Forever Hers by Walters, Ednah (new ebook reader .TXT) 📗

Blue fire flashed in the depth of her eyes. “And I thought I made it clear that I planned to help.”

“If I recall, I told you I didn’t need your help.”

“Then chalk it down to my inability to obey orders.”

And screw with a man’s head without realizing it. It was part of her charm. “Where’s Raelynn? From your outfit, I don’t think there’s space to hide her.”

“If that’s a dig at my dress, you’d better take it back. It cost me an arm and a leg.”

Eddie chuckled. A different woman would have been offended he found her outfit skimpy. “I guess I have no choice but to let you stay.”

“Or you could stay on your end of the bar and I stay on my end.”

“And start a riot? No, you’re mine.”

Her brow shot up.

He flushed. “I mean, you’re at my end.”

“Mine and at my end don’t rhyme, detective,” she teased, eyes twinkling.

“Come on, I want you to meet someone.” He gripped her hand and escorted her across the bar, part of him wishing he had a trench coat to drape around her shoulders. Even though her boots gave her a few extra inches, his trench coat would still cover her from head to toe. He didn’t like the look on some of the men’s faces. He pulled her closer and gave them a look that said, “Back off.”

Amy stiffened the closer they got to Sally. He slowed down and said, “It’s okay. She knows.”

“You told her?” she asked, not masking her annoyance.

“Not everything. Just that a man stalked and harassed you in Virginia, forcing you to flee, and that he’s here now.”

“Oh.”

“We’ll need her to arrest Nolan and his man.” They stopped by the policewoman.

“Officer Sally, we meet again,” Amy said as Sally stood and they shook hands.

“Yes, we do. I’m terribly sorry the circumstances are not pleasant, Ms. Kincaid, but I promise to do whatever I can to help,” the policewoman said, choosing her words carefully. “Stalkers tend to think they’re slick, but we always catch them.”

“I hope so,” Amy said then smiled at the two men who brought them stools. “Thank you.”

“We’ll have a table ready for you in few minutes,” one of the men added, a broad grin on his face.

“Thank you,” Amy said again.

Eddie wanted to punch the guy’s nose. For ten minutes, he’d stood at the bar because all the stools were taken and now two had magically appeared. The wait for a table, he’d been told by the owner, was thirty minutes.

“We’d like one by the wall,” he ordered the young man.

“Yes, sir.” The man took one look at him and scuttled away.

Pup. His attention shifted to Amy and Sally. Amy was explaining about the things Nolan had done to her, even admitting he was her ex-husband, but the look in her eyes said there was a whole lot more to her stories.

“The police took his side and didn’t believe me,” she finished, “so I packed up and left, took up the name Jessica Franklin, and left and prayed he didn’t track me down. Guess I was wrong.” She looked at Eddie as though checking his reaction.

“Around here, we don’t believe cops are above the law, Ms. Kincaid. We will catch this bastard.”

“So your married name is not Franklin,” Eddie asked.

Amy shook her head. “No. My married name was Reither.”

What else had she lied about? It rankled that she was more comfortable with a female cop than him. On the other hand, he must remind her of her ex, which left a nasty taste in his mouth.

Amy ordered ginger ale when the bartender asked her what she was drinking, then they were led to a table in the back with the perfect view of the entrance. He’d already checked upstairs and knew Randal wasn’t in the building.

They ate their garlic fries with homemade ranch, braised duck and buffalo burgers as six-thirty came and went without Randal showing up. Amy, he noticed, didn’t eat her food. She kept studying people around the room, watching the door and tensing every time it opened. She had even excused herself and went upstairs before their food arrived.

Eddie wished he could reassure her, but he was fast learning that earning her trust wasn’t going to happen overnight. Seven came and went. Randal had said he’d be at the bar at seven. Fifteen minutes later, Eddie had a bad feeling in his gut. He’d learned to never disregard that feeling.

“We need Randal’s address,” he told Sally.

“I’ll call the station and get it.” The pub was too loud for phone conversation. A band was playing and the crowd showed their appreciation with every tune. Sally made her way out of the pub, nodding at people she knew and returning greetings.

“Call home too, Amy.”

She scowled, but something on his face had her diving into her purse for her cell phone. She followed Sally outside, turning heads without even being aware of it. Eddie settled their bill and headed outside too.  Sally was leaning against the squad car, talking on her phone, but Amy…

He looked around and frowned. Where the hell was she? He searched for her car and didn’t see it. Something cold settled in his stomach.

“Have you seen Amy?”

Sally looked up and frowned. “No.”

“She came outside to make a call too. Amy,” Eddie yelled, frantically looking up and down the street.  There was an alley right by the pub with no security light.

“Do you want me to put an APB on her car?” Sally asked.

“Not yet. Search that way.” He pointed toward the traffic light. “I’ll go this way.” He entered the alley, his body tense, stomach clenched with tension. If something happened to her, if that bastard so much as touched a hair on her head, he was dead.

CHAPTER 8

“Amy!”

She was finishing her call when she heard voices calling her name. She recognized Eddie’s and rolled down the window just as he ran out of an alley. “Over here.”

He turned, saw her and changed