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"Today. He's going to give you a call Monday. He's very excited-wants to make a bunch of changes. Good luck, Russ."
Audie reached out her hand and waited until Russell, in shocked silence, offered his. She pumped it hard and smiled at him. "Later."
She turned toward the curved carpeted stairs that led from the ballroom floor to the sitting rooms and lounges. Just a few more steps and she'd be free of this room. Of this life. She'd wait for Drew out front. She'd mail her resignation to Malcolm on Monday.
Audie felt someone reach for her wrist, and she pivoted quickly to see the bartender.
He flashed her a toothy grin. "Just wanted to let you know I'm going on break. Would you like to come with me?" He opened his tuxedo jacket to reveal two Heinekens stuffed in an inside pocket.
Audie laughed, surprised and flattered by his determination. She studied him a moment, admiring just how cute he really was-greenish eyes, sandy straight hair, a wide, sensual mouth… "Oh, hell!" she groaned.
"Hey, I'm twenty-one, if that's what you're thinking. Whaddya say, soccer coach?"
Audie sighed. "Look, thanks for the beers and the offer, but no. I need to go home."
"With or without company?"
Jeez, the guy was stubborn, and for a second she was tempted. But it would only be a pale imitation of what she really wanted, and no amount of wishful thinking would turn this kid into Qui
She popped up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Go find a girl to love. She's out there. Have faith."
She went ru
"Audie?"
What now? She spun around only to find herself staring at… Tim Burke?
Somebody just shoot me.
The run did nothing for him. Nearly ten hard and fast miles along the sticky, dark lakefront, and he didn't even feel tired. There was no sense of peace in him. Just fury, loneliness, and a stomach-churning dose of doubt.
Qui
Maybe it was just that somewhere in the back of Qui
He'd pictured a lot of things.
Qui
Timmy Burke was looking at nineteen counts of felony assault and two counts of stalking. The mayor went apoplectic. The reporters were salivating all over themselves. Commander Co
Then Qui
At the initial hearing that morning, Tim had been released on a $100,000 bond and told to stay away from Audie. It was what they expected.
After the hearing, Qui
Yet none of it mattered to Qui
Because all he thought about was Audie. And all he felt was awful.
Qui
What a god-awful scene that had been, admitting to them that he hurt like hell.
"We're right here with you, boy-o," his father had said.
Qui
He raked his fingers mercilessly through his hair, scruffing up the shampoo, groaning as the water cascaded down the top of his head and along his shoulders.
He couldn't stop picturing the words he'd seen above Audie's signature, and the more he tried not to think about the words, the clearer the mental images became. He knew no amount of ru
Audie had called several times yesterday and today, crying to Sta
Because the truth was that just two days ago he'd asked Autumn Adams to marry him. But today he almost wished he'd never met her.
Qui
The first was Audie in danger, ru
He woke up nauseous, drenched in cold sweat. And he was angry-so damn angry at himself for failing her.
When he went back to sleep, the torture only intensified. His hands were filled with her warmth and her curves and his fingers were trailing along the hollow of her throat, ru
Despite everything, Qui
Goddamn it, he missed her. Despite everything, he loved her. And she loved him-he couldn't be wrong about this. He could not be wrong about Audie.
Then what was he wrong about? Because he was sure as hell wrong about something.
Qui
So what had he missed? Where was the piece he'd not seen?
Qui
Fact: An anonymous call from a City Hall pay phone claimed that the vice mayor's computer contained threats to Homey Helen. The voice was muffled but was possibly that of a female. The message got relayed to Qui
Question: How did the caller get access to Tim's personal files? What motivated the caller to read through them and decide to contact the police?
Fact: The threats were right where the caller said.
Question: Was Timmy so stupid that he'd compose those notes on his office computer? Was he so arrogant he thought he'd never get caught?
Fact: Tim Burke was stalking Audie. Qui