Watch Me Fall(32)

Relief swooped through him that there was a chance. “Good, that’s good. Tell me everything.”

“It’s my fault.”

“Starla—”

“Don’t try to say it isn’t! Someone attacked him in the parking lot as he was leaving tonight and stabbed him in the back. The doctors said if the wound had been an inch to the right, he probably would have died before I found him. I know it was Max. I know it was. They tried to tell me, and I didn’t listen. It’s my fault, it’s my—”

What a frigging mess. Sighing, not knowing what else to do, Jared pulled her into his arms again as steam from the shower filled the bathroom. Her warm tears leaked onto his skin, but she was done with sobbing for now—only a thin tremor worked through her as he held her.

So she’d found him. The guy she loved more than anything, she’d found him bleeding. Jared was no stranger to witnessing something horrific happen to a loved one, but there was damn sure no immunity to be gained from it. He’d just found her bloody and desperate at his front door and thought the worst. He hadn’t exactly stopped shaking yet himself.

He pushed his fingers through her tousled hair and held her closer, taking most of her weight as she relaxed into him. Ignoring how right it felt. “That’s crazy talk, darlin’. It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known this would happen.”

“He tried to tell me, you know, at first when he told me not to get involved with Max. I didn’t listen. I got mad at him. I told him it was none of his fucking business. And he almost died tonight. I guess it was his fucking business, wasn’t it?”

“But he didn’t die. You found him, and you acted fast, and you saved him. You did. He’s strong, and he’ll pull through, all right? He’s made it this far.”

“That’s what Candace tried to tell me. She thanked me for saving him. She doesn’t know, though. She has no idea. You should have seen her. I had to leave. I couldn’t take it. She’s broken.”

“Did they catch Max?”

“No. I told them everything I knew, though. Everything. They want him for questioning.”

“When did you leave the hospital?”

“As soon as Brian was out of surgery. I don’t know. A few hours ago.”

“Jesus, where have you been since then?”

“I went back to Dermamania for a while. I thought about staying there, but I couldn’t. The cops held us there questioning us for the longest fucking time. They made me wait in Brian’s office where a fucking picture of him and Candace is on the desk, looking so happy. I couldn’t take it staring at me, so I had to turn it facedown.” She looked ready to keep stammering on about that, but he interrupted her.

“After you left there, did you come straight here?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He didn’t like the thought of her driving aimlessly around. He didn’t like the thought of her at Dermamania either, or even at the home she didn’t want to go to.

He only liked the thought of her here.

She gave a sad little chuckle and pulled away from him, staring at herself in the broad mirror over his double sink with deep lines of exhaustion set around her mouth. “Really? I’m sure you love for blood-soaked girls to show up at your doorstep before six a.m. I’m sorry to drag you into this.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m gonna let you get cleaned up, okay? Towels are in that cabinet over there. I’ll find you something to put on.”

“Thanks,” she said glumly, holding his gaze in the mirror as he backed toward the door.

“Holler if you need anything.”

“I will.”

He closed the door, hating to leave her alone. But even though he’d seen her naked, staying with her now felt like an intrusion he wasn’t willing to make.

First things first…the situation demanded an entire pot of coffee. He set one to brewing before doing anything else, then threw on a T-shirt. For Starla, he came up with a pair of Shelly’s sweatpants that were shoved in the back of the closet and the smallest of his shirts he could find—which would still be too big for her. He doubted Starla was much concerned with how she looked right now. He also figured food was the absolute last thing on her mind, but he started on bacon and eggs anyway. No doubt whatever he whipped up wouldn’t be nearly as good as something she made, but he wanted to put forth the effort for her.

All the while, he thought of a dozen questions that needed to be addressed: all the things he could hardly think of while she was standing in front of him looking so lost. The shock that had numbed his senses was beginning to wear off, and a slow rage crept in to replace it.

What a sick bastard, to strike out at her this way. If they didn’t catch him soon, where would he strike next? At someone else she cared about? At her?

Son of a bitch. Jared stopped to gaze outside. For all he knew, a shadowy figure might stand beyond the tree line of his property right now, staring at him through the kitchen window, setting him in crosshairs.

“Oh, no, you don’t, motherfucker,” he said under his breath, turning off the stove and moving the scrambled eggs to a cool burner. Reentering his bedroom, he heard the shower still running beyond the closed bathroom door. Starla would probably be in there a long time. Good. Only a few steps away from his side of the bed stood his black heavy-duty fireproof gun safe, well protected from his inquisitive daughters by an electronic combination keypad set near the top. He made quick work of it, cranked the five-spoke handle, and swung the door open.

Rifles, shotguns, pistols… He had anything she might need, if she were so inclined to arm herself. It would probably be a good idea if he started carrying too, at least until this creep was caught. Max might have followed her here; he could know right now exactly where she was.

Dammit. What about Ashley and Mia? He didn’t want to bring them into harm’s way by exposing them to a lunatic. But Starla could’ve gone anywhere this morning—to her parents, her friends—and she’d come to him. The level of trust there wasn’t lost on him and, frankly, it took his breath away. He couldn’t let her down, couldn’t turn her away.

The shower turned off. Which inevitably but no less shamefully led to him thinking of her naked, slick, and dripping, right beyond that door. Right there within his reach.

“Get it together, Stanton,” he grumbled to himself, clearing that image from in front of him and replacing it with the dark maw of his safe.

When she emerged a moment later wearing the clothes he’d tossed her earlier, her eyes were still puffy and red and she’d wrapped her hair up in a towel. Cute as hell, but he shouldn’t be thinking about that right now. Their gazes met, and he cocked an eyebrow at her. “Ever fired a gun?”



***



“I have,” Starla said cautiously in answer to his question. “Can’t really say how well, but yeah, I’ve fired one with my dad a few times. It’s been several years, though.”

He motioned her around to stand beside him. “I don’t let just anyone in here. But I have a pretty good collection.”

“Jesus Christ. I’ll say you do.” She stared around the inside of his safe, feeling her mouth run dry at so much firepower. Was that a fucking assault rifle? “Remind me to never come here in the middle of the night like this again. You might mistake me for a burglar.”

Jared’s eyes were endlessly blue and incredibly intense, but a hint of amusement lit in them as well and one corner of his mouth quirked up. “I doubt a burglar would ring the bell.”

“I guess you’re right.” She turned her attention back to the guns. “I’d probably be more likely to shoot my fool self than anyone else. But thanks for the offer.”

“No, you just need someone to teach you. And I can.”

Waving the sight away, she turned and paced. At Brian’s side tonight, she probably would’ve opened fire on anyone who’d accidentally brushed up against her if she’d been armed. She damn sure would’ve opened fire on Max if he’d been standing in front of her. As agitated as she was, this wasn’t a good idea. “I really don’t want to talk about any of this right now.”

“You never do, Starla, but I think it’s time you should. If this guy hit Brian, you could be next. If he’s been following you and knows we’re seeing each other, I could be next.”

“Looks like you’re covered,” she shot back.

“I’d love it if you were covered too.”

“I want to lay low and let the police do their job. They’ll get him soon, then it’ll all be okay.”

“All right,” he said after a moment. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as he slowly closed the safe’s door.

“It’s impressive,” she said quickly. “Must’ve taken you a long time to collect all that.”

“It’s a hobby. Passed down by Dad.”

“I don’t mean to piss you off. It’s not for me right now. Maybe that’ll change. I still don’t think all this has registered.”

“You didn’t piss me off. But I have a concealed carry permit, and I fully believe in protecting my home and my family and friends. If someone fucks with you here, they’re going to regret it.”