“Well, I’m glad someone is looking out for her.” Gus turned his attention back to Evangeline. “You can go in now. Let me know if you notice anything missing so I can add it to the report.” He sighed and ran his fingers through his graying hair before he continued, “I’m sorry this happened, honey, and you call if you even
think
there might be trouble. We’ll keep a unit in the area.” Gus shook his head. “I still think you should stay with some friends.”
“I don’t have any. Shane took care of that. I’ll manage, though, don’t worry.” She knew defeat was clear in her words, but she didn’t have the strength to fight it.
“I offered to let her crash in my spare room, but she doesn’t know me. I could help if your boys are short on patrols,” Adam offered.
Was this guy for real? Who offered to guard someone without even knowing them?
“Nah, we’ve got plenty of manpower. It’s just catching the little bastards. We’ve got prints, but they’re small and probably hers. Most likely, they wore gloves. Only the things done in public have stuck, and that’s only due to the witnesses.” He leaned in and whispered, though Eva still heard, “They’re going to hurt her, I can feel it. She’s alone, Adam. He’s isolated her from everyone in town.”
“Not me,” he replied. His tone sounded cold, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was a good bit of anger there, as well. For her? “I’d love to see these boys come to my home and try this mess.”
Gus threw back his head and laughed. “So would I. Those dogs of yours would tear them up real good.”
“Not at first. They’d merely keep them contained until I came home.” Adam chuckled when Evangeline gave him a curious look. “I have two wolves. I found them as pups a few years ago and raised them myself. They’re tame but extremely protective,” he explained.
Wolves?
“Adam here is the best damn dog trainer in three states. I’m not sure how he does it, but I’ve seen him bring a pit bull in full-out bloodlust to heel.”
“He was just hurt and defensive,” Adam countered.
“He damn near took Pete’s throat out! But Adam here walked right up and stared his ass down.” Gus was a real character once you got him talking on a subject off the case, and Eva was glad to see a more relaxed version of him as opposed to the straight-laced officer she was usually met with. “You should consider taking him up on his offer, Evangeline. I can vouch that he’s a real stand-up guy, and I can assure you nobody will get to you at his place, either. He’s got top-notch security and his wolves. You’d be safer there than anywhere else I can think of.”
Eva worried her lower lip with her teeth, her stomach feeling as if it were full of hummingbirds instead of butterflies. Her own personal wet-dream come to life wanted to bring her into his home and protect her from the bad guys? It was just like one of her novels! Every woman’s fantasy and she had the chance to experience it.
“Let me think about it. I’m still trying to get a handle on everything that’s happened tonight.” She was confused, afraid and fairly sure the sickening feeling she had in regard to the state of her home was only about get worse. “You said I could go inside?”
“Yes. We’ll be back in about thirty minutes or so to board up the house. Will that give you enough time?” Gus asked. “There are still two deputies going around your backyard, looking for any evidence, so don’t be spooked if you see them.”
“Okay. That will probably give me enough time. I’ll just grab some clothes and a few other things and come back tomorrow for the rest.” Eva accepted his card and promised to call before she headed over, so he could be there the next day.
“I’ll stay until you come back,” Adam announced.
For some reason, she felt a little calmer knowing he’d be around. He was so large and intimidating Eva felt safer having him on her side. At least, someone outside of the police department was.
“Come on, let’s get your things. I’ll help you pack some stuff up.”
Eva only nodded and made her way to the door…or what was left of it. The frame was splintered where the deadbolt had been in place, showing that they’d probably kicked it in. The foyer had deep gouges in the walls where something had been dragged across them. Knickknacks from the curio were shattered and scattered over the wood floors. The living room was in such a state she just closed her eyes, turned and headed to the kitchen. Not that it was any better in there. The stove had been ripped away from the wall and toppled into the middle of the floor, which explained the gas leak.
It looked as if every dish she owned was lying, broken on the counters and floor, including her grandmother’s china. Evangeline caught her breath on a sob as she picked up a piece of a beautiful, antique china plate.
“Fucking
bastards
!” she croaked. She’d lost yet another piece of her past. Those dishes had been in her family since the late 1800s.
Suddenly, she had a horrible thought that left her chilled to the bone.
“
No!
” Eva leapt to her feet and ran past a startled Adam and up the hall. Sure enough, her room hadn’t escaped the massacre. Evangeline’s clothes lay shredded and scattered all over the place. The dresser and mirror that had been against the wall were tipped over and broken too, but what brought her to her knees in a wailing heap were the remains of her photographs. All of her pictures, albums, scrapbooks and home videos were in a pile and had been shredded beyond repair.
Everything
.
She was now officially alone in the world now, with only her memories of a happier life, one where she had a loving family and friends.
Evangeline clutched handfuls of the remains, crying so hard she had hiccups escaping between gut-wrenching sobs. “He’s destroyed everything. There’s nothing left but the house, and he’ll burn it to the ground for sure.”
“Eva, I’m so, so sorry. I can’t imagine what you must be feeling.”
“This was all I had left. My parents are dead; my grandma, as well. My whole family is gone. He knows that, and he’s destroyed all that I had left of them.”
Chapter Three
Evangeline was breaking his heart. All that wild red hair now fell around a splotched, tear-streaked face, and he didn’t have a clue as to how she’d survived this long while being so alone. His family was always around, and Adam vowed that he would never again complain about that.
The urge to comfort and reassure her was stronger than he’d expected. He wasn’t a cold man, but he’d never been a terribly emotional one either. Yet, this one tiny female had him blinking away tears that he hadn’t been aware of forming. There was an intense ache in the center of his chest, and his inner wolf howled in reply to her grief, for it had reached even there.
He gathered her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her tiny body as she mourned her loss. Adam laid a gentle kiss to the top of her hair and inhaled her scent. Vanilla assailed his senses, and he had the intense feeling she belonged to him. That thought sent a surge of hope through him at a highly inappropriate time. Even as she dealt with the loss of her cherished belongings, he was filled with an immense joy at the possibility he’d found his mate.
“I’ve got you. Just let it all out, honey.”
When she snuffled and relaxed against him, he began to rub her back in soothing circles while he looked around the room for anything they could take with them. Unfortunately, that was nothing. Everything had been destroyed. Clothes, furniture and pretty much anything else that had been seen as value had been shredded or broken beyond repair and would have to be replaced.
Adam heard the return of the officers and decided she no longer had the privilege of deciding where she would stay. He was determined to undertake the task of ridding her of these men once and for all.
When Gus entered the room, Adam noted the look of sympathy and worry on the man’s face. “I need you to do me a favor, Gus.”
“Sure.”
“Follow me in her car. I’m going to bring her to my cabin, and we’ll park her car in the shed, so it won’t be seen by anyone.”
Gus was quick to understand the need to hide away her vehicle and simply reached his hand out for the keys. “That’s a good idea. They wouldn’t hesitate to total her only means of transportation and leave her stranded somewhere.” Gus winced when Evangeline stiffened in Adam’s embrace. “I’m sorry to say that, but you know it would probably be the next thing they tried if given the chance.”
She offered a barely discernible nod as her response, and Adam could tell she was exhausted. Her strength wouldn’t hold out much longer at this rate.
“Were you able to get anything packed?” Gus asked as he glanced around the room.
“No. They seem to have destroyed everything, but I’ll make sure that she gets what she needs, so don’t worry about that. I’ve got three sisters-in-law, and I’m sure they will jump at the chance to help out with that, as well.” Eva let out another sob, and Adam mentally kicked himself in the ass for mentioning family after the loss she’d just suffered. “Let’s go. I want to get her settled so that she can rest.”
* * * *
Numb
.
That was the only way Eva could think to describe how she felt. It was almost like watching some police show drama on television instead of it being a very real scene playing out inside her home. As she watched the officer’s board up her last family possession, Evangeline retreated a little further into herself. She’d always heard it said that a person could only handle so much before they broke down completely, and she idly wondered if she’d finally reached that point. Her lack of concern over that possibility told her that she was probably close to her breaking point.
Adam and Gus had walked out onto the porch, speaking softly and eyeing her as one might a frightened animal.
“I’m all right.” Damn, that didn’t sound believable, even to her.
“You don’t have to act strong for us, you know.” Adam’s voice was low and meant for her ears only. “Nobody would hold your tears against you.”
Eva stiffened her spine, feeling a spark of determination flash inside. “I fully intend to indulge myself in a hysterical fit later, so don’t you worry. However, I refuse to let those sons of bitches see me cry.” Taking a deep, fortifying breath, she handed her keys to Gus. “I’m not giving them the satisfaction of knowing how much they’ve hurt me.”
“You’re right, they don’t deserve that. Do you really think they stuck around though? There are a lot of policemen here. Surely, they’d be seen,” Adam said, and she watched him quickly scan the area.
“You’d think so, but they’ve often commented about a reaction I had or some other occurrence after they were no longer around, so I’m pretty sure they just hide and watch.” Eva shrugged. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Pretty soon, I’ll have nothing left and no reason to stay. I can only pray that they don’t decide to follow me when I leave.”
“Don’t worry about that right now. We’ll go to my place, and you can take a bath or rest while I see about getting a few things—” Adam stopped midsentence and scented the air for a moment. Danger was near. He could literally smell it. All emotions had a distinct aroma. Love was usually a pleasant smell while lust held a little more spice. Evil, rage and other similar emotions held a hint of sulfur that burned his nose. “Something’s wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Gus asked even as he stepped in front of Evangeline. “Where’s your truck?”
“Down the street. I didn’t want to scare her and would have left to head home if I hadn’t seen the house,” he explained.
“I’ll take her car and go around town a few times to see if I can draw them out.”
“Just start the car with the key fob and see if that draws any interest,” Adam suggested. “The windows are dark enough they’ll never know if someone was inside.” Backing up, Adam forced Eva to re-enter the remains of her foyer.
They’d only been waiting about twenty minutes for the police to arrive at her home, but with them not being in plain sight, anyone could have come up and messed with something, but his money was on her car. He couldn’t explain why, but his gut told him that’s where the danger was.
He and Gus looked out the cracked open door when she spoke up from behind. “Just so you know—because Shane does—I always turn my lights on before I start the car. You can do that from the key ring, too.”
“All right, the lights are on,” Gus relayed.
“Now, wait long enough to buckle a seatbelt then start it,” she instructed.
The deafening explosion that followed lifted the car into the air and sent glass and metal flying in all directions. The bastards must have planted the bomb while he and Eva were in his truck. It was the only explanation because she had just driven it to the store.
“What the fuck was
that
?” one officer yelled as he struggled to pick himself up from the ground.
“
That
,” Gus growled, “was attempted murder.”
Adam heard a whoosh of breath, spun and caught Evangeline as she crumpled to the floor.
“Get my truck, Gus.” Adam threw his keys then swept her up into his arms. “Pull it up to the damn door, through the yard. I’m getting her somewhere safe.”
Gus made no objection, catching the key ring and running to fetch Adam’s vehicle. A few officers had gotten fire extinguishers from their cruisers and were trying to douse the flames still leaping from within the vehicle, while others worked to secure the scene from curious and frightened neighbors.
Adam prayed they could find some evidence on these men. He’d make sure the trial went to a court outside of this town. This couldn’t be allowed to continue. Surely, this woman hadn’t done anything to deserve to be
killed
.
As he glanced down at her limp form, he vowed to solve this problem for her. This tiny female couldn’t possibly fight off the kind of attacks these men would bring. She was a well-built woman but so petite she could easily be overpowered. The bruises forming on her upper arms were a testament to that, and he swore they would pay for them.