Fate’s Unseen Shadow (Cager #1)

Chapter 23

23

“ D id she stay over again last night?” Xavier took his shot at the pool table at Cager, sinking the ball into the corner pocket. “And the day before that and the one before that. All of last week? Wait, I can answer that. Yes. I think you get the trophy for the quickest relationship from introduction to move in. It’s been what? Three weeks since Ella came here, and you’re already falling in love.”

“It’s been three and a half weeks since we meet, and about two weeks ago, I admitted to myself that I’m in love with her.” Damon leaned on the pool cue and sipped his beer. “Full out, ready-to-propose in love.” That was the only part of the situation that didn’t scare him.

“But did you admit that to her yet?”

“No. Not yet. I’d rather us find Davies and put this shit to bed before I do. I know it’s too quick to ask her to marry me. Although, I don’t think there’s any amount of time that would make me fall more in love. I asked her to move in this morning. Seems ridiculous at this point that she keeps going upstairs to get ready.”

“Are you nervous?” He took his next shot, sinking another ball. Knowing Xavier, Damon wouldn’t get another shot before the game was over.

“About what? About Ella moving in? No. But I’m nervous that we’ve identified the killer, but we haven’t found him yet. When I thought of finding a woman who even made me halfway consider settling down, that isn’t what I imagined my key concern would be. I always pictured it as a fight over bathroom counter space. Not worrying about her being murdered.” He’d said it as a joke, but it wasn’t. The threat was there. Always there. Even now, watching her bartend at Cager on a typical Friday night, relatively safe, that tension remained under his skin.

“Ryker and his computer friend are trying to locate Davies’s email and cell phone to see if it crosses with Matteo’s or Julia’s. Ella finally accepted that they’re involved in this and probably together.” But the idea disturbed her. He’d caught her in deep thought, twirling her necklace, staring blankly at nothing. Sometimes, he left her to it. Other times, he created a business question to occupy her mind.

“You’re watching her like you’re ready to steal her away.”

Damon smiled. “I’m close.”

“Well, it might be time for you to hit the road with her. The guys and I are discussing it.” Xavier took his next shot. “It’s getting too dangerous.”

Damon slapped the pool cue down over Xavier’s. “What does that mean?” Last he’d heard, Ryker hadn’t found Davies or a solid connection.

Xavier straightened, putting him equal to Damon’s height. He squared off his shoulders and Damon was ready. Whatever his friend had to say, he expected a fight. “It means we’ve left you off the text messages the last few days.”

They’d done what?

Xavier held up his hands. “Let me finish.”

“Don’t keep things from me.”

“I’ve only kept something from you for the past twenty-seven minutes.” He set his hands on Damon’s shoulders. “In the last two days, Ryker found Davies and then lost him four times. Spotted him on cameras. Mostly gas station surveillance. Figured out he likes to use a certain station, like he gets rewards points or something. He’s moving up and down the East Coast of South Carolina.”

“Has he been in Charleston?”

“Yes. Once.”

“When?”

“He spotted him at a gas station near the interstate this morning.”

Damon paced away, wishing Davies and Matteo were around to serve as punching bags for his anger. Since that wasn’t an option, he took a deep breath, controlling his reaction.

“The rest of us can handle this. You told us from the beginning that she’s your responsibility. She is. We’re here to help you and her, but ultimately, it falls to you.”

Damon spun around, voice rising. “Which is why it’s bullshit that you didn’t keep me in the loop.”

“Don’t kill the messenger. Ryker and Slater put me up to be the one to tell you.”

“I’m not going to kill you. I’m mad, though. I don’t like that you and the others are working so hard, and I’m doing what? Playing house with Ella?” He paced away, eyes on Ella behind the bar. “Where did Ryker track him before?”

“Myrtle Beach yesterday. Two days ago, he found him in Hilton Head.”

“Why is he staying around here? Why not move toward Florida or up to New York?”

“I don’t know, unless Ella wasn’t as inconspicuous as she thought she was with using her cell phone or driving her car. I don’t think Ryker has slept for the past three days. He’s here tonight, attempting to stay awake in the booth, but he’ll head back home soon. That computer girlfriend we keep joking about locked down his computers. Told him to take a break, sleep, do something but he’d kill himself at this pace. Said he’s officially in computer time-out for an hour.”

Carrying a tray of drinks, Ella moved from behind the bar. Damon tracked her movement the same way he’d done all night. How long after they cleared her name and caught Davies before he’d relax? He’d never reached that point with his niece, Hayley, before her new stepdad told him to back off. His lips twitched. Ella had already told him that. But three weeks later, he still watched her every move. Partly to keep her safe.

The other half was because he enjoyed watching her.

And if he figured out how to make their two worlds merge, he’d have the privilege of watching over her for the rest of his life.

She set the tray down and served it to women near the window before crossing to a man wearing a black baseball hat alone at a high table. Her back straightened. The smile fell from her face. She shook her head.

“Uh-oh. You going over there?” Xavier asked. “Been a few weeks since our last brawl.”

“No. She warned me again last night to let her handle the job as Lacy does. I didn’t know how to explain that she doesn’t have the same energy as Lacy.”

“I know what you mean. Even if Ella says the exact same words, it’ll never come across with the same attitude. It’s like Ella is a golden retriever. Lacy is a guard dog. Dangerous to everyone except the people they love.” Xavier tipped his head to the side. “But I’m not sure I’d stand here much longer.”

“I’m not. Fuck,” he grumbled, tossing the pool cue onto the table and ending the game. “Why in the hell do guys think they can put their hands on women?”

The man Ella spoke to reached out to touch her arm, but Ella sidestepped, avoiding him.

“I commend Ella for her independence, but she’ll have to deal with that joker all night unless you step in.” Xavier grinned. “I have your back if you get in trouble.”

He wouldn’t need the help. “Might as well shut it down early.” Damon flexed his hands and stalked in her direction. Before he arrived, the man held up a roll of cash.

Ella’s offended expression said it all. She shook her head and turned to go back toward the bar.

This time, when the man reached out and grabbed her by the elbow, she couldn’t avoid it because of the crowd behind her. She tried to jerk away, but he didn’t release her.

The man stood as Ella looked toward Damon for help.

Lacy rushed in her direction from the bar, shouting for Ryker.

His friend shot out of the booth across the restaurant, but Damon would make it there first.

When the guy turned his head, Damon’s restraints snapped.

Walker.

Damon quickened his steps. He didn’t ask any questions before nailing Walker across the side of the face with his fist.

Ella squealed, stumbling away and right into Ryker. He grabbed her around her waist, hauling her away. Slater passed them on his way toward the commotion.

With her safe, Damon let all his focus narrow onto Walker.

He stumbled to his feet, holding his head.

“I told you not to touch her again.” Damon hit him again, across the chin.

Blood and maybe a tooth flew from his mouth.

“Shit,” Walker muttered, wiping the blood off his cheek. “You knocked out a tooth!”

“You should have listened the first time I told you she’s mine.”

Walker started backing away, pointing at Damon. “You’ll regret this. There’s a lot of witnesses to have you arrested.”

“And touching her is a death wish for you.” Damon hit him again, twice in the ribs, before nailing him across the face with a left hook.

Walker fell to his knees, spitting blood and another tooth out of his mouth.

Damon grabbed him by the back of the hair, bringing his face up, satisfied with the blood and pain in his eyes. “If you touch her again, I will fucking finish you.”

“And I promise you’ll regret this. She should’ve taken the money.”

“Nobody wants your fucking dirty money.” Damon shoved Walker toward the door as Xavier tugged his arm.

“Get him out of here,” Xavier shouted at Slater. “You get back here and cool the hell off before you scare the shit out of Ella. Damn, brother. Thought you were going to escort him out of the bar, maybe shove him a little.”

Damon headed to the far side of the pool room, a hand on the back of his neck as he stared up at the fluorescent light.

Ella’s safe. Ella’s safe. Ella’s safe.

He chanted it repeatedly, ignoring whatever Xavier rambled on about until his breathing calmed. He glanced over his shoulder. “Never thought anyone would have a strong enough hold on me that merely seeing a man touch her would set me off.”

Xavier laid his hand on Damon’s shoulder. “You have that wrong. It’s Walker that set you off. We all hate the shit he does down at his bar, and simply the idea that he’d even approach Ella with that filth is what destroyed your control. But he’s right, brother. We can’t risk you getting arrested because you lose control. You know how to kill a man without a gun or knife. No jury or judge will let you off and call it an accident with your résumé. This will be strike two. Remember that.”

“I know.”

“Can’t marry Ella from behind bars.”

He turned and snapped, “I know!” Ella extracted herself from Ryker and headed across the bar toward Damon.

“You good to see her?” Xavier asked Damon.

“Yeah,” he murmured, his gaze locked on her. “I will be.”

Ella didn’t hesitate. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rose on her toes, pressing the length of her body against his. “Are your hands hurt?”

“Yes.” He held her by the hips before guiding them boldly over the curve of her ass and hauling her tighter against him. “But they’re better now. What did Walker say to you?”

Ella shook her head. “I told Ryker. He can tell you later. But until Walker is good and gone, Ryker said you don’t need to know.”

“Ryker is wrong. I’m tired of the guys keeping things from me.”

“What else did they keep from you?”

He looked over her head, back at Ryker and Slater. Xavier had moved behind the bar to help Lacy. “Ryker found Davies. He was in Charleston yesterday morning but seems to have moved on.”

“What does that mean for me?” She smiled sadly. “Is playtime at Cager over?”

He rubbed up and down her arm. “For now. I need to get you somewhere safe.”

“Where?” She laid her cheek on his chest.

Damon kissed the top of her head. “I don’t know yet.” But as far away from Davies as possible.