The words warmed her despite everything.“I love you too.”
She ended the call and collected her things, deliberately leaving the roses behind, not wanting a reminder that somebody was messing with her life.Then she changed her mind, picking up the vase and holding it in front of her like it was a wild animal, ready to strike at any second.Whatever message they were meant to convey, she wanted no part of it.
As she directed her students toward the door, she remembered the card she’d slipped into her pocket.She had been so distracted, thinking about somebody invading the apartment she had shared with Gabe on and off, she’d almost forgotten about the card.The journal entry, something private and meant for no one else’s eyes, not even Gabe’s, played repeatedly in her thoughts:Sometimes I wonder if Gabriel really sees me, or just the version of me he wants to see.
The words had been born from a moment of insecurity after their confrontation about his keeping secrets, a fleeting doubt she’d never intended to share.Now they’d been weaponized, twisted into something meant to drive a wedge between her and Gabe.
She straightened her shoulders and headed for the exit.Someone was trying to make her doubt the one person she trusted most.The question wasn’t just who—but why.And what would they try next?
As Nica walked down the hallway, she couldn’t shake the feeling that unseen eyes were following her every move.She quickened her pace.In her mind, she was already composing what she would tell Rafe.This time, she wouldn’t let pride or fear of looking foolish stop her from seeking his help.
Someone had crossed a line today, violated her most private thoughts and invaded her home.And if they knew about her journal, what else did they know?More importantly, who hired him?She doubted the man who’d been following her was the mastermind behind the stalking and burglary.Who was the puppet master pulling the strings, and more importantly, why?
The thought chilled her to the bone as she pushed through the school doors into the brightness of the afternoon, scanning the parking lot for Gabe’s car or the dark figure that might be watching her even now.The image of eyes on her sent a chill up her spine, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted Gabe’s green pickup pull into the parking lot.
Now she had to figure out what to say to big brother Rafe.
“It’s done.”
The voice on the other end of the line was emotionless, as though the tasks he’d performed were meaningless, which to him they probably were.He wasn’t aware of the pieces of the puzzle he’d put into place.All he cared about was the money wired into his account with each completed task.
“Did she see you?”
“No, sir.I made sure she was at the back of the library, dealing with students before I entered.I handed off the roses to the librarian, who promised she’d give them to Ms.Boudreau.”
“Excellent.”He pulled up a closed-circuit TV camera outside the school.It didn’t take but a moment to see her walk out the front door, the vase of roses clutched to her chest.He watched her scanning the parking lot, probably looking for his man, the employee who’d followed instructions to the letter.Watched her face go from scared to relieved when she spotted a green pickup truck pull into the parking lot, stop next to her, and she climbed inside.Chances were good they’d be heading straight to the sheriff’s office.
“Did she see you this morning?You were discreet, I hope.”
“I know how to follow orders, and how to do my job.I watched her, but she never spotted me.Followed her to some frou-frou coffee shop where she spent a few minutes chatting with the owner.Stayed behind her when she stopped for gas and a quick dash into the convenience store.Followed her inside.I stayed far enough away she never saw me.But I could tell she felt eyes on her.She got that look, the one everybody gets when they think they’re being watched.A little bit paranoid, a little bit scared.”
He drew a deep breath, amazed that things were not only going well but it was almost too easy.Gabe wasn’t watching his new wife close enough.It would be so easy to simply snatch her from beneath his nose—but that wasn’t the plan.No, Gabe needed to feel the same pain he’d felt when he lost Melissa.And that would only come when he admitted what he’d done.That he’d murdered a sweet kind soul, the same way Gabe would eventually lose his new wife.
“Time for you to leave town.”
“But, sir—”
“The money has been wired to your account with an additional bonus for good work.Do not contact me.If I have further work, I will be in touch.”
Without another word, he disconnected the call, a self-satisfied smirk curving his lips.He wished he could have seen Gabe’s face when he heard about his wife’s gift.The line from her journal was an especially sweet jab; Gabe would know his home, his sanctuary, had been invaded, and there was nowhere safe he could hide.
Opening a file on his computer, he began typing.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The silence inthe car was deafening.Gabe gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white as he maneuvered through the quiet streets of Shiloh Springs.Beside him, Nica sat with the bouquet of roses in her lap, her fingers absently tracing the edge of the small card that had arrived with them.
“You’re sure you’ve never seen that quote anywhere else?”Gabe asked, glancing at her briefly before returning his eyes to the road.Nica had been quiet from the moment she’d climbed into the front seat beside him.She’d wanted to leave the flowers behind in the library, but Gabe figured it would be better to bring them along, in case Rafe wanted to check them out, maybe see if there was a way to trace them, either from the card or calling the florist.Maybe even take fingerprints, though he doubted that would do much good.Too many people handled the vase.
Nica shook her head.“It’s word for word from my journal, Gabe.The one I keep in your nightstand.”Her voice trembled slightly.“Nobody else should know those words.It’s my thoughts, my feelings, put into words.I feel like I’ve been violated.Dirty.”
The thought of someone invading his home—their own private space—made Gabe’s blood boil.He took a deep breath, trying to calm the surge of protectiveness and rage that threatened to overwhelm him.They’d only been married for three months.Three less than blissful months because of their secret elopement, which thankfully was no longer a secret, that now felt tainted by this invisible threat.
“We’ll figure this out,” he said, reaching over to squeeze her knee.“Rafe will know what to do.”
“I hope so.”
As they pulled into the parking space in front of the sheriff’s office, Gabe noted Nica’s hesitation.She’d always been independent, stubborn even.Never backed down from anybody or anything, yet now she seemed almost defeated.Going to her brother for help wasn’t easy for her.But the roses changed things.This wasn’t just about someone following her anymore; this was about someone violating their privacy, their sanctuary.
