“I’ll have Jacoby hack into their system.”
Kneeling behind him, she started rubbing his shoulders.
“You don’t have to—”
“Shh,” she whispered. “Deep breath. You are so tight, Sinclair. Let’s try to get you relaxed.”
Rather than tell her how she could really help him eliminate the tension, he stayed silent and accepted her massage. Her rhythmic, sensuous touch soothed him. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep, calming breath. No sooner had he started to settle down, when the image of the truck crashed into his thoughts and his eyes flew open. Jesus, that was fucked up.
Tight muscles yielded to her loving touch. Several glorious moments passed. When she patted his back, he turned to face her. “Thank you…for everything.”
Her eyes flitted between his eyes and his mouth. Before he got the chance to kiss her, she pushed off the floor. “You need to sleep.”
He walked her to her car. “Watch your six and text me when you get home.”
“We’ll find that son of a bitch,” she said. “And when we do, he’ll wish he never tried to hurt you.”
Her fiery attitude empowered him.
As she drove away, he glanced up and down the quiet street. Was someone watching his every move? Grinding his teeth, he retreated inside and bolted the front door. Then, he called Dakota.
“Someone’s trying to kill me,” he said.
13
Chasing the Leads
As Evangeline entered Henninger Security, her phone rang. “Hey, sis.”
“Where are you?” Hannah asked.
“Henninger’s. Everything okay?”
“Can you stop by and see me? No, wait, let’s meet at the coffee shop near my house.”
“Will you be alone?”
“Are you talking about Joey?”
“Yeah.” Evangeline stopped at the front desk.
“Just us two. Text me when you’re done and I’ll meet you there.” Hannah hung up.
Ever since meeting Joey, Hannah’s insecurities and fears seemed magnified. Evangeline didn’t like Joey’s form of “help”, but she had to tread lightly. If she pushed, she could do more harm than good.
She slid her phone into her back pocket. “Hey, Julie.”
“Happy New Year’s Eve,” Julie said. “Got plans tonight?”
“Yeah, with a cheap bottle of vodka. You?”
“My boyfriend and I are going to a party. Tucker’s free, too, I think. Maybe you guys—”
“Thanks, but no.” Evangeline pulled a chair over beside her. “You’re sweet to try to fix us up, but it’s not a good idea.”
Julie shrugged. “You guys have a lot in common.”
Sinclair’s sinful body and devilish smile popped into her head. Easy, girl.
“Well, there must be someone because you’re smiling pretty big.”
There is someone. Someone I adore. “Can I run through the sign-in list from yesterday?”
On a snort laugh, Julie rummaged through a pile of papers and handed Evangeline a small stack. “Here you go.”
Over the next thirty minutes, she scoured those pages looking for Joey’s name. No Joey Thomason, no JT Thomason, no JT. She wished she had a picture to show Julie, but there had been hundreds of guests at yesterday’s open house, and she doubted Julie would have remembered him, especially if he never checked in.
Tucker rolled into reception. “Hey, darlin’, whatcha doing here?”
“Looking for a name on a list.”
“Hmm.” He scowled. “What’s wrong?”
“I saw this guy—”
Tucker chuckled. “You can’t use the sign-in sheet for personal—”
“It’s someone I know who may be lying about his identity. He used the firing range yesterday. And I don’t trust him.”
“You don’t trust anyone, honey cakes,” Tucker said. “So, where are you ringing in the New Year?”
She hesitated.
“I’m throwing an impromptu party,” he continued. “If you’re not busy, come on by.”
“Thanks, but I can’t.”
Julie cleared her throat, but Evangeline didn’t look over at her.
“No problem,” Tucker said. “Happy New Year.” He ambled back toward his office and she continued reviewing the sign-in sheets.
“Hey, Julie, if I showed you a picture of this guy, would you be able to ID him?”
Julie nibbled her bottom lip. “Probably not. I talked to a zillion people yesterday.”
Evangeline returned the list to her. “Have a fun night.” Feeling like she was making zero progress, she texted her sister on her way out.
Fifteen minutes later, she parked at the familiar coffee shop. As she pulled open the front door, she spied her sister sitting alone, her baby bump bigger than ever. Evangeline sat across from her. “Hey, there.”
Hannah’s smile was laced with sadness. “Thanks for meeting me.”
“What’s wrong? Is the baby okay?”
“He’s great. You want something to drink?”
“It can wait.” Hannah’s trembling hands were clasped on the table. Evangeline took hold of them. “What’s wrong Hannah-Boo?”
Tears welled in her eyes. When they spilled down her cheeks, Evangeline swiped them away. “I’ve given this a lot of thought and…I’m giving the baby up for adoption.”
“What?”
Several patrons turned in their direction. Too stunned, Evangeline sat there staring at her sister.
“I’m so worried I won’t be enough.” Hannah lowered her head. “I…I don’t want to fail him.”
Evangeline’s heart broke as she moved beside her sister. “Hannah, I respect your choice, but I’ve gotta be honest. I’m concerned you’re basing your decision on fear.”
Staring at her clasped hands, Hannah shuddered in a shaky breath. “Probably. Maybe. I’m not sure.”
“You are going to be a great mom.” No reaction. “Hannah, look at me.” Evangeline waited until sad eyes stared into hers. “Honey, you’ve been so excited to be a mom. You’re so great with the kids at school.”
“That’s different. Those children aren’t mine. I mean, I love them, but I’m their teacher.”
Evangeline stroked her sister’s hand. “What prompted you to change your mind?”
“Joey helped me make this decision. He’s been so supportive and encouraging.”
Evangeline fought the urge to pound on the table, to scream, to forbid her sister from spending time with this man. Instead, Evangeline opted to stay chill, while she collected her thoughts.
Hannah was a grown woman—a twenty-six-year-old adult. She would have the love and support of her family. Despite how fucked up Birdie was, she believed he would do right by his grandson.
“Exactly what advice did Joey give you?” Beneath the table, Evangeline curled her hand into a fist.
“He’s counseled me on the values of child rearing. Of the importance of a two-parent household.”