Prologue
Dylan limped through Jeni’s living room carrying some wires. Ever since his fall late last year, when the weather turned cold, his knee ached, and an early spring cold snap was coming through. Jeni watched Sam look at him as he passed. A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth slightly, and Dylan winked at her, causing her grin to grow. Her eyes followed him out of the room before going back to her paperwork.
Jeni was hit with something. Something that settled in her gut. Jealousy? Not quite. Something else. Something that made her frown, made her sad, made her mad all at once, and she jumped up so quickly that Sam, who had been concentrating, startled and dropped her pen on the carpeted floor. “What’s the matter?” Sam asked.
“Nothing,” Jeni answered too quickly and realized her mistake when she looked at Sam, whose brow was furrowed. Yeah, Sam didn’t buy that. Heck. She didn’t believe it either. “Are they done with my room?” She hoped so. A week ago, she’d gone to Sam for help, and now all her blinds were pulled, and Dylan and some other guys she didn’t know were wiring her house with a security system along with other things. She zoned out when Sam had told her all that was being done.
She lived by herself. The two-story house on the lake was her dream home, and someone had taken nude pictures of her through her bedroom window with a zoom lens or a drone. She wasn’t sure.
“I think so,” Sam answered.
“I’ll be back.” Jeni strolled to the stairs, her steps brisk, her back straight. She tamped down the urge to take the steps two at a time. Act cool! Sam was overreacting with all of this—she had to be. She’d always felt safe here, but as she slumped down on the bed and ran her hands through her long locks, doubt was creeping in.
It was wooded back here; beautiful evergreens were everywhere. No neighbors in sight, and the fact that some peeping Tom had been on her property, spying, stalking her? Unease settled in her gut and wouldn’t leave.
She had been pretty good at ignoring the warning signs. But now that she had told someone, she couldn’t ignore them anymore. Could she? She fought the urge to crawl into her bed and cocoon herself under the covers. Never let them see you sweat, her dad had told her when she was growing up. She wished her dad were here.
The heavy sadness was back, and Jeni blinked back tears. She should call her mom, but she didn’t trust herself not to break down and tell her everything. Her mom had been through enough; she didn’t need this.
And Matt. How was she going to keep this from him? He would blow his top. He had taken it upon himself since their father had died to step up and be the man of the house. Well, he’d tried anyway. He was only fifteen at the time.
But how could she explain Tony hanging around without him getting suspicious?
Tony Gates. Ugh. That man. He’d already given her a set of rules like she was a teenager. He even gave her a curfew for when she wasn’t at work. Oh, and the kicker; he’d be taking her to and from there. Matt would see, and this wouldn’t end well.
Speaking of Tony, she could hear his deep baritone from down the hallway near a guest room. There was another room downstairs that was her office right now, not that she used it much. It had a great view of the lake, and she sat in there and read sometimes. Not lately, though; she couldn’t concentrate long enough to read anything.
She’d always figured that once she got married and had kids, the office would become her and her husband’s room, and they’d ship the kids upstairs for private reasons. She’d doubted that would be happening anytime soon.
Tony’s voice, louder this time, knocked her out of her reverie. “No way in hell. There has to be another way.”
Sam’s voice, a little lower but still carrying, hit her ears. “She doesn’t need to be here alone at night. How else are you going to explain your presence?”
“It’s not going to work, Sam. We haven’t even been seen together, like ever.”
Jeni stood and walked out into the hallway. “What’s going on?”
Tony’s arms were crossed, and he was not happy. His jaw was locked tight.
Sam shot a determined look at Tony and walked past him and touched Jeni’s arm. “He needs to stay with you.”
“Why?”
Sam took a deep breath. “We found pictures in your mailbox,” she said softly.
Jeni’s stomach fell further. “Of me?” Dumb question.
Sam grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her into the bedroom, and closed the door. They heard Tony stomp down the stairs. “I know we put in a security system, but I would feel better if Tony stayed with you. And if you don’t want to tell your brother or anyone else what’s going on, you have to make up something about why someone is living with you. He’s going to be taking you to and from work. People will see.”
Jeni’s heart sped up. She did not want that man in her home all the time. Didn’t want to be around him twenty-four seven. “Just say it.”
“Your new boyfriend just stomped down the stairs.”
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