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I took it from her and glanced down to see a text. Turning it so I could read what she was showing me, I glanced back up at her, and she just nodded her head toward it. Dropping my gaze, I saw it was from an unknown number.
This is Pepper Abe. Please take this phone to Briar and have her call me from this phone, not hers. And make sure she isn’t in the house or her car when she does. This is vitally important.
I reread over the text twice, trying to wrap my head around how Pepper had gotten Dovie’s number when she didn’t know she existed and why she didn’t want me using my phone.
Unless …
I gripped the phone tighter as my chest churned with a mix of fear and anxiety. This couldn’t be about Storm. How could it be? But … why else would she want me away from the house and my car unless she thought they were somehow bugged?
Don’t let this be something that will break me. Please, please, Storm, be who I think you are.
I cleared my throat and tried to stay calm. Dovie didn’t need to be alarmed.
“I guess I’ll run down to the grocery store and pick up some things. I can call her from there.”
“What is this about?” Dovie signed, and the concern in her eyes only made this worse.
She was already fearing the worst. That she would have to leave this life she’d made here. With friends and a school to go to in the fall. I’d brought her into this, and there was a chance she would lose it. I wasn’t the only one who would be shattered.
No. I had to talk to Pepper first. I was jumping to conclusions.
I smiled. “I think it’s about a concert she wants me to come perform at on the beach. Storm isn’t going to be happy about it, and I guess she wants to make sure he’s not around.”
“Why did she text me?”
Because my phone is being monitored by Storm. That much I was almost certain of at this point.
“Mine has been acting up. I have to get it checked.”
Dovie stared at me, trying to decide what to believe. I could see it in her eyes. “Storm isn’t home.”
I nodded. “I know. Just … I’ll be back. After I talk to her, I’ll let you know.”
“Are you in danger?”
I shook my head. “It’s fine.” I hope.
“I’m coming with you,” she signed with a determined expression.
“Okay,” I told her. “Get your shoes.”
She turned and went back up the stairs, and I picked up my phone to text Storm.
Dovie and I are going to get some things from the grocery store. Do you want anything?
I looked down at the phone, fighting back the sting in my eyes. I had to tell him since he’d be tracking me anyway. Until I talked to Pepper, I couldn’t let him know anything was wrong.
I’m good.
I hated texting him when he was in a meeting, but I didn’t know exactly how extensive his stalker equipment was. Sliding it into my back pocket, I went to get my key fob and slip on a pair of sandals by the door.
Dovie came running back down the stairs, and I headed for the garage with her following behind me. I glanced around as we went to get in the vehicle, wondering if there were cameras out here. Probably for security purposes. Would that be what the ones in the house were for? Maybe there were cameras, but they were only turned on when we weren’t there or asleep. Storm was thorough with his safety measures.
At that thought, the panic slowly sinking its claws into me eased some.
But then I remembered the text from Pepper. She’d had to go to great measures to get Dovie’s number. That wasn’t something she would have done lightly.
Backing out of the garage, I turned on some music to help distract from the tension in the car.
I wanted to tell Dovie everything was fine. But I said nothing because I couldn’t be sure that was true, and I wasn’t positive that this car wasn’t wired so that he could hear what was said in it. I gripped the steering wheel tighter. Would he do that and not tell me? Why would he need to hear what I said in my car? I didn’t want to think he trusted me so little that he had to monitor my every move.
By the time I got to the store, I had worked myself back up so bad that I was on the verge of an anxiety attack.
“I’m going to park under that tree line so we are in the shade. You can stay in the car or go inside if you want. I’m gonna do this right over there.” I signed in case he could hear what I said then pointed to a spot that was far away from the car that I didn’t think any tracking devices could see or hear me.
