Chapter 28
I glance at Thor over my shoulder while loading a suitcase into the back of our rental van in the hotel’s parking garage.
They have a loading zone near the convention center, but there were at least twelve vehicles lined up, so this is faster.
We’ve got ninety minutes to get to the airport, return our rental, and then get through security.
After two days of tattooing all day and partying all night, the guys are a little burned out.
Kelly and I are in the same boat, though our late nights are attributed to other activities.
Thankfully, the guys already boxed up some of our supplies to ship back home last night—all the shit that’s too big to take on the plane.
The hotel front desk printed the shipping labels for us, and it’ll go out with their other packages today.
“Did you get that box of signage we had on the main table?”
“Yeah, it’s already in.”
“Who grabbed the tablets?” Casper asks.
Kelly raises her hand. “I’ve got them in my carry-on.”
“Thor, I met a girl you might be interested in,” Kelly says. She met some woman at the bar while he and I were taking care of the proxy marriage paperwork.
“What’s her Insta?” he asks. That’s a trick question.
Kelly shakes her head. “She doesn’t do social media.”
He cocks a sly smile. “You have my attention.”
She rolls her eyes. “She’s not local but says she travels to Minneapolis for work sometimes. I think she’s your type.”
“Oh, I’m very curious to hear what you think my type is.”
I chuckle and make my way to the driver’s door to set my to-go cup of tea in the cup holder, then notice a folded piece of paper on the windshield.
We haven’t been parked long enough to get a ticket, and we only left it unattended for maybe fifteen minutes while retrieving bags from the guys’ rooms and the event center—and a quick stop at the hotel’s coffee shop.
I snatch it out from under the windshield wiper and open it up.
You will never replace me.
I crumple it in my fist and do a three-sixty, raking my gaze over the area in hopes I’ll see somebody lurking.
There’s a few people walking down the sidewalk, a woman with a stroller and some teenagers.
A few of the hotel security staff stand around on their phones, but nobody looks suspicious. I scrub a hand down my face.
“You good?” Casper grumbles from behind. I glance toward Kelly; she’s still laughing with Thor and likely, poorly describing what she thinks his type of woman is.
I pass the note to Casper. “Found this on the windshield.” He furrows his brow, looking around like I did.
“Kelly’s been getting DMs that say the same thing,” I add.
Casper cocks a brow. “How long?”
I shrug. “A few weeks.”
“You think it’s someone from the convention? Maybe another artist trying to shake her up?”
“No fucking clue, but why would they leave it after the event is over?”
“You sure it wasn’t there earlier and you just didn’t notice?” he asks. “Have you told Thor about this?”
I shake my head. There’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed if it was there earlier. Peering over at Kelly, I keep my voice hushed. “She was adamant it was just someone fucking with her online.”
“Well, shit’s offline.” He scoffs. “So what are you going to do?”
I scan the parking garage a second time. “Find the asshole and rip his spine out,” I say under my breath. “That letter from Billy? He had a PO box only a couple hours away.”
Casper averts his eyes. “I’ll help however I can. Thor will too, but—”
“Not with this. He’s already stuck his neck out for me. I’m not bringing him into an uncontrolled situation. I’ll deal with this.”
“You don’t think it’s . . .”
It crossed my mind. “I don’t know.” The crumpled piece of paper goes into my pocket, and I toss another duffle in the van.
Kelly passes Thor one of the bags, and he loads it in the back.
“I’ve got it!” Kelly announces to Thor, still trying to guess. “Strippers?”
“I think you’ve got me confused with him,” he says, nodding toward Casper—who rolls his eyes.
She laughs, appearing so relaxed and at ease. I don’t want to do anything to take that smile off her face. “Okay, but really, if Rosa shows up in Minneapolis, maybe you should come out with us.”
He shrugs. “You know me, normally I’d take you up on meeting one of your hot, tattooed girls—especially if she’s from out of town—but . . . I’m kinda laying low right now.”
She shrugs. “All right. I can respect that.” Kelly’s phone dings with a notification, and she digs it out of her pocket, then glimpses at the screen and shrieks.
The blood drains from my face. I hurry over to see what it is.
Kelly holds the screen in front of my face. “Look! Odin and Chicken Salad are snuggling!”
I exhale, realizing it’s just a text from Jordan with a photo of the two dogs curled up together and passed out. I fake a half smile; that’s the best I can do after the kick of adrenaline.
Casper pipes up. “Let’s get moving, we need to have the van returned in twenty—and those late fees are a real kick in the dick.”
I’m more concerned about my wife having a stalker, who is escalating, and how I’m going to tell Kelly about this. She’s too chipper right now, fresh from her first expo and an honorable mention win, plus Casper took first for realism. Another trophy for that cocky fucker.
I’ll break the news to her when we get back home. I don’t want fear to overshadow the weekend we shared together. I’ll tell her tomorrow. For now, my priority is to get her home safe.