Page 89 of Keep You Close

“I’m on my way,” Kingston said. “I’m hanging up, so I can call Rush and Nixon,” he added.

The line went dead, and I tossed my phone onto the passenger seat, my fingers curling around the steering wheel until they went white as I cursed the fog, cursed the traffic lights, cursed the fact that I didn’t see the messages the second they came in.

The doggy daycare wasn’t far from home, just maybe twelve minutes without traffic.

It felt like a goddamn lifetime.

So many terrible things could happen in mere seconds, let alone moments.

Especially when trapped with an abusive ex and stalker.

I mean, no, she didn’t tell me it was Joss. But considering the phone call she’d gotten recently, it seemed likely that he’d been closing in somehow.

I’d been too distracted falling in love with the woman to really track down leads and figure out how the fuck he’d gotten that number.

If something happened to her, I was never going to forgive…

No.

No, damnit.

I couldn’t let myself think that way.

AJ was smart.

She’d gotten away from this guy six times before.

I couldn’t seem to stop the thought that, once, she’d just barely gotten away. And only because of some Good Samaritans.

She wasn’t alone this time either, I reminded myself as I took a turn so fast that I was shocked I didn’t go up on two wheels.

I needed to calm down, to drive safe. I wasn’t going to help her if I wrapped myself around a fucking tree.

The doggy daycare was just up ahead, dark because it was technically closed, and I decided that when this was done, I needed to have a talk with the owner about lighting up the exterior of a building where women would be locked up, alone, for any predator to sneak up on.

Even when I flew into the lot, there was no fucking floodlight to illuminate the space.

I cursed the owner as I threw open my door, hearing the distant sound of a dog snarling, then reminding myself that it was probably a dog inside of the building freaking out because someone was inside who didn’t belong there.

I wasn’t even really thinking clearly as I ran to the front door, yanking it open, and striding inside.

“AJ!” I yelled, rushing past the abandoned front desk, noting that nothing seemed knocked askew, that there were no signs of a struggle.

I made my way toward the hallway, ready to rush into each room to check for her.

But then… there she was.

Down on the ground in the hallway, cradling her wrist to her chest, her mouth bloody, her face bruised.

A sob escaped her at the sound of my voice, and I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around her, noting the side door that was slightly ajar.

Maybe Joss had taken off in that direction when he heard a car? I didn’t know. All I did know was that AJ was hurt and terrified, and clinging to me with her good arm like her life depended on it.

I couldn’t untangle myself from her to go secure the building.

I just had to hold her close, assure her that nothing else was going to happen to her.

Not long after, I heard footsteps rushing inside.

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