Chapter 20 #2
Hunter looked at his watch. “Are you sure I can’t bring you to work and then pick you up later? I’d feel better. At least until we learn more information about the disappearance of the assistant district attorney.”
He liked that she at least appeared to consider his offer.
“No,” she said as she shook her head.
“I vowed to never let him impact my life more than what he already has. I’ve been careful. There’s no way he should know where I am.”
He felt defeated, but he knew not to pressure her. The last thing he wanted was to show any signs of similarity to Sebastián, starting with being controlling or pressuring her.
“Okay, still, since I’m here, I’d like to follow you to work. Then, I’ll be on my way. Can I see you tonight, though?”
The smile on her face gave him the answer.
“Yes,” she confirmed.
He followed Katrina out of the apartment.
She looked professional in her navy suit, made-up face, and hair fastened high on the back of her head in a tightly wound bun. A much different look than the outdoorsy Han...Katrina, he’d first met.
He trailed her as she drove to work and even followed her into the parking lot. She slid out of the car and headed for the front doors of her office building. His heart skipped a beat when she glanced back, smiled, and nodded before slipping through the entrance.
He couldn’t wait to see her again and wished it was tonight already.
After parking in his usual stall, he slipped out of the truck and practically skipped into the building.
He’d been in the office for a couple of hours before he succumbed to the urge to call Katrina. He didn’t care if she thought of him as a love-crazed teenager. He needed to hear her voice.
Katrina smiled as she hung up the phone. It was nice to hear Hunter’s voice, and she couldn’t wait to see him again tonight.
“Katrina Holmes?” a voice rang out.
She pulled her gaze from her phone and focused on the guy standing in her office doorway. He held a vase full of daisies. Her favorites.
“Yes,” she replied.
The tall, thin man grinned and stepped toward her and stretched out his arm, offering her the flowers.
“Special delivery.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
The man wasted no time exiting her office.
She pulled the small envelope from the plastic holder nestled among the cheerful daisies. Of course, she knew who the flowers were from, but how did Hunter know daisies were her favorite?
The card simply read, “Can’t wait to see you again.”
Hunter was amazing. He made her feel valued and warm and fuzzy on the inside. She couldn’t wait to see him tonight, too.
Her gaze landed on the clock again. Would this Monday workday ever end?
She wasn’t normally a clock-watcher and had no reason to be.
Not until today, that is. She glanced at the bouquet on her desk.
The thought of seeing Hunter soon had her reeling with anticipation.
She hadn’t felt this invigorated since.. .she’d kissed Hunter a decade ago.
After her three o’clock meeting ended at five o’clock, she ran home, changed, and headed over to Hunter’s place as he’d reluctantly agreed upon when they’d spoken on the phone earlier in the day.
He’d insisted he should follow her home, but she threw cold water on that, ensuring him she’d be fine.
The measures she’d put in place would keep her safe.
By six o’clock, she’d parked in Hunter’s driveway. He waved her in through the garage door.
Once she was close enough to him, he reached out, cupped her cheeks with his large, warm hands, and then kissed her softly, before stepping back.
“I was just pulling down my old kayak from the rack because I got a new one,” he said as he gestured toward a long, sleek red kayak on the floor next to one that was wider.
Glancing around his tidy garage, she studied all the sporting goods.
Skis and snowshoes hung on the wall. Inner tubes, life vests, paddles, camping equipment.
You name the sport activity, and there was something in this garage to help partake.
It was his own mini sporting goods store. Made complete sense.
He abandoned the kayaks on the floor and motioned for her to follow him into the house. Once in the kitchen, a wonderful aroma hit her nostrils.
“I hope you like venison loin. I took a chance you did because of your outdoor nature, but I can whip up something else if you want,” he said as he lifted the lid of the pan on the stove.
Lean meat and onions were browning in the sizzling butter, making her mouth water.
“It smells fantastic. I haven’t had venison loin in years. Not since my brothers and I moved out of the Northwoods. They’d be so jealous if they knew about this. Every now and then, someone brings venison sausage to work, but that’s it.”
He spun, put the lid in the sink located in the island, and then turned around and lifted the lid off the pot on the stove.
“And here we have wild rice.”
“Great.”
“I still guide hunting trips occasionally for my Uncle Lee, and I get to do a little hunting for myself.”
“Your Uncle Lee, how is he?”
“Good as ever, still living the dream in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.”
“And your brother and sister?”
“They’re still in Door County doing fishing charters. And they still work for Uncle Lee, too.”
Katrina hesitated before she asked the next question that popped into her head.
“Have you ever gone back to Lover’s Leap Falls?”
“I have, and it was hard. Even of late, it is difficult to stand up there. But, that’s part of the guided hike, so I still do it when my uncle needs me to.”
Hunter’s gaze hit the floor for a couple of beats before returning it to hers.
“Honestly, I go up there every summer...on the anniversary date. I’d hoped to see you there. Silly, I know, but I held hope.”
Her heart slammed in her chest.
He stepped toward her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I missed you then.”
His brows knit. “What?”
“I’ve been up there twice. Once on the first anniversary and once a couple of years ago. I snuck in from the back way...retraced the steps I’d taken when I went for help.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, even though I was in hiding, a large part of me hoped to see you there.”
He pulled her to him and kissed her tenderly, then released her.
“Life is strange sometimes.”
“Don’t I know it?” she replied.
They filled their plates with venison and rice and sat at the table across from one another. Gazing like love-crazed teenagers. It was nice.
“Thank you for the flowers. Daisies are my favorites.”
Hunter cocked his head to the side. “Flowers?”
“The bouquet you sent to my work.”
He studied her.
“I should have thought to do that, but I didn’t.”
“But the card said, ‘can’t wait to see you again’,” she said as she yanked her cell phone off the table and scrolled to the picture of the bouquet and the card.
She handed him the phone.
He looked at the photos and handed it back to her.
“I didn’t send those.”
“Well, who did then?”
“I don’t know.”
“Have you been seeing someone? I mean, that’s okay if you were, but...”
“No!”
Her pulse pounded.
“Oh, no!” she exclaimed and threw her hand over her mouth.
“What?”
“Sebastián,” her voice squeaked.
“That might be a stretch,” he tried to assure.
She lowered her hand from her mouth and rested it on the table.
He reached across the table and took hold of her hand.
“He once sent me daisies knowing I liked them. Nobody else would send me flowers. Especially for no reason. It’s not my birthday, work anniversary, nothing.”
She sprang up, pulling her hands from his, and paced the kitchen.
“No, no, no.”
“Stop. Please. Let’s just think about this.”
She stopped and collapsed into his open arms.
“It’s him. I know it. I can feel it. He knows where I am and he’s going to come for me.”
“If that’s the case, know that I’d die before I let that happen.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. He’s got the power of his family’s cartel behind him. I almost lost you once already.”
Her heart raced beyond control. Her vision went fuzzy. She hyperventilated.
“Breathe, just breathe, sweetheart,” Hunter said calmly as he ran his hand up and down her back in a soothing manner.
Hunter edged back and held her gaze.
The intense look in his eyes let her know that no matter how hard she tried to convince him to walk away from her for his own safety, he wouldn’t.
Her phone buzzed, drawing her attention, and with a bit of fear and reluctance, she snatched it off the table.
He’s out. He’s pissed as hell. You need to run! PB
The text proved her worst nightmare was about to come to fruition.
“Who’s PB?” Hunter asked.
Before she could answer, her phone vibrated again.
I’m so sorry about everything. For Alyssa, for your parents, for you. This is all my fault. Please forgive me. PB
She swallowed hard. “Bianca. She always ended her texts with just PB, Princess Bianca.”
“How does she have your number? I thought you and she didn’t stay in touch?”
“I don’t know. We don’t.”
The words played through her racing brain again.
He’s out. He’s pissed as hell. You need to run! PB
And what was she sorry for? What was her fault? She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Katrina stared at the phone in her hand.
How in the hell did Bianca have her number?
Did she know where she lived as well? And run?
She’d been running from her old life for a decade.
Gave up what remained of her family and friends, and for what?
Nothing. If Bianca knew where she was, then surely Sebastián knew where she was.
Yet, in all this time, the entire time Sebastián was in prison, the Garcia family did nothing to her.
Of course, shortly after Sebastián went to prison, his father hightailed it back to Mexico for some reason.
His mom and sisters stayed in the States, but from the way Katrina understood it, Sebastián’s dad relocated back to Mexico, and the rest of the family visited him there regularly.
Maybe Sebastián’s trial brought too much attention to the Garcia’s business.
Rumors had even surfaced that during the time of the trial, the FBI, with assistance from the DEA, investigated Marco Garcia and the Garcia cartel.
Which could explain why Marco returned to Mexico.
Bianca. All this time, her old friend knew her number and never reached out. It still stung that she deserted her immediately after Alyssa was murdered. More importantly, how did Bianca know Sebastián was pissed. Had they stayed in contact with each other?
Should she respond to the text? Ask questions?