“Your choice; let me know if you change your mind.” She coughed to clear her throat. “Given the nature of your request, I assume you’d like this done as quickly as possible.”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
She made a sound that suggested his answer amused her. A man’s voice speaking in what sounded like Russian carried over the phone, and she fired off a response in what he assumed was the same language. “Sure thing, Pinto. I’ve got a few loose ends to tie up with this job, but I should be back in the States by tomorrow. Is that soon enough for you?”
He smiled. “Perfect.”
Fionawalkedawayfromthe checkout lane with a cart full of toys that her sister and brother-in-law would hate but her nephews would absolutely love.
It was her sacred duty as the cool aunt—actually, the only aunt—to spoil them on Christmas. The boys, ages five and seven, were at the stage where they loved any toy, so long as it was loud and/or messy. She’d satisfied both requirements with a toy electric guitar for Ben and a Spiderman web slinger that shot Silly String for Elias. If she got them giftwrapped and in the mail by tomorrow, they stood a good chance of making it to her sister’s house in time for Christmas.
Fiona dug into her purse for her keys. She’d gotten gift cards for the rest of her family. It was easier that way. Less postage to pay, and less worries about something getting lost or damaged in transit. They could buy what they wanted at their favorite stores, and she wouldn’t have to worry about her gift being the wrong size, the wrong color, or just plain wrong.
While she was at it, she also got a present for Joe. Nothing much, she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea, but she considered him a friend—okay, maybe a bit more than that, but she wasn’t quite ready to examine those feelings yet—and all of her friends got something for Christmas.
As if on cue, her phone vibrated with an incoming message from Joe. She checked the screen and smiled as she read the message:Hey, Fi. How did things go with Hatch?
She stepped out of the flow of foot traffic and typed a quick response:Great! Hatch is a sweetie.
Probably not the way a guy like Hatch would want to be described, but it was the truth. He’d listened to her concerns about security and installed a system that would keep her safe and let her know if anyone so much as breathed within ten feet of her doors and windows. He’d also checked for hidden electronic devices, and the fact he’d found none meant she could shower without fear of being secretly recorded.
Her phone chimed with another message from Joe:Glad to hear it. I’ll stop by later.
Smiling, she tucked her phone back into her purse. With school officially on winter break, she had the rest of the afternoon to do as she pleased. Maybe she’d stop by the thrift shop and see if they had any holiday decorations that would look good in her apartment. Her Christmas budget was nearly depleted, but perhaps she could score a bargain or two that would spruce up her place for the holidays. Then she’d go home and get everything ready for her trip to the post office tomorrow morning.
She pushed her cart through the automatic exit doors, and her pulse jumped at the sight of Dennis’s unmarked police cruiser parked alongside her vehicle.
Adrenaline surged, although her body was frozen, trapped between fight and flight. The way she saw it, she had two choices: retreat to the store and wait for him to leave—and who knew how long that would take—or deal with the problem head-on. Usually, she would have chosen the former, but she was tired of avoiding him, of screening her calls, of not going to places she enjoyed because she didn’t want to risk running into him. Most of all, she was tired of giving him that kind of power over her.
She cast a glance around the packed parking lot, taking in the steady stream of foot traffic coming in and out of the store. To her left, an employee collected carts, while a woman nearby loaded bags into the trunk of her car. Considering how much Dennis disliked loud, messy, public altercations, this many witnesses would certainly ensure he remained on his best behavior.
Might as well get this over with. She hitched her purse strap higher on her shoulder and forced her feet to start moving. At her approach, Dennis stepped out of his vehicle and leaned against the door as if he hadn’t a care in the world. His slacks were pressed, his white shirt crisp, his hair neatly trimmed. He projected an image of honesty and virtue, a model citizen for others to emulate.
Good thing she knew better.
He flashed a million-dollar smile that only made her want to smack him. “Fiona, it’s good—”
“Did you break into my apartment?” she blurted, and felt an odd sense of satisfaction when the smile slid away from his face.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I saw your car in the lot last night. Someone broke into my apartment. You do the math.”
Dennis scowled. “I’m a police officer. My job is to uphold the law. Do you have any idea how insulting that question is?”
That wasn’t a denial, and it made her wonder whether Joe’s suspicions were correct. “Then why were you there?”
“We need to talk.” He stepped toward her, and her heart rate jumped a few notches.
“We have nothing to discuss.” She tried to steer her shopping cart around him, but Dennis blocked her path. Nerves skittering, she shot him a look that usually made even her most hardened students quiver in their seats. “Get out of my way.”
“Not until we’ve talked.”
It was times like these when she seriously regretted not keeping pepper spray in her purse. Then again, if she hosed him with the spray, he’d probably have her arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer, and then she’d end up on the evening news and lose her job.
Still, she adjusted her grip on her keys, slipping a couple between her fingers because his aggressive body language was making her nervous. “I don’t care what you say, or do, or promise. You are who you are, you’re never going to change, and that’s not what I want in my life. We are never, ever getting back together. I don’t know how I can make that any clearer for you. Now leave me alone before I call 911 and start screaming.”
Dennis propped his hands on his hips and glared down at her with exasperation. “Do you really think that asshole will make you happy?”
