He wasn't going to spend time delving into why he needed to know that.
He’d chalk it up to general frustration over people being unable to break bad cycles and get away from toxic situations. He saw it all the time as a cop. It was human nature to go with the familiar and comfortable, even if it was painful and toxic.
He would not think about the fact that if Caroline didn't leave her old life, it would mean she'd probably end up Mrs. Brantley Anderson at some point.
He really was going to burn that wedding dress if nothing else. She'd have to get a new one if she reconsidered walked down the aisle with Brantley.
“You'll hear from me,” Zander finally told Brantley. He wasn't willing to give the other man more than that. He wasn't really able to give the other man more than that. He needed to talk to Caroline. He needed to figure out if she knew what she had that Brantley needed. He needed to figure out what her plan was. And yeah, at some point he was probably going to have to think about what he hoped her plan was.
“Fine. But even if you move Caroline and I can't find her, I know where to find you.”
“Are you threatening an officer of the law, Mr. Anderson?”
“No. I'm threatening the man who's hiding my fiancée from me.”
“I might worry more about that if I thought you really gave a shit about your fiancée.”
Brantley shrugged. “Like I said, she's pretty.”
Zander's hand clenched into a fist and he took a step toward Brantley but the man was smart enough to immediately head for the door.
Zander waited until he heard Brantley's car start and pull out of the drive. Then he swung back to look at Beau. “Thanks for the call.”
Beau was watching him with interest. “Of course.”
“I'm taking Caroline to my place. You're the only one who knows that. I expect it to stay that way.”
“No problem. Though, do you think that's a good idea?”
“It's the only place I can keep her safe.”
“That's absolutely not true and you know it,” Beau said. “You're willing to wake her up in the middle of the night and drag her across town?”
“Yeah, I am. I could stay here, make sure that no one else comes back for her, but that puts your mom and Crystal, you, and any other guests in the way of anything they might do.”
“Anderson doesn't exactly strike me as a bloodthirsty criminal. He just wants something Caroline has. Maybe you should let him talk to her.”
“No. He's never talking to her. And this is the second person who's come after her since she's been in Autre. Maybe he's not bloodthirsty, but we don't know who's coming next.”
“What makes you think anyone else is coming?”
“I think her dad might actually care about her.” He hoped so. And that annoyed him. He shouldn’t care about the woman’s family dynamic after knowing her for only a few days. “Charles Holland inherited his shipping company. The previous owner, James Horner, didn't have any children and took a huge liking to Charles. He became Horner’s right-hand man quickly and Horner trusted Charles with everything. When the old man got cancer, he put Charles in charge of the whole company. It was an unprecedented move in such a huge company with so many assets. But the old man hung on like three years and was able to train Charles and introduce him to all the important people. Charles stepped right into his shoes the day the old man died.”
Zander shook his head. He remembered hearing the story before. Horner had even agreed to change the name to Holland Shipping before he passed.
“Ever since then, Charles Holland has been one of the most powerful businessmen, not to mention richest, in Louisiana,” Zander said. “Probably the entire South. He's never been directly linked to any criminal activity, but plenty of his associates have. So he's either lucky, smart, or has actually maintained a little of his moral compass. Still, the crowd around him is full of people who have been prosecuted for things and plenty more that has just been whispered about for years. Brantley might not want Caroline and maybe she does just have some little trinket that he wants back, but I can't imagine that their fathers are fine with her just walking out on this wedding. It’s gotta be embarrassing at least.”
“So you're suspicious?”
“Always.”
“Or are you…”
“Don't say it.”
“Someone has to ask it,” Beau said with a grin. “Let me say it.”
Beau was related to Zander’s cousins, Josh, Sawyer, and Kennedy on their mother’s side. Hannah was Heather's older sister. Technically Beau and Zander were really nothing more than friends, but they were tied together by family. In a town the size of Autre, everyone who was a friend felt more like family anyway, but they did have family members in common, which, as far as Zander was concerned, basically made Beau a cousin.
“Fine.” Zander braced himself.
“Are you suspicious, concerned, or just jealous?”
Zander blew out a breath. “Why can’t I be all three?”
Beau chuckled. “As long as you’re good with it.”
“I wouldn't say that.” Zander glanced toward the door. “Can you let me into the house?”
“Sure.” Beau shoved his chair back from the table and stood. Bear came off his haunches, clearly ready to go with his master.
They followed the path to the back porch and Beau unlocked the door that would lead into the kitchen. It was the farthest from any bedrooms, including Heather’s and Crystal’s.
“Thanks, man,” Zander said quietly, shaking Beau’s hand. “I appreciate everything tonight.”
“Any time.”
“Keep an eye out for anything else. I think Anderson will spread the word that Caroline won’t be here and definitely won’t be alone, but just in case.”
“I think I’m gonna let Bear sleep out on my front porch the rest of the night,” Beau said. The dog’s ears perked up. “He’ll let me know if anyone else drives in.”
Zander patted the dog’s head. “Good plan.”
Zander crossed through the kitchen and crept up the back stairs to the second floor. He approached Caroline's room carefully. He didn’t want to startle her or put himself in the path of any fists that might come flying in his direction. At least he hoped that the woman had enough self-preservation to swing at anyone who came into her room in the middle of the night unexpectedly.
If she didn't, he was going to have to give her some self-defense lessons. He opened the door quietly and waited.
There wasn’t a sound from the other side. He peeked in. He could see her head on the pillow, and the muted light from the streetlamp outside the window illuminated the lower half of her face.
He slipped into the room, closed the door quietly behind him, and crossed to the bed.
Of course she was gorgeous sleeping. She looked soft and vulnerable and very, very touchable. Then again, he’d thought a lot about touching her when she’d been wide awake too.
And all of that was pretty creepy, considering she was completely unaware he was even here.
His gaze drifted from her face down her neck to her bare shoulder that was crossed with a simple pale blue spaghetti strap, then started to travel down her arm. But then it hit him…