The car idled beside the curb, its driver watching assiduously through a sophisticated pair of binoculars. He had purchased them years ago when he had begun bird-watching and he applauded himself for using his acquired skills from night-birding to stake out Kate. She was staying with her friend, he’d established, after a spat with her oaf of a boyfriend, making her a much easier target. The slender brunette she was bunking with would be much easier to overpower than the brute.Vibrant blue eyes narrowed as Kate exited the front door, waving goodbye to her friend and the small child lifted precariously on her hip. Even with the refined technology of his binoculars, he could only assume it was Kate. Her brown hair was hidden beneath a dark beanie, her slender frame wrapped in an oversized coat. He had been watching for a while though, assured that it was only Kate and her friend in the home. He knew how terrible Kate was with children. There was absolutely no way she’d be left a

It took a few days before Paloma and Heath were released from the hospital. Heath had suffered a concussion, a broken leg and a few broken ribs, but he was healing well. Paloma had been mainly unharmed, although she was knocked unconscious during the collision. Doctors had done a multitude of scans to make sure she wasn’t bleeding internally or suffering any underlying issues and had found that she was doing okay.They couldn’t remember much of the accident, only that the car had redlined as if it had been stationary before their arrival at the intersection. There had been a small crowd of witnesses at the scene but all had been unable to provide a definitive description of the perpetrator, only causing Kate’s stomach to churn in unease.Guilt had consumed her at the officer’s words. She had offered for Paloma and Heath to stay with her, but they had declined. All Paloma wanted was to spend time with Florence. The brief hospital visits hadn’t been enough. She had gratefu

“I’m sorry. What did you say?” Kate squeaked, caramel eyes bulging as her mouth hung open in shock.“I said… marry me.” His voice was a whisper, husky and raw, as he ran his thumb down her cheek, “I can’t live without you. I barely got through one night without you. You make me feel things I haven’t felt before. You make me want to be a better person. You make me want to be a husband and a father, someone responsible and not living off my fuckwit father’s money.” He took a deep breath, his voice wavering as he continued, “I knew from the minute I saw you in that damn hallway, with your sweet smile and your thousands of boxes full of crap, that you were the person I was going to spend forever with, and it scared the fuck out of me. So I made sure I kept my distance, but I could never get you out of my head. Never. You had a permanent residency and it was annoying as fuck, and I tried hard to fight it, but once you let me in, I knew for sure, you are the love of my fucking life.

Wrapped up together between the sheets of the bed, Colton clutching Kate to his chest, her eyes lingered emotionally at the pretty ring that glimmered on her finger. She didn’t know how long they’d been lying there, but she was in no rush to move.An abrupt knock on the door interrupted that idea though. Kate frowned, checking the time on her phone, “Who would be coming over at quarter to ten in the morning?”A month ago, a random knock would’ve made her curious but not startled. The car accident however, had her constantly on edge. Every bump in the night, every phone call from an unknown number, every shuffle of footsteps outside the apartment made her nervous. She felt bad for searing permanent moon-shaped gauges in Colton’s muscular biceps.“It’s probably Paloma, or maybe Heath,” he murmured comfortingly, sweeping her hair from her face as he rose. “Don’t stress.”Slipping from the bed, Kate wrapped a robe around her pyjama-clad body, hesitating in the do

The pub was bustling, crowded with young club-goers looking to start their club crawls with a few cheap drinks beneath their belt, as well as the wearily-employed hoping to enjoy the start of their weekend with a buzz. Sinking into the plastic-covering of the barstool, Colton downed the frothy amber liquid before pushing the empty glass back at the bartender. Glancing toward the door, his foot tapped impatiently against the steel base of the stool as he awaited Heath's arrival. He’d already been here for over thirty minutes and there was no sign of his friend. Colton rolled his eyes at the thought of Paloma suckering him into staying home.A fresh pint of beer slung towards him, the attractive bartender winking seductively, flicking her platinum blonde hair over her bronzed shoulder.“I didn’t order this,” Colton snapped, averting his gaze as she leaned in closer.Resting her forearms against the polished counter, the woman squeezed her arms against her chest, her