“There’s activity at Keera’s apartment,” Declan said over the phone.
“What sort of activity?” Arden asked as he grabbed his keys and called Max, who was already on his heels as he heard the tension in Arden’s voice.
“The cops were called,” Declan told him.
Arden was in his car and speeding down his driveway within seconds. He was more than grateful Keera didn’t live far from him. He’d been with her all day at school, and she’d insisted she was fine, that nothing out of the ordinary had happened in a while and she didn’t need to be coddled. He’d hated leaving her alone, but he had to respect her wishes.
Besides, he was desperately trying to figure out what his feelings toward this woman were. He knew something was happening between them, and he also knew he was falling for her. But she had been guarded for a very long time, and he wasn’t sure he could get through to her, wasn’t sure she could open up to anyone after what she’d been through.
He was fighting on whether to look up her story. She’d shared with him, and he felt immensely pleased that she’d opened up to him as much as she had, but he wanted her to give him more, to give it all to him.
He didn’t know if she was capable of doing that. It was a real test of trust, and he needed to give her more time. But right now, all he cared about was getting to her, ensuring her safety. Then he could work on her trust more fully when someone wasn’t trying their best to destroy her.
Maybe this was about her past, though, and he was being a fool to not find out all he could to ensure her safety. And even though Arden wasn’t checking into her past, he was more than sure Declan had. If there was something Arden needed to know to keep her safe, he was sure his brother would tell him.
They got to the apartment building, where two cop cars were sitting, their lights off, their cabs empty. “Let’s get to Keera,” Arden told Max, who practically pulled Arden from the vehicle. The dog was just as worried about her as he was.
Keera was standing outside her door, speaking to two officers. Arden heard someone inside the small unit and knew there were probably two more checking out whatever was wrong.
“What happened?” Arden asked, knowing the two men speaking with her.
Arden had to respect them, because even though the men knew Arden, they looked to Keera to make sure it was okay for them to share the information. She nodded at the men, who appeared relieved. It sucked in a small town to have to keep something from someone they knew would want to help.
“Ms. Thompson’s apartment was broken into. The perps were caught by one of the neighbors, who called it in, but they managed to flee the scene,” Officer Nicolson said.
“Did they get a description?” Arden asked. He wanted in that apartment right now.
“Unfortunately, both perps wore ski masks. The neighbor said they were somewhere around six feet tall, lanky, and strong as hell. The neighbor got pushed into the wall as they rushed past him.”
“Oh my,” Keera said. She must have just beaten him there, and this was news to her as well as him. “Are the neighbors okay?”
“Your neighbors are fine, ma’am,” Officer Nicolson assured her.
Arden respected that Keera was more concerned with her neighbors’ safety than what could be missing from her apartment. But then again, she’d already lost everything once in her life, so she knew she could replace items. It truly was people who mattered, not objects.
“I wonder if this could be one of the same men who were at the school,” Keera said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Arden told her.
“Do you have any idea what the perps might be trying to find?” the officer asked. “I don’t believe in coincidence, and with your office and now your home broken into, it’s not a leap saying you’re in danger.” Arden was glad the officer wasn’t sugarcoating this.
“I have nothing of value,” she told the officer. Her shoulders drooped, and Arden saw the confusion in her eyes. He moved closer, wrapping his arm around her.
Max was clearly agitated as he whipped his head from her to the open door. He wanted to protect Keera, but he also wanted in that apartment.
“It’s okay, Max. Wait,” Arden said. He was shocked when the dog looked at him with understanding, then sat at Keera’s other side, resting his head against her. Her hand immediately went to the back of Max’s ears, and she rubbed, the worry in her eyes dimming. The neighbor who’d called in the report stepped from his apartment, a nice shiner forming on his right eye.
“Oh, Mr. Davis,” Keera said, sympathy and guilt in her eyes.
“I’m okay, Keera. Some young punks can’t hurt an old man like me,” he said, his chest puffing out.
“What happened?” she asked.
“I already told the officers. But I was coming home from the grocery store and saw your door cracked open. After all the odd occurrences around here, I wasn’t going to take any chances, so I pushed open the door and called out your name. Two men dressed in black rushed me. I wasn’t going to back down, but they bowled me over, sending me against the wall. I fell and caught my eye on the doorknob,” he said with a bit of irritation directed at himself.
“You shouldn’t have tried to stop them,” Keera told him. “But I’m so grateful to have someone like you living next door to me. Thank you.” She squeezed his hand, and Arden noticed the tremor she was trying to hide.
“That’s what I should be doing. You’re a young lady living here on your own. We look out for each other,” he assured her.
Keera got tears in her eyes, and she looked down as she pulled herself together. She really didn’t like showing weakness. Sometimes it was a person’s vulnerabilities that endeared them most to others, though. Maybe it was Arden’s job to show her there could be a lot of strength in letting go of what you thought was weakness.
“You’re clear to come in now,” said one of the officers who’d been inside her apartment.
Keera’s body tensed, but Arden was pleased when she allowed him to take her hand as she stepped forward. His gut clenched when he saw her place, and then he felt white-hot fury.
Keera gasped, but was otherwise silent as the two of them stopped only a few feet inside. The place had been wrecked. It appeared as if the people coming in had wanted to cause as much damage as possible. Her curtains were torn down, her plants tumbled over, and the soil ground into the carpet. The couch was turned upside down, with the cushions cut and foam scattered from the kitchen to the living room. She didn’t possess many knickknacks, but what few there were lay smashed against the linoleum of the kitchen floor. Containers were spilled, and the faucet had been left on, water coating the floor.
“Why?” she said, her voice a low whisper. “Why would anyone do this to another person?”
Arden didn’t have an answer. He couldn’t comprehend someone doing this to another, couldn’t imagine what would cause someone so much anger to be able to do this.
He squeezed her fingers instead of giving her a senseless answer that would mean nothing. The officers were quiet as they allowed her to go back to her bedroom, where her bed was destroyed. It looked as if an ax had been taken to it. This looked to be more than simple destruction. This appeared to be a hate crime.
“I have nothing for them to take,” Keera said, standing in her room, looking so lost that Arden couldn’t take it. He pulled her into his arms and held her while she shook.
“Do you have somewhere you can go, Ms. Thompson? With this much destruction, we don’t feel it’s safe for you to be here,” Officer Nicolson said.
She shook her head against his chest, and Arden felt the warm moisture of her tears. Keera was a strong woman, and he knew she was keeping her face buried because she didn’t want any of them to see what she deemed as weakness. He ran his fingers through her hair and held her.
She was silent for several moments, then she raised a hand and wiped her face before she sniffled and a shudder passed through her. Then he felt her shoulders firm up and knew she was preparing to put on a brave front. He needed to give her the time to fall apart, but she had to do that when she was ready. When she stepped back from him, her eyes were red, but there was determination in them.
“I don’t have somewhere to go, but I’d hope they’re done now. They have to have seen there’s nothing here,” she said, her voice still carrying a note of distress, though she was trying her best to cover it.
Officer Nicolson was about to argue with her when Arden stepped in. “I’ll make sure she’s safe,” he assured the cop, who nodded. It was well known in this town that Arden was a man of his word, and he wouldn’t say it if he didn’t mean it.
The officer gave her a card, told her to call anytime, then they left after ensuring she’d leave the place after gathering only what she needed. They made sure to let her know it was an active crime scene, and the less she could taint it, the better the chances they’d find evidence.
Keera didn’t move for a long time, and Max stayed right by her side. Though Arden wanted her out of this apartment as soon as humanly possible, he also knew not to push her. She needed patience and understanding more than she needed anything else.
“I can’t leave,” she finally said. She moved as if to sit on the bed, then looked at it and instead stepped to her closet, where her clothes had been ripped from their hangers. Her dresser had also been tossed, the drawers lying broken on the ground.
“Just grab what you must have, and we’ll figure the rest out later,” Arden told her.
“I can’t . . . I don’t know what to do,” she said, another tear slipping.
Arden moved over to her, placed his hands on her shoulders, and waited until she was looking him in the eyes. He waited a few more moments before speaking because he wanted to make sure she understood he was serious, that it was okay to lean on another person.
“Sometimes in life, the thing that makes us the strongest is to lean on those we know can help carry our burdens. You accepting help from someone who cares about you doesn’t make you weak, doesn’t make you a victim, it makes you smart and strong. I’m involved now, Keera, and I won’t walk away from you. Let me help you.”
He raised a hand and caressed her cheek, wiping away the tear. Max whimpered beside her as if to offer his support as well. Her hand found that safe spot on Max’s head as she stared back at Arden, fear and hope mixed in her expression.
“I’m afraid to count on anyone but myself,” she admitted.
“It’s okay to be scared. As long as you allow someone in,” he told her.
One more tear fell before she brushed it away and looked at him with determination. “I don’t know how to accept help.”
“Then, let me show you,” he said.
He looked at the room, and he didn’t see anything that could be salvaged. She looked, as well, and seemed to come to the same conclusion.
“There’s a hotel in town,” she said. She didn’t appear happy with that choice. He knew on a principal’s salary it wouldn’t take her long to run out of funds, especially when she had to replace all that had been lost.
“Do you have rental insurance?” he asked, knowing most people didn’t carry it.
“Yes, thankfully, but that will take a while to kick in,” she said.
“Well, there’s a start. Why don’t we get out of here?” he offered.
She glanced around again and then nodded. They made their way out of the apartment, and he led her to his car. She tried to protest, but he promised her they’d come back the next day to get her car. She was too upset to be driving. She relented because she knew he was right. When they passed the hotel, she began to protest, but Arden assured her it was going to be okay.
There was no way he was leaving her alone again, not with someone coming after her. He was taking her where he could guarantee her safety. He was bringing her home. Only then would they both be able to sleep.
The only thing Arden was unsure about now is if he was going to be able to ever let her leave again. In a short time, she’d managed to dig her way into his heart, and he didn’t feel the slightest need to push her back out.