location right now. Who am I speaking to?”
“Kylie McKay.”
“And you’re sure you’re not hurt, Kylie?”
“I’m fine.”
“Can you describe the person? I’ll alert police to search for him.”
“I just had a glimpse. He wore black. That’s all I saw. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay, Kylie. The police will be there soon. Are you alone?”
“I can . . . I can go inside. My brother—” She broke off, choking up at the thought of facing Quinn right now, shaky and freaked out.
“That’s a good idea. I’ll let the officers know where you are. Can you hang on for a moment?”
“Yes.” She waited for what seemed like an eternity, and as her equilibrium began to return, she cursed herself for being such a coward. How the hell did closed eyes protect her from an attack, for God’s sake? She should have locked the Jeep instead of cowering. Should have laid on the horn. Should have grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911 right then. Should have done something .
She’d vowed never to be caught unprepared again, and what did she do at the first sign of a threat? Act like a scared rabbit: If I don’t see you, you won’t see me. Fool. Stupid fool.
Right that minute, she should have been walking back into the safety of the health club instead of standing there like a quivering mass of gelatin, waiting for the windshield-smasher to come back and take a swing at her this time.
Pressing trembling fingers to her lips, she started to pace toward the front of the Jeep. She just needed a minute to get it together, and then she’d seek out Quinn.
Eye on the ball. Focus. Breathe.
She’d just turned to pace back the other way when a gruff voice assaulted her ear. “Kylie, it’s Chase. Where are you?”
She stopped in midstep. Chase? He must have heard the chatter about her 911 call on his police radio and asked the operator to transfer her to his cell. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. She couldn’t think. “Uh, I’m by my car—”
“Go inside. Do you hear me? I’m on my way, but I want you to go inside.”
She nodded without speaking, her stomach surging again at his urgent tone. Oh God, oh God.
“Are you listening to me?”
“Yes,” she croaked.
“Go. Right now .”
The infuriated, demanding growl brought her head up. “Okay. I’m—”
She broke off as she saw what lay on the pavement on the passenger side of the Jeep.
A blue aluminum baseball bat.
11
KYLIE ROSE FROM WHERE SHE SAT ON THE CURB AS Chase’s Explorer tore into the parking lot, a red light flashing on its roof. Tires squealed the SUV to a stop, and an instant later, two car doors slammed. While Sam did a wide circle around the Jeep, surveying the damage, Chase strode to Kylie’s side and shocked her by taking her arm a bit too aggressively.
“Are you okay?” He looked her over as if he expected to find gaping wounds.
She couldn’t respond at first, thrown by the intensity of his inspection as much as the pressure of his fingers around her upper arm. She hadn’t felt his touch in years, and all the blood in her brain seemed to rush to the point of contact, swirling the scent of his tropical sunscreen through her head. Oh, God, it was staggering.
“Kylie?”
The alarm in his voice snapped her back, and she took a quick step away from him, forcing him to release her. Breathe, breathe. “I’m fine. My Jeep, on the other hand . . .”
His narrowed eyes took in the vandalism. “Damn.”
Kylie said nothing, her mind’s eye focusing again on the thing on the ground on the other side of the Jeep. The smashed windshield was bad enough, but the bat. That bat, just like the one . . .
Sam joined them, his features tense. “Kylie.”
“Detective.” She tried to smile at him as she chafed her arms with the palms of her hands. It wasn’t cold out, but she’d started to shiver.
“Notice how she did what I told her to do and waited inside,” Chase grumbled.
His anger, apparently at her , caught her
“Kylie McKay.”
“And you’re sure you’re not hurt, Kylie?”
“I’m fine.”
“Can you describe the person? I’ll alert police to search for him.”
“I just had a glimpse. He wore black. That’s all I saw. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay, Kylie. The police will be there soon. Are you alone?”
“I can . . . I can go inside. My brother—” She broke off, choking up at the thought of facing Quinn right now, shaky and freaked out.
“That’s a good idea. I’ll let the officers know where you are. Can you hang on for a moment?”
“Yes.” She waited for what seemed like an eternity, and as her equilibrium began to return, she cursed herself for being such a coward. How the hell did closed eyes protect her from an attack, for God’s sake? She should have locked the Jeep instead of cowering. Should have laid on the horn. Should have grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911 right then. Should have done something .
She’d vowed never to be caught unprepared again, and what did she do at the first sign of a threat? Act like a scared rabbit: If I don’t see you, you won’t see me. Fool. Stupid fool.
Right that minute, she should have been walking back into the safety of the health club instead of standing there like a quivering mass of gelatin, waiting for the windshield-smasher to come back and take a swing at her this time.
Pressing trembling fingers to her lips, she started to pace toward the front of the Jeep. She just needed a minute to get it together, and then she’d seek out Quinn.
Eye on the ball. Focus. Breathe.
She’d just turned to pace back the other way when a gruff voice assaulted her ear. “Kylie, it’s Chase. Where are you?”
She stopped in midstep. Chase? He must have heard the chatter about her 911 call on his police radio and asked the operator to transfer her to his cell. She closed her eyes and rubbed at her forehead. She couldn’t think. “Uh, I’m by my car—”
“Go inside. Do you hear me? I’m on my way, but I want you to go inside.”
She nodded without speaking, her stomach surging again at his urgent tone. Oh God, oh God.
“Are you listening to me?”
“Yes,” she croaked.
“Go. Right now .”
The infuriated, demanding growl brought her head up. “Okay. I’m—”
She broke off as she saw what lay on the pavement on the passenger side of the Jeep.
A blue aluminum baseball bat.
11
KYLIE ROSE FROM WHERE SHE SAT ON THE CURB AS Chase’s Explorer tore into the parking lot, a red light flashing on its roof. Tires squealed the SUV to a stop, and an instant later, two car doors slammed. While Sam did a wide circle around the Jeep, surveying the damage, Chase strode to Kylie’s side and shocked her by taking her arm a bit too aggressively.
“Are you okay?” He looked her over as if he expected to find gaping wounds.
She couldn’t respond at first, thrown by the intensity of his inspection as much as the pressure of his fingers around her upper arm. She hadn’t felt his touch in years, and all the blood in her brain seemed to rush to the point of contact, swirling the scent of his tropical sunscreen through her head. Oh, God, it was staggering.
“Kylie?”
The alarm in his voice snapped her back, and she took a quick step away from him, forcing him to release her. Breathe, breathe. “I’m fine. My Jeep, on the other hand . . .”
His narrowed eyes took in the vandalism. “Damn.”
Kylie said nothing, her mind’s eye focusing again on the thing on the ground on the other side of the Jeep. The smashed windshield was bad enough, but the bat. That bat, just like the one . . .
Sam joined them, his features tense. “Kylie.”
“Detective.” She tried to smile at him as she chafed her arms with the palms of her hands. It wasn’t cold out, but she’d started to shiver.
“Notice how she did what I told her to do and waited inside,” Chase grumbled.
His anger, apparently at her , caught her
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