Nightfall (2 page)

She swallowed hard. “Well, I’d better close up. The weather isn’t getting any better.”

Time to get cracking. She packed up some day-old donuts and after she’d made sure everything was turned off and secure, she handed him the bag.

“For you,” she said. “Thanks for stopping to check on me.”

He smiled, but it was still one of those half grins. At least this time it reached those intense dark eyes. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Of course I did. And they’re on the house. Don’t think of trying to pay me for them.”

One more time he smiled and this time it grew wider. “Okay. Thank you.” He switched gears. “Are you parked out back?”

“In the small lot back there, yes.”

“Okay, I’ll wait in my car until I see you pull onto the street. Give me your address. I’ll have it in the GPS so I can find your house. It’ll be handy if we get separated.”

With any other man she wouldn’t have felt comfortable giving him the information. Instead she provided the address, and he added it to his phone. After he left through the front door she locked it, and moments later she stepped out the back door and locked it as well. She didn’t have a security system on the store—the people who owned the building she rented in claimed they couldn’t afford it. Despite being on the main drag, the stores downtown weren’t doing that well. The flower shop next to her had closed its doors after the riots months ago and the hardware store on the other side of Patty’s Bakery was barely hanging by a thread. Right now, with the sun going down rapidly under the blizzard’s wrath, she suddenly felt damned glad Alexander was following her home. She turned around.

And ran right into her ex-husband, Dominic Cantrelli.

Patty sucked in harsh, cold air on a startled breath. What the hell was he doing in Buckleport?

All six-foot-three inches of intimidating retired police officer, Dominic wore a heavy black winter coat with the hood pulled up, gloves, and boots. He smiled like a man who’d captured a prize. His face had always been harsh and almost pugnacious. Hard and homely. But it wasn’t his ferocious looks that caught her attention. It was the ugliness in his green eyes.

“Hey, babe, what are you still doing here?” He threw his hood back and snow immediately dampened his short, curly black hair.

She lied. “Meeting friends.”

He snorted. “You don’t got friends, honey. That’s why you’ve got me.”

A burning anger started in her stomach, but she drew in a slow breath to regulate it. Yeah, she wanted to hit him with her hobo purse and tell him to take a flying leap, or something worse.

“Let me by, Dominic. I’ve got somewhere to be and if I don’t show up on time they’ll worry.”

“You’re not even curious why I’m here?”

She sighed, shivering under the wind’s onslaught. She’d zipped up her down coat, and although her scarf and gloves should keep her warm enough, she grew colder with each passing second. As night continued to descend, the streetlights threw some light down the alley, but not enough to suit her.

She lied again. “No, I’m not curious. I
have
to go.”

He took a step forward, and she stepped back on instinct and bumped into the door behind her. One of his meaty hands came down on the door next to her head, and she flinched. Her gaze darted to the end of the alleyway.
Alexander, I could really use your help now.

“You know, I’ve been thinking that it isn’t safe for you all these miles away from me,” he said. “You should move to Bangor. I can take care of you there.”

Incredulous, she couldn’t think of a thing to say at first.

“I know, I know,” he said. “We’re divorced, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Maybe that was a big mistake. Maybe you’ve changed your mind about me and realized you were wrong.”

Wrong?
Was he freaking crazy?

He continued with, “Besides that, you’re in danger.”

“Danger? From what?”

“There’s these men. Assholes I arrested years ago. They say they’ll try and hurt anyone I love. I still love you.”

Her mouth popped open as surprise made her mute.

Just then she saw a movement at the opening to the alley and Alexander appeared. He walked toward them with quick, determined steps. Relief flooded her.

She waved. “Alexander!”

Alexander walked faster and thankfully Dominic backed away, anger written on his face. She headed toward Alexander, unsure what he’d do and concerned he might launch into Dominic. He’d thrown back the hood of his parka and his gloved hands were clenched. When she reached him she put a hand to his chest. He linked his right arm around her shoulders as she looked up at him. For a few mind-altering moments her left side was pressed against his incredibly hard body, nestled in a protective embrace.

“You all right?” Alexander asked.

She looked back at Dominic. “I am now.”

“Who is this?” Alexander’s voice was calm, but held a deadly undertone.

“My ex-husband.”

Dominic glared as he walked toward them. Alexander released her only long enough to edge her behind him.

She peered around his shoulder, her body tensing as she clasped his left shoulder. “Alexander, wait.”

“Who the hell are
you
?” Dominic asked, keeping considerable distance between them.

She found her voice and stepped out from behind Alexander. “Dominic, this is my friend General Alexander Graham. Alexander, Dominic Cantrelli.”

Neither man extended a hand, but that didn’t surprise her. They were too busy staring each other down.

“General, eh?” Dominic smirked. “I’ve heard of you. You run that hot shot security outfit.”

“Sentry Security.” Alexander’s voice was flat and no nonsense.

“Right.” Dominic smiled. That self-assured, confident cop grin that made everyone trust him even when they shouldn’t. “I was worried about Patty and thought I’d check on her.”

“I can see that,” Alexander said. “But she’s all right now. I’m making sure of it.”

A wave of uncharacteristic heat flashed through her body at Alexander’s decisive tone.
Whoa.
Dominic had tried to dominate her in their relationship, never protect her, and Alexander’s possessive statement made everything feminine inside her take notice. At the same time she was pissed. She could handle herself, and these men were acting as if she was a china doll.

She stepped out from behind Alexander. “Gentlemen, it’s getting cold out here. Time to go home.”

Dominic eyeballed Alexander as if he was making up his mind, and the tension drew tighter by the second.

“If I find out you’ve hurt her in any way, I’ll kick your soldier-boy ass,” Dominic said.

She glanced up at Alexander. His stone-cold expression didn’t change. “You could try.”

“I’d succeed.”

“Stop it,” Patty said in frustration.

Dominic nodded. “Take care, Patty.”

Her ex went down the alley and when he disappeared, Alexander reached for her. He clasped her arm gently. What looked like genuine fear flashed through his eyes. “You all right? Did he hurt you? When I saw him hovering over you like that it scared the shit out of me.”

Her mouth flopped open. This was the most emotion she’d seen Alexander display in a year. “I’m…no, he didn’t hurt me. Scared the crap out of me, though.”

With a gentle tug he directed her down the alley. “Let’s get you home. It’s damned cold out here. We can talk more there.”

After she’d locked herself in her car, he left the alley. When she pulled out onto the street she was relieved to see Alexander’s black SUV waiting for her. She glanced around and noted the traffic was thin, with no sign of Dominic anywhere. She turned west toward home, her headlights cutting through the whiteout. As she drove the few miles that led to the outskirts of town, the way was slow going. Conditions were worsening by the minute and making visibility nasty. When she reached her home surrounded by four acres, she kept her eyes on the slick road. When she pulled into her driveway, she was glad to see lights on in the two houses nearby. It wasn’t as if she lived out in the boonies, exactly. Her neighbors were nice people—they’d all banded together during the Long Valley Super Volcano event. She clicked the opener on the driver’s side visor, and the garage door opened. She drove into the garage, killed the engine and got out.

Alexander’s black SUV parked along the curve of the driveway. The blizzard screeched, the wind now battering the area with heavy winds. She stood just within the shelter of the garage, her keys open and at the ready. Alexander trotted up the driveway, his boots making tracks.

He stopped inside the garage as well and pushed his hood off. “Damn, this storm is the biggest one this winter.” He pulled out his wallet and withdrew a business card. He handed it to her. “Here’s my card. You can get me at this number any time day or night. Do you feel safe here tonight?”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks so much for following me home.”

“Your ex…are you afraid of him?”

She blinked. “Not until tonight. The way he snuck up on me in the alley…I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him in over a year. He said that there are some guys he arrested that have threatened to hurt the people he loves.”

Alexander’s expression turned to visible concern. “Maybe you should come back to Sentry Security with me.”

Surprised, she didn’t know what to say for a moment.

He held up on hand. “That isn’t a come on. My team and their wives live there and so do I. You could stay in one of the extra rooms.”

Caution filled the pit of her stomach. “That’s very kind, but I’m fine here.”

He nodded. “All right. But if you change your mind call me.”

“I will thanks.”

“Do you want me to check the house?”

She laughed softly. “Alexander, you’re sweet, but no. I’m good.”

He held up both hands this time. “I surrender. Okay if I call you tomorrow?”

Heat warmed her cheeks. “Sure. I’m planning on sleeping in. So how about late morning?”

She gave him her number and he put it into his smart phone. He waved and she watched him get into SUV. He waited until she’d closed the garage door before she heard him drive away. Once she entered the house, she wished she’d let him check the house. She quickly went into survival mode, checking and double checking the two thousand square foot house thoroughly. She flipped on light after light, and kept her cell phone tucked into her pants pocket. Even after she’d made sure the house was secure, she stayed up for several hours that night tossing and turning and with lights on. Long Valley had upended everyone’s world in one way or the other, but Dominic’s appearance brought fresh concerns to her mind.

Now that Dominic had returned to town, her instincts went on high alert. Something definitely wasn’t right.

Alexander sat around the table in the war room at Sentry Security and stared at his team. Mark O’Day, Ian MacDaniel and Adam Becker. They were starting a new contract Monday morning and Alexander had finished briefing the men on what they’d be doing for the next few months. Yet Alexander couldn’t seem to keep his mind on his business, and that royally freaked him out. One thing he could always count on in his life, both as a military man and a security contractor, was his ability to stay focused. This was the second time during the meeting his attention drifted to thoughts of Patty Reynolds. It didn’t help that the day-old donuts they’d all devoured moments ago kept him from forgetting her long enough to conduct the meeting.

Mark chewed the last bite of an eclair and wiped his hands on a paper napkin.

“You okay, General?” Adam Becker asked from across the table.

Alexander jerked his attention back to the men. He cleared his throat. “Of course I’m okay.”

“You didn’t finish telling us something that you said was very important,” Ian said.

Mark didn’t say a word, a cocky smile on his face as if he knew exactly why Alexander couldn’t seem to get his shit together.

Alexander cleared his throat again and folded his hands over his stomach. He relaxed into his big chair. “I’m planning on inviting someone to live in the complex, and I wanted to make sure you’d all be comfortable with it. The women, too, of course. I’ve already mentioned this to Penny.”

Mark cocked one eyebrow. “This guest wouldn’t be a lady friend of yours, would it?”

Alexander ignored Mark’s insinuating tone. “You all know her. Patty Reynolds from Patty’s Bakery.”

Alexander scanned all their faces; every last one of them looked intrigued. Too damned intrigued. Adam looked as if he was trying to hold in a smile. Ian scratched his chin, but there was a knowing expression on his face as he turned his attention to his watch. Mark kept his shit-eating grin.

“She’s a really nice woman,” Adam said. “And you’ve mentioned her quite a few times over the last year. Like at least once a week.”

Heat crawled into Alexander’s face.
Damn it.
He didn’t blush. Yet he couldn’t deny making this decision brought him a lot of discomfort. He hadn’t felt this out of control around a woman in a long time. He hadn’t suffered with a building longing to be with a woman until now, and a staggering desire that felt like it might burn a hole clear through him.

“Why is she moving in here?” Ian asked, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.

Alexander rushed to explain. “I don’t know for certain she’s moving in. I haven’t asked her yet. She might say no.” He leaned forward and anchored his elbows on the table. “Look, last night I stopped by to see her at the bakery. I was coming back from that meeting and saw the bakery lights were still on. I was worried because almost every shop on the street had closed early because of the blizzard. She was there by herself. I told her I’d follow her home to make sure she got there safe. Her ex-husband turned up in the alley behind her bakery.”

“Shit,” Adam said, concern narrowing his eyes. “What happened then?”

“It was taking her too long to appear and I went out back to see what the problem was. He was intimidating her. She said she was okay, but I got some seriously weird vibes off the man. I don’t like it. Then she told me that he says some people he arrested once are intent on hurting the people he loves. That makes me very nervous. When I go over to her place today I’m going to see if she wants to move in here for a short time. Just until her ex cools off.”