Flee, page 12
“I want him aware of this. I want him to know someone is trying to get into your apartment. Is that okay?”
Dawn scoffed. “Sure. Maybe he’ll be able to find out who killed me.”
“No one’s going to kill you, Dawn. The police are on their way up the stairs to your unit. You should hear sirens. There are two cars there.”
Dawn held her breath and listened. Mackenzie was right. Sirens whooped through the night, breaking through what would have been a quiet night if she hadn’t brought the police to her apartment.
Voices outside her apartment drew closer before they stopped at her door.
“There’s an officer outside your door, Dawn. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Yeah. Thank you, Mackenzie.”
“You’re welcome, Dawn. I’m happy I was able to help.”
“Me, too.” Dawn hung up, feeling like she was going to be sick. A knock on the door almost had her dropping the knife, even though she expected the knock.
“Police. Can you open your door, Ms. Patterson?”
Dawn set the knife on the counter and walked to the door. She opened it, hating that she lived in a place that didn’t have peepholes so she could make sure they were who they said they were before she opened the door.
Two officers stood outside her door, one blocking her from exiting. “Ms. Patterson, are you okay?”
Dawn nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. “I think so.”
“I’m Officer Pryce Murphy, and this is Detective Drake Foster. May we come inside?”
Dawn shrugged and stepped back. Two more officers were right behind the two who came into her apartment, but the others stayed outside.
Dawn thought she saw someone on the ground, but the officers blocked her view.
“You said you heard someone trying to break in?” Detective Foster asked.
Dawn nodded. “I was sleeping on the couch. Something woke me up. After a minute, I heard it again and saw the doorknob moving. Like someone was checking to see if it was unlocked. Then I heard metal, like when you slide your key into a lock.”
“And that’s when you called nine-one-one?” Officer Murphy asked.
Dawn nodded again. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
The cops shared a look, and one of them noticed the knife on the counter. “Arming yourself is a good idea.”
“I can’t take credit for that one. The woman on the phone suggested it. I’m not sure I would have been strong enough to use it.”
“We understand,” the detective said. “Did you see anyone or anything outside your apartment?”
Dawn shook her head. “I didn’t look. I figured it’s the same man who kidnapped my boss.”
Foster and Murphy exchanged another look. “Who’s your boss?”
“Dr. Walden. Hannah Walden. She went missing last night. Because of me.”
“Because of you? What did you have to do with her disappearance?” Detective Foster asked.
“Nothing, but the man who took her wanted information about me.” Dawn shook her head and dropped to the couch. “I figured he was here to kill me. So he could get his money.”
The cops were quiet for a long minute. Dawn didn’t want to look up at them and see the looks they were likely giving her. The ones that would vacillate between crazy and full of herself. No one who walked into her apartment would think Dawn had anything of value, or enough money for anyone to care about.
“Dr. Walden’s body is outside your apartment, Ms. Patterson,” the officer said.
“What?” Dawn breathed, pushing to stand. She had to see for herself. It took her a second to realize he said body and not Dr. Walden. “No. She’s dead?”
Detective Foster nodded. “It seems whoever killed her wanted to send you a message.”
Dawn raced to the bathroom, not bothering to close the door before she emptied her stomach. She dry-heaved when nothing else came up, her fear and anxiety and sadness all warring inside her.
And then the anger showed up. Dr. Walden was innocent. She had nothing to do with Mr. Davis’s choice to give Dawn all his money. Dr. Walden didn’t deserve to die for doing her job.
“Trevor Davis did this,” Dawn snarled, her head still in the toilet. “He’s the one who’s after me. He killed Dr. Walden.”
“We will do a full investigation, Ms. Patterson,” one of the cops said.
Dawn didn’t want to hear placating words or empty promises. She pushed to her feet and washed her mouth out with a handful of water from the sink. She turned on the cops and glared at them. “His father left me his fortune. His father was Robert Davis. Trevor is a nasty man who feels like he can take whatever he wants. I didn’t ask for this, and neither did Dr. Walden. You have to stop this. Stop him.”
“We’re working on it,” Officer Murphy said.
“Work faster,” Dawn snapped.
Another knock on the door sent all Dawn’s bravado running for the hills. Her stomach flipped, and every pore in her body felt like it wet its pants.
“It’s Patrick,” a voice said from the other side of the door.
Officer Murphy went to the door and opened it. The captain stepped into Dawn’s apartment, making her feel claustrophobic for the second time in less than a day.
His gaze slid around the room before landing on Dawn. “Ms. Patterson.”
Dawn nodded, unable to squeeze words out.
The three officers looked at each other. The detective and officer both stayed silent with their captain in the room.
“Do you have somewhere else you can stay for a few days, Ms. Patterson?”
Dawn scoffed. “You mean like Mr. Davis’s mansion? That I’ve never been to and don’t believe is better?”
Captain Patrick didn’t call out her nastiness or her attitude. “My wife and I own a shelter. There’s a room available for you if you have nowhere else to go.”
“But I can’t stay here.” She wasn’t asking since neither was he.
“I can’t force you, Ms. Patterson. But seeing as how a body was left outside your door, I would recommend going somewhere else.”
Dawn shook her head. “It’s definitely Dr. Walden?”
Captain Patrick nodded. “I’m sorry. We were all hoping we would find her alive.”
“What happened to her?”
“Her throat was cut.”
Dawn closed her eyes and tried not to collapse. “Definitely not an accident then.”
Captain Patrick shook his head. “Definitely not.”
“And I’m assuming you have no new leads on Trevor Davis.”
Captain Patrick sighed. “No, we don’t.”
“Is this guy a ghost? I’ve met him. I know he exists. Why can’t you find him?”
“When did you meet him?”
“The day his father died. Trevor was there visiting Mr. Davis.”
Captain Patrick nodded like he already knew that. Which was hard to believe since she’d only met Captain Patrick that morning. Except.
“Gage told you that, didn’t he?”
Captain Patrick appeared caught off-guard that she would call him out. He took a second, then nodded. “He did.”
“And it’s significant, isn’t it?”
“We’re not sure. It could be.”
“Where is this man? Besides outside my door while I’m sleeping so he can drop off my boss’s dead body.”
“We don’t know,” Captain Patrick admitted.
“Then where can I go that would make me safe? Where is safe?”
Captain Patrick shook his head. He offered his home, but Dawn wasn’t sure she’d feel better there. In a shelter? Which meant there would be others who were in danger. She couldn’t risk bringing more danger to them. Risking more innocent lives.
There was only one person who was already in this as deep as she was. One person who knew what she was going through.
Dawn looked around, searching for her phone. She spotted it on the kitchen counter next to the knife. She snatched it up and tapped on Gage’s name.
“Hello? Dawn? Are you okay?”
“I need a place to stay. Someone tried to get into my apartment and left Dr. Walden’s body outside as a gift.”
“Are you okay? Did he get inside?”
“No. But Captain Patrick suggested I find another place to stay for a day or longer.”
“I have a guest room. You’re welcome to it as long as you need a place to stay.”
“Thanks. Can you text me your address?”
“Yeah. Um, is Marcus still there?”
“He’s right here.”
“Do you mind if I speak to him?”
Dawn handed the phone to Captain Patrick without answering Gage’s question.
He lifted the phone to his ear and said, “Patrick.”
Dawn ignored his side of the conversation and went to her closet. She grabbed her suitcase and tossed it on the bed. She opened her drawers and shamelessly grabbed clothes and tossed them in. She went into the bathroom and grabbed everything she would need for a few days. When she was sure she had everything, she zipped up the suitcase and set it on its wheels on the floor.
Captain Patrick offered her phone back to Dawn. She slid it in her pocket, then unplugged the charger from the wall and tossed that in her purse.
“I guess I have a place to go.”
“Gage asked me to follow you, or drive you, but I’m assuming you’ll want you own vehicle.”
“If it doesn’t blow up when I start it,” Dawn said with a mirthless laugh.
“We will check it out,” Captain Patrick said.
At the same time, Officer Murphy said, “Explosives aren’t his style.”
Dawn snorted. “Lucky me. Just dead bodies and thinly veiled threats.”
“We will find him, Ms. Patterson,” Detective Foster said.
Dawn nodded. “Sure.”
Gage paced in his living room, watching the street out front for Dawn’s car to pull up. When his phone rang, adrenaline rushed his system, but when he heard her voice, it was worse.
Someone tried to get into her apartment. Gage wasn’t foolish enough to think it was actually Trevor. He was too smart to risk getting caught. He had people to do things like deliver a body and scare the hell out of someone.
But that didn’t mean Trevor wasn’t behind the whole thing. There was no doubt he was.
Headlights flashed across the front windows as someone pulled into the small driveway that separated Gage’s house from his neighbor’s. Another car pulled in right behind it, half in the street.
Dawn got out of the first car with Marcus in the car behind her. As they walked to the door, Gage turned off the alarm and opened the front door. He stepped out onto the porch.
He wanted to ask Dawn if she was okay, but the look in her eyes answered the question for him.
“Thanks for following her, Marcus,” Gage said. He reached for the suitcase Dawn dragged up the porch steps.
“Sorry it was necessary. Are you good here, Ms. Patterson?” Marcus asked.
Gage was annoyed his friend asked, but he tried not to let it get to him.
Dawn nodded. “I’m fine.” Her voice was soft, weak, terrified.
Marcus looked at Gage and tried to convey a message Gage wasn’t sure he received. All he knew was he was going to keep her safe and put an end to all the shit happening because of Trevor Davis.
“It’s time, Marcus.”
Marcus nodded, not arguing and not pretending he didn’t understand what Gage was saying. Dawn needed to know everything. She needed to be brought up to speed on the whole situation.
“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Marcus said, waving and walking back to his car.
Gage followed Dawn into the house and locked the door. He set the alarm and asked if she wanted something to drink.
Dawn snorted a laugh. “Do you have anything that’ll make me forget that a madman wants to kill me and will do anything to make that happen?”
Gage shook his head slowly. “I don’t think I have anything like that. But I am sorry, Dawn. Are you okay?”
She swallowed, her throat working to complete the action. She wrapped her arms around her waist and shook her head. She rolled her lips in, chewing on them as her face slowly crumpled.
A sob tore from her throat, then another. By the time Gage took the two steps to reach her, she was sinking to the floor. He caught her and helped her to the couch, pulling her onto his lap and holding her close while the adrenaline and fear crashed over her and poured out.
“I didn’t ask for this,” she whimpered. “I didn’t want this. It wasn’t my fault. Why is this happening?”
“It’s not fair. I know,” Gage whispered.
Dawn nodded against his chest, letting the tears and pain out. She trembled in his arms, her entire body shaking with the force of her pain.
Gage held her and let her cry. He feared this would be the result when Robert changed his will. Gage knew Trevor would be angry. Trevor was proving to be exactly who Robert thought his son was. Gage knew there was a reason Robert wanted to lock Trevor out of the will, but the truth of who Trevor was was so much worse than Gage ever feared.
Dawn slowly calmed down. Her tremors eased. The sobs faded to whimpers and quieted.
Gage wondered if she was asleep. He wasn’t ready to move. To wake her up and put her to bed. He wanted to sit there for a little longer and hold her. To know she was safe.
“Thank you for letting me stay here,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome,” Gage said.
“Is he ever going to stop?”
Gage shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“If he kills me, he doesn’t get anything. What’s his end game?”
“I’m not sure he cares.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Trevor Davis is a dangerous man, and I don’t think he’s rational.”
“So this is sport for him?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“So no matter what I do, I’m going to end up dead.”
“No,” Gage said. “I’m not going to let that happen.”
“How are you going to stop him? He killed Dr. Walden.”
“I don’t know, but I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
Dawn stiffened and scrambled to get up, as if she just realized she was sitting on his lap. She moved to the seat next to Gage. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
She breathed a laugh. “That’s the opposite of my problem right now.”
“What do you mean?”
She looked up at him. The expression on her face was unreadable, but the look in her eyes was one of desire. “I don’t trust myself with men. I have made mistakes. And leaning on you is probably the last thing I should be doing.”
“I’m the reason you’re in this mess, Dawn. If you can’t lean on me, who can you turn to?”
She chuckled. “That’s what I was thinking when I called you. But it’s not fair to put you in the middle of all of this, either. And it’s not fair of me to… to want you when I’m a walking corpse.”
“You’re not a walking corpse. And the other part…”
Dawn grunted, a sound of curiosity.
“You’re not alone in that, but you’ve had a hell of a night. I’d never forgive myself for taking advantage of you when you’re upset.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to take advantage of you.”
Gage laughed softly and shook his head. “Let’s get some sleep. You can take advantage of me tomorrow. Because I can promise you, I’m not letting you back to your apartment until Trevor Davis is behind bars or in the ground.”
“You sure know how to romance a woman,” Dawn said wryly.
Gage chuckled. “Yeah, it’s shocking I’m single, isn’t it?”
Dawn looked at him and nodded. “It is, actually. You’re a pretty amazing man, Gage Stevens. Thank you for taking me in.”
“Thank you for calling me.”
13
Gage fixed the sheets on the bed in the room that wasn’t his and listened to the woman who wasn’t his use his bathroom. He hadn’t lived with a woman since he was a teenager. He’d forgotten what it was like, the things a woman did before she went to bed.
The water turned off and a few seconds later, the door opened. He’d left his bedroom door open in case she needed anything else, but the sight of Dawn walking out of the bathroom, her face scrubbed clean and her breasts swinging free under the tee she wore as a nightshirt paired with shorts that exposed her thick legs to his view, made Gage regret that choice.
He swallowed his groan and willed his dick to calm down long enough for her to go to her temporary room and close the door.
But of course that couldn’t happen so easily. Not when Gage was still in the room she was supposed to use. She looked toward his room, then turned toward hers and approached.
“Did you give me your bedroom?” she asked.
He nodded, not standing holding a pillow in front of himself to hide the effect she had on him. “It’s at the back of the house and quieter. But the stairs lead that way if you’d rather sleep in here.”
She smiled at him. “I’d rather sleep in here because I feel bad evicting you from your own bedroom.”
Gage shook his head. “It’s more comfortable. And there’s no porch on the back, so there’s no way someone could get into the room from the outside.”
She shivered at his words, her smile slipping off her face.
He wanted to kick himself for reminding her of the danger she was in. He could have just pretended everything was fine, but he had to throw it in her face. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that.”
She shrugged. “It’s why I’m here. God, all of this is so messed up.”
“The police will find Trevor, and you’ll be safe.”
“Will they? It sounded like they’ve been looking for him for a while.”
“They have been, but they didn’t know as much as they do now.”
