Chapter 2

Raine Viviers woke in the dead of night, a slight breeze tickling over her skin. Looking toward her bedroom window, she noticed the curtains were closed, with no breeze ruffling their edges. A quiet yawn escaped her while her gaze shifted to the air-conditioner on the opposite wall, only to discover it was off. At first, she thought she had been dreaming as her brief investigation concluded here was no reason for the curtain to have ruffled in the non-existent wind. So she pulled the covers right up to her chin, about to drift back into sleep, then suddenly she jerked from her half slumber when a noise came from somewhere in the house. Her hand dropped beneath her bed, where she felt the cool smooth surface of a golf club. Her palm wrapped around its narrow rubber grip, and she waited with bated breath for any movement to follow.

Raine felt the chill of the breeze brush against her skin and swung her feet from the bed with a sense of urgency. Her heart pounding behind her ribs, she padded across the carpet toward the door as silently as she could. With her back against the wall, she held the club to her chest. Silence filled the house, and the only sound was that of the city in the distance.

Raine exited her room, one foot in front of the other, daring herself to be brave. Steadily and slowly, she made her way down the hallway and almost shed her skin when the curtain in Willow’s room suddenly flapped violently on a gust of air. She knew Willow’s window had been closed, as her room had been empty for the past few weeks. Scared out of her wits, Raine dashed back to her room and snatched up the panic button, pressing it heavily with a quivering fear.

The longest few seconds passed before the white-blue flash of the guard-car filled her bedroom windows. She listened for the car door, almost expecting the intruder to come dashing out of the shadows from where he was hiding, but luckily the house remained dead silent. Raine sat with her knees to her chest on the floor of her room like a coward until the doorbell rang. The sound almost gave her a heart attack and she cussed herself because she had been expecting that. How she wished she were more courageous.

The doorbell rang again and Raine sprinted from her room, the club swinging at her side. Her clammy hands reached for the railing of the stairs, and on shaky legs, she made it to the door, flicking on the light and flooding the house with light. When she opened the door, the housing estate’s security guard was already calling it in for back up.

“Miss Viviers?” he said, breaking off his call. “Is everything okay? You pressed the panic button?” his eyes fell to the club in her hand.

The wind combed through the Willow tree’s leaves with a loud swoosh. “Ja, it’s me.” She shivered in the breeze.

The guard looked past her into the body of the house. Raine was still too panicked to string a sentence together, forcing him to ask again, “Is everything okay?”

She bit down on her lip, crossing her arms over her chest. “No, not really! Why else would one use the panic button?” she answered sharply.

She ignored his eye roll and the way he stood still for a while, his body stiff and his hands together in front of him with his feet evenly spread in an attempt to show her who was in control.

“The top window is open,” she explained, “and a noise woke me. The window was closed earlier. I’m certain of it.”

She watched him walk a few steps toward her, his gait heavy from his bulk, a certain air of supremacy about him. “Would you mind if I did a sweep of the interior for you?”

“Please, would you?” She shivered again as the cold breeze blew through her shirt. A few leaves crackled across the stone path as they were picked up by the unseasonal wind. With it she could smell the scent of the rose garden, and something else—something familiar she could not quite put her finger on.

“I am just going to call in my position.” He gave her a faint smile, clearly annoyed at all the procedures his new job entailed. Working for civilians was an adjustment for him.

Raine, too worked-up to swoon over the dark haired, enigmatic man, just nodded and stepped aside so he could make his way past her and into the house. The guard pulled his walky-talky from his shirt, called in his location and waited for a response, smiling at Raine one more time - her standing there, golf club in hand. But it was an awkward kind of smile she thought to herself. Forced yes, but it was something else. She shrugged and placed the club against the wall beside the door.

Moving past her he said. “You stay here, I’ll be right back” as he reached for his holster, his hand coming up with nothing more than a Taser. For a moment, he’d forgotten how bad his demotion really was, but nevertheless, he was still needed. “If it makes you feel safer, go and wait in my car?” he said to her from over his shoulder.

Raine shook her head, her imagination running wild with the possibility of the intruder waiting in the bushes. She didn’t want to be alone. The intruder could already be in the car, she thought, panicked.

Realizing the woman wasn’t going anywhere he cocked his head motioning for her to follow him. “Stay behind me, then.”

It was awkward for them both as they stalked the bottom floor. Raine was a very private person and was not used to visitors in the house, let alone men - even those just doing their job. And for him, being a security guard in the public sector was just painstakingly awful. For good measure, he shone his flashlight into all the shadows of the bottom floor, flicking on the lights as he proceeded from the front entrance into the kitchen. This was everything he wouldn’t have done as a Secret Service agent. But he just functioned better with order in his life.

Once most of the lights were on, they both did a quick sweep through the tiny kitchen and dining area. Raine even took a peak under the tables and chairs. She watched him move deliberately and unafraid, taking in his utility belt with cuffs, keys and baton, then her eyes quickly shifted over his rear as he disappeared around the bend into the scullery section.

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” he reassured her, coming back around the corner.

She cleared her throat trying to choke down the blush she felt creeping over her cheeks.

“Thanks.” She offered as he passed her.

She followed him up the stairs, marveling that even with his bulk and heavy boots, he moved soundlessly. Lights flicked on as they entered the study, which was once their father’s, proceeded to her room and then down the hall toward her sister Willow’s room. Raine hovered in the doorway as he padded across the white carpet toward the window. The curtain shifted slightly in the cool breeze. He inspected the latch and closed the window before bending down to pick up a photo frame which had fallen to the floor. Raine waited at the door, trying to work out what he was picking up—or perhaps she was checking him out, she admitted, her eyes skimming over the muscles in his back as he moved.

He placed the frame back on to the tabletop. “It must have blown off the nightstand,” he offered as explanation.

She jerked uncomfortably when his eyes met hers as he turned towards her. He must have sensed her lingering gaze and spun back to the window.

“The latch is a bit loose,” he said checking it and straightening the drapes. His hands subconsciously glided over the curtain feeling for bugging devices. Mentally, he wanted to slap himself for being so paranoid, but some things were so deeply engrained in him, it would take forever to rid himself of the obsession. But as he turned, ready to go, he noticed what appeared to be a bugging device stuck to the bottom of the white vanity table across the room. An untrained eye would have missed it, not him. Immediately, his eyes narrowed on her, wondering who she really was. He left the device, not mentioning it to her. It was a piece of the puzzle to put together for a later time He struggled with all of his being not to do something about it, but he wouldn’t want to be arrested for interfering with a federal case.

He pursed his lips and placed his hands at his waist, keeping his cool. “Other than that, everything seems fine.” He walked past her back into the hall, and so desperately wanted to go back and deactivate the device, but Raine pointed to the bathroom at the end of the hall, and he had no reason to go back into the that room right now. So he gave a curt nod and they proceeded with caution.

“You left the tap running,” he said, turning it off and noticing some smudges on the mirror, which caused him to search behind the shower door.

Raine pulled a face, not sure if she had left the tap running, she was careful with things like that.

“Nothing here.” He turned to study her face.

She nodded and followed him back toward the staircase, every light in the house now switched on making them both feel a little more relaxed. As they reached the door his eyes full of seriousness found hers.

“You have an accent?” he stated.

“Wow, here I was thinking it was you who was the one with the accent.”

Her joke fell flat; he was too curious about her.

“You live here alone, Miss?”

The suspicious expression on her face told him his prying was becoming too obvious. “You really should get a dog,” he said. “They make great companions—and they’re paramount for early detection of strangers.”

“Ja, thanks,” she said bleakly. “I’m not staying here long enough for that.” She wiped down the sweat from the back of her neck as his stare intensified.

“I was so sure someone was here,” she said feeling awkward.

He gave her a smile. “It’s okay.”

“Thank you for the advice, on the dog and the…” she searched the term he used, “latch.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it, you’re welcome.”

With his hand on the front door, he stopped and called in the all-clear over his walkie-talkie. When he was done, he brushed his hands through his neatly combed brown hair, stalling.

“I could do a patrol every hour past your house,” he said. Raine took in his perfectly arched eyebrows, which framed the glimmer in his dark eyes. She could tell he loved a challenge.

“That would be nice. I’d really appreciate that,” Raine answered.

“I’ll get dispatch to send you the number of a handyman to take a look at that window for you.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m going to stay out here for a few minutes—just until you get settled.”

She smiled. “You are too kind.”

“No need to thank me ma’am. It’s my job.” He took a look around then his gaze went back to hers. “Where are you from?”

“South Africa.”

This only piqued his interest more, but his face gave away nothing as he let himself out.

“Nice to meet you.” He offered with a slight smile.

She smiled back. “Thanks.”

With that Raine watched him walk down the path to his patrol car before she closed the door.

“Thanks.” She huffed. “I said thanks, not nice to meet you too.” She spoke out aloud. “Raine you are such a dork.” She reminded herself.

She made her way to the lounge and pulled a blanket from the cupboard before taking the sofa. Turning on the lamp, she lay down flicking through the channels without much thought to what she wanted to watch. Her thoughts still caught in the events of the night.

About to fall asleep, something caught her eye. She sat up squinting as the object lay on the floor. Her feet swung off the sofa, the blanket fell to the floor. Padding across hardwood floors she noticed a bright green hair band on the white carpet near the dining area. Retrieving it a fresh smell triggered a memory of what had wafted on the wind between roses early. It was a vaguely hospital smell, mixed with coconut shampoo. Her gaze shot up to gaze unregistered to what was on the television in disbelief.

“Willow?” She said, recognizing her sister’s shampoo immediately.