She kept the bat gripped tightly in one hand while pushing up off of the floor with another. Her long body unfolded in a jerky motion before she shook it off. Lucas would be there any minute. Caitlin was on her way. And she had a deputy out there offering her protection.
The peephole was at her eye-level once she was leaning against her door. Pressing her nose to the wood and her eye to the glass, she got her first look at Sylvester Collins.
Okay, then.
She saw the deputy hat, the beige uniform shirt, the pressed slacks, the heavy boots, the radio on his belt and the shiny metal handcuffs looped beside it—but all that was window dressing for the man standing tall on her porch. He presented a strong profile as if he expected her to check him out before she opened the door.
And, God help her, she was checking him out.
The man was utterly gorgeous.
His dark skin seemed to gleam in the moonlight. His lips were drawn in a serious line, accentuating the sharp cheekbones that looked like they were chiseled into his very masculine face. By the glow of the weak porch light, she could see that his amber eyes were a few shades lighter than his skin. They were enchanting, like a freshly minted copper penny.
Whoa.
Her free hand fumbled as she tried to open the door. After a second, she managed to get it to work before pulling the door inward and looking up at the deputy. He was taller than her.
Oh, goodness. She was a sucker for a man who topped her in height.
He blinked. It struck Maria just then that she was wearing her nightclothes. Not to mention she probably looked like she’d been in a fight for her life. Which she had, of course. All the same, she took a hurried step back, trying to lose herself in Ophelia’s shadows.
Removing his hat, she saw that he wore his hair shorn close to his scalp. Deputy Collins took a step towards the open door. “Miss De Angelis?”
“Maria. Please.” She gulped. The force of his stare made her nervous is an entirely different way. “I’m sorry for being so careful. Come in.”
He did. “Don’t apologize to me. I’m here to take care of you.”
After a moment’s deliberation, she nodded. He was going to take care of her? Bene. She’d let him.
>
But hell if she’d let go of her bat.
Lucas showed up two hours later.
By then, Maria had already entertained half of Hamlet’s sheriff department. Ten minutes after Deputy Collins arrived, Caitlin was there, her gun drawn and a look in her steely gaze that told Maria that the sheriff wouldn’t hesitate to use the weapon if she found Turner lurking in one of the corners of Ophelia.
Together, with Maria and her bat huddled between them, they all swept the house again, just in case Turner somehow snuck back in since Collins initially cleared the rooms.
The idea didn’t seem so preposterous when they realized that he didn’t leave a trace of himself behind in the Blue Room. Either he already had his truck packed up before he slipped into Maria’s bedroom, or he somehow managed to sneak back into Ophelia after she chased him off with her bat.
Both ideas were unsettling. As was the idea he might still be sneaking around Hamlet in his underwear.
After they were certain that he wasn’t in the house now, Caitlin sent her new deputy back to his cruiser. The sheriff would sit with Maria while they waited for Lucas to arrive. Mason was already out on patrol, looking for Turner’s truck. Sly would join the search. If Turner was still in Hamlet, he would pay for it.
If he was gone, then good riddance.
Maria was starting to droop. The anger that first fueled her had faded to a weary sort of fear that the worst night of her life would never end. Caitlin settled her in the kitchen with a comforting mug of hot chocolate before taking a guard’s stance in the doorway that led into the hall.
She was still standing there when Lucas finally burst into the house. Catching the wild look in his icy blue eyes, she blocked him from entering the kitchen.
“Give her a second, Luc,” Caitlin murmured in warning. “She’s had it rough. You looking like you’re ready to kill someone won’t help her.”
Caity was right. He took a deep breath, struggled to get himself under control. Lucas normally prided himself on that control. He damn well wouldn’t let his ex see him lose it.
“Yeah. You’re right. I just… I had to make sure she was safe.”
“And she will be. Look, I’ve called everyone in on this. Willie brought her kids down to the station house to free me and Mase and Sly up for patrols. I’ve already sent Sly and Mase out, looking for some sign of this bastard. Phil Granger is gonna park his golf cart down by the welcome sign to see if he can watch for anyone coming or going into town.