Page 98 of Angels Above

She protected herself just fine.

31

BECAUSE OF HIM

Cal wasn’t sure that what he was feeling right now could be described as anything less than primal rage.

His formal living room in the front of the house didn’t have much damage to it. Guess Tyler hadn’t made it here yet.

The back of the house was a different matter.

The glass on his sliding door was busted, showing how Tyler entered the house.

His kitchen cabinets had all been flung open and the contents pulled out and on the floor. Spray paint all over his counters that wasn’t going to come out. There was more on the walls and his furniture in the living room back here was turned over and had some knife cuts in it, the stuffing pulled out.

The thought of Mia in the house with a madman that had a knife made him want to vomit.

“Hey,” she said. “I should have stayed outside. This is horrible.”

He turned to see Mia standing there. “Why don’t you go out? I left Harley in the truck too. I forgot about that.”

“I’ll get him,” Cooper said.

He watched Mia’s brother-in-law leave. “I’m sorry this happened,” she said.

“You’re sorry?” he said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”

“Don’t even go there, Cal. I see it on your face. I’m fine.”

“I brought this trouble into your life,” he argued. That might be the biggest pile of guilt on his shoulders right now. That she would have suffered this terror and have the memories of it because of him.

“No,” she said. “You didn’t. Tyler brought it into your life. I mean on the bright side, I guess not everyone does like you.”

He snorted, not sure how she could crack a joke at this time. “Not funny.”

“I know. I’m trying to figure out what to say to you.”

“There’s nothing to say,” he said. He pulled his phone out and just started to take pictures.

“Sure, there is,” she said. “I want you to know that I’m fine. I did the right thing. I got help here. And I took the guy down myself. Don’t lecture me about being stupid or irresponsible either.”

He opened his mouth and then closed it. He wanted to yell at her for doing what she had. “Why didn’t you just stay hidden?” he asked.

“Because he was going to find me,” she said. “He was making his way through the whole house. I wanted to catch him unaware rather than being face to face with him. I liked my chances better the way they were.”

Cal sighed. It made complete sense. She could have been overpowered if she didn’t take Tyler by surprise.

“It worked,” he said.

“That’s right. Remember that. You know, months ago, I might have stayed in the closet and cried and prayed he didn’t find me.”

“What changed?” he asked.

She moved into his arms. “You. I found the confidence I used to have. I didn’t have the self-doubt anymore. I mean I’ll have it for years at times because we all do. But when I realized what was happening, I just got so angry. I didn’t want to stay there and let it happen.”

“You were going to confront him?” he asked, pushing her back and looking in her eyes.

“No. I wouldn’t be stupid. I’m not crazy. I planned on doing what I did. I’ll admit I closed my eyes when I swung and it worked. Good thing you kept that baseball bat in there.”

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