Page 19 of Protecting Vera

He sighed as frustration built. He squeezed his fists tight so he didn’t yell. “Just tell me.”

Vera winced and reached out, squeezing his arm. He tried to let go of the stress and just listen but worry had him.

“I was out at a mall, and that shit, Logan, recognized me.”

“Fuck!” He wanted to shake off Vera’s hold, but he knew she was trying to keep him grounded, so he didn’t yell at Frizz.

“I was smart. He doesn’t know my real name. I took off, not giving him a chance to snap a photo of me. I made sure all my social media were set to private, I don’t have any photos of myself visible to the public. I’m smart, Benny, I’m not out there letting people see my life.”

He drew in a slow breath and then counted to four before releasing it. Being angry and throwing a fit wouldn’t help anyone.

“How many cameras do you have on your house?”

“Just the one.”

“Get another one for the backyard. Also, your alarm should be set even if you’re home.”

Frizz sighed, and he knew she was probably rolling her eyes. “I know, Benny.”

“I need you to stay safe.”

“I took a shared ride to a hotel and had my friends get my car. I was smart. He didn’t get my license plate or anything. He doesn’t know where I live.”

“Don’t go back to that mall. Maybe you and Justin should take a vacation or something. There’s the cabin in Colorado.”

Frizz sighed. “Maybe. I don’t know if it has internet.”

“It probably doesn’t, but this guy is dangerous. If he figures out where you live, he could cause some real problems.”

“I know. And I’ll be careful. Justin isn’t happy, and he might be willing to leave.”

“I’ll call him later.”

“Please don’t. We are safe now. The jerk doesn’t know who we are or where we live.”

“Get the other camera for the back.”

“I will. And don’t worry.”

A bark of laughter escaped his lips. “Frizz, of course I’m going to worry about you.”

“I’ll keep you updated. But we’re okay for now.”

He sighed heavily. “Okay. But be vigilant. He’s probably going to start hanging around the mall area, looking for you.”

“Well, it was a mall across town, so he’s going to have a hard time finding me. I’ve gotta go. I’ll call on Wednesday.”

“Bye. I’ll chat with you later,” Vera said before the call ended.

He ran his hand over his face as fear and worry collided. Vera had pocketed her phone and headed inside, leaving him alone. He hated that his sister was in danger. He needed to find someone in that area who could help, but there were few Navy guys in Austin. He might have to rely on retired SEALs. It sucked that Frizz had to deal with this.

Once inside, he heard Vera in her room. He made his way down the hall to her door, seeing her taking items out of her drawers.

“What are you doing?”

She glanced up, and he could see that her eyes were shiny, like she might cry. “I have to go back. I can’t have him looking for Frizz.”

He moved before he had time to think about his actions. His hands were on Vera’s shoulders, forcing her to face him.

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