by Lisa Harris
He squeezed her hand again, then let go.
“I really appreciate you letting me hang out with you.” She had the note, but also knew he would ask her for it if needed, and then meet up with Conroy to do that cop thing they all did. Hollis wasn’t required to be part of it. She was just grateful she wasn’t alone. He was here, working his undercover investigation. Catching West.
“I’m looking forward to being done with this case.” There seemed to be more to it than just those words, but that was all he said. Hollis’s contentment deflated like a balloon letting the air out. He only wanted to be done with his job. And with Last Chance. She’d also planned to leave, so she understood it. But hearing he basically couldn’t wait to get out of here? She could admit that stung.
Her life made zero sense right now. She felt as though she was being pulled in a hundred different directions. Still, Will was here for the moment at least. She could enjoy it.
But, she knew she could rely on someone even bigger, and even more reliable, than Will. I guess… thank You. God hadn’t been a huge factor in her life—but she did believe in Him. It seemed to make so much sense that He was up there, running things. Once in a while, something would go her way. Mostly it didn’t.
Granted, things could be so much worse than they were. Hollis was grateful for that. And God had sent Will. Sure, he’d tried to arrest her, but through that, and for this short time, it meant they were in the same town, and he was here. Will was with her now when she really needed someone. Thank You for that. It wasn’t because she deserved to feel better. Or that she’d earned any kind of reward. Still, she’d been given the gift of protection when she needed it, and a way to feel good about herself while her mom did whatever she wanted, regardless of who she stepped on.
Sharleen’s actions shouldn’t affect her, but they did. And in spite of her mother’s selfishness, God had given her a good man in the middle of it all. Maybe they could help each other.
“When we get to the coffee shop,” she said, “I’ll give you Rich’s note. You can go do your thing. Get this done.”
Will pulled into the parking space and frowned at her. “If that’s what you want to do. It would be safer than wading into danger.”
“I didn’t wade in earlier, and I was still hurt.” She lifted her arm, even though it was painful. The sling was helping some. A sick feeling in her stomach was replaced by rumblings of hunger.
“Come on.”
They headed inside, and Hollis avoided looking at anyone at the tables. Or behind the counter. There were plenty of people in here, hanging out. Kids. Moms meeting up over coffee. Two guys doing a Bible study. Three men in office attire, talking over printed pages and a tablet.
She turned to Will. “I have to use the restroom. Can you get me a mocha?” She started to reach into her purse.
He put his hand on her arm. “It’s fine. I got it.”
“Oh.” She smiled. “Thanks.”
“And a sandwich?”
“Yes, please. The chicken salad is really good.”
He smiled. “Better than yours?”
“Where’d you think Margie got the recipe from?”
He laughed, loudly enough several people turned to watch. Hollis just grinned and headed for the back hallway, where the bathroom was.
She took care of some pressing business and then stepped back out. A hand grabbed her bicep on her hurt arm.
Hollis yelped. It would’ve been audible, but a huge hand covered her mouth and muffled the sound. He dragged her back. All the way through the EXIT door at the end and outside, where he slammed her against the wall.
Hollis gasped for breath. His face swam in front of hers, unfamiliar, but she understood immediately that he was dangerous.
“Where are Frankie and Sharleen?”
Chapter Eighteen
One barista put Will’s sandwich in the toaster oven. The other steamed milk. But the sight of all that regular, everyday activity didn’t settle him the way it normally did. He turned and studied the coffee shop. Could be there was a reason he was so restless. Maybe there was someone here that he knew in his persona as a local biker thug. Instinct pushing him toward self-preservation.
But there was no one in the coffee shop he recognized. And no one seemed inclined to pay him any attention—overtly or otherwise.
Will stowed his phone without replying to the email he’d received from Eric right before hopping into the rental car at the airport. His boss was inbound, and it wouldn’t be long until he got here.
He moved to the hall. No one there. Exit door at the end, one staff door and the two for the bathrooms. Single occupancy. He didn’t check to see if the doors were locked. If Hollis was busy, she didn’t need to be bothered by his disquiet.
Will paced all the way down the hall, noting the artwork. Also, trying to put his finger on the instinct or inkling he’d been given from Whoever was watching out for them. It was so indiscernible; he hardly knew what to do with it.
From outside, he heard a muffled cry and a thud. He quickly shoved his hip against the bar on the EXIT door, and looked outside. He gasped. “Hollis.”
She slumped against the building. Will rushed to her and caught her before she landed on the ground. Across the lot, an older, white compact bumped the curb and turned onto the street.
Arms around her, he tucked her against him and looked down to speak in her ear. “What happened?”
A shudder moved through her. She had been dealing so well with everything, he’d wondered if she really was all right. Was this the blow that would break the dam, making Hollis realize her entire life was in shambles?
She’d lost the diner.
She’d lost her family relationships.
Thanks to him, she’d almost lost her freedom.
“I’m sorry I arrested you.” Her body jerked at his words, and, except for the groan that escaped her lips, he’d have thought it was a result of a laugh. His phone rang in his pocket. “What happened?”
“He shoved me against the wall.” She sucked in a quick breath. “He took the paper.”
And then took off in a white car.
Will pulled his phone and sent Conroy a text. He gave her an assessing stare. “Are you hurt?” As soon as he asked the question, Will realized what a dumb question that was. She was obviously still hurt from before. “Any more than you were, at least.” Maybe she’d hit her head.
Hollis shrugged. The action was stiff, but it didn’t seem like she was any worse off than she had already been.
“I can get an ambulance. Or drop you off at the doctors.”
Something washed over her face, but it moved too fast for him to catch what it might’ve been. She pulled out of his arms. “I’m fine. If you want to drop me off somewhere though, that’s fine.”
“You think I’m gonna let you out of my sight now?” The minute his back had turned, she’d been threatened again. Hurt, again.
“I might’ve argued that I’m fine going to the bathroom by myself, which is what I was trying to do. But I guess we’ve proved that’s incorrect.”
“Hollis—”
She shook her head. “Don’t. Just give me a second.” She lifted one hand, palm to him.
“What was on the paper?”
He hadn’t read it, but had seen her look it over. Surely she remembered what was on it.
Hollis glanced to the side.
“Do you think you can give a description of the man who attacked you?” He pulled out his phone. They’d need mug shots, or a sketch artist. “We can show it to the guy we picked up before. Find out who he works for.”
Hollis slapped the phone out of his hand. It landed on the ground with a crack that didn’t sound good.
Neither of them moved.
“Can you just stop being a cop for one second?”
“I thought you were fine.” The second the words slipped out, he realized it was the exact wrong thing to say.
“I am fine.”
Will didn�
��t even touch that one. His phone buzzed. “That’s probably Conroy telling me he’s sending someone here to open a case file.”
“I’m not a victim. My life isn’t a police case.”
Will pressed his lips together. While that may be true, his life most definitely was. For years it had been nothing but a series of cases and investigations, and would continue to be until he quit undercover and worked behind a desk. Or until the day he retired from the bureau, dressed in an uncomfortable suit.
Before he could say anything, a cop car rolled up and Sergeant Basuto climbed out. “Hollis.” He walked straight to her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, looking like she was about to cry.
Will wanted to give her another hug. His phone rang, and he swiped it off the ground. She’d shattered the screen protector, but the glass screen under it seemed to be intact. He peeled off the protector and tossed it aside. “Briar.”
“I’m pulling into town.” Eric said, “Where are you?”
Will told him what had just gone down.
“She all right?”
He sighed. “Seems to be.”
Will turned away while Basuto spoke with Hollis.
“I’ll be there in ten.”
“Copy that.” Will hung up. More cops arrived. Uniformed officers, and the chief. Mia, the lieutenant. Savannah, the detective. He repeated the same short description of what happened over and over until he was sick of saying it. Until the barista figured out what was going on and brought out his sandwich, then made coffee for everyone there.
Hollis went back inside with the barista, leaving Will to watch her walk away. Again. The last time that happened, she’d been attacked. This time, he had to sip his coffee and not look like a crazy man who just wanted to secret her away and keep her somewhere safe. She needed to feel like she had autonomy. That was better than feeling powerless.
Yes, he still needed her help to finish this. Only in part because he owed her more than a simple apology for ever thinking she was part of this. He’d been blind to the truth. Too determined to close the case and get out of Last Chance while he could still breathe.
Now he just wanted to be where she was. To finish the case and see where this thing between them might lead.
Could be whatever was growing between them would fizzle to nothing, never to be. Or Hollis could meet him halfway, and they would be each other’s last kiss.
Right now, he didn’t know. But Will sure wanted to find out.
“Briar!”
He twisted to see Eric Cullings, FBI Special Agent, trot over to him. The man wasn’t a stranger to Last Chance. In fact, he was brother-in-law to the town’s private investigator—who was himself married to the detective, Savannah. Small towns were worlds in their own right.
“Where is she?”
Will thumbed over his shoulder. “Inside.” Safe. There were plenty of people in there, so nothing would happen to her. Not this time. And if he could help it, not ever again. Until this was done, work would come first. Which meant he was now doubly determined to find West.
“And the parents?”
“Either Hollis or Rich Tathers need to tell us what was on the paper that got stolen from her. Then we’ll have our lead back.”
Eric folded his arms. “I’ll talk to Conroy.” He turned and waved the chief over. “Whoever was on that list could be in danger, and it’d be good to get ahead of them. Warn whoever it is that may be caught in the middle.”
They conferred with Conroy, who nodded. “Rich gave me the same list.” He looked at his phone screen. “Davis Fermium. I don’t think I know who he is. And the manager of Highway 44 restaurant, Liam Athens.”
“I’ve never heard of Fermium either. Pretty sure I’d have remembered that,” Will said. “Athens’s name came up before. He owns the restaurant?”
Conroy nodded. “Local businessman. I’ve never had any contact with him aside from at his place of business. The pie is real good.” He cracked a smile.
Eric said, “It really is.”
Will was partial to the dessert at Hollis’s diner. Before it’d been burned down with him inside, that is.
Conroy said, “He actually also owns the diner under his company. Which I didn’t know. He owns several businesses in town.”
Will frowned. “The restaurant owner also owns the diner, his biggest competition? And that’s never struck you as being strange.”
“Can’t say I’ve ever looked him up before.” Conroy said, “No reason to dig into the life of someone without probable cause.”
That was true. If the police chief had no reason to suspect a man of anything, he couldn’t very well put that person under a microscope. Or, at least, legally and ethically he couldn’t. Some cops might. But not Will, or any that he cared to know personally.
He said, “I’ll go grab Hollis. See what she can tell us about him.”
Conroy’s brows lifted. Before Will could walk away, the chief said, “And after you’ve squeezed her for information, what then?”
Will didn’t know what to say.
“My suggestion? Give it to God.”
Will said, “I’m supposed to do what now?”
“Give it up to Him.”
“What?”
“All of it. The case. You and Hollis. The future.”
Will blinked. “Pretty sure I can take care of that myself.”
Eric made a noise like he thought Will’s comment was amusing.
Conroy said, “Sounds familiar.” He glanced at Eric. “I thought that myself. Until I realized I needed Him to help me. Now it’s as easy as breathing to ask for God to do His will.”
He’d always thought God’s will was a funny phrase. Even back in the third grade when his grandmother had called him that. Then she’d died, and he hadn’t wanted much to do with a God who would take away from an eight-year-old the only good thing in his life.
Conroy patted him on the shoulder.
Will didn’t wait for permission to go after her, he just went inside and down the back hall to the coffee shop. He looked around but didn’t see her. At the front window, he scanned the lot. Wanting to vocalize his frustration, he spun around instead.
Eric was right behind him. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“This isn’t good.”
Will bit back what he wanted to say and pulled out his phone. He dialed Hollis’s number, but she didn’t pick up. A second later, he got a text. As though she’d done some kind of automated reply, not wanting to answer the call.
“What’d she say?”
Will shook his head. “Nothing. I’m sure she’s fine, and maybe just left in her car. I’m sure she didn’t get kidnapped. Which at this point, would probably make more sense, given everything else.”
“Conroy is right, you know?” Eric shrugged. “You kind of should give it to God.”
“You too?”
“I didn’t know where you were at with all that. My bad that I didn’t ask.”
Will said, “Not a workplace conversation normally. Especially when I don’t check in much for fear of blowing my cover. The people I’m usually pretending to be aren’t exactly the church type.”
“Briar!”
He and Eric both turned. Conroy headed back to them. “Basuto hit the restaurant for his lunch break. He just called in asking why Hollis is over there yelling and making threats.”
Chapter Nineteen
If she’d actually thought this through, Hollis would have gone somewhere and found a gun to bring with her. Not to actually shoot anyone with. But waving it around would have helped make her point.
She faced off with the waitress—a woman she’d fired a few weeks ago for skimming money from the cash register. As though Hollis wouldn’t have noticed she was short money.
“Just tell me where Mr. Athens is, and I’ll be happy to get out of your face.”
The waitress smirked at her. “All you’re gonna get is arrested.”
; Hollis turned around. Basuto stood outside, holding his phone to his ear. Probably calling Conroy, or Will, or any one of the other cops in this town. Hollis didn’t need him getting in the middle of this. As much as she respected any of them, the tough job they did and the badges they wore, she had to figure this out herself.
Hollis moved to the door and threw the deadbolt. It wouldn’t keep him out forever, but it might buy her a minute or two. She turned back to the waitress. “Tell me where Athens is. Now.”
A flicker of concern washed over the other woman’s face. Letty, a bleached blonde cash skimmer. Hollis figured if there was illegal activity going on here, then the woman she’d fired was probably part of it.
She opened her mouth to ask again, when a rough-looking man emerged from the back. She swallowed what she was about to say and watched him stalk to her.
“What do you want?”
“To talk to Athens. Obviously.”
The man needed a haircut and a shave. He also should put his clothing in the laundry and wash out the dirt smell.
She said, “Is he even here?”
“Nope.” He folded his arms across his chest. “He ain’t here.”
“Let me back there.” She motioned to the hall. “I’ll check for myself. If he really isn’t here, then I’ll leave a note.”
They weren’t going to stop her from confronting him. There was a reason Rich Tathers had mentioned Athens on his note. Clearly Rich thought there was a link between him and Sharleen.
Hollis couldn’t help thinking about that. Don’t go there. But it was inevitable.
Liam Athens owned the diner, as well as this restaurant. She’d never liked him. Considered him more of a necessary evil than anything else. But if she’d wanted to be part of the diner, then she’d had to deal with the fact Athens was the money behind Frankie’s business.
But right now she needed to know of his connection to Sharleen.
“No way I’m letting you back there.”
Hollis figured as much. “Not good enough. Get him on the phone if you won’t let me leave a note. I’m not walking out of here until he talks to me.”