“What am I supposed to do? Never leave the apartment because he might be waiting for me like the boogeyman?”
“No, don’t stop living your life. But be cautious. Start paying more attention to your surroundings, and if you notice anything off or feel like someone is watching or following you, get somewhere public and call me immediately.” He reached down for the other bags he’d brought and set them on the table. He opened the first one. “I’ve got better locks for your door; a deadbolt and a safety bar. I’ll install those tonight. I’m not too worried about your windows since you’re on the second floor.”
“What’s in the other bag?”
“Self-defense.”
Miguel’s entire being went stiff. “I’m not carrying a gun,” he said flatly.
“I wouldn’t give you a gun, Miguel. You haven’t been trained to carry or use one and I know how you feel about them.” Hector pulled out what he’d bought. “Pepper spray and a whistle for your keychain. And a stun gun you can keep in your bag.”
Miguel looked at everything on the kitchen table then up at him. “Do you really think all of that is necessary?”
“I do. And it’s not to scare you. I just want to make sure you’re prepared, although I hope nothing ever happens. One last thing.” He nodded at Miguel’s phone with its glittery gold case over on the kitchen counter. “You need a new phone.”
“What? Why?”
“Considering how controlling you said Santos was, he might have put a GPS tracker on it. That could be how he found you so easily.”
Miguel stared at him with wide eyes. “Oh my god. This is crazy. Santos owns car dealerships and goes to mass and sponsors a pee-wee fútbol club. He’s not going to risk his public image by attacking me in the middle of the street.”
Hector reached across the table to place his hand over Miguel’s. “You can’t bank on that. You know he has a volatile temper. You know he’s abusive, and we’ve seen that he’s willing to follow you around. With that type of personality, we can’t afford to take chances. You want to look out for yourself. I want you safe. With this”—Hector waved his other hand at the precautionary measures he’d brought—”we both get what we want.”
Miguel drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Then he squared his shoulders. “Okay.” He tapped one of the packages lying on the table. “At least you made sure I stayed on brand.”
Hector grinned. The pepper spray keychain he’d chosen had a multi-colored glitter-covered case. “I figured you’d appreciate that.”
Miguel got up from his chair. He circled behind Hector and leaned over to give him a hug. “I do appreciate it. You’re the best. Thank you so much for caring about me.”
“You’re welcome.”
Chapter 19
“Hello, Officer. Is everything okay?”
Hector smiled at the young black sales clerk behind the counter to put him at ease. He’d decided on the spur of the moment to go by the jewelry store on his lunch break. He was in his full SWAT uniform, and that had to be intimidating. “Yes. I’m here on personal business, nothing official.”
The clerk’s face relaxed into a smile. “How can I help you today?”
“I’d like to take a look at rings.” Unexpectedly nervous, Hector cleared his throat. “Engagement rings.”
“Well, I’m Isaac, and I’d be happy to show you our selection. Do you have any ideas in mind for metal choice or stone cut?”
“Ummm. I know he likes gold.”
“He? Oh.” The clerk’s smile softened. “Okay then, since he likes gold, let’s look through this case.”
Together they looked over rings, the clerk pulling out ones that Hector asked to see. They were nice, but none of them matched the vague idea he had in his head. For starters, they were all diamonds.
“Isaac, I know diamonds are the big thing for engagement rings, but I want something with color. Do you have anything like that?”
“Of course. Follow me right down here.”
Once they moved to a case at the far end, Hector found what he wanted almost immediately. Isaac took out the ring he indicated and passed it to him for closer inspection. Hector listened with half an ear as Isaac went through the specifications for the gold and the gemstone. He was imagining giving it to Miguel. The ring would look great on his slim finger, and the color of the jewel reminded him of his boyfriend. He noticed it was quiet and glanced up. Isaac was watching him with a softly amused smile.
“I think you’ve found the one.”
Hector’s face warmed with embarrassment. “Yep, I have. And I’ve found the right ring too.”