Page 16 of A Soldier's Destiny
“Okay. Let me grab my purse from upstairs.”
“You don’t need it.”
“Seriously? Are we going to argue over everything? My doors, my locks, my money.” This was one thing she refused to back down on. She had the money and could take care of herself.
“Okay, Angel, if that’s what you want, then let’s get a move on. You need to get back into your routine, so you’re not dragging your honey buns around tomorrow.”
Did he just call her butt honey buns? No way. She was about to cover him in flour when she saw the huge grin on his face. Teasing was okay and a heck of a lot easier on her heart than kissing.
Without thinking, she’d headed out the back door of the bakery without waiting for him. Still dazed from his kisses, she didn’t notice the painting on the outside door to her apartment until she started to slide the key in the lock. Startled, she shrieked and stared in horror at her door. Jasper was at her side before the sound of her scream faded from her lips. He pushed her behind him, ensuring she was protected.
Someone had painted the wordWHOREacrossher door in bright red. They’d even sprayed the doorknob. There was so much paint it dripped down her door and onto the pavement and it looked like a pool of blood. No way was this a prank by teenagers. As much as she hated to admit it, someone had it out for her.
“Did you touch the door?”
“No, I was about to slide my key into the lock when I saw it.”
“Good. Don’t touch anything, I’m going to call Steele.”
“Really? Do we have to call him? Can’t we just get paint and cover it? We’re going to the hardware store anyway.”
“Rori, every incident needs to be reported. You have been doing it all along, right?” He wasn’t going to like her answer, she knew it, and he could probably read it all over her face. She was never good at hiding her feelings.
“Well…umm…not exactly. The flat tires and broken window, yes. I put in an insurance claim, and they needed the police reports.”
“There’s more than that? Did you tell Lily, Alex, anyone?”
“Nope, like I said, I thought it was just a bunch of teenagers blowing off steam. Alex and Lily didn’t agree, and neither did anyone else apparently. That’s why you’re here. But no, they don’t know about the other stuff. None of it was a big deal. It could have just been bad luck that happens to everyone.”
“You and I are going to have a long discussion later after we finish with Steele and I change the locks. Hopefully, the door is the extent of the damage.”
For the first time, Rori was afraid. If everyone was right, then someone was trying to make her life miserable or worse. She knew most of the people in town and she couldn’t imagine it was one of them. Who could it be?
