Page 57 of Home Changes
“You weren’t stupid,” Seth said firmly. “You were surviving. And he counted on that. It’s what predators like him do. Bank on you not knowing, not asking. That’s how men like him keep control. But it’s over now.”
She shook her head, tears spilling silently. “He’ll come. If he thinks I’m alive. If he thinks I’m out here … He’ll find me. He said he’d kill me if I ever made him look weak. If I embarrassed him.”
Seth knelt in front of her, resting one steady hand on the couch cushion near hers.
“We’ve already got the sheriff looped in. With your permission, we’ll let the rest of the town know. Quietly. Folks around here don’t take kindly to men who hurt women. They’ll keep their eyes open. He won’t get far.”
Lottie hesitated, her voice barely audible. “What will they think of me?”
“They won’t even wonder. This is Hollister. People watch out for each other. You’re one of us now.”
She nodded slowly, then again, more sure. “Okay. Tell them. Please.”
Seth reached for his phone but paused. “Lottie … I need his name. And a description.”
She swallowed hard. “Eric Danvers. He’s twenty-eight. Six-foot-one. Stocky. Blond buzz cut. Has a scar on his chin and a burn mark on his left hand. He got it when he threw a pan at me, and the grease spilled on his hand.”
Seth didn’t react, but his gut twisted.
“He drives a navy-blue Chevy Silverado. Extended cab. Big dent on the passenger side from when he got drunk and ran into a mailbox. He keeps saying he’ll fix it, but he never does.”
“Plates?”
She shook her head. “I don’t remember. It’s a South Dakota plate, but I only saw it once. He always parked in the garage. I wasn’t allowed in there.”
Seth nodded, already committing every word to memory.
She gripped the edge of the cushion, knuckles white. “Seth … if he comes, don’t try to talk to him. He’ll twist everything I said around. He’ll make you believe him.” Tears brimmed over her bottom lashes.
“I won’t.”
She was shaking, “Promise me.”
“I promise.” His voice was low, hard. “If Eric Danvers sets one foot in Hollister, I’ll make sure he wishes he hadn’t.”
She exhaled shakily, her shoulders trembling, then leaned forward until her forehead pressed against her knees.
Seth stood and stepped into the hallway, and wrapped his arm around Allison, who had tears in her eyes, too. His jaw clenched, phone already dialing.
This was no longer just protection.
It was war.
Ken answered on the first ring.
“You’ve got something?”
Seth stood in the hallway and spoke so both women could hear him.
“I found out how he was tracking her.”
Ken didn’t speak, just waited.
“She had a smart watch in her jacket. It was dead when I found it, but he could've followed her here if he’d been using an app or paired account. It wouldn’t be exact like a military grade GPS, but itwould have kept him close, at least. Maybe that’s why he drove past and then circled back.”
“Damn it. That makes sense,” Ken muttered. “She know?”
“Now she does.” Seth’s jaw tightened. “She freaked out when I told her he could’ve been tracking her with the watch. She thought she was being careful.”
