Page 53 of Rescued Faith

“You sure you don’t want me to come in with you?” Izan asked Olivia.

“He does have some pretty sweet moves,” Bryce said. One less person in the van meant more breathable air. And more of Penny’s attention.

“If Emma remembers Izan was with you, it might scare her off to see him again. We can’t risk it.” Penny stared Bryce and Izan down. “She’s a cop. She’ll be fine.”

“I still say it would be smart to have some backup.” There was no sign of his famous dimple or usual good humor as Izan spoke.

“I’ll go.” Tony stood.

Olivia and Penny studied Tony as he took off his jacket, as if assessing if his wardrobe was club-worthy.

“Uh, no. That’s not what I meant.” Izan stepped in front of Anthony so he was face-to-face with Olivia. “I’ll go in separately, a few minutes after you, so Emma won’t think we’re together. I’ll stay close to the bar and that side of the dance floor and watch your back.”

Jude spoke up from the front seat. “Neither Izan nor Bryce are law enforcement. You have no weapons, no training inapprehending someone. It’s not that we don’t trust you guys, but we have to do this by the book. You two need to stay here.”

Izan and Bryce looked at each other.

“Then, Tony, you’re up. You go in first, find a spot, and we’ll send Olivia in about ten minutes.” Penny took his jacket from him.

“Sure thing.” He grinned at her before he hopped out of the truck and headed across the street to the club entrance.

“Sorry, man. I tried,” Bryce whispered to Izan as soon as everyone went back to their tasks. He could commiserate with his friend. Sitting around waiting for something to happen was not his forte.

“Okay, I’m ready. Are you getting the camera feed?” Olivia asked.

Jude came to the back area. He and Penny studied the three screens hanging on the side. Penny turned to Olivia and made some adjustments to the necklace. “Everything looks good. Give Tony a few more minutes to get situated and you’re on.”

Olivia stepped out of the truck, checked her mic, and was gone. Bryce glanced over to Izan. His leg bounced to a fast rhythm. The man had it bad.

“All right, let’s keep our eyes peeled for Emma and her mysterious boyfriend.” Penny stuck a long stick of red licorice in her mouth as she studied the screens. Bryce’s focus stuck on her lips. Clearly Izan wasn’t the only one pining.

Once Olivia made it into the club, everything went silent as four pairs of eyes scanned the monitors for their targets.

An hour into the stakeout, Bryce’s bag of chips was long gone and his attention fading. “How long are we going to stay here? There hasn’t been a hint of Emma or the Sosa lookalike.” He sat between Jude and Izan on stools while Penny stood behind them all, leaning on the opposite counter.

“These things take time. Patience.” Jude’s eyes didn’t leave the screen as he spoke. Steady and stable as ever, which was great for a man married to his little sister. But for himself, give him something tangible to do or he was going to go nuts.

“I think I’ll step out and get some air.” Bryce started to rise.

Penny pushed him back down. “You promised if we let you come, you’d stay in the truck. We can’t risk you being seen.”

Was it just him or did her hands linger a little longer than necessary on his shoulders? Either way, her touch trickled deep down inside him and ignited longing. Longing for something true. Something deep and lasting. Most of the time he could ignore it, but since Penny had come back to town it was getting harder and harder to push aside. So why fight it? His mother thought they were good together. Logan saw it too.

If only he didn’t have an audience, he’d ask her if she’d be willing to give him another chance. But no?—

“There! Olivia, turn toward that southwest corner.” Penny spoke into the mic.

The camera angle slowly turned. Jude pointed to the screen. “That’s Emma.”

Bryce froze. “And that’s Sosa.” The man guiding Emma into a dark booth looked very much like Diego Ruiz Sosa. The man who had tried to kill his family. The man responsible for throwing Penny in that closet, expecting her to die in the fire. Bryce squeezed the empty chip bag and twisted it. If he got close enough, it would be more than a foil bag he would wrench. “Who is he?”

“He can’t be Diego. This guy is too young. Really young. He’s gotta be related though. Look at his nose. It’s longer. He’s taller…but there must be a DNA connection.” Penny’s finger traced the different features on the screen.

“That’s not a point in his favor. If anything, that makes him more guilty.” Bryce was ready to pounce.

“What do we do now?” Izan asked.

“Olivia, see if you can get closer, strike up a conversation. If I hear his voice, I’ll know for sure if that’s who Emma met with in the warehouse. Once we confirm, we’ll move in and arrest them.”

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