Hostile Witness (Sanctuary, Inc. #1)

Chapter 28

28

E than slow jogged to his truck. The only thing he’d been able to do in that store was own it and apologize. What the hell had she been thinking confronting him like that? There was no way he could argue with her in a public place without repercussions. The humiliation didn’t bother him. Much. As a policeman, he put up with all kinds of verbal abuse. But his ex-wife had been a pro at making him feel small, especially in public. That was probably why he was fuming and furious inside.

But if Tia thought for one minute that he was going to let her function without any security with a murderous madman at large, she had another thing coming. He dropped the tailgate, opened his toolbox, and rummaged. He always kept extra supplies, just in case. He couldn’t let her leave the lot without a layer of protection.

Shit. He’d blown it but good.

There it is. He pulled a small box from the lower shelf and opened it. It was brand-new, a fifty-dollar investment he was damn glad he’d purchased right about now. He inserted fresh batteries while glancing at the store’s exit doors. She was still in there. Good.

Ethan tapped an app on his phone and synced the tracker with the app. A green check mark appeared thirty seconds later. The tracker and app were communicating. Hallelujah. He closed the toolbox and tailgate. Where was her car?

After sliding on a pair of sunglasses, he scanned the lot patiently—one row at a time. There was no margin for error. If she stayed upset, he wouldn’t be able to get near her for a while without it feeling weird.

He never meant to infringe on her personal decisions, but he couldn’t leave her unprotected. And while the tracker was only one level of security, at least it was something.

Ah, that’s it. He casually walked three rows over and five cars up while keeping an eye on the store’s exit. She hadn’t come out.

He sauntered to her car, bent down, and stuck the GPS tracking device on the back underside of the vehicle. His phone pinged. Success. He could just imagine telling her about this.

Maybe he’d let her win their lawn games today. Nah. That would only insult her intelligence.

Or maybe she’d take him down for real and he’d need the frozen peas. Possible... not probable.

But all he really wanted to do was take her down on a nice firm bed and love her until she breathlessly whispered his name.

Tia parked, grabbed the groceries, and hustled Flynn into the house. Would Ethan even show up for the takedown?

She changed into yoga pants and made certain Flynn was behind closed doors in her bedroom, unable to observe his two people sparring on the lawn. The poor animal didn’t need any more trauma. But no sooner had she walked away than his barking and whining started.

Tia stuck her head in the bedroom. Oh geez, she’d left the closet open and the offending laundry chute exposed. She shut the closet door, and Flynn hopped on the bed for a nap. Yeah, Flynn sleeping on the bed needed addressing, but not now.

Ethan pulled into the driveway as she corralled her hair into a ponytail.

Jogging out the front door, she yelled, “I’m surprised you showed up, Detective, what with being chicken and all. I hope you’re not planning on doing this in those nice pants and shirt. It’s bound to get messy.”

The piercing look he shot her should’ve had her reconsidering their competition, but it was too late to turn back. She’d thrown down the gauntlet and had to convince him she could take care of herself.

Ethan dug through the ever-present duffel bag in the back of his truck, snapped a pair of shorts over a shoulder, and headed for the front porch. “I’m putting my tenderloin in your refrigerator and changing my clothes. Give me two minutes.”

“Uh-huh. I’ll use the time to warm up. Don’t let Flynn out of the bedroom. He doesn’t need to see me take you down.”

Ethan threw his head back and laughed out loud before going in the house.

Ooh, maybe she was pushing him a little too hard, but he’d remember this day. Next time, he’d ask before assuming he had the right to take over her life. She stretched and slid into a full split. After today, she probably wouldn’t be able to do this move for a while due to sore muscles. Sparring with a man Ethan’s size had consequences.

She glanced at the camera on her maple tree. A wave of fresh irritation fueled her resolve. Sparring with her had consequences, too.

Ethan folded his arms, watching Tia ease into that perfect split. He could think of a whole lot of fun things to do with a woman with that kind of flexibility, but this was not among them. Shutting the door behind him, he called out, “All right, show me what you’ve got.”

Tia rolled her shoulders. “We’re not here to audition for each other. You want to attack me first, or shall I come for you?”

Oh, when he finally got his hands on her, she’d come for him. He was looking forward to it. Lifting his eyes to the treetops, he refocused. Fighting with any woman was distasteful unless said woman threatened those he’d sworn to protect.

Now, with Tia, it wouldn’t be a fair fight if she attacked him. He’d have advance warning, and the element of surprise would be gone. “I’ll attack you first. Turn around.”

Distract, disarm, and disable. He tossed a ball Flynn often played with past her as distraction as he moved in and grabbed her from behind. She clawed like a feral cat, bit his arm—drawing blood—broke free of his choke hold, and spun around with a groin blow he could only describe as lethally quick.

He sank to his knees, retching. Competitors in his various trainings had landed the same move before, but not a one of them had hit the bull’s-eye like she just had. He groaned in pain, and his watering eyes burned.

Tia stood over him. “Now do you believe I know how to take care of myself?” She turned to walk away.

Still wheezing, he recovered his presence of mind. Not so fast, O’Rourke. He wasn’t a one-and-done kind of guy. He reached out, wrapped his hand around her ankle, and yanked hard, landing her on the ground. This time, he was ready for the shoulder blow from her other foot and dodged left, then threw his full weight on top of her, pinning her face-down.

He coughed, summoning his voice. “I’m the bad guy, all two hundred sixty pounds of me, and you’ve really pissed me off now.” Driving her face into the grass, he asked, “Should I kill you first or rape you? You’re helpless and pinned underneath me. What are you going to do, T?”

Ethan held her in the tightest controlled vise grip he’d ever used on a woman. She couldn’t budge even an inch. “You’ve got to get out of this before I kill you, all right?”

While he’d never considered that she’d do it twice, she sank her teeth into the flesh of his hand, biting so hard he cried out in pain. The second he jerked away, she reared her head back and nailed his right eye with the precision of a surgeon. He literally saw stars. The woman was Godzilla in a five-five frame.

Ethan shifted his weight. He had to. Self-preservation kicked in, and too many body parts throbbed at the same time. He moved for only a second, but she drove her pointy elbow straight into the middle of his diaphragm. The air whooshed from his lungs as it hit with the speed of a bullet.

Tia scrambled from beneath him and crawled out of reach. There was grass and mud in her hair and dirt on her face. She was trembling. “I hope you’re convinced I can protect myself?” Groaning, she cradled his cheek with a hand. “You’re going to have a shiner.”

Ethan gasped. “Biting is not Krav Maga.”

“No shit, Sherlock. But if there’s a huge man trying to hurt me, I’ll use whatever tactics I deem necessary to free myself. Satisfied?”

He gaped at the blood running down his arm.

Tia squatted down. “You already know that my fiancé picked me up and threw me into the back seat of his car. I live with the scars from that accident every day. I had to learn how to defend myself.”

Wiping the grass from her face, she continued. “No one will take me against my will ever again. This out here today wasn’t personal, but you had to see for yourself.”

Tia rose. “I’m half in love with you, Ethan. But you must understand my boundaries. You need to ask permission instead of assuming control over my life, and that includes touching my phone and installing cameras in my yard.”

Ethan took a ragged breath. “Full disclosure, there’s a second camera in the backyard, and I put a tracker on your car, too.”

“What? Why?” She stared down at him, one hand on a hip, utterly confused.

He sat back on his haunches. “Because I care, T. Probably too much.” He swiped at the blood on his hand. “I want you safe, and you act all nonchalant about your security. I don’t want to lose you. I’ve lost so many people I care about. I couldn’t handle losing you, too.”

His balls hurt so bad he sat on the lawn and slowly stretched his legs out. “By a stroke of pure providence, we came back into each other’s lives. You saw what that madman did to Lieutenant Plante. I’ll be damned if I give him a chance to do that to you. He’s got your address, T.”

Shaking his head, he said, “I think I love you more than halfway. My whole world righted itself when you walked back into it. I’d swear the sun shines brighter when you smile.”

Tia dropped to her knees facing him. Pressing her lips to his, she murmured, “Come in the house, Detective. I’ll get you an ice bag for your face and those peas for your balls.”