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college arrest for drunk and disorderly, he’d surprised her by cleaning up his act. He’d cut back on drinking and applied himself to his senior year studies and graduated with his class, even securing a coaching job at the local high school. When he’d asked her to marry him the day after graduation, Katrin had believed his drinking days were over and she’d accepted his proposal.
    But she’d been wrong to believe drinking was an addiction Wade could overcome without professional help. So very, very wrong. In fact, he hadn’t quit drinking. He’d just become skilled at hiding it.
    “So he’s been like this for a long time,” said Erik carefully, pulling out one of her kitchen chairs and sitting down as she leaned against the counter.
    She nodded, looking into his cool blue eyes and realized she didn’t want to talk about Wade anymore.
    “I should pack,” she said half-heartedly.
    “We have a few minutes. Tell me how he went from a college drunk to a menace.”
    “This can’t be interesting for you.” And I don’t want you to think of me as Wade’s victimized girlfriend.
    He shrugged. “I’m in law enforcement, so actually, it is.”
    She didn’t know if he was just being nice to her or genuinely interested, but the way his eyes stayed focused on her had the duel effect of hypnotizing her and discomfiting her. She heard her voice start speaking. She told him how several weeks ago she’d gone for lunch with a girlfriend at the Elk Land Grille on their lunch break from the hospital, only to have Wade show up and slide into the booth across from them.
    She’d gotten up and confronted him, putting her hands on his table until he looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. She’d felt brave that day, confronting him in a public place, surrounded by people.
    “You following me, Wade?”
    “I can eat lunch wherever I want, Kitty Kat. It’s a free country.”
    “Why aren’t you eating lunch at school in the faculty lunch room?”
    “You didn’t hear? I’m taking break from that shit job. I’m going to get me a better job.”
    Ah. You finally lost your job. No big surprise there .
    “We both know you followed me here. You’ve been following me around a lot lately. You gotta quit it, Wade. You gotta move on.”
    “MOVE ON?” He’d thundered, making her see, for the first time, how truly unhinged he’d become. Other diners stopped talking as Wade pounded the table with his fists several times before speaking in a low hiss. “You’re mine , Kat. You’ll always be mine.”
    “Creepy,” said Erik lightly as she finished the story, but Katrin saw his jawbone clench twice and those ice shards were back in his eyes. “What else?”
    Katrin turned to the sink and dumped the rest of her water down the drain, feeling small and pathetic as Erik Lindstrom patiently listened to the breakdown of her relationship with Wade. “He’s been showing up here for about a week or so now. He drinks too much and shows up on my doorstep yelling.” She turned back to Erik and crossed her arms over her chest. “But he never said he wanted to, um, k-kill me until Friday.”
    Wade had been getting meaner and colder, more unstable and violent. His language was more foul and threatening, and coupled with smashing bottles, breaking her window and threatening to kill her? How soon before he acted on those threats?
    She looked up at Erik and he nodded slowly, picking up his water and taking a long sip as his searing eyes held hers. Thoughts of Wade slipped from her mind and her fingers twitched, remembering how it felt for her hand to be clasped within the warm strength of his. How would it feel to have him clasping more than her hand—her breasts, her hips, her waist as he lowered his mouth to hers and—
    She pressed cool hands to her hot cheeks, looking away from him quickly. He looked so solid and safe dominating the small space of her kitchen. She wanted that. She wanted to feel safe again. This is no good, Kat.