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The intruder had disappeared into the night when Declan had gone after them, and he'd heard a car engine roar to life before he could reach the street. He'd seen the taillights disappear, but it had been too dark to see anything else.
But someone had been there, and he didn't like it.
He also didn't like the fact that whoever it was had shown up hours after he'd called an old contact, after he'd opened the door to his old life.
He let himself into the carriage house and locked the door behind him. He scanned the interior of the house, listening, feeling it. After a long moment, he was certain no one had entered the house.
Whoever it was had definitely left.
Declan jogged up the stairs and headed toward the bedroom. "It's Declan," he called out. "Everything's fine."
Piper opened the door, and Angel bolted out, wagging and barking. He dropped to one knee to hug his dog, but he didn't take his gaze off Piper. "You okay?"
She leaned against the door frame and folded her arms over her chest. "I now understand what your mom was telling me."
He frowned. Agreeing with his mom never meant anything good. "About what?"
"What it's like to worry that each time might be the last time I see you."
Shit. "It wasn't like that. Whoever it was took off. Probably just a kid scouting out the house."
"But I didn't know that." She shook her head. "I can't imagine what your mom must have felt with your dad and then you."
Guilt settled in his gut. And anger. He'd heard it too many times. "Okay." He didn't feel like arguing. "I'm going to sleep on the couch to keep an eye out." He turned and walked away. He felt like shit doing it, his old ways surfacing the moment that things turned, but he couldn't stay here and listen to this, after listening to it for so many years.
"Declan?"
"What?" He didn't turn around. He knew he was shutting her out, like he used to do with Diana, but it didn't matter. He wasn't dealing with this again.
Piper didn't answer.
He kept walking, waiting for her to finish.
When he got to the top of the stairs, he turned around. Piper was still standing in the doorway.
"What?" he asked again.
She frowned. "Thank you for going to the rescue."
He shrugged. "It's what I do. What I'll always do." He headed down the stairs, but as he took the first step, his knee tweaked. He caught the railing before he fell, but he didn't look back when he heard Piper suck in her breath.
He didn't want to be weak.
He didn't want to be judged.
He just wanted to go back to being alone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
What had just happened?
Piper stood in the doorway, listening to Declan stalk down the stairs to the living room.
Sudden anger boiled through her. After spending the night in his arms, she deserved more than to be walked out on. She wasn't that woman anymore who would accept that treatment and go hide in her room. She deserved more. "Declan!"
"What?"
"Wait a sec!"
