Chapter 3
Desiree Zimmerman was anything but.
Rolling down his window, he sucked in a breath of fresh air.
Dez’s shop came into view. Black plastic covered the space where her window had been.
A fist twisted his stomach. While he didn’t have any ties to the shop, hadn’t even been inside before today, the fact that someone in the community had executed a hate crime made his blood boil.
Especially against someone as sweet as Dez.
Well, maybe sweet wasn’t the word. Undeserving though.
True to his word, he’d questioned the owners of the café down the street and had asked all the businesses around Dez’s shop for camera footage of the previous night.
The bank and grocery store were the only places on Main Street that had cameras.
He’d sent the footage to his team at the department, but so far, they’d found nothing.
More than likely the person had entered the parking lot through the park, but he needed to check all the boxes.
He glanced at the clock. It’d take only a minute to peek around the business and make sure the culprit hadn’t returned.
He pulled to the side of the road and crawled to a stop in front of the store.
Grabbing his flashlight, he stepped out of the car.
He shined the light at the front door. No sounds came from inside.
He approached and looked through the door’s glass, squinting as he held the flashlight to see inside. Clean and closed up.
He could circle around back, but—
A scream tore through the night. His senses sprang to action and unease made his palms moist. He turned toward the sound coming from the back of Dez’s building. Keeping the flashlight in his fist, he broke into a run, pulling the gun from its holster at his hip as he rounded the brick corner.
A gravel drive led to a small parking lot. Sweat collected at his collar as he charged across the stones. “Police! Freeze!”
He blinked in the darkness, swinging the yellow orb around the lot.
A woman lay on the ground, a mass of dark curls spread around her—Desiree.
His throat constricted. Keeping the gun trained in front of him, he moved swiftly toward her form.
“Desiree, it’s Aiden. Are you hurt?” he asked, stopping next to her body.
He kept his voice loud and stern so the attacker would know he was there, despite the urge to drop to her side.
After scanning the darkness for any signs of movement, he slowly lowered himself next to her and placed his flashlight on the ground.
She wasn’t responding. Sonofabitch. He reached for his radio. “I need backup and an ambulance.” He rattled off his location and then brought his hand to Dez’s hair. Collecting her locks in his hand, he moved her strands out of the way.
The moon caught her pale cheek in its glow.
Anger coursed through him. He grabbed the flashlight again and shined it on her face while keeping the gun propped in his left hand.
Red, swollen blotches circled her eyes and a trickle of blood rolled down the side of her head.
Someone had attacked her—and he’d scared them off.
She squinted against the bright light then turned her face toward the gravel and moaned.
“Hey, it’s me,” he said again. “Aiden. What happened?”
She blinked and then squeezed her eyes into slits. “You’re hurting my eyes,” she said drowsily.
“Sorry,” he said, wetting his lips. If he hadn’t been paralyzed with rage he’d have smiled at her response.
Sirens sounded in the distance. He shoved his gun back in its holster. No one would be stupid enough to attack him with backup on the way. He slid a hand under her neck, holding her head a couple of inches off the ground. “What happened?”
She grabbed his shoulder and hoisted herself into a sitting position.
He quickly put the lit flashlight on the ground and caught her waist with his other hand. “Wait. You need—”
“I’m fine. Just sprayed myself with bear spray.” She rubbed her eyes again, her grumpy tone telling him she was slightly PO’d at herself.
“Did you knock yourself out, too?”
She snorted. “No, you ass. Someone . . . someone came at me.” Her grip stayed firm on his sleeve.
“They shoved me against the car and put me in a chokehold. I sprayed them, and while I was trying to get away, they grabbed my ankle and I fell. I screamed and then they cracked me on the head with something.”
As she shifted so she could rest against his chest, he kept his hand on her waist. Shudders shook her slight frame.
He’d left his jacket in the car, so body warmth would have to do.
He scrubbed his hands up and down her arm and back.
The fragrant scent of cinnamon sugar filled his nostrils.
Her teeth smacked gently together, telling him shock was setting in. Goddamn it.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, through broken gasps. Her tone held confusion, but also a layer of relief.
“I was driving by your shop on my way home and thought I’d check it out. The criminal always returns to the scene,” he said, keeping his tone light. “I heard you scream and came running.”
She shifted away from his chest but didn’t push out of his arms. “Thank you for checking on my store.”
Headlights pulled into the parking lot. “Don’t mention it. Now tell me you got a good look at the sonofabitch.”
* * *
Numbness settled over Dez’s skin as she pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. So much for her night ending with Netflix and wine.
More like arnica and bed.
She’d refused to lie down on the gurney or go to the hospital. She had a mild concussion and her eyes still sizzled from the bear spray, but those were the least of her worries. Besides, she wouldn’t get a minute of sleep in a hospital and that’s what she needed.
Her gaze swung away from the frowning paramedic to Aiden’s form as he waltzed toward her. He’d hovered in the background while she’d given her statement. Part of her wanted to tell him he could go home, the other part was grateful he’d stayed.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, stopping less than a foot from where she sat at the back of the ambulance. “How’re you making out?”
“I feel fantastic besides my burning eyes.”
The paramedic snorted. “You’re not fooling anyone.”
Aiden narrowed his eyes. “Are you giving him trouble?”
She would have squinted right back if the action wouldn’t have split her skull in two. “No. I’m fine other than a mild concussion. I just need my bed.”
The paramedic gave her a packet of Advil. “Take these right away and every six hours as needed.”
She forced out a thank-you as he climbed out of the vehicle, not bothering to mention she’d use her own home remedies.
“You should go to the hospital,” Aiden said gently, his tone chastising.
She tugged on the ends of her blanket. “Why? It’s not like I’ll get any rest there.
Besides, I’ve been hurt worse.” She shifted on the hard metal, her butt craving the comfort of her couch.
Once the dizziness passed, she’d be on her way.
Although the buzzing inside her ears and the pounding across her forehead showed no signs of leaving. “Did you catch a glimpse of the guy?”
Aiden’s mouth turned hard, the mention of her attacker visibly changing his mood. “I was hoping you’d have caught more. When I got on the scene no one was around—or if they were they were hidden well.”
“I’m sorry. All I remember was they were tall and the clothing felt thick and bulky.” She’d already told Aiden everything, and given her statement, but she couldn’t help the annoyance at herself for not being able to give the police something more.
“Don’t sweat it. Most people have a hard time accurately remembering their attackers.”
She swallowed and nodded. “I should have listened to my intuition. I felt someone was there when I left the shop.” God, she sounded pathetic.
He guffawed. “I wish I’d gotten there sooner. Then maybe I would’ve caught them.” His green eyes focused on her, as gentle as a hug, which she so desperately craved. “I’ll give you a ride. Think you can stand?”
“I’d walk over broken glass to get to my bed right now,” she said, as she dropped her feet to the ground.
Aiden’s hand cupped her elbow, but instead of laughing he frowned. “I don’t think you should go home. Clearly someone has an axe to grind with you.”
She slumped her shoulders forward. Josie had offered up her home, but it was now after 10:00 p.m. and besides, she wanted her own house. Her own things. Her own bed.
“My attacker was sprayed even worse than I was. If he’s feeling even half as bad as I do right now, I don’t think he’s coming after me tonight.”
Dropping the blanket on the spot she’d vacated in the ambulance, she scooped up her purse and flung it over her shoulder. The movement made the parking lot spin around her.
Aiden’s hand tightened on her bicep. A pleasant tingling sensation spread from her arm throughout the rest of her body. She knew all too well what those hands were capable of. Knew the orgasms they—along with his mouth and the generous soldier below his belt—brought.
Heat rushed to her cheeks.
“You okay?”
She cleared the thickness from her throat. “Fine. Just a bit dizzy.”
“See? And what if you get dizzy at home?”
“I plan to sleep for the next twenty-four hours, so that’s not an issue.”
He grunted but led her to his car. If they didn’t find her attacker after tonight, she’d arrange for somewhere to stay tomorrow. She’d believed what she said—right now, it was unlikely someone would come after her after everything that had happened. Way too risky.
Aiden opened the passenger door of his silver Mustang and she dropped into the seat. Her muscles screamed as she tucked her legs inside. She needed a hot bath.
He rounded the car and lowered into the driver’s seat. His stacked frame filled the interior, making their arms touch on the console. “Where to?” he asked.
She gave him her address and clicked her seatbelt into place. She blinked against the stinging in her eyes. The paramedic had flushed them for her, but the swelling remained, making her eyes water.
“I really think you should stay somewhere else. A hotel even.”
She rested her head on the seat back and turned to look at him.
His unshaven jaw appeared ready for a razer, but the sight of the scruff brought her back to Saturday night and the sensation of the slight abrasion on her skin.
There was something uber sexy about kissing a man with just a bit of stubble on his face.
“I appreciate your concern. I’m sure the person is icing their eyes right now.”
“You can’t rely on that.”
She brought her fingers to her temple. The flicking of the headlights that passed as Aiden drove down Main Street made the blood vessels in Dez’s head cry. “I am for tonight.” Her tone held finality, and stating the words took almost the last of her resolve.
“I’ll stake outside.”
She jerked her gaze to his face and leaned forward. “No—”
“I’m not asking,” he said impatiently. “If I go home, I won’t sleep anyway knowing someone is probably going to break in and cut your throat.”
His declaration made her insides shake, bringing back the tidal wave of fear that had heightened inside her this morning—one that she’d stifled and stomped on because she refused to live her life scared.
But that didn’t change the fact that for some godforsaken reason she had an enemy she didn’t know about who really didn’t want her around.
Another notion followed . . . Aiden cared. Butterflies tickled her stomach.
Oh, no.
She wouldn’t get all flattered because he was the chivalrous type. He was also a cop, so naturally he’d be worried about any victim.
He slowed in front of her house. “I’ll go home quickly to shower, change, and grab some food. If you can stay awake until then, I’ll text you when I get here so you can sleep easy.”
She unclipped her buckle. Her chest ached with the weight of emotion. After everything that had happened today, she was ready to crumble. Add a kind, selfless act from the guy she’d been a bit of a bitch to this morning and it was almost too much for her to keep bottled inside.
She leaned forward and cupped his jaw. Warning bells screeched in her head. She was too unstable right now, too desperate for protection, but dang it, he’d touched her.
“Thank you,” she breathed softly.
His pupils dilated and his hand twitched between her body and his, but he didn’t reach for her.
She pressed a kiss to his scruffy cheek. “I appreciate it.”
She slid out of his car and closed the door. It took more effort than she cared to admit to walk a straight line, but she’d do it if it killed her.
And tonight, she would sleep easy knowing Aiden was outside.
Except part of her longed for him to be closer.