The back door opened and Ava stuck her head out. “Hey, is everything okay out there?”
“Yes.” Haley pulled away and smiled at her.
“Everyone was getting worried. We thought Barrett was getting onto you about how we were talking about him.” Ava frowned.
“No. Everything is fine,” Jayden answered.
Ava stepped out onto the porch and sighed. “Good. Now maybe Jayden can go see what’s going on in the damn RV.”
“Why don’t you go?”
“Because they won’t let me in.” Ava crossed her arms. “Barrett said this was Guardian stuff only and if I happened to see some of that confidential stuff he’d have to kill me.” She arched her brow. “Personally, I think they’re looking at porn.”
Haley chuckled.
“All right, I’ll go check it out.” He kissed Haley on the lips and headed to the door.
“Hey, tell Damon he was right. That sharks don’t swallow people whole.” Haley called out just as his hand reached for the door.
Jayden laughed. “I’ll do that.”
#
“I had no idea Barrett had a house in Fayetteville?” Ava eased into one of the Adirondack chairs on the deck.
“I know.” Haley sat and looked up at the stars. “He does have a cozy little backyard.”
“It looks very homey. I wasn’t expecting that from Barrett. I would have thought he had a condo all stainless steel and clean lines.”
Haley laughed.
“So how are you doing?” Ava glanced up at the night sky, the stars splattered across the inky backdrop of space.
“I’ll be doing a lot better when this stalker is caught. Then I can get back to a normal life.”
“Actually I’ve been wondering how you were doing since October. When you were kidnapped.”
Haley looked over at Ava, who no longer seemed to be watching for shooting stars but instead was watching her.
“Okay. I haven’t had time to think about it since this stuff started happening.” It was the truth.
“It’s like I swapped one horrible ordeal for another.” Haley looked back at Ava. “You know, I never had a chance to tell you thank you.”
Ava frowned. “Thank me? For what?”
“For helping find me. After I was rescued and interviewed, one of the Arkansas Guardians said that it was you who found the tube of lipstick I left on the ground. You made Damon and Jayden go back to the gas station hoping someone would recognize me and my possible kidnapper. Thank God that clerk did.”
Ava shrugged. “I figured maybe a woman might find a clue that a man might overlook. It was smart using the name of your lipstick to give us a clue about your kidnapper.”
“I was just lucky. I mean how many female Weres actually use the color Lethal Red and have it on them?”
“I never found out how David Jenkins managed to kidnap you.” Ava’s voice was soft yet probing. Haley had never talked about that night. Her parents certainly never wanted to know the sordid details. But these Arkansas Weres were better than her family. They knew how to treat one another. It was a family she was quickly becoming part of.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”
Haley gave Ava a smile. “Actually, I would probably feel better if I did talk about it.”
Haley settled back into the chair and stared up into the sky. “I was on my way to see my boyfriend. I had gone home to get some more clothes and was going back to LSU. Even though it was late, I didn’t mind the drive. I’d driven it thousands of times. I stopped at the gas station to get gas. I had to go inside because the credit card machine wasn’t working. Thankfully, I had cash.”
“The clerk said that David Jenkins tried to ask you for money and you said no.” Ava cocked her head.
“I did. I knew what he was, that he was a Red Were because I could smell that stench they carry. I didn’t want him anywhere near me. I kept thinking to myself how my boyfriend was going to really be pissed if he caught the scent of another Were on me. Especially a red wolf.”
“Was he the jealous type?”
“No, he was the ‘all I care about is appearance’ type.” Haley shook her head. “Anyway, when Jenkins left without paying for his gas I remembered just feeling relieved that he was gone. I saw how he was looking at me and it was really creeping me out.” Haley wrapped her arms around herself, shivering at the memory.
“I got back in my car and made sure I locked all the doors. Once I was on the road it didn’t take me but a few miles before my power steering when out in my car. I pulled over, and got out, someone would drive by and help. That’s when Jenkins pulled his truck in behind me. It was later I discovered that Jenkins had cut my lines that affected the power steering.