by Ann Simas
“A reticle is what you see when you sight a target through a rifle scope.”
“I guess this answers the question of what kind of weapon he’ll use.”
“And whether or not he knows what Denise looks like.”
“He’s playing mind games with her.”
“He’s one sick fuck, that’s for sure. He probably doused ant hills with lighter fluid when he was a kid and took pleasure in lighting a match to it.”
Andi couldn’t fathom what kind of person got off on mental torture or inflicting pain.
Stacy gave her a look that made Andi squirm. “The good news is, this cancels out your plan to masquerade as Denise and make yourself the sitting duck.”
Andi’s mouth dropped open. “Did Riley call and tell you?”
“No, I’m just getting to know how your mind works, that’s all, but if you shared this asinine idea with the priest and he didn’t tell me, then he and I’d better have a little chat.”
“He only found out after church this morning. He didn’t have a chance to tell you,” Andi said in his defense.
“And yet you asked me if he’d called, so perhaps he’s not an idiot like you, after all.”
“I am not an idiot, I just couldn’t think of any other way to trip this guy up.”
“Getting yourself killed instead of Denise would not be tripping him up. He’d just kill both of you.”
“That’s what Father Riley said, too,” Andi admitted glumly. “Back to the drawing board for me.”
“I don’t suppose it would do any good for me to remind you that you are not the cop in the room?”
Andi wisely chose to remain silent.
. . .
As the clock neared three p.m., Andi began to wonder why she hadn’t heard from Jack yet.
She opened up a new window in her browser and went to the airline site to check that his flight had arrived on time. It had.
She chewed on her bottom lip, debating whether or not to call or text him. She decided to let her fingers do the walking.
hope you had a good trip. see you soon?
Twenty minutes later, she received a response.
open your front door.
Andi bolted from her chair and ran to the door. Jack’s poor bedraggled self stood there smiling at her, making her heart do all kinds of flip-flops and inciting a sexual churning inside her that would only be quelled one way. “Howdy, stranger.”
“Howdy, ma’am.”
Her eyes dropped down to the hand-lettered sign he held.
WILL W♥RK
F♥R KISSES
She glanced back up, trying not to grin. “How many kisses does it take to start your motor?”
“One,” he said, “although it needs frequent recharges.”
“I can handle that.”
His smile morphed into a grin. “I sure hope so.”
Andi launched herself at him, forgetting for a moment that his rib was injured. She was reminded when he winced. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Jack tipped his head. Andi stood on her tiptoes. They kissed without embracing, even though their fronts were melded together.
“God, I missed you,” Jack said.
“I missed you more,” Andi said.
He chuckled. “I find that hard to believe.”
She slid her hand down his arm and wove her fingers with his. “Come inside where I can welcome you home properly.”
He leaned down and kissed her again. “Be gentle.”
“Don’t worry, cowboy, I have enough kisses to make all your boo-boos better.”
The blazin’ hot look he gave her in response was all the incentive she needed to complete her doctoring.
Chapter 12
They met Gerd Eriksson for dinner at six at a restaurant she could walk to from her hotel. Andi was expecting the Iowa detective to be built like a tank, to live up to the largess of her name.
Instead, she was stunned by the woman’s beauty. Easily six feet tall, Gerd was built like an Amazon, or at least, Lucy Lawless, but with gorgeous blonde hair cascading down her back and intense blue eyes. Even if Gerd hadn’t jokingly referred to herself as a reincarnated valkyrie right off the bat, her Nordic heritage would have been apparent.
Jack grinned. “Now you see how she so easily managed to pull that POS off of me.”
“What I don’t get is how you got so many injuries on the way down,” Andi said.
“Did I forget to mention there was curb between me and the ground?”
Andi winced. “Yes, you did.”
“He went down quite gracefully,” Gerd said, her blue eyes twinkling, “considering.”
Intrigued, Andi asked, “Considering what?”
Gerd smirked. “That he wasn’t paying attention to where he stepped.”
Andi’s gaze whipped around to Jack. “You tripped.”
“Tell the truth, Gerd. He tripped me before he rammed me with his elbow.”
Gerd shrugged, trying to sound serious, but the restrained laughter in her voice gave her away. “All I know is what I saw.”
Jack threw her a playful scowl. “Some detective you are! Remind me never to call you as an eyewitness.”
Andi patted Jack’s forearm. “All right, children, that’s enough bickering for now. Let’s order some wine and get on with enjoying our dinner.”
“I’m with Andi,” Gerd said. “Jack’s told me so much about you, but I want to know more. Your job sounds fascinating.”
“Seriously?” Andi asked. “No one ever wants to know about my job, or if they do, their eyes glaze over as soon as I start describing it.”
Gerd laughed. “Give it a go.”
Andi decided to give her the version of Wild Hare that might be written on an app description, short and sweet.
“Ooh, that sounds like fun. I’ll have to get it when it’s released.”
“You play games?”
“All the time. I’m not a barfly, so what else is a single woman supposed to do when she doesn’t have a boyfriend?”
Good question. Before Andi could respond, someone approached from her left and said hello. She looked around and found Orion Lee towering over her. “Orion, hi!” She turned back to Jack and said, “Jack, this is my boss, Orion Lee. Orion, my boyfriend, Jack Harmon.”
Jack stood and extended his hand. “Good to meet you.”
“You, as well.” Orion gave him a quick handshake, then his eyes settled on Gerd.
Before Andi could introduce her, the detective from Iowa said, “Gerd Eriksson, Dubuque PD.” She put out her hand.
He took it and flashed her a grin. “You’re a long way from home.”
“I helped Jack bring a prisoner back.”
Orion shot a questioning look at Jack, who was still standing.
“I work for Edgerton PD.”
“Ah.”
“Are you meeting someone for dinner?” Andi asked.
“I was meeting your friend Vaughn, but he called me from the ER. One of his kids fell and cut his head. He’s been waiting for two hours for someone to put in some stitches.”
“Oh, no. Did he say if it was Micah or Trevor?”
“Micah.”
“Ah, poor little guy.” Andi noticed that her boss, who was six-foot-five, could not take his eyes off the Norse goddess. “Would you like to join us for dinner, since you’re free? We’ve got an extra chair.”
His eyes back on Andi, he said, “Thank you. That would be terrific.”
They had an enjoyable meal and pleasant conversation, none of it about police work or game apps. When Andi and Jack took off, they left Orion in Gerd’s capable hands. Or maybe they were leaving Gerd in Orion’s capable hands. Andi wasn’t sure which. She did, however, smell a budding romance.
It would be interesting to see how it played out.
On the way back to her apartment, Jack said, “I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.”
“You don’t have to. You can stay and sleep with me.”
“Maybe some.” She laid her hand against his thigh.
“The problem is I have to be at the station at eight sharp to meet with the LT.”
“Have you talked to her yet?”
“No, why? What’s up?”
Instead of answering his question directly, Andi said, “How ’bout I pack an overnight bag and stay at your house. I think we need to talk.”
He gave her a look. “You know we don’t do much talking during sleepovers.”
“Well, tonight we will. And when we’re done talking, we’ll make a little whoopee before we doze off. In the morning, you’ll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when you meet with Stacy.”
“Why do I think I’ve just been had?” Jack asked suspiciously.
“I thought you liked being had,” she said, her tone coy.
“You know what I mean.”
Andi changed tact, retrieving her hand and tucking it safely in her lap. “When we get to my place, just drop me off. No sense in you having to climb the stairs again, what with your injuries and all.”
“Sometimes you make me crazy, Andi.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Yes.”
. . .
Despite the fact that Jack had alternately praised and chastised her as she related her involvement in the Naylor case, they’d had a good night. Andi rehashed it on her way to work and again on her lunch hour. She didn’t let personal stuff get in the way of writing code. That was, after all, her livelihood.
She was surprised at noon when Orion knocked on her door. “Care to join me and Gerd for lunch?”
Andi blinked at him with owl eyes, then grinned. “I thought she took a plane back to Iowa this morning.”
“Plans change,” he said, his tone ambiguous. “Gerd decided to stay awhile.”
“I see.”
He flashed her a self-deprecating smirk. “So, lunch?”
“Sure.”
“Vaughn is going to be joining us.”
“Cool.” Andi wondered why she’d been invited along. She really didn’t want to become enmeshed in the financial affairs of the Belt. “Are you ready to go now?”
“Yep. Meet you downstairs.”
She took a moment to use the restroom, then pulled on her scarf, coat, and gloves and headed down. On the way, her phone rang. She’d set her ringtone for Stacy to “Wanted Dead or Alive,” the theme song from Deadliest Catch. It seemed appropriate for the LT. “Hi, Stacy.”
Jack’s boss cut straight to the chase. “Can you take the latter part of the afternoon off?”
“I might be able to. Why?”
“I need you to stay with Denise while I get something lined up for her protective roster.”
“Who’s been with her the rest of the day?”
“She’s at her in-laws for another couple of hours, but she has to be gone before the kids get there.”
“What time, then?”
“By three, and Andi?”
“Yeah?”
“Be ready for anything. Clem’s partners hit her with a whammy this morning. They’re trying to buy her out and she doesn’t want to sell.”
“Wow, that’s harsh of them.”
“You don’t know the half of it, but Denise will fill you in. Maybe there’s something you can do to help her chill out.”
Andi couldn’t imagine what that would be, but she said, “Okay,” and disconnected.
Orion and Gerd were waiting for her outside the front entrance. “Vaughn’s just parking now. Shall we walk somewhere close by?”
Andi listed a few choices and they settled on Trattoria d’Italia. Vaughn waved from the parking lot and waited for a break in traffic to run across the street. Introductions were made between him and Gerd and they took off for the two block walk.
Vaughn and Andi walked ahead of Orion and Gerd, who held hands like they were long-time lovers. Andi peered over her shoulder at them. Orion winked at her. Gerd wore a dazzling smile.
She turned her attention back to Vaughn’s story about how Micah had taken a flying leap off the fourth riser of the stairway in his stocking feet and ended up cracking his head on the last step. “Poor kid. How was he, getting stitches?”
Vaughn grinned. “He was damned proud of them and now Trev wants some.” He shook his head ruefully. “God, I’m going to be gray before my time.”
At the restaurant, Orion asked for a booth at the back for privacy, though being Monday, it wasn’t that busy. Andi couldn’t imagine what they’d be talking about that he didn’t want anyone to hear. Unless, of course, the Smokies were suddenly communicating with him.
Once they’d ordered beverages and food, Orion said, “This is a celebratory lunch of sorts.”
“It is?” Andi asked.
“Yes. Vaughn and I have reached an agreement concerning his investment in the Belt. That’s all thanks to you, Andi.”
Andi stared at him, surprised. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Apparently, you did,” Orion said, smiling. “Vaughn said you bent his ear in a favorable direction about the Belt.”
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true, but I never told him you were looking for an investor.”
“He made that clear. He also knows talent when he sees it, and he sees it in you.” He paused, as if for emphasis. “He sees the future of the Belt in you. I happen to concur.”
Flabbergasted, Andi didn’t know what to say. She thought about excusing herself to run to the restroom to hide. She also considered pinching herself to see if she was actually awake. Instead, she remained mute and wondered if she had that deer-in-the-headlights look about her.
“Told you she’s not good with praise,” Vaughn said, grinning.
“Oh, I know. We threw her a congratulatory party in the fall and she looked like she was ready to hide in the nearest rabbit hole.”
“Ha-ha,” Andi said in response to his pun.
Orion shrugged, unrepentant.
“A humble woman, is a good woman,” Gerd contributed.
“I agree,” Vaughn said. “A woman who accomplishes much, but passes on taking the credit, is rare these days.”
“Stop!” Gerd said with a laugh. “You’re making her blush.”
Andi did feel quite a bit of heat in her cheeks.
“Get over it, Andi. You saved my bacon when you turned Bunny Hop into Wild Hare. You took what was essentially a weak idea and made a champion out of it. By Christmastime, when we do our big release, Orion’s Belt will be on the map.”
“It’s not just me,” Andi protested. “You employ seventeen other people who are all extremely talented.”
Orion did not disagree. “That’s true, but you’re the glue who holds it all together. Now that Vaughn’s joined us, we’d like to make you a proposition.”
“Like what?” Andi ventured, afraid of what was coming next.
“We’d like to make you an equal partner in the business. You’ll be the creative genius, I’ll be the marketing guru, and Vaughn will be the financial wizard.”
Andi was thunderstruck. She glanced at Vaughn, who studied her with pensive eyes, then back at Orion. “Are you serious?”
“Never more so. What do you say?”
She turned to Vaughn. “I thought you were just going to be an investor.”
He grinned at the accusation in her tone. “I thought that initially, but after speaking with Orion the other day, and going over his financials, and your progress in less than a year, I saw more potential than even I imagined. I think the three of us will be a good fit, businesswise. Say yes.”
Stunned, Andi said the first thing that came into her mind, and it wasn’t yes. “I don’t have the kind of money it would take to buy into the company.”
Orion and Vaughn chuckled. “You don’t have to,” Vaughn said.
Orion added, “You’ll be bringing the creative genius, remember? That’s far more valuable than cash.”
Andi o
pened her mouth, then snapped it shut. Coming on the heels of the Naylor stuff, she couldn’t quite get her head around the offer. “Look, I’m not an impulsive person. Things tend to percolate for a time in my brain before I do things.” She knew that wasn’t technically accurate, but the purposes of this discussion, it would do. “Can I sleep on it? Give you an answer tomorrow?”
“You can take a week if you need it,” Orion said.
“Or two weeks,” Vaughn added, probably because he knew about all the other crap on her plate at the moment.
“Can I ask a question?”
They both nodded.
“What does it mean, equal partner?”
“It means we’ll all draw the same salary,” Vaughn said. “Yours will double as soon as the contractual agreements are signed, and when we start making a profit, we share it equally.”
“Double? Profits?” OMG! She could buy a house.
Again, they both nodded.
“I’ll get to keep my office?”
“You could, but you can also have a bigger one if you want,” Orion said. “Vaughn said he plans to do most of his work from home, so he’s only asking for a small office himself.”
“There’ll be other perks, too, Andi,” Vaughn said. “For instance, a personal and corporate life insurance policy.”
Andi sucked in her lips. “I get the personal policy, but what’s a corporate policy?”
“That’s if something happens to you. As the creative-genius partner, we’d be up shit creek without you. A life insurance policy would pay off, which would help us offset the loss of your creativity, in terms of our financial future. Orion and I would have one, too.”
Andi considered his explanation. “That makes sense, because if either one of you croaked, I wouldn’t know squat about either the marketing or the financial end of things.”
They both laughed and Gerd gave her a thumbs-up. “Andi, I think you’re going to be the perfect foil for these two.”
“I…wow! I don’t know what to say except thank you for thinking of me.”
Vaughn grinned. Orion laughed and said, “Andi, honey, I should be thanking you for coming to work for me.”
Chapter 13