The distinct ring of Christian’s phone brought me out of my daydreams. I slammed the dryer door shut and pulled the phone out of my back pocket. It was Slade. He told me he was supposed to have dinner with Erin, but he knew she wouldn't mind if they stopped by.
I headed out to the garage to tell Christian when I saw him walking up the street toward our house. I left the garage and strode across the lawn to meet him. When he got closer I could see he had a scowl on his face.
“Where were you?” I asked, puzzled by why he’d left without telling me and wondering where he’d gone.
He tilted his head back over his shoulder and said, “Tom wanted me to look under his hood.”
Tom was one of our neighbors. He and his partner, Richard, were interior designers and had introduced themselves after we’d moved in. They’d offered their assistance in decorating our home, and after I told them we weren’t certain about buying it, they helped me select some colors for the house.
“Is it something that’s easily fixable?” I asked Christian.
He looked distracted and asked, “Huh?”
“Whatever is wrong with Tom’s car. Were you able to help him out?” I asked while trying to keep up with his long strides as he returned to the garage.
“Yeah,” he replied as he headed back inside.
“Slade said yes to the invitation. He’s taking Erin out to dinner, but said they’d stop by on the way.”
“Okay,” he muttered before returning his attention to the gift he’d been working on for Slade.
* * *
“I don’t know what to say.”
It was hours later and Slade was standing in the garage, looking at the Harley-Davidson Christian had restored for him.
“I didn’t know you rode a motorcycle.” Erin ran her hand over the leather seat.
“I don’t,” Slade said. “At least I haven’t in a long time,” he corrected. I could see excitement that he couldn’t disguise. “It’s the hundred-year anniversary model,” he said reverently. He swung his leg over the seat, careful not to kick Erin in the process. “And a hard one to find.”
His comments led me to believe that Slade may not have ridden a bike in years, but he still loved them.
His eyes roamed over the front as he clutched the handlebars and said, “It’s been so long, Christian. I don’t know if I remember how to ride.”
“I could’ve given you your old one,” Christian commented. “I’m sure Dad has it stored somewhere. But if you’d wanted to ride that one, you would’ve already. I found this for a steal because the guy managed to mangle it. I knew when I saw it you would like it.”
Christian reached for a photo that had been sitting on the shelf. He handed it to Slade. “This is the before picture.”
Slade’s eyes widened as he looked up at Christian. “This is the bike I’m sitting on?” he asked as he waved the photo in the air.
Christian nodded.
“I don’t think I ever realized how talented you are, Chris.”
“What do you say?” Christian asked. He was hopeful, struggling not to let it show. “Mimi and I ride almost every weekend that we don’t have Abby. Why don’t you start coming with us?”
I could see Slade nodding as if chewing on a thought. “Yeah, I think I will, bro. It’ll be good for me.” He got off the bike and reached for Christian, pulling him into a man hug and releasing him. “Thank you.” He waved toward the bike. “For this. It means more than you could know.
“And thank you, Mimi. I know he wasn’t spending time with you if he was working on this.” He thumped the seat with his fingers. “Thank you for that.”
I was sure part of Slade’s decision to accept the gift and ride with us was based on how he’d heard from his parents that Christian had been staying away from the club. But I also felt there was more to it. Regardless, it was a way for the brothers to start building their relationship.
I turned to Erin and asked, “Would you like to see the inside of the house? I haven’t done much because we’re renting, but it still feels like home.”
Her answer was a smile followed by, “Lead the way.”
I escorted Erin inside and I listened as she oohed and aahed over some of my minor decorating decisions. It turned out she had a background in interior design, and wholeheartedly agreed with Tom and Richard’s color suggestions.
I’d shown her the bedrooms and was coming down the hall when Christian appeared. “I’m taking Slade next door. He’s thinking about buying a house as an investment. We won’t be long.”
I waved him off as Erin followed me toward the kitchen. It turned out that Erin was a super sweet woman, and someone I hadn’t considered as a potential friend. Then again, why would I? I’d only seen her the one time at the Bears’ home. I’d heard through Aunt Christy that Slade occasionally hung out with her, but that they weren’t officially dating. My curiosity got the best of me and I couldn't stop myself from probing further.
“Are you and Slade a thing or not?”
Without missing a beat, Erin said, “Slade and I are good friends and bed buddies.” There was no embarrassment or shame in her comment.
“Nothing more serious?” I reached for a pitcher. I thought I would whip up some margaritas to offer them before they left for dinner. “You two sure seem well-suited for each other.” I was being honest.
She shook her head with a grim smile. “Slade and I have a simple relationship. The truth is, we both carry a torch for someone else.”
I stopped mid-stir and looked at her. She was standing next to me, and had started slicing the limes I'd laid on a cutting board. She felt my stare because she launched into a sad tale about the man who owned her heart. A man she couldn’t be with until she handled an undesirable situation concerning the ex-husband who'd cheated on her, and his manipulation to make her life miserable. I could understand that. She didn’t want to start out a new relationship with an old one hanging over her head.
“He’s a horrible, mean-spirited person. It’s been going on for over a year. He can’t get past our divorce. If it weren’t for our children, I’d have moved out of the country. And I’ve tried everything legally to make him go away, but it’s not working.”
As if reading my thoughts, she added, “Slade has been so good with the legal advice. Unfortunately, I seem to have hit a road block.”
It made more sense now. Their friendship, although genuine, had been born of need and convenience—physically, emotionally, and technically. Which raised a question.
“Slade?”
She stopped cutting limes and looked over at me.
“The torch he carries. Is it for the same person you alluded to all those months ago when we met at his parents’ house?” I asked.
Her mouth turned downward as she nodded. She told me about a librarian named Bevin that Slade had shown interest in several months before, and how Erin had felt responsible for inadvertently kiboshing the potential romance.
“If I hadn’t worn his shirt, he wouldn’t have smelled like me,” she said as she scraped the limes from the cutting board into a bowl.
“It was obviously a misunderstanding,” I tried to reassure her.
She shrugged her shoulders and said, “I thought so too. But he was so wracked with guilt over having slept with me less than an hour before going to her house, he justified her rebuff.”
She shook her head and said, “Slade can have any woman he wants. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that he’s a catch. Yet he’s fixated on this one girl who turned him away.”
I had to agree. My brother-in-law was not just handsome and intelligent, but a decent and good human being. His mother had confided that she’d never seen Slade act the way he had when Christian first brought me home. I wondered if he was stinging even back then over the woman Erin was talking about. Maybe his frustration at his own situation is what caused him to lash out at Christian.
“I thought maybe he was getting past it. He’d gone the whole summer w
ithout seeing her when she didn’t accept the temporary position at the law library. He took a couple of women out but told me their conversations never went beyond where they worked out, what they wore, and what they drove. Slade felt like Bevin was a woman of substance. Someone whose discussions wouldn’t be based on materialistic things.” She walked the cutting board and knife to the sink and started rinsing them. “Apparently this girl made one heck of an impression on him.” Shaking out her hands and reaching for a dish towel, she added, “And I don’t think they’ve even spoken much.”
“I can see that,” I agreed as I reached for glasses. I grabbed three because I knew Christian would want a beer. “I think Slade is very insightful and probably puts a lot of value in first impressions. And she obviously made one. You said you thought he was getting past it. What happened?”
“I met him for lunch about a month ago. I’ve never met him for lunch before, Mimi. Not once.” She rolled her eyes. “The most we’ve done is grab coffee, and an occasional dinner. And that’s only when I don’t have my kids. Like tonight. So it’s rare.”
“Sorry,” I said as I nodded toward the button on the blender. She waved me on, and after I turned off the blender and started pouring the mixture into our glasses, she continued.
“I had a client near the courthouse. I thought I would take a chance and see if Slade wanted to grab a sandwich. It turned out Bevin was at the restaurant, and after Slade discreetly, or so I thought, pointed her out to me, I could tell her friend said something to her.”
“Did Slade talk to Bevin?” I asked, riveted to every word.
“No.” She shook her head. “I think the friend noticed me because immediately afterward, Bevin jumped up and couldn’t get out of the place fast enough. I told him to go after her, but he didn’t want to make a scene.”
“Sounds to me like Slade needs to pull his big boy shorts up and talk to the woman,” I said. For goodness’ sake. Christian had literally abducted me. The least Slade could do was approach the woman for a conversation.
I was getting ready to say that to Erin when she said, “Slade is the consummate gentleman. He doesn’t want to force himself on a woman who isn’t interested.”
“I think you and I know that by the way Bevin ran out of that restaurant, that she is interested. Don’t we?”
“Yes!” Erin practically shouted. “That’s what I’ve tried to tell him. I’ve never seen a more intelligent, attractive guy be such a doofus when it comes to women. Especially when he could probably have any one he wanted.”
“I’ll drink to that,” I said as we clinked our glasses together. I agreed. My brother-in-law would be any girl’s dream. Especially if they ever caught sight of him on his new Harley.
“Drink to what?” came Christian’s deep voice from behind us.
I turned around and said, “To it being margarita time!”
Chapter 56
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 2007
Twenty Minutes Earlier
After letting themselves in the vacant house, Christian and Slade slowly climbed the steps to the attic.
“What is that smell?” Slade spat.
Christian swung the flashlight around the empty space and fixated on a far corner. As they got closer they could see that someone had been there. There was an old sleeping bag with a shredded pillow. Critters had obviously been pulling the stuffing out to make nests. Off to the side was a Bunsen burner that sat on what looked like a fishing tackle box. Garbage was strewn everywhere, including empty cans that carried the stench of uneaten food. Christian kicked at one with his foot and said, “Whoever’s been staying up here probably left prints on these cans.” He bent down and scanned the area. “And I don’t think he’s been here for a while.”
“If you can sneak back over here with a plastic bag and get a few, I can get them dusted,” Slade offered while scanning the area. “Chances are it’s just some vagrant who needed a place to sleep and thought it would be fun to mess with your heads.”
Christian swung around and gave Slade a hard glare. “No. This is more than that. Whoever this fuck is, he’s been targeting Mimi specifically. Something seemed off this morning when we stopped for gas and she brought up accidentally putting diesel in her tank. After seeing her regular gas station, it just didn’t make sense. Not to mention a lot of the newer diesel nozzles won't fit in a regular gas tank. And it’s not just the diesel. There’s been a lot of stupid shit happening at our house. I chalked it up to forgetfulness. Damn. I even teased her about it.” He shook his head in disgust. “It’s obviously been more than that and it’s one of the reasons I wanted you to stop by. I was gonna ask you for some help.”
After Mimi had offered to give Erin a tour, Christian explained to Slade how his neighbor, Tom, had approached him and said there was something he should see. Tom had Christian follow him back to his house and showed him video of what his surveillance camera had picked up.
“I’m sorry for not coming to you with this sooner,” Tom said apologetically. “Richard and I never have cause to look at it. I had it installed a while ago before you and Mimi even moved here when a neighbor’s kid was breaking into houses. That kid was sent off to military school and we haven’t had a problem since. I don’t know what made me decide to look at it today, but I’m glad I did. Some of this footage goes back months.”
Christian leaned closer to the screen and squinted his eyes as he watched a hunched figure in a black hoodie approach Mimi’s car with a jug. The diesel in her tank. He also watched as the man went around the side of their home and disappeared from view. He let himself in through a window out of camera range, Christian thought. There was footage of the intruder near their front bushes, where the hose was neatly wrapped around its holder. The flooding incident. Each time, the lone figure came into view from the back side of the vacant house. Of course, he could’ve been weaving his way through back yards and skirting around the lake to get to their home, but Christian’s gut told him the person in black had been squatting in the empty house next to theirs. Mimi had detected a smell when they’d let themselves in to check out the house. Was the stranger lurking about even then? The last shot of the man was curious and was from just over a month ago. He’d approached Mimi’s car, on the driver’s side, but Christian couldn’t tell what he was doing. He couldn’t remember Mimi telling him anything unusual about her car. Maybe the guy had gotten spooked and run off before doing any damage.
“That’s the last time he shows up,” Tom informed him. “I have no footage of where he’s specifically coming from. Nothing of him walking down the street. My best guess is he comes from a block over and makes his way around your lake and through the back yards. Or maybe he’s slumming at the vacant house next to yours.”
Christian nodded. “Yeah, you can easily get into that house through the back slider. I’m gonna check it out.” He stood up straight and pinched his nose between his fingers. “I appreciate you telling me about this, Tom.”
“I didn’t want to tell you in front of Mimi.” He paused thoughtfully before adding, “I didn’t want to scare her.”
“No,” Christian quickly interjected. “You did the right thing. I’m not going to tell her just yet. Will you keep an eye on your footage and let me know if anything else shows up?”
After agreeing to do so, they’d exchanged cell phone numbers.
A loud crash brought Christian back to the moment.
“Sorry,” Slade said sheepishly. “I wanted to see if there was anything in the tackle box that could provide a clue as to who’s living here.” He stood up. “It’s empty.”
“Someone is purposely messing with her,” Christian said through a clenched jaw.
“Any idea who it could be?” Slade asked.
“Shit, man. It could be so many people.”
Slade raised an eyebrow.
“An old enemy of Grizz’s. A woman that he rejected for Mimi’s mother. The boyfriend she dumped in college.” He scrubbed his hand down his face in
frustration. “There was an old bitty where she works who told her that some woman who Grizz killed years ago still has sisters that live around here.”
Slade let out a low whistle. “I get the biker connection, but do you think sisters of one of Grizz’s victims would know who Mimi is?” he asked.
“Nothing would surprise me,” Christian confessed. “It could even be Nick Rosman’s fiancée. Maybe the woman is pissed at me and wants to take it out on Mimi.”
“What about Autumn?” Slade asked.
Christian nodded. “She’d be the most obvious.” He paused before adding, “We’re assuming it’s a guy, but I couldn’t tell from the video. And I can’t shake the feeling I know this person. It’s the walk, the gait. It’s familiar.”
“So other than the diesel in her tank and a bunch of other stupid shit, this person hasn’t tried to hurt Mimi.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. “And whoever’s been doing it, hasn’t done it for a month or so.”
“It would seem that way, but I can’t take any chances. When my gut told me something wasn’t right at the gas station this morning, I was gonna ask you to find me a legitimate guy who can watch Mimi for me. I didn’t want to go to anyone in my circle, including Blue or our parents, because if it’s someone who’s close to us, I don’t want them to know I’m on to them.
“You couldn’t possibly think it’s our parents?” Slade asked incredulously.
“Of course not,” Christian chided. “I don’t want them involved. You know them. Mom especially. You’d think raising my daughter would be enough to keep her busy, but she’s always looking for a project. She wouldn’t approach this subtly.”
Christian’s eyes snapped to Slade’s, and his expression grew dark. “I don’t want Mimi to know about this. I want to handle it and get rid of the person without her even suspecting. She’s tried so hard since we moved here, and I couldn’t bear for her to think she has an enemy. Especially if it’s someone who’s been holding a grudge over something Grizz did.”