She pulled in a deep, calming breath, but her lungs constricted in her chest. She had to get out of there and into a wide-open space. "Mel, I need fresh air," she said abruptly. "I'll meet you out in the waiting area."
Before Melodie could object, Natalie exited the rest room into the hall-and bumped into a solid male chest. The impact brought her up short, and the strap of her purse slipped down her arm and fell to the floor with a resounding thump. She didn't move, too paralyzed by the sight of the man who'd been admiring her out on the patio. Now he stood in front of her, so close she could see swirls of gold in his hazel eyes.
He didn't move, just continued to stare at her, as if waiting for some kind of reaction. Then his gaze traveled the length of her body in a long, slow onceover, visually undressing her, making her feel dirty and exposed.
Her stomach lurched Sickeningly, and she finally forced herself to take a huge step back, though based on his calm demeanor, she didn't know why she felt so threatened. But she couldn't ignore the instinctive warning rattling her.
Her heart beat so hard in her chest she was surprised he didn't hear it. "I'm, uh, sorry," she stammered, her voice escaping in a croak of sound.
He blinked lazily. "You should watch where you're going and be more careful of your surroundings," he drawled.
A sense of familiarity flashed in her mind, startling her. Trying to grasp onto a semblance of sanity, she searched his features, trying to latch onto something tangible, and failed. "Do I know you?"
Slowly, he bent down and picked up her purse, then slipped it back onto her shoulder, his touch lingering longer than was appropriate. "Possibly, in a past life," he said, staring at her intently. His fingers caressed the side of her neck before falling away.
A shiver raced down her spine like a shock wave. His touch made her skin crawl and his words were cryptic, as if holding a deeper meaning she didn't understand. A well of frustration took up residence in her, along with a knot of panic.
The door to the women's rest room opened and Melodie stepped out, coming to a quick stop when she encountered the two of them in her way. "Natalie, is everything okay?"
Thankful for the interruption and the presence and security of another person, Natalie could only glance Melodie's way. Her throat felt as though it had closed up, and speech suddenly seemed impossible.
Melodie wore a fierce frown on her face, and concern burned bright in her eyes. "Is there a problem here?" Her question was directed at the man and demanded an answer.
"Not at all," he replied smoothly. "The lady and I just had a run-in. No harm done from what I can see."
No harm physically, Natalie agreed, but internally she was still shaking from the encounter and so thrown off balance she wondered if she'd recover.
With a pleasant nod to her, he moved around Melodie and strode down the hallway and back into the dining area of the restaurant. Natalie felt so lightheaded and weak she feared her legs would give out on her.
Melodie placed a comforting hand on her arm. "Good Lord, Natalie, you're as pale as a ghost and you're trembling. Do you know him?"
Possibly, in a past life. She still couldn't make sense of his comment, so she didn't bother sharing his remark. "I don't know."
Melodie eyed her critically. "You know what? I think you've had enough excitement for the day. Let's get out of here. I'm taking you back to Cole's and you can rest there until Noah comes to pick you up."
Natalie followed Melodie out of the restaurant, too grateful for her insight to argue.
Chapter Seven
Noah's day in Reno had been a long one, but very productive, and for that he couldn't complain, despite the disturbing details of Natalie's past he'd uncovered. After his flight had touched down in Oakland, he'd decided to swing by the office and update Cole on the information he'd discovered, and get his brother's input on Natalie's predicament.
Sitting in one of the chairs directly in front of Cole's desk, Noah told him what he'd learned from Natalie's ex-landlady, an older woman named Vivian who'd seemed genuinely fond of Natalie and concerned about her welfare. Once he'd shown proof of his identity as a private investigator and explained that Natalie's life was possibly in jeopardy, the woman had offered him a wealth of valuable information that had been incredibly helpful.
Now Noah passed on the details of their meeting to Cole. "While Natalie was attending college at the University of Nevada, Reno, she started dating a coed by the name of Chad Freeman," he said, recanting what the older woman had shared with him, while at the same time trying not to let the rage he'd experienced during the conversation with Vivian resurface again. "According to what the woman witnessed, the relationship started out well enough, but gradually she saw a change in Chad, who became more domineering and possessive of Natalie."
Cole rubbed a hand along his jaw as he considered…that information for a moment. "Did the landlady see any signs of abuse?"
Noah shook his head, though his stomach constricted at just how badly she'd been mistreated. "No, not physically. Vivian felt as though the relationship was more mentally abusive. There were times when she heard Chad's raised voice coming from Natalie's apartment, criticizing her, putting her down."
Despite Noah's best efforts, a spark of anger ignited deep inside of him. "Apparently, things turned ugly when Natalie took on a job as a showgirl at a casino to make some extra money. Chad couldn't handle it. They had an explosive argument in the hallway of the complex. He called her a whore for using her body to make money, and she finally broke off the relationship."
"Good for her," Cole said, his tone laced with disgust.
Noah's lips flattened into a grim line. "Unfortunately, Chad didn't appreciate being dumped and he stalked and threatened her for a few months, and finally attacked her one night after work."
"Holy shit." Cole sat up straighter in his seat. "Why didn't she contact the police to slap Chad with a restraining order?"
"I'm betting she was afraid of infuriating Chad even more, and she feared what he'd do in retribution for her involving the police." Noah also suspected it was a classic case of self-preservation that had prompted her to leave Reno. "I suppose it was easier for her to pack up and start over somewhere new than to stay and risk Chad attacking her again-which brings her here to Oakland."
Opening the case file he'd made for Natalie, Noah shuffled through a few pages of notes and came to a photo of a blond-haired man with his arm slung over Natalie's shoulder, his hold on her too tight and his smile too arrogant. A protective instinct flared hot and bright in Noah's veins. He hated that the creep had ever tainted Natalie with his touch.
Shaking off the animosity seeping into his blood, he passed the picture across the desk for Cole to take a look at. "Vivian gave me this picture that was sent to her a few years ago as their Christmas card. Unfortunately I didn't get a good-enough look at the guy in the baseball cap who was following us last weekend to identify that man as the one in the picture. But at least this gives us an idea of who we might be looking for."
Cole glanced from the photo to Noah. "You think it's Chad Freeman who's after her again?"
"It's the only thing that makes sense after everything I learned today." He rubbed a hand along the taut muscles in his neck and shoulder. "I also went to Freeman's previous place of employment and found out from the manager that he quit and moved about three weeks ago."
Cole's dark brows rose in interest as he handed back the photo. "Do I dare ask to where?"
Noah tucked the picture into the file for safekeeping. "Not surprisingly he talked about moving to San Francisco, though the manager wasn't sure if that's where he ended up. But I'm fairly positive that's exactly where Freeman is."