Page 47 of Remember That Time

"When do I get let in on this little secret of yours?"

"When we get there."

That was not helpful.

We'd been on the road for awhile when I saw a road sign. I gasped and turned to look at Janos. "We're going to Coney Island?"

"Surprise!"

I'd only been to Coney Island once before in my life. My parents had taken us three brothers there one day during the summer I turned ten years old. At the time, it had been the most exciting thing I'd ever experienced.

Sadly, due to my father's work schedule we hadn't been back. Over time, mine and my brothers' work schedules had added to the reasons we didn't go back.

"Thank you!" Before I could think about it, I leaned over and planted a kiss on Janos's cheek. As soon as I settled back in my seat, my eyes rounded.

Why had I done that?

I quickly turned to watch out the window, praying Janos couldn't see my flushed cheeks. I really hadn't meant to do that.

Silence hung in the air between me and Janos like a pendulum blade—heavy, sharp, and deadly. I wasn't sure why he wasn't talking, but I knew why I wasn't.

Even if I had packed a change of clothes in my backpack, I didn't want to put voice to my desire to spend another night in Janos's bed. I wasn't ready to acknowledge my desire for the handsome man and I was terrified he'd make me.

This thing between us—whatever it was—was happening way too fast for me. My experience with relationships could be counted on one hand with a couple of fingers left over.

I was in way over my head.

Chapter Fourteen

~ Janos ~

"Sir, another letter arrived."

I frowned at Lester as I took the envelope he held out to me. I quickly slit the envelope open with my letter opener and pulled the paper out from inside.

My jaw clenched as I started reading what was written.

By now, you should know the child is yours. Babies are expensive. If you want this one to live to see its first day, I want ten million dollars in small unmarked bills. Failure to get the money and I'll get an abortion. I'll contact you in one week with drop-off information.

I gripped the paper with my hand until the edges crumbled. Rage ripped through me until I trembled with it. This monster was threatening me with an abortion? Threatening my child?

I was going to kill them when I got my hands on them.

"Have you had any luck tracking who is sending these letters?"

"No, sir," Lester replied. "Whoever wrote the letters printed them out on a printer. Until we have a suspect, we can't test against any printers. There were no fingerprints on the letter and all the fingerprints on the envelope have been ruled out."

I glanced up. "Ruled out? Why?"

"They are fingerprints of people who have handled the envelope. My fingerprints, yours, one of the mailroom clerks, and like that."

Damn.

I vaguely remember asking Lester to get the video footage from the hotel. Maybe that could give us a clue? "What about the video surveillance from the hotel? Were you able to get it?"

"The only thing that they show is you getting off the elevator and starting down the hallway. Unfortunately, none of the cameras were pointed in the direction of your hotel room. Just in front of the elevators."

Double damn.

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