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Oh yes she did. She may not feel fearful with Alexander Barrett, but she’d definitely be restless and horny. However, the choice had been taken away from her by her big brother…unless Alexander declined.
He wouldn’t, though. Knowing him, he could only accept, especially since she’d gone out of her way to help him.
Chase fixed his eyes on hers. “Promise me if anything else out of the ordinary happens, you’ll contact the police.”
“Okay.” Did that extend to mentioning the unsettling messages she’d been receiving? No. Too early. Too premature. She had nothing to confirm whether the two events were even related.
Plus, she didn’t want to worry her brother any further. By tomorrow, she’d have her own big, burly bouncer by her side, so she had nothing more to stress about. Right?
Chapter Four
Alexander’s phone rang, wrenching him from a disturbed snooze. He couldn’t remember when he’d last had a deep, restorative sleep. These days he considered himself lucky if he got two solid hours. The rest of the time he dozed, in between nightmares.
Chase’s ringtone persisted like Chinese water torture. He fumbled for his mobile on the nightstand and stared at it with bleary eyes. Six a.m. Fuck me.
Chase wouldn’t ring him that early unless something major had gone down.
Fuck.
He scrubbed a hand over his face, pressed the green call-answer button and held the phone to his ear. “What’s up?”
“I need your help.”
Shit. “For what?”
Chase let out a long, stressed-sounding breath. “Sage’s place got broken into last night while she was at home in bed.”
Alexander jackknifed into sitting. “Is she okay? Anything taken?”
“She’s still wired but physically fine, thankfully, and apparently nothing is missing. She locked herself in her bedroom. Why she even installed a bolt on her bedroom door in the first place, I have no idea.”
That was unusual. “Did you ask her?”
“Not yet.”
“Did she mention anything else? Any strange people or cars hanging around in recent days, months?”
“No. Not a thing. But I didn’t press her. She took a while to stop trembling, to somewhat relax, so I decided she needed rest more than an interrogation.”
“Good call.” Alexander would add the question to his grill list. From the small amount of intel he’d been privy to, things didn’t add up. Sage had definitely omitted essential information, hadn’t been totally forthcoming. A woman like her, who prided herself on her independence, wouldn’t want to put others out or, heaven forbid, worry them.
“Agreed.”
“So how can I help?”
“I’m leaving this afternoon to attend an interstate conference for a couple of days. I’ve tried to convince Sage to stay somewhere else, at least while I’m gone, but she refuses.”
“I’m moving in to her place.” Alexander didn’t even have to think about it. And no matter how much she protested, how much she argued—because she would—he’d be staying.
“That’s what I’d hoped.”
“Easy. Text me her address, and I’ll meet you there soon.”
“Thank you.” A relieved sigh echoed down the phone line. “Knowing you’ll be with her gives me peace of mind.”
Alexander, too. He wouldn’t be able to relax unless she had protection. Her safety was paramount. It ranked over and above whether she liked him, whether they got along, whether she gave him the silent treatment.
He wouldn’t leave her hanging. Not this time. Not now that he’d matured. Spending precious hours together, one-on-one, meant they’d either hate each other or it’d bring them closer. He hoped for the latter.
