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Dawn Marie's hands were shaking as she drove the short distance back to her house. Her eyes darted all around, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She could not believe what had just happened, that he'd called her.
A lot of questions whizzed through the brunette's head - how had he gotten her number? Where had he called her from? Would he call back? Would he actually go so far as to stalk her, and if he did, would he *hurt* her?
Well, she did know the answer to one of those questions - she knew exactly what he wanted from her - *and* Christian. She shuddered as she recalled the phone call she'd received from the police a few weeks earlier, informing her that her husband was in the hospital after being attacked. Dawn hadn't even entertained the notion that Adam could have been behind it. However, when she'd arrived at the hospital and saw him, she'd known... She'd seen it in his eyes, and then, sure enough, he'd told her. His stepbrother had finally caught up with them.
The brunette let out a sigh as she reached her house. Christian was not working right now, but then again, he didn't have to. The only reason she'd ever gotten the job at the diner had been solely to feel useful. She was the type of person who hated doing nothing. She needed to feel a purpose in life, even in a job like waitressing or cleaning.
She parked the car in the space directly in front of the house, exited and slammed the door behind her. Damn it, she felt like she needed another cigarette. Curse her nerves. Christian hated her smoking, but she couldn't help herself.
"Honey?" she called, tossing her keys on the small end table as she kicked the front door shut. She turned and locked it as well. After all, they couldn't take any chances, especially *now*. "I'm home, Jay." Dawn frowned and wondered why there was no answer. Tentatively, she made her way through the house and to their bedroom, as she immediately saw that her husband was not in the living room.
Her heart seemed to return to normal as she instantly spotted him standing across teh room. His back was toward her, and he seemed intensely focused on their answering machine.
"Jay?"
Christian turned then, facing his wife, his expression agitated. He pointed at the answering machine, and her gaze followed his hand - the little red light on it was blinking, which meant they had messages.
"He called, Dawn... He called."
The brunette's blood ran ice cold as she instantly knew who he was talking about. Adam had called her cell phone *and* their home number.
"He called *me*, too!" she exclaimed.
The blond man's face grew more angry at his wife's confession.
"Oh, did he now? What did he say to you?" he demanded.
"N-not too much," she said. "But it was like he wanted to scare me."
"Looks like it worked."
Dawn nodded, her lower lip quivering a bit.
"He taunted me... Asked me what was wrong, why I didn't want to talk to him."
"The phone rang around one this afternoon," Jay said, "and when I answered, it was him."
Dawn Marie's brown eyes widened, and slowly, she removed her purse and dropped it on the bed.
"Did you speak with him?"
"No," Christian admitted, "I hung up on the bastard." He shook his head as he eyed the phone and answering machine again. "But then, he called back and left a message. Said he knew it was me and that 'time was running out.'"
The brunette's jaw dropped.
"Dawnie, he must've called back at least ten more times," he continued. "I had to turn the damn ringer off. And the idiot left just as many messages. I've had a hell of a time erasing them. Hell, I'm not even done yet."
Dawn Marie thought to ask her husband to play one of the messages he hadn't yet deleted - but at the same time, she was already chilled enough. Damn it, why couldn't he just leave them alone?
*
Lita set down the bowl of food, smiling as she patted Cody as the dog began to eat. For once, she was going to enjoy an early night relaxing at home.
The redhead turned back to the sink to rinse her hands, the smell of roast chicken beginning to fill the small kitchen. She was so hungry, she could feel herself salivating already.
She smiled as she eyed Cody once more before leaving the kitchen to go into her living room. Letting out a contented sigh, she stretched out on the couch and grabbed her TV remote, turning on the set. Her thoughts were instantly focused on Edge, and she wondered what he was up to tonight.
She'd been sitting there for several minutes when the sound of the doorbell suddenly surprised her. Cody began to bark from the kitchen. Lita rose to answer the door, her stomach filled with butterflies. It was him - she *knew* it.
Sure enough, when she opened the door, the tall blond man stood there, his smoldering green eyes intense as they drank her in.
"Hey," he said. He simply could not take his eyes off of her.
"Hey." Lita's smile felt as thought it couldn't get any brighter or broader.
"I was wondering," Edge began, a strange shyness he hadn't felt since he was a child coming over him, "if you wouldn't mind some company tonight...?"
The redhead's smile softened as she kept her gaze locked on his. Her heart felt like a canon in her chest as she responded.
"I would love that." With that, she ushered him inside, and the tall blond man kicked the door closed as
she was instantly in his arms, their lips meeting in intense passion.