Darren was on the phone with Sophia when the door burst open, and the assailant stepped in. Teddy wasted no time launching himself at the assailant’s leg and sinking his teeth in.The assailant’s howl of pain was unmistakably a man’s, and it sent fear straight to Sophia’s stomach. She began to scream at the top of her lungs and threw herself at the masked intruder, landing a few scratches and bites.
Then she lifted her pepper spray and aimed for his clear hazel eyes.
He let out another curse, shook Teddy off, and stumbled backward. Sophia grabbed Teddy’s collar and tugged him back as the intruder stumbled around the living room, swatting at things and rubbing his eyes. By the time he opened his eyes, they were tinged a bright, blood red, and sirens echoed in the distance. Hastily, and with an angry look in Sophia’s direction, he staggered backward and flew down the stairs.
Ian’s car came to a screech, and he set off after the intruder, a blur of color and movement against the darkness of the night. Darren’s firetruck followed soon after, and Sophia’s ex came flying out of the side door, catching up to Ian easily. The two of them rounded a corner and disappeared, leaving Sophia scrambling with her phone and an irate Teddy, who kept thrashing and howling.
Once he saw Ian and Darren round the corner again, red-faced and grim, Teddy relaxed, and she released his collar. He raced toward them, paused to sniff their feet, and licked their hands. Then he came back to where Sophia stood in her pajamas and a hoodie, her heart racing at a million miles a minute.
She looked from her ex to her brother, and her stomach dipped. “You didn’t catch him, did you?”
Ian sheathed his gun. “We lost him in one of the alleys. For a guy who got peppered sprayed, he sure is fast.”
“But it’s good that we know he’s a guy. That helps us narrow down the suspect list,” Darren added with a small smile in her direction. “You did good, Soph.”
Sophia blew out a breath. “Don’t look at me. Teddy did most of the heavy lifting. For such a sweet dog, he sure does know how to bite. He really sank his teeth in there.”
Darren crouched in front of Teddy, took his face in his hands, and gave him a kiss. “I knew I had you to thank for the limp. Thanks to Teddy, we might be able to get a blood sample to help us identify who it was.”
Sophia patted Teddy’s head. “How?”
“I’ll send a team to the alley. If Teddy bit him hard enough, there should be enough traces of blood to help,” Ian replied after casting a quick look over his shoulders. “In the meantime, you should go back inside and get some rest.”
“As if I could get any kind of rest right now.”
Stu pushed his way through the swarm of cops and made a beeline for Sophia. “I can’t leave you alone for a long time, can I? Sweetheart, if you wanted some excitement for the weekend, all you had to do was come out with us.”
Sophia drew Stu in for a hug. “You know me, Dad. I’m all about the fun.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Look, it’s not that I don’t appreciate all of your help, but I don’t need a babysitter.” Sophia placed both hands on her hips and ignored Teddy, who was circling her feet and wagging his tail. “Labor Day weekend is over, Darren. Everyone is going back to their normal lives.”
“Because they can,” Darren replied without looking back at her. “You, on the other hand, have an intruder who really wants something that you have.”
Sophia threw her hands up in the air and huffed. “Well, he must have the wrong house because we don’t have much. Other than the large screen in the living room, but he didn’t seem interested in that at all.”
“Are you sure you don’t have anything valuable? Any of your mom’s old jewelry or something?”
Sophia shook her head. “She didn’t have much. I keep a few of her things in the safe, but that’s pretty much it.”
“Maybe he’s after something your dad has.” Darren’s head popped out, droplets of water sliding down his face and over his forehead. “Does Stu have anything worth breaking in for?”
“He’s a retired teacher,” Sophia pointed out with a frown. “What could he possibly have that would be of any interest toanyone? Unless someone wants old pictures or certificates or something.”
Darren disappeared back into the bathroom and returned with a towel to pat his face dry. “Stranger things have happened.”
“Like my ex moving back in with me while I live in my parents’ house?”
Darren grinned. “Exactly.”
“This really isn’t necessary,” Sophia maintained, pausing to scratch behind Teddy’s ears. “This is what we have the dog for, remember? You said he’d help protect me.”
“That was after the first break-in. One, we can overlook. Two is a pattern.” Darren disappeared into the bathroom again and emerged with a duffel bag. He set it down on the bed, snorted, and spun around to face her. “Besides, I know you spoil Teddy rotten. You’re going to make him too soft to be able to handle intruders.”
“There’s no such thing.”
Darren raised an eyebrow. “Want to bet?”
