So Sensitive (16 page)

Wade’s arms tightened around her. “Baby, what is it?”

Pul ing the phone away from her ear, Gracie looked at Wade. She blinked a couple of times, hoping it was just a bad dream and it would go away. “Dad’s at my apartment.”

“And?”

Gracie squeezed her eyes shut, praying she’d wake up and find herself in Wade’s cozy bed, his protective arms surrounding her. Of course, it wasn’t to be. In her experience prayers were rarely answered. She opened her eyes and said, “My home has been broken into.”

Wade straightened in the chair, and if his arms hadn’t been around her she would’ve fal en. “What the hel ?”

She threw her hands in the air. “Dad’s there now. H-He says the place is trashed.” Her voice quivered as she imagined her things ruined.

Wade took the phone out of her hands and brought it to his ear. “Mr. Baron, I need you to hang up and cal the police.” She could hear her father cursing. “Just do it!” Wade shouted and slammed the phone onto the table. He cupped her cheek. “I should’ve insisted on that damn security system. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

Gracie refused to al ow Wade to take responsibility for the actions of some psycho. She shook her head, denying his words. “No, Wade, this is not your fault.” Another thought occurred. “What if I’d been there?”

Wade raked a hand through his hair. “My guess is he knew you weren’t and wanted to send you a message.”

What had started as a mere nuisance was turning her life upside down. It was enough to make a perfectly rational person commit murder.

“What kind of message is he trying to send? First, he runs me off the road; now this. God, Wade, this is insane!”

“Shh, it’s going to be okay. We do need to get over there, though, and talk to the police. We’l need to make statements. And I want to cal Detective Henderson. He should be informed.”

Gracie heard the door open. Jonas strode through, a smile on his handsome face. “You have no idea how hard it was not to dig into this pizza.” He looked at them, and the smile disappeared. “What happened?”

Wade spoke first. “Gracie’s apartment’s been broken into. According to her father, the place is trashed. He’s cal ing the police now.”

“Jesus, this guy isn’t working with a ful deck is he?”

“No.” Wade lifted her off his lap and lightly tapped her cast. “Do you need help getting dressed?”

She shook her head. “I think I’ve got it.”

He nodded. “I’m going to cal the detective then. We’l eat on the way.”

Bile rose at the thought of food. “I’m suddenly not hungry. Go figure.” She turned and went up the stairs, legs shaking with each step. When would it end? She was so tired of being at the mercy of some nameless, faceless asshole. He knew everything about her, apparently had no problem getting into her apartment, and yet she could walk up to him on the street and say hel o and not even know it. A ghost. He was a deranged ghost.

15

E
verything she owned was destroyed. Her furniture was shredded, the cheap, store-bought artwork she’d hung on her wal s ripped right out of their frames. They littered the floor as if they held no more importance than garbage. And her books, her precious paperbacks that had given her countless hours of enjoyment over the years, appeared to have been sliced into pieces. He’d cut up her books.
My God, what sort of
person did something like this?
The rage he must have been in to do this much damage . . . She shivered at the thought. There didn’t appear to be a single thing left to salvage. Nothing had been left untouched. She stared from the front of the room, unable to move any farther. She couldn’t bring herself to see what he’d done to her bedroom. Her skin crawled as she imagined him riffling through her clothes, her private things.

“Wade.” Her voice sounded far away, as if she were floating outside her own body.

“Right here, sweetheart.”

The calm tone quieted her fears as nothing else could. The arm he had wrapped around her shoulder kept her from sinking to the carpet. “I checked every room. He’s gone. Judging by the scratch marks on your doorknob, and the fact that none of your windows are broken, I think he picked your lock.” He paused, then asked, “Do you want to see the rest of it?”

“I don’t think I can, Wade.”

“I’l be right here, baby.”

As they started toward the kitchen, her dad suddenly appeared at her front door. “Where the hel have you been?”

Wade released her and stepped forward, his stance protective and ready for battle. “She’s been with me, Mr. Baron. And you should be damned grateful too. If she’d been home when this had taken place, she could’ve been hurt.”

Her father sneered as he looked at Wade. “Who the hel are you?”

His words weren’t slurred, but she could tel al the same that he’d been drinking. His clothes were wrinkled, and he looked as if it’d been a good week since he’d last showered. Had he left her wrecked apartment to go drink? God, probably. Humiliation suffused her. She should be used to her father embarrassing her. Hel , she’d definitely experienced it enough times. Just once she wished he could’ve been sober. That she was like any other daughter and could run into her dad’s loving arms and feel secure. That was the stuff of fairy tales, though, and her life had never been a fairy tale.

Gracie placed her hand on Wade’s forearm, hoping to stop the train wreck of a conversation before it had a chance to gain momentum.

“Dad, this is Wade Harrison. He’s a private investigator. He’s been helping me with a problem I’ve been having.”

Her father pointed a finger at Wade, his gaze narrowing. “What do you need a private investigator for? Are you in some sort of trouble, Gracie?”

Wade snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “What was your first clue? The car accident that landed her in the hospital or the fact that someone broke into her place and destroyed nearly everything?”

Her dad stepped forward. His wobbling gait didn’t escape her notice. “I don’t think I care for your tone.”

“I don’t much give a shit. Right now, al that matters is your daughter’s safety. Or are you too drunk to give a damn?”

“You son of a bitch!” Before she could intervene again, her father launched himself at Wade, arms flailing. Of course, Wade was bigger, stronger, and sober. Her father didn’t stand a chance. Wade caught one flying fist in his hand, then slung her father around and pul ed both his arms behind his back. Her father cursed, spittle dribbling down his chin. Wade held firm. “Calm down, Mr. Baron. The police wil be here any minute. Do you real y want them to see you like this?”

That seemed to do the trick. After her father stopped struggling, Wade released him. He stumbled but caught himself and turned around. His bloodshot eyes shot daggers at them both, but he stayed silent. Ah, self-preservation. It was the only thing that ever registered with Quinn Baron. Gracie knew she shouldn’t care one way or the other. Her father had always been a selfish man. Stil , her heart broke a little bit every time she had to witness him in such a state.

As if sensing her inner turmoil, Wade reached down and took her uninjured hand in his and gave a gentle squeeze. “You did cal the police like I asked, right, Mr. Baron?”

“I haven’t had the chance, damn it.” He waved a hand in the air. “I’ve been a little preoccupied trying to make sense of this mess.”

Wade cursed under his breath as he pul ed out his cel phone. Gracie knew her father was lying. More likely he’d forgotten to place the cal entirely. After Wade reported the break-in and shoved his phone back onto his hip, Gracie spoke up. “Dad, do you real y want to be around to answer questions when the police get here?”

Her father shot her a look of disapproval. “You’l mind your tongue with me, girl. I won’t be taking any of your sass.”

Gracie sighed. She’d get nowhere with him, not until he sobered. That was the only time he was even remotely reasonable. Unfortunately those moments were pretty few. “Look, it’s been a real y trying few days. How about I cal you a cab? Tomorrow I can fil you in on everything that’s been going on. Okay?”

“Fine.” His gaze darted to Wade, then back to her. “There is one other thing.”

Here it comes. “What is it?”

“They’ve threatened to shut off the electricity again,” he grumbled. “I don’t seem to have enough in the bank to cover the bil .”

Gracie wasn’t sure she had the money to cover it, but to get him out of there, she said, “I’l take care of it.”

“Gracie,” Wade said, his voice a warning in itself.

She knew what he was about to say. He didn’t like it that her father used her. Truth be told, she wasn’t al that crazy about it either. But there was stil a thread there, that family connection. Quinn Baron was the only family she had, and she simply couldn’t ignore him. Even if it were the best thing for the both of them.

“It’s okay, Wade. Just let it go for now. The police wil be here, and I just don’t have it in me to worry about electric bil s at the moment.”

Wade stayed silent, though she could tel he wanted to protest. Instead he flipped open his cel phone again and cal ed for a cab for her father. In that moment Gracie knew the truth. She was fal ing for Wade Harrison, PI and al -around good guy. It was both scary and exhilarating.

When she heard sirens off in the distance, she put thoughts of her dad, of love, and of family obligations out of her mind. She looked toward the kitchen. “How bad is it?”

Her father shook his head. “It’s not like in here. The bedroom is the worst. Just a few things broken in the kitchen. There’s something you’l want to see, though.”

She fol owed him, noticing for the first time the way her father slumped. As if in pain? She sighed. The drinking was kil ing him. How could he not see that? Probably the same reason he couldn’t see that it had al but kil ed her love for him. He would have to actual y give a damn first.

With Wade close behind, a hand on her shoulder for support, Gracie walked into the kitchen. Right in the center of her round oak table sat a single black rose in a black vase. She shivered at the sight. There was a card attached, but she couldn’t bring herself to move closer to the ominous thing. Wrapping her arms around herself, she stared at it as if it would reach out and take hold of her. When would it end? How far was he wil ing to go?

Gracie didn’t think she wanted to know the answer.

Wade tugged Gracie around until she faced him. Damn, she was as white as a sheet. “Come here, baby,” he murmured, coaxing her closer.

When her arms snaked around his waist, he could feel her trembling. “He’s just a man. We’l catch him, angel. I promise you.”

Gracie looked up at him, then turned and stared at the table where the flower stil sat like a bad omen.

“Come on. You need to sit down.”

She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Bul shit. “No, you aren’t.” Wade heard someone honk, and he realized it was the cab. He took out his wal et and pul ed out a few bil s, then shoved them at Gracie’s father.

“Uh, I guess I’d better go,” her father said, his voice a little steadier as he took the cash. “Cal me tomorrow, Gracie.”

She nodded, but didn’t speak. Wade suspected it was al starting to real y sink in. The shock was wearing off. Damn, what he wouldn’t do to get his hands on the bastard tormenting her. He wanted to tear him apart, slowly. He wanted it to hurt for a good long time before death final y came.

He took her to one of the kitchen chairs and helped her sit, and then he crouched down. “I’m sorry, baby. I should have insisted on that security system. At the very least I should have been keeping an eye on this place.”

“No, it’s not your fault, Wade. None of it. Besides, you were protecting me. You can’t be in two places at once.”

He wouldn’t let her make excuses for him. Wade cupped her cheek in his palm. “I could’ve had Jonas here, Gracie. I was a little too intent on getting you into bed. Everything else sort of fel to the wayside.”

She smiled, and as usual the bril iance of it lit him up like a freaking Christmas tree. “I’m not sure if you noticed, but I was pretty intent on that, too.”

They both fel silent. Wade stood and strode across the room, then started opening drawers. “Do you have a pair of tongs or something that I can use to pick up the card?”

“Um, the third drawer down, I think.”

Wade pul ed it open and found a pair of red-handled tongs among a bunch of other kitchen utensils. Grabbing them, he went back to the table and used them to pluck the card out of the vase. He had the insane urge to throw the entire thing into the damn trash, but it was evidence, and he couldn’t destroy evidence. There could be a fingerprint. He highly doubted it, but there was stil a chance, and he clung to it. It took a few tries to get the card out of its envelope. Once the card was free, Wade read it to himself first.

“What does it say?” She straightened her spine, as if bracing herself for yet another impact.

Instead of repeating the words aloud, Wade handed her the tongs. The whole situation was putting him into a dangerous rage. “I’m usual y a pretty patient man, but this asshole is real y pissing me off.”

You’ve betrayed me, Gracie Lynn. I can’t let your slutty behavior continue. I’ll see you soon, my love.

Forever, Your Admirer

Wade watched the look of disgust come over Gracie’s face. Nothing in his life had ever been more difficult than standing around, helpless, while his woman was being tormented. When she started to shake uncontrol ably, Wade took one long stride, then reached out and snagged the tongs holding the card out of her hand and placed both gently on the table, before pul ing Gracie into the safe cocoon of his arms. They held each other tight. “I wil find him,” he vowed, “and he’l pay for al of it.” The bastard’s days were numbered.

“I thought I was braced for the worst, but the words on the card . . . Wade, he’s crazy.” She had her face buried in his T-shirt, causing her words to sound garbled.

“Crazy, but he’l make a mistake, and we’l get him.” The implications of the words on the card said it al . He’d seen him and Gracie together.