Page 30 of In Another Lifetime

Now, I scrubbed a hand over my nape, wishing more than ever that Dayton was just across the street—though I had a feeling he’d be helping with yardwork if he weren’t working. Even if he were sitting on the porch drinking a beer it would be better. I just…felt uneasy.

Of course, I’d been feeling creeped out since returning home after my first date with Dayton and finding things out of place. Biter swore it wasn’t him, and it didn’t seem like something any of the other guys would do.

When I’d mentioned it to Kale, he’d about lost his shit. So yeah… My creeped out sensation seemed justified, even with the beefed up security Kale had strong armed onto me. Not that it had taken much coercion. I didn’t have another death wish.

Seeing Dutch twice in the past few weeks, along with the things moved around in my house, was enough to have me wanting a safe room installed—I hadn’t gone that far, but I knew Kale would do it for me if I asked. Or if he knew about the porch furniture getting moved. Or the dead flowers left on my patio. Or the propane on my grill being turned on when I knew it was off. Little things that on their own could be nothing.

But together…

That was how it had started before. Only there had been letters then, too. Lurid, explicit, disturbing letters. I’d thought I’d had a stalker, and I was terrified, but I hadn’t dared tell Dayton, not while he was deep in a dangerous case that had me worrying every time he left the house. I hadn’t dared to say a word that would throw him off his game with worries about me.

In retrospect, knowing what I did now, I believed that was exactly the reason Dutch had come after me.

Now, once again, I couldn’t tell Dayton. I sure couldn’t tell Kale since he had no idea about my switch. I had to come up with a way to protect myself. Anything would be better than the nothing that Melonie had done.

No, I would tell Kale. I just had to figure out a way to tell him about the weird incidents and how they’d happened since Dutch had seen me the day I’d reported him to Dayton. I’d call him as soon as Brennan finished mowing, and I went back inside.

Damn it. I would not be too stupid to live by thinking I could handle everything by myself. I was strong but not strong enough to fight Dutch. And a gun. So that was the plan. I would call Kale. I just had to be strong enough to keep him from herding me back up to the club, where he’d never let me leave again.

Determined not to terrify myself by thinking of the past, I hacked at one of the weeds that had had the audacity to pop up in the flowerbed.

“Vale. It is Vale, right? Vale Corin?”

Icy dread slithered down my spine, more treacherous than the snake in Edan.

Dutch.

My hand curled around my spade, and I slowly stood and turned toward the devil himself, as if I’d summoned him with my thoughts.

“Who are you?” I asked, my fingers so tight on the garden tool an ache reached into my forearm.

Dutch smirked. “I think you know who I am.”

My chin angled. “I’m sure I don’t.”

“Your boyfriend didn’t tell you who you called the cops on? I’m surprised.”

I wanted to bristle, but everything in me strove to stay calm—as calm as I could be with arctic-cold terror plunging deep to my soul. I prayed he couldn’t see the trembles that only worsened the harder I tried to suppress them.

Rather than speak, I just shook my head.

“Just as well. I came by to tell you to mind your own business and not be a nosy neighbor.” He took a step closer, and I forced myself to stay still. He wasn’t armed that I could see, and he was still a good ten feet from me. “Look the other way, if you know what’s good for you, and you and your brother and his little Schwinn club won’t get hurt. You get me?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I replied through gritted teeth, the only way I could keep them from clattering.

His gaze raked over me. “Just stay out of it and don’t give me an excuse to haul you in for questioning. Trust me, I’m a bit rougher than Dayton when it comes to interrogation.”

Bile rolled up my throat, and I couldn’t hide my flinch. Dutch leered, his lips twisted into a lecherous grin. “Think about what I said. And break up with your boyfriend. He’s no good for you.”

“Vale!” Brennan called, and I could hear that he was coming around the side of the house. Dutch spun away and strode down the sidewalk. I didn’t look away from him, even when I head Brennan walking through the thick grass and coming to my side. I jumped when he touched my arms.

Had Dutch just threatened to assault me? To hurt Kale?

With wide eyes, I turned to look at Brennan.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

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