by Jenna Night
One by one, she called the other numbers from the text messages Darrin had sent over the last week, professing his love for her. No one answered any of them, so she left messages at each number.
With each call, the anxiety in the pit of Ramona’s stomach ratcheted higher until it felt like her gut was in her throat.
Seconds after Jasmine left her last message, her phone chimed with a text message. “Cardinal and Sixth Street,” she read aloud, her voice shaking. “Be there in fifteen minutes.”
Ramona chilled. “That’s way too soon, isn’t it?” she said, looking at a grim-faced Bergman. “Your cops couldn’t possibly be ready in time.”
“Why do you think he’s texting instead of talking?” Harry asked.
“He wants to keep the upper hand,” Bergman said. “You can lose control of an actual conversation pretty quickly. With texts, he can keep a tighter rein on things and direct the conversation.” He turned to Jasmine. “What’s the significance of that location? Does it mean anything to you?”
“It’s near Bear Hollow Deli, where we had our first lunch date.”
“Call him back,” Bergman said. “Tell him you need more time. Say that you’re at work and you can’t just run out the door.”
Jasmine followed his instructions. Her phone chimed again. This time he sent her a picture. It was of Caleb, bruised, bleeding, tied up and shoved into the trunk of a car. It was followed by another text: Cardinal and Sixth. Be there in fifteen minutes or he dies.
“It’s all my fault.” Jasmine began crying and shaking.
Ramona drew in a deep breath. She had to step in. There was not enough time to do anything else. “Dear Lord, please help us,” she whispered. Then she walked over to a kitchen drawer, pulled out a pair of scissors and handed them to Harry. “Cut my hair so I look more like Jasmine. Do it quickly. Then I’ll leave to meet up with Darrin.”
A hat wouldn’t work. Jasmine didn’t wear hats. And if Ramona was going to do this, she needed to be one hundred percent convincing.
Otherwise, she would be dead.
* * *
Harry sat in the unmarked cop car next to Bergman as they drove through downtown Stone River. The whole time, the sergeant stayed on his phone, coordinating a last-minute protective detail around the deli.
Harry stayed completely focused on Ramona who was driving in front of them in Jasmine’s car. She had Jasmine’s phone with her in case Darrin sent any more texts. She also had her own phone, which was currently on a call with Harry’s.
“You’re doing great,” Harry said into his phone. He had the call on speaker, and he forced himself to sound much calmer than he felt.
“Do you see Darrin?” she asked, her voice strained. “I don’t see any sign of him.”
They were nearing the intersection that Darrin had named, which meant they were close to the deli.
“Slow down,” Bergman said to Ramona, having just finished his own call. “Darrin’s probably set himself up nearby and he’s likely watching you right now. Since he can see that ‘Jasmine’ is almost to the deli, it doesn’t matter if you’re a little late. So, take your time, and give my cops another minute to get in place.”
Bergman had given Ramona a bulletproof vest to wear under Jasmine’s purple jacket, but that didn’t make Harry feel any better about her safety. He was sick with worry. It felt like he was going through the trauma of losing Willa all over again.
Stop. It’s not the same thing. He needed to collect himself if he was going to be of any use to Ramona.
He wished he could take her place, that he could be the one in danger. He wished he could tell her how much he admired her. How much brighter his life had become since he’d met her, even with danger surrounding them the whole time. She was smart. She was funny. She was kind. It felt good to be near her, to breathe in her scent. He looked forward to seeing her every morning at the ranch. He loved having conversations and hearing her unique take on things.
He loved her.
Something like a cross between a laugh and a moan escaped him. Bergman glanced over at him.
Harry shook his head. He was an idiot. He’d pushed Ramona away because he didn’t want to get hurt. But it was way too late for that. Right now, she was in danger. If she got hurt, he wouldn’t feel less anguish because he’d emotionally withdrawn from her. He’d feel intensely more anguish at the opportunity he’d wasted.
He’d decided he wasn’t ready to heal from the loss of Willa and move forward with his romantic life again. But the joke was on him. It looked like that decision wasn’t his to make.
Now he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Ramona and tell her how much he loved her. Maybe she wouldn’t care. He might have forever ruined his chance at a relationship with her when he’d taken that emotional step back. Fool that he was, he’d done it right when she needed him most. He wasn’t sure she’d forgive him for that. He wasn’t sure he’d forgive himself, either.
“Let me get out of the car when we get up here,” Harry said to Bergman, gesturing toward the upcoming intersection. Harry had his sidearm, cuffs and pepper spray with him. He could get out of the car and run over to the deli. He’d find that little coward Darrin Linder and take him into custody before the scum had the chance to even lay eyes on Ramona. Harry had faced much more daunting adversaries in Afghanistan. He could take care of this situation.
“Sit tight,” Bergman said to him in a steely voice.
Over the open line Harry had with Ramona, he heard her say, “Darrin’s just sent another text. Now he wants Jasmine to head over to the lake, near where the dinner cruise boats dock.”
“Start moving that way,” Bergman said. “Slowly.”
Harry turned to glare at him. It wasn’t the sergeant’s fault that Darrin was playing games, but Harry was nevertheless furious with the situation.
Bergman was back on his phone with his officers telling them about the change in plans.
“Do you think Darrin’s seen us and figured out that we’re following her?” Harry asked.
“I don’t know. But we’re going to pull back and let another cop follow her for a bit just in case.” Bergman slowed down. “This guy is one of ours.” He let a silver pickup get in front of him, and then he made a turn that took him and Harry down a side street.
Having Ramona out of his sight made Harry feel like his heart had been ripped from his chest. He wanted to see everything as she arrived at the new location, so he could assess the situation and be ready to jump in and help however he was needed.
“Another text from Darrin,” Ramona’s voice came over the speaker on Harry’s phone. “It’s another intersection. Ponderosa Road and Eighth Street.”
“Do you have any idea what significance that location might have?” Harry asked her.
“No.”
Bergman said to Ramona, “Start making your way in that direction.” Once again, he updated his officers.
“Since the communications are by text, we don’t even know for certain if they’re really coming from Darrin,” Harry said as Bergman steered through traffic.
“You’re right,” Bergman said. “And I’ve thought to myself more than once that there’s got to be someone else involved with this. Or maybe several other people. His criminal enterprises have required him to buy drugs and weapons to resell, not to mention the house and the boat. That takes a lot of money. More than I’d expect him to have, no matter how well his drug dealing was going.” The sergeant shook his head. “Maybe he’s got ties to someone over in Seattle. That’s where his hired help came from.”
They reached the intersection from Darrin’s text. Ramona had already parked on the street in front of an interior decorating shop. The silver truck that Bergman had assigned to keep tabs on her was a little farther down the street.
“I don’t like this,” Harry said to Ramona. Darrin’s ac
tions said that he was violent and delusional. He blamed Ramona for ruining his life. As long as he thought the woman arriving was Jasmine, she should be okay. But if Darrin realized she was actually Ramona, things could go very badly very quickly.
“I’m not crazy about this situation, either,” Ramona replied. “But this is the first real chance we’ve had to capture Darrin since the night at the cabins. And Caleb Petrov’s life is at stake. I have to do this.”
Through the speaker, Harry could hear a chime from Jasmine’s phone. “Okay, a new text,” Ramona said. “It says to go into the coffee shop, Mountain Peak Coffee. He says he’s left a note there.”
“Wait,” Harry said, heart pounding. “Let’s have one of the plainclothes cops go in first and look for him. Maybe they’ll be able to arrest him and this will all be over.”
“But he might not be inside the coffee shop,” Ramona said. “He might be somewhere nearby, hiding and watching. Maybe he won’t show himself until he sees ‘Jasmine.’ I can’t let him get away. I’m going to go inside, take a quick look, and if I don’t see him, I’ll ask for the note.”
“Look down and keep your face hidden as much as possible,” Bergman said. “Don’t give him a chance to see you aren’t Jasmine.”
Harry watched her get out of the car. She was vulnerable, possibly in Darrin’s crosshairs right this very minute. He was shocked to realize he didn’t regret losing his heart to her, even though that made him vulnerable to experiencing horrible loss all over again. What he regretted was not opening his heart sooner and telling her how he felt. If the worse thing imaginable came to pass, and Darrin Linder got to her before anyone could stop him, Harry’s biggest regret would be that he never had the chance to tell her that he loved her.
FOURTEEN
Ramona slowly climbed out of the car. Her knees were shaking with adrenaline and fear. Once her feet were solidly on the pavement, she took a few seconds to just stand there and steady herself. Then she straightened the sunglasses she’d borrowed from Jasmine. One more trick, along with borrowing one of Jasmine’s trendy outfits, to hide her identity.
She tried to draw in a deep, calming breath, but her lungs were tight and the air wouldn’t come. She could only take shallow breaths. Whether that was from fear or from her asthma kicking in, she couldn’t say. And now was not the time to let herself be distracted by digging around in her purse for an inhaler Jasmine wouldn’t have.
It was right about noon, and people were out on the sidewalks. There were a lot of food options as well as trendy shops in this popular section of Stone River.
Ramona could see through the plate glass window of the coffee shop. There was a pretty good size crowd in there, with a line at the register. Maybe the number of people meant Darrin would be more cautious. But it could also mean he would be able to hide, using the crowd to camouflage whatever brazen action he had planned.
She fought the temptation to turn around and look for Harry. The rugged bounty hunter had made her feel less alone over the course of this whole nightmare. Not only did Harry have the skill and training to protect her physically, he also had a depth of understanding that came through life experience. He had a strong faith that made her feel like things would ultimately be all right. It broke her heart to know he wouldn’t risk allowing himself a future and fresh chance at having love in his life. But even if they had no chance of a future together, she knew she’d feel better if he was by her side right now.
But that wasn’t an option. She had to do this on her own.
She turned her attention back to the events at hand. She could waste time worrying about what Darrin was planning, or she could step forward and face it. Nothing she could do would control his actions—she only had control over her own. Sure, people could make plans and try to wisely plan ahead. But the future, by definition, was always out of reach. You couldn’t shape it. You could only make the best decision now and take a step forward.
“Dear Lord, please protect everyone here,” she prayed quietly before stepping inside the coffee shop. Something was going to happen here; she was sure of it. It made no sense for Darrin to leave a note with more directions. But then again, Darrin had stopped making sense a while ago.
Enough. She patted the phone in her pocket. The line was still open; hopefully Harry and Bergman could hear what was happening. Although with the buzz of conversation, the hissing from the espresso machines and the clanks and clatters from plates and mugs, she wondered if they could hear anything useful at all.
Following Bergman’s instructions, she looked down as she walked in the door. A few seconds later, with her heart thundering in her chest, she lifted her head slightly for a quick glance around. She could clearly see the faces of the people near her, but the rest were shadowy. The lighting in the shop was dim. In order to tell if Darrin was there or not, she was going to have to take off the sunglasses. Which felt like the only protection she had.
She took them off, folded them and slid them into her pocket. When her fingers brushed her phone, she realized that it provided her a perfect excuse to keep looking down. Plenty of people around her were staring at their phone screens.
She fired off a quick text to Harry: Haven’t seen him yet.
He immediately responded with: Don’t try to rush things. Stay cool.
Stay cool. As if she were cool at all to start with.
The line moved forward and she took another quick glance to her left, toward the tables and shelves filled with coffee-related items, some local artwork and craft items for sale. That part of the coffee shop wrapped around farther, past the service area, so she couldn’t see the entire seating area all at once. She didn’t see Darrin or anybody even close to his appearance. No blond, thirtysomething men with stylish clothes and a gaunt face.
What if Darrin had already seen her, recognized her and left? The thought of what he might do to Caleb made her stomach turn. And what about Jasmine? If Darrin had realized this was a setup, involving Jasmine’s phone and her car and even her clothes, it would be obvious that she had cooperated. Once he knew she’d betrayed him, his fury toward her would be immense. And lethal.
Finally, it was Ramona’s turn to order. She stepped up. “Did someone leave a note for me here?” she asked.
The barista, a young woman probably in her early twenties, raised her eyebrows slightly, looking confused.
“It’s a long story,” Ramona said. Obviously, she couldn’t explain it all. She did her best to force a smile onto her lips. “A...friend said he would leave one here for me.”
“Um, I’ll check. What’s your name?”
She was so nervous she started to give her real name and then caught herself at the last second. “Jasmine,” she finally stammered.
The server called out to her coworkers nearby to ask about the note. One of them said that there was a note left by somebody roughly an hour ago. The employee disappeared through a side door behind the service counter and returned a few seconds later carrying an envelope. When he held it out, Ramona saw that it had Jasmine written on it with a small heart drawn beside the name.
Ramona took it, stepped out of line and then slid her phone into her pocket so she’d have both hands free to open the envelope.
I’m watching you. Don’t be afraid. I just want to talk. Like we used to. But I don’t know if I can trust you. Don’t touch your phone. Keep your hands where I can see them. Take a seat near the back door.
Was he really here right now? Had he raced over here after Jasmine made her initial call this morning? Had the visits to the two other locations been a ruse to buy time and deter anyone who might be following her? Darrin had become good at planning, that much was clear by his ability to elude the police and bounty hunters. Maybe this was the final step of a plan he’d cooked up days ago. One that he’d set in motion by going to Valerie’s house, threatening her and working in a twenty-four hour deadline. He would h
ave known that would get a response.
She had to lift her face to see where she was going as she made her way toward the back door. As soon as Darrin saw her up close, he’d know she wasn’t really Jasmine. And then what?
One step at a time.
She moved around the corner to the seating that was hidden from view from the front of the shop. She didn’t see him. All of the tables were full, but she did see a couple about to vacate a table near the back door. She waited for them to leave and then sat down.
The weight of the phone in her pocket drew her hand like a magnet. She so wanted to reach for it, to talk to Harry or at least text him. But she didn’t dare. She tried to look around from the corner of her eye, searching for Darrin. Three different times, the back door opened and closed. Each time, she’d wait a few seconds and then carefully take a look. It was never Darrin.
Until the fourth time. When she looked up, her first thought was, Not Darrin. This guy was dressed in generic, baggy clothes. His hair was black and he wore glasses. It was a good disguise—good enough to fool her at first glance—but after a few seconds she realized it was Darrin. She recognized the predatory gleam in his eye.
The anticipatory smile disappeared from his lips and she could tell the moment he knew she wasn’t Jasmine. The predatory gleam in his eye switched to full-on hatred. Ramona froze in fear.
Before she could move, the back door swung open again and a man rushed in wearing a ski mask that covered his face. The gun in his bright blue gloves looked huge as he lifted it and pointed it at Darrin.
Darrin had already started to pull his own gun out of his waistband, but he was too slow. The masked man fired two shots. Darrin dropped to the floor. And then the masked man ran back out the way he’d come.
The sounds of screams and furniture being turned over filled the coffee shop as the shop’s patrons scrambled to get out of harm’s way and escape through the front. Ramona had gotten to her feet and backed away from Darrin and the masked gunman without even realizing she’d moved.