“So, the Vigilante struck again. I seriously love him,” Faye professed. “Have you seen the fan sites?”
She had, and more kept popping up hourly. She truly didn’t get it…they were idolizing a serial killer.
“I saw where someone is organizing a rally at the arch in Washington Square Park. I’m thinking of attending.”
“Seriously?”
Faye shrugged. “Maybe it’s not morally correct, but as a victim who was denied justice, it feels good knowing there’s someone out there sticking up for us, defending us. I’m not saying it’s right or anything. It’s just how I feel.”
Olivia didn’t condone violence with violence, but then, she’d never walked in Faye’s shoes. Faye chatted some more until Chrissy called her away to take care of an issue with the air conditioning in the yoga studio. Olivia’s gaze drifted back to Alex. He was now doing squats holding a weight bar across his shoulders. His thighs bulged with the movements. She wasn’t the only one who noticed. Every female eye in the gym was on him. And several male ones. He had to know. He racked the bar and wiped his face with a towel. When he lowered it, he was looking directly at her, causing her to miss a step and almost tumble right off the treadmill.
Alex grabbed his bottle of water and drank deeply. She was mesmerized by the way his Adam’s apple bobbed. Then he recapped it and headed her way. Her heart rate, already in the target fat-burning range, kicked up a notch into the danger zone. He stepped up onto the treadmill Faye abandoned and started walking. Olivia tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
“I try to run every day,” he told her as he punched buttons and the machine picked up pace until he was jogging. “I got addicted rebuilding my cardio after the bullet hit my lung.”
She felt a flash of fear when she remembered that urgent call from Kendall. He’d been shot point-blank range and they didn’t know if he’d make it. She couldn’t get on the plane fast enough. “Do you have any lingering effects?”
“Not really.” He nudged the machine faster. “There was a fire a few months ago—”
“The studio for Killer Cuisine. I remember.”
“Yeah. Some people were still inside so a few of us went to find them. Ended up with minor smoke inhalation.”
She knew about the fire, but Kendall hadn’t told her about him running into a burning building. She had to decrease her speed. The thought of the danger he willingly put himself in humbled her. “You’re okay now?”
“Yeah. I wasn’t able to run for weeks after the glass pierced my thigh, but I’ve been pushing it—what?”
Olivia had stepped off the conveyer belt but didn’t turn off the machine. She was staring at him in horror. “You could’ve been killed. Any one of those times could’ve taken your life.”
Alex shut off his machine and then reached over and did the same to hers. “Hey, what’s this?” He wiped a tear from her cheek. She didn’t even realize she was crying.
“You’ve come close to dying three times, Alex.”
He huffed out a laugh. “Actually, there’ve been a few more times than that. I’m pretty sure I’ve used up eight of my nine lives.”
She gaped at him. “How can you make a joke of this?” Her voice was shrill and she could feel herself shaking but she couldn’t help it.
“Olivia, babe.” He tugged her into his arms. “I’m fine. My jobs have been dangerous sometimes but I don’t take unnecessary risks. I’m well trained.” He rubbed his hand down her back.
She nodded against his chest and reigned in her emotions. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t a crier, yet she’d done so twice in the last twelve hours…all in front of Alex. Embarrassed by her show of tears, she grabbed her towel and water bottle. “I’m going to shower and then we can head to the station.” Thankfully, he didn’t say anything else about her tears as they made their way to meet Jonah. She didn’t know if she could explain them. She just felt an overwhelming sense of loss, of despair, of longing. She wanted Alex in her life and she didn’t know how to make that happen.
#
Alex stood back with his arms crossed while Olivia played the video for her producer. He’d liked Jonah Wyles instantly. The man was no-nonsense and he obviously cared about Olivia’s security. He’d thanked Alex for taking the job. Alex didn’t think Luke and Logan would appreciate it if he told Jonah he’d have done it for free. A woman knocked on Olivia’s office door and opened it, a man trailing in her wake.
“Derek Benson?”
The man glanced over and did a double-take. A huge smile broke over his face and he crossed the room. “Alex Mylonas. What the hell?” They shook hands and did a one-armed bro-hug. “How long has it been?”
“What, three years? Hey, thanks for the note after the shooting.”
“When I heard you took a bullet, man, my heart stopped. Everything okay now?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“You here about the Vigilante case? Do you have something similar going on in Chicago?”
Alex shook his head. “I resigned with the CPD. I work for a private company now.”
“Oh yeah? I didn’t know that. Which one?”
“COBRA Securities.”
Derek’s eyes widened. “No shit? Man, I’m impressed. They’re the best. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“So what are you doing here?”
“I’m keeping an eye on Olivia…Ms. Larrson. The Vigilante is too close to her.”
“Good,” Benson said. “I didn’t like that this person could get to her so easily. I asked her to make a list of her friends and acquaintances in the city and my God, it was a long one. We’ve been vetting them. So far, no red flags.”
“Uh-hum.” They both turned to the woman clearing her throat and staring at them expectantly. “Detective Susannah Kramer,” the brunette said, holding out her hand. Alex shook it. “How do you know this big lug?” She smacked Benson against the chest. He winced and rubbed the spot.
“We attended a cop conference together a couple of years ago. Roomed together.”
“I overheard a bit…you were a detective in Chicago?” He nodded. “And now you work for COBRA Securities. Are they hiring?”
“Trying to get away from me, Kramer?” Benson joked.
“Always,” she retorted. “Besides, you said you’d love to work for them after that report on the Patrick Sweeney case.”
“I would,” Derek agreed. “It must be nice getting away from all of the politics and paperwork of the department.”
“True, that,” Alex agreed. He pulled out his wallet and extracted business cards, handing one to each of the detectives. “If you are interested, get in touch with me after this case. I can’t promise anything because it’s pretty competitive, but I’ll pass along your information.”
They tucked his card away and thanked him.
“Detectives?” At Olivia’s summons, they made their way behind her desk to watch as she played the video.
“Oscar Tanner…that was a bad case,” Kramer murmured. “Everyone knew he was guilty but his lawyers got him off on some technicality.”
After the video tape operator copied the file to prepare it for broadcast, the detectives bagged and tagged it as evidence. Alex exchanged contact information with Benson and then he and Olivia headed off to shop.
Chapter Thirteen
Olivia had the most wonderful morning. After leaving the station, she and Alex shopped to supplement his wardrobe. They ate lunch at an outdoor bistro and talked and laughed. They had so much in common…something they didn’t get the chance to discover during their brief encounter in Chicago.
She’d met his parents and younger sister…even kept in touch with Allie. He told her about his dad’s knee surgery and his mom’s new hobby of scrapbooking. He asked about her family and she told him she was an only child and how close she was with her parents. She described their plantation house in Savannah and how she tried to visit them every few months.
They discovered they both loved to read, though she tended towards romantic suspense while he enjoyed mysteries. They both picked Mexican food as their favorite cuisine and time passed much too quickly. She checked her watch. She had an hour before she had to be at the station to prepare for the evening broadcast so they strolled leisurely back to her apartment. Alex carried all of the shopping bags, even the ones containing her impulse buys. If his arms weren’t full, she’d slip her hand in his. As they neared her apartment, they stopped abruptly after spotting a woman using her cell to film the building and surrounding area.
She noticed them and waved them by. “I just moved in and wanted to show my mom what the neighborhood looks like,” she explained. They smiled at her and continued to her door. She dug out her key, hoping she could slide it in the lock before Carl could get up. She fumbled the keys and they clattered to the sidewalk. As she bent down to pick them up, the window in front of them exploded. Glass rained down over her. Before Olivia could process what was happening, Alex threw his body over hers.
“Stay down,” he ordered as another shot rang out. Alex scooped her up, still shielding her with his body, and lunged through the broken glass into the lobby. Another gunshot sounded and more glass exploded. He dashed for cover out of the line of fire and placed her on the floor against a wall well out of range. He had his gun in his hand and he was calling for backup. She looked over and gasped.
“Carl!” The doorman was lying on the floor in front of his desk, glass littering the ground around him. He wasn’t moving. Had he been shot? She jumped to her feet, but Alex held out a hand to restrain her. “Stay put. I’ve got him.”
Alex peered around the wall, leading with his gun. With no immediate threat, he crouched down and rushed to Carl. Olivia stood with her hands on her mouth, jumping from foot to foot. Alerted by the gunfire, people started to pile into the lobby. She tried to keep them back from the danger. Alex slid his hands under Carl’s shoulders to drag him back just as another shot rang out. He grunted but didn’t stop until he had Carl out of harm’s way.
“Is he hit?” Olivia crouched down beside him.
“I don’t think so,” Alex said. “He’s got some cuts from the flying glass, but I don’t see blood or an entry wound.”
“Let me through,” a woman called out. “I’m a nurse.” She shouldered through the onlookers and dropped down beside Olivia. Sirens wailed outside.
“The shooter will be gone by now,” Alex told her. “I’ll deal with the cops.”
Olivia watched the nurse probe Carl for any wounds. “I can’t find a pulse,” she said as she started chest compressions. Paramedics raced inside with a stretcher and took over CPR.
“He has a heart condition,” Olivia told them. Panic struck. Mary. She needed to know. And CJ. They might want to ride to the hospital with him. “Excuse me.” She stood and hurried down the long corridor to Carl’s apartment. She knocked a little too rapidly and loudly, but she was fueled by adrenalin.
The door whipped open and CJ’s menacing look melted when he saw her. His face broke into a wide smile. “Hey, Olivia.”
“CJ, there was a disturbance in the lobby. I think your father might’ve had a heart attack.”
“Oh, no.” Fear crossed his face and he closed the door. “Ma’s asleep. She had a rough night so she took a pill. She’ll be out for hours. I don’t want to wake her.” They hurried back to the lobby just as the paramedics lifted the stretcher and clicked the wheels into place.
Carl Junior rushed forward. “That’s my dad. Is he…”
“He’s alive. We got a pulse.”
“Can I ride with him?”
The paramedics agreed and Carl Junior raced after them. Olivia searched for Alex, finding him standing next to Detective Benson. He was talking to him but his eyes were on her. Then she noticed the red on his arm and she gasped, practically flying to his side. “Alex, were you shot?”
He looked down at his arm, seemingly surprised to see the blood. “Nah, just a graze.”
She ignored his protests and pulled up his sleeve to examine the wound. It was red and jagged, oozing blood. He had other small cuts, no doubt from flying glass. “We need to get you to a hospital.”
“Olivia, it’s fine. It’s just a flesh wound.”
“You are going to the hospital now.” The shrillness of her voice telegraphed the desperation she was feeling. He’d risked his life for her and been shot in the process. She couldn’t stop shaking.
“Hey.” Alex gathered her in his arms and she burrowed into his warmth. “I’m fine. You’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“What about you?” She pulled back to look up at his beautiful face. “You were shot, Alex. Again.”
“It takes more than a bullet to stop me.”
Tremors overtook her again and Alex drew her close. He continued to speak with Benson but she tuned everything out and focused on pulling herself together. She wasn’t fragile and she didn’t have breakdowns. But seeing Alex put himself in danger—for her—was playing havoc with her nerves. When she felt stronger, she tried to step back but Alex refused to let her go. He gripped her hand and laced their fingers together. She checked her watch and gasped. It was past time for her to be at work. She needed to be on the air soon and she was a hot mess. “I need to get to the station.” She tugged his hand.
“I called Jonah,” Alex told her, stalling her forward progress. “He’s going to call someone in to cover for you tonight. We need to head to the police station and give a statement.”
“If you won’t go to the hospital, then we need to stop by my apartment so I can doctor your wound.”
“I’ll drive you to the precinct when you’re ready,” Benson said. He excused himself to talk to a uniformed officer. Alex gathered their bags off the floor in front of the desk. She had no idea how they got there. The last time she saw them, they were scattered along the sidewalk in front of her building. She led him to the elevator. Once the doors swished shut and they were ascending, he asked, “Are you okay?”
Her whole life, she’d been the strong one. When faced with challenges or adversity, she was the rock. For some reason, she didn’t feel strong around Alex. She felt fragile. Maybe it was because with him, she didn’t have to be tough. He was her rock now. And she didn’t want anything to happen to him. She inhaled deeply and nodded slowly, trying not to focus on the blood seeping down his arm. “I think so,” she admitted. “I’m so worried for Carl.” And for you.
“We’ll swing by the hospital after we give statements.”
“Thank you.” She sighed heavily. “Who would be shooting at me? It can’t be the Vigilante.”
“I have no idea. He’s stirred up worry and fear in the guilty. Maybe someone thinks they can get to him through you? I really don’t know.”
The doors slid open and they stepped into the hall. Olivia’s hand shook as she inserted the key into the lock. Thankfully, no naked Darla or Arlo in sight. She hurried to the bathroom for the first aid kit. When she returned, Alex was on his cell. He abruptly ended the call, opened his laptop and powered it on.
“Check this out.”
Olivia glanced over his shoulder as a clip played. She recognized the front of her building and then she and Alex smiled at the camera as they walked past. Her heart pounded as the entire nightmarish scene they just lived through played out in video. She dropped her keys, the glass shattered and Alex tossed the bags aside to cover her body. The video shook and went out of focus for a moment, probably as the woman took cover, but she didn’t stop filming. When it focused again, Alex was carrying her to safety.
#
Trent helped Ray slide the rifle into the Callaway Chev bag that usually held golf clubs and then they hurried out of the building. As luck would have it, the apartment complex directly across from the one where Olivia Larrson lived was under renovation. They snuck outside just as easily as they’d gotten in without anyone noticing their presence. Ray stuffed the bag in the trunk of his B
MW parked two blocks away. Ray’s shooting skills were sharp and if the Larrson woman hadn’t bent down at the exact second he squeezed the trigger, she’d be dead. Trent couldn’t contain a smile. Now it was his turn.
His brows knitted. He wasn’t prepared for the woman to have a boyfriend who acted more like a bodyguard. The guy had shielded her and gotten her out of there in the blink of an eye. Ray didn’t have time to get another decent shot at her. Time for Plan B…or more appropriately, Plan T, as in Trent.
Logically, he knew he should feel guilty for what they were doing to an innocent woman. Did she deserve to die simply because she reported the news? But logic had nothing to do with it. Ray unleashed the beast when he came up with this plan and Trent had an obsessive need to feed his addiction.
“I’m headed back over,” he told Ray. “There’s so much activity buzzing around with the investigation, I should be able to slip right inside the building.”
“You’ll have to wait hours,” Ray cautioned him. “Find a good place to hide.”
“I will.” Trent pulled the baseball cap lower on his head as he crossed the street, the gun with a silencer attached hidden in his pocket. He tried to look non-threatening and kept his head down. There were cameras all over the City and he didn’t plan on getting caught.
#
Layla stood and flexed her fingers. She’d been playing the piano for hours, and had written two new songs. She was better at lyrics than music, but she didn’t think they were too bad. She flipped on the television as a breaking news alert appeared. Had the Vigilante struck again?
A video played and she watched in horrified fascination as a window exploded in a million shards of glass in front of a man and woman. The man reacted instantly, covering the woman with his body. He was a human shield. Then he picked her up as if she weighed no more than a feather and darted inside the building, carrying her to safety. Layla’s heart flipped. What would it be like to have someone like that looking out for her and Tiff and Sean?
She nudged the sound higher as the film cut to a reporter doing a live report in front of the building. “The video you are seeing was shot earlier today in the Chelsea neighborhood. The woman in the video is Olivia Larrson, nightly news anchor with NYC-TV3. You might recognize Ms. Larrson as the conduit between the serial killer dubbed the Vigilante and the public.”
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