Page 27 of Unexpected Danger
Sure! I thought maybe we could invite Dustin, too.
Londyn was so not going there. Not right now. Not after Dustin’s most recent overtures.
By the time Londyn typed in her response, the woman in front of her was leaving the counter, and it was Londyn's turn to order. She peered up at the menu on the wall, then at the glass cabinet that held the most recently prepared pizzas. Fortunately, they already had thick-crust cheese pizza made, so she was able to take it immediately and not have to wait.
“Can I help you?” the teenage boy at the counter asked. He had such a multitude of fluffy, brown bangs that Londyn was surprised he could see her at all. He reminded her of a sheepdog.
“Yes, I’d like a small thick-crust cheese pizza.”
He flipped his head back, causing the pile of hair to temporarily lift from his face. “Yeah, okay. We have one of those right here.” He reached inside the glass cabinet and removed the pizza.
As she scurried back to her car, juggling the pizza box, she regretted being forced to park a lengthy distance away instead of close by. Just as she was unlocking the door, a firm hand gripped her shoulder. She startled, then froze, her pulse ticking up at least a thousand notches. In the car window, she saw the reflection of a red-haired man in his late thirties.
BJ Nuss.
Chapter 8
She screamed, but it was doubtful anyone would hear it over the constant flow of traffic on the adjacent busy street and a roar of thunder that sounded above. She needed to immobilize him so she could escape. Londyn dropped the pizza and elbowed him as hard as she could in the nose.
A groan met her actions, and Mr. Nuss clutched his face. She stomped on his foot and threw a kick, her toe connecting with his knee. Londyn flung open her SUV door and slid inside, the pizza forgotten.
“Wait! Please. I’m not here to hurt you.” BJ Nuss’s muffled voice caught her off guard.
She slammed the door and locked it. Inserting the key into the ignition, she rolled down the window an inch. “Who are you?” she asked, even though she already knew.
He limped a few steps forward. Two people in a nearby car turned to look.
“My name is BJ Nuss. I just need to talk to you.”
“How did you find me?” Her finger hovered over the emergency button on her phone. Adrenaline crashed through her. She needed to start the car, leave, and drive directly to the police station. And yet, as bizarre and unconventional as it sounded, Londyn also needed answers. She glanced at the glovebox where she kept her gun.
Blood gushed from BJ Nuss’s nose. He swiped at it with his upper arm, leaving a streak of red. He then held up both hands, palms up. “Like I said, I'm not going to hurt you, I just need to talk to you.”
“If it’s about your bill, you can call me during work hours. You don’t sneak up on someone in the parking lot.”
BJ Nuss pumped his palms. “I know. I know. Wrong way of going about it. Just hear me out, okay?”
“How did you know I was here?”
“I was two people ahead of you in line.”
That must have been the time when her attention was focused on Jasmine's text. While she’d only seen Mr. Nuss once in the photo Detective Rivas showed her, shewouldhave recognized him had she been looking up as he passed her.
Londyn craned her neck behind her vehicle. The parking lot not only housed the pizza place, but also a dry cleaner's, salon, Italian restaurant, pharmacy, and a shoe store. There was no way she was leaving anytime soon. Not during rush hour traffic with customers waiting to exit the parking lot. Not when some of them were turning left onto one of the busiest streets in Rowland. Not when the line to exit was a mile long. Not to mention those entering the lot.
“Call me during work hours.”
“It’s not about my bill.” BJ Nuss took a cautious step forward, and she noticed his hunched posture.
“Stay right there,” she warned. Her mouth went dry. This crazy lunatic had already been stalking her. What else wouldhe try? She glanced down at her phone, the emergency button begging her to press it. “How do you know who I am?”
“It's not hard. The company you work for has a website where anyone can see pictures of staff members.”
Londyn inwardly groaned. She should have opted out of an online presence when she had the chance. At the time, she hadn’t thought it would be an issue.
What else did he know about her? Obviously, he knew where she lived, and he somehow knew her phone number. She allowed her gaze to fall to the pizza box on the ground. Half of the pie had slid out onto the asphalt. Not that it mattered. She'd have cereal for dinner if she needed to. What would BJ Nuss have done if she hadn’t fought back? She recoiled at the thought.
She just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. She spoke again through the barely rolled-down window. “We have nothing to discuss. I’m leaving.” Yes, she wanted—no, needed—answers. But she wasn’t willing to jeopardize her life for them.
