Chapter 9
CHAPTER
NINE
CLAY
When I pulled into the garage twelve hours later, the first thing I noticed was Monroe’s car was gone.
The house still smelled like whatever she’d cooked for dinner and the note I found on the counter saying that she’d left me a plate in the oven to keep warm and reminding me that tonight was dance practice.
Instead of being excited to have a few minutes to myself, I felt disappointed that I was home alone. Disappointed and slightly on edge, like something was wrong somewhere but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I dialed Monroe’s number.
Apparently I was still the guy who needed reassurances from my kid’s nanny to know everything was okay.
“Hey, Clay.”
A tiny wave of relief flooded my system when she answered on the second ring.
“I got your note. Thanks for dinner. I, uh,” I rubbed the back of my neck. God I felt like such an ass. “I just wanted to let you know I was home and make sure you and Kaleigh were okay.”
I could practically hear the smile in her voice over the phone. “Oh. You’re welcome. It’s my grandmother’s meatloaf recipe. I hope you love it. Kaleigh gave it five stars, by the way.”
Christ it was cute as hell when she rambled.
“Kaleigh tried to convince Mrs. Altwood that Maverick needed a tutu and could dance too,” Monroe’s laugh filled the line.
“Of course she did,” I grinned even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m surprised she didn’t get her way. What about you? Feeling okay?”
“Great, actually. Oh. Looks like they’re almost done. I should let you go. We’ll be home soon, okay?”
“See you then.” I hung up and sat the phone on the counter.
I sat at the island and ate my dinner before I headed upstairs and jumped in the shower, desperate to kill time until my girls…I mean Monroe brought my daughter home.
The uneasy feeling in my gut lingered until the moment Monroe walked through the door with Kaleigh asleep on her shoulder, Maverick at their side.
The minute he saw me, he ran over and sat at my side. Looking up at me with those big dark eyes, I felt like he was secretly trying to give me a full report about their day.
Monroe must have thought the same thing. “Oh, sure. Go ahead and tell him everything we did today,” she joked. “Don’t forget to tell him how you stole the whipped cream right off the top of Kaeligh’s milkshake too, you big fluff ball.”
Maverick’s tale thumped and he let out a bark.
“Bet you’re not the least bit sorry either,” I chuckled, giving him a quick scratch before extracting Kaleigh from Monroe’s arms. “I’m gonna go tuck her in. I’ll be right back”
When I came back downstairs Monroe was staring out the front window, her face completely pale.
“Hey.” I walked up behind her and put my hands on her shoulders, without thinking.
Monroe jumped and let out a gasp.
“Shit. I’m sorry.” I held up my hands and immediately backed away. “I did not mean to startle you. I shouldn’t have…”
She shook her head. “No. No. It’s not your fault. I just…”
“You looked like you’d seen a ghost. Are you okay?”
“It’s nothing.” She waved me off.
“You’re shaking, that’s not nothing. Did something happen today that set you on edge?”
Monroe bit her lip, something I noticed she tended to do every time she was nervous about something. “N…n….no,” she squeaked.
Maverick barked and nudged her leg.
“Listen, I’m not one to push someone to open up or talk to me. But, I can tell something’s wrong. Whatever it is, Monroe, I can help. Something has gotten you shaken up. So, spill.”
She swallowed hard and ran her hand over the top of Maverick’s head like she was searching for comfort.
Then she blew out a nervous breath. “I stopped by the grocery store earlier today. There was this motorcycle in the parking lot. It caught Maverick’s attention.
I thought maybe he was just being extra protective.
But…I…I’m pretty sure I just saw the same one past the house.
I don’t know what made me look up, I guess I felt like someone was watching me or something.
He drove by really slow and was looking like he could see me standing here. ”
Before I even asked for more details, I started shutting the blinds on all the windows. Fuck letting anyone make her unsafe or watched in our house.
“What color was the motorcycle? What did the driver look like? Did you catch a license plate?”
The dread I felt earlier? It’s back with a vengeance now. Something tells me none of this is a coincidence.
“It was black. I couldn’t see the driver’s face. He had on one of those full face helmets with a dark tinted visor. But even at the grocery store, I felt like he was watching me.” Monroe shook her head. “I’m sure it’s nothing. I’m just being paranoid for no reason.”
“If Maverick noticed, then it’s not nothing.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and immediately cued up the video feed from the doorbell and the cameras on the front of the house.
With the click of a button I find several minutes of footage from today where a black motorcycle has slowly driven past my house three different times.
Every time the driver turns and looks, but his face is covered just like Monroe said it was.
“Is this the same bike from the grocery store?” I hold out my phone and show her a still frame.
Monroe gasped. “Yes.”
Fuck.
“Have you noticed him around anywhere before today?”
“No. I would remember. Trust me.”
I believed her. If she recognized the bike or this person, she would tell me. Because of Kaleigh.
I took another look at the still frame.
Black Harley, a touring bike. Made for a comfortable ride. Hard saddlebags, aftermarket crash bars. Nothing unique enough to identify from a distance and the license plate was out of view.
"Stay here." I walked to the front door, disengaged the alarm, and stepped onto the porch.
The humid evening air wrapped around me as my eyes swept the street.
Parked cars. A neighbor walking his dog. A few teenagers on bicycles.
Nothing out of the ordinary for this time of evening during the summer.
Still... the feeling in my gut was still there.
I stepped off the porch and made a slow lap around the house, checking every gate. Every first-floor window. The exterior garage door entrance and the fingerprint keypad, making sure no one had tried to tamper with anything.
By the time I came back inside, Monroe hadn't moved from where I'd left her.
"What are you doing?" she asked quietly.
"Making sure no one can get to you." The words left my mouth before I had time to think about them.
Her eyes widened.
I cleared my throat. "I mean...making sure everything's secure."
"Clay..."
"No." I met her gaze. "If somebody's been circling this house, I'm taking it seriously."
She wrapped her arms around herself. "I feel ridiculous."
"You shouldn't."
"You don't think I'm overreacting?"
"I think your instincts led you here. To a place where you’re safe."
Silence settled between us. She stared at me like no one had ever said those words before. Maybe no one had.
Finally she asked, almost in a whisper, "What happens now?"
“Now…I’m calling Sloane.” I walked through the house and out onto the back porch. I could double check everything out here while I talked to him.
Sloane answered on the first ring.
"You don't usually call me after hours. Everything okay?"
"No." My answer came without hesitation. "I need you to look into something for me."
His tone immediately changed. "What've you got?"
I forwarded him the still image from the security camera. "Black touring bike. Circled my house three times today."
"Could be a coincidence."
“Not when this same bike was at the grocery store earlier today. The driver was watching Monroe."
“So this has to do with Monroe?"
I looked back over my shoulder through the window.
She was sitting on the sofa now. Maverick had planted himself at her feet, head resting across one of her shoes.
"I don't know."
"But..."
"But she said Maverick went on guard the minute he saw the guy in the parking lot."
Sloane didn't laugh. He understood exactly what that meant.
"I'll see what I can find."