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and led her up the steps and into his home.

Chapter 5

    “Carolyn must think Sara will just move in for good,” Isaac complained, heaving the second large suitcase into the kitchen of Dash’s house. Dropping it to the floor with a thud, he looked around the darkened kitchen. “Where is Sara?”
    “She’s having a bath.” After a quick meal of soup and sandwiches, she had immediately gone upstairs to the tub. “Apparently, she loves bubble baths and hasn’t felt safe having one at her apartment lately.” Dash almost put his fist through the wall at the thought of Sara giving up so many pleasures, great and small, just to survive.
    “Man, I can’t wait to hear the reason why a bachelor has bubble bath in the house.” Isaac was grinning.
    Dash threw his friend a dirty look. “You’ve seen that huge shoulder bag Sara has. She says she carries ‘the essentials’ with her at all times, in case she has to run again. She’s been terrified.”
    Isaac sobered. “Yeah, terrified, but smart. She’s still thinking, planning. She’s still alive.”
    Both men had seen too many women in their careers who had ignored the warning signs, made excuses for men, stayed too long in abusive relationships. The women who survived were often deeply scarred, but far too many didn’t survive. The stats were shocking. For men who cherished women, enjoyed their company, their soft bodies and complex minds, men like Dash and his partners, the reality was something they fought to change every day. One woman at a time.
    Isaac helped himself to a beer from the fridge. “Dash, man, you need to know when we went into Sara’s place, that tiny bird was still on the bed. Its head was twisted half off. It’s fucking sick. We bagged it for evidence, called David down at the Sheriff’s office, and he did up a report.” He took a deep drink from the bottle. “Carolyn was feeling it, Dash. She’s strong, but—”
    “But she’s a woman and Sara is her friend.”
    “Yeah. This son of a bitch knows how to get to a woman, how to torture her. He’s dangerous. I’m not sure Carolyn should be involved.”
    Dash snorted. “You gonna be the one to tell her she can’t be involved?”
    “Shit.”
    “Anyway, she suggested a decoy at Sara’s, someone turning lights on and off, just being there. Along with surveillance outside. And making sure they drive to the office every morning. Visible, not accessible, until we can lay a trap.”
    “That needs a woman willing to decoy for a psycho, Dash. Not so many of those, even in security work.”
    “Carolyn volunteered.”
    “No.” Isaac slammed his beer on the table. “Hell, no.”
    Dash held out both hands. “Relax. I have a different plan. The decoy wouldn’t work, anyway. Carolyn’s so much taller. And Sara walks differently.” He smiled and glanced involuntarily toward the stairs. “I want her, Isaac.”
    Isaac laughed. “Yeah, I got that. But she works for us. That could make things really awkward when it’s over between you.” He sounded genuinely concerned, but his voice had an edge.
    “It will never be over,” he answered simply. “I’m keeping her.”
    “She’s already got a stalker, man,” Isaac said pointedly. “That job has been filled.”
    Unexpectedly, Dash laughed. “That did sound bad, didn’t it? Her choice, Isaac. If she wants to leave, once she’s safe, she can leave.” He looked at his friend and brother in arms. “If she decides to stay, it’ll be permanent.”
    Isaac watched him. “Does she know it?”
    “She will,” he answered complacently.
    Isaac just shook his head, laughed, and waved his way out the door.
    Dash took the stairs two at a time, eager to get to Sara. Damn, just thinking of her in a tub full of slowly disappearing bubbles was keeping him on the edge of arousal. Isaac, the bastard, had seen it, and his knowing smirk had been almost too much to take.
    Pausing at the bathroom door, he listened carefully. Nothing. He pushed the door