Free Don't Look Back by Lynette Eason

“What do you mean?”
    “Every time we start to talk about you, you back off.”
    “I do?”
    Pulling back, she stared into his eyes, felt drawn into them to the depths of her soul. Resisting his pull, she said, “Yes. Maybe that’s why it’s hard for me to open up to you. Because I feel like it would be all one-sided.”
    “Oh.” His brow crinkled as though deep in thought about that one. Then he changed the subject – just as she figured he would. “You’ve got someone watching your house. You should be fine. I’m going to take off, all right?”
    She gave him a sad, knowing smile. “Sure.”
    “And I’m going to think about what you just said.” He frowned as though his mind had already gone to work on it.
    “Good.”
    He pulled himself up from the floor and gave her a hand up. He headed for the door, stopped and turned back. “Would you recognize him if you saw him?”
    Closing her eyes, she visualized the face she saw almost every night in her dreams. A face completely covered by a mask. Except for the eyes. “No, not his face. But his eyes. I’d recognize his eyes anywhere.”
    “What color are they?”
    “Green. A weird . . . green. I’ve never seen such strange eyes.”
    “Did he alter them? You know, like with contacts?”
    She shuddered. “I don’t know. Maybe. All I know is I want some more target practice tomorrow sometime.”

    Dakota admired her spunk for sure. But he worried his heart was getting ready to go splat when she uncurled her fingers from around it and sent him on his way. He rubbed his chest, the area actually aching at the thought.
    What was he going to do about her?
    The only thing he could do, he supposed. Love her.
    And he did. Just the thought of what she’d suffered made him want to get his hands around the throat of the man who’d inflicted those things on her. A rage like he’d never felt before simmered just below the surface.
    But was she right? Did he clam up and change the subject if it got too close to piercing through the barriers of his emotional comfort zone?
    Probably.
    His past wasn’t so great either and talking about it wasn’t on his top ten list of fun things to do.
    His phone rang as he walked back toward the office to get his car. “Hello?”
    “Hey, it’s Connor. How is she?”
    “Hanging in there. By a thread, I think, but she’s holding her own.”
    “I think Samantha’s going to head back over there and stay the night again.”
    “And you’re all right with that?” He already knew the answer to that question but wanted to hear Connor say it.
    “Whatever it takes to keep Jamie safe – and comfortable.”
    Dakota let the relief flow. “Good. I agree.”
    “Has Jamie found anything more on the bones?”
    “I think she’s got an idea about them but hasn’t really said much.” He swerved off topic. “I took her shooting today.”
    Connor gave a humorless laugh. “Cool. How’d that go?”
    “She did a good job. Good enough to cause some damage if she ever needs to.”
    “Let’s do our best to make sure it never comes to that.”
    “You bet.”
    “Catch you in the morning first thing?”
    “See you then.”
    By the time Dakota pressed the off button, he’d reached his car. He opened the door and slid in, deciding to drive past Jamie’s house. Just to check. Even though he knew she was fine.
    After all, she had someone watching her house this very minute. He spun out of the parking lot and onto the street that would lead him right back down the path he’d just walked.
    A moment later, he could see the entrance to her subdivision and wheeled in. A couple of turns later brought him to her street. Night approached, creeping in slowly as the sun dipped and the stars started to make their presence known. Shadows shifted, trees danced in the slight breeze that only partially cut the muggy heat.
    Jessica Hardesty, the cop watching Jamie’s house, sat up to watch as he drove past at a snail’s pace. He waved to her and she sat