Chapter 12
TWELVE
Della tried to shore up enough courage to face Vaynes, but her heart went out to Anthony.
No wonder he cared about his image so much.
Maybe it even explained his lack of Christmas spirit.
An experience like that made a lasting impression on a kid.
It made her grateful for her own upbringing.
And only spurred on her passion to help children in similar circumstances.
It was the whole reason she wanted to go into foster care and why she loved the toy drive event. Maybe she’d see if Anthony would attend with her. If anything could melt a grinch’s heart, it was seeing the joy on a child’s face when they received a gift they weren’t expecting.
And maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have a date this year for the firehouse Christmas party.
But it wasn’t about that. They’d just met.
Right now, she needed her game face on.
They walked into the gym. It wasn’t anything fancy, but the big windows looking out toward the mountains gave the space an airy feel, despite being filled with ellipticals, treadmills, weight machines, and the smell of perspiration.
“Do you think this will work?” she asked Anthony in a low voice.
“I hope not.”
She almost missed his grumbled reply. “I’ll be fine. Just go get your coffee like we planned. The place is two doors down.”
“I don’t like it.” His facial expression didn’t hold back.
His hands fisted on his hips, and the way he swept the room over, not missing a thing, screamed vigilant cop.
But she needed Anthony to leave so Vaynes would approach.
If the man knew her routine, he’d show. The plan was for her to linger close to the exits and in the more secluded areas.
She’d even do a stretching routine in one of the empty classrooms. Penny would keep her in sight the whole time.
“Penny’s already here, over in the corner at the rowing machine, and isn’t that Officer Ramble at the free weights?”
Anthony gave her a stiff nod. “Yeah, but his arm is in a sling. He’s still recovering from a gunshot wound.”
“But he’s close and can sound the alarm if needed. Which means I’m covered. Now go get your coffee and take your time coming back.” She pulled her hair back into a high ponytail while she spoke.
“Anything else, your highness?”
Was that a smirk underneath all that huff?
“Yeah, one of those power smoothies with an extra immunity boost.”
He just stared at her.
“Anthony, go. I’m fine.” She physically spun him around and pushed him toward the exit. “Enjoy an espresso while I work out. I don’t want you staring at me while I sweat.”
He finally left, and Della moved to the stationary bike in the farthest corner.
She did a rotation of weights, and after that, core exercises, but no sign of Vaynes.
She jumped at every little sound. Maybe she wasn’t quite as brave and ready to face her worst nightmare as she said, but at least she was trying. Putting herself out there.
But after an hour and a half, her muscles were burning, her shirt was drenched, and her nerves were shot. So much for thinking the exertion would relieve the pent-up frustration. She really couldn’t justify staying any longer.
After a quick shower, with Penny covering the women’s locker room, Della met Anthony back by the gym entrance.
“Any sign of him?” He handed her a green smoothie.
She let out a sigh of defeat. “Not a thing.”
“Let’s get some lunch—some real food and not something you have to slurp—at Backdraft. Take your mind off things for a while.” Anthony took her gym bag from her hand. “Bryce and Izan will be there, watching from a distance.”
“Does that mean you’ll leave me alone again?”
“Maybe. If Penny will watch the back exit from her car.”
Della finished her smoothie on the quiet ride over.
The Backdraft Bar & Grill was a local favorite and a packed house with the lunchtime crowd.
The smell of smoke was welcome here, with its signature barbecue meals and smoked brisket.
The hostess led them around a group of rowdy construction workers, sat them in a cozy booth, and left them with the menus.
After confirming Bryce and Izan were a few tables away, Anthony stood.
“I’ve got a phone call to make. Order me a coffee if the server comes?” he asked.
“I’ll ask for decaf. You’re jumpy enough as it is.”
He didn’t laugh as he walked away. Probably he was as wound up as she was.
Della watched as he paced near the hostess stand and pretended to talk.
Or maybe he really did call someone. Either way, this was her shot.
She wandered down the short hallway by the restrooms, the most logical spot for Vaynes to grab an unsuspecting victim.
She lingered in the dark shadows, studying the pictures of firefighters and firehouse memorabilia hanging in the halls.
Nothing. She quickly used the restroom and washed her hands.
Back in the hallway, she made her own fake phone call, one ear open and focused on hearing anyone approaching.
A couple of women in business suits passed her by. A mom with a toddler too. But no one else. Finally, she gave up and sat back down in her spot. Anthony was already there, and the server waited to take her order.
This was not going well.
Not that the lunch with Anthony wasn’t pleasant, but the longer they went without a sign of Vaynes, the more her gut churned. By the time they were done eating, she was already exhausted from the hypervigilance.
She shouldn’t have ordered the extra-spicy wings. Not that she’d finished them. The rest of her basket lay off to the side of the table while Anthony actually finished his big salad. Only his breadstick remained. Chatter from around them died down as the lunch crowd thinned.
“Della, we’ll get him.” Anthony rested his hand on hers but then snatched it away quickly. “Whoa. Your hands are pure ice.” He grabbed both her hands and rubbed them lightly. “We need to warm these up.”
It was such a simple thing, but the gesture brought tears to her eyes.
Tears she willed to stay put, even if they stung.
And for a moment, she rested there in the softness and concern in his gaze.
Letting out a slow breath, she held his stare.
“Do you really think we’ll find him? I don’t know if I can—”
“We’ll find him.”
Whether it was the confidence in his words, the tenderness in his touch, or those unwavering baby blues, Della believed him.
And oh, she was liking this hand-holding thing way more than she should.
He’s only trying to protect me. Don’t get sucked into this!
Because eventually, Anthony would have to move on to a different case. She couldn’t read anything into it. At all.
But she could no longer deny that she wanted to. She cringed inwardly to think of how callously she’d treated him when he’d first shown up yesterday. Talk about a one-eighty.
“So, what now?” she asked.
“I’ve got an idea.” Penny appeared out of nowhere and slid into the booth next to Della. She glanced at their hands but didn’t say anything. Instead, she helped herself to the fries Della hadn’t eaten.
“Do I want to know?” Anthony lifted an eyebrow.
Penny just grinned.
“Great.” He sighed. “Okay. Let’s hear it.”
Penny bumped Della’s shoulder. “See, he acts all tough, but he’s actually a big ol’ sw—”
“Spit it out, Pen.” Anthony let go of Della’s hands, but she didn’t miss the slight blush that bloomed on his cheeks and neck.
“Jude and another buddy have been watching Della’s house. No sign of anyone approaching it all day. I say we give Della my car and she drives home alone and we see if Vaynes shows up.”
“Absolutely not.” Anthony leaned away from the table. “It’s too risky. She’ll be too exposed.”
“Hear me out before you get all huffy.” Penny snagged another fry and popped it in her mouth. After chewing, she continued. “You and I can follow at a distance. She has a tracking device in her shoe. We have an established perimeter. That’s minimal risk.”
“And if he tries to shoot her as she gets out of the car?” Anthony asked.
Penny leaned in. “He’s not a shooter. He’s a serial killer. He wants to be up close to his victims so he can mess with their minds. That’s how he feels powerful.”
“What about the carbon dioxide? That wasn’t up close and personal.”
“He was probably watching from that vent. As soon as you were both knocked out, I bet he would’ve taken Della and left you there to rot. All of it, though, is meant to terrorize his victims, remind them that he can get to them.”
“Oh, well, that’s reassuring.” Anthony jammed his fingers through his hair, messing up his gelled hairdo. He probably didn’t even realize he was doing it. “Look, I’m her protection detail. And I say it’s too risky.”
“We gotta give it a shot, Tony. And we’ll be watching her. Tracking her.”
He stared Penny down as he took a sip of his water. Maybe he was actually contemplating the idea. Then he turned to Della. “What do you want to do?”
Good question.
She looked at Penny and Anthony. They were giving up their day to watch over her. And others were out there fighting the freezing weather and awful conditions, tracking down these escaped convicts. She was cold. And weary. And…done with being afraid.
She finally found the words. “I just want this over with.”
Anthony closed his eyes a second and then focused on her a moment before his gaze shifted to Penny. “Fine. But I’m in charge. The second we see Vaynes, we move in. We don’t let him get close. Not this time.”
Penny stood. “All right. Let’s do this.”
Hopefully, this time it would work.