Page 97 of Delicate Escape

And it meant something to Anson that he’d been a part of restoring it for Rhodes. It also meant something to me that Anson waswilling to split his time between the two projects now. And I knew he was putting in extra hours on both.

I clapped my friend on the shoulder. “Thanks for doing this.”

He glanced over at me. “It’s my job.”

I rolled my eyes. As much as falling in love with Rhodes had changed Anson, some grumpy-assed parts of him remained. One of those was not liking gratitude all that much. He’d just have to deal.

“Your job is eight to four, Monday through Friday. But you get to these two projects early and stay late. And I know you work weekends on the Victorian.”

Anson shifted uncomfortably.

I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing.

“Fuck off,” Anson muttered.

“Can’t even handle a thank-you.” My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I answered it without checking who was calling, too caught up in the ridiculousness that was my friend. “Hello?”

“Shep? It’s Sutton.”

The clear worry in Sutton’s voice had the humor coursing through me vanishing in a flash. “What’s wrong? Is Thea okay?”

“She’s okay,” Sutton said quickly. “But she, um, got a letter. Not a nice one. It came to the bakery but was addressed to her. She’s freaked, Shep.”

“On my way. Don’t move.”

“Okay. I closed up early. No one will bother her.”

“Thanks, Sutton,” I said, but was already moving.

Anson was on my heels. “Talk.”

I moved quickly through the house, shutting the door behind us and locking it quickly. I didn’t worry about the tools or gear we’d left out. All I could think about was Thea.

Fuck.Had Brendan found her?

“Shep,” Anson clipped.

“Sutton said someone sent Thea a letter at the bakery. Said it wasn’tniceand she’s tweaked.”

“Hell,” Anson muttered. “Let’s go.”

I glanced over at him in question.

“I’ll help if I can,” Anson said quietly.

I knew that Anson’s offer was more than a gift. Because it cost him to give it. He’d walked away from profiling because of everything he’d lost and everything it had stolen from him. Dipping back into that world didn’t come without a price now.

“Thank you.” The words were strangled, my throat tight and breathing ragged.

“Come on,” Anson said. “Let’s go get your girl.”

We made the trip into town in record time, and I just prayed that if one of Trace’s deputies caught sight of my truck ignoring the speed limit, they’d give me a pass. My tires squealed as I pulled into a spot in front of The Mix Up.

I was out of my truck in less than a second, stalking toward the front door that now had aClosedsign on it. Sutton saw me through the glass and crossed to the door, unlocking it. But I only had eyes for Thea. She sat at a table, staring down at the surface, but it was like she wasn’t trulyseeing.

I didn’t say a word to Sutton as I passed her, going straight for Thea. I slid a chair next to her, but she didn’t react to the sound or movement. The lack of awareness had my gut tightening.

Everything about this was wrong. Thea was fire and life. Prickly and combative, but only to hide the tenderness beneath. She wasn’t this lifeless person in front of me now.

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