I ran to my room, but came to a halt in the doorway. The room was bare. My bed. My furniture. The pictures off the wall. Hell, even my clothes—all gone.
I raced to the loose floorboard near where my bed used to be and pried it open.
“No!” I cried, dropping to my knees.
My money roll was missing.
$670 of savings . . . stolen.
I sat back and put my head in my hands. I needed that money.
Caleb crouched down in front of me.
“She’s taken everything,” I sobbed.
He pulled my hands from my face. His eyes were gentle, but the rigid tick in his jaw let me know he wasn’t happy about this.
“We will get your stuff back,” he said darkly.
I looked away, but he turned my chin to face him.
“I promise you, Honey. I will make this right.”
I didn’t believe him, but I appreciated his attempt to make me feel better. I went to thank him, but the sudden onset of nausea sent me straight to the bathroom where I threw up again.
“Are you sure you didn’t drink last night?” he asked when I came back to the bedroom.
I leaned a hip against the doorjamb. I felt dizzy. “I’m sure.”
Tell him. Tell him now.
“Maybe you have a stomach bug.”
I wanted to tell him about the baby, but not while this disaster was unfolding.
I pulled my phone out of my jacket pocket.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m calling the police.”
He crossed the room briskly and closed his hand over mine so I couldn’t finish making the call.
“Let me handle this,” he said, his blue eyes gleaming with a formidable glint.
“You don’t have to do anything. I can handle this.”
But even as I said the words I knew my stuff was gone forever. I would fill out a police report but hear nothing, while Amy got to enjoy all of my belongings. Unfortunately, this wasn’t my first rodeo.
“I can assure you, I can get your stuff back a lot quicker than the police,” he said.
“You can?”
When he nodded, my face crumpled and he drew me into his arms and held me against his broad chest, pressing a kiss to my hair before releasing me. He was warm and big, and so comforting that it made me want to cry harder.
“What’s her name?” he asked.
“Amy,” I replied, bewildered. “Amy Russell.”
“Do you know where she works?”
I hesitated. I didn’t know Caleb. And while his fierce masculinity was a turn on, it was also a reminder that I had no idea what he was capable of. He was a big guy, both in size and presence. And despite his easy-going nature, there was something formidable about him. I didn’t know what he would do to Amy once he found her. Would he threaten her? Hurt her? Hurt the person she was with?
Hell, was this guy a killer?
“Look, no one is going to hurt her,” he said as if he could read my mind. “Usually the cut is enough.”
I relaxed a little. “She lost her job at the supermarket last week. But I know she hangs out at Skylar’s.”
“The bar over on Juniper Street?”
“Yeah, she goes there a lot. Last time we spoke she said she might be able to pick up a few shifts.”
“Let me handle it,” he said and I could see on his face that he would. “In the meantime, can I drop you somewhere?”
My head shot up.
My car.
I ran to the window overlooking the parking lot, my heart pounding at the chance Amy might have stolen that, too. It was the last thing of value I owned. I was up to my eyeballs in debt with the bakery I’d just started, and until I started making money on my new business venture, I couldn’t afford another car.
Thankfully, Amy hadn’t added grand theft auto to her list of crimes and my little Fiat sat untouched in its parking space. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was a small blessing.
Caleb crossed the room and stood behind me. “Your car?”
I turned around and nodded. “It’s still there.”
I couldn’t look at him. I didn’t want him to see me cry. And as reality began to sink in, I could feel a decent ugly cry coming on.
“Hey,” he said, stepping closer and gently lifting my chin. “I’m going to take care of this.”
The darkness in his usually vibrant blue eyes told me he meant what he said. And I had no doubt he was capable of doing so. What I couldn’t understand was why he would. “You don’t have to do anything.”
But he ignored me. “Have you got somewhere to stay tonight?”
When I nodded, he leaned closer and took my phone out of my hand. Feeling dazed, I watched as he added his number into my contacts list and mine to his.
“You need anything, you call me.” He handed me back my phone. “I’ll call you when I’ve dealt with this, okay?”