Deadly Game (Fortress Security #5)(21)



“Ski Mask?” Taylor’s eyebrows rose. “Why do you call him that?”

“Because he was wearing one until Brent snatched it from his head so we could see his face.”

“Did you recognize him?”

Rowan shook her head. “So what now?”

“I need to look around, see if I can pull prints off the window and fire escape. Did you notice him wearing gloves?”

“I wasn’t paying attention to his hands. Brent?”

“No gloves.”

“Makes my job easier. When I finish processing your apartment, I’ll head to the station to question Salazar. I’ll need both of you to come down and sign your statements. I should have them ready.” He shoved his notebook and pen into his jacket pocket.

“We’ll come by when Rowan is free,” Brent promised.

Rowan frowned. “Wait. Don’t you have to work?”

He inclined his head to his bag. “My laptop is in there and I have my cell phone. I’ll be working from your shop until your bodyguard arrives.”

“Hold up, buddy. Bodyguard?”

“You can’t be without protection, baby. Invisible Man has already made one run at you and failed. He won’t give up until he succeeds or until we take him down.”

“You think someone might come after me again in broad daylight?” She sounded skeptical because she was. How stupid were these people? Her shop was busy during the daytime which meant many witnesses.

“Takes a few seconds to pull a trigger and run. You don’t have surveillance cameras in your shop even though you should, and witnesses are unreliable at recalling a description. The shooter would get away, easy.”

Her stomach twisted at his words. “How would you prevent that?”

“Sitting in the shop, watching the customers and the front door. You already know I’m armed. No one will get to you on my watch.”

She scowled, hating that he was right and mentally guesstimating the cost of an upgraded security system. Maybe Brent’s company had a system for her. She could always offer him free coffee for life if he cut her a break on the price. “How would you get any work done that way?”

“I’m great at multitasking, babe.”

Again with those sweet names. It had been a long time since a man had called her that. With her work schedule, she hadn’t dated in the past eighteen months. Her last boyfriend had called her Apple Cheeks, a name she despised to this day. Might have something to do with the fact Ryan had slept with her former best friend and gotten her pregnant.

Taylor chuckled. “Take this downstairs, kids. I have real work to do. Rowan, listen to everything Brent tells you to do. Try not to argue with him. He knows security and has your best interests at heart.” He grinned. “Even if he is annoying.”

She blew out a breath. “I understand. There’s a to-go cup on the counter filled with more coffee for you. The other was for Brent when I thought he was going to work. I don’t suppose he’ll need it now.”

“Ha. You aren’t getting it back,” Brent said, with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’ll just refill it in your shop.”

Shaking her head, she said, “Let’s go, then. The pastry delivery will be here any minute.”

In fact, by the time she and Brent made it downstairs and turned on the lights, there was a knock on the back door.

“Let me get it.” Brent nudged her into the office where she could watch from relative safety. She breathed a sigh of relief when her regular delivery guy walked through the doorway with her normal load of baked goods for the day.

Workers began arriving within minutes and the day moved into full work mode. Customer traffic would hit a lull around ten and she would try to contact her assistant manager then. If Lacey couldn’t cover her shifts, she’d see if Chase and Karen, another senior employee, would take care of the shop. They’d both worked with her since the shop opened and knew almost as much as she did. Somehow this would work out. She had good people. They would jump in to help. While Rowan loved her shop and customers, her focus was on finding her niece.

Coffee House was slammed with business, a good thing for her bottom line, but frustrating since she kept hoping for just a couple minutes to call Lacey. Didn’t happen.

She’d expected Brent to be a distraction. Instead, his presence gave her confidence there wouldn’t be trouble in her shop. Though she hadn’t admitted as much, Rowan worried an attack at work would harm customers or employees, and she didn’t want to be responsible for that. Brent even stepped in to help bus tables when her workers were swamped filling coffee and pastry orders and customers were searching for a table to enjoy their morning drinks and snacks.

Finally, foot traffic slowed enough for Rowan to sit beside Brent at the coffee bar and call her assistant manager. Chase and another employee were busy busing tables and there were no customers in the shop, so she figured it was safe enough to talk to Lacey. Besides, she was too tired to walk back to her office. The short night of sleep was hitting her hard.

Before Rowan could explain what she needed, Lacey asked, “Did you get the note from Heather?”





CHAPTER NINE


Rowan’s hand clenched around the phone. “When was Heather here?” Beside her, Brent looked up from his laptop, his gaze locked on her face.

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