Chapter 30
30
The conference room at the police station felt full to the brim though it was only a small, need-to-know group. Still, as this whole ordeal was set up to discuss me, it might as well have been a stadium full of eyeballs.
It was just Callum, two of his decorated officers—Rory and Luke—and from GhostEye, Enzo and Rio. When I protested I couldn’t handle a huge room full of some big operation, Enzo made sure to keep it as private as possible. Callum assured us when we met with him that any other officers or special teams needing involvement could be briefed without me there.
As it stood, I felt so on display as we discussed how I would go step by step from texting back Anton, to meeting him, to hopefully, taking us both to safety.
It’s painful listening to the plan, knowing that Anton will see I didn’t trust him enough to meet him alone.
Callum has always been attractive, but I have to say, I bet Pen would love to see him now. He’s standing at the front of the room, tall, imposing, and suited up. She said she has a thing for men in uniform, and for a moment I let my mind linger to my sweet friend, the one who plucked me off the breeze and helped make this place feel like home.
It is my home, and no matter what’s in front of me, I’m not leaving here willingly. I’m not going down without a fight.
Enzo joins Callum at the front. We came straight from the trails after calling Callum. We’re both still dusty and a little sweaty. Enzo is still in his t-shirt and jeans and looking very much the only man I want by my side for this.
“In order to help gain more information, we have the cell tower triangulation set up for all further texts.” He discusses the way in which GhostEye plans to keep track of Anton’s whereabouts through analyzing cell signal distances.
Enzo explained to me that they’ve worked closely with law enforcement many times before, busting crime rings. He assured me this isn’t he and Rio’s first rodeo. It’s both incredibly sad to think someone out there needed this kind of support and makes me proud that my man was the one to give it at the same time.
“The meeting place is set here.” Enzo points to a location on a map that looks something like a big wooded area. “We need Miss Scott to be out of the Main Street areas, so she’s agreed no meeting will take place unless it is in Grant Park or Forest Glen. ”
Callum glances at Luke and Rory. “I’ve coordinated with Mount Hamilton PD and special ops teams to have extra officers, mounted and on foot, familiar with the terrain. The chosen locations only have two entrances and exits accessible by vehicle. We can’t be certain the suspect is acting alone…”
Suspect. I hate Anton being referred to as a suspect, but this is cop speak. I suppose being on a first-name basis would be strange. Anyway, the more Enzo and I have spoken, the more I have to consider that if Anton is only an hour away from Echo Valley, Father could be, too.
Enzo is skilled in this. His history in bringing down criminals comes into its own, and if I thought I could think of options, he has a hundred more scenarios it could be. It’s sad to consider some of them, but his thorough view is what makes me feel safe despite the potential danger. Despite death being an option.
Rory and Luke take notes. I take it they’ll be Callum’s men leading the offers in Mount Hamilton. They avoid eye contact with me. Do they know everything ? Do they hate me for bringing this trouble to their town?
I suppose everyone in Echo Valley will hear of this eventually. I don’t plan on lying to Penelope, Callum would have to then, too, and making your friends hold secrets feels unfair. Anyway, all of this is to live freely, in the new life of my own design.
But just as soon as my blood pressure rises at the thought of being judged, I calm down. I think of Town Hall and how caring people were there. How this whole town comes together to hold strong, support one another, whether it’s dealing with dangerous pesticides or giving a quirky artist a chance.
Maybe I’ll have to brave the occasional unwanted sympathetic stare or even a few people treating me like I’m brittle. I’m not. In time, I’ll just be me, Ava Scott, nerdy, clumsy hacker girl.
When the meeting is over, Callum needs to leave to meet with other law enforcement, but he comes to where I’m seated and puts a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. The look in his eyes tells me he wishes he could hug me, but I guess that would be unprofessional.
“Ava, you will come out of this,” he says, gripping the sides of my arms solemnly.
My words are just short of a plea. “All I ask is that Anton does, too.”
“If he doesn’t try to hurt you, he’ll come out of it.” He squeezes again then leaves with Rory and Luke.
Enzo and Rio sit on either side of me, and I know it’s time to text back Anton. My fingers shake. This is the second time I’m being dishonest with the only person who ever showed me care in my life. First, I stole his money and left him in a very dangerous position. Surely, even if he isn’t working with Father, he’ll be angry with me?
I stare at my cell, not ready to put this plan in motion. “If Father is behind this like you suggested he could be, he’ll probably know you’re coming.”
Rio nods. “We planned for that.”
I nod, hoping something else will come to my brain that I can say to delay actually typing out this text.
Enzo threads his fingers through mine. He feels me shaking so he takes my other hand and holds them both in his. He stares into my eyes, drawing in a deep breath in such a way as to guide me to do the same.
I do. The oxygen calms me slightly.
“You don’t have to do this,” he says, repeating the option for the third time tonight .
He doesn’t want me going. He thinks I’m walking into a trap.
“I know.” But I need to do this.
Anton meant too much to me. I can’t let his trust be met with the end of a barrel. Not even if it means I meet the end of one myself.
His reassuring gaze fills me with determination, but I’m still so nervous his words almost send me to tears.
Rio reassures me. “This isn’t the first time we’ve been involved in a sting. We have experience. We’ll take care of you, Ava.”
“All right.” I nod and bounce my body almost like a boxer before a match. “I got this.”
I unlock my cell.
ME
I can meet you the day after tomorrow. 9am. Grant Park.
It doesn’t take long for Anton to text me back, and we arrange to meet. I don’t know how I’ll sleep tonight. Thank God it will be next to Enzo.
But first, I already told Penelope I’d meet with her tonight to be another set of eyeballs on her latest manuscript before she has to hand it in to her editor at midnight. She’s been unsure about this one, telling me it’s going to flop. I don’t want to let her down. She needs my support. I already told her I could only spend an hour with her tonight instead of the evening due to my own work obligations that have now become a red alert.
It feels like a dick move to cancel on her completely.
I really should have told Enzo about the text days ago. We could have had a head start. I hope I don’t live to regret that lapse in judgement .
Still, pressing as it is to examine the new data breach, and even see if somehow it’s linked to the old hacks, Enzo has more people looking into this from the team now. I’m not the only one, just the only one who knows how close the danger might be.
The expression on Enzo’s face when I said I didn’t want to cancel on Pen was stony. He doesn’t want me to go. But in two days, my whole life is going to change. The sting is set. I’ll go to Pen’s for an hour then head back to the stable offices to see if I can help Enzo, Rio, and the people they enlisted to help from GhostEye. Figuring out the recent data breach could give us important details. Is it too much to hope we find Father first?
Rio stands and says to Enzo, “Meet you at the stable office to work on this more. I’ll grab some rations from the Pig on the way back. Want anything?”
“Just caffeine,” he responds, then throws a questioning glance in my direction to see if I want anything for later.
As if I could eat.
Rio salutes us and takes off.
Enzo and I stand, and he pulls me in tightly.
He kisses my forehead. “You okay?”
“As okay as I’ll ever be.”
I glance up at Enzo and close my eyes, press my lips to his. In this moment, I want to drown in his touch and escape this all… because when his skin is on mine, all else ceases to exist. Our tongues tangle, my body melts into his, and his hand tugs my lower back against him so hard we might just fuse.
I wish we could fall to the floor right now and make love until morning. But we can’t. The work at GhostEye needs to get started.
His hands are still strong around my waist, but his gaze is reluctant. “I know you need a break before working, but you can have that with us over at the ranch.”
“Like I’d be able to sit around while you and Rio and the guys at the office are plugging away. It’s been intense…” I’m exhausted. I don’t like to admit I’m emotionally drained, not when he needs me, but this has all happened at warp speed, and getting out of this situation will be a much-needed refuel.
And I might as well do it while also helping a friend.
I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck. “Me aside, it’s really hard to get a manuscript called in by a big publishing house. This could be Pen’s break.” I kiss him. “Maybe she’ll thank me in the acknowledgements.”
Enzo relents and releases me, but the concerned, furrowed brows are still there.
The drive over to Penelope’s is silent. I don’t think either of us will be able to talk about much until this is over.
When we arrive, I can see from the road that Pen’s light is on and I unbuckle.
“I’ll walk you up,” Enzo offers.
I don’t miss that he’s being more than a gentleman in this moment.
“Can we just pretend things are normal until the sting? There will be enough change to cope with then.”
“True,” he says, reluctantly staring at the small complex where Penelope lives. “Text me when you’re inside?”
I take his cheek in my hand. “I can do that.” I kiss him. “Pen said she’d drop me off at the ranch when we’re done. Good luck.”
Enzo gets out of the car to open the door and leans against his vehicle until he can’t see me anymore, and instead of me feeling controlled, a warm sensation comes over me. Something shifted inside me now that we’re totally raw with each other. Now that we see each other for who we are… and are here to stay.
I used to think love must be the best feeling in the world but now I think it’s having someone accept you for who you are. Then again, maybe they’re the same thing. If we don’t find anything tonight that leads to Father, or tells us exactly what Anton needs out of tomorrow, I’ll have to be careful. I’ll have to keep my wits about me.
What I have here with Enzo, and here in Echo Valley, is precious. Hopefully, if I do meet Anton, it will be to bring him back here with me.
I give Enzo one last wave before I round the corner to where Pen’s apartment is, and he blows me a kiss. I’m obsessed with him and I’m burning to actually start living together. For real. I want to dance all over this crazy town and even all over the world. I want to go to Europe. And Australia. And hike up to Machu Picchu. I have seen nothing of this world, and Enzo is the man I want to experience everything with.
He’s my true match. Never in a million years did I think with all my crooked edges I’d meet another piece that fit.
The entrance to Penelope’s apartment is surrounded by a long, tall row of refreshing California pines. I breathe in the cleansing scent. A cool breeze plays on some of the shrubs, and shadows dance on the pavement I follow. Shadows that don’t look right and cause my bones to chill. Suddenly, my intuition screams I should have let Enzo walk me up.
Just then, a familiar, bass voice wraps around me from behind. “Menace…”
I don’t need to turn to know that voice. It’s the only one I really, truly knew in all of my years before Echo Valley.
I turn to see what rests in Anton’s face, ready to either hug him or to run, but before I even twist, my mouth and nose are covered with a hand and a rag is stuffed in my mouth. A fierce needle jabs my arm, and I let out a muffled scream. I hang on to his forearms. I kick and thrash, gagged, but my throat bloodies with futile screams. Betrayal sears my bones. How could I have been so wrong? How could he be doing this? Enzo was right… I should have believed him. He’s so much more worldly, older… wiser… he knew…
I kick my feet behind, stomping, scratching to break free. I fight hard for at least a couple of minutes, using every sinew in my body to fight the strong hand over my face and the burly arm securing me. Knocking me out takes long enough for a tear to escape. The view of the perfect Echo Valley world around me becomes smaller and smaller. My body refuses to move anymore, there’s a total disconnect between my muscles and my mind, but my soul still reaches out for what’s no longer mine.
In the last moments before all goes to black, I wish I’d told Enzo I love him.