Chapter Twenty

George barked. And I sat straight up on the couch, rubbing my neck.

Someone ran across my porch. And then there was a big clunk. I was already dialing 911 when Jake yelled, “If you’re awake, it’s just me. Thought I saw something on the side of the house.”

I put my phone down and headed to the front door. “Jake?”

He waved from the other side of the porch. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. There was a shadow, more of blob. Probably just a raccoon but I thought I’d check it out.”

“What are you doing here?” My voice was raspy from sleep. And my brain wasn’t exactly functioning.

“I was, uh, out in my truck. I’ve got first watch tonight.”

I wrapped my arms around myself. “First watch?”

“Kane and I volunteered to help out. There was something going on at the college tonight and it was all hands on deck. So. Uh. Yep. I really didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Well, it’s silly for you to sit out in the cold. At least, come inside where it’s warm.”

I rubbed my arms, as the chilly wind bit through my T-shirt. My hair whipped around my face, and I’m sure I looked like something out of a horror film, or one of those people on the news who just found out their neighbor was a serial killer.

Now there’s a dark thought.

“Come on inside. You can share the couch with George, and I’ll go up to my room. I was getting a crick in my neck anyway.”

“Are you sure?” He gave me one of those devastating smiles of his. He was dressed in a Henley and a dark pair of jeans—and of course he looked like he’d just stepped out of the pages of a magazine.

It’s not fair.

“Okay. Let me grab some things from my truck.”

George hadn’t bothered to get up.

“What a great guard dog you are.” I gave him an eyebrow, but he just sighed.

He always seemed to know my friends, even by their cars or trucks, and didn’t bark like he did when strangers were around.

I stood there a minute waiting for Jake, but he didn’t come inside. Wondering if he’d changed his mind, I opened the door.

“Jake?”

Nothing but the wind.

I stepped across the porch, and was about to head toward his truck, when I saw him. “Jake!”

He was facedown on the ground by the driver’s side. “Are you okay?” I moved next to him. But it was so dark I couldn’t see anything. That’s when I realized the porch lights should have come on.

He didn’t move or answer. Maybe he’d tripped and hit his head. George must have heard my cry and came to investigate. He started growling.

“It’s just Jake,” I said. “He’s hurt.”

I took a step back. I needed help and my phone.

A figure appeared from the other side of the truck.

I maybe ran backward faster than I ever had in my life when the two-by-four being held by the figure wearing the hoodie came into view. I tried to grab George’s collar, but he bounded away, going after the figure, growling and snapping.

The prowler threatened him with the board, but George was having none of it.

It would do me no good to go after the stranger without a weapon. I had to do something. I ran for the door, determined to get the Taser my brother had given me and wishing I’d had time to practice.

I say that, but everything was a blur and slow motion at the same time. I found my purse just as the door slammed behind me. My hand hit the pepper spray first.

“I don’t know who you are, but the police are on the way.”

George pawed and barked against the door.

At least, he was okay.

“I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said. I didn’t recognize the voice. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone. It was an accident.”

He stood by the door for a minute, and then brandished the board. “But you know. I could see it in your eyes the other night. I don’t know how you figured it out, but you did.”

Keep him talking. If he’s doing that, he isn’t killing me.

At least not yet.

“What do I know?”

“That I killed that little weasel. It started out as just an argument and then the idiot tripped. Threatened to go to the police, or worse, tell Mike what I’d done.”

Crud. I did recognize the voice.

Danny. Oh. My.

I was desperately trying to get the lid off the stupid pepper spray, and that’s when I realized it had a plastic wrapper around it.

Great. Just great. If I went for my purse again, he’d know.

My best bet was to play stupid.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Who are you?”

He shook his head. “Ainsley, you’re a smart woman. It’s what’s going to get you killed. Don’t play games.”

Killed. That was a very scary word.

Run, my brain ordered but my feet wouldn’t move.

Come on. Don’t be one of those stupid women who just stand there waiting to die.

Run.

He advanced, and I turned. I was halfway to the kitchen when he grabbed the hem of my T-shirt and yanked me back.

Everything my brother taught me kicked in. Instep. Elbow. Kick back to the knee.

There was an oomph and the two-by-four fell to the floor. I tried to pull free, but somehow, he still held on to my shirt.

“I’m going to kill you.”

George’s barks were deafening.

The last thoughts running through my head were I’d probably need to paint the door thanks to his claws—if I didn’t die.

And if that happened, what would this jerk do to George and poor Jake?

He loosened his grip for a few seconds, and I turned and shoved the heel of my hand into his nose. There was a loud crack. With the other hand, I whacked him in the head with the humongous can of pepper spray.

The bat was by the back door, and I had a plan.

But before I could move, Danny stumbled. Blood spurted all over my floors from his face, but his head was up as he tried to staunch the flow. He reached blindly for me, but I danced out of the way. After kicking the board across the room so he couldn’t find it, I ran for the bat.

The front door opened, and George ran in like demons were on his tail and took Danny down hard. Then he proceeded to sit on him. Growling so menacingly, I worried he might eat the horrible man’s face.

“Get off me, you stupid mutt.”

“Stay,” Jake yelled from the door. Behind him flashing lights lit up the night sky.

“You okay?” Jake asked. He didn’t look so steady on his feet.

“Yes, but you don’t look so good.”

“I’ve been better,” he said and slid down the wall just inside the entry. “Cavalry’s here. You’re safe.”

“Ainsley!” my brother shouted.

“I’m okay,” I yelled back. He ran in and flipped on the light. We all winced.

He might have smiled just a bit when he saw George sitting on Danny Avery. A bit. Then his eyes were on me.

“Are you really okay?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

His men surrounded Danny and George.

“Ma’am, I mean Ms. McGregor, can you remove your dog from the suspect?” the officer who had been inside earlier asked.

“He’s not a suspect,” I said. “He confessed to the murder and he tried to kill me, Jake and George.”

There was a long pause.

When the men tried to move George, he growled. Not as mean as he was with Danny, but it was a far from pleasant sound.

“George. Come on, boy. I have a huge bone for you.”

He stared at me, and then glanced down. He bared his teeth and growled again.

“Good boy, George. Now come on. Let’s get a t-r-e-a-t.”

Danny was strangely quiet during all of this. Of course, having a two-hundred-pound dog on his chest was probably making it tough to breathe.

George growled one more time and then padded over to me. After giving me a good sniff, he licked my hand and sat at my feet.

I melted.

My arms wrapped around his neck and I squeezed. Barely holding my tears back.

I didn’t look up as they dragged Danny out of my house, reading him his rights as they did.

“Why does George get all the treats? I opened the door,” Jake said.

“Oh, Jake. Your poor head.” I let go of George and was headed his way, when the paramedics walked in.

“They need to check you out,” Greg said to the both of us.

“I’m fine,” I said. My shaking hands betrayed me. “Really. He only got hold of my shirt. It’s poor Jake who needs help.”

Jake did a swirly thing with his finger. “I saved the day. I opened the door.”

My brother shook his head, but he was smiling. “He might have a concussion.”

“Yep,” I said.

We stood there for a minute and then my brother hugged me hard.

“How did you guys get here so fast?”

“You called 911, but you didn’t hang up your phone. Everything was recorded, including, probably, Danny’s confession. When I tried to call Jake and he didn’t answer—let’s just say we all may have broken some land speed records. My truck may need a new engine.”

“I used the pepper spray,” I said softly. Grateful that I had a brother who loved me so much he would risk his precious truck for me.

“You did?”

My brother glanced down at the floor where the unopened spray sat.

“Conked him on the head. After, I used those moves you taught me. You saved my life tonight,” I said.

“Still here. Really did open the door so George could attack,” Jake waved his hand. The paramedics were shining lights in his eyes and he had a dazed look. “Drug myself up the stairs and everything,” Jake said. But he was smiling. Wincing and smiling.

“Yes, so many heroes. I’m a lucky woman.”

George nudged my hand. “Oh, I promised this one something special. I assume you’re going to have to process this crime scene. I should probably put coffee on for everyone.”

“Ainsley.” My brother pulled me into another hard hug. For a few seconds there, I couldn’t breathe.

“I’m okay.”

“I know. No more snooping. Okay?”

“Mmmhmmm.”

“I really deserve some pie,” Jake said.

My brother and I chuckled.

“You need to go to a hospital,” Greg said.

“Nah. Just a bump on the head. I know the widows were here earlier. Did they leave pie?”

I nodded. The guy never stopped thinking about food. I kind of liked that about him.

Things would get back to normal someday.

I was really looking forward to that day.