A scream tore from her throat.
The dark figure lunged at her, leaving her merely a fraction of a second to react. She jumped to the side and hunched her body, but she didn’t move fast enough. The man’s arms encircled her waist, but at least momentum was on her side. His fingers didn’t quite lock, and she squirmed out of his grasp. In a quick movement she whirled around, raising her foot in a kick as she did.
Her foot landed in his gut, but it wasn’t enough to knock him over, only to catch him off guard. It was the best she could do, and she turned, running to her car.
She was almost at the car door when she felt a hand clamp down roughly over her mouth.
Oh, God!
her mind screamed.
She grabbed his arm with both hands and tried to rip it from her lips. Her mouth struggled to move behind the death grip he had on her, hoping to bite him, but she couldn’t move her lips enough to expose her teeth.
“Tell Sheldon his days are numbered,” a raspy
voice said. Then the man let her go, shoving her forward. Her hands flew out to break her fall as she tumbled to the ground.
Tyanna’s purse went one way, her tote bag the other. She quickly scrambled to her feet, but when she turned to face her attacker, he was already running away, through the dark parking lot.
A sob escaped her throat, half relieved, half frightened.
And then she started crying. Her shoulders drooped as all her strength seemed to ooze out of her.
“Sheldon,” she said softly, wishing he was here right now.
Pulling herself together, Tyanna set about collecting her belongings from the asphalt.
“Sheldon…”
The faint sound of her voice immediately put him on guard. Gripping the receiver tighter, he sat up, sliding his feet off the edge of his bed. “Tyanna?”
“Yeah, it’s me.’’
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Was that a sniffle he heard?
“Something happened,” she told him. “Something bad.’’
“Where are you?” he asked.
“I’m outside a McDonald’s. Just sitting in my car.” Another sniffle. Damn, she was crying. “I don’t want to go home.’’
“Then come here.’’
“I don’t know. It’s late….”
“Don’t worry about the time. My mother’s already sleeping.”
“I don’t want to wake her.” She paused. She thought of his mother’s heart condition and instantly felt bad for calling, even though she wanted to alert Sheldon to what was going on. “And I…’’
“What?” Sheldon asked anxiously.
“I don’t want to worry her. But I need to talk to you.’’
Sheldon had been trying to control his emotions, let Tyanna tell him what was going on at her own pace. But right about now, he thought his heart would seize from the intense worry he was feeling. So he said, “Tell me what happened, Tyanna.’’
“Someone came after me tonight,” she answered softly.
Sheldon hesitated only a moment, Tyanna’s words registering in his brain. Then he was on his feet with the cordless, searching for a shirt to put on.
“The police came to the gym. They took my statement. I’m sure the guy’s long gone, but now I’m afraid to go home.’’
“I’ll meet you there,” Sheldon told her.
“At the McDonald’s?”
“No, at your apartment. In the parking lot.” When she didn’t say anything, Sheldon added,
“You can’t stay where you are all night. I’ll make sure you’re okay. Whatever you do, just wait for me in the parking lot. Do not go upstairs without me.’’
“Okay. But please, please, please—make sure no one follows you.’’
She sounded so frail, so vulnerable. So
scared
. And he felt helpless. He had been helpless to save Dwight, and he hoped to God there wouldn’t be a repeat of that situation. He wanted to be there always to protect anyone he cared about, and that included Tyanna.
He knew Dwight’s murder had been the catalyst that made him consider a career in law enforcement. He never wanted to feel helpless again, and he wanted to do a job where he could make a difference. Whether it was hunting down bad guys or stopping them before they committed their evil crimes, Sheldon wanted to be a part of the process.
But right now, Tyanna was his main priority. If only he could snap his fingers and be with her already.
“I’m on my way out right now,” he told her.
“All right,” Tyanna said. “I’ll see you soon.’’
When Sheldon pulled into the parking lot of Tyanna’s building and saw her standing at the rear of her car, he felt a moment of panic. Shit, he’d told her to wait for him, but he had assumed she would know better than to wait outside her car. She had practically made a target of herself.
Sheldon slammed on his brakes, burning rubber as he did. Tyanna came around to the passenger side of his car. He hit a button with his thumb, and the passenger window rolled down.
“Tyanna, what are you doing standing out here?” he asked.
She looked at him with confusion, and he knew his irritated tone had frightened her.
“I…I was waiting for you,” she replied.
“You should have stayed in your car. If the guy who attacked you had come to your place, you would have been a walking target.’’
“I’m sure he didn’t follow me.’’
“But he could have.’’
Tyanna slowly shook her head. “If this is why you came over, to lecture me, then you can leave right now.’’
Sheldon looked at her a long moment before answering. “No. Of course that’s not why I came over. I’m just worried.” He hit the button to unlock all the doors. “Hop in.’’
Tyanna opened the door to the Explorer and climbed in.
“How’re you holding up?” Sheldon asked her.
“I’m still shaking a little.’’
She extended her hands, and Sheldon could see the slight tremble. He took her left hand into his. “I’m sorry. But you’re safe now.’’
They fell into silence as Sheldon parked, and stayed quiet until they reached her apartment. Once inside, Sheldon wrapped his arms around her.
At first, her body shook slightly, but as he continued to hold her, she calmed. It felt good to have her in his arms like this. Felt good to know he could give her some comfort.
He kissed her temple. “Tell me what happened.”
Tyanna’s head bobbed up and down jerkily. “Let’s sit on the sofa.’’
Sheldon kept his arm around her shoulders as they slowly walked into her living room. They sat together.
Angling his body toward hers, Sheldon took her hands in his. “All right. What happened?”
Tyanna glanced down, then back up at him. “This is bad, Sheldon.’’
His grip on her hands tightened. “What do you mean? This guy hurt you? Violated—”
“No, no. Nothing like that.’’
“You would tell me, right?’’
Tyanna nodded. “Yes, I would.’’
Sheldon relaxed somewhat. “If he didn’t hurt you, then it could have been worse.’’
“It all started with a phone call I got at the gym. I’d gotten one before, where someone hung up, and I didn’t think much of it. But this one…” Tyanna blew out a frazzled breath. “Someone specifically told me to tell you that he’s watching you, and that he’s going to get you.’’
Sheldon’s stomach filled with dread. There could be no mistaking that this was related to Dino. And he could kick himself for being so optimistic to think that because Dino was dead, the threat to his life was over. So damned naïve.
“I tried to reach you, but you were working. And you never called….”
“I had a crisis with two of the teens at the youth center. One was arrested, and I went to the hospital with the other.’’
“That bad?” Tyanna asked.
“It got pretty ugly, but I think everything’s gonna work out. Right now, I’m not worried about that. Tell me what happened.”
Tyanna looked at Sheldon and gave him a brief nod before continuing. “When I was heading to
my car after work, this guy came up behind me. He grabbed me. I kicked him but he clamped his hand over my mouth and scared me to death. Then he said to tell you that your days are numbered, and he threw me down.’’
For a full five seconds, all Sheldon could do was stare at her. His whole body froze.
Wrapping his brain around what Tyanna had just said, Sheldon rose to his feet. He knew he’d heard her, but he had to be sure. “That’s what he said?’’
“Yes.”
“Shit.” He dragged a hand over his face. “I don’t understand this.” Sheldon began to pace. “How the hell does anyone associated with Dino know I’m back in town?” He stopped walking, turning to face Tyanna. “And even if they did know I was back in town, why come after you? If they knew we were lovers, why didn’t they come after you before? If Dino knew about you all along, he sure as hell would have gone after you before. None of this makes a lick of sense.’’
“I don’t know, Sheldon. But obviously that call to your mother’s place and the attack on me tonight proves that someone knows something.” Tyanna whimpered. “The guy also said he knows where you live. That he followed you from the gym.’’
“Son of a bitch!’’
“You said Dino was the kind of guy who liked
to make a person sweat. Do you think it’s possible his goons knew where you were all along and just waited until you were back in town?’’
Sheldon faced her then. Tyanna saw the frustration in his eyes. “I can’t imagine that. But then, I have no clue what to think right now.’’
Tyanna’s mind went over the incident again and again. She tried to think of any clue she had missed. “I wish I could tell what he looked like, but he was dressed in all black, and he wore a hat that came halfway over his face. I only know he’s a white guy. That’s all I saw.’’
“Facial hair?’’
“Not that I could tell. And he didn’t have an accent that I could identify.”
Sheldon nodded, then paced over to a window. Tyanna thought he was going to look outside, but he didn’t. He simply stood there, lost in thought.
And suddenly it hit her. How all this could have happened.
Oh, no
, she thought grimly. If she was right, this was all her fault. And Sheldon wasn’t going to like it. Not one bit.
Wringing her hands together, she continued to watch Sheldon. She carefully considered her words. But all that came out was, “Um…”
Sheldon turned around. “Did you say something?”
Tyanna’s shoulders drooped as a breath of defeat oozed out of her. No matter how she worded it, Sheldon was going to be angry.
He started toward her. “What, Tyanna? What are you not telling me?’’
“Just promise me you won’t get mad.’’
Both his eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean, promise you I won’t get mad?’’
“Don’t do…exactly what you’re doing now. Raising your voice. Thinking the worst when I’m not even sure if…’’
He reached for her and drew her up from her position on the sofa so that she was standing against him. He held her firmly by the shoulders. There was something in his eyes, something she could only describe as panic.
“Tyanna, you have to tell me.’’
“All right.” He relaxed his hold on her. “I…I spoke to Leona, and I’m wondering—”
“Leona from Ultimate Fitness?’’
Tyanna nodded.
“My God. When?’’
“I don’t know. A couple weeks ago. Shortly after I ran into you and you told me about Dino.’’
Sheldon shook his head, disappointed. “Why?’’
“Don’t—don’t give me that. You have to know why I went to see Leona. Your story just seemed too incredible. I didn’t go there to ask her outright about what you’d told me. I went figuring I’d ask some questions—ask about Dino. Of course, if I saw him alive and well, I’d know that you were lying to me.’’
“And he wasn’t there.” It was a statement.
“No. I know now that you were telling me the
truth, but at the time…I didn’t know what to think. Anyway, when Dino wasn’t there, I asked Leona where he was. As it turns out, she told me that Dino had been killed. That led to me naturally asking what happened to him, and from there it became clear that your story had to be true.’’
“You didn’t believe me.’’
Tyanna shrugged, then said, “I guess not. But you knew that. It’s not that I didn’t want to believe you, but I also never would have figured you for the type to leave me without even saying good-bye.” Tyanna sighed her frustration. “I had to know, Sheldon. I had to know for sure. If it seems like I didn’t trust you, I guess I can’t deny that.” She paused, then added, “I’m sorry.’’
Sheldon turned his back on her and walked back to the window. This time he slipped a hand through the blinds and peered outside. For a long while he simply stood there. Tyanna suspected he wasn’t really seeing anything.
“You must have mentioned me.’’
“I…I think so. Yeah, I did. Leona asked how I’d heard about Dino, and that’s when I mentioned you. I said you were the one who told me. I told her that you had once worked at the gym. Damn, I even told her your full name, trying to see if it rang a bell. She seemed to have a vague memory of you at best.’’
Sheldon chuckled sarcastically. “Really?”
“Yeah. I had no clue that would cause any problem. I figured that Dino was dead. Any
threat was over. What could it hurt to talk to Leona about it?’’
“Did you know she was Dino’s girlfriend?”
Tyanna’s mouth hit the floor. “What did you say?’’
Turning slowly, Sheldon faced her and nodded. “Yep. The whole time she was working at the gym.’’
Tyanna buried her face in her hands. She had sensed that possibility when talking to Leona about Dino’s death. But in all the time she had worked at the gym, she had never known. She and Leona hadn’t been close friends.
“Oh, my God. Oh, Sheldon. I’m so sorry. I never saw anything to indicate they were lovers….”
“You were busy with your clients.’’
“True.” Lord help her, she had messed up big time.
“I understand you were skeptical of my story, but to go back to the gym? The very place where the threat to my life began? This is exactly why I didn’t tell you anything about Dwight, nor what my real plan was. Because I worried that you’d somehow let something slip. And I was right.” He paused. “And you talk about honesty, yet you don’t tell me about your chat with Leona?’’
“That’s not fair,” Tyanna quickly countered. “Sure, maybe I should have told you about my visit with Leona. But you should have told me that Leona was Dino’s girlfriend. Hell, if I’d
known that, I would have known to tread lightly with her. Besides, she’s not Dino. Why would she want to hurt you?’’
Sheldon stared at her, and she stared right back.
“Why?” he finally asked. “Who knows why? Because of some twisted sense of loyalty? Because someone else in Dino’s crew wanted me dead and the moment she learned I was back in town she told this person? Who knows, Tyanna? I don’t understand how these warped minds think. All I know is that Leona has to be the missing link here. And you’re the one who went to see her.’’
Sheldon hadn’t yelled at Tyanna. Still, it was clear he was angry with her.
“I know I’m not the most credible person to speak about honesty right now,” she began, “but this is my whole point about you needing to be up front with me. If I had known all the facts before, my slip-up could have been avoided. But you keep everything inside, thinking that’s going to protect me—’’
“I don’t want to have this conversation.”
“Oh, really?’’
“Yeah, really.’’
“I said I was sorry.’’
Sheldon walked toward her. Stopping in front of her, he merely stared at her, then groaned. “I—I need some time to think.’’
“Oh, so you’re going to run away again?’’
“I’m not saying that.’’
“Then what are you going to do? Think here on my sofa? Or am I not going to hear from you for another year?’’
Sheldon didn’t respond right away, and Tyanna walked past him, disappointed. This was exactly why she didn’t want to get involved with him again in any capacity. She knew that he could and would hurt her.
She stopped at her dining-room table and gripped the back of one of the chairs with both hands.
“Am I upset?” Sheldon asked behind her. “Yes, I’m upset, but at the situation. Things just happen sometimes, no matter what you do to try and prevent them. I need to think now, because I’m worried. Leona knows I’m back in town, and it’s either her orchestrating this attempt on my life, or someone else close to Dino. Who knows? Maybe I brought heat down on Dino when I went to the cops about Dwight’s death. Sometimes, they watch a person for a while before they’re able to make an arrest. So maybe Dino’s friends blame me for his death.” It was an idea that made sense. “God, I’d hoped this would all die with the bastard.’’
Tyanna’s body flinched at the feel of Sheldon’s hands on her shoulders. She hadn’t heard him approaching, hadn’t sensed him. Surprisingly, his touch was soft. And it was comforting.
“This was my worst fear, Tyanna. That they would connect you to me.” He rested his chin against her head. “I don’t really know what to think.’’
Tyanna turned in his arms. “I really am sorry.’’
“I know you are. If someone is angry that Dino is dead and figures that in some way I brought heat down on him, then this threat is very real. Of course, people like this aren’t entirely rational, anyway. They’ll come up with any reason to hurt someone.’’
Sheldon let his statement hang in the air, and Tyanna’s stomach fluttered. After a moment, she said, “There was a man working at the juice bar with Leona.’’
“There was?’’
“Mmm hmm. Some guy I’d never seen before.’’
Sheldon processed the information in silence.
Tyanna asked, “You’re not going to leave, are you?’’
Sheldon wrapped his arms around Tyanna. “I don’t really think I should leave you tonight.’’
It was a simple statement, not at all sexual, but Tyanna’s body suddenly began to throb. “Are you tired?’’
“Not really.’’
“Then maybe you can sit with me. We can talk? About something else,” she quickly added.
Sheldon gazed down at her. “Something else on your mind?’’
“Kind of. Let’s sit.” Taking his hand in hers, Tyanna led him to the sofa. She sat, bringing her legs up onto the sofa under her. Sheldon sat back, resting his head sideways against the headrest so that he could face her.
She sighed. “When I didn’t see you around this week, I was kind of worried about you.’’
“You said you needed space.’’
“Yes, but I didn’t think you’d give it to me.” She smiled. “Anyway, not hearing from you…I guess it made me think about you more.’’
“Really?”
“Uh-huh. I know I’ve pretty much been pushing you away, but I’ve been thinking about you a lot,” Tyanna admitted softly, her eyes locking with Sheldon’s.