Temptation Trails - Page 137

The spare bedroom was empty, as was the hall bathroom—including the shower. My feet didn’t make a sound as I crept down the stairs. I hesitated at the bottom, my ears straining.

Another creak made me freeze and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. A waft of cool air hit my skin.

Was someone there?

My training took over. There was no room for fear. I was calm, but ready. Whoever it was, they’d picked the wrong house.

I had a view of the entryway and front room. No sign of entry—forced or otherwise—and my doorbell camera hadn’t alerted. There was another noise, coming from the back of the house, so I moved that way, my senses sharp.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move. A slight change of temperature as I made my way to the kitchen heightened my wariness. Had a window or door been opened and let in the night air? My heart beat harder as I took careful steps, pausing at the corner between the kitchen and the family room.

I turned the corner, weapon at the ready, but the room was empty. I hurried to the French doors that led out back. Locked. I flipped on the light, illuminating the porch, and peered into the darkness. Was that movement just inside the tree line?

My house backed up against a stretch of woods—no one lived behind me. I squinted into the night, straining to see. But if someone had been there, they were already gone.

For a second, I thought about following. But I hadn’t checked the garage. I couldn’t leave Harper and Owen alone in the house if there was even a chance someone was still there.

The door leading into the garage was locked and no one was inside.

I did another sweep of the house, checking every corner. I crisscrossed my way around, changing direction, opening doors, moving as softly as I could. No one was there and nothing seemed to be moved or missing.

Had someone been in the house? Had they slipped out just before I’d gone downstairs?

I went back to the French doors and crouched so I could see the lock at eye level. Those things weren’t impossible to pick, if you knew what you were doing. And if someone was good at it, they could have locked it behind them when they left.

In and out without a trace.

Who the fuck was I dealing with?

I thought about calling it in and getting someone out there to start investigating. But I could already tell, there wasn’t anything to investigate. If someone had been there, they were gone.

There might be some footprints outside, but in the dry weather I doubted it. I’d take a look when the sun was up, but I didn’t hold out much hope I’d find anything conclusive.

The real problem was, if I called it in, I knew what they were going to think. I was being paranoid.

A few little noises in the night didn’t warrant an all-out investigation. I knew that.

But someone had been there. I’d felt it.

They’d been in Harper’s house, too. Hers had been the same thing, no sign of entry, no indication anyone had broken in. But someone had taken those underwear out of her drawer and put them in that box. I didn’t care what my superiors said.

I just couldn’t prove it. Yet.

Whoever was after my girl, I was going to find him before he could hurt her.

He was fucking with the wrong man.

CHAPTER 35

Garrett

I needed more coffee. I hadn’t slept the night before. A possible intruder tended to do that to a guy. One missed night of sleep wasn’t going to kill me—I’d flipped between days and graveyard for a lot of my career, so I was used to it—but it hadn’t done much for my mood.

I’d spent my morning on a half-day patrol shift, amped as all hell. I didn’t want to be patrolling the county, I wanted to be catching a murderer. And figuring out who’d been in my house, if they weren’t the same person.

The home invasion felt like another taunt. Someone sending a message that they could still get to Harper, even though she’d moved in with me. It made me fucking furious, both that someone had the audacity to do it, and that I hadn’t caught them.

I would. They were messing with the wrong guy.