One Journey Ends

The man hid in the shadows of Tara's trees. He didn't want anyone to see him. He knew there were police officers in her house now. Who could miss them coming and going? He'd underestimated her. He'd thought for sure she wasn't the type to get the police involved. She didn't even seem to care muchut tut their progress in finding him. He'd wanted to scare her and then finish what he and Eddie had started in that hospital. Eddie was the one who saw her. He had a thing for picking off pregnant woman. He personally found the fascination sick, but this small blonde woman caught his own eye as well. He knew she'd put up a fight and that's what he and Eddie both wanted, a good fight.

Now Eddie was dead, leaving him alone in his quest. It was a shame really. He and Eddie had been friends since high school. But he wasn't broken up enough over it to try to find the man who took his friend out. That guy was a monster and should be avoided at all costs. But the girl was another story. He'd been watching her off and on since that night. He couldn't keep a close eye on her due to the police involvement, but he'd tracked her enough to know her daily habits. She usually met some blonde guy in the cemetery where they buried her husband at around noon, then went to work at a department store nearby. After that, she went home to change for her nightly supermarket shift. She'd be easy to take out once the police involvement died down.

In retrospect, the letter and necklace weren't that bright an idea. With a stalker after their only witness, the detectives were more determined to keep her safe. It meant he'd have to wait to continue his game. He would be patient, he decided as he watched Tara return home from work. The Japanese roommate she had wouldn't be staying long, he reasoned. She attended the local high school, probably an exchange student in for a semester. A semester is all it should take for the police to be pulled away from Tara's house. Then she would alone and vulnerable again. He rubbed his palms in anticipation and slinked away.

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"Adam has returned to the area," Justin grimaced as Sven returned from grocery shopping.

The blonde man put his bags in the kitchen and returned to the computer room immediately, his eyes asking for a more thorough update.

"I know this because I am tracking his credit card usage," he said, answering Sven's unasked question.

"He is at the cabin again?"

"I do not know. All I know is that he has purchased gas and food from merchants close by."

"Do you think he will attempt to make contact with Henderson?"

"Doubtfully," Justin replied staring morosely at the screen. "I do not remember him being particularly stupid. Cruel, yes, but not stupid."

"Do you think he is searching for Seka?" Sven asked with concern evident in his voice.

Justin finally broke his stare to gaze up at his worried lover. The blonde man stood near his chair clasping his hands in front of him to keep from wringing them. For all his outer appearance of strength, Justin could see Sven's inner turmoil. He truly did assume the world upon his shoulders. First the Henderson case, then Tara's condition, and now Seka's safety. All were weighing on Sven's mind and Justin didn't know how the blonde man had fared before they met. He could only vow never to let him face such a troubling life alone again. Breaking his own train of thought, Justin rose and took hold of one of Sven's hands.

"She is safe with Tara," he assured the blonde man. "There are police officers watching the home. Adam would be able to spot that a mile away. He would know that if anything happened to eitSekaSeka or Tara the police are likely to be hot on his trail. He would wait until they left and that will not be any time soon."

"Oh, God, Tara would be in danger as well, would she not?"

Justin frowned as he pulled his mate into his arms and held him tightly.

"We will let nothing else happen to her, love," he soothed. "Have I not already promised you that?"

Sven mutely nodded against Justin's shoulder, his own arms wrapped tightly about his partner's midsection.tin tin had never felt such a warm need from anyone else in his life. He knew their decision to become one was right. Times like these proved it to him. He was glad the Scandinavian man felt the same way because Justin knew he could no longer live without Sven.

"I am sorry I seem to fall apart so easily these days," Sven whispered in his ear.

"It is no problem, love," Justin replied tightening his arms. "I only become more determined to hold you together.

"I do not know what I would do without you, my heart."

"You will never have to find out," Justin vowed, pulling back just enough to look into Sven's eyes. "Now, what treats have you brought back with you from the store?"

Sven smiled suddenly and kissed Justin's cheek softly.

"I brought you those cookies you love so much."

"Which ones are those? I love so many."

Sven laughed and the sound warmed Justin's insides.

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Seka was trying to memorize her list of verbs when she heard Tara come home. She was about to get up and greet her hostess when she heard a rustling sound coming from the yard below her open window. She turned off the light and looked outside to see if she could discern anything from the dark landscape. As she watched, a shadowy figure of a thin man was slinking away into the night. She thought of calling for the officer, but realized it would be too late to show him anything, so she watched for the direction in which he walked before leaving the room to go downstairs.

"Seka," Tara said when the Japanese girl reached the kitchen.

"Tara," she replied. "A man in shadows outside."

The police officer heard the exchange and immediately approached the women.

"Did you say you saw someone outside?"

Seka nodded. "Not see very well, but he walked towards town," she added.

The officer thanked her and got on his radio to call for Detective Sullivan.

"Are you okay?" Tara asked with a furrowed brow.

Seka smiled and nodded. She liked the blonde woman very much and felt more and more comfortable in her presence. She was more like a slightly older sister than a guardian, and Seka knew it was rare for an exchange student to find such a living situation.

"I didn't expect you to still be up," Tara said.

"Was studying and waiting for you," Seka answered. Her English was improving dramatically, she thought wryly. "Wanted to eat a snack with you."

"A snack?"

"You ate little at dinner," Seka replied. "I waited to eat more with you."

Tara's stunned look was priceless. She finally nodded and gestured Seka to the table. Making quick sandwiches, Tara sat and ate with her while the police checked the grounds outside for evidence.

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Sven finished drying the last dish and placed it in the cupboard. Justin had gone back to his computer after they'd eaten a light supper and Sven didn't wish to disturb him. The dark haired man was obviously dealing with his troubled memories of his stepfather and the blonde man was sorry that his case had dredged them all up. He was also very worried about Tara and Seka now that Adam Bentley was in the area again. He knew that the man who'd ordered Henderson to supply the Asian girls was cruel and persistent. From what Justin had said of his late mother's husband, it had described the man accurately. Now the young women were likely to become targets.

Still, Justin had made an excellent point. The police's presence would be enough to deter the man from attacking, if he did, in fact, discover the Japanese girl's whereabouts. Sven doubted he would have been able to do so this quickly. He was probably trying to sell the cabin and leave the area, knowing it would only be a matter of time before he was discovered. That didn't sit well with the Scandinavian man either. He didn't want Bentley getting away with his crimes. Still, the girls' safety took precedence. Justin's arms wrapped around him from behind, letting him know he'd surmised his thoughts.

"I did not mean to disturb you," he said over his shoulder as his lover began pecking at his neck.

"You did not," Justin replied somewhat breathlessly as he continued his sensual assault. "I am merely reminding you that it is time for bed, love."

"As if I could forget," Sven teased, turning in Justin's arms and giving him a mind-blowing kiss. He was just about to deepen it when his cell phone rang insistently.

"It must be Seka," Justin gasped when Sven released his mouth.

The blonde man nodded and dug the thing out of his pants pocket.

"Hello?"

Seka began in rapid Japanese, causing Sven to calm her before asking her to slowly repeat what she was saying.

"There was a man here," she said again.

"Wman?man?" he asked in fluent Japanese.

"I don't know," she replied. "I heard a rustling noise outside my window and turned off the light to try to see him."

"Describe what you saw," he quietly ordered locking eyes with his partner. Although Justin couldn't understand what they were saying, Sven could see he was on full alert.

"I saw a tall, thin man's shadow sneaking away from the house," Seka said. "I had the impression he was watching for a bit and had decided to leave when Tara came home."

"Did you tell the officer?"

"Yes, and Tara, too."

"Was she scared?"

"It's hard to tell with her," Seka replied. "She tries so much to keep her troubles from me."

"What did you do next?"

"I made her eat something."

"You what?"

"I made her eat something with me," she explained. "She eats very little and left for work tonight having consumed hardly anything. I told her I was waiting for her and made her eat a sandwich with me."

Sven marveled at the girl's ingenuity. "Good work," he praised her.

"She isn't faring well," she added worriedly. "I do what I can to sustain her."

"You are doing wonderfully," he assured her. "Please keep us informed."

She agreed and they ended their conversation. He then relayed the whole thing to Justin who shook his head sadly.

"You are right to worry," he sighed. "I do knowknow if this latest act could be attributed to the man who attacked her or Adam."

"Sould we go and investigate?"

"If we do, the police will learn about me," Justin said. "And if you do, they will wonder what a casual acquaintance of Tara's is doing investigating. I believe we need to leave it to the authorities for the time being."

Sven nodded but felt inside like he was failing Tara in some way. He only hoped Justin was right.