Avri was not going to back down from Dillon. She was a grown woman now, even with weakened knees. She moved away from him and sat on the side of the bed.Picking up her clothes, she moved to stand beside the bed while she pulled her sweater over her head, and then turned to him while zipping her skirt. "Where have you been all this time, Dillon? I need to know."He didn't answer right away, but she heard him breathing. "Why? Will it change the way you feel about me?""It would absolutely, if you have a wife and kids off somewhere." Avri stomped to the bedside table and turned on the lamp."No, no." He sat up and threw his legs over the side.Avri's hand flew to her mouth, and she gasped when she saw the crisscrossed scars on his back. Appalled, her mouth opened wide, anger fisted her hands over her lips.How could someone have done something like that to him? Her Dillon."I was trying to stay alive most of the time. There's never been anyone else for me, only you," Dillon paused
Outside Josh's house, Dillon sat in his car, patient. He'd sit here as long as he had too, eating cold pizza for breakfast if necessary. Now he was in his element. Dressed all in black, night goggles over his eyes, deputy badge on his belt with his handgun tucked in his shoulder holster, he opened his car door and stepped out on a pile of brush. Getting his bearings, he stretched and warmed up his stiff muscles.He observed the property from all sides. The houses in this neighborhood were spread outnice and quiet, no one around. The windows were open to the cool night air. Except for the windows on Josh's little house. They were closed tight, and some had bars across them. The house was dark. Maybe Josh had a make on his truck when he followed him and snuck out the back door.Making his way from cover to cover, he arrived soundlessly at the back door. He stood stock still against the aging building and listened. Hearing nothing, he proceeded to the nearest window without bars, about
Dillon, exhausted from his night of surveillance, had gone without sleep for longer periods of time. But, as he lay in bed, he couldn't remove the memory of Avri, flushed and satisfied as she lay in her king-size bed or their heated conversation after. Their words continued to swirl around in his mind, refusing to allow his brain to rest.He was troubled about how they'd parted and the last words he'd said to her. "I guess we're done here then." Hearing them again, inside his head, they sounded sofinal.He wondered why she was so upset with him. He'd left the noteshe was the one who hadn't followed up on their plans. She hadn't stopped him from leaving when he'd hesitated so she must be done with himhis greatest fear. Fear of not being wanted or loved, never good enough, not amounting to anythingresults from a childhood of bullying, beatings, and verbal abuse.Avri's love for him was what had kept him going day after day while in captivity. If he didn't have her he didn't have a lif
Avri stared at Dillon. "I qualified for Special Forces and went on many important and vital missions. I can't tell you very much because everything was top secret. Then I was captured and held prisoner for way too long in a place I never should have been. That's about it. Everything, all the details, are classified. I can't talk about them," Dillon said.Dillon couldn't or wouldn't meet her eyes. Why not? Was he telling her the truth? Or, as she sensed, only part of the truth. What wasn't he telling her? Was the truth he was hiding something he was never allowed to mention?"Dillon, come on. I'm not asking you to reveal federal secrets. I want to know why didn't you contact me and write to me?" Avri asked."We've gone over this before. At first, I waited for you to contact me. When you didn't, I thought we were over, that you'd met someone else," Dillon said, the sadness in his voice pulled at her heartstrings."Well, as I said, I never received the mysterious note you mentioned,"
Dillon worried all afternoon about how he left it with Avri. He wanted to talk to her again, but it was so hard to put his emotions into words. On his way home after work, he drove by her house. Her car was parked in the driveway instead of in the garage and that, in itself told him she was going out again. He hoped it wasn't with that sleaze-ball, Josh Hawkins.He took advantage of searching the National Crime Information Center today, but came up again with nothing. He already knew where Josh lived; now he needed to find out where he worked and with whom. That was the utmost important detail at this time. Following Josh around all day should provide him with enough knowledge to put it all together.Choosing to follow Avri tonight and make sure she was safe, Dillon turned the corner and circled the block. He parked in Elliott's backyard facing Avri's front yard from the side. Dillon didn't trust Josh; bad energy vibes emanated from him and he'd learned to trust those senses the hard
Staring at Josh, she berated herself for trusting him, for not finding out more about him. Never knowing or experiencing his anger before, she was now unsure what to do. She glanced around at the now near-empty seating area but didn't recognize anyone she could call on for help. She wished she were home reading a book to Drew.As Avri sat limp in her seat, rubbing her wrist, her eyes downcast, she reminded herself that she owed Josh nothing. They had never had any kind of relationship, they'd never slept together, she'd never had any sexual desire for him; unlike Dillon, who she couldn't seem to control her desire. She had enjoyed Josh's company, dinner and a movie sometimes. He was a companion, someone to talk to. She thought back to their many conversations, always careful not to mention Drew. They had picked up from where they began and talked about daily happenings.Josh had always wanted to come to her house but she always declined. An invitation was never forthcoming because sh
"Hey, surprised to see your truck here, Dill, but after seeing who's laying on the pavement outside, not so much." Chase laughed as he slid into the booth seat with Elliott close behind. It was their usual night to have dinner at Rosie's."What's going on, Dillon? Do you need backup?" Elliott laughed while the waitress poured hot coffee in their waiting mugs."When Ell and I got here we stepped over him, and came on in. We headed toward our usual booth and eyed you guys." Chase wiped his face with his hands and then slurped his coffee. "I should've known you'd have something to do with it.""Josh man-handled Avri, threatened her, and I put a stop to it going any further. He's not welcome here anymore," Dillon said and then further explained his surveillance of Josh and finding his address. When Dillon finished, Chase and Elliott nodded."We can help," Elliott said. "I'm in town at the shop in and out a lot every day. I can keep an eye out and also have my manager look out for him,
After checking out Avri's house, Josh circled the block. He assumed she slept upstairs, and he could sneak in and get what he wanted from her downstairs office file safe, which he also assumed she had; most attorneys did anyway.He'd made a wax copy of her keys when she left the table to visit the restroom earlier and spent the entire night filing down the blank keys to match the molds. Of course, his stolen key machine helped out quite a bit. Now he had the real keys safe in his coat pocket. It should be an easy in and out.As soon as he turned on her street, he turned off his headlights and the engine, and coasted to a stop at the rear of her car. He made sure the interior dome light was off and opened his door and inched out, glancing at his surroundings in the dark shadows. Leaving the car door halfway open, he listened keenly to the quiet sounds of nocturnal animals, then crouched down and made his way up the steps and on to the front porch. He reached in his pocket for the key