Page 22 of Dagger

“Seeing what happened,” I replied.

“The hell you are! You go check on Dani. I’ll see to your car.” Our gazes collided, warring until finally I relented. “Fine.” I turned and went back to the living room.

“Hey, Dani, are you okay? That was a bit scary.”

She nodded, trembling but not crying. “I’m fine.”

“Of course you are.”

Dagger rushed back in frowning, a red brick in his hand. “This went through your windshield.”

I stared at the brick, overwhelmed by disbelief. “Is that a note, like in the movies?” I reached for it hesitantly and let my eyes scan the contents on the note:

You don’t deserve it. I do.

I had no clue what that meant. “It has to be mistaken identity.”

“Sinclair.”

“You and Dani should get out of here. I’ll pack up the cookies. Then I’ll call the cops.” My hands shook as I reached for the spatula and again when I grabbed a plastic storage container.

“I don’t give a fuck about the cookies, Sinclair. Someone sent a brick flying through your windshield with a note. None of that was an accident.”

“It has to be,” I insisted.

“Sinclair.” He said my name in that tone that made it seem like I was being difficult.

“Look, Dagger, I know what it looks like, but I’m telling you that’s not it. I don’t have any enemies. I don’t have any family or friends here. No one who cares about me, certainly not enough to go through this trouble. It’s a mistake.”

It had to be, because the alternative was just unthinkable. But there was no reason why anyone would target me.

“We’re leaving.” His voice was firm, and his expression was grim.

My heart plummeted even though I understood completely. Dani was his top priority, and being around me was no longer safe. “Okay.” I turned away, disappointed even though I understood.

“Pack a bag, Sinclair. Now.”

My body went completely still. “What?”

“You can’t stay here, not alone, and I need to get Dani somewhere safe.”

I turned back to Dani, who had tears in her eyes but refused to let them fall. I’d never seen a little girl so strong before, so in control of her emotions. “Yeah, okay. Want to help me pack, Dani?”

She nodded wordlessly, taking my hand as I led her up the short staircase to my bedroom.

“How are you feeling?” I asked while I searched for the small travel bag I’d only used to pack my things for moving day. “What happened was pretty scary.” My voice was shaky no matter how much brightness I tried to infuse into it.

“I’m fine.”

I laughed. “That’s incredible, because I am not fine,” I said as I pulled pajamas and undergarments from my dresser. “My hands are shaking and I can’t get my heart to stop beating so fast.” What was worse than that was I didn’t know where I’d go. I agreed with Dagger that I couldn’t stay here, but that was only to get him and Dani to leave. I’d have to stay at a motel, but if there was even the slightest possibility that this wasn’t a mistake, that the sense of being watched wasn’t just a feeling, then there was nowhere safe. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said all that.”

“It’s okay,” Dani said quietly. “The talking, it helps.”

I flashed a relieved smile. “It helps me too, which is a good thing since I can’t help it.” I finished packing, grabbing only two days’ worth of clothes along with my toiletries. “Ready?”

She nodded and accepted the hand I held out to her.

Downstairs, Dagger held the container of cookies under his arm. “You can’t drive your car.”

---