Chapter 22
HIS PROBLEM TOO
“Motherfucker,” Blaze muttered, muscles straining as the lug nut refused to budge. He tried again, swore louder this time and it still wouldn’t give.
He threw his weight into it, the iron groaning under pressure until the damn thing finally broke loose. One down. The rest came easier, but not by much.
By the time he had the last nut off, sweat ran down the back of his neck, dirt streaked his knuckles, and one had a shallow scrape bleeding just enough to sting. He didn’t care. He’d felt worse.
Twenty minutes later, the donut was on, the slashed tire tossed in the back, and his frustration ready to pop its cork on the next person to piss him off.
Arden stood a few feet away with a security guard, giving her statement. The guard promised to check the cameras, but Blaze already knew what they’d find. Nothing. The spot she’d parked in was a blind zone. A perfect cover.
Too perfect.
Which made him wonder if whoever did it knew exactly where she’d be.
Or if they’d been watching more closely and taken advantage of their opportunity. Like many, she moved around the lot to whatever spot was available. Something to think about.
A police cruiser pulled into the lot, the blue lights bouncing off the hood of Arden’s car, witnesses in the parking lot stopping and staring. Not exactly what anyone wanted.
He lifted a hand, waving them over, and felt a rush of relief when he recognized the driver.
“Blaze,” Tate Lancaster said as he climbed out. The guy was a brother of one of Ash’s friends. One of the Lancaster clan that had half grown up on the Ridgeway farm. “Didn’t know it was you calling it in.”
“It’s not,” he said. “It’s Arden Bellamy. She’s talking to security.”
Tate’s eyes flicked toward her. “Girlfriend? You’re not dressed for work.”
He followed Tate’s gaze. Arden was standing tall, her expression tight, composed, but he could see the fear just under the surface. The fatigue. The frustration equal to his.
He turned back to Tate, lowering his voice. “Getting there.”
“Got it,” Tate said, all business now. “Someone slashed her tire?”
“Yeah. And left a note.” He rubbed the back of his neck, his jaw tight. “It’s the second one. But this time, it’s more personal. The edge of violence that can’t be ignored.”
Tate moved around to the rear, crouching by the ruined tire to take photos. “Did she report the first one?”
“No.” His voice hardened. “She’s still got the note, but she did nothing with it. I’m pushing her now. I think it’s tied to her ex, or the ex’s new girlfriend. But I’ll let her tell you herself.”
He glanced toward Arden again. She was still talking to the guard, her shoulders straight but trembling just enough to make his fingers flex.
Whoever was doing this… had just made a mistake.
Because now, they were his problem too.
“Thanks again,” Arden said, the guard taking his leave. “Hi, I’m Arden Bellamy.”
She held her hand out to Tate. Always the composed professional one when many others would be in tears. Or at least not letting others feel what she might be because he knew the signs.
He knew the tells.
She wasn’t just pissed off, she was getting close to terrified.
“Officer Lancaster. Blaze was filling me in some.”
“You know each other?”
“Tate’s brother is friends with Ash,” he said. “Show him the note and tell him about the other one.”
She unfolded it to hand it over. No way they’d get prints at this point. Arden, Blaze, the guard, and now Tate were all touching it.
Tate snapped a picture of that also. “Do you want to keep this or give it to us?”
“For now, I’ll keep it with the other. I’ve got a picture of it here because it went to my attorney. This one will go along with the police and security report.”
“Attorney?” Tate asked.
She looked at Blaze. “My ex. We’ve had issues in the past. He’s never been in trouble with the law, but he’s had an addiction problem. He is on supervised visitations with our child and he wants more. Or his girlfriend does.” She looked at her watch. “I’ve got to get Gracie.”
“I’ll do it,” he said. “If you’re okay with it. I can bring her back and just play it down it’s a flat. Or I can bring her home and we’ll meet you there.” Tate lifted his eyebrow to that. “She’s my neighbor.”
“If you don’t mind,” she said. “I don’t want to rush this and I know it might take time, but I’m worried about her.”
“Don’t be. I’ve got you covered. Tell him everything about Billy. Everything, Arden. Even the doll and the fights you’ve been having.”
She sighed. “I will.”
He wanted to lean down and give her a kiss. It just came so naturally.
But he stopped himself. Instead, he reached for her hand, grabbed her fingers, gave her a little squeeze, and walked away to pick up Gracie, hoping she came with him without protest.
He pulled into the daycare center, went to the front and waited for the woman to turn. “Can I help you?”
“Dr. Blaze Ridgeway to pick up Gracie Bellamy.”
“Yes, Arden called and told us you were coming. We are very careful who can pick a child up from our care and has to be on the list and approved prior.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” he said.
“I’ll go get her.”
He waited to the side, looking down at his hand. He had hand sanitizer in his SUV and cleaned up his knuckle and all the dirt and grime before he got out. Burned like a bitch but was at least a reminder of what was at stake.
As if he couldn’t figure that when Gracie came walking out. No smile on her face, no bounce in her step.
She looked nervous, almost scared. It was the last thing he wanted and he was positive that Arden wouldn’t either.
“Hi, Gracie. Mommy sent me to get you. She has car trouble and is getting it fixed now.”
“She’s not hurt or sick?” Gracie asked, then turned to look at the staffer standing next to her.
“No, Gracie,” the employee said. “Your mom called to say something was wrong with her tire and she was waiting while it was fixed but was sending Dr. Blaze to pick you up.”
He liked how the worker addressed him that way. The name that only Gracie called him and she’d know it came from her mother.
“Oh,” Gracie said. “So we are going to see Mom now?”
“She’s going to meet us back at my place. What do you say we order pizza for dinner so when she gets home she doesn’t have to cook?”
“I love pizza. Yes, please,” Gracie said. “Bye, Miss Beth.”
“Bye, Gracie. See you Monday. Have a good weekend.”
Gracie’s small hand reached for his, her fingers curling trustingly around his much larger ones. Her palm all but disappeared inside his, soft and warm with a feeling that hit him like something sacred.
Angelic, he thought. There was no other word for it.
This little girl… she was becoming his world, piece by piece just like her mother already had.
And that realization settled deep in his chest, solid and unshakable.
Now, more than ever, he needed to keep them safe. Both of them.
Whatever it took.
He helped her into the back of his SUV, then the booster seat he’d moved from Arden’s car.
“What kind of pizza do you like?”
“I like cheese pizza. And cheese sticks.”
“Mozzarella sticks? Or cheesy bread?” he asked.
“They have cheesy bread? Like grilled cheese?”
He laughed. “Not quite. How about we get some and you can try it?”
“Yes, please.”
“What does your mother like?” he asked, pulling out of the lot. “Does she eat cheese pizza?”
“That and salad. She likes salad with meat on it.”
He grinned. “We’ll get Mom a salad then too. Do you eat it?”
“No. There are too many things touching in it.”
He laughed. “My brother Ash used to be that way too. Liked his food separated on his plate.”
“Me too. Only three things too. More than that, they can touch.”
He’d make a note of that.
“I’ll call now.” He hit the button on his steering wheel, scrolled down, found the pizza joint he always ordered from and placed the order for delivery. “I bet it arrives close to the same time as your mom does. Want me to text her to see how long she’ll be?”
“Can we call her?”
“She might be busy,” he said. “But I’ll text.” He didn’t want her to panic and answer if she was still talking to Tate. She didn’t need to be distracted either.
“Tell her I said hi.”
He hit the button, found Arden’s name and spoke. “Gracie says Hi. We’ve got dinner ordered for when you get back. No cooking for anyone tonight.”
He hit send and let it go off without adding anything else personal, no matter how much he wanted to ask how she was holding up. If she needed him. If she wanted him to do anything else for her.
Not yet. Not in front of little ears.