Wilde Blue (Wilde Brothers Book 4) (11 page)

“Did you just give me the key to your house?” she asked as she stepped inside.

“I guess I did. Does it bother you?” He was chuckling as he locked the door behind them and punched the same four-digit code into a flashing panel beside the door.

“For a dedicated bachelor, you don’t seem too concerned, that’s all.”

Dave turned and gave her a look that nearly melted her heart. “I’ve come to realize I’m not that dedicated to the whole bachelor thing. Not anymore.”

“I guess that’s something else we should talk about after this madness is over.”

“You better believe it.”

He looked down at Casey and offered her his hand. “C’mon, munchkin, I’ll give you two the nickel tour and then we can order pizza.”

Dani followed behind them and tried not to giggle. Every room was a testament to Dave’s single status, from the bare, off-white walls and steel-and-glass furniture to the massive flat-screen television that dominated an entire wall of the living room. She managed to keep her composure until they got to the kitchen.

Remembering all the jokes about his freezer, Dani popped open the freezer door and burst out laughing. “Dear God. You have Pizza Pops in here! I thought no one over the age of ten was allowed to eat those.”

“Mock my pantry again and that’s what we’ll be having for dinner. I bet Casey would love that, wouldn’t you, munchkin?”

Casey tipped her head to one side as she considered. “I think I’d rather have real pizza. Maybe we can have those for breakfast?”

“Maybe we can. Or maybe I’ll make pancakes.”

Dani couldn’t resist. “Do they make frozen pancakes, too? Are those like waffles you put in the toaster? Because I don’t think those count.”

“Careful, sunshine. You know how much I like it when you get sassy.” He winked at her before looking down at Casey. “How about you and me go order up some pizza while your mom phones your grandparents and lets them know what’s going on.”

Dani hesitated. “You think I should?”

“At this point, I don’t think there’s any reason why not. Go, talk to them. Casey and I will handle dinner, and then I should touch base with Jared and find out what’s going on at Leo’s. We’ll share info once dinner gets here.”

On impulse, she crossed over to him and stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his mouth. “I think I’m starting to like it when you get bossy.”

His answering kiss was hot enough that she could still hear her heart pounding when she left the kitchen to call her parents.

It was the first time she’d been able to really talk to them since she’d left. It was good to hear their voices, but what they had to tell her didn’t make her happy. A fire at the restaurant, vandalism at the house, a broken window—she didn’t doubt for a second that Bobby was responsible for everything.

Despite the somber tone of their conversation, she felt better for having called them. After years of living and working together it was hard to suddenly have barely any contact with the people she loved. Still, the time apart had been good for her, too. She and Casey were coping fine on their own. Dani was building up a new support system here in Chicago, filled with good people who treated her like family…and one man who treated her like a goddess.

Staying here and making a new life for herself and Casey was feeling more and more like the right thing to do.

Her good mood lasted until she walked into the living room. Dave was on the couch with a tearful Casey sitting in his lap, and both of them were avidly staring at her game. Dave was asking question and after question and Casey was answering, pointing to the screen with one hand and wiping her eyes with the other.

“What happened? What’s wrong with Casey?” Dani demanded the moment she spotted her daughter’s tears.

Dave lifted his head and she gasped as she saw the fury darkening his eyes. “While you were gone we figured out how Bobby was able to find you. Casey’s sad because she thinks it’s her fault, but it isn’t. None of this is your fault, munchkin.”

He pressed a kiss to the cap of Casey’s caramel curls and she snuggled deeper into his arms. That small action eased Dani’s worries and she let herself relax again.

“Of course it’s not your fault, love bug.”

Casey looked up her and sniffled. “You’re not mad?”

“At you? No. At Bobby, yes. I’m very mad at him for what he’s doing. I still don’t understand how he found us, though.”

Dave pointed to the screen of the game. “He used this. Come here and I’ll show you.”

Dani took a seat beside Dave. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders, drawing her into his side so that she was snuggled up to him and Casey.

“He used her game? The one his parents gave her?” she asked as she recognized the main page view of
Farm Friends
.

“Casey tells me that the console came with the game already installed. I checked, that’s not standard.”

“No, Stella and Robert said they thought Casey would like it, so they had it installed at the store before they sent it.”

“I don’t think that’s what happened.” Dave flipped to another screen. “Whoever installed this sent an invite to another game account. See? This was done the same day the game was activated. They added a character named Lucy Goosey to the friend list. Casey thought it was part of the game.”

Dani stared at what he was showing her and tried to breathe despite the feeling that someone was sitting on her chest, crushing her. “But I checked, and there’s no chat function in this game. Casey couldn’t talk to anyone, so how did he know where we were?”

Dave flipped screens again. “I don’t know what his initial plan was, but as it turned out, he didn’t need a chat program to communicate with Casey. There’s a bulletin board where the players can post notes and announcements. And Casey named her town buildings and people after real places…something Lucy suggested she do via the board.”

“I’m sorry, Mommy. I didn’t know!” Casey crawled into her lap, wetting Dani’s top with a fresh bout of tears.

“It’s okay, bug. This is not your fault. No one’s mad at you, okay?”

“He’s a bad man for tricking me. I
liked
Lucy!” Casey wailed.

Dave reached up and stroked Casey’s back. “He’s a terrible man, and now that we know how he found you, we’re going to be sneaky and catch him. He’s going to go back to jail and never bother you again. But to do that, I’m going to need to borrow your game for a while, okay?”

Casey nodded. “Take it. I don’t like that game anymore, anyway.”

For the next few minutes, Dani sat in silence as Dave explained everything he’d figured out while she was on the phone. Casey had originally named her town’s buildings for her home in Seattle, but lately she’d been switching the names to the ones in Chicago. First the name of the school house. Then later she’d added a restaurant called Leo’s and a few other landmarks that would make it easy for Bobby to track them down.

Her bastard ex been in indirect contact with her baby girl since the day he’d gotten out of prison, and somehow she’d missed it. It was her fault he’d found them.

“Now that we know how he was doing it, we can end this,” Dave said at the end of his explanation.

Dani nodded, guilt and fury devouring her from the inside out. She needed this to be over. She wanted her life back. “Whatever it takes, count me in. I need to make up for my mistakes, which means we’re going to need a plan.”

Dave nodded. “I’m going to make a call to my precinct and get some officers over here. Then we’re going to have pizza and make a plan to get him out of your life forever.”

Chapter Ten

For Dave and his guests it had been a long, mostly sleepless night, followed by an insanely stressful day, but everything was finally in place.

Ben and Chase had gone to check on Dani’s home the night before and done a thorough sweep. There was no sign that Bobby had been there. Security footage from Leo’s had clear shots of Bobby damaging the car in their lot. What Dave hadn’t seen last night was the threat carved into the paintwork on the passenger side door:
Next time I won’t miss.

Dave and his family had seen to it that still-shots of Bobby’s face were now in the hands of every officer involved in this case. The bar was being watched, and the cops near Dani’s home were doing extra patrols through the neighborhood in case Bobby appeared. Outside of Dave’s house, several officers were already in position. This was where they all expected him to come because they’d deliberately baited the trap to draw him here.

This morning Dave had logged in as Casey and added a new note to the
Farm Friends
bulletin board, announcing to everyone that Casey and her mom were going to be spending the weekend with her “new daddy.” He’d tweaked a few of the building names, too, giving Bobby a virtual road map to his house. It hadn’t taken long for the Lucy Goosey character to appear and respond, and by afternoon Dave was certain that Bobby knew where to find them. Now it was simply a question of when he’d appear.

The plan was simple. Draw Bobby in and arrest him on sight. He was already wanted in connection with the crimes he’d committed in Seattle, as well as the vandalism to Dani’s car and uttering threats. The tape also put him in the same location as Dani, which meant he’d violated even more of the terms of his parole by being anywhere near her. There wasn’t anything his parents could do to buy him out of trouble this time.

It was too risky to have Casey with them, so she was spending the night at his parents’ house. Jared, Nicky, and Nick’s girlfriend, Lia, were there, too, just in case Bobby found his way to them. Dave had intended for it to be just himself and Ben in the house, but Dani had balked at that part of the plan. No amount of arguing had dissuaded her from her plan to stay and be part of the action. There was a determined set to her jaw, and a fire in her eyes that showed Dave just how important this was to her.

He still didn’t like it, but he had to admit he liked seeing Dani this way. There was no trace of fear or doubt, only determination and a fierce courage that was sexy as hell to watch.

The three of them were sitting in his living room. He and Dani on the couch and Chase sprawled at the foot of Ben’s chair. They’d been sitting here for over an hour, waiting. “It’s not too late for you to head over and spend the night with Casey,” he said, trying yet again to convince her to change her mind.

Dani glowered at him. “Don’t start that again. Even if it wasn’t already too late, I’m not going anywhere. You need me to draw him out, and I need to be here.”

Ben grinned. “I didn’t see it before but damn…you remind me of our mom. Bro, I don’t know whether to congratulate you or offer my condolences on your taste in women.”

“I’m not the one whose wife managed to not only fend off the punk kids robbing her at knifepoint, but actually browbeat one of those kids into acting as her assistant when Chase got hurt and needed stitches.”

Dani perked up. “I haven’t heard this story yet.”

“That’s because it starts with my brother sticking his foot so far down his throat that Kelly walked out on him and got a ride home with Tag. She left Ben standing at the curb outside the bar, looking like a lost puppy.”

Ben flipped his middle finger at him before turning to Dani. “I was trying to keep Kelly safe and got carried away…a lot like someone else in this room is doing right now.”

Dave winced and Ben laughed at him. “Truth hurts, doesn’t it?”

“I’ve come to understand it’s a family trait. We protect the ones we love,” Dave said.

Both Dani and Ben went silent for a moment as his final word hung in the air between them.

Love?
He’d surprised himself with that one, but the more he thought about it, the more he knew it to be true.

Dani got to her feet and for one terrible second he thought history was going to repeat itself. If she walked away from him now, he knew he’d never let himself take this chance again. Instead of walking away, she leaned down and kissed him, her eyes alight with happiness and a smile on her sweet lips.

“I love you, too, you pushy man, which is why I’m not letting you do this without me.” With that, she straightened and walked out into the hall before tossing a look back over her shoulder. “I’m going to make coffee. Who wants some?”

Dave was still trying to wrap his head around what had happened. She loved him. In the middle of all this madness, she’d told him that she loved him and made it clear she was staying by his side, then wandered off to make coffee like she hadn’t just changed his life forever. He’d liked her when she was still fighting her demons and needed him to protect her, but now… Damn, he loved this woman who was brave enough to face her fear and stand by him.

“Coffee would be good. It might be a long night.”

Ben raised his hand. “After witnessing
that
I’m wishing for something stronger than java, but I’ll take what I can get. I thought the world was supposed to end if my brother ever uttered those words.”

“Bite me.”

Ben nudged his canine partner with his toe. “You heard him, boy. Bite him!”

All three of them burst out laughing, only to stop when Ben’s radio squawked. Dani came back into the living room and glanced out the window into the gathering dusk, her fingers clenching and unclenching.

They listened intently to the information coming in. Bobby had been spotted two blocks away driving a beat-up sedan. The time had come.

Dave stood and crossed over to stand beside Dani. “Remember, no matter what happens, you stay inside the house. He’s not getting another chance to hurt you.”

“I don’t want him to hurt you, either,” she said softly, then added, “but I know this is your job. Just promise me you’ll be careful…and if you get a chance, hurt him for me.”

God, he loved her.

“I promise to be careful, and I swear that if I can, I’ll make him sorry he ever came looking for you and Casey.”

Ben leaned down and snapped a leash onto Chase’s collar. In seconds the dog was on full alert, his eyes locked on his handler as he waited for his next command. Both men checked their weapons and took their positions, Ben near the back door, Dave near the front.

The next part was the one he didn’t like at all. Dani needed to draw Bobby in. “Walk past the window, sunshine, but make it quick. I don’t want him having time to do anything but see you.”

She flashed him a nervous smile. “Pushy.”

“You like me pushy. Now move your ass before I decide this is a really bad idea.” He held his breath as she made her way across the room, picked up a glass, and walked back again.

“Now what?” she asked.

“If he was anywhere nearby, he knows for sure you’re here, so now we wait. It will be completely dark soon. My bet is he’ll make his move once he thinks no one can see him. The moment he steps foot on the property, they’ll arrest him. It’ll be over soon.”

The next few minutes passed with agonizing slowness. Dave caught himself checking his watch and forced himself to relax. They were on Bobby’s timetable now, and like most cowards, he wouldn’t make his move until he thought it was safe.

When the moment came, it wasn’t what Dave expected. Instead of a loud voice demanding Bobby freeze, there was a soft scuffing noise on the front stairs. At first he thought he’d imagined it, but then he heard the sound again. He looked at Dani and pressed a finger to his lips, then pointed toward the back of the house where Ben was standing guard.

She nodded in understanding and went to get Ben, creeping on her toes to avoid making any noise.

The plan to let the on-duty cops handle things went out the window the second he caught the scent of gasoline. The bastard had already set one fire back in Seattle. There was no way in hell Dave was going to stand by and let him set fire to his house. Changing the plan might cost him his promotion, but that didn’t matter anymore. Nothing mattered but keeping Dani safe and ending this once and for all.

Dave drew his weapon and opened the front door, the gas fumes so strong here that they made his eyes water. He blinked away the tears and looked around for Bobby, expecting to find him nearby.

There was no one there.

It took a moment for that to sink in. No one was around, not even the officers who should have been standing watch.
Fuck
.

Something had gone very wrong.

Dave turned in a quick circle, scanning the immediate area for threats. There! Flickers of orange-and-yellow flames danced in the darkness. It was a small fire, but it appeared to be spreading fast. He could see the men who should have been watching his house responding to the blaze, and he knew that whatever happened next, he’d have to deal with it alone. His mind raced as he tried to guess what Bobby’s next move would be. He wasn’t rational. Hell, the son of a bitch was barely sane. A knot formed in the pit of Dave’s stomach as the answer came to him. Bobby knew this was the end of his game. He only had one move left. Dani.

Dave sprinted around the house, barreling through the open gate he knew he’d left locked. He came around the corner at a full run, surprising Bobby in the act of dousing the back stairs in gasoline. The bastard was grinning as he worked, but that grin vanished the second he looked up at Dave.

“If I can’t have them, no one can!” he screeched as he dropped the canister of gasoline and reached behind him.

“Police. Freeze!” Dave shouted.

“Fuck you!” A lighter appeared in Bobby’s hand and he was flicking the wheel, trying to light it.

Dave reacted instinctively. If he let Bobby ignite that lighter, his house would go up in flames, putting Dani and his brother at risk. This ended, now. He launched himself at the smaller man, intending to tackle him, but Bobby cackled manically and bolted, still fumbling at the lighter in his hand.

“No!” Dave lost precious seconds regaining his balance before he could start pursuing Bobby again. Gun in hand, he took off at a flat run. Bobby was scrambling over the fence by the time Dave rounded the corner of the house, vanishing before Dave could get a shot off. With a curse, Dave added an extra burst of speed and scaled the fence without slowing. He had to get to Bobby before the bastard made it to the front of the house and the door that Dave had left open.

He ran faster.

Bobby had his foot on the first stair by the time Dave made it to the front yard. “Stop right there and put your hands up.”

Bobby just laughed and kept moving up the stairs, his laughter coming in sing-song snippets that matched the pace of his steps. The lighter caught, the tiny flame burning brightly in the darkness, and Dave reacted instantly.

He fired, then launched himself at Bobby. He had to get to the lighter before the gas ignited. Dave hit Bobby hard enough to knock him sideways and the smaller man staggered from the blow. They grappled for a moment and Dave managed to knock the lighter out of Bobby’s hand, sending it spinning through the air, far from the gasoline. With the primary danger dealt with, Dave managed to toss Bobby backward, off the gas-soaked stairs. He dove after him, and even before they hit the ground, Dave know that when this fight was over, only one of them was getting up again.

****

Dani didn’t even reach Ben before all hell broke loose. There was shouting, and she could smell the acrid odor of gasoline coming through the front door. She turned to go back, but Ben closed the distance between them and grabbed her arm, preventing her from moving.

“Wait here!” he ordered. Seconds later there was more noise, this time from the back door, and both of them spun around. Again, the sounds faded before they could move.

“What’s happening?” she whispered, and Ben shook his head in response, his finger to his lips.

Both of them heard Dave’s voice barking orders near the front of the house again, and Ben loosed Chase with a low command Dani didn’t understand. Chase seemed to, though, because he flew past her with Ben only two steps behind. Before they reached the front door the night was shattered by the terrible sound of gunfire.

Dave.

Memories assailed her, dragging her back to the night Bobby had come after her with a gun in his hand and a cruel light in his eyes. That night he’d nearly taken Casey from her, and tonight it was happening all over again. This time it was Dave she might lose forever, and the thought tore her heart from her chest. She wasn’t that woman anymore. Back then, she’d been a victim, but no longer. She was ready to face her fears and stop letting the past rule her.

Despite her promise to David to stay out of harm’s way, Dani found herself running to the front door. She would stand up for herself, and that meant she wouldn’t hide while others fought to protect her. Those days were over. Ben threw an arm out, stopping her from going out the door.

“No, you don’t,” he said in a voice that brooked no argument.