Page 39 of Deadly Peril

Chapter 11

The drive to the impound yard was awkward. Jana felt like an airhead for her behavior. After the car bomb incident, she should have been more alert. Alton had been texting about a supplier order, and it had seemed important.

But it wasn’t more important than her life. Thaddeus had made that point. He was trained in protection, including the smaller details that mattered. Jana admired his conscientious approach. It had saved her twice now, if she counted the suspicious guy Thaddeus had aided her to evade.

When Jana had heard about the situation that she’d been oblivious to, it rattled her. What if Thaddeus hadn’t been there? She’d have been an easy target by not paying attention. She shuddered to think of what could have happened.

At the yard, Jana paid the fee to get her truck back. It hardly seemed fair that it cost to pick up her vehicle, since she hadn’t been at fault for the incident. But apparently, the wheels of law enforcement didn’t operate that way.

The red truck was a mess from sitting in the yard for days. And the police examination hadn’t helped. Jana drove straight to the car wash, with Thaddeus following in the Jeep. While the soapy brush equipment washed her vehicle, Jana watched through the glass.

Thaddeus stood next to her, so she chatted about work and a few other things. It struck her that it was very domestic, as dinner with him had been. Despite the periodic bickering, her moodiness, and Thaddeus being royally pissed at her less than an hour before, she felt better with him by her side.

It wasn’t only that Thaddeus was there to protect her. It seemed right to be with him, although she couldn’t explain why. There was a list of reasons why they shouldn’t get along, but all that seemed to matter was being together.

Jana was pushing boundaries and knew it. She was attracted to a man who had the potential to break her heart. One bad breakup should have been enough. She had no business considering someone who was about as opposite from her as a man could be.

It was a good thing that Thaddeus hadn’t made a move. Jana wasn’t sure how she’d deal with that. He seemed to be acting normal, no longer angry with her. But he stood stiffly beside her, watching the surroundings and on constant alert.

The situation was hardly a romantic interlude. Yet without trying, Thaddeus was stealing her heart. She doubted that he even knew it. That was all she needed, considering the predicament she was in. It would be smart to handle the death threats before falling for her sexy Viking. But since when had she been smart in matters of the heart?

*****

The next morning, Jana planned to meet Coley at the gym for a workout. Besides skiing or rifle practice for the biathlon, she worked out with weights to stay fit and strong. Certain days she went through her routine with a coach. A few days a month, she met Coley so they could put each other through their paces.

Jana hadn’t bothered to tell Eva about the scary incident at the police station. It would only worry her grandmother more, so she didn’t see what good it could do. Thaddeus stayed close. He worked out early, as Jana had seen him outside, running in the snow and doing calisthenics. It was when he thought she was still sleeping.

When Jana was ready, Thaddeus drove her to the gym but announced he’d wait at the front. He wanted to give her some space. Apparently, he didn’t usually have to stick so close to clients. Many times, he just showed up at events or to accompany a client during travel.

Bodyguarding was limited duty, for the most part. But Jana’s situation was more the exception than the rule. Thaddeus told her that he wanted to be considerate and let her have personal time.

Jana appreciated that, and looked forward to chatting with Coley alone. Her mind was near to bursting with thoughts of what had been going on. She needed to process all that had happened and was still happening. She needed to talk with her friend.

Coley showed up dressed in black and gold gym wear. Her long hair was braided.

“New outfit?” Jana said.

“Yes, I’m tired of my others. What do you think?”

“I like it.” Jana ran her hands over her plain black shorts. “I should go shopping too. Once all this drama is over, I will. And you can come to help me pick out something that looks good on me.”

Music played through ceiling speakers. The clanging of machines and weights added discord to the harmony. The goal of the workout wasn’t to deplete strength but to energize. That was most advantageous for cross-country preparation.

That meant short, hard sessions. First was a warmup on the stationary bikes. And time to talk. Coley took the bike to Jana’s right and started pedaling. “I am so glad that Michael is home. I missed him.”

Jana enjoyed hearing that. It did her heart good to know that her friend had found the right man. “You guys are great together.”

“What about Thaddeus?” Coley said.

“You get right to the point, don’t you?”

Coley put her towel around her neck. “I like the guy. I don’t see how you can go wrong.”

Jana laughed. “You have to remember that this is me we’re talking about. I don’t have a good track record.”

“Oh, you mean Rakel? You can’t go by that. He’s not good husband material.”

“Um, you could have told me that before I married him.”

---