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Authors: Desiree Holt
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knows what to her. For a moment, she could hardly breathe. Couldn’t move. This was more than silent telephone calls.
Don’t call the police. You don’t need that kind of publicity.
Besides, she could hear her father’s voice in her head telling her that was the smart thing to do, so of course she would do just the opposite.
So no police. She didn’t need blue lights flashing, photographers capturing every action, the neighbors all standing around whispering about her. No, there was only one person she could call, much as she hated to. Two calls in two days? She could just imagine what he’d be thinking.
When she could make herself move, she unlocked the car and crawled into the driver’s seat. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and, swallowing any misgivings, she punched in the number, praying she’d get an answer.
Please let him answer.
“Ortiz.”
Oh, thank God .
“Rafe?” She took a deep breath, let it out. “Hi. It’s Tyler.” On the off chance that he’d frozen her out of his brain or knew a lot of women with the same name, she added, “Gillette.”
There was a long moment of silence. “What now, Tyler? What’s going on? Did you get yourself into another mess again?”
Well, of course he’d think that. Why shouldn’t he?
“I—Can you come to my house? I have a little problem.”
She could almost feel him come to attention over the connection. “Is he there? That guy?”
“No, no, no.” Oh, God. “He doesn’t even know who I am or where I live.”
“So you say.” Another pause. Then he repeated, “What’s going on?”
“I—Someone slashed my tires. In my driveway.”
“Slashed your tires?”
She could tell he was trying not to sound irritated. In a minute, he’d probably tell her to just call a garage and leave him alone. Or wait until the morning and get hold of the dealer. After all, she really wasn’t his responsibility. Something pinched inside her when she realized she really had no one who was her go-to person. She’d done a good job of alienating everyone who might fit the bill. She was sure Rafe was only doing this because he worked for her father, because she knew he had little to no use for her. Then he sighed, a sound so audible it carried over the connection.
“Where are you now?” he demanded.
“Inside my car, still outside.” And afraid to get out.
“Go in the house and lock the door. I’ll be right there. Did you call the cops?”
“No.” She shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. “No cops. I mean it, Rafe.”
Another long moment of silence stretched across the connection. “All right. Go inside. I’m on my way.”
“Thank you.” She said it in a small voice. She wasn’t sure he heard because he disconnected the call.
Looking carefully all around her, she eased out of the car and let herself into the house. He was coming. He might be furious with her but at least he was coming.
As she stood in the hall, her phone chimed with an incoming text message. She prayed it would be Betsy or one of the few people she’d given the new number to. Fingers shaking, she opened the text.
“Hope you weren’t planning 2 drive anywhere tonight. I can get 2 u anywhere.”
She slammed the phone down and pulled in a deep breath, hoping she wasn’t going to throw up.
Chapter 4
Rafe parked at the curb and sighed as he shut off the engine. So much for rescheduling last night’s poker game. He climbed out of his car and walked slowly into the driveway. Tyler had left the outside lights on so the damage to her tires was plainly visible. He walked around the vehicle slowly, then took out his camera and did another circuit, snapping pictures of it. She was lucky the damage wasn’t worse. Tires could be replaced. Whoever it was could have keyed her expensive car with the high-gloss finish. Or done something to her engine. Jimmied the brake line if he’d had the time and no one saw him.
Was that really panic he’d
Don’t call the police. You don’t need that kind of publicity.
Besides, she could hear her father’s voice in her head telling her that was the smart thing to do, so of course she would do just the opposite.
So no police. She didn’t need blue lights flashing, photographers capturing every action, the neighbors all standing around whispering about her. No, there was only one person she could call, much as she hated to. Two calls in two days? She could just imagine what he’d be thinking.
When she could make herself move, she unlocked the car and crawled into the driver’s seat. She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and, swallowing any misgivings, she punched in the number, praying she’d get an answer.
Please let him answer.
“Ortiz.”
Oh, thank God .
“Rafe?” She took a deep breath, let it out. “Hi. It’s Tyler.” On the off chance that he’d frozen her out of his brain or knew a lot of women with the same name, she added, “Gillette.”
There was a long moment of silence. “What now, Tyler? What’s going on? Did you get yourself into another mess again?”
Well, of course he’d think that. Why shouldn’t he?
“I—Can you come to my house? I have a little problem.”
She could almost feel him come to attention over the connection. “Is he there? That guy?”
“No, no, no.” Oh, God. “He doesn’t even know who I am or where I live.”
“So you say.” Another pause. Then he repeated, “What’s going on?”
“I—Someone slashed my tires. In my driveway.”
“Slashed your tires?”
She could tell he was trying not to sound irritated. In a minute, he’d probably tell her to just call a garage and leave him alone. Or wait until the morning and get hold of the dealer. After all, she really wasn’t his responsibility. Something pinched inside her when she realized she really had no one who was her go-to person. She’d done a good job of alienating everyone who might fit the bill. She was sure Rafe was only doing this because he worked for her father, because she knew he had little to no use for her. Then he sighed, a sound so audible it carried over the connection.
“Where are you now?” he demanded.
“Inside my car, still outside.” And afraid to get out.
“Go in the house and lock the door. I’ll be right there. Did you call the cops?”
“No.” She shook her head, even though he couldn’t see her. “No cops. I mean it, Rafe.”
Another long moment of silence stretched across the connection. “All right. Go inside. I’m on my way.”
“Thank you.” She said it in a small voice. She wasn’t sure he heard because he disconnected the call.
Looking carefully all around her, she eased out of the car and let herself into the house. He was coming. He might be furious with her but at least he was coming.
As she stood in the hall, her phone chimed with an incoming text message. She prayed it would be Betsy or one of the few people she’d given the new number to. Fingers shaking, she opened the text.
“Hope you weren’t planning 2 drive anywhere tonight. I can get 2 u anywhere.”
She slammed the phone down and pulled in a deep breath, hoping she wasn’t going to throw up.
Chapter 4
Rafe parked at the curb and sighed as he shut off the engine. So much for rescheduling last night’s poker game. He climbed out of his car and walked slowly into the driveway. Tyler had left the outside lights on so the damage to her tires was plainly visible. He walked around the vehicle slowly, then took out his camera and did another circuit, snapping pictures of it. She was lucky the damage wasn’t worse. Tires could be replaced. Whoever it was could have keyed her expensive car with the high-gloss finish. Or done something to her engine. Jimmied the brake line if he’d had the time and no one saw him.
Was that really panic he’d
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