Page 15 of My Off-limits Firefighter Next Door
I tapped a button on my car and told the responding voice to call Marcus. His voice came through when he answered.
“Morning, Sav,” he said, sounding like he’d just gotten up.
“Hey, I didn’t wake you, did I?” I felt a stab of regret.
“Nope. I was up for an hour. Just still tired. Stayed out too late last night. I was worried about you. Sounds like you had an uneventful weekend?”
That made me feel better, though I chuckled at his question. “Uneventful. No, events happened. They just weren’t the ones we were expecting. And they were good. It was nice having Mya there. I love my baby girl...”
I glanced at her in the mirror. She was staring out the window, likely absorbing every word we said as I drove along Pandora street toward the church at the end, “but it’s nice to have adult conversations more often.
Mya left last night so she didn’t really stay but your friend Jackson said he put cameras up in the front and back. He’s going to watch the house while I’m gone.
Tell me, Marcus, what do you think about Roger not showing up this weekend? Do you think there’s still a chance he’s going to bother me?”
My brother responded without hesitation. “Oh yeah. A big chance, I bet. I’m sorry to say it but if the detective felt the need to warn you, Roger likely gave him a strong indication he was dangerous.
He clearly thinks he is or he wouldn’t have let you know. You would have been notified eventually. But he made sure you found out much sooner. To me that means you need to watch your back until you know he’s not gonna...”
I panicked, not knowing what Marcus was about to say. “I’ve got Alana in here in the car with me, Marcus. It’s on speakerphone. Say hi, Alana.”
“Hi, Uncle Marcus!”
I looked at her in the rear view mirror. When she said the words, she lifted her torso up and used all her strength to get the words out, as if she had to scream to her uncle wherever he was.
She didn’t understand the concept of the phone in the car quite yet. I couldn’t convince her she didn’t have to yell. I figured she would stop eventually and rarely said anything about it anymore.
“Hey there, baby girl!” My brother responded. Being the intelligent adult he was, he continued, but on a different subject. “ I’ll be by your house later to see you.”
“I’m taking Alana on a trip to Lake Tahoe. She loves that beach. It’s so lovely there, I don’t blame her.” Marcus also laughed. “All right, well, I still might go by and check.”
“Really you don’t have to, Marcus. Jackson is there with his two trusty cameras. I know I don’t have to tell you he’s a reliable man. He’s your best friend, after all.”
“Yeah, well, you can’t stop me from going over and visiting with my best friend, though. I might have to check out surveillance just because I’m curious.”
I had to laugh. I was getting ready to pull into the church parking lot. It was fairly full, which was a nice sight to see. A small church like the one I attended usually had a fair few seats left open on Sunday.
But I liked it that way. I knew everyone and they all knew me. Plus, it meant Alana wouldn’t be stuck with a lot of kids in the daycare.
“I’m going to Lake Tahoe after church,” as I mentioned. When I turned my car off after finding a spot, I took my phone offbluetooth and held it to my ear. “I’m a little worried about that. I just don’t know if we might be seen, if you know what I mean.”
Since I was talking into my phone directly, I held it close to my mouth and said the words under my breath. Alana was unbuckling herself from her car seat. I glanced back and watched her, grateful she couldn’t do the plug between her legs or she might have been out and about while I was driving, too.
“You sure you want to risk that right now?” Marcus asked me.
“I refuse to let that man make me change my plans. I’m not going to keep me and Alana inside on a beautiful day when I already had plans to go.”
“Well, call me when you’re on your way home, okay?”
I smiled into my phone. “Okay, big brother.”
Chapter Seven
Jackson
Watching Savannah from across the yard was something I did without realizing it. The way she moved, the cautious glances she cast down the street—everything about her spoke of quiet resilience. When she asked me to watch her house, I didn’t hesitate. Marcus had already looped me in, urging me to stay alert.
It wasn’t just an obligation; it was instinct. Savannah didn’t need to ask. If Roger showed up, he’d have to deal with me first.
