Author's Note: I do not own Blue Bloods or any of its characters.
Chapter 4: The Stalker in the Shadows
The threats kept coming. Each one more explicit than the last. Vega was playing a dangerous game, and Maria felt like she was walking on a knife's edge. Danny stayed close, never leaving her side during work, but at night, when she was alone in her apartment, the fear crept back in.
She had always been able to take care of herself, but this was different. This felt personal in a way she hadn't experienced before. And for the first time in her life, she wasn't sure if she could handle it alone.
One night, after a long shift, Danny insisted on driving Maria home. She tried to argue, but the look on his face told her it was pointless.
As they pulled up outside her building, Danny put the car in park but didn't move. He turned to face her, his expression serious. "You should let me stay with you tonight. Just in case."
Maria smiled faintly. "What, you think you're going to sleep on my couch?"
Danny shrugged, but his eyes were filled with concern. "I'm just saying, it wouldn't hurt to have someone around."
For a moment, Maria considered it. She didn't want to admit how much the idea of being alone scared her, but she also didn't want to burden Danny.
"I'll be fine," she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "But thank you."
Danny didn't look convinced, but he didn't push. "Just… be careful, Baez."
"I will," she promised.
As she got out of the car and walked up to her apartment, Maria couldn't help but glance over her shoulder, her senses on high alert. She had never been the type to back down from a fight, but something about this situation had her on edge. And no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the fear was there—gnawing at her, whispering in her ear that Vega was closer than she realized.