Page 21 of Craving Vengeance
Spinelli stared at his ridiculous reflection in the bathroom mirror. He couldn’t help but wonder how he came to be here; in a church of all places, wearing a white toga. He slipped his arms through the wing straps. He shook his head. He must be crazy.
His mind drifted to thoughts of Shannon. Two months ago, she had him parading around as Santa Claus, and now here he stood, dressed as the god of love, or desire, depending upon whose perspective you’re using. He looked down at the bow and quiver of golden arrows leaning against the wall.Golden arrows. True love. Yeah, right. Maybe I should be a womanizer like Marsh and carry lead arrows for erotic love. Obtaining that is more realistic!He thought that maybe he should pinch himself. Perhaps this was just a nightmare. No such luck. He grabbed the bow and quiver and headed out of the restroom.
The second he stepped out of the bathroom he caught Walker’s amused gaze. If the circumstances were different and they weren’t chasing after a killer, Spinelli was sure Walker would have met him with full-blown laughter.
Sister Pat handed Walker two bouquets of roses, two heart-shaped boxes of candy, and a piece of paper containing the addresses of the additional deliveries they needed to make. She studied Spinelli with a look of amusement in her eyes. “Well, you should be all set. Shannon will be waiting for you.”
Chapter Nine
Walker parked the policecar a few stalls up and on the opposite side of the street from Billy’s BBQ. They waited for Shannon to arrive. She pulled up in her blue Chevy Impala within a few minutes and parked in front of the restaurant.
Spinelli flung his car door open and attempted to slide out, but his wing got tangled up with the seatbelt and jerked him back into the seat. He fumbled with the shoulder strap and wing. “Damn it,” he growled. His patience was shot.
By the time he finally freed himself, Shannon was standing at his side. The look on her face was unmistakable. She was pissed. He supposed she was upset because of how he treated her earlier in the office. A tinge of guilt rippled through him but was quickly pushed aside by hurt and anger as memories of why he treated her poorly in the first place flashed through his mind. The infamous Dr. Joshua Meyers. The now dead Dr. Meyers.
Spinelli met her gaze. The intense look in her eyes pinned him to the car as if he were a humongous magnet. Her nostrils flared. He was glad her hands were full of flowers and candy. He feared she might smack him if they were free. She unclenched her jaw. “What are you doing here, and why are you dressed as cupid?”
“I...I’m here to help you with your deliveries,” Spinelli stammered. She had a way of making him falter when they’d first met, back when he wasn’t on her ‘favorite’ person list, but he thought he’d gotten beyond that. The lead weight on his tongue told him otherwise.
“Why?”
Because your secret lover has been murdered, and you’re a suspect.
“I want to spend some time with you on Valentine’s Day.”
Shannon bent over and looked around Spinelli. Her eyes seemed to soften. “Hi, Brad.”
“Hi, Shannon,” Walker replied from the driver’s seat.
“Work pulled you away from your Valentine’s Day plans as well, I take it?”
Walker nodded. “Well, you know how it is.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sure Jeana understands.”
“You know, Shannon, if you take this ornery cuss off my hands, I might still be able to resurrect some of the evening with Jeana.”
