as it was. He didn’t need to make her any angrier.
Eliza watched him as he walked over to her but didn’t speak.
Instead, she tilted her head to one side and waited. “Listen,” he told her.
“I’m going now but I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
Then he kissed her. It was fast and over almost before it
got started. He hadn’t planned to but she was just so damn pretty he couldn’t help
himself.
They stared at one another for a long moment. Rabb left
before he did something even more stupid—like carry her back to his place and
take her to bed—and hurried down the stairs. He turned up his collar when he
hit the outside and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. They hadn’t had much
snow yet, but it was cold.
His stride lengthened as he hurried to the corner. His first
order of business was to get Eliza a phone. She needed the ability to contact
the police if necessary. As much as he wanted to keep her in his sight 24/7, he
knew that just wouldn’t be possible.
As for the second order of business, he pulled his phone out
of his pocket and scrolled through his contacts until he found the number he
was looking for. He made the call and listened while it rang once, twice. “Come
on,” he muttered.
“Archer.” The voice was abrupt.
“It’s Rabb.” He looked both ways before darting across the
street without waiting for the light to change.
“Hey, buddy. Long time, no hear.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. The club keeps me hopping.” His
ears were starting to freeze and he really wanted another cup of coffee.
Thankfully there was a café a few doors away. He hurried and held the door for
a woman loaded down with a takeaway tray filled with cups. She nodded her thanks
and he ducked inside. The warmth of the place surrounded him. He should have
worn his hat and gloves. It was a lot colder than he’d thought it would be.
Just imagining Eliza sleeping outside in this weather
sickened him. What if she hadn’t come to see him last night? Instead of
spending the night in his bed, she would have been curled up in an alleyway
somewhere or in a crowded shelter.
“Rabb, you still there?” Archer asked.
He got in the short line up at the counter. “Yeah, sorry
about that. I ducked inside to grab a coffee.” He placed his order when the
girl behind the counter asked, and then returned to his call. “Listen, I need
to hire you to do something for me.”
“You need a P.I.? What for?”
“I need you to check on something for me.”
Rabb paid and then moved off to the side to wait for his
order. He could hear Archer rummaging around and knew he was searching for pen
and paper. Yes, he used electronic gadgets for his work, but Archer still
preferred to take his notes the old-fashioned way.
“Shoot,” his buddy told him.
“Eliza Hart. She’s a friend of mine who’s had some trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
Rabb took his coffee, nodded his thanks and left the café.
“She has a stalker and he put her in the hospital.” He knew Eliza would have a
fit if she knew he was doing this, but he didn’t care. His number one priority
was keeping her safe.
Archer whistled long and low. “That so? What else can you
tell me?”
“Detective Mitchell Zurkowski is handling the case, but the
stalker is a slick son of a bitch who always has an alibi. His name is Jason
Ware. I’m not sure where he’s working now, but it will likely be in the
financial district somewhere.”
“You sure this woman isn’t lying? If the police haven’t
pressed charges because of the attack, then maybe he didn’t do it.”
“I’m sure.” He knew Eliza well enough to know she wasn’t
lying about this. She’d lost everything—her home, her dreams and almost her
life.
“I’ll give the detective a call and then go from there.
Anything else you can tell me?”
Rabb sipped his coffee. “She worked with me at Bruno’s.”
“Ahh.” The amusement in Archer’s voice had him tensing.
“Pretty, is
Eliza watched him as he walked over to her but didn’t speak.
Instead, she tilted her head to one side and waited. “Listen,” he told her.
“I’m going now but I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
Then he kissed her. It was fast and over almost before it
got started. He hadn’t planned to but she was just so damn pretty he couldn’t help
himself.
They stared at one another for a long moment. Rabb left
before he did something even more stupid—like carry her back to his place and
take her to bed—and hurried down the stairs. He turned up his collar when he
hit the outside and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. They hadn’t had much
snow yet, but it was cold.
His stride lengthened as he hurried to the corner. His first
order of business was to get Eliza a phone. She needed the ability to contact
the police if necessary. As much as he wanted to keep her in his sight 24/7, he
knew that just wouldn’t be possible.
As for the second order of business, he pulled his phone out
of his pocket and scrolled through his contacts until he found the number he
was looking for. He made the call and listened while it rang once, twice. “Come
on,” he muttered.
“Archer.” The voice was abrupt.
“It’s Rabb.” He looked both ways before darting across the
street without waiting for the light to change.
“Hey, buddy. Long time, no hear.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. The club keeps me hopping.” His
ears were starting to freeze and he really wanted another cup of coffee.
Thankfully there was a café a few doors away. He hurried and held the door for
a woman loaded down with a takeaway tray filled with cups. She nodded her thanks
and he ducked inside. The warmth of the place surrounded him. He should have
worn his hat and gloves. It was a lot colder than he’d thought it would be.
Just imagining Eliza sleeping outside in this weather
sickened him. What if she hadn’t come to see him last night? Instead of
spending the night in his bed, she would have been curled up in an alleyway
somewhere or in a crowded shelter.
“Rabb, you still there?” Archer asked.
He got in the short line up at the counter. “Yeah, sorry
about that. I ducked inside to grab a coffee.” He placed his order when the
girl behind the counter asked, and then returned to his call. “Listen, I need
to hire you to do something for me.”
“You need a P.I.? What for?”
“I need you to check on something for me.”
Rabb paid and then moved off to the side to wait for his
order. He could hear Archer rummaging around and knew he was searching for pen
and paper. Yes, he used electronic gadgets for his work, but Archer still
preferred to take his notes the old-fashioned way.
“Shoot,” his buddy told him.
“Eliza Hart. She’s a friend of mine who’s had some trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
Rabb took his coffee, nodded his thanks and left the café.
“She has a stalker and he put her in the hospital.” He knew Eliza would have a
fit if she knew he was doing this, but he didn’t care. His number one priority
was keeping her safe.
Archer whistled long and low. “That so? What else can you
tell me?”
“Detective Mitchell Zurkowski is handling the case, but the
stalker is a slick son of a bitch who always has an alibi. His name is Jason
Ware. I’m not sure where he’s working now, but it will likely be in the
financial district somewhere.”
“You sure this woman isn’t lying? If the police haven’t
pressed charges because of the attack, then maybe he didn’t do it.”
“I’m sure.” He knew Eliza well enough to know she wasn’t
lying about this. She’d lost everything—her home, her dreams and almost her
life.
“I’ll give the detective a call and then go from there.
Anything else you can tell me?”
Rabb sipped his coffee. “She worked with me at Bruno’s.”
“Ahh.” The amusement in Archer’s voice had him tensing.
“Pretty, is
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