Hoss’s Limits (House of Lustz #2)

Hoss Chapter 9

I was pacing my living room, trying to decide what the best course of action was. I’d been thinking about it all day. My worry and anger over last night had abated a bit, but I was still upset. Cady still had no idea who Fleur was. Her words and the knee to the balls at her place told me she thought I was involved with Fleur and cheating on her by getting cozy with Cady. That knee had ended the second sexiest kiss of my life. I never wanted it to end.

When she ran out last night, I was in no shape to run after her. It took several minutes for me to be able to stand. Even then, it was painful, and I walked funny. Not knowing what else to do, I locked up her apartment. I then called Mikhail and told him what happened. He was sympathetic and promised to get Tajah to contact her since she wasn’t answering my calls or texts. I tried more than once, and they went straight to voicemail. I doubted Cady would go to their place. And after the way Carver acted, I doubted she’d seek him out.

When she didn’t answer any of us, I grew more worried. I called Iker. I needed him to tell me where she went. And I wanted to know how the fuck Flint got into her place, and her bodyguard didn’t know it. Recalling that phone call still pissed me off.

“Hey, Hoss, I thought you had a party tonight. Are you having too much fun?” he asked as he answered. It was eleven at night.

“I was having fun until shit went sideways, and Cady left. Imagine my surprise when I got to her place, and I found her with an unwanted intruder. One who had broken in somehow and was waiting for her. I want to know how that happened when she was to be watched. It was Reid, goddamn it! The main one I wanted her protected from. If I hadn’t come, God knows what he could’ve done to her!” I was shouting by the end. If Iker had been in front of me, I might’ve choked him.

I heard him say, “Fuck. Let me find out.” There was a long pause. I was about to ask if he had forgotten me when he began talking.

“Hoss, I swear to you. I put a man on her. He was supposed to be outside her home and clinic. I just sent a text to him. I’m waiting for him to respond. Is she alright? Reid didn’t hurt her, did he?” There was concern in his tone.

“No, he didn’t, but after I got rid of him, she took off. She’s not answering her phone, no matter who calls. If your man isn’t following her, then I need you to get someone to track her phone. She’s out there upset and alone.”

“What happened to make her run?”

“That’s between us. All I need is for you to find her. She’d better not have a scratch on her when we find her, or I’ll be taking it out on your man’s ass tenfold, and you and I will be having a talk you won’t appreciate,” I promised him.

“I get it, and I don’t blame you. Let me get someone on it. I have her number from what you gave me on her before. They can do a trace rather quickly.”

There were more rustling sounds and silence. Several minutes passed before he came back on the line. As soon as I heard his first words, I knew it wasn’t good.

“Goddamn it, I’m sorry, Hoss. Poe was assigned to her. He was watching her until she ended up at the House of Lustz. He knew she would be surrounded by friends, and you had security. The party was to last until after midnight, so he thought it was safe to duck out and be back before midnight to follow her when she left.”

“He didn’t think to ask anyone?” I snapped.

He sighed. “No, he didn’t. He’s new but still a competent guard. I’ll speak to him right away, and I can assure you it will never happen again. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding. The good thing is she wasn’t harmed. You got there in time.”

“Yeah, that’s good, but I can’t have this happen. I don’t want Poe watching her again. Assign one of your oldest and most competent people.”

“Hoss, you know I’ll do everything I can, but I don’t have anyone else available until after tomorrow. They’re all out on assignments. Poe won’t mess up again.”

“No, I don’t want him there. I’ll do it myself until you can get me someone else. I don’t have time to talk about this anymore right now. I’ll come by and see you in the next day or two.”

“Okay. Oh, and as for her phone, she has it off. There’s no way we can trace it. I’m sorry.”

That led to more cursing and then to me hanging up angrier. I didn’t sleep all night. This morning, I headed over to the clinic. I knew she’d never stay away from her furry patients. I wasn’t too surprised to find Mikhail and Tajah there, even though I didn’t bother to tell them that I was planning to catch her there this morning.

I’d been relieved to find her unharmed, though she appeared tired. Her refusal to talk to us and insistence we go had made me want to pick her up and haul her out over my shoulder, but somehow, I held myself back. I knew once I got started, it would last a long time, and I didn’t want any interruptions. I was planning not only to clear up the misconceptions about Fleur and my character but also to let Cady know what I wanted with her. I kept praying it wouldn’t blow up in my face.

I wasn’t able to concentrate on work, so I had Alica Ann reschedule my meetings. I went home and tried to do work from there after taking a quick nap, but it didn’t happen. I spent my time pacing and rehearsing what I planned to say. During the day, I did get a call from Mikhail. He told me how upset Tajah was. She was eager to go see Cady as soon as the clinic closed.

“Mikhail, I know they’re best friends and Taj is upset and worried. I get it. But please, I beg you. Convince her to stay away and let me talk to Cady first. I have to do this before I explode. I need her to know who Fleur is and what I want. This uncertainty is killing me.”

He sighed. “Hoss, I get it. Believe me, I do. I still remember what I had to do to win Tajah’s heart. I’m in a hard spot between my woman and my friend. I’ll ask her to hang back, but I might not be able to talk her out of it. If she insists, I’ll take her.”

“All I’m asking is to plead my case. I understand if she still wants to go. This talk I plan to have with Cady will be a long one.”

“Just remember, wear a cup,” he snickered. I knew he was trying to lighten my mood. It worked.

A faint smile spread as I gruffly told him, “Go fuck yourself. Later,” then hung up. I heard him chuckling as I did.

That call was several hours ago now. Checking the clock, I saw it was six. She had to be done by now and headed home. I’d go there first, and if she weren’t there, I’d hit the clinic. God help us both if she was at neither place. I couldn’t go another night without clearing this up.

Due to the time of day, I expected to hit traffic, which I did. By the time I got to her place, it was seven. Disappointment filled me when I didn’t see her car. But to be sure, I went to her door and knocked over and over. If she had been there, she would’ve come out yelling for me to stop. The next logical place was her clinic after eliminating her apartment. I got back in my car and headed that way. That was when fate decided to fuck with me. Traffic was still relatively thick, but nothing I wasn’t used to.

I was navigating through the throngs of cars and watching out for idiots. Only I didn’t have enough eyes to watch all the idiots given a driver’s license. Horns honking was my first clue. Then, there was a screech of metal on metal and a loud bang. It happened so fast. There was nothing to be done. Two cars had hit head-on. I stomped on the brake, like so many others. Both cars were right in front of me in the intersection.

Jumping out after putting mine in Park , I raced over to see if anyone was injured and needed help. In one car was a dazed businessman based on his suit. In the other vehicle was a mom with two small kids. The kids were screaming and crying in fright. Mom appeared dazed and had a bleeding cut on her forehead. The businessman was getting out of his car under his own steam, so I focused on the mom and kids.

“Ma’am, you need to sit still. Your head is bleeding. The paramedics are coming,” I told her .

I hoped someone had called. With all the lookie-loos, surely someone did. Her window was down, so she was able to hear me. I had to jerk a few times to get the passenger door on the driver’s side open. Sticking my head inside, I smiled at the two children. One was a toddler, a girl maybe two or three years old. The other was a boy. I’d gauge him to be five. Both were crying and calling for their mom. She was trying to talk to them and comfort them from the front seat. Their eyes grew round when they saw me. I knew my size alone made me scary, then add the bald head, tats, and the fact I was Black, and it was worse. I hated it, but it was reality.

“Hi guys, my name is Hoss. I’m here to help. Can you stop crying so I can ask you some questions? Your mommy is worried about you, so I have to make sure you’re alright for her.”

It took a couple of minutes of cajoling before they settled so I could ask them my questions. I wasn’t about to just take them out. If they had a spinal injury, it might make it worse. Emergency trauma care was one of those things I took a course in years ago. I’d done it because I was interested, and it relieved my boredom. Plus, with all the extreme sports I did, it was wise to know.

As I went through a variety of questions, which I asked all three, I began to be hopeful there were no serious injuries. By the time I’d determined they could get out, I was interrupted by paramedics and firemen. Someone tapped me on the back. I eased back out of the car and stood. When I did, I saw the paramedic who had been the one to tap my back. He backed up and had to look up a long way to meet my gaze.

“Glad to see you guys. I think they’re safe to move. Mom has a laceration to her upper left forehead. It was bleeding pretty hard, but it has slowed down. I had her apply pressure. The kids were securely fastened in their car seats and are more shaken up than anything.”

“Are you a doctor or something?” he asked.

“No, but I’ve been trained in emergency care.”

“Well, thank you for your report, but we have to do our own assessment. Would you mind moving back?” he asked nicely.

I moved further away. The next thing I was asked was a bunch of questions by firemen and then the police. Mostly, it was about what I saw and what I’d done to treat the family. When it was all said and done, it tied me up for two hours. By the time I left the scene, it was almost nine-thirty. Shit, Cady probably already left the clinic, but I was close, so I decided to check anyway. I couldn’t wait to get one of Iker’s best on her security detail. I hadn’t turned out to be any better than Poe, although I might not tell Iker that.

Coming around the turn on the street where her clinic was and seeing the parking lot filled with police cars with flashing lights made my heart fall to my toes. Christ, what happened? Was she alright? I got as close as I could before I parked, got out, and then took off running for the front door.

Some cop tried to step out and block me, but I dodged him and kept going. I heard shouts to stop, but I wasn’t worried about me. I had to be sure Cady wasn’t harmed. Three cops were standing, blocking the entrance. “Cady, where are you?” I shouted. If she didn’t answer, I’d be barreling through their asses, cops or not.

When she didn’t answer right away, I took a few steps closer. They were watching me warily, and their hands were on their tasers. I was about to risk being shocked when I heard her voice.

“Hoss, what are you doing here? Hey, you, move it so I can get out. That man isn’t a patient person,” she said snappishly.

They parted, and she came walking out. I didn’t wait for her to make it to me. I rushed forward and scooped her up in my arms. She gasped. Before she found her voice and reprimanded me, I kissed her. It was one way for me to reassure myself she was here and unharmed.

I swallowed her gasp and then felt her melt into me as it went from me kissing her to us kissing each other. Her arms came up around my neck. I lifted her off the ground so I didn’t have to stoop so far. I wasn’t sure how long the kiss lasted before we were interrupted by someone clearing his throat and speaking.

“Sir, we need to finish our work, and we need Dr. Anderson for that. Could you tell me who you are?”

Reluctantly, I pulled away from her. Her face was flushed, and she had a dreamy look about her. I wanted her to stay that way. An older officer was standing there. He was trying not to smile, I think. I slowly lowered her back to her feet, but I didn’t let go of her completely. I kept an arm circling her waist.

“My name is Magnus Sacket, but most people call me Hoss. What happened here? Cady, are you alright?”

She gave me a sheepish look, but no answer. I glanced at the officer. He asked another question.

“Mr. Sacket, I’m Officer Callahan. I understand this is the second time this has happened in less than two weeks. Why are you here at this time of night? And what exactly is your relationship with Dr. Anderson? ”

The suspicion was there. Did I have something to do with this?

“I’m—” I started but was interrupted by Cady.

“Wait a damn minute. You’re not accusing Hoss of having something to do with this, are you? If you are, you’re way off base. He has nothing to do with the break-in. I heard the voices of the two men who broke in. They sound nothing like Hoss, I can assure you.”

Callahan cleared his throat nervously. “Dr. Anderson, we have to investigate everyone you have contact with. Mr. Sacket shows up in the middle of the night when the clinic is closed. Why? I’m sorry if it upsets you, but this is my job.”

“And we get that, but I’m not the one breaking into her clinic, nor have I hired anyone to do it. I presume that would be your next question. As for why I’m here, I came to find Cady when she wasn’t home. We have things to discuss. Unfortunately, I got here later than I wanted due to a car accident.”

Her breath hitched, and she glanced up. I saw concern. “Are you alright? Shouldn’t you be at the hospital getting checked out?”

“Tiny, I wasn’t the one in the wreck, thank God. I witnessed it and then rendered aid until the firemen and paramedics got there. Afterward, I had to answer a lot of questions. If that hadn’t happened, I would’ve been here almost three hours ago. I would’ve prevented this burglary or at least caught them in the act. I’m worried about you. Did they hurt you? What did they say they wanted? You said you heard their voices. That means you were here.”

There were no visible injuries, and she seemed to be moving fine, but I couldn’t be sure short of stripping her bare and examining every inch of her. And as much as I wanted that, this wasn’t the time or place. She was shaking her head before I was done firing off my questions. She tried to move away from my arm, but I kept a hold of her.

“I’m unharmed. Yes, I was here, and when I heard glass crashing, I knew someone was coming in uninvited. I hid under my desk and called 911. Thankfully, the two men who entered started in the examination rooms first. They were only in my office a few minutes before the police arrived.”

“You could’ve been killed! After the last break-in, why do you insist on staying late? It’s not safe. Whoever these men are, they don’t seem to want to quit. Did you catch them?” I asked Callahan.

He shook his head. “No, we didn’t. They got out the back. We pursued, but they lost us in the dark. There were so many places to hide around here that they probably ducked in somewhere or had a car waiting. “

“What is she supposed to do? Wait for them to come back a third time and maybe get herself killed! You said they came into your office, and that was where you were hiding. Did you see them? Can you identify them? What did they do when they saw you? Why did you have to call 911? The alarm company should’ve dispatched them.” I was ramping up on the agitation scale, and I knew it, but my worry over her was increasing with every word. Her hand squeezed my upper arm.

“Hoss, calm down. It’s not their fault. The alarm didn’t go off, and before you ask, yes, it was on. They somehow bypassed it. They didn’t see me, which means I didn’t see them. I can’t identify them. I may recognize their voices again, but that is a huge maybe. I was hidden under my desk. They barely got started ransacking my office when the police showed up, and they took off. As for why I stay after dark, you know why. My work isn’t nine-to-five. It was crazy today and I had charting to do on my patients. I chose to do it here.”

“Do you still think they’re after drugs?” I asked.

“I do. It’s the only thing I can think of. Twice, they walked right past expensive equipment that would fetch them money if they stole it. There’s nothing else of importance in there,” she insisted.

“Yes, there is,” I grunted.

“What?” she asked, puzzled.

“You. You’re more important than the drugs, equipment, and anything else you have in there. What happens if they come again and they find you? They’ll force you to give them what they want. When they’ve gotten what they want, what’s stopping them from harming or killing you?”

She didn’t answer me immediately. I was waiting. Eventually, she sighed. “There’s nothing to stop them from doing any of those things. However, this is my work, my livelihood. What would you have me do?”

I knew what I wanted, but this wasn’t the place or time to tell her. Instead, I turned to Callahan. “Is there more you have to do here? Or can she lock up and go home? It’s late, and she has a full day tomorrow.”

“Our CSIs are dusting for prints, but there are so many it’s hard to know. We’ve got elimination prints from the first time, so it should help speed it along. Other than that, there’s not much for us to go on. I suggest you have the alarm company check into how the system was bypassed. If they did it once, they can do it again. Give us a half hour, and then we’ll be out of your hair. Dr. Anderson, may I ask you a few more questions?” he asked politely.

I would’ve preferred to stay with her, but I had work to do. “Tiny, go with him. I’ll catch up. I have to make a call.”

She seemed reluctant to go with him, but she did. As soon as she was out of earshot, I called. It took only two rings for it to be answered. “What’s up?” Mikhail asked. I knew they weren’t in bed this early, or if they were, it wasn’t to sleep.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

He chuckled. “Not yet, but if you called in a half hour, probably. Did you speak to Cady? How did it go? It wasn’t easy keeping Tajah here.”

“I haven’t spoken to Cady, or at least not about that, but I am with her at the moment. I’m at the clinic. I went to find her after work, but she wasn’t home. I got caught up in an accident on my way to the clinic. It wasn’t me who had the accident. By the time I got here, the place had cop cars out front. Whoever broke in before did it again. Only this time, Cady was inside.” I paused to inhale deeply to push down my rage at the idea of one of them touching her.

“Son of a bitch! What the hell? How? Is she alright?”

“She’s shaken but physically fine. They bypassed the alarm somehow, Mikhail. She hid under her desk and had to wait for 911 to get the cops there. The burglars were in her personal office when the police arrived. She could’ve been found at any moment. I want to know how they got in. That biker you talk about all the time, the one who does your background stuff… Wh at’s his name?”

“You’re talking about Outlaw. What do you need him to do?”

“I want him to figure out how these fuckers got past that system. Something is fishy here, and I want to know what. She’s not safe here, and at home, we have old Flint Reid sniffing around.”

“I’ll get Outlaw on it right away. In the meantime, take her home and get her to pack a bag. She can stay here with us.”

“I’m taking her home, and she’ll pack a bag, but she’s not staying with you and Tajah. Her sweet ass is coming to my house,” I growled.

He laughed. “I kind of thought you’d say that, but I had to offer. Does she need anything? Tajah and I can come down there if you think she needs Taj.”

“I’ll let you know. Right now, I’d say no. If it changes, I’ll buzz you. Thanks, and tell Outlaw that money isn’t an object. I’ll pay him whatever he wants.”

“Hoss, that’s not how he works. He’ll never charge for protecting your woman. At most, he may ask a favor, and it’s nothing you’re unwilling to pay. The Archangel’s Warriors are good guys. You’ve met Payne. The rest are like him, in a way. I think it’s time we get off here. I’ll call, and you take care of Cady. Talk tomorrow.”

“We will, and thanks, Mikhail. I owe you.”

“You don’t owe me shit. Don’t insult me by saying it again. Night,” he said gruffly before hanging up.

I knew Mikhail hated for anyone to think or feel that they owed him. I knew he did, but I still meant it. Making Cady safe was all that mattered to me, and I was willing to pay or owe whatever I had to make it a reality. Before heading in to find Cady, I made one more call. He answered, sounding half asleep.

“Yo, what’s up?” Iker asked. I heard him yawn.

“Will you have someone tomorrow for Cady?”

“I will. He can be at her house before she leaves for work. You don’t want him hanging around during work hours, do you? Because the man will need to sleep sometime.”

“I need someone to follow her to work and then home and to watch at night. However, she won’t be at her place in the morning. She’ll be at mine.”

“Hey, damn, you moved fast. Congrats.”

“It’s not that. We’re working through stuff, but her clinic was hit again tonight, and she was there. It was a miracle she wasn’t found and hurt. I’m taking her to my place where I know she’s safe and I can keep an eye on her. I’ll bring her to work, and your man can start there.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? They did it again. What the hell are they up to?” he muttered.

“Who knows? I was supposed to be here, but there was an accident, and I got caught up in it. They bypassed the alarm somehow, Iker.”

“Shit. Do you want me to see if my guys can figure out how? It shouldn’t be that easy. My guy snooped at hers, and it isn’t one that you snip a wire outside and it’s done. They’d have to do it from inside the building or remotely, and those systems aren’t open for just anyone to mess with. You have to know what you’re doing.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got someone checking into it. He’s a computer whiz. All I need is to be sure she has someone watching when she’s not at work during regular hours.”

“You know, if you get her to stay with you every night, that’ll help,” he said slyly.

“I’m working on it, but I’m not assuming anything with Cady Cat. She’s not one to bow down.”

“And if she were, you wouldn’t be interested.”

“Damn right. Okay, send over the details on whoever the new guy is so I know him. If he has issues, tell him to talk to me. Thanks, Iker. I’ll let you get back to sleep, old man.”

“Old man, my ass. I was up for thirty-six hours, that’s why I’m in bed. Fuck off,” he grumbled good-naturedly.

I wound up our call by laughing before hanging up. With those out of the way, it was time to get Cady and get her packed and to my house. I wondered how much of a fight I was in for. My skin tingled, and my heart raced a bit in anticipation. Pocketing my phone, I went into the clinic. The police and their team seemed to be wrapping up. They were milling around rather aimlessly, in my opinion. I found Cady in her office talking to Callahan. When I entered, they both glanced over at me.

“Are you about done? I see people just moseying around out there. If there’s nothing else, we have a long night ahead of us,” I told him.

“No, we’re finished. Dr. Anderson, you have my card. Call me if you have questions or if you think of anything.” Callahan stood and held out his hand. She shook it and smiled.

I didn’t like it. He was touching her, and the way he smiled back told me all I needed to know. Officer Callahan found Cady attractive, and he was interested. Another man I’d have to scare off. I might have to stop working so I could stay on top of running off unwanted suitors. However, if I got my way, it would soon be my job. Cady Anderson was meant for one man—me. If she gave me an in, there was no way I’d let anyone take her from me. I was a vicious fighter.

Lucky for Callahan, he walked off, or I would’ve been baring teeth at him. My patience was almost gone. I had to get Cady to safety and then have this beyond-important conversation with her. I held out my hand to her. She slowly took it. I walked her out to the lobby. The cops and their people were filing out the door. Callahan was bringing up the rear.

“Hoss, my car is parked in the back. I’ll go out that way,” she said softly.

“Hang on, and I’ll walk you out to it. I want to lock up the front.”

“You don’t have to hang around. I’m headed home as soon as I lock this up,” was her next remark.

I gave her a quelling look, which she heeded. Callahan gave her one last look and smiled. I slammed the door on him and threw the lock. Swiftly turning, I led her through the building. “Is there anything you need to grab before we go?” I asked.

“No, I’ve got my purse.”

We reached the back. Next to the rear door, there was broken glass from something. It wasn’t from a window. There were none of them near the back door.

“I need to clean that up,” she muttered.

“Cady Cat, it’s late. You’re tired. The office is a mess. You’ll have to close it tomorrow anyway to get it cleaned up, so this can wait until then. What you need now is to de-stress. Come on. Leave it,” I ordered, but I did it in a less demanding way.

She sighed. “You’re right. I can’t face this tonight. Thank you for stopping. I have no idea why you did, but I do feel better not walking out into the dark parking lot alone.” She paused and glanced at the alarm system’s control panel. “Well, this is kind of useless to set. They got by it. Hell, I don’t even know if it’s working.”

“Why don’t you try? It can’t hurt. Maybe whatever they did was a one-time thing, and the system will be fine. We’ll get people working on it to fix it, too.”

I didn’t tell her it was already in motion. I stepped outside while she punched in her code. There was no beep to signal it was armed. I heard her utter “Fuck,” and then she was closing and locking the door. As soon as she was done, I escorted her to her car. At the car, I took her keys and unlocked it with her key fob. She faced me. She gave me an uncertain look.

“Thank you. I can take it from here. You need to get home. You have work in the morning, just as I do.”

“I’ll follow you home.”

“Hoss, there’s no need to do that. The robbers are after the clinic. I seriously doubt they know where my home is,” she protested.

“Maybe they don’t, but Reid does, and don’t forget, he got in last night.”

There was a flare of emotion in her eyes before she hid it when I mentioned last night. “I can handle Flint Reid if he’s stupid enough to come back. I’ll be fine,” she declared.

“I’m not taking any chances. Now, we can stand out here in the cold and argue all night, or you can get your sweet ass in that car, and we can get to your place. When we get there, you’re to pack a bag. You can’t stay there, not tonight. You’re being taken to stay where it’s safe. ”

“Let me guess, Tajah and Mikhail said to bring me to their place,” she grumbled as she rolled her eyes.

Since it wasn’t a lie, I agreed. “They did. Let’s go, Tiny. It’s late.” I opened the door. She got inside while grumbling.

“You’ve got to stop calling me names. Don’t think just because I’m going along with this, that you or anyone else can boss me around. If you do, it’s your own fault when you get an attitude adjustment.”

I chuckled. “Warning received. And we’ll talk later about your names and other things. Don’t race off. I have to get to my car out front. Drive safe. I’ll be right behind you.” I resisted kissing her before I shut her door. As she started her car, I jogged to get to mine. She did stop and wait for me, a miracle.

Being as late as it was, there was little traffic. We made it to her apartment in record time. The whole area was dark. I didn’t waste time getting out and helping her out of her car and then to the door. When she went to put the key into the lock, I took it from her.

“Hey, what’s—” she said, but I cut her off.

“I go first. I need to clear it. You stay here until I say it’s safe to enter.”

“I swear, if you give me one more order, I’m kicking your ass,” she hissed.

She gave me a frustrated look. However, the more telling part was that she stayed still when I opened the door. Switching on lights as I went, I swiftly searched her place. It wasn’t huge, so it didn’t take long. When I came back to the door, she was standing there tapping her foot. I grinned at her as I swung her door wide open.

“It’s clear. Go get your things. I’ll make sure everything is secure. ”

She harrumphed as she passed me, but I was glad to see her head to her bedroom. While waiting for her to pack, I tried every window to be sure they were securely latched. Of course, someone could always break them to get in. There were none broken. So, how did Reid get in? She had no alarm system here, which I would be fixing ASAP. Did he still have a key? Wanting to know, in case that meant re-keying her door, I hurried to her room. The door was open, and she was putting things in a small suitcase.

“Cady, I’ve got to ask. Is it possible Reid still has a key to your apartment? Is that how he got in last night? I don’t see any windows unlocked or with marks from being forced open.”

She stopped and faced me, frowning. “No, it’s not possible he has a key. I never gave him one. I don’t know how he got in. The door was locked when I got here. I used my key. Maybe a window was unlocked, and after he came in, he locked it.”

“Do you usually leave them unlocked?” If she said yes, I’d spank her ass. In my opinion, she was too lackadaisical about her safety.

“Typically, no, I’m very cautious and check that I don’t leave windows or doors unlocked, but it’s always possible.”

“Finish up. I’ll check to see if the lock shows marks that he picked it.”

“You can tell that?” she sounded incredulous.

“Yes, you can if you know what to look for.”

“And you do?”

I smiled at her as I winked. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me yet, Tiny. You’ll have to be patient. I promise you’ll know everything soon.” As I walked out, she snorted. I held in my laughter.

My examination of the lock did show scratches, so I thought it was most likely how he got in. Her door needed a better locking system and an alarm. I’d call Iker in the morning to get one of his people on it right away. I was about to go look for her when she joined me. I took her suitcase. The next part would be tricky. I knew if I outright told her she was coming to my place, she’d refuse, and we’d fight about it. To avoid it, I needed to get her in my car.

“Ready?” I asked.

“I am. Let’s go. It’s late, and I don’t want Tajah and Mikhail waiting up all night.”

When I held out my hand, she handed me her keys. She was learning. I locked the apartment door and slipped the keys in my pocket. Taking her hand in my free one, I directed her to the parking lot. I bypassed her car and stopped next to mine.

“Hoss, this is your car.”

“I know it is. It’s best to leave yours here. Anyone coming by, such as Reid, will think you’re home. If those men at the clinic do know where you live, they might think twice before stopping if they believe you’re home.” I was rambling and had no idea if what I said made sense, but if it got her in my car, then I was almost home-free.

Her brow wrinkled, and she didn’t appear convinced, but with a nudge from me, she gave in. She must either be more tired than I thought, or the strain was getting to her. I put her case in the backseat and then helped her into hers. When I got in the driver’s side, I caught her rubbing her hands on the leather. She smiled as I started it .

“Your car is beautiful.”

“Thank you, it’s one of my favorites.”

“I can see why. I’m not a car person, but even this one makes me drool. So, you’re a man who loves speed, obviously. What else?”

“Cady, there’s so much more to me. It would take a lifetime to learn it all, just as I imagine it is with you. I can tell you I love to be busy and challenged, and I’m an adrenaline junkie, as some would call it.”

“The busyness and challenges doesn’t surprise me. I’m curious about what you call adrenaline junkie activities.” Inquisitiveness was apparent in her voice and on her face.

“Skydiving, slacklining, parasailing, rock climbing, and helo-skiing to name a few.”

“What the heck is slacklining, and is helo-skiing what it sounds like?” she asked unbelievingly.

“You take a chopper up to mountain peaks that are unreachable any other way, and then you ski the mountain. That’s helo-skiing. You get to see things few others ever do. Slacklining is when a rope is stretched between two objects. The rope isn’t tied between two trees or posts and only a few feet off the ground. In my case, it’s things like a deep lake or a hundred-foot canyon that’s underneath me.”

“God, are you crazy!? What if you fall? Or get caught on a mountain in a spot where no one can find you or an avalanche gets you?” she shrieked.

“The risk of those happening is part of the thrill. I’m very cautious. I do my best not to have those things occur. As for the slacklining, I do have a safety belt around my waist to catch me in case I do fall. It’s a rush. Haven’t you ever done things purely for the rush of it? ”

If she said no, that might be an impediment to us as well. While I didn’t need someone to do everything with me, if she was too afraid to do anything, it would lessen our connection.

“Sure, I have, just not those. I’ve done bungee jumping, riding in jet boats and skiing behind one, roller coasters, gliding, surfing, and riding snowmobiles. I’ve never heard of those two things you mentioned.”

Hearing that she had an adventurous side, after all, relieved me. I was more than okay doing those activities with her. Maybe over time, she’d be open to more extreme ones. “If you were ever offered the chance to do others, would you?”

She thought about it for a minute before she answered, “I would say probably, but it would depend on what. Slacklining would be a no for me. Mountain skiing, maybe. Do you only love the thrill, or do you have a secret death wish?”

“Babe, I have no death wish, I assure you. It’s all for the thrill and to keep myself occupied. If I get bored, it causes me issues. My brain and body have to stay busy.”

As we drove, we kept talking about activities we liked and those we had no use for. It was enlightening, and it was just the type of stuff I wanted to know about her and have her know about me. That was what learning about someone was all about. We were so caught up in the conversation that I got her into the Belle Meade area before she noticed we weren’t in The Gulch. She straightened and glanced into the darkness around us. With fewer houses and bigger properties, it wasn’t as lit up as other areas of Nashville. She glanced over at me with an adorable frown.

“Hoss, where are we? This isn’t the way to Mikhail and Tajah’s place.”

“I know that. This is Belle Meade. Haven’t you been here before?”

We were almost to the long driveway leading to my house. Nearing it, I pressed the remote button to open the gate and allow us access.

“I’ve driven through it. Why are we here?”

“We’re at my house,” I said as I pulled through the gate and then pushed the button again to close it behind the car. She gaped at me as I drove up the long, slightly windy driveway. The house was set back far enough that it wasn’t visible from the road. I was prepared for her to fight me, but I had news. She’d lose.