creeps would kill her if she went through with the show designed to raise money for her charity Photos of Hope.
Would it actually come to that?
She glanced at the guy again. Cold, deadly eyes peered out from the shadow of his hood.
Yeah, when she didn’t cancel the fundraiser, he’d make good on the threat. And she wouldn’t cancel. Of that, he could be sure. Her charity supported impoverished children and many would suffer without the money she raised for medicine and food. The children came first. They always came first.
But he couldn’t possibly know they’d already decided to hold the show as scheduled. Only she, the gallery owner and the police knew, right? So why was he coming after her now?
He shifted, eyes raking her body. Drilling into her face as if he were mining her thoughts. Maybe he did know, and he was here to end her life.
Easy, Jennie. It’s broad daylight. People around. He’s not going to hurt you here.
Right?
Maybe.
She had no idea what he intended.
She wanted to bolt through the car to move far away from those piercing eyes.
Stay calm. Two more stops. Just two more stops.
Then what? Get off the train and become an easier target?
She needed help. She should call 9-1-1. And what? Tell them a man with red paint on his hands was following her? By the time she convinced them to respond, she’d be dead.
Think, Jennie. Think.
Her phone pealed from her pocket, the shrill ring making her jump. She turned away from her stalker’s cold stare and looked at the screen. Madeline. The gallery owner.
“Thank goodness you called,” Jennie whispered into her phone. “Someone’s following me. He has red paint on his hand and jacket. I think he’s the guy who broke into the gallery last night.” Her words tumbled over each other.
“Where are you?” Madeline sounded calm, as usual.
“On MAX. First car. Two stops away.” Anxiety made it hard to breathe. She paused and sucked in stale air but still felt light-headed.
“Ethan Justice is here. I’ll send him to meet your train.”
“Ethan.” Of course! Ethan! Madeline had hired his P.I. agency to investigate the break-in and keep them safe.
Thank You, God.
“Stay on the phone,” Madeline continued. “I’ll give it to him and he can talk to you on his way there.”
As the train slowed for the next stop and passengers stirred, Jennie heard Madeline relay details to Ethan. The doors opened, and she stepped aside to let people pass. Her hooded tail stayed put. His eyes never leaving her, the razor-sharp gaze terrifying.
“I’m on my way, Jen.” Ethan’s voice, warm and familiar, rumbling through the phone, sent relief flooding down her veins, the last reaction she expected for the man she’d walked out on ten years ago.
“He’s after me, Ethan,” she whispered.
“I can’t hear you, Jen. Too much background noise.”
“I don’t want anyone to hear me,” she said a bit louder. “It’ll quiet down in here when we start moving again.”
“I’ll wait.”
That was Ethan. Patient and caring. Coming to the rescue of a woman who’d hurt him. Hurt him badly. And yet here he was. On his way to stop the creep whose scowl said he’d kill her without a second thought.
She shivered, a long shudder working over the length of her body. She wrapped her free arm around her stomach and waited for the train to reach cruising speed. When the car settled into a soft, rhythmic hum, she cupped her hand over her mouth and phone.
“There’s a man,” she said. “He followed me from the fire.”
“Are you sure he followed you?” Ethan breathed fast, as if running.
“Yes. I was shooting pictures as I walked to keep my mind off the break-in. I caught him in the viewfinder a few times. I was already freaked out from hearing about last night so I wondered if he was tailing me.”
She quickly looked to see if he still stood there. Fierce and threatening, he hadn’t moved.
“I got on the closest MAX car,” she went on. “Ran through it and back outside. Then I boarded the next car. He did the same thing.”
Ethan mumbled something she couldn’t make out. A loud exhale followed. “Madeline said something about paint.”
“Red. On his hand and jacket. I didn’t see it until he got close.”
“What’s he doing now?”
She glanced at him again. “Just watching me. But I’m afraid, Ethan.” Saying it aloud sent another shiver down her body. “I think he might have a gun. He hasn’t taken his hand out of his jacket pocket this whole time.”
“Calm down, Jen. Panicking might make him do something crazy.” He paused and she heard him draw in air. “I’m almost there. You should be able to see me soon. I’m wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and jeans.”
As if she needed to know his attire. Even with this creep threatening her life, she’d instantly recognize someone she’d once loved.
“Madeline said you were in the first car,” he continued. “Wave when you see me.”
“Okay.” She peered out the window, searching for the man she hadn’t seen since their amazing summer vacation from college. Hadn’t seen since the night she’d lied and told him that she just didn’t love him and didn’t want to be in a relationship with him anymore.
She’d never forgotten his face that night. Shocked, surprised, but most of all hurt. So hurt. She still felt horrible about lying to him. She had a choice and had taken the easy way out. Rejecting him had seemed less painful than waiting for his rejection when he learned about her past. That would end their relationship anyway, so why wait? So much easier to end things before she fell even more in love with him.
Now he was committed to helping her.
In the distance, she saw him running, dodging people on the busy downtown sidewalk. She took in his lean, wide- shouldered build, square jaw and dark hair cut shorter than she remembered. The white shirt set off his dark coloring, making him look dangerous yet very appealing at the same time.
The train began to slow and she waved to let him know she saw him.
He stood tall and strong where her train would disembark. “Where’s the guy standing in relationship to you?”
She checked to make sure he hadn’t moved. “Behind me. A little to my left. Near the other door.”
