Nothing obvious.
But really, what’s Enzo going to do? Snatch me off the street in broad daylight with dozens of witnesses? He might be grammatically impaired, but he’s smarter than that.
After inspecting a few posted menus, Katherine and I settle into a foodie bar occupying the ground floor of a two-story brick building that probably housed a dry goods shop in the early nineteen hundreds. The wood plank floors and exposed brick walls are almost mandatory decor in these parts. I can’t decide if I should face the door or keep my face hidden. Katherine sits, and I take the chair with my back to half the restaurant but with a view of the street. I still can’t shake the feeling of someone following me.
Katherine orders a bottle of white wine and several small plates to share. Thank god I don’t have to make any decisions.
“Alright, spill. I’ve never seen you this upset or this quiet.”
I consider my answer but get distracted when Cade, or someone who looks just like him, walks by the restaurant.
The server delivers the wine, blocking my view as he fills our glasses. As soon as he’s gone, I search for Cade. Maybe it wasn’t him. I hope it was, and his presence explains the crazy nerves I’ve had. It has to be. It’s the only explanation for why Tyler let me leave. He planned for my protection. The tension in my muscles dissolves.
“Amy?”
“Huh?” I glance back at Katherine and realize I’ve missed part of the conversation.
“What’s going on with you? The truth. You haven’t been yourself since the wedding. And you’re wound up like a banker on cocaine right now.”
I blink at Katherine. “Did you say banker on cocaine?”
“Oh good, you’re listening again. Quit avoiding the question.”
I could make something up like I have for the past three years, but I’m not in the protection program anymore. Katherine is my best friend, and I need to talk to someone. I twist my wedding band. “Tyler’s not really my husband. I mean, he is on paper, but it was only so—well, I don’t really know why. It all happened so fast when I went into witness protection.”
Katherine picks up her wine and takes a slow sip, then carefully sets the glass down. “You’re in witness protection?”
The shock in her voice matches her face. Stoic Katherine is nearly at a loss for words.
“I was. As of a month or so ago, I’m not. But there’s a problem…” I proceed to explain to her the basics of what happened with the Brambilla family and hint at Enzo’s sadistic streak. I tell her all about what happened at the inn.
“This is Alabaster we’re talking about.” Katherine taps her lip with her perfectly manicured finger. “Someone had to have seen something. Whoever is doing this isn’t local. Big guy—wearing all black— had to stick out like a sore thumb in the hardware store. I know I did.”
I laugh. “You’re not wrong.”
“So maybe he’s not from St. Louis, but Denver at least. And if he’s not from the area, he has to be staying somewhere. Let me put out some feelers. Gabe can reach out to the people he knows. Between his construction work and my websites, we know practically every innkeeper and hotel manager in a fifty-mile radius.” She fills our wineglasses with the last of the bottle. “What have you been reading? I need new recommendations. Something spicy.”
This is why Katherine is my friend. She gets the information and moves on. I can’t dwell on all this negative emotion. And she loves to read as much as I do. “How spicy?”
“I’m willing to go ghost pepper at this point.”
“I think you’ll love this one I just finished. Newer author, but it’s a cozy mystery and an erotic romance all in one. It’s hilarious and sexy. I love the hero, Ryder.” I pull up the cover on my phone.
“Is that a dead armadillo on the road?” She’s already taking note of the title.
We chat about the upcoming ski season and whether Katherine has healed enough from her injury to return. The afternoon disappears in a cloud of contentment. There’s no way I’m leaving Alabaster. I can’t give up my life again. This one is even better than the one I had in St. Louis.
When Katherine drops me off, Tyler is relaxing in the great room. I turn on the kettle in the kitchen and tuck my purse in my office. Cade walks in a few minutes later as I’m coming out of the kitchen with my cup. “Thanks for keeping an eye out for me.”
His olive skin takes on a slightly red tint. “Any time.”
Strong arms wrap around my middle. Tyler. “Thought you might be out all night.”
He’s teasing me. There’s no way, even with Cade on protective detail, he’d let me out of his sight for that long. “Katherine had to get back. But you were right, I needed a break.”
Stone comes through the door, looking windblown and staring at his phone. He glances up. “Everyone okay?”
Cade responds with a thumbs-up. Was Stone following me too?
