you. If it was really Brad who did this, he’s highly skilled, Saint. He’s not going to be some random infidel that you met out in the desert. And he’s not going to be some dumbass that is holding someone hostage. This is bigger than you think if Brad is involved.”
I knew that, too.
“I can’t leave,” I denied. “I won’t.”
I couldn’t leave because I had to stay here and make sure that Carolina stayed safe.
I wouldn’t be able to date her, though.
Brad may suspect that she meant a little something to me, but he didn’t have confirmation. If I didn’t pursue her, maybe he’d leave her alone.
The idea definitely had merit.
In the end, though, I decided to stay.
What I didn’t decide to do was allow Carolina to know what was going on.
It was best for her to believe that I just wasn’t interested in pursuing anything with her.
Easier said than done.
CHAPTER 11
It’s almost time to switch from your regular anxiety to your fancy Christmas anxiety.
-Caro to Saint
CAROLINA
I looked at my empty fish tank, the one that used to be filled with hundreds of dollars of expensive saltwater fish, and frowned.
“All right, honey bear.” My mother pressed her lips to my cheek. “I’m going to go home now. Let me know if you need anything. And make sure you set your alarm. We don’t want you getting into trouble. Are you sure you don’t want me to have your brothers stay over?”
I was already shaking my head. “No, Mom. But thank you.”
Especially not when I fully expected Saint to come over.
Honestly, I was downright giddy.
I couldn’t wait for him to be here, in my space, without the threat of freakin’ Ebola hanging over our heads.
Maybe he would want to go get ice cream…
“Carolina,” my mother said, interrupting my thoughts of Saint and ice cream. “Are you even listening to me?”
I smiled as I turned to look at her. “I was thinking about going out for ice cream. Do you know how long it’s been since I did that?”
“Twelve days?” she drawled.
I snickered. “Yes, it’s been twelve long dang days. I didn’t realize how addicted I’ve become to Andy’s.”
My mother patted me on the hand. “You’re the only weirdo I know that’ll go out, even when it’s the coldest it’s ever been, and sit there and enjoy ice cream.”
That was true. No matter how cold it was, I would always enjoy having ice cream. In fact, it didn’t matter if it was snowing outside. Nor raining. I’d sit outside and enjoy that ice cream—though if it was raining. I’d do it from underneath the awning.
Ice cream just wasn’t the same if you didn’t eat it the moment that you got it.
“They came out with a new cookie one that your father and I really enjoyed.” Mom paused in the process of picking up her purse. “Actually, I enjoyed it. He used that insane amount of discipline to only eat a small bite of it, and honestly, I didn’t really want to give even that to him at the time. It was really that good.”
The plans that I wanted to do with Saint were slowly solidifying the more she spoke.
And by the time that she left, I’d already worked myself into a good excitement over the fact that I was going to get to do those things any time now.
Except, the hours rolled past, one minute after the other, until it was well past time that I thought he was going to come over.
When he didn’t, I started to get worried.
So worried, in fact, that I was nearly in my car and driving over to Cop Row, the line of duplexes where quite a few SWAT members lived, before I could even decide fully what I was doing.
Hell, I was halfway there when my phone started to ring.
Sadly, it wasn’t who I thought it would be.
Placing my finger against the answer button, I quickly pressed it and put it on speaker before continuing to drive.
“Hello?” I answered, sounding distracted.
I was.
Not only was I in a hurry to get to Saint now that I’d made the decision not to wait on him, but I was also being followed way too closely by the car behind me.
My eyes went to the rearview mirror where a man began to tailgate me.
“Carolina.”
It startled me to hear Saint’s voice coming out of my phone when I’d fully expected to hear Sierra, not a man.
“Saint, hey,” I gasped. “What’s going on? Why are you on Sierra’s phone?”
There was a