Page 56 of Rex

Rex isn’t in his office, but it doesn’t slow him down much. Within minutes, my car is unlocked and running. I check inside to make sure I hadn’t locked the keys inside it, but they’re not there either. Rex tells Cash to send me home, and he’ll meet me there to change the locks on my condo.

“If you get there before Rex, wait in your car with the engine running. Don’t get out, and don’t try to get inside your condo,” Pooh orders. “Stay aware of your surroundings.”

“I’ll follow you home and wait with you,” my brother states.

“No, I’ll be fine. You need to take Lucy home and take care of her,” I say.

Arriving home, I do as Pooh said to do and wait patiently in my car. I keep an eye on my mirrors but see nothing at first. Soon, though, a man in a hoodie walks from behind my condo. I sit up straight. He has the hood pulled up over a black baseball cap, and his head tilted down. I can’t see his face, but I pull my phone out anyway. Hitting record, I keep it aimed in his direction. I watch as he scurries across the parking lot and disappears into the grassy area on the other side. The man disappears behind some trees and doesn’t reappear. I stop recording and am left sitting here with a bad feeling.

When a black van with Rex and Horse in it stops next to my car, I step out, shutting my car door behind me.

“Hey, Aria,” Horse says with a smile as he exits the van.

“Hi, Horse. Hey, Rex. I just saw a man come from behind my condo,” I tell them, and even I can hear the concern in my voice. “Blue jeans and a black hoodie. A little chunky, about five foot ten inches tall.”

“Where’d he go?” Rex asks, and I point to the trees.

Horse immediately takes off at a jog in the direction of the trees. Rex reaches out and grips my arm, slowly pulling me closer. When our bodies are nearly touching, he speaks again.

“You’re okay, Aria. We’ll get the locks changed and then do the same at your practice. We’re going to make sure you’re safe.”

I nod, but my face must not have indicated that I was confident in his words because he pulled me in tight to his body. Instantly soothed by his warmth, I nod again and push in closer. Letting go of my arm, Rex loops his around my shoulders and drops a kiss on my temple. We stay in that position until Horse returns.

“Couldn’t find him. Must have had a car in the area,” Horse says as he rejoins us by the van.

“Sit in the van, Aria, and let Horse and I go inside and look around. I’ll have you come in when I know it’s clear, and then we’ll change out all of your locks,” Rex orders in a gentle voice.

I nod and take a seat in the van. Rex clicks the fob, making the doors lock, and they walk toward my front door. I watch as they enter and disappear from my view. Waiting and anxious, I keep my eyes moving, watching for anything out of the ordinary. A few minutes later, Horse waves at me from the doorway. Getting out of the van, I walk into my condo.

“Come with me,” Horse states and then walks off.

I follow him into my bedroom, where Rex is waiting. He has an odd look on his face, so I brace for what he’s about to say.

“Can you look through this drawer and see if anything is missing?” Rex asks while indicating my half-opened dresser drawer.

I stiffen when I realize what drawer is open. Everything slinky or sexy is kept there. I meet eyes with Rex’s, and it’s plain to see he’s very concerned. Whether it’s because someone was in my home or he’s preparing for my reaction, I’m not sure. I take a deep breath and step forward. It only takes a moment of shuffling through the drawer to know that several items are missing. I don’t have to check the laundry hamper because I had already done my laundry for the week. The hamper is empty.

Looking back to Rex, I nod my head.

“If someone picked up your keys off the sidewalk, how would he know where you live so quickly? Do you have your address written on your keychain?” Horse asks, but his face says he already knows the answer.

“No.”

“Someone’s following and watching you. Have you noticed anything else?” Horse questions while I continue staring at Rex.

“We’ll check the security video. That should give us a look at his face,” Rex says before I can answer Horse. “Take a walk around your home and see if anything else is missing.”

I numbly shut the drawer and then do as Rex ordered. The guys leave the room, and I open and close drawers, cabinets, and closets but find nothing else missing. Walking to the livingroom, I notice right away a picture of my mother and me is gone. Before I can alert Rex to the missing item, Horse speaks.

“What the fuck? How is every indoor camera offline, and yet no alert was sent?”

“No way that would happen. Let me pull up the cameras on my phone,” Rex states while pulling his phone out of his pocket.

I stand by the couch, thinking over the last week or so, but I’m not really paying attention to the men. Was there someone hanging around? Did I notice him but didn’t think anything of it? Have I really been that unaware of what’s going on around me?

“Aria? Did you change any of the settings in the security app I installed on your phone? Aria?” Rex asks.

Finally realizing he’s speaking to me, I shake my head in a negative gesture. There’s something on the edge of my memory, but I can’t figure out what’s nagging at it. My mind keeps circling back to a day that I came home after dinner with Les, but I don’t know why. Knowing if I try pushing for the memory, it’ll just evade me longer, I turn to focus on the men. It’s not long, and I’m suddenly the center of attention again.

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