Chapter Thirty-Seven
After a magnificent ten days in Jamaica, they waited for their luggage at baggage claim and Jade sighed.
Jeremy arched a brow. “Problem, Mrs. Larson?”
She smirked. “I miss it already.”
“Jamaica?”
“Yes. I’m not sure I can live without room service anymore. And it’s cold here. I wanna go back.”
He chuckled and rubbed a hand over her thick coat. “We can go back.”
“When?”
Knowing she didn’t want to wait to start a family, he hoped to squeeze in as much adult time as possible. “Maybe in the summer.”
She sighed again.
“Just think,” he offered. “Now that we’re home, you can register.”
Despite essentially eloping, Jade still planned on hosting a reception at their home. He didn’t know anything about weddings or etiquette, but Kat also insisted a reception was necessary, so he didn’t argue.
“I can’t believe I have to move again.”
He pulled their luggage off the belt. “Because you did all the heavy lifting the last time?”
She swatted him in the arm. “Hey, I packed.”
“You’re right, dear, that’s the hardest part.”
She gave him a sour look and stuck out her tongue. “Don’t pick on me.” She adjusted the handle of her suitcase as they wheeled their way toward the exit of the airport.
“Look, all you have to do is put things in boxes and write what room of our house you want me to drop them in. They’ll magically appear and we’ll have Kat put everything away.”
“I like that plan.” They pushed through the exit door into the frigid January cold. “Oh, fuck this weather.”
He laughed and hailed a taxi.
An hour later they pulled up to her cottage so she could grab some necessities and they could give Mia some souvenirs they’d purchased. Jade unlocked the door and piled her mail on the counter.
“I’ll just be a minute. I want to grab some clothes to take to the house and my…” She frowned at his expression. “What’s wrong?”
“The alarm didn’t go off.” His eyes scanned the cottage, finding nothing out of sorts at first glance. “Stay right there.”
He checked each window to see if any of the sensors were disturbed. Everything was as it should be, but when he unlocked and opened a window, nothing buzzed.
“Maybe Tyson shut it off for some reason?”
At the kitchen door, he flipped the switch. Nothing. “I’m going to check the breaker.”
“Um, okay.”
“Wait in the kitchen.”
At the box, he flipped each switch. There was no hum of activity anywhere in the house. The lamp on her nightstand did nothing as he hit the switch. “Shit.”
Coming back through the kitchen he said, “I’m going to see if something’s up with the meter.”
Out back a lock box held the main controls for the security system. There should’ve been a small metal lock on the outside of it, but there wasn’t. Lifting the panel open, he saw why. Wires were sliced and pulled from their places, cutting off all power to the house. There was no rationale behind the selection of wires cut that he could see. It was a mess, clearly not done by a professional, but by someone determined to dismantle her security.
His jaw locked as he cursed and slammed the box shut. He pivoted, almost crashing into Jade as she stood a foot away from him, silently trembling. He didn’t want to scare her more than necessary. “Jade?”
“He was here,” she rasped, eyes wide. “He was in my home. Again!” She shook like a leaf and his blood ran cold.
“How do you know?”
“My … m—mirrors…” She was a mess, barely able to talk.
“Okay, listen to me, go to Kat’s. Tell Tyson to call the police then have him come over here. I’ll—”
“I’m not leaving you here!” Twin tears trickled down her cheeks. “What if he’s still in there?”
“No one’s in the house, Jade. I’m trained at searching people out. I would’ve seen him.”
“You didn’t see the mirror.”
Only because it was dark and he wasn’t looking for anything beyond an intruder. “Please. Just do this for me.”
Stiffly nodding, she turned and headed toward Kat’s.
Jeremy pulled out his phone and texted Trent.
Situation at the cottage. Alarm cut.
Calling police. He was here.
As he walked back into the house, he used his cell as a flashlight. He looked everything over once more, trying to spot something he might have missed before. Turning the corner into her bedroom, he saw the mirror and immediately wondered how he could’ve missed it.
WHORE was scribbled across it in what appeared to be lipstick. The writing was crude in itself. With the letters poorly formed, it was almost difficult to make out the offensive word. He turned and stilled, cold dread icing over his veins. On the wall behind her bed was the word, MINE.
While Jeremy showed the cops what had transpired, Jade lay on Kat’s couch with a cool cloth over her eyes waiting for her headache to ease. The front door opened and she pulled the fabric off her eyes, noting the apprehension in his.
He sat on the edge of the sofa, picking up her hand and rubbing her cold fingers. “How you doing?”
She shrugged weakly and he took a deep breath.
“Jade, I told the police that you probably wouldn’t offer a statement, but I think you should. I think it’s time you told them everything. This isn’t over and pretending it is will only leave you more vulnerable. You need to tell them what happened.”
“Why is this happening?”
“Jade…” His Adam’s apple made a slow bob as he glanced away. “I wish I knew. Right now, we need to find the fastest way to make it stop. The cops aren’t going to look at this as an open case unless they understand how dangerous this person is, what he’s capable of.”
“Do they have anything to go by?”
“They found traces of latex by the security box and a partial fingerprint on your drawer.”
She cringed. “Do I even want to know what drawer?”
“No.”
“I can’t do this.” She moaned, covering her face with her hands.
“Baby, I know this is difficult and I don’t want to push you too hard, but I have a feeling if you don’t offer all the information now and they catch this guy later, you’ll be compromising your case, because you didn’t give all the facts when you had the chance.”
“Are you saying that I can’t amend my statement? Did they say that?”
“I’m saying I don’t know. What I do know is that if they catch this guy and he gets away with just being charged with breaking and entering and some vandalism, I’m going to go ballistic and land myself in jail.”
She was seriously hanging on by a frayed thread that should have snapped months ago. “I don’t want to do this now.”
He kissed her fingers. “I know, but I think it’s best. I’ll go with you.”
It didn’t seem right that she had to divulge her ugliest secrets to a stranger in a uniform. She wasn’t ready. “I need to know what my rights are. Someone was in my home. Who cares what else happened?”
If they caught him, she’d press charges for everything, but at the moment she was too overwhelmed to dredge up her past. But maybe she needed an open file to be taken seriously. What she needed was advice.
“I know it’s hard to talk about—”
“I feel like I’m drowning.” Maybe she needed a lawyer, someone to advise her on how to proceed. At the moment she felt cornered and scared. “I think I should call Nathan.”
Jeremy immediately stiffened. Angrily, he hissed, “Jade, why would you call him?”
“Because he’s a lawyer.”
“A divorce lawyer,” he snapped. “For all we know, he’s the one who did this. There is no way—”
“He didn’t do it. I told you, Nathan wouldn’t hurt me.”
“How are you so sure?”
“Because I just am. He knows stuff, stuff he wouldn’t tell me if he was out to harm me.”
“He knows stuff because he’s a creep and maybe he just told you things so you would think the way you’re thinking now, which proves he’s manipulative.”
“Jeremy, we know nothing about my rights and I’d rather not divulge every painful part of my past if I don’t have to. Nathan knows what I should tell the cops and what my rights are, plus he—”
“There’s no fucking way I’m letting you—”
“Letting me?” she snapped. “I’m an adult. You don’t have to let me do anything. I don’t need your permission.”
“You may be an adult, but you’re also my wife and there’s no way I’m permitting someone like Nathan Lithe—”
“Excuse me, Mrs. Larson?” They both turned to the door where a police officer stood, holding a notepad. “Sorry to interrupt, but we’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Jade quickly sat up. “In situations like this is it okay to have a lawyer present?” she asked before Jeremy could say another word.
“Uh…” The officer blinked. “A lawyer isn’t necessary, but if having one present makes you more comfortable, feel free.”
“Thank you.” She slid her cell phone from her pocket and gave Jeremy a reproving look.
“Jade,” he said, pleading yet at the same time warning.
She thumbed through her contacts and hit send. The phone rang a few times then went to voicemail. “Nathan, it’s Jade. Please call me back. It’s important.”
Jeremy, clearly furious, stood and shook his head. “Good luck getting a call back from that asshole.”
“He’ll call back.”
“We’ll see—” His words cut off as her phone rang.
She left the room to take the call, which came faster than expected. Nathan listened, digested the key points, asked if she was okay, and promised to be there as soon as possible.
She returned to the den two minutes later. “He’ll be here in about twenty minutes. After speaking to my lawyer I’ll answer your questions. You can wait around or leave your card and I’ll contact you when I’m ready.”
The officer left his card and Jeremy left the house without uttering another word.
Slamming the door, Jeremy paced Kat’s front yard, his breath steaming out of him with every step. The door opened and he turned to find Jade shivering on the front step. He was too angry to face her right now. “Where’s your coat, Jade?”
“Inside. If you’re done having a tantrum, we can go in where it’s warm and talk.”
“I am not—”
She held up her hand, cutting him off. “I am not arguing about this. You ask me all the time to trust you. Now, I’m asking you to trust me. You can either accept that Nathan’s coming here in a few minutes or you can leave and I’ll meet you at home. I’m not talking to anyone until I’m sure of my rights.”
“It’s him I don’t trust. Do Kat and Ty know you’re inviting this guy into their home?”
“They do and they said that was fine once I told them that if it wouldn’t be okay I’d just speak with him somewhere else.”
“Well, that’s sure as fuck not happening.”
“I’m scared, Jeremy.”
He stopped talking for a second and looked at her, pleadingly. He was scared too, which was exactly why he didn’t want this guy anywhere near his wife, his daughter’s home, or their life.
“I don’t want this guy here, Jade. You’re my wife. This is Mia’s home. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“Yes. Does it mean anything to you that I think he can help me?”
“What makes him so qualified on the subject? He’s getting all this insider information somewhere and it’s not the Internet. Do you think I didn’t search myself? He knows shit because he’s a part of this…”
“It’s not like that.” Her arms crossed over her chest as she shivered. “I’m giving you my word that he isn’t dangerous.”
“That’s a guarantee you can’t make and you know it.”
“Okay, but it’s a gamble I’m willing to take.”
Gritting his teeth, he glared at his trembling wife and growled, “When he gets here, don’t expect me to leave you alone with him for one second.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
He opened the door to get her back in the heat before she got sick. “Come on. Your teeth are chattering. We need coffee.”
When Nathan knocked at the door, Jeremy followed her to greet him. The piece of shit actually had the nerve to touch her, clasping her shoulders like they were old friends and asking if she was all right.
Jeremy sent Tyson a sidelong glance, spotting equal disgust in his friend’s eyes. Kat remained upstairs with Mia, as she had no desire to see Nathan Lithe.
“Nathan, you remember Jeremy and Tyson,” Jade said, her fingers wringing.
Nathan extended his hand, but Jeremy only nodded, leaving his arms crossed over his chest. That guy could eat shit before he would shake his hand. Tyson did the same.
“Right.” Nathan received their message loud and clear. “Is there a place we can talk?”
“The kitchen’s this way.”
Jade led the way while he and Ty followed. Nathan looked a little surprised that they’d be having their discussion with an audience, but apparently thought better of objecting.
“Tell me what happened,” Nathan said, as soon as he and Jade were seated.
She told the story and Nathan listened without interrupting. When she finished he asked, “Did the police find anything?”
“Yes, a partial fingerprint and traces of latex.”
Nathan raised his eyebrows at that. “Really?”
“That scare you, Lithe?” Jeremy sneered and Jade gave him a sharp look.
“No, it doesn’t. It just doesn’t seem—” He appeared to rethink his words. Looking at Jade, he lowered his voice. “Perhaps your friends could give us a little privacy.”
“Not happening,” Jeremy growled. “And for the record, I’m not her friend, I’m her fucking husband.”
His beady eyes widened. “Her husband? Since when?”
Jade mouthed stop to him as she returned her attention to their unwelcomed guest. “Since New Year’s Eve. We were coming home from our honeymoon.”
“I’d congratulate you, but I’m not sure I’d be telling the truth,” Nathan mumbled, scowling over his shoulder at Jeremy. Good, let the prick hate him. Jeremy wasn’t here to win friends.
“How about you get to telling my wife about her rights?”
“How about you back off?” Nathan snapped.
Jeremy took a step forward and Tyson caught his arm. “Don’t make me kick your ass, Lithe.” Then he added because it was true, “Again.”
“All right, that’s it!” Jade slapped her palms on the table. “Jeremy, you’re not helping. Either shut up or leave.”
“He’s the one—”
“No, he’s not! Now, if you can’t act civilized, we’ll go somewhere else. I just want some legal advice and you’re making an already difficult situation worse. So either be quiet or I’m leaving.”
Jaw locking, he scowled. Jade slowly relaxed her shoulders and lowered herself into her chair. Ignoring him and Tyson, she looked at Nathan and said, “I’m sorry. Continue.”
In a low voice, he said, “I just find it odd that they left a trail at all. It doesn’t fit. I got the sense that once… I mean … once what happened, happened … that was the end of it.”
“Are you saying you don’t think it’s related?”
“It’s clearly the act of someone who singled you out. Unless you have other enemies I don’t know about, I’d say it’s related. But the guy isn’t following protocol. He’s off the reservation and they’ll retaliate if they find out. Unfortunately, that means I’m going to give you the same advice I did before. Don’t get involved. He’s seriously unwell, Jade.”
Jade’s eyes softened in a show of vulnerability. Jeremy wanted to go to her but sensed she needed space at the moment.
In a nearly inaudible voice, she said, “Nathan, with all due respect, this maniac drugged me, raped me, robbed me, tried to run me over with a car, and has now broken into my home, touched my personal items, and vandalized my bedroom. He clearly doesn’t want to be ignored, regardless if he’s off the chain. Whether you agree with me or not, I’m going to talk to the police. My question is, how much should I tell them? I need to know what the statute of limitations is for sexual abuse and if it will jeopardize my case if they catch this guy and I wait to tell them about the rape.”
Pride welled in Jeremy’s chest as she pushed through the undeniably difficult statement. It also eased his concern that she wasn’t blindly accepting this guy’s advice.
“I’m asking you to be my friend, Nathan. Save me the legal fees of asking another lawyer and advise me as a friend, even if you don’t agree with what I’m doing. We have some things in common.”
Nathan tilted his head and Jeremy didn’t understand what the fucking dilemma was. After a beat, he finally said, “The statute of limitations in the state of Pennsylvania for sexual assault cases is twelve years in your case. However, if I were advising you as my client, I’d advise you to disclose all information from the start. It’ll draw more attention from the department and no one will question the change in your statement later on.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, slowly stretching her arm across the table and clasping his hand.
Nathan withdrew it. “There’s one favor I like to ask in return.”
“I know what you’re going to ask and you don’t have to,” Jade said. “I won’t mention any of it. I promise.”
“Thank you.”
Jeremy didn’t know what the fuck was going on, but things were getting a little too intimate for his taste. He wasn’t going to relax until the prick was gone and his wife was safely in his—their—house.
It didn’t matter that Jade trusted the guy and apparently liked him. He didn’t. Something about him just didn’t sit right. Sure, he played the sensitive professional today, but the guy was a lawyer. He knew how to win a crowd. Jeremy was far from convinced.
“What do you think?” Tyson asked, stepping beside him as Jade walked the sleaze to the door.
“What would you think? Would you let him around your wife?”
“The only way a guy like that is getting near my wife is if he can take me out of the equation first. And that, my friend, isn’t happening.”