Page 20 of Stalked

Rosalyn felt her face heat but didn’t say anything.

“Two, by your very own account you have a stalker and possibly a murderer after you. I’m not sure what all the facts are in this case, but I intend to find out. You can believe I won’t be leaving you alone as I do it, especially not if you’re carrying my child.”

Rosalyn felt relief wash through her. Steve might not believe her completely but at least he was willing to look into it. And help protect her and the baby.

“Now, I will stay in this fleabag motel if you really insist on remaining here. But I would prefer we go to my hotel.” He glanced around in distaste, then looked straight at her. “Either way, you can plan on spending tonight—every night until we figure out this stalker situation and the baby is born—with me.”

He obviously didn’t necessarily believe the baby was his, but at least he was willing to try to keep Rosalyn safe until he knew for sure. She wasn’t sure whether to be thankful or offended.

But to stay here when he had a nicer place would just be foolish.

“Okay. Just let me get my stuff.”

He took her duffel bag and walked her to her car. He took the key from her and put her bag in the trunk. “Have you been going from town to town for the last six months?”

Rosalyn bit her lip. Telling him the truth, that the Watcher hadn’t contacted her since she’d last been in Pensacola, wasn’t going to help him believe her about how dangerous her stalker was.

She didn’t know why the Watcher hadn’t contacted her while she’d been hidden at the Ammonses’ home in Georgia, had lived in constant fear that he would, but she’d been thankful for the reprieve.

“Let me go pay for the room. You stay here,” he said.

“No, I’ll pay. I can afford it.”

One of his eyebrows raised. “I don’t even want to know how you got the money.”

“I didn’t steal it, all right? That was a one-time thing and only because I was desperate.”

He still didn’t look like he believed it.

“You stay here with the car and I’ll go pay.” She gave him the evilest glare she could.

Which only made him smile. “Fine, you pay. I’ll be here.”

The motel office was at the other end of the parking lot, close to the main street. Rosalyn was aware she was marching off in a huff and had neither the size nor stature to pull that off with any authority, especially when she looked like she’d swallowed half a basketball. She knew Steve was probably laughing at her, but she didn’t care.

At least if he was laughing at her, he wasn’t threatening to arrest her. Not that she really thought he planned to.

She went inside and paid her bill, a little mad that they still charged her for two nights even though she’d stayed only one. Regardless, she wasn’t going to let Steve pay. At least the extra cost didn’t cause her the panic it once would have, since she now had some money saved up from being able to work the last six months. She signed the paperwork, paid her bill and walked back out the door toward her car.

“I’ll pay you back all that money, you know,” she called out, moving directly toward him.

He walked toward her. “It’s not necessary to pay me back. You can—”

Rosalyn heard the roar of an engine and turned. A car, headlights off, was screeching toward her, swerving back and forth.

“Hey, look out!” someone yelled from a second-floor walkway.

Rosalyn couldn’t figure out which way to move to get out of the car’s oncoming path. All she knew was that it was going to hit her.

She was still frozen in place, certain of her own demise, when a huge force hit her from the side.

Steve.

He pulled her to his chest and continued their momentum out of the car’s direct path, somehow managing to spin them so he took the weight of the fall.

Both of them covered her belly with their arms.

They were on the ground for only a split second before Steve jumped back up to his feet. He pulled his gun from the holster and pointed it at the car.

---