Page 29 of Annika's Aurora

“Well, isn’t that just a humdinger of a quote,” Jolene stated. Everyone laughed again.

“Humdinger? Your southern is showing again, Jolene,” Emma teased.

Then amazingly, the conversation moved on to other topics, and they had an enjoyable evening. The friendship they shared was beyond compare. They teased and praised each other, just like family.

The night would have been absolutely perfect if she hadn’t felt Logan pull away from her after learning about the school shooting. He didn’t pull away physically; he still held her hand throughout the night. And even occasionally put his arm across the back of her chair and lightly brushed his fingers against her shoulder.

He was just quiet and not truly engaged in the conversations around him. He looked lost in thought and somewhat angry. She worried he might be peeved at her for not telling him about the shooting. It was a nightmare she was trying desperately to put behind her. Knowing she had to tell him everything, she suddenly felt very tired and not at all ready to divulge all her secrets.

The night wound down, and everyone was getting ready to go. Logan had his hand on Annika’s back to usher her to the door. Before they could reach it, a man grabbed Annika and spun her to him, holding her firmly at his side.

Confused at first, she watched as Logan made a move to pull her back but he paused when the man wrapped an arm around her throat, a prickle of fear then rose in her. He held Annika firmly in a chokehold, and she could feel something hard digging into her back from his side under his coat. She froze and felt her limbs tremble when she realized the item could very well be a gun. Had the man not been holding her so tightly, she feared her legs would have given out on her.

“Mr. Petersen?” Logan asked angrily.

The man pointed a trembling finger at Logan. “You. Look at you. Not a care in the world. Having a laugh with your friends.” She could sense the remaining Nighthawk men circle around her and saw the man sneer at them out of the corner of her eye. “You make me sick. You’re nothing but a murderer. You killed my Carlie!” He was shouting, the words overly loud in her ear. Obviously drunk, spittle flew over her as he yelled.

“No, Mr. Petersen. I didn’t kill your wife,” Logan replied calmly. “Please let her go.”

“Yes, you did! You were there, and you let her die!” Annika watched Logan’s eyes flare. There was anger there but also guilt. Her heart broke for him. The last thing he needed was more guilt for another death.

Graham stepped up beside Logan. “Mr. Petersen. Your wife succumbed to her injuries before we could reach her. There was nothing anyone could have done,” Graham said, attempting to defuse both men. “Mr. Petersen. You have a daughter, don’t you? She needs you.”

“She needs her mother!” he yelled, his arm tightening around her throat. She reached up and grabbed his arm, attempting to pry it from her neck.

“Go home to your daughter,” Graham directed quietly.

Annika could feel the tense anger surging through Mr. Petersen’s body as he shouted, “My Carlie is dead because of you!”

“No, sir.” Logan tried to take a step closer to them but paused when Annika gasped. The arm around her throat had tightened even more as he raged.

“Liar!” Petersen yelled before Logan could say more. “You took her away from me. Now you’ll go home and fuck this bitch.” Annika could feel his derision as an audible gasp from the patrons of the restaurant reached her ears. “How would you feel if I tookheraway from you?”

Annika saw Logan stiffen. A tic went through his jaw, and his hands were clenched into fists so tight his knuckles were white. She knew instinctively he would risk everything to protect her. She had to do something to defuse the situation before it erupted into violence.

“Mr. Petersen!” His arm loosened at her sudden shout, and she twisted around to face him. “Mr. Petersen, look at me.” She looked into his red-rimmed eyes and endeavored to control the tremor of fear she felt in her body. He was so shocked at her actions that he could do nothingbutlook at her. “Mr. Petersen, what would your wife think if she heard you use such language!”

In complete astonishment that she would speak to him like that, he dropped his hand from her shoulder where it had come to rest after she’d spun around. Annika took a slight step back away from him. “I … uh,” he stuttered.

“She’d be ashamed, wouldn’t she?” Annika insisted.

He looked down at the floor for an instant, shame in his posture. Then he looked back up and over her shoulder. His body stiffened, and his eyes turned angry as he spotted Logan and the others.

“Eyes on me, Mr. Petersen!” Annika shouted, using her best teacher voice. She’d shocked him again. He stared at her, his glassy eyes wide open.

“Here is what is going to happen,” she began sternly. “We are going to call you a cab. You are going to go home and find a picture of your wife. You will then apologize to her for the way you acted tonight,” she ordered, leaving no room for argument.

“Tomorrow, you will allow your daughter to play hooky from school, and you will spend the day with her. A daddy-daughter date. Go ride a carousel. Eat junk food. Walk on the beach. Play in the snow. Go see a movie. Whatever. Just give her the special day she deserves!” She paused, letting her words sink in. “Do you understand?”

He nodded, his greasy hair flopping over his forehead.

“Good. Now go home and take care of the daughter your wife loved more than life itself.”

He nodded again. Graham stepped closer and placed a hand on the grieving man’s shoulder. “There’s an Uber waiting for you outside. Let’s get you home,” he said quietly, walking Petersen out the front door. The rest of the Nighthawks followed in a united front.

When the men all exited the bar, Annika let go of the breath she’d been holding and slumped into the nearest chair. Her new friends crowded around her. The glass of water Jolene handed her trembled with the remnants of adrenaline flowing through her.

“Are you okay?” Natalie asked, her eyes full of concern. Annika nodded.

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