Claiming Sarah (Ace Security #5)(7)

Sarah had taken care of herself for much of her thirty years of life. She’d never thought about being with someone simply because of what they could do for her. But the second her eyes met Cole’s, it was as if everything inside her had just sort of . . . melted.

It was disconcerting.

And the reason why she hadn’t hesitated to go back into the gym with him.

With anyone else, she knew she would’ve firmly but politely told him she’d changed her mind and then gone on her way. But there was something about Cole that made her want to let him fight all her battles for her.

Which was stupid.

And dangerous.

The only one who could keep her safe was herself.

Relying on someone else would only end badly.

Then her thoughts turned back to Owen, as they had way too often recently, and she wondered what he might’ve left her this time.

It was big.

Shit. What if he’d decided to get her a puppy? He’d hinted in his letters that he could see the two of them getting married and living happily ever after with a bunch of kids and dogs.

He wouldn’t.

Would he?

Sarah had no idea if Owen realized he was terrorizing her. She guessed he didn’t.

Knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep until she’d at least checked to make sure there wasn’t anything alive in the box he’d left for her, Sarah threw back the covers and grabbed her cell phone, just in case. She headed back down the stairs, making sure to turn on every light she passed.

No way was she going to lurk about her house in the dark. She wasn’t crazy.

She grabbed a pair of scissors on her way to the front foyer. Her eyes landed on the box, and she took a deep breath.

Moving slowly, she carefully slid the scissors along the tape holding the box shut. She peeled back the flaps—and stared down at the contents in confusion.

Reaching inside, she lifted the surprisingly heavy object and put it on the floor next to the box. She didn’t worry about fingerprints or anything like that. She knew who’d sent the gift and whose fingerprints would be on it.

Sarah stared at the homemade wooden dollhouse for a long moment.

It was incredibly detailed and probably expensive. It was obviously custom made. She sat on the floor in the middle of the foyer and stared at it in consternation.

One side of the house was missing, allowing her to see inside and play with the dolls if she wanted to. There were three rooms: one large open space on the first floor, and two smaller rooms on the second. A female doll was propped up in the kitchen in front of the stove, and a male doll was sitting on the couch nearby, facing a television.

The walls of the house looked like logs, and the roof was thatched. There wasn’t any detail that had been overlooked, from the tiny dishes in the sink to the rugs on the floor and the pictures on the walls. The furniture was made of wood and painted by someone who was obviously very patient and detail oriented. A miniature bed was neatly placed in one room upstairs, and a desk and computer were sitting in the second room, obviously an office.

Sarah’s mind raced. It was an unusual gift . . . and it made her extremely uneasy. It wasn’t outwardly threatening, and it matched the love notes Owen had sent her, the ones in which he’d talked about them getting married and living happily ever after.

A draft of cold air seemed to come out of nowhere. Goose bumps broke out on Sarah’s arms, and the hair at the back of her neck stood up. Grabbing her phone, she clicked a couple of pictures of the house. The cops weren’t exactly interested in her case, but maybe if Cole’s friends decided to help her, they’d want to see this.

Sarah quickly picked up the dollhouse and packed it back into the box. She’d take it to the hospital tomorrow and donate it to the children’s ward. She certainly didn’t want it.

Deciding to leave all the lights on, Sarah practically ran back upstairs to her room. She closed and locked her door before climbing back into bed. Placing her phone on the small nightstand, she lay on her side and stared at it for a long moment.

She literally had no one to call. She had a lot of acquaintances at work, but they were “work friends.” Not the kind of people she’d call when she was scared or just wanted to chat. Her dads were dead. She didn’t have any siblings.

For the first time in ages, Sarah felt completely alone. She’d been an orphan for a while now, but tonight, she really felt like one.

If she up and disappeared tomorrow, would anyone notice . . . besides Owen? She had a feeling he was the only one who would care.

Closing her eyes to try to stop the tears, Sarah realized it was no use. Crying silently, she finally fell into a restless sleep.





Chapter Three

“Hey, Cole! How’d the week go?”

Cole looked up from the desk and mock-scowled at his friend and co-owner of Rock Hard Gym. “You are never allowed to leave again.”

Felicity chuckled. “That bad, huh?”

Cole sighed and studied Felicity. She looked good. Of course, he’d always thought she looked good, but seeing her relaxed and happy underscored just how stressed she’d been the entire five years he’d known her. Marrying Ryder Sinclair definitely agreed with her . . . as did not having to be on the lookout for the crazy asshole who’d stalked her for so long. “It was just a crazy week. How was Chicago?”

Felicity smiled sadly. “Difficult, but good. It was hard seeing my mom’s grave, but it was also cathartic. I didn’t have to hide in the shadows this time.”