from these days.
He used to horseback ride weekly with Clara and go rock climbing with Nash—plus a million other things that would leave those kinds of marks behind.
But I wasn’t sure what they were from now, and I hated that.
Caden just shook his head. “You want my help cleaning or not?”
I groaned when I thought about scrubbing this place from top to bottom, even as small as it was. “Yes.”
“Then be a little nicer.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Help me strip the bed.”
Caden’s brows furrowed.
“Possible cooties in the vicinity. The sheets must be sanitized.”
Caden laughed but moved to the mattress and started pulling the comforter back. We worked in tandem and surprisingly well. Caden didn’t make fun of me when I asked him to wipe down every touchable surface with alcohol wipes or when I burned incense around my room to clear the air.
I wiped down everything in the bathroom twice and then headed back to the living room, only to pull up short. Caden had his sleeves rolled up and a mop in hand. He systematically worked it from one end of the living room to the other, his drool-worthy forearms flexing with every swish.
He looked up, his gaze locking with mine. “What?”
I forced a smirk to my lips, hoping it would cover any lust in my eyes. “Never thought Caden Shaw would be helping me scrub my house.”
“Gigi, I’m full of surprises.”
That was exactly what I was worried about.